diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index 2f43b5eb..0a6c2e25 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
     ['clean', 'browserify', 'uglify', 'hash', 'buildIndex', 'shell', 'jasmine_node', 'jshint', 'lintStrings', 'compliment']
   );
   grunt.registerTask('lint', ['jshint', 'compliment']);
-  grunt.registerTask('fastBuild', ['clean', 'browserify', 'hash', 'buildIndex']);
+  grunt.registerTask('fastBuild', ['clean', 'browserify', 'hash', 'buildIndex', 'jshint']);
   grunt.registerTask('watching', ['fastBuild', 'jasmine_node', 'jshint', 'lintStrings']);
 
   grunt.registerTask('default', ['build']);
diff --git a/src/js/app/index.js b/src/js/app/index.js
index 19c755cb..cf7a7548 100644
--- a/src/js/app/index.js
+++ b/src/js/app/index.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var Backbone = require('backbone');
 var constants = require('../util/constants');
 var util = require('../util');
 var intl = require('../intl');
+var GlobalState = require('../util/globalState');
 
 /**
  * Globals
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ var initDemo = function(sandbox) {
   }
 
   if (params.locale !== undefined && params.locale.length) {
-    constants.GLOBAL.locale = params.locale;
+    GlobalState.locale = params.locale;
     events.trigger('localeChanged');
   }
 
diff --git a/src/js/intl/index.js b/src/js/intl/index.js
index 9262377b..49bec6ec 100644
--- a/src/js/intl/index.js
+++ b/src/js/intl/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var _ = require('underscore');
 var constants = require('../util/constants');
 var util = require('../util');
+var GlobalState = require('../util/globalState');
 
 var strings = require('../intl/strings').strings;
 
@@ -9,8 +10,8 @@ var getDefaultLocale = exports.getDefaultLocale = function() {
 };
 
 var getLocale = exports.getLocale = function() {
-  if (constants.GLOBAL.locale) {
-    return constants.GLOBAL.locale;
+  if (GlobalState.locale) {
+    return GlobalState.locale;
   }
   return getDefaultLocale();
 };
diff --git a/src/js/intl/strings.js b/src/js/intl/strings.js
index f0fd7549..1c8ceac0 100644
--- a/src/js/intl/strings.js
+++ b/src/js/intl/strings.js
@@ -377,6 +377,11 @@ exports.strings = {
     'fr_FR': 'Git version PCOTTLE.1.0'
   },
   ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+  'flip-tree-command': {
+    '__desc__': 'when the tree is being flipped',
+    'en_US': 'Flipping tree...'
+  },
+  ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   'refresh-tree-command': {
     '__desc__': 'when the tree is visually refreshed',
     'en_US': 'Refreshing tree...',
diff --git a/src/js/level/index.js b/src/js/level/index.js
index c8891d73..d2509668 100644
--- a/src/js/level/index.js
+++ b/src/js/level/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var log = require('../log');
 var Errors = require('../util/errors');
 var Sandbox = require('../sandbox/').Sandbox;
 var Constants = require('../util/constants');
+var GlobalState = require('../util/globalState');
 
 var Visualization = require('../visuals/visualization').Visualization;
 var ParseWaterfall = require('../level/parseWaterfall').ParseWaterfall;
@@ -365,7 +366,7 @@ var Level = Sandbox.extend({
     var numCommands = this.gitCommandsIssued.length;
     var best = this.getNumSolutionCommands();
 
-    Constants.GLOBAL.isAnimating = true;
+    GlobalState.isAnimating = true;
     var skipFinishDialog = this.testOption('noFinishDialog');
     var finishAnimationChain = this.mainVis.gitVisuals.finishAnimation();
     if (this.mainVis.originVis) {
@@ -401,7 +402,7 @@ var Level = Sandbox.extend({
       // nothing to do, we will just close
     })
     .done(function() {
-      Constants.GLOBAL.isAnimating = false;
+      GlobalState.isAnimating = false;
       defer.resolve();
     });
   },
diff --git a/src/js/sandbox/commands.js b/src/js/sandbox/commands.js
index c316dfe6..266a54f1 100644
--- a/src/js/sandbox/commands.js
+++ b/src/js/sandbox/commands.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ var _ = require('underscore');
 var util = require('../util');
 
