diff --git a/public/javascripts/app/views/comment_view.js b/public/javascripts/app/views/comment_view.js
index 29447ec2b..2ea5700ee 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/app/views/comment_view.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/app/views/comment_view.js
@@ -4,16 +4,5 @@ App.Views.Comment = App.Views.StreamObject.extend({
 
   events : {
     "click .comment_delete": "destroyModel"
-  },
-
-  render: function() {
-    this.el = $(this.template($.extend(
-      this.model.toJSON(),
-      App.user()
-    )));
-
-    this.delegateEvents(); //we need this because we are explicitly setting this.el in this.render()
-
-    return this;
   }
 });
diff --git a/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js b/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js
index dd58bce84..4a41071f8 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/app/views/post_view.js
@@ -13,17 +13,12 @@ App.Views.Post = App.Views.StreamObject.extend({
   },
 
   render: function() {
-    this.el = $(this.template($.extend(
-      this.model.toJSON(),
-      App.user()
-    )))[0];
-
-    this.initializeTooltips()
+    this.renderTemplate()
+        .initializeTooltips()
         .renderPostContent()
         .renderComments();
 
     this.$(".details time").timeago();
-    this.delegateEvents(); //we need this because we are explicitly setting this.el in this.render()
 
     return this;
   },
@@ -75,7 +70,7 @@ App.Views.Post = App.Views.StreamObject.extend({
       this.model.likes.get(link.data("id")).destroy();
     }
 
-    return this;
+    return this
   },
 
   expandLikes: function(evt){
diff --git a/public/javascripts/app/views/stream_object_view.js b/public/javascripts/app/views/stream_object_view.js
index 5ffad02c8..270f895db 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/app/views/stream_object_view.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/app/views/stream_object_view.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 App.Views.StreamObject = Backbone.View.extend({
   initialize: function(options) {
     this.model = options.model;
-    this.template = _.template($(this.template_name).html());
-
     this.model.bind('remove', this.remove, this);
   },
 
@@ -13,5 +11,20 @@ App.Views.StreamObject = Backbone.View.extend({
 
   remove: function() {
     $(this.el).remove();
+  },
+
+  context : function(){
+    var modelJson = this.model ? this.model.toJSON() : {}
+    return $.extend(modelJson, App.user());
+  },
+
+  renderTemplate : function(){
+    this.template = _.template($(this.template_name).html());
+    $(this.el).html(this.template(this.context()));
+    return this;
+  },
+
+  render : function() {
+    return this.renderTemplate()
   }
 });
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/post_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/post_view_spec.js
index c56cbf212..bdfae07c4 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/post_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/post_view_spec.js
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ describe("App.views.Post", function(){
 
     context("Reshare link", function(){
       it("is present if the post is public", function(){
+        var view = new App.Views.Post({model : this.statusMessage}).render();
         this.statusMessage.set({"public" : true});
 
-        var view = new App.Views.Post({model : this.statusMessage}).render();
         var statusElement = $(view.el)
 
         expect(statusElement.find(".reshare_action")).toNotBe(null);
@@ -53,22 +53,28 @@ describe("App.views.Post", function(){
     })
 
     context("Like link", function(){
-      it("displays 'Unlike' if the current user has already liked the post", function(){
-        this.statusMessage.set({user_like : null});
-
-        var view = new App.Views.Post({model : this.statusMessage}).render();
-        var statusElement = $(view.el)
-
-        expect(statusElement.find(".like_action a").text()).toContain('Like');
+      beforeEach(function(){
+        this.view = new App.Views.Post({model : this.statusMessage})
       })
 
-      it("displays 'Like' if the current user has not already liked the post", function(){
+      it("clicking 'Like' toggles appropriately", function(){
+        this.statusMessage.set({user_like : null});
+        this.view.render()
+        var link = this.view.$(".like_action");
+
+        expect(link.text()).toContain('Like');
+        link.click();
+        expect(link.text()).toContain('Unlike');
+      })
+
+      it("clicking 'UnLike' toggles appropriately", function(){
         this.statusMessage.set({user_like : { id : 1 }});
+        this.view.render()
+        var link = this.view.$(".like_action");
 
-        var view = new App.Views.Post({model : this.statusMessage}).render();
-        var statusElement = $(view.el)
-
-        expect(statusElement.find(".like_action a").text()).toContain('Unlike');
+        expect(link.text()).toContain('Unlike');
+        link.click();
+        expect(link.text()).toContain('Like');
       })
     })
   })
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/stream_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/stream_view_spec.js
index b1fcda671..f25a7dd4b 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/stream_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/stream_view_spec.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe("App.views.Stream", function(){
 
     context("when rendering a Status Mesasage", function(){
       it("shows the status message in the content area", function(){
-        expect(this.statusElement.find(".post-content p").text()).toContain("hella infos yo!")
+        expect(this.statusElement.find(".post-content p").text()).toContain("jimmy's 2 whales")
       })
     })
   })