diff --git a/app/controllers/dashboard_controller.rb b/app/controllers/dashboard_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e534252b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/dashboard_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+class DashboardController < ApplicationController
+  before_filter :authenticate_user!
+
+  def index
+    @posts = Post.all
+    
+    @bookmarks = Bookmark.all
+    @status_messages = StatusMessage.all
+    @blogs = Blog.all
+    #@status_messages = @posts.select{ |x| x._type == "StatusMessage"}
+    #@blogs = @posts.select{ |x| x._type == "Blog"}
+    #@bookmarks = @posts.select{ |x| x._type == "Bookmarks"}
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index de6be7945..f58313c9b 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -1,2 +1,9 @@
 module ApplicationHelper
+  def object_path(object)
+    eval("#{object.class.to_s.underscore}_path(object)")
+  end
+
+  def object_fields(object)
+    object.attributes.keys 
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/helpers/dashboard_helper.rb b/app/helpers/dashboard_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a94ddfc2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/helpers/dashboard_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+module DashboardHelper
+end
diff --git a/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb b/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
index 71a0b26ea..5d1bcdc93 100644
--- a/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module StatusMessagesHelper
   def my_latest_message
     message = StatusMessage.my_newest
     unless message.nil?
-      return message.message + " " + time_ago_in_words(message.created_at) + "ago."
+      return message.message + " " + time_ago_in_words(message.created_at) + " ago."
     else
       return "No message to display."
     end
diff --git a/app/models/blog.rb b/app/models/blog.rb
index fd49ac248..3da382754 100644
--- a/app/models/blog.rb
+++ b/app/models/blog.rb
@@ -1,21 +1,14 @@
-class Blog
-  include Mongoid::Document
-  include Mongoid::Timestamps
-  include ROXML
+class Blog < Post
   
   xml_accessor :title
   xml_accessor :body
-  xml_accessor :owner
 
   
   field :title
   field :body
-  field :owner
   
   validates_presence_of :title, :body
   
-  before_create :set_default_owner
-  
   def self.newest(owner_email)
     Blog.last(:conditions => {:owner => owner_email})
   end
@@ -23,10 +16,4 @@ class Blog
   def self.my_newest
     Blog.newest(User.first.email)
   end
-  
-  protected
-  
-  def set_default_owner
-    self.owner ||= User.first.email   
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/bookmark.rb b/app/models/bookmark.rb
index fc62d7225..c6241931f 100644
--- a/app/models/bookmark.rb
+++ b/app/models/bookmark.rb
@@ -1,20 +1,12 @@
-class Bookmark
-  include Mongoid::Document
-  include Mongoid::Timestamps
+class Bookmark < Post
   
+  xml_accessor :link
+  xml_accessor :title
   
-  field :owner
   field :link
   field :title
   
   
   validates_presence_of :link  
 
-  before_create :set_default_owner
-  
-  protected
-  
-  def set_default_owner
-    self.owner ||= User.first.email   
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..34af94757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+class Post 
+
+  # XML accessors must always preceed mongo field tags
+
+  include Mongoid::Document
+  include Mongoid::Timestamps
+  include ROXML
+
+  xml_accessor :owner
+  xml_accessor :snippet
+  xml_accessor :source
+
+  field :owner
+  field :source
+  field :snippet
+
+
+  before_create :set_defaults
+  #after_update :notify_friends
+
+  protected
+
+  def set_defaults
+    user_email = User.first.email
+    self.owner ||= user_email
+    self.source ||= user_email
+    self.snippet ||= user_email
+  end
+
+
+  #def notify_friends
+   #friends = Permissions.get_list_for(self)
+   #xml = self.to_xml_to_s
+   #friends.each{|friend| ping friend :with => xml }
+  #end
+
+end
+
+
diff --git a/app/models/status_message.rb b/app/models/status_message.rb
index 6c0c7cbb5..4aec011e6 100644
--- a/app/models/status_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/status_message.rb
@@ -1,21 +1,14 @@
-class StatusMessage
-  include Mongoid::Document
-  include Mongoid::Timestamps
-  include ROXML
+class StatusMessage < Post
   include StatusMessagesHelper
   require 'lib/net/curl'
-
+ 
   xml_accessor :message
-  xml_accessor :owner
-
-   
   field :message
-  field :owner
-  
+
+
   validates_presence_of :message
   
-  before_create :set_default_owner
-  
+ 
   def self.newest(owner_email)
     StatusMessage.last(:conditions => {:owner => owner_email})
   end
@@ -32,11 +25,5 @@ class StatusMessage
     (self.message == other.message) && (self.owner == other.owner)
   end
 
