Largely reduce the number of pylint warnings and fix one typo.

pylintrc

 [MASTER]
 
 # Specify a configuration file.
 #rcfile=
 
 # Python code to execute, usually for sys.path manipulation such as
 # pygtk.require().
 #init-hook=
 
 # Profiled execution.
@@ skipping 18 matching lines @@
 # multiple time.
 #enable=
 
 # Disable the message, report, category or checker with the given id(s). You
 # can either give multiple identifier separated by comma (,) or put this option
 # multiple time.
 # C0103: Invalid name ""
 # C0111: Missing docstring
 # C0302: Too many lines in module (N)
 # I0011: Locally disabling WNNNN
+# R0801: Similar lines in N files
 # R0901: Too many ancestors (8/7)
 # R0902: Too many instance attributes (N/7)
 # R0903: Too few public methods (N/2)
 # R0911: Too many return statements (N/6)
 # R0912: Too many branches (N/12)
 # R0913: Too many arguments (N/5)
 # R0914: Too many local variables (N/15)
 # R0915: Too many statements (N/50)
 # W0122: Use of the exec statement
 # W0141: Used builtin function ''
+# W0142: Used * or ** magic
+# W0402: Uses of a deprecated module 'string'
+# W0511: TODO
 # W0603: Using the global statement
 # W0613: Unused argument ''
 # W6501: Specify string format arguments as logging function parameters
-disable=C0103,C0111,C0302,I0011,R0901,R0902,R0903,R0911,R0912,R0913,R0914,R0915,W0122,W0141,W0603,W0613,W6501
+disable=C0103,C0111,C0302,I0011,R0801,R0901,R0902,R0903,R0911,R0912,R0913,R0914,R0915,W0122,W0141,W0142,W0402,W0511,W0603,W0613,W6501
 
 
 [REPORTS]
 
 # Set the output format. Available formats are text, parseable, colorized, msvs
 # (visual studio) and html
 output-format=text
 
 # Include message's id in output
 include-ids=yes
@@ skipping 183 matching lines @@
 # given file (report R0402 must not be disabled)
 import-graph=
 
 # Create a graph of external dependencies in the given file (report R0402 must
 # not be disabled)
 ext-import-graph=
 
 # Create a graph of internal dependencies in the given file (report R0402 must
 # not be disabled)
 int-import-graph=