If you could have six people, living or dead, to dinner --

[enlightenment]

who would they be? Why would you invite them? With the 'magical' assumption that everyone can understand everyone else, what would you talk about?
If you like, add where you would hold your dinner party and what you would serve to your guests.

I pose this scenario to my history students -- limiting them to historical figures from the time periods we are studying, and stipulating that they have to explain why they make the choices they do. They seem to enjoy combining their historical research and knowledge with a bit of creative thinking. I thought perhaps some of you might, as well.

[AllegroRondo]

1. I would love to get the great composers together

Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Puccini
Tchaikovski
and
Frank Zappa

what great conversation would ensue!

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Wow. That's all I can say.

[enlightenment]

4. I think Zappa and Beethoven would really hit it off! n/t

[ptolle]

10. As do I can I come, also

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. I think Zappa and Mozart, myself.

The cat who wrote "The Magic Flute" seems liklier than composer of the 9th Symphony.

[AllegroRondo]

29. Beethoven was pretty wild in his younger days also

but I agree that Mozart and Zappa would be the most likely to share a smoke and discuss the universe.

[blm]

122. No doubt that Beethoven had a few great groupie stories.

;))))

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Ok.

How about Tom Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, Teddy Rooseveldt, FDR, Warren Burger and the Chimp.

I wouldn't say a word. Just sit back and listen to them rip him to pieces.

[90-percent]

9. only 6, huh?

Frank Zappa

JFK

FDR

Al Einstein

Nikolai Tesla

L.H. Oswald

-85% jimmy

[enlightenment]

16. gee. There's a fantasy I could get into.

Let's see -- Teddy would rip him over the environment (though I don't think he mind shrub's imperialist ambitions . . .); TJ would get him on separation of powers (and church and state); FDR probably wouldn't let anyone else get a word in edgewise, he'd have so much to say; and Abe - hmm - dissolution of the Union, anyone? I'm not sure about Burger, though. A fairly liberally court, but I think I'd go with Warren. Do you have a particular reason for Burger?

[RaleighNCDUer]

102. Well, there's a 'd'oh' moment for you.

I meant Earl Warren, not Warren Burger.

[enlightenment]

110. Thought you might have!

I always have to think about it in class -- they were just to close together!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I would have a convocation of Sufis

Pir o Murshid Inayat Khan, founder of my Sufi Order
Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, his son and successor
Pir Zia Inayat Kahn, Pir o Murshid's grandson and successor
Jellaladin Rumi, poet
Ibn Arabi, Sufi mystic and historian
Murshid Samuel L. Lewis, founder of the Sufi Ruhaniat Society, first American born Sufi.

I don't think there would be any problem with translation, as all these beings speak the language of the heart.

[enlightenment]

34. I'd like to respond intelligently, so I'll be back

after I've done some research. Your party sounds fascinating -- I just don't know enough about Sufism (is that a word?) to comment further.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

76. Yes, it is a word

Thank you for your interest.

[enlightenment]

108. I'm interested in almost everything

like that curious cat . . .!

I found this website; it looks pretty thorough. If you have the time, could you take a quick look at it and tell me if it's a suitable primer?
http://www.uga.edu/islam/Sufism.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

117. Not bad, if you want a scholarly viewpoint on Sufism

Interestingly enough, my orders (you can belong to more than one) are listed in two categories: Islamic and non-Islamic. Funny, I think, because I noticed no difference. But it did look like it listed all the different Sufi Orders here in the US

If you would like to view Sufism from a mystical point of view, a place to start is this website:

www.churchofall.us

as it has links to the Sufi Order International, Mevlevi Order of America, and other related groups. That way you can read of Haz. Inayat Khan at the site you found and then check out sites made by his followers.

[enlightenment]

119. Thank you for taking a look,

I appreciate it! Since I'm a very secular, pointy-headed, liberal academic, I'll probably get a handle on the scholarly viewpoint -- but I won't ignore the mystic. In all honesty, I've never understood faith; I think you either have the capacity for it or you don't; but I respect those who do, as long as they realize that it is their business and not mine! Fortunately, most folks on the planet feel the same way (the US, unfortunately, is chock-full of those who don't!), so it's rarely an issue.

Thanks again for the review of the site; since we just started our winter break, I'll have some time to take a look.

Best of the season, ayeshahaqqiqa,

e.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

120. I think you are right

Every mystic I've ever known knew they were of that bent from a very early age-it is as if we are born that way. And I assure you it is not an easy path to follow, for much of your life is spent feeling 'outside' and unlike others, especially those who consider themselves 'religious'. So you rejoice when you find fellow travellers on your path. But you don't try and change others to your way, because it just can't be done. I hope I have shown the respect and tolerance you have in your posts.

[enlightenment]

121. ayeshahaqqiqa, I have never noticed anything but the

most respectful and courteous of messages from you, regardless of the subject on which you are posting. It is always a pleasure to read thoughtful messages, and know that they are shared with honesty and sensibility!
Thank you for your understanding and respect, as well.

e.

[hwmnbn]

6. I hate myself for thinking this.......

But my first thought was Charlize Theron six times.

let the flames begin :scared:

[enlightenment]

22. Can't say she appeals to me,

but I prefer those 'crested' rather than 'cloven'!


And it's your party, you can invite who you want to . . .
:evilgrin:

[hwmnbn]

37. It took me 19 minutes to figure out.....

the crested-cloven reference.

I was thinking crested like a bird?...cloven like a hoof?......DOH!!

I got to get out more.

[enlightenment]

47. Old reference -- my granny used it a lot.

I suspect originally it was similar to the whole white meat/dark meat allusion to avoid words like *gasp* 'breast' or 'leg.'

Sorry to confuse!

[hwmnbn]

56. With attitudes like grandma's, it's a wonder ........

they ever procreated. But sho'nuff here we are!! LOL

[enlightenment]

64. just lie back and think of England . . . n/t

[TahitiNut]

26. I share your good taste. (She floats my boat.)

[mainer]

84. Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Mary Magdalene, Joan of Arc, Guinevere...

(Assuming Guinevere was real) I'm amazed none of these women have come up on anyone else's lists.

[hwmnbn]

94. Ooh yeah, Mary Magdalene.......

I've heard good things about Catholic girls.

[JVS]

104. LOL

[justabob]

7. this is always a hard question

Samuel Adams, Socrates, Winston Churchill, my dad (died when I was very young), and now I am drawing a blank.

I think it would be interesting to see Socrates have one of his dialogues with Adams and Churchill :)

[maveric]

8. An eclectric group. But a fun bunch at that.

Tip O'Neill
Frank Zappa
Bill Hicks
George Carlin
Ernest Hemingway
Richard Nixon (just to fuck with him).

[BOSSHOG]

11. Thanks for the question

- Bill Clinton (inside the mind of a brilliant politician)
- Abe Lincoln (tell us about the civil war)
- Mark Twain (wit and wisdom extraordinare)
- Thomas Edison (tell us why you did not give up on the lightbulb)
- Mike Schmidt (the greatest 3rd baseman ever - why not?)
- Adolph Hitler (what the fuck was that all about?)

[enlightenment]

27. You're welcome,

this is one of my favorite mental exercises.

Everyone has such interesting ideas -- it's a neat way to "see" folks a wee bit better.

Love your party, btw.

[AZBlue]

13. These days it would be:

George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

OK, I know that's seven but, really, who out of that list could you cross off???

Anyway, I'd ask them how to get out of the mess Bush has gotten us into.

[enlightenment]

39. And seriously, I wish you could.

I'd love nothing better than to know how to fix this mess.

As for seven -- I had to up the limit this semester, as so many of my students desperately needed to have at least two of the founders at their party (their rule is one each from six broadly defined periods from prehistory to the end of Reconstruction). I capitulated and said they could add two more, as long as they had the original six.

[AZBlue]

129. That's a very interesting exercise!

A great one that makes them think a little for themselves and use some creativity as well. We need more teachers like you!!!!!!!!!

[enlightenment]

132. ah, shucks! *blush*

That's a nice thing to say, thank you!

I believe history is so important to understanding how the world operates; unfortunately, many folks find history totally irrelevant. The challenge is to find ways of making "old, cold, dead people" and the stuff they did interesting. It's particularly tough with college students who are only taking history to fulfill a general education requirement.

A great success for me is hearing a student tell me that they're thinking of changing their major to history (also terrifying; history is not the most employable of career fields, though it is a good base for many other fields). A reasonable expectation is hearing at least a few students tell me that they've "changed their mind" about history -- that it's more interesting and important than they thought. Those students make up for those who can't wait to bolt for the door!

I first heard of this exercise about 20 years ago, when I was working for AT&T (my all-time favorite telephone company joke: what do you get when you cross a rooster and a telephone pole? a 16 foot cock that wants to reach out and touch someone . . .).
I've loved it ever since -- as a party game or a solitary mental exercise.

The first time I used it for a class assignment I was astonished at how successfully it went over. I have a presentation component in class (gives them some non-judgmental public speaking experience, since I don't grade on the quality of their speech, just the paper they write) and they love to present this paper. Some of them even dress up, bring props, the whole nine yards. It's really neat!

Ah, I'm rambling on . . . sorry!

[AZBlue]

136. That's fantastic!

Really, we do need more teachers who approach it from the point of wanting to get the students involved and interested rather than just fulfilling the required curriculum like a check-list. I don't work in the education field but I work with the entire education market in my state on field trips and I see both kind of educators every single day. I can almost tell just from the students - there are those who have a sense of wonder and excitement and those that just show up because someone herded them onto a school bus.

I bet they do love it - you're asking them for their opinion! That doesn't happen often in school unfortunately - usually they are just asked to recite back what they were told previously. But you're asking them to tell you what they think - and while they have to use what they've learned in class, they get to input their own ideas as well. Everyone values having their opinion asked and it makes it more interesting for the students. We place so much emphasis on interactive toys and games for little kids, but we forget to continue that once they've passed the age of 5!

At that age, you don't understand how important history is, so it's great that you're making it more than just a required course to get out of the way. I've always loved history since I was little and I remember hearing the phrase "those who don't know their own history are doomed to repeat it" and thinking that was a neat thing to say - but not really understanding the meaning of it. Just looking around today at our country, I think we can all see the real meaning of that! Plus, an understanding of history is so necessary as an adult - without it you can really look like an idiot! I'm sorry, but I really don't use about 90% of what I learned in math, but I use history every day, in personal and business conversations. And I look fairly intelligent (fooled them, huh?) because I don't think "New Deal" is a car ad or that "Ho Chi-Minh" is a new dish at P.F. Chang's.

[enlightenment]

138. I was lucky, growing up,

my dad was AF and we lived in a lot of different places, which of course gives you a broader perspective on the world. Plus, he also has a degree in history, and believed that we should only discuss history at the dinner table -- sounds stifling, but with five kids ranging between 1 and 14, it was as much for sanity as education. Sparked my interest very early, I guess.

Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't teach high school -- try to catch them a little earlier. I used to tutor my son and his friends when they were in high school; they hated their history classes so much that I had to try and make it relevant for them. It's SO much easier to be interested in something when your opinion is considered. You're absolutely right that simply pouring it in is a ridiculous way to educate. I firmly believe (as do most of my peers) that the only good way to teach is the Socratic method, not the Aristotelian.

The problem with secondary education is the system. I could survive the kids, but I'm not sure I could survive the bureaucracy. I have so little patience with that sort of BS; they'd probably fire me before the year was up.

Ah, well. Everything is history, in the end -- and every moment is one that all of us -- teachers or not -- can use to teach. I suspect that is something you do every day, as do many others who frequent this forum. It is the nature of liberals; one of the reasons we are so hard to pin down -- we think, and we share.

Best of the season, AZ!

[LSK]

14. Clinton, Kerry, JFK, FDR, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin

[Blue_Roses]

123. that would my pick as well

:D: But to toss it up some, I would like Elenore Roosevelt, George Clooney, Oprah, Maya Angelo, and JFK jr. (preferably sitting between Clooney and JFK jr:evilgrin:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Bach, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Picasso, Lao Tzu.

True geniuses. I'm in awe of them and can't fathom how they managed to create what they created. Many more, but politicians, generals, and other criminals would not be welcome.

[BobRossi]

17. Hmmmnnn...

My mother and father, both deceased, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Jesus Christ, my Wife.

Dinner on the Lake Michigan shore at Norhouse Dunes, crab legs, corn on the cob, whitefish, and watermelon. (J.C. would bring the wine). Discussion would be about creating of the perfect society.

[me b zola]

113. Wow, that was beautiful

My list isn't complete, but my mother,who has passed, is on my list.

[Odin2005]

18. Hmmmmmm...

Paul Wellstone
FDR
Einstein
Darwin
Jefferson
Jimmy Carter

[Catherine Vincent]

19. Here's my list:

Patrick Fitzgerald
Bill Clinton
Patrick Fitzgerald
Richard Clarke
Patrick Fitzgerald
Cornell West

:)

[Missy Vixen]

32. LOL!

Cat_girl, I'm :rofl: at this!

Julie
president for life of the PFEB

[foreverdem]

118. That's my list too, cat_girl25

Only you can take out Bill Clinton, Richard Clarke and Cornell West and replace them all with Patrick Fitzgerald.

[Catherine Vincent]

134. LOL!

I started to do my list that way but I didn't want to appear too pushy. :)

[Geoff R. Casavant]

20. I would have the living ones, obviously

You must think I'm stupid :-)

(Credit to Stephen Pastis of Pearls Before Swine for that one)

[bigbrother05]

21. This is thought provoking, so me and hubby will brainstorm

Einstein=just because
John Lennon=he could bring the pot, mood music
Bill Clinton=to discuss current affairs
Thomas Jefferson=to explain the Dec. of Independence and Constitution
and birth of our nation to Shrub Bob.
Jesus=cause he's got lots of splannin to do Lucy
Mother Theresa=just to keep them all in line
Hold the dinner at a beer garden in Heidelberg.
They could have anything they wanted to eat

[ticapnews]

23. Is it ok to poison the dinner like in the movie The Last Supper

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113613/

I can think of six people I'd like to invite over, if that's the case.
But I can't list them because Agent Mike would send the guys in the black SUVs to my house..

:hi: Hi Agent Mike!

[enlightenment]

31. It's your party . . .

I won't ask, you won't tell, and none (including Agent Mike) will be wiser!
:silly:

Speaking of -- WHO is Agent Mike? I see references to him all the time. Is it a DU joke?

[hwmnbn]

97. I actually looked him up in the profiles....

Username: Agent Mike

Member since ....May 01st 2004
Number of posts ...0


I guess he likes to keep a low profile.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

98. yep. I don't know where it came from...

it was before my time too. "Mike" is the Secret Agent assigned to watch us here at DU.

[enlightenment]

109. Just finished reading the posts from your thread --

you gotta wonder . . . but hey,

Hi, Agent Mike!

[meatloaf]

24. Hmmmm, this is tough....

Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Abe lincoln, Winston Churchill, Gandhi, and Shrub.

I'll bet the other 4 would have to keep the pacifist Gandhi from wringing Shrub's scrawny neck.

[enlightenment]

33. ROFL!!

The mental image THAT conjures up!

[TahitiNut]

25. Jefferson, Gandhi, MLK, Barbara Jordan, Nietsche, Socrates.

... and plenty of wine.

[welshTerrier2]

28. my list

Leonardo DaVinci, Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, Margaret Mead and Kate Wolf (folk singer)

[schmuls]

30. What an interesting question!...let's see, Jesus, Marilyn Monroe,

Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Christopher Columbus and Jimmy Carter

[Buns_of_Fire]

35. Easy...

1. George W. Bunnypants -- for his awesome intellect and compassion
2. DICK Cheney -- for his warmth
3. Vlad Dracul ("Vlad the Impaler," model for Dracula) -- for his innovative techniques
4. Jack the Ripper -- for his compassion towards working women
5. Adolph Hitler -- for his political views
6. Tim McVeigh -- also for his compassion towards others

Then, as soon as they've all arrived, I'd slip out the front, padlock the door behind me, and go out for a pizza while they sort out things. (My guess is that they'd all probably wind up great friends.)

If I could add a couple of fictional characters, I might also invite Hannibal Lecter and Bruce (the shark in "Jaws"). That way, I wouldn't have to worry about what should be on the menu.

[enlightenment]

41. If you'd invite Heloise as a late arrival,

you'd have someone to help get the stains out of the carpet . . .

[kenny blankenship]

36. I generally don't like to eat with dead people in the room

nothing personal.

[BuyingThyme]

62. LOL

Note: This is my first and last "LOL" ever.

[Xithras]

38. Abraham, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Saint Peter, Martin Luther.

I'd like to sit them all down and have a nice long discussion about what their religions have done to the world, and how best to resolve it.

[justabob]

45. That would be a fascinating discussion nt

[Wind Dancer]

52. Great list, I'd like to hear that conversation! n/t

[seabeyond]

40. einstein, hitler, jesus, mozart, mlk, di vinci, hunter thompson

[seabeyond]

42. need ghandi and socrates too

[enid602]

43. 6 people

Wendy O. Williams, Mamie Eisenhower, Kitty Carlisle, Catherine the Great, Tricia Nixon and Cheech & Chong

[jackster]

44. since women are sorely under-represented by these answers...

here's my WOMEN ONLY version

Cleopatra
Catherine the Great
Elizabeth I
Golda Meir
Abigal Adams
Maya Angelou

[sweetheart]

46. good idea... ok.

Lahiri Mahasaya (Dead 115+ years ago India)
HWL poonjaji (Dead 10 years ago India)
Rama, Frederick Lenz (dead 8 years ago New York)
Padma Sambhava (dead 1000 years ago tibet)
Gangaji, Antoinette Varner (living www.gangaji.org)
Adida, Franklin Jones (living www.adidam.org)

In my party, if the guests would accept such an invitation itself would mean they
felt an outer meeting was in order, something unlikely indeed given the sorts
of beings to start with. So, "if" my guests were to accept the invitation, the
party would be 6 fully enlightened souls and myself.

I would serve the guests a meal of cold waters, sparkling and natural. Coffee
would be served generously, along with any spirit of the bar that fancied an
interest. Likeley the champagne would be extroadinarily expensive, more than
i can afford, probably i'd have to sell my soul into debt to purchase a champagne
worthy of my guests. But the honour of their grace in my life would be most
deeply welcome.

So, the intent of the party would be enlightenment. Little more can be said,
except that in even considering it, here, now, i am moved to tears of joy
to have ever heard of the list of persons i would like for dinner.

As enlightenment is without preconception, there is little point on planning
a discussion.

The table would be set a round table with 7 chairs. Vegetarian fare would
be served otherwise, along with fine deserts. Available to play would be a
middle eastern band and a troupe of belly dancers, if the guests so desired
tantric enlightenment dancing in a thanka painted tomorrow.

[blm]

48. Danny Casolaro, Jonathan Landay, Robert Parry, Jonathan Winer, John Kerry

and Gary Webb.

[blm]

49. Danny Casolaro, Jonathan Landay, Robert Parry, Jonathan Winer, John Kerry

and Gary Webb.

[Wind Dancer]

50. Great question!

Sigmund Freud -psychoanalyze the guests

Mary Magdalene - Honesty

John Lennon - Mind and talent

Ernest Hemingway - Brilliant author - disliked authority

Thomas Jefferson - Mind and founding father

Mozart - Gifted artist and I love the man

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr - Mind and visions for change

Dante - Weird

Howard Zinn - living historian to update Jefferson

I could only narrow it down to 9.

I would just listen.

[blindpig]

51. Alfred Russell Wallace, EO Wilson, Paul Shepard, Gerald Durrell,

Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut. We would talk about Life.

Why?

Alfred Russell Wallace: Co-discoverer of Evolution and probably the greatest field naturalist of the 19th century.

EO Wilson: Biologist extraordinaire, world authority on ants, co-founder of the discipline of island bio-geography, inventor of the concept of biophelia, other stuff I can't remember

Paul Shepard: Back to the Pleistocene!

Gerald Durrell, British writer/naturalist, early proponent of captive breeding for species survival, my childhood hero.

Mark Twain: Need I ask?

Kurt Vonnegut: Ditto.

We would talk about the nature of humans and our place in the world. When it was done we might all kill ourselves out of despair.

[onenote]

53. grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents

I'd want to have one maternal side and one paternal side ancestor from each of those three generations, so I could learn more about what their experience of the world was like and gain a little insight about my family history.

onenote

[newportdadde]

96. Thats a damn good answer.

I don't even know the names very far back of my ancestors. That would be so fascinating to see what they were like, what similar traits you have with them, advice they would have etc.

[charlie and algernon]

54. Here goes....

Jesus Christ
Mother Theresa
MLK
Nelson Mendela
Lincoln
Thomas Jefferson

A discussion on how to improve society and end worldwide poverty.

[TalkingDog]

55. # 1: The person that invented refried beans

Why? Because they are just about the best food in the world.

#2: Vermeer

Same reason, but paintings instead

#3: Salvidor Dali

Ditto. He was a big fan of Vermeer too, so they should hit it off.

#4: Einstein

He was an art lover and was a funny guy. Oh, and super smart.

#5: My great-great grandmother

She was a full-blooded Cherokee. She chose to stay and be assimilated. I'd like to know what that was like for her.

#6: Hypatia

The Einstein of the Greek era.

[Sgent]

57. Hmm....

There's a lot of them out there... but I'll take a stab at it. There are too many figures to meet, so I will choose social/political figures:

1) Adam Smith
2) Sir Thomas Moore
3) William Faulkner
4) Robert E. Lee
5) Socrates
6) Thomas Paine

[B Calm]

58. John Belushi , John Candy, Richard Pryor, Phil Hartman, Gilda Radner

and Bill Murray

[lonestarnot]

80. Damn that would be a stomach ache!

[Parche]

59. 6people

James Madison,FDR, Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Jimmy Carter,Bill Clinton


OR
Fleet Admiral Halsey, Fleet Admiral Nimitz, Admiral Spruance, Admiral Mitscher
Rear Admiral Dick Okane, Rear Admiral Eugene Fluckey

[Vinca]

60. What a nice fantasy!

John Lennon and Paul McCartney for one last song. Sam Kinison because I miss him. My mother who died when I was 8 because I don't remember her voice. George Bush - yes, Shrub - so I could yell at him until my voice gave out. God - if there is such an entity - to ask about this intelligent design theory. It all seems pretty unintelligent to me.

[InkAddict]

61. Sorry, the dinner party grew a bit, but here goes....

Thomas Jefferson
T. E. Lawrence
Walter Cronkite
Bill Moyers
Spouse
Sophia Loren
Susan B. Anthony
Molly Brown
Oprah Winfrey
Me


Formal
Mountain Spring Water

Antipasto - Cabernet Sauvignon
Brie/Gouda/White Cheddar w/Cracker Varieties
Ceasar Salad - Absolut w/Lemon - Fresh French Bread/Pumpernickel Rye Rolls w/salt & Churned butter
Choice of Bison Steaks - Burgundy
or Salmon Filet - Pinot Noir
Mixed sautéed vegtables
Duchess Potatos
Choice of Apple Crumb Pie/Chocolate Mousse/Fresh Fruit
Coffee/Tea/Diet 7-up
Port Brandy

INFORMAL
Choice of:
Unshelled Peanuts/Beer
Soda (variety) & Raw Veggies

Cobb Salad or
Cheeseburger & Oven Wedge Fries

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Sundae
Chocolate Fondued Strawberries

MUSIC

Classical - symphony/guitar
Bob Dylan/James Taylor
Fleetwood Mac/Eagles
Beatles/Beachboys

We speak about the worlds we lived in, how we coped with changes in our lives and what those were, we'd gossip about the uninvited, and vow to return to do it again at the earliest opportunity.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

63. Ghandi, Woody Guthrie, DH Lawrence, Jane Austin, Thomas Jefferson

and John Lennon.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

65. My choices

Gough Whitlam (former Australian PM)
Malcolm Fraser (former Australian PM)
Bill Clinton
Barbara Boxer
Kim Basinger
Jane Austen

[annarbor]

66. "Holiday Dinnner" with....

John F. Kennedy
Bobby Kennedy
Martin Luther King Jr
Bill Clinton
Jimmy Carter
Mother Rosa Parks


I would love to chat with them about present-day politics. The conversation would probably go well into the night...

ann arbor

[SharonRB]

67. Here goes -- hard to keep it to six

Bill Clinton
JFK
Barbara Boxer
Katherine Hepburn
Cary Grant
Gilda Radner and/or Bill Maher

[SharonRB]

82. My bad

How could I forget KO? I don't know who I'd take off, though.

[malaise]

68. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Mahatma Gandhi
Nelson Mandela
Bob Marley
Fidel Castro
Rosa Parks
Brian Lara

[leeroysphitz]

69. My dream dinner party....

Paul Lynn
Fannie Flag
Lesley Ann Warren
George Gobel
Shepard Smith
And Tito Puente

We'd have chinese take out right out of the carton with plastic forks and spoons. We'd drink Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill from dixie cups by candle light in my semi-finished basement.

We would have a rousing discussion concerning the behavior of Saharan dung beetles: nature or nurture?

I would then begin to pit my guests against one another in old school Texas style CAGE match, last person standing will win a 1981 Tomato Red Dodge Cordova with a factory installed C.B. radio and a ski rack courtesy of fine folks at Exxon-Mobil (who will generously sponsor the event.)

[Dr. Death]

70. *, Dick, Condisleeza, Rummy, Mann Coulter, and Rover....

but only on the condition that they *were* dead....

[Batgirl]

71. Instead of having 6 people to share one meal

I'd choose to have Mark Twain over for 6 meals. I'd explain what's been happening politically for the past 5 years, sit him down to the computer and show him some Chimpy videos, let him read a few transcripts and various lists of Bushisms. Then I'd take him through the drive-thru for some coney dogs, fries and a chocolate shake, then while we ate I'd sit back and listen to him hold forth on the thieves and charlatans that are running this country into the ground. I'd record every devastating word for release into the blogosphere.

[Cats Against Frist]

72. Okay

Jesus Christ, Thomas Jefferson, Frank Zappa, Gertrude Stein, Gilles Deleuze and that String Theory guy from "The Elegant Universe." Brian Greene, or something. If Christ didn't really exist, I'd pick maybe Aristotle.

I would simply invite them, because they are each important to me, in a different way, but their interests converge in sort of a place that unifies theories of art, politics, philosophy and physics/metaphysics. It would be hella conversation.

[Rowdyboy]

73. Julia Child, Molly Ivins, Anne Richards, Oscar Wilde, Bill Clinton and

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Julia Child must approve and supervise the menu-preferably something involving Cajun/Creole and seafood. She's also funny as hell and loves to drink

Molly Ivins and Anne Richards because they are fabulous and the stories they could tell about Texas politics would keep up all rolling with laughter

Oscar Wilde because he was wondrously witty and I'd have someone to flirt with

Bill Clinton....just because he's Bill Clinton and I couldn't leave him out

and, finally Eleanor of Aquitaine. Why? I understand she was brilliant, witty, devious, charming, beautiful and the fact that she was married to the kings of two different countries has always fascinated me.

We'd talk politics, and sex. I'd love to hear Eleanor and Molly swap tales of bribery and corruption in 12th century England vs 20th century Texas. Oscar Wilde would flirt with Julia while playing with my foot under the table. After brandy, we'd all watch a private screening of Brokeback Mountain and Oscar could discuss Victorian England and homosexuality. Maybe we could even get Eleanor to tell us the truth about her son Richard the Lionhearted and his "persuasion".

The whole thing would take place in a palazzo overlooking Lake Como in Italy.

[LWolf]

74. Dinner Party held at a resort/lodge

where I could rest up, enjoy myself before and after, and let someone else worry about cooking and serving. Guests in attendance, in no particular order:


Eve
Ghandi
Jesus
Einstein
Taliesin
Morgan Le Fay

[enlightenment]

75. Well, if I hadn't known it before, I would now be

convinced -- DU'ers are some of the most creative, interesting folks around! I'm soooo glad I'm a liberal!!


I :toast: you all! You absolutely :yourock:

Please join me in giving you ALL a big round of :applause:

[cinci_democrat]

77. Great Assembly

JFK
John Lennon
Kurt Vonnegut
Hunter Thompson
Gandhi

[cinci_democrat]

78. and

jimmy carter to keep the peace :)

[lonestarnot]

79. eWWW fun! Jesus, Einstein, Steven Hawlkings (sp?), Ben Franklin,

Bono, and a good-looking Irishman! No explanations needed.

[Contrary1]

81. Ok, here's my guest list:

The Dalai Lama
Jimmy Carter
Oprah Winfrey
Mother Teresa
Johnny Carson
Steve Allen

[cinci_democrat]

83. Steve Allen...yes!

:)

[Krist]

85. My Choice

1. George W. Bush
2. Osama bin Laden
3. Idi Amin (dictator of Uganda in 70s)
4. Charles Manson
5. Adolf Hitler
6. Che Guevara


#3 is a Cannibal
#4,5 are Vegetarians
#6 is a heavy smoker

#1,2 are teetotallers..

[northzax]

86. hmm, and eclectic group, I think

Caligula
Suleyman the Magnificent
Louis XIV
Ramses IV
Lorenzo de Medici
Kim Il Song

why, you ask? simple, these are people who knew how to havea good time and throw decadent parties. what to talk about? wine, women and song, of course.

[WinkyDink]

87. Jesus, because what the hey!

Sir Isaac Newton
Whoeverwasthereal Shakespeare
Richard Burton
Churchill
And Tyrone Power, because he was gorgeous!

[serryjw]

88. This Holiness the Dali Lama

Richard Gere

Lama Surya Das (My introduction to Buddhism that changed my life)

Dennis Kucinich

Cynthia McKinney

Maxine Waters

[LaurenG]

89. Christ, Joan of Arc, Buddha, Ben Franklin, Tesla and my

great great great grandmother on my mom's side.

I would talk about the state of the world. I would want Tesla to give me the answers to some of his work and figure out how to distribute free energy. I'd delve into the mind of Ben Franklin on the issues of our country and some info on agriculture. I'd like to learn about tolerance and overcoming suffering from Buddha, have Joan teach me how she went about her revolution. I'd ask my ggg grandmother who her parents were so I could trace her linage (my mom has been searching for 30 years, so I'd do it for her) and ask Christ for a miracle and to tell me what he REALLY said.

I'd serve wine and bread and roasted vegetables and some potatoes and a roasted chicken and apple pie for dessert. I'd ask Christ and Buddha to say grace. We'd eat in my dining room and I would stay up all night with a tape recorder and paper and pencils to get it all down and I'd hope I asked the right questions.

[Telly Savalas]

90. My wife, my daughter, my mom and dad, my brother and his wife.

And it's gonna happen in 5 days, so I'm pleased as punch.

Happy holidays!

[Midnight Rambler]

91. Mark Twain and Hunter S. Thompson

Those are the two most important ones on the list. I'd love to just hear those two ramble on about America. I suspect they would have much in common in their outlook on their countrymen. I'm also curious as to what Twain would say about drugs. Or what Twain would be like if he tried acid.

Other than that, probably George Carlin, Jon Stewart, John Lennon, and James Madison.

[BeTheChange]

100. Great minds :)

Hunter Thompson
George W Bush
Thomas Jefferson
Jesus Christ
Mark Twain
Dali Lama
Bob Marley

Yeah, I know it's 7... but GWB was a nessecity not a priveledge... she he doesnt count.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

92. Socrates, Einstein, Nietsche, Ben Franklin, Mozart and DR Phil Mcgraw

The first five for the intellect creativity and genius. The last for the other six of us to completely mock to shreds.......

[FVZA_Colonel]

115. God, watching those five go at "Dr." Phil would be magnificent.

I hoped you be kind enough to videotape it and upload a copy onto the net.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

93. I draw the line at having dinner with dead people.

Although being a nurse, few things bother my appetite.:)

[pilgrimsoul]

95. Here's my list

John Conyers
Patrick Fitzgerald
Sen. Byrd
Elizabeth I
Jimmy Stewart
Michelle Kwan

I'd have a campfire about 20 yards from a beautiful lake and have everyone arrive at sunset. First we'd have some nice cold beer and get acquainted. I'd keep the food very simple - roasted chicken with red potatoes cooked over the fire. After dinner, we'd all sit around the fire, making smores and drinking hot chocolate. We'd just laugh and talk together about anything that popped into our minds. No agenda and no one feeling like they have to live up to some reputation or impress anyone else - just an honest, open sharing among a group of people at their most relaxed. Just let the conversation be what it's gonna be and love every minute of it.

[Sapphire Blue]

99. Mom, dad, and grandparents.

[Bombero1956]

101. my 6

Elvis Presley

Martin Luther King

Benjamin Franklin

Winston Churchill

Groucho Marx

Golda Mier

[troubleinwinter]

103. Guest list:

Chief Joseph

Thomas Jefferson

Queen Elizabeth I

Jimmy Carter

Jesus

Abraham Lincoln

[JVS]

105. Living people make better dinner guests than dead people

[Kablooie]

106. Even if they were six fascinating people ...

.. how could you even eat with six dead bodies around you?

[enlightenment]

111. Ya'll just aren't going to let me live down that

grammatical faux pax, are you!!

sigh.

Well, it wasn't my first mistake, and it won't be my last . . . :silly: !!

[PurityOfEssence]

107. Shakespeare, Voltaire, Moliere, Burr, Lincoln, Churchill

Now wouldn't THAT be fun?

By the way, I'm talking about the REAL Shakespeare, not any of the other placeholders that dried-up academics think wrote those plays.

Well, we'd need some cakes and ale, Voltaire would need lots of coffee, Aaron would probably partake in a dabbling fashion with whatever was served, Lincoln would have simple fare, and Churchill would dine heartily on meat with a goodly portion of brandy. What M. Poquelin would desire is open to question, but he'd be fine company.

The proper setting would be a largish room, perhaps a rehearsal hall, with a roaring fire.

They would be invited for their keen understanding of the human condition, and even if they didn't know of each other, they'd find easy conversation.

More than anything else, these were truly creative visionaries with a desire for influencing the rest of the world. None of them were shrinking violets waiting for the world to do their bidding; they were go-getters who navigated difficult times to do what they wanted. They would have all loved Burr, and the hilarity would have been electric.

[FVZA_Colonel]

112. My Picks:

1. J.R.R. Tolkien

2. Phillip K. Dick

3. Stephen Baxter

4. Ken Kesey

5. Voltaire

6. Hunter S. Thompson\

If a seventh and eighth guest were allowed, Kurt Vonnegut and Franz Kafka.


All commedian version:

1. John Belushi

2. Jon Stewart

3. Jackie Gleason

4. George Carlin

5. Ron White

6. Dick Van Dyke


All acting version:

1. Charlie Chapman

2. Jimmy Stewart

3. Audrie Hepburn (the most breath taking woman I have ever seen, in physical appearance but more importantly, in acting talent)

4. Jack Nicholson

5. Edward Norton

6. Natalie Portman


All directing version:

1. George Romero

2. Beat Takechi

3. Martin Scorsese

4. D.W. Griffith (if only to try to understand why he made Birth of a Nation)

5. Alfred Hitchcock

6. Akira Kurosawa


All 20th century musician version:

1. Johnny Cash

2. Chuck Berry

3. Bob Marley

4. John Lennon (perhaps cliche, but damn it, I choose him)

5. Kurt Cobain

6. Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong

[Danieljay]

127. Great options...

you are awesome!

[AlienGirl]

114. That's a really good idea...

I think I'll have six living or dead people come over for a party. :evilgrin:

Tucker

[Binka]

116. Dorothy Parker, Malcom X, Bill Hicks, Charles Dickens, Arundhati Roy

and Johnny Carson. Because I LOVE them!

[Danieljay]

124. I LOVE it...My house, I'd have wine, cook Italian food and I would invite:

1. Jesus
2. Bill Clinton
3. Joseph Campbell
4. Maya Angelou
5. my best friend Rob Simon
6. My partner and lover Kath R.

(7) My Grandpa Soule

What would we talk about? Thats easy. Whatever comes up.

[rpgamerd00d]

125. The Beatles.... and.... um.... two random supermodels for me to sleep with

:D

[Danieljay]

126. That's great...I wish you the BEST! n/t

[MN ChimpH8R]

128. Tough - gotta do multiples

The Ancient World

Akhnaten (18th Dynasty Pharoah, first monotheist in recorded history)
Amenhotep, Son of Hapu (Outlived all the other inner circle courtiers of the 18th Dynasty and presumably knows what happened to who)
Socrates
Aristotle
Aeschylus
Hypatia (last head of the Library at Alexandria)

Musicians/Composers

Ludwig van Beethoven
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Claude Debussy
Edgard Varese
Frank Zappa
Alexander Scriabin

The Renaissance/Enlightenment

Leonardo da Vinci
Voltaire
John Locke
Michaelangelo
Sir Francis Drake
Spinoza


American Giants

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Earl Warren
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
Abraham Lincoln

Unthemed

JFK (wit and intelligence)
Winston Churchill (gotta have him there)
The Buddha (enlightenment)
Jesus (ditto, and to debunk the myths of Organized Christianity)
Benjamin Franklin (master raconteur, wit, and Renaissance man)
Albert Einstein (humility, genius, humaneness)
Adolf Hitler (just what were your issues, man?) for coffee afterwards, after Churchill drinks himself unconscious

The site would be Restaurant Paul Bocuse outside of Lyon. The menu anything Maitre Bocuse might care to cook. I control the wine list for those of us who are drinking.

[Chabs39]

130. jesus, santa, ghandi, moses, elvis, and the easter bunny

jesus, santa, ghandi, moses, elvis, and the easter bunny

[Jed Dilligan]

131. Have a naturalist writers' reunion!

Balzac, Flaubert, Zola, Norris, Dreiser, Orwell

[Oldtimeralso]

133. Dinner with six I've met

JFK
Ted Kennedy
John Glenn
Paul Douglas
John Edwards
Richard Durbin

[enlightenment]

135. You met all those folks?

Cool! Care to share a few details?

[Javaman]

137. Just one person, my dad.

I miss him. :(