Another guy named Ben

Whenever I meet people named Ben or hear of a famous Ben, I find some intrigue in what that Ben has in common with this Ben. How is that person different? What have they done that I would do? What have they done that I wouldn't do? What have they done to contribute to the namesake of Ben?

Well, Ben Schott is one of those Bens who seems to be raising the stakes for the other Bens. A terrific holiday gift I received this year was his book, Schott's Almanac for 2007. It is filled with facts and observations from the year that was 2006. Some seem useless. Some seem impotant. Others are just plain out of left field. It makes a great little bed-side book, coffee table book, or conversation starter.

Ben's other book that I own is Schott's Original Miscellany. This book is seemingly more random in it's subject matter, but is just as thrilling. Each time you open it, you have another opportunity to be wowed by the connections in the data and observations he makes.

I just came across an interview that Ben Schott did with Radar Magazine. It was interesting to me to read how he views his own work and that of other news organizations, almanacs, blogs, and sources of information. He doesn't shy away from the fact that his work is his opinion. He describes it as a filter:

I tend to write it quite selfishly. I don't think you can write for a particular audience. I tend to look at any news story and say, Well, what do I need to know? Who are these people? Has this happened before? What's increasingly interesting about modern media is its filters: if you actually look at websites, technology from TiVo to iPods to blogs, it's all about filter. What we mean when we say we like a blog or we like a website is that we like somebody's filter. And we have several filters for different things. Of course our friends are filters. Word of mouth is the ultimate filter. So what I try to do is act as a personal filter. When I say personal, I don't mean political or partisan, I mean, What's the Schott's Almanac take on this? It's almost a sort of character.

This intruiges me because it is a way of saying that all facts are subjective and that no one person will ever really see the same piece of information in the same light.

Way to keep us thinking, Ben!

Politics for a moment

One of my friends commented that she was surprised that I hadn't commented on the recent win by the Dems in the midterm elections.

I haven't in part because I am scared to be too happy about it. There's a ton of pressure on the Dems to now perform in only two years time (which in political terms is probably like 200 or so days). No doubt that it's better to have Washington D.C. set up with actual checks and balances, but I do wonder what will really get done in the end.

I recently finished Barack Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope, and there was something he brought up which I think may be the most overlooked part of this midterm election. At the time the book was written, one of the biggest topics in Washington was the filibuster and the "nuclear option" (or a change in Senate rules that would essentially eliminate the filibuster as a minority tool). What if the Republicans had gone through with their desire to destroy the filibuster? Where would they be now that they have assumed the role of the minority? I'll be most interested to see if any Republican uses the filibuster in the near future and what kind of press it will receive.

Now, on Barack Obama. He seems to be getting ready for a run at the presidency. After reading his book, I'm still not sure he should run (basically because he doesn't have a deep enough Senate record to run on), but he sure is a candidate for whom I would vote. In reading his book, he successfully communicated his humanity and his aptitude for interpreting the Constitution.

That's perhaps the biggest reason I would vote for him. Not only is he a great speaker, committed to strong ideals, and open to compromise - but he is a constitutional scholar. He isn't just a politician for politician's sake. This guy loves the Constitution and really understands it's multiple interpretations. I just don't see anyone else out there that is as adept in that area.

So, if you are looking to find out more about Barack, I'd suggest reading his book. It's too long-winded, but I think you'll see what I am saying.

Seymour Butts welcomes a fellow author to the bibliosphere

Under the Bleachers by Seymour Butts.
Next Day Service by Tom R. Oh.
A Good Night's Sleep by Rose Refreshed.

If you can appreciate that kind of humor, than you'll surely enjoy a series of books called An Improbable Library: Books that Should Be Written Someday.

These volumes would certainly make a great addition to any coffee table, magazine rack or road trip. You'll come to expect a subtle appreciation for the moment of silence that follows the one liners as they zing off the page and promote a round of "Oh's!" and "I get it!" from a laughing-under-ones-breath audience.

Best when read aloud, these comedic notions come from my Uncle Jim, who has taken his act from the friendly and accepting confines of the family gathering to the printed page, seeing fit to subject the rest of the world to his insightful banter and dry wit.

So check out these books and you too may find yourself with new ammunition for the next family gathering.