diff --git a/core/irc.py b/core/irc.py
index a5f3567..6dbbb0a 100644
--- a/core/irc.py
+++ b/core/irc.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class crlf_tcp(object):
                         self.socket.close()
                         return
                     time.sleep(1)
-            except self.get_timeout_exception_type(), e:
+            except (self.get_timeout_exception_type(), socket.error) as e:
                 if self.handle_receive_exception(e, last_timestamp):
                     return
                 continue
diff --git a/plugins/lastfm.py b/plugins/lastfm.py
index c7278ae..89f590d 100644
--- a/plugins/lastfm.py
+++ b/plugins/lastfm.py
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 from util import hook, http
 
+
 api_key = ""
 
 api_url = "http://ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0/?format=json"
 
+
 @hook.command
 def lastfm(inp, nick='', say=None):
     if inp:
diff --git a/plugins/metacritic.py b/plugins/metacritic.py
index 8f6df8d..1f78ef1 100644
--- a/plugins/metacritic.py
+++ b/plugins/metacritic.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # metacritic.com scraper
 
-from util import hook, http
-
 import re
 from urllib2 import HTTPError
 
+from util import hook, http
+
 
 @hook.command('mc')
 def metacritic(inp):
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def metacritic(inp):
     args = inp.strip()
 
     game_platforms = ('x360', 'ps3', 'pc', 'ds', 'wii', '3ds', 'gba')
-    all_platforms = game_platforms + ('all','movie','tv','album')
+    all_platforms = game_platforms + ('all', 'movie', 'tv', 'album')
 
     try:
         plat, title = args.split(' ', 1)
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ def metacritic(inp):
                 <div class="main_stats">
                     <h3 class="product_title basic_stat">...</h3>
                     <div class="std_score">
-                        <div class="score_wrap">
-                            <span class="label">Metascore: </span>
-                            <span class="data metascore score_favorable">87</span>
-                        </div>
+                      <div class="score_wrap">
+                        <span class="label">Metascore: </span>
+                        <span class="data metascore score_favorable">87</span>
+                      </div>
                     </div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="more_stats extended_stats">...</div>
@@ -129,10 +129,7 @@ def metacritic(inp):
     except IndexError:
         score = None
 
-
-    result = '[%s] %s - %s, %s -- %s' % (plat.upper(), name,
+    return '[%s] %s - %s, %s -- %s' % (plat.upper(), name,
             score or 'no score',
             'release: %s' % release if release else 'unreleased',
             link)
-
-    return result
diff --git a/plugins/misc.py b/plugins/misc.py
index 50c4c68..4546f42 100644
--- a/plugins/misc.py
+++ b/plugins/misc.py
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@ def get_version():
 
     revnumber = len(stdout.splitlines())
 
-    ret = stdout.split(None, 1)[0]
+    shorthash = stdout.split(None, 1)[0]
+ 
+    http.ua_skybot = 'Skybot/r%d %s (http://github.com/rmmh/skybot)' \
+                        % (revnumber, shorthash)
+
+    return shorthash, revnumber
 
-    return ret, revnumber
 
 #autorejoin channels
 @hook.event('KICK')
@@ -55,11 +59,10 @@ def onjoin(paraml, conn=None):
 
     # set user-agent
     ident, rev = get_version()
-    http.ua_skybot = 'Skybot/r%d %s http://github.com/rmmh/skybot' % (rev, ident)
+
 
 @hook.regex(r'^\x01VERSION\x01$')
 def version(inp, notice=None):
     ident, rev = get_version()
     notice('\x01VERSION skybot %s r%d - http://github.com/rmmh/'
            'skybot/\x01' % (ident, rev))
-    http.ua_skybot = 'Skybot/r%d %s http://github.com/rmmh/skybot' % (rev, ident)
diff --git a/plugins/quote.py b/plugins/quote.py
index bdb93ab..37c69d7 100644
--- a/plugins/quote.py
+++ b/plugins/quote.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ def del_quote(db, chan, nick, add_nick, msg):
                   chan=? and lower(nick)=lower(?) and msg=msg''')
     db.commit()
 
+
 def get_quotes_by_nick(db, chan, nick):
     return db.execute("select time, nick, msg from quote where deleted!=1 "
             "and chan=? and lower(nick)=lower(?) order by time",
diff --git a/plugins/sieve.py b/plugins/sieve.py
index b087ced..108390e 100644
--- a/plugins/sieve.py
+++ b/plugins/sieve.py
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@ def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, kind, args):
         if input.trigger in bot.config.get('disabled_commands', []):
             return None
 
-        ignored = bot.config.get('ignored', []);
+        ignored = bot.config.get('ignored', [])
         if input.host in ignored or input.nick in ignored:
             return None
 
-
     fn = re.match(r'^plugins.(.+).py$', func._filename)
     disabled = bot.config.get('disabled_plugins', [])
     if fn and fn.group(1).lower() in disabled:
diff --git a/plugins/snopes.py b/plugins/snopes.py
index 397d1d3..75adfd3 100644
--- a/plugins/snopes.py
+++ b/plugins/snopes.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def snopes(inp):
 
     if status is not None:
         status = status.group(0).strip()
-    else: # new-style statuses
+    else:  # new-style statuses
         status = "Status: %s." % re.search(r"FALSE|TRUE|MIXTURE|UNDETERMINED",
                     snopes_text).group(0).title()
 
diff --git a/plugins/stock.py b/plugins/stock.py
index 4af6665..5b28c60 100644
--- a/plugins/stock.py
+++ b/plugins/stock.py
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ def stock(inp):
         return "error getting stock info"
 
     # Stuff the results in a dict for easy string formatting
-    results = dict((el.tag, el.attrib['data']) for el in parsed.xpath('//finance/*'))
+    results = dict((el.tag, el.attrib['data'])
+                   for el in parsed.xpath('//finance/*'))
 
     # if we dont get a company name back, the symbol doesn't match a company
     if results['company'] == '':
diff --git a/plugins/tvdb.py b/plugins/tvdb.py
index 08edea6..75c1212 100644
--- a/plugins/tvdb.py
+++ b/plugins/tvdb.py
@@ -24,13 +24,14 @@ def get_zipped_xml(*args, **kwargs):
     zip_buffer = StringIO(http.get(*args, **kwargs))
     return etree.parse(ZipFile(zip_buffer, "r").open(path))
 
+
 def get_episodes_for_series(seriesname):
-    res = {"error":None, "ended":False, "episodes":None, "name":None}
+    res = {"error": None, "ended": False, "episodes": None, "name": None}
     # http://thetvdb.com/wiki/index.php/API:GetSeries
     try:
         query = http.get_xml(base_url + 'GetSeries.php', seriesname=seriesname)
     except URLError:
-        res["error"]="error contacting thetvdb.com"
+        res["error"] = "error contacting thetvdb.com"
         return res
 
     series_id = query.xpath('//seriesid/text()')
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ def get_episodes_for_series(seriesname):
     res["name"] = series_name
     return res
 
+
 def get_episode_info(episode):
     first_aired = episode.findtext("FirstAired")
 
@@ -79,10 +81,11 @@ def get_episode_info(episode):
         episode_desc += ' - %s' % episode_name
     return (first_aired, airdate, episode_desc)
 
+
 @hook.command
 @hook.command('tv')
 def tv_next(inp):
-    ".tv_next <series> -- get the next episode of <series> from thetvdb.com"
+    ".tv_next <series> -- get the next episode of <series>"
     episodes = get_episodes_for_series(inp)
 
     if episodes["error"]:
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ def tv_next(inp):
 @hook.command
 @hook.command('tv_prev')
 def tv_last(inp):
-    ".tv_last <series> -- get the most recently aired episode of <series> from thetvdb.com"
+    ".tv_last <series> -- gets the most recently aired episode of <series>"
     episodes = get_episodes_for_series(inp)
 
     if episodes["error"]:
@@ -158,5 +161,5 @@ def tv_last(inp):
     if not prev_ep:
         return "there are no previously aired episodes for %s" % series_name
     if ended:
-        return '%s has ended. The last episode aired %s' % (series_name, prev_ep)
+        return '%s ended. The last episode aired %s' % (series_name, prev_ep)
     return "the last episode of %s aired %s" % (series_name, prev_ep)
diff --git a/plugins/vimeo.py b/plugins/vimeo.py
index 3596382..6d0564d 100644
--- a/plugins/vimeo.py
+++ b/plugins/vimeo.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import re
+from util import hook, http
 
-from util import http,hook
 
 @hook.regex(r'vimeo.com/([0-9]+)')
 def vimeo_url(match):