diff --git a/bot.py b/bot.py
index 2f5f37c..2312930 100755
--- a/bot.py
+++ b/bot.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
+a = 34123
+
 import os
 import Queue
 import sys
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@ try:
 except Exception, e:
     print 'ERROR: malformed config file', Exception, e
     sys.exit()
-
+ 
 bot.persist_dir = os.path.abspath('persist')
 if not os.path.exists(bot.persist_dir):
     os.mkdir(bot.persist_dir)
@@ -57,4 +59,4 @@ while True:
         except Queue.Empty:
             pass
     while all(conn.out.empty() for conn in bot.conns.itervalues()):
-        time.sleep(.3)
+        time.sleep(.1)
diff --git a/core/main.py b/core/main.py
index 9082ed0..361fdb1 100644
--- a/core/main.py
+++ b/core/main.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import thread
 import traceback
 
 
-print thread.stack_size(1024 * 512)  # reduce vm size
+thread.stack_size(1024 * 512)  # reduce vm size
 
 
 class Input(dict):
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class Input(dict):
         dict.__init__(self, conn=conn, raw=raw, prefix=prefix, command=command,
                     params=params, nick=nick, user=user, host=host,
                     paraml=paraml, msg=msg, server=conn.server, chan=chan,
-                    say=say, reply=reply, pm=pm, bot=bot)
+                    say=say, reply=reply, pm=pm, bot=bot, lastparam=paraml[-1])
 
     def __getattr__(self, key):
         return self[key]
@@ -35,10 +35,15 @@ class Input(dict):
 
 
 def run(func, input):
-    args = func._skybot_args
+    args = func._args
+    if 'inp' not in input:
+        input.inp = input.params
+
     if args:
         if 'db' in args:
             input['db'] = get_db_connection(input['server'])
+        if 'input' in args:
+            input['input'] = input
         if 0 in args:
             out = func(input['inp'], **input)
         else:
@@ -50,21 +55,74 @@ def run(func, input):
         input['reply'](unicode(out))
 
 
-def main(conn, out):
-    for csig, func, args in bot.plugs['tee']:
-        input = Input(conn, *out)
-        func._iqueue.put((bot, input))
-    for csig, func, args in (bot.plugs['command'] + bot.plugs['event']):
-        input = Input(conn, *out)
-        for fsig, sieve in bot.plugs['sieve']:
-            try:
-                input = sieve(bot, input, func, args)
-            except Exception, e:
-                print 'sieve error',
-                traceback.print_exc(Exception)
-                input = None
-            if input == None:
+def do_sieve(sieve, bot, input, func, type, args):
+    try:
+        return sieve(bot, input, func, type, args)
+    except Exception, e:
+        print 'sieve error',
+        traceback.print_exc(Exception)
+        return None
+
+    
+class Handler(object):
+    '''Runs plugins in their own threads (ensures order)'''
+    def __init__(self, func):
+        self.func = func
+        self.input_queue = Queue.Queue()
+        thread.start_new_thread(self.start, ())
+
+    def start(self):
+        while True:
+            input = self.input_queue.get()
+
+            if input == StopIteration:
                 break
+
+            run(self.func, input)
+
+    def stop(self):
+        self.input_queue.put(StopIteration)
+
+    def put(self, value):
+        self.input_queue.put(value)
+
+
+def dispatch(input, kind, func, args):
+    for sieve, in bot.plugs['sieve']:
+        input = do_sieve(sieve, bot, input, func, kind, args)
         if input == None:
-            continue
+            return
+    
+    if func._thread:
+        bot.threads[func].put(input)
+    else:
         thread.start_new_thread(run, (func, input))
+        
+
+def main(conn, out):
+    inp = Input(conn, *out)
+
+    # EVENTS
+    for func, args in bot.events[inp.command] + bot.events['*']:
+        dispatch(Input(conn, *out), "event", func, args)
+
+    # COMMANDS
+    if inp.command == 'PRIVMSG':
+        if inp.chan == inp.nick: # private message, no command prefix
+            prefix = r'^(?:[.!]?|'
+        else:
+            prefix = r'^(?:[.!]|'
+            
+        command_re = prefix + inp.conn.nick + r'[:,]*\s+)(\w+)\s+(.*)$'
+
+        m = re.match(command_re, inp.lastparam)
+
+        if m:
+            command = m.group(1).lower()
+            if command in bot.commands:
+                input = Input(conn, *out)
+                input.inp_unstripped = m.group(2)
+                input.inp = m.group(2).strip()
+                
+                func, args = bot.commands[command]
+                dispatch(input, "command", func, args)
diff --git a/core/reload.py b/core/reload.py
index 54ee9b0..e0d84ef 100644
--- a/core/reload.py
+++ b/core/reload.py
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 import collections
 import glob
 import os
+import Queue
+import re
 import sys
+import thread
 import traceback
 
