In the low 40s this morning in Wisconsin. I've been itching to haul out the tweed. Herringbone Harris Tweed jacket and a Robert Talbott English print ancient madder tie, Brooks Brothers pocket square, my grandfather's Kennegal Tweed overcoat from tje early 1950s . Most importantly, our beloved Society lapel pin. Tweedgasm Tuesday

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).