Crumpled Notebook

Okay, I’m going to admit something a little embarrassing. Embarrassing only because it’s not “cool” for a grown-up to be all up on this stuff, but oh well.

So I’ve been kind of following this Britney Spears stuff. I made the mistake of going to TMZ website one day and have been addicted since. But addicted in a bad way. Like, initially, it let to random rants of how there are no “real” journalist anymore and that someone, some media agency that matters, needs to recognize that and start putting ethics down. Stop paying tons of money for Britney Spears or Brad Pitt photos and maybe, just maybe people will leave them alone, at least more than they do now. Anyway, that’s a rant for another day. We’re talking about Britney here.

So, I’m all enthralled in what is going on. Not because I’m a fan but because it’s just so sad to me. Like, here is this girl, who we’ve all seen grow up, make some good choices, and some bad ones, who is crying out for help, and yet, for whatever reason, it’s not there. Sure, she probably doesn’t want it, but it’s almost like a wake-up call for our country. Here is someone who can have anything she wants, and the people close to her, that love here, still can’t get her the help she needs. It just emphasizes that it’s never easy in those situations…even if you are Britney Spears, or Britney’s family.

But alas, here’s what I wanted to share mostly. Tuesday night I was sitting here. Not doing anything in particular, and I started thinking about all this drama. I immediately check out to see what is going on at that particular hour in her life (cause TMZ has it all very documented) because I just feel this urge to. It wasn’t anything spectacular, at least for her. But afterwards I felt this immediate sense of urgency to pray for her. So I did. I felt a little weird praying for this celebrity. After all, who am I to her? But I did it anyway. I prayed for just a Godly intervention to get her the help she needs.

So anyway, apparently she was taken to the hospital again last night. Voluntarily from what I read. Not to say that it wasn’t coming, but it made me feel better at least. It made me feel like just maybe, my crazy sense of urgency to pray for this person may have made a difference. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one though.

Maybe there is something bigger here we don’t see. I mean, last week, when you read about the big “celebrity death”…you were probably thinking Britney, or Amy Winehouse, right? I know I certainly was. “Hollywood mourns Ledger’s death” didn’t quiet click with me first. My first thought was,”whoa, didn’t see that one coming.” Not to say people shouldn’t have. But I don’t know all that much about that one, since following this celebrity stuff is not something I normally do.

I just think instead of waiting on Britney to die and that “pre-written AP obit“, we should just be praying for her. Or, if you don’t pray, then sending happy thoughts her way. Seriously, this is re-motivated me for my rant on ethics in journalism.

More pictures here:

Mt. Crags

And here:

Los Angeles

As of Day One:

10. Wet sleeping bag from 2 days of camping in the rain before getting there.

9. Mapquest and Google gives 2 different locations for the same address.

8. Some took my room assignment.

7. My new roommate has 2 large suitcases, 2 large carry-on bags, a purse, portable DVD player and Batman slippers.

6. 40 Women…4 Bathrooms. ‘Nuff said.

5. Bathroom stall has a wet plunger in it.

4. Narrow roads to camp…….full of Mini-Vans and 15 passenger vans.

3. Forced to sway to the Florida Gators fight song.

2. No internet access and spotty cell phone coverage.

1. See Below

I know, I promised pictures and stuff last night, but I was tired. So tonight, I will put something up. Maybe not everything, all my pics or whatever, but I’ll get some pictures up and at least one blog post, so back. I know I’ll get it done tonight because tonight is Monday, and Monday is my night off per se from any work or church obligations.

Here’s what you have to look forward to.

Camping in the rain in Malibu
My trip into LA
Getting flooded into camp
My top 10 reasons that I shouldn’t have went to camp (as of day 1)
Did I mentioned it rained?
A lot.
Like, really a lot.
If anyone tells you it doesn’t rain in Southern California…they’re liars.
6 days straight.
Oh, and I’ll prob write about Boot Camp (my conference) which was actually very good and somehow made all the rain worth it.
Turns out Kentucky won a game to two as well.

So, more tonight. Speaking of obligations…I should get ready for work.

Yes. Of course the end of the rainbow is in Malibu. Where else?

Malibu Camping

By the way, I plan to have up some blog entries and pics from my LA trip and Boot Camp (youth worker conference). I’ll work on those tonight, so we’ll see.