What Are You Working On?

You ever have a doctor take photos of your condition for further examination? How about an MRI? Have you had one of those? We like to think that HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protects us here in the US. But increasingly ... It doesn't.So over the next few weeks, we'll talk about who's collecting your medical information, how they're using it, and who they're sharing it with. And this series is wild because we're not only talking about pictures of that funny-looking mole you have. We're talking about the neural patterns of your brain and how it acts as you make decisions in Virtual Reality.First things first, though: This week, we're going to look at services like MyChart, Phreesia, and the MANY doctor's offices that utilize Facebook's Tracking Pixel on their website. We'll tell you how to stop these companies from collecting and sharing your data, and then we'll explain why you want to do that. I mean, unless you want a generative AI like Chat GPT3 to be looking at photos of your favorite private parts and drawing some really interesting conclusions to share with others. (A real thing that's already happened.)Also, In Today's Episode ...BJ Speaks with Matthew D Green at John Hopkins University Information Security Institute to follow up on our previous episode concerning "The Cloud" and why you shouldn't put your important stuff in there.Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show-Email Privacy@Phreesia.com to opt out of their data collection -Call your doctor's office to see what data is being shared and collected on you by companies like My Chart and request to opt out.-Use the Tor Browser when visiting any websites related to managing your health care.-Use PimEyes to see who is using pictures of your face.-Use the pictures found by PimEyes to search HaveIBeenTrained.com to make sure your photos aren't being used to train generative AIs like ChatGPT3-Request Clearview AI remove any pictures they have on you here.-BJMendelson.com's Data Opt-Out Request ListOur Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com *Affiliate Link: Delete MeGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.*Using these affiliate links helps to support the show and do not cost you anything extra to use. If you like the show, we encourage you to use these links to sign-up for must have services like 1Password and Delete Me.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits.So!We want to let you know BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase.The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line.  ★ Support this podcast ★

The "Cloud" has a bigger carbon footprint than the entire airline industry. It's also not secure. So if someone wants to mess with you, or worse, blackmail you after accessing your iCloud, GDrive, or Dropbox data? They absolutely can. Instead, we want you to go old school. So this week, Rosie explains why you want to get a nice external hard drive, encrypt a folder or the entire drive, and save your stuff there.Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show-Veracrypt (Wired's article on how to use it)-Toshiba Canvio Flex External HD (Portable)-Seagate Backup Plus Hub External HD (NOT portable. This drive needs to be plugged in.)-Tresorit-ProtonDrive (comes with a ProtonMail account, which we recommended here in a previous episode.)TP Link AX3000 RouterAlso In This Episode ...This episode also contains the last part of BJ's first book on privacy — written back in 2017 —  as read by Broadway actor Roger Wayne. After this week, every remaining episode will include an interview with a privacy and security expert! Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits. So! We want to let you know BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice. If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line.Photo Credit: Karolina Grabowska ★ Support this podcast ★

Writer and Co-Producer of Star Trek: Prodigy, Aaron Waltke joins BJ on the show to talk about the hit animated series and ... The Brave Little Toaster? What?Yes. The Brave Little Toaster. But you'll have to listen to this week's episode to find out what's going on there.In addition to "Prodigy", BJ and Aaron also talk about how Aaron bonded with his Dad over Star Trek, working hard to make "Prodigy" stand on its own feet, and how studying psychology informed his writing.Great episode to listen to. So don't miss it. ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the show, Comics artist and writer Lucy Sullivan joins BJ Mendelson to talk about her excellent graphic novel, "Barking."They also talk about what Lucy learned growing up in and around pubs, her collaborations with Jeff Lemire, and why you should be outside planting seeds to protect your mental health. Make sure you check out Lucy's terrific work here.And as always, if you enjoyed this week's show, leave us a review. These reviews help others to find the show. ★ Support this podcast ★

This week, the women of our show kick BJ to the curb and go deep on tips, tricks, and apps you can use to keep safe while going out on a date.There's A LOT covered in this episode, but some of the highlights of what's covered by Rosie and Amanda King (co-author of "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos) include: How to avoid getting blackmailed, why you should use all new photos for your dating profile and remove the EXIF data from them, what tools you should know like Garbo.io and Noonlight, and why you should break up with someone at a Walmart. (A Mendelson Family tradition.)Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowRemove EXIF information from your photos here.California Consumer Privacy Act (Now in effect!)Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act <-- This page is not as helpful as the California one. We're looking for an alternative.GDPR Data Removal Request (UK and European Union only)Spot Infrared Imager to spot hidden camerasNoonlight appStop Apple AirTag stalking with: Light Blue (ios) AirGuard (Android)Garbo.io Background ChecksBurnerApp / Google Voice (see the previous episode for more!)TinEye.com Reverse Image SearchIf someone is trying to blackmail you online, read this.Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.Today's episode was NOT sponsored by Chena Hot Springs. We just love that place.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits.So!We want to let you know BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase.The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line. ★ Support this podcast ★

