utility functions within a class?

[blair.bethwaite at gmail.com]

> You do *NOT* want to put double-underscores before and after a method
> name.  That does not indicate a private method, it indicates a "magic
> method"

WHOOPS!!

Sorry, I haven't touched python for a few months and just started
working on a script this morning so was going to post my own question
when I got sidetracked answering this thread.  I guess that might be a
good reason not to use underscores as significant syntax.

Cheers,
   -B