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How Much House Do You Need?
Published on - November 17th, 2009 (Modified on - December 18th, 2009) (by April Dykman)
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
For more than a decade, Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has lived in an 89 square-foot home.
His decision to live in a tiny house came from concerns about the effects a larger house would have on the environment, and his desire to not maintain a lot of unused or unusable space.
Obviously Jay's home is at the extreme low end of how small one can go with living space, but it meets his needs and allows him to live the simple lifestyle he was seeking. While it may seem impossibly small to the majority of people, 89 square feet is Jay's right-sized home.
Contrast this with the average American home, which in 2004, was 2349 square feet, up from 1695 square feet in 1974. In 30 years, the size of kitchens doubled, ground-floor ceilings grew by more than a foot, and bedrooms increased by 54 square feet. In 2004, the average family size was 2.6 people. Thirty years ago, it was 3.1 people. Our homes have been getting larger while our families are getting smaller.
But earlier this year USA TODAY reported a change in that trend:
New homes, after doubling in size since 1960, are shrinking. Last year, for the first time in at least 10 years, the average square footage of single-family homes under construction fell dramatically, from 2,629 in the second quarter to 2,343 in the fourth quarter, Census data show.
The average size of a new home is approximately 15 percent smaller than it was just a year ago. Architects and designers believe this trend toward smaller homes was caused by the economic meltdown — but they expect it to be a lasting change.
Too big, too small
I've mentioned that my husband and I will be building a home soon, and we've gone back and forth with our architect on several sketches, trying to find our right-sized home. Most of the designs have been appealing, but some have been bigger than we need, and others smaller.
Buying or building too much home has a lot of drawbacks, including:
- Environmental effects
- Higher mortgage payment means more energy goes into paying for housing
- Higher taxes and insurance
- Requires more time and money to maintain and clean
- Higher utility bills
- More rooms to furnish
Buying or building too small is economical, but can cost in other ways. If your house is too small, you might face some of the following challenges:
- No room to expand if you have kids.
- Lack of storage space, even for basic household items.
- Not enough room to entertain friends and family. (If you enjoy entertaining, that is!)
- Lack of space for an office (if you work from home) or hobbies.
- Feeling like you're living on top of your family members, with no personal space.
Finding a size that is just right
Too big is a waste, and too small is a headache. How does one find a Goldilocks house — sized just right? There are many considerations, such as the following:
- Lifestyle. Do you work from home and need office space? Do you travel a lot? How often do you entertain?
- Family. Do you have children? If not, do you plan to have kids (and plan to stay in the same home)? Are there elderly relatives who live with you or might need to in the future?
- Hobbies. Some hobbies require a bit of room, even if it's just a sewing cabinet or a dedicated space for a piano.
- Future goals. Do you plan to live in the house for a long time? Do you want to travel? What are your savings goals?
Calculating the size of your Goldilocks home
Once you have an idea of what you need your house to do, you can calculate your magic number. In the article "Square Feat: Foot Steps", architect Dan Maginn recommends starting with your current home and following these five steps:
- Measure and record each of the rooms in your current home, thinking in terms of the functions of each room. Include cooking, dining, bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, living, storage, circulation, and mechanical/utility space.
- Note whether each space feels too big or too small.
- Write down how your needs for each function might change in the future. For example, if you plan to stay in the house and have kids, bedroom space is a consideration.
- Given how the spaces currently feel and your future needs, adjust the sizes until the spaces feel right.
- Add up the adjusted numbers.
Right now our number is around 1800 square feet, with a loft that can be built out later if and when our needs change. That number sounds big to me, but looking at the plans, spaces, and considering our future needs (we don't plan to move from this house), it might just be our right-sized house.
What is the square footage of your right-sized living space? Do you currently live in more space than you need, or could you use some more room?
J.D.'s note: I love the Tumbleweed Homes. I want one.
This article is about Choices, House and Home
This post is hitting me on a bad day. We're trying to make a decision regarding an opportunity to get the "perfect-sized" house and it's just about killing me. Part of the problem is the uncertainty about selling our existing house. If we knew we could get X amount for our house, than it would make it easier to quantify the new house or not.
My house in Japan is small by western standards, but still a little too big for my wife and I. It is nice to have the extra space particularly when guests come, but we definitely regret buying it now.
We could probably get by with two bedrooms and a medium sized living room/kitchen. The bigger house forced us to buy a lot of extra furniture and it is more work to clean and maintain.
Our next place will be half the size. I am not sure on how Japanese sizes compare to the US, but I would guess that our house is somewhere around 800 square feet now.
I am renting so I don't have to worry about this. I will never have to reside in a place that is too large just because I might need the space someday.
Suzanne (46)–"Also, attitudes have gotten out of control. My best friend believes that she would be almost abusing her child if the two of them lived in less than 2,000 sq ft. And she doesn't understand why she can't get ahead."
That's child abuse? I think our culture has OD'd on "The Brady Bunch"…
She might also be using her child as a justification to buy a house she really can't afford.
Hey April,
Buying a big house because you desire tons of space is like buying a Hummer because you desire a big car.
Buying a big house because you think you'll need the extra rooms later is like buying an SUV because you think you'll need to go off-road sometime in the future – but you only drive to the stores.
I grew up in a 1200sq ft, three bedroom house with Mom, Dad, two brothers and a sister. Sis was the only child that got her own room.
I currently live in a 1k sq ft house and could easily down size if I got rid of some of the clutter.
it's interesting to me how different American and Canadian standards are, given that we are such close neighbours and subject to much of the same media and cultural influences. We built a 1670 square foot home 12 years ago when our 2 kids were young and it was a considerable size by Canadian standards. With one out of the nest and our second in high school, we are definitely considering downsizing.
I googled the stat to see if my personal observations were correct and found the average Canadian home(in 2005) was 1353 square feet.
@Kevin, my friend isn't using her son as an excuse, she just really doesn't get it. She's a single mom with a very high salary – her son must have room to play inside & outside! I try to teach her, but it's hard because she has so many emotions and so much guilt wrapped around the issue. It's sad. She probably makes 4-5 times as much as I do, but I'm more financially stable. (Now that's saying something since I'm still paying off debt!).
My wife and I live in this little one-bedroom house:
Last year our joint gross income was about $170k, but we still find this house plenty adequate, and it means our housing costs are proportionally *half* of the 30-35% of income that people generally recommend.
The house is fantastic in other ways, too. For instance, there beach is about 50 yards behind where that photo was taken, separating us by just one other house.
I think it's important to keep in mind that the tiny houses mentioned don't include the loft area, which is an additional floor with a bed (and usually nothing else). That does make a difference, obviously.
When I moved to Canada, I was surprised that everything was so big. The stores, the streets, the people… the houses.
I'm renting an appartment right now, it's too big for me. We know what the ideal size for us is : 500 square feet. Bigger is too big for me, and I start to depress. Smaller isn't practical for two humans and two cats (We'd prefer something smaller if it wasn't for the cats).
When I go back to France to visit, I'll share one of my best friends apartment studio : 10 square meters, about 11O square feet. Regular size for a student apartment in Paris. (And if that doesn't scare you yet, let me add that it costs 500 euros monthly. Or 750 dollars if you prefer. That's what I spend right now for 5 times the size).
We've done it before, 2 people in 110 square meters. It's livable, if you're clever with space, and you don't spend all your time at home. Oh, and of course you need to share a bed, because there won't be room for a second one.
I grew up in a city where there just aren't houses. There are apartments, and when there needs more housing, you build higher because there just isn't room left. So I'm used to it, and that might explain my preferences.
Although my environmental impact matters to me, I just feel more at home in a smaller place. Like it's "hugging" me. Something too big feels empty, and empty isn't like home. It's not cosy.
And I'm not about to buy Stuff to fill the space.
My ideal bedroom has room for the bed, an end table on each side, and a closet for clothes (not a walk-in closet, just a regular one). Anything more is too big for me.
But different people have different needs. As long as you realise bigger isn't always better like we're being told so often, you can start looking for the perfect size for you. no matter if it's a house or an appartment, if you're buying or renting.
(About places being higher than they used to be… My husband is 6'6″ and one of the places we visited, he couldn't even stand up in it. That was kinda funny)
We are still in the first house we bought, but we have done a lot of remodeling over time. For the first 10 years, we had an unofficial apartment in the downstairs, with its own kitchen and bathroom a smallish entry room where a dining room table could sit and a greatroom. When we paid off the mortgage and ran out of friends who needed short-term living arrangements, we converted the downstairs kitchen to a laundry room and redid the bathroom. And put in wall to wall bookshelves in the greatroom for all of our book collection.
Upstairs, we have three bedrooms for two people, but since the DH and I both feel we "need" a study of our own, it seems just right. It's an old house, though, and when we bought a queen size bed for our bedroom we then realized we can't have much else in the room… Ditto the living room, which doesn't have a couch, just four comfortable chairs around the coffee table…
sometimes we do go out and look at open houses — I really dislike the trends toward enormous bathrooms, with soaking tubs or jacuzzies that I bet aren't used more than a few times a year (?) and especially the double sink idea. I love the DH, but I don't want to brush my teeth with him!
My question to Jay is this: Is there indoor plumbing & a functioning bath & kitchen area in the tiny home?
My current home is the largest I've lived in as an independent adult & is a bit over 1100 square feet. One person, two dogs, occassional visitors, & three art mediums that don't play well together fit into it just fine. Then my parents moved from a stuffed-to-the-brim, over-sized 6-bedroom home into a compact 2-bedroom retirement apartment. I bought some of their furniture, tools & equipment for my home & the next thing I knew it became the drop-zone for a lot of "stuff" no one else wanted that didn't sell in any of the garage sales. Yes, I still have trouble saying "no" to my Mom. Four years later, I'm slowly & quietly rearranging & disposing of the excess that crowds my home.
