I’ve been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture. The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking, and I want to do anything I can to help. I would never be able to make a gesture like this without the love and support of all the fans over all these years.

Gwen Stefani isn’t the only celeb that has been generous – Sandra Bullock also donated $1 million to the Red Cross to help their efforts in Japan.

You know who didn’t donate a million dollars? Demi Lovato. There was a rumour that she had but it turned out to be false.

Stacey: Just another reason as to why Gwen is so awesome. 

(pic: Socialite Life)

Like any mom who has a cause and a kid with money, Mrs Black asked Jack to step in and do the right thing and Jack Black gave the band $10,000 so they could go on their trip. Jack will also be headed down to take in the performance and take the kids out for dinner.

Stacey: One of the many reasons I love Jack Black.

PS. This picture is hysterical.

(pic: DaddyTypes.com)

A great video bringing awareness to the inequality between men and women – and it features Daniel Craig in drag!

I’m not so sure about this. I’d probably pay more to keep these people off Facebook and Twitter. But if you’d like to keep your favourite celebrities’ digital life alive just find their Facebook and Twitter pages and get the info to donate under their fame.

If you’d like to donate but not have it associated to a particular celebrity, just go here.

Stacey: I think this is weird. 

On the 3rd, T.I. and his wife “Tiny” hosted an awareness luncheon for their foundation “For the Love of Our Fathers” which raised money for Alzheimer’s disease which is something both of their fathers suffer(ed?) from.

Then just yesterday T.I. stopped a man from killing himself. From the AP:

Police got unexpected help talking a suicidal man down from an Atlanta skyscraper when rapper T.I. showed up.

Officer James Polite says the hip-hop star joined the crowd outside the 22-story building Wednesday and told officers he wanted to help. Police said the man agreed to come down in exchange for a few minutes face-to-face with T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris.

T.I.’s publicist says the Atlanta native heard about the situation on the radio and drove to the building to help.

Wow. I didn’t expect T.I. (the person who made me look up “Purple Drank” aka “Sizzurp” to learn that it’s incredibly popular in the South to mix cough syrup, Mountain Dew and Jolly Ranchers) to actually be a good role model. Curing Alzheimer’s and talking down suicide jumpers is pretty impressive to me. Maybe if Lindsay Lohan cures cancer she can turn her reputation around too.

Stacey: I saw a “Behind the Music” on T.I. a little while ago that made me really like him.  While he does do stupid things like drinking Sizzurp and driving, he also does a lot of great things too.  If there were any rapper out there I would feel ok with my kids looking up to, it would be T.I. 

Did you know that he asked that part of his probation before he went to jail be spent tour schools talking to students about the dangers of “thug life”.  He requested it.  I thought that was pretty cool.

(pic: The Superficial)

The chairman of the Kennedy Center sang her praises:

Like Mark Twain, Tina Fey offers her brilliance unconditionally,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein “Throughout her career, she’s earned legions of fans for her quick, unapologetic wit and social commentary.”

The co-executive producer explains a little more about why they chose Tina as the recipient for 2010:

“She’s politically conscious, she’s a writer, she’s a filmmaker, she’s a producer, she’s a performer,” Mark Krantz, co-executive producer of the Twain salute, said. “Her body of work is as inclusive and far-reaching as anyone else’s, and she’s just funny.”

“kind of broke the ceiling for many, many women in comedy”

Cool! Tina Fey has certainly contributed a LOT to entertainment over the last decade or so and most of her stuff is truly great. Keep it up Tina!

(Story pretty much taken directly from I’m Not Obsessed, photo: ChicagoNow.com)

After investing 15 years and millions of his own money in new oil-separation technology, Costner hopes to help clean the oil from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico at a faster and more successful rate than ever before.

Moved by the catastrophic Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, the Oscar winner and ardent fisherman bought new centrifugal oil separators from the government in 1995, investing $24 million to develop the vacuum-like machines for the private sector.

Fifteen years later, BP has approved six of the machines for testing in the gulf, where they will extract the spilled oil, send it back to a tanker and pump 99 percent purified water back into the ocean.

Kevin Costner (Septner), you rock. Thanks for taking the initiative on this one when so many people are just sitting around pointing fingers.

Stacey: My mom will love this story.  Kevin Costner is her Hollywood boyfriend.

(Source: AOL News, pic: Socialite Life)

(Pic: images.dailyradar.com)

I am not sure if you guys remember this but in July of 2009 Adam Yauch (aka MCA) of the Beastie Boys announced that he had cancer.  Haven’t heard much from him since then but my hubby is on the boys mailing list and received this awesome email yesterday:

hello,

wanted to send this out to you guys in case you were into  it, or wanted to give it to anyone who you think might be.

a few friends and i are meditating at the same time twice a day. 9:30am and 6:30pm eastern standard time, for about an hour and half.

we are picturing smashing apart all of the cancer cells in the world.

we are visualizing taking the energy away from the cancer, and then sending it back at the cancer as lightening bolts that will break apart the DNA and RNA of the cells. if you have the time, please join us in whipping up this lightening storm.  mind over matter……

if you prefer to sit then sit, but if you are not used to meditating, or sitting quietly doesn’t sound like fun, put on some music and dance while you do the visualization, and if you want to do it at some other time, or picture curing some other illness that’s fine too. yoko will be joining the meditation by visualizing all of us dancing with joy to celebrate the world without cancer. all variations are welcome. this is really just being done with a wish for all beings to be cured of all illnesses and to find true lasting happiness.

i’ll also be saying prayers for the earthquake victims in tibet, so join in on that if you can too.

please feel free to pass this onto anyone who you think may find it interesting.

with all my love,

adam yauch

Love it.  Thought I would share.

Tanya: Very cool. I’m usually sitting at a desk zoned out and staring at a wall at both of those times anyway (7:30am & 4:30pm MST) so why not visualize the destruction of cancer while I’m at it?

Stacey: Awesome for her humanitarian work.  However, is it a fashion faux pas to wear a red dress on a red carpet?

(pic: JustJared)

“Dear Mr. Skinner, I was shocked to learn from my friends at PETA that McDonald’s, a company that claims to be an industry leader in animal welfare, still allows its suppliers to use an outdated chicken slaughter method that results in broken wings and legs and causes birds to be scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

“Many of McDonald’s suppliers in Europe already use a much more humane slaughter method that eliminates the worst cruelty. What’s your excuse?

“Because no federal laws govern the treatment of chickens during slaughter, the responsibility lies in your company’s hands to create and maintain a high standard of animal welfare. I hope you will agree that the time has come for McDonald’s to truly take action to reduce the suffering of chickens killed for its restaurants. I look forward to hearing your decision. Thank you. Sincerely, Ryan Gosling.”

Ryan wrote a similar letter to KFC in Canada 2 years ago and according to JustJared“just days later, the company that coordinates the purchase of chicken for all Canadian KFCs agreed to phase in the purchase of 100 percent of chicken from suppliers that use these methods”.

I’m not a vegetarian, but knowing what I do about animal processing facilities makes me want to be one. Just the thought of what we feed the animals we’re about to eat, the filth they live in and the things we do to them really disgusts me. I’m hoping McDonalds listens to him so I can eat my Nuggets and no longer feel shame and repulsion.

Fact: McDonald’s is the USA’s second largest purchaser of chicken (next to KFC).

Stacey: I am a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this.  I was a vegetarian for like 9 years because I have a hard time with the idea of eating an animal.  However, I also think that animals are delicious. 

And I am 100% for the ethical treatment of animals.  Even if they are just being produced to be eaten, I think they should be treated humanely.  But I loves me some McChicken sammiches.  So, iff they could come to me with out the chickens being tortured, that would be great.  Thanks for spear heading this mission Ryan