I think I have finally figured out how the brain stores information.
This came to me after watching a good movie that I am sure we saw about three months ago. In spite of that, the plot seemed new to me though there were a few times there was a glimmer of something familiar.
This is how I think this must work.
The brain has different places it stores different types of things. There probably is a very large section reserved for storing important things such as your home address and how to get there from the library even though you only went their once a long time ago. Or things like remembering to look carefully before backing the car out of the garage so you won’t run over the neighbor’s cat and need to hear the screeching and then have to clean up the mess that’s left.
Then there would need to be a smaller section reserved for remembering important things for a short time so that questions such as, “How much did the toilet paper cost?” Ordinarily these need to be recalled for a day or maybe two at the most. After that, who cares?
Then there is the section for storing things like movie plots, jokes, and the names of the people you met at your niece’s wedding. I see this as something like a file drawer, except it has no back. As things get stored in the front, other stuff gets moved toward the back. Eventually it falls out the back and is gone. In this drawer, eventually everything falls out the back and is gone forever and this is probably a good thing.
It also seems that, for some reason I do not yet understand, this particular drawer gets shorter as it gets older. There probably is some percentage formula involved. It might be something like for every ten years the length of the drawer is reduced by ten percent. This makes sense, because doing it by a percentage of what is left will mean that it never is completely gone, though over the years it gets to be pretty darned small.
Before it falls out the back of the drawer, the movie is called
Something’s Gotta Give starring Jack Nicholson and Dianne Keaton. It was produced in 2003.
8/30/2004
8/10/2004
HAVE I BEEN HAD AGAIN?
I've had a heavy beard since Junior High School. For many years I've also been on an unsuccessful search to find the perfect shaving instrument. Currently I own two electric razors and one Gillette MACH3, whatever than means. None of these meet my criteria for a perfect shaving instrument, but I keep looking.
I recall, in 1950, I was at home reading Esquire magazine. In those days Esquire was printed on smooth, slick paper. One full page had a picture of a man’s face. The caption said, “Feel this face.” So, of course I ran my hand across the man’s face. The ad went on to say, “Would you like to have shave that leaves your face feeling like that?”
My answer was, “Yes, yes!”
I was told to buy a Rolls Razor -- which I did.
I put down the magazine and went to the store right then and bought a Rolls Razor even though it was expensive. As I recall it cost me $20, which was a lot when my annual salary was less than $4,000 a year.
The Rolls Razor is different from your conventional safety razor. It has a heavy blade and a little device that resharpens it and strops it the same way barbers do with straight razors.
I never did get a satisfactory shave from it.
Now I see that Gillette has a new razor. They call it the Mac3Turbo and it has a small battery in the handle. This causes a vibration that “emits pulses that work on the skin to prop up hair so it can be lopped off more easily." So, guess who bought one. The package says it will work with the MACH3 blades I already own but works better with the special M3Power blades which are, of course, slightly more expensive.
On my first test-run I found the humming made me almost automatically use it as I would an electric razor. Moving slowly across my face didn’t work that well so I used it more like a conventional razor.
I did get a good shave but I think it was mostly because it was a brand new blade. Subsequent shaves don’t seem any different to me.
All I can conclude is that advertising still works; they got me again.
I recall, in 1950, I was at home reading Esquire magazine. In those days Esquire was printed on smooth, slick paper. One full page had a picture of a man’s face. The caption said, “Feel this face.” So, of course I ran my hand across the man’s face. The ad went on to say, “Would you like to have shave that leaves your face feeling like that?”
My answer was, “Yes, yes!”
I was told to buy a Rolls Razor -- which I did.
I put down the magazine and went to the store right then and bought a Rolls Razor even though it was expensive. As I recall it cost me $20, which was a lot when my annual salary was less than $4,000 a year.
The Rolls Razor is different from your conventional safety razor. It has a heavy blade and a little device that resharpens it and strops it the same way barbers do with straight razors.
I never did get a satisfactory shave from it.
Now I see that Gillette has a new razor. They call it the Mac3Turbo and it has a small battery in the handle. This causes a vibration that “emits pulses that work on the skin to prop up hair so it can be lopped off more easily." So, guess who bought one. The package says it will work with the MACH3 blades I already own but works better with the special M3Power blades which are, of course, slightly more expensive.
