[RegulatorCountry]

My mental image of Ellsworth Toohey from all those years ago was remarkably similar to the Karl Rove of today.

How’s that for prescient?

[Steely Tom]

I had a hard time (as a twenty-year-old) visualizing any of Rand's characters, except perhaps Dominique Francon, whom I pictured as looking something like actress Veronica Lake.

I think Karl Rove might make a very good Ellsworth Toohey.

I remember that Howard Roark had red hair, "the color of an aluminum-copper alloy" was I believe Ayn Rand's description of it.

I remember that because as an electrical engineering student, and one who knew a little about alloys, I didn't think it was possible to make an alloy of aluminum and copper.

That appears to not be the case. There are alloys called "aluminum bronzes," although you can't put very much aluminum in. They do have an interesting, golden color.

Of course, there was no Google back in 1974, so it wasn't so easy for me to come up with a quick answer to that question.

Amazing time we live in.