Posts

  • Michael Bloomberg’s nanny crusade will make people poorer

    by Yaël Ossowski | Jun 30, 2017, 8:00 PM | Washington Examiner If we were to prioritize threats like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the world’s biggest enemies would reside in the bottoms of soda cans and within the lining of cigarettes. Launching his American Cities Initiative at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Annual…

  • Episode 13: Religion and Multiplying

    This episode of the podcast focuses on religion, both its impact on society, and how it can be used to shape culture. We catch up on our travels in South Korea, Greece, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, and try to figure out how to speak Asian languages. Shownotes: Serifos, Greece: http://blog.yael.ca/post/161233852864/in-megalo-livadi-on-the-greek-island-of-serifos Seoul Searching: https://youtu.be/wbyMahgNJgY North Korea: https://www.wsj.com/articles/otto-warmbier-american-detainee-released-by-north-korea-has-died-1497905282…

  • Serifos Island

    In Megalo Livadi, on the Greek island of Serifos, one finds the remnants of the first-ever Greek worker revolt. It took place in the mines of the Société des mines de Seriphos-Spiliazeza, the French-founded mining company later purchased and run by German Emilios Gromman. Angered by poor working conditions and intense labor without end, Egyptian-educated…

  • New Anti-Tobacco Measures Won’t Work In Georgia

    The Republic of Georgia is known internationally for its radical approach to policy and governance. But with the latest anti-tobacco measures in front of the Parliament, it risks losing that reputation as quickly as it earned it. The bill before the Parliament now would ban smoking in public places, restrict advertising, strictly regulate e-cigarettes, and…

  • And On That Note podcast

    Last week I was invited on Irish musician Shane Ó Fearghail’s podcast “And On That Note”. The theme was “America” – we talked about growing up in the U.S. and the various musical influences we were exposed to. We were also joined by Mark Long, an activist and musician from Georgia also living in Vienna.  It…

  • The Innocents Abroad – Episode 12: Passion Projects

    On this episode of the podcast, we explore passion projects. From time to time, we’re motivated to put something together out of pure enjoyment and passion. At times, others partake in that vision. We’ll be talking about the launch of Devolution Review, literary circles, meetup groups, and the best way to popularize writing. Mark Twain…

  • What of Our Grand Experiment?

    By Yaël Ossowski | Devolution Review The fate of Europe seems forever in flux. We need to rethink its foundations. Unbeknownst to millions of ordinary European citizens, they’ve participated in a grand experiment for the past two decades. It’s the modern version of an imperial territorial zone, customs union, and free travel zone—all rolled into…

  • Ever dreamed of jumping out of planes for a living? The Red Bull Skydive Team takes falling to the next level

    by Yaël Ossowski in May 2017, Sport / 29.4.17 / Metropole Red Bull gives a fearless troupe wings to become mile-high paragons of their sport High above the Austrian Alps, a trio of professional athletes prepare their gear. Helmet? Check. Gloves? Check. Airplane? Check. Red Bull and parachute? Double check. Young and full of vigor,…

  • The Meaning of Sacrifice: The Expatriate Conundrum

    By Yaël Ossowski | Devolution Review There exists a great conundrum among expatriates – those who made the decision to live outside their native country. Was the prime motivation for their move exogenous or endogenous? Were they pushed out by the situation in a particular country, or was it purely an individual decision? If certain…

  • Mark Twain on Learning German

    “Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp.  One is washed about in it, hither and thither, in the most helpless way; and when at last he thinks he has captured a rule which offers firm ground to take a rest on amid…