On my first test-run I found the humming made me almost automatically use it as I would an electric razor. Moving slowly across my face didn’t work that well so I used it more like a conventional razor.
I did get a good shave but I think it was mostly because it was a brand new blade. Subsequent shaves don’t seem any different to me.
All I can conclude is that advertising still works; they got me again.
8/07/2004
YOU WANNA SEE CREATIVE?
You want to see someone who is creative? Go to see this gal in Oregon who calls herself Meggiecat.
She’s really a at whiz doing almost anything creative and is more than happy to share her experiences. To take a peek at her blog click here: Meggicat .
She’s really a at whiz doing almost anything creative and is more than happy to share her experiences. To take a peek at her blog click here: Meggicat .
8/04/2004
A GOOD PHILOSOPHY FOR LIVING
As I get older, and possibly wiser, I realize that over the years I have learned all kinds of things and much of it came from very unusual sources. We all learned things from our parents and, of course, hundreds of school classes filled us with information, much of which we have never needed to know. Be that as it may, every once in awhile I run across some wisdom from a very unexpected source. Just recently I was asked an innocent question which caused me to think about it enough that I feel it could influence my whole life and possibly the lives of others.
I needed to be fitted for a new pair of glasses. I went to Lens Crafters with my prescription and was referred to a young lady who would help me choose the style I wanted. As I sat down across the desk from her I noticed a prominent sign. It said, “We can make you look anyway you want.” So, in an attempt to be humorous, I called her attention to the sign and said, “I want to look like Cary Grant.” Almost immediately she replied, “Why would you want to look like an old dead guy?”
As amusing as the reply was, it made me stop and think a minute. Why indeed? Why should I want appear to be anything except what I am, especially since I can’t be anything else anyway? I don’t mean that whatever I am couldn’t use some improvement but when all is said and done, it’s still going to be me, no matter what I may do in an attempt to alter it.
So, I suppose the basic philosophy I should adopt is exactly what that young lady said, “Why would I want to look like an old dead guy?” Or anything else?
I needed to be fitted for a new pair of glasses. I went to Lens Crafters with my prescription and was referred to a young lady who would help me choose the style I wanted. As I sat down across the desk from her I noticed a prominent sign. It said, “We can make you look anyway you want.” So, in an attempt to be humorous, I called her attention to the sign and said, “I want to look like Cary Grant.” Almost immediately she replied, “Why would you want to look like an old dead guy?”
As amusing as the reply was, it made me stop and think a minute. Why indeed? Why should I want appear to be anything except what I am, especially since I can’t be anything else anyway? I don’t mean that whatever I am couldn’t use some improvement but when all is said and done, it’s still going to be me, no matter what I may do in an attempt to alter it.
So, I suppose the basic philosophy I should adopt is exactly what that young lady said, “Why would I want to look like an old dead guy?” Or anything else?
8/03/2004
THE MYTH OF THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
Many historians devote countless hours of research proving that many things were always thought were true were, in fact, not. As an example, we now know that George Washington never cut down a cherry or any other kind of tree, for that matter.
One of the mysteries, yet unexplored, is how Abraham Lincoln wrote The Gettysburg Address on the back an envelope. Various attempts to duplicate this feat have been successful, but the resulting text always proved to be unreadable. Many authorities have concluded that either Lincoln had a very fine pen, a steady hand and very powerful glasses or one huge envelope.
No secret exists today regarding modern presidential speeches. Even the most naive observer does not believe they are written by the President himself. There is a presidential speechwriter on the staff. This person is most often one with newspaper background.
I once knew a former newspaper writer. Though his job was unusual, it might provide a clue as to what happened on that train ride to Gettysburg. You see, the man I met worked in the classified ad department and spent eight hours each day helping customers compose their ads, using as little space as possible. After many years of this, the man was unable to write normal text, though his manner of speaking was not unusual. If Lincoln's speechwriter had come from a similar background, the back of the envelope might have looked something like this:
4 scr & 7 yrs ago,
Sound far-fetched? MayB, but it cld B.
July 19, 1982
Yorba Linda, CA
Proof ??
One of the mysteries, yet unexplored, is how Abraham Lincoln wrote The Gettysburg Address on the back an envelope. Various attempts to duplicate this feat have been successful, but the resulting text always proved to be unreadable. Many authorities have concluded that either Lincoln had a very fine pen, a steady hand and very powerful glasses or one huge envelope.
