Python 2.6: str.decode() takes no keyword arguments

Fixes "TypeError: decode() takes no keyword arguments" in Python 2.6

    Python 2.6.6 (r266:84292, Dec 27 2010, 00:02:40) 
    [GCC 4.4.5] on linux2
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    >>> "test".decode(encoding='UTF-8')
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
    TypeError: decode() takes no keyword arguments
    >>>