def connect(self):
        """Connect to the IRC network and join the appropriate channels"""
#        irc.debug = 1
        self.joinedchannels = False
        try:
            if 'ssl' in self.regex and self.regex['ssl'] == '1':
                cssl = True
            else:
                cssl = False
            if 'port' in self.regex:
                cport = int(self.regex['port'])
            else:
                cport = 6667
            if 'username' in self.regex:
                username = self.regex['username']
            else:
                username = None
            if 'password' in self.regex:
                password = self.regex['password']
            else:
                password = None
            out('INFO',"Connecting to the server: %s on port: %s SSL: %s" %(self.regex['server'],cport,cssl),site=self.name)
            if self.creds.has_key('tempbotnick'):
                botnick = self.creds['tempbotnick']
            else:
                 botnick = self.creds['botnick']
            if self.name != 'waffles':
                self.connection.connect(self.regex['server'], cport, botnick, password, username, self.creds['username'], ssl=cssl)
#                kwargs = {'ircname':self.creds['username'], 'ssl':cssl}
#                thread.start_new_thread(self.connection.connect,(self.regex['server'], cport, botnick),kwargs)
            elif self.name == 'waffles':
               self.connection.connect(self.regex['server'], cport, self.creds['ircallowednick'], password, username, self.creds['username'], ssl=cssl)
        except irclib.ServerConnectionError, e:
            out('ERROR',e,site=self.name)
            time.sleep(3)
        except irclib.ServerNotConnectedError, e:
            out('ERROR',e.message(),site=self.name)
            time.sleep(3)