The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Why Not Buy a House Here on Earth?

Looking for somewhere to live with your many spouses in the group marriage of the future? No need to move to the Moon. Why not settle down in digs built by science fiction author Robert Heinlein?:

Historic home built by noted science fiction author Robert Heinlein sits on a quiet 1.5 acre lot within walking distance of the Broadmoor Hotel & Cheyenne Canon. Main level with parquet wood flooring throughout features a large formal living room w/moss rock fireplace and walnut wainscoting, spacious dining room, galley kitchen with breakfast nook and walkout to 10x35 patio overlooking the private wooded lot w/three cascading ponds! 

At 4456 square feet with four bedrooms, that's room enough for a few spouses (or perhaps the plural is spice?).

The price? A mere $650,000.

Read more about Heinlein in Brian Doherty's great 100th anniversary article here. Read more about libertarians and science fiction here.

Via BoingBoing

Comments

[Jeff P]

My Master-Class Level Geek trivia question:
Is this the house made semi-famous in Harlan Ellison's essay Xenogenesis?

[Jaybird]

Dude! That's a stone's throw from where I live!

Only $650,000! I'm pretty sure that it will only appreciate!

[?]

Tempting.

"Wow! It must be so amazing to live right there where--"

"There was a fire."

[P Brooks]

In all the years I lived in Colorado Springs, I never knew Heinlein was (or had been) living there. You learn something new every day.

[Mike]

Hey, I live in Colorado Springs, and didn't know that Heinlein had a house here!

[Jeff P]

The fact that Heinlein was able to live so close to so many without thme knowing proves a theory I've had.

Heinlein was a ninja.

[Nooge]

Do want, but I wouldn't pay that much for it.

Central computer, y/n?

[P Brooks]

walkout to 10x35 patio overlooking the private wooded lot w/three cascading ponds!

If you're lucky, you might actually see a mountain lion kill and eat your dog!

[Hugh Akston]

Do the three female assistants and the handyman come standard or are they extra?

[brotherben]

Hmmm. I thought Heinlein was a shitty pseudo import beer?

[Hazel Meade]

The reason staff loves me. I know it.
🙂

[mtraven]

Gotta watch out for earthquakes. Those cascading ponds may contain the flow of time.

[Terry]

Trust. How about us Libertarians set up a trust to buy the house, then rent it out.
But rent it out only to libertarians.

What do you think? Can do?

[EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy]

Good idea, Terry, except for one thing.

We're libertarians around here, damn near anyone's money is good with us, if they have enough of it...

[Mike Laursen]

No thanks, but I'd love to buy Heinlein's old Bonny Doon house, near Santa Cruz.

[Naga Sadow]

P Brooks,

I was in Golden last week right before the weather went to shit! I did the Pike's Peak BS with my girlfriend over there. Dude, your getting a drink with me next time. All her friends suck except the workaholic guy who could only stay out til 9.

[Naga Sadow]

Terry,

You're idea may run afoul of several laws.

[JB]

That price gets you a lot more than in DC. In the DC area, you can get a rat-infested crap-hole or a stupid condo for that price.

[jgr]

"In the DC area, you can get a rat-infested crap-hole"

Not when the rats aren't in session, and have gone back to their districts to campaign for re-election.

[SugarFree]

Is this the house made semi-famous in Harlan Ellison's essay Xenogenesis?

No. While Heinlein does mention the "Colorado house" in his letter to Ellison it is clear that the house terrorized by the crazed fan claiming that his peacock was killed is the house they lived for the last 23 years of his life in Bonny Doon, CA. (Bonny Doon house on google maps.)

[Suki]

Jeff P,

Heinlein was a ninja.

Wow, he never looked Japanese to me!

😉

[Naga Sadow]

SugarFree,

Epi used to hound Heinlein? Sweet!

[Lester Hunt]

Buying RLH's house -- man, I can really grok that.

[kwais]

If you're lucky, you might actually see a mountain lion kill and eat your dog!

