diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 72a7929..d0913ce 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Bugs:
-* heartbeat -- ping IRC occasionally so we pick up on send errors
+* idle doesnt seem to work?
 * X and _ buttons move around all crazy like
 
 Features:
diff --git a/convo.pyc b/convo.pyc
index 9c49df2..c5603c4 100644
Binary files a/convo.pyc and b/convo.pyc differ
diff --git a/dataobjs.pyc b/dataobjs.pyc
index c5afea2..842d578 100644
Binary files a/dataobjs.pyc and b/dataobjs.pyc differ
diff --git a/generic.pyc b/generic.pyc
index c06f528..eb2a7f0 100644
Binary files a/generic.pyc and b/generic.pyc differ
diff --git a/irc.py b/irc.py
index 65b087b..2ab9dfe 100644
--- a/irc.py
+++ b/irc.py
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ from generic import PesterList
 
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
 
-class PesterIRC(QtCore.QObject):
+class PesterIRC(QtCore.QThread):
     def __init__(self, config, window):
-        QtCore.QObject.__init__(self)
+        QtCore.QThread.__init__(self)
         self.mainwindow = window
         self.config = config
     def IRCConnect(self):
@@ -25,15 +25,41 @@ class PesterIRC(QtCore.QObject):
         self.conn = self.cli.connect()
         self.brokenConnection = False
         self.registeredIRC = False
-    def closeConnection(self):
-        if self.cli:
-            self.cli.close()
-        self.cli = None
-    def setConnectionBroken(self, broken=True):
-        self.brokenConnection = True
+    def run(self):
+        self.IRCConnect()
+        while 1:
+            try:
+                self.updateIRC()
+            except socket.error, se:
+                if self.registeredIRC:
+                    self.stopIRC = None
+                else:
+                    self.stopIRC = se
+                return
+                
     def setConnected(self):
         self.registeredIRC = True
         self.connected.emit()
+    def setConnectionBroken(self):
+        self.reconnectIRC()
+        #self.brokenConnection = True
+    @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
+    def updateIRC(self):
+        try:
+            res = self.conn.next()
+        except socket.timeout, se:
+            if self.registeredIRC:
+                return
+            else:
+                raise se
+        except socket.error, se:
+            raise se
+        except StopIteration:
+            pass
+    @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
+    def reconnectIRC(self):
+        self.cli.close()
+
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot(PesterProfile)
     def getMood(self, *chums):
         self.cli.command_handler.getMood(*chums)
@@ -163,12 +189,6 @@ class PesterIRC(QtCore.QObject):
             helpers.mode(self.cli, c, m, cmd)
         except socket.error:
             self.setConnectionBroken()
-    @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
-    def reconnectIRC(self):
-        self.setConnectionBroken()
-
-    def updateIRC(self):
-        return self.conn.next()
 
     moodUpdated = QtCore.pyqtSignal(QtCore.QString, Mood)
     colorUpdated = QtCore.pyqtSignal(QtCore.QString, QtGui.QColor)
diff --git a/irc.pyc b/irc.pyc
index 72d93e6..6316cb7 100644
Binary files a/irc.pyc and b/irc.pyc differ
diff --git a/memos.pyc b/memos.pyc
index 653c3ad..9f5bc94 100644
Binary files a/memos.pyc and b/memos.pyc differ
diff --git a/menus.pyc b/menus.pyc
index 8ac4074..91ec0d4 100644
Binary files a/menus.pyc and b/menus.pyc differ
diff --git a/mispeller.pyc b/mispeller.pyc
index e86c8b3..86893fb 100644
Binary files a/mispeller.pyc and b/mispeller.pyc differ
diff --git a/oyoyo/__init__.pyc b/oyoyo/__init__.pyc
index f108745..952ac0c 100644
Binary files a/oyoyo/__init__.pyc and b/oyoyo/__init__.pyc differ
diff --git a/oyoyo/client.py b/oyoyo/client.py
index 7ab7368..f9db258 100644
--- a/oyoyo/client.py
+++ b/oyoyo/client.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class IRCClient:
         ...
         """
         self.socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        print "initalizing socket %d" % (self.socket.fileno())
         self.nick = None
         self.real_name = None
         self.host = None
@@ -200,16 +201,16 @@ class IRCClient:
             if self.socket: 
                 logging.info('closing socket')
                 self.socket.close()
-            print se
             raise se
         else:
             if self.socket: 
                 logging.info('closing socket')
                 self.socket.close()
     def close(self):
+        # with extreme prejudice
         if self.socket:
-            logging.info('closing socket')
-            self.socket.close()
+            logging.info('shutdown socket')
+            self.socket.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR)
 
