diff --git a/mycroft/skills/core.py b/mycroft/skills/core.py
index 4266eb2754b3..d7f6a5e903e5 100644
--- a/mycroft/skills/core.py
+++ b/mycroft/skills/core.py
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@
 MainModule = '__init__'
 
 
+def simple_trace(stack_trace):
+    stack_trace = stack_trace[:-1]
+    tb = "Traceback:\n"
+    for line in stack_trace:
+        if line.strip():
+            tb += line
+    return tb
+
+
 def dig_for_message():
     """
         Dig Through the stack for message.
@@ -105,19 +114,16 @@ def load_skill(skill_descriptor, bus, skill_id, BLACKLISTED_SKILLS=None):
     BLACKLISTED_SKILLS = BLACKLISTED_SKILLS or []
     path = skill_descriptor["path"]
     name = basename(path)
-    LOG.info("ATTEMPTING TO LOAD SKILL: {} with ID {}".format(
-        name, skill_id
-    ))
+    LOG.info("ATTEMPTING TO LOAD SKILL: {} with ID {}".format(name, skill_id))
     if name in BLACKLISTED_SKILLS:
         LOG.info("SKILL IS BLACKLISTED " + name)
         return None
     main_file = join(path, MainModule + '.py')
     try:
         with open(main_file, 'rb') as fp:
-            skill_module = imp.load_module(
-                name.replace('.', '_'), fp, main_file,
-                ('.py', 'rb', imp.PY_SOURCE)
-            )
+            skill_module = imp.load_module(name.replace('.', '_'), fp,
+                                           main_file, ('.py', 'rb',
+                                           imp.PY_SOURCE))
         if (hasattr(skill_module, 'create_skill') and
                 callable(skill_module.create_skill)):
             # v2 skills framework
@@ -167,11 +173,10 @@ def get_handler_name(handler):
     Returns:
         string: handler name as string
     """
-    name = ''
     if '__self__' in dir(handler) and 'name' in dir(handler.__self__):
-        name += handler.__self__.name + '.'
-    name += handler.__name__
-    return name
+        return handler.__self__.name + '.' + handler.__name__
+    else:
+        return handler.__name__
 
 
 def intent_handler(intent_parser):
@@ -238,13 +243,9 @@ def enclosure(self):
         if self._enclosure:
             return self._enclosure
         else:
-            LOG.error("ERROR:  Skill not fully initialized.  Move code from " +
-                      " __init__() to initialize() to correct this.")
-            tb = "Traceback:\n"
-            for line in traceback.format_stack()[:-1]:
-                if line.strip():
-                    tb += line
-            LOG.error(tb)
+            LOG.error("Skill not fully initialized. Move code " +
+                      "from  __init__() to initialize() to correct this.")
+            LOG.error(simple_trace(traceback.format_stack()))
             raise Exception("Accessed MycroftSkill.enclosure in __init__")
 
     @property
@@ -252,13 +253,9 @@ def bus(self):
         if self._bus:
             return self._bus
         else:
-            LOG.error("ERROR:  Skill not fully initialized.  Move code from " +
-                      " __init__() to initialize() to correct this.")
-            tb = "Traceback:\n"
-            for line in traceback.format_stack()[:-1]:
-                if line.strip():
-                    tb += line
-            LOG.error(tb)
+            LOG.error("Skill not fully initialized. Move code " +
+                      "from __init__() to initialize() to correct this.")
+            LOG.error(simple_trace(traceback.format_stack()))
             raise Exception("Accessed MycroftSkill.bus in __init__")
 
     @property
@@ -433,8 +430,7 @@ def validator_default(utterance):
         validator = validator or validator_default
         on_fail_fn = on_fail if callable(on_fail) else on_fail_default
 
-        self.speak(get_announcement(), expect_response=True)
-        wait_while_speaking()
+        self.speak(get_announcement(), expect_response=True, wait=True)
         num_fails = 0
         while True:
             response = self.__get_response()
@@ -475,11 +471,10 @@ def ask_yesno(self, prompt, data=None):
 
         if self.voc_match(resp, 'yes'):
             return 'yes'
-
-        if self.voc_match(resp, 'no'):
+        elif self.voc_match(resp, 'no'):
             return 'no'
-
-        return resp
+        else:
+            return resp
 
     def voc_match(self, utt, voc_filename, lang=None):
         """ Determine if the given utterance contains the vocabulary provided
@@ -1129,7 +1124,7 @@ def default_shutdown(self):
             Message("detach_skill", {"skill_id": str(self.skill_id) + ":"}))
         try:
             self.stop()
-        except:  # noqa
+        except Exception:
             LOG.error("Failed to stop skill: {}".format(self.name),
                       exc_info=True)
 
@@ -1260,27 +1255,29 @@ def get_scheduled_event_status(self, name):
         data = {'name': event_name}
 
         # making event_status an object so it's refrence can be changed
-        event_status = [None]
-        finished_callback = [False]
+        event_status = None
+        finished_callback = False
 
         def callback(message):
+            nonlocal event_status
+            nonlocal finished_callback
             if message.data is not None:
                 event_time = int(message.data[0][0])
                 current_time = int(time.time())
                 time_left_in_seconds = event_time - current_time
-                event_status[0] = time_left_in_seconds
-            finished_callback[0] = True
+                event_status = time_left_in_seconds
+            finished_callback = True
 
         emitter_name = 'mycroft.event_status.callback.{}'.format(event_name)
         self.bus.once(emitter_name, callback)
         self.bus.emit(Message('mycroft.scheduler.get_event', data=data))
 
         start_wait = time.time()
-        while finished_callback[0] is False and time.time() - start_wait < 3.0:
+        while finished_callback is False and time.time() - start_wait < 3.0:
             time.sleep(0.1)
         if time.time() - start_wait > 3.0:
             raise Exception("Event Status Messagebus Timeout")
-        return event_status[0]
+        return event_status
 
     def cancel_all_repeating_events(self):
         """ Cancel any repeating events started by the skill. """