Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent

Fixing the American Auto Industry

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Introduction

I thank God nearly every day because I am blessed to be in the United States. I buy lots of foreign products—after all, international trade benefits all—but I take pride in buying from American businesses when I can, especially for larger purchases. Even if my Apple computer was built by a firm in Shanghai, it was designed and engineered by Americans and much of the software it runs was coded by American programmers. There’s something refreshing about finding a quality product invented, designed, and engineered by your own countrymen.

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Robert A. Heinlein’s Legacy

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My favorite author is Robert A. Heinlein, so it was a real pleasure to see him discussed in the pages of today’s Wall St. Journal. Heinlein’s work, for those of you haven’t read it, is incredible. While his earliest novels were published in the 1940s, they have stood the test of time are are—with rare exception—as-good or better reads today than when originally released. He predicted many technologies we consider commonplace today (like wireless phones) decades before they became reality. Though sometimes controversial or offensive, Heinlein’s books never fail to make you think—even if you’re not a fan of science fiction.

On the Move (In September)

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Those of you who know me probably know that I’ve been in the same apartment for about five years now. I moved into the apartment (just outside of the city of Fairfax) as I was entering my junior year at George Mason University in August 2002. The original two roommates moved out in December 2003 and I shared the place with a new roommate until he left in July 2004. Then I had the place to myself—except Melissa’s stuff, which slowly migrated in—until May 2005 when we got married.

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Various Operating Systems 2007

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I’m a nerd, and as a nerd I like playing around with various computer operating systems. Some are current and widely-used, some are outdated but bring back pleasant memories of younger days, and some are experimental—destined to become a computer science footnote or, possibly, the widely-used systems of the future. Click screenshots to see the full version.

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Public or Private: Pick One

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I have never liked hybrid organizations that attempt to meld a public institution with a private one. Specific examples differ—George Mason University, the U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, ‘Metro’), Sallie Mae—yet they share many of the same hallmarks. Most have not maintained fiscal self-sufficiency. Most have usage fees that historically increase higher than the rate of inflation. Most operate with minimal oversight and combine the worst features of government bureaucracy with the worst of profiteering private business.

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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.