diff --git a/.vimrc b/.vimrc
index bed096e..4efd2a3 100644
--- a/.vimrc
+++ b/.vimrc
@@ -3,16 +3,109 @@ set nocompatible   " We're running Vim, not Vi!
 " Initialize pathogen
 call pathogen#infect()
 
-set laststatus=2   " Always show the statusline
-set encoding=utf-8 " Necessary to show unicode glyphs
+let mapleader = "\\"
 
 set shell=/bin/bash\ -l
 
-" 2 spaces soft tabstops
-set ts=2 sts=2 sw=2 expandtab
-
-syntax enable
-colorscheme Tomorrow-Night-Bright
-
 " Make backspace key work like most other apps
 set backspace=indent,eol,start
+
+" Use the system clipboard by default
+set clipboard=unnamed
+
+function! Preserve(command)
+  " Preparation: save last search, and cursor position.
+  let _s=@/
+  let l = line(".")
+  let c = col(".")
+  " Do the business:
+  execute a:command
+  " Clean up: restore previous search history, and cursor position
+  let @/=_s
+  call cursor(l, c)
+ endfunction
+
+" Highlighting ****************************************************************
+syntax enable
+set background=dark
+let base16colorspace=256
+colorscheme base16-tomorrow
+
+" Editor window ***************************************************************
+set laststatus=2   " Always show the statusline
+set encoding=utf-8 " Necessary to show unicode glyphs
+
+" Status Line *****************************************************************
+set ruler
+set showcmd
+
+set textwidth=80
+set number
+
+" from http://stackoverflow.com/a/3765575/421705
+if exists('+colorcolumn')
+  set colorcolumn=80
+else
+  au BufWinEnter * let w:m2=matchadd('ErrorMsg', '\%>80v.\+', -1)
+endif
+
+" Line Wrapping ***************************************************************
+set nowrap
+set linebreak
+set nolist " list disables linebreak
+
+" turn off physical line wrapping (ie: automatic insertion of newlines)
+set textwidth=0 wrapmargin=0
+
+" Searching *******************************************************************
+set hlsearch   " highlight search
+set incsearch  " incremental search, search as you type
+set ignorecase " ignore case when searching
+set smartcase  " ignore case when searching lowercase
+nmap <leader>h :noh<CR>
+
+" Spaces***********************************************************************
+set tabstop=2
+set softtabstop=2
+set shiftwidth=2
+set expandtab
+
+" Indenting *******************************************************************
+set autoindent " Automatically set the indent of a new line (local to buffer)
+set smartindent " smartindent (local to buffer)
+
+" Invisible characters ********************************************************
+set listchars=tab:▸\ ,trail:·
+set list!
+
+" File stuff / File types / Autocomands ***************************************
+filetype plugin on
+filetype plugin indent on " Enable filetype-specific indenting and plugins
+if has("autocmd")
+  aug vimrc
+    au!
+    " To show current filetype use: set filetype
+    au BufNewFile,BufRead config.ru,Gemfile,Vagrantfile,Cheffile,Berksfile,*.rsb,*.rabl set filetype=ruby
+    au BufNewFile,BufRead *.json set ft=javascript
+
+    " strip trailing white space on all lines
+    autocmd vimrc BufWritePre * :call Preserve("%s/\\s\\+$//e")
+    " au FileType html :set filetype=xhtml
+  aug END
+endif
+
+" Tabs ************************************************************************
+
+nmap <leader>t <Esc>:tabnew<CR>
+
+" Plugins *********************************************************************
+
+" NERDtree
+nnoremap <leader>n :NERDTreeToggle<CR> :NERDTreeMirror<CR>
+let NERDTreeMapActivateNode='<CR>'
+
+" NERDCommenter
+let NERDMenuMode=0              " disable menu
+let NERDSpaceDelims=1           " place spaces after comment chars
+let NERDDefaultNesting=0        " don't recomment commented lines
+