It has been a long time, but all four of us are on the same episode again! Can you believe it? The last time that happened, was last April when we talked about the last two episodes of Shadow and Bone season 2: 9 - I Am Become Season Finale

In contrast to this, we're talking about the series and season premier of Percy Jackson and the Olympians this time. We've been planing to cover this show since we assigned godly parents to the characters in Julie and the Phantoms (Ep. 16 of Julie and the Podcasters) and now we're finally doing it!

Additional INFO from the Warrior Nun Substack Newsletter (link below so YOU can verify it yourself)

Anticipated questions:

What is the news?

+We were not told what the news is, just asked to share it.

Sounds like a leak to us!

Who told you?

+We have promised not to disclose that information.

No one want's to get sued. Fr fr

When will we get more info?

+At or around the 15 million announcement from Simon, in whatever form that takes. (which will likely be in the days after the actual goal is reached, as a reminder)

Does this mean Simon knows? What if Simon is the source and he is just waiting to get permission from AppleTV's legal department to tell us?! Delusional, maybe... but.... At this point anything is possible.

Is this just leading the fandom on?

+No. The party that disclosed this information is a credible source.

And they know they would be at the mercy of an unhinged fandom.

Who is it?

+See #2.

Being sued is bad. noted.

Why is this news coming from here instead of Simon or someone else?

+The nature of our work, in partnership with the OCS Newsletter, means that we communicate daily with fans, cast, crew, and other interested parties. As part of that process, we are one point of contact for those folks to reach out to when there's news to share.

Okay now, this actually makes sense. If you are a whistleblower you don't share the leak on your own personal pages or make a new one just to spill tea with zero followers. Not if you are serious about your info. You get people with a network to do the work for you. (sounds familiar) At the very least one with an email list.

Overall this is cautious optimism because who knows what the news could be. Some theories we have:

Comic/Graphic Novels: plausible, given the history of WN. Would be good to align the current creators with the NF series.

Novel Series: very plausible, Dean English was on the OCS Conclave with a WRITER next to him. People. 💥💥💥

Expanded Universe: very plausible, in the same panel with Dean English and the WRITER, they revealed they were working on the long-term story of Warrior Nun. That's not just a movie or a final season of WN.

Movie: plausible, while disappointing, look at ALOTO... Final 4 episodes, which works out to be a long movie. Other cancelled series have also gotten wrap up movies. So long as it's Avatrice focused we can live with this.

Podcast: unlikely, this would be a huge slap in the face of the fans and one would think the source would not be dumb enough to hype up a podcast. While great for the Doctor Who fandom, WN fans only want one thing.

Literally Nothing: very unlikely, as mentioned above the source is not willing to risk their own flesh by pissing off a very angry audience. Also, the person in charge of the Substack is not some random fan. You can see on the tweets that link to the newsletter the name Trust Insights (because tw hates Substack links so they had to reroute the click.) See Trust Insight's case study clients... https://www.trustinsights.ai/expertise/case-studies/

Netflix Repentance: plausible, but very skeptical about this one. Even with NF recent "change of heart" around their viewing metrics (as of 3rd week of June) they have shown a consistent ignorance of audience demand. But who knows, maybe they are just broke enough and need the money to pay some overdue bills.

AppleTV/Streamer Pick-Up: plausible, now this would be one impressive shake-up during the WGA strike that is still ongoing. And unprecedented because, as we all know, NF doesn't sell the rights. (But then... how can Dean talk about books... and how can Simon say Dean is the person to ask about Video Games... And why would Simon say "the people who own the rights" but not name NF in Empire Magazine... while being very clear that he (Simon) can't get the season 2 bloopers because NF owns the footage... nah, must not be important.) Complicated legal things. But doesn't mean NF couldn't lease out WN to another platform and that platform could make more content... hello HBO/NF deals. Again more delusions.

So all that to say... Something is happening. We don't know what, but you don't send a fandom into hype unless you have something really good.

Because if it's nothing - you will lose that audience

Note: all of the above can be verified via Twitter search, www.warriornun.com press releases, AngeChat's and BeMoreSuper's interviews on YouTube, OCS Conclave Videos on YouTube, the OCS Newsletter, and of course the DAILY released Substack Newsletter.

https://savewarriornun.substack.com/p/savewarriornun-news-and-data-2023-023?sd=pf

291. Rerouting Network (Multi Fandom)

Title: Rerouting Network Link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rerouting-network Platform: Spotify for Podcasters Creator: Rerouting Network Work Type: Podcast Fandom: Multi Fandom (Julie and the Phantoms, High School Musical, Wednesday, Shadow and Bone) Rating: T Pairing: Gen Word count: N/A Warnings: N/A Number of comments: Hard to pinpoint, but less than 5 Completion Status: WIP Short summary/description: A podcast that explores pop culture from former “Julie and the Podcasters” hosts as they expand their nonsensical takes beyond their beloved JATP. Join them as they rank, debate and gush over their faves!

does kodi work with vpn

does kodi work with vpn

Kodi VPN compatibility

Title: Ensuring Kodi VPN Compatibility: A Must for Secure Streaming

In the realm of digital entertainment, Kodi stands out as a versatile and powerful media player. With its ability to stream a wide range of content, from movies and TV shows to music and podcasts, Kodi has garnered a massive following worldwide. However, as the importance of online privacy and security continues to grow, users are increasingly turning to VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to safeguard their internet activities. But how does VPN compatibility affect the Kodi experience?

First and foremost, using a VPN with Kodi ensures privacy and anonymity while streaming. By encrypting internet traffic and masking IP addresses, VPNs prevent ISPs (Internet Service Providers), government agencies, and hackers from monitoring online activities. This is particularly crucial for Kodi users, as some streaming sources may be geo-blocked or subject to copyright restrictions.

Moreover, VPNs help bypass ISP throttling, which can degrade streaming quality and lead to buffering issues. By rerouting internet traffic through remote servers, VPNs can circumvent bandwidth limitations imposed by ISPs, thus ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted streaming experience on Kodi.

When it comes to compatibility, not all VPNs are created equal. While most reputable VPN providers offer dedicated apps for popular platforms like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, compatibility with Kodi requires additional consideration. Users should look for VPNs that support OpenVPN, an open-source VPN protocol favored for its security and reliability. Additionally, VPNs with native support for Kodi or easy-to-configure manual setup instructions can streamline the installation process and enhance user experience.

In conclusion, VPN compatibility is essential for anyone seeking to maximize privacy and security while enjoying Kodi's vast library of content. By choosing a reliable VPN with robust compatibility and features tailored to Kodi users, enthusiasts can unlock the full potential of this cutting-edge media player while staying protected online.

VPN setup for Kodi

Setting up a VPN for Kodi is a crucial step in ensuring your online privacy and security while enjoying streaming content. With the increasing number of cyber threats and privacy concerns, using a VPN can help encrypt your internet connection and keep your Kodi activities anonymous.

To set up a VPN for Kodi, you first need to choose a reliable VPN service provider that offers fast speeds and strong encryption. Once you have selected a VPN provider, you can download and install the VPN app on your device. Make sure to choose a VPN server location that best suits your needs, such as accessing geo-restricted content or achieving faster streaming speeds.

After installing the VPN app, you can configure it to connect to a VPN server. Most VPN providers offer user-friendly interfaces that make it easy to connect to a server location of your choice with just a few clicks. Once connected, your internet traffic will be encrypted, providing you with an added layer of security and anonymity.

It's important to ensure that your VPN is actively connected before launching Kodi to ensure that all your online activities are secured. Additionally, regularly updating your VPN app and choosing strong encryption protocols will further enhance your online security while using Kodi.

By following these simple steps and setting up a VPN for Kodi, you can enjoy a safer and more private streaming experience without compromising on speed or access to your favorite content. Stay secure, stay anonymous, and enjoy uninterrupted streaming with a VPN for Kodi.

Kodi streaming with VPN

Streaming content using Kodi with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be a great way to enhance your viewing experience while maintaining your privacy and security online. Using a VPN with Kodi allows you to access geo-restricted content, protect your identity and data from cyber threats, and avoid potential legal issues related to copyright infringement.

By using a VPN with Kodi, you can bypass geographic restrictions put in place by streaming services and access a wider range of content from different regions. This means you can unlock a world of movies, TV shows, sports events, and more that may not be available in your location. Additionally, a VPN encrypts your internet connection, making it difficult for third parties to monitor your online activities, such as your Internet Service Provider (ISP), government agencies, or hackers.

Furthermore, streaming copyrighted material without proper authorization is illegal in many countries. By connecting to a VPN server before using Kodi, you can add an extra layer of anonymity to your online activities, making it harder for authorities to trace your IP address and identify you as a potential copyright infringer.

When choosing a VPN for Kodi streaming, it's essential to select a reliable and fast service that offers strong encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and a wide server network to ensure seamless performance. With the right VPN provider, you can enjoy a safer and more versatile streaming experience with Kodi.

VPN benefits for Kodi users

Title: Unlocking the Full Potential of Kodi: The Benefits of Using a VPN

In the world of online streaming, Kodi stands out as a versatile platform for accessing a wide range of content. However, to truly maximize your Kodi experience and ensure your privacy and security, incorporating a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is essential. Here are some significant benefits that VPNs offer to Kodi users:

Access Geo-Restricted Content: One of the primary advantages of using a VPN with Kodi is the ability to bypass geo-restrictions. With a VPN, users can connect to servers in different countries, allowing them to access content that may be blocked or restricted in their region. Whether it's streaming services, live TV channels, or add-ons, a VPN opens up a world of possibilities for Kodi users.

