tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38225352024-03-17T17:38:13.789-07:00Ashwin Jayaprakash's BlogFalling into the future at light speedAshwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-20949966107089628742016-07-26T19:55:00.000-07:002016-07-27T09:35:25.988-07:00Distraction free environmentHello! I thought I'd share with you how I'm trying to maintain a distraction free environment at work (and at home).<br />
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Ashwin.<br />
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-64015366067532629472015-12-18T23:26:00.000-08:002015-12-18T23:26:08.634-08:00Vasquez Rocks and Channel IslandsIt's 3 months too late, but better late than never eh? We did a trip to LA during the Labor Day weekend. Naturally, we had to visit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasquez_Rocks">Vasquez Rocks</a>, it being one of the most featured rocks in Sci-Fi films.<br />
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We still had plenty of daylight, so we decided to drive up the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulholland_Drive">Mulholland Drive</a>, which proved to be quite disappointing. <br />
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The main attraction was <a href="http://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm">Channel Islands</a>. We had to book our boat ride tickets well in advance. <br />
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Remember to carry sandwiches, snacks, water and sodas with you as there
is nothing available on the island. The cliffs overlooking Potato harbor
are great to stop for lunch. But the harbor itself is inaccessible from the top. The only access to the water is by boat.<br />
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-15082477151725265692015-12-18T23:08:00.001-08:002015-12-18T23:08:34.075-08:00Hiking at Pinnacles National ParkWe spent the day after Thanksgiving at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm">Pinnacles National Park</a>. The weather was crisp and cool, with very light traffic, probably because everyone else was busy shopping.<br />
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We did a 5 mile hike via the reservoir to Scout's peak and back to the visitor's center.<br />
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I would love doing this hike again, but probably not during the warmer part of the year. It was great to see 23 million year old lava formations but scary to know that it's so close to the Bay Area.<br />
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-72529571374653758452015-05-30T10:39:00.001-07:002015-05-30T10:39:18.719-07:00Lassen Volcanic National ParkWe spent the Memorial day weekend hiking at Lassen National Park.<br />
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The drive was pleasant and surprisingly no traffic on the way and back. The weather was great and we did 2 hikes - Cinder Cone and a hike to Devil's Kitchen and Boiling lake in Drakesbad.<br />
Unfortunately one of the main attractions at the park (Bumpass Hell - heh real name) was not open for the year yet.<br />
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-76391697263935648042014-07-13T10:46:00.001-07:002014-07-13T10:46:23.788-07:00Portland - Columbia River Gorge - Mt Hood - Mt St Helens - Mt Rainier tripOur July 4th trip to Portland and nearby places.<br />
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Multnomah falls:<br />
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Sunset over Columbia river:<br />
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Mt Hood:<br />
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Mt St. Helens:<br />
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Until next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-12613874846789223462014-06-01T11:12:00.001-07:002014-06-01T16:11:36.853-07:00Memorial day trip to Sequoia and YosemiteWe did a 3 day, last minute trip to what is very likely the most popular "long weekend destination" in California. Consequently, we spent most of our time in bumper to bumper traffic both outside and inside (!) the national parks. When we were not stuck in traffic, we were going round in circles looking for a place to park.<br />
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In spite of all that, it was 3 days well spent, out in the open (at least the times when we were not in the car)<br />
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The next time we do this, we decided that the only way to enjoy Sequoia is to camp by the river, just sit back and relax. This means planning and booking campsites. This time we didn't plan in advance and we also missed visiting Moro Rock and Crystal Cave (which I'd done in a previous trip).<br />
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If you don't go camping and are just visiting, remember to carry lunch with you. The delis/restaurants are at one end of the main road. If you don't carry something with you, it'll be late afternoon by the time you reach the visitor area that has the deli, which is near the river campsite.<br />
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Also, if you like Thai food, don't miss dining at this little restaurant called Thai Basil in Visalia. The food is excellent and beats any South Bay Thai place hands down.<br />
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General Sherman:<br />
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Now, Yosemite requires one long, multi-day trip or multiple short trips. We did neither and chose the worst time to visit, which is any long weekend. It looked like the whole of Silicon Valley was in Yosemite Valley.<br />
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Again, remember to carry lunch with you. It gives you the freedom to pull out of traffic at Bridal Veil falls or Cathedral Beach and enjoy lunch instead of waiting in traffic. The only place to buy lunch in the park is in the Yosemite Lodge area or Curry Village. And both places have mostly pizza and not much else.<br />
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If you go during Summer/late Spring, remember to carry mosquito repellant (ouch!). Very useful if you want to hang out near streams and Mirror Lake (Why would you not?).<br />
