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Happy
New Year!
Another year has
come and most of us hoping that this new year will bring good things.
This is also the
time of year when people are making resolutions.
I could lay out a litany of cliché's pertaining to making 2017 great but I
will dispense that thought as it's just a bunch of words... What I
will say is that I am very hopeful that this year will be a good year
for small businesses (yours and mine) if just a few things promised become
reality. Lower taxes, pride in America and people spending money will
always make for a better year.
I, for one, will
admit that business has been a grind since oh, the twin towers fell.
It's been livable but a grind. Many of the people I talk to agree that we
haven't seemed to get things moving for a long time. I hope this year may
be the year we really move the needle.
It's hard
to put into words but a good economy is really just a good
feeling collectively. If we all feel good, we spend money and
everything is positive. I may be overstating the obvious but I really
think it could be just that simple.
So if there is one
thing I hope for besides love, health, wealth and happiness - it
would be a new, prosperous economy where everyone benefits. I know
it's a longshot but wouldn't it be great if a rising tide lifted all boats
and there was a renewed sense of America where we all stood as one. I
know we could use a big dose of unity. And it wouldn't hurt if
everyone had a little more in their wallets...
Cheers to a Happy
New Year!
And now for a new
picture above- Can you guess where it is by looking through the
keyhole? "Home to many Cuban defectors, this city boasts the
most Art Deco buildings in the world. It's mostly man
made beaches are frequently restocked with sand and you can see a
cruise ship depart about every 20 minutes on the weekends." Can you
guess the location?
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
London,
England - Keyhole Answer
"Made famous by it's many landmarks, this City is really the gateway
to Europe and a gem to visit any time of the year. Christmas shopping
is always an adventure at Harrod's."
Last month, Jason Ross won the location by guessing correctly.
Although Big Ben isn't a tough landmark to spot...
Although you needn't immerse yourself in a lot of homework before your
first trip to London, it's important to understand that driving on the
opposite side of the road isn't the only thing locals do differently from
Americans. In addition to their own unique vocabulary for everyday words,
there's that British sense of humor marked by BBC exports such as Monty
Python, Black Adder and Jeeves and Wooster. If pageantry, palaces and
serene parks are your cup of tea, London is a year-round adventure.
Currency
It is expensive to visit
London. Period. 1 British Pound = 1.23 USD
Domestic Beer ~£ 5
Gallon of Milk ~£ 3.5
Dozen Eggs ~£ 2.17
Etiquette
When dining out, your napkin
should always be placed in your lap, not tucked under your chin. It's also
important to remember that--unlike in the United States--you don't put your
knife down to eat with your fork; meals are very much a two-handed affair
throughout. Unless you're attending a dinner party--where it's acceptable
to arrive 15 minutes late--strict punctuality is the British norm. Although
it's common in American conversations with strangers to directly ask what
someone does for a living, it's considered a bit invasive by the English.
The better course is to engage in casual small talk that may or may not
lead them to reveal their line of work. Speaking of conversations, the
British rarely strike up any chatter with strangers when riding London's
public transportation or waiting in line at a shop.
Transportation
Use a Black Cab or
take the Tube.
Food
Contrary to what I was told,
the food is actually excellent in London. I especially like the
breakfasts which are served with beans (yes, beans).
10 Things to know about London
1. London is one
of Europe’s largest cities
London has a
population of 7.5 million people and covers 600 square miles which makes it
one of Europe’s largest cities. Over 270 nationalities live there and
between them they speak over 250 languages, more than any other city in the
world.
2. For travelling
the ‘Tube’ buy a ‘travel card’ or an ‘Oyster Card’
London’s
underground, better known as the ‘Tube’ transports over 1 billion people
around the English capital every year. There are 12 lines in operation and
because many of the city’s top attractions have their own stops, you’ll
definitely use it at some stage.For buying tickets you should buy one of
these two:
1.
Off-peak
travelcard for zones 1 and 2: Costing just over £5, this will permit you unlimited travel
on the tube within zones 1 and 2, which should be enough for any visitor to
the city
2.
Oyster
Card: These can be
picked up at tube stations. They cost £3 and work on a pay as you go basis.
Each journey then costs £1.50, but there is a ‘capping’ scheme where once
you use a certain amount, it will stop taking money off your card. They
make travelling on the tube cheaper, easier and quicker.
3. Many of the
world’s most instantly recognisable landmarks are here
Big Ben, the
Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Buckinham Palace, Tower Bridge and
more landmarks can be found in London. A great way to see lots of them in a
short space of time is by going on a walk up the Thames from Westminster
Bridge to Tower Bridge. First you’ll see the Houses of Parliament and Big
Ben, then the London Eye, while further down the river you’ll see St Paul’s
Cathedral, the Gherkin Building, Tate Modern, Tower of London and, of
course, Tower Bridge .
4. The city’s top
museums and galleries are free
Many of London’s
top museums and galleries are free. This includes the Natural History
Museum and Science Museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, and the
Victoria and Albert Museum around the corner from here on Cromwell Road.
Closer to the West End are the National Portrait Gallery on St Martin’s
Place behind Trafalgar Square, along with the National Gallery which is
actually on Trafalgar Square. The famous Tate Modern is also free, while
the most popular of all is the British Museum on Great Russell Street which
has over 7 million artefacts.
