Through the Keyhole - February 2021

 

FEBRUARY 2021 Through the Keyhole Take a break from your day... Not your typical company OR newsletter

"Made of Greek Marble, this monument is the only surviving one of its kind.  The temple is circular with 20 columns.  The  Temple is said to be in honor of where its subject rested after his 10th labor. Although you may not guess the actual structure, getting the city right would be close enough..." Can you guess the location? Who Else Hates Groundhog Day?! The only thing good about tomorrow is the movie made with Bill Murray.  So let's pretend like we haven't been living Groundhog Day since last March.  Let's pretend. Alright, let's dig into something really important - onions.  That's right.  ONIONS.  A friend of mine recently brought to my attention a very interesting story regarding Chicago Mercantile Exchange regarding onions and I thought it would be good to share it. It goes like this... Vincent Kosuga was a farmer from New York who had a 5,000-acre farm. He grew onions and some other vegetables, but onions are the star of this story. Vincent got involved in the commodity markets, trading wheat and losing his stake. He promised his wife he would not trade more, but instead got into trading what he knew: onions. Onions were the most traded commodity on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange at the time, accounting for 20% of the trades in 1955. This is due in part to the fact that onions have limited storability, so their price would fluctuate more than most commodities. This meant more potential for profit. Kosuga was friends with Sam Siegel, who also traded onions and had a produce company. Together they decided that with their money and storage capacities, they could corner the market in Onion Futures. Sound familiar to all you Robinhood fans? By the fall of 1955 they had 30 million pounds of onions in Chicago, 98% of the market. The two of them threatened growers, telling them to buy their onions or they would flood the market. This drove up prices some and Vincent and Sam bought short contracts on them. On top of this they sent the onions away to be cleaned to prevent spoiling. When the huge shipments came back to Chicago, this gave traders the false impression of extra supply, lowering prices. They flooded the market with onions, to the chagrin of the growers. These actions drove prices from $2.75 to 10 cents per 50 lb bag. Sam and Vincent made huge profits on their shorts. This caused the government to pass the Onion Futures Act which banned onion futures, despite the protests of traders. To this day it is illegal to trade onion futures. When you eat some crispy onion rings, you can thank these infamous traders that the prices will be the same next time.  If you haven't seen the movie Trading Places, have another look as they do something similar at the end of the movie - only with concentrated orange juice. Now there's something you can use in your next dinner conversation. Hey - that reminds me.  I went to a place called a 'restaurant' the other day and a stranger came to my table, asked me what I wanted to eat and brought it to me.  It was GLORIOUS.  I hear that 'restaurants' are popping up all over these days.  Give it a try - it's fun, relaxing and like a magic trick.    New ways your company can use TURNkey to strengthen your business: 1)  Do an "opportunity scorecard" to assess your business in general (find profit centers and places to grow your business) Objective: To assess the current state of the business and identify multiple opportunities to increase company profitability Timeframe: 2-3 weeks Deliverable: Customized List of Business Opportunities 2) Solve a specific business problem ( like getting your employees back in the office) EXAMPLE: Project Focus: Assess current state of workforce and outline a transition plan to increase staff presence and in-office productivity Timeframe: 3-4 weeks Deliverable: Workforce Transition Plan, to include: Interviews of key employees and management team members Summary of current state / workforce impact of COVID Outline of a recommended transition strategy, with major workforce considerations & cost estimates (if applicable) Specific recommendations regarding potential workplace accommodations, scheduling recommendations and other policy considerations Staff communication plan, with recommended transition calendar and contingencies based on state/local guidance 3) Provide support when a key employee leaves the workforce Objective: To provide an experienced resource on a temporary basis to supplement an existing leadership team with a specific set of needed skills. Timeframe: 4 week minimum. Arrangement may be full- or part-time based on client need. Potential Roles / Areas of Expertise Operations / COO Strategy / Product Management Accounting / Controller / CFO Marketing / Digital Marketing / CMO Recruiting / Talent Management / CHRO Technology / CTO Just a reminder that we have expanded our offering to our base... Dads being Dads. Guess the Location Game Last month the winner of the guess the location game was Jen O'Sullivan  who guessed the right answer.  I appreciate all of the participation.  THANKS FOR PLAYING! ANSWER: Dunn's River Falls, Ocho Rios, JAMAICA "Ya'Mon!  This walking waterfall tour is a must do if you visit this country.  It's a tourist trap but a slippery adventure up the river.  Once completed, you can say you're Dunn." Can you guess the location? Okay, If you have ever been to Jamaica, you have heard about Dunn's River Falls.  You will also know, if you have been to that island, that the people are relentless in the peddling of 'things' and don't take no for an answer.  I remember being in the airport upon landing and being solicited for all kinds of things from what you may expect to the unexpected.  Years ago, my wife and I spent a week at the Sandals resort in Ocho Rios.  We went to the falls and can now say that we did.  As one would expect, the water was cold, the rocks were slippery and the falls were crowded with tourists.  What was pleasant, however, was that on our way up (or maybe down) the falls, we didn't see one person trying to sell us something.  I will say that most of the people of Jamaica are lovely and impoverished for the most part.  There are enclaves within the country that are very wealthy.  However, most of the country hustles to make a living.  