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We also spotted a mama bear with cub just outside Yosemite. The photo is not very clear though.<br />
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Until next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-85414630188448483302014-01-01T18:46:00.000-08:002014-01-01T19:22:33.718-08:00Miami, Keys, Naples and Sanibel tripThis X'mas break we spent 9 days visiting Miami, Key Largo, Key West, the Everglades, Naples and Sanibel island. It was time well spent in 80F weather, on the beach (several), while it was 40F in California.<br />
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Here are somethings that we would recommend to others.<br />
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<b>Miami:</b><br />
Book a hotel a couple of months in advance. The Art Deco district/Collins Ave/Ocean Drive is a great place to stay at. Hotel prices are reasonable if you book well in advance. Ocean Drive is a lively scene in the evening and a great place to have dinner, sitting in the ocean breeze.<br />
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While travel books list many things to do, we found many such places to be passable, like Little Havana, Jungle island etc. Key Biscayne, Ocean Drive/Art Deco area and the Vizcaya house are worth visiting. Save the rest of your time to just hang out on the beach.<br />
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There is one thing we would recommend people from absolutely avoiding - Miami Open City Tour bus. We were told that driving around Miami in our own car would be expensive (parking fees) and a waste of time. So using a bus tour was recommended. We were sold tickets to this particular company at the hotel and I had not done my research. This tour service had all the makings of a scam. First, their buses are a lot less frequent than other companies. After spending 2 hours running around from stop to stop hoping to flag the bus down, we just decided to use our own car after we realized that their last pick up is 4.30 pm. The next day we wanted to do the Downtown tour and the bus service, picked us up on Ocean drive, then misguided and dropped us at a wrong stop to catch the downtown bus. They then lied to us about the timings. We spent an hour at the bus stop after having spend $70 for 2 tickets waiting. It turned out that the bus that originally misguided us was the one that eventually did the Downtown tour. We were give then impression that there were many buses. Then the best part, it never stopped even after frantically waving to flag it down. So, 4 hours of frustration and good money down the drain, we drove off in our own car again.<br />
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If you really want to do the bus tour, use the other 2 more frequent Big Bus or Hop-on-Hop-off bus services.<br />
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<b>Keys: </b><br />
Great weather and we just missed some heavy showers. Well, it would be naive to not expect any rain in Florida.<br />
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John Pennekamp state park in Key Largo is a good place to do kayaking in the estuary. Then we drove down to Key West.<br />
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Surprisingly, Key West does not have good beaches, despite what people normally assume about the Keys. It has to do with the coral reefs there. Mallory Square, Duval street are good places to hang out. You can also do parasailing, snorkeling, jetskiing here. Parasailing in Key West is worth doing for the views and the water color. <br />
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Fort Zachary Taylor's beach is nice, among all the other "beaches" in Key West.<br />
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Unlike Miami beaches, none of the beaches in the Keys, Naples or Fort Myers have any service. You have to bring your own chairs, drinks and of course towels.<br />
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<b>Everglades:</b><br />
The Everglades park has 2 main entrances - Royal Palms visitor center near Florida City and the other is Shark Valley on the way to Naples from Miami.<br />
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The Anhinga trail is worth doing. We found that driving all the way down to the Flamingo visitor center was a waste. Surprisingly we did not spot a single gator here, but lots of birds. We got bitten by mosquitoes near the Flamingo center in the evening.<br />
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The gator farm and the airboat drive at the entrance to Royal Palms is worth a visit. We recommend the last 5 pm show and its 5.20 pm airboat ride. Just in time for sunset in December.<br />
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It turns out that most of the gators are on the Shark Valley side and further north. We did not have time to do the 2 hour tram tour but we did see many gators right at the park entrance.<br />
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<b>Naples, Fort Myers and Sanibel:</b><br />
We had originally not planned on visiting the Naples area. I had only booked hotels for the first half of our trip. We had the option of either visiting Fort Lauderdale or Naples for the second leg. We were told by the locals that the beaches in the Naples area were nicer and not commercialized. After Key West's disappointing beaches we decided to give Naples/Fort Myers/Sanibel a shot. It was worth it.<br />
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The drive to Naples from Doral/Tamiami via Shark Valley was "gatorsville". All along the highway, there is a storm ditch that runs parallel to it. You can spot a gator every 100 meters. Some tortoises too.<br />
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We booked hotels day-by-day, just 1 day ahead, online. Naples downtown is nice and its beach is the best. Don't miss eating the famous Abbot's frozen custard. We were also lucky to spot a pair of dolphins in the distance.<br />
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Fort Myers parking was too crowded so we skipped it. Sanibel island's lighthouse beach is nice but parking may be a little frustrating. Bowman's beach is also nice.<br />