This week, BJ is joined in the George Carlin Podcast Studio by Mr. Gregg Spiridellis. Gregg is the co-creator of JibJab (Yes. That JibJab for our fellow Millenials and Gen X'ers), and Storybots. In this episode, Gregg tells the story of how Storybots went from YouTube Channel to a multimillion-dollar Netflix acquisition and the influence Sesame Street has on the show.Gregg also shares some terrific advice about how he uses technology to help drive his creative process and why you should always kill your darlings.Not literally. But you know what we mean if you're listening to this show. ★ Support this podcast ★

This week we introduce the Stranger Danger Phone! This is a backup, pre-paid Smartphone we recommend you use when dating online. The Stranger Danger Phone is also great for content creators who maintain some kind of public-facing presence online and need to be accessible to their audience.These are easy to set up, and not expensive. Never give out your real phone number again! Rosie will explain why, and give you the steps you need to take to get one set up.Also featured in today's episode, BJ speaks with the author of "How to Disappear," Frank M Ahearn. Today, Frank helps the thousands of people who fall victim to blackmail, extortion, sextortion, and romance scams online. We talk about what steps you can take to better protect yourself, and why you should consider riding the bus the next time you want to make a break for it.***Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowGoogle Voice <--Use this with your Stranger Danger Phone to create a Decoy Phone number.Burner (a paid alternative to Google Voice)Faraday Bag from Silent PocketEmergency Power Bank to keep your phone fully charged when out with a stranger.Mint Mobile <-- Have a trusted friend or family member buy your Stranger Danger Phone, in cash, along with a Mint Mobile sim card or three.***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits. So! We'd like to let you know BJ is recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available for purchase, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com ★ Support this podcast ★

(Note: This interview was recorded earlier in the year. So we don't get into X-Men '97, other than mentioning Eric and Julia were invited to work on the sequel series, coming soon to Disney Plus.)This episode is a wonderful trip down memory lane with Eric and Julia Lewald, the showrunner and a staff writer on X-Men: The Animated Series.If you're a fan of the old cartoon, this episode is for you. Eric and Julia also share some wonderful advice for aspiring TV writers and share their secret origin stories. If you'd like to pickup their (EXCELLENT) books, you can visit Eric and Julia online here. ★ Support this podcast ★

Hello Friends,This week, BJ is joined by Kim LaChance Shandrow, who writes an email every morning seen by thousands of employees at a company you're *possibly* listening to this podcast on. We also dive into her poetry writing, teaching yoga, what it's like to be a marketer and a journalist (a struggle BJ knows all too well), and some terrific advice. You definitely want to listen for this terrific conversation.Make sure to follow Kim on Instagram here. ★ Support this podcast ★

You need Proton Mail. Get on that immediately.Unless you use Gmail and you followed our previous advice about pairing your Gmail account with a Yubikey. In which case, you can do nothing.Unless ...This week, Rosie is going to show you how to send an encrypted email, using Proton Mail's free plan, to anyone who doesn't have an encrypted email account.This is especially useful if you ever need to send financial or health information to someone, and you can't get them to ride the Signal Bus.We're also going to explain in this episode why you should keep your most important email contacts stored offline, the way BJ's Boomer Dad does.For once, when it comes to technology, BJ's Dad is doing the right thing, and you should too. And later, Roger returns to talk about some recent data breaches, including North Korea's hacking of SONY, which is way crazier than you think it is.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowProton Mail and Proton VPN***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.And before we go ...We're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits thanks to the interview in Slate. So! We'd like to let you know BJ is recording a two-hour course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and include examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available for purchase, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the show, TV and Film marketer Clement Bryant joins BJ in the George Carlin Podcasting Studio.Clement talks about his journey into Geekdom, thanks in part to the X-Men animated series, what it's like managing the living ecosystem that is every social media platform, and the power of friendship that helped give him the courage to move to Los Angeles. ★ Support this podcast ★

