Subject: DC4 - The Exotic!

I’m in Brazil from 7th April until 2nd May. Would love to be at this though. Any chance of a postponement until Friday 5th May? Clearly don’t want to be the spanner in the works so if you guys can do the other dates then go ahead, but I’d be very happy if you’re keener for the 5th.

I also know that Cheese is away for a couple of weeks now in Hong Kong.

Happy to try out the Oedipal restaurant you mention – can we blind Cheese?

X

p.s. good call on the fri or sat night – then we can have a massive night

I definately favour the silly cuisine option of braised antelope and
honey bee ice cream. Half the fun is visually witnessing Dave pour
cognac in his own own eye and if I know Dave's MO, if faced with a
pitch black room he will just resort to random brandy hurling.

Date wise I can do the 8th April, which has obvious advantages of
close to the beginning of the month if the meal is likely to be more
expensive. I can't do the 13th and would be happy with the 28th. Does
anyone know when Tertiary Murray hits the UK again?

Impressive array of times Georg - noted that you've arranged it to
allow you to actually get drunk this time. If anyone knows anyone
senior in Microsoft can we arrange for Ell.G#3547799I to be given
weekend shifts over the whole of April. I can't make anytime over the
weekend of the 5th May as i'll be away, but the original DC rules
apply. Dining Club is no respector of international travel. Though
Brian can probably expect better wild anaconda than us if in Brazil.

As for Max - I hear that Hong Kong is pretty retarded technologically
so obviously we'll have to await his reply by carrier pigeon.

Who are the retarded ones, britisher microsofters?

Glad to hear my choice of restaurant meets with general approval! I'm looking forward to an Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom style feast...

Thanks to R. Murray and L. Watt for highlighting the return to Blighty of A. Murray, and in anticipation of celebrating (or commiserating) with Angus, I suggest moving the date to the 21st April. Hilariously this date once again condemns me to a night of limited drinking as I will have to be up at 6am the next morning to get down to the coast to race boats around. My efforts to massage the dates into alignment with my alcoholic requirements, as noted by R. Murray, have failed once again...Drat.

One reason why I am slightly dubious about the blacked out restaurant with blind waiters is that you have to ask permission to go to the loo, and be guided there by a waiter, so that you don't knock anybody over in the dark... Freaky.

So - any major objections to Friday the 21st April? I'll book soon so reply swiftly (Max, feed the carrier pigeon Red Bull)

Georg Ell
Enterprise & Partner Group
Microsoft Ltd.

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* [email protected]

Sorry Georg, am going to have to take you up on that offer for further
complication... For totally selfish reasons I cannot make the 21st.
Far be it from my pocket-sized-faux-leather diary to stand in the way
of the might machinations of DC, but if other agree could we go for
the 20th? It's not as if anyone really works on Fridays...

I was originally going to suggest the Thursday, because I can always "work from home" on Friday morning, but wasn't sure how everyone else felt.

A straight vote then: Thursday or Friday or Ambivalent, those are the options!

Louis: Friday
Georg: Ambivalent

Georg Ell
Enterprise & Partner Group
Microsoft Ltd.

still getting CC'd

Dear Mr Williams,

Of course we will entertain your outburst since we thought you were someone else. Hopefully now your petulantly expressed annoyance has subsided - may I make a hopefully useful point in apology - do you think you chose the best way to get us to stop?

Perhaps swallowing your annoyance at our admittedly simple mistake and exercising some form of polite, non-offensive suggestion would be better in such future situations?

In particular the mis-classification of our messages as foolish was lazy on your part. Although there was a certain levity about them, nevertheless each one did contain factual content and a stage of debate that makes them more than simply as merely foolish. Indeed if you try arranging a dinner for people spread across 3 continents with a live video link-up I think you too will find a degree of light-heartedness essential in your task. Perhaps 'comendable foolish and informative' would have been a more rigorous taxonomic effort on your part.

Also, from your response I doubt that your inbox is bouncing back serious correspondence from world leaders and beatification candidates.

I shall invite the gentlemen of Dining Club (an assortment of hard working men as simple as the food they enjoy) to desist from further communication with you. Mr Williams, I, on behalf of we, extend to you the same invitation as before - to attend our dining club should you be in London, in the UK in late April.

Yours,

Richard Murray
Communication secretary and Dub MC