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Happy new year and travel safely!<br />
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-12459362115282656282013-09-08T18:56:00.000-07:002013-09-08T18:56:48.059-07:00Fort Bragg, Point Cabrillo lighthouse, Mendocino county tripFort Bragg's Glass Beach is (well.. how shall I put it) completely skippable. The Botanical garden is totally worth the visit.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/9659048113/" title="En route to Mendocino by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3816/9659048113_d312cee6c0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="En route to Mendocino"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/9659047225/" title="Little River - close to our rented cottage by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7381/9659047225_3b61d664b8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Little River - close to our rented cottage"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/9659050057/" title="Point Cabrillio Lighthouse by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5547/9659050057_a467e50421.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Point Cabrillio Lighthouse"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/9659072599/" title="20130901_174224 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3798/9659072599_4717361d6d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="20130901_174224"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/9662286586/" title="Mendocino sunset by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/9662286586_cd8386cbbe.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Mendocino sunset"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/9659057247/" title="Fort Bragg Botanical Garden by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9659057247_d72df23bd3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fort Bragg Botanical Garden"></a>
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Until next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-5213242606577515952013-08-10T17:56:00.000-07:002013-08-10T17:56:29.392-07:00Hiking around Stevens Creek ReservoirWe've been to <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/Xb8QB" target="_blank">this place</a> quite a few times. I like the peace and quiet here. It's close to Mountain View, like San Antonio Rancho.<br />
<br />
There are multiple trails here. Our favorite is the one around the reservoir. You have to walk on the reservoir wall, near the boat ramp to the inner side of the reservoir. The trail then reaches Stevens Canyon Road again but at the other end of the reservoir. You can turn around and come back the same way or walk back on the road along the reservoir's outer edge, completing a full circle.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-54800886847319713122013-06-23T18:12:00.001-07:002013-06-23T18:12:15.355-07:00Reading list (and RIP Mr. Iain Banks)Here's my list of books I read these past few months: <br />
<ul>
<li>RIP - Mr. Iain Banks </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seeker-Jack-McDevitt/dp/0441013759" target="_blank">Seeker by Jack McDevitt</a> -Watered down scifi. Like a direct-to-DVD sci-fi movie. If you can stay
awake through the chapter after chapter of filler - like one long, boring episode of Star Trek</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Dance-Miles-Vorkosigan-Adventures/dp/0671876465" target="_blank">Mirror Dance Miles Vorkosigan Adventures</a> - Smart, clever, crisp. Surprisingly interesting story and great character development</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paladin-Souls-Lois-McMaster-Bujold/dp/0380818612" target="_blank">Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold</a> - A beautifully written fantasy novel. Engrossing and scary. At the same level as China and Dan Simmons</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Watch-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0060013125" target="_blank">Night Watch by Terry Pratchett</a> - my first Pratchett novel. Not bad at all, light and funny</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Planesrunner-Everness-Book-One-McDonald/dp/1616145412" target="_blank">Planesrunner by Ian McDonald</a> - Interesting but definitely young adult sci-fi. Story and the worlds had
a lot of promise but lacks the sophistication of hard core sci-fi. Kiddie stuff</li>
<li>Terry Pratchett - Small gods. Typical irreverential Pratchett style. Funny and not too bad</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperors-Soul-ebook/dp/B00A1XOPE8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0" target="_blank">The Emperor's Soul: Brandon Sanderson</a>. Novella. Makes for a nice, light, quick reading</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Martian/dp/B00B5HO5XA/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_M9TQ" target="_blank">The Martian by Andy Weir</a> - Amazing piece of near sci-fi, survival. You'll love the detail especially if you are an engineer. Kindle only </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Crystal-Spheres-ebook/dp/B0057ZFGUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372035454&sr=1-1&keywords=Crystal+sphere" target="_blank">Crystal sphere</a> - Short story. Short but nice</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Gabble-Stories-Polity-ebook/dp/B003GK21DK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1372035488&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Gabble</a> - Some stories are great fun. Where it comes to Polity, it's
uncomfortably close to the great Iain Banks' Culture. Neal Asher
should've tried something original and not rip off Banks. Still, worth reading</li>
<li>Six directions of space - Alistair Reynolds. Multiple time lines. Abrupt ending. Short story. Should've gone with a longer, novel format</li>
</ul>
Until next time! <div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-69326462767371700432013-06-08T16:38:00.001-07:002013-06-08T16:38:27.376-07:00Hiking in Huddart County ParkHiking in <a href="http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/huddartdean.html" target="_blank">Huddart County Park</a>.<br />