If they could guarantee that, I would buy it for that alone.

[kwais]

Heinlein was a ninja.

Did he die a Chuck Norris related death as so many of them do?

If so, is he one of the giant pile of dead Ninjas on Chuck Norris's front lawn, that is known as 'Brokeback Mountain'.?

[J sub D]

mtraven | April 3, 2009, 8:55pm | #

Threadwinner. Sir or Ma'am, my hat is off to you.

[Naga Sadow]

Damn you Kwais!

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.

When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the Earth down.

Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

Chuck Norris' hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.

Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

Chuck Norris doesn't wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost

Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.

Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

[J sub D]

In 2008, Chuck Norris backed an ingnorant hillbilly whackjob preacher for president.

Oprah* backed Obama.

* Only equires one name for universal recognition.

😉

[kwais]

J sub D | April 4, 2009, 3:56pm | #
In 2008, Chuck Norris backed an ingnorant hillbilly whackjob preacher for president.

Oprah* backed Obama.

I am sure that is of little consolation to all those dead ninjas.

[Vermont Gun Owner]

What does everyone think of Heinlein's work? I need some new fantasy or sci-fi to read, but I've heard his work can get a bit in your face about libertarianism. I'd prefer not to have to go through something like Goodkind's Faith of the Fallen again.

J sub D,

[Oprah] Only equires one name for universal recognition.

Not that I'm into the whole Chuck Norris craze, but I do think Oprah's one name recognition has a lot to do with the rarity of her first name. Have you ever heard of any other Oprahs? Sorta like Barack versus George.

[JB]

VGO, Goodkind is very in-your-face, almost beat you over the head with it. Different change of pace and some of his formulations are nice, but no other libertarian writer that I've read is similar.

Heinlein is great. Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Time Enough for Love, Stranger in a Strange Land, Friday, The Number of the Beast, Starship Troopers. I've never read a Heinlein story I haven't liked.

[kinnath]

I'll second Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land

[crimethink]

And Donna D'Errico supported Ron Paul. So?

[kwais]

crimethink | April 4, 2009, 7:11pm | #
And Donna D'Errico supported Ron Paul. So?

So without her, his campaign had no legitimacy.

[Hazel Meade]

i would so totally buy that house, if I lived in colorado springs. But I have to finish my PhD first.

[aix42]

I didn't like Stranger in a Strange Land as much on second reading. Still interesting though. I like Job: A Comedy of Justice and Friday.

And read the thread titled book, see where Hazel comes from.....

[kwais]

In 2008, Chuck Norris backed an ingnorant hillbilly whackjob preacher for president.

See, I just got done watching Huckabee. I don't get the hate of him. I mean he seems like a RINO, but no worse than McCain. Better perhaps.

Better than McCain
Better than Guliani
Better than Romney

I mean, talk about faint praise. But still.

God, after all the recent evils of Obama, I just realized how comparatively not evil he is.

[LibertyCowboy]

My dog is named Spice. She likes large lots.

[The Winter Soldier]

Global Warming is a myth. Chuck Norris felt a draft and, after round house kicking the home builder, turned up the sun.

[economist]

I've been a big fan of Heinlein's since I was a kid.

I'm gearing up to play a role similar to The prof in TMHM.

[economist]

Hazel,
Just out of curiosity, what's your PhD in?

[Fred C. Moulton]

Before putting together your nickels and dimes to buy the place you may want to be sure of what you are buying. According to this:
http://www.contrapositivediary.com/?p=652
the place has been extensively rebuilt. I suspect this needs further research.

[JB]

Oh god. Huckabee is like the Republican version of Jonatard Edwards.

I said that is the anti-christ ticket. Didn't matter which of them was pres. or VP, but if that combo got elected, that's either when I leave the country or start shooting people.

[Art-P.O.G.]

I said that is the anti-christ ticket. Didn't matter which of them was pres. or VP, but if that combo got elected, that's either when I leave the country or start shooting people.