We're big fans of Tina Turner; what can we say? This week, we're talking about how to secure your email account. First, by using a hardware authentication device like a Yubikey (or Google's Titan Key if you prefer.)We also discuss utilizing Google's Advance Threat Protection Program for Gmail users who want additional security.A pretty straightforward episode this week, but no less an important one, so don't miss it!Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowYubikeyGoogle's Advance Threat Protection Program***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should follow to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed. ★ Support this podcast ★

Adam Martin's career in film and television covers a lot of the shows you love, including "Dave", "Barry", and "Future Man". Now he's the co-founder of Macroverse, a Web3 start-up focused on comics and other community-driven entertainment properties, using the Ethereum platform in a novel way: To demonstrate incontrovertible proof that the characters and stories you create belong to you. BJ and Adam also talk about the questionable usefulness of Thundervests for your dog, why The Matrix could never be made today (hint: It's not for the reason you think, it's dumber), and one of the greatest films ever made: Seven Samurai. Enjoy the show.Check out Macroverse at: https://www.macroverse.com/ ★ Support this podcast ★

It's time for the second part of our two-part Digital Detox spiel. Rosie returns with a simple exercise you can do every time you find yourself holding your smartphone, and explains why you need to make your bedroom a phone free bone zone.Bonus: BJ interviews werables reviewer at The Verge, Victoria Song, to talk about privacy and ghosts. (Look, it can't all be serious privacy stuff all the time, you know?)Photo by Mahrael Boutros: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-two-women-1215709/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Today on the show, BJ is joined by Michelle Singletary. Michelle is an author and personal finance columnist at The Washington Post. BJ and Michelle talk about their Depression-era grandparents and what financial wisdom they learned from them, why you should ALWAYS save a portion of your paycheck, and index funds. We know. We know Index funds may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but as Michelle points out in this episode, "The best investing is boring".You can check out Michelle's work with The Washington Post here:https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/michelle-singletary/And follow Michelle on Twitter here.If you enjoyed today's discussion, you can throw a few dollars our way and help support the show. We use this money to produce more episodes of WAYWO.TV :-) ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode SummaryIt's Part 1 of our two-part Digital Detox!  In this week's episode, we give you a two-step exercise to help you get rid of unused apps and think critically about how you use the ones you keep.Once a month, make sure you grab some time to remove any of the unused apps on your phone. Each one represents a potential opportunity for fascists or weirdos to access your information and maybe even your microphone.Here are some excellent tips from The Washington Post on how to greyscale your phone and use the Digital Wellness features to place timers on the apps you decide to keep.All this, and Roger returns to explain a vicious cycle between tech companies who "borrow" your data, and the media that covers their borrowing. Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowA good explainer on  the Joffe v. Google case ***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should follow to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.Photo by Joe deSousa on Unsplash ★ Support this podcast ★

Happy Holidays from the WAYWO team! Today we've got comedian and all-around good person, Subhah Agarwal. Subnah and Bj talk standup, adjusting to a pandemic, and everything from then to now. Action packed! ★ Support this podcast ★

Happy Holidays from the WAYWO team! Today on the show, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath stops in to talk about how he got the moniker, "The Love Rabbi" (which he does not like!), and his work in spreading love and happiness via animations, podcasts, and coaching. The rabbi tells his origin story, explains how people should look for ONE thing instead of MANY things when looking for love, and stresses why it's important to live in pursuit of life, and not money.There may also be a stork involved here somewhere.You can learn more about the rabbi and listen to his podcasts here. ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode SummaryThis week is super simple. There are four programs everyone should have.  3 of which you can use on both your laptop and phone, and one that's desktop only (ClamAV).So, when you're done listening to today's episode, you're going to want to download and use these.Pro-Tip: Always activate your VPN if you're out and about. You can't trust every public Wi-FI spot that's out there. And while many are legit, it's just as easy to activate your VPN before connecting to any of them on your phone.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowSignal <-- FreeDuckDuckGo Browser <-- FreeClamAV <--FreeProtonVPN <-- Free plan available ***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should follow to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.Today's Photo is by Kerin Gedge on Unsplash ★ Support this podcast ★

Today we've got author Randee Dawn in the studio to talk about her latest book, Tune in Tomorrow: The Curious, Calamitous, Cockamamie Story Of Starr Weatherby And The Greatest Mythic Reality Show. Bj and Randee talk world-building, writing modern sci-fi, and how a background in soap-opera journalism led to a career in storytelling. You can follow Randee on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/randeedawnAnd you can pick up Tune In Tomorrow here: https://www.amazon.com/Tune-Tomorrow-Randee-Dawn/dp/1786186306 ★ Support this podcast ★