please help shrink this each_with_index() implementation

[Phlip]

Nobody wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:46:01 -0800, alex23 wrote:
> 
>>> They will tell me how to use except: (which is a good example why a
>>> program should not use exceptions for its normal control flow if at
>>> all possible).
>> Really? Magic functions that coerce and eat errors are a better coding
>> technique than exceptions and explicit handling?
>>
>> What kool-aid have you been drinking?
> 
> Maybe he's doing it for a living?
> 
> Contract programming seems to work on the basis that the ultimate
> requirement is for the client to hand over the money. If, at that point,
> the program is still full of bugs, you get to charge extra for "upgrades".

Uh, no, right now I'm working with the long-term goal of creating useful modules 
that sustain us equitably.

> Writing robust software from the outset puts you at a competitive
> disadvantage to those who understand how the system works.

And I, not my language, should pick and chose how to be rigorous. The language 
should not make the decision for me.