Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent

2014 Endorsement and Election Plans

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VoteI’m happy to announce that I will be continuing my annual election coverage here on Off on a Tangent as we approach November 4. Beginning in the next week or two, I will be posting my endorsements in every race and question on my local ballot, and there will be an increase in general election-related posts from here on out.

On the evening of November 4, I will also provide live results for each race I am watching, along with a live-blog. This live coverage is moving back to the ‘main’ site; I will no longer have a dedicated election site at another address. Live coverage will begin when the polls close at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, and will continue until all of my followed races are called, or until 1:00 a.m. If 1:00 a.m. passes with races still open, coverage will continue as time permits in the following days.

The home page ‘leader’ widget in now focused on the special coverage of the election. Today it contains placeholders for my endorsements (which will become links to them once they are posted), a list of key dates including a link for Virginia voter registration, and a feed of the most recent election-related posts.

This will be the tenth year that Off on a Tangent will carry political endorsements and live election coverage.

Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

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Battle for the NetIn 1995, I created my first web site. It was not much to look at, but the experience was empowering. I had my own little spot on the Internet, and I could do anything I wanted with it. From its earliest days, the Internet was built to be open. My little web site was entitled to just as much availability and access as CNN’s, or Google’s, or the White House’s. Of course there are money factors involved; I can’t afford as powerful a server or as much bandwidth as these large and well-funded organizations. But if a billion people wanted to go look at my stupid little site, and I was willing to beef-up my infrastructure to handle it, nobody could stop them.

This principle is the principle of ‘Net Neutrality.’ Under this principle, nobody has the right to preference some content at the expense of other content.

Today, Internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast want to create a tiered Internet . . . one where sites like mine get slowed-down in favor of other sites that can afford to pay for preferential treatment. This system would create a large barrier for new sites, especially those that require a lot of bandwidth. Sure, YouTube and Netflix can probably afford to pay for speedy access into your home, but what about the next YouTube and the next Netflix? How will scrappy start-ups—those who don’t have billions of dollars to spend on ISP kick-backs—be able to compete with the incumbent power-players? And if Verizon and Comcast get to decide which sites are fast and which sites are slow, what will stop them from deciding to limit or block access to their competitors as the legacy cable businesses begin to lose money?

Can you imagine if we had allowed phone companies to block Internet access over their phone lines back in the 1990s? Can you imagine if we allowed power companies to restrict what devices and appliances you can use in your home? That is the sort of control that Verizon, Comcast, and others want to have over your Internet connection.

I am proud to join with countless companies and individuals all across the Internet in the Battle for the Net. This is one of the rare cases where there is a real need for federal intervention (under the authority to regulate interstate and international commerce). Congress must act to protect Net Neutrality and ensure that the Internet remains a vibrant, open, and accessible incubator for the ideas and businesses that will drive our economy in the future. Please join the campaign. Contact the Federal Communications Commission and your representatives in Congress and let them know that you like the Internet, and you would like to keep it.

The views expressed in this post are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, Web.com.

Minor Site Update: Website 24.1

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I have just launched a minor update to Off on a Tangent, which brings the version to 24.1. Minor updates like this are where I launch noticeable (but relatively small) changes to the style and functionality of the site. Here are some of the things that have changed:

  • Style Adjustments: I have adjusted the gray to be lighter than it was and to add a slight blue tint, which makes the site a bit more ‘airy’ and modern than it was. I have also improved the styling of the ‘leaders’ on the home page (politics, faith, and liberty), along with a number of other tweaks and adjustments. I’ve also brought back the ‘pinned’ menu and branding that sticks at the top as you scroll.
  • More Polish for Mobiles: Website 24.0 was the first responsive version of Off on a Tangent, meaning that it adjusts itself on-the-fly for whatever kind of device and screen size you are using. There were some rough edges on mobile phones, which I think are mostly worked-out now.
  • Groundwork for the Election: As in past years, Off on a Tangent will carry political endorsements for every office and issue on my ballot this year, and we’ll have live results on election night. In the past, this has been handled on a dedicated election site . . . but this year I will be moving everything back to the main site. Although the code for this is not yet complete, much of the groundwork is now in place to support this.
  • Bug-Fixes and Enhancements: I have addressed a number of bugs and made a number of improvements to the site, particular in the performance area. The site should be noticeably faster now, and the amount of bandwidth you need to pull down should be significantly reduced from where it was.