 class IRCApp:
     """ This class manages several IRCClient instances without the use of threads.
diff --git a/oyoyo/client.pyc b/oyoyo/client.pyc
index 0b9cca5..6a2701c 100644
Binary files a/oyoyo/client.pyc and b/oyoyo/client.pyc differ
diff --git a/oyoyo/cmdhandler.pyc b/oyoyo/cmdhandler.pyc
index 57d62ba..1e5a248 100644
Binary files a/oyoyo/cmdhandler.pyc and b/oyoyo/cmdhandler.pyc differ
diff --git a/oyoyo/helpers.pyc b/oyoyo/helpers.pyc
index 8a68fc5..d3283be 100644
Binary files a/oyoyo/helpers.pyc and b/oyoyo/helpers.pyc differ
diff --git a/oyoyo/ircevents.pyc b/oyoyo/ircevents.pyc
index 51fd341..f8955a6 100644
Binary files a/oyoyo/ircevents.pyc and b/oyoyo/ircevents.pyc differ
diff --git a/oyoyo/parse.pyc b/oyoyo/parse.pyc
index 79ddf44..d6fd479 100644
Binary files a/oyoyo/parse.pyc and b/oyoyo/parse.pyc differ
diff --git a/parsetools.pyc b/parsetools.pyc
index 97122b3..ded990b 100644
Binary files a/parsetools.pyc and b/parsetools.pyc differ
diff --git a/pesterchum.py b/pesterchum.py
index 7d20616..e917a0b 100644
--- a/pesterchum.py
+++ b/pesterchum.py
@@ -820,9 +820,6 @@ class PesterWindow(MovingWindow):
 
         if not self.config.defaultprofile():
             self.changeProfile()
-        self.loadingscreen = LoadingScreen(self)
-        self.connect(self.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('rejected()'),
-                     self, QtCore.SLOT('close()'))
 
     def profile(self):
         return self.userprofile.chat
@@ -1618,6 +1615,9 @@ class PesterWindow(MovingWindow):
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot(QtCore.QString, QtCore.QString)
     def nickCollision(self, handle, tmphandle):
         self.mychumhandle.setText(tmphandle)
+        self.userprofile = userProfile(PesterProfile("pesterClient%d" % (random.randint(100,999)), QtGui.QColor("black"), Mood(0)))
+        self.changeTheme(self.userprofile.getTheme())
+
         if not hasattr(self, 'chooseprofile'):
             self.chooseprofile = None
         if not self.chooseprofile:
@@ -1660,44 +1660,6 @@ class PesterWindow(MovingWindow):
     closeSignal = QtCore.pyqtSignal()
     reconnectIRC = QtCore.pyqtSignal()
 
-class IRCThread(QtCore.QThread):
-    def __init__(self, ircobj):
-        QtCore.QThread.__init__(self)
-        self.irc = ircobj
-    def run(self):
-        irc = self.irc
-        irc.IRCConnect()
-        timer = QtCore.QTimer(self)
-        self.connect(timer, QtCore.SIGNAL('timeout()'),
-                     self, QtCore.SLOT('updateIRC()'))
-        timer.start()
-        self.exec_()
-    @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
-    def updateIRC(self):
-        irc = self.irc
-        if irc.brokenConnection:
-            irc.brokenConnection = False
-            self.restartIRC.emit()
-            irc.closeConnection()
-            irc.IRCConnect()
-        try:
-            res = irc.updateIRC()
-        except socket.timeout, se:
-            if not irc.registeredIRC:
-                irc.closeConnection()
-                self.failedIRC.emit("Connection timed out")
-        except socket.error, se:
-            if irc.registeredIRC:
-                irc.setConnectionBroken()
-            else:
-                irc.closeConnection()
-                self.failedIRC.emit(str(se))
-        except StopIteration:
-            pass
-
-    restartIRC = QtCore.pyqtSignal()
-    failedIRC = QtCore.pyqtSignal(QtCore.QString)
-
 class PesterTray(QtGui.QSystemTrayIcon):
     def __init__(self, icon, mainwindow, parent):
         QtGui.QSystemTrayIcon.__init__(self, icon, parent)
@@ -1764,164 +1726,113 @@ class MainProgram(QtCore.QObject):
                               QtCore.SLOT('mainWindowClosed()'))
 
         self.irc = PesterIRC(self.widget.config, self.widget)
-        self.connectWidgets(self.irc, self.widget)
-        self.ircapp = IRCThread(self.irc)
-        self.connect(self.ircapp, QtCore.SIGNAL('restartIRC()'),
+        self.connect(self.irc, QtCore.SIGNAL('finished()'),
                      self, QtCore.SLOT('restartIRC()'))
-        self.connect(self.ircapp, QtCore.SIGNAL('failedIRC(QString)'),
-                     self, QtCore.SLOT('failedIRC(QString)'))
+        self.connectWidgets(self.irc, self.widget)
 
+    widget2irc = [('sendMessage(QString, QString)', 
+                   'sendMessage(QString, QString)'),
+                  ('newConvoStarted(QString, bool)',
+                   'startConvo(QString, bool)'),
+                  ('convoClosed(QString)',
+                   'endConvo(QString)'),
+                  ('profileChanged()',
+                   'updateProfile()'),
+                  ('moodRequest(PyQt_PyObject)',
+                   'getMood(PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                  ('moodsRequest(PyQt_PyObject)',
+                   'getMoods(PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                  ('moodUpdated()', 'updateMood()'),
+                  ('mycolorUpdated()','updateColor()'),
+                  ('blockedChum(QString)', 'blockedChum(QString)'),
+                  ('unblockedChum(QString)', 'unblockedChum(QString)'),
+                  ('requestNames(QString)','requestNames(QString)'),
+                  ('requestChannelList()', 'requestChannelList()'),
+                  ('joinChannel(QString)', 'joinChannel(QString)'),
+                  ('leftChannel(QString)', 'leftChannel(QString)'),
+                  ('kickUser(QString, QString)', 
+                   'kickUser(QString, QString)'),
+                  ('setChannelMode(QString, QString, QString)',
+                   'setChannelMode(QString, QString, QString)'),
+                  ('reconnectIRC()', 'reconnectIRC()')                    
+                  ]
+# IRC --> Main window
+    irc2widget = [('connected()', 'connected()'),
+                  ('moodUpdated(QString, PyQt_PyObject)', 
+                   'updateMoodSlot(QString, PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                  ('colorUpdated(QString, QColor)',
+                   'updateColorSlot(QString, QColor)'),
+                  ('messageReceived(QString, QString)',
+                   'deliverMessage(QString, QString)'),
+                  ('memoReceived(QString, QString, QString)',
+                   'deliverMemo(QString, QString, QString)'),
+                  ('nickCollision(QString, QString)',
+                   'nickCollision(QString, QString)'),
+                  ('namesReceived(QString, PyQt_PyObject)',
+                   'updateNames(QString, PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                  ('userPresentUpdate(QString, QString, QString)',
+                   'userPresentUpdate(QString, QString, QString)'),
+                  ('channelListReceived(PyQt_PyObject)',
+                   'updateChannelList(PyQt_PyObject)'),
+                  ('timeCommand(QString, QString, QString)',
+                   'timeCommand(QString, QString, QString)')
+                  ]
     def connectWidgets(self, irc, widget):
-        irc.connect(widget, QtCore.SIGNAL('sendMessage(QString, QString)'),
-                    irc, QtCore.SLOT('sendMessage(QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget, 
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('newConvoStarted(QString, bool)'),
-                    irc, QtCore.SLOT('startConvo(QString, bool)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('convoClosed(QString)'),
-                    irc, QtCore.SLOT('endConvo(QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('profileChanged()'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateProfile()'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('moodRequest(PyQt_PyObject)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('getMood(PyQt_PyObject)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('moodsRequest(PyQt_PyObject)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('getMoods(PyQt_PyObject)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('moodUpdated()'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateMood()'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('mycolorUpdated()'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateColor()'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('blockedChum(QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('blockedChum(QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('unblockedChum(QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('unblockedChum(QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('requestNames(QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('requestNames(QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('requestChannelList()'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('requestChannelList()'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('joinChannel(QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('joinChannel(QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('leftChannel(QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('leftChannel(QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('kickUser(QString, QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('kickUser(QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('setChannelMode(QString, QString, QString)'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('setChannelMode(QString, QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(widget,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('reconnectIRC()'),
-                    irc,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('reconnectIRC()'))
+        for c in self.widget2irc:
+            self.connect(widget, QtCore.SIGNAL(c[0]),
+                         irc, QtCore.SLOT(c[1]))
+        for c in self.irc2widget:
+            self.connect(irc, QtCore.SIGNAL(c[0]),
+                         widget, QtCore.SLOT(c[1]))
+    def disconnectWidgets(self, irc, widget):
+        for c in self.widget2irc:
+            self.disconnect(widget, QtCore.SIGNAL(c[0]),
+                            irc, QtCore.SLOT(c[1]))
+        for c in self.irc2widget:
+            self.disconnect(irc, QtCore.SIGNAL(c[0]),
+                            widget, QtCore.SLOT(c[1]))
 
-    # IRC --> Main window
-        irc.connect(irc, QtCore.SIGNAL('connected()'),
-                    widget, QtCore.SLOT('connected()'))
-        irc.connect(irc, 
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('moodUpdated(QString, PyQt_PyObject)'),
-                    widget, 
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateMoodSlot(QString, PyQt_PyObject)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('colorUpdated(QString, QColor)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateColorSlot(QString, QColor)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('messageReceived(QString, QString)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('deliverMessage(QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('memoReceived(QString, QString, QString)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('deliverMemo(QString, QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('nickCollision(QString, QString)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('nickCollision(QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('namesReceived(QString, PyQt_PyObject)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateNames(QString, PyQt_PyObject)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('userPresentUpdate(QString, QString, QString)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('userPresentUpdate(QString, QString, QString)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('channelListReceived(PyQt_PyObject)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('updateChannelList(PyQt_PyObject)'))
-        irc.connect(irc,
-                    QtCore.SIGNAL('timeCommand(QString, QString, QString)'),
-                    widget,
-                    QtCore.SLOT('timeCommand(QString, QString, QString)'))
+    def showLoading(self, widget, msg="CONN3CT1NG"):
+        self.widget.show()
+        self.widget.activateWindow()
+        widget.loadingscreen = LoadingScreen(widget)
+        widget.loadingscreen.loadinglabel.setText(msg)
+        self.connect(widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('rejected()'),
+                     widget, QtCore.SLOT('close()'))
+        self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('tryAgain()'),
+                     self, QtCore.SLOT('tryAgain()'))
+        status = widget.loadingscreen.exec_()
+        if status == QtGui.QDialog.Rejected:
+            sys.exit(0)
 
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
     def tryAgain(self):
-        self.ircapp.quit()
-        print "Quit?"
-
+        if self.loadingscreen:
+            self.loadingscreen.accept()
+        self.restartIRC()
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
     def restartIRC(self):
-        # tell ppl that we're restarting
-        self.widget.show()
-        self.widget.activateWindow()
-        self.widget.loadingscreen = LoadingScreen(self.widget)
-        self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('rejected()'),
-                     self.widget, QtCore.SLOT('close()'))
-        self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('tryAgain()'),
-                     self, QtCore.SLOT('tryAgain()'))                     
-        status = self.widget.loadingscreen.exec_()
-        if status == QtGui.QDialog.Rejected:
-            sys.exit(0)
-    @QtCore.pyqtSlot(QtCore.QString)
-    def failedIRC(self, reason):
-        self.widget.show()
-        self.widget.activateWindow()
-        if not self.widget.loadingscreen:
-            self.widget.loadingscreen = LoadingScreen(self.widget)
-            self.widget.loadingscreen.loadinglabel.setText("F41L3D: %s" % (reason))
-            self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('rejected()'),
-                         self.widget, QtCore.SLOT('close()'))
-            self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('tryAgain()'),
-                         self, QtCore.SLOT('tryAgain()'))                     
-            status = self.widget.loadingscreen.exec_()
-            if status == QtGui.QDialog.Rejected:
-                sys.exit(0)
+        if self.irc:
+            self.disconnectWidgets(self.irc, self.widget)
+            self.disconnect(self.irc, QtCore.SIGNAL('finished()'),
+                            self, QtCore.SLOT('restartIRC()'))
+            stop = self.irc.stopIRC
+            del self.irc
         else:
-            self.widget.loadingscreen.loadinglabel.setText("F41L3D: %s" % (reason))
+            stop = None
+        if not stop:
+            self.irc = PesterIRC(self.widget.config, self.widget)
+            self.connect(self.irc, QtCore.SIGNAL('finished()'),
+                         self, QtCore.SLOT('restartIRC()'))
+            self.connectWidgets(self.irc, self.widget)
+            self.irc.start()
+            self.showLoading(self.widget)
+        else:
+            self.showLoading(self.widget, "F41L3D: %s" % stop)
 
     def run(self):
-        self.ircapp.start()
-        self.widget.loadingscreen = LoadingScreen(self.widget)
-        self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('rejected()'),
-                     self.widget, QtCore.SLOT('close()'))
-        self.connect(self.widget.loadingscreen, QtCore.SIGNAL('tryAgain()'),
-                     self, QtCore.SLOT('tryAgain()'))                     
-        status = self.widget.loadingscreen.exec_()
-        if status == QtGui.QDialog.Rejected:
-            sys.exit(0)
+        self.irc.start()
+        self.showLoading(self.widget)
         sys.exit(self.app.exec_())
 
 pesterchum = MainProgram()