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Stuff I Wrote: January through July 2019

August 4, 2019 By Yael Grauer Leave a Comment

When I first started reading and writing zines in the 90s, there was a running joke that every issue would start with an apology for it taking so long to get the next issue out. Though I’ve diligently posted my published work each month for years, freelancing while finishing my Masters degree left me with little time to do much else. My output was also much lower than usual–I mean to combine months, and just never got around to it. The good news is that these posts haven’t gone anywhere, and I’ve conveniently organized them by theme and you can skim 16 posts all at once.

One of these posts is from August (sorry!) but I’ll definitely have another post in September, which will include two pieces I’ve been working on for months.

Top Posts

What Really Happened With West Virginia’s Voting Experiment? (Slate/Future Tense) We don’t really know—and that’s worrisome.

How Do Automated License Plate Readers Work? (AZ Mirror), and Arizona Police Agencies Gather & Share License Plate Data, But Few Ensure Rules Are Being Followed (AZ Mirror) Two parts of a multi-month assessment based on public records.

Facebook Insists No Security ‘Backdoor’ Is Planned for WhatsApp. (Medium/OneZero) The company is fighting back against rumors that it would scan messages on users’ phones prior to encryption

Electronic Monitoring (EFF’s Street-Level Surveillance project)

For Freelancers

The Freelancer’s Guide to Financial Planning and Tax Strategy (Contently) A 20-page e-book that was posted just before taxes were due.

The Business of Freelancing (Reynold’s Center) To be successful in freelancing, it’s important to treat it like a business. 

A Freelancer’s Guide to Collecting Payments (Reynold’s Center) Collecting payment as a freelancer sometimes requires going to small claims court and even using a collections agency

BreakerMag (Blockchain)

The IRS, Crypto and You: Cryptocurrency is often seen as a straightforward way to keep lucre to yourself without ceding a huge cut to the government. But in reality, it’s not so simple. An interview with Mario Costanz, CEO of CryptoTaxPrep.com.

Nonprofits Make Big Claims For Themselves. IXO Can Tell You If They Deliver. When people give money to nonprofit groups, the impact of their donations isn’t easy to track. This is a problem that the blockchain-based platform Ixo is working to solve.

Dice Insights (Tech Jobs)

R Programming Language: Guides, Tutorials, Downloads and More

Python Programming Language: Guides, Tutorials and Downloads

Reynolds Center for Business Journalism

Reporter’s Brief: Covering Medical Residencies. There is limited transparency and accountability in medical residency programs. Local reporting can shine a light on it.

Covering Government Shutdowns These temporary funding gaps can have a major impact on the economy. Here are some areas to research.

I also wrote reports on news stories to localize every other week, which can be found on the website, titled “Reynolds Weekly.”

Group Project

Arizona charges less than almost anyone else to graze cattle. Public schools miss out on the money. (Arizona Republic) Cowritten with Mackenzie Shuman, Harrison Mantas, Molly Duerig and Grayson Schmidt as part of an investigative reporting class at ASU.

Media & Interviews

Why Aren’t More Journalism Schools Teaching Digital Security?  I was quoted in this great piece by Martin Shelton

WV Voting Experiment Criticized I was quoted here in the aftermath of my Slate piece.

*placeholder for an interview I did locally about automated license plate readers, which should be up sometime soon-ish

 

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Stuff I Wrote: March 2017

April 1, 2017 By Yael Grauer Leave a Comment

Can you believe it’s April already? March is my favorite month because of the signaling of spring, and it’s my birthday month. After a few months of visiting places, I just started training at a fabulous Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym in Mesa, which I’m so excited about, so this March was definitely a great one for me. I also spoke at my favorite arcade bar, Bonus Round, for Nerd Nite 29. Many thanks to those of you who came out to grab a cocktail and hear me speak about logical fallacies, alongside the amazing Kevin Flanagan and resident rhetorician Kathleen S. Lamp. I had an absolute blast and I’m so excited that Ty invited me. No speaking appearances this month, but I will be on a live video broadcast on Zubia, interviewing one of my favorite health and fitness experts. Details on that forthcoming.

I wrote four posts that were published in March. There will be many more in April, as a lot of my work this month is still going through the editing/revision process. We also have at least one great podcast planned for April, so tune in to KJZZ’s “The Show” on Monday morning, or listen on their website or on SoundCloud.

Meanwhile, here’s this month’s roundup:

  • WikiLeaks Says the CIA Can “Bypass” Secure Messaging Apps Like Signal. What Does That Mean? (Slate/Future Tense) TL;DR: Signal is still safe unless you’re being personally targeted by a government.
  • Everyone Wants to Buy Congress’ Browser Histories, but It Probably Isn’t Possible (Slate/Future Tense) Sorry, guys.
  • Which Female Fighters Were the Best in 2016? (The Sports Post) A roundup of the WMMA Press Awards, with videos when available.
  • Fake It ‘Til You Make It: How To Coach Non-Athletes At Your Gym (Performance Menu, paywalled) Because I know you may not always want to.

My VPN post for Ars Technica, which is from June 2016 so pretty old for tech reporting, was quoted extensively this month, everywhere from The Verge to Motherboard. I’ll be writing more about personal privacy in the coming months.

