Toluu

Aurelius Maximus

I strive to steer clear of easily divined points - how am I doing?

#TCOT Round 2: Convince Me I Am Wrong on Auto Loans and I Will Publicly RecantDecember 13 2008

One of the first things that drew me to new media applications like Twitter and FriendFeed is the way in which they exponentially expanded our ability to share our thoughts and engage in debates over ideas. The downside to all of this is that once we choose to put our ideas and opinions out there there is no taking them back.If your assertions are proved wrong you can either retain your credibility and acknowledge the error of your ways and recant or dig in and make it clear that you are no friend of truth.

I don’t ever want to believe in or continue defending something that has been proven wrong so when I directed this post at the #TCOT (Top Conservatives on Twitter) community that I have recently become a part of I did so in the hopes that it would bring me a greater depth of argumentation than the rampant hyperbole I had been exposed to up until that point.

If the central goal and driving force of the #TCOT community is going to be something other than the advancement of realistic, practical and achievable solutions that are founded on

#TCOT Why This Conservative Currently Supports the Auto LoansDecember 13 2008

I’ve experienced a decent amount of condescension from my fellow TCOTers for questioning the wisdom of denying the extension of loans to our auto manufacturers. I wouldn’t mind it so much if the condescension was attached to arguments that addressed anything resembling the world we actually live in.

As my friends on the other side of the aisle can tell you I will argue all day long that, generally speaking, limited government and freer markets provide the best outcomes for all. Unfortunately, we live in a world that often demands that we make difficult decisions between two less-than-ideal choices.

Telling me that the White House and Congress are not a bank is not a valid argument. Of course they aren’t but, and I’m just spit-ballin’ here so correct me if I am wrong, I am fairly certain that the legislation would direct the Treasury Department to loan the money.

I don’t want the Federal government to have to loan the auto manufacturers this money. I would prefer that our auto makers be able to pull themselves out of this hole themselves but that’s not the only consideration in this process.

My belief in limited government and the power of free markets is, at some point, theoretical in nature. WAIT. STOP. Before you freak out let me explain. I say somewhat theoretical because “lim

Xbox Live/Netflix Watch Instantly RecommendationsDecember 8 2008

My wife and I have been loving the new Xbox Live interface, especially because of the Netflix instant streaming capability that it brought with it.

While I look forward to the day that there will be a much wider selection available for instant viewing, I wanted to share some of the interesting titles I have found thus far.

Aside from The Office, I have spent most of my time scouring for cool documentaries - you will quickly see that I am fascinated by music, politics and subcultures/non-conformist views of thought.

Here are some of the things I have enjoyed thus far:

The Office - Seasons 1 - 4: ‘Nuff said

Downtown 81: A gritty, punk-rock fantasia starring legendary graffiti artist, poet and musician Jean Michel Basquiat, Downtown 81 was, for years, considered a “lost” film. It chronicles the hipper-than-hip downtown New York art and music scene of 1980-81 while capturing one of the most interesting and lively artists of the late 20th century as he stands poised for fame. Features appearances by Deborah Harry, Fab Five Freddy and Kid Creole and the Coconuts.

Put the Needle on the Record: Filmmaker Jason Rem traveled to Miami to shoot footage at the annual Winter Music Conference and came up with an award-winning chronicle of the evolution of electronic music and the role of the DJ in pop culture. The result is a thought-provoking collection of interviews with top artists such as The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold an

One Question To Rule Them AllDecember 5 2008

Yea, I know, I should be beaten for such a horribly unpunny title (oops).

You figure out the “why” and the rest will follow.

I feel unbelievably fortunate that someone introduced me to that concept many years ago - as I have tried to make it a central part of my approach to life I have seen its power. I have also seen how easy it is to stop one-step shy of the uncovering the final (real) “why.”

I have been thinking alot about the Republican Party, what has brought us to the place we currently find ourselves and how we move forward. I believe that most if not all of the explanations and solutions fail to uncover the actual “why” and as a result are destined to yield less than optimal results at best.

As I become more and more enthralled with all of the developments within Digital/New/Social Media I see a similar pattern as many “experts” fail to grapple with why these tools work in lieu of the verbal equivalent of a dazzling light show.

There are a number of people out there who achieve a great deal of success without ever bothering to understand the “why.” These individuals are talented and masterful executors of  the things they have been taught and while they are rewarded with varying degrees of wealth and respect they will never max out their abilities and will always be reliant on others to teach them newer and better ways.

There is also a small group of individuals throughout the world who, for

Digital Media and the Field of Dreams MythDecember 2 2008

You don’t have to convince me of Digital Media’s power - I’m already a huge believer.

While I am happy to see more and more organizations grow in their awareness for their need to take advantage of its many benefits, I am frequently amused/frustrated by the Field of Dreams mentality that seems to be so prevalent in their current approaches.

Digital Media is not a magic baseball field. People are not going to come just because you build Social Media applications. Creating a Facebook group for your issue or organization is not going to create a torrent of enthusiasm where none previously existed.

Take the Obama campaign for example. To say that their use of Digital Media created all of the excitement we witnessed is beyond ridiculous. I’m not trying to take anything away from the Obama campaign’s amazing use of a vast array of tools that helped connect and engage supporters but at the end of the day all they did was amplify what was already there.

This isn’t a chicken or the egg situation - in fact John McCain provides the perfect example. In the 2000 election with an enormous amount of organic excitement for his candidacy, John McCain was able to break new ground in the area of online fundraising (oh how quickly we forget - he wasn’t always viewed as technologically challenged). Ironically, it was the enor