diff --git a/error.go b/error.go
index 4a10455..387f23c 100644
--- a/error.go
+++ b/error.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import 	(
 )
 
 func Error(err error, a ...any) {
+	if ! ERROR.Ok() { return }
 	if ! ERROR.b { return }
 	origlog.Println("Error:", err)
 	origlog.Println(a...)
diff --git a/flags.go b/flags.go
index 0a00ed8..739a7b5 100644
--- a/flags.go
+++ b/flags.go
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@ import 	(
 	"sync"
 )
 
-var INFO LogFlag
-var VERBOSE LogFlag
-var SPEW LogFlag
-var WARN LogFlag
-var ERROR LogFlag
-var PRINTLN LogFlag
+var INFO *LogFlag
+var VERBOSE *LogFlag
+var SPEW *LogFlag
+var WARN *LogFlag
+var ERROR *LogFlag
+var PRINTLN *LogFlag
 
-var always LogFlag
+var always *LogFlag
 
 // writeMutex protects locks the write process
 var flagsMutex sync.Mutex
@@ -53,34 +53,22 @@ var flags []*LogFlag
 
 func init() {
 	full := "go.wit.com/log"
-	short := "gui"
+	short := "log"
 
-	INFO.NewFlag("INFO", false, full, short, "Enable log.Info()")
-	SPEW.NewFlag("SPEW", false, full, short, "Enable log.Spew()")
-	WARN.NewFlag("WARN", true,  full, short, "Enable log.Warn()")
+	INFO = NewFlag("INFO", false, full, short, "Enable log.Info()")
+	SPEW = NewFlag("SPEW", false, full, short, "Enable log.Spew()")
+	WARN = NewFlag("WARN", true,  full, short, "Enable log.Warn()")
 
-	VERBOSE.b = false
-	VERBOSE.name = "VERBOSE"
-	VERBOSE.subsystem = "log"
-	VERBOSE.desc = "Enable log.Verbose()"
-	VERBOSE.Register()
+	ERROR = NewFlag("ERROR",   true,   full, short, "Enable log.Error()")
+	PRINTLN = NewFlag("PRINTLN", true,   full, short, "Enable log.Println()")
+	VERBOSE = NewFlag("VERBOSE", false,  full, short, "Enable log.Verbose()")
 
-	ERROR.b = true
-	ERROR.name = "ERROR"
-	ERROR.subsystem = "log"
-	ERROR.desc = "Enable log.Error()"
-	ERROR.Register()
+	always = NewFlag("always", true,   full, short, "internal only")
+}
 
-	PRINTLN.b = true
-	PRINTLN.name = "PRINTLN"
-	PRINTLN.subsystem = "log"
-	PRINTLN.desc = "Enable log.Println()"
-	PRINTLN.Register()
-
-	always.b = true
-	always.subsystem = "log"
-	always.short = "log"
-	always.Register()
+func (f *LogFlag) Ok() bool {
+	if f == nil {return false}
+	return true
 }
 
 // set all the flags
@@ -114,6 +102,7 @@ func ShowFlags() []*LogFlag {
 	defer flagsMutex.Unlock()
 	for _, f := range flags {
 		Log(always, "ShowFlags() ", "(" + f.subsystem + ")", f.name, "=", f.b, ":", f.desc)
+		Jeff(always, "ShowFlags() ", "(" + f.subsystem + ")", f.name, "=", f.b, ":", f.desc)
 	}
 
 	return flags
@@ -130,26 +119,6 @@ func ProcessFlags(callback func(*LogFlag)) {
 
 }
 
-
-// register a variable name from a subsystem
-// inspired by Alex Flint
-// set the Default value at the time of registration
-func (f *LogFlag) Register() {
-	flagsMutex.Lock()
-	defer flagsMutex.Unlock()
-	Info("log.Register() ", f)
-	f.orig = f.b
-	if f.short == "" {
-		f.short = f.subsystem
-	}
-	flags = append(flags,f)
-}
-
-func (f *LogFlag) Ok() bool {
-	if f == nil {return false}
-	return true
-}
-
 func (f *LogFlag) Get() bool {
 	if ! f.Ok() {return false}
 	return f.b
@@ -170,12 +139,17 @@ func (f *LogFlag) GetDesc() string {
 	return f.desc
 }
 