Enhanced Privacy and Security: By encrypting your internet connection, a VPN provides an extra layer of security when using Kodi. This encryption prevents third parties, such as ISPs or hackers, from monitoring your online activities. With privacy being a growing concern in the digital age, a VPN ensures that your streaming habits remain confidential.

Avoid ISP Throttling: Some internet service providers (ISPs) engage in throttling, which deliberately slows down your internet connection, particularly when streaming video content. By using a VPN, Kodi users can bypass ISP throttling, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted streaming sessions.

Protection Against Malicious Attacks: Kodi users often rely on third-party add-ons to access additional content. However, these add-ons can sometimes pose security risks, as they may contain malware or expose users to malicious attacks. By using a VPN, users can mitigate these risks by creating a secure connection that shields their devices from potential threats.

In conclusion, integrating a VPN with Kodi offers numerous benefits, including access to geo-restricted content, enhanced privacy and security, protection against ISP throttling, and defense against malicious attacks. By prioritizing online safety and freedom, Kodi users can unlock the full potential of this powerful streaming platform.

Kodi privacy and security with VPN

In today's digital age, privacy and security are of paramount importance, especially when it comes to streaming content on platforms like Kodi. Kodi is a versatile media player that allows users to access a wide range of content, including movies, TV shows, music, and more. However, without proper precautions, using Kodi can leave your personal data vulnerable to cyber threats. This is where a Virtual Private Network (VPN) comes in to safeguard your online activities.

By utilizing a VPN while using Kodi, you can encrypt your internet connection and obscure your IP address. This added layer of security ensures that your browsing history, streaming activities, and personal information remain private and protected from prying eyes. Moreover, a VPN can also help you bypass geo-restrictions and access content that may be blocked in your region.

When selecting a VPN for Kodi, opt for a reputable provider that offers strong encryption protocols, a no-logs policy, and servers in multiple locations. This will not only bolster your privacy but also enhance your streaming experience by providing faster speeds and reliable connections.

In conclusion, prioritizing privacy and security when using Kodi is essential in safeguarding your sensitive information online. By incorporating a VPN into your Kodi setup, you can enjoy unlimited streaming while keeping your digital footprint secure and anonymous. Stay safe, stay secure, and stream without worries with a VPN for Kodi.

can i.losten to unplaysble tracks spotify vpn

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VPN for accessing restricted Spotify content

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital entertainment, accessing geo-restricted content on platforms like Spotify has become a common challenge for users worldwide. Fortunately, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) offer a solution that enables individuals to bypass these restrictions and enjoy a wider range of music and podcasts regardless of their geographical location.

A VPN works by rerouting your internet connection through a server located in a different region, effectively masking your actual IP address and providing you with a new one associated with the server's location. This process creates the illusion that you are accessing the internet from a different country, allowing you to circumvent the geo-blocking mechanisms employed by streaming services like Spotify.

For Spotify users, a VPN offers the ability to access content that may be restricted in their region due to licensing agreements or other factors. By connecting to a VPN server located in a country where the desired content is available, users can bypass these restrictions and unlock a vast catalog of songs, albums, and podcasts that would otherwise be inaccessible.

However, it's essential to choose a reliable VPN service provider that offers fast connection speeds, robust security features, and a wide range of server locations to ensure a seamless streaming experience. Additionally, users should be aware of the terms of service of platforms like Spotify and ensure that their use of a VPN complies with their policies.

In conclusion, VPNs provide an effective solution for accessing restricted Spotify content by bypassing geo-blocking mechanisms and enabling users to enjoy a more diverse range of music and podcasts from anywhere in the world. By leveraging this technology, music enthusiasts can enhance their streaming experience and discover new artists and genres without limitations.

Unplayable tracks on Spotify

Sometimes when browsing through Spotify, music lovers may come across unplayable tracks. These are songs that cannot be listened to for various reasons, leaving users frustrated and wondering what the issue might be.

One common reason for unplayable tracks on Spotify is licensing restrictions. This means that the rights to stream a particular song may not have been obtained in certain regions or by the streaming platform itself. As a result, users in those areas will encounter unplayable tracks when attempting to listen to certain songs.

Another reason for unplayable tracks could be that the artist or record label has chosen to remove the song from the platform. This could be due to contractual agreements, disputes over royalties, or simply the decision to make the song exclusive to another platform.

Additionally, technical issues such as bugs or glitches in the Spotify app or server problems can also lead to tracks becoming unplayable. These issues are usually temporary and can be resolved by restarting the app or waiting for Spotify to fix the problem on their end.

While encountering unplayable tracks on Spotify can be frustrating, it is important to remember that there are many other songs and artists to discover and enjoy on the platform. By exploring new music and genres, users can still make the most out of their listening experience, even when faced with a few unplayable tracks along the way.

Bypassing Spotify geo-restrictions with VPN

Bypassing Spotify Geo-Restrictions with VPN

Are you a music lover who enjoys streaming your favorite tunes on Spotify? If you've ever been frustrated by geo-restrictions that prevent you from accessing certain songs or playlists, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) could be the solution for you.

Many streaming services, including Spotify, restrict access to their content based on your geographical location. This means that some songs or playlists may not be available in your country due to licensing restrictions or other limitations. However, by using a VPN, you can bypass these geo-restrictions and access the full range of Spotify's music catalog.

A VPN works by redirecting your internet connection through a server in a location of your choice. This makes it appear as though you are accessing the internet from that specific location, allowing you to circumvent geo-blocks and access content that may be restricted in your own country.

To use a VPN to unblock Spotify, simply choose a VPN provider with servers in countries where the music you want to listen to is available. Connect to a server in that location, open the Spotify app or website, and start enjoying unrestricted access to your favorite songs and playlists.

It's important to note that bypassing geo-restrictions with a VPN may violate Spotify's terms of service, so proceed with caution. Additionally, make sure to choose a reputable VPN provider to ensure your privacy and security are protected while streaming music online.

In conclusion, if you're tired of being limited by Spotify's geo-restrictions, using a VPN can help you unlock the full potential of the music streaming service. Just remember to use it responsibly and respect the platform's terms and conditions.

Listening to blocked Spotify songs with VPN

Listening to blocked Spotify songs with a VPN can open up a world of music that may otherwise be inaccessible in your region. Spotify, one of the most popular music streaming platforms globally, operates with licensing agreements that vary from country to country, leading to certain songs or albums being restricted in specific regions due to copyright and licensing restrictions. However, by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), users can bypass these geo-blocks and access a wider range of music options.

A VPN works by creating a secure and encrypted connection to the internet through a server in a different location. By connecting to a VPN server in a country where the desired music is available on Spotify, users can mask their actual location and access the content that would typically be blocked in their region.

It is essential to choose a reliable and reputable VPN service provider to ensure the protection of your data and the smooth functioning of the application. While using a VPN to access blocked Spotify songs can enhance your music streaming experience, it is crucial to adhere to Spotify's terms of service and the copyright laws of your country.

In conclusion, listening to blocked Spotify songs with a VPN can provide music enthusiasts with an opportunity to explore a more extensive catalog of songs and discover new artists without geographical limitations. However, users should prioritize their online privacy and comply with legal regulations while enjoying the benefits of a VPN service for accessing restricted music content on Spotify.

Troubleshooting unplayable tracks on Spotify with VPN

If you are facing issues with unplayable tracks on Spotify while using a VPN, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the problem.

Firstly, ensure that your VPN is not causing the issue. Sometimes VPNs can disrupt the connection to Spotify's servers, resulting in unplayable tracks. Try disconnecting the VPN and playing the tracks again to see if that solves the problem.

If disconnecting the VPN doesn't work, try switching to a different server location on your VPN. Sometimes certain server locations are blocked by Spotify, causing playback issues. By switching to a different server, you may be able to bypass the block and play your tracks without any problems.

Another troubleshooting step is to clear the cache and cookies on your device. Sometimes a build-up of cache and cookies can cause playback issues on streaming services like Spotify. By clearing them, you can ensure a clean connection to Spotify's servers.

Lastly, check if your VPN is up to date. Outdated VPN software can cause compatibility issues with streaming services. Make sure you have the latest version of your VPN installed to rule out any software-related problems.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you can hopefully resolve the issue of unplayable tracks on Spotify while using a VPN. If the problem persists, you may need to reach out to Spotify's customer support for further assistance.

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VPN for Spotify access

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a powerful tool that can enhance your Spotify experience by providing you with secure and unrestricted access to the music streaming platform.

Using a VPN for Spotify access allows you to bypass geographical restrictions that may prevent you from accessing certain songs or features in different regions. By connecting to a server in a location where Spotify is fully available, you can enjoy a wider selection of music and unlock exclusive content that may not be accessible in your current location.

Moreover, a VPN encrypts your internet connection and masks your IP address, providing you with enhanced privacy and security while streaming music on Spotify. This means that your online activities are protected from prying eyes, such as hackers or internet service providers, ensuring that your sensitive information remains secure.

With the ability to change your virtual location and encrypt your data, a VPN offers you the freedom to browse Spotify anonymously without worrying about censorship or data tracking. Whether you are traveling abroad, working remotely, or simply looking to access region-locked content, a VPN can elevate your Spotify experience by giving you seamless and unrestricted access to the music you love.

In conclusion, using a VPN for Spotify access not only unlocks a world of music content but also provides you with enhanced security and privacy while streaming online. Consider incorporating a VPN into your music streaming routine to enjoy a seamless and uninterrupted Spotify experience from anywhere in the world.

