diff --git a/dbmsgs.py b/dbmsgs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..658c723
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dbmsgs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import config
+import MySQLdb
+
+
+db = MySQLdb.connect(user=config.MYSQL_USER, passwd=config.MYSQL_PASSWD, db=config.MYSQL_DB)
+def logmsg(msg, to, sentby):
+	c = db.cursor()
+	try:
+		c.execute("""INSERT INTO sendlog (msg, sent_by) VALUES (%s, %s)""", (msg, sentby))
+		sendlogid = c.lastrowid
+
+		for recipient in to:
+			c.execute("""INSERT INTO sendlog_to (id, recipient) VALUES (%s, %s)""", (sendlogid, recipient))
+		db.commit()
+	except:
+		print "um error"
+		db.rollback()
+
+def getloggedmsgs(howmany):
+	c = db.cursor(MySQLdb.cursors.DictCursor)
+	if howmany:
+		c.execute("""SELECT sendlog.*, users.name AS sent_by_name FROM sendlog INNER JOIN users ON sendlog.sent_by = users.uid ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT %s""", (howmany,))
+	else:
+		c.execute("""SELECT sendlog.*, users.name AS sent_by_name FROM sendlog INNER JOIN users ON sendlog.sent_by = users.uid ORDER BY id DESC""")
+	rows = c.fetchall()
+	for r in rows:
+		c.execute("""SELECT people.id, people.name FROM sendlog_to INNER JOIN people ON sendlog_to.recipient = people.id WHERE sendlog_to.id = %s """, (r['id'],))
+		r['to'] = c.fetchall()
+	db.commit()
+	return rows
+
diff --git a/libaddrbook.py b/libaddrbook.py
index 3acc7ca..a564ed5 100644
--- a/libaddrbook.py
+++ b/libaddrbook.py
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ class LibAddrBook:
 		self.db = MySQLdb.connect(user=config.MYSQL_USER, passwd=config.MYSQL_PASSWD, db=config.MYSQL_DB)
 	def get_everyone(self):
 		c = self.db.cursor()
-		c.execute("""SELECT * from people""")
+		c.execute("""SELECT * from people ORDER BY people.name ASC""")
+		self.db.commit()
 		ppl = []
 		nums = []
 		for row in c.fetchall():
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ class LibAddrBook:
 	def get_groups(self):
 		c = self.db.cursor()
 		c.execute("""SELECT * from groups""")
+		self.db.commit()
 		groups = []
 		for row in c.fetchall():
 			groups.append({'gid': row[0], 'name': row[1]})
@@ -28,10 +30,12 @@ class LibAddrBook:
 
 # todo: make sure ids is actually a list of numbers?
 	def get_nums_with_ids(self, ids):
+		if len(ids) == 0: return []
 		c = self.db.cursor()
 		idlist = ', '.join('{}'.format(x) for x in ids)
 		print idlist
 		c.execute("""SELECT * from people WHERE id IN ({})""".format(idlist))
+		self.db.commit()
 		nums = []
 		for row in c.fetchall():
 			nums.append(row[PHONE_NUM_COL])
@@ -48,5 +52,6 @@ class LibAddrBook:
 		grouplist = ', '.join('{}'.format(x) for x in groups)
 		print grouplist
 		c.execute("""SELECT people.id from people INNER JOIN memberships ON people.id = memberships.person_id WHERE memberships.group_id IN ({})""".format(grouplist))
+		self.db.commit()
 		ids = [r[0] for r in c.fetchall()]
 		return ids
diff --git a/smscastwebapp.py b/smscastwebapp.py
index d0bb084..f06e678 100644
--- a/smscastwebapp.py
+++ b/smscastwebapp.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from mocksmscast import LibSMSCast
 from libaddrbook import LibAddrBook
 from flask.ext.login import login_user, logout_user, current_user, login_required, LoginManager
 import user
+import dbmsgs
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
 app.secret_key = 'abcdgfkfdhgslkjh' # lol
@@ -22,12 +23,19 @@ def send():
 	to = [int(x) for x in json.loads(tostr)]
 	print to
 
+	dbmsgs.logmsg(msg, to, current_user.uid)
+
 	dest = addr.get_nums_with_ids(to)
 	print dest
 	howmany = len(dest)
 	client.send(dest, msg)
 	return jsonify(result="sent {} to {} numbers(s)".format(msg, howmany))
 
