By Dave Montalbano

“History shows again and again how nature points up the folly of men.” ‘Godzilla’ by Blue Oyster Cult

People who bingewatched the previous 60 years of Godzilla movies were disappointed in the recent release, but those seeking Popcorneating Saturday matinee entertainment shelled out $93 million in the United States to spend time with the radioactive-breath 350 ft tall giant lizard. The box office performed better than expected and Godzilla 2 has been greenlit.

The plot is very simple; it involves a family dealing with a cosmological crisis of epic proportions. To reveal more would be a disservice to Director Gareth Edwards’ modern vision of ancient mythology. Suffice it to say the tale of Godzilla has been told for many years on cave drawings.

The film is filled with many visual details. Godzilla’s slow reveal (through editing) is recreated from the original Godzilla movie from 1954. The opening credits acknowledge the “Godzilla reboot” from 60 and 16 years ago, respectively. As the primal monster attacks highly populated cities, one recognizes individuals held captive by government bureaucracy. This is good science fiction entertainment because it presents the monster as a metaphor for a given time.

The Love Punch opens tomorrow at area theaters. It is a full out romantic comedy fully realized from beginning to end. Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson are a divorced couple whose retirement nest egg has been stolen by a corporate raider from France. Given that their two children are in college, the couple reunite to reclaim their retirement fortune.

While both characters are suffering from empty nest syndrome, Brosnan’s character is the one who wants to reconcile. As Thompson’s character hatches a heist to reclaim “The Eye of the Rainbow” diamond at a wedding ceremony in a Paris suburb, the couple recruits their best friends (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie – who should get their own caper someday). As the heist becomes more dangerous, the two couples still find time to bicker about their personal picadillos from the past.

The Love Punch is a simple story filled with farcical elements. Writer/director Joel Hopkins sets the tone very early with the prologue before the colorful credits roll. The film is full of energy, but it is not rushed. Each laugh is logically organized with a punch line that pays off each time.

Both Godzilla and The Love Punch provide fine entertainment diversion this Memorial Day weekend for their respective audiences. For those sticking around the house Sunday night, check out the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS. Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna return as co-hosts, with Jackie Evancho singing the National Anthem. Party hearty Memorial Day, but don’t forget to thank a veteran this weekend.

Summer is a time for stepping back from the business of daily schedules and routines; a time for relaxing and rendezvousing with family and friends. But while the hot, hazy days have a way of lulling us into a lazy summer daze, this time of year shouldn’t be all play. If we will choose to be intentional, summer is also the perfect time to reconnect with God and grow spiritually.

The break from the daily grind that this time of year gives us opens the space we sometimes need to refocus our mind and energy on God. You and I can capitalize on summer’s more relaxed atmosphere to make sure we are taking some of the practical steps that will grow faith year-round:

Read Your Bible – Looking for some summer reading? Why not start with the Bible? If you’ve never read much of the Bible, you may be surprised by just how entertaining it is. There’s plenty of drama and intrigue to keep you engaged during your days on the beach. The gospel of Mark is a good place to start. From there, read the rest of the gospels, Proverbs and Paul’s letters to the early church. You’ll find lots to chew on.

Talk to God – The relaxed pace of summer will likely give you more wiggle room in your morning routine. Why not take advantage of this time to start a morning habit of spending a few minutes in prayer. Start your day by thanking God for who He is and all the ways He has blessed your life. Thank Him for all of the good things that are unique to this time of year. Ask Him to draw close to you and direct your summer days.

Spend Time with Other Believers – If church is something that seems to get crowded out of your schedule other times of the year, decide to use the summer to get into the habit of attending regularly. If you do, I bet you won’t want to stop when the fall rolls around. That weekly hour of worship will become something you look forward to.

Don’t spend your summer days in a summer daze. Just like every year, the next three months of fun and sun will be here and then over before you know it. You can choose to drift through these days and get to the fall in no better spiritual condition than you are now, or you can choose to be intentional about using the summer to grow your relationship with God; to do a few simple things that will ensure you are enjoying deeper fellowship with Him when the weather begins to cool down and new routines begin to ramp up.

