diff --git a/tools/python/jwutils/Object.py b/tools/python/jwutils/Object.py
index b51d1e5..aade56b 100644
--- a/tools/python/jwutils/Object.py
+++ b/tools/python/jwutils/Object.py
@@ -3,15 +3,18 @@ import jwutils.log
 class Object(object): # export
 
     def __init__():
-        self.log_level = jwutils.log.NOTICE
+        self.log_level = jwutils.log.level
 
     def log(self, prio, *args):
+        if self.log_level == jwutils.log.level:
+            jwutils.log.slog(prio, args)
+            return
         if prio <= self.log_level:
             msg = ""
             for count, thing in enumerate(args):
-                msg += ' ' + str(thing)
+                msg += ' ' + str(*thing)
             if len(msg):
                 print msg[1:]
 
     def debug(self, *args):
-        self.log(DEBUG, args)
+        jwutils.log.slog(jwutils.log.DEBUG, args)
diff --git a/tools/python/jwutils/log.py b/tools/python/jwutils/log.py
index 642d505..1da98c0 100644
--- a/tools/python/jwutils/log.py
+++ b/tools/python/jwutils/log.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import syslog
 
 EMERG = syslog.LOG_EMERG
-ALER = syslog.LOG_ALERT
+ALERT = syslog.LOG_ALERT
 CRIT = syslog.LOG_CRIT
 ERR = syslog.LOG_ERR
 WARNING = syslog.LOG_WARNING
@@ -13,10 +13,53 @@ OFF = DEVEL + 1
 
 level = NOTICE
 
-def log(prio, *args): # export
-    if prio <= level:
-	msg = ""
-	for count, thing in enumerate(args):
-	    msg += ' ' + str(thing)
-	if len(msg):
-	    print msg[1:]
+def slog(prio, *args): # export
+    if prio > level:
+        return
+    msg = ""
+    for count, things in enumerate(args):
+        #msg += ' ' + str(*thing)
+        for m in things:
+            msg += ' ' + str(m)
+    if len(msg):
+        print msg[1:]
+
+def parse_log_prio_str(prio): # export
+    try:
+        r = int(prio)
+        if r < 0 or r > DEVEL:
+            raise Exeption("Invalid log priority ", prio)
+    except ValueError:
+        map_prio_str_to_val = {
+            "EMERG" : EMERG,
+            "emerg" : EMERG,
+            "ALERT" : ALERT,
+            "alert" : ALERT,
+            "CRIT" : CRIT,
+            "crit" : CRIT,
+            "ERR" : ERR,
+            "err" : ERR,
+            "WARNING" : WARNING,
+            "warning" : WARNING,
+            "NOTICE" : NOTICE,
+            "notice" : NOTICE,
+            "INFO" : INFO,
+            "info" : INFO,
+            "DEBUG" : DEBUG,
+            "debug" : DEBUG,
+            "DEVEL" : DEVEL,
+            "devel" : DEVEL,
+            "OFF" : OFF,
+            "off" : OFF,
+        }
+        if prio in map_prio_str_to_val:
+            return map_prio_str_to_val[prio]
+    raise Exception("Unknown priority string \"", prio, "\"")
+
+
+def set_level(level_): # export
+    global level
+    if isinstance(level_, basestring):
+        level = parse_log_prio_str(level_)
+        return
+    level = level_