def _debug(self, msg, *args, **kwargs):
        """Emit debugging messages."""

        # Do nothing if debugging is disabled
        if self._debug_stream is None or self._debug_stream is False:
            return

        # What are we passing to the format?
        if kwargs:
            fmtargs = kwargs
        else:
            fmtargs = args

        # Emit the message
        print >>self._debug_stream, msg % fmtargs
Emit debugging messages.