Andrew Johnson of urban stone has tagged me for a 'four people, past or present, for dinner' meme. I don't think I've blogged this before but I've had the discussion and limiting it to four people is going to be hard, but here goes...
Isaac Asimov. My first choice - no contest. I would just love to have a long, rollicking conversation with this renaissance guy who wrote 500+ books on topics ranging from science and future prediction to archaeology and the Bible. And of course he is the author of the science fiction stories which formed my tastes as I devoured them, sitting in the library, lunchtime after lunchtime hiding from the bullies! I am not joking when I say that Asimov is one factor in my movement to a more liberal theology - for heaven without this feisty atheist would not, for me, be heaven at all.
Gough Whitlam. One of my passions in life is seeing the world changed for the better, and hence politics. And as a beneficiary of Gough's tertiary study reforms who now marvels (and despairs) at the huge debts current tertiary students rack up, I would be delighted to spend some time with this great, visionary, flawed, enigmatic, campaigner for a better Australia.
Jeri Lynn Ryan. Ok, so I'm a Star Trek tragic and who wouldn't want to have dinner with Voyager's 7 of 9? After all, dinner is about presentation as well as content and Jeri's good looks would grace any table (as the life–size cardboard cutout of '7' graces my study!). And as well as answering my constant stream of geeky questions about life on a Star Trek set, Jeri can also provide some culinary banter, being a lover of food, sometime moonlighting chef, and co–owner of Haute Cuisine restaurant Ortolon.
Mahatma Ghandi. Philosophy, law, theology, politics - this guy has got all topics of interest covered! And it would be awe-inspiring to talk to the person who has most significantly and successfully put into practise the non-violence teachings of Christ, and by so doing changed the world. I'm sure Ghandi would share my horror at the world situation, especially violence in Iraq and Palestine, but I also suspect he'd have some insightful and optimistic takes on what the future could hold. I need that now!
Well I know that as soon as I hit the 'Publish' button I'm going to think of someone I missed who ought to have made the cut but that's blogging...
BTW, speaking of urban stone, you really ought to check out Andrew's fantastic photos on Flickr. One has recently been used for an album cover!