Thursday, March 3, 2016

Through the Keyhole - March 2016


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     MAR 2016 turnkey-color-logo-white 7
Through the Keyhole


Informative & Interesting... not your everyday company newsletter.
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March Madness is Here!

March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.  However, this year the groundhog may have been right and we got off the hook easy this year.  I know my snowplower is happy as he won the snowplow bet this year... I will get him back next year.

As we enter the last month of the first quarter things are really getting into the swing of things. And just when it seems that we don't have any distractions, here comes March Madness.  For those of you who don't have office pools or a common knowledge of sports, March Madness is the NCAA men's basketball tournament that usually starts around St. Patrick's day and goes for a few weekends until the national championship.  The first weekend of the tourney is the most fun as the field gets narrowed from 64 (technically 68 with play ins) to 16.  If you are not in a bracket, get in one - it will make the tourney more interesting even if you hate basketball.

Countless websites offer enormous grand prizes for anyone able to fill out a perfect bracket. The reasoning behind such large, attention grabbing sums of money is because the odds are an astronomical 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 1. Written out, that is 9 Quintillion 223 Quadrillion 372 Trillion 36 Billion 854 Million 775 Thousand 808. And this does not include the play in games.

To take this in comparison, the odds of hitting the Mega Millions Jackpot are "only" 1 in 258,890,850(258 million) and the odds of hitting the Power Ball are slightly lower at 175,223,510. Heck, the odds of getting struck by lightning in any given year are only 1 in 700,000. Needless to say there has yet to be a recordable perfect bracket.

TURNkey HAS A NEW WEBSITE!  Check it out at turnkey.pro

This month we celebrate National Potato Chip Day (14th), St. Patrick's Day (17th), National Joe Day (call everyone you know named Joe on March 27), and Waffle Day (25th). 

And now for a new keyhole picture above...I am CHANGING IT UP TO INCLUDE famous people, landmarks, television shows, movie sets and other notable things- Can you guess where or what the picture is?
"Jimmy Burrows says this is a place where everybody knows your name. Coach used to work there until he died a sudden death and a jock named Sam often flirted with the ladies."

Last month, Mayra Flores made the fastest guess of Mexico City, Mexico "It's in Mexico City and it's called "El Angel de La Independencia". Now what did I win??? Maybe season tickets to the CUBS games" which is correct.  However, the tickets have not arrived yet and keep your fingers crossed for a game or two... Congrats!


Correct answers will be given recognition but half the fun is trying to figure it out.  The correct answer will be revealed in the subsequent issue.  Good luck and have fun.

If you like this newsletter, forward it to someone else or sign them up HERE.

As always, send any items you think are newsworthy, interesting or just plain odd to news@turnkey.pro


Mexico City, MX- Keyhole Answer

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"This city, founded in 1521 at an elevation of 7340 ft., has an average temperature of 64 F and has a metropolitan population north of 20 million people.  This place can be dangerous if you don't know where you are going, so cuidado!"Mexico City, Mexico is one of the most European cities in North America.  It has an old-world feel and is the country's largest and most important political, cultural and financial center.  The Mexico City greater metropolitan area is home to some 20 million people and is responsible for over 15% of Mexico's GDP (gross domestic product).

One of the best Denzel Washington movies of all time, named Man on Fire, was filmed here in Mexico City. It was based on a true story and a movie I would recommend to anyone who likes action, adventure and redemption.
 

Mexico City has a reputation for crime, pollution and chaos and isn’t thought of as a premier travel destination. This is a shame. Let me tell you why.
1. Mexico City is Very Safe (if you don't act like a stupid gringo).
Mexico CIty Safety
I realize this goes against almost everything you may think about Mexico City, but it is true. With the exception of Jerusalem, I have never seen such a strong police presence in a city. In the city center – the part of Mexico City you will want to visit – police officers are as ubiquitous as tortillas. It seems that every intersection has a cluster of heavily armed cops and patrol cars can be seen all around. Everywhere you go, even late into the night, there are families, children and people out and about in the streets.

I realize that outside the city center and tourist zones, things are rougher, but who is visiting the barrios in Mexico City anyway? Everywhere a traveler will want to go is very secure and safe. In fact, the murder rate in Mexico City, which is 8 per 100,000, is about 1/4 that of Washington D.C. and nearly the same as that of Orlando, Florida.

2. People and People Watching
Mexico City People Watching
The streets, parks and plazas of Mexico City are filled with interesting people. Mexico City is in many ways the New York of Latin America, and all the latest fashions and styles are on display. Mexico City has a diverse population – men in suits sit next to punks with green hair on the subway, women in indigenous dress pass tourists in tiny shorts, and ladies with impossibly high heels pass young Chilangos on roller blades.
In addition, the people are surprisingly nice and friendly for such a huge city. We met lots of friendly locals and anytime we needed anything, they were always helpful and courteous.

