Off topic C question

[Laura Creighton]

> I know this is way off topic, but I figure the heavy hackers here will
> understand my mindset better than those at comp.lang.C
>     I have been doodling with python (nasty habit I know but I have to
> do somthing with my snake) and think I may be ready to learn a second
> language.  I am leaning towards C over C++ and Java even though I
> loose objects it will ground me firmly in functional programing.

If you want to learn 'functional programming' then C is not the place.
I recommend Haskell.  There are other options, and 
http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~gmh//faq.html is not a bad place to start
checking them all out.  C is a place to learn procedural programming, 
despite the fact that there are no procedures in C, only functions
that do not return a value.  If you only want to learn 'how to
program in a language that does not have classes' then there are
easier places to do that than C.  However, if your real goal is
to hack C, and all the above is just one misused word -- you want
K & R.  Everybody wants K & R.  If you find it tough going, you 
may want something else in addition to K & R, just to get you
started, but you also really want K & R.

Happy Hacking,
Laura Creighton