diff --git a/gridfs/__init__.py b/gridfs/__init__.py
index 213874281..5c9193938 100644
--- a/gridfs/__init__.py
+++ b/gridfs/__init__.py
@@ -74,12 +74,12 @@ class GridFS(object):
 
         # convert to _id's so we can uniquely create GridFile instances
         ids = []
-        for file in self.__database[collection].files.find(spec):
-            ids.append(file["_id"])
+        for grid_file in self.__database[collection].files.find(spec):
+            ids.append(grid_file["_id"])
 
         # open for writing to remove the chunks for these files
-        for id in ids:
-            f = GridFile({"_id": id}, self.__database, "w", collection)
+        for file_id in ids:
+            f = GridFile({"_id": file_id}, self.__database, "w", collection)
             f.close()
 
         self.__database[collection].files.remove(spec)
@@ -95,6 +95,6 @@ class GridFS(object):
         if not isinstance(collection, types.StringTypes):
             raise TypeError("collection must be an instance of (str, unicode)")
         names = []
-        for file in self.__database[collection].files.find():
-            names.append(file["filename"])
+        for grid_file in self.__database[collection].files.find():
+            names.append(grid_file["filename"])
         return names
diff --git a/gridfs/grid_file.py b/gridfs/grid_file.py
index 672520862..8fe13517e 100644
--- a/gridfs/grid_file.py
+++ b/gridfs/grid_file.py
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ class GridFile(object):
         self.__collection = database[collection]
         self.__collection.chunks.create_index([("files_id", ASCENDING), ("n", ASCENDING)])
 
-        file = self.__collection.files.find_one(file_spec)
-        if file:
-            self.__id = file["_id"]
+        grid_file = self.__collection.files.find_one(file_spec)
+        if grid_file:
+            self.__id = grid_file["_id"]
         else:
             if mode == "r":
                 raise IOError("No such file: %r" % file_spec)
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ class GridFile(object):
     def __erase(self):
         """Erase all of the data stored in this GridFile.
         """
-        file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
-        file["next"] = None
-        file["length"] = 0
-        self.__collection.files.save(file)
+        grid_file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
+        grid_file["next"] = None
+        grid_file["length"] = 0
+        self.__collection.files.save(grid_file)
 
         self.__collection.chunks.remove({"files_id": self.__id})
 
@@ -119,15 +119,15 @@ class GridFile(object):
         return self.__mode
 
     def __create_property(field_name, read_only=False):
-        def get(self):
+        def getter(self):
             return self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id).get(field_name, None)
-        def set(self, value):
-            file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
-            file[field_name] = value
-            self.__collection.files.save(file)
+        def setter(self, value):
+            grid_file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
+            grid_file[field_name] = value
+            self.__collection.files.save(grid_file)
         if not read_only:
-            return property(get, set)
-        return property(get)
+            return property(getter, setter)
+        return property(getter)
 
     name = __create_property("filename", True)
     content_type = __create_property("contentType")
@@ -146,9 +146,9 @@ class GridFile(object):
         :Parameters:
           - `filename`: the new name for this GridFile
         """
-        file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
-        file["filename"] = filename
-        self.__collection.files.save(file)
+        grid_file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
+        grid_file["filename"] = filename
+        self.__collection.files.save(grid_file)
 
     def __max_chunk(self):
         return self.__collection.chunks.find_one({"files_id": self.__id, "n": self.__chunk_number})
@@ -164,18 +164,18 @@ class GridFile(object):
         """Write the buffer contents out to chunks.
         """
         while len(self.__buffer):
-            max = self.__max_chunk()
-            if not max:
-                max = self.__new_chunk(self.__chunk_number)
+            max_chunk = self.__max_chunk()
+            if not max_chunk:
+                max_chunk = self.__new_chunk(self.__chunk_number)
             space = (self.__chunk_number + 1) * self.chunk_size - self.__position
             if not space:
                 self.__chunk_number += 1
-                max = self.__new_chunk(self.__chunk_number)
+                max_chunk = self.__new_chunk(self.__chunk_number)
                 space = self.chunk_size
             to_write = len(self.__buffer) > space and space or len(self.__buffer)
 
-            max["data"] = Binary(max["data"] + self.__buffer[:to_write])
-            self.__collection.chunks.save(max)
+            max_chunk["data"] = Binary(max_chunk["data"] + self.__buffer[:to_write])
+            self.__collection.chunks.save(max_chunk)
             self.__buffer = self.__buffer[to_write:]
             self.__position += to_write
 
@@ -188,9 +188,9 @@ class GridFile(object):
 
         self.__write_buffer_to_chunks()
 
-        file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
-        file["length"] = self.__position + len(self.__buffer)
-        self.__collection.files.save(file)
+        grid_file = self.__collection.files.find_one(self.__id)
+        grid_file["length"] = self.__position + len(self.__buffer)
+        self.__collection.files.save(grid_file)
 
     def close(self):
         """Close the GridFile.
diff --git a/pymongo/bson.py b/pymongo/bson.py
index d7840cf0d..7461afabd 100644
--- a/pymongo/bson.py
+++ b/pymongo/bson.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import random
 import re
 import datetime
 import calendar
-import logging
 
 from binary import Binary
 from code import Code
@@ -37,10 +36,6 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     _use_c = False
 
-_logger = logging.getLogger("pymongo.bson")
-# _logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-# _logger.addHandler(logging.StreamHandler())
-
 def _get_int(data):
     try:
         value = struct.unpack("<i", data[:4])[0]
diff --git a/pymongo/collection.py b/pymongo/collection.py
index ec6fc6df0..c92c510b9 100644
--- a/pymongo/collection.py
+++ b/pymongo/collection.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class Collection(object):
         command = SON({"create": self.__collection_name})
         command.update(options)
 
-        response = self.__database._command(command)
+        self.__database._command(command)
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
         """Get a sub-collection of this collection by name.
diff --git a/pymongo/connection.py b/pymongo/connection.py
index e47abef19..2796267e9 100644
--- a/pymongo/connection.py
+++ b/pymongo/connection.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class Connection(object):
         Return a tuple (host, port). Return True if this connection is
         the master.
         """
-        result = self.admin._command({"ismaster": 1})
+        result = self["admin"]._command({"ismaster": 1})
 
         if result["ismaster"] == 1:
             return True
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class Connection(object):
                 self.__socket.settimeout(_TIMEOUT)
                 self.__socket.connect((host, port))
                 master = self._master()
-                if master == True:
+                if master is True:
                     _logger.debug("success")
                     self.__host = host
                     self.__port = port
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ class Connection(object):
     def __database_info(self):
         """Get a dictionary of (database_name: size_on_disk).
         """
-        result = self.admin._command({"listDatabases": 1})
+        result = self["admin"]._command({"listDatabases": 1})
         info = result["databases"]
         return dict([(db["name"], db["sizeOnDisk"]) for db in info])
 
diff --git a/pymongo/database.py b/pymongo/database.py
index 5edeca496..6c480ed28 100644
--- a/pymongo/database.py
+++ b/pymongo/database.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class Database(object):
         self.__manipulators = [ObjectIdInjector(self), ObjectIdShuffler(self)]
 
     def __check_name(self, name):
-        for invalid_char in " .$/\\":
+        for invalid_char in [" ", ".", "$", "/", "\\"]:
             if invalid_char in name:
                 raise InvalidName("database names cannot contain the character %r" % name)
         if not name:
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class Database(object):
     def collection_names(self):
         """Get a list of all the collection names in this database.
         """
-        results = self.system.namespaces.find()
+        results = self["system.namespaces"].find()
         names = [r["name"] for r in results]
         names = [n[len(self.__name) + 1:] for n in names
                  if n.startswith(self.__name + ".")]
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ class Database(object):
     def profiling_info(self):
         """Returns a list containing current profiling information.
         """
-        return list(self.system.profile.find())
+        return list(self["system.profile"].find())
 
     def error(self):
         """Get a database error if one occured on the last operation.
diff --git a/pymongo/son.py b/pymongo/son.py
index 903561527..768d4b112 100644
--- a/pymongo/son.py
+++ b/pymongo/son.py
@@ -102,11 +102,7 @@ class SON(dict):
             yield k
 
     def has_key(self, key):
-        try:
-            value = self[key]
-        except KeyError:
-            return False
-        return True
+        return key in self.keys()
 
     def __contains__(self, key):
         return self.has_key(key)