Spotify geo-restrictions bypass

Are you tired of being limited by Spotify's geo-restrictions? Do you want to access your favorite music and podcasts from anywhere in the world? Fear not, as there are ways to bypass these restrictions and unlock a world of content at your fingertips.

One popular method to bypass Spotify's geo-restrictions is by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN allows you to mask your actual location and appear as though you are connecting to Spotify from a different country where the content is available. By simply selecting a server location in a country where the desired content is accessible, you can enjoy all the songs and podcasts that were previously unavailable to you.

Another way to bypass Spotify's geo-restrictions is by using a Smart DNS service. Smart DNS works by rerouting your internet connection through a proxy server in a country where the content is not restricted. This way, you can access Spotify as if you were connecting from that specific location, enabling you to listen to music and podcasts without any limitations.

It is important to note that while bypassing Spotify's geo-restrictions may seem appealing, it is essential to respect copyright laws and Spotify's terms of service. Additionally, some methods of bypassing geo-restrictions may violate Spotify's policies, so it is crucial to use these tools responsibly.

In conclusion, Spotify's geo-restrictions need not hold you back from enjoying your favorite music and podcasts. With the help of VPNs or Smart DNS services, you can unlock a world of content and elevate your listening experience to new heights.

Using VPN with Spotify

Many users enjoy streaming music on Spotify to listen to their favorite songs and discover new artists. By using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Spotify, you can enhance your music streaming experience.

One of the main benefits of using a VPN with Spotify is accessing geo-restricted content. Some songs or albums may not be available in your country due to licensing restrictions. With a VPN, you can connect to servers in different locations and bypass these restrictions, allowing you to listen to a wider range of music.

Privacy and security are also important considerations when using online services like Spotify. By using a VPN, you can encrypt your internet connection and protect your personal data from potential hackers or third parties. This added layer of security can give you peace of mind while streaming music on Spotify.

Additionally, using a VPN can help improve your overall streaming experience by reducing buffering and improving connection speeds. By connecting to a VPN server closer to Spotify's servers, you can potentially eliminate network congestion and enjoy uninterrupted music playback.

It's important to choose a reliable VPN service that offers fast connection speeds, strong encryption, and a wide selection of server locations. By using a VPN with Spotify, you can unlock new music options, enhance your online security, and improve your streaming experience.

Spotify content unblocking

Spotify is a popular music streaming service used by millions of people worldwide. However, due to licensing restrictions, certain songs and albums may be unavailable in some countries. This can be frustrating for users who want to access all of Spotify's content.

One solution to this problem is content unblocking. Content unblocking allows users to bypass regional restrictions and access the full library of music available on Spotify. This is usually done by using a virtual private network (VPN) to mask your IP address and make it appear as though you are accessing Spotify from a different location where the content is available.

It's important to note that while content unblocking can be a useful tool for accessing geo-restricted content, it may violate Spotify's terms of service. Spotify employs measures to detect and block VPN usage, so there is a risk of being banned or suspended from the platform if caught.

If you choose to use content unblocking to access Spotify's full library, it's essential to do so responsibly and be aware of the potential risks involved. Additionally, be sure to use a reputable VPN service to ensure your data and privacy are protected while streaming music.

In conclusion, content unblocking can be a helpful workaround for accessing restricted music on Spotify, but users should proceed with caution and understand the potential consequences of violating Spotify's terms of service.

VPN benefits for Spotify

Title: Unlocking the Full Potential of Spotify: The Benefits of Using a VPN

In today's digital age, music streaming platforms like Spotify have revolutionized the way we consume music. With its vast library of songs, playlists, and podcasts, Spotify offers users an unparalleled listening experience. However, did you know that you can enhance your Spotify experience even further by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)? Let's explore the benefits of using a VPN with Spotify.

Access to Geo-Restricted Content: One of the most significant advantages of using a VPN with Spotify is the ability to access geo-restricted content. Spotify's library varies from one region to another due to licensing agreements and copyright restrictions. By connecting to a VPN server in a different country, you can bypass these restrictions and unlock a broader range of music, podcasts, and playlists that may not be available in your region.

Enhanced Privacy and Security: Privacy and security are paramount when streaming music online. By using a VPN, you can encrypt your internet connection, making it virtually impossible for third parties to intercept your data. This ensures that your listening habits remain private, protecting your personal information from hackers, advertisers, and other prying eyes.

Avoiding Throttling: Some internet service providers (ISPs) throttle bandwidth for streaming services like Spotify, especially during peak hours. This can result in buffering issues and poor audio quality. By using a VPN, you can bypass ISP throttling and enjoy seamless streaming at optimal speeds, regardless of the time of day.

Protecting Personal Information: When you use Spotify without a VPN, your IP address is exposed to the platform. This allows Spotify to collect data about your location, device, and listening habits. With a VPN, you can mask your IP address, keeping your personal information anonymous and preventing Spotify from tracking your online activity.

In conclusion, using a VPN with Spotify offers numerous benefits, including access to geo-restricted content, enhanced privacy and security, avoidance of throttling, and protection of personal information. By incorporating a VPN into your Spotify experience, you can unlock a world of music and enjoy a safer, more seamless streaming experience.

T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T Stop SMS Hijacks After Motherboard Investigation

All of the major carriers made a significant change to how SMS messages are routed to prevent hackers being able to easily reroute a target's texts, according to an announcement from Aerialink, a communications company that helps route text messages. The move comes after a Motherboard investigation in which a hacker, with minimal effort, paid $16 to reroute our text messages and then used that ability to break into a number of online accounts, including Postmates, WhatsApp, and Bumble, exposing a gaping hole in the country's telecommunications infrastructure.

"The Number Registry has announced that wireless carriers will no longer be supporting SMS or MMS text enabling on their respective wireless numbers," the March 25 announcement from Aerialink, reads. The announcement adds that the change is "industry-wide" and "affects all SMS providers in the mobile ecosystem."

"Be aware that Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T have reclaimed overwritten text-enabled wireless numbers industry-wide. As a result, any Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T wireless numbers which had been text-enabled as BYON no longer route messaging traffic through the Aerialink Gateway," the announcement adds, referring to Bring Your Own Number.

Do you work for telecom or one of the other companies mentioned? Do you know anything else about this attack? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, OTR chat on [email protected], or email [email protected].

T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) nor the CTIA, a trade body for the carriers.

Last week, Motherboard published an investigation in which pseudonymous hacker Lucky225 paid a small sum of money to a company called Sakari to demonstrate the issue, which had not previously been reported in detail. Sakari is a firm that helps businesses with SMS marketing and mass messaging. As part of that, Sakari had gained the ability to reroute text messages from another company called Bandwidth, which in turn obtained it from another called NetNumber.

A screenshot of the announcement on Aerialink's website.

When entering the respective phone number, Lucky225 was asked to sign a document essentially pinky-swearing he had authority to reroute the messages, but there was no technical mitigation in place to ensure the target had provided consent.

"Welcome to create an account if you want to mess with it, literally anyone can sign up," Lucky225, who is Director of Information at cybersecurity firm Okey Systems, said at the time.

A few minutes after entering Motherboard's phone number, Lucky225 started receiving text messages originally meant for our phone. From here, he logged into various services that used SMS as a login or authentication mechanism.

"It’s not hard to see the enormous threat to safety and security this kind of attack poses. The FCC must use its authority to force phone companies to secure their networks from hackers. Former Chairman Pai’s approach of industry self-regulation clearly failed," Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement after Motherboard explained the contours of the attack at the time.

After Motherboard originally contacted Sakari for comment, Adam Horsman, co-founder of the company, said Sakari had introduced a security feature where an entered number will receive an automated call to ensure that the number owner consents to the message rerouting. Now, with the carriers cutting off enabling of text messages on mobile numbers, the wider ecosystem of business text messaging companies are likely unable to perform the service at all.

Horsman told Motherboard in a statement on Thursday that "We welcome this news and hope the rest of the industry follows suit. It has always been our policy at Sakari to only support the text-enablement of VoIP and landline phone numbers, and as soon as the industry issue was raised we placed a complete block on any mobile numbers.  As part of our internal audit, other than Lucky225’s account, we found no other mobile numbers enabled." Another company included in Motherboard's investigation said it recently saw suspicious activity on another of its accounts.

Subscribe to our cybersecurity podcast CYBER, here.

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As promised earlier this week, here is the second part of our Red, White and Royal Blue coverage! It starts where we left of, about when Alex goes to Texas to campaign.

We cover the rest of the rest of the movie, compare it to the book a lot, speculate about possible sequels and talk about if RWRB does, or does not belong in the category of fanfiction that get turned into books. We're still not sure, to be honest. Let us know if you know more than us.

Apple Podcasts -- Amazon Music -- Google Podcasts

Thai Airways Waives Fees on Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan Flights

Thai Airways has confirmed that due to the COVID19 outbreak, the company is waiving charges associated with rerouting and changing the dates of travel on a few select routes. Passengers with tickets issued by Thai Airways on, or before, 18 February 2020, with travel scheduled for between 18 February 2020 and 31 March 2020, can change flights or reroute within the ticket’s expiry date and/or receive an extension on the ticket’s expiry date to 30 June 2020 whereby the normal fee for changing will be waived.

