I take it you're a Capricorn?

I may as well tell you now by the way, this will never make it to the 100. You can quote me on that.

Funnily enough, "Intellectual" was originally a term of derision with some not-so-subtil anti-semitic overtones.

"In the late 19th century, amidst the Dreyfus affair (1894–1906), an identity crisis of anti-semitic nationalism for the French Third Republic (1870–1940), the reactionary anti–Dreyfusards (Maurice Barrès, Ferdinand Brunetière, et al.) used the terms intellectual and the intellectuals to deride the liberal Dreyfusards (Émile Zola, Octave Mirbeau, Anatole France, et al.) as political dilettantes from the realms of French culture, art, and science, who had become involved in politics, by publicly advocating for the exoneration and liberation of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French artillery captain falsely accused of betraying France to Germany." -Wiki

I have read and loved many Heinlein books. Sometimes he could be enigmatic. This is one of those occasions. I have no idea what he is trying to convey with his question, and being a fan, I'd like to know.

Do you have an idea, or is it just an excuse to talk about astrology - which could be fun too.

I take it you're a Capricorn? — Baden

The sun was in Aquarius when I was born.

It's origin goes back at least to the 1500's.

this will never make it to the 100 — Baden

There. Quoted.

Something fishy about that answer.

Et moi. Maybe it all makes sense.

Do you have an idea, or is it just an excuse to talk about astrology - which could be fun too. — andrewk

He was pretty disparaging of astrology. I suspect he would have treated an intellectual who came ti its defences with disdain.

Too wishy-washy? Too watered down?

I'd suggest jumping in the deep end. If there was one.

Is that your star-sign, of the sign the sun was in when you were born?

Curiously, there are now 13 constellations in the Zodiac, including s constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer, which the Sun enters on Nov 30, 2017, and leaves onDec 18, 2017.

Any Ophiuchians amongst us?

This is my sun sign apparently. Definitely something in this. Tell me more.

So, folks, Let's find your worth. — Banno

My parents were obsessed with the Dice of Destiny horoscope b.s. Would make us play it every 3 months.

My today's horoscope:

"Although you generally like to think of yourself as being rational and scientific, today you might surprise yourself. You could suddenly find yourself picking up intuitively on the thoughts and feelings of others, particularly those closest to you. You might find yourself answering their questions before they even ask them. Don't freak. This is just as scientific as anything else. We just don't have the why of it yet. Accept it and go with the flow."

Jesus, it just gets creepier by the minute.

As far as I know, not in the Francophone world.
Which is the only one that matter. :-*

Jesus, it just keeps creepier by the minute. — Baden

Which is scientific, don't worry. We just don't know why or how.

If the boogeyman that lives under your bed and threatens to skin you alive every night is invisible to your parents, don't worry. It's all scientific. We know we don't know why or how, so you should know too. And this should bring you comfort as he disembowels your parents in front of you.

A touchstone to determine the actual worth of an "intellectual" - find out how he feels about astrology.

For a writer that spent a lot of his time writing about people going to the stars, I guess that astrology would seem kind of stupid.
I used to read his and Asimov's books when I was a kid. I doubt that he had much faith in people that had strong feelings about finding their future by the position of the stars instead of trying to get to them.

I used to read his and Asimov's books when I was a kid. — Sir2u

Asimov is miles ahead of Heinlein. >:o

Now that is a topic that might get us to 100 pages.

I'm not a balanced individual.

Asimov's Foundation series was almost unreadable. A ridiculous premise and feeble, sexless characters.

A ridiculous premise and feeble, sexless characters. — Banno

Well, that's your fault for not starting with Prelude to Foundation. Asimov hooked him up with a girl directly in the 1st book.

And the last two books almost had too much sex, to be honest. Joy was very clearly included after someone mentioned to Asimov how few women were in his serie.

Asimov is miles ahead of Heinlein. >:o — Akanthinos

I never said he was not, just that I read them both when I was a kid. But that is your opinion so you stick to it.

And the correct measurement would be light years.

Well, that's your fault for not starting with Prelude to Foundation. — Akanthinos

Unless I am very much in error, the prelude was written many years after the Foundation series. So Banno nor anyone else could have started with it.

Yup. Prelude was published in 1988. His earliest Foundation stuff dates back to 1951. And Banno could have read it in the correct order if only he was not so old and decrepit. I was born in the 80s, and had no choice but to read it in the proper order. See? Best part about it, I barely remember anything about the 80s!

Still.

A ridiculous premise and feeble, sexless characters. — Banno

could be said about a lot of great series. I mean, this describes everything by H.P. Lovecraft down to a t, and yet, Lovecraft is absolutely awesome.

I can't say who my favorite Sci-Fi writer is, there are so many I have read. I usually just stick to trying to remember the ones I did not like, it is easier.

Back in the early days of Sci-fi it was probably a lot easier to come up with new, novel ideas because anything was possible still and people were excited at any new idea. I feel sorry for the new writers that try to follow in their footsteps, trying to come up with new ideas that even school kids would not laugh at must be hard.

I liked some of Asimov (like A for Andromeda) and nothing by Heinlein. Arthur Clark, of course, and Frank Herbert.

Nancy Ray Gun consulted astrologists before and during her time in the white house. Whether President Ray Gun was able to understand his daily horoscope or not, don't know. Probably not.

*Shrug* I liked Foundation, especially the fourth one (I think, it was). For sex, I went James Herbert.

According to my date of birth, I'm supposed to be Libran, but I'm not so sure I really am a Libran.

'Stranger in a Strange Land' was my favourite Heinlein novel. Years later I wrote a song with that title.