Our apartment is about 1400 square feet and it's too big! I'm glad we have a spare bedroom, but it's about twice as big as it needs to be. So is the bathroom. And the living/dining room is a square, which leaves a big corner of empty space – our neighbors have used his space as an office, but my husband said he doesn't want an office in the living room. However, we don't have kids yet, so I think the extra space in the guest bedroom will come in handy then. I would love to live in a tumbleweed home!! I keep telling hubby I would like to live in a studio apartment once in my life.
If I'm not making use of every room, I feel that I am wasting money (and that means that I am missing out on life opportunities that would follow from making better use of my money). There's a lot of stuff that people trying to sell us houses do to make it appear that the cost of owning unused space is not that great. I try to tune that stuff out.
If I am using all the space I own, I don't object to paying the price for it. If I am not using it, there's something wrong. That's a simple but I think a good general rule.
My husband and I live in an 1800sq foot home which I like, but it is really too big for us. It would be perfect if we could just chop off the third bedroom. Unfortunately, it's really hard to find a 2 bedroom house in our area. There are smaller homes, but almost all are 3 bedrooms, which means the room size just gets smaller and that's not what we need. But, we've been rethinking a lot lately and maybe after 10 years here, it's time to rethink where we live too.
We have a 1920s Spanish Eclectic bungalow which is about 915 sq feet (for me, husband, 1 dog, 3 cats). 2 BR, 1 Bath. All the rooms are small but the layout is intelligent and flows well.
We love our house; it has details that you just don't see in many houses any longer (unless they are custom built to exacting details), such as lovely coved ceilings.
However, it'd be nice if it were a bit bigger. The one bathroom is very small, and it'd be very handy to have a half bath/toilet. I would love a room to use as a studio (I knit & spin & would love to start weaving but there's no place for a loom), and I know my husband would like a pool table (figure that room could be a library/pool table room) (he earned $ for college expenses playing pool).
Our bedroom doesn't really have room for our dressers (they're in the 2nd bedroom, which doesn't have a bed) (that room is actually where are cats stay during the day, they're indoors only but the dog has a dog door which we close at night — at least one cat would use the dog door if he had access).
A room for guests would be good, but I could combine that with my studio (have a murphy bed perhaps).
I would love to have one of those houses—in my backyard!
Our house is about 1250 sqft. I could go smaller except my husband is a pack rat. We are also not very organized, so our stuff could potentially take up less space than it does.
Mostly the house is a good size though. We have a guest room which gets a fair amount of use, and a good-size living area for parties. We each have our own office space and the kitchen is big and open, with an eating area (the dining area is taken up by a piano, which we both play). There is a second 1/2 bath which is a treat; I never want to live in a one-bathroom house again!
The yard is what's really too much. We got it for our dogs, and they of course love it, but I find it overwhelming. In the summer the grass is out of control, and don't even talk to me about dandelions. I don't have the time or desire to maintain it. I think we'd be happier with maybe 1/2 or 1/3 the yard we have, and the dogs would not mind much.
we live in 1800 sq feet, mom dad and 4 kiddos. Our basement is a walkout but unfinished and is a planned space to finish for teens. Also have 1/2 acre. It's just right for our family size.
Tyler (59)–I looked at the house on Flickr. You and your wife earn $170k? You have my utmost respect for being successful and rejecting the need to let anyone know about it.
A good friend of mine, earning six figures, owned a 1990s vintage Saturn for many years, with nearly 300,000 miles on it. It looked like an updated version of a Columbo car, if anyone can remember that TV show. He could easily afford to drive something better, but he wasn't motivated in that direction. This was something I found completely admirable about him.
When you can live beneath your means like that, you'll never be owned by anyone. Not creditors or even employers. THAT is the definition of success and it means more then the biggest, in-your-face house or car you can buy.
Success shouldn't need to be proven to others.
This was a great post, with some very helpful tips and guidelines. I wish it had been around when my wife and I bought our house.
We bought a house that's way bigger than we need. We bought a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home (with rough-in for a fourth bath in the basement), and 2600 sq. ft., for just the two of us. We've never planned to have kids, and we still don't. It feels so luxurious to have all this space for just the two of us. It's very convenient when friends or family come to visit and need a place to sleep over. There are 3 spare bedrooms (all with queen-size beds) to choose from.
We didn't skimp on the finishes, either. The entire main floor (including the kitchen) is solid American Cherry hardwood (not laminate). The kitchen has granite countertops and birch cabinets, with stainless steel appliances. The main floor and basement (yes, basement!) have 9-foot ceilings. Our ensuite bath has dual sinks, and a two-person roman tub with Jacuzzi jets. We're on a corner lot (3-times as much lawn as our neighbors), we have a 2-car garage, a study, a huge dining room, natural gas fireplace, 20-foot ceilings in the foyer and family rooms, … I could go on. It's comfortable, luxurious, convenient, and just a really nice place to spend our free time. You're going to spend a lot of time in your home. If you're not positive about how much space you think you need, I would recommend erring on the side of "too much" rather than "not enough." Moving sucks.
The only downside I've found after living here for 9 years is the cleaning. It can be annoying to clean 3 bathrooms and 4 bedrooms. However, given that it's just the two of us, the spare rooms don't really need much cleaning very often.
It's the one area in our life where we splurged, and we don't regret it. We have no other debt besides the mortgage, we drive a 5-year old Mazda 3, we don't eat out very often, we've never been to Europe, neither of us has a cell phone, we strictly stick to our budget and save over $3,000/month for various goals (travel, retirement, vehicle replacement, etc.). All this on a pre-tax household income of around $140,000.
That said, when we eventually retire and move back to the coast to be nearer our families, we will not likely get as big a house. We'll almost certainly get something smaller, and put the extra equity towards a cottage, or a condo somewhere down south for the winters.
Happy in my cozy 770 sq foot home! Bought it in remodeled condition, sits on a double lot, near large cities and suburbs, and on an income that has increased by 35% since! This allows for lots of savings of course! Every day I am reminded how lucky I am, and how I could never rent on what i pay on my mortgage. I showed the house to a realtor recently just to get a feel of his opinion, which was very positive.
We live in 980 sq ft. My husband was worried that it wouldn't be big enough when we first got married. We made a deal that, we would get rid of enough stuff to fit comfortably in this space and if it still wasn't big enough we'd move. Amazingly after paring down our stuff, we decided to stay. Every once in a while I wish we had a guest room for visitors, but really difference in mortgage payments isn't worth a room we'd only use four or five times a year.
The biggest issue we faced was finding furniture that was the right size. So much furniture today is designed for much larger rooms than we have.
Wow Tyler #59, what a balling house!
You must be saving a lot of money every month then, which is great!
I think having 700sqft per person is a good amount i.e. 2800 sqft for a family of 4. 500/sqft is at the lower end of my comfort range.
We've been all over the map, both geographically and in home size. Our homes have ranged from 900 sq ft to 2950 sq ft. We found that 2400 sq ft was comfortable for our family of 6 with too many toys. We also found that 1800 sq ft with 4 bedrooms was quite comfortable before the last child was born. We're currently moving back down from 2500 to 1750. That should be quite comfortable for us with the two remaining kids, not overly huge for us when the kids are all gone (just close the doors on a couple of bedrooms), and comfortable when it comes time to take in an elderly relative or two.
Our ideal home (which we have never found and can't afford to build) would be a 4/2 around 1800 sq ft with lots of storage, a large living/family room, one eating area and a smallish room for the piano and some seating, isolated from the living/family room. Bedrooms from 10×11 to 14×16 (master) work well, more is unnecessary. Oh, and give us lots of closets or other storage. We would be comfortable with less finished square footage if we could have a basement, but that's not really an option in most of coastal Florida.
My husband and I just bought a house, and it's much larger than we currently need. (It's a 2800 sq ft house, and there's just the two of us living there.) However, we got a great price on the house (within the recommended debt limit, based on the lower of our two salaries) and a really great mortgage rate, and we're planning on living in the house for twenty or thirty years. (We're in our mid twenties.) We plan to have kids, and we each have two parents, one or more of whom might conceivably end up living with us eventually. We also love to entertain. So, although the house is laughably large (and has very little furniture) now, I think that it's the right size for us in the long run.
That's an old wooden play structure that's a bit dilapidated that I've been intending on tearing down, but haven't yet gotten around to doing.
Well, I did post my salary publicly on the internet — I don't mind if people know how much I earn. But, my goals in life aren't focused around showing that off. I'm successful if I'm healthy and happy, if I get to work with smart people on interesting projects, if I get to set my own schedule and feel appreciated. If my wife is able to stay home if she wants to. If I can go out for a bike ride in the afternoon on nice days. A big house? It's not on *my* list of criteria for success, and wouldn't sacrifice any of those other things for it.
Well my husband, myself, 6 dogs, and a cat live in a 738 sq. ft. house in Florida. We have a 2 bedrooms, large front porch, large one car garage, small back porch of the garage and little less than one acre. We are about to update with a new front porch, french door off the kitchen so we can connect the house to the back porch. We plan on having one child in this house in the next 2-3 years. If we have 2 children we thought about moving to a three bedroom, but many just rearange the space we have…
Lat year we almost bought a 3500 sq. ft house -4 bedroom, dinning room, office, den, 3 car garage, jr. olympic pool, and an extra 800 sq. ft. "out building" with AC. We really stopped and assessed our goals. I loved the bigger house, it was my "dream home." The mortgage was 3 times our now and it would take 4x as long to clean, plus all the extra of having a large home.
