diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/config.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/config.py
index 0669800b3..c11158574 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/config.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/config.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ import media.monitor.pure as mmp
 
 class MMConfig(object):
     def __init__(self, path):
-        if not os.path.exists(path):
-            raise NoConfigFile(path)
+        if not os.path.exists(path): raise NoConfigFile(path)
         self.cfg = ConfigObj(path)
 
     def __getitem__(self, key):
@@ -29,6 +28,10 @@ class MMConfig(object):
     def save(self): self.cfg.write()
 
     def last_ran(self):
+        """
+        Returns the last time media monitor was ran by looking at the time when
+        the file at 'index_path' was modified
+        """
         return mmp.last_modified(self.cfg['index_path'])
 
     # Remove this after debugging...
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/eventcontractor.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/eventcontractor.py
index 0ac0e3278..cbc1f5c90 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/eventcontractor.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/eventcontractor.py
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ class EventContractor(Loggable):
         self.store[ evt.path ] = evt
         return True # We actually added something, hence we return true.
 
-    # events are unregistered automatically no need to screw around with them
     def __unregister(self, evt):
         try: del self.store[evt.path]
         except Exception as e: self.unexpected_exception(e)
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py
index d1d35a99e..2a209d2bd 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/metadata.py
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ class Metadata(Loggable):
         """
         Writes 'md' metadata into 'path' through mutagen
         """
-        if not os.path.exists(path):
-            raise BadSongFile(path)
+        if not os.path.exists(path): raise BadSongFile(path)
         song_file = mutagen.File(path, easy=True)
         for airtime_k, airtime_v in md.iteritems():
             if airtime_k in airtime2mutagen:
@@ -120,7 +119,6 @@ class Metadata(Loggable):
                 song_file[ airtime2mutagen[airtime_k] ] = unicode(airtime_v)
         song_file.save()
 
-
     def __init__(self, fpath):
         # Forcing the unicode through
         try: fpath = fpath.decode("utf-8")
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/organizer.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/organizer.py
index 011383c39..e5d0247de 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/organizer.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/organizer.py
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ class Organizer(ReportHandler,Loggable):
     _instance = None
     def __new__(cls, channel, target_path, recorded_path):
         if cls._instance:
-            cls._instance.channel = channel
-            cls._instance.target_path = target_path
+            cls._instance.channel       = channel
+            cls._instance.target_path   = target_path
             cls._instance.recorded_path = recorded_path
         else:
             cls._instance = super(Organizer, cls).__new__( cls, channel,
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ class Organizer(ReportHandler,Loggable):
         return cls._instance
 
     def __init__(self, channel, target_path, recorded_path):
-        self.channel = channel
-        self.target_path = target_path
+        self.channel       = channel
+        self.target_path   = target_path
         self.recorded_path = recorded_path
         super(Organizer, self).__init__(signal=self.channel, weak=False)
 
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py
index ceb37cd6c..7160f18c0 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/pure.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ supported_extensions =  [u"mp3", u"ogg", u"oga"]
 #supported_extensions =  [u"mp3", u"ogg", u"oga", u"flac", u"aac", u"bwf"]
 unicode_unknown = u'unknown'
 
+path_md = ['MDATA_KEY_TITLE', 'MDATA_KEY_CREATOR', 'MDATA_KEY_SOURCE',
+            'MDATA_KEY_TRACKNUMBER', 'MDATA_KEY_BITRATE']
+
 class LazyProperty(object):
     """
     meant to be used for lazy evaluation of an object attribute.
@@ -163,15 +166,23 @@ def apply_rules_dict(d, rules):
         if k in d: new_d[k] = rule(d[k])
     return new_d
 
+def default_to_f(dictionary, keys, default, condition):
+    new_d = copy.deepcopy(dictionary)
+    for k in keys:
+        if condition(dictionary=new_d, key=k): new_d[k] = default
+    return new_d
+
 def default_to(dictionary, keys, default):
     """
     Checks if the list of keys 'keys' exists in 'dictionary'. If not then it
     returns a new dictionary with all those missing keys defaults to 'default'
     """
-    new_d = copy.deepcopy(dictionary)
-    for k in keys:
-        if not (k in new_d): new_d[k] = default
-    return new_d
+    cnd = lambda dictionary, key: key not in dictionary
+    return default_to_f(dictionary, keys, default, cnd)
+    #new_d = copy.deepcopy(dictionary)
+    #for k in keys:
+        #if not (k in new_d): new_d[k] = default
+    #return new_d
 
 def remove_whitespace(dictionary):
     """
@@ -223,8 +234,6 @@ def normalized_metadata(md, original_path):
         'MDATA_KEY_MIME'        : lambda x: x.replace('-','/'),
         'MDATA_KEY_BPM'         : lambda x: x[0:8],
     }
-    path_md = ['MDATA_KEY_TITLE', 'MDATA_KEY_CREATOR', 'MDATA_KEY_SOURCE',
-               'MDATA_KEY_TRACKNUMBER', 'MDATA_KEY_BITRATE']
     # note that we could have saved a bit of code by rewriting new_md using
     # defaultdict(lambda x: "unknown"). But it seems to be too implicit and
     # could possibly lead to subtle bugs down the road. Plus the following
@@ -233,8 +242,9 @@ def normalized_metadata(md, original_path):
     new_md = apply_rules_dict(new_md, format_rules)
     new_md = default_to(dictionary=new_md, keys=['MDATA_KEY_TITLE'],
             default=no_extension_basename(original_path))
+    new_md = remove_whitespace(new_md)
     new_md = default_to(dictionary=new_md, keys=path_md,
-            default=unicode_unknown)
+            default=u'')
     new_md = default_to(dictionary=new_md, keys=['MDATA_KEY_FTYPE'],
             default=u'audioclip')
     # In the case where the creator is 'Airtime Show Recorder' we would like to
@@ -251,13 +261,13 @@ def normalized_metadata(md, original_path):
         # be set to the original path of the file for airtime recorded shows
         # (before it was "organized"). We will skip this procedure for now
         # because it's not clear why it was done
-    return remove_whitespace(new_md)
+    return new_md
 