The above applies to: - Thai Airways roundtrip tickets and roundtrip codeshare flights with Thai Smile to Tokyo (Narita, Haneda), Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Sendai, Seoul, Busan, Taipei, Kaohsiung and Singapore. - Roundtrip codeshare flights with Thai Smile to and from Chiang Mai – Kaohsiung. Terms and conditions apply. Customers should contact Thai Airways directly through the airline's website or through the Thai Airways 24-hour contact centre in Bangkok, Thailand: +6623561111 (international calling rates apply). See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Thai Airways, COVID19. 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Why did Iran shut off the internet for the entire country? 

Iran imposed a nationwide internet outage after citizens flooded the streets to protest the government’s hike in oil prices. At least five people were killed in the demonstrations, which show no sign of subsiding. | ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

After protesters railed against increased fuel prices, connectivity fell to just 5 percent. The Reset podcast investigates.

Iran’s government announced on November 15, 2019, that it had plans to increase the price of fuel by at least 50 percent. The next day, Iranians took to the streets in protest. And the Iranian government reacted to its citizens organizing by shutting down the internet for the whole country.

The shutdown persisted for five days with practically every Iranian citizen lacking internet access or wireless data service. Finally, on the fifth day, Iran began restoring access in Tehran as well as in a number of provinces.

How is it even possible to shut down the internet for an entire country?

Lily Hay Newman, a senior security reporter at Wired magazine, explains on this episode of the Reset podcast that in order to get the internet to go down in the first place, the government had to get around a number of fail-safes.

“With this Iranian shutdown, which is so far beyond anything the government had done before, they likely grappled with these protective mechanisms. They would take down a portion of the network and then the network would automatically reroute around that dead portion to keep providing service. And then they would have to kind of do a whack-a-mole type situation to get it all under control.”

The “whack-a-mole situation,” as Newman describes to host Arielle Duhaime-Ross, “involves the government coordinating with internet service providers, telecoms, and infrastructure providers to actually make all of this happen.”

What this means for Iranians is that their government didn’t face a lot of resistance when it asked private companies to turn off internet access for their paying customers.

Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet, tells Duhaime-Ross quite frankly that he’s never seen such a “complex shutdown” before.

“We’ve been tracking a lot of shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith [and] see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But, to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than [good]. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the Internet makes people more angry.”

Another alarming fact is that Iran might further isolate its citizens from the rest of the world through its own intranet, which the government has been developing in order to give the regime more control over what content and services people can access in the country.

According to Toker, a sovereign internet — like the one Russia was planning on building — leads to parallel internets and the loss of global connectivity.

But Newman argues that there might be an unintended benefit to the oppressive government’s total blackout. “Perhaps it could fuel even more people in the streets, going outside and saying, ‘The only way I can get information is to go talk to my neighbors [and] going to a protest.’”

Listen to the entire conversation here. Below, we’ve also shared a lightly edited transcript of Toker’s conversation with Duhaime-Ross.

This episode of the Reset podcast was published on November 21, 2019. Events may have changed.

Listen and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

So the internet’s out in Iran. And that means reporting on what’s going on within the country is a lot harder.

It’s actually in these moments that I personally realize how screwed journalists around the world would be without the web.

But there are some people out there who devote themselves to keeping track of these kinds of shutdowns — and they are a little bit more accustomed to navigating these communication obstacles and interpreting them.

One of those people is Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet. He’s based in London, and I asked him if he’s seen an internet shutdown like this before.

Alp Toker

Well, in short, we haven’t.

It’s been extraordinary. It’s been a complex shutdown. It’s had many facets to it. It’s also impacted a lot of people at a time of crisis in various ways. It’s just unique.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This shutdown was actually sort of gradual. The government initially just slowed down the internet for tons of people and then actually spent 24 hours just systematically trying to shut down the internet. What does that tell us about how the government is viewing these protests? Because this was a response to the protests.

Alp Toker

Well, it stands to reason that the authorities are worried, given how extreme this measure is. It’s not something that Iran does. This is about severing connectivity at the core.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there a link between the intranet project Iran is reportedly working on and the protests?

Please note: This is a developing situation, so I want to be clear here that while other news organizations have reported on what Alp is about to say, it’s still really hard to know exactly what’s going on in Iran.

Alp Toker

So researchers knew that some kind of national intranet was coming. But there was no clear timeline. Would it be next year or a decade from now? And what wasn’t expected was that we might start seeing signs of the intranet during an internet shutdown that’s targeting protests.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Are we actually seeing signs of it being booted up now?

Alp Toker

All indications are that this system has been booted up. And that’s what we see from the data, from the reports, from all sources. What’s happened is: first this shutdown, but then you’ve got this network coming back online. But without the rest of the world there. So you’ve got a parallel intranet being formed in front of our eyes, where the people want to reach out but they can’t.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This feels like big news, that Iran’s intranet is essentially its mode of communication. What we think of as the internet is essentially changing completely. That’s what you’re telling me?

Alp Toker

Right. Because now you’ve got to ask, which is a real internet? What if you have one of these or two of these? Is it the one inside Iran? Is it the one outside? What if Russia also does the same thing? Russia’s had some plans to [create] a sovereign internet and then you start developing parallel internets and you lose this global connectivity, this achievement of humanity, which has brought good but has also brought some perhaps less desirable things to the world. But that’s something we’ve all taken for granted until now. It looks like that’s changing.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Do you think the government planned things this way? Was this premeditated?

Alp Toker

It’s difficult to believe that this could be orchestrated. These protests were organic. They were caused by a specific trigger as the fuel prices rose.

A very cynical look at it might say that there was some planning. But honestly, it looks like the internet was cut. And then there was the realization that this is not good for the economy, this is not good for the situation of the country.

And [separately] there was this intranet that was being developed and it looks like that might have been switched ahead of schedule and might have enabled at scale.

So it remains to be seen how and why this is happening now. But it’s happened.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Has this happened before in a country? Is there a country that has this kind of an intranet in operation and countrywide?

Alp Toker

The only similar high-profile country that has a system like this is North Korea.

Not much is known about the network that North Korea operates, but it doesn’t have many users. It’s specifically for those privileged [few] who can access this kind of network. And it isn’t connected to the global internet. Because it’s so isolated, it’s difficult to say how similar it is to what’s happening now.

But you can look at Russia, which has been making plans for it but hasn’t activated this kind of system on a national scale.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Have other countries in other parts of the world been affected by a government-controlled internet shutdown and communications blackout like this before?

Alp Toker

A recent case is Iraq that has been cut off. First they switch off social media, then they switch off the internet completely.

And the human rights organizations are still stumped as to how many people have lost their lives. It’s created an information black hole that’s going to take years and there may not be an answer for. So that’s just one example.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there ever an instance where shutting down the internet is acceptable?

Back in April when Sri Lanka suffered some terrorist attacks, the government decided to shut down its internet to stop the spread of misinformation. And actually the country got a lot of praise for that.

So is it ever okay to do this kind of thing and shut down the internet?

Alp Toker

We’ve been tracking a lot of extended shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith to begin with. We try to see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than any problem it’s aimed to solve. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the internet makes people more angry.

Let’s look at the situation in Sri Lanka. There you have these devastating terror attacks. Massive loss of life. And in the aftermath, there are disputes, groups that are blaming each other. And authorities introduce a blackout. They say it will prevent these attacks. They say it will stop these attacks. The problem is there is no evidence at all that it actually stops these attacks, because at the end of the day, people still know where to go if they want to attack a group of the minority. The problem is, it just stops the reporting. So nobody knows that it’s happening. And the problem is when you need it, when that press is really there when people are dying, then you’ve already lost the only recourse you have.

Before we set up Netblocks, there were efforts to track internet shutdowns by hand or using various data sources. But a lot of this was missing — the information about how long it has lasted, what kind of disruption it’s been.

The truth is, we don’t know. We read stories, we read claims in archives that there was an internet cut. But that could have affected one city. It could have affected one street. And because the data wasn’t there. And that is lost to history.

Because you think if a country is shut down, the whole country, the world would know. But by its nature, there’s no way to record it. You don’t know if your neighbor’s offline. You don’t know if the next city is offline. You’re just out of information.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This is actually the situation of if there’s a tree that falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Alp Toker

Absolutely. This is the technical implementation of the falling tree in the woods.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/2QHAdyy from Blogger https://ift.tt/2OxhROg via IFTTT

Why did Iran shut off the internet for the entire country? 

Iran imposed a nationwide internet outage after citizens flooded the streets to protest the government’s hike in oil prices. At least five people were killed in the demonstrations, which show no sign of subsiding. | ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

After protesters railed against increased fuel prices, connectivity fell to just 5 percent. The Reset podcast investigates.

Iran’s government announced on November 15, 2019, that it had plans to increase the price of fuel by at least 50 percent. The next day, Iranians took to the streets in protest. And the Iranian government reacted to its citizens organizing by shutting down the internet for the whole country.

The shutdown persisted for five days with practically every Iranian citizen lacking internet access or wireless data service. Finally, on the fifth day, Iran began restoring access in Tehran as well as in a number of provinces.

How is it even possible to shut down the internet for an entire country?

Lily Hay Newman, a senior security reporter at Wired magazine, explains on this episode of the Reset podcast that in order to get the internet to go down in the first place, the government had to get around a number of fail-safes.

“With this Iranian shutdown, which is so far beyond anything the government had done before, they likely grappled with these protective mechanisms. They would take down a portion of the network and then the network would automatically reroute around that dead portion to keep providing service. And then they would have to kind of do a whack-a-mole type situation to get it all under control.”

The “whack-a-mole situation,” as Newman describes to host Arielle Duhaime-Ross, “involves the government coordinating with internet service providers, telecoms, and infrastructure providers to actually make all of this happen.”