That’s it for now! Expect a larger batch in April.

 

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Stuff I Wrote: February 2017

March 10, 2017 By Yael Grauer Leave a Comment

February was a busy month for me, but I don’t have a lot of posts to share. Mostly I worked behind the scenes doing some editing and writing e-books, lead magnets, white papers, and podcast scripts for a number of clients. That said, I do have three articles and three podcast episodes to share with you!

This Music App Wants To Improve Your Hearing (Motherboard)

Earlogic’s TSC Music app uses “threshold sound conditioning” to improve your hearing capacity. (Or so they claim: I’m not entirely sure since they wouldn’t share the research study they promoted with the media.)

Swipe Right For Innovation (Medium/Built to Adapt)

For Valentine’s Day, I interviewed former Tinder CTO Ryan Ogle. Check out our Q&A.

How To Find The Right Massage Therapist (Performance Menu) (paywall)

There’s nothing like a good massage to help alleviate pain, prevent injuries, or just find a rare moment of Zen while lying on a table and remembering how to breathe. That said, a massage is only as good as the person giving it, and it’s always a bummer to put time and money into a crappy experience. If you’re about to make a first appointment, or are considering switching to a different massage therapist, these tips may help.

Enjoy, and I’ll catch you in March!

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Stuff I Wrote: November 2016

December 1, 2016 By Yael Grauer Leave a Comment

800px-Skrifmaskin,_Blickensderfer-maskin,_Nordisk_familjebokCan you believe it’s already December? It’s hoodie weather in Phoenix, and has been a long time coming!

 

If you’re in Phoenix, there are a few events coming up you should know about. First, I’m celebrating my 7-year freelance-

First, I’m celebrating my 7-year freelance-versary at Mod Phoenix today (December 1st), so swing by for champagne and cupcakes at noon if you’re around.

Second, we are hosting a crypto party at the Burton Barr (Downtown Phoenix) library this Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00pm. I’ll be presenting some basics on operational security and threat modeling, Jordan Savoca will talk about VPNs and Tor and secure email systems, and David Huerta will give a PGP crash course. For more information, check out our event page on Facebook and on CryptoParty.IN.

Also, here are four posts and one podcast I worked on in November.

A Third-Party App Helps Walmart Workers Understand Company Policies (Vice/Motherboard) The app Walmart doesn’t want its employees to download.

How To Trump-Proof Your Electronic Communications (Slate/Future Tense) A nuanced, common-sense guide to electronic security in the upcoming administration.

Apple’s New Touch Bar May Present Usability Challenges For Blind Users (Vice/Motherboard) I take a closer look!

Tips For Visiting A New Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gym (Performance Menu, paywall) Whether you’re on the road or just dropping in.

[Podcast] Trump University Settles For $25 Million (Monday Morning Dumpster Dive)

I still have four posts in purgatory, and will hopefully be able to link to them next month. For now, happy holidays, and here’s to you finishing your year out strong!

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Stuff I Wrote: September 2016

October 24, 2016 By Yael Grauer Leave a Comment

800px-Skrifmaskin,_Blickensderfer-maskin,_Nordisk_familjebokLast month was so busy that I somehow forgot to hit “publish” on this post!  In September, I brushed up on business skills at a bunch of classes at K’e, and then turned around and taught a series of classes on copywriting and social media marketing and storytelling for a handful of local businesses. I cranked out two new podcast episodes with Jimmy Jenkins, about the Clinton email saga continuing, and about the EPA saying that Roundup is not a carcinogen. I also wrote nine posts for five different sites. Check those out below.

Overcoming Gender Bias In Job Hunting (Dice.com)

Women who feel that they aren’t getting job-hunt traction because of their gender might consider the following tips and techniques.

Has Arizona Found a Solution to Gerrymandering? (Yes! Magazine)

Sixteen years ago, Arizona stripped state lawmakers of the right to draw electoral districts. Many lawsuits later, democracy is stronger—in some ways.

Expert Answers: Natural Pain Relief (Experience Life)

Consider these remedies for post-workout pain. (Unfortunately, the edited version of this conflates DOMS with systemic inflammation, but many of the tips are still solid.)

What Happens In The Gym Stays In The Gym Part 2: Technical Tips (Performance Menu, paywall)

In the second part of a series, I shared some nuts and bolts steps you can take to keep your gym private and secure.

Mr. Robot Season 2, Episode 9: Rubber Duckie, You’re The One (Forbes)

We discuss the Pwn Phone, whistleblowing, and so much more.

Mr. Robot Season 2, Episode 10: The Chickens Come Home To Roost (Forbes)

This week we spoke about cell phone location tracking, antenna extenders, Spokeo, and more.

Mr. Robot Season 2, Episode 11: Twin Peaks Edition (Forbes)

Bitcoin, kidnapping, and the DEF CON 22 badge challenge.

Mr. Robot Season 2, Episode 12: The Grand Finale (Forbes)

This week we wrapped up the season finale, and talked about FBI interrogations, revenge strategies, binwalk, Phase 2, shred, Fry’s Electronics, and Mr. Robot cosplay.

What To Do When Facebook Says Your Apple Computer Is Infected With A Virus Or Malware (Forbes)

The anti-virus software link it sends you to won’t help. Here’s what to do instead.

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