I agree John, I was being sarcastic.

what if I can't stand Michael Douglas? -- j
.

our aussie pup had a bitch for his mom, and he
loved her. . it's only natural ! -- j
.

and they probably also hate life itself. -- j
.

the human spirit was one of the central celebrations
of Rand's life, IMHO. . the first of her books which
I read was We The Living, and the human spirit's
strength in the face of oppression is beautiful there. -- j
.

animals call tell, about people. . their sense of self-
preservation makes a genuinely helpful human into
a port in the storm of life. . you should feel complimented. -- j
.

We have three Labs. Totally dog people. I used to have cats, even one that fetched! Cats are ok, but I like dogs better. Plan to get a Maine Coon Cat when we get our place in NH. Those cats are awesome.

Your frankness is refreshing (I think). How do you feel about bitches?

Indeed, Allosaur, I'm sure it was a hard choice but one that was best for those concerned ... So sad.

Thanks, k! I've been hanging out here for quite some time now - more as an observer than a participator. I just enjoy being in the "presence" of others who were also profoundly influenced by such a remarkable person as Ayn Rand.

John, I'm certain you will thoroughly enjoy the book. I'm sure you know this but (for fellow Gulchers), the excerpt that I linked you to comes from the book, "100 voices" containing interviews of 100 people who knew Miss Rand on a personal and/or professional level. Astounding insights into this amazing woman!

As I have given the subject more thought it must have been very difficult for her to see the usa declining. After all she had one experience seeing what happened in Russia. Then seeing it here in a country that offered her an opportunity she would never have had in Russia or any European country which still does not readily exist there. Unfortunately those who have been critical of her think she was a person without emotions, just the opposite. You can hear it in her interviews specifically when she talks about her husband. She was the greatest lose in my opinion of any thinkers of her time. .

welcome to the Gulch. I am infinitely patient and I like questions like this

Dogs for companionship and utility - your cat's unlikely to wake you up when someone breaks into your house. Nor will the cat scare anyone away.

But, dogs require commitment whereas outdoor cats can survive on their own.

As for which is more intelligent, my neighbors had a cat that died on the operating table and wasn't revived for 4 or 5 minutes. It used to follow me around when I worked outside, even mowing the lawn.

The neighbors thought the cat was brain damaged. I thought it more likely because of the near death experience, the cat saw the error of his ways and, decided to clean up his life and act more like a dog.

I would have had a vet put that poor old cat out of its misery.
Have done it before. I had a cat for 7 years until a Siberian Husky messed up its spine. I wasn't going to have my cat drag itself around by its front paws. What kind of life is that for a cat?
Broke my heart. Had the vet give me back the body so I could dig it a nice grave in the back yard.

Agreed. On the other hand, lots of individuals (e.g. Desiato) dislike people, but still like (some) animals.

I didn't include that scenario in my statement, but I see your point.
One of my cousin's kids has a Golden whom he uses as a judge of people. If she snubs the person, they'll never get close to them. When I first came to California and met them, the dog almost jumped into my lap. We've been very close ever since, even though we are now 2,500 miles apart.

No offense. Lots of curiosity.

I figured that she was like that ... a real person with
real sensibilities about innocent life ... you just can't
love such characters to life, like Francisco, Dagny,
Eddie, Hank, even the bum on the train ... without
being a three-dimensional person who loves life. -- j

p.s. I ordered the book;;; Thanks!
.

http://www.hark.com/clips/dwpcbyyslq-...

A 3-legged cat, Mascara Loo, Dolly Doodle and .... +- 50 others ... Wow!!! How fortunate they are/were! And I'm sure you'd be the first to say it was/is mutual!!! : )

T2, what a compliment! In the article I posted, Miss Rand's veterinarian stated she was cat-like and dignified. Great attributes!