-  protected
-  
-  def set_default_owner
-    self.owner ||= User.first.email 
-  end
-
 end
 
diff --git a/app/views/blogs/_form.html.haml b/app/views/blogs/_form.html.haml
index 5651e1eb0..5628b602e 100644
--- a/app/views/blogs/_form.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/blogs/_form.html.haml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-- form_for @blog do |f|
+= form_for @blog do |f|
   = f.error_messages
   %p
     = f.label :title
diff --git a/app/views/dashboard/index.html.haml b/app/views/dashboard/index.html.haml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b4a5224d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/dashboard/index.html.haml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+- title "Dashboard"
+
+%ul
+  - for post in @posts
+    %li
+      = render "shared/post", :post =>post
+      %br
+      %br
+
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_post.html.haml b/app/views/shared/_post.html.haml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ec4bc41e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/shared/_post.html.haml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+%ul
+  %h3= link_to post.class, object_path(post) 
+  - for field in object_fields(post)
+    %li= "#{field}: #{post.attributes[field]}" 
+      
diff --git a/config/initializers/inflections.rb b/config/initializers/inflections.rb
index d531b8bb8..dded445cc 100644
--- a/config/initializers/inflections.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/inflections.rb
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 
 # Add new inflection rules using the following format 
 # (all these examples are active by default):
-# ActiveSupport::Inflector.inflections do |inflect|
+ ActiveSupport::Inflector.inflections do |inflect|
 #   inflect.plural /^(ox)$/i, '\1en'
 #   inflect.singular /^(ox)en/i, '\1'
 #   inflect.irregular 'person', 'people'
 #   inflect.uncountable %w( fish sheep )
-# end
+    inflect.uncountable %w(dashboard)
+ end
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 9f7998572..81cd16e47 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ Diaspora::Application.routes.draw do |map|
 
   resources :users
   resources :status_messages
-    match 'dashboard', :to => 'status_messages#index'
   
 
   # The priority is based upon order of creation:
@@ -77,6 +76,6 @@ Diaspora::Application.routes.draw do |map|
   # Note: This route will make all actions in every controller accessible via GET requests.
   # match ':controller(/:action(/:id(.:format)))'
 
-  root :to => 'status_messages#index'
+  root :to => 'dashboard#index'
 
 end
diff --git a/lib/common.rb b/lib/common.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a89072fc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/common.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+module CommonField
+
+  def self.included(klass)
+    klass.class_eval do
+      include Mongoid::Document
+      include ROXML
+      include Mongoid::Timestamps
+
+      xml_accessor :owner
+      xml_accessor :snippet
+      xml_accessor :source
+
+      field :owner
+      field :source
+      field :snippet
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/dashboard_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/dashboard_controller_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b20b21ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/controllers/dashboard_controller_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper'
+ 
+describe DashboardController do
+ render_views
+  
+  it "index action should render index template" do
+    request.env['warden'] = mock_model(Warden, :authenticate? => @user, :authenticate! => @user)
+    get :index
+    response.should render_template(:index)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/factories.rb b/spec/factories.rb
index 0ebbb93e2..a63f32c31 100644
--- a/spec/factories.rb
+++ b/spec/factories.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ end
 
 Factory.define :status_message do |m|
   m.sequence(:message) {|n| "jimmy's #{n} whales"}
+end
 
+Factory.define :blog do |b|
+  b.sequence(:title) {|n| "bobby's #{n} penguins"}
+  b.sequence(:body) {|n| "jimmy's huge #{n} whales"}
 end
 
 Factory.define :user do |u|
@@ -19,3 +23,8 @@ end
 Factory.define :bookmark do |b|
   b.link "http://www.yahooligans.com/"
 end
+
+Factory.define :post do |p|
+  p.source "New York Times"
+  p.sequence(:snippet) {|n| "This is some information #{n}"}
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/blogs_spec.rb b/spec/models/blogs_spec.rb
index ce3e5f9a5..32c9557a4 100644
--- a/spec/models/blogs_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/blogs_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper'
 
 describe Blog do
+  before do
+    Factory.create(:user, :email => "bob@aol.com", :password => "diggity")
+  end
+
   it "should have a title and body" do    
     n = Blog.new
     n.valid?.should be false
@@ -11,51 +15,41 @@ describe Blog do
   end
   
   it "should add an owner if none is present" do
-    User.create(:email => "bob@aol.com", :password => "big bux")
-    n = Blog.create(:title => "kittens", :body => "puppies!")
-    n.owner.should == "bob@aol.com"
+    b = Factory.create(:blog)
+    b.owner.should == "bob@aol.com"
   end
   
-  
   describe "newest" do
     before do
-      User.create(:email => "bob@aol.com", :password => "diggity")
-      Blog.create(:title => "bone dawg", :body => "wale for jimmy", :owner => "xzibit@dawgz.com")
-      Blog.create(:title => "dawg bone", :body => "jimmy wales")
-      Blog.create(:title => "bone dawg", :body => "jimmy your wales", :owner => "some@dudes.com")  
-      Blog.create(:title => "dawg bone", :body => "lions", :owner => "xzibit@dawgz.com")
-      Blog.create(:title => "bone dawg", :body => "bears")
-      Blog.create(:title => "dawg bone", :body => "sharks", :owner => "some@dudes.com")
-      Blog.create(:title => "bone dawg", :body => "roar")
+      (2..4).each { Factory.create(:blog, :owner => "some@dudes.com") }
+      (5..8).each { Factory.create(:blog) }
+      (9..11).each { Factory.create(:blog, :owner => "other@dudes.com") }
     end
   
