So, who's paying for the lunch?? Seriously, a lot of people who did great things were dreadful company, for example Edison was known for not washing, Kierkegaard was often wildly depressed and Stalin might have had you shot before the coffee arrived. I would have to go with someone who was great raconteur and knew his way around a wine menu, I guess that puts Churchill somewhere to the front. Then again, there is Mr. Creosote... Image Unavailable, Please Login
The Dagwood comment was hilarious - and I just got back from the deli! If I had to pick just one person from everyone else, it would be Tazio Nuvolari. But I would need a translator, and I'd really prefer if his wife could join us. I'm obviously interested in his career as a motorcycle and racecar driver. And his obvious love of racing. Other people in the running if Tazio's not interested in grabbing a bite to eat: Mohandas 'Mahatma' Ghandi. I'm interested in his personal reasons behind his life's choices. Milton Snavely Hershey - for obvious reasons; the man was incredible. There are some people on this forum with whom I'd like to sit down and chat... Kram is one, Terry Phillips is another, and thread-starter Mike Seals. Kram for the undoubtedly amazing stories; Terry because he seems to know an excruciating amount of information about a lot of things; and Seals because of some of his interesting posts. Someone said that no one mentioned Enzo in their lists. I'd be down for shooting the breeze with Ferrari, but I don't think he'd be interested in chatting. After Dino died, he seemed to be a loner; I'm not a racecar driver, an engine designer/builder, an American importer or a fat-walleted customer - so I don't see how he'd be interested in having lunch with me. Of course, that goes without saying about anyone else in my list.
Honestly there would be soo many people I would like to have known/or been able to talk to...but anyways I can't just choose one...so here are some random examples As for family.. My great-grandfather who was killed under Stalin's power. Curious to know the real story. My great-grandmother. I guess any of my "ancestors". Would like to know what life was like for them in the Russian Empire and surrounding areas... My sister, however she died at too young an age to actually be able to hold a conversation... As for non-family.... Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (K I'm such a girl, I know)...actually a very interesting woman...would like to discuss fashion and her legend obviously, but also just chat about her life in general and about all those supposed affairs she had! Politics & such....Nikita Khrushchev...I'm weird and have an obsession with him. And maybe Roman Emperor Nero.... King Henry VIII...see if I could have made it as one of his wives.. Elizabeth Bathory to see how eccentric and "insane" she really was but I'm assuming that lunch would not end well I agree and think that Enzo wouldn't be very talkative and I'm sure he would not particularly care to lunch with me...he would probably just see me as an annoying bimbo or something.
Nikola Tesla to me one of the most under appreciated genius of the 20th century 2 questions 1-Does he feel anger at being overlooked for some of the greatest discoveries and inventions ever made. 2-Did his Death Ray really work, and was the explosion over Tunguska Russia a direct result of it.
I did get a survey question once about what three people you'd want to have at a lunch or dinner group. My answers were Hamilton, Churchill and Robert Heinlein. Would make for an interesting discussion group. (And I could scarf the last dinner roll while they were debating economics. ) Tesla would be an amazing guy to talk tech with, ... ... but not over lunch. Tesla had some very odd eccentricities about meals. (For that matter, it'd be hard to find a restaurant, these days, that would permit Winnie's cigars ) (Oh, and Tesla's "death ray" wouldn't have caused Tunguska. For one thing, Tunguska occurred in 1908 and Tesla's earliest mention of a "death ray" was 1916. For another, while Tesla's "death ray" is often described as a "particle beam" weapon, Tesla's "particles" were just droplets of mercury, accelerated in a vacuum to near light-speed. It was an early rail gun -- but a continuously firing one, which puts it ahead of most later (more realizable) rail gun designs. Of course, today, there'd be issues with blowing continuous streams of mercury out over an area you're defending. But the design required a liquid metal.)
My father; He passed away almost 11 years ago and I'd take a year off of my life to spend 2 more hrs with him.
Obviously, no one will ever know for sure, but I don't think he would answer Yes to question 1. The most brilliant minds from what I can tell and from personal experience talking with, are some of the most humble - just like they understand the world better than most, they also understand their place, relevance, and lack their of in the grand scheme of things. And many simply don't care...they do what they do without regard of other's opinions.
Didn't he live his last years at the Waldorf or Helmsley or some hotel in NYC, because of the benevolence of the owner. Didn't he die otherwise in poverty? Shame if he did.
Interesting, Fan of The Tudors our we? It's a question I have thought about for many years. With such a limited window of time, I would dine with my grandfathers father. Very interesting man, only ever heard snippets of his life and each leaves a plethora of questions. Michael Milken would be an interesting person to have lunch with if he eats lunch.
I'd like to meet Abraham Lincoln and hear from him personally about how he felt during all the years he got beat down over and over before finally having success and becoming President, and then being assassinated. A lot of people have mentioned their parents, which brings me to another thought - I think Artificial Intelligence by Kubrick/Spielberg brings that to the forefront. From a Facebook note about movies that made an impact on my life: Artificial Intelligence - ok, ok, it wasn't superb and was far too long. A lot of people hate this movie. But what has stuck with me and I can't get out of my head was that the little android boy journeyed all those miles and literally those hundreds and thousands of years just to be able to experience one last normal day with his mommy. Sometimes when I think about regular daily life with the kids (whether in exasperation or enjoyment), I often think about that little robot who would give everything to have another day like that.
A lot of people won't put that out in public at the risk of sounding like a "Holy Roller." There is scorn for the religious in much of America. Perhaps this shouldn't be an excuse but I think it's the reality.
It is a flawed movie but still a good one and as you say the basic premise is heartbreaking. I loved it.
