diff --git a/bot/classes/base_command.py b/bot/classes/base_command.py
index 31750f6..e3d4807 100644
--- a/bot/classes/base_command.py
+++ b/bot/classes/base_command.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-# A base class for commands on IRC.
-
 class BaseCommand(object):
+    """A base class for commands on IRC."""
+
     def __init__(self, connection):
-        """A base class for commands on IRC."""
         self.connection = connection
 
     def get_hooks(self):
diff --git a/bot/classes/connection.py b/bot/classes/connection.py
index 87be572..c108bb2 100644
--- a/bot/classes/connection.py
+++ b/bot/classes/connection.py
@@ -1,32 +1,36 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-# A class to interface with IRC.
-
 import socket
 import threading
 
 class BrokenSocketException(Exception):
-    """A socket has broken, because it is not sending data."""
+    """A socket has broken, because it is not sending data. Raised by
+    Connection.get()."""
     pass
 
 class Connection(object):
-    def __init__(self, host=None, port=None, nick=None, ident=None, realname=None):
-        """a class to interface with IRC"""
+    """A class to interface with IRC."""
+    
+    def __init__(self, host=None, port=None, nick=None, ident=None,
+                 realname=None):
         self.host = host
         self.port = port
         self.nick = nick
         self.ident = ident
         self.realname = realname
 
+        # A lock to prevent us from sending two messages at once.
+        self.lock = threading.Lock()
+
     def connect(self):
-        """connect to IRC"""
+        """Connect to our IRC server."""
         self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
         self.sock.connect((self.host, self.port))
         self.send("NICK %s" % self.nick)
         self.send("USER %s %s * :%s" % (self.ident, self.host, self.realname))
 
     def close(self):
-        """close our connection with IRC"""
+        """Close our connection with the IRC server."""
         try:
             self.sock.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR) # shut down connection first
         except socket.error:
@@ -34,42 +38,52 @@ class Connection(object):
         self.sock.close()
 
     def get(self, size=4096):
-        """receive (get) data from the server"""
+        """Receive (i.e. get) data from the server."""
         data = self.sock.recv(4096)
-        if not data: # socket giving us no data, so it is dead/broken
+        if not data:
+            # Socket isn't giving us any data, so it is dead or broken:
             raise BrokenSocketException()
         return data
 
     def send(self, msg):
-        """send data to the server"""
-        lock = threading.Lock()
-        lock.acquire() # ensure that we only send one message at a time (blocking)
-        try:
+        """Send data to the server."""
+        # Ensure that we only send one message at a time with a blocking lock:
+        with self.lock:
             self.sock.sendall(msg + "\r\n")
             print "   %s" % msg
-        finally:
-            lock.release()
 
     def say(self, target, msg):
-        """send a message"""
-        self.send("PRIVMSG %s :%s" % (target, msg))
+        """Send a private message to a target on the server."""
+        message = "".join(("PRIVMSG ", target, " :", msg))
+        self.send(message)
 
     def reply(self, data, msg):
-        """send a message as a reply"""
-        self.say(data.chan, "%s%s%s: %s" % (chr(2), data.nick, chr(0x0f), msg))
+        """Send a private message as a reply to a user on the server. `data` is
+        a Data object (or anything with chan and nick attributes)."""
+        message = "".join((chr(2), data.nick, chr(0x0f), ": ", msg))
+        self.say(data.chan, message)
 
     def action(self, target, msg):
-        """send a message as an action"""
-        self.say(target,"%sACTION %s%s" % (chr(1), msg, chr(1)))
+        """Send a private message to a target on the server as an action."""
+        message = "".join((chr(1), "ACTION ", msg, chr(1)))
+        self.say(target, message)
 
     def notice(self, target, msg): 
-        """send a notice"""
-        self.send("NOTICE %s :%s" % (target, msg))
+        """Send a notice to a target on the server."""
+        message = "".join(("NOTICE ", target, " :", msg))
+        self.send(message)
 
     def join(self, chan):
-        """join a channel"""
-        self.send("JOIN %s" % chan)
+        """Join a channel on the server."""
+        message = " ".join(("JOIN", chan))
+        self.send(message)
+
+    def part(self, chan):
+        """Part from a channel on the server."""
+        message = " ".join(("PART", chan))
+        self.send(message)
 
     def mode(self, chan, level, msg):
-        """send a mode message"""
-        self.send("MODE %s %s %s" % (chan, level, msg))
+        """Send a mode message to the server."""
+        message = " ".join(("MODE", chan, level, msg))
+        self.send(message)