What this means for Iranians is that their government didn’t face a lot of resistance when it asked private companies to turn off internet access for their paying customers.

Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet, tells Duhaime-Ross quite frankly that he’s never seen such a “complex shutdown” before.

“We’ve been tracking a lot of shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith [and] see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But, to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than [good]. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the Internet makes people more angry.”

Another alarming fact is that Iran might further isolate its citizens from the rest of the world through its own intranet, which the government has been developing in order to give the regime more control over what content and services people can access in the country.

According to Toker, a sovereign internet — like the one Russia was planning on building — leads to parallel internets and the loss of global connectivity.

But Newman argues that there might be an unintended benefit to the oppressive government’s total blackout. “Perhaps it could fuel even more people in the streets, going outside and saying, ‘The only way I can get information is to go talk to my neighbors [and] going to a protest.’”

Listen to the entire conversation here. Below, we’ve also shared a lightly edited transcript of Toker’s conversation with Duhaime-Ross.

This episode of the Reset podcast was published on November 21, 2019. Events may have changed.

Listen and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

So the internet’s out in Iran. And that means reporting on what’s going on within the country is a lot harder.

It’s actually in these moments that I personally realize how screwed journalists around the world would be without the web.

But there are some people out there who devote themselves to keeping track of these kinds of shutdowns — and they are a little bit more accustomed to navigating these communication obstacles and interpreting them.

One of those people is Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet. He’s based in London, and I asked him if he’s seen an internet shutdown like this before.

Alp Toker

Well, in short, we haven’t.

It’s been extraordinary. It’s been a complex shutdown. It’s had many facets to it. It’s also impacted a lot of people at a time of crisis in various ways. It’s just unique.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This shutdown was actually sort of gradual. The government initially just slowed down the internet for tons of people and then actually spent 24 hours just systematically trying to shut down the internet. What does that tell us about how the government is viewing these protests? Because this was a response to the protests.

Alp Toker

Well, it stands to reason that the authorities are worried, given how extreme this measure is. It’s not something that Iran does. This is about severing connectivity at the core.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there a link between the intranet project Iran is reportedly working on and the protests?

Please note: This is a developing situation, so I want to be clear here that while other news organizations have reported on what Alp is about to say, it’s still really hard to know exactly what’s going on in Iran.

Alp Toker

So researchers knew that some kind of national intranet was coming. But there was no clear timeline. Would it be next year or a decade from now? And what wasn’t expected was that we might start seeing signs of the intranet during an internet shutdown that’s targeting protests.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Are we actually seeing signs of it being booted up now?

Alp Toker

All indications are that this system has been booted up. And that’s what we see from the data, from the reports, from all sources. What’s happened is: first this shutdown, but then you’ve got this network coming back online. But without the rest of the world there. So you’ve got a parallel intranet being formed in front of our eyes, where the people want to reach out but they can’t.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This feels like big news, that Iran’s intranet is essentially its mode of communication. What we think of as the internet is essentially changing completely. That’s what you’re telling me?

Alp Toker

Right. Because now you’ve got to ask, which is a real internet? What if you have one of these or two of these? Is it the one inside Iran? Is it the one outside? What if Russia also does the same thing? Russia’s had some plans to [create] a sovereign internet and then you start developing parallel internets and you lose this global connectivity, this achievement of humanity, which has brought good but has also brought some perhaps less desirable things to the world. But that’s something we’ve all taken for granted until now. It looks like that’s changing.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Do you think the government planned things this way? Was this premeditated?

Alp Toker

It’s difficult to believe that this could be orchestrated. These protests were organic. They were caused by a specific trigger as the fuel prices rose.

A very cynical look at it might say that there was some planning. But honestly, it looks like the internet was cut. And then there was the realization that this is not good for the economy, this is not good for the situation of the country.

And [separately] there was this intranet that was being developed and it looks like that might have been switched ahead of schedule and might have enabled at scale.

So it remains to be seen how and why this is happening now. But it’s happened.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Has this happened before in a country? Is there a country that has this kind of an intranet in operation and countrywide?

Alp Toker

The only similar high-profile country that has a system like this is North Korea.

Not much is known about the network that North Korea operates, but it doesn’t have many users. It’s specifically for those privileged [few] who can access this kind of network. And it isn’t connected to the global internet. Because it’s so isolated, it’s difficult to say how similar it is to what’s happening now.

But you can look at Russia, which has been making plans for it but hasn’t activated this kind of system on a national scale.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Have other countries in other parts of the world been affected by a government-controlled internet shutdown and communications blackout like this before?

Alp Toker

A recent case is Iraq that has been cut off. First they switch off social media, then they switch off the internet completely.

And the human rights organizations are still stumped as to how many people have lost their lives. It’s created an information black hole that’s going to take years and there may not be an answer for. So that’s just one example.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there ever an instance where shutting down the internet is acceptable?

Back in April when Sri Lanka suffered some terrorist attacks, the government decided to shut down its internet to stop the spread of misinformation. And actually the country got a lot of praise for that.

So is it ever okay to do this kind of thing and shut down the internet?

Alp Toker

We’ve been tracking a lot of extended shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith to begin with. We try to see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than any problem it’s aimed to solve. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the internet makes people more angry.

Let’s look at the situation in Sri Lanka. There you have these devastating terror attacks. Massive loss of life. And in the aftermath, there are disputes, groups that are blaming each other. And authorities introduce a blackout. They say it will prevent these attacks. They say it will stop these attacks. The problem is there is no evidence at all that it actually stops these attacks, because at the end of the day, people still know where to go if they want to attack a group of the minority. The problem is, it just stops the reporting. So nobody knows that it’s happening. And the problem is when you need it, when that press is really there when people are dying, then you’ve already lost the only recourse you have.

Before we set up Netblocks, there were efforts to track internet shutdowns by hand or using various data sources. But a lot of this was missing — the information about how long it has lasted, what kind of disruption it’s been.

The truth is, we don’t know. We read stories, we read claims in archives that there was an internet cut. But that could have affected one city. It could have affected one street. And because the data wasn’t there. And that is lost to history.

Because you think if a country is shut down, the whole country, the world would know. But by its nature, there’s no way to record it. You don’t know if your neighbor’s offline. You don’t know if the next city is offline. You’re just out of information.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This is actually the situation of if there’s a tree that falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Alp Toker

Absolutely. This is the technical implementation of the falling tree in the woods.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/2QHAdyy

Why did Iran shut off the internet for the entire country? 

Iran imposed a nationwide internet outage after citizens flooded the streets to protest the government’s hike in oil prices. At least five people were killed in the demonstrations, which show no sign of subsiding. | ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

After protesters railed against increased fuel prices, connectivity fell to just 5 percent. The Reset podcast investigates.

Iran’s government announced on November 15, 2019, that it had plans to increase the price of fuel by at least 50 percent. The next day, Iranians took to the streets in protest. And the Iranian government reacted to its citizens organizing by shutting down the internet for the whole country.

The shutdown persisted for five days with practically every Iranian citizen lacking internet access or wireless data service. Finally, on the fifth day, Iran began restoring access in Tehran as well as in a number of provinces.

How is it even possible to shut down the internet for an entire country?

Lily Hay Newman, a senior security reporter at Wired magazine, explains on this episode of the Reset podcast that in order to get the internet to go down in the first place, the government had to get around a number of fail-safes.

“With this Iranian shutdown, which is so far beyond anything the government had done before, they likely grappled with these protective mechanisms. They would take down a portion of the network and then the network would automatically reroute around that dead portion to keep providing service. And then they would have to kind of do a whack-a-mole type situation to get it all under control.”

The “whack-a-mole situation,” as Newman describes to host Arielle Duhaime-Ross, “involves the government coordinating with internet service providers, telecoms, and infrastructure providers to actually make all of this happen.”

What this means for Iranians is that their government didn’t face a lot of resistance when it asked private companies to turn off internet access for their paying customers.

Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet, tells Duhaime-Ross quite frankly that he’s never seen such a “complex shutdown” before.

“We’ve been tracking a lot of shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith [and] see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But, to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than [good]. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the Internet makes people more angry.”

Another alarming fact is that Iran might further isolate its citizens from the rest of the world through its own intranet, which the government has been developing in order to give the regime more control over what content and services people can access in the country.

According to Toker, a sovereign internet — like the one Russia was planning on building — leads to parallel internets and the loss of global connectivity.

But Newman argues that there might be an unintended benefit to the oppressive government’s total blackout. “Perhaps it could fuel even more people in the streets, going outside and saying, ‘The only way I can get information is to go talk to my neighbors [and] going to a protest.’”

Listen to the entire conversation here. Below, we’ve also shared a lightly edited transcript of Toker’s conversation with Duhaime-Ross.

This episode of the Reset podcast was published on November 21, 2019. Events may have changed.

Listen and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

So the internet’s out in Iran. And that means reporting on what’s going on within the country is a lot harder.

It’s actually in these moments that I personally realize how screwed journalists around the world would be without the web.

But there are some people out there who devote themselves to keeping track of these kinds of shutdowns — and they are a little bit more accustomed to navigating these communication obstacles and interpreting them.

One of those people is Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet. He’s based in London, and I asked him if he’s seen an internet shutdown like this before.

Alp Toker

Well, in short, we haven’t.

It’s been extraordinary. It’s been a complex shutdown. It’s had many facets to it. It’s also impacted a lot of people at a time of crisis in various ways. It’s just unique.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This shutdown was actually sort of gradual. The government initially just slowed down the internet for tons of people and then actually spent 24 hours just systematically trying to shut down the internet. What does that tell us about how the government is viewing these protests? Because this was a response to the protests.

