def get_attributes(excluded)
      attribs = attributes.dup
      attribs.delete_if { |key, value|
        (!excluded.nil? and excluded.include?(key)) or key == "id" }
    end
def get_attributes(excluded)
      attribs = attributes.dup
      attribs.delete_if { |key, value|
        (!excluded.nil? and excluded.include?(key)) or key == "id" }
    end
Fetches the attributes of the calling object, exluding the +id+ field
 and any fields specified passed as an array of symbols via the +excluded+
 parameter