diff --git a/de/bar/polybar-config b/de/bar/polybar-config
index d18e6b3..1e9a367 100644
--- a/de/bar/polybar-config
+++ b/de/bar/polybar-config
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ label-occupied-font = 2
 label-urgent-font = 2
 label-empty-font = 2
 
-
 type = internal/bspwm
 pin-workspaces = false
 
@@ -383,8 +382,8 @@ compositing-border = source
 ; ######################### ;
 
 [global/wm]
-margin-top = ${env:WINDOW_GAP}
-margin-bottom = ${env:WINDOW_GAP}
+margin-top = ${env:WINDOW_GAP:0}
+margin-bottom = ${env:WINDOW_GAP:0}
 
 [module/microphone]
 type = custom/script
diff --git a/de/bspwm/bspwmrc b/de/bspwm/bspwmrc
index c254057..e2bc77e 100755
--- a/de/bspwm/bspwmrc
+++ b/de/bspwm/bspwmrc
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ if command -v unclutter >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 fi
 
 if command -v compton >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-	if [[ -z $NO_COMPTON ]]; then
+	if [[ "$NO_COMPTON" -ne 1 ]]; then
 		compton &
 	fi
 fi
diff --git a/de/sxhkd/sxhkdrc b/de/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
index 867ed68..0259802 100755
--- a/de/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
+++ b/de/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
@@ -256,3 +256,6 @@ super + ctrl + c
 
 super + shift + v
 	kill -USR1 $(cat "/var/run/user/$UID/polybar-mic-script.pid")
+
+super + v
+	tmux new-window 'sh -ci tmuxswitcher'
diff --git a/de/x/profile b/de/x/profile
index ba13573..f9efd92 100644
--- a/de/x/profile
+++ b/de/x/profile
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 if [[ -z "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" ]]; then
-  export XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$HOME/.config"
+	export XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$HOME/.config"
 fi
 if [[ -z "$DOTFILES_PATH" ]]; then
-  export DOTFILES_PATH="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/dotfiles"
+	export DOTFILES_PATH="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/dotfiles"
 fi
 
 if command -v autorandr >/dev/null 2>&1; then
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ if [ -f "$HOME/.xmodmap" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ -f "$DOTFILES_PATH/de/x/loadresources" ]; then
-  "$DOTFILES_PATH/de/x/loadresources"
+	"$DOTFILES_PATH/de/x/loadresources"
 fi
 
 if command -v xcape >/dev/null 2>&1; then
diff --git a/scripts/bin/tmux-session-list b/scripts/bin/tmux-session-list
index 146778d..204b09b 100755
--- a/scripts/bin/tmux-session-list
+++ b/scripts/bin/tmux-session-list
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 ANY_SESSION_PREFIX="#[bg=colour18]#[fg=colour7]"
 CUR_SESSION_PREFIX="#[bg=colour4]#[fg=colour0]"
+URG_SESSION_PREFIX="#[bg=colour1]#[fg=colour0]"
 ANY_SESSION_SUFFIX="#[bg=default]#[fg=default] "
+URG_SESSION_SUFFIX="${ANY_SESSION_SUFFIX}"
 CUR_SESSION_SUFFIX="${ANY_SESSION_SUFFIX}"
 
 CUR_TMUX_SESSION="$1"
diff --git a/shell/tmux/tmux.conf b/shell/tmux/tmux.conf
index 8ad6d81..a8cd12e 100644
--- a/shell/tmux/tmux.conf
+++ b/shell/tmux/tmux.conf
@@ -3,94 +3,101 @@ unbind C-b
 set -g prefix C-s
 bind-key s send-prefix
 
+# reload tmux.conf
 bind-key T source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display-message "source-file done"
+unbind r
+bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf
 
+# sane defaults
+set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"
 set-option -g mouse on
 
-# honestly not sure
-set -g escape-time 10
-set-window-option -g monitor-activity on
+# honestly not exactly sure?
+set -sg escape-time 1
 
+# show window activity
+# TODO: this needs to be properly setup
+set-window-option -g monitor-activity on
+set-window-option -g visual-bell on
+set-window-option -g bell-action other
+
+# common window sizes
 bind-key W resize-pane -x 100
+bind-key f resize-pane -x 120
+bind-key F resize-pane -x 125
+bind-key 8 resize-pane -x 80
+bind-key 2 resize-pane -y 20
 
 # splitting
 bind-key v split-window -h
 bind-key b split-window
+bind-key h split-window
 
-set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"
-
-# iterating
-unbind r
-bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf
-
-# show tmux status bar by default (prefix H toggles)
+# show tmux status bar by default with (C-s, H) to toggle it
 set -g status on
 bind-key H set -g status
 
