diff --git a/assets/less/mio/classes/index.less b/assets/less/mio/classes/index.less
index 91f63b2a..9042b88a 100644
--- a/assets/less/mio/classes/index.less
+++ b/assets/less/mio/classes/index.less
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     &__sidebar {
         width: 300px;
         margin-left: 2px;
+        flex: 0 0 auto;
     }
 
     &__main {
diff --git a/src/Parsers/BBCode/BBCodeParser.php b/src/Parsers/BBCode/BBCodeParser.php
index bc242146..09289fb6 100644
--- a/src/Parsers/BBCode/BBCodeParser.php
+++ b/src/Parsers/BBCode/BBCodeParser.php
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 <?php
 namespace Misuzu\Parsers\BBCode;
 
-use Misuzu\Parsers\Parser;
+use Misuzu\Parsers\ParserInterface;
 
-final class BBCodeParser extends Parser
+/**
+ * @SuppressWarnings(PHPMD.CouplingBetweenObjects)
+ */
+class BBCodeParser implements ParserInterface
 {
+    private static $instance;
+
+    public static function instance(): BBCodeParser
+    {
+        return is_null(static::$instance) ? (static::$instance = new BBCodeParser()) : static::$instance;
+    }
+
     private $tags = [];
 
     public function __construct(array $tags = [])
     {
-        parent::__construct();
-
         if (empty($tags)) {
             $tags = [
                 // Advanced markup
@@ -48,4 +56,9 @@ final class BBCodeParser extends Parser
 
         return $text;
     }
+
+    public function parseLine(string $line): string
+    {
+        return $this->parseText($line);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Parsers/MarkdownParser.php b/src/Parsers/MarkdownParser.php
index 5ad92b6a..3418f430 100644
--- a/src/Parsers/MarkdownParser.php
+++ b/src/Parsers/MarkdownParser.php
@@ -3,18 +3,15 @@ namespace Misuzu\Parsers;
 
 use Parsedown;
 
-final class MarkdownParser extends Parser
+class MarkdownParser extends Parsedown implements ParserInterface
 {
-    private $parsedown;
-
-    public function __construct()
-    {
-        parent::__construct();
-        $this->parsedown = new Parsedown;
-    }
-
     public function parseText(string $text): string
     {
-        return $this->parsedown->text($text);
+        return $this->text($text);
+    }
+
+    public function parseLine(string $line): string
+    {
+        return $this->line($line);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Parsers/Parser.php b/src/Parsers/Parser.php
deleted file mode 100644
index e9c19750..00000000
--- a/src/Parsers/Parser.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-namespace Misuzu\Parsers;
-
-abstract class Parser
-{
-    private static $instances = [];
-
-    public function __construct()
-    {
-        self::$instances[static::class] = $this;
-    }
-
-    public static function getInstance(): ?Parser
-    {
-        if (!array_key_exists(static::class, self::$instances)) {
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        return self::$instances[static::class];
-    }
-
-    public static function getOrCreateInstance(...$args): Parser
-    {
-        $instance = static::getInstance();
-
-        if ($instance === null) {
-            $instance = new static(...$args);
-        }
-
-        return $instance;
-    }
-
-    abstract public function parseText(string $text): string;
-}
diff --git a/src/Parsers/ParserInterface.php b/src/Parsers/ParserInterface.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..81d9df7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Parsers/ParserInterface.php
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?php
+namespace Misuzu\Parsers;
+
+interface ParserInterface
+{
+    public function parseText(string $text): string;
+    public function parseLine(string $line): string;
+}
diff --git a/src/zalgo.php b/src/zalgo.php
index 914447c2..d013291b 100644
--- a/src/zalgo.php
+++ b/src/zalgo.php
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ function zalgo_run(
         return $text;
     }
 
-    $going_up   = has_flag($direction, MSZ_ZALGO_DIR_UP);
-    $going_mid  = has_flag($direction, MSZ_ZALGO_DIR_MID);
-    $going_down = has_flag($direction, MSZ_ZALGO_DIR_DOWN);
+    $going_up   = ($direction & MSZ_ZALGO_DIR_UP) > 0;
+    $going_mid  = ($direction & MSZ_ZALGO_DIR_MID) > 0;
+    $going_down = ($direction & MSZ_ZALGO_DIR_DOWN) > 0;
 
     $str = '';
 
diff --git a/utility.php b/utility.php
index 3fa4cad1..5ece9be5 100644
--- a/utility.php
+++ b/utility.php
@@ -1,28 +1,12 @@
 <?php
-// both of these are provided by illuminate/database already
-// but i feel like it makes sense to add these definitions regardless
-
-if (!function_exists('starts_with')) {
-    function starts_with(string $string, string $text): bool
-    {
-        return substr($string, 0, strlen($text)) === $text;
-    }
-}
-
-if (!function_exists('ends_with')) {
-    function ends_with(string $string, string $text): bool
-    {
-        return substr($string, 0 - strlen($text)) === $text;
-    }
-}
-
-function json_encode_m($obj): string
+function starts_with(string $string, string $text): bool
 {
-    if (!headers_sent()) {
-        header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8');
-    }
+    return substr($string, 0, strlen($text)) === $text;
+}
 
