diff --git a/trunk/yolanda/controllers/account.py b/trunk/yolanda/controllers/account.py
index 11981ef..94d1d60 100644
--- a/trunk/yolanda/controllers/account.py
+++ b/trunk/yolanda/controllers/account.py
@@ -15,11 +15,15 @@ class AccountController(BaseController):
         self.consumer = Consumer(self.openid_session, None)
         openid = request.params.get('username', None)
         if openid is None:
-            return "invalid openid"
+            # invalid openid
+            c.error = "invalid openid"
+            return render('/xhtml/index.mako')
         try:
             authrequest = self.consumer.begin(openid)
         except DiscoveryFailure, e:
-            return "invalid openid"
+            # invalid openid
+            c.error = "invalid openid"
+            return render('/xhtml/index.mako')
             
         redirecturl = authrequest.redirectURL(
             h.url_for('',qualified=True),
diff --git a/trunk/yolanda/public/css/colors/tango.css b/trunk/yolanda/public/css/colors/tango.css
index 96d74d2..19e2c28 100644
--- a/trunk/yolanda/public/css/colors/tango.css
+++ b/trunk/yolanda/public/css/colors/tango.css
@@ -194,9 +194,34 @@ ul#queries
 
         ul#queries li a
         {
-            color:                  #FFD95A;
+            color:              #FFD95A;
         }
 
+/* classes */
+
+.messagebox
+{
+    
+}
+
+    .messagebox.error
+    {
+        /* "Scarlet Red 1" + 30 luminosity */
+        background-color:   #f46060;
+    }
+
+    .messagebox.information
+    {
+        /* "Chameleon 1" + 30 luminosity */
+        background-color:   #a9ec68;
+    }
+
+    .messagebox.warning
+    {
+        /* "Orange 1" */
+        background-color:   #fcaf3e;
+    }
+
 /* ids */
 
 #copyright
diff --git a/trunk/yolanda/public/css/structure/fake6.css b/trunk/yolanda/public/css/structure/fake6.css
index 5269216..f1dd7f4 100644
--- a/trunk/yolanda/public/css/structure/fake6.css
+++ b/trunk/yolanda/public/css/structure/fake6.css
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ ul
 
 /* classes */
 
+.messagebox
+{
+    margin-right:             28em;
+}
+
 /* ids */
 
 /* sidebar stuff */
diff --git a/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/base.mako b/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/base.mako
index a1ae017..cadcd91 100644
--- a/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/base.mako
+++ b/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/base.mako
@@ -52,6 +52,29 @@
     </div>
 </%def>
 
+<%def name="messagebox()">
+
+%if c.error:
+    <div class="messagebox error">
+        ${c.error}
+    </div>
+%endif
+
+%if c.information:
+    <div class="messagebox information">
+        ${c.information}
+    </div>
+%endif
+
+%if c.warning:
+    <div class="messagebox warning">
+        ${c.warning}
+    </div>
+%endif
+
+</%def>
+
+
 <%def name="tagcloud()">
     <div id="tagcloud">
 
@@ -122,6 +145,8 @@
 
     ${self.tagcloud()}
 
+    ${self.messagebox()}
+
     ${self.body()}
 
     <div id="copyright">
diff --git a/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/index.mako b/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/index.mako
index 7741cbf..de8c477 100644
--- a/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/index.mako
+++ b/trunk/yolanda/templates/xhtml/index.mako
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 <%def name="heading()">
     Welcome to Yolanda, a place for people who hate Adobe Flash.
+    ${request.headers.get('REFERER')}
 </%def>
 
 <h1>An introduction to Yolanda</h1>