What one person, living or dead........

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

....would you most like to have dinner with? Why?
Love, Ima

[windsor]

Galileo Galilei Why? Becasue he is Galileo Galillei. I would say Newton but he was mad as a hatter.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I should have clarified that the person must be famous --- or at least a celebrity.

Fascinating choice and reasoning, Windsor. The OP and I had this discussion at the table yesterday. Given that conversation would be a two way street, I'm trying to think of somebody I wouldn't bore to tears. After all, I'd like the celebrity to have a nice time, too.

Love, Ima

[CameronBornAndBred]

Any one of the Beatles.
I'd have tons of questions, and they are all funny, so it would be a great conversation.

[Bob Green]

Lu Xun

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/c ... _luxun.htm

That is a tough decision. I immediately knew I would pick a writer, but there is a long list of writers I'd like to have dinner and a conversation with. Ernest Hemingway and Henry David Thoreau are two others as are Jonathan Swift and Thomas Paine.

[windsor]

Although I do not have the intellect to hold my own with the likes of Galileo I think a summary of the state of science...particularly astronomy and physics would keep him interested. Oh,and I would mention that little dust up he had with the church and let him know that it after a few hundred years they said "oooops, our bad"

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I've studied J. S. Bach's works and many aspects of his life. I'd love to be able to have a conversation with him about how he used numerology to compose some of his works.

[DukePA]

Eleanor Roosevelt. I would love to hear how she handled being first lady given her impressive intellect. I would also like to know her perspective of the Depression and WWII and how she felt her husband's administration handled the crises of the era.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Hmmmmmm. Just as I suspected. You guys are DEEP!
Love, Ima

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Eleanor Roosevelt. I would love to hear how she handled being first lady given her impressive intellect. I would also like to know her perspective of the Depression and WWII and how she felt her husband's administration handled the crises of the era.

Mrs. Roosevelt would be a good choice. In addition to what you outlined, I'd want to ask her about how she dealt with her husband's affairs outside the marriage. She was so composed in public and helped keep his public reputation unsullied. At times, she seemed to be the one actually coming up with the substantive ideas for public policy. My interest is not based on a gossipy intrusion, but rather to learn more about how she did it. I admire her strength and significant contributions to shaping American policy in many important areas, particularly domestic policy.

[lawgrad91]

Marie Curie or Queen Elizabeth I. (Both?)

Both women were brilliant and had interesting lives outside their fields of expertise.

I hadn't thought of Eleanor Roosevelt, but she is fascinating as well.

[DukePA]

Eleanor Roosevelt. I would love to hear how she handled being first lady given her impressive intellect. I would also like to know her perspective of the Depression and WWII and how she felt her husband's administration handled the crises of the era.

Mrs. Roosevelt would be a good choice. In addition to what you outlined, I'd want to ask her about how she dealt with her husband's affairs outside the marriage. She was so composed in public and helped keep his public reputation unsullied. At times, she seemed to be the one actually coming up with the substantive ideas for public policy. My interest is not based on a gossipy intrusion, but rather to learn more about how she did it. I admire her strength and significant contributions to shaping American policy in many important areas, particularly domestic policy.

Absolutely, DitBD. I have dealt with marital infidelity and cannot imagine how she maintained her composure and continued to make her contributions. I don't know that I would have had the strength to do what she did. For the record, I fucking despise infidelity. There is no excuse for it. If someone is unhappy in a marriage or relationship, leave before you start a new relationship. Don't be so cruel to the person you committed to. They deserve better.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Eleanor Roosevelt. I would love to hear how she handled being first lady given her impressive intellect. I would also like to know her perspective of the Depression and WWII and how she felt her husband's administration handled the crises of the era.

Mrs. Roosevelt would be a good choice. In addition to what you outlined, I'd want to ask her about how she dealt with her husband's affairs outside the marriage. She was so composed in public and helped keep his public reputation unsullied. At times, she seemed to be the one actually coming up with the substantive ideas for public policy. My interest is not based on a gossipy intrusion, but rather to learn more about how she did it. I admire her strength and significant contributions to shaping American policy in many important areas, particularly domestic policy.

Absolutely, DitBD. I have dealt with marital infidelity and cannot imagine how she maintained her composure and continued to make her contributions. I don't know that I would have had the strength to do what she did. For the record, I fucking despise infidelity. There is no excuse for it. If someone is unhappy in a marriage or relationship, leave before you start a new relationship. Don't be so cruel to the person you committed to. They deserve better.

Jackie Kennedy did a pretty good job at that, too. And let's not leave out Hillary. But, we digress.
Love, Ima

[lawgrad91]

Eleanor Roosevelt. I would love to hear how she handled being first lady given her impressive intellect. I would also like to know her perspective of the Depression and WWII and how she felt her husband's administration handled the crises of the era.

Mrs. Roosevelt would be a good choice. In addition to what you outlined, I'd want to ask her about how she dealt with her husband's affairs outside the marriage. She was so composed in public and helped keep his public reputation unsullied. At times, she seemed to be the one actually coming up with the substantive ideas for public policy. My interest is not based on a gossipy intrusion, but rather to learn more about how she did it. I admire her strength and significant contributions to shaping American policy in many important areas, particularly domestic policy.

Absolutely, DitBD. I have dealt with marital infidelity and cannot imagine how she maintained her composure and continued to make her contributions. I don't know that I would have had the strength to do what she did. For the record, I fucking despise infidelity. There is no excuse for it. If someone is unhappy in a marriage or relationship, leave before you start a new relationship. Don't be so cruel to the person you committed to. They deserve better.

What you both said.

If you ever get a chance, read Doris Kearns Goodwin's NO ORDINARY TIME about the home front in WW2, and there is a lot of information about the Roosevelts' relationship before and after FDR's affair, and how Eleanor handled herself with grace and dignity in the face of it all. There's also a lot of info about her travels and how she helped formulate policy and also how she traveled to see how the various New Deal programs actually worked.

[DukieInKansas]

Any one of the Beatles.
I'd have tons of questions, and they are all funny, so it would be a great conversation.

The correct spelling is Beadle - and you have already had dinner with one.

[CathyCA]

Any one of the Beatles.
I'd have tons of questions, and they are all funny, so it would be a great conversation.

The correct spelling is Beadle - and you have already had dinner with one.

Love this!

[DukePA]

Any one of the Beatles.
I'd have tons of questions, and they are all funny, so it would be a great conversation.

The correct spelling is Beadle - and you have already had dinner with one.

Oh yeah! I've had dinner with a Beadle, too!

[CameronBornAndBred]

Marie Curie or Queen Elizabeth I. (Both?)

Both women were brilliant and had interesting lives outside their fields of expertise.

I hadn't thought of Eleanor Roosevelt, but she is fascinating as well.

Besides being queen, what was QE's field of expertise?

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Marie Curie or Queen Elizabeth I. (Both?)

Both women were brilliant and had interesting lives outside their fields of expertise.

I hadn't thought of Eleanor Roosevelt, but she is fascinating as well.

Besides being queen, what was QE's field of expertise?

I seem to recall that QEI was quite good at organizing people and moving the Empire's agenda forward. Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the men doing her bidding as they used to say. She was willing to have rivals (see Mary Queen of Scots) eliminated. What would you expect from a daughter of Henry VIII?

[devildeac]

Any one of the Beatles.
I'd have tons of questions, and they are all funny, so it would be a great conversation.

The correct spelling is Beadle - and you have already had dinner with one.

well played.