gistfile1.py

Python 2.6.6 (r266:84292, Sep 15 2010, 16:22:56)
>>> unicode
<type 'unicode'>
>>> def test():
...   if type("x") == unicode:
...     print "the if above fails only if the next two lines are present"
...   if False:
...     unicode = 23
... 
>>> test()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in test
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'unicode' referenced before assignment