On this, we agree. 😀 For both conscious and subconscious reasons, Huckabee and Edw

Hey, mtraven, I really dug the story you linked to.

[Art-P.O.G.]

**last post should read: "Huckabee and Edwards strike me as the Sith Lords of political populism."

They actually scare me a li'l bit.

[kwais]

Huckabee strikes me as a very likeable socialist. Much like Obama. Probably more likeable actually. (And given recent events Huckabee is probably more competent)

He had a liberal gay lady on his show, and he challenged her to ask him the tough questions. She stuck to gay questions where he disagreed with her, as he disagrees with me. But he came across as honest and straight forward.

I don't know much about Huckabee, he might be more protectionist, or something else more harmful that Obama.

So again, I don't see what the hate for him is about. I mean I see the hate for Edwards, I see the hate for Guliani.

But that is probably because I don't know enough about him.

[Naga Sadow, Lord of the Sith]

Art P.O.G.

I'm not familiar with this Darth Huckabee you speak of. Darth Edwards isn't ringing any bells either. Of course, my good friend Hillary Clinton is currently working on the "debt star". Maybe that's what you meant. Glad to clear things up for you.

Props of course to his overlordship Urkobold and his crew.

[Hazel Meade]

economist,

Electrical Engineering, but I'm really more of a computer science / AI person.

With a minor in cognitive science.

[Naga Sadow as Liberal Shill]

More like cognitive dissonance! Ha!

[kwais]

So Hazel,

How long until the moment of singularity?

What is your over/under?

[Taktix?]

Hucakbee's faults:

-Creationist
-Preacher
-Charasmatic Enough To Get Shit Done
-The Shit He Can Get Done Will Be Bad

I back up that fourth statement with the caveat that I don't remember everything from the 08' primary, but from what I recall, he's authoritarian on both social and economic issues (I'd look up specifics if I cared more).

Now whether he'd be worse than Obama? Well, it's hard to say, but after the last few weeks, I'd rather have Ralph Nader as POTUS...

[Taktix?]

Oh, found specifics via Wikipedia:

-Isolationist on Immigration
-Supported Surge and Ongoing Iraq War
-Pro-Life
-Anti-Gay Marriage
-Supports Concealed Carry*
-

[Taktix?]

-Pro Death Penalty
-Supports Teaching Creationism in Schools
-Supports Fair Tax*

*Two Redeeming positions, IMHO, but not enough to make up for the rest.

(Sorry, Hit Submit by accident...)

[Taktix?]

Oh, and he suddenly started supporting the Fair Tax halfway into the primaries when he got hammered on raising taxes in Arkansas to fund bullshit social programs.

It's all coming back to me now...

[Suki]

Hazel! EE==Sooo COOL! The character (Suki) my friend John wrote has a PhD in Robotics. I know it is not the same, but still cool.

[kwais]

-Isolationist on Immigration- That is one, but few politicians say they are not.
-Supported Surge and Ongoing Iraq War- Me too. I guess on that one it depends what his reasons were. All favor some kind of use of our military, the reasons why are what matters.
-Pro-Life So? IMHO you can be honestly on either side of that debate. It depends on when you think human life starts.
-Anti-Gay Marriage I heard him talk about this with the lesbian chick. I disagreed with him. But it is not a huge deal. I am anti ALL marriage, so I don't really expect an electable politician to agree with me.
-Supports Concealed Carry* Good man. But the reason why kind of matters too.

Oh, and supporting the Fair Tax is a bonus for me. It is not perfect, but anything to do with the gross violation of rights that the income tax is.

[Taktix?]

kwais,

I find Pro-Life and Pro-Death Penalty incomptable. If he is pro-life by principle, it's one thing.

But those positions smack of the pulpit, as does forcing children to learn the "science" of the world being 5000 years old.

Gay marriage should not be a federal issue, and unless Hackabee is >50% Native American, he has no right to deny people entry into the U.S.

