Hilarious.
A cattery is a business that involves caring for cats(and sometimes other animals, such as ferrets) when the owners are away for business. Since many animals are stressed by travel, especially air travel, and it can be either expensive or worrying to fly with them, many owners opt to leave them with a cattery for the duration of the trip. A cattery charges some amount per day to care for the animal(s), and often offers other services; often they are affliated with vets, and offer assurances for your animal's physical and psychological well being.
Catteries, like many other pet businesses, can be extremely profitable. James, I'm not sure what you're ranting about it being a "lifestyle" business, but it should be obvious that their very nature targets an at least reasonably affluent market(individuals who travel for business or pleasure) for a necessary benefit(pet owners who love their pet enough to consider catteries clearly have immense emotional attachment to them) with significant specialization and limited competition(unlike say, day cares). At least in Canada and in the US, they can charge substantial rates, and more for additional services; the actual cost is often minimal; as mentioned before, many are based out of vet clinics, so its just an additional lot with cages/rooms for the animals, with some common area where the animals are released daily to play with each other.
Of course, it depends on how successfully you advertise. A cattery that doesn't get owners with cats doesn't make any money, but generally they make a good bit of money here, limited by the incredible number of licenses and sometimes significant legal liability.
James, I've done so many things that your ranting is simply hilarious. I've been poor enough that I was just short of being a squatter. I've been a gun runner, shamefully. I've worked in intelligence services, for a good cause. I've had a great education, with many difficulties.. I've travelled to Europe and Asia, and talked to offshore bankers. I've been rich and I've been poor, and as the saying goes, rich is better
I'm not sure what your point regarding flops are: failure by nature breeds success, if the experience is used appropriately. I agree with that. However, when it involves actual, substantial losses, the graveyard of organizations that could not sustain a single major loss is vast and wide. I'll just name one company that I did work for: Cavedog, which was the studio being the critically acclaimed Total Annihilation game. That was, at the time, a smashing success. And then they created Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, flopped, and the studio crashed and closed. I could name dozens of other companies that suffered similar fates - even Blizzard, now immensely successful, restructured three times(with loss of almost all management, each time) before Starcraft produced enough money. Ultimately, though, that is a matter of risk and investment, and fairly irrelevant. Plenty of people have a string of "failures' where they learn from, and so as long as the losses aren't too massive, its part of life.
I know plenty of rich people, and the surest way that the majority of them got rich was to be born rich
It feels like such a silly discussion, but the disparity of initial advantage should be obvious to anyone. Not being near that wealthy myself, I'm aware of it even if I don't particularly appreciate it. Beyond that, the vast majority of millionaires I know succeeded through good decisionmaking, extremely hard work, and luck. I was fortunate enough to be born in a family of such; my parents, whatever their other faults, sacrificed much of their health to gain their wealth. They worked 16 hours a day, 5 days a week, and had luck on top of that. You make it sound like money comes from random flashes of brilliance. It doesn't. Oh, and they, and my extension myself, have had a "portfolio of properties" right now.
Its not nearly that much comfort like you think it is, at least in the US. The legal liability of tenants is significant, with the occasional individual specifically looking to sue. Oh, and properties are continual upkeep, and only bring in a profit if the tenant meets the monthly rent regularly. That's not always a guarantee. And evictions are additional time and legal expense; not to mention the opportunity costs involved therein. Its also not a guarantee of residency for me when I got disowned
Your rambling about gated communities is simply hilarious. Today, I went to our pool in the sun with my girlfriend after we used the gym; the laundry was attached, so we could complete that while we were enjoying the pool. Then we drove out to a restaurant to eat. Along the way, we debated inviting friends to the pool next weekend and we purchased a grill at the store so we could entertain them. There is a clinic across the street so if either of us got hurt, we would have immediate attention; as well as a vet so that even our animals won't have to worry. There is a stability and safety that I have worked hard for.
I don't know if the "nail girl" is happier, but I've known more than enough girls in that strata who instead found "happiness" in drinking every weekend, using illegal drugs, and raped, and if they're lucky, they've been blacked out enough. I've seen that world before. I've no desire to return to it.
And that is why money is important to me, for all your ranting about its evils. Because it enables safety and stability. Because it allowed me to take care of my beloved and myself; because it allows me to go out and eat good, healthy food if I feel like it; so when I have children, I will be able to ensure that they will have a future, in a good school and under a watchful eye and when I lay down at night, I know that I am reasonably safe on the third floor behind locks and the gate(and God help any intruder, because I practice shooting my Mossberg). I don't work for money for its own sake; I work for what it allows.
