docs: def get_data(self):
          """Gets the asset content data.
  
          return: (osid.transport.DataInputStream) - the length of the
                  content data
          raise:  OperationFailed - unable to complete request
          *compliance: mandatory -- This method must be implemented.*
  
          # gets you a file-like object...not sure if it will behave
          exactly as expected...
          """
          # read the file from self.get_url()
          # return the file object to be streamed?
          url = self._payload.get_url()
          file_handle = codecs.open(url, 'r', encoding='utf-8')
          try:
              file_handle.read()
          except UnicodeDecodeError:
              file_handle.close()
              # non-Unicode file, like an image
              file_handle = open(url, 'rb')
          file_handle.seek(0)
          return file_handle