Holding patents for innovative technologies, Miles Grenadier was a true inventor.
His ideas for Rhymex Word Clocks were developed in the late 80's
and early 90's. Initial prototypes appeared in local establishments
where Miles began to fully understand
the impact of the word clock. Through refinement and the advance of technology Miles continually
moved toward his ultimate vision of a wearable wrist-watch style word clock. Miles called this
ultimate goal the "Wristo".
Rhymex was originally conceived in 1984 (called Wristo at the time) as a
very effective tool for brainstorming and easy
escapement from mental ruts. More recently it was reviewed by the
Whatever you wish to think about, wherever your head is at,
you could look at your Rhymex for a random word which would allow you to create a lacuna,
an empty space, between your mind and a random word. Then, like air moving to fill a vacuum,
your thinking would move to fill the lacuna. Words could be used to trigger memories likely
to be helpful in generating solutions. Such use is as personal as your own underwear and, if
nothing else, is a great way to change the subject.
The very nature of the Word Clock resulted in Miles receiving countless ideas for uses.
Here are some of the more interesting ideas:
Where do the words come from?|
As you might expect it is often asked "where do the words come from". Miles had a few standard
practices behind word list generation however, no artist or inventor can ever
fully explain where their inspiration came from.
Miles' rules were simple. Each list of words was hand assembled and based on a
particular theme or idea. Words that make a list would come completely from Miles head, he did believe
in using a dictionary or any other aid. All lists were generated by pen on paper and later made digital for use
in a word clock.
While touring the Midwest to demonstrate early prototypes, Miles accidentally
discovered the "stereo effect" -- two Rhymex Word Clocks at a time from two separate word lists -- when
he happened to plug in two prototypes at the same time in his hotel room. Stereo added a new dimension to the
entertainment factor. The "unpredictability factor": two separate word lists
will eventually play millions of different combinations. Coincidence abounds, cliche shatters,
and the combinations are often so unlikely as to be humorous. Paradoxically, these combinations
often seem quite relevant to your current situation.
Miles and his "Thinking Cap"