VPNs/SECURITY In this era, I'm sure most here have at least heard of a VPN (sometimes called a Firewall), if not use one regularly. If not, I highly recommend you use one (especially if in public places/using public WiFi). A gentleman can never be too careful. In this era of mis/information, social engineers, and hackers, it's more important than ever to protect yourself with digital security. Not just by using a VPN (many are free, such as those used in conjunction with their Protonmail email accounts, or the old school TOR VPN, or the paid commercial ones like SurfShark or NordVPN), but also using strong passwords, and using search engine alternatives to Google (such as DuckDuckGo). There's no "silver bullet", as any system has exploitable flaws. However, the use of multiple layers of encryption means it makes it that much harder/more frustrating for a potential hacker to break. I'll go into some explanations below, but if you'd rather just watch a video, I've included it. WHAT DOES A VPN DO? Basically, it masks your internet signal, often assigning a temporary IP address, and through triangulation, can make your location appear to originate from almost anywhere else in the world. It is the basis of blockchain encryption technology, on which cryptocurrency was built. Not going into that rabbit hole, don't worry. Apart from increasing security, it also allows you to watch content that normally wouldn't be available to people in the U.S. VPNs AND THE DEEP VS DARK WEB For at least the last 15ish years, pop culture has made references or entire plots around the "dark web". Again, for those not in the know, this all started with TOR, or "The Onion Router". Named so because of the multiple layers being like an onion (and maybe the deeper you go, the more you cry). The deep web is older than even internet 1.0, as it preceded it. Think of the "surface web" as a large floating city on the ocean; the former has recognizable structure to navigate with little skill, whereas the latter requires special equipment and training to explore (unless you count your email inbox, for example).

”Les poissons, les poissons, How I love les poissons! Love to chop and to serve little fish First I cut off their heads, 'zen I pull out their bones. Ah mais oui, ca c’est toujours delish. Les poissons, les poissons, Hee hee hee, haw haw haw…” ~From The Little Mermaid 1989, by Rene Auberjonois (1940-2019) As promised in comments (and inspired by "A Gentleman in Moscow"), here's my entry on preparing fish; specifically Fillet of Sole, and some general tips. I'll start off saying that, though I am a trained chef by education (Associate's of Science from culinary arts school) and 10 years' worth of experience in various restaurants and other food service venues, while I'm grateful for the experience and knowledge; 1. I would never work in that field again, and 2. You neither require culinary school nor to have worked in the industry to be a good cook. If I could go back, I would have just learned from the general internet/YouTube and Food Network 20 years ago, but I digress. Being from the east coast, and having spent a large chunk of my youth in Florida, I was literally surrounded by delicious seafood. Not just fish, but shellfish of all kinds. I'm not fond of the soft shell crab sandwiches where they literally stare back at you, but it's important to know that's what they were before just chunks of meat on your plate. Fish may be intimidating, but as with anything else, all it takes is familiarity and practice. One of my favorite jobs in the industry was actually working a seafood counter at Publix, a grocery store chain in Florida (and 5 other states, last I checked). It was fun learning how to skin a fillet with your fingers alone, and expertly pluck the bones with tweezers. Fun fact: You can actually cut up fish skins and either deep fry or bake them into chips. There really isn't much difference between preparing/cooking fish and beef steaks, or any other kinds of meat. It really all boils down to time, temperature, thickness, choosing seasoning, and preparation method.