The U.S. Senate is considering two antitrust bills by Sen. Amy Klobuchar that would significantly harm both consumer choice and innovation. Unfortunately, these bills have been co-sponsored by members of both political parties, creating what looks like a bipartisan consensus in the Senate chamber, but not one favored by the vast majority of American consumers. […]
Why Democratic Control of the FCC Won’t Bode Well for Internet Freedom
Late Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden revealed his nominations to the Federal Communications Commission. As one would expect, his two nominations — Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn — come from Democratic circles and have upheld progressive priorities for telecom policies. Rosenworcel has been a commissioner since 2012 and served as acting chair since Ajit Pai […]
A Tribute to My Grandfather
There is so much to say about my grandfather. We shared a love of history, a skepticism of centralized authority, and a high regard for Truth. Growing up miles and countries apart, I was blessed to get to know him better when I could hop on the ViaRail train from Montreal to visit him in […]
Oui, j’élève ma fille en français
Oui, j’élève ma fille en français. Elle n’a pas pu visiter ma province natale, mais c’est quelque chose que je vise à changer dès que possible. Elle saura ce qu’il signifie le fait d’être québécoise. Même si je suis moi-même encore un étranger dans un autre pays qui ne parle pas ma langue (l’immigré à […]
The Terror of Sleep Paralysis
Despite my best efforts to break free, my body remained chained to the bed. All I could muster was a muffled screech pleading to be woken. Infinite shapes and forms of colorful figures skimmed my chest, subtly applying pressure to my muscles with every sweep. Every move of the dark figures floating around my body […]
Thanksgiving Grinch
Before the law came callin’, we need a callback. On Wednesday, I arranged to meet my contact who happens to be a butcher (Servus Herr Mader!) who supplied me with his freshest 6.5kg (15lb) turkey from the Austrian countryside. I flashed my Apple Card® and we exchanged a few words in our usual banter, flooded […]
The Language of Love and Fatherhood
My latest moments of pride rest exclusively on seeing our daughter grow and develop into her own person. She doesn’t know all the negativity of our COVID reality, the canceled vacation plans to see family in North Carolina, or the dark specters of doom that fill our newsfeeds every day. She knows happiness, eating with […]
My Strange, Crazy, and Smart Expat Healthcare Plan
Here is my current healthcare set-up for those who are interested. Note: Ideally, this is for anyone who is an American citizen (or has a social security number), travels for business or pleasure at least one or two months a year, is generally skeptical of the current healthcare system, and wants to empower themselves. High-Deductible Health […]
Should the U.S. have a Parliamentary System?
There have been some important debates and actions in various parliamentary democracies lately. Canada held its 43rd general election on Monday, Austria’s legislative elections were three weeks ago, and the UK Parliament is in the midst of the Brexit deal debate. With its first-past-the-post parliamentary system, Canada’s election won current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a […]
Departing Vienna’s Seventh District
I’ve had a fair share of apartments. Whether in Montréal, Philadelphia, St. Petersburg, Prague, or Vienna, I was always quite used to keeping it light knowing I’d be departing sometime soon. That changed in 2014, when we found a great apartment in Vienna’s Neubau district. Known as the “7th” – denoting its district number and […]