Tag Archives: Fun

Featured, Life, Technology

Making Sense of Endless Photos

1 Comment

As technology enables us to do more we begin to feel overwhelmed with options and have the potential to end up with less. This concept is extremely relevant in the digital world of photos. Digital cameras and computers with next to infinite memory have allowed us to take photos of every moment of our lives. What can be done to enjoy and benefit from these opportunities?

Software to Stay Organized

First off, you need a way to keep all your photos organized. The top two pieces of software are from Google and Apple. Google provides slightly better photo editing and online syncing while Apple’s software will be preferred by those who want a simpler interface. With either one, you will be one step closer to better photo management.

Picasa from Google (PC and Mac)

  • Works on any computer
  • Great editing tools and face recognition
  • Organize photos Folders and Albums
  • Easy upload to numerous websites including Google’s own PicasaWeb

iPhoto from Apple (Mac)

  • Only works on Macs
  • Sleekest interface
  • Organize photos by Events and Albums
  • Decent editing tools and face recognition
  • Upload photos to sites like Facebook, Shutterfly, Flickr, and PicasaWeb (may need Mac plug-in)

Sharing Photos

Once you begin to get a grip on all your photos, begin to get real value from your photos by sharing them online and ordering books, cards, and more. For online sharing, consider the following options.

Facebook – Since everyone you know is already on the site, use the uploading tools from Picasa or iPhoto to quickly share with friends and family what is going on.

PicasaWeb – Google’s online photo sharing is an easy way to share all your albums with friends and allow them to download your photos too! You get 1 GB for free and then another 5GB for an unbelievably cheap $5 annually (most sites charge $25+ for this).

Shutterfly – The well known photo site allows you now to set up a personal webpage with access to your newest albums and pictures just like a photo blog. You get unlimited space and others can buy your photos from Shutterfly but cannot download them.

Photo Books – After uploading your photos to a site to share, be sure to order a photo book. This the easiest way to show friends and family when they stop by your home and it will make you look like a professional.

More Fun with iPhone Apps

Path – a photo sharing app that only allows you to have 50 friends and family so that you stay focused on sharing with those closest to you

.

.

Instagram – a enjoyable photo app that lets you take photos and then apply retro filters before sharing with friends and followers

.

.

How do you keep all your photos organized? Critique me or share your own tips in the comments below.
(photo credit: Shutterstock)

Life, Money

Ten Great Time, Money, and Fun Facts

Life is full of interesting facts, tricks, and shortcuts. Here are 10 of the greatest regarding time, money, and fun.

Time

Money

  • If you can get someone to agree to the following pay scheme you will have $10 million in a month. Just ask them for a penny on day 1, two cents on day two, four on day three, and so on.
  • In a Ponzi scheme like Social Security, the rate of return is equal to the growth rate of members. With the US population growth rate and Social Security returns around 1% (before considering SS money is spent for other things), you could make significantly more money investing your Social Security tax in basic mutual funds or savings accounts.
  • Assuming you are the average American, your national debt burden is greater than $43K.
  • Income mobility is better than most people think. Between 1999 and 2007, people moved up from the bottom quintile of income earners 60% of the time and down from the top quintile 40% of the time. This is partly due to the fact that the top quintile pays nearly 80% of our taxes and the bottom quintile pays roughly 1%.

Fun

  • If you have just 23 people in a room, there is more than a 50% chance that two will have the same birthday.  With just 50 people, there is a 97% chance. This is known as the birthday paradox.
  • You can count to 31 using just one hand and to 1023 using two hands. Check it out on YouTube.
  • Despite being the best selling movie of all time, Avatar doesn’t even break the top 10 when revenue is adjusted for the times. Top three are Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, and The Sound of Music.

Know any cool facts or stats that didn’t make my top 10? Let us know in the comments.

(photo sam_churchill)
Life

How Running Can Improve Your Life

2 Comments

I really enjoy running.  Well, sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it, but on average I really enjoy it.  Recently, my excitement for running led me to cross paths with the book Born to Run, and it has had a profound impact on my running and my life as well.

Born to Run

The book Born to Run is the combination of a fun story about a race in Mexico and a history of running for humans. The basic premise of the book is that humans are designed to run, and I’m not just talking a few miles, but very long distances. Furthermore, Born to Run suggests that shoes have been one of the worst things to happen to humans ever and that we need to find our way back to our barefoot roots to really regain the benefits of running.  The author even claims that America’s commercialization of running and running shoes has ruined the country’s ability to compete against countries whose people run for life and the love of running.

All together, the best takeaways from the book are

  • Humans can run further (although slower) than most other land animals due to our two leg design.
  • The best way to succeed in running is to truly love to run and not to run for fame or money.
  • Barefoot running helps by unlocking sensors in feet that help people run with better posture and form.

Barefoot Running

I decided to test out the barefoot running theory by buying a pair of Bikilas from Vibram Five Fingers.  These shoes, which are named after Abebe Bikila who won the 1960 Olympic marathon while barefoot, are specially designed for barefoot running and make you feel like you are running barefoot while protecting the foot from sharp objects like glass.  Since most people are not used to running barefoot, it is not something to jump straight in to, but after some careful training it can have a big difference.

