Calvin and Hobbes

This Calvin and hobbes comic strip, brings fond memories about my school days. The summer holidays, called as the "Annual Exam Leave" was the most sought after one by every kid.

The Umbrella

The Umbrella is defined in the Wikipedia as "An umbrella or parasol (sometimes colloquially, gamp, brolly, or bumbershoot) is a canopy designed to protect against Precipitation or sunlight"

Once I was listing out a couple of objects around us, used by us, which haven't undergone major design changes over remembered time and the Umbrella was the first to pop up in my mind. Before I could even write about this "Evolution Stagnation" of the Umbrella I wanted to confirm if I am correct, so I googled for two kinds of Umbrellas, one, for the most modern ones available in the market and two, for the ancient ones documented.

The most modern umbrellas available can be found here and the oldest documented can be found here and I was correct, Umbrellas haven't evolved at all for over centuries together. There can be two explanations for this

1) The design of the Umbrella has been almost perfect for the need it was developed for, from the time of its invention, that it required no design development.
2) The need for its existence and further development has been overridden by many other inventions.

This second explanation is intriguing, because if its true it makes us go back and look at the need for the invention of the Umbrella.According to me, the evolution stagnation of the Umbrella can be because of both the above mentioned explanations.

1) The Umbrella is a perfect cover from Sun and Rain when used over a short period of time and distance.
2) Humans donot have the need to use it for over a long period of time or distance as cars and other covered vehicles have taken over the job of the Umbrella.

The Umbrella therfore is a classic case of a product where, "Need is limited but essential, so the product lives on but product development is unnecessary but is agreeable so there is design evolution stagnation"

Quantum of Solace

Appaloosa(2008)

I'm writing this after a while I guess, yeah more than a week since I wrote a new blog. Not that I was any busy but just that it didn't happen. I'm writing this on this monday night with a slight headache. Gaurav has a headache as well and he blamed it on the high winds blowing here. anyways, just wanted to write about the trailer of the new movie Appaloosa
Never have I been so impressed by a cowboy movie trailer, till Appaloosa came by today. I googled and found out that Appaloosa was a horse breed with leopardish spots on it, the name sounds red indianish though. There were 2 or 3 1970 hollywood movies as well in the same name. Appaloosa (2008) is what I am talking about.The impressive thing about the trailer is that it has been very well edited to showcase the crisp and superb dialogues in the movie. check this out for a sample

Man to Virgil Cole: You shot three of my men
Virgil Cole: As a matter of fact I only shot 2, Mr Hitch here shot the other one.( To which, hitch raises his peg of whisky in acknowledgement)

If you watch the trailer, every dialogue in it is thoroughly enjoyable, as I did.The Dialogues in the trailer gives a certain cowboy cool about this film. As a finishing touch to the trailer there is a dialogue which I am pasting here, I was so impressed by it that I have added it as my signature in my mail.

Virgil Cole : You afraid to die?
Man : I ain't afraid
Virgil Cole : Good, cos you go first!

I reckon this movie should be a good one that would show that good dialogues are as good enough as expensive graphic simulations that mostly adron movies these days, I feel the trailer is a proof. I am waiting to watch the movie.
The Trailer