Alp Toker

Well, it stands to reason that the authorities are worried, given how extreme this measure is. It’s not something that Iran does. This is about severing connectivity at the core.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there a link between the intranet project Iran is reportedly working on and the protests?

Please note: This is a developing situation, so I want to be clear here that while other news organizations have reported on what Alp is about to say, it’s still really hard to know exactly what’s going on in Iran.

Alp Toker

So researchers knew that some kind of national intranet was coming. But there was no clear timeline. Would it be next year or a decade from now? And what wasn’t expected was that we might start seeing signs of the intranet during an internet shutdown that’s targeting protests.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Are we actually seeing signs of it being booted up now?

Alp Toker

All indications are that this system has been booted up. And that’s what we see from the data, from the reports, from all sources. What’s happened is: first this shutdown, but then you’ve got this network coming back online. But without the rest of the world there. So you’ve got a parallel intranet being formed in front of our eyes, where the people want to reach out but they can’t.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This feels like big news, that Iran’s intranet is essentially its mode of communication. What we think of as the internet is essentially changing completely. That’s what you’re telling me?

Alp Toker

Right. Because now you’ve got to ask, which is a real internet? What if you have one of these or two of these? Is it the one inside Iran? Is it the one outside? What if Russia also does the same thing? Russia’s had some plans to [create] a sovereign internet and then you start developing parallel internets and you lose this global connectivity, this achievement of humanity, which has brought good but has also brought some perhaps less desirable things to the world. But that’s something we’ve all taken for granted until now. It looks like that’s changing.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Do you think the government planned things this way? Was this premeditated?

Alp Toker

It’s difficult to believe that this could be orchestrated. These protests were organic. They were caused by a specific trigger as the fuel prices rose.

A very cynical look at it might say that there was some planning. But honestly, it looks like the internet was cut. And then there was the realization that this is not good for the economy, this is not good for the situation of the country.

And [separately] there was this intranet that was being developed and it looks like that might have been switched ahead of schedule and might have enabled at scale.

So it remains to be seen how and why this is happening now. But it’s happened.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Has this happened before in a country? Is there a country that has this kind of an intranet in operation and countrywide?

Alp Toker

The only similar high-profile country that has a system like this is North Korea.

Not much is known about the network that North Korea operates, but it doesn’t have many users. It’s specifically for those privileged [few] who can access this kind of network. And it isn’t connected to the global internet. Because it’s so isolated, it’s difficult to say how similar it is to what’s happening now.

But you can look at Russia, which has been making plans for it but hasn’t activated this kind of system on a national scale.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Have other countries in other parts of the world been affected by a government-controlled internet shutdown and communications blackout like this before?

Alp Toker

A recent case is Iraq that has been cut off. First they switch off social media, then they switch off the internet completely.

And the human rights organizations are still stumped as to how many people have lost their lives. It’s created an information black hole that’s going to take years and there may not be an answer for. So that’s just one example.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there ever an instance where shutting down the internet is acceptable?

Back in April when Sri Lanka suffered some terrorist attacks, the government decided to shut down its internet to stop the spread of misinformation. And actually the country got a lot of praise for that.

So is it ever okay to do this kind of thing and shut down the internet?

Alp Toker

We’ve been tracking a lot of extended shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith to begin with. We try to see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than any problem it’s aimed to solve. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the internet makes people more angry.

Let’s look at the situation in Sri Lanka. There you have these devastating terror attacks. Massive loss of life. And in the aftermath, there are disputes, groups that are blaming each other. And authorities introduce a blackout. They say it will prevent these attacks. They say it will stop these attacks. The problem is there is no evidence at all that it actually stops these attacks, because at the end of the day, people still know where to go if they want to attack a group of the minority. The problem is, it just stops the reporting. So nobody knows that it’s happening. And the problem is when you need it, when that press is really there when people are dying, then you’ve already lost the only recourse you have.

Before we set up Netblocks, there were efforts to track internet shutdowns by hand or using various data sources. But a lot of this was missing — the information about how long it has lasted, what kind of disruption it’s been.

The truth is, we don’t know. We read stories, we read claims in archives that there was an internet cut. But that could have affected one city. It could have affected one street. And because the data wasn’t there. And that is lost to history.

Because you think if a country is shut down, the whole country, the world would know. But by its nature, there’s no way to record it. You don’t know if your neighbor’s offline. You don’t know if the next city is offline. You’re just out of information.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This is actually the situation of if there’s a tree that falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Alp Toker

Absolutely. This is the technical implementation of the falling tree in the woods.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Download Spotify with VPN

Title: Enhance Your Music Experience: Download Spotify with VPN

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Title: How to Access Spotify Abroad with VPN

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Why did Iran shut off the internet for the entire country? 

Iran imposed a nationwide internet outage after citizens flooded the streets to protest the government’s hike in oil prices. At least five people were killed in the demonstrations, which show no sign of subsiding. | ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

After protesters railed against increased fuel prices, connectivity fell to just 5 percent. The Reset podcast investigates.

Iran’s government announced on November 15, 2019, that it had plans to increase the price of fuel by at least 50 percent. The next day, Iranians took to the streets in protest. And the Iranian government reacted to its citizens organizing by shutting down the internet for the whole country.

The shutdown persisted for five days with practically every Iranian citizen lacking internet access or wireless data service. Finally, on the fifth day, Iran began restoring access in Tehran as well as in a number of provinces.

How is it even possible to shut down the internet for an entire country?

Lily Hay Newman, a senior security reporter at Wired magazine, explains on this episode of the Reset podcast that in order to get the internet to go down in the first place, the government had to get around a number of fail-safes.

“With this Iranian shutdown, which is so far beyond anything the government had done before, they likely grappled with these protective mechanisms. They would take down a portion of the network and then the network would automatically reroute around that dead portion to keep providing service. And then they would have to kind of do a whack-a-mole type situation to get it all under control.”

The “whack-a-mole situation,” as Newman describes to host Arielle Duhaime-Ross, “involves the government coordinating with internet service providers, telecoms, and infrastructure providers to actually make all of this happen.”

What this means for Iranians is that their government didn’t face a lot of resistance when it asked private companies to turn off internet access for their paying customers.

Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet, tells Duhaime-Ross quite frankly that he’s never seen such a “complex shutdown” before.

“We’ve been tracking a lot of shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith [and] see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But, to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than [good]. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the Internet makes people more angry.”

Another alarming fact is that Iran might further isolate its citizens from the rest of the world through its own intranet, which the government has been developing in order to give the regime more control over what content and services people can access in the country.

According to Toker, a sovereign internet — like the one Russia was planning on building — leads to parallel internets and the loss of global connectivity.

But Newman argues that there might be an unintended benefit to the oppressive government’s total blackout. “Perhaps it could fuel even more people in the streets, going outside and saying, ‘The only way I can get information is to go talk to my neighbors [and] going to a protest.’”

Listen to the entire conversation here. Below, we’ve also shared a lightly edited transcript of Toker’s conversation with Duhaime-Ross.

This episode of the Reset podcast was published on November 21, 2019. Events may have changed.

Listen and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

So the internet’s out in Iran. And that means reporting on what’s going on within the country is a lot harder.

It’s actually in these moments that I personally realize how screwed journalists around the world would be without the web.

But there are some people out there who devote themselves to keeping track of these kinds of shutdowns — and they are a little bit more accustomed to navigating these communication obstacles and interpreting them.

One of those people is Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet. He’s based in London, and I asked him if he’s seen an internet shutdown like this before.

Alp Toker

Well, in short, we haven’t.

It’s been extraordinary. It’s been a complex shutdown. It’s had many facets to it. It’s also impacted a lot of people at a time of crisis in various ways. It’s just unique.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This shutdown was actually sort of gradual. The government initially just slowed down the internet for tons of people and then actually spent 24 hours just systematically trying to shut down the internet. What does that tell us about how the government is viewing these protests? Because this was a response to the protests.

Alp Toker

Well, it stands to reason that the authorities are worried, given how extreme this measure is. It’s not something that Iran does. This is about severing connectivity at the core.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there a link between the intranet project Iran is reportedly working on and the protests?

Please note: This is a developing situation, so I want to be clear here that while other news organizations have reported on what Alp is about to say, it’s still really hard to know exactly what’s going on in Iran.

Alp Toker

So researchers knew that some kind of national intranet was coming. But there was no clear timeline. Would it be next year or a decade from now? And what wasn’t expected was that we might start seeing signs of the intranet during an internet shutdown that’s targeting protests.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Are we actually seeing signs of it being booted up now?

Alp Toker

All indications are that this system has been booted up. And that’s what we see from the data, from the reports, from all sources. What’s happened is: first this shutdown, but then you’ve got this network coming back online. But without the rest of the world there. So you’ve got a parallel intranet being formed in front of our eyes, where the people want to reach out but they can’t.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This feels like big news, that Iran’s intranet is essentially its mode of communication. What we think of as the internet is essentially changing completely. That’s what you’re telling me?

Alp Toker

Right. Because now you’ve got to ask, which is a real internet? What if you have one of these or two of these? Is it the one inside Iran? Is it the one outside? What if Russia also does the same thing? Russia’s had some plans to [create] a sovereign internet and then you start developing parallel internets and you lose this global connectivity, this achievement of humanity, which has brought good but has also brought some perhaps less desirable things to the world. But that’s something we’ve all taken for granted until now. It looks like that’s changing.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Do you think the government planned things this way? Was this premeditated?