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Nice, secluded, close to I-280. Trails always in the shade, good even in summer.They even have camp sites and picnic benches.<br />
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$6 entrance fee. No maps, trail directions are a little confusing. Especially when you are coming back to the parking area there are many roads and unmarked trails branching off. Funnily, we had trouble finding our parking lot at the end. We did not have such problems while hiking though. The single used map they did have was lacking in detail about the parking areas.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-51612835111209035872013-05-29T20:36:00.001-07:002013-05-29T20:37:34.673-07:00Camping at Joshua Tree National ParkThis Memorial Day weekend we camped at Joshua Tree National Park. Campsites were full and we were just lucky to get (probably) the last campsite that wasn't already taken up. Next time we go camping we have to remember to get there a day early at these "first come first served" sites.<br />
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We spent a little less than 24 hours at the park. Camping was fun and we managed to do a moderately strenuous hike to 49 Palms Oasis. Overall it was not bad. Being a desert there's really not much to write home about.<br />
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So, we spent an evening at Knott's Soak City on our way back from Joshua Tree.<br />
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The next day we did a nice hike in LA, where the world famous Hollywood sign is posted on the side of a hill.<br />
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Overall the weather was warm, sunny and cool winds blowing that made hiking at both places enjoyable.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="650" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004dde6bae7846d93f9c&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=35.594786,-119.047852&spn=5.80561,6.591797&z=7&output=embed" width="600"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004dde6bae7846d93f9c&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=35.594786,-119.047852&spn=5.80561,6.591797&z=7&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Trip/May 2013/Joshua Tree and LA</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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Cheers!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-89755781986154553672013-03-21T22:15:00.002-07:002013-03-21T22:15:54.976-07:00Information OverloadInformation overload a.k.a: <br />
<ul>
<li>Too many websites, blogs, apps, social networks and not enough unification (and time)</li>
<li>Whatever happened to open formats? (ahem.. RSS/Atom?)</li>
</ul>
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<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-60984562583471378742012-12-31T09:58:00.002-08:002012-12-31T09:58:26.804-08:00Trip to Disneyand, Anaheim<br />
We did a 5 day trip to Disneyland, Anaheim and Universal Studios over the winter break.<br />
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Disneyland during X'mas and New Year's eve is a wonderful, lively place to be at. Having spent 3.5 days at Disneyland and California Adventure park around the 25th, we felt we got our money's worth (and more) from the 4-day park hopper tickets. The festive atmosphere in spite of the manageable crowd was as good as going on a road trip to a National Park.<br />
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New Year's even is probably more crowded than X'mas. We did not stay to find out.<br />
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One our way back we decided to spend one evening and the next day till noon at Universal Studios, LA. Universal in LA does not have as many real rides as the one in Orlando. What they have here are mostly 3-D, virtual rides. Some of them are pretty good but we still missed the old fashioned, gravity induced roller coaster rides.<br />
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Some things that we should've done/Note to self:<br />
<ul>
<li>If you are driving down from Bay Area to LA and Pacheco pass/CA-152 is blocked/crowded, just continue down CA-101 and go to I-5 via Coalinga/CA-198. It's a little longer but was desolate when we drove</li>
<li>Book via <a href="http://calstate.aaa.com/travel/about-aaa-travel/aaa-vacations-disney-destinations" target="_blank">AAA</a> and save on parking fees at Disney (offers might keep changing)</li>
<li>Book via <a href="http://www.citypass.com/southern-california" target="_blank">CityPass</a> and save on our combo Disney-Universal entry fees (check if there are black-out dates)</li>
<li>Book cheaper hotel outside Anaheim since we had a car to drive around. We cancelled and booked at Fullerton after spending a night at an expensive but dingy hotel opposite Disneyland</li>
<ul>
<li>All these parks charge a parking fee</li>
<li>The hotels also charge a parking fee (!) even if you book a room</li>
<li>Hotels in Fullerton are cheaper (like the Fullerton Marriott and much nicer)</li>
</ul>
<li>Hotels a little further away from Universal Studios are also cheaper</li>
<li>Use a good phone app to book hotels like Kayak or HotelTonight or the latest new app</li>
<li>Wear good shoes as there always is a lot of walking and standing in lines</li>
</ul>
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<b>Some photos: </b><br />
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(CA-198)<br />
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(Disneyland and California Adventure Park)<br />
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(Over the Tejon pass)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbqti3oG_L-LqmheaBMsFsQkih-2jApkdPyfme_RYLhyphenhyphenYmegAiSZmBD8qQqWuSXqK4gJEShGVB9pYWMdyXLTNwB3SonLhbkN1XYIPBUmQj82xkTw40EUhq5G7Sn3Smzmyxfm6hQ/s1600/20121227_165221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbqti3oG_L-LqmheaBMsFsQkih-2jApkdPyfme_RYLhyphenhyphenYmegAiSZmBD8qQqWuSXqK4gJEShGVB9pYWMdyXLTNwB3SonLhbkN1XYIPBUmQj82xkTw40EUhq5G7Sn3Smzmyxfm6hQ/s400/20121227_165221.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Have a wonderful new year ahead!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-3390370161975119272012-08-18T18:21:00.000-07:002012-08-18T18:21:16.633-07:007 day road trip to Bryce, Zion and Grand canyonsWe did a 1115.9 mile road trip to Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon and then spent a day in Las Vegas. We were on the road for a total of 7 days and visited 3 states Nevada, Arizona, Utah.<br />
