Saving time

See It All. Adventures in Thailand with a backpack and an iPhone.

My Longboat Captain and First mate.

I was hanging out on Khao San Road enjoying my last beer in Thailand. It’d been a whirlwind 12 day trip, exhausting, but in a good way. I was speaking with a couple from Australia, who joked, in a friendly way, that I’d seen more in two weeks and they’d seen in three months.

For a minute they must have been thinking “over scheduled American can’t relax”. Seeing more with less time was my plan all along. I met more than one person who was visiting for 3 to 6 months. With SuperK and kids back home, I did not have that luxury this trip.

I did, however, find that having a rough outline of a schedule, and using mobile apps, I actually ended up having more free time than I’d planned on. There’s a lot written about travel hacking and grabbing flights and hotels at the lowest price. There’s not as much about hacking your trip once you arrive.

For me, the planning process is part of the whole journey. Just 3 or 4 years ago, you’d have to carry around a thick travel book and clumsy maps and do your best at navigating the chaos of a city like Bangkok. This is not just about tourist attractions, In fact, mobile apps allow you to find the best restaurants, bars, hiking trails, and off the beaten path destinations.

Here’s a list of the apps I used for my Thailand visit, as well as recent family trips. All of these apps are multi-platform and sync across my desktop, tablet and mobile device. [Read more…] about See It All. Adventures in Thailand with a backpack and an iPhone.

Curated for your viewing pleasure. Finding great films to watch without losing your mind.

03/15 by The Frug Leave a Comment

By Brad Beckstrom

Stop spending so much time in front of the boob tube and go outside. The boob tube was what my mom liked to call the TV. She was giving me some good advice and, getting me out of her hair all at the same time. I guess that advice stuck. I’d still rather be out doing something, anything than sitting in front of the TV.

If you live in the eastern half of the US, you know this winter has been brutal. Thunder snow, sideway ice storms, endless school closings, all around crap weather. Sometimes a great movie is just the ticket on an ice covered evening.

If I’m going to spend some time in front of the TV I’d rather not waste it on a bad movie. Problem is there are plenty of bad movies out there, you see them popping up on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon. Hey! New releases! Highly recommended for you! $ $3.99 special.All just sitting there waiting to suck.

On top of the general suckiness, there are literally thousands of these films in each genre for you to wade through, hoping that because something is popular that you’ll like it as well. If you add to that all of the movies available via different and separate providers like iTunes, your cable company, Netflix, Amazon etc. you could spend more time searching, than actually watching the film.

Even more annoying is that many of the services are pay-per-view. If I already have Netflix and Amazon Prime, I certainly don’t want to spend more money with iTunes, the cable company, or additional monthly subscriptions like HBO.

Flixter.com had a decent search setup for a while, but now through their efforts to monetize it, they have turned it into some type of overpriced online movie rental service and removed the most useful features like sorting by provider. Now I only recommend it for finding new releases in your local movie theater.

A new free solution has arrived. [Read more…] about Curated for your viewing pleasure. Finding great films to watch without losing your mind.

Decision fatigue. How too many daily choices can wear you down.

02/15 by The Frug Leave a Comment

By Brad Beckstrom

In modern life, we often face a paradox of choice. You’d think this would be fantastic. Our ancestors and those living in third world poverty would marvel at the amount of choices we have for everything, from snack foods to clothing to luxury automobiles. A cornucopia of choices delivered at a click of a mouse or a walk down the aisle of any big-box store.

From the moment you wake up in the morning, you’re bombarded with small choices, that when added up can exhaust you by the end of the day. This is called decision fatigue and we can reduce it through the science of simplicity.

For example, let’s look at one of the first decisions we make each day. What to wear? A quick count of the number of items in my closet including shirts, pants, shoes, and belts. Combined there’s about 140 items. Without getting into combinations and permutation formulas, I have well over 1.5 million possible combinations of shirts, shoes, pants, and belts. Let’s see how I stack up against some smart guys who got this right. Remember a lower number is better. [Read more…] about Decision fatigue. How too many daily choices can wear you down.

The Man in Seat 61. Jump on a Train and Go.