 var constants = require('../util/constants');
+var GlobalState = require('../util/globalState');
 var intl = require('../intl');
 
 var Commands = require('../commands');
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ var instantCommands = [
     });
   }],
   [/^(locale|locale reset)$/, function(bits) {
-    constants.GLOBAL.locale = intl.getDefaultLocale();
+    GlobalState.locale = intl.getDefaultLocale();
     var Main = require('../app').getEvents().trigger('localeChanged');
 
     throw new CommandResult({
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ var instantCommands = [
     });
   }],
   [/^locale (\w+)$/, function(bits) {
-    constants.GLOBAL.locale = bits[1];
+    GlobalState.locale = bits[1];
 
     var Main = require('../app').getEvents().trigger('localeChanged');
     throw new CommandResult({
@@ -57,6 +58,15 @@ var instantCommands = [
       )
     });
   }],
+  [/^flip$/, function() {
+    GlobalState.flipTreeY = !GlobalState.flipTreeY;
+
+    var events = require('../app').getEvents();
+    events.trigger('refreshTree');
+    throw new CommandResult({
+      msg: intl.str('flip-tree-command')
+    });
+  }],
   [/^refresh$/, function() {
     var events = require('../app').getEvents();
 
diff --git a/src/js/util/constants.js b/src/js/util/constants.js
index b3ba9c5a..ea581a88 100644
--- a/src/js/util/constants.js
+++ b/src/js/util/constants.js
@@ -5,11 +5,6 @@ var TIME = {
   betweenCommandsDelay: 400
 };
 
-// useful for locks, etc
-var GLOBAL = {
-  isAnimating: false
-};
-
 var VIEWPORT = {
   minZoom: 0.55,
   maxZoom: 1.25,
@@ -53,7 +48,6 @@ var GRAPHICS = {
   orphanNodeFill: 'hsb(0.5,0.8,0.7)'
 };
 
-exports.GLOBAL = GLOBAL;
 exports.TIME = TIME;
 exports.GRAPHICS = GRAPHICS;
 exports.VIEWPORT = VIEWPORT;
diff --git a/src/js/util/globalState.js b/src/js/util/globalState.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ffc95cf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/js/util/globalState.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/**
+ * Random grab bag of global state variables so we
+ * dont just straight up use window
+ */
+
+var GlobalState = {
+  flipTreeY: false,
+  isAnimating: false
+};
+
+module.exports = GlobalState;
diff --git a/src/js/visuals/animation/index.js b/src/js/visuals/animation/index.js
index ce934eeb..f2071368 100644
--- a/src/js/visuals/animation/index.js
+++ b/src/js/visuals/animation/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 var _ = require('underscore');
 var Q = require('q');
 var Backbone = require('backbone');
-var GLOBAL = require('../../util/constants').GLOBAL;
+var GlobalState = require('../../util/globalState');
 var GRAPHICS = require('../../util/constants').GRAPHICS;
 
 var Animation = Backbone.Model.extend({
@@ -67,13 +67,13 @@ var AnimationQueue = Backbone.Model.extend({
     this.set('index', 0);
 
     // set the global lock that we are animating
-    GLOBAL.isAnimating = true;
+    GlobalState.isAnimating = true;
     this.next();
   },
 
   finish: function() {
     // release lock here
-    GLOBAL.isAnimating = false;
+    GlobalState.isAnimating = false;
     this.get('callback')();
   },
 
diff --git a/src/js/visuals/index.js b/src/js/visuals/index.js
index 3d2ea47a..7eef956f 100644
--- a/src/js/visuals/index.js
+++ b/src/js/visuals/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var Q = require('q');
 var Backbone = require('backbone');
 
 var GRAPHICS = require('../util/constants').GRAPHICS;
-var GLOBAL = require('../util/constants').GLOBAL;
+var GlobalState = require('../util/globalState');
 
 var Collections = require('../models/collections');
 var CommitCollection = Collections.CommitCollection;
@@ -124,10 +124,13 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.initHeadBranch = function() {
 };
 
