import re
import sys
import strings
f = open("furmon.data", "rb")
line = f.readline()
L=re.split("\xfeE", line)
repr(L)

The output looks like this, which is what I want:

', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f360 ', '@ ', 'B3  ', 'F264\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14HourEU    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f360 ', '@ ', 'B3  ', 'F264\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14Hours : 2808s : 2808       ', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f360 ', '@ ', 'B3  ', 'F263\\xdfF  ', 'P  \\xfe8       ', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f350 ', '@ ', 'B2  ', 'F263\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14Ho ', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f351 ', '@ ', 'B2  ', 'F264\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14Hours : 280      ', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f350 ', '@ ', 'B2  ', 'F263\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14HourE@ ', 'B2  ', 'F264\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14Hours : 2808       ', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', 'U    ', 'Z    ', '_Disa', 'd    ', '\\x00Purging      ', '\\x0f350 ', '@ ', 'B2  ', 'F263\\xdfF  ', 'P   \\x07', '\\x14Hours : 280u', 'pf Time: 1363691703.26']"

Run the program 

cfl1.py:
#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
import sys
import string
import re
#
# note that this works from a linux command line:
# this is for parsing the data file
#
target="\x14"
f = open(sys.argv[1], "rb")
line = f.readline()
# re.split("\xfeE", line)
L=re.split("\xfeE", line)
# re.split("\xfeE\x00", line)
for item in L:
#	if item.find(sys.argv[2]) != -1:
	if item.find(target) != -1:
	     print(item)\

It prints data like this:

Hours : 2808       
Hours : 2808       
Starts: 12521       
Starts: 12521       
Starts: 12521       
Starts: 12521       
Starts: 12521       
Starts: 12521       
Resets: 102       
Resets: 102       
Resets: 102       
HourEU    
Hours : 2808s : 2808       
Ho 
Hours : 280      
HourE@ 
Hours : 2808       
Hours : 280u


Note that this data appears to be character, and what I really want is the data as a list...

Hm, maybe when I get back from the firing squad, I will persue this very concept.