diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 7299849..797d7c3 100755
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -55,10 +55,12 @@ ENV MONGO_LOG $HOME/.mongodb.log
 RUN mkdir $MONGO_DB
 
 # launch mongo
-# this could be done as an entrypoint or whatever
-# RUN mongod --dbpath $MONGO_DB --logpath $MONGO_LOG --fork --journal
+# this just preps the database - it still needs to be launched inside the docker container
+RUN mongod --dbpath $MONGO_DB --logpath $MONGO_LOG --fork --journal
 
-# create a script for launching mongo
+# create a script for launching mongo from the docker container
+# this could go in .bashrc or something
+# perhaps mongo should use the /data volume for its database?
 RUN mkdir $HOME/bin 
 RUN echo 'mongod --dbpath $MONGO_DB --logpath $MONGO_LOG --fork --journal' > $HOME/bin/mongod-start
 RUN chmod +x $HOME/bin/mongod-start
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 33756aa..b56c179 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,13 +4,10 @@ A docker container for developing mean stack applications
 Useage
 ######
 
-Build the container with 
-  sudo docker build -t 'tag name' .
+Build the container with `sudo docker build -t 'tag name' .`
 
-and run with 
-  sudo ./docker-run
+and run with `sudo ./docker-run`
 
-The run script will attempt to mount a data volume from the host os from ~/docker/data.
+The run script will attempt to mount a data volume from the host os from `~/docker/data`.
 
-Finally, from the docker container, launch mongod with
-  mongod-start
\ No newline at end of file
+Finally, from the docker container, launch mongod with `mongod-start`
\ No newline at end of file