diff --git a/serial.c b/serial.c
index 2c611c7..4a91058 100644
--- a/serial.c
+++ b/serial.c
@@ -43,41 +43,31 @@ u64 serial_write(const char* buffer, const u64 size) {
 	/*
 	 * Writes a given buffer to the com1 serial port for debugging in bochs
 	 */
-	u64 idx = 0;
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 1, 0x00);
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_DATA_PORT_INT_EN(SERIAL_COM1_BASE), 
 			0x00);
 
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 3, 0x80);
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_LINE_COMMAND_PORT(SERIAL_COM1_BASE), 
 			SERIAL_LINE_ENABLE);
 
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 0, 0x03);
+	// quarter speed hopefully the fifo quue wont fill this way
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE, 
-			SERIAL_DEFAULT_LINE_CFG);
+			0x01);
 
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 1, 0x00);
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_DATA_PORT_INT_EN(SERIAL_COM1_BASE),
 			0x00);
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 3, 0x03);
+
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_LINE_COMMAND_PORT(SERIAL_COM1_BASE), 
 			SERIAL_DEFAULT_LINE_CFG);
 
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 2, 0xC7);
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_FIFO_COMMAND_PORT(SERIAL_COM1_BASE),
 			SERIAL_DEFAULT_BUFFER_CFG);
 
-	//serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE + 4, 0x0B);
 	serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_MODEM_COMMAND_PORT(SERIAL_COM1_BASE),
 			0x0B);
 
-	for(idx = 0; idx < size; idx++) {
+	u64 idx;
+	for(idx =0; idx < size; idx++) {
 		serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE, buffer[idx]);
-		/*
-		if(serial_fifo_empty(SERIAL_COM1_BASE == 0x02)) {
-			serialport_write_byte(SERIAL_COM1_BASE, buffer[idx]);
-		}
-		*/
 	}
 	return idx;
 }
diff --git a/stlio.c b/stlio.c
index 4e7830f..03f2f1b 100644
--- a/stlio.c
+++ b/stlio.c
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #include "stlio.h"
 
+static u8 COLOR_FG = Green;
+static u8 COLOR_BG = White;
+
 // We are assuming null-terminated strings here
 u64 strlen(char* buffer) {
 	char* c;
@@ -7,7 +10,7 @@ u64 strlen(char* buffer) {
 	return (u64)(c - buffer);
 }
 void putch(const char c) {
-	write_cell_fb(c, Green, White);
+	write_cell_fb(c, COLOR_FG, COLOR_BG);
 }
 
 u64 write(const char* buffer, const u64 size) {
@@ -19,7 +22,7 @@ u64 write(const char* buffer, const u64 size) {
 			//write(_line, sizeof(_line));
 		}
 		else {
-			write_cell_fb(buffer[i], Green, White);
+			write_cell_fb(buffer[i], COLOR_FG, COLOR_BG);
 		}
 	}
 	return i;
@@ -32,13 +35,23 @@ u64 read(const u64 n) {
 
 void printf(char* fmt) {
 	u64 i;
-	for(i = 0; i < strlen(fmt);i++) {
+	u64 size = strlen(fmt);
+	for(i = 0; i < size;i++) {
 		char c = fmt[i];
 		switch(c) {
 			case '\n': {
 				frame_buffer_newline();
 				break;
 			}
+			case '%': {
+				/* only do something if the situation calls for it
+				 * NOTE: this call might not do anything interesting
+				 */
+				if((i+1) < size) {
+					write_cell_fb(fmt[c], COLOR_FG, COLOR_BG);
+					i += 2;
+				}
+			}
 			default: {
 				putch(c);
 			}
diff --git a/stlio.h b/stlio.h
index e680631..cfbdc63 100644
--- a/stlio.h
+++ b/stlio.h
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@
 u64 strlen(char*);
 u64 write(const char*, const u64);
 u64 read(const u64);
+static void __printf_percent(const char c);
 void printf(char*);
diff --git a/tests.c b/tests.c
index 9af850c..9d16719 100644
--- a/tests.c
+++ b/tests.c
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@
 
 void test_write() {
 	clear_fb();
-	char* msg1 = "Writing this to fbout\nOh yea and serial 0x3f8";
+	char* msg1 = "Writing this to fbout\n";
+	char* serial1 = "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef";
+	char* msg2 = "serial write has finished";
+
 	printf(msg1);
-	serial_write(msg1, strlen(msg1));
-	char* msg2 = "\nserial write has finished";
+	serial_write(serial1, strlen(serial1));
 	printf(msg2);
 }