I’m tempted (like Mr.KnowItAll and Beeruser)
to take advantage of the day and spend some quiet time alone. But if it’s anybody, living or dead…I’m going for intellect AND some good laughs…it’s a toss-up:
“What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
–Oscar Wilde
“Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.”
–Mark Twain
Some nice answers so far. I like the idea of talking with Stephen Hawking, being a physics student.
If I were to spend 24 hours with somebody, though, I think I’d pick Robin Williams just for the laughs.
– Sylence
“A friend of mine once sent me a post card with a picture of the entire planet Earth taken from space. On the back it said, ‘Wish you were here’.” - Steven Wright
After careful consideration, I’d have to say Paul McCartney. Just to jam with the guy.
Hey pl, my hubby would probably pick Nathan East if he could pick a bass player.
Hmmm, my picks?
History:
Catherine the Great
Catherine de Medici (would I make it out alive? or was it Lucrezia that was the poisoner?)
Shakespeare
Now:
Sandra Bullock - she seems fun
Barbara Kingsolver - great writer
Fantasy:
old boyfriend
Zyada, what part of MI was your heartthrob from? Maybe I know him…(::laugh:: see Geographical Misconceptions thread) My dad always says “Michigan is a small town” cause you’re always meeting someone you know in some obscure place.
…it has never been my way to bother much about things which you can’t cure.
…it has never been my way to bother much about things which you can’t cure.
Well, he wasn’t from MI, he he just moved there for a job in one of the Detroit suburbs.
He was from England (Bristol) (British accents make me melt!)
Maybe Biggles knows him! 
By the way, thanks for considering me, sly…but why?
Aww shucks. You just seem a very interesting person. Besides, any woman who enjoys football and Alice in Chains can’t be all bad.
Dead: either Leonardo da Vinci, Nostradamus or Edgar Allan Poe
Living: Kissinger or Hawking
Sexual: Kathy Ireland, my wife
“Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.’”
E A Poe
Elizabeth Peters – who is one of my favorite writers and who seems like a person with so many interests she would HAVE to be an entertaining person.
Florence King – another favorite writer who seems like she’d be a real hoot. She is something of a misanthropist, though, and probably would not want to spend 24 hours with me or anyone else.
James Randi – 'cuz he’s my hero!
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
Charlie Rose
He is the most intriguing interviewer out there. He makes things interesting because he’s not just asking questions, he’s having a conversation. You really get a sense of his personality when he interviews, and I just think it would be neat to sit around and discuss sports and politics with the guy.
Jason R Remy
“And it could be safely said that at that moment, in the whole of India, no one, absolutely no one, was f^(king a goat.”
– John Irving A Son of the Circus (1994)
Harvey Milk. I’d want to find out how he managed to stay an activist up to the point where an assassin’s bullet ended his life. I’d also like to find out his reactions to how the gay-rights movement has progressed since his death.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I think it would be wonderful to converse with him about the status of the movements for civil rights for all, and about how he came to fight for gay civil rights in particular. (You didn’t know he was a prominent figure in gay rights?) I think he could even help to partially recuperate my cynical attitude about Christianity.
Dorothy Parker. The only person in the world I’d enjoy getting insulted by.
And whoever my current crush would be… Seth Green? Yummy 
How come no one has said Uncle Cecil? No to insult anyone, but you people must all be shallow and ungrateful. People like you make Unca Cece cry. (Or was it implied in the original question that we are all really talking about our second choice, after Cecil?)
I’m sure Unca Cece was the unspoken first choice of us all. Certainly he was for me!
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
The definition of an oxymoron.
D’oh
There is someone I met in Mexico two years ago. I would give anything to spend a day with her. We basically just talked for a few hours one afternoon, but it seemed magical. I wish I had the chance to find out if it were anything more.
Real life: Jerry Garcia, Stephen King
Fantasy life: kellibelli
iwould have to say, Axl Rose
hes one of the most intriguing people.
dead: jim morrison, hendrix, marley,
gandhi, etc etc etc
Chief’s Domain - http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~ravi
While working at Tower Records in the Village, we were closing and the final line of customers was formed. While I was ringing in a customer, I noticed that someone cut in the line unintentionally.
I finished and said, “Next,” and the one who cut came forward. The guy who was cut said, “I was first,” and the girl who cut just stood there.
My policy in situations like this was someone would relent and all would be good. Never failed before or since. But this was that one time…
Chick doesn’t budgem guy is asking me, “Who was first?” I was so surprised at the bullshit, plus I wanted to go home, so I said, “I didn’t see. Let me take care of her and I’ll get you next.”
He looks at me and goes, “Oh, you didn’t see? I know you saw. What, are you too stupid to know what you saw? Well, of course you’re stupid, look at your job!”
I stared right at him and simply said, “Fuck you!”
I rang in the woman and he started to being his stuff on the counter. I was like, “I’m not ringing you in!” and I started taking acre of someone else.
He yelled, “You have to ring me in! It’s your job!”
I’m like, “My job does not mean dealing with an asshole like yourself.”
“I demand to see your boss,” he said.
She came over. She didn’t like me much, but she liked overbearing jerk-offs less. I explained in front of him the whole deal, and sais, “I refuse to ring him in.”
She looked at him and said, “If you want to pay for that, go upstairs. He doesn’t have to ring you in.”
He was all, “Well, if he doesn’t ring me in, I don’t want it!”
She looked right at him and said, “Then I’ll be glad to take your merchandise and put it back on the shelves. And since you are not buying anything, you can leave or I’ll have security escort you out for loitering.”
Dude left in a huff.
Yer pal,
Satan