+@app.route('/_get_updates')
+@login_required
+def get_updates():
+	return jsonify(msgs=dbmsgs.getloggedmsgs(None))
+
 @app.route('/_get_people_in_groups')
 @login_required
 def get_people_in_groups():
@@ -68,7 +76,7 @@ def login():
 			# do login because username and password have been specified
 			uid = user.authenticate(username, password)
 			if uid != None:
-				login_user(user.get(uid))
+				login_user(user.get(uid), remember=True)
 				return redirect(url_for('index'))
 	return render_template('login.html')
 
diff --git a/templates/index.html b/templates/index.html
index bbac998..6150185 100644
--- a/templates/index.html
+++ b/templates/index.html
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 {% extends "layout.html" %}
 {% block body %}
 <script type="text/javascript">
+	window.SMSCAST = {};
+	SMSCAST.largestMsgIdSeen = 0;
 	$(function() {
 		$( document ).ready(function() {
 			// doc ready. load users
@@ -8,7 +10,7 @@
 				var people = data.people;
 				for(var i=0; i<people.length; ++i){
 					var p = people[i];
-					$( "#people" ).append("<span class=\"person\" id=\"p_" + p.id + "\" person_id=\"" + p.id + "\">" + p.name + "</span>");
+					$( "#people" ).append("<a href='#' class=\"person\" id=\"p_" + p.id + "\" person_id=\"" + p.id + "\">" + p.name + "</a>");
 					}
 					
 			});
@@ -17,26 +19,44 @@
 				var groups = data.groups;
 				for(var i=0; i<groups.length; ++i){
 					var g = groups[i];
-					$( "#groups" ).append("<span class=\"group\" id=\"g_" + g.gid + "\" group_id=\"" + g.gid + "\">" + g.name + "</span>");
+					$( "#groups" ).append("<a href='#' class=\"group\" id=\"g_" + g.gid + "\" group_id=\"" + g.gid + "\">" + g.name + "</a>");
 					}
 					
 			});
 
+			loadUpdates(); // start getting live updates
 
 		});
 
 		var send = function() {
+			var message = $('input[name="msg"]').val();
+			if(message.length == 0) { 
+				$("#result").text("No message has been entered in the text field!");
+				return false; 
+			}
+
 			var list = getSelectedPeople();
+			if(list.length == 0){
+				$("#result").text("No recipients have been selected!");
+				return false; 
+			}
 			$.getJSON($SCRIPT_ROOT + '/send', {
-				msg: $('input[name="msg"]').val(),
+				msg: message,
 				to: JSON.stringify(list)
 				}, function(data) {
 				$("#result").text(data.result);
 			});
+			$('input[name="msg"]').val(''); // clear text field
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		$('a#send').bind('click', send);
+		$('a#msgsend').bind('click', send);
+		$('#msgfield').keypress(function (e) {
+				if(e.which == 13) {
+					send();
+					return false;
+				}
+			});
 
 		$('#people').on('click', '.person', function(event) {
 				var target = $(this);
@@ -70,7 +90,6 @@
 					var id = people[i];
 					$("#people > #p_" + id).addClass('selected');
 				}
-				$("#result").text(data.result);
 			});
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -92,28 +111,151 @@
 			return(list);
 		}
 
+		function loadUpdates(){
+			$.getJSON($SCRIPT_ROOT + '/_get_updates', {},
+					function(data) {
+						updateSentMessages(data.msgs);
+					});
+			setTimeout(loadUpdates, 10000);
+		}
+		function updateSentMessages(msgs){
+			for(var i=msgs.length-1; i>=0; --i){
+				if(msgs[i].id > SMSCAST.largestMsgIdSeen){ // only add messages more recent 
+					$( "#msgs" ).prepend(getMessageHtml(msgs[i]));
+				}
+			}
+			SMSCAST.largestMsgIdSeen = msgs[0].id;
+
+		}
+		function getMessageHtml(msg){
+			var to = msg.to;
+			var tolist = "";
+			for(var i=0; i<to.length; ++i){
+				tolist = tolist + to[i].name;
+				if(i < to.length - 1){ // separate names with commas
+					tolist = tolist + ", ";
+				}
+			}
+
+			return "<div class='msg' id='" + msg.id + "'>" + 
+				"<div class='msg_text'>" + msg.msg + "</div>" +
+				"<div class='msg_info'>sent by " + msg.sent_by_name + " at " + msg.when + "</div>" +
+				"<div class='msg_info'>to " + tolist + "</div>" + 
+				"</div>";
+		}
+
 	});
 </script>
 
