A clue to one's nature can be inferred from his favorite characters and heroes.

My favorite fictional characters:

Andrew Martin, the android in -Bicentennial Man-, played by Robbin Williams.

Sarek and Spock, the son of Sarek. I dig Sarek. He married an earth woman and was happy to do so. I relate to that. I too married an earth woman.

Data, the android in ST:TNG. His naivete reminds me a great deal of my childhood before I learned to pass for human.

In -Atlas Shrugged- my faves were Franscisco and Ragnar. I could actually get a "feel" for these two. Reardon was a bit disappointing. He let the world grind him down and he only saved himself at the end. John Galt, I simply could not get a grip on. I consider him a place holder that Rand constructed for her hero. He never was quite real to me.

Among the real life people, my favorite guy was Richard Feynman.

Among the people I knew the three high school teachers, Gabe Helman., Joe Louden and Bob Hunter. They were PhD's who ended up teaching senior division in High School. BTW, Albany Highschool, which I attended scooped up more New York State scholarships than any other school in the state and that includes the famous Bronx Highschool of Science. We had a very sharp student body on the academic track.

In college my favorite man was Abe Gelbart, professor of mathematics who made it posible for me to take graduate courses in mathematics from my Sophmore/Junior year on. I did Sophmore and Junior in one year by going to summer school, so I graduated one year earlier than the rest of my class (class of 1958). Abe is dead and gone now, but if there is an after life he is busy spending it proving theorems.

In my college career it was inevitable that I would end up meeting and greeting the auties and aspies. I met several. We recognized each other and what we were on sight. It made my Freshman year a tad less lonely. In fact I share dormitory quarters with an aspie, Jay Brisk, who was in addition to being an aspie, was as crazy as a loon. A very interesting year.

My favorite N.T. (next to my wife) was Shorty White, who was a cottage mate of my wife-to-be. She fixed me up with my wife. I owe her. Shorty, wherever you are, I love you to pieces.

My wife lived in a co-op cottage on campus and when we started dating she saw to it that I got two good home-style meals a week at the cottage. I found out what kind of cook my wife was and is -before- we got married. That is so neat! To the girls at the Cottage, my love and gratitude for friendship and some damned good meals.

Ba'al Chatzaf