This was a busy week for Idol. Three group songs for the contestants, two venues for the director, countless celebrities for the agents and enough video clips to keep the editors busy for months. At home on the couch, I felt exhausted.

During the season I can't recall ever not sleeping well. I was so tired at the end of each day -- and we didn't have all the gimmickry of today's Idol. These guys must be going out of their minds.

We're halfway through American Idol's self-proclaimed "historic" charity event. Last night, News Corp donated 10 cents for every call received (up to 50 million calls).

Tonight, a bunch of celebrities (including Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, and a mystery duet) will take to the stage to entertain America and raise even more money and awareness.

And before one of the Idol finalists gets booted, the kids will perform a special anthem -- "American Prayer" -- written by Bono and Dave Stewart about the AIDS emergency in Africa.

Disguise it however you want. Call it "giving back" and dress Simon up in a white shirt -- it's still a telethon. But, there's no shame in telethons.

I lived abroad for a couple of years and had the opportunity to get to know extremely needy people from many different countries. I remember one from Nigeria who was one of two survivors in a party of 20 that hiked across the Sahara desert and crossed the Straight of Gibraltar to live a better life in Spain. That meant picking melons in the field and living on dirt floors in a house with a bunch of other families -- and he was the lucky one.

(S06E32) Ryan starts off the night by declaring that tonight's calls, "will not only save your favorite contestants -- they will also save lives."

THIS. IS. IDOL. GIVES. BACK.

Before the show begins, we're told it's LIVE, even though it isn't. It was taped Monday night. Just so you know.

Then Ryan explains how the fundraising will work. News Corp will donate 10 cents for each call received tonight (up to 50 million calls) for a total of $5 million dollars. Wait, is this the same $5 million dollars they pledged earlier or an additional $5 million?

Also, Ford, Coca-Cola, and AT&T get their first thanks of the night. They will be thanked a couple more times before the hour is over.

BECAUSE. THIS. IS. IDOL. GIVES. BACK.

Well, Yippee. Just when I thought we were half way through the season, and my job would be getting slightly easier (Yay for half hour results shows!) the Idol producers decide to see just how much they can push their baby, by adding even more one-hour shows to the schedule.

The producers claim that they are making the switch to one-hour results shows a month earlier than expected because there hasn't even been enough time for the booted singers to perform their farewell songs on air during the crammed 30-minute editions.

American Idol probably won't be holding a songwriting contest this year. Executive producer Ken Warwick recently told TV Week that the competition has been put on the back burner for the moment, because the launch of the Idol Gives Back charity has apparently made things a bit too hectic.

Last August, producers announced that a contest would be held to select an original song for the sixth season finalists to perform. This contest would have given one very talented and lucky songwriter the chance to have his or her tune heard by millions of Idol's fans.

Now it looks like struggling songwriters are going to have to put their American Idol dreams on hold, at least for this year. It's too bad, really. I guess now we can expect the same old bland and generic first single from this season's Idol winner.

(S06E23) So, 30 million votes were cast last night. And here's what we're told:

• Phil, Melinda, and Blake ARE NOT the bottom three.
• Chris S, LaKisha, Jordin ARE also NOT in the bottom three.
• Sanjaya, Haley, Gina? Nope, NOT the bottom three.

Which only means one thing:

• Chris R and Stephanie ARE the bottom two.

It also means that Sanjaya IS in the Top 10 and will join the Idols on tour. Is this a victory for Vote for the Worst and Howard Stern? Or is it really a victory for the Idol producers who can now count on Sanjaya's teenybopper fans shelling out loads of cash to see him live and in concert?