function with a state

[gene.tani at gmail.com]

and make it a singleton, viz:

http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/52558
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/66531

http://www.python.org/2.2.3/descrintro.html
(scroll wayyy down)