[J sub D]

On January 14th, 2008, the aforementioned ignorant hillbilly whackjob preacher said

"But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.".

That is such a libertarian leaning statement. Nothing says free minds like amending the constitution to reflect GOD's standards.

[J sub D]

You may have noticed from my tone that I'm not a big supporter of the religious right wing of the GOP.

That way lies permanent minority status.

[Suki]

kwais,

I am anti ALL marriage, so I don't really expect an electable politician to agree with me.

I have heard one version of that, well maybe a couple, but can you expand on that a little? I mean the anti all marriage part.

Reflex right now is recorded above until the heat death of the universe or the cessation of Ayn Rand's soul (am I talking L correctly at the moment? lol), but I would like to know more about this concept.

[Suki]

Just an aside and I hope a big silly word wall is not thrown up about this, I have recently, I guess, gone to the pro-life* side of the fence. Lots of reasons, nothing that happened in my body, maybe it is just old age.

*Not Bible beating, bothering people going to the doctor. I just think "pro-death" is wrong and misnamed in current discourse.

[Taktix?]

J sub D,

Forgot about (or more likely, blocked out) that one. Thanks for the reminder.

I want to be placed in a time capsule adn awoke when it's acceptable to simply laugh at such a public statement and go about our business.

Or.

As John Oliver said during his stand-up, "when I was covering the Republican Debates, a horrible thing happened. When asked if they didn't believe in evolution, three raised their hands, and they didn't put their hands down and say, 'just kidding!'"

[J sub D]

Taktix?,

I pulled a vague, partially correct quote from my admittedly flawed brain and in two minutes had the correct quote with the date and the link.

Google is teh awesome.

[Taktix?]

Google is teh awesome.

Unless you're stuck at work and 1/2 the pages are blocked by InterNazis.

P.S. Am I the only poor bastard stuck at work on Sundays?

[Taktix?]

I guess so...

[MaterialMonkee]

Was that Robert Heinlein a Libertarian?
He struck me as some kind of imperialistic nut job from Starship troopers

[Hazel Meade]

Suki,
Yeah, well, the EE side is Robotics. I'm just more interested in the robot's brain.

anti-Marriage = deinstitutionalized marriage. Why doesn't the state just treat everyone as single, and then let married people make their own tax arrangements? It's entirely plausible that instead of getting a marriage "license", you could go to your church, and sign some kind of contractual agreement entitling your spouse to certain rights and outlining what happens to children and inheritances. Then have your ceremony like normal.

Seriously, institutionalized marriage is actually an establishment of religion. Which we can see immediately from the gay-marriage debate. Not to mention polygamy laws, etc. All marriage laws ought to be struck down by the supreme court.

[kwais]

Newt is no Fox right now, and sounding good.
He is sounding Ron Paulish.

[kwais]

And what Hazel said about Marriage.

Also, did I miss Hazel's answer in the moment of singularity?

Or was it a dumb question?

[Episiarch]

Am I the only poor bastard stuck at work on Sundays?

Yes. I'd feel bad for you but I'm too busy playing tennis, drinking, and goofing around on the internet.

[Taktix?]

All marriage laws ought to be struck down by the supreme court.

Agreed. Marriage is either:

A: A religious ceremony
B: An ancient, leftover practice for wealth exchange
C: In Modern Times, a tax status

Only "C" is still relevant, and only because the government makes it so to keep it's fiefdoms in order...

[kwais]

Jsub, and Tatix;

I don't want to seem like I am a Huckabee supporter, because I really am not.

So in that light, I may be wasting time to continue to harp on this. but,

Again, whether or not we were created 5000 years ago or 5trillion, really doesn't matter.

But those positions smack of the pulpit, as does forcing children to learn the "science" of the world being 5000 years old.

No more than forcing one to learn 'environmentalism', or 'global warming'. Or sex ed to kids of puritan parents. Or any number of questionable, or disagreeable things.

Granted, Huckabee isn't against public schools, but that just means that he is a socialist like all the rest.

You may have noticed from my tone that I'm not a big supporter of the religious right wing of the GOP.

That way lies permanent minority status.

I REALLY am not a fan of the religious right.
but minority status is not an indicator of right or wrong.

unless Hackabee is >50% Native American, he has no right to deny people entry into the U.S.
I have to disagree here too. I mean, I am pro-immigration. And as such I am a minority amongst my conservative and liberal friends.

Still, if you are to dictate public policy your race or heritage is of no importance. Your ideas are.

[kwais]

Again, I want to reiterate that I would never vote for Huckabee.

I am just pointing out flaws that I see in y'alls arguments.

Funny thing, in his show yesterday (which usually i can't watch because it is not entertaining, but I was kind of stuck in front of the tv yesterday).
In his show he gave as his defense of conventional marriage that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all had as a fundamental tenet that marriage was between 1man and 1woman. And I thought to myself, "that is not true of Islam"
(nor Mormonism, but he doesn't consider that to be Christian).

[Taktix?]

Kwais,

You're right, I did resort to some low blows, especially with the immigration.

But I get especially pevved by creationists, because undermining science is undermining a child's development in logic and common sense. And based on how we as a generation are spending, our kids are going to need a shit-ton of common sense and logic to bail us out of this one.

I agree about AGW being taught as science too, but the push for it is overwhelming right now. Like any bad theory, conflicting evidence will eventually reach the mainstream, and that's the time to fight that fight. Attempting to refute AGW right now is simply discrediting in our current environment...

[kwais]

more wasted type about Huckabee but:

I find Pro-Life and Pro-Death Penalty incomptable.

I think the argument goes; infants haven't had a chance at life yet, but someone convicted to die has had the chance and proven he is unfit to live in society.

Also about Huckabee wanting to change the constitution;
Well, I obviously disagree with Huckabee. Still his plan is better than Obama's and the other Republican candidate's plan to just ignore the constitution.

[kwais]

Tactix,
I wholly agree.
I just think that there should be school choice and that the parents and teachers will decide what should be taught, not the government.

[J sub D]

In his show he gave as his defense of conventional marriage that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all had as a fundamental tenet that marriage was between 1man and 1woman. And I thought to myself, "that is not true of Islam"
(nor Mormonism, but he doesn't consider that to be Christian).

Why let silly things like relevant facts get in the way of an argument? See the War on Drugs Human Nature for further examples. This is one reason that creationism being taught in the schools is pure bullshit. Facts are facts and all of the sophistry that creationists (and drug warriors) excel at doesn't change that. Somebody who can deny or ignore one facet of reality because it is personally uncomfortable (or politically expedient) can ignore others for the exact same reasons.

There are no homosexuals in Iran.

[J sub D]

I just think that there should be school choice and that the parents and teachers will decide what should be taught, not the government.

The "more libertarian than thou" types will tell you that government should not have anything at all to do with education. Let the poor educate themselves using privately funded libraries for resources.

Me? I'm for vouchers for any K-12 student whose parents want to opt out of the public schools. Some school districts would fare well in such a competitive environment, I went to one. Others (Detroit springs immediately to mind) would have to disband.

[Homosexual in Iran]

POOF!

*disappears in cloud of purple smoke*

[kwais]

There are no homosexuals in Iran.
Nor west Texas.

[J sub D]

POOF!

*disappears in cloud of purple smoke*

Neatly explaining the origin of the Aussie slang "poofter".

[Naga Sadow]

Is that where the term came from? Huh. The more you know I suppose.

[Suki]

Taktix,

B: An ancient, leftover practice for wealth exchange
C: In Modern Times, a tax status

I go along with what you say there and I am spiritual, not the R word.

So, maybe my bookwriter buddy is on to something? But I still want a pretty dress, lots of poetry and a ceremony in a house of worship, any old worship will do but the more traditional ones are my like for this.

SEE THAT BELOVED BOYFRIEND IF YOU ARE READING THIS? HINT HINT!

Hazel,

It's entirely plausible that instead of getting a marriage "license", you could go to your church, and sign some kind of contractual agreement entitling your spouse to certain rights and outlining what happens to children and inheritances.

Is it okay if I prefer that part to be done at a lawyer's office rather than a preacher's office?

[kwais]

Suki,

I am kind of afraid to ask, but does your bf post here?

[Suki]

kwais,

Not that I know of and he (beloved boyfriend) is only recently aware of this blog from my posting here.

My book writer friend reads here but does not post, at least from the last he mentioned not long ago. That is how I found out about H&R, through him.

He (writer guy) had the couple in his book have one of those "LLC" marriages like you guys are talking about and knows a couple who did that for real.

BTW, I felt bad about having my link going to the book site every time and tried to change it to my Bebo profile for this name, but as I complained about on one of these threads my browser is not letting me keep the change.

Yes, I uncheck the remember me thingie, I out in other URLs, nothing works.

[Suki]

I out PUT in other URLs, nothing works.

Probably user error.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

MaterialMonkee | April 5, 2009, 6:23pm | #
quoth:
Was that Robert Heinlein a Libertarian?
He struck me as some kind of imperialistic nut job from Starship troopers

I'm going to pretend that you're not a troll so that I can mention that I first found RAH about ten years of age and just devoured his works. Time Enough for Love was my first exposure to basic libertarian thought. I worked backwards thru much of his oeurvre and discovered The Moon is a Harsh Mistress after I had read most of his other works. Coincidentally I read Atlas Shrugged about the same time and was cemented as a social liberal, fiscal conservative by my mid-twenties. To this day I consider Heinlein second only to my father as the shaper of my political philosophy. At 55 years old, RAH is probably my favorite writer.

BTW, don't base Starship Troopers on the movie alone (although I loved the shower scene).

.. Hobbit

[engineer]

Paul Verhoeven should suffer severely for butchering Starship Troopers. A-hole didn't even read it.

[Hazel Meade]

The singularity is a fun concept, but there are no such things in nature. Just discontinuities and mass extinction events.
I'd be more scared that any "singularity" like event in our future is going to be a world war or global economic collapse. (For real, not this faux shit.)

Also, we really have no clue how consciousness works. Both bymbolic-logical and computational approaches to intelligence are fundamentally flawed.
The next wave is the extended mind/situated cognition/dynamical systems theory approach.

But our mathematical tools wrt that are still kinda shite.

[engineer]

Yea, I am but a lowly undergraduate. But I'll be out by December. Whoo hoo!

[engineer]

I remember reading Starship Troopers and being pleasantly surprised that there was a film version.

Then I saw the film version.

Needless to say, the contrast destroyed whatever youthful innocence I had left, and ingrained in me a lasting grudge against Paul Verhoeven.

[engineer]

I'm pretty sure that libertarians have permanent minority status. All we can do is watch the train wreck happen.

[High Every Body]

Isn't the singularity the last Libertarian standing? Should be happening sometime in 2012 according to that calendar.

[hagbard]

That's one dumpy looking house.

[dhex]

the rule appears to be that the film version is *amazing* so long as you're not a heinlein fan.

besides, if you want to talk shitty adaptations, henry and june would do it. that'd be like watching a movie based on a book by verhoeven about heinlein.

also you can't hate on the guy who made robocop and showgirls, the latter of which is easily the most savage film about the slow undeath of the american dream in the last 30 years.

[kevrob]

I don't know if I'd like that house. Sure, it's nice during a Colorado winter to have a door into summer, but I've heard that the walls don't keep out cats.

If it came with an Eager Beaver, Hired Girl or Flexible Frank, and a Window Willie, I'd be intrigued. Of course, a girl Friday would be best, but she'd want a salary.

It goes without saying that the master bedroom must have a waterbed.

Kevin