The Return of the Double Snakebite

At long last, C++ developers can find joy in C#, now that the :: operator has migrated. That's right, C# 2.0 will have a scope resolution operator that specifies that the next identifier should be resolved from the root namespace, rather than beginning in the local namespace. Although this isn't generally a problem in code written outside of hospitals for the criminally insane, it does address a problem that pops up occasionally with machine-generated code. Consider:

namespace RemotingDemo
{
	class TestApp
	{
		static void Main(string[] args)
		{
			System.Console.WriteLine("Hello");
		}
	}

	public class System
	{
		public class Console
		{
			public static void WriteLine(string msg)
			{
				DoImportantWorkInABadlyNamedMethod();
			}
		}
	}
}

In the code above, there would be no way to specify which System.Console.WriteLine you wanted to invoke, and the local version would always be called. The :: operator enables you to specify that the name should be resolved in the root namespace, so this code would always call the runtime's version of WriteLine():

::System.Console.WriteLine("foo");

Skateboarding Across America

One of the guys I raced with on Sunday was Jack Smith. He's a great guy, the sort that always steps up to help out, or organize a race, or start a company, or whatever. He's one of the guys that ran the FCR series races, but his biggest accomplishment this year was skateboarding across the country. For the third time. At a record pace.

His son, Jack Jr. had Lowe's Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that is under the radar of most research funding. He passed away earlier this year. Jack made the trip to raise awareness and money for research. You can read about it here. And not to be pushy, but I know a few of you have had a pretty good year, and these kids could really use the help.

Last Race at WLAC

The last race of the year at WLAC had a number of memorable points:

• Rode yet another cool stealth deck from the Turner guys - this one was about 30", with a very long wheelbase. Similar to the Aurora, but more squared-off - it was made for the slalomcross at the Worlds. I want one just like it, except Kawasaki Green, and about 32". Just in case anybody out there is making lists.
• During early practice, while running out at the end of the GS hill I transitioned into the flats, and looked up to see - a Mercedes. This was a bit awkward, as I was intending to coast through the flats and safely dismount (It's all about me, me, me). Although I am racing on a street, the quality of the asphalt at WLAC is closer to the surface of the moon than a normal road, and some concentration is required if you are to avoid the grand-canyon-sized cracks in the asphalt. And there I was, going pretty fast (too fast to jump and run) and I was confronted by this Mercedes. The "driver" was obviously not to blame, as we had only put a large Road Closed barricade across the street. We had neglected to include the "ROAD CLOSED YOU FUCKING MORONS - THIS MEANS YOU" sign, and we had also failed to string any barbed wire. In keeping with the latest political correctness motifs, we did not lay any land mines. Where was I? Oh yeah, sorry. So there I am hurtling down the street waving my arms, and this clueless cow keeps coming straight at me. I managed to perform the calculus required to get around the car, and then foot-drag and bail before crashing into the barricade (so that's why we don't use barbed wire). Lynn and Tiger were just arriving during all of this, and they met me at the barricade, as the clueless driver took off up the tight-slalom hill, never even slowing down. At that point it had become funny rather than scary, and I went to my Range Rover and retrieved a dozen cones to pile around the barricade.
• Rick Howell complaining about the difficulty of the tight-slalom course. It was really difficult, with less than a handfull of clean runs all day. The interesting bit is that Rick set the course.
• Andrew Mercado who was just sharing the stoke all day, then stood up to take the last run on the tight course. Even though he hadn't competed, this was a chance for him to collect a timed run. He's really improved this year, but this memorable event feeds into the next one, where...
• Wes Carpenter was ripping up the GS all day. The San Diego guys are most at home on the GS, and Wes was taking one of the first runs down the GS course as everyone moved from the tight-slalom hill to the GS hill. Did I mention that the GS and tight-slalom hills intersect? They both entered the intersection at the same time, but Wes was going twice as fast, so Wes and Andrew missed each other by at least a foot.