Forced obfuscation of local function calls

Learn why Ruby is a badly designed mess if you don't know it already: http://ceaude.twoticketsplease.de/articles/ruby-and-the-principle-of-unwelcome-surprise.html

>>6
I guess it's equivalent to
if(!foo)
 foo = 200;

Better known as the pseudo-object-oriented-C pseudo-singleton idiotm
Foo *foo;
...
if(!foo)
 foo = new_Foo(bar, baz); /* equivalent to foo ||= new_Foo(bar, baz);

Does anyone else find the lack of semicolons in Ruby disturbing?