$ perl -le'$string = "hello my * name is Rob * and * I am a very nice 
+person * at least * I think * so"; print $string; ( $left, $right ) =
+ $string =~ / ^ ( .{1,30} \* ) \s* ( .+ ) /x; print for $left, $right
+'
hello my * name is Rob * and * I am a very nice person * at least * I 
+think * so
hello my * name is Rob * and *
I am a very nice person * at least * I think * so
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