Tourism, Agriculture, Mining, and Manufacturing are the industries in Jamaica but without tourists, they are really hurting.  I have only been there a few times (mostly on stops on cruises) but have always enjoyed the FOOD.  One day I sat and watched a man prepare jerk chicken from scratch.  I was able to speak to him and ask him questions along the way.  I wrote everything down on a cocktail napkin and then created a recipe that I could pull off once home. That recipe will be posted at the end of this newsletter and I encourage you to make it.  It has definitely been a 10 year staple in my family's rotation and is good on just about everything.  You make a big batch and can it so that you can use it from time to time. Back to the people for a moment.  When Jamaicans speak to each other, it is incomprehensible to those of us who don't speak Patois (pronounced - Pah-Twah).  It's actually funny to listen to the conversations because phrases and words pop out to the English speaker.  Otherwise, it sounds like jibberish but they fully understand each other and it's cool.  In fact, I wish I knew how to speak Patois... That would be hilarious.  Here are some phrases you need to know for your visit:   ‘Small up yuhself’ A useful expression to know when using crowded buses or taxis; Small up yuhself quite literally means to make some room.   ‘Mi Soon Come’ This Jamaican expression means literally: I’ll be right there. However if you’re told mi soon come, don’t be fooled. Island time is much slower than the rest of the world and this expression should be interpreted as meaning anything from a few hours to a few days. ‘Weh yuh ah seh’ Literally translated as ‘what are you saying’, but actually meaning ‘how are you doing’. For example: Weh yuh a seh? Mi deh try call yuh means, ‘How are you doing? I’ve been trying to call you.’ ‘Inna di morrows’ Used when saying goodbye. The literal translation would be ‘In the tomorrows’, meaning ‘see you later’. ‘Duppy Conqueror’ Bob Marley sang about them in Duppy Conqueror and Ian Fleming mentions them in Live and Let Die. In a land where superstition reigns by day and duppies (spirits) haunt by night, religion is more than just saying your prayers before you go to bed in Jamaica. This expression implies a fearless person overcoming obstacles and difficulties. The literal translation is ‘ghost conqueror’. ‘Mash up’ This phrase means damage or destroy. For example, Mi mash up mi fone means ‘I’ve broken my phone’. This is a popular expression and even road-signs will advise drivers to mash up yuh brakes. Meaning slow down. ‘Bless Up’ Religion peppers all aspects of Jamaican life and wishing people a good day is often done by using the expression bless up. Blessings can also be used. ‘Wah Gwaan’ This is probably the most well known Jamaican greeting and was even used by US President Barack Obama during his inaugural visit to Jamaica. Wah Gwaan is a casual greeting to enquire how somebody is or what’s up. ‘Mi deh yah, yuh know’ Impress locals with this handy phrase which is often used in response to Wah Gwaan. The secret is in the pronunciation and the trick is to say it fast – almost as one word. While the literal translation is ‘I am here’, the implied meaning is ‘everything is ok’, or ‘I’m doing well’. Even if you don't learn these phrases, you will still have a good time in Jamaica.  The people are fantastic.  The weather is good and the food is wonderfully seasoned.  All in all, if you stay where the tourists are located, you will undoubtedly be safe and happy.   Inna Di Morrows... Listen to these girls speak Patois and you see what I mean ~ 5 min. Jamaica by drone ~2 min. Food Vlogger checks out the food ~15 min. Meanwhile in Australia... Great Comebacks... JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early '60s when  DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.  Rusk responded,  "Does that include those who are buried here?"  DeGaulle  did not respond.     You could have heard a pin drop.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  When in England,  at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the  Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George Bush.  He answered by saying,  "Over the years, the United States has sent many of  its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."     You could have heard a pin drop.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    There was a conference in France  where a number of international engineers  were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?"  A Boeing engineer  stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three  hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships;      how many does France have?"     You could have heard a pin drop.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      A U.S. Navy Admiral  was attending a naval conference that included  Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"  Without hesitating the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the  Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."     You could have heard a pin drop.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     AND  THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH ABOVE...  Robert Whiting,  an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.  At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport  in his carry on.  "You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked  sarcastically.  Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.  "Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."  The American said,     "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."  "Impossible...  Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !"  The American senior  gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he  quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to!"      You could have heard a pin drop.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Sadly, this is necessary Bolawrap technology  ~2 minutes True or False? Can you guess which of the following are true and which are false? Enjoy & Good Luck. No Peaking now! 1.  Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning. 2.  Alfred Hitchcock did not have a belly button. 3.  A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years. 4.  People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot more. 5.  When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart! 6.  Only 7% of the population are lefties. 7.  