To add:

I tried to rename getPluginLogInternal() to getPluginLog(), while making the static method named getLog().  This fails, because getLog() is also a method in the class "Plugin" and returns an eclipse ILog.  So, I still feel the solution as currently coded is the best...  that the protected method getPluginLogInternal() is there, so that an Activator may make a static method getPluginLog().