Rhoneisms – Page 550 – by Patrick Rhone, Master Generalist

Old Wendy’s Tables

I can remember as a kid going out to eat at a Wendy’s and being completely mesmerized by the early 1900’s classified ads on the table tops.

Gosh, me too. I remember being more excited about the ads than the food. I was a voracious reader when I was a kid. In fact, you rarely saw me eating without reading something (book, comic, ingredients on packaging) at the same time. I was also a big history fan. These tables had the best of both. I just loved them and I would even try to choose a different table each time so I did not have to read the same ads twice.

That Autumn Look | Out and About

Recently, I have been working on having less clothes and really trying to stick with some basic pieces and styles that works well together. A more minimal approach. In fact, I have really eschewed the idea of any new purchases. That said…

I want every single one of these items to magically appear in my closet right now!

Equations of Thinking

It is virtually impossible qualify and measure thinking because creativity and criticism both expand upon and subjugate collectively held criterion. (In other words, thinking is like a moving target: you can’t pin it down long enough to assign it a grade.)

This single post sums up what in my opinion is the root problem with our entire pre-collegiate educational system (and most colleges as well). The very best teachers and institutions are the ones that teach you how to think — and these are rare.

A Talking Head Dreams of A Perfect City

My perfect city isn’t fixed, it doesn’t actually exist, and I like it that way.

One of my personal heroes tries to imagine his perfect city.

This Thing with Magazines

I’ve cut down my magazine subscription to just one (Wired Magazine) and I purposely don’t unwrap it until I’m sure I’m going to dedicate my time reading it as much as I do a good book or blog. Sitting quietly to dim lights and a soothing beverage sets the tone for a clear purpose to read. You recite the word’s silently to pull out more value in the them, you digest the grammar and you scribble notes to reference passages that set off ideas to further analyze.

Very true. I love magazines but only have a regular “relationship” with Wired and Vanity Fair.

The Government

Try something. Every time somebody complains about the evils or failings of “the government,” strike out “the government” and see what results.

Amazing Cross Section: IKEA Meatball (via lunchbreath)

Hi-friggin-larrious! (via rands)

Letters of Note

“Letters of Note is to become, hopefully, a blog-based archive of fascinating correspondence. Scans or photos of the originals will feature where possible.”

Fascinating indeed. An instant subscribe and I am sure hours of my life will be spent here. (via Kottke)

Notational Velocity Update

“It is an attempt to loosen the mental blockages to recording information and to scrape away the tartar of convention that handicaps its retrieval. The solution is by nature noncomformist.”

I’ve written about Notational Velocity before. In fact, it was one of the first posts here on Minimal Mac. There is good reason for that. As applications go, it is the very definition of everything I believe minimalist computing should be. It has exactly the features it needs to have, the interface is focussed on the task at hand and driven by the keyboard, and it’s beauty is found in that simplicity.

This is the first update to the program in 5 years. The new version is ripe with new features but the ones added make sense, are useful, and in no way distract from the simple interface and data focussed experience. Some of the new features include:

Partial word by word search.
The ability to rename a note by long click in the list.
The option to save notes a single plain text files versus a database (making them available for Spotlight search)
AES Encryption.
Multiple column sort.

Most important of all for those that may want to extend or build tools to work with it:

Notational Velocity is now a BSD-licensed open source project, and is soliciting contributions from those that wish to help out.

That’s not even half of it. Fellow NV fan indood has posted a more comprehensive list on his site. I don’t even know where to begin on how happy I am about this. It really is an awesome program that just got a whole lot more awesome.

Oh, and the new website is just beautiful. Go. Check this out. Now!

Text of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s letter to President Obama

“And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.”

As someone who has a daughter who was denied health insurance due to a heart condition she was born with, I too am hopeful there will be some resolution to this before her next cardiologist appointment.