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We flew from San Francisco to Vegas, rented a car and then drove to Bryce, Zion, Glen Canyon Dam, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, back to Vegas and finally flew back to SFO.<br />
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<b>Here's our trip route:</b>
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=McCarran+International+Airport,+Wayne+Newton+Boulevard,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=Best+Western+Plus+Ruby%27s+Inn,+26+S+Main+St,+Bryce+Canyon+City,+UT+84764+to:65+S+700+W+Hurricane,+UT+84737+to:Quality+Inn+at+Zion+Park+479+Zion+Park+Blvd.,+Springdale,+UT+84767+to:Grand+Canyon+Inn,+Valle+Airport,+Williams,+AZ+to:149+Arizona+64+GRAND+CANYON,+AZ+86023+to:Hoover+Dam,+Boulder+City,+NV+to:Luxor+Las+Vegas,+3900+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+Nevada+89119&hl=en&geocode=FQSdJgId4O4i-SEeHsQeJFkTRyldnAQfn8XIgDEeHsQeJFkTRw%3BFYvcPgIdtZlQ-SHe_H7C-yMK-inlytjpHGY1hzHe_H7C-yMK-g%3BFRdBNwIdYi4_-Sk3j-_Ex_bKgDEjoGn_of_B0A%3BFZZeNwIdeLVD-SGFKa3vePW8kSkZrEtvpMLKgDGFKa3vePW8kQ%3BFYb1HwId5txQ-SFl5-x4-0e82CkTeCQUuO4yhzFl5-x4-0e82A%3BFbrcJAIdbBRR-Sk3Ok3y7hszhzH8qXCndJNQgA%3BFWWQJQIdzD8p-SHk98M7V1-UqilLoYJ_SSvJgDHk98M7V1-Uqg%3BFfbGJgIdbY4i-SlHtFw-zsXIgDE4AdCvLnRaCw&aq=0&oq=hoover+&sll=36.514051,-112.890015&sspn=3.615442,8.453979&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&ll=36.514051,-112.890015&spn=2.9133,3.78908&t=m&output=embed" width="500"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=McCarran+International+Airport,+Wayne+Newton+Boulevard,+Las+Vegas,+NV&daddr=Best+Western+Plus+Ruby%27s+Inn,+26+S+Main+St,+Bryce+Canyon+City,+UT+84764+to:65+S+700+W+Hurricane,+UT+84737+to:Quality+Inn+at+Zion+Park+479+Zion+Park+Blvd.,+Springdale,+UT+84767+to:Grand+Canyon+Inn,+Valle+Airport,+Williams,+AZ+to:149+Arizona+64+GRAND+CANYON,+AZ+86023+to:Hoover+Dam,+Boulder+City,+NV+to:Luxor+Las+Vegas,+3900+Las+Vegas+Blvd+S,+Las+Vegas,+Nevada+89119&hl=en&geocode=FQSdJgId4O4i-SEeHsQeJFkTRyldnAQfn8XIgDEeHsQeJFkTRw%3BFYvcPgIdtZlQ-SHe_H7C-yMK-inlytjpHGY1hzHe_H7C-yMK-g%3BFRdBNwIdYi4_-Sk3j-_Ex_bKgDEjoGn_of_B0A%3BFZZeNwIdeLVD-SGFKa3vePW8kSkZrEtvpMLKgDGFKa3vePW8kQ%3BFYb1HwId5txQ-SFl5-x4-0e82CkTeCQUuO4yhzFl5-x4-0e82A%3BFbrcJAIdbBRR-Sk3Ok3y7hszhzH8qXCndJNQgA%3BFWWQJQIdzD8p-SHk98M7V1-UqilLoYJ_SSvJgDHk98M7V1-Uqg%3BFfbGJgIdbY4i-SlHtFw-zsXIgDE4AdCvLnRaCw&aq=0&oq=hoover+&sll=36.514051,-112.890015&sspn=3.615442,8.453979&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&ll=36.514051,-112.890015&spn=2.9133,3.78908&t=m" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
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<b>Bryce Canyon, Utah:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7809948456/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8435/7809948456_9a8c015218.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810140162/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7810140162_751a9bdaed.jpg" width="375" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7809942562/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7809942562_073911b5e8.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7809963834/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7809963834_6fea03b8ca.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810186136/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7810186136_d06d77339a.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<b>Zion Canyon, Utah:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810206024/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7810206024_6ee0e1a995.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<b>Narrows hike, Zion Canyon:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810196258/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7130/7810196258_c61498999c.jpg" width="375" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810203578/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7810203578_faeb325aff.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<b>South Rim - Grand Canyon, Arizona:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810181512/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7810181512_b3a5968deb.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810157972/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7810157972_4b249f34ca.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810150774/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7130/7810150774_fba687acd1.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7810151616/" title="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img alt="NV-AZ-UT/Aug 2012" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7810151616_3b2b7d70ec.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Until next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-6581022453547956882012-07-11T08:39:00.000-07:002012-07-11T08:39:18.540-07:00Definition: <b>Weird</b> - When you see Google presenters at <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=google+employees+use+mac+books" target="_blank">Google IO touting Macbooks</a> and talking about building and using Android.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-4644373958968762322012-07-10T20:29:00.002-07:002012-07-10T20:29:40.757-07:00Some books I read, mostly sci-fi and mostly average<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B002XULWSO" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">Wireless</span> <span class="byLine">by Charles Stross</span></span></a><br />
Short stories. Some were good. Some too dry, felt like filler - meandering time travel stories with no plot.<br /><br /><a href="http://amzn.com/0330528459" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">Line War (Agent Cormac 5)</span> <span class="byLine">by Neal L. Asher</span></span></a><br />
Interesting. Some intrigue. Read like the Silver Surfer meets powerful AIs. Last book in the Ian Cormac saga.<br />
