diff --git a/examples/quickstart/default.nix b/examples/quickstart/default.nix
index c5bda29..67d7a02 100644
--- a/examples/quickstart/default.nix
+++ b/examples/quickstart/default.nix
@@ -8,11 +8,25 @@
   # maybe don't do this but its possible to reference _any file_.
   defaultLayout = ./layouts/default.html;
 
-  # these are mostly for alias purposes...
-  # can do an [invoke(plural)(...):yay!] type thing
-  # one can invoke stuff inline too without doing this.
-  markdollPlugins = [
+  markdollPlugins = let 
+    sPoNgEbOb = pkgs.buildGoModule {
+      name = "sPoNgEbOb";
+      vendorHash = null;
+      src = pkgs.fetchFromGitHub {
+        repo = "sPoNgEbOb";
+        owner = "yzguy";
+        rev = "9e4bf8e86d5fd7870000832ff571acf13b6941eb";
+        hash = "sha256-MWVtW9gzYmx3sOSvPh9NI4h6MotuO1ZQyzC09jpsHJI=";
+      };
+
+      preBuild = ''
+        go mod init github.com/yzguy/sPoNgEbOb
+      '';
+    } + "/bin/sPoNgEbOb";
+  in [
+    # all of these add invoke handlers like [invoke(plural)(argv1):stdin]
     (mkMarkdollPlugin "plural" ./plugins/plural.sh)
     ((mkMarkdollPlugin "tools" ./plugins/tools.py).override { buildInputs = [ pkgs.python3 ]; })
+    (mkMarkdollPlugin "sPoNgEbOb" sPoNgEbOb)
   ];
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/layouts/alt.html b/examples/quickstart/layouts/alt.html
index 28aa3db..bb7ca2d 100644
--- a/examples/quickstart/layouts/alt.html
+++ b/examples/quickstart/layouts/alt.html
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html public "alt layout">
 <html>
   <head>
+    <meta charset="utf-8" />
     <title>%%TITLE%% | alt layout</title>
     %%HEAD%%
     <style>
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/layouts/default.html b/examples/quickstart/layouts/default.html
index da57641..6befda4 100644
--- a/examples/quickstart/layouts/default.html
+++ b/examples/quickstart/layouts/default.html
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html public "default layout">
 <html>
   <head>
+    <meta charset="utf-8" />
     <title>%%TITLE%% | default layout</title>
     %%HEAD%%
   </head>
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/pluginTests.doll b/examples/quickstart/pluginTests.doll
index d5c9aa3..1875828 100644
--- a/examples/quickstart/pluginTests.doll
+++ b/examples/quickstart/pluginTests.doll
@@ -3,10 +3,24 @@ title: plugin tests
 ---
 
 &plural plugin
-	[invoke(plural)(aki):hi this one is aki]
+	& referenced via $PATH
+		noe1: [invoke(plural)(aki):hi this one is aki]
+
+		aki1: [invoke(plural)(noe):hi this one is noe]
 	
-	[invoke(plural)(noe):hi this one is noe]
+	& referenced via ./plugins/plural.sh
+		aki2: [invoke(./plugins/plural.sh)(aki):hi this one is aki]
 
-	hellorld [invoke(tools)(flip):hellorld]
+		noe2: [invoke(./plugins/plural.sh)(noe):hi this one is noe]
 
-	dolldolldoll|llodllodllod [invoke(tools)(flip):dolldolldoll|llodllodllod]
\ No newline at end of file
+&python plugin (flip)
+	hellorld 
+	[invoke(tools)(flip):hellorld]
+
+	dolldolldoll|llodllodllod 
+	[invoke(tools)(flip):dolldolldoll|llodllodllod]
+
+&go plugin
+	fights 41666's witch
+	
+	[invoke(sPoNgEbOb):fights 41666's witch]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/plugins/plural.sh b/examples/quickstart/plugins/plural.sh
index f77f8ae..9c79b64 100755
--- a/examples/quickstart/plugins/plural.sh
+++ b/examples/quickstart/plugins/plural.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 alterName=$1
-message=$(<"/dev/stdin")
+message=$(cat /dev/stdin)
 
 cat << EOF 
 <div class="alter alter-${alterName}">
diff --git a/pkgs/brewTea.nix b/pkgs/brewTea.nix
index 37a3e6c..71fa829 100644
--- a/pkgs/brewTea.nix
+++ b/pkgs/brewTea.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
   layoutSrc,
   # otherwise set by frontmatter
   defaultLayout ? "default.html",
+
+  allowFailedRenders ? true,
 }: let 
   markdoll = "${markdollParser}/bin/markdoll";
 in pkgs.stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
@@ -72,15 +74,15 @@ in pkgs.stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
       ### Frontmatter: Meta Head Stuff
       local head=""
       local meta_description=$(get_frontmatter description $file)
-      if [ ! -z meta_description ]; then
+      if [ ! -z "$meta_description" ]; then
         head="$head<meta name='description' content='$meta_description'>"
       fi
       local meta_tags=$(get_frontmatter tags $file)
-      if [ ! -z meta_tags ]; then
+      if [ ! -z "$meta_tags" ]; then
         head="$head<meta name='keywords' content='$meta_tags'>"
       fi
       local meta_author=$(get_frontmatter author $file)
-      if [ ! -z meta_author ]; then
+      if [ ! -z "$meta_author" ]; then
         head="$head<meta name='author' content='$meta_author'>"
       fi
 
@@ -105,8 +107,16 @@ in pkgs.stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
       echo "reading $file; plopping $outFile"
 
       ### Markdoll: Convert
-      local content=$(cat $file | ${markdoll} convert | tee $outFile.tmp.render)
+      local content=$(cat $file | ${markdoll} convert 2>$outFile.tmp.convert-log | tee $outFile.tmp.render)
 
+      if [ -z "$content" ]; then
+        echo "<pre style='padding: 1em; border: 1px solid red; width: fit-content;'>" >> $outFile.tmp.render
+        echo "<b style='color: red;'>[teapot]: render failed, check build logs.</b>" >> $outFile.tmp.render
+        echo "== build log ==" >> $outFile.tmp.render
+        cat $outFile.tmp.convert-log >> $outFile.tmp.render
+        echo "</pre>" >> $outFile.tmp.render
+      fi
+        
       render_final $file $outFile $outFile.tmp.render
     done
   '';
