Memories Are Made of This

Abolafia. That unusual surname on a mailing list of people who knew or claimed some connection to the late Paul Krassner triggered a memory of the easiest money I ever made (for my boss) as a detective. It was in 1978. The client was a woman Back East who urgently wanted us to locate a man named Louis Abolafia. She said that he had “not been seen” since his 1968 run for president as the Nudist Party candidate. (His slogan had been “I have nothing to hide.”) I found him in the San Francisco phonebook. The client was billed $1,000.

The December 5 New York Times “Well” column by Caroline Hopkins was about forgetting. “‘Forgetfulness is usually normal,’ said Dr. Sharon Sha, a professor of neurology at Stanford University. When we blank on information we just learned or thoughts we just had, it’s typically because our brains didn’t save them as long-term memories to begin with.” (And all these years I thought it was Cannabis Indica!)

“‘When going about your daily life, your brain holds information in a temporary state called working memory,’ said David Gallo, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago... Most people can only hold about four or five thoughts or tasks in their working memories at a time, Dr. Gallo said. But unless those thoughts go through a brain process called encoding, they won’t be saved permanently in your long-term memory.

“The encoding process involves creating meaningful connections between brain cells and requires ample working memory. So if you’re preoccupied with introducing yourself to someone new or deciding what you’ll say next, your brain won’t encode information like the new name you hear — and you’ll promptly forget it.”

“Sometimes it’s easy to remember information, Dr. Sha said. If you feel a strong emotion like fear or trauma in the moment you learn something, for instance, you’re more likely to recall it later. This explains why many people remember exactly where they were on Sept. 11, she said.

“Repeating information, especially in new ways, can assist with memory storage, said Ronald Davis, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Florida. When we hear, see, recite aloud or write down a word, we get several chances to encode that word using different pathways in the brain.

“Prioritize sleep and exercise. As with many things in life, it’s more challenging to encode new information when you’re sleep deprived, Dr. Gallo said, so it’s crucial that you get enough rest. Regular activity such as aerobic exercise, weight lifting, stretching or even short walks can also enhance memory, both in the short term and over time, experts said.”

Things disappear. Where do they go?

I would tell you but I don’t know

Entropy got ahold of me

obviously.

There’s papers here

There’s papers there

Could be a desk underneath somewhere

Entropy got ahold of me

I put a string around my thumb

then I wonder what the fuck is this?

Where did it come from?

Entropy got ahold of me.

* * *

King Norman’s

Once upon a time there was a wonderful toy store out on Clement Street called “Norman’s Kingdom of Toys.” The proprietor, Norman Rosenberg, was born in Chicago in 1918. He had just gotten a law degree from DePaul University when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He enlisted in the Navy and became an officer on a troopship. On leave in San Francisco he met Doris Brodofsky, whom he married when the war ended. Her parents owned a toy store. They staked the newlyweds to the Clement St. location. 

“He was best known,” according to his obit by Carl Nolte in the Chronicle, “for his starring role in ‘The King Norman Show,’ a Saturday morning offering for children that ran on KGO-TV from 1954 to 1961… Mr. Rosenberg was a born showman. He wore regal robes and a crown and performed before a live audience of children, bestowing kindly advice and gifts from his store.” He and Doris built “a 21-store chain with branches all around the Bay Area and in Oregon and Washington.” 

In 1970 Toys ‘R Us opened off Hwy 280 in Pacifica with plenty of parking. King Norman’s on Clement St. was doomed. I took to watching television. 

Maude’s message to America tonight

Be kind to folks who’ve had strokes

The can still sing, they got a whole lot to bring

you if you’ll just laugh at their jokes.

Charlie’s message to America tonight

The Democrats are hypocrites through and through

And we can all laugh at the White House staff

As if we had some power, too.

King Norman Lear. King Norman Lear

In bed at night in Brentwood

what voices do you hear?

Mary’s message to America tonight

something is out of control!

Pat’s on the run, Heather thinks she’s a nun

Loretta better forget about her goal

King Norman Lear. King Norman Lear

Of all your darling daughters

which one holds you most dear?

Like Norman Rosenberg, Norman Lear enlisted right away when the US entered WW2. (Many Jewish men wanted to kill Hitler personally.) As a radioman in the Army Air Force, he flew 52 missions, mostly over Italy. He settled in Los Angeles, worked as a door-to-door salesman, and wrote comedy sketches. His break came in 1949 when Danny Thomas bought one for his new TV shows. 

* * *

NBA Comes Out of the Closet

The National Basketball Association has revealed itself to be a subsidiary of the gambling industry. The coming out party was held in Las Vegas where the so-called “In-Season Tournament” culminated in a win for the Lakers. Hype for the tournament included repeated showings of an expensively produced 90-second ad called “The Heist,” narrated by a Sopranos character (Christopher Moltisanti played by Michael Imperioli). “The Heist” doesn’t have a plot, but it conveys the impression that some young Black men are robbing a casino. 

Watching pro basketball on a screen, you are relentlessly invited to bet, not just on who wins but on every aspect of the game that can be quantified… Kevin Hart is reportedly a very funny man in person, but his screaming on TV is obnoxious.