The physics most of us are familiar with is called Newtonian physics.  You can use it to calculate how fast a ball will fall when dropped from the Eiffel tower, where a canon ball will land when shot at a particular angle and all kinds of other useful things.  However, if you start dealing with things that are very small or very large, Newtonian physics is no longer accurate.

Acquiring and purging moving boxesWhen you move you usually spend a bunch of time tracking down boxes to transport all of your stuff. Sleek way to hide kitty litter boxThe Kitty Washroom is certainly an uncluttered kitty potty solution.

A few days ago, I took my son to get a haircut (mostly because he got a piece of gum in his hair in the park, we had to cut it out, and his hair looked disastrous afterwards, beyond our ability to fix unless we shaved his head). He’s a bright and observant two year old boy (just shy of three), and so he often watches what others are doing to learn more about how people act.

Last week, USA Today featured an article on Christians who continue to tithe even as they face foreclosure. Tithing is the practice of donating 10% of your gross income to your church. It’s not a common practice (only 5% of American adults tithe), but it’s important to those who choose to do so. It’s a component not just of Christianity, but other religions as well.

Image by Softypapa

“I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.” – John D. Rockefeller.

"The important question is not, what will yield to man a few scattered pleasures, but what will render his life happy on the whole amount." -- Joseph Addison *

Today, the great American actor Paul Newman died of cancer in his Connecticut home. He was 83. I’ve always been a fan of Paul Newman. He’s one of the last of the great manly movie stars. Newman played some of the manliest characters in American cinema and played them well, infusing each one with a cool, manly confidence.

I hear from a lot of expectant parents and parents of newborns who ask lots of interesting questions about what we actually do to save money with our infants. Though I’ve written lists before of the things worth doing to trim spending on babies, many of the people who write in are skeptical. Cloth diapers? Do you really do that? Don’t you need things like changing tables?

Photo of Tina Su by Jeremy Sawatzky (Location: Qianmen Hutong) A year ago today, Think Simple Now was launched with the intention of sharing some of my lessons learned on personal development. The audience was originally intended to be only my family and friends. That circle of friends quickly expanded around the world, to people in 197 countries, and grew beyond any of my expectations.

I was pleased recently to discover another handful of short films about financial topics from the 1940s and 1950s. I’ll share them over the next few months, starting with this timely piece from 1947. With the recent economic turmoil in the U.S., it’s worthwhile to answer the question: What is money?

I just finished Never Eat Alone (a book on how to network with people) and would highly recommend it.  I’m also half way through Work the System by Sam Carpenter (a book in the style of The 4 Hour Work Week) and just starting Brain Rules by John Medina.  (These two books were given to me in hopes of a review, but they look pretty good so far.) Another book I recently read and recommend is

Last Wednesday, I was in a foul mood. If you knew me in the world beyond your computer screen, you would know that I am normally an upbeat person. I usually have a smile on my face or am lost in thought, but it’s rare for me to be snippy with people and angry.

I recently talked to a client of mine who asked me how I keep tabs on my customers. He was concerned about giving clients a first draft then waiting weeks to hear back from them. I agreed that it can be frustrating to wait on clients when you want to get something wrapped up.

Thanks for all the comments in the $22 movie thread. At first I felt picked on (though I deserved it — I’m the bonehead who spent $14.75 on snacks), but enough repetition has finally beat a point into my head: I don’t need to buy snacks at the movies. Who cares if I’ve done it for 39 years?