Index: common_records.scm
==================================================================
--- common_records.scm
+++ common_records.scm
@@ -11,16 +11,18 @@
 
 (use trace)
 
 (define (debug:calc-verbosity vstr)
   (cond
-   ((string-match "^\\s*$" vstr) #f)
-   (vstr (let ((debugvals (string-split vstr ",")))
+   ((number? vstr) vstr)
+   ((not (string?  vstr))   1)
+   ;; ((string-match  "^\\s*$" vstr) 1)
+   (vstr           (let ((debugvals  (filter number? (map string->number (string-split vstr ",")))))
 	   (cond
-	    ((> (length debugvals) 1)(map string->number debugvals))
-	    ((> (length debugvals) 0)(string->number (car debugvals)))
-	    (else #f))))
+		      ((> (length debugvals) 1) debugvals)
+		      ((> (length debugvals) 0)(car debugvals))
+		      (else 1))))
     ((args:get-arg "-v")   2)
    ((args:get-arg "-q")    0)
    (else                   1)))
 
 ;; check verbosity, #t is ok