diff --git a/controllers/story.js b/controllers/story.js
index a48b011289..7f38d7cb1a 100644
--- a/controllers/story.js
+++ b/controllers/story.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function hotRank(timeValue, rank) {
      */
     var hotness;
     var z = Math.log(rank) / Math.log(10);
-    hotness = z + (timeValue / 45000000);
+    hotness = z + (timeValue / 172800000);
     return hotness;
 
 }
diff --git a/controllers/user.js b/controllers/user.js
index cfcd8c5430..4b41af4c45 100644
--- a/controllers/user.js
+++ b/controllers/user.js
@@ -94,12 +94,15 @@ exports.getEmailSignup = function(req, res) {
  */
 
 exports.postEmailSignup = function(req, res, next) {
-  var errors = req.validationErrors();
 
-  if (errors) {
-    req.flash('errors', errors);
-    return res.redirect('/email-signup');
-  }
+
+    req.assert('email', 'valid email required').isEmail();
+    var errors = req.validationErrors();
+    
+    if (errors) {
+        req.flash('errors', errors);
+        return res.redirect('/email-signup');
+    }
 
   var possibleUserData = req.body;