Nope! We will stay in out "small home."
Thanks for the post. This was on our minds for the last couple of months, weighing what to buy for a house.
We're buying a townhouse this month for my husband and I and it's 1680 sqft. We plan on staying here for a while and we think this will be enough room for living and the home office.
We bought our 1200 square foot house 20 years ago. It was built in the 20s and it was love at first sight.
It's amazing to see the closets though, about the size of a broom closet! I have a rule, nothing comes in the house without something going out, it keeps clutter to a minimum.
The house next door just sold (the couple had a child and expect another) and they really needed more room. But the good news is the value has held up, they sold their 1100 square foot house for 5 times what we paid.
I will never sell this house, if we ever move I'll keep it as a rental but our plan is to find a cottage at the beach, also small, to spend weekends. I'd take a shack for the right price!
On the other hand my husband grew up in an enormous house (4 kids, 6 bedrooms, 2 acres) in a wealthy area. EVERYTHING about that house costs a fortune (at least they can afford it). For example, I can go to the nursery and get a flat or two of flowers for my garden and you'll actually notice them. Those are the small kinds of things people need to consider when buying a large house.
The median home size in the USA is about 1758 sq ft as of 2005.
See 948 – Housing Units-Size of Units and Lot: 2005 :
The number they give above is the MEAN figure for NEW homes. New homes are larger than old homes. And the average mean is going to be skewed high by the mansions. But most Americans don't live in new homes and the median size is a more accurate reflection of a typical American.
We(husband, wife and 2 kids)moved from a 1100 sq.ft. 2 bed/2 bath rental apartment this year and purchased a 2400+ sq.ft. 4 bed/3 bath,2 floor (thankfully with 2 zone heating/cooling)cape home on a 1/4 acre with a huge masonry patio out back facing a lake. The extra space feels like a luxury to us. Kids have their own rooms(one is a whopping 15′x 15′),us parents have a large master(23′x14′)suite with a vaulted ceiling and spa-like bath, 4th(small) bedroom on first floor will serve as a home office/guest room with full bath next door, first floor is an open floor plan living space (divided into a living/tv room and a dining area with another sitting area facing lake)with a large 10′x20′ kitchen and a laundry/utility room. But with all that space, we STILL could really use one extra multi-use space since we do not have a basement(trade off for lake view…we do have a large storage closet under the stairs and a large unfinished attic the size of 2/3 of the upstairs for additional storage). So we plan on adding an all year round sunroom so that our kids can use it as a playroom or that we can escape to when their friends visit. Problem is we have to save for college first so we dont know when we will ever get to actually do it!
We are two adults and 2 DKs ages 8 and 5. We live in a 4-season part of the country, where summer temps get into the 80s F and winter temps can get to -10F.
In our current flat in a duplex we own, we're upstairs — which means we share the downstairs tenant's heat! We have about 1200ft^2 with 2br/1ba + an office/walk-in closet with a window and a LR/DR. Our tenant's rent covers 90% of the mortgage. So, our fixed monthly housing costs are now about $700.
To compare, we still own but rented out the nearby 1800 ft^2 house we regret* purchasing in 2005. Even with a $750/mo mortgage, it was costing us $1500/mo most months (including utilities, insurance, mortgage, and property taxes). We're happy to have a tenant covering those expenses until we hopefully pass it on next year. We'll get at most 90% of what we paid for it, but we could have made a costlier mistake.*
The 1200 ft^2 really doesn't seem too small most of the time. It does when the kids are antsy and we're all home together, which is really only parts of the weekend and most evenings. We also feel pinched when we accumulate too much junk that isn't organized, which isn't a problem I'm willing to pay extra for!
We made the switch two years ago because we were pretty sure our sole breadwinner was going to be laid off. Still waiting for that, but we're ready.
We'll definitely end up in a bigger home someday (at least a 3br/1.5ba duplex), but we figure we have another 2-3 years before we need to make that move.
*I use the words "regret" and "mistake", because our guts told us to rent for a few years after selling house #1 and moving across the country, and we listened to a financial adviser instead. Doh. Right-sized and priced house, but wrong time and not quite the right house. At least, we didn't splurge on a lake house we "could afford".
My house is about 1500 sq. feet. We have a finished basement with a tenant in it, and the rest of the house is for my family (3 people and a cat). Aside from the basement suite, it has three bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, a home office, dining room, living room and kitchen.
For a house built in 1880 it is pretty well designed for our purposes, although changes have been made to utilize the space to it's fullest.
There is an add-on in the back to house the home office, and the walls were torn down downstairs to create one huge room for the living/dining area with a half-wall into the kitchen. We saved space by stacking our washer/dryer and building a laundry cupboard in the kitchen.
The bedrooms upstairs are pretty small – the smallest one is our storage room since our basement is being utilized by our tenant.
Although our house is large by downtown Toronto standards, it is quite small compared to the homes in the suburbs. It is a compromise I am very willing to make since I can walk to work in 12 minutes flat.
My husband and I rent a little cottage by the sea on Cape Cod. We have a bit less than 400 square feet (including the loft), but it's the absolute perfect size for the two of us (and our dog and cat too). If we buy our own home in a few years, we'd like something roughly this size.
Even though our cottage is only 400 square feet, we both work from home successfully and we couldn't imagine living in a bigger place. For us, having a smaller place means there's less room to fill with stuff. As a result, all of the "stuff" we do have was chosen deliberately. And it's a great motivator for being (and staying) organized too!
Of course an added bonus to our little cottage is that the ocean is only 500 feet away!
We live in a 4 bedroom, 2400 sqft two-story farm house that was built in 1966 (the same year I was born!) — me, husband, & 2 kids. I wouldn't mind going smaller, but I'd have to have less stuff, & I think I'm probably the only one in the family who would even consider a smaller house. Our bedrooms are small, but our house is about the right size for the 4 of us. I really do love my house and (especially) my property.
We sit on a full wooded acre & have a little barn for our two pygmy goats, as well as the coolest multi-level treehouse ever (built by my incredibly talented & handy husband). One side of our property is a road, and the other is a horse field. Jake the horse makes a great neighbor & never plays his music too loud. We have dogs, cats, and rabbits as well as the goats, and two kids who are very involved in the local 4H program. I always think of our place as a wonderland for kids. I've never loved a house as much as I love this one.
We also have too much stuff. I'm in the process of doing a major pre-holiday declutter — 30 things per day for 30 days (I'm on day 3). By the end of it, things should look a lot better around the old farmhouse.
I have a question I wonder if folks could give me advice on: DH and I bought a 3/1 1100sf house a year ago. We had four roommates at the time, but now it is just the two of us and it feels MUCH too big. We are thinking about downsizing to a house half the size, and half the price. The problem is, we want kids. This house will be perfect in 5-8 years when we have three little ones, and it is walking distance to the elementary, jr high, and high schools.
Should we downsize for now, and upsize again as needed? Or, should we stay put and just wait it out?
Des, can you get some more roommates? The money you'll save by moving into something smaller may very well be eaten up by the cost of moving twice.
I think houses got so big because people kept buying more than they could afford. "Oh you'll give me $300,000? Sure, I'll buy a 3,000 square foot house". Now that (hopefully) people are thinking a little more, maybe house sizes will come down even more than they have recently.
I think a good rule of thumb is to buy a house as big as you can AFFORD. Not many people can say "I want the best of everything" and be able to afford it, so pick and choose what features are most important. I'm in my early 20s and not exactly in the buying stage yet, but I know that I want a large kitchen since I like to cook, and my current kitchen in my 1-bedroom apartment doesn't cut it. And yes, if you have a lot of empty rooms, it is tempting to fill them with furniture you may not be able to afford.
I think it really just comes down to planning. Not just planning for the house costs itself, but figuring out what you'll need to buy for the layout you're planning on buying/building, and whether it'll meet your future needs (kids, etc.). Plan on working from home? Then the extra bedroom might be necessary. Want a big backyard for the dog? Well you might have to pay to landscape it, etc.
I don't think there's anything wrong with buying the biggest house you can afford, but most of the time people don't consider what it actually costs to run a household, let alone one that IS bigger than they can afford. Being housepoor sucks!
Though we still rent, I think our current house is the perfect size for us. I don't know the exact square feet, but its about 1600. We both work from home and have home based hobbies so a smaller home would not work for us. I think if we both worked outside of the house 40+ hours a week, less space would probably be ideal. Since we are home almost all the time, we'd probably kill each other! Larger would be overkill. We are not planning on having children.
I think we have enough self control not to fill the house with things we don't need even if we have open space. I like not feeling like things are crowding me.
This article is something I will keep in mind when we start to look to buy in the near future.
We live in a 1060 square foot home. It is small but we can afford it. When we bought it we only had 1 child and now #2 has come along so yes it's a little tight but love grows best in small houses. I also feel a house or anyplace you dwell can seem small if you have too much stuff. The smaller your house the less stuff you can keep. I have pared down the excess and freed up space for the important stuff and am trying to instill this into my son who thinks you must keep everything anyone has ever given you.
We just moved twice in the last few months, so I've had an opportunity to try out three differently sized places for our 2-adult, 2-kid family.
House 1: (lived for 5 years): 1400 sq. ft. bungalow. At first was too small, but when we finished the basement, I think it was perfect!
We had a windfall (wahoo!) and decided to move to a better neighborhood for the schools, and while we were at it, upgrade our house.
House 2: 2 bed, 2 bath apartment during the remodeling of House 3. At first, I thought this would be way too small. But there were advantages. So much less to clean. So much less stuff (we had a ton in storage and honestly, didn't miss is!). I thought having two kids in the same room would be a nightmare, but the putting to bed process was so much shorter. We weren't herding them upstairs to their bedrooms and chasing them around. Being in the same room was nice and they got used to it.