-// this is what the current log.SetFlag() function should become
+// register a variable name from a subsystem
+// inspired by Alex Flint
+// set the Default value at the time of registration
+
+/*
+// this is what the glibc log.SetFlag() function should become
 func (f *LogFlag) NewFlag(name string, b bool, full, short, desc string) {
 	if f != nil {return}
 	flagsMutex.Lock()
 	defer flagsMutex.Unlock()
-	Info("log.SetFlag() ", full, short, name, true)
+	Log(always, "log.SetFlag() ", full, short, name, true)
 	f = new(LogFlag)
 	f.b = b
 	f.orig = b
@@ -185,6 +159,23 @@ func (f *LogFlag) NewFlag(name string, b bool, full, short, desc string) {
 	f.desc = desc
 	flags = append(flags,f)
 }
+*/
+
+// this is what the current log.SetFlag() function should become
+func NewFlag(name string, b bool, full, short, desc string) *LogFlag {
+	flagsMutex.Lock()
+	defer flagsMutex.Unlock()
+	f := new(LogFlag)
+	Log(always, "log.SetFlag() ", full, short, name, true)
+	f.b = b
+	f.orig = b
+	f.short = short
+	f.subsystem = full
+	f.name = name
+	f.desc = desc
+	flags = append(flags,f)
+	return f
+}
 
 func (f *LogFlag) Set(b bool) {
 	flagsMutex.Lock()
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
deleted file mode 100644
index 243bc19..0000000
--- a/go.mod
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-module go.wit.com/log
-
-go 1.21.4
-
-require go.wit.com/spew v0.0.0-20240101141411-c7b8e91573c9
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a0c10c..0000000
--- a/go.sum
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-go.wit.com/spew v0.0.0-20240101141411-c7b8e91573c9 h1:UEX2EzLQPzLTfy/kUFQD7OXtvKn8wk/+jpDOkbl4ff4=
-go.wit.com/spew v0.0.0-20240101141411-c7b8e91573c9/go.mod h1:qBpgJXThMMT15vym7/E4Ur9y8oOo2nP7t2RP52QHUNw=
diff --git a/info.go b/info.go
index 574aa4b..0d2e81c 100644
--- a/info.go
+++ b/info.go
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import 	(
 )
 
 func Info(a ...any) {
+	if ! INFO.Ok() { return }
 	if ! INFO.b { return }
 	golanglog.Println(a...)
 }
 
 func Infof(s string, a ...any) {
+	if ! INFO.Ok() { return }
 	if ! INFO.b { return }
 	golanglog.Printf(s, a...)
 }
diff --git a/log.go b/log.go
index 6095f12..a00cc00 100644
--- a/log.go
+++ b/log.go
@@ -20,18 +20,31 @@ In your package, register NETWARN:
 	log.Register("myNetPkg", "NETWARN", &NETWARN)
 */
 
-func Log(f LogFlag, a ...any) {
-	if ! f.b {
+func Log(f *LogFlag, a ...any) {
+	if ! f.Ok() {return}
+	if ! f.Get() { return }
+	a = append([]any{f.short}, a...)
+	origlog.Println(a...)
+}
+
+func Jeff(f *LogFlag, a ...any) {
+	if ! f.Ok() {
+		origlog.Println("f == nil")
+		origlog.Println(a...)
+		return
+	}
+	if ! f.Get() {
+		origlog.Println("f.Get() =")
+		origlog.Println(a...)
 		return
 	}
 	a = append([]any{f.short}, a...)
 	origlog.Println(a...)
 }
 
-func Logf(f LogFlag, s string, a ...any) {
-	if ! f.b {
-		return
-	}
+func Logf(f *LogFlag, s string, a ...any) {
+	if ! f.Ok() {return}
+	if ! f.Get() { return }
 	s = f.short + " " + s
 	origlog.Printf(s, a...)
 }
diff --git a/original.go b/original.go
index b0cf01f..02fb701 100644
--- a/original.go
+++ b/original.go
@@ -55,11 +55,13 @@ import 	(
 )
 
 func Println(a ...any) {
+	if ! PRINTLN.Ok() { return }
 	if ! PRINTLN.b { return }
 	origlog.Println(a...)
 }
 
 func Printf(s string, a ...any) {
+	if ! PRINTLN.Ok() { return }
 	if ! PRINTLN.b { return }
 	origlog.Printf(s, a...)
 }
diff --git a/spew.go b/spew.go
index d897cce..7f433a7 100644
--- a/spew.go
+++ b/spew.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import 	(
 )
 
 func Spew(b any, a ...any) {
+	if ! SPEW.Ok() { return }
 	if ! SPEW.b { return }
 
 	switch b.(type) {
diff --git a/verbose.go b/verbose.go
index 2359046..ed776b8 100644
--- a/verbose.go
+++ b/verbose.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import 	(
 )
 
 func Verbose(a ...any) {
+	if ! VERBOSE.Ok() { return }
 	if ! VERBOSE.b { return }
 	golanglog.Println(a...)
 }
diff --git a/warn.go b/warn.go
index 8fd4cc7..e8518bd 100644
--- a/warn.go
+++ b/warn.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import 	(
 )
 
 func Warn(a ...any) {
+	if ! WARN.Ok() { return }
 	if ! WARN.b { return }
 	origlog.Println(a...)
 }