la liberté avant tout
When it comes to social media, US politicians are rhetoric-heavy on banning policial ads. But that would mean sweeping consequences for all types of civil society groups, community organizations, and small businesses. That affects billions of consumers worldwide. Considering Sen. Warren is an advocate of such bans, yet decries when they are applied to groups…
Over the last century, there was a vibrant peace and pacifist movement that existed in the United States. However, as wars have grown into far-off conflicts and the military has usurped part of civilian life, a standing movement for pacifism has faded from the scene in the 21st Century. Added to that, political parties have…
The question of the impact of technology is a major theme in today’s culture. TV shows, books, and even entire fields of philosophy are dedicating to exploring the positive and negative impacts. Social media, an important method of communication for a large portion of Earth’s population, is very much an extension of this. In a…
Language is both beautiful and organic. It varies from country to country, in dialect, pattern, and tone. However, certain institutions and people are trying to change language and how we use it, both for political reasons and for simplification. Will they be successful? What if people reject these changes? How can we ensure the survival…
What will be the citizenship of the future? The tradition of citizenship has evolved over time, and been expanded for many who could not share in the rights, obligations, and responsibilities. But larger governing structures like the European Union, the affordability of travel, the changing nature of work, the Internet, and the portability of our…
In a tweet she published on Tuesday, Democratic Presidential Candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted Twitter’s new ad policy that won’t approve any political advertising. The problem with Sen. Warren’s outrage is that she herself is a champion of breaking up social media networks as an end goal, and restricting political advertising in the meantime. Therefore,…
Immigration is actually tough. It’s not easy to leave your friends, family, network, and social capital you’ve built up. Added to that, there is already a complicated process that exists, yet many want to make it more difficult. Let’s not focus on extremes, and instead elevate what makes immigration important and necessary. Washington Examiner: Birthright…
Smart Cannabis Policy encourages competition, entrepreneurship, safety, avoids red tape and eradicates the black market. Inside Sources: The Green Rush Is Already Here, and We Need Smart Cannabis Policy to Direct It podcast.yael.at
Social housing. Does it work? Does it make a city more livable? What is seen and not seen? CityLab: Secrets of the World’s Most Livable City podcast.yael.at
This week, 60 Minutes ran a report on the failure of cannabis policy in California, specifically the marijuana-rich region of the Emerald Triangle. Though California legalized cannabis beginning in 2017, the region has created a special conundrum for law enforcement and regulators. The northwestern region of the state, with its ideal growing climate, grows an estimated 70% of the…
What is smart cannabis policy? And where can we find it? How will future regulations on cannabis shape our economy and society? Hear those insights and more with CCC Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski, live from the State Policy Network conference in Colorado, where he addressed the audience on that same topic. Broadcast on 1. November…
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…
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…
I noticed this today. I have one separate RSS feed and website for my official blog posts that are on blog.yael.at. Then, only for those who specifically seek out my Micro.blog site, there is a separate feed (a JSON feed). Not only do my quick replies on Micro.blog’s site go to this feed, but also…
With the 2020 presidential race running on full steam, 12 Democratic candidates for president participated in yet another televised debate last night in Ohio. Considering consumers will be directly impacted by many of the policies mentioned, here’s a breakdown by categories mentioned by the candidates and our own spin on how it relates to consumer…
With the 2020 presidential race running on full steam, 12 Democratic candidates for president participated in yet another televised debate last night in Ohio. Considering consumers will be directly impacted by many of the policies mentioned, here’s a breakdown by categories mentioned by the candidates and our own spin on how it relates to consumer…
The media and government are misleading consumers on vaping. The real issues of concern are bootleg, illicit products that are putting people in the hospital. Let’s call a spade and spade and actually reflect the science on harm reduction and vaping. Yaël Ossowski interviewed by Joe Catenacci on The Big Talker 106.7FM.
In the second season of the Netflix series Rotten, there is an entire episode exploring the world of cannabis edibles. It is highly recommended. The documentary itself does a great job uncovering the latest innovations, the legal hurdles, and many questions left for consumers who want to try cannabis edibles where they’re legal. Going beyond…
She’s a refreshing political personality with her own ideas, a strong philosophical background, and the chops to back it up. I’m not one to vote in Democratic presidential primaries, indeed I rarely vote for any major party, but Tulsi Gabbard is among a few interesting candidates who’ve made an entance on the national stage in…
I began writing online as a hobby about 15 years ago. Throughout high school, I was a proud Xanga-addict. We had a great blog ring set up with friends and colleagues from our theatre troupe and beyond. I’ve since backed up that archive once the site shut down, but there’s no way I’ll link it…