3. Colonial Buildings
Mexico City Cathedral
I love colonial architecture, and Mexico City doesn’t disappoint. The city center is littered with imposing cathedrals, many of which are all cattywampus. Mexico City is built on a lake bed, as you remember from history class, and the heavy stone buildings are sinking into the ground, making bell towers go all askew and walls look like something from a Picasso painting. Many are abandoned and have trees growing out of steeples or balconies.

4. Mexico City is Great Value
Plaza Garibaldi Mariachi
For a clean, safe and comfortable hotel two blocks from Alameda Park it costs about 25 USD. Museum entrance fees are about 4 USD and food and drinks cost about what they cost anywhere else in Mexico – which is about 1/3 the price of those in the USA. A taxi from the TAPO bus station to downtown was 100 pesos, or 6 USD. A song from a mariachi in Plaza Garibaldi only costs about 8 USD!

5. Cultural Museums
An Aztec carving at the Templo Mayor Museum
An Aztec carving at the Templo Mayor Museum

Mexico City features two world class museums, both dealing with the rich history of the country.
The Templo Mayor Museum, next to the Zocalo and Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, sits on the ruins from a towering pyramid that was dismantled by the Spanish after the sack of the city 500 years ago, and the surviving artifacts are truly stunning. The art rivals anything from Egypt or Rome, and visiting, I felt a profound sadness for all that was lost.

The Museum of Anthropology gives an overview of Mexico’s diverse native cultures. Many of these cultures still remain, as Spanish is a non-native language for millions of residents and the brightly colored clothes and pre-Columbian traditions remain in many places. It is a great introduction to the country, and an eye-opening look at the cultures of the Americas.

6. It is an easy city to navigate
Mex City Bikes
The city is easy to navigate, but evidently this person had some issues with the bike lanes.
The metro is clean, safe, very efficient and goes almost anywhere you will want to visit. One-way rides on the subway cost 5 pesos (about 30 cents US!). The entire city center is walkable and although there are throngs of people on the street during rush hour, that is part of the fun. Traffic is pretty horrible when you leave or arrive by bus, but while you are exploring, it is surprisingly easy to visit.

7. Tenochtitlan
Because this:
Teotihuacan in the rain


Beautiful Mexico City (video)

Amazing places on the planet (video)
Tenochtitlan (The Impossible City) (video)

Trip Advisor


TURNkey IT EARNS SMB Champions Club Honor
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Eligible US Partners are invited to enroll into the Microsoft US SMB Champions Club program, based on sales in the US SMB commercial segment and Microsoft Partner Network status.

We are quite happy to be part of Microsoft's top tier of their "ecosphere".


Baseball Predictions for 2016!

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Well if you are a Cubs OR White Sox fan, you should be happy with the USA Today Sports Section.


Hospital pays $17k for Ransomware Crypto key (aka You are not the only one to get Cryptolocker)

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Hollywood Presbyterian says systems were restored after 10-day lockout.

The first signs of trouble at HPMC came on February 5, when hospital employees reported being unable to get onto the hospital's network. "Our IT department began an immediate investigation and determined we had been subject to a malware attack," Stefanek wrote. "The malware locked access to certain computer systems and prevented us from sharing communications electronically."

"Law enforcement was immediately notified. Computer experts immediately began assisting us in determining the outside source of the issue and bringing our systems back online," the statement said.

The hospital staff was forced to move back to paper and transmit information to doctors and others by fax machine while the IT team and outside consultants struggled to restore the network. Eventually, hospital executives decided that "the quickest and most efficient way to restore our systems and administrative functions was to pay the ransom and obtain the decryption key," Stefanek explained. "In the best interest of restoring normal operations, we did this."


NOTE:  TURNkey IT makes it a practice NOT to pay ransoms unless proper backups are not complete and restore times are greater than reasonably acceptable.  AT NO TIME has one of our customers paid a ransom.  We have removed the threat, restored the data and network.

The moral of the story is to always use caution when executing, downloading or surfing the web. If it look suspicious, treat it like it is and stay away.  Stay far away.


Just in time for Spring - Chubbies.
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This is kind of a misnomer as the brand is not really for chubby men - it is more about a comfortable pair of shorts over a stuffy pair of khakis.

Once again, it is about marketing and these guys think their shorts are better than everyone else's.  I do not have any but they look shockingly similar to every other pair of shorts I have seen - past, present and future...just better marketing.

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Chubbies raises $9M in funding


Cone Shaming

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Cloud IT Infrastructure Marketcloud 2

As our data suggests (and the small business market is no exception), companies are embracing the cloud and still using traditional IT.  We see this trend continuing as more and more people embrace Office 365 and online versions of software being made available as software as a service (SaaS).


Google Gets a Patent for an Autonomous Delivery Truck

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The 18 pages of Google’s recent US patent for an “autonomous delivery platform” aren’t as boring or as deeply technical as most patents—if you’re the kind of person who likes to read patents. If you’re not that kind of person, here’s the highlights of what the as-yet-to-be-built driverless delivery vehicle could do.

First, though, here’s what the patent doesn’t cover: the driverless technology itself. That technology is nearly old hat for Google, now that it’s got test cars that have totaled nearly 2 million miles of driverless driving.

This new patent covers everything else, from the kinds of vehicles that could deliver packages autonomously (cargo vans, minivans, panel vans, platform trucks, refrigerated trucks, and more) to the propulsion systems they might use (gasoline, electric, hybrid)...

complete article


This Is the Fastest Way to Slice and Dice Vegetables

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Whether you’re preparing a salad or a four-course meal, knife skills are a hallmark of good chef. Good knife skills allow you to slice and dice ingredients with ease and saves prep time. But if you’re not chopping vegetables properly, you can end up with mangled onions and carrots, a mess on your kitchen counter, and — gasp— bloody fingertips.

With this “Tipline,” you can master the art of the knife in just a few minutes to make slicing and dicing vegetables a breeze. Before long you will be dicing onions, chopping greens, and cutting apples and bell peppers like it’s your job.

You’ll cut even-portioned veggies every time. And, pay attention to see why you should have a candle handy when chopping onions.

These easy kitchen techniques will make cooking prep a snap, cut down on cooking time and —hopefully — prevent those accidental fingertip knicks and scrapes.


IT Works of Art...
 
Just look. Be soothed.

It's so lovely.



All those cables, so perfectly arranged.
If your cables looks this good, you should be displaying them.And whichever brave person took this on and came out the other side deserves a medal.

I mean, come ON, look at this.

Perfect.


Ferris Fest

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2016 marks the 30th anniversary of FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, released in theatres on June 11, 1986.

And to celebrate this milestone in the same city where Ferris, Sloane and Cameron ditched school and decided to live a little couldn't be any more choice!



Miniature World (fascinating German engineering)

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This is the most amazing model that has ever been created.  The above picture is not real life but rather a model in this artificial and miniature world.  Imagination knows no bounds...

Video


Make money off your selfies with this new app

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Users earn rewards points for uploading images to the app or for shopping another user's look. These commissions can be as high as 20 percent of the sale, depending on the retailer's relationship with Stylinity, and can be redeemed for cash, products or other perks. Stylinity is working with 180 retailers, including Barneys New York, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and Ann Taylor.

"What we're doing ... is removing friction from path to purchase," said Tadd Spering, founder and CEO of Stylinity.

complete article


Classic Male Logicman_and_beer_02 2
Woman:
Do you drink beer?
Man: Yes
Woman:
How many beers a day?
Man:
Usually about 3
Woman:
How much do you pay per beer?
Man: $5.00 which includes a tip
(This is where it gets scary!)
Woman:
And how long have you been drinking?
Man:
About 20 years, I suppose
Woman:
So a beer costs $5 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spending
each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400
correct?
Man:
Correct
Woman:
If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past
20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct?
Man:
Correct
Woman:
Do you know that if you didn't drink so much beer, that money could have
been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting
for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Lamborghini?
Man:
Do you drink beer?
Woman:
No!
Man:
Where's your Lamborghini?

Ice Storm Creates Perfect Cast of Speed Limit Sign

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Quotable


"Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success."


Irish Stew (Corned Beef is more American than Irish for St. Patrick's Day)
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Celebrate St Patrick's Day with Irish stew - it's big on flavor, even bigger if you make it ahead and quite literally, let it stew...


Ingredients

    3 pounds lamb shoulder cut in 2-inch chunks (or use thick shoulder chops)
    Salt and pepper
    4 tablespoons vegetable oil
    2 pounds onions (about 6 medium), cut in wedges
    1 pound carrots (about 6 medium), cut in 3-inch lengths
    4 cups chicken, veal or beef broth (or water)
    1 large sprig thyme
    3 pounds russet potatoes (about 12 small), peeled and halved, or cut in 2-inch thick slices

Preparation

    Pat lamb dry and season well with salt and pepper. Put oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat on all sides, working in batches.

    Set meat aside and add onions and carrots to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

    Return meat to pot, add broth and bring to a simmer. Put in thyme sprig and arrange potatoes on top (it’s fine if potatoes are not completely submerged). Season potatoes, cover pot and transfer to oven.

    Bake for about 1 hour, until lamb is quite tender when probed with a skewer or paring knife. Remove fat from top of broth. Ladle stew into shallow bowls and serve.

Serve with cold beer (a little green food coloring added is always fun on St. Patty's day).

Cheers to Hackneys who we always miss this time of year.  We can still go to Glenview but it's not nearly the same as being next door...


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Email: info@turnkey.pro



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210 S. Milwaukee Ave.
Wheeling, Illinois 60090
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