No secret exists today regarding modern presidential speeches. Even the most naive observer does not believe they are written by the President himself. There is a presidential speechwriter on the staff. This person is most often one with newspaper background.
I once knew a former newspaper writer. Though his job was unusual, it might provide a clue as to what happened on that train ride to Gettysburg. You see, the man I met worked in the classified ad department and spent eight hours each day helping customers compose their ads, using as little space as possible. After many years of this, the man was unable to write normal text, though his manner of speaking was not unusual. If Lincoln's speechwriter had come from a similar background, the back of the envelope might have looked something like this:
4 scr & 7 yrs ago,
R 4fths brgt 4th upon ths cont
a nu nat concvd in lib
a nu nat concvd in lib
& ddc8td 2 the prop
that all men R cr8td =
Sound far-fetched? MayB, but it cld B.
July 19, 1982
Yorba Linda, CA
P.S. Recently discovered evidence appears below.
Proof ??
8/02/2004
ISN'T IT GREAT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS?
Almost any morning, shortly after dawn, you will find me getting my exercise by walking around the oval track at the local high school. Last Sunday was a beautiful day and sunrise found me driving into the school’s empty parking lot. The track is set into a bowl with ten wooden steps that took me down to the rust-colored, Olympic-type, quarter mile track. It appeared I was alone though I couldn’t be one hundred percent positive of this as I was looking towards bright sunlight coming in at such a low angle that I couldn’t see a great portion of the track.
I started to walk and had gone about three quarters of a lap when I noticed a shadow coming up from behind. Soon a man was beside me in the next lane. I had never seen him before but he was a large man probably in his sixties, more than six feet tall and, no doubt, weighing more than 200 pounds. His stride was longer than mine and his pace was somewhat faster so consequently he was passing me. Without slowing down he turned his head towards me, smiled and said, “Isn’t it great to be able to do this?” I called to his back with some kind of remark indicating that, at my age, I was grateful to be breathing. He continued on until he got to the steps where he turned and ascended them to the parking lot. I continued my walk and didn’t see him or anyone else the rest of the time I was there.
Perhaps you would realize that since continuously walking around an oval doesn’t occupy the brain much I started thinking about what the man had said. I had automatically assumed he meant, “At our age isn’t it great to be able to do this?” But he hadn’t said that. He could have been referring to the fantastically good weather we have been having here or even commenting that it was nice the school let us use the track. Or maybe it was an, “Isn’t America grand?” thing. I had no idea. It finally dawned on me that it didn’t make any difference. “Isn’t it great to be able to do this?” is a great way to approach anything in life no matter where it ranks on the mundane scale. It might even be an unpleasant chore. Imagine if a person would approach almost everything in life and say, “Isn’t it great to be able to do this?” That person would indeed be a very happy person.
I pondered this some more as I continued to walk. I finished and ascended the stairs to the parking lot. It was still empty and I am still wondering who that man was.
I started to walk and had gone about three quarters of a lap when I noticed a shadow coming up from behind. Soon a man was beside me in the next lane. I had never seen him before but he was a large man probably in his sixties, more than six feet tall and, no doubt, weighing more than 200 pounds. His stride was longer than mine and his pace was somewhat faster so consequently he was passing me. Without slowing down he turned his head towards me, smiled and said, “Isn’t it great to be able to do this?” I called to his back with some kind of remark indicating that, at my age, I was grateful to be breathing. He continued on until he got to the steps where he turned and ascended them to the parking lot. I continued my walk and didn’t see him or anyone else the rest of the time I was there.
Perhaps you would realize that since continuously walking around an oval doesn’t occupy the brain much I started thinking about what the man had said. I had automatically assumed he meant, “At our age isn’t it great to be able to do this?” But he hadn’t said that. He could have been referring to the fantastically good weather we have been having here or even commenting that it was nice the school let us use the track. Or maybe it was an, “Isn’t America grand?” thing. I had no idea. It finally dawned on me that it didn’t make any difference. “Isn’t it great to be able to do this?” is a great way to approach anything in life no matter where it ranks on the mundane scale. It might even be an unpleasant chore. Imagine if a person would approach almost everything in life and say, “Isn’t it great to be able to do this?” That person would indeed be a very happy person.
I pondered this some more as I continued to walk. I finished and ascended the stairs to the parking lot. It was still empty and I am still wondering who that man was.
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