The server is not "muppets.com". That is their domain name. You have to do a DNS look up to get the MX records for muppets.com and then use those MX records to get A record(s) for their mail server(s).
You can do this manually using nslookup (Easily done with code as well):
Default Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8
> set type=mx
> muppets.com
Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8
Non-authoritative answer:
muppets.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = n7smtpin03f.starwave.com
muppets.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = n7smtpin01f.starwave.com
muppets.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = n7smtpin02f.starwave.com
> set type=a
> n7smtpin03f.starwave.com
Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: n7smtpin03f.starwave.com.GeneralTool.com
Address: 205.173.226.25
Once you connect to a mail server, the SMTP commands are more or less the same as the client to server except that your server is now on the sending side.
PS: Emails from Beaker would be awesome! lol "Meep meep meep me-me-meep. Meep meep."