<br /><a href="http://amzn.com/0312890206" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">The Fifth Head of Cerberus: Three Novellas</span> <span class="byLine">by Gene Wolfe</span></span></a><br />
Surreal, feverish, strange, slightly disjoint, even satisfying at first a but mildly disappointing ending.<br />
<br /><a href="http://amzn.com/006124189X" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)</span> <span class="byLine">by Robert B. Cialdini</span></span></a><br />
A brief distraction from Sci-Fi. I bought the book after watching his interview on Youtube. Not a bad read.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.com/0765308843" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">Marooned in Realtime (Peace War)</span> <span class="byLine">by Vernor Vinge</span></span></a><br />
Takes post apocalyptic novel to a new level. Pretty impressive time scales, although a bit sad and disappointing in the end.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.com/0451462602" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">Duplicate Effort: A Retrieval Artist Novel (Retrieval Artist Novels)</span> <span class="byLine">by Kristine Kathryn Rusch</span></span></a><br />
Average. Beginner writer. Starts off in a mildly interesting, vintage Asimov type of setting but the writer's inexperience shows.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.com/073947183X" target="_blank"><span class="productTitle"><span class="productTitle">Courtship Rite </span><span class="byLine">by Donald Kingsbury</span></span></a><br />
Couldn't finish it. Waste of time.<br />
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Ashwin.<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-40062621974797105212012-06-06T19:45:00.000-07:002012-06-06T19:45:14.931-07:00Trip to Mt Shasta2 weeks ago we visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Shasta">Mt Shasta</a> over the Memorial Day weekend. It was not too bad, we visited Hedge Creek Falls and McCloud Falls. We also went kayaking on Lake Siskiyou because the water was too cold to go swimming and almost didn't get to see the summit of Shasta because it was always covered in clouds. Nothing spectacular but a relaxing weekend.<br />
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On our way we visited Sundial Bridge near Redding and on our way back we spent 2 hours around Whiskey Town Lake which was a lot warmer than any of the lakes any near Shasta.<br />
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<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="550" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004c0a6a38225e6dfd82&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.53794,-122.058105&spn=4.65957,3.856201&z=7&output=embed" width="350"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004c0a6a38225e6dfd82&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.53794,-122.058105&spn=4.65957,3.856201&z=7&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">May-2012-Memorial-Day-Trip</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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Sundial Bridge, Redding:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299230604/" title="Sundial bridge, Redding CA by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7299230604_0f55a6a86a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sundial bridge, Redding CA"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299179330/" title="20120526_184829 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7230/7299179330_4d45bdd6b6.jpg" width="500" height="296" alt="20120526_184829"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299365634/" title="20120526_201324 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7299365634_9db8baa889.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="20120526_201324"></a>
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Hedge Creek Falls, Dunsmuir:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299320864/" title="20120527_102351 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7214/7299320864_193735d934.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="20120527_102351"></a>
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McCloud Falls, McCloud:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299311474/" title="McCloud falls by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7299311474_222e7557ff.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="McCloud falls"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299294770/" title="20120527_115119 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7299294770_f87483c1f3.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="20120527_115119"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299286130/" title="20120527_120538 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/7299286130_a7996bafe7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="20120527_120538"></a>
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Mt Shasta, at last:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/7299257750/" title="Finally, a clear view of Mt Shasta by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7299257750_42ae7e10d5.jpg" width="500" height="372" alt="Finally, a clear view of Mt Shasta"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-43559139187844907632012-01-02T11:11:00.000-08:002012-01-02T11:11:39.015-08:00An 8 day, 3228 mile long road tripWe did an 8 day, 3228 mile long road trip from the Bay Area to Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and back via Los Angeles. A proper road trip with just a rough idea of our route, no prior hotel bookings, a rental car and friends.<br />
