Through the Keyhole - January 2023

 

Through the Keyhole JAN 2023 Take a break from your day... Not your typical company OR newsletter       "With its many canals, bridges and boats, this city is easily navigated by water.  It is a fact that the population is dwindling year over year.  And It is thought that only tourists will be left by 2030 and only by day... " Can you guess the location?       Welcome 2023! It seems like only yesterday that we turned over the calendar... My how time flies.  As we look forward to a new year, many of us make New Year's resolutions and set goals.  Many of those resolutions are broken quickly while others seem to take root.   Here are some interesting ones:   Check Facts Before Sharing on Social Media   This is certainly an unusual new year's resolution, but it's also very good advice. Too many people now share stories on social media blindly without first checking their veracity. Let the fake news fightback begin!   Try New Things, Including Absinthe Resolving to try new things is fairly common. After all, we tend to get stuck in a rut doing the same things all of the time. However, demonstrating your willingness to try new things by drinking absinthe probably isn't the best idea.   Stop Procrastinating, But Not Today Humans would get so much more done if we all learned not to procrastinate. Unfortunately, a desire to push things back to tomorrow, and then the next day, and then next week, seems to be inbuilt into all of us.   Don't Make Any New Year's Resolutions   If your new year's resolution is to not make any more new year's resolutions then you've failed spectacularly. Especially when you even use the #NewYearsResolutions2023 hashtag to make your promise even easier to find.   Eat More Meat   Vegetarianism and veganism are both growing trends. People are increasingly looking at alternatives to eating meat. But not this fella. He wants to go against the grain and eat more meat (and other lean proteins - NOT artificial or insects).    1) “Get a passport. Not to travel, just to own a passport.” (from Parenting.com) 2) “Turn off Tinder and try to talk to people in real life.” (from Metro News) 3) “Wave to fellow motorists at 4-way stops.” (from USA Today) 4) “Stop inserting slightly incorrect facts into Wikipedia entries.” (from Parenting.com) 5) “Go to work without a hangover at least twice a week.” (from Metro News) 6) “Collect airsick bags from every major airline.” (from USA Today) 7) “Just look at your bank balance – refusing to doesn’t mean you have more money.” (from Metro News) 8) “To randomly sew one sequin onto every piece of clothing you own.” (from Mashable.com) 9) “Delete the Facebook app from your phone and only log in to check it once a day.” (from Metro News) 10) “To be able to finish a burrito from Chipotle.” (from Mashable.com) 11) “Try extreme ironing.” (from USA Today) 12) “To find someone to kiss besides my dog.” (from Mashable.com) 13) “Learn a decent party trick.” (from Real Buzz.com) 14) “Knit more sweaters for freezing trees.” (from USA Today) 15) “Never by accident walk in on my dad cleaning the shower naked ever again.” (from Mashable.com)                                           Ways To Stop Phishing Attacks Phishing attacks continue to be one of the most common cyberattacks today. Here are our top ten tips to help your business prevent phishing attacks.   Turn On Multi-Factor Authentication  The very first thing you should do to limit your risk of phishing attacks is to turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA); especially for email accounts.    Mandate Strong Passwords, With Regular Updates Strong passwords are essential to protecting your business against phishing.  Weak passwords like “123456” take less than one second to crack—when you use weak passwords, particularly for email accounts, you’re only making life easier for cybercriminals.    Run Phishing Simulation Campaigns Phishing simulations can be a valuable way to train users to recognize what a phishing attack look like so they can successfully identify them and understand how they can protect against them. Phishing simulation providers essentially allow you to create a series of mock phishing emails that are sent out to your employees. These should be highly customizable and realistic, to ensure a genuine reaction from users.    If you want to implement one or all of these suggestions, we can help.  Call us.     Guess the Location Game Last month the winner of the guess the location game was Bob Brendle who guessed the right answer.  I appreciate all of the participation.  THANKS FOR PLAYING!       ANSWER: Nuremberg, Germany           "One of the best Christmas Markets where over 2 million visitors descend each year. You won't find mass produced goods here.  It is festive and also home to the famous trials in 1945-46. "   Home to the famous trials after WWII, this place is really a great place to visit especially at Christmastime.     Nuremberg by the Numbers: Population: 500,132 Elevation: 1045 ft Average annual rainfall: 24.4 Average January Temperature: 30 degrees F Average July Temperature: 64 degrees F   So is Nuremberg worth visiting? After living in the capital of Franconia for a year, the short answer is yes! But, it does depend on the goals of your travels. Nuremberg is a very picturesque city, especially in the Altstadt (the old town) and is rich in history and culture.   However, if you are hoping to retail shop or enjoy the nightlife, then there are better alternative cities in Germany like Berlin and Hamburg. Nonetheless, this itinerary of activities and tourist attractions in Nuremberg is constructed with sightseeing, food, and accessibility as its main objectives.   As we walk along the cobblestone road, you’ll encounter a number of shops, cafes, and hotels that are maintained to provide a quaint and charming old town feel. I consider the old town to be the heart and soul of Nuremberg, Germany.   I highly recommend making a pit stop at the cozy Café in der 12 for a cup of coffee or cappuccino. If it is summer, take a seat at the outdoor patio and soak in the surrounding atmosphere of the city.        