diff --git a/src/db.lisp b/src/db.lisp
index 8ea9dc4..73ce0ef 100644
--- a/src/db.lisp
+++ b/src/db.lisp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ smart enough to make the database fields into (values rows columns)"
                                  :database-name (car conn-str)
                                  :username (nth 1 conn-str)
                                  :password (nth 2 conn-str))
+       (dbi:do-sql conn "set names 'utf8';") ;; I fucking hate computers
        ,@(cdr body))))
 
 (defun flag-id (flag)
diff --git a/src/main.lisp b/src/main.lisp
index 1d86847..d323a6d 100644
--- a/src/main.lisp
+++ b/src/main.lisp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
                         :database-name (car conn-str)
                         :username (nth 1 conn-str)
                         :password (nth 2 conn-str)))
-  (ping) ;; test db conn
+  (ping) ;; test db conn  
   (set-boards)
   (set-flags)
   (defvar +serb+ (make-instance 'hunchentoot:easy-acceptor