 GitVisuals.prototype.getScreenPadding = function() {
+  // if we are flipping the tree, the helper bar gets in the way
+  var topFactor = (GlobalState.flipTreeY) ? 3 : 1.5;
+
   // for now we return the node radius subtracted from the walls
   return {
     widthPadding: GRAPHICS.nodeRadius * 1.5,
-    topHeightPadding: GRAPHICS.nodeRadius * 1.5,
+    topHeightPadding: GRAPHICS.nodeRadius * topFactor,
     // we pad the bottom a lot more so the branches wont go off screen
     bottomHeightPadding: GRAPHICS.nodeRadius * 5
   };
@@ -180,10 +183,15 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.toScreenCoords = function(pos) {
     return paddingTop + frac * (total - paddingBelow - paddingTop);
   };
 
-  return {
-    x: shrink(pos.x, this.paper.width, padding.widthPadding),
-    y: asymShrink(pos.y, this.paper.height, padding.topHeightPadding, padding.bottomHeightPadding)
-  };
+  var x = shrink(pos.x, this.paper.width, padding.widthPadding);
+  var y =
+    asymShrink(pos.y, this.paper.height, padding.topHeightPadding, padding.bottomHeightPadding);
+
+  if (GlobalState.flipTreeY) {
+    y = this.paper.height - y;
+  }
+
+  return {x: x, y: y};
 };
 
 GitVisuals.prototype.animateAllAttrKeys = function(keys, attr, speed, easing) {
@@ -782,14 +790,7 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.canvasResize = function(width, height) {
 GitVisuals.prototype.genResizeFunc = function() {
   this.resizeFunc = _.debounce(
     _.bind(function(width, height) {
-
-      // refresh when we are ready if we are animating som ething
-      if (false && GLOBAL.isAnimating) {
-        var Main = require('../app');
-        Main.getEventBaton().trigger('commandSubmitted', 'refresh');
-      } else {
-        this.refreshTree();
-      }
+      this.refreshTree();
     }, this),
     200,
     true
diff --git a/src/js/visuals/visEdge.js b/src/js/visuals/visEdge.js
index 99ea9cec..0cdbbab4 100644
--- a/src/js/visuals/visEdge.js
+++ b/src/js/visuals/visEdge.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ var Backbone = require('backbone');
 var GRAPHICS = require('../util/constants').GRAPHICS;
 
 var VisBase = require('../visuals/visBase').VisBase;
+var GlobalState = require('../util/globalState');
 
 var VisEdge = VisBase.extend({
   defaults: {
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ var VisEdge = VisBase.extend({
     // is M(move abs) C (curve to) (control point 1) (control point 2) (final point)
     // the control points have to be __below__ to get the curve starting off straight.
 
+    var flipFactor = (GlobalState.flipTreeY) ? -1 : 1;
     var coords = function(pos) {
       return String(Math.round(pos.x)) + ',' + String(Math.round(pos.y));
     };
@@ -58,19 +60,19 @@ var VisEdge = VisBase.extend({
       delta = delta || GRAPHICS.curveControlPointOffset;
       return {
         x: pos.x,
-        y: pos.y + delta * dir
+        y: pos.y + flipFactor * delta * dir
       };
     };
     var offset2d = function(pos, x, y) {
       return {
         x: pos.x + x,
-        y: pos.y + y
+        y: pos.y + flipFactor * y
       };
     };
 
     // first offset tail and head by radii
     tailPos = offset(tailPos, -1, this.get('tail').getRadius());
-    headPos = offset(headPos, 1, this.get('head').getRadius());
+    headPos = offset(headPos, 1, this.get('head').getRadius() * 1.15);
 
     var str = '';
     // first move to bottom of tail
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 78c11e2c..5b0c0316 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Medium things:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 [ ] figure out what to do with instant commands (and parse waterfall and the like)
 [ ] disable git commands on hg levels (and vice versa)
-[ ] flip trees upside down from command (look at refresh tree as a way to do this)
 
 Small things to implement:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@ Ideas for cleaning
 Done things:
 (I only started this on Dec 17th 2012 to get a better sense of what was done)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+[x] flip trees upside down from command (look at refresh tree as a way to do this)
 [x] make show solution easier
 [x] make helper bar clickable with goal vis floating
 [x] huge update to level you wrote. that you said is true for