Let me invite you to start a summer of spiritual growth by attending The Journey’s kick off of God On Film happens June 1. In this engaging series, we’ll be discovering the hidden meaning behind some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Every first-time guest who attends on June 1 will receive a FREE Cinemark movie ticket. Plus, you’ll receive my latest devotional book, Unshakable. More great summer reading! Hope to see you there!

Nelson Searcy is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton. The 2.5-year-old church meets at Boca Raton Community High School (I-95 and Glades Rd.) each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. For more, visit www.bocajourney.com. Searcy is the author of 11 books and served for 10 years as a pastor in New York City before moving to South Florida. Each person who visits The Journey Church this summer will receive a FREE copy of his latest book Unshakable: Standing Strong When Things Go Wrong, on which this article is based.

By Gary Curreri

Three was the lucky number for the Pompano Beach Bengals girls track team at the Broward County Middle School Track and Field meet recently at South Plantation High School.

Three members of the girls track team won their respective events and helped the Bengals take third in the meet with 48 points. Lauderdale Lakes was first with 73 points, while William Dandy was second with 66 points. The Pompano Middle School boys also took third in the meet with 27 points. Lauderdale Lakes (70.50) and William Dandy (49) were first and second, respectively, as well.

Carshaylah Harrison (high jump) and sisters Dominique Spann (1,600-meter run) and Daishon Spann (800-meter run) each won their events to pace the team.

Harrison, 14, of Pompano Beach, successfully defended her title in the high jump with a personal best jump of 5-ft.

“I’ve been doing track since the first grade,” Harrison said. “I like that you have to be dedicated. It’s a fun sport and you make a lot of friends. Fivefeet was my goal coming into the meet and clearing it gives me confidence. Even though I didn’t win the 400, I am still happy with what I got.

Dominique Spann, 11, a sixth grader at the school, won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:41.85. Her older sister, Daishon, a seventh grader, repeated in winning the 800- meter run with a personal best time of 2:20.80.

“It is important to carry on the family tradition,” said Dominique, who is the third youngest of six siblings. She laughed when she said they take her phone away from her when she doesn’t run well. “I have a lot of pressure on me. I just have to try my hardest and get a better time.”

Daishon Spann said it was important to repeat the 800- meter champion.

“I had to show people that it wasn’t just luck,” said Daishon Spann, who trimmed five seconds off her personalbest time this year of 2:25.33 with a 2:20.80. “I have a good rivalry with my siblings. It’s good. We go back and forth with, ‘I can beat you.’ We support each other a lot. It was good to know that I sort of had an impact on (Dominique) winning and, when she won, it gave me motivation to win because I knew she would give it back to me at home.”

Pompano Beach Middle’s girls also had Takiyah Johnson (400-meter dash, 4th and 200- meter dash, 8th), Harrison (400-meter dash, 5th) and Dominique Spann (discus, 4th) make the finals.

Pompano’s girls’ relays teams took second in the 4×400-meter relay and seventh in the 4×100-meter relay. Pompano’s boys were led by Marquis Williams (100- meter dash, 4th), Giovanni Campbell (200-meter dash, 4th), Allen Escuage (800- meter run, 2nd), Rayan Miller (1,600-meter run, 6th) reach the finals.

Pompano’s boys’ relays teams took second in the 4×200-meter relay; fifth in the 4×100-meter relay and eighth in the 4×400-meter relay.

TEJADA NAMED ALL-STATE

Blanche Ely point guard Lance Tejada II was recently named first-team all-state in Class 7A by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) and Source Hoops.

Tejada, who was a starter on Ely’s 2012-13 state championship team, averaged 23.3 points per game as a senior, which was nearly double his scoring average from his junior season. Tejada, who signed with East Carolina, also averaged five assists and three rebounds in leading the Tigers to the regional semifinals.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Nineteen years ago this month, when I was a Social Studies teacher at Loggers’ Run Community Middle School, my 6th grade students helped me produce A Tribute to the Men & Women of the World War II Generation. Besides listening to Big Band music, hearing a patriotic chorus with some goofy Three Stooges like stagehands, the assembly also had some serious moments. Tammy Greenberg read a letter written by Erika Hubert, who talked about her German childhood during World War II. Andrea Rajier read a letter written by her German grandmother who fled to Argentina during the rise of Adolph Hitler. Tammy and Andrea’s no nonsense performance brought tears to the eyes of cynical 6th Graders and several weary Middle School teachers.