+# simple session switching
 bind-key j switch-client -p
 bind-key h switch-client -p
 bind-key k switch-client -n
 bind-key l switch-client -n
+bind s run "tmux new-window 'sh -ci tmuxswitcher'"
+
+# reset the working directory of the current session
 bind-key P attach-session -t . -c '#{pane_current_path}'
 
-# bind-key T set-option -g mouse off
-# bind-key G set-option -g mouse on
-
-# message colors
-# set -g message-bg colour0
-# set -g message-fg colour7
-
-# status bar configuration
+# status bar and messages
 set-option -g status-position bottom
-# set -g status-utf8 on
-# set -g status-justify right
-
-# status bar colors
 set -g status-bg colour0
 set -g status-fg colour8
-
-# setw -g window-status-current-fg colour7
-# setw -g window-status-current-bg colour2
-# setw -g window-status-current-attr bold
-set-window-option -g window-status-current-format ''
-
+set -g message-style 'fg=colour7 bg=colour18'
 set -g status-interval 5
 set -g status-right-length 80
 set -g status-right "#[fg=colour4]#W#[fg=default]#[bg=default] #H"
 set -g status-left-length 200
 set -g status-left "#[fg=colour7]#(~/.config/dotfiles/scripts/bin/tmux-session-list #S)"
 
+# pane split line colors
+set -g pane-active-border-style bg=black,fg=black
+set -g pane-border-style fg=black
+
+# cLocK mOdE Is sUpEr 3LeEt
+set -g clock-mode-colour colour8
+
+# windows (which I don't use much...?)
+# TODO: do I have a use case for windows?
+set-window-option -g window-status-current-format ''
+
 # vim copying
 set-window-option -g mode-keys vi
 
-# 1-based indexing for keystroke simplicity
+# 1-based indexing for key binding simplicity
 set -g base-index 1
 set -g pane-base-index 1
 
 # custom predefined layouts
 bind M-l source-file ~/.tmux/layouts/dev.tmux
 
-# set -g pane-border-fg colour18
-# set -g pane-active-border-fg blue
-# set -g pane-active-border-bg default
-
-bind-key s run "tmux new-window 'sh -ci tmuxswitcher'"
-
 # present a menu of urls to open from the visible pane
+# TODO: fzf-ify this
 bind-key u capture-pane \;\
 	save-buffer /tmp/tmux-buffer \;\
-	split-window -l 10 "urlview /tmp/tmux-buffer"
+	split-window -l 10 "urlscan /tmp/tmux-buffer"
 
-# mimic pane switching in and out of vim
+# seamlessly handle pane switching in and out of vim panes
+# see GitHub repos tmux-plugins/vim-tmux-focus-events and christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator
 is_vim="ps -o state= -o comm= -t '#{pane_tty}' \
 	| grep -iqE '^[^TXZ ]+ +(\\S+\\/)?g?(view|n?vim?x?)(diff)?$'"
-bind-key -n C-h if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-h"  "select-pane -L"
-bind-key -n C-j if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-j"  "select-pane -D"
-bind-key -n C-k if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-k"  "select-pane -U"
-bind-key -n C-l if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-l"  "select-pane -R"
+bind-key -n C-h if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-h" "select-pane -L"
+bind-key -Tcopy-mode-vi 'C-h' send -X "cancel select-pane -L"
+bind-key -n C-j if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-j" "select-pane -D"
+bind-key -n C-k if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-k" "select-pane -U"
+bind-key -n C-l if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-l" "select-pane -R"
+# not sure about this binding? possibly switch to previous pane...?
 # bind-key -n C-\ if-shell "$is_vim" "send-keys C-\\" "select-pane -l"
 
-bind-key -Tcopy-mode-vi 'C-h' send -X "cancel select-pane -L"
+# YANKING
 bind-key -Tcopy-mode-vi 'y' send -X copy-selection
 
 # list of plugins
@@ -117,25 +124,26 @@ set -g @continuum-restore 'on'
 # let continuum startup on boot
 set -g @continuum-boot 'on'
 
+# bindings for tmux-resurrect
 set -g @resurrect-save 'C-v'
-# unbind C-s
 set -g @resurrect-restore 'R'
 
 # initialize tmux plugin manager
 run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'
 
-bind -T root F12  \
-  set prefix None \;\
-  set key-table off \;\
+# attempt at integrating nested tmux sessions nicely
+bind -T root F12 \
+	set prefix None \;\
+	set key-table off \;\
 	set status off \
-  if -F '#{pane_in_mode}' 'send-keys -X cancel' \;\
-  refresh-client -S \;\
+	if -F '#{pane_in_mode}' 'send-keys -X cancel' \;\
+	refresh-client -S \;\
 
 bind -T off F12 \
-  set -u prefix \;\
-  set -u key-table \;\
+	set -u prefix \;\
+	set -u key-table \;\
 	set status on \;\
-  refresh-client -S
+	refresh-client -S
 
 unbind-key C-p