-    return json_encode($obj);
+function ends_with(string $string, string $text): bool
+{
+    return substr($string, 0 - strlen($text)) === $text;
 }
 
 function set_cookie_m(string $name, string $value, int $expires): void
@@ -54,20 +38,6 @@ function dechex_pad(int $value, int $padding = 2): string
     return str_pad(dechex($value), $padding, '0', STR_PAD_LEFT);
 }
 
-function array_rand_value(array $array, $fallback = null)
-{
-    if (!$array) {
-        return $fallback;
-    }
-
-    return $array[array_rand($array)];
-}
-
-function has_flag(int $flags, int $flag): bool
-{
-    return ($flags & $flag) > 0;
-}
-
 function byte_symbol($bytes, $decimal = false)
 {
     if ($bytes < 1) {
@@ -84,27 +54,29 @@ function byte_symbol($bytes, $decimal = false)
     return sprintf("%.2f %s%sB", $bytes, $symbol, $symbol !== '' && !$decimal ? 'i' : '');
 }
 
-// this should be rewritten to only load the database once per Application instance.
-// for now this will do since the only time this function is called is once during registration.
-// also make sure an instance of Application with config exists before calling this!
 function get_country_code(string $ipAddr, string $fallback = 'XX'): string
 {
+    global $_msz_geoip;
+
     try {
-        $app = \Misuzu\Application::getInstance();
-        $config = $app->getConfig();
+        if (!$_msz_geoip) {
+            $app = \Misuzu\Application::getInstance();
+            $config = $app->getConfig();
 
-        if ($config === null) {
-            return $fallback;
+            if ($config === null) {
+                return $fallback;
+            }
+
+            $database_path = $config->get('GeoIP', 'database_path');
+
+            if ($database_path === null) {
+                return $fallback;
+            }
+
+            $_msz_geoip = new \GeoIp2\Database\Reader($database_path);
         }
 
-        $database_path = $config->get('GeoIP', 'database_path');
-
-        if ($database_path === null) {
-            return $fallback;
-        }
-
-        $geoip = new \GeoIp2\Database\Reader($database_path);
-        $record = $geoip->country($ipAddr);
+        $record = $_msz_geoip->country($ipAddr);
 
         return $record->country->isoCode;
     } catch (\Exception $e) {
@@ -223,12 +195,12 @@ function pdo_prepare_array(array $keys, bool $useKeys = false, string $format =
 
 function parse_markdown(string $text): string
 {
-    return \Misuzu\Parsers\MarkdownParser::getOrCreateInstance()->parseText($text);
+    return \Misuzu\Parsers\MarkdownParser::instance()->parseText($text);
 }
 
 function parse_bbcode(string $text): string
 {
-    return \Misuzu\Parsers\BBCode\BBCodeParser::getOrCreateInstance()->parseText($text);
+    return \Misuzu\Parsers\BBCode\BBCodeParser::instance()->parseText($text);
 }
 
 function render_error(int $code, string $template = 'errors.%d'): string
diff --git a/views/mio/news/macros.twig b/views/mio/news/macros.twig
index 55cad5f6..14171439 100644
--- a/views/mio/news/macros.twig
+++ b/views/mio/news/macros.twig
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 
         <div class="container__content news__preview__content">
             <div class="news__preview__text">
-                {{ post.post_text|first_paragraph|raw }}
-                <p><b><i><a href="/news.php?p={{ post.post_id }}">View full post</a></i></b></p>
+                {{ post.post_text|first_paragraph|md|raw }}
             </div>
 
             <div class="news__preview__info">
@@ -15,12 +14,14 @@
                     {{ post.created_at|time_diff }}
                 </time>
 
-                <a class="news__preview__user" href="/profile.php?u={{ post.user_id }}">
-                    <div class="news__preview__user__name" style="{{ post.user_colour|html_colour }}">
-                        {{ post.username }}
-                    </div>
-                    <div class="avatar news__preview__user__avatar" style="background-image:url('/profile.php?u={{ post.user_id }}&amp;m=avatar')"></div>
-                </a>
+                {% if post.user_id is not null %}
+                    <a class="news__preview__user" href="/profile.php?u={{ post.user_id }}">
+                        <div class="news__preview__user__name" style="{{ post.user_colour|html_colour }}">
+                            {{ post.username }}
+                        </div>
+                        <div class="avatar news__preview__user__avatar" style="background-image:url('/profile.php?u={{ post.user_id }}&amp;m=avatar')"></div>
+                    </a>
+                {% endif %}
             </div>
         </div>
     </div>