hair of temporary insanity..or is it me?

Well, without heat I doubt you'll be able to. You are going to need a good flat iron. There are several reviews on Folica.com, that show before and after pictures of girls with natural hair, that only use their flat iron when they want a change. Why don't you check them out. Check out the Solia reviews. The plates are ceramic and tourmaline. You'll be surprice what a difference it makes. And since you won't be flat ironing all the time, you don't have to worry about damaging your hair. Good luck and great hair!