Through the Keyhole - November 2022

 

Through the Keyhole NOV 2022 Take a break from your day... Not your typical company OR newsletter       "Famous for its towering skyscrapers, this territory is made up of 40 percent park and nature preserves.  AKA "fragrant harbor" is home to over 8000 skyscrapers and almost 100 billionaires. Most buildings don't have a 4th floor as the word 'four' sounds like the word 'death' in their language, so it is considered unlucky. " Can you guess the location?     November arrives... November is often referred to as a transitional month. In the southern hemisphere spring gives way to summer and in the northern hemisphere, say goodbye to fall, because winter is coming!   Where did November come from? Novem is the Latin word for 9. But wait, isn’t November the 11th month? Interestingly, before January and February were added to the calendar, November was the 9th month.    Instead of changing November to Unidecimber (Latin for 11), they kept the name.    If you’re American you know the presidential election is always in November. But do you know why?    It comes down to the farmers. Not wanting to disturb the planting, growing or harvest seasons, the month of November was chosen as the most logical month for everybody to be able to vote.   In Finland, the word for November is Marraskuu, meaning the month of the dead. Now this may sound ominous, but the reason for the name is because all the seasonal trees and plants lose their leaves or die in the month of November.   On November 1st, the people of Mexico celebrate Dia de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. It’s believed that the souls of deceased loved ones return on this day. But don’t be scared, this day is for celebration with food, drinks and music!   Movember is a charity organization started in Australia that has quickly spread across the world. Raising money for prostate cancer, men are encouraged to shave on November 1st and keep only the mustache growing until November 30th.   Here is one of the more intriguing fun facts about November: it is the only month that Shakespeare never mentioned in all of his plays and sonnets.    We’re not sure why Shakespeare shunned November. Was it just a coincidence or was November really that uninspiring?   Oh, and we change our clocks this month.  Someone remind me why...   In the US, November is perhaps best known for Thanksgiving. Since 1621, the fourth Thursday in November has served as a holiday to gather with friends and family and give thanks for the blessings in our lives and also eat the incredible food reaped from the fall harvest. That’s 400 years of turkeys!   Let’s finish off with a few cool November facts. Two of the most popular toys were first released in November, the board game Monopoly (1935) and the Easy-Bake Oven (1963).                                       Is your server aging?  Maybe you should consider moving completely to the cloud... Take this brief quiz to find out if your business qualifies.        Guess the Location Game Last month the winner of the guess the location game was Ed Coyle who guessed the right answer.  I appreciate all of the participation.  THANKS FOR PLAYING!       ANSWER: Havana, Cuba           "With a population of over 2 million people, this place used to be a real attraction in the 50's.  This place is still a big tourist attraction to Canadians and Europeans but it's tough to get there legally from here.  With historic architecture and vintage cars, this city is one of a kind."   Havana is a city frozen in time.   Havana could be compared to the colorful 1950s classic American cars that fill its roads: an object of desire for historians and tourists alike.   To walk through its streets is to take a step back in time.   Run-down homes show signs of salt erosion as waves from the Caribbean Sea batter away at the city's seawall, while at the day's end the setting sun paints the sky orange.   Despite the visual signs of deterioration, Havana is spiritually alive.   La Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana, a fortress based in Havana, has daily cannon blasts! It’s a bit of a tourist ritual – the cannons blow once a day, and resident guards march in a display before the blast at 9pm daily.   Havana was indeed British property for some time – if only for around a year! This was as a result of the Seven Years’ War. It went back to the Spanish in exchange for Florida!   Havana is a city of fabulous vintage cars! There are reportedly 60,000 of them across Cuba, and you’ll likely see plenty of them driving around the city.   The frozen daiquiri was invented here – by a barman by the name of Constante, who ran a bar called the Floridita.   The Floridita actually used to have some famous visitors – such as author Ernest Hemingway, who has his own statue in bronze, propping up the bar!   Cuba is also home to Guantanamo Bay or Gitmo.  Recently, the courtroom there was finished and considered ready to use.  It is said that the renovation was done to permit military judges to hold proceedings simultaneously.   In any case, Cuba has always been an intriguing place to go but difficult to get there given the tension with the US.                                         ~8 minutes         ~4 minutes         ~10 minutes       Interesting...                                                           A Tree Falls...         ~ 3 minutes     Turkey Fails...         2 minutes     Let's go to Mexico         ~2 minutes     Lexophilia (what's that?)         ◾I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.   ◾England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.   ◾Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.   ◾This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I'd swear I've never met herbivore.   ◾I know a guy who's addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.   ◾A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.   ◾When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.   ◾I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.   ◾A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.   ◾A will is a dead giveaway.   ◾With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.   ◾Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.   ◾A bicycle can't stand alone; it's just two tired.   ◾The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine last week is now fully recovered.   ◾He had a photographic memory but it was never fully developed.   ◾When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd dye.   ◾Acupuncture is a jab well done. That's the point of it.   ◾I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.   ◾Did you hear about the crossed-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?   ◾When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.   ◾When chemists die, they barium.   ◾I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.   ◾I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.     Random...                                               $200M Ghost Town...         ~2 minutes     Edgy.                                 More Stuff...                                           Thanksgiving Brussel Sprouts         Ingredients 2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, quartered 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided 3/4 cup cubed sourdough or French bread 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup shredded white sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese Directions 1. Preheat oven to 450°. Place Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to two ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Roast 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Reduce oven setting to 400°.   2. Meanwhile, place bread, butter, parsley and garlic in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form.   3. Place roasted sprouts in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a small bowl, mix cream, pepper flakes, nutmeg, and remaining salt and pepper. Pour over Brussels sprouts; sprinkle with cheese. Top with crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and topping is lightly browned.       All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 210 S. Milwaukee Ave. Wheeling, IL 60090 USA