02/15 by The Frug Leave a Comment

By Brad Beckstrom

I’ve always enjoyed train travel. I figured out years ago that it’s often faster than traveling by air when you factor in getting to and from the airport and ever intensifying security. This is especially true in the Northeast, traveling between Washington DC and New York City. If I’m going downtown, I can step off the train at Penn Station in Manhattan versus cabbing to and from the airports, dealing with lines and weather delays. Sure, trains get delayed occasionally but at least you’re in a large comfortable seat with power outlets and can read a book or get some work done. As a bonus, no bag fees and up to 70% less CO2 versus a plane.

I really caught the train bug while traveling in Europe. There are some fantastic trains like the 186 MPH double decker TGV in France or the Frecciarossa ETR500 in Italy, also clocking in at about 186 MPH. Like Formula One, they are very serious about trains in the EU and UK. You can take a comfortable high-speed overnight train, have dinner in Munich, and breakfast in Rome. In addition to some great sunsets and scenery, you’ll be saving money you’d otherwise be spending on a hotel room.

Trains create stories

Pocket Change The World.

02/15 by The Frug Leave a Comment

Automatic Transaction Roundup Giving is Here.

By Brad Beckstrom

Remember pocket change?

I used to have a ton of it. As an urban payer of tolls, connoisseur of food carts, dive bars and large beverages in convenience stores, there was never any shortage of it. It would spill out of my khakis and accumulate between the seats of my car or in the ashtray. I would also fill jars of it at home. I purchased my first mountain bike with a bucket of change that amounted to just over $500.

I chose my bank at the time because they had a free service where you could drop off your loose change and they would run it through a machine and then deposit a check into your account. Just picture The Frug walking into a hundred-year-old marble and mahogany bank on Capitol Hill with his mop bucket of change. If I didn’t have a business account with them they probably would’ve laughed me out of there.

Panhandlers

The other element of living in DC was that there was always someone to give your change to. Our nation’s capital is home to a large homeless population. So I was the guy to talk to if you had a cardboard sign and you were looking for spare change. One roommate told me that giving money to panhandlers just fueled their addictions and that I should give in different ways. I thought sure, it would be nice if I could give out apples or muffins, but the change was there and a person who needed it was there. So why not? This was something extra.

Years later, things have changed. I am amazed by how little change or small bills I have. Nearly everyone takes credit cards now, swipe, tap, waive. It gets easier and easier. Faster and faster, no signature required. If you have a credit card that gives 2% cash back rewards, it makes sense to use it, as long as you pay off your bill in full every month.

In a few years, the actual card itself will be gone and we’ll simply be waving or tapping our phones to complete touchless purchases. Apps and services like Apple Pay have the potential to be a bad thing (spenders) but potentially a fantastic thing (savers and givers) Here’s why.

The 3 Act Day – Why you should structure your day like a screenplay.

01/15 by The Frug Leave a Comment

By Brad Beckstrom

What if every day were scripted like a great film?

the godfather act 1 — Marlon Brando, The Godfather Act I

Whether you like it or not, they often are. Here’s a super abbreviated version of the classic three act structure in screenwriting.

Act I The Setup: Establish the main characters, their relationships, the world they live in, and what the story is all about? Later in this act there is a “call to adventure” or “catalyst” that sets the plot in motion.

Act II Confrontation: Also referred to as “rising action,” this typically depicts the main characters attempt to resolve the problem initiated by the first turning point, only to find him or herself in ever more challenging situations.

Act III Resolution: Features the resolution of the story and its subplots. The climax is the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most intense point and the dramatic question answered, leaving the protagonist and other characters with a new sense of who they really are.

The Hero’s Journey

What if every day could follow the structure of the hero’s journey with a call to adventure, rising action and intense point where dramatic questions are answered and we have a sense of who we really are? That’s a hell of a lot more interesting than a to do list or a calendar.

Act I is the early part of the day, the setup. If you’re in a foul mood, skipping the important stuff or feel like a rudderless ship, this day may end up not being a very good movie.

Act II is the main part of the day. For our purposes here, let’s call this “rising action.” You can call it the workday, whatever you want. The main character – “you” – is attempting to resolve ever more challenging situations and sometimes, small or large confrontations.

Act III Finally, there is resolution, wrapping up our efforts for the day and hopefully bringing the day to a successful close. Our hero, again “you,” finishes out the day and rides off into the sunset.

Saving time

My Longboat Captain and First mate.

What if every day were scripted like a great film?

Whether you like it or not, they often are. Here’s a super abbreviated version of the classic three act structure in screenwriting.

The Hero’s Journey

Here’s how to script your day like a blockbuster.