Alp Toker

It’s difficult to believe that this could be orchestrated. These protests were organic. They were caused by a specific trigger as the fuel prices rose.

A very cynical look at it might say that there was some planning. But honestly, it looks like the internet was cut. And then there was the realization that this is not good for the economy, this is not good for the situation of the country.

And [separately] there was this intranet that was being developed and it looks like that might have been switched ahead of schedule and might have enabled at scale.

So it remains to be seen how and why this is happening now. But it’s happened.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Has this happened before in a country? Is there a country that has this kind of an intranet in operation and countrywide?

Alp Toker

The only similar high-profile country that has a system like this is North Korea.

Not much is known about the network that North Korea operates, but it doesn’t have many users. It’s specifically for those privileged [few] who can access this kind of network. And it isn’t connected to the global internet. Because it’s so isolated, it’s difficult to say how similar it is to what’s happening now.

But you can look at Russia, which has been making plans for it but hasn’t activated this kind of system on a national scale.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Have other countries in other parts of the world been affected by a government-controlled internet shutdown and communications blackout like this before?

Alp Toker

A recent case is Iraq that has been cut off. First they switch off social media, then they switch off the internet completely.

And the human rights organizations are still stumped as to how many people have lost their lives. It’s created an information black hole that’s going to take years and there may not be an answer for. So that’s just one example.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there ever an instance where shutting down the internet is acceptable?

Back in April when Sri Lanka suffered some terrorist attacks, the government decided to shut down its internet to stop the spread of misinformation. And actually the country got a lot of praise for that.

So is it ever okay to do this kind of thing and shut down the internet?

Alp Toker

We’ve been tracking a lot of extended shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith to begin with. We try to see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than any problem it’s aimed to solve. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the internet makes people more angry.

Let’s look at the situation in Sri Lanka. There you have these devastating terror attacks. Massive loss of life. And in the aftermath, there are disputes, groups that are blaming each other. And authorities introduce a blackout. They say it will prevent these attacks. They say it will stop these attacks. The problem is there is no evidence at all that it actually stops these attacks, because at the end of the day, people still know where to go if they want to attack a group of the minority. The problem is, it just stops the reporting. So nobody knows that it’s happening. And the problem is when you need it, when that press is really there when people are dying, then you’ve already lost the only recourse you have.

Before we set up Netblocks, there were efforts to track internet shutdowns by hand or using various data sources. But a lot of this was missing — the information about how long it has lasted, what kind of disruption it’s been.

The truth is, we don’t know. We read stories, we read claims in archives that there was an internet cut. But that could have affected one city. It could have affected one street. And because the data wasn’t there. And that is lost to history.

Because you think if a country is shut down, the whole country, the world would know. But by its nature, there’s no way to record it. You don’t know if your neighbor’s offline. You don’t know if the next city is offline. You’re just out of information.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This is actually the situation of if there’s a tree that falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Alp Toker

Absolutely. This is the technical implementation of the falling tree in the woods.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/2QHAdyy

Why did Iran shut off the internet for the entire country? 

Iran imposed a nationwide internet outage after citizens flooded the streets to protest the government’s hike in oil prices. At least five people were killed in the demonstrations, which show no sign of subsiding. | ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

After protesters railed against increased fuel prices, connectivity fell to just 5 percent. The Reset podcast investigates.

Iran’s government announced on November 15, 2019, that it had plans to increase the price of fuel by at least 50 percent. The next day, Iranians took to the streets in protest. And the Iranian government reacted to its citizens organizing by shutting down the internet for the whole country.

The shutdown persisted for five days with practically every Iranian citizen lacking internet access or wireless data service. Finally, on the fifth day, Iran began restoring access in Tehran as well as in a number of provinces.

How is it even possible to shut down the internet for an entire country?

Lily Hay Newman, a senior security reporter at Wired magazine, explains on this episode of the Reset podcast that in order to get the internet to go down in the first place, the government had to get around a number of fail-safes.

“With this Iranian shutdown, which is so far beyond anything the government had done before, they likely grappled with these protective mechanisms. They would take down a portion of the network and then the network would automatically reroute around that dead portion to keep providing service. And then they would have to kind of do a whack-a-mole type situation to get it all under control.”

The “whack-a-mole situation,” as Newman describes to host Arielle Duhaime-Ross, “involves the government coordinating with internet service providers, telecoms, and infrastructure providers to actually make all of this happen.”

What this means for Iranians is that their government didn’t face a lot of resistance when it asked private companies to turn off internet access for their paying customers.

Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet, tells Duhaime-Ross quite frankly that he’s never seen such a “complex shutdown” before.

“We’ve been tracking a lot of shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith [and] see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But, to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than [good]. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the Internet makes people more angry.”

Another alarming fact is that Iran might further isolate its citizens from the rest of the world through its own intranet, which the government has been developing in order to give the regime more control over what content and services people can access in the country.

According to Toker, a sovereign internet — like the one Russia was planning on building — leads to parallel internets and the loss of global connectivity.

But Newman argues that there might be an unintended benefit to the oppressive government’s total blackout. “Perhaps it could fuel even more people in the streets, going outside and saying, ‘The only way I can get information is to go talk to my neighbors [and] going to a protest.’”

Listen to the entire conversation here. Below, we’ve also shared a lightly edited transcript of Toker’s conversation with Duhaime-Ross.

This episode of the Reset podcast was published on November 21, 2019. Events may have changed.

Listen and subscribe to Reset on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

So the internet’s out in Iran. And that means reporting on what’s going on within the country is a lot harder.

It’s actually in these moments that I personally realize how screwed journalists around the world would be without the web.

But there are some people out there who devote themselves to keeping track of these kinds of shutdowns — and they are a little bit more accustomed to navigating these communication obstacles and interpreting them.

One of those people is Alp Toker, the executive director of Netblocks, an NGO that monitors the governance of the internet. He’s based in London, and I asked him if he’s seen an internet shutdown like this before.

Alp Toker

Well, in short, we haven’t.

It’s been extraordinary. It’s been a complex shutdown. It’s had many facets to it. It’s also impacted a lot of people at a time of crisis in various ways. It’s just unique.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This shutdown was actually sort of gradual. The government initially just slowed down the internet for tons of people and then actually spent 24 hours just systematically trying to shut down the internet. What does that tell us about how the government is viewing these protests? Because this was a response to the protests.

Alp Toker

Well, it stands to reason that the authorities are worried, given how extreme this measure is. It’s not something that Iran does. This is about severing connectivity at the core.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there a link between the intranet project Iran is reportedly working on and the protests?

Please note: This is a developing situation, so I want to be clear here that while other news organizations have reported on what Alp is about to say, it’s still really hard to know exactly what’s going on in Iran.

Alp Toker

So researchers knew that some kind of national intranet was coming. But there was no clear timeline. Would it be next year or a decade from now? And what wasn’t expected was that we might start seeing signs of the intranet during an internet shutdown that’s targeting protests.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Are we actually seeing signs of it being booted up now?

Alp Toker

All indications are that this system has been booted up. And that’s what we see from the data, from the reports, from all sources. What’s happened is: first this shutdown, but then you’ve got this network coming back online. But without the rest of the world there. So you’ve got a parallel intranet being formed in front of our eyes, where the people want to reach out but they can’t.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This feels like big news, that Iran’s intranet is essentially its mode of communication. What we think of as the internet is essentially changing completely. That’s what you’re telling me?

Alp Toker

Right. Because now you’ve got to ask, which is a real internet? What if you have one of these or two of these? Is it the one inside Iran? Is it the one outside? What if Russia also does the same thing? Russia’s had some plans to [create] a sovereign internet and then you start developing parallel internets and you lose this global connectivity, this achievement of humanity, which has brought good but has also brought some perhaps less desirable things to the world. But that’s something we’ve all taken for granted until now. It looks like that’s changing.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Do you think the government planned things this way? Was this premeditated?

Alp Toker

It’s difficult to believe that this could be orchestrated. These protests were organic. They were caused by a specific trigger as the fuel prices rose.

A very cynical look at it might say that there was some planning. But honestly, it looks like the internet was cut. And then there was the realization that this is not good for the economy, this is not good for the situation of the country.

And [separately] there was this intranet that was being developed and it looks like that might have been switched ahead of schedule and might have enabled at scale.

So it remains to be seen how and why this is happening now. But it’s happened.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Has this happened before in a country? Is there a country that has this kind of an intranet in operation and countrywide?

Alp Toker

The only similar high-profile country that has a system like this is North Korea.

Not much is known about the network that North Korea operates, but it doesn’t have many users. It’s specifically for those privileged [few] who can access this kind of network. And it isn’t connected to the global internet. Because it’s so isolated, it’s difficult to say how similar it is to what’s happening now.

But you can look at Russia, which has been making plans for it but hasn’t activated this kind of system on a national scale.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Have other countries in other parts of the world been affected by a government-controlled internet shutdown and communications blackout like this before?

Alp Toker

A recent case is Iraq that has been cut off. First they switch off social media, then they switch off the internet completely.

And the human rights organizations are still stumped as to how many people have lost their lives. It’s created an information black hole that’s going to take years and there may not be an answer for. So that’s just one example.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

Is there ever an instance where shutting down the internet is acceptable?

Back in April when Sri Lanka suffered some terrorist attacks, the government decided to shut down its internet to stop the spread of misinformation. And actually the country got a lot of praise for that.

So is it ever okay to do this kind of thing and shut down the internet?

