diff --git a/plugins/brainfuck.py b/plugins/brainfuck.py
index 1c68b57..a7dc12e 100644
--- a/plugins/brainfuck.py
+++ b/plugins/brainfuck.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-'''brainfuck interpreter adapted from (public domain) code at
-http://brainfuck.sourceforge.net/brain.py'''
+"""brainfuck interpreter adapted from (public domain) code at
+http://brainfuck.sourceforge.net/brain.py"""
 
 import re
 import random
diff --git a/plugins/fact.py b/plugins/fact.py
index ab05f17..1d48ae7 100644
--- a/plugins/fact.py
+++ b/plugins/fact.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from util import hook, http, web
 
 
 @hook.command(autohelp=False)
-def fact(inp, say=False, nick=False):
+def fact(inp):
     """fact -- Gets a random fact from OMGFACTS."""
 
     attempts = 0
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ def fact(inp, say=False, nick=False):
 
         response = soup.find('a', {'class': 'surprise'})
         link = response['href']
-        fact = ''.join(response.find(text=True))
+        fact_data = ''.join(response.find(text=True))
 
-        if fact:
-            fact = fact.strip()
+        if fact_data:
+            fact_data = fact_data.strip()
             break
         else:
             if attempts > 2:
@@ -34,4 +34,4 @@ def fact(inp, say=False, nick=False):
 
     url = web.try_isgd(link)
 
-    return "{} - {}".format(fact, url)
+    return "{} - {}".format(fact_data, url)
diff --git a/plugins/help.py b/plugins/help.py
index 4a4fd47..08001a5 100644
--- a/plugins/help.py
+++ b/plugins/help.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from util import hook
 
 
 @hook.command(autohelp=False)
-def help(inp, notice=None, input=None, conn=None, bot=None):
+def help(inp, notice=None, conn=None, bot=None):
     """help  -- Gives a list of commands/help for a command."""
 
     funcs = {}
diff --git a/plugins/hulu.py b/plugins/hulu.py
index 0b69788..46d31ee 100644
--- a/plugins/hulu.py
+++ b/plugins/hulu.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def hulu_url(match):
     data = http.get_json("http://www.hulu.com/api/oembed.json?url=http://www.hulu.com" + match.group(3))
     showname = data['title'].split("(")[-1].split(")")[0]
     title = data['title'].split(" (")[0]
-    return "{}: {} - {}".format(showname, title, timeformat.timeformat(int(data['duration'])))
+    return "{}: {} - {}".format(showname, title, timeformat.format_time(int(data['duration'])))
 
 
 @hook.command('hulu')
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def hulu_search(inp):
     data = result.find('results').find('videos').find('video')
     showname = data.find('show').find('name').text
     title = data.find('title').text
-    duration = timeformat.timeformat(int(float(data.find('duration').text)))
+    duration = timeformat.format_time(int(float(data.find('duration').text)))
     description = data.find('description').text
     rating = data.find('content-rating').text
     return "{}: {} - {} - {} ({}) {}".format(showname, title, description, duration, rating,
diff --git a/plugins/imgur.py b/plugins/imgur.py
index 80efbca..8db3b96 100644
--- a/plugins/imgur.py
+++ b/plugins/imgur.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def is_valid(data):
 
 @hook.command(autohelp=False)
 def imgur(inp):
-    "imgur [subreddit] -- Gets the first page of imgur images from [subreddit] and returns a link to them. If [subreddit] is undefined, return any imgur images"
+    """imgur [subreddit] -- Gets the first page of imgur images from [subreddit] and returns a link to them. If [subreddit] is undefined, return any imgur images"""
     if inp:
         # see if the input ends with "nsfw"
         show_nsfw = inp.endswith(" nsfw")
diff --git a/plugins/isup.py b/plugins/isup.py
index 454b8f5..5fc95d6 100644
--- a/plugins/isup.py
+++ b/plugins/isup.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from util import hook, http, urlnorm
 
 @hook.command
 def isup(inp):
-    "isup -- uses isup.me to see if a site is up or not"
+    """isup -- uses isup.me to see if a site is up or not"""
 
     # slightly overcomplicated, esoteric URL parsing
     scheme, auth, path, query, fragment = urlparse.urlsplit(inp.strip())
diff --git a/plugins/metacritic.py b/plugins/metacritic.py
index e32059d..92d0933 100644
--- a/plugins/metacritic.py
+++ b/plugins/metacritic.py
@@ -41,36 +41,6 @@ def metacritic(inp):
     except HTTPError:
         return 'error fetching results'
 
-    ''' result format:
-    -- game result, with score
-    -- subsequent results are the same structure, without first_result class
-    <li class="result first_result">
-        <div class="result_type">
-            <strong>Game</strong>
-            <span class="platform">WII</span>
-        </div>
-        <div class="result_wrap">
-            <div class="basic_stats has_score">
-                <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>
-                </div>
-                <div class="more_stats extended_stats">...</div>
-            </div>
-        </div>
-    </li>
-
-    -- other platforms are the same basic layout
-    -- if it doesn't have a score, there is no div.basic_score
-    -- the <div class="result_type"> changes content for non-games:
-    <div class="result_type"><strong>Movie</strong></div>
-    '''
-
     # get the proper result element we want to pull data from
     result = None
 
diff --git a/plugins/mlia.py b/plugins/mlia.py
index c155a3e..7153081 100644
--- a/plugins/mlia.py
+++ b/plugins/mlia.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ refresh_cache()
 
 @hook.command(autohelp=False)
 def mlia(inp, reply=None):
-    "mlia -- Gets a random quote from MyLifeIsAverage.com."
+    """mlia -- Gets a random quote from MyLifeIsAverage.com."""
     # grab the last item in the mlia cache and remove it
     id, text = mlia_cache.pop()
     # reply with the mlia we grabbed
diff --git a/plugins/newegg.py b/plugins/newegg.py
index 76b2a70..00271f8 100644
--- a/plugins/newegg.py
+++ b/plugins/newegg.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def format_item(item, show_url=True):
         tags.append("\x02Featured\x02")
 
     if item["IsShellShockerItem"]:
-        tags.append("\x02SHELL SHOCKER®\x02")
+        tags.append(u"\x02SHELL SHOCKER\u00AE\x02")
 
     # join all the tags together in a comma separated string ("tag1, tag2, tag3")
     tag_text = u", ".join(tags)
diff --git a/plugins/notes.py b/plugins/notes.py
index 6c6e450..ac85f48 100644
--- a/plugins/notes.py
+++ b/plugins/notes.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import re
 db_inited = False
 
 
-def cleanSQL(sql):
+def clean_sql(sql):
     return re.sub(r'\s+', " ", sql).strip()
 
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ def db_init(db):
     """).fetchone()[0] == 1
 
     if not exists:
-        db.execute(cleanSQL("""
+        db.execute(clean_sql("""
            create virtual table todos using fts4(
                 user,
                 text,
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def db_search(db, nick, query):
 @hook.command("notes")
 @hook.command
 def note(inp, nick='', chan='', db=None, notice=None, bot=None):
-    "note(s) <add|del|list|search> args -- Manipulates your list of notes."
+    """note(s) <add|del|list|search> args -- Manipulates your list of notes."""
 
     db_init(db)
 
diff --git a/plugins/tell.py b/plugins/tell.py
index 5e54c77..e8a06bb 100644
--- a/plugins/tell.py
+++ b/plugins/tell.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def tellinput(paraml, input=None, notice=None, db=None, bot=None, nick=None, con
 
 @hook.command(autohelp=False)
 def showtells(inp, nick='', chan='', notice=None, db=None):
-    "showtells -- View all pending tell messages (sent in a notice)."
+    """showtells -- View all pending tell messages (sent in a notice)."""
 
     db_init(db)
 
diff --git a/plugins/twitter.py b/plugins/twitter.py
index 2ea8ab8..1499470 100644
--- a/plugins/twitter.py
+++ b/plugins/twitter.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def twitter_url(match, bot=None):
 @hook.command("twatter")
 @hook.command
 def twitter(inp, bot=None):
-    "twitter <user> [n] -- Gets last/[n]th tweet from <user>"
+    """twitter <user> [n] -- Gets last/[n]th tweet from <user>"""
 
     api = get_api(bot)
     if not api:
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ def twitter(inp, bot=None):
 
         tweet = random.choice(search)
         user = tweet.user
+    else:
+        # ???
+        return "Unknown Error"
 
     text = " ".join(tweet.text.split())
 
diff --git a/plugins/utility.py b/plugins/utility.py
index baa215b..c0a1659 100644
--- a/plugins/utility.py
+++ b/plugins/utility.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def checkbase64(inp):
         recoded = decoded.encode('base64').strip()
         is_base64 = recoded == inp
     except:
-        is_base64 = False
+        return '"{}" is not base64 encoded'.format(inp)
 
     if is_base64:
         return '"{}" is base64 encoded'.format(recoded)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 94832f2..d436010 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+Crypto
 BeautifulSoup==3.2.1
 lxml==3.1beta1
 pyenchant==1.6.5