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<iframe width="650" height="500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004b58fc5bcdd99812bd&ie=UTF8&ll=34.772315,-113.263147&spn=5.230605,17.641407&t=m&vpsrc=6&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004b58fc5bcdd99812bd&ie=UTF8&ll=34.772315,-113.263147&spn=5.230605,17.641407&t=m&vpsrc=6&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Trip/Dec2011</a> in a larger map</small>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616030319/" title="Sunset over San Luis Reservoir by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6616030319_217bfb71f0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sunset over San Luis Reservoir"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616045099/" title="Long goods train (5 engines and a mile long) near Palm Springs, Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6616045099_721cff9f44.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Long goods train (5 engines and a mile long) near Palm Springs, Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616801937/" title="Roosevelt lake, Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6616801937_75e5bbdbbd.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Roosevelt lake, Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616811979/" title="Apache trail, Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6616811979_470a8f79d9.jpg" width="500" height="254" alt="Apache trail, Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616813521/" title="Apache trail, Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6616813521_1fdf0d64f2.jpg" width="500" height="278" alt="Apache trail, Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616817143/" title="Apache trail (22 mile dirt road), Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6616817143_8800eded14.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Apache trail (22 mile dirt road), Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616051577/" title="Apache Trail, Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6616051577_53df326d43.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Apache Trail, Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616821489/" title="After the 22 mile Apache trail drive by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6616821489_0a206ab0c2.jpg" width="500" height="321" alt="After the 22 mile Apache trail drive"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616070265/" title="White sands missile range, New Mexico by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6616070265_5de5912e8b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="White sands missile range, New Mexico"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616695743/" title="IMG_2984 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6616695743_6d3d7861f8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2984"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616743277/" title="IMG_2899 by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6616743277_bffa91fc7f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2899"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616784003/" title="See those 2 people ahead of Anu way up there? by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6616784003_00c69bd76c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="See those people way up there?"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616790033/" title="Dolls Theater by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6616790033_171e7db0e2.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Dolls Theater"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616716711/" title="Petrified/Fossilized tree - tree turned to stone by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6616716711_b855e5f927.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Petrified/Fossilized tree - tree turned to stone"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616704929/" title="Painted Desert - Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6616704929_f78dc2ca2b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Painted Desert - Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616734273/" title="Petrified tree stump for display by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6616734273_577f26d527.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Petrified tree stump for display"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616269737/" title="X'mas tree at The Venetian, Las Vegas by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6616269737_ba4b7dbb9a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="X'mas tree at The Venetian, Las Vegas"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616304903/" title="The Stratosphere, Las Vegas - the red tube at the top is also a ride! by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6616304903_bf7a1e3395.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="The Stratosphere, Las Vegas - the red tube at the top is also a ride!"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashwinjay/6616676111/" title=""The" Fountain at The Bellagio, Vegas by ashwin.jayaprakash, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6616676111_99d730fe81.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt=""The" Fountain at The Bellagio, Vegas"></a>
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Until next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
</div>
<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-30049826830095673612011-09-24T17:15:00.000-07:002011-09-24T17:15:43.028-07:00Hiking in Fremont Older Open Space PreserveSo close to South Bay Area. <a href="http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/stevenscreek.html">Prospect Road trail</a> is a little steep but short. Worth visiting again because there are so many trails.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-83733930441978381732011-09-13T09:01:00.000-07:002011-09-13T09:01:19.438-07:00Monday = one of the days of the week when you forget if you had coffee and have to look in the trash can for the discarded coffee cup, just to check.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-77963934123451467682011-09-06T21:07:00.000-07:002011-09-06T21:07:43.279-07:00Blue Lakes and Clear Lake (CA's biggest natural lake)<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_Lake_%28California%29">Clear Lake</a> in Kelseyville is a nice and peaceful place to visit and spend a weekend. Unlike Tahoe this feels cozier, less commercialized and is close to Napa. You can rent lake front property/spacious homes, relax and unwind. It is also the largest natural freshwater lake entirely in California (Tahoe is not because it spreads into Nevada).<br />
