diff --git a/irc/commands.go b/irc/commands.go
index 3b74a7b..6fd9af8 100644
--- a/irc/commands.go
+++ b/irc/commands.go
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@ package irc
 // this file contains the various commands you can
 // send to the server using an Conn connection
 
-import (
-	"reflect"
-)
-
 // This could be a lot less ugly with the ability to manipulate
 // the symbol table and add methods/functions on the fly
 // [ CMD, FMT, FMTARGS ] etc.
@@ -30,7 +26,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) User(ident, name string) {
 func (conn *Conn) Join(channel string) { conn.out <- "JOIN "+channel }
 
 // Part() sends a PART command to the server with an optional part message
-func (conn *Conn) Part(channel string, message ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Part(channel string, message ...string) {
 	msg := getStringMsg(message)
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " :" + msg
@@ -39,7 +35,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Part(channel string, message ...) {
 }
 
 // Kick() sends a KICK command to remove a nick from a channel
-func (conn *Conn) Kick(channel, nick string, message ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Kick(channel, nick string, message ...string) {
 	msg := getStringMsg(message)
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " :" + msg
@@ -48,7 +44,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Kick(channel, nick string, message ...) {
 }
 
 // Quit() sends a QUIT command to the server with an optional quit message
-func (conn *Conn) Quit(message ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Quit(message ...string) {
 	msg := getStringMsg(message)
 	if msg == "" {
 		msg = "GoBye!"
@@ -70,7 +66,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Notice(t, msg string) { conn.out <- "NOTICE "+t+" :"+msg }
 
 // Ctcp() sends a (generic) CTCP message to the target t
 // with an optional argument
-func (conn *Conn) Ctcp(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Ctcp(t, ctcp string, arg ...string) {
 	msg := getStringMsg(arg)
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " " + msg
@@ -80,7 +76,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Ctcp(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
 
 // CtcpReply() sends a generic CTCP reply to the target t
 // with an optional argument
-func (conn *Conn) CtcpReply(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) CtcpReply(t, ctcp string, arg ...string) {
 	msg := getStringMsg(arg)
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " " + msg
@@ -97,7 +93,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Action(t, msg string) { conn.Ctcp(t, "ACTION", msg) }
 // Topic() sends a TOPIC command to the channel
 //   Topic(channel) retrieves the current channel topic (see "332" handler)
 //   Topic(channel, topic) sets the topic for the channel
-func (conn *Conn) Topic(channel string, topic ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Topic(channel string, topic ...string) {
 	t := getStringMsg(topic)
 	if t != "" {
 		t = " :" + t
@@ -112,7 +108,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Topic(channel string, topic ...) {
 //     modestring == e.g. "+o <nick>" or "+ntk <key>" or "-is"
 // This means you'll need to do your own mode work. It may be linked in with
 // the state tracking and ChanMode/NickMode/ChanPrivs objects later...
-func (conn *Conn) Mode(t string, modestring ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Mode(t string, modestring ...string) {
 	mode := getStringMsg(modestring)
 	if mode != "" {
 		mode = " " + mode
@@ -123,7 +119,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Mode(t string, modestring ...) {
 // Away() sends an AWAY command to the server
 //   Away() resets away status
 //   Away(message) sets away with the given message
-func (conn *Conn) Away(message ...) {
+func (conn *Conn) Away(message ...string) {
 	msg := getStringMsg(message)
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " :"+msg
@@ -141,16 +137,9 @@ func (conn *Conn) Oper(user, pass string) {
 	conn.out <- "OPER "+user+" "+pass
 }
 
-func getStringMsg(a ...) (msg string) {
-	// dealing with functions with a variable parameter list is nasteeh :-(
-	// the below stolen and munged from fmt/print.go func getString()
-	if v := reflect.NewValue(a).(*reflect.StructValue); v.NumField() > 0 {
-		if s, ok := v.Field(0).(*reflect.StringValue); ok {
-			return s.Get()
-		}
-		if b, ok := v.Interface().([]byte); ok {
-			return string(b)
-		}
+func getStringMsg(a ...string) (msg string) {
+	if len(a) > 0 {
+		return a[0]
 	}
 	return ""
 }
diff --git a/irc/connection.go b/irc/connection.go
index c3f71dc..cd98da4 100644
--- a/irc/connection.go
+++ b/irc/connection.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) initialise() {
 // Connect the IRC connection object to "host[:port]" which should be either
 // a hostname or an IP address, with an optional port defaulting to 6667.
 // You can also provide an optional connect password.
-func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass ...) os.Error {
+func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass ...string) os.Error {
 	if conn.connected {
 		return os.NewError(fmt.Sprintf("irc.Connect(): already connected to %s, cannot connect to %s", conn.Host, host))
 	}
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass ...) os.Error {
 }
 
 // dispatch a nicely formatted os.Error to the error channel
-func (conn *Conn) error(s string, a ...) { conn.Err <- os.NewError(fmt.Sprintf(s, a)) }
+func (conn *Conn) error(s string, a ...interface{}) { conn.Err <- os.NewError(fmt.Sprintf(s, a)) }
 
 // copied from http.client for great justice
 func hasPort(s string) bool { return strings.LastIndex(s, ":") > strings.LastIndex(s, "]") }
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) send() {
 			// so sleep for the current line's time value before sending it
 			time.Sleep(linetime)
 		}
-		if err := conn.io.WriteString(line + "\r\n"); err != nil {
+		if _, err := conn.io.WriteString(line + "\r\n"); err != nil {
 			conn.error("irc.send(): %s", err.String())
 			conn.shutdown()
 			break
@@ -161,8 +161,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) recv() {
 			conn.shutdown()
 			break
 		}
-		// chop off \r\n
-		s = s[0 : len(s)-2]
+		s = strings.Trim(s, "\r\n")
 		fmt.Println("<- " + s)
 
 		line := &Line{Raw: s}
@@ -193,7 +192,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) recv() {
 		if len(args) > 1 {
 			line.Text = args[1]
 		}
-		args = strings.Split(args[0], " ", 0)
+		args = strings.Split(args[0], " ", -1)
 		line.Cmd = strings.ToUpper(args[0])
 		if len(args) > 1 {
 			line.Args = args[1:len(args)]