diff --git a/NOTES b/NOTES
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0655193f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/NOTES
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+debugging this thing.
+Why doesn't the network boot up quicker?
+Why does the VI:0 Precommit for height 1 not come around after round 1 and before round 6?
+ [Vote VI:0 V:Precommit{1/0 4B634C4301EA#PartSet{T:1 67344F9BB237} 9974E3F32592}]
+ [Vote VI:0 V:Precommit{1/1 4B634C4301EA#PartSet{T:1 67344F9BB237} B600DBFA00B3}]
+ [Vote VI:0 V:Precommit{1/6 4B634C4301EA#PartSet{T:1 67344F9BB237} 2C51D4B6047C}]
+
+Yet blackshadow did send a Prevote for 1/2 to whiteferret...
+DBUG[05-04|14:19:36] Send module=p2p channel=22 connection=MConn{162.243.85.60:52630} msg="[Vote VI:0 V:Prevote{1/2 4B634C4301EA#PartSet{T:1 67344F9BB237} 2CFCF951C4D9}]"
+
+Why did blackshadow not send Prevote{1/2} to any other peer?
+Did whiteferret not broadcast the Prevote to anyone else?
+What is the capacity of our buffers? (the defaultSendQueueCapcity for the VotesCh is 1. Oops)
+
+Blackshadow was locked, so it did:
+INFO[05-04|14:19:36] Signed and added vote module=consensus height=1 round=2 vote="Prevote{1/2 4B634C4301EA#PartSet{T:1 67344F9BB237} 2CFCF951C4D9}"
diff --git a/cmd/barak/main.go b/cmd/barak/main.go
index 9f28de78b..3e95fb8a4 100644
--- a/cmd/barak/main.go
+++ b/cmd/barak/main.go
@@ -103,13 +103,17 @@ func main() {
 	// Register this barak with central listener
 	for _, registry := range barak.registries {
 		go func(registry string) {
-			resp, err := http.Get(registry + "/register")
-			if err != nil {
-				fmt.Printf("Error registering to registry %v:\n  %v\n", registry, err)
+			for {
+				resp, err := http.Get(registry + "/register")
+				if err != nil {
+					fmt.Printf("Error registering to registry %v:\n  %v\n", registry, err)
+					time.Sleep(1 * time.Hour)
+					continue
+				}
+				body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+				fmt.Printf("Successfully registered with registry %v\n  %v\n", registry, string(body))
 				return
 			}
-			body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-			fmt.Printf("Successfully registered with registry %v\n  %v\n", registry, string(body))
 		}(registry)
 	}
 
@@ -276,7 +280,7 @@ func ListProcesses() (*ResponseListProcesses, error) {
 // Another barak instance registering its external
 // address to a remote barak.
 func Register(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-	registry, err := os.OpenFile(barak.rootDir+"/registry.log", os.O_RDWR|os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE, 0x600)
+	registry, err := os.OpenFile(barak.rootDir+"/registry.log", os.O_RDWR|os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
 	if err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, "Could not open registry file. Please contact the administrator", 500)
 		return