diff --git a/Gopkg.lock b/Gopkg.lock
index 57f7aaa79..46cb95893 100644
--- a/Gopkg.lock
+++ b/Gopkg.lock
@@ -145,10 +145,7 @@
 
 [[projects]]
   name = "github.com/magiconair/properties"
-  packages = [
-    ".",
-    "assert"
-  ]
+  packages = ["."]
   revision = "c3beff4c2358b44d0493c7dda585e7db7ff28ae6"
   version = "v1.7.6"
 
diff --git a/types/rational.go b/types/rational.go
index b3a914659..8ebee7140 100644
--- a/types/rational.go
+++ b/types/rational.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package types
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ func NewRat(num int64, denom ...int64) Rat {
 	}
 }
 
-//NewFromDecimal - create a rational from decimal string or integer string
+// create a rational from decimal string or integer string
 func NewRatFromDecimal(decimalStr string) (f Rat, err Error) {
 
 	// first extract any negative symbol
@@ -148,14 +149,16 @@ func (r Rat) Sub(r2 Rat) Rat    { return ToRat(new(big.Rat).Sub(r.GetRat(), r2.G
 //func (r Rat) Sub(r2 Rat) Rat    { return Rat{new(big.Rat).Sub(r.Rat, r2.GetRat())} } // Sub - subtraction
 //func (r Rat) String() string    { return fmt.Sprintf("%v/%v", r.Num(), r.Denom()) }  // Sub - subtraction
 
-var zero = big.NewInt(0)
-var one = big.NewInt(1)
-var two = big.NewInt(2)
-var five = big.NewInt(5)
-var nFive = big.NewInt(-5)
-var ten = big.NewInt(10)
+var (
+	zero  = big.NewInt(0)
+	one   = big.NewInt(1)
+	two   = big.NewInt(2)
+	five  = big.NewInt(5)
+	nFive = big.NewInt(-5)
+	ten   = big.NewInt(10)
+)
 
-// EvaluateBig - evaluate the rational using bankers rounding
+// evaluate the rational using bankers rounding
 func (r Rat) EvaluateBig() *big.Int {
 
 	num := r.GetRat().Num()
@@ -185,17 +188,25 @@ func (r Rat) EvaluateBig() *big.Int {
 	return d
 }
 
-// Evaluate - evaluate the rational using bankers rounding
+// evaluate the rational using bankers rounding
 func (r Rat) Evaluate() int64 {
 	return r.EvaluateBig().Int64()
 }
 
-// Round - round Rat with the provided precisionFactor
+// round Rat with the provided precisionFactor
 func (r Rat) Round(precisionFactor int64) Rat {
 	rTen := ToRat(new(big.Rat).Mul(r.GetRat(), big.NewRat(precisionFactor, 1)))
 	return ToRat(big.NewRat(rTen.Evaluate(), precisionFactor))
 }
 
+// TODO panic if negative or if totalDigits < len(initStr)???
+// evaluate as an integer and return left padded string
+func (r Rat) ToLeftPadded(totalDigits int8) string {
+	intStr := r.EvaluateBig().String()
+	fcode := `%0` + strconv.Itoa(int(totalDigits)) + `s`
+	return fmt.Sprintf(fcode, intStr)
+}
+
 //___________________________________________________________________________________
 
 // Hack to just use json.Marshal for everything until
diff --git a/types/rational_test.go b/types/rational_test.go
index 8c85cda06..c83af3917 100644
--- a/types/rational_test.go
+++ b/types/rational_test.go
@@ -192,6 +192,20 @@ func TestRound(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestToLeftPaddedString(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		rat    Rat
+		digits int8
+		res    string
+	}{
+		{NewRat(100, 3), 8, "00000033"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.res, tc.rat.ToLeftPadded(tc.digits))
+	}
+}
+
 //func TestZeroSerializationJSON(t *testing.T) {
 //r := NewRat(0, 1)
 //err := r.UnmarshalJSON([]byte(`"0/1"`))
diff --git a/x/stake/tick.go b/x/stake/tick.go
index 47be614e0..6aa2da95d 100644
--- a/x/stake/tick.go
+++ b/x/stake/tick.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (k Keeper) Tick(ctx sdk.Context) (change []*abci.Validator, err error) {
 func (k Keeper) processProvisions(ctx sdk.Context) {
 
 	pool := k.GetPool(ctx)
-	pool.Inflation = k.nextInflation(ctx).Round(precision) //TODO make this number a const somewhere?
+	pool.Inflation = k.nextInflation(ctx).Round(precision)
 
 	// Because the validators hold a relative bonded share (`GlobalStakeShare`), when
 	// more bonded tokens are added proportionally to all validators the only term
diff --git a/x/stake/types.go b/x/stake/types.go
index ba89c5288..2799e1d76 100644
--- a/x/stake/types.go
+++ b/x/stake/types.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ type Params struct {
 	BondDenom     string `json:"bond_denom"`     // bondable coin denomination
 }
 
+// XXX do we want to allow for default params even or do we want to enforce that you
+// need to be explicit about defining all params in genesis?
 func defaultParams() Params {
 	return Params{
 		InflationRateChange: sdk.NewRat(13, 100),