     it "should give the most recent blog title and body from owner" do
       blog = Blog.my_newest
-      blog.title.should == "bone dawg"
-      blog.body.should == "roar"
+      blog.title.should == "bobby's 8 penguins"
+      blog.body.should == "jimmy's huge 8 whales"
     end
     
     it "should give the most recent blog body for a given email" do
       blog = Blog.newest("some@dudes.com")
-      blog.title.should == "dawg bone"
-      blog.body.should == "sharks"
+      blog.title.should == "bobby's 14 penguins"
+      blog.body.should == "jimmy's huge 14 whales"
     end
   end
   
   describe "XML" do
-    before do
-      @xml = "<blog>\n  <title>yessir</title>\n  <body>I hate WALRUSES!</body>\n  <owner>Bob</owner>\n</blog>" 
-    end
-      
     it 'should serialize to XML' do
-      body = Blog.create(:title => "yessir", :body => "I hate WALRUSES!", :owner => "Bob")
-      body.to_xml.to_s.should == @xml
+      body = Factory.create(:blog, :title => "yessir", :body => "penguins")
+      body.to_xml.to_s.should include "<title>yessir</title>"
+      body.to_xml.to_s.should include "<body>penguins</body>"
     end
   
     it 'should marshal serialized XML to object' do       
-      parsed = Blog.from_xml(@xml)
+      xml = "<blog>\n  <title>yessir</title>\n  <body>I hate WALRUSES!</body>\n</blog>" 
+      parsed = Blog.from_xml(xml)
       parsed.body.should == "I hate WALRUSES!"
-      parsed.owner.should == "Bob"
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/friend_spec.rb b/spec/models/friend_spec.rb
index 57417e9b0..7106e16ee 100644
--- a/spec/models/friend_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/friend_spec.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper'
 describe Friend do
   it 'should have a diaspora username and diaspora url' do 
     n = Factory.build(:friend, :url => nil)
-    #n = Friend.new(:username => 'max')
     n.valid?.should be false
     n.url = "http://max.com/"
     n.valid?.should be true
diff --git a/spec/models/post_spec.rb b/spec/models/post_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..313956825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/post_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper'
+
+describe Post do
+  before do
+    Factory.create(:user, :email => "bob@aol.com")
+    @post = Factory.create(:post, :owner => nil, :source => nil, :snippet => nil)    
+  end
+
+  describe 'requirements' do
+  end
+
+  describe 'defaults' do
+
+    it "should add an owner if none is present" do
+      @post.owner.should == "bob@aol.com"
+    end
+
+    it "should add a source if none is present" do
+      @post.source.should == "bob@aol.com"
+    end
+    
+    it "should add a snippet if none is present" do
+      @post.snippet.should == "bob@aol.com"
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+#question!
+#STI ?  do i need to call mongoid doc on child?
+# validations inherit?
+# type param.
+# inheriting snippet builder method
diff --git a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
index 11978b8d3..899a43484 100644
--- a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ include StatusMessagesHelper
 
 describe StatusMessage do
   before do
-      @usr = Factory.create(:user,:email => "bob@aol.com", :password => "diggity")
+      Factory.create(:user, :email => "bob@aol.com", :password => "diggity")
   end
+
   it "should have a message" do    
     n = Factory.build(:status_message, :message => nil)
     n.valid?.should be false
@@ -19,12 +20,11 @@ describe StatusMessage do
    
   describe "newest" do
     before do
-      (1..5).each {  Factory.create(:status_message, :owner => "some@dudes.com") }
-      (6..10).each {  Factory.create(:status_message) }
+      (1..5).each { Factory.create(:status_message, :owner => "some@dudes.com") }
+      (6..10).each { Factory.create(:status_message) }
     end
     
     it "should give the most recent message from owner" do
-      #puts StatusMessage.newest("sam@cool.com")
       StatusMessage.my_newest.message.should == "jimmy's 11 whales"
     end
     
@@ -34,19 +34,16 @@ describe StatusMessage do
   end
   
   describe "XML" do
-    before do
-      @xml = "<statusmessage>\n  <message>I hate WALRUSES!</message>\n  <owner>Bob</owner>\n</statusmessage>" 
-    end
-      
     it 'should serialize to XML' do
-      message = Factory.create(:status_message, :message => "I hate WALRUSES!", :owner => "Bob")
-      message.to_xml.to_s.should == @xml
+      message = Factory.create(:status_message, :message => "I hate WALRUSES!")
+      message.to_xml.to_s.should include "<message>I hate WALRUSES!</message>"
     end
   
     it 'should marshal serialized XML to object' do       
-      parsed = StatusMessage.from_xml(@xml)
+      xml = "<statusmessage>\n  <message>I hate WALRUSES!</message><owner>Bob@rob.ert</owner></statusmessage>" 
+      parsed = StatusMessage.from_xml(xml)
       parsed.message.should == "I hate WALRUSES!"
-      parsed.owner.should == "Bob"
+      parsed.owner.should == "Bob@rob.ert"
       parsed.valid?.should be_true
     end
   end