h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I would invite not specific people by archetypes to keep the party moving along. One smart-yet-silly person, a philosopher, a biological scientists, a novelist, a playright, and a sci-fi fanatic.

and then the philosopher and biological scientist would get into a scathing cat-fight-of-the-wits about the nature of progress. And then teh sci-fi fanastic would die of ecstasy.

Then the novelist would write a book about it, the playright would do a bad adaptation, and the silly person would enjoy the play though he/she haqs no idea what it is about!

the right mix who are also compatible and talk and enjoy eating creating the atmosphere of distinguishness

Exactly; one should remember to invite new and old friends to a party, and be careful about the seating arrangement.

Yes, a mix of old and new friends absolutely. ideally, in a party of say, 12 (perfect, enough to be festive but still personal) everyone should already know at least 3 and no more than 6 of the other guests.

As for affinities, you need to orchestrate a kind of "chassee-croisee"; in other words if there is a Japanese symphony conductor, then a Swedish concert pianist makes a nice bridge with the French ambassador who was on post in Stockholm 20 years ago and his Dutch wife, who in turn will be able to find conversation about the conductor's upcoming guest appearance at the Concertgebouw, while the American translator of Murakami's novels can get the latest Prix Goncourt laureate talking both to the maestro and to the chef of the French restaurant all Los Angeles is talking about, etc, etc.

btw, only president bush and members of his cabinet may use the word "distinguishness". The rest of us are stuck with "distinction"

all my friends i treasure and are really distingushed to me i care for them as they are special

as an afterparty may go... Bush, GG Allen. SPACE, the Dealer, H.R., the guy who fixed my 'puter last night, Kerry (for the after-fight), Burrows, D. Adams, Pegboy, Bigg Gipp, the beer, J2, sugaarnuttzzzzz, --not Dana--, daniel D., Lloyd Kaufman, mister Miller, pino, probabley lots o' others.. and DUFFMAN!!!!!-B$

In terms of people, I would have my cousin Amanda (lawyer), my best friend Steve, Lou and Brendon from the band, my professor of Sociology, my late professor of botany, my writing teacher, my other friend Sean (philosopher), and my girlfriend Amanda O (different from other Amanda).