diff --git a/common.py b/common.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d8ef80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+import mechanize
+import urllib
+import simplejson
+from urllib2 import HTTPError
+import time
+
+class HumbugAPI():
+    def __init__(self, email, api_key, verbose=False, site="https://app.humbughq.com"):
+        self.browser = mechanize.Browser()
+        self.browser.set_handle_robots(False)
+        self.browser.add_password("https://app.humbughq.com/", "tabbott", "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "wiki")
+        self.api_key = api_key
+        self.email = email
+        self.verbose = verbose
+        self.base_url = site
+
+    def send_message(self, submit_hash):
+        submit_hash["email"] = self.email
+        submit_hash["api-key"] = self.api_key
+        submit_data = urllib.urlencode([(k, v.encode('utf-8')) for k,v in submit_hash.items()])
+        res = self.browser.open(self.base_url + "/api/v1/send_message", submit_data)
+        return simplejson.loads(res.read())
+
+    def get_messages(self, last_received = None):
+        submit_hash = {}
+        submit_hash["email"] = self.email
+        submit_hash["api-key"] = self.api_key
+        if last_received is not None:
+            submit_hash["first"] = "0"
+            submit_hash["last"] = str(last_received)
+        submit_data = urllib.urlencode([(k, v.encode('utf-8')) for k,v in submit_hash.items()])
+        res = self.browser.open(self.base_url + "/api/v1/get_updates", submit_data)
+        return simplejson.loads(res.read())['zephyrs']
+
+    def call_on_each_message(self, callback):
+        max_message_id = None
+        while True:
+            try:
+                messages = self.get_messages(max_message_id)
+            except HTTPError, e:
+                # 502/503 typically means the server was restarted; sleep
+                # a bit, then try again
+                if self.verbose:
+                    print "HTTP Error getting zephyrs; trying again soon."
+                    print e
+                time.sleep(1)
+            except Exception, e:
+                # For other errors, just try again
+                print e
+                time.sleep(2)
+                continue
+            for message in sorted(messages, key=lambda x: x["id"]):
+                max_message_id = max(max_message_id, message["id"])
+                callback(message)
diff --git a/examples/curl-examples b/examples/curl-examples
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b12ee10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/curl-examples
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Two quick API tests using curl
+curl 127.0.0.1:8000/api/send_message -d "api-key=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" -d "email=tabbott@humbughq.com" -d "type=personal" -d "new_zephyr=test" -d "recipient=tabbott@humbughq.com"
+curl 127.0.0.1:8000/api/get_updates_new -d "api-key=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" -d "email=tabbott@humbughq.com
diff --git a/examples/print-messages b/examples/print-messages
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c7f20e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/print-messages
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+import mechanize
+import urllib
+import sys
+import os
+import optparse
+
+usage = """print-message --user=<email address> [options]
+
+Prints out each message received by the indicated user.
+
+Example: print-messages --user=tabbott@humbughq.com --site=http://127.0.0.1:8000
+"""
+parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=usage)
+parser.add_option('--site',
+                  dest='site',
+                  default="https://app.humbughq.com/",
+                  action='store')
+parser.add_option('--api-key',
+                  dest='api_key',
+                  default="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
+                  action='store')
+parser.add_option('--user',
+                  dest='user',
+                  action='store')
+(options, args) = parser.parse_args()
+
+sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))))
+import api.common
+client = api.common.HumbugAPI(email=options.user,
+                              api_key=options.api_key,
+                              verbose=True,
+                              site=options.site)
+
+def print_message(message):
+    print message
+
+client.call_on_each_message(print_message)
diff --git a/examples/send-message b/examples/send-message
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3e446d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/send-message
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+import mechanize
+import urllib
+import sys
+import os
+import optparse
+
+usage = """send-message --user=<email address> [options]
+
+Sends a test message from by the provided user to tabbott@humbhughq.com.
+
+Example: send-message --user=tabbott@humbughq.com --site=http://127.0.0.1:8000
+"""
+parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=usage)
+parser.add_option('--site',
+                  dest='site',
+                  default="https://app.humbughq.com/",
+                  action='store')
+parser.add_option('--api-key',
+                  dest='api_key',
+                  default="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
+                  action='store')
+parser.add_option('--user',
+                  dest='user',
+                  action='store')
+(options, args) = parser.parse_args()
+
+sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))))
+import api.common
+client = api.common.HumbugAPI(email=options.user,
+                              api_key=options.api_key,
+                              verbose=True,
+                              site=options.site)
+
+message_data = {
+    "type": "personal",
+    "new_zephyr": "test",
+    "recipient": "tabbott@humbughq.com",
+}
+print client.send_message(message_data)