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Blue Lakes is a smaller lake about 45 minutes from Clear Lake (Soda Bay) and is a perfect spot to float around on the lake and spend a warm afternoon with family and friends.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004ac4b511be99e845a6&ie=UTF8&vpsrc=0&ll=38.839708,-122.736511&spn=0.962691,1.167297&z=9&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207035343197917485791.0004ac4b511be99e845a6&ie=UTF8&vpsrc=0&ll=38.839708,-122.736511&spn=0.962691,1.167297&z=9&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Trip/05Sep2011</a> in a larger map</small>
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Ashwin.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-90427933911918532532011-08-27T18:28:00.000-07:002011-08-27T18:28:39.336-07:00Hiking in Stevens Creek County Park<a href="http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/stevenscreek.html">Accessible</a> and a relaxing walk around the reservoir that can easily convert to a longer hike. It's surprising that I had never been to this place, less than 15 minutes away. Avoid the main entrance on Balboa road which requires a fee to park. Try the West campus entrance where street parking is allowed (looked like).<br />
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There are 2 adjacent parks that are probably worth visiting as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPei0R5RTbykP8wdFTJ1fKSNHSe3-Xng9DI9usXuy3HxRks7uci6rNPENf1WsZbu-K2tJKHfM26kihF9UqSmbnopyQxy0usUxRgJf1kiABSOMirBjAe_3t0gKf8nclnHRZPgZTqA/s1600/IMG00252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPei0R5RTbykP8wdFTJ1fKSNHSe3-Xng9DI9usXuy3HxRks7uci6rNPENf1WsZbu-K2tJKHfM26kihF9UqSmbnopyQxy0usUxRgJf1kiABSOMirBjAe_3t0gKf8nclnHRZPgZTqA/s640/IMG00252.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-61013616641871346772011-06-29T19:14:00.001-07:002011-06-29T19:14:52.880-07:0060F and raining... somebody forgot to switch on Summer.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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<div>
[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822535.post-30598167789101879862011-06-25T12:17:00.000-07:002020-08-08T21:45:04.732-07:00The Five Ws (and H) approachA few days ago, I was trying to explain some technical concepts to a friend. After a bit of explaining I tried listing out reasons, places and times where those concepts would be applicable. I still thought that I had left out something. I then spent some time searching online for ways to - learn systematically and teach correctly by at least outlining the essentials of the problem and encouraging the learner to follow up in his/her own time.<br />
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Did I find anything? Of course I did. In fact I discovered too much information but found only some to be simple and interesting. My favorite is what you might think is obvious - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ws">The Five Ws</a> approach. Also popular in problem solving is the <a href="https://youtu.be/t7FcK8jV2yA" target="_blank">Five Whys</a>.<br />
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Apart from it being obvious, the Five Ws helps you to break down the problem into:<br />
<ul>
<li>When</li>
<li>Where</li>
<li>What</li>
<li>Who</li>
<li>Why</li>
<li>How</li>
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The easiest way to teach this to kids is to use each finger on one hand to stand for a "W". The H is extra.<br />
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Now, why is this simple technique relevant?<b> </b><br />
<b> It is:</b><br />
Simple<br />
Easy to remember <br />
Easy to explain<br />
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<b> It serves as a starter guide to:</b><br />
Formulate the right questions <br />
Break down the problem<br />
Cover/analyze all aspects of the problem - like why & why not, what & what not<br />
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<b> It also helps us:</b><br />
Remember better by understanding, instead of memorizing<br />
Identify the problem by looking for signs (5 Ws)<br />
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<b> It works quite nicely as:</b><br />
A way to exchange ideas (5 Ws = 5 aspects)<br />
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A way to encourage people (even kids) to think deeper- (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking">Systems thinking</a>)<br />
By supplying the first 5 questions when stumped<br />
Progress to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Problem_solving">other approaches</a> <br />
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A template to share and disseminate knowledge (5 Ws = 5 steps)<br />
Like Design Patterns and Anti-patterns for software design<br />
Simple reproducible steps for QA/Support/Services/junior members etc.<br />
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Here's a simple pictorial way to help you get started. I drew it for myself initially. It is built like a form where you can fill in the blanks, on the right hand side. I encourage you to print it out and use it in meetings too or even to teach your kids.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0z_3QuS8dRTjKYE4swB9qGpuTsLsWoAbQNHuTTqs27bmYybpyVkIWbEsTFMgKck_Uyls_zlfBep5TweVqMspNrsZnNFPXavfbrTGZQbjRdKl6CP8KIiirgxuowY0sIPxS1JfHw/s1600/5ws_h_aj.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0z_3QuS8dRTjKYE4swB9qGpuTsLsWoAbQNHuTTqs27bmYybpyVkIWbEsTFMgKck_Uyls_zlfBep5TweVqMspNrsZnNFPXavfbrTGZQbjRdKl6CP8KIiirgxuowY0sIPxS1JfHw/s640/5ws_h_aj.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 5 Ws and H extended</td></tr>
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Until next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><div>
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[By <b>Ashwin Jayaprakash</b>.
There's more where this came from - <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/tech?max-results=5">tech</a> topics
and <a href="http://javaforu.blogspot.com/search/label/general?max-results=5">general</a> topics]
</div></div>Ashwin Jayaprakashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14487665820971997426noreply@blogger.com5