House 3: Maybe 2,000 sq. ft.? Definitely the biggest house we've had. It's wonderful, we love the neighborhood, but there's definitely more to clean, I do miss the kids sharing a room sometimes for the ease, and I'm always running around looking for stuff.
Is it upstairs, downstairs?
Conclusion — same as yours — best to be "right sized." More space for the sake of more space isn't better. Pare down all your "stuff." I was surprised how the apartment didn't drive us crazy! The layout was important though…probably more than anything.
We had to move due to my DH's job and that meant renting about a 900 sq ft condo with 1 car garage after living in a 1600 sq ft house with a 2 1/2 car garage on 1/2 acre lot. He misses the house. I do except for now we have a better school for our daughter and it's almost like we don't pay utilities compared to the house. Our house needed new windows and new a/c unit so both summer and winter bills were extremely high. I don't think we spend as much here in one year as we did there in 3 extreme weather months. The thing I miss the most though is the space to do my sewing/quilting and no room for exercise equip. Luckily when family visits they don't care about air mattresses on the floor.
Neat post! I have no clue how large the place is that I rent – but I might get out the measuring tape when I get home.
Well, we decided against the "perfect size" house. We just aren't where we want to be financially to take on the added costs. Also we would not be able time-wise, weather-wise, and money-wise to be able to properly prepare our current house to sell it when the better house will be coming on the market.
Right now, we are living in a 1290 sq ft ranch house from the 40s. When it's just the three of us, the house is comfortable, but the living room and kitchen are so small that it quickly feels too small when anyone comes to visit. And whoever mentioned the problems with buying furniture for smaller houses–you are right on! We had a bear of a time finding a couch that wouldn't take over our living room or a nice looking table for our kitchen. Almost everything we found was styled large to fill out the McMansion Great Rooms, and wouldn't fit properly in our house. Makes me wish I was a furniture designer. I'd start a line of smaller scaled pieces for people in apartments and smaller homes.
I'm in a between stage. My daughters are in HS and a local college, not quite gone, but not quite home either and there is no real telling how much longer I will need to keep space for them. I'm currently in 1700 sq ft, but see that as way too much house for me with grown children who (presumably) will eventually live elsewhere.
Next question: how much space will I need, and how soon, when they start having children of their own? Yikes!
This is such a great article, and it is clearly hitting a nerve with a lot of people. It comes at a good time for my husband and me, since we're starting to look for a new house (or for land where we can build).
We don't necessarily want more square footage, but we need more than our house can offer: an open floor plan, more indoor and outdoor storage, a home office, and attached garage plus workshop.
We have three small children and live in a ~2100 square foot house (two stories, 4 br, 2 ba). It's 100+ years old and at least 500 sq. ft. is unusable. There is almost no storage and the rooms are small. The basement is not finishable, which is a problem.
We have a huge yard, which we love, but there's a one-car detached garage that doesn't even fit our minivan, let alone my husband's business stuff.
Both my husband and I work from home, so we need at least one home office that's very separate from our living space and kids. My husband also needs significant storage/work space outside the house to accommodate his business. We love to cook and entertain, but our kitchen and dining areas can't accommodate that, so we need a floor plan that works for two cooks.
We love this area, but we've outgrown our house. I can only hope we find (or build) our Goldilocks house soon!
#71 Kevin – everyone knows that Columbo didn't drive a Saturn, he drove a volvo : )
My husband, daughter, and I live in a 1,053-square foot ranch home with a partially finished basement. It is just right for us. There are three bedrooms on the main floor and one in the basement, so we have room for more children. Whoever allocated the space in our basement did a great job, as it also has a family room/library area and a large play area as well as a big room for laundry and storage.
Our main floor living area is very open, although I do wish our living room was a little larger. Someone else mentioned their home is less than 1,000 square feet and it's hard to find furniture that doesn't look too big … that's our problem in our living room, too.
We have several elderly neighbors who raised three or four children each in their homes back in the day, so we know it can be done.


text:
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
(This template should be used on pages in the Category: namespace.)
- The following documentation is located at Template:derivcatboiler/documentation. [edit]
This template generates descriptions and categorization for terms derived from other languages by employing Module:category tree.
This template should be added to all supported categories.
These positional (unnamed) parameters are optional, but should strictly reflect the title of each category.
- 1= The language code. See Wiktionary:Languages.
- 2= The code of the language or family from which the terms are derived.
Subtemplates of derivcatboiler[edit]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Now is the Time
While I was in
This is one of the biggest threats that was ever placed against
We are fighting ghosts now. We are fighting a terrorist organization who is sponsored by the most vicious people on Earth, a terrorist organization that has no red lines; no, nothing; theyre going to stop at nothing except if they are dead.
Now is the time for
It is a fundamental principle of international law that a nation may engage in legitimate self-defense. That principle is enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and is also recognized as part of customary international law.
The fact that the Arab countries are not united in this current conflict presents an unprecedented opportunity to remove and neutralize the threat of Hezbollah and Hamas. Specifically,
While we all hope for ultimate peace in the region, it is not realistic to have


text:
This problem concerns a network connection between what I'll call machine A and machine B. On machine A, I can use SSMS to connect to a local database with no problem. But I'm having trouble getting SSMS on machine B to connect to SQLEXPRESS on machine A. I couldn't even get it to find the instance of SQLEXPRESS on machine A until I created a Guest user account with full permissions for the folder containing the database file. But when I try to connect to the server I get the error message below. I admit that at this point I'm lost. I don't know anything about SQL Server permissions, accounts and all that stuff - I've only been a local database user/VB programmer till now. Can anyone figure out what I need to do, or at least refer me to a good book that will give me some direction? Here's some more info about my configuration;
I'm using SQL Server Express 2008. I have Sequel Server Browser running on machine A. I have also shared the folder containing the database file, though I don't know if I really need to do that. I have TCP/IP enabled under SQL Server Network Configuration from the Configuration Manager.
TITLE: Connect to Server
Cannot connect to PDS\SQLEXPRESS.
Login failed for user 'PDS\Guest'. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 18456)
For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=18456&LinkId=20476
asked Apr 06, 2010 at 06:36 PM in Default
Tim 2
Hi All,
You can have a look on below links.
https://sites.google.com/site/jayantdass/how-to-find-guest-account-is-enabled-or-disabled-sql-serverThanks & Regards Jayant Dass email@example.com
answered Aug 12, 2011 at 12:21 AM
Hi All ,
You can have a look on below links.
https://sites.google.com/site/jayantdass/how-to-find-guest-account-is-enabled-or-disabled-sql-serverThanks & Regards Jayant dass
answered Aug 12, 2011 at 12:20 AM
SQL Server Express has some default settings that can potentially cause connection problems from different machines and also how many connections are possible.
If you havent set them since installation then you need to check:
details here: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlexpress/archive/2005/05/05/415084.aspx - HOW TO: CONFIGURE EXPRESS TO ACCEPT REMOTE CONNECTIONS
answered Apr 07, 2010 at 05:35 AM
Fatherjack ♦♦
I did turn off the firewalls in both machines, Norton Internet Security on one machine and Trend Micro Internet Security on the other. I also have the Browser service running. In the configuration manager I enabled TCP/IP in Protocols for SQLEXPRESS under SQL Server Network Configuration, but also in Client Protocols under SQL Native Client 10.0 Configuration. I also have Name Pipes disabled in both configurations, but I don't know what to do with the other items; Shared Memory & VIA
Apr 07, 2010 at 11:04 AM Tim 2
Have you tackled windows firewall too? you shouldnt have to disable named pipes, its just an alternative to TCP/IP. Have you changed the maximum concurrent connections value too?
Apr 07, 2010 at 11:11 AM Fatherjack ♦♦
The windows firewall is off too. I didn't change the settings for the concurrent connections, so I supposed it's at the default. I forget where to look for that. Could you tell me where? Thanks.
Apr 07, 2010 at 02:52 PM Tim 2
right click server in SSMS object explorer | properties | connections tab ... Robert is your Dad's brother ...
Apr 07, 2010 at 04:14 PM Fatherjack ♦♦
The maximum number of concurrent connections is set to 0, which should be unlimited."Rober is your Dad's brother" had me going for a while. I see your from London so I guess that is a Britishism. Perhaps equivalent to "Bob's your Uncle"?
Apr 07, 2010 at 05:12 PM Tim 2
Is PDS your computer name or is it your domain?
Have you granted permissions into the database for that account?
answered Apr 06, 2010 at 06:50 PM
PDS is the computer name. I don't know how to grant permissions into the database. That's my problem. I don't know anything about that subject.
Apr 07, 2010 at 10:51 AM Tim 2


text:
An unstable drunk. See also Alcohol, British.
According to Wikipedia, "a slang term used to describe the build-up of fat and or flaccid muscle that hangs from the underside of the upper arms." See also Body, British.
An old unit of volume approximately equal to 1/8 of a pint. See also British, Drinks.
A cross between a pillock and a prat. See also British.
See also British.
Sold only in Burger King restaurants in the UK. Asking for them in American Burger King establishments will likely gain you a very funny and confused stare from the cashier. See also British.
Don't believe me? Check it out. See also British, Sophomoric.
Polite euphemism for a male homosexual. See also British.
As in, "Anthony is a dab hand at the smash-and-grab." See also British.
By Boots Randolph; best known from its use as the theme song on The Benny Hill Show. See also British, Music, Television.


