There is a whole dead forest in this office. Thousands, tens of thousands (maybe more) of white trees cast out into the world by a humming monolithic printer. In a great bureaucratic salmon run, they make the incredible journey from inbox to counter and desk where they are scrutinized, signed and stamped before laying to rest in the cabinets behind me. Once in a while, I might hear the ghostly sound of branches and rustling leaves, but it's only the receptionist opening envelopes and shuffling payments.

Paper. Everywhere.

There is something truly ironic about working for an Internet Service Provider and passing around all this documentation. We're still living in the last century. The dream of a paperless office is dead and not only here, but everywhere it seems. A friend told me last week that she is pulling out her 401k. She will have to wait three to six weeks to receive her money. Forms have to be filled, analyzed and processed before they are mailed out to Seattle or the East Coast. Once there, more forms will be filled, processed, mailed ect. In the digital age, the age of networks, instant messaging and email, I can download large quantities of various media in seconds. It's outrageous that the transfer of simple text must take so long.

Changes in business and government cannot come soon enough for me. Everything is outdated.