code: def uni(key):
      '''as a crutch, we allow str-type keys, but they really should be
      unicode.
  
      '''
      if isinstance(key, str):
          logger.warn('assuming utf8 on: %r', key)
          return unicode(key, 'utf-8')
      elif isinstance(key, unicode):
          return key
      else:
          raise NonUnicodeKeyError(keyf uni(key):
      '''as a crutch, we allow str-type keys, but they really should be
      unicode.
  
      '''
      if isinstance(key, str):
          logger.warn('assuming utf8 on: %r', key)
          return unicode(key, 'utf-8')
      elif isinstance(key, unicode):
          return key
      else:
          raise NonUnicodeKeyError(key)
docs: as a crutch, we allow str-type keys, but they really should be
      unicode.