text: i've started a "cutting" diet to drop my BF% and have so far dropped ~4-5 lbs. what i am asking is how would i know if those lbs. i've lost is FAT or LEAN MUSCLE(or combined)? would i feel strength loss if i'm losing lean muscle? i don't feel any weaker on my lifts so i'm assuming those dropped lbs. is FAT. i can't see it being water wt. loss cuz i've actually increased my water intake since cutting. so, if i'm losing lean muscle will i "FEEL IT" at the gym? thanks!


text:
Homeopathic Schools Directory
The Homeopathic Schools Directory lists NASH registered schools of homeopathy in the US and Canada. Select the appropriate category to filter your results.
Los Angeles School of HomeopathyLos Angeles School of Homeopathy3-Year Program Contact: Avghi Constantinides
Show Map |
Representing an innovative approach to teaching and practicing homeopathy with the traditional essentials. Three-year academic and mentoring program leading to a Diploma as a Professional Homeopath. Ten lively weekend classes with clinical training and case taking in each class. Classes start in September. Director of Academic Standards, Louis Klein RSHom.


text: The Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust relies on our volunteers to help accomplish our mission. We are stretched thinly across Wyoming and our limited staff cannot provide materials to every landowner, attend every event or complete every task. Our gracious and hard-working volunteers contribute their time and energy to bring the Stock Growers Land Trust into their own communities.


text:
Rich times for Doyle
Panther Claw (nearest) and Rich Revival jump the last together before the latter goes on to score
(Healy Racing Photos)
The 8yo son of Turtle Island won his bumper on his debut at Down Royal in 2010 and he then ran well in four attempts in maiden hurdle company, with his last run coming at Gowran in April of last year where he finished sixth of nineteen behind Toon River.
Having opened at 16/1 this morning with Paddy Powers, he opened on track at 14/1 before being backed into 10/1 at the off.
After racing in mid-division for much of the contest he made progress into fourth at the fifth last and went second three fences from home.
He was ridden to lead from the next and despite edging left on the run-in, he stayed on well under pressure to score by a length and a quarter at the line.
The 7/2 joint favourite Panther Claw led from the sixth fence but he couldn't match the winner close home and had to settle for second under Davy Russell for Paul Nolan.
King Of The Refs finished a further seven lengths back in third under Paul Carberry for Tony Martin at 9/2 while the other 7/2 joint favourite, Hi Big Man, fell at the sixth.
Brian O'Connell said afterwards: "He stuck at it well. He was very professional for a horse first time over fences.
"He hadn't run for a while and he idled a bit in front. When the runner-up came up to him he rallied from the last."
Winning trainer Liz Doyle last night sold impressive Lingstown point-to-point winner Mac's Return for £165,000 at the Brightwells Horses In Training Sale at Cheltenham.
(Additional reporting by Gary Carson)
See also
» Meeting Review for Fairyhouse, Sat, 15th Dec, 2012
» Result - Fairyhouse 1.15, 15th Dec New Value Hospitality Packages Beg. S'ch
» All news for Sat, 15th Dec, 2012
|« Latest News
|Earlier News »


text:
Friday, August 26, 2011
Do You Salsa???...
I love salsa... both the music and the kind you eat... yesterday, my niece Liz and I went to our local Farmers Market... it was my first big outing since my surgery and it felt sooo good to get out and about. Liz and I had so much fun and bought so many yummy fruits and veggies... I got everything to make my salsa... I was still feeling good today, (thank you God), so I decided to whip up a batch... I just love getting out my old enamelware pot and cooking my salsa in that... just seems to give it a burst of flavor by using that old pan...
My fresh tomatoes from the Farmers Market, grown just down the lane from me at the Bangerter Farm...
Fresh green, red and yellow Bell Peppers, Anaheims, and Jalapenos... Bermuda onions and Spanish onions... and garlic, of course... the house smells so deliciously yummy today!...
And now comes the most fun part... eating it!...
Let's salsa!... xoxo...
15 comments:
- Sunray Gardens said...
That really looks good. I love salsa but I just eat it from a jar. LOL
Cher Sunray Gardens
Goldenray Yorkies
- August 26, 2011 at 2:20:00 PM MDT
- Philly and Ellie said...
Looks So yummy Ju Ju... I would love some of your Salsa or the kind my mom used to make. I bet your house is smelling so good right about now. I wish I some here in London and could dip chip after chip into it. Glad you and Lizzy had a good time at the market and you got out and about. Miss the Market. Love you and enjoy your salsa.
Love Filly
- August 26, 2011 at 3:34:00 PM MDT
- It's me said...
Yammie......delicious!!...Enjoy a happy weekend darling...love love love from me Ria....xxx...xxx...xxx...
- August 26, 2011 at 3:54:00 PM MDT
- A Vintage Chic said...
Oh yum, Julie Marie! Nothing like some good old fresh salsa!
So glad you're feeling better--finally getting some visits in--life's been nuts here!
Hope your weekend is just lovely, dear friend!
- August 26, 2011 at 6:56:00 PM MDT
- Bobbi said...
This looks wonderful!!! (love the soundtrack). Fun and delicious post! Hope you all are doing well. Hugs to Tessy..
- August 26, 2011 at 8:00:00 PM MDT
- June said...
Oh how I wish I was at your house tonight Julie Marie! I love salsa! We go through it by the gallons here. My husbands favorite snack is chip and salsa mixed with sour cream. I can just imagine how good your kitchen smells too.
I am so glad that you are getting around a little and doing some of the things you love again. I bet it was wonderful spending the day with your niece.
Now lets just hope those other stones stay put!!!
sending hugs from here...
- August 26, 2011 at 8:07:00 PM MDT
- Kit said...
So very glad you are feeling better! Your salsa looks great, and I don't even eat salsa (tomatoes and me do not get along...LOL) Hugs, Kit
- August 26, 2011 at 9:07:00 PM MDT
- Celestina Marie Designs said...
Hi Julie,
Oh it looks so good. I love salsa both the sauce and the dance!!
What a nice way to welcome the upcoming fall with a batch of this yummy treat.
Thank you for sharing and I am so glad you are feeling better. Don't over do it though.
XOXO Celestina Marie
- August 26, 2011 at 9:09:00 PM MDT
- Ana said...
Yummy....But I would have added a couple more handfuls of jalapeños...I like my salsa extra hot :-)So happy to hear that you are doing well my dear friend. Glad you were able to get out a bit. Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs and Kisses,
- August 26, 2011 at 10:58:00 PM MDT
- My Grama's Soul said...
Good morning sweet lady....so glad to see you are out and about. Nothing better than homemade salsa!!
- August 28, 2011 at 11:08:00 AM MDT
- Amanda said...
Hi Julie, nice to find you. I saw your comment on Amy's blog and popped on over.
Love both salsas too, yours looks rather yummy.
Half french, half English, full American! A great combination.
- August 28, 2011 at 11:35:00 AM MDT
- Everyday Sparkles said...
Yummy! I'm so happy that you are feeling good. Here's to salsa dancing and eating!
- August 29, 2011 at 8:54:00 AM MDT
- Fishtail Cottage said...
thinking of you today! Sending hugs your way!
- August 29, 2011 at 10:20:00 PM MDT
- Rebecca said...
Dear Julie Marie~
My brother's wife is Hispanic and I'm telling you...she makes the BEST SALSA I've ever eater. I would LOVE to try yours! Mine always comes out crummy! :( Bah!
Hope you are doing better. I've been saying prayers for you. Can you feel them? They work!
- August 30, 2011 at 8:32:00 AM MDT
That looks delicious!!! The pictures of the lovely veggies was
great....makes me want to go out and shop for what it takes to "do the salsa", too!!
I hope you continue to feel well from your surgery and can continue to be "up and about"!! But take care of yourself, too......
I love your blog....Francy
- August 30, 2011 at 10:45:00 AM MDT


text:
About Us
Who is Jesus Christ?
What We Believe
Church Leadership
Pastor's Welcome
Our Worship Style
Pastor's Welcome
Weekly Schedule
Pastor's Blog
Sunday School
Children's Sunday School
Youth Sunday School
Adult Sunday School
Visitor's Guide
Visitor's Guide
What to Expect
Map and Directions
Worship and Office Times
Church Leadership
What We Believe
Who is Jesus Christ?
Children's Ministries
Vacation Bible School
Power Source
Children's Church
Children's Sunday School
ALIVE Youth Ministry
Youth Sunday School
Men's Ministries
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Adult Sunday School
Church League Basketball
Small Groups
Listen To Our Services
Sermon Archives
Pastor's Welcome
Pastor's Welcome
I'm glad you dropped by our website. I hope you'll do the same some Sunday morning so that I may greet you personally.
First Baptist Aberdeen has a long and wonderful heritage. From 1958 till 2010, Dr. Harold E. Salem pastored the church. During that time, First Baptist moved from 6
Street to our present site on Melgaard Road, began the TV broadcast,
The Christian Worship Hour,
and established Aberdeen Christian School in 1982. Pastor Salem remains a good friend to the church; in fact, he is honored as our
Pastor Emeritus
. If you come to the church, chances are you'll run into him. He's at most events and services. You can't miss him. He's the 90+ year old man with a teenager's energy!