For me, my barefoot running experiment has been a huge success for a few reasons.

  • Running barefoot forces a more mid-foot landing which increases work and eventually strengthens the calves and ankle region.
  • Running barefoot massages the feet and uses them for what seems like the first time ever – regular shoes now make me wonder if my feet have gone numb.
  • Running barefoot improves posture and alleviates pressure from the knees and thighs.
  • Running barefoot adds an exciting new element to running – granted, this won’t last forever.

Final Thoughts on Running

In the end, Born to Run has changed my perspective on running.  Instead of running being a task I have to do because I sit at a desk too much and I need to be healthy, running is something that we can all really enjoy if we approach it as we were designed to.  Don’t burn yourself out of running, but find a way to enjoy jogs through your town or local parks by focusing on the journey.  The Bikilas have added a nice touch to the enjoyment of running for me and seem to be making it a more productive activity.

If you’re not sure if running is for you, try out the book Born to Run.  You may find yourself buying some Vibram Five Finger Bikilas like me and relearning the joy of running we were born with.

[poll id=”19″]

Carnival

Find Time, Save Money, and Have Fun Blog Carnival – 1st Edition

5 Comments

Welcome to the 1st Edition of the Find Time, Save Money, and Have Fun Blog Carnival from Obsessed Analytic.  Each edition will feature the best blog posts online with great ideas for you.  This week features great posts regarding saving money with planning, time wasters, tips for young people, and party games.  Be sure to check them out and vote on your favorites below.  Also, if you have a blog submit your posts or host in the future to help attract readers.

Best Overall

Continue reading Find Time, Save Money, and Have Fun Blog Carnival – 1st Edition →

Life

How to Live Beyond Time and Money

This past week I took a short break from blogging to reflect on everything else in life. As wonderful of a hobby as blogging has been for me, I always like to take some time to reflect on my life and make sure I’m heading in a good direction. Although I enjoy looking at great ways to save time and money, the past week of reflection have helped me remember the important things in life. So if you’re ever stuck in a time when money or time or some other personal worry is overwhelming you, I hope you come back and think about these ideas on living beyond money.

Time is Limited and Money is only a Tool

I always like focusing on finding time and saving money because they are two things that are very useful.

  • Time is our greatest commodity and most limited resource. We all have the same amount per day and will make some decision on how we use it.
  • Money is the great medium of exchange. It allows people to serve others indirectly in a way that has helped millions.

But while useful, optimizing your time and money can be a distraction.

  • If you spend too much time worrying about your time, then you won’t have any time left to worry about.
  • It’s not worth it to save up millions while giving up great opportunities. Money is a tool that should be used wisely.

Take a Break and Serve Others

If you find yourself in a phase where all you worry about is time and money, then take a break to serve others. Sometimes thinking about money and time gets me so caught up on myself that I need a way to look outward. Here are some ways to impact others.

  • Buy some friends dinner. This helps build relationships and reminds you that treating your friends is a lot more fun than treating yourself.
  • Support a cause with Time. It’s easy to write a check to help someone, but take the next step and spend a day building a Habitat house, working at a homeless shelter, or aiding someone with a handicap. This will greatly impact your heart and remind you that you are blessed to have as much time as you have.
  • Reflect on your priorities.  Taking time to step back and think about what your priorities are versus what you are actually doing should help figure out what’s out of line.

Don’t Be Mastered by Time or Money

In the end, time and money shouldn’t control you. They are two things that if used well can make your life great or destroy it if used poorly. Whenever you realize that your life is being run by a constant need for more time or money, just step back and think about what you are really living for.

Thanks for your time. What are your thoughts about living beyond time and money? Leave a comment or send this to a friend.

Life, Money

Save Valentine’s Day and Your Budget

Alright men, next Sunday is when restaurants, card makers, jewelers, flower growers, etc. expect you to save them from a struggling economy and spend your past month’s worth of income on your girlfriend/spouse/date… This may sound like an overwhelming task, but you may be able to earn a few brownie points from the lady with some creative yet low cost ideas. Here are some ideas provided by women I asked about surviving Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank. Feel free to share your own creative ideas in the comments below.

Continue reading Save Valentine’s Day and Your Budget →

Activity CLUB, Life

Ways to Have Fun on a Budget: Dining Table Ping-Pong

Do you love the game of ping-pong, but you are too cheap or don’t have room for a table? Do all your friends play beer-pong but you don’t like cleaning up afterwards or spreading swine flu? The next best game to hit the market since Pro Thumb Wrestling is Dining Table Ping-Pong and it’s the latest cheap activity in our Activity CLUB

What Exactly is Dining Table Ping-Pong

Dining Table Ping-Pong (DTPP) is what every bachelor pad owner, apartment dweller, and dorm room needs. Just like the world famous Table Tennis, DTPP offers a competitive activity that is playable for all skill levels. All you do is whip out the adjustable net and tie it to some chairs, put on the hard core sweatbands, and start pinging and ponging until you crash on a nearby couch.

Continue reading Ways to Have Fun on a Budget: Dining Table Ping-Pong →