40-people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute . 8.  Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until they are 2-6 years old. 9.  The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years standing in line. 10. The toothbrush was invented in 1498. 11. The average housefly lives for one month. 12. 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year. 13. A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened. 14. The average computer user blinks 7-times a minute. 15. Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than any other time of day. 16. Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep. 17. The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water. 18. The only two animals that can see behind themselves without turning their heads are the rabbit and the parrot. 19. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in 'An Officer and a Gentleman' and 'Tootsie.' 20. Michael Jackson owned the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem. 21. In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk. 22. Prince Charles and Prince William never travel on the same airplane - just in case there is a crash. 23. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor. 24. Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from women who give birth. They are used in vein transplant surgery. 25. Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th cousins. 26. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green. Now, scroll down for the answers. They are all TRUE!       Perfect Photos The History of Marriot I never really knew much about the story of how Marriott was founded, other than knowing of Bill Marriott (formally “John William,” which is where the JW Marriott brand comes from), the Mormon connection, and that the first hotel opened in the 1950s. At least that was all I knew until today. YouTube channel Hook uploaded a ~12 minute video sharing the history of how Marriott started, and frankly I found it to be really interesting. Okay, to be honest I found the narration interesting, while the generic images used throughout the video took away from it a bit, though I can appreciate the challenges. If you have the time, I’d recommend giving the video a watch: The Story of Marriot ~ 10 minutes From root beer stand to world’s largest hotel group I had no clue that Marriott really started as an A&W Root Beer Stand, and that the company did airline catering before it ever opened a hotel. To briefly summarize how Bill Marriott got into the hotel business: Bill Marriott was born in 1900 in Marriott, Utah, and his parents were sheep herders Bill Marriott was always entrepreneurial, started working for his dad at the age of eight, and started his own business at the age of 13; there were lots of ups and downs, but we’ll fast forward to how Marriott started In 1927, Bill Marriott and his wife opened the first A&W Root Beer franchise in Washington DC; they had noticed the popularity of root beer stands elsewhere, and thought it would do well in DC While it worked great at first during hot summer months, they realized that in the winter it wasn’t as popular; they decided to add warm items to the menu in winter months, and branded the business as “Hot Shoppes” In 1928, Bill Marriott opened two more Hot Shoppes, and kept growing from there In 1936, Hot Shoppes approached airlines about the prospect of catering boxed lunches on planes, which had previously never been done before; airlines were interested, and soon enough the company was catering inflight meals at Hoover Airport in Washington DC In 1953, Hot Shoppes went public, and stock sold out within two hours of trading In 1957, Bill Marriott shifted into the hotel business, and opened the first motor hotel (motel) in Arlington, Virginia In 1959, the second Marriott property opened, which was the Key Bridge Marriott From there Marriott continued to grow to what it is today — the world’s biggest hotel group Bottom line I had no clue that Marriott really started as a root beer stand, then turned into a restaurant serving hot food, and then turned into an airline catering company. Hotels only came into the picture decades later. What a fascinating and inspiring story. While Marriott is now the world’s largest hotel group, I can’t help but feel like the innovation that got Marriott to where it is today is sorely lacking at this point. Am I the only one who remembers that Marriot's Great America had a Root Beer Store in the Park that sold frosty mugs of Root Beer for 25 cents? AIRPLANE Funny Moments Basically the whole movie HILARIOUS ~10 minutes. Leslie Nielsen's Naked Gun Best Lines... He was a classic..... ~8 min. Ohh... The 80s Starlets I LOVE MORE Drumlines... I hope High Schools RETURN to THIS - VIDEO ~ 8 minutes Behind the Instagram Scenes... Caught on Google Streetview Randomness... Wisdom from Charles Schulz The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, The creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Just read the text straight through, and you'll get the point. 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.   How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish ... Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.   Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.   Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most. Now that's some good old fashioned common sense for us all! Jerk Sauce (from Jamaica visit) by DK Jerk Sauce Ingredients: 4 bunches of green onion (chopped) 2 sticks of butter (good unsalted) 6 cups of water 5 cups catchup (~40 oz.) 3 cups brown sugar 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar 1 ½ cups soy sauce 40 oz. Walkerwood’s scotch bonnet pepper sauce 2 t. cornstarch 1 full garlic bulb of minced fresh garlic (20 cloves or so) 8 TBSP of minced fresh ginger 2 t. ground Allspice ½ t. ground sage or poultry seasoning   In a decent sized pot, Melt butter on low and simmer green onion to get soft.  Do NOT brown, just soften about 7 minutes Remove the pan from the heat and combine all ingredients in the same pot. Place back on the stove and bring to a boil. Use Hand Emulsifier to pulverize Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until sauce has darkened Can the sauce as you wish.  You won’t need much with each meal.  It’s HOT.  All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 210 S. Milwaukee Ave. Wheeling, IL 60090 USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.