I continue to support the most recent two versions of each major desktop, tablet, and mobile browser . . . so if you see any issues or if anything isn’t working right for you, please let me know!

Building Jeep’s Future

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1978 Jeep J10 'Honcho'
1978 Jeep J10 ‘Honcho’

Jeep is one of the greatest automotive brands in American history, and I am worried about it. The company has managed to survive against incredible odds, having been kicked-around between multiple owners and suffering bouts of incredible mismanagement, but they may now be on the verge of own self destruction . . . because they are losing their soul.

As the former owner of a 1978 Jeep J10 ‘Honcho’ pickup (see photo), I understand the ‘Jeep thing’ . . . and I know what would make me look at a Jeep the next time I’m in the market. But Jeep’s minders at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)—like its former minders at the U.S. federal government, Cerberus Capital Management, and Daimler-Chrysler—seem to be moving the brand squarely in the wrong direction.

The Problem

Jeeps are supposed to be rugged, reliable, go-anywhere vehicles. Their value is in their capabilities. They have carved out a loyal niche with the Wrangler (the modern version of the classic CJ’s), which is one of the only capable, compact off-roaders that you can buy anymore.

Today’s leaders at Jeep seem to want to broaden their market, and have branched out into building run-of-the-mill crossovers. This is a major strategic error. There is plenty of room for Jeep to grow, but it shouldn’t be trying to grow by fighting head-on against every other company in the automotive market. They need to grow by making compelling products and compelling arguments that nobody else will make. They need to build a niche and keep an impenetrable hold on it. It’s better to have ten-thousand dedicated, loyal customers who won’t even look at anybody else’s products than to have a hundred-thousand that are willing to consider you . . . as one option in a sea of fifty others.

I gave the Jeep Cherokee—a reasonably competitive mid-sized crossover—the dishonorable mention in my piece, The Ugliest Cars of the 2014 Model Year. This mention was not because it is especially ugly, although the front-end could use some work, but because it marks an unfortunate turn for Jeep. Sure, the Cherokee is a fine vehicle, and it is selling well. But there is more to Jeep’s long-term success than moving more cars off the lot. They need to align themselves to be able to continue moving cars off the lot for years and decades to come. As I wrote in the aforementioned piece:

Read more . . .

Former Gov. McDonnell Guilty of Corruption

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Updated

Former Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) and his wife Maureen have been found guilty on corruption charges by a federal jury in Richmond, Virginia. During McDonnell’s 2010-2014 term in the governor’s mansion, the family received over $165,000 in gifts and loans from Johnnie Williams Sr., then-CEO of dietary supplement company Star Scientific. Governor McDonnell claimed that the gifts were not politically motivated, and that he considered Williams a friend. He also claimed that his wife Maureen arranged for many of the gifts and loans behind his back.

The controversy arose in 2013 as it became clear that the McDonnells had received gifts from Williams and had not reported them in financial disclosure reports. At the time, family members of Virginia elected officials were not required to disclose gifts that they had received. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began their own investigation, and the McDonnells were indicted on fourteen federal charges in January 2014, making Governor McDonnell the first Virginia governor to be charged with [and now convicted of] a crime while in office.

It initially appeared that the McDonnells were attempting to hide the gifts by receiving them in Maureen’s name, but evidence at trial suggested that Maureen was the driving force behind the scandal, and it remains unclear when the governor became fully aware of what was going on. Despite this, the federal jury found both Bob and Maureen guilty on most of the charges brought against them.

The McDonnells, as a couple, were charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, six counts of obtaining property under color of official right, and making false statements to a financial institution. The governor was also charged with an additional count of making false statements to a financial institution, and Maureen was charged with one count of obstruction of justice.

Bob McDonnell was found guilty of eleven of the thirteen charges against him—each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, and obtaining property under color of official right. He was acquitted of two charges of making false statements to a financial institution. Maureen McDonnell was found guilty on nine of the thirteen charges against her—each count of conspiracy, two of the three counts of wire fraud, four of the six counts of obtaining property under color of official right, and obstruction of justice. She was acquitted of one charge of wire fraud, two charges of obtaining property under color of official right, and the charge of making false statements to a financial institution.

A sentencing hearing has been set for January 2015, and the McDonnells could face years or even decades in federal prison.

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.