+
 if 'mtimes' not in globals():
     mtimes = {}
 
@@ -11,21 +15,38 @@ if 'lastfiles' not in globals():
     lastfiles = set()
 
 
-def format_plug(plug, lpad=0, width=40):
-    out = ' ' * lpad + '%s:%s:%s' % (plug[0])
-    if len(plug) == 3 and 'hook' in plug[2]:
-        out += '%s%s' % (' ' * (width - len(out)), plug[2]['hook'])
+def make_signature(f):
+    return f.func_code.co_filename, f.func_name, f.func_code.co_firstlineno
+
+
+def format_plug(plug, kind='', lpad=0, width=40):
+    out = ' ' * lpad + '%s:%s:%s' % make_signature(plug[0])
+    if kind == 'command':
+        out += ' ' * (50 - len(out)) + plug[1]['name']
+
+    if kind == 'event':
+        out += ' ' * (50 - len(out)) + ', '.join(plug[1]['events'])
+
     return out
 
 
-def reload(init=False):
-    if init:
-        bot.plugs = collections.defaultdict(lambda: [])
 
-    for filename in glob.glob(os.path.join("core", "*.py")):
+def reload(init=False):
+    changed = False
+
+    if init:
+        bot.plugs = collections.defaultdict(list)
+        bot.threads = {}
+
+    core_fileset = set(glob.glob(os.path.join("core", "*.py")))
+        
+    for filename in core_fileset:
         mtime = os.stat(filename).st_mtime
         if mtime != mtimes.get(filename):
             mtimes[filename] = mtime
+            
+            changed = True
+
             try:
                 eval(compile(open(filename, 'U').read(), filename, 'exec'),
                         globals())
@@ -39,14 +60,29 @@ def reload(init=False):
                 reload(init=init)
                 return
 
-    fileset = set(glob.glob(os.path.join('plugins', '*py')))
-    for name, data in bot.plugs.iteritems():  # remove deleted/moved plugins
-        bot.plugs[name] = filter(lambda x: x[0][0] in fileset, data)
+    fileset = set(glob.glob(os.path.join('plugins', '*.py')))
 
+    # remove deleted/moved plugins
+    for name, data in bot.plugs.iteritems():
+        bot.plugs[name] = [x for x in data if x[0]._filename in fileset]
+
+    for filename in list(mtimes):
+        if filename not in fileset and filename not in core_fileset:
+            mtimes.pop(filename)
+
+    for func, handler in list(bot.threads.iteritems()):
+        if func._filename not in fileset:
+            handler.stop()
+            del bot.threads[func]
+
+    # compile new plugins
     for filename in fileset:
         mtime = os.stat(filename).st_mtime
         if mtime != mtimes.get(filename):
             mtimes[filename] = mtime
+            
+            changed = True
+
             try:
                 code = compile(open(filename, 'U').read(), filename, 'exec')
                 namespace = {}
@@ -57,28 +93,69 @@ def reload(init=False):
 
             # remove plugins already loaded from this filename
             for name, data in bot.plugs.iteritems():
+                bot.plugs[name] = [x for x in data 
+                                   if x[0]._filename != filename]
 
-                if name == 'tee':  # signal tee trampolines to stop
-                    for csig, func, args in data:
-                        if csig[0] == filename:
-                            func._iqueue.put(StopIteration)
-
-                bot.plugs[name] = filter(lambda x: x[0][0] != filename, data)
+            for func, handler in list(bot.threads.iteritems()):
+                if func._filename == filename:
+                    handler.stop()
+                    del bot.threads[func]
 
             for obj in namespace.itervalues():
-                if hasattr(obj, '_skybot_hook'):  # check for magic
-                    for type, data in obj._skybot_hook:
+                if hasattr(obj, '_hook'):  # check for magic
+                    if obj._thread:
+                        bot.threads[obj] = Handler(obj)
+                        
+                    for type, data in obj._hook:
                         bot.plugs[type] += [data]
 
                         if not init:
                             print '### new plugin (type: %s) loaded:' % \
                                     type, format_plug(data)
 
+    if changed:
+        bot.commands = {}
+        for plug in bot.plugs['command']:
+            name = plug[1]['name'].lower()
+            if not re.match(r'^\w+$', name):
+                print '### ERROR: invalid command name "%s" (%s)' % (name,
+                  format_plug(plug))
+                continue
+            if name in bot.commands:
+                print "### ERROR: command '%s' already registered (%s, %s)" % \
+                    (name, format_plug(bot.commands[name]),
+                     format_plug(plug))
+                continue
+            bot.commands[name] = plug
+
+        bot.events = collections.defaultdict(list)
+        for func, args in bot.plugs['event']:
+            for event in args['events']:
+                bot.events[event].append((func, args))
+
     if init:
         print '  plugin listing:'
-        for type, plugs in sorted(bot.plugs.iteritems()):
+
+        if bot.commands:
+            # hack to make commands with multiple aliases
+            # print nicely
+            
+            print '    command:'
+            commands = collections.defaultdict(list)
+
+            for name, (func, args) in bot.commands.iteritems():
+                commands[make_signature(func)].append(name)
+
+            for sig, names in sorted(commands.iteritems()):
+                names.sort(key=lambda x: (-len(x), x)) # long names first
+                out = ' ' * 6 + '%s:%s:%s' % sig
+                out += ' ' * (50 - len(out)) + ', '.join(names)
+                print out
+        
+        for kind, plugs in sorted(bot.plugs.iteritems()):
+            if kind == 'command':
+                continue
             print '    %s:' % type
             for plug in plugs:
-                out = '      %s:%s:%s' % (plug[0])
-                print format_plug(plug, lpad=6)
+                print format_plug(plug, kind=kind, lpad=6)
         print
diff --git a/plugins/log.py b/plugins/log.py
index 964c437..b9857a7 100644
--- a/plugins/log.py
+++ b/plugins/log.py
@@ -83,8 +83,9 @@ def get_log_fd(dir, server, chan):
     return fd
 
 
-@hook.tee
-def log(bot, input):
+@hook.thread
+@hook.event('*')
+def log(inp, input=None, bot=None):
     with lock:
         timestamp = gmtime(timestamp_format)
 
diff --git a/plugins/misc.py b/plugins/misc.py
index 1bde4ae..697318f 100644
--- a/plugins/misc.py
+++ b/plugins/misc.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-from util import hook
 import socket
+import time
 
-socket.setdefaulttimeout(5)  # global setting
+from util import hook
+
+socket.setdefaulttimeout(10)  # global setting
 
 
 #autorejoin channels
@@ -22,11 +24,13 @@ def invite(inp, command='', conn=None):
 #join channels when server says hello & identify bot
 @hook.event('004')
 def onjoin(inp, conn=None):
-    for channel in conn.channels:
-        conn.join(channel)
-
     nickserv_password = conn.conf.get('nickserv_password', '')
     nickserv_name = conn.conf.get('nickserv_name', 'nickserv')
     nickserv_command = conn.conf.get('nickserv_command', 'IDENTIFY %s')
     if nickserv_password:
         conn.msg(nickserv_name, nickserv_command % nickserv_password)
+        time.sleep(1)
+    
+    for channel in conn.channels:
+        conn.join(channel)
+        time.sleep(1) # don't flood JOINs
diff --git a/plugins/remember.py b/plugins/remember.py
index b464efc..8f449bb 100644
--- a/plugins/remember.py
+++ b/plugins/remember.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def forget(inp, chan='', db=None):
         return "I don't know about that."
 
 
-@hook.command(hook='\?(.+)', prefix=False)
+@hook.event('PRIVMSG', hook=r'\?(.+)')
 def question(inp, chan='', say=None, db=None):
     "?<word> -- shows what data is associated with word"
     db_init(db)
diff --git a/plugins/seen.py b/plugins/seen.py
index 3da8f1d..51f9386 100644
--- a/plugins/seen.py
+++ b/plugins/seen.py
@@ -5,11 +5,9 @@ import time
 from util import hook, timesince
 
 
-@hook.tee
-def seeninput(bot, input):
-    if input.command != 'PRIVMSG':
-        return
-
+@hook.thread
+@hook.event('PRIVMSG')
+def seeninput(inp, input=None, bot=None):
     db = bot.get_db_connection(input.server)
     db_init(db)
     db.execute("insert or replace into seen(name, time, quote, chan)"
diff --git a/plugins/sieve.py b/plugins/sieve.py
index c45782a..bff4990 100644
--- a/plugins/sieve.py
+++ b/plugins/sieve.py
@@ -5,26 +5,14 @@ from util import hook
 
 
 @hook.sieve
-def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, args):
+def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, kind, args):    
     events = args.get('events', ['PRIVMSG'])
 
-    if input.command not in events and events != '*':
+    if input.command not in events and '*' not in events:
         return None
 
-    if input.nick.lower()[-3:] == 'bot' and args.get('ignorebots', True):
-        return None
-
-    hook = args.get('hook', r'(.*)')
-
-    if args.get('prefix', True):
-        if input.chan == input.nick:  # private message, prefix not required
-            prefix = r'^(?:[.!]?|'
-        else:
-            prefix = r'^(?:[.!]|'
-        hook = prefix + input.conn.nick + r'[:,]*\s)' + hook
-
-    input.re = re.match(hook, input.msg, flags=re.I)
-    if input.re is None:
+    if input.command == 'PRIVMSG' and input.nick.lower()[-3:] == 'bot' \
+            and args.get('ignorebots', True):
         return None
 
     acl = bot.config.get('acls', {}).get(func.__name__)
@@ -38,7 +26,7 @@ def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, args):
             if input.chan.lower() in denied_channels:
                 return None
 
-    input.inp_unstripped = ' '.join(input.re.groups())
-    input.inp = input.inp_unstripped.strip()
+#    input.inp_unstripped = ' '.join(input.re.groups())
+#    input.inp = input.inp_unstripped.strip()
 
     return input
diff --git a/plugins/tell.py b/plugins/tell.py
index ff06820..c15f78e 100644
--- a/plugins/tell.py
+++ b/plugins/tell.py
@@ -12,11 +12,9 @@ def get_tells(db, user_to, chan):
                          (user_to.lower(), chan)).fetchall()
 
 
-@hook.tee
-def tellinput(bot, input):
-    if input.command != 'PRIVMSG':
-        return
-
+@hook.thread
+@hook.event('PRIVMSG')
+def tellinput(inp, input=None, bot=None):
     if 'showtells' in input.msg.lower():
         return
 
diff --git a/plugins/tinyurl.py b/plugins/tinyurl.py
index 4dd1277..379467a 100644
--- a/plugins/tinyurl.py
+++ b/plugins/tinyurl.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ tinyurl_re = re.compile(r'http://(?:www\.)?tinyurl.com/([A-Za-z0-9\-]+)',
                 flags=re.IGNORECASE)
 
 
-@hook.command(hook=r'(.*)', prefix=False)
+@hook.event('PRIVMSG')
 def tinyurl(inp):
     tumatch = tinyurl_re.search(inp)
     if tumatch:
diff --git a/plugins/urlhistory.py b/plugins/urlhistory.py
index abbcc07..47d4680 100644
--- a/plugins/urlhistory.py
+++ b/plugins/urlhistory.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def format_reply(history):
             hour_span, nicklist(history), last)
 
 
-@hook.command(hook=r'(.*)', prefix=False)
+@hook.event('PRIVMSG')
 def urlinput(inp, nick='', chan='', server='', reply=None, bot=None):
     m = url_re.search(inp.encode('utf8'))
     if not m:
diff --git a/plugins/util/hook.py b/plugins/util/hook.py
index ca8c780..ddd23e1 100644
--- a/plugins/util/hook.py
+++ b/plugins/util/hook.py
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
 import inspect
-import thread
 import traceback
-import Queue
-
-
-def _isfunc(x):
-    if type(x) == type(_isfunc):
-        return True
-    return False
 
 
 def _hook_add(func, add, name=''):
-    if not hasattr(func, '_skybot_hook'):
-        func._skybot_hook = []
-    func._skybot_hook.append(add)
-    if not hasattr(func, '_skybot_args'):
+    if not hasattr(func, '_hook'):
+        func._hook = []
+    func._hook.append(add)
+
+    if not hasattr(func, '_filename'):
+        func._filename = func.func_code.co_filename
+
+    if not hasattr(func, '_args'):
         argspec = inspect.getargspec(func)
         if name:
             n_args = len(argspec.args)
@@ -36,39 +32,34 @@ def _hook_add(func, add, name=''):
                         end if end else None])
         if argspec.keywords:
             args.append(0)  # means kwargs present
-        func._skybot_args = args
-
-
-def _make_sig(f):
-    return f.func_code.co_filename, f.func_name, f.func_code.co_firstlineno
+        func._args = args
 
+    if not hasattr(func, '_skybot_thread'): # does function run in its own thread?
+        func._thread = False
 
 def sieve(func):
-    if func.func_code.co_argcount != 4:
+    if func.func_code.co_argcount != 5:
         raise ValueError(
-                'sieves must take 4 arguments: (bot, input, func, args)')
-    _hook_add(func, ['sieve', (_make_sig(func), func)])
+                'sieves must take 5 arguments: (bot, input, func, type, args)')
+    _hook_add(func, ['sieve', (func,)])
     return func
 
 
-def command(func=None, hook=None, **kwargs):
+def command(arg, **kwargs):
     args = {}
 
     def command_wrapper(func):
         args.setdefault('name', func.func_name)
-        args.setdefault('hook', args['name'] + r'(?:\s+|$)(.*)')
-        _hook_add(func, ['command', (_make_sig(func), func, args)], 'command')
+        _hook_add(func, ['command', (func, args)], 'command')
         return func
 
-    if hook is not None or kwargs or not _isfunc(func):
-        if func is not None:
-            args['name'] = func
-        if hook is not None:
-            args['hook'] = hook
+    if kwargs or not inspect.isfunction(arg):
+        if arg is not None:
+            args['name'] = arg
         args.update(kwargs)
         return command_wrapper
     else:
-        return command_wrapper(func)
+        return command_wrapper(arg)
 
 
 def event(arg=None, **kwargs):
@@ -76,12 +67,11 @@ def event(arg=None, **kwargs):
 
     def event_wrapper(func):
         args['name'] = func.func_name
-        args['prefix'] = False
-        args.setdefault('events', '*')
-        _hook_add(func, ['event', (_make_sig(func), func, args)], 'event')
+        args.setdefault('events', ['*'])
+        _hook_add(func, ['event', (func, args)], 'event')
         return func
 
-    if _isfunc(arg):
+    if inspect.isfunction(arg):
         return event_wrapper(arg, kwargs)
     else:
         if arg is not None:
@@ -89,26 +79,6 @@ def event(arg=None, **kwargs):
         return event_wrapper
 
 
-def tee(func, **kwargs):
-    "passes _all_ input lines to function, in order (skips sieves)"
-
-    if func.func_code.co_argcount != 2:
-        raise ValueError('tees must take 2 arguments: (bot, input)')
-
-    _hook_add(func, ['tee', (_make_sig(func), func, kwargs)])
-    func._iqueue = Queue.Queue()
-
-    def trampoline(func):
-        input = None
-        while True:
-            input = func._iqueue.get()
-            if input == StopIteration:
-                return
-            try:
-                func(*input)
-            except Exception:
-                traceback.print_exc(Exception)
-
-    thread.start_new_thread(trampoline, (func,))
-
+def thread(func):
+    func._thread = True
     return func
diff --git a/plugins/youtube.py b/plugins/youtube.py
index 92591ee..5aa83e5 100644
--- a/plugins/youtube.py
+++ b/plugins/youtube.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def get_video_description(vid_id):
     return out
 
 
-@hook.command(hook=r'(.*)', prefix=False)
+@hook.event('PRIVMSG')
 def youtube_url(inp):
     m = youtube_re.search(inp)
     if m: