Covers may want to try this after dinner tease.

If it was possible to assemble 8 famous people from any point in history up to and and including the present day, to a dinner at which you would sit at the head of the table, in the expectation of fascinating/great conversation and exchange, who would they be?

To start off - a selection of mine - the text layout denotes their seating places:

..............................Me

Mohandas Gandhi...............Albert Einstein

Charles Chaplin..................Plato

Charles Dickens.................Niccolo Machiavelli

William Shakespeare...........Mae West

I suppose we are assuming we/they all speak the same language as well.

Interesting exercise - I need more time to consider the "mix" as well as the individuals. I can think of dozens of individuals for one-on-one, grouping them is much harder than I expected. Why don't you tell us what aspects of the folks you chose influenced YOUR mix?

What a great idea.

I was thinking about all of the famous people from Sports, History, Wars, Adventure, and Politics etc that I could invite and then I thought..."Hey, these are ALL Men! And none of them are related to me...I wonder what my relatives were like?"
So I think I would Invite a relative from each of the last 8 centuries (4 male and 4 female). It would be great to discover, first hand, how I and my family arrived at where we are today and I'm sure they would love to know how their progeny have fared.(sp)

What a great idea.


I agree!...although I'm skipping the part about "head of the table", and not putting too much concern into whether they'd get along with *each other*!

Circular table, moving clockwise:


me
Isaac Newton (I would be open to the possibly of a nightcap with this guy!)
Lester B. Pearson
David Suzuki
Jesus Christ (hope that isn't breaking any Cove rules)
Marie Curie
Albert Einstein
Sophia Loren (strictly as a favour to the next guest)
my dad


Note: I reserve the right to modify this list - I threw this together rather quickly.

As with Rachel, a round table and no particular order:

Winston Churchill
Lenny Bruce
Dorothy Parker
Mike Royko
Jonathon Swift
James Thurber
Stephen Jay Gould
Samuel Clemens

Tough call but I would have to go with:

Jesus
Genghis Kahn
Attila the Hun
Alexander the Great
Hirohito
Mussolini
Napoleon
Babe Ruth

What a challenge.

Here we go. This is a tough list to compile.

My Dad
Maternal Grandfather (millwright during WWII, 10 patents)
Paternal grandmother (school teacher in 1 room school house, artist)
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Henry Ford
Stevie Ray Vaughan
My Dads great great grandfather (owned a foundry a long time ago)

Originally I was going to fill it with family members from past generations, then narrowed it 4 family members, can my wife and daughters be walking around the room too?

At the risk of sounding un-intellectual, I'll say that I prefer my dinner parties to be a little bit rowdy, resembling a circus. That being said, I'd invite the following people over for a barbecue:

George W. Bush
Michael Waltrip (The man just isn't right. I find him intensely amusing.)
R. Lee Ermey
My Baby Brother (He's famous in his own mind.)
Chesty Puller (I know my brother would love to meet him.)
Ann Coulter
Toby Keith
Tony Hawks (Not Tony Hawk, the skateboarder)

I picture the results being something of a train wreck.

Good idea. :agree1: My selection in no particular order of preference:

Leonardo da Vinci
William Shakespeare
Marie Curie
Isaac Asimov
Amelia Erhardt
Attila the Hun
The unknown soldier from L'arc de Triomphe
Mahatma Gandhi

/Claes

If I was to sit down with the people that I'll list, I probable wouldn't be able to talk because I would be in awe.

U. S. Grant
George Patton
Neil Armstrong
Ronald Reagan
Any Marine from the Utah Beach Landing on D-Day
Any Marine from Iwo Jima

Walter Shewhart............Laetitia Casta
Henry Ford...................Lady Diana
Charles Sobraj.............Indira Gandhi
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Ok, here's my list at a round table:

Jesus
Abe Linclon
US Grant
Robert E. Lee
W.T.Sherman
Amelia Erhart
Marlyin Monroe
Jim Belushi ( just kidding)
Norman Swartzscoff(Sp.)

This is a good one! My round table list:

Jesus
Mohammed
Leonardo da Vinci
Madame Curie
Ann Sullivan (Helen Keller's first teacher)
Eleanor Roosevelt
My dad
Myself

Too bad the table is so small...

This is DEFINITELY a tough one...how to limit myself to only 8 people

I like stimulating dinner conversation, something that will make people think a little....so I would try and reflect this in my guests. I'm sure that they would find SOMETHING to talk about :-)

Steven Hawking
ALbert Einstein
Raymond Buckland
Pope John Paul II
Musashi Miyamoto
The Dali Lama
Bill Gates
Lenin

Stir well, and simmer at low heat for several hours. Add alcohol as required for flavoring.

With the previous assumptions about language but in no particular order except not the one in which I list them —

Pope John XXIII (Giovanni Roncalli)
Virginia Heinlein (Robert's wife)
Thomas More ("A Man For All Seasons")
King Sejong
Thomas, the disciple
Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr
Leonardo DaVinci
Me

Could I replace 2 people with animals?

I would have 5 much loved and missed family members/friends and two dogs that passed away, and Jesus. How could the opportunity be missed to not spend time with loved ones once again?

I noticed some listings that would make very uncomfortable guests -
Attilla the Hun? I'd be VERY nervous.
Plato? I've read his works - a very monopolizing dinner companion, and
noone else would have a chance at a glass of wine.

Well my list would include
............me

1. Muhammad (PBUH) chair
2. Juses (Issa)
3. Noah
4. Abraham
5. Moses & Aaron
7. Issac
8. David

& all others dwelling at the positive side are most welcome.

Sorry - I was thinking infamous, not famous!
Let me revise:

Barbara Mertz (favorite writer, writes under Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels)
Jesus
George Washington
Aristotle
Carl Jung
Nefertiti
Helen of Troy (A little iffy on this one)
My brother - he would HAVE to see this!

Aristotle
Ayn Rand
John D. Rockefeller
George Patton
Thomas Jefferson
Winston Churchill
Adolf Hitler
God's Parents


I think I would seat Hitler far away from Patton so one would live through dinner.

Jenna Jameson
Bill Gates
Linus Torvalds
Jesus (I may be an atheist but the guy had the right ideas)
Alex Fergusson
James Watt
Ian Rankin
J.R.R. Tolkein

i would just invite Jenna on a tour of the house and leave the rest to talk about what ever they want ;)

Some others besides those already mentioned:

C. S. Lewis
Colon Powell
Michelangelo
Margaret Chase Smith
Mary Magdalen

Jesus
Leonardo Da Vinci
Pope John XXIII

PS - I would have enjoyed being a mouse - listening to "The Inklings" too!

Sue

Good thread....
Here is mine....

ME
Paris Hilton-------------Angelina Jolie
Winston Churchill-------L. DaVinci
Sun Tzu---------------Benjamin Franklin
My Dad----------------Stephen Hawking
Bill Gates--------------My Uncle

I know it is 10 and not 8, but I am anticipating a no-show from either Paris (she is quite busy these days) and possibly Bill Gates (I hear he accepts a lot of invitations and then never shows up)

In no particular order....

Jawaharlal Nehru
Thomas Paine
Karl Marx
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin
Isamard Kingdom Brunel
My maternal grandfather (so I could talk to him about his experience as a PoW between 1941 and 1945 - something he never shared with anybody)
and for some light relief! Noel Coward

Hmmm, let's see....

* Me

* Frederick Buechner
* C. S. Lewis
* Hugh Laurie (I don't know about conversation, but God he is beautiful to look at. He'll be my token eye candy)
* Elie Wiesel
* Horton Foote
* Jesus (THAT conversation would take a while..)
* Medgar Evers
* Abraham Joshua Heschel

OK - I changed my mind. Instead of George Washington, I want Chuchulain, and instead of Helen of Troy, I want Tsun Tsu.

My list....

Randy
Randy
Marc
Steel
Greg B (still love that top 10 list you posted...)
Wes
etc.

OK, I'm KIDDING.....

But I'm surprised a few of these aren't mentioned here.

Deming (of course we've already met in person... I have pics to prove - he was facinating and would love to have additional converasation)
C. I. Lewis (author of Mind and the World Order)
Susan B. Anthony (gutsy lady - lived in Rochester, so alot of local hype.)
Amelia Earhart (another interesting person - and what happened to you anyway)
Mary (as in mother of Jesus)
Patrick Swayze (token 'hunk' but I've always liked him since the mini series North and South. If he's not available Tom Cruise would do.)
Bruce Springsteen (see top 10 thread)
My great grandfather who 'stowed away' on a ship, so we lost all tracability.

I appreciate the compliment. In fact, it helped me finally choose who I'd like to have dinner and conversation with and why.

I'd like to have dinner with my own ancestors beginning with the Hugenot ones who got caught in the crosshairs in the aftermath of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre August 24, 1572, which was the beginning of the Diaspora of Protestants from France, which ended with my family scattering to Holland, Switzerland, Great Britain, China, and eventually North America (both Canada and America.) Someday, I intend to visit the two towns in France which still bear my family name: Bucey-en-Othe and Bucey-les-gy.


I'd certainly like to have the one who decided to come to what would be North Carolina in 1687. I think I'd probably like to have the whole family from that era.

The one who sat in a military Masonic Lodge with George Washington during the American Revolution certainly would have to be on the list.

My list would certainly include my own grandfather, whose family were from Ohio and made their living by building rafts to float livestock and grain down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. There they would break up the rafts, sell the livestock, grain and timber, and ride horses back to Ohio to do it all over again. Gramps was born on one of those raft trips. He subsequently came to Chicago and worked as a prop handler for Thurston the magician before marrying into a family that owned and operated Nickelodeons and movie theaters (silent film era.) I met Boris Karloff with gramps in the 1950's when he came to town to promote some film to theater exhibitors. He told a little one-minute ghost tale I remember and still tell almost every Hallowe'en. He had a fabulous voice I can still hear when I close my eyes as I tell the story.

In my view, I'd be more interested in filling in the gaps of my knowledge about my own family than talking to comparative strangers about stuff I can read about every day.

Alas - it's only a mental exercise!

My list....

Randy
Randy
...
Two of them? :mg: Would the world (not to mention you) be prepared to deal with that? ;)

/Claes

Not 2 of them, both of them.

And of course I forgot, Cari, E Wall, Claes, all the regulars. That's the trouble with dinner invites....who'd I forget? In fact, I'm sending invitations right now for my son's graduation party, doing the exact same thing. Will person A know I invited Person B, and if so will they feel left out.....or feel like we are just expecting a gift......Very stressful.

I would probably sit the Randy's at opposite ends of the table though.

I would probably sit the Randy's at opposite ends of the table though.
Please don't do that; I want to be seated right between them!!

Not 2 of them, both of them.

And of course I forgot, Cari, E Wall, Claes, all the regulars. That's the trouble with dinner invites....who'd I forget? In fact, I'm sending invitations right now for my son's graduation party, doing the exact same thing. Will person A know I invited Person B, and if so will they feel left out.....or feel like we are just expecting a gift......Very stressful.

I would probably sit the Randy's at opposite ends of the table though.
The TWO Randys. How subtle and profound. Randy is, of course, two different people!

In regard to gifts. When you really want just gifts, write on the invitation,
"Your PRESENTS are requested!" instead of, "Your presence is requested."
That will help them understand their real function.

My great aunt used to hand write all her invitations in fancy calligraphy. Then she would include a small sheet of paper in her regular handwriting:
"The present of your presence is all we desire."

Wes,

For the couple teachers that have meant so much in his life I included a separate note that said "We would be honored to have you as our guest. Please do not feel obligated to bring a gift for Chris, you have already given him so much with your support and encouragement over the years." In one case it was a 3rd grade teacher who happens to be married to one of his wrestling coaches - so they really spanned his school years. I figured teachers get so many invites that it may make it difficult for them to know how to handle the 'gift' thing.

In fact, I'm sending invitations right now for my son's graduation party, doing the exact same thing. Will person A know I invited Person B, and if so will they feel left out.....or feel like we are just expecting a gift......Very stressful.

It's like you're a woman after my own heart. I'm going through the same thing with our wedding guest list.

This is a fun thread, and I'm sorry I missed out on the intial excitement due to a vacation where I decided not to acess the internet. I'm torn between the "family thing" and famous dead people! I know little about my family history, so inviting great-grandparents (none of whom I knew) from both sides would make 8 + me. (Although I am aware that my Dad's grandfather may have practiced polygamy, so we might need an extension on that table.)

If I went the famous dead people route, I think I would choose the round table, put in a few 'warriors', maybe mix up the religions for a little excitement, and in no particular order:

Elie Wiesel (heard him speak once, and he was very inspiring)
Albert Einstein
John F. Kennedy
Jesus of Nazareth
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Adolph Hitler (just what was he thinking??!)
Joan of Arc
Cleopatra

Wonder if Cleo and Joan would see eye-to-eye? I suppose Adolph would want to be the center of attention.

Am I the only one that wants to talk to Jesus' mommy - after all, don't mom's really know all?

Please don't do that; I want to be seated right between them!!

Are you just a glutton for punishment or is there something more we all need to know about? Wait - maybe we do not want to know.

Having met Randy once (for a whole week, but once) I can guarantee that the dinner would have lively conversation and wonderful stories.

Ok, now I am starting to wonder if I have something going on here......


NOPE

Are you just a glutton for punishment...
Some might say that! :lol: But, no - I've met both Randy Daily and Randy Stewart (on separate occasions, though db was present at both get togethers) and I'm a big fan of both (and db - except you gotta watch your credit card around that guy ;) )

This is a fun thread, and I'm sorry I missed out on the intial excitement due to a vacation where I decided not to acess the internet. I'm torn between the "family thing" and famous dead people! I know little about my family history, so inviting great-grandparents (none of whom I knew) from both sides would make 8 + me. (Although I am aware that my Dad's grandfather may have practiced polygamy, so we might need an extension on that table.)

If I went the famous dead people route, I think I would choose the round table, put in a few 'warriors', maybe mix up the religions for a little excitement, and in no particular order:

Elie Wiesel (heard him speak once, and he was very inspiring)
Albert Einstein
John F. Kennedy
Jesus of Nazareth
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Adolph Hitler (just what was he thinking??!)
Joan of Arc
Cleopatra

Wonder if Cleo and Joan would see eye-to-eye? I suppose Adolph would want to be the center of attention.I'm sure having Elie Wiesel (http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7ECAP/HOLO/ELIEBIO.HTM) and Adolph at the same table would prove to be quite interesting!

I'm sure having Elie Wiesel (http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7ECAP/HOLO/ELIEBIO.HTM) and Adolph at the same table would prove to be quite interesting!
Einstein might have a few words for the Adolph as well.

Einstein might have a few words for the Adolph as well.Yes, and Adolf would probably have quite a few words for everyone... :rolleyes: Many of the people in our lists were notorious for not letting others edge a word in, and not exactly inclined to be very forgiving if anyone tried... I have a strong feeling that many of the debates would qualify as a moderators nightmare.

I wouldn't want to be a poor host, but maybe a couple of stun guns wouldn't be such a bad idea.

/Claes

I mentioned this dinner party idea to one of my brothers and he's so obsessed with the idea of everyone getting along smoothly, and getting the most out of conversation with each individual, that he's been unable to list a single person (maybe not even himself.)

It's amazing how much you can learn about a person from their guest lists. I work with one woman that only picked famous, once good looking, men. Hmmn. She hardly knew of most people on my list.

Strangely enough, and slightly disturbingly, my son picked all Vikings - Erik the Red and etc. Thankfully, I'm not on his list with that group.

Strangely enough, and slightly disturbingly, my son picked all Vikings - Erik the Red and etc. Thankfully, I'm not on his list with that group.
One thing about that group, table manners would be at a minimum!!!:mg:

Laura, Cari, I would be honored to share a table with you anytime.
Randy, my jar head friend, we have shared C-rats and MRE's in spirit more than a time or two so a sit down meal would be great.
:thanks: :thanx: