la liberté avant tout
By Yaël Ossowski | Devolution Review Review of ‘Art’, a play by Yasmina Reza. Performed at Vienna’s English Language Theatre Jan. 15 – Feb. 24, 2018 Directed by Sean Aita For any young fool, a hefty portion of their lives is fraught with the pursuit of finding an ideal partner. There’s a plethora of novels,…
Beyond the café window, there’s a young girl squeezing her schoolbooks between her clasped arms. Her round glasses sit low on her nose, and her long brown hair swings from side to side. She’s waiting on the light to change, her head quickly darting to and fro to anticipate the bustle of horn-friendly cars. The…
In one of the episodes in the newest seasons of Netflix’s Black Mirror, a young woman visits a strange museum across the way from a gas station in the hot desert. Inside, she meets the museum’s proprietor who offers her an early tour. The exhibitions preserved onsite include eccentric artifacts viewers of the series recognize…
Last week I was a guest on the Scotch Enlightenment podcast. I had a great conversation with Daniel and Bill, and I recommend you give a listen! ––– In our first regular episode of The Scotch Enlightenment, Yaël Ossowski (@yaeloss) joins us for an hour full of society, economics and technology. Our topics in this…
Consumer Choice Center’s Yaël Ossowski interviewed on Wilmington’s Big Talker 106.7 FM about the FCC’s repeal of the Depression-era Title II classification for the Internet, otherwise known as net neutrality regulations.
In authoritarian regimes across the world, government control and regulation of the Internet is a given. Here in the U.S., we’ve managed to keep our online world relatively free from any bureaucratic oversight. That changed in 2015, based on a mandate from President Barack Obama, when the Federal Communications Commission voted to classify Internet Service…
In authoritarian regimes across the world, government control and regulation of the Internet is a given. Here in the U.S., we’ve managed to keep our online world relatively free from any bureaucratic oversight. That changed in 2015, based on a mandate from President Obama, when the Federal Communications Commission voted to classify Internet Service Providers…
The world is paying attention to Canada right now. Two very important pieces of legislation on consumer products are being debated, which could provide many lessons for the world. House Bill C-45, the world’s most extensive cannabis legalization and the first for a country in the G7, successfully passed on November 28 and goes to…
What qualifies as a sport, and why do people enjoy them? Some thoughts on understanding sports and the philosophy behind them. Bonus: Yaël explains NASCAR, Todor hates on dart players, and somewhat of an agreement is reached on whether golf is an elite sport. theinnocentsabroad.com
I was quoted in a Vice article on the latest Bitcoin milestone. You could speed up a transaction, but that would cost you an extra fee — at times, 10 percent of the amount you’re trying to transfer, which, given today’s prices, simply don’t make sense for the average retail investor. “I bought a coffee…
I had the privilege of writing a chapter in Metropole’s latest book. The book is the Vienna Survival Guide for Health, to be released on December 1st. “Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about health care, doctors, insurance, and medical treatment in Vienna. We answer the questions you’d never think to ask. Plus, get a…
With an entire continent in ruins, the Marshall Plan planted the seeds for a peaceful, prosperous Europe As the Second World War finally ground down to an end in Europe, Austria lay devastated, its economy in shambles, its territory carved up by the victorious Allied powers into zones of authority for the U.S., France, Britain…
By Yaël Ossowski | Huffington Post Trump needs to be shown that protectionism south of the border hurts American and Canadian consumers as much as it helps hand-picked American producers. At this point in the Donald Trump presidency, it’s become clear that protectionism is become the ruling mantra. Whether it’s tariffs slapped on Bombardier jets…
Is this whole “digital nomad millennial life” just fake? Is Elon Musk a hero or government grant gargling villain? Will his innovations last? Are the Baltics the best part of Europe? And what the hell is Baker-Miller pink? Tune in this week for another take on life and society abroad with The Innocents Abroad. 23….
By Yaël Ossowski | Washington Examiner With a slew of agenda items in front of President Trump, there is one more which requires the utmost attention: infrastructure. Bridges, highways, electric grids, water, and sewer systems — all of which are aging — have fallen off the national agenda because of gridlock in the Capitol. If…
In Springfield, Missouri in August, President Donald Trump laid out the core motivation of his comprehensive tax plan: fairness. If Congress and the administration are serious about making America’s tax structure fairer, their first action should be to end the free ride enjoyed by large credit unions at the expense of banks and taxpayers. While…
A recent podcast conducted with PanAm Post. This past weekend, the world watched as Mariano Rajoy‘s government deploy the national police to the Catalonia region in what proved to be a violent attempt to shut down an independence referendum regarding a political break with Spain. Journalist Yael Ossowski wrote an op-ed for the Washington Examiner…
The first time I was truly challenged by a language I couldn’t grasp or understand was when I landed in Vienna, Austria in early 2011. It was tough, but I thought I was up to the challenge. German? Conquerable! Born in Canada and growing up in North Carolina, we spoke French and English at home….
SHOWNOTES: Broadcast on 7. Oct 2017 from Vienna, Austria and Belgrade, Serbia. ARTICLES: We are all Catalonians now: Why the Spanish crisis matters for all nations www.washingtonexaminer.com/we-are-all-catalonians-now-why-the-spanish-crisis-matters-for-all-nations/article/2636560 Ricky and Morty http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x62taqm BOOKS: Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts http://amzn.to/2y6Qa7G Predictable Revenue http://amzn.to/2yxSnuA Black Rednecks, White Liberals http://amzn.to/2fTIHPo Robots for…
By Yaël Ossowski In Scotland’s 2014 referendum, what I really learned is that a successful independence movement must be cultural and all-encompassing. A minority language helps. For many years, that’s what Québec had. But entrenched politicians (at the federal and provincial levels) began to change the terms of independence and what it would mean for…