As a journalist and information scientist, it pains me to see how important lessons of history are being forgotten by this new generation raised on video games and tablets, as if any news story three months old is considered ancient history. This is why a movie like The German Doctor is still being produced in these days of raunchy low budget comedies. This film was Argentine’s representative for best foreign film for the 2013 Oscar season.

It opens with a title sequence similar to a Guillermo Del Toro’s monster show … notebooks filled with sketches of human anatomy with charts and graphs written in German. It is as if we are reading The Secrets of Life written by Henry Frankenstein from those Universal monster movies from 80 years ago. We learn that these are the notebooks of Josef Mengele (Alex Brendemuhl), the notorious Nazi war criminal who specialized in genetic research using Jewish citizens as unwilling subjects.

Mengele befriends an Argentinean family and the secret Nazi becomes a fixture in the community. After doing a few good deeds and earning the trust of the family, Menegele is able to convince them to try his “harmless” serum that will prevent genetic defects. As the serum causes side effects, Menegele and his assistant accurately record and write about their scientific experiment.

Unlike Gregory Peck’s over-the-top performance as the hyperactive Menegele in The Boys from Brazil, Brenedmuhl is a silent, but charismatic predator. He has a good bedside manner with his patients, especially children. The true Menegele is revealed as he cold bloodedly writes about the genetic mutations he is causing with his “harmless” science experiments. Written and directed by Lucia Puenzo, this Spanish language film with English subtitles, features gorgeous cinematography with a dark story and noir characters.

As I write this, it is May 12, 2014, which marks the 40 year anniversary that my parents and I moved into Palm Aire at Coral Key in Lighthouse Point. While unpacking my stuff, the movie playing in the background was The Jugglar, one of the first movies to deal with post traumatic stress syndrome for Holocaust survivors. John Banner (Hogan’s Heroes Sgt. Schultz) and Kirk Douglas starred, who also produced this movie. Besides being the birthday of Florence Nightingale, Katharine Hepburn, Malin Akerman and Emily VanCamp, May 12 also marked my Mom’s 90th birthday.

By Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

In ancient days during the Yom Kippur Service, the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest would have a moment when he would hold up a scarlet red thread. This red thread represented the sins of the people and when the thread was held up, it would be a way of expressing that the sins of the people were forgiven and that they were as white as snow.

But why would red represent sin? Many of us can remember the story of the Scarlett Letter, where a woman convicted of adultery had to wear a bright red scarlet letter “A” on her chest. I have often wondered why that would be her punishment. After all, wouldn’t that have made many of the menfolk back in her day stare at her chest and wouldn’t that tend to lead them to lust? We talk about the color red for anger as we have the expression, “I was so mad, I was seeing red.”

In “The Color Song”, written by Patricia Shih, we learn that red is “The color of the climbing rose and tomatoes.” We learn that red is “The color of chickenpox and a bloody nose and angry words.” And, while it’s not in the song, red can also be the color of a delicious apple and, if you read the story of Adam and Eve in most English versions of the Bible, then you have been taught to associate red with sin via an apple.

And yet, red is also the color that we see on a stoplight or on a stop sign. Now, it’s no secret that many people behind the wheel of a car down here in Sunny South Florida don’t observe the rules of the road and they fail to stop at a red light, I think the idea of the color red being used as a sign that we should stop is a wonderful thing.

Red also happens to be the color we turn when we feel embarrassed. I have long been a fan of watching shows along the ilk of Judge Judy and I have noticed something. Next time you watch, check it out. You see, people don’t just get red with anger. When someone listens closely to the judge and is scolded for what they failed to realize they had done wrong, some turn red, not in anger, but red with embarrassment.

Okay, maybe not many, but some. And let me tell you something, those who turn red with embarrassment realize that they have done wrong, they are the ones who have a good chance of stopping themselves before making the same mistake again. But those who don’t turn red, well, sadly, there is a good likelihood that they will never admit their mistakes and, therefore, they will see no reason to stop themselves from doing the very same thing in the future.

So look around at all the beautiful colors that G-d has put on this earth and the next time you see the color red, let it remind you to stop and think before you do something that will cause you embarrassment.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While the numbers are not as strong as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opened with an impressive $91 million box office last weekend. Not part of the Avengers canon, this series of Spider-Man movies is seeking to develop its own comics mythology for Sony’s Columbia pictures. FYI: The post title sequence features an action sequence from the soon-to-be-released X-Men: Days of Future Past from 20th Century Fox.

For the 5th Spider-Man movie in 14 years, the audience is finally able to see a movie in which Uncle Ben does not die. However, grief is an overall theme that hangs over The Amazing Spider- Man 2. Peter Parker, alias Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield), and his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) graduate from High School. Peter is late to his own graduation because he is battling the Rhino (Paul Giamatti), a pesky Soviet villain.

While Gwen, the school’s valedictorian with a steady job at Oscorp, is entertaining offers to attend a special program in Oxford, Peter is conflicted. He adores Gwen, but has promised her dearly-departed dad (Denis Leary) to stay away from her and, being Spider-Man, he is obliged to stop crime in New York City. Meanwhile, Peter tries to uncover a conspiracy of events involving his parents, who left him at a young age.

Being Part 2 of a projected 4-part series, this movie throws a lot of dialogue and teen angst at the viewer. Occasionally, Spider-Man battles Electro (Jamie Foxx) [and another surprise villain] to break up the exposition tedium, but these nighttime battles lack the clarity of vision. A much-anticipated climax from the comic book series is presented; but, instead of being emotional, the scene feels manipulated and mechanical.

The film does have some moments of luster, in particular when “Spidey” remembers that he is a role model. Before confronting a villain with his web-slinging, Spider- Man takes the time to talk the bad guy out of making bad choices. The film also redeems itself in its final moments when a miniature Spidey-clone attempts to confront a scary villain without Peter Parker’s help.

John Turturro’s directorial debut opens tomorrow, Fading Gigolo, co-starring Woody Allen, Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara. Unlike his previous creepy on-screen personas, Turturro portrays a nice guy with a touch of Cinderella. This comedy from New York has garnered good word-of-mouth.

As Disneyworld completes its recent expansion of New Fantasyland, plans are underway for a larger expansion of Animal Kingdom.

Groundbreaking occurred last January for James Cameron’s Avatar inspired park. As Cameron prepares to create his next three movies, one can see the original Avatar with additional footage at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science IMAX theater. (See more about Disney on Pg. 10).

Make a good Mother’s Day choice this weekend!

You know how you feel after a big awesome meal? That’s right, you feel like doing nothing because you are so full that all you want to do is sit and rest. Sometimes, in the same way, around Easter, we try to fill up on God so we have enough to last until Christmas. We try to squeeze it all in over one weekend and leave full and sleepy.

Hebrews 6:10

10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

NLT

God will not forget about you, so I would encourage you not to forget about Him. Easter just passed and we tend to think more about God during this holiday than we may at other holidays. We think about what God and His son Jesus did for us and it makes us feel good and we even get excited as we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Maybe you do not know God the way you would like to or maybe you do not understand some things about God, religion or Christians in general. I would encourage you to continue to get to know God a little better this year. I know that sometimes, after a holiday or a big event, we just want to sit down, rest, and take a nap because it is over and we want to get ready for whatever is coming next. Do not get tired or weary in getting to church or even spending a little time with God every day. You can make an effort to continue to go to church and that will give you a great opportunity to get to know God a little better. You may even find out things about God that you did not know before. You can also take a few minutes each day and just talk to God. Just start to have conversations with God and you will be amazed at what you start talking to Him about. It all starts with one church service or with one minute spent talking to God. I think the key word here would be to start. You cannot walk a mile without taking the first step.

Galatians 6:9

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

NLT

Do not be satisfied with a little bit of God here and there. God is not a magic eight ball that we take out only when we need it and shake it and ask it questions about our lives. God wants to have a relationship with us. My wife loves me, but if I only talked to her when there was an emergency or crisis, then my relationship with her would deteriorate and be ruined. Since God loves us, then we need to communicate with Him so our relationship grows and gets better. Do not get tired of God or church; make an effort to get to know Him more this year.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL, 33441.www.CLFministries.org

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach’s Jackson McKenna’s life was nearly over before it started. At 5- months old, he was diagnosed with biliary (tract) ectasia and needed a life-saving liver transplant.

“He got his liver on Feb. 17, 2001 and he’s been healthy ever since, and, every two years, he competes in the Transplant Games of America,” said McKenna’s father, Brian. “It is Olympic style events for any person who has received an organ transplant. This summer, it is being held in Texas.”

McKenna, 13, who has competed in the Transplant Games of America since 2002, said it is fun meeting other athletes from around the country. He has also been quite successful. Two years ago, he competed in Michigan and won six gold medals – in biking, relay race, basketball, softball throw, long jump and the 100-meter dash.

“It’s pretty amazing to be where I am,” said McKenna, a Deerfield Beach Middle School seventh grader. He has played in the Deerfield Beach Little League since he was 6 and is currently a member of the Indians’ 50/70 team. “I’m not allowed to play contact sports now. I would like to someday compete against (able-bodied) athletes.”

The Transplant Games of America include track and field, swimming, table tennis, cycling, long jump and the softball throw.

McKenna takes medications daily and goes for blood work every three months. He competes against athletes in his own (13-15 year-old) age group this year.

Brian McKenna said they did blood matches and he was a match for his son.

“If they did not find a donor where he could receive a transplant, I would have been able to donate a partial liver to him,” Brian said. “We were fortunate enough to find a partial donor.”

Team Florida typically has between 40 and 50 athletes from throughout the state. There is a South Florida chapter.

“It’s really cool to meet other people every two years,” said McKenna, who is part of Team Florida and has met others from around the state who also compete. He enjoys going to different places and meeting everybody. So far, he has competed in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Orlando, Minnesota, Kentucky and Pittsburgh in the Transplant Games.

McKenna has also fared well on the baseball diamond as they finished second in the Major Division last year after winning the District 10 title two years ago in the Majors Division.

He’s won a couple of dozen medals and said his last trip to the National Games netted his biggest cache of medals.

“Winning a gold medal is better than winning a baseball title,” said McKenna, who was the youngest participant in his first Transplant Games in Orlando in 2002 at 18 months as he competed in the softball throw. “It is really cool and I am very proud of my accomplishments because I can help other people by raising awareness.”

The Transplant Games showcase the success of transplantation and call attention to the life saving importance of organ donation, and honors organ donors and their families.

“We are so thankful each and every day for the gift of life that our son was given,” said Jackson’s mother, Jina McKenna. “Our donor and donor family are always in our hearts.”

If anyone is interested in making donations to Team Florida and Jackson for the 2014 Games, they can make a tax-deductible donation to: Tiger Transplant Fund, 934 N. University Dr., #251, Coral Springs, FL, 33071. In the memo section of the check, please write “Games/Jackson McKenna.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Having opened at the 2013 Palm Beach International Film Festival, Decoding Annie Parker will be opening nationally tomorrow. In the year since its first public exposure, the reputation of Decoding Annie Parker has grown, given the subject matter and a blossoming supporting cast of actors – Aaron Paul, Marley Shelton and Alice Eve.

Having witnessed her mother and sister fade away from cancer, Annie Parker (Samantha Morton) basically lives in the moment and tends to her family. While performing a routine breast examination, Annie discovers a lump on her breast. Annie laughs at her apparent death sentence.

In spite of radiation, chemotherapy and being told that her cancer is in remission, Annie confronts this devious disease. Enter Dr. Mary- Claire King (Helen Hunt), a research doctor who believes that there is a link between cancer and family genetics. Though it takes decades to meet, both Dr. King and Annie Parker develop a unique relationship via letter writing.

Based on a true story, Decoding Annie Parker is a textbook story about the medical profession battling a dreaded illness. Yet Samantha Morton’s performance raises the film above an episode of Grey’s Anatomy disease of the week plotting. Having met the real Annie Parker last year at PBIFF 2013, one sees that a positive attitude is powerful medicine.

For Joe, Nicholas Cage is getting his best performance reviews since World Trade Center. Cage is truly invested in this character, a supervisor who specializes in the killing of trees in the swamplands. Enter Gary (Tye Sheridan), a 15-year-old who seeks employment with Joe’s crew. Gary admits to suffering from domestic difficulties, Joe agrees to hire Gary’s father, Wade aka G-Dawg (Gary Poulter), figuring that hard work cures most problems.

Wade G-Dawg is pure white trash from the neighborhood of Bob Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird and Jonas Wilkerson from Gone with the Wind. Joe is forced to fire the father, who takes it out on his son. Despite his own violent past, Joe becomes increasingly involved with Gary’s plight.

To add authenticity to his story, Director David Gordon Green hired Texas locals. Poulter was a homeless man who was given a job. As the title role, Cage deserves his kudos for playing an explosive character with restraint. Yet Joe will be haunted by Poulter’s realistic performance as “Daddy Dearest.” After production closed, Poulter returned to the streets and died before Joe was released.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

I know that I am not the only person in the world who has experienced a major house-move. I daresay that anyone reading this has or has been close to someone who has been through this “agony and ecstasy.” Why then do I feel that it is only happening to me ?

Okay, so we all go through the usual nostalgia – especially when it comes to pictures. The “kids’” baby pictures – from over 50 years ago, the celebrations and trips, and just-because-s. No selfies then. And the — OMG – Who is THAT person? She doesn’t even LOOK familiar. Why is she in so many pictures?

The wonderful thing about pictures is we never take any during our angst periods, when misery and frustrations, and anger and disappointment, take over. To look at them, one would think that life is full of “say cheese” and resulting smiles.

Of course, there are the genius examples of artwork they drew and stories they wrote, and key rings they made … to say nothing of the useless presents from all sorts of folks once bestowed with love and warmth – the ones you felt obliged to keep; and NOW how happy you are to dump them, or better, “regift” them.

But here’s what might be somewhat unique. All my life – including pre-marriage – I have saved newspaper and some magazine stories and headlines of milestone historical events. Well – not ALL of them – many! But, stupid me, I was so careless about storage. I kind of dumped them into a box in my garage and, over the years, of course, they have yellowed and withered and crinkled etc. However, there were enough that were legible and in sufficiently good condition for me to have constructed a mini history lesson in headlines — for my grandkids. Visualize: me sitting on a small stool in my garage surrounded by empty boxes and newspaper headlines: Roosevelt Elected For Fourth Term, Hitler Takes Poland, Roosevelt Dies, Truman Takes Oath, Germany Surrenders, Atomic Bomb Dropped on Japan, Japan Surrenders, Dewey Wins, (oops, mistake!), Troops To Korea, One Small Step For Man … Marley and, then, a hiatus as I was concentrating on parenting and discovering Elvis Presley and Rock and Roll Music, until: JFK Dead, Johnson Takes Office, Troops In Vietnam, MLK Assassinated, RFK Assassinated, Civil Rights Bill Passed, Watergate Break in, Nixon Resigns, Reagan Takes Office: Iran Hostages Released, Hussein Invades Kuwait, US Troops In Iraq, Clinton Elected, Blue Dress Evidence, Clinton Impeached, Clinton Acquitted, It’s The Millennium, Florida Recount, Supreme Court Declares Bush President, ATTACKED!!, Troops to Afghanistan, Hussein’s Weapons of Mass Destruction, US Invades Iraq, Largest Drop In Market Since Depression, Housing Bubble Bursts, Hillary Drops Out of Primary, Obama Elected In Historical Win, Affordable Care Act Passed, iPhone Unveiled, Oregon Recognizes Same Sex Marriage, Recreational Marijuana Legal In Washington and Colorado –

I stopped saving headlines after that. And I’ll never save them again: headlines or elephants, or matchbooks or stuffed animals, or letters. I did all that. I have switched to “minimalism.” My next move will be easy.