SAMinOK

You want to know why Mr. Chase built such a large house? Because he had the desire and the ability to do so. And the last I checked, that's pretty much all you need as a citizen of this great country we live in to make your dreams come true.

For those to criticize anyone for having over their alloted 1.5 children, and then have the audacity to turn around and suggest that Mr. Chase could have taken 10,000 sq/ft of his house and given that amount to habitat for humanity,who are you to judge what he should do with his money? Guess what? I have four kids. Know why? Because I have the desire and the ability and I live in America and I can. As long as I don't ask you to foot the bill for my family through government assistance, it is absolutely none, zero, zip, nada of your business.

Then for anyone to imply that the creation of jobs during the construction of a house this size could somehow be put in the same category of job creation through children with cancer, debilitating car wrecks, or catastrophic bridge collapses...well...that just dosen't even make sense. I'm pretty sure that the jobs created during the construction of this house was not at the expense of another person's mortal peril. (Yes...I hear it now...but Mr. Chase is destroying mother earth. All I can say is if you feel so strongly about it, why are you using the electricity to read this on a computer? Shame on you.)

I would also like to say that I have read and enjoyed all the Not So Big House Books. I have also read several books on green building and enjoy reading Fine Homebuilding. (However I can honestly say that if I have to read any more op ed pieces like this, I will very likely reconsider that last remark.) For those of you who haven't taken the time to read any of the Not So Big House books, let me ask you this. Do you have a formal dining room? If so, how often do you use it? If only twice a year, would that not also qualify as wasteful space? See...who's to say?

I am a fan of home construction both small and large. (Heck, I would probably give $20 just to tour this home and see how it was put together.) I may not be a fan of large homes and I may not be a fan of geodesic domes or underground homes, but I really don't have to worry about living in any of them.

I do live in America though, where my achievements in life are determined by my ability and my desire. I can live in whatever type of house I want and have however many children I want as long as I have the ability to sustain them.

So, for those of you who find these freedoms appalling, all I can say is that I'm pretty sure there are several communist countries on this planet that would be happy to tell you what type of house you can have, what you can do with your money, and how many children you can have.

My wife got me one from a catalog company several years back. They had it on clearance and I marked it on my wish list thinking, "There is no way she will ever pay that much for a hammer."

Then on Christmas morning, I opened a box and what awaited my unbelieving eyes? Yup. A titanium hammer! It was like I got my official Red Rider, 200 shot, range model, air rifle, with a compass in the stock, and a thing that tells time. My wife just scratched her head and said, "It was on your list. I don't understand the excitement, but Merry Christmas."

Since then, I have gone through NUMEROUS remodel and building projects and that hammer always is with me. If I have people helping me on the job and I go to reach for that hammer and it's not there, all work comes to a halt until the hammer is back in my posession.

Just last week I was building a deck and my father was using it to knock some boards in place. After using it for about 10 minutes, he looks up and says, "Boy this thing packs a whop!" That's when I got to explain to him about the titanium head.

My advice is to look online and on auction sites. Sometimes you can find them for under $100. Pay the money, because it is one tool that will serve you well.

-S.A.M.