While we honor and cherish the past, First Baptist has turned a corner in its story and is moving forward into the future. I'm excited to be here in this season of the church's life. We are a dynamic church. We are not stuck the past or disillusioned about the future. Together, we are discovering our unique voice and place in God's greater mission to redeem his world. Shortly after Pastor Salem retired, the church experienced a very difficult season of struggle and tension. But out of those challenging days, people began to step up to the plate and find their place in ministry. Perhaps one of the most exciting developments has been the arrival of the Karen people. Several worship with us in our 10 AM service on Sundays. They have now established their own congregation with their own worship service and pastor. The Karen are a huge blessing to us! First Baptist now has a very healthy dynamic of empowered leadership and people who are eager to move forward in re-conceptualizing and imagining ministry in our church. We're not perfect. We have a long way to go. But the future looks bright as we seek to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
FBC is striving to be a multi-generational church. You'll see a good representation of all ages at our gatherings. In a culture that intentionally separates the age groups, that's no easy task. We utilize both contemporary and traditional expressions in our corporate worship. We are learning to intentionally and fully engage with God together in our songs and in our prayers. Our messages are biblically-based and practically applied for living. We have Sunday School for all ages, Children's Church, and mid-week programming. Some small groups and studies have been launched with wonderful effect.
We haven't arrived. But we are on the move. I'm excited about what God is doing at First Baptist Church. I hope that you'll come join us.
Pastor Bob Myers
Lead Pastor
The General Contractor
Anniversary Reflection
Psalm 127
August 25, 2013
Introduction – Experience is Not Enough
I'm a very blessed man. In 2005, I had the opportunity to launch an undergraduate program in worship leadership at Huntington University. I had long desired to teach on the college level and Diane was just as excited as I was. It was a good match to my teaching gifts and my ambition. I taught for five years and I am grateful for each course I was assigned and especially for each student that I was privileged to teach and, in some cases, mentor.
My tenure as a college professor was also an intense time of learning and stretching. It dramatically changed my life. I have an insatiable desire for learning and growing that I didn't have before I started at Huntington. Every month or so, a little newsletter that contained short essays on teaching in higher education would be circulated through the department. I don't think most profs read it, but as one who was new to the profession, I scanned it for helpful hints. I remember one essay in particular that made a profound impact on me. It was entitled, "Experience is Not Enough." It caught my attention because my formal educational training promoted student experience as the most important factor in the learning equation. The premise of the essay was simple: reflection must follow experience or the learning process is incomplete.
Wow! That is so true. So I began to assign and weigh reflection papers or interviews with students as an essential part of their learning journey. What is good practice in education is also applicable in every-day life. As parents we are the primary teachers of our children. I believed in spanking my children when they willfully disobeyed us. But before they bent over, we always had a "little chat" where we talked about what they did, why it was wrong, and what they would do next time. Without that important little reflection talk, spanking is marginally effective and could even potentially become abusive. When Diane and I have had disagreements or when I've done something that upset her, after we resolved the tension, we would reflect on the experience. That's how we grow together in our marriage. Jesus would frequently seek solitude for himself or retreat with his disciples after they experienced a significant ministry event. It wasn't just physical rest they needed. They needed to reflect on what they had done. Sometimes, the Gospels even let us in on Jesus' reflection and unpacking of what they had experienced.
Our first anniversary together passed just last week. It has been a good year and God has certainly blessed us. That we remain together is a testament to many good things, not the least is God's grace. One of my favorite "party tricks" in the last year when I would reconnect with old friends was to tell them that I was following a pastor who had been in the role for fifty-two years. I loved to measure how far their jaws would drop! They usually said, "Good luck with that!" I'm supposed to be the "sacrificial lamb," but God willing, Diane and I will have a long – though not fifty-two years – ministry together with you. This morning, in recognition of our completing one year together, I thought it would be good to reflect on our experience and to project a little bit down the road.
Review of the Year's Significant Developments Through My Lens
I almost hesitate to walk down a path of remembrance because I am certain to leave someone or something out. What I remember and highlight is limited by my own perspective and time this morning. This message wasn't vetted or crafted by a number of committees and then approved by the deacon board. Sermon prep is intensive enough! That would be too much. So, understand that what follows is my perspective, imperfect as it is.
I don't think it was even twenty-four hours since I had agreed to serve as lead pastor in June of 2012 that I received an urgent phone call from a deacon who said we needed to change the pulpit, now! I'm still amused. It was one of the first changes we made and it wasn't without some controversy. But I think the updated result has been good.
Right out of the gate, I tried your patience by being gone on a teaching trip to Africa for two weeks. But we survived and some of you even got involved by helping support the mission financially. Since then, you've raised funds to help purchase property and just this week, we used some of the residual money to assist the pastor with a medical emergency. Not only have you blessed me, but you impact and bless Christians around the world. You are indeed a big-hearted people.
One of my biggest joys since coming here is to be friends with Pastor Harold Salem. I love to see him each Sunday and I usually make one pilgrimage to the Christian Worship Hour offices to chat with him during the week. His friendship is an unexpected joy to serving as your lead pastor. Such a relationship with a previous pastor is not always the case – especially one with such a long tenure. But in October of 2012, when I was formally installed as your lead pastor, we also honored Pastor Salem as our
pastor emeritus.
I have to tell you, no one has ever played it better. I am so grateful for his friendship and support. He is a treasure to me and to our church. May God grant us many more years together, my friend.
I began my preaching in Ephesians with a series entitled,
Living the Father's Grand Story.
Ephesians is a book that is rich in its theology of the church and it was great place for us to start. From time to time, I hear people talk about the
Father's Grand Story
. We are privileged to be in the same story as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, King David, Daniel, Peter and Paul. We are part of the cast that includes all of the great saints throughout church history. God has written us all into his Script. Our part is to play our role in the great Redemption Story.
Women's Bible studies continue to be one of the strongest ministries of our church. I'm grateful for Colleen Jark's leadership and have learned not to interrupt Diane when she is doing her homework for the study. They take their studies seriously. Well, since the women were meeting on Monday nights in the fall, I thought the men ought to do the same. I offered a study in spiritual leadership on Monday nights and Tuesday mornings for men last fall. We used Henry Blackaby's book,
Spiritual Leadership
. The principles in that book have become guideposts in developing a culture of spiritual leadership and discernment on the deacon board. Friends, the health of this church will rise or fall on the quality and spiritual depth of your leaders. We have spiritual men and they are continually being stretched to grow in their ability to lead us where God is working.
During the fall of 2012 we were also fortunate to have Josh Dirnberger serve us as worship leader. Josh had such a winning way with people. He was a good musician and he exuded sincerity and genuineness as he led us in worship each week. Under Josh's leadership, our worship team stabilized and we established a blended approach to worship and embraced a more updated and contemporary style.
Last fall, we also instituted two special services in November: All Saints and Thanksgiving Sundays. All Saints was a new concept for us, but it provides the opportunity to remember that we are in a much greater Story than just our own and that those who have gone before us still remain alive in Christ's presence. We are not alone. We have a great "cloud of witnesses" cheering us on in our journey of faith. We also broke new ground in December by intentionally observing Advent. As we discovered, Advent is more than just a prelude to Christmas, but a season of reflection, repentance and renewal. It took some adjustment. We didn't sing too many Christmas carols until about the third week. But the waiting (which is a big part of Advent) cultivated a richer experience throughout the season.
When you were searching for a senior pastor in early 2012, I was filling out paperwork with the denomination describing my ministry priorities. One of my highest priorities centers around understanding and experiencing the Lord's Table together. It probably didn't get much attention. Most Baptists don't focus too much on the Table. But my deepening understanding of the Lord's Table has richly enhanced my spiritual life and I want to share that with you as well. I fondly remember the first time I introduced a new way of observing the Table with you. It was on New Year's Eve and I had spread a long table in front of the sanctuary where each member of the congregation would come and kneel, reflect, and receive the elements. Prior to the service, you could almost feel the resistance in the air. Some folks said, "We're not Lutherans. I'm not going forward for Communion." Diane told me I was in trouble, but the die was cast and we proceeded. The Lord met us in a powerful way as people had to take the initiative to come to the Table. There, many lingered. We've done it at least once that way since with similar impact. I'm glad you didn't fire me. I'm glad you tried it. It was a good step forward – literally and figuratively – for us.
Winter and the early spring brought more blessings. Pastor Knute took a mission trip to India with some of our regional leaders. You covered all of his expenses and even over and above his needs which were passed on directly to the mission. It was another example of your big-hearted generosity. Two Northern State students from Korea began to attend here every week. Those who knew Bin and Jesse were blessed by their charm. Jesse eventually came to Christ shortly after she left to go home. It was exciting to watch her spiritual journey and engage her honest questions. I hope God sends us more!
In early 2013, Aberdeen Christian School began to seek a new home in earnest. They had long talked about relocating but had never really taken concrete steps. When what seemed to be a sure thing fell through with the Washington building, God opened an exciting new door with Avera's Midland Campus. We now stand on the brink of the realization of that dream. This is no small doing. The relationship between churches and resident schools are always a breeding ground for deep tensions and misunderstandings. I believe that God has moved us through that minefield with clear direction and grace into this new day for both the school and church.
Throughout the year, we've been blessed with the relationship with our sister Karen church. For over a year, we had maintained a storage site to gather and disperse household goods for Karen immigrants. When the need for such assistance began to dwindle in spring we determined to give away all that remained through the great community give-a-way in early May. We gathered many other items as well and blessed a lot of needy people with things they needed for their homes. It was a wonderful demonstration of love and service to the local community.
Along the way, you've listened to and received the different sermon series that I've brought to you: The Lord's Prayer, Elements of a Christian Conversion, and now, The Attributes of God. Some of those sermons have been challenging, but you've allowed the Spirit of God to plant his Word in your heart to cultivate a life of discipleship. On Easter Sunday, we celebrated as four people illustrated the power of the Resurrection through the baptismal waters and all along, we've had new folks coming; we just received seven into membership last month. And then, just a few weeks ago, the whole church pulled together to offer another wonderful Vacation Bible School.
