Bricks Without Straw

One: strtok().  See, the thing about strtok() (we're talking c here) is that you can't call this function when it's being used elsewhere. Say you have a function: void DoSomething(void) {       char MyString[] = "Hello all you people";       char seps[] " ";       char *token;       // get the first token in a string:       token = strtok(MyString,seps);       printf("token: %s\n",token);      while (token!=NULL) {            token = strtok(NULL,seps);            printf("token: %s\n",token);       } } All well and good. But, say you're in another module of code and want to use strtok() again,  called from a function within your DoSomething() function: void DoSomething...

Until the 19th century, explorers were the R&D leaders of the planet, finding new ways to exploit desired resources. The business developers of the day turned exploration into economic gain by funding better ships, with regular schedules. Ultimately, there was a consumer whose demand for goods supplied the reason for the huge expenses of energy and time by the few who were forging ahead.

This remarkable poem was written by my late brother, Robert Barker, sometime around 1969. At this point, he was using a variety of source material including newspapers and dream imagery, combining them in what might be described as word-collages.

A story in the paper on March 2 in the Philadelphia Inquirer (and carried by The Vancouver Sun) talks about the use of zinc fingers in experiments that for the first time demonstrate the technique of actual gene editing. Unlike genetic engineering that uses viruses to transmit new genetic material into the nucleus of a cell, zinc fingers are protein folds able to attach to specific genes, and make it possible to cut a DNA strand, insert or remove a single gene, then splice it together again. The report describes how nine HIV patients' T-cells were modified to eliminate a receptor that HIV requires to enter a cell, making those in the experiment invulnerable to the virus. The modified T-cells proliferate in the body. Research on zinc fingers has been going on for decades. Now, actual applications are being developed that use them. It doesn't take much to understand the implications. This is a remarkable advancement in genetic engineering for fighting diseases. It may not be...

My short story, If Ever I Should Leave You, is in Morpheus Tales #12, coming out in April. Check out the preview, then buy a copy! http://www.morpheustales.com/preview12.pdf

Here in BC, we have a four-day session of parliament just underway this week, after 265 days without parliament in session. That's right. 265 days. Two. Hundred. Sixty-five. It's nearly a year since parliament was in session. And the only reason for this particular session to be taking place is to pass legislation to permit the government to spend money until the new Liberal leader and NDP opposition leader can be elected at their respective conventions. Not only do we not have a working government, we have neither a leader of the house, nor of the opposition. Of course, "the government" is largely the bureaucracy of public service employees, not the elected officials, who keep doing the day-to-day work of keeping the province running, providing services. But it's very strange to live in a democracy where people elected to represent their constituents can effectively leave the ship uncaptained for so very long. Do we need elected officials at all? Do we...

We recently downloaded Animal Kingdom on iTunes. Knowing nothing about the movie, except for critical accolades for performances by its cast, I approached this Australia masterwork with both detached curiosity and unease.