Alp Toker

We’ve been tracking a lot of extended shutdowns, and they are done for a lot of different reasons around the world. We always try to take the governments on good faith to begin with. We try to see what they’ve done, whether there might be a justification. But to be honest, in each case, it’s caused more harm than any problem it’s aimed to solve. If it’s a protest or even a riot, switching off the internet makes people more angry.

Let’s look at the situation in Sri Lanka. There you have these devastating terror attacks. Massive loss of life. And in the aftermath, there are disputes, groups that are blaming each other. And authorities introduce a blackout. They say it will prevent these attacks. They say it will stop these attacks. The problem is there is no evidence at all that it actually stops these attacks, because at the end of the day, people still know where to go if they want to attack a group of the minority. The problem is, it just stops the reporting. So nobody knows that it’s happening. And the problem is when you need it, when that press is really there when people are dying, then you’ve already lost the only recourse you have.

Before we set up Netblocks, there were efforts to track internet shutdowns by hand or using various data sources. But a lot of this was missing — the information about how long it has lasted, what kind of disruption it’s been.

The truth is, we don’t know. We read stories, we read claims in archives that there was an internet cut. But that could have affected one city. It could have affected one street. And because the data wasn’t there. And that is lost to history.

Because you think if a country is shut down, the whole country, the world would know. But by its nature, there’s no way to record it. You don’t know if your neighbor’s offline. You don’t know if the next city is offline. You’re just out of information.

Arielle Duhaime-Ross

This is actually the situation of if there’s a tree that falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Alp Toker

Absolutely. This is the technical implementation of the falling tree in the woods.

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A New Path: From Darkness Into Light

I feel like I woke up on a new side of the bed today. Like the lemons I squeezed and tried to make lemonade with a week ago was finally somewhat drinkable. Like the earth plates are shifting. Like a darkness was starting to be greeted by some more light. And even though the sun is not out today I am feeling brighter and lighter and of course one hundred percent connected to the sky and the stars and the equinox.

The full moon tonight is a Super Worm Moon, rare of course. Although I feel like almost all full moons are “rare” in some way, a reason for people to blog. A reason for news channels to tell you to look out your window. And rightfully so. Because they are all rare. Each new moon brings a chance for you to set new intentions and beliefs and goals and watch them grow. And each full moon is a time for celebrating all that you have culminated in that cycle.

As this sinks in, I am absolutely floored by all that I have culminated since the last full moon in February. Since the last new moon just two weeks ago. Life is moving rapidly and it almost feels like I am not in control. Like a force larger than me is pulling the strings above me and digging into my chest and helping me say words and connect dots and make realizations that I have not been able to articulate maybe ever.

So today, I have a lot to celebrate. And I want to be transparent. Because I believe in owning your shit. And maybe, just maybe, me opening up about my own shit and my recent “a-ha!” moments would help one other person out there tap into their “a-ha!’s” as well. Maybe, just maybe. And if not, that is okay too. Regardless, I usually get the urge to write when I need to get it out of my head, and into words. The psychical. Writing for me is a way to mark time passing. It is my own personal calendar. A way to look back down the road and say remember when. The path of healing has so many turns and curves and much like that game where you pause on a thought and go backwards to figure out how you got to that current one - there are reasons for the unraveling, the tangents, the side-steps, the a-ha!s.

So here it is. From the bottom of my heart. The recent evolutions for me in a nutshell and the reasons that I am making a decision to reroute, and go down a new road starting today. On this spring equinox.

Several months ago I applied for this self-care residency hosted by Art Inside Out that is to take place in Sweden for eight-weeks beginning at the end of April. Despite there being over 600 applicants I truly believed that I had a good shot. The description of the residency felt like it was written FOR ME, TO ME. I put a lot of energy into the application and then redesigned my life to tell the universe that I was holding space for the opportunity and would be ready to pick up and go if necessary. I viewed the residency as an escape from a life that I have felt somewhat stuck in, feeling like my identity had been built in a certain way (by me) that I didn’t know how to un-do. Ever since I wrote and self-published my book I feel like I have built this identity of healing through trauma and loss and mental illness but only from a certain place. Healing as if it is always happening (and it is) but never moving onto the next phase of letting certain parts of me or owning that certain parts of me can be HEALED. Taking an eight week pause across the Atlantic ocean seemed like the perfect way to escape without having to make major life changes. But of course, that isn’t how it works. And I am grateful that the easy way out didn’t manifest like I was hoping for.

As I was working towards clearing space, that meant focusing more on jobs where I could create my own schedule. I found Door Dashing (the better version of Uber Eats or Postmates) and fell in love with that method of making money. I devised a plan to listen to podcasts and trick myself into believing that I was making money for learning and listening to podcasts. As I burned through TED Radio Hour and all my other favorites I was looking for more. One day I received an intuitional nudge to look up Law of Attraction and Manifestation podcasts. Thinking that that would absolutely boost my vibration and frequency and make me an energetic match for this residency. I was trying hard to tell the universe that I was “ready” in every direction. But the universe had a different plan for me. Of course. And it is/was/will be divine.

As I downloaded podcasts about law of attraction and manifestation and started to listen to them while I was Door Dashing I was feeling GOOD. Tapping back into a part of myself that I had left behind after I had read The Secret in high school and after I lost my Aunt Anne AKA my Law Of Attraction buddy to suicide, I had a long period of feeling like “What is the point?” So, to find it again was a humbling return. And by the day I was becoming more and more open to making that return to say the least.

Many of the podcasts consisted of interviews with life coaches and strong individuals who were using the law of attraction and manifestation to make shit happen for themselves and for their clients.  I began to learn more about NLP (Neuro-Linguistic-Programming), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, or Tapping), Hypnosis, and TIME Techniques. Everything was coming back to the power of how our subconscious mind operates, the beliefs we hold deep down, and the patterns of thinking that have been so deeply engrained in us that are so hard to unlearn on a conscious level. But here - was this network/community of people that I stumbled across (divinely) who were getting FREE.

First I was listening to Mikayla Jai and her Mindset Magic And Manifestation Podcast. Then she interviewed the amazing Brooke Alexander about NLP and her approach to manifestation. I started listening to her. I became obsessed. I found out that she had gotten this training that covered ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS BECOMING INTERESTED IN AND OBSESSED WITH. Then, she interviewed the person that she received the training from, Reese Evans. Who founded the YES SUPPLY METHOD and offers trainings where you can get certified in NLP, EFT, TIME Techniques, and Hypnosis in one place for under $3,000.

Now, after I was released from my first mental health hospitalization I truly felt like I wanted to become an art therapist. I started taking steps to do this, but all of it was too fresh at the time and I couldn’t make it through the psych courses I needed at my local technical college and I dropped out. I began to do whatever I could on my own and used the amazing inspiration of art therapy in my work and with The Self Care Studio. The desire to go deeper has always still been there ever since I dropped out. But it felt like a thing that would take so much work and be so far away and limit me to a very specific area of healing in a clinical setting that I just wasn’t 100% sold on as my path. I knew I wanted more. But I didn’t know what that was.

After a long wait I can say I know what I was waiting for. This. This was it! And one week before I was supposed to hear back about the results for the residency in Sweden I learned that the next in-person training would be in May in Toronto. Instead of thinking - “Oh, I’ll catch the next one.” My first thought was, “Oh my god, I will miss it.” I knew something was shifting there. And I made a promise to myself that if I didn’t get the residency that I would sign up for the training and go full force with monthly payments on the tuition and make that training in Toronto WORK.

I only told several people this. I felt nervous to announce that I wanted to take this next step. That I wanted to dig further into my healing and gain more tools that could help me help more people once I was certified. I wasn’t nervous to take a chance on myself, but I was nervous to tell people I had made that decision. I felt as though I was so deep into the identity that I have created for myself here in Milwaukee, as “the bipolar power girl” that I would potentially get backlash from people who would say “why do you think you can do that?” or “you’re not ready to help anyone else heal” - CUE ALL THE NEGATIVE INNER DIALOGUE YOU COULD IMAGINE. But despite all that fear. Despite all those limiting beliefs, you better believe that when I got that email from Sweden that I was not selected a week ago Monday that I knew what I had to do.

It took me another five days to actually sign up, but I did it. And I am ready to tell YOU, whoever YOU are. And I am ready to tell MYSELF that I am actually doing this. I signed up on Friday, almost a week ago, and I have only told the two people. I have had opportunities and open doors to tell others, but haven’t. This fear is all the more reason that I know I need to go to this training and go through this process. So I can work on my confidence and dig into my limiting beliefs of feeling stuck and not good enough. I AM going to Toronto the third week of May and I AM honoring the path that was being laid out for me the whole way through. Before I even saw it or recognized it, the universe was putting me into perfect alignment with my next steps and paving the way.

So, with that, on this Super Worm Moon Equinox, I am happy to announce that I am moving from the darkness that remains inside of me into light. I am already experiencing the shift since making the decision. And I am hoping this announcement will be my first step towards a deeper sense of confidence within myself. I am signed up and ready to dig into all of the tools that have helped so many people get free. I am already feeling the amazing benefits of what this healing experience will be. And I am so excited to turn what I learn into material that I can share and help others on their healing journey with all the new tools I will posses.

I am worth it. This duality is vibrant. And I am beyond grateful for the darkness that has fueled me, pushed me, and propelled me into this new chapter of light. In divine timing, with the arrival of Spring. Sometimes the path we think we are on will lead us to a door that is closed. We have a choice to interpret that as a dead end, or to walk through it into the next chapter.

Lets grow. I am walking through this door.