General Assessment of the State of the Church
So that's what God has been doing in us during this last year. It's quite a story. What are the signposts that tell us God is at work among us? These are the things I see:
· We are
friendly and welcoming
. I've heard it from guests that we've visited and even from the special choir that came through in March. You are warm and welcoming. I hope we never lose that quality. In the Midwest where it seems that everyone's relationship plate is full, it is important that we genuinely welcome those who are new to our church – not just with a handshake – but invite them into our lives. I've been lonely on the other side before. It is a terrible feeling. Keep doing what you're doing. Keep reaching out.
· For a church that recently experienced a painful split, you are remarkably
. I love that about you. We are not superior to anyone. We need forgiveness all the time. We have learned to be generous in our forgiveness. I praise God's grace for that!
· Believe it or not, you are
I know change is hard and there is usually some resistance to every change we make. This is the Midwest, after all. Someone told me that I have brought more change in one year than you've experienced in twenty. I've asked others and they've pretty much affirmed that assessment. I suppose it's true. New bulletin. Communication cards. Fill My Cup Café'….the list goes on. Each change we've made has been for good reason. We are not infatuated with change for change's sake. But I am also concerned about the pace of change. Too much change can be a bad thing, even if it is good change. We'll monitor the pace. We don't want to become disoriented by too much change too fast.
· Everyone notices that there is
good feeling tone when we are together.
You know it hasn't always been that way. It there will be times when positive morale may wane. Cherish what we have friends. Psalm 133 reminds us: "Behold, how good and pleasant is it when brothers dwell in unity!...For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore."
· The greatest asset any church can have is not her buildings, her financial reserves, or a preacher who can pack the seats. I've served a lot of churches. I've experienced all those things.
The greatest asset of any church is the spiritual quality of the governing board.
Our deacons are not perfect. And we have a long way to grow in learning to lead and discern spiritually. But they have set that as their priority and they continually grow in their role as spiritual leaders. Aside from preaching, cultivating spiritual depth and understanding on the board has been my highest priority. And the men are responding.
· Though there will always be some tension in worship and music,
we have reached a place of stability and identity in our corporate worship.
We are a multi-generational church, so we will employ a blended worship style. That means few will be happy all the time. But we love each other. We serve each other.
We sing the songs we don't like because we love the people who do like them.
· We have a challenging budget. For most of this year, we have fallen quite short on our giving each week. But have you noticed?
Our giving is improving.
Giving during the month of August has just about met budget each week. That is very remarkable and encouraging, given that we are still in the summer months. Regular and generous giving is the mark of faith and maturity. Something is happening in you. I commend you and thank you.
· Perhaps the biggest news of the year is that
Aberdeen Christian School is relocating.
This development will open up brand new vistas of opportunity in ministry for us. But we must not rush ahead. We need to be discerning and seek God's leading. Let's not make the mistake of asking God to bless our plans. Instead, let's join God in the work that he is already doing. If we seek him and look for him, we'll find him.
· As our opportunities expand according to God's leading, we need more workers. I've seen this before in churches that are growing. Generally, it will not be the old-timers that will fill those roles. It will be the new folks that God is bringing to us. That means two things: 1) established people need to make room for new folks. Let's welcome people not only through our doors, but also into our ministry. 2) New folks do need to step up. Church is community – being and working together. It is not just coming on Sunday mornings. As opportunities arise and God prompts you, step up and serve. God didn't bring you to First Baptist just to sit and watch.
Ministry Initiatives
There are at least two things I believe we need to consider and do in the coming year. First, we need to be engaged in local mission. We need to serve our community in Jesus' name. It is so easy to be satisfied with our own little warm community. But the love of Christ compels us to share what we have or what we have is of no real value. It is Christ's way. A church that wraps itself up in its own little world will become stagnant, stale, and proud. We need to go in and out – just like breathing to be spiritually vibrant and healthy. What are you doing to share the love of Christ in your sphere of influence? Aberdeen is our sphere of influence. What are we doing to share the love of Christ in our sphere of influence? The great community give-away was a good start. We need to do more and sustain our witness in the community.
Second, we need to open our lives to each other. When I preached on the Lord's Prayer, I became very aware that we are a very private people. It doesn't matter that being reserved is part of the upper-Midwest culture. We must be counter-cultural in this regard or our growth will be limited. Your spiritual growth will be stunted. My spiritual growth will be stunted. Our church's spiritual growth will be stunted. We must open our lives up to each other or there will be no transformation. We must be authentic and real with each other.
That usually doesn't happen in a church building, but it does happen in homes where people can let their guard down and relax. This fall, we will be launching small groups that will be meeting in homes. It is a vitally important step for us. We need to learn to pray together. We're not very good at that. We can learn to do that in homes. We need to bear one another's burdens. We do pretty well with that, but we will do even more as we open our lives to each other and allow God to work through others.
Psalm 127 says,
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
(vs. 1-2)
Dangers and Exhortations
The psalmist isn't talking about some kind of physical structure. He is talking about a family, a household, a legacy. That is what the church is. It is the household of God. But because it is made up of human beings, it is also a human institution. Sometimes we allow too much of the institution into the family of God. Christ is the head of the church. Not the pastor. Not the deacon board.
When you have positive organizational momentum (like we do right now), it is very tempting to resort to human efforts to control and move things forward. We get excited. We start thinking, "O, we should do that" and "we should do this." Expectations are raised. That's not all bad. It's part of human dynamics. It is a good place to be; but it is also a dangerous place to be. We want to see things happen and in order to make sure they happen we resort to our own tactics like manipulation and gossip to empower ourselves. We've crossed the line. And let's be honest. That happens here at times. Ruth Haley Barton wisely observes in her book,
Pursuing God's Will Together,
"When decisions need to be made and action needs to be taken, it is hard to trust that the Spirit's presence and activity can bring about unity. So we capitulate to posturing and maneuvering, secret meetings, heavy-handed tactics and top-down pronouncements. It isn't God we trust in such moments. When push comes to shove, we trust in familiar methods that make us feel safe and in control. There is not a lot of space for God to work in these methods, and I suspect that, at times, that is exactly what we want." (111)
We forget that the church is God's enterprise. It is his house to build. He is the General Contractor. God is more concerned with our "being" than with our "doing." It is natural to be consumed with doing – doing programs and services – and doing them well and right. We can throw staff and money at those without having to personally change. And the results may be really exciting with more people coming and everything getting bigger and bigger. God is not in that. God want to change you. He wants to change me. And you and I will resist that and substitute program and activity any time in order to avoid personal change. But God is persistent. He wants us to change – to be transformed into people who carry the character of Christ. You see, when we become like Christ, there is no question about what we will be doing. When we become like Christ, we will be doing the Father's will. And that's what the church is to be.
We Are His Masterpiece
We began this year by studying the book of Ephesians. It is a fitting place to close this reflection:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:4-10
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Position Statement: Site Waste Management Planning
Construction and demolition activities account for over a third of all the waste generated in Scotland. Much of this waste is made up of unused materials arising from over-ordering, or materials damaged by weather or through poor handling. Packaging used in the construction materials supply chain is also a significant source of building site waste.
The building and packaging materials that end up as waste often have high levels of embedded carbon: particularly cement, plastics and metals. Minimising materials waste at source and maximising the recycling opportunity offers the opportunity to cut the carbon impact of Scotland's construction industry by hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2 per year.
Site Waste Management Planning (SWMP) is a proven methodology for driving down wastage of construction materials. It encourages resource efficient design and maximises resource recovery and recycling through optimising on-site segregation. Good segregation is essential to prevent recoverable materials becoming contaminated to a level where recycling becomes financially impracticable.
The financial, carbon and wider environmental benefits of SWMP are well recognised by larger UK and multi-national construction companies however, uptake is lower in Scotland particularly amongst the SME building trade which, makes up the bulk of Scotland's construction companies. Increasing uptake of SWMP offers a positive route for these businesses towards sustainable economic growth in the low-carbon economy.
Construction and demolition projects are delivered on behalf of both public and private sector clients. This buying power provides these organisations with the opportunity to leverage their influence to cut the construction sector's carbon emissions through including contractual obligations requiring builders to apply SWMP throughout their work. As effective SWMP reduces waste disposal costs, this benefit can be achieved without the need for a 'green premium' on the contract cost.
The 2020 Group recognises that the Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland are promoting the benefits of SWMP to construction companies and their clients alike and encourages them to continue to focus on this area until uptake is widespread amongst SME builders as well as amongst the largest construction companies.
The 2020 Group wishes to encourage Scotland's business community to include the requirement to apply SWMP into all their construction, refurbishment and demolition contracts in order that their buying power brings about this desirable change through market forces.
Finally, the 2020 Group recommends that Scotland's business leaders consider signing up to the 'Half Waste to Landfill' commitment in order to register and promote their willingness to use their buying power to influence positive change in waste and carbon reduction throughout their supply chain.


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Dan and Dan went to Rutgers and played "Heart Drop Hopes Up" off their album It's About Time!!Check out the article in The Daily Targum here!
hey friends!
my friends are going to be a great band because they are actually some of the cutest people ever ok
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text:
J.B.S. Haldane
For context:
"Whether or not Haldane actually spoke those words, none truer were ever spoken. Of all the living plant and animal species on the planet, 20 percent are beetles.
Of all the animal species on the planet, 25 percent are beetles. Beetles occupy virtually every habitat on earth, though few live in marine ecosystems."
(via politicalprof)
I'm not sure why politicalprof is reblogging putatively Haldane quotes about beetles, but I will pretend it is a thanksgiving present to me given that beetles are my model system


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Study Abroad
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How to Apply Study in your Major FAQs Passport Information Financial Aid Eligibility Academic Credit Non-Wake Forest Students Cross Cultural Engagement
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This page is the brochure for your selected program. You can view the provided information for this program on this page and click on the available buttons for additional options.