-def organized_path(old_path, root_path, normal_md):
+def organized_path(old_path, root_path, orig_md):
     """
     old_path  - path where file is store at the moment <= maybe not necessary?
     root_path - the parent directory where all organized files go
-    normal_md - original meta data of the file as given by mutagen AFTER being
+    orig_md - original meta data of the file as given by mutagen AFTER being
     normalized
     return value: new file path
     """
@@ -265,6 +275,8 @@ def organized_path(old_path, root_path, normal_md):
     ext = extension(old_path)
     # The blocks for each if statement look awfully similar. Perhaps there is a
     # way to simplify this code
+    normal_md = default_to_f(orig_md, path_md, unicode_unknown,
+                             lambda dictionary, key: len(dictionary[key]) == 0)
     if is_airtime_recorded(normal_md):
         fname = u'%s-%s-%s.%s' % ( normal_md['MDATA_KEY_YEAR'],
                 normal_md['MDATA_KEY_TITLE'],
@@ -321,8 +333,7 @@ def get_system_locale(locale_path='/etc/default/locale'):
         try:
             config = ConfigObj(locale_path)
             return config
-        except Exception as e:
-            raise FailedToSetLocale(locale_path,cause=e)
+        except Exception as e: raise FailedToSetLocale(locale_path,cause=e)
     else: raise ValueError("locale path '%s' does not exist. \
             permissions issue?" % locale_path)
 
@@ -336,8 +347,7 @@ def configure_locale(config):
         if default_locale[1] is None:
             lang = config.get('LANG')
             new_locale = lang
-        else:
-            new_locale = default_locale
+        else: new_locale = default_locale
         locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, new_locale)
     reload(sys)
     sys.setdefaultencoding("UTF-8")
@@ -394,7 +404,7 @@ def sub_path(directory,f):
     the paths.
     """
     normalized = normpath(directory)
-    common     = os.path.commonprefix([ directory, normpath(f) ])
+    common     = os.path.commonprefix([ normalized, normpath(f) ])
     return common == normalized
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/watchersyncer.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/watchersyncer.py
index faea2600d..c400ad6d5 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/watchersyncer.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/watchersyncer.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 import threading
 import time
 import copy
-import traceback
 
 from media.monitor.handler         import ReportHandler
 from media.monitor.log             import Loggable
@@ -47,9 +46,7 @@ class RequestSync(threading.Thread,Loggable):
             except BadSongFile as e:
                 self.logger.info("This should never occur anymore!!!")
                 self.logger.info("Bad song file: '%s'" % e.path)
-            except Exception as e:
-                self.logger.info("An evil exception occured")
-                self.logger.error( traceback.format_exc() )
+            except Exception as e: self.unexpected_exception( e )
         def make_req():
             self.apiclient.send_media_monitor_requests( packed_requests )
         for try_index in range(0,self.retries):
@@ -102,16 +99,14 @@ class TimeoutWatcher(threading.Thread,Loggable):
 
 class WatchSyncer(ReportHandler,Loggable):
     def __init__(self, signal, chunking_number = 100, timeout=15):
-        self.timeout = float(timeout)
-        self.chunking_number = int(chunking_number)
-        self.__reset_queue()
-        # Even though we are not blocking on the http requests, we are still
-        # trying to send the http requests in order
-        self.__requests = []
-        self.request_running = False
-        # we don't actually use this "private" instance variable anywhere
+        self.timeout          = float(timeout)
+        self.chunking_number  = int(chunking_number)
+        self.request_running  = False
         self.__current_thread = None
-        self.contractor = EventContractor()
+        self.__requests       = []
+        self.contractor       = EventContractor()
+        self.__reset_queue()
+
         tc = TimeoutWatcher(self, self.timeout)
         tc.daemon = True
         tc.start()
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/mm2.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/mm2.py
index a8a3dfb26..849d7ae6b 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/mm2.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/mm2.py
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ def main(global_config, api_client_config, log_config,
 
     # Launch the toucher that updates the last time when the script was
     # ran every n seconds.
+    # TODO : verify that this does not interfere with bootstrapping because the
+    # toucher thread might update the last_ran variable too fast
     tt = ToucherThread(path=config['index_path'],
                        interval=int(config['touch_interval']))
 
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_pure.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_pure.py
index 02e753c8d..c3b08f874 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_pure.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/tests/test_pure.py
@@ -60,4 +60,11 @@ class TestMMP(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises( ValueError, lambda : mmp.file_md5('/bull/shit/path') )
         self.assertTrue( m1 == mmp.file_md5(p) )
 
+    def test_sub_path(self):
+        f1 = "/home/testing/123.mp3"
+        d1 = "/home/testing"
+        d2 = "/home/testing/"
+        self.assertTrue( mmp.sub_path(d1, f1) )
+        self.assertTrue( mmp.sub_path(d2, f1) )
+
 if __name__ == '__main__': unittest.main()