diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 2c5efda..cdb4612 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ func main() {
 
 	// make this the main loop in an attempt to figure out the crashes
 	// do not change this until the GUI is stable
+	gui.Data.Window1 = new(gui.WindowMap)
+	gui.Data.Window1.AreaText = getSplashText()
+	// this crashes here. crazy!
+	// gui.Data.Window1.AreaText = getNEWTEXT()
 	gui.GoMainWindow()
 }
 
@@ -172,7 +176,11 @@ func mainMouseClick(b *gui.ButtonMap) {
 	if (b.Account != nil) {
 		log.Println("\tmainMouseClick() setting current account = ", b.Account.Nick)
 	}
-	if (b.Action == "AREA") {
+	if (b.Action == "NEWTEXT") {
+		gui.Data.Window1.AH.Attrstr = getNEWTEXT()
+		log.Println("AH.Attrstr = ", gui.Data.Window1.AH.Attrstr)
+		gui.Data.Window1.AH.Area.QueueRedrawAll()
+	} else if (b.Action == "AREA") {
 		if (config == nil) {
 			log.Println("gui.State = splash BUT SOMETHING HAS GONE VERY WRONG")
 			log.Println("gui.State = splash BUT SOMETHING HAS GONE VERY WRONG")
@@ -417,11 +425,6 @@ func watchGUI() {
 	for {
 		if (count > 10) {
 			log.Println("Sleep() in watchGUI() gui.Data.State =", gui.Data.State)
-			if (gui.Data.State == "HIDE") {
-				gui.Data.Window1.Box1.Show()
-				gui.Data.Window1.Box2.Show()
-				gui.Data.State = "done"
-			}
 			count = 0
 		}
 		count += 1
@@ -432,6 +435,11 @@ func watchGUI() {
 			log.Println("gui.State = kill")
 			log.Println("gui.State = kill")
 			onExit(nil)
+		} else if (gui.Data.State == "HIDE") {
+			time.Sleep(20 * time.Millisecond) // maybe required for macos & windows refresh to work?
+			gui.Data.Window1.Box1.Show()
+			gui.Data.Window1.Box2.Show()
+			gui.Data.State = "done"
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/splash.go b/splash.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a1aa1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/splash.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package main
+
+import "git.wit.com/wit/gui"
+
+import "github.com/andlabs/ui"
+import _ "github.com/andlabs/ui/winmanifest"
+
+
+func getSplashText() *ui.AttributedString {
+	var aText  *ui.AttributedString
+	aText = ui.NewAttributedString("Click to continue")
+	return aText
+}
+
+func getNEWTEXT() *ui.AttributedString {
+	var aText  *ui.AttributedString
+	aText = ui.NewAttributedString("")
+
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "Welcome to the Cloud Control Panel\n", ui.TextSize(16), ui.TextColor{0.0, 0.0, 0.8, .8})
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "(alpha)\n\n", ui.TextSize(10))
+
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "This control panel was designed to be an interface to your 'private' cloud. ", ui.TextWeightBold)
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "The concept of a private cloud means that you can use a providers system, or, seemlessly, use your own hardware in your own datacenter. ", ui.TextWeightBold)
+
+	aText.AppendUnattributed("\n")
+	aText.AppendUnattributed("\n")
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "This control panel requires:\n")
+	aText.AppendUnattributed("\n")
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "IPv6\n")
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "Your hostname in DNS\n")
+	aText.AppendUnattributed("\n\n\n\n\n")
+
+	gui.AreaAppendText(aText, "<click or press any key>\n", ui.TextSize(10))
+
+	return aText
+}