5. There are lots
of parks to chill out in
As London is such
a busy city, it’s good to know there are lots of parks to chill out in. The
biggest and best known is Hyde Park which is full of lakes and fountains,
and is where you will find the famous ‘Speakers Corner’ where people come
to speak their mind on all subjects every Sunday morning. Other parks worth
checking out are St James’s Park and Green Park in front of Buckingham
Palace, and Regents Park and Primrose Hill up in North London.
6. This is one of
the best cities in the world for shopping
Some of the best
known streets for shopping in London are Carnaby Street, Regent Street and
Oxford Street. The famous department store Harrods can be found in
Knightsbridge, while bargains can be found at the markets in Camden Town.
7. It’s got some really
cool neighborhoods
Suburbs mentioned
in the video are:
1.
Covent
Garden: Home to lots of
trendy clothes shops and restaurants. (Tube: Covent Garden)
2.
Soho: Full of bars and restaurants, and the
city’s gay quarter. (Tubes: Piccadilly Circus / Tottenham Court Road)
3.
Camden
Town: More like a big
town than a big city due to its lock, markets, eclectic clothes shops and
tattoo parlours. (Tube: Camden Town)
4.
Notting
Hill: Extremely popular
since the 1999 movie of the same name. Its main thoroughfare is Portobello
Road which is lined with cafes and antique shops. You can even visit the
shop where Hugh Grant’s character worked in the film. (Tubes: Notting
Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove)
8. You have to try
some local specialties when eating out
Two famous local
specialties are:
1.
Fish
and chips: This speaks for
itself! There all sorts of fish to try, but for authentic ‘fish and chips’
try cod. A great place to try it is The Golden Hind (73
Marylebone Lane; Tube: Bond St) off the top of Oxford Street
2.
Sausage
and mash: This is sausage
and mashed potatoes. Sausages are generally made from pork although there
are lots of variations. To try this visit the S & M Cafe (48
Brushfield Street; Tube: Liverpool Street) in the east end of the city
centre
9. Shop around
when looking for discounted theatre tickets
Along with New
York’s Broadway, London’s West End is the most famous theatre district in
the world. The best known place to get discounted tickets is the TKTS Booth
in Leicester Square but shop around other booths, also around Leicester
Square, along with ones around Piccadilly Circus.
10. Go east rather
than west for nightlife
Even though there
are loads of bars around Piccadilly Circus and Soho in the West End, you
should check out some of areas east of the city for bars like Shoreditch
and Hoxton. Bars mentioned in the video are:
1.
Big
Chill Bar (Dray Walk,
off Brick Lane; Tube Liverpool Street, Aldgate East): One of London’s
coolest bars and has different DJs every night of the week.
2.
Jam and Kick
Near the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Old Street and always busy on
weekends.
3.
Bluu (1 Hoxton Square; Tube: Old St):
On the site of the old Blue Note jazz club and the best bar around Hoxton
Square.
Tell the Truth
Denzel Washington
Remember
this next time you walk up to the ticket window of your local movie theater
with $10 in your hand.
Don't know whether you heard about this but Denzel Washington and his
family visited the troops at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio,
Texas,(BAMC) the other day. This is where soldiers who have been
evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States,
especially burn victims.
There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses.
The Fisher House is a hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little
or no charge, while their soldier is in the hospital. BAMC has quite
a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost
filled most of the time.
While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of
the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build.
He took his checkbook out and wrote a check for the full amount right there
on the spot.
The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the
word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it.
Apology Letters -
Spouses
Hi Sweetheart,
I am sorry about getting into an argument
about putting up the Christmas lights. I guess that sometimes I feel
like you are pushing me too hard when you want something. I realize
that I was wrong and I am apologizing for being such a hard-headed
guy. All I want is for you to be happy and be able to enjoy the
holiday season. Nothing brightens the Christmas spirit like Christmas
lights! I took the time to hang the lights for you today; and now I
will be off to play some golf...
Again, I am very sorry for the way I acted
yesterday. I'll be home late.
Hi Honey,
Thank you for that heart-felt apology. I don't often get an apology from
you, and I truly appreciate it. I, too, felt bad about the argument and
wanted to apologize. I realize that I can sometimes be a little
pushy. I will try to respect your feelings from now on. Thank
you for taking the time to hang the Christmas lights for me. It really
means a lot. In the spirit of giving, I washed your truck for you; and now
I am off to the mall.
I love you too!
Only in Texas
Move
over Tesla
Driving Dogs
Steak Aging
If you have ever tasted dry aged beef then you know what a treat it is.
This device goes into your fridge and helps to age your beef perfectly -
all for $249. check it out here.
video
here
Big Balloon
These are not brownies
Wombats mark their
territory by their excrement. Really. Wombats poop
squares. Really.
click
for video
Joke of the Day
Anton, do you think I’m a bad mother?
My name is Paul.
Postcard from
Summer
Creative Christmas
Lighting
Quotable
"The most important six inches on the
battlefield is between your ears."
- General James "Mad Dog" Mattis
TURNkey Hall of
Fame
“I don’t quite see how this is going to
work.”
Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger
Pie
Ingredients
1 lb lean (at
least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion,
chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded
Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup Original
Bisquick™ mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.
In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in
pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until
blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Good and hearty
for a cold day...
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