WFU/Southern Cone: Chile & Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile
WFU/Southern Cone: Chile & Argentina
Resident Professor
Academic Program
Alternately students can enroll in a 3 credit WFU independent study course. The independent study will be pre-arranged with a Wake Forest faculty member on our home campus and done electronically. It will be the student's responsibility to set up the independent study, for which a set of requirements and guidelines will be distributed. Students also have the option taking a 3 credit internship course and participating in an internship. There are a variety of local nonprofit organizations, government ministries, and think tanks where students in the program can apply for an internship position. The Fulbright Commission of Chile, the Ministry of Education and the House of Peace are just a few examples of the internship opportunities available. A limited number of English speaking internships are available.Activities & Excursions
Students will have orientation in both Buenos Aires and Santiago and a group trip to Valparaiso/Viña del Mar. Other excursions to include visits to Easter Island, Torres del Paine and/or San Pedro de Atacama in addition to local excursions and activities.
Students are responsible for personal expenses, some meals, visa/entry fees and passport fees and all airfare (the United States to Buenos Aires, from Buenos Aires to Santiago and from Santiago to the United States). Please note that all accepted Wake Forest students will receive a travel scholarship up to $1,500.00.
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With every product generation, the notebook industry promises increased battery run times, but the advances are in fact small, and run times still mainly depend on the power provided by the notebook battery. More efficient processors and platforms, drives and LED-backlit displays certainly help a lot. Real leaps, however—say to 10+ hours of battery life—just aren't within reach.
APC offers an alternative that lets you increase your battery runtime by several hours, but it requires you to pack an additional 750 g (1.65 lbs) into your travel bag...
Power Drains…
Each part inside a notebook requires a certain amount of electric power. The electrical draw of the system isn't constant; it varies depending on the state of the each component. Displays are the largest power-eaters, as they have to operate transistors and their backlight—larger and higher resolution displays typically require more power than smaller ones. But there is also quite a power requirement range among notebook system components.
Modern notebook processors may require little power when there is nothing to do, but they can go up to 35 watts of power consumption at full load, depending on the processor model and power classification. Notebook platforms using graphics units built into the chipset are the most efficient, while notebooks utilizing a discrete mobile GeForce or Mobility Radeon always consume at least a bit more power than integrated solutions. In terms of storage, flash SSD drives have the potential to deliver impressive throughput and quick access times with very little power consumption. Most devices require considerably less power when they are idle, so it makes sense to operate your notebook as close to idle as possible, to maximize battery run time.
…and Power Sources
Dell's Latitude E6400 supports additional battery packs.
While there are alternative energy sources on the horizon, such as silver-zinc batteries (see ZPower), none of them are ready to be deployed into the mainstream right now, where huge quantities of batteries are required. Notebooks typically utilize lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries, which are organized into so-called "cells" (typical capacities are three, six, or sometimes nine cells). While the power level of a battery depends on the specific model, a 6-cell battery will generally give you twice the battery run time of a 3-cell model. Battery capacities are rated in Watt-hours (Wh).
Dell's Latitude D630 can be equipped with 9-cell batteries.
The 9-cell batteries obviously provide the most juice, but they are often too large to be accommodated within the standard rectangular notebook footprint, and hence stick out a bit from the back. To expand capacity without this physical size expansion, some notebook vendors offer additional modular batteries that can be inserted instead of a machine's optical drive; these are especially common on portable business notebooks (13-15").
Another option is to attach additional, external battery packs, which are available from some of the notebook makers for specific models. And APC allows you to do the same with the product we reviewed: the Universal Notebook Battery.
As we found out, APC has discontinued all of its mobile products, hence you may be able to get a deal on these products, but without any serious warranty backup.
Check prices for APC's Universal Notebook Battery 70
Create a new thread in the Reviews comments forum about this subject
-2Anonymous , March 27, 2009 10:02 AMYou would gain about 2-3 hours more using 6-cell MediaBay battery instead of DVDRW drive.
I personally own almost identical notebook (with T7300 CPU) packed up with 9-cell (85Wh) and 6-cell (48Wh) and I got little more then 8 hours at idle.
0chovav , March 27, 2009 10:57 AMgreat stuff! This actually looks like a product you might want to buy.. I only ask myself how good these batteries are on the long run.. how many times you can charge/discharge it and if that's comparable to a standard battery.
Good review!
1NSSwift , March 27, 2009 12:35 PMI went to APC's site and it seems like this product is discontinued.
1jalt , March 27, 2009 1:27 PMQuote:I went to APC's site and it seems like this product is discontinued.
http://www.apc.com/resource/includ [...] _sku=upb70
Yeah, this "review" is kind of strange. The product manuals, if you click on the compatibility guides, are copyrighted in 2004-2005. Little late in getting the reviews in, ehh?
3glawk , March 27, 2009 1:29 PMSooo... is Tom's writing reviews on dead products now?
2gwolfman , March 27, 2009 2:42 PMQuote:
APC Universal Notebook Battery: 3h 38min
Dell 85Wh: 4h 35min
Total: 5
Wow, where did you learn math?
2mdillenbeck , March 27, 2009 3:10 PMPersonally, I like my Tekkeon MP3450. It is truly universal in that it has low amp options for powering my EEE PC - in other words it is universal for notebooks and netbooks. It also has a usb slot for powering devices that way. Sure, its only has 50 watt hours, but you can buy a secondary 50W battery and bridge them for 100 watt hours total. Add on the adapter I can buy to plug it directly into the DC output for a roll-up solar panel, and I am literally a happy camper!
Why don't you guys at Tom's aquire one of these Tekkeon batteries and give us a review?
1lashrimp , March 27, 2009 4:56 PMreview should be done 4 years ago.
0Fadamor , March 27, 2009 5:44 PMMaybe they're just getting their 2005 mail delivered over in Germany. :-)
I was going to comment on the math used in the Battery Run Time Results table, but GWolfman beat me to it. They got the total time right in the article, though. 8 hours, 13 minutes.
0Fadamor , March 27, 2009 5:48 PMJust a thought... maybe someone got burned on the legs by setting the battery on their lap while it was charging. APC would cancel it in the States due to lawsuit issues, but might still sell it in Europe where they aren't as litigous.
0ph3412b07 , March 27, 2009 6:37 PMI like it...for some reason my silly laptop only has a 4-cell battery, non upgradable to larger capacity. Heck, its 14.1" and netbooks have 6-cell batteries.
0pharge , March 27, 2009 7:14 PMThis one has been out for a while. I got one for my Toshiba M4.. but due to unknow reason, their plug for Toshiba did not work on my laptop. I had to return it... too bad... I never have the chance to know how good it is... >_
0Luscious , March 28, 2009 6:30 AMNotebooks with the crappiest batteries are the big 17 inch models with discreet graphics - these are the ones that would benefit most from an external battery. Unfortunately the APC unit, as well as others like elektrovaya, offers lousy amp-hour performance for a 17 inch notebook.
But I did find it funny how Tom's chose to go with a small 14 inch notebook for this test with integrated graphics - not exactly a power hog to start with...
Design an 8-hour battery for something like the Toshiba X305-Q708, that will get my attention.
Agreed also, this product is terribly old. Slow news day at Tom's or lack of writing talent for new articles???
0bobwya , March 28, 2009 9:16 AMTHG = fail
0Anonymous , March 28, 2009 3:53 PMProduct might be good if it worked. However, with the HP/Compaq MC6400 the APC doesn't work and APC doesnt' care and had nothing to say when we called them concerning the issue of their tip not working with their unit.
0jawshoeaw , March 30, 2009 7:50 PMFadamorJust a thought... maybe someone got burned on the legs by setting the battery on their lap while it was charging. APC would cancel it in the States due to lawsuit issues, but might still sell it in Europe where they aren't as litigous.
Are you saying a European would not sue APC if the battery burned the user?
0wrapper , April 1, 2009 12:47 PMI have been using a 160 watt Electrofeul from http://www.electrovaya.com/ for 5 years now and it gives me 10-14 hours of extra life.
0bobwya , April 1, 2009 8:47 PMwrapperI have been using a 160 watt Electrofeul from http://www.electrovaya.com/ for 5 years now and it gives me 10-14 hours of extra life.
Uhmmm sounds more useful than an APC battery that is no longer produced...


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Blogger Paula Jones from Bell'alimento shares a recipe for stuffed meatballs. You might not want to go back to "regular" meatballs once you've tried them stuffed with fresh mozzarella. There's a delicious cheesy center just waiting to be discovered in every bite-sized sausage meatball. Learn to make this recipe with our how-to article.
Using a cookie scoop ensures that all of your meatballs are the same size and therefore cook at the same rate.
If you do not have a cookie scoop, you can substitute a tablespoon spoon.
If you can not find sausage without casings, simply remove the sausage from the casing links prior to using.


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HP has a new deal offering for this HP Pavilion dm4x (XU499AV) Dual Core i5 14-inch Laptop which is priced down to just $729.99 – $30 Coupon (SAVE30HP) + Free Shipping = $699.99!
If you're looking for a perfect mixture of speed and portability then look no further! The HP Pavilion dm4x offers you all the portability you need with its 14-Inch 720p High Definition display which boasts superior picture quality for all of your tasks. It also has all the power you need for running all sorts of intense tasks with its Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5-2410M 2.3Ghz (Turbo Boost up to 2.9Ghz) Processor for blistering fast response speeds and a huge 6GBs of DDR3 RAM for the ultimate multitasking experience. It gets even better with its offering of a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 6470M Video Card which allows you to handle all sorts of High Definition games and video. To top it off it also contains a large 640GB Hard Drive. Definitely a price that can't be beat!


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