diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2e8db7341..f6f764cc4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ custom/*
 !custom/example.zsh
 cache
 *.swp
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/lib/hg.zsh b/lib/hg.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13bde4e5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/hg.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# get the name of the branch we are on
+function hg_prompt_info() {
+  ref=$(hg branch 2> /dev/null) || return
+  echo "$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_PREFIX${ref}$(hg_prompt_status)$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_SUFFIX"
+}
+
+parse_hg_dirty () {
+  if [[ -n $(hg status 2> /dev/null) ]]; then
+    echo "$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_DIRTY"
+  else
+    echo "$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_CLEAN"
+  fi
+}
+
+# get the status of the working tree
+hg_prompt_status() {
+  INDEX=$(hg status 2> /dev/null)
+  STATUS=""
+  if $(echo "$INDEX" | grep '^? ' &> /dev/null); then
+    STATUS="$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_UNTRACKED$STATUS"
+  fi
+  if $(echo "$INDEX" | grep '^A ' &> /dev/null); then
+    STATUS="$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_ADDED$STATUS"
+  fi
+  if $(echo "$INDEX" | grep '^M ' &> /dev/null); then
+    STATUS="$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_MODIFIED$STATUS"
+  fi
+  if $(echo "$INDEX" | grep '^R ' &> /dev/null); then
+    STATUS="$ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_DELETED$STATUS"
+  fi
+  echo $STATUS
+}
diff --git a/lib/misc.zsh b/lib/misc.zsh
index 88732e664..c7cfd93f7 100644
--- a/lib/misc.zsh
+++ b/lib/misc.zsh
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ bindkey "^[m" copy-prev-shell-word
 setopt long_list_jobs
 
 ## pager
-export PAGER=less
-export LC_CTYPE=$LANG
+export PAGER='less -MR'
+export LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8
diff --git a/lib/theme-and-appearance.zsh b/lib/theme-and-appearance.zsh
index aec67721a..90d316d27 100644
--- a/lib/theme-and-appearance.zsh
+++ b/lib/theme-and-appearance.zsh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export LSCOLORS="Gxfxcxdxbxegedabagacad"
 if [ "$DISABLE_LS_COLORS" != "true" ]
 then
   # Find the option for using colors in ls, depending on the version: Linux or BSD
-  ls --color -d . &>/dev/null 2>&1 && alias ls='ls --color=tty' || alias ls='ls -G'
+  ls --color -d . &>/dev/null 2>&1 && alias ls='ls --color=auto -A' || alias ls='ls -G -A'
 fi
 
 #setopt no_beep
diff --git a/themes/alex.zsh-theme b/themes/alex.zsh-theme
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ec9a2231
--- /dev/null
+++ b/themes/alex.zsh-theme
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+if [ $UID -eq 0 ]; then NCOLOUR="red"; else NCOLOUR="yellow"; fi
+
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_PREFIX="%{$fg[white]%}±"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_SUFFIX="%{$reset_color%}"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DIRTY="%{$fg[red]%}!"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN=""
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_MODIFIED="%{$fg[red]%}!"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_ADDED="%{$fg[red]%}+"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_RENAMED="%{$fg[red]%}%"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DELETED="%{$fg[red]%}x"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_UNTRACKED="%{$fg[red]%}?"
+ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_UNMERGED="%{$fg[red]%}*"
+
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_PREFIX="%{$fg[white]%}☿"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_SUFFIX="%{$reset_color%}"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_MODIFIED="%{$fg[red]%}!"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_ADDED="%{$fg[red]%}+"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_UNTRACKED="%{$fg[red]%}?"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_DELETED="%{$fg[red]%}x"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_DIRTY="%{$fg[red]%}!"
+ZSH_THEME_HG_PROMPT_CLEAN=''
+
+EXIT_CODE_DISPLAY="%(?.%{$fg[green]%}.%{$fg[red]%}%? )"
+ZSH_THEME_EXIT_CODE=$EXIT_CODE_DISPLAY
+PROMPT_COLOUR="$fg[$NCOLOUR]"
+
+PROMPT='%{${PROMPT_COLOUR}%}%D{%k:%M} %c ➤ %{$reset_color%}'
+RPROMPT='%{$fg[grey]%}${ZSH_THEME_EXIT_CODE}$(git_prompt_info)$(hg_prompt_info)%{$reset_color%}'
+
+# See http://geoff.greer.fm/lscolors/
+#               ddllssppxxbbccuuggwwoo
+export LSCOLORS=exgxfxfxcxegedabagaead
+export LS_COLORS='di=34:ln=35:so=32:pi=33:ex=31:bd=34;46:cd=34;43:su=0;41:sg=0;46:tw=0;42:ow=0;43:'
+
+unfunction precmd
+unfunction preexec
+
+function precmd {
+	settitle "%n@%m: %5(~:%-1~/.../%3~:%~)"
+	}
+
+function preexec {
+	settitle "%n@%m: %5(~:%-1~/.../%3~:%~) - $1"
+	}
+
+function accept-line-and-enable-warning {
+	if [ -z "$BUFFER" ]; then
+		ZSH_THEME_EXIT_CODE=
+		PROMPT_COLOUR=%{$fg[$NCOLOUR]%}
+	else
+		ZSH_THEME_EXIT_CODE=$EXIT_CODE_DISPLAY
+		PROMPT_COLOUR="%(?.%{$fg[$NCOLOUR]%}.%{$fg[red]%})"
+	fi
+	zle accept-line
+	}
+
+zle -N accept-line-and-enable-warning
+# The accept-line-and-enable-warning feature breaks
+# when defining functions on the command line.
+# bindkey '^M' accept-line-and-enable-warning