 <style>
+	*
+	{
+		font-family: "Myriad Pro", Arial;
+	}
 	.person, .group{
-		border: 2px solid;
+		color: #222222;
+		border: 2px solid #47aef5;
 		border-radius: 10px;
-		background-color: #bbb;
+		background-color: #eee;
 		margin: 2px;
-		padding: 2px;
+		padding: 5px;
+		text-decoration: none;
 	}
 	.selected{
-		background-color: #3c3;
+		background-color: #47aef5;
+		color: #fff;
 	}
+	.column{
+		float:left;
+		width:30%;
+		min-width:400px;
+		border: 2px solid black;
+		margin: 2px;
+		padding: 8px;
+		height: 80%;
+		overflow-y:scroll;
+	}
+	#content, html, body
+	{
+		height: 98%;
+		background-color: #eefdff;
+	}
+	.column
+	{
+		background-color: #fffbcf;
+	}
+	#msgfield
+	{
+		font-size: xx-large;
+		width: 80%;
+		height: 1.5em;
+	}
+	#msgsend
+	{
+		display: inline-block;
+		vertical-align: top;
+		text-align: center;
+		width: 10%;
+		height: 1.5em;
+		font-size: x-large;
+		color: #fff;
+		border: 2px solid #47aef5;
+		border-radius: 10px;
+		background-color: #47aef5;
+		margin: 2px;
+		padding: 5px;
+		text-decoration: none;
+	}
+	#result
+	{
+		font-size: large;
+	}
+	.msg
+	{
+		border: 2px solid #e78e2b;
+		border-radius: 5px;
+		background-color: #ffca8a;
+		padding: 5px;
+		margin: 5px;
+	}
+	.msg .msg_text
+	{
+		font-size: larger;
+		font-weight: bold;
+	}
+	.msg .msg_info
+	{
+		font-size: smaller;
+		padding-left: 1em;
+	}
+	a
+	{
+		font-color: 47aef5;
+	}
+
 </style>
 
+<body>
+<div class="header">
 <p style="float:right">logged in as {{ current_user.name }} <a href="logout">log out</a></p>
 <h1>smscast</h1>
-<p><input type="text" name="msg"><a href="#" id="send">send</a></p>
-<p><span id="result">res</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="send" class="column">
+<p style="msgarea"><input type="text" name="msg" id="msgfield"><a href="#" id="msgsend">Send!</a></p>
+<p><span id="result">Select recipients below and enter a message to broadcast in the box above.</span></p>
 <h2>groups</h2>
 <p id="groups"></p>
 <h2>people</h2>
 <p id="people"></p>
+</div>
+<div class="column">
+	<h2>sent messages</h2>
+	<div id="msgs"></div>
+</div>
+<div class="column">
+	<h2>received messages</h2>
+	<div id="inmsgs">to be implemented ;)</div>
+</div>
+</body>
+
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/templates/login.html b/templates/login.html
index f8772b1..1c1855e 100644
--- a/templates/login.html
+++ b/templates/login.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+<p>log in</p>
 <form name="login" action="/login" method="post">
 <p>Username: <input type="text" name="username" autofocus /></p>
 <p>Password: <input type="password" name="password" /></p>
diff --git a/user.py b/user.py
index 1641b65..9bb2d6c 100644
--- a/user.py
+++ b/user.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class User:
 		c = self.db.cursor()
 		c.execute("""SELECT name FROM users WHERE uid = %s""", (uid,))
 		self.name = c.fetchall()[0][0]
+		self.db.commit()
 
 	def is_authenticated(self):
 		return True # stub
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ def authenticate(username, password):
 	
 	# get salt for the user
 	c.execute("""SELECT salt, password, uid FROM users WHERE name = %s """ , (username,))
+	db.commit()
 	print "getting salt for {}".format(username)
 	if(c.rowcount == 0): return None
 	row = c.fetchall()[0]