We decided to go with a broadband phoneline. It is so much cheaper than verizon landline. We pay $14.99 /month for 500 minutes of outgoing calls. Iincomming is free. With those 500 calls it doesn't matter where they are in the US and I saw international rates as low as 3 cents a minute to tokyo. To top it off we get email notifcation of message, caller ID, we were able to transfer our number, and a few other bonuses I can't remember.

The quality seems pretty good. My one problem so far is that you only have one jack on the router, which is not very convenient. Luckily, we have a cordless phone so all is good. Either way at $14.99 per month we are saving a ton and we got one month free with a coupon I found on the internet.

(e:twisted) arrived last night. We sucessfully found her at the airport and spent the evening with some of the other peeps at the 444. (e:soyeon) 's posters arrived from (e:scud) 's print shop. There look really nice and are very glossy. I will hang them around town as soon as I get a chance, maybe even hang some up tonight.

I am super alergic to life right now. Something in the house makes me mega alergic and seeing as I am just about only allergic to cats, I assume it is cats. The landlord asked the front neighborsd if they have a cat and they said no. So somehow cat iis in my life. It could be the cat hair covered couch from amvets that we washed or the the two pet soaked rugs that our landlord gave us, both of which we have now steam cleaned.

I wish it would just end. I am going to go to the doctors today and get an inhaler.

Here is (e:lilho) on the neo-drexel.

I found this article on google news about blogging trends. It seems that a lot more people are paying attention to blogs but one statistic that really intrigues and bothers me is this.

Though blog readership jumped, the percentage of online Americans who write blogs grew only slightly, to 7 percent in November, up from 5 percent early in the year. Blog creators tend to be male, affluent, well-educated and young; 70 percent of them have high-speed connections at home, and 82 percent have been online at least six years.

Why don't more people write blogs? It's not like the technology of a blog is so super complicated. If you can write email or type a note, you can publish a blog.

I mean programming one is slightly difficult but writing one is so easy and there are hundreds of choices of publication software, many of which are free. Take our site for example. Why is does the readership keep increasing but the number of writers slowly plateau? I really want to understand what element is missing that makes the others readers want to write.

I mean we finally have a publication medium that has a minimal hinderances from thought to audience and yet people arn't flocking to it like I expected. It makes me wonder sometimes if the rich and powerful have done such a good job convincing us that our opinions and lives are so insignificant or if people are just shy?

Do you think that most people compare their lives to people on televsion and just assume they arn't as glamorous, or that people think they have nothing important to say. Or has television just put people in the consume mode where entertainment is purely a mono-directional, non-interactive activity. It's free afterall!! What is it?

I think entertainment used to involve more effort. And effort is usually rewarding. Like games for example. games are entertaining but involve a little work. Same with storytelling, journal writing, crafts, and art making. Television seems to be so one directional. Same with listening to music. It is purely about consuming with no real effort. Unless you are a video artist like (e:robin) and (e:soyeon) or a music like the (e:northparkproje)ct dudes.

I would feel like such a loser if I just read the site all the time without contributing. It is kind of like spying on your neighbors through the window and admiring their lives. Which reminds me of a song that (e:twisted) sent me. P.S. I am so excited about her arriving tomorrow.

EDIE BRICKELL - Green

We like to spy on the neighbors.
They look so happy together.
Funny the power of strangers.
Sometimes I wonder if they got it better.
Green. Have you seen green?
Check out the view from the rooftop.
They've got a horse and a big trampoline.
Running and jumping till they drop.
Down on the ground and they're rolling around in... green.
Have you seen green?
Have you seen green grass?
So green... grass.
So green.
I'd like to be like that.
I'd like to be like that.
I'd like to be moving on a lawn... so green.
I want to laugh the way they laugh.
See all my blues get back up in the sky.
If only we had what they had.
We'd never worry and we'd never cry for... green.
Have you seen green?
Have you seen grass?
So green... grass.
So green.
I'd like to be like that.
I'd like to be like that.
I'd like to be moving on a lawn... so green.

So today I was talking to Nonna on the phone when she complained about some neck pain. The neck pain turned into a stroke and I have been at the hospital with my family all night. At first the predictions wern't so great but luckily, by the end they said she will recover. I guess she is really a strong for 89. I hope that everything is good.

The waiting rooms at the hospital are weird. The emergency room is really kind of grungy, the radiologist waiting room is a nice upgrade. But the best is the cardiologist waiting room for cardio and neurology. Leather couches, DVD movies, etc. There are so totally different.