Welcome citizens!

Ok, so while talking to john today (Christimas) on the phone and commenting that I have been out of the loop lately, he responded that there is no loop, an assertion which I can't disagree with. So I am rebuilding the loop.

This is a blog which all of us will be able to post to and read. If you aren't in the loop (sorry) as to what blogs are, basically it is an online diary (weblog = blog), but in this one because multiple people will be posting and commenting, think of it as more of an online newsletter. We all have been together too long and through so many funny, silly things that it is a shame for us to stay so out of touch.

I encourage everyone to read on blogger more about what you can do with this technology, but here are a few basics:

1) just writing out what is going on with your life. School, work, dating, what-ev and we can all read it. Just think group email. Complain about your boss or living in a redstate. Be excited about a new cd or promotion. What ever you would want to share via email to an open audience, but this time it will be archived and you won't have to think about all those email addresses.

2) you can post pictures. So say Mason wanted to post those pictures that everyone took a long time ago dressed up in my favorite sweater making fun on the one good picture that has ever been taken of me, he could and then everyone could laugh and leave comments making fun of me and I could feel humiliated and cry alot. Or Dean came to NY and we took some funny pictures with Michael's digi-cam while he was here, we can plop them on the internet and everyone can love it and wish they were here. And our Charleston friends could take pictures of themselves on the beach in march and all of us NYC kids could be jealous and curse the snow. Just ideas, and anyone can post pictures. There is some little piece of software you have to get, but it is easy and free.

3) you can post mp3's. If there is a song you are dying for everyone to hear, you can put the music here and anyone can download it and listen. So when Brock finds some new obscure band and wants to give us a taste, he can stick a sample online and we can all listen to it and leave snarky comments.

4) basically we can use this as a bulletin board for keeping everyone informed. So if I am having my New Year's party in AL (as I always do) and want to let everyone know, I can; or say Knesset is flying into NY for the weekend, then she can just tell everyone this way.

5) most importantly, we can play 'if we were, who would we be' and once we post the original idea (say 'if we were characters for the Rudolph Christmas special, which ones would we be?'), then folks can post comments and argue about how they really don't think that Mason would be Santa Clause or that Michael should be Rudolph and Preot should be the dentist elf.

6) I almost forgot, you can post links. You can put a little 'blog this!' button on your google task bar (can also be put on Mac safari task bar) and anytime you read something that you thing we would all enjoy or which makes your blood boil, you can quickly and easily link to it and comment on it. Or just link to a disgusting picture or a funny song or whatever. I am not on my computer or I would be demonstrating all of these things as I went, but this is what we have the potential to do and I just wanted to get your creative juices flowing.

So, welcome everyone to our new little virtual New Hometown. We can't all be in the same place geographically right now, but that doesn't mean we can't be together.

Oh yeah, one more thing, this is going to be for everyone to see and it is a happy, even if a little bit snarky and make-fun-of kind of place, so everyone play nice. I am the sheriff in this town and if you can't think of anything nice to say about anyone, then make fun of me (I can delete or edit anyone's posts; you can each delete or edit your own) or save it for email. No public fights (although Kearney is still encouraged to say things make john blanch and john is still encouraged to tell Kearney that 'classy is not the word I would have used'). You guys know all this stuff, just have to post the 'no diving' signs for liability and such.

enjoy.