Afterwards, we will walk towards the Lorenzkirche (St. Lorenz Church/ St Lawrence Church), dating back to the 13th century. This medieval and gothic style church is one of the three most iconic churches in Nuremberg.   Its construction began around the year 1250 and was severely damaged during the Second World War.    The organ of this historic Nuremberg church has over 12000 pipes, making it one of the largest organs in the world.         Next, we will walk across the sandstone bridge over the Pegnitz River and towards the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). The Frauenkirche is the first gothic church in the region of Franconia. It also houses a unique feature at noon called the Männleinlaufen, which is a famous mechanical clock that sings to commemorate the Golden Bull of 1356.   The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree that became an important constitutional element for the Holy Roman Empire.   The building itself is a hall church with some interesting architectural features and sculptures. Inside, it is home to many important works of art from the Middle Ages.   Its exterior is adorned with a number of coats of arms, including that of the Holy Roman Empire, the city of Nuremberg, the city of Rome (where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned), and the Seven Electors.         As we step outside the church, we will see the Nürnberger Hauptmarkt, which is a public square in Nuremberg’s old town that features local vendors of produce, meat, baked goods, and gifts. If your accommodation has a kitchen, then it may be a good opportunity to do some grocery shopping at this market!   During the winter season, the square is also home to the Christkindlesmarkt, which is the largest Christmas market in Germany that serves various flavors of glühwein (mulled wine) and lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies) to over two million visitors.   For lunch, I encourage you to visit the Bratwurst Röslein for some traditional Bavarian cuisine. The restaurant is beside the Frauenkirche in the old town. Some of my recommendations are the Nuremberger Bratwurst (Nuremberg sausage), Schweinebraten (roast pork) or Käsespätzle (German mac n cheese). Yum!                               ~10 minutes         ~12 minutes         ~10 minutes       Interesting...                                                           Tow Truck Hall of Fame         Angels are real...         2 minutes     Top 10 World Cup Goals         ~3 minutes     Build a Snowman....??         We received about 2 inches of snow yesterday and 8:00 am: I made a snowman. 8:10-A feminist passed by and asked me why I didn't make a snow woman. 8:15 - So, I made a snow woman. 8:17 - My feminist neighbor complained about the snow woman's voluptuous chest saying it objectified women everywhere. 8:20 - The gay couple living nearby threw a hissy fit and moaned it could have been two snowmen instead. 8:22 - The transgender man…women...person asked why I didn't just make one snow person with detachable parts. 8:25 - The vegans at the end of the lane complained about the carrot nose, as veggies are food and are not used to decorate snow figures. 8:28 - I was being called a racist because the snow couple is white. 8:30 - I used food coloring to make one of the snow couple a different color and be more racially inclusive. 8:37 - Then accused of using a black face on the snowperson. 8:39 - The middle eastern gent across the road demanded the snow woman be completely covered. 8:40 - The police arrived saying someone had been offended. 8:42 - The feminist neighbor complained again that the broomstick of the snow woman needed to be removed because it depicted women in a domestic role. 8:43 - The 'council on equality' officer arrived and threatened me with eviction. 8:45 - The TV news crew from ABC showed up. I was asked if I know the difference between snowmen and snow-women? I replied "Snowballs" and am now a sexist. 9:00 - I was on the news as a suspected terrorist, racist, homophobe, and sensibility offender, bent on stirring up trouble during difficult weather. 9:10 - I was asked if I have any accomplices. My children were taken by social services. 9:29 - Far left protesters offended by everything marched down the street demanding that I be arrested. 9:45 - The boss called and fired me because of the negative association with work that had been all over social media. 10:00 - I cry into my drink because ALL I wanted to do was build a snowman... And this is where we are at in 2023.     Wearing that T-Shirt made you Go VIRAL                                               A little Old Dominion...listen.         ~3 minutes of a great band.     Edgy.                                   More Stuff...                                           Char Siu (Barbecue Pork)         Ingredients ·     1 lb 2 oz (500 g) pork shoulder 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Thinly sliced scallions, to serve For the marinade 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 tsp. dark soy sauce ½ tsp. white pepper 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce 2 cubes red fermented bean curd, mashed ½ tsp. Chinese five-spice 1 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. Mei Kuei Lu Chiew liquor (you can use rice wine instead) A few drops red food coloring (optional) ·       Directions 1. Step 1 Cut the pork lengthwise into strips 2 inches wide and 1-inch thick and put into a nonreactive container. Combine the marinade ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and stir together. Leave to cool, then stir in the garlic and massage the marinade into the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 5–6 hours or overnight.  Step 2 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring the pork back to room temperature and drain off the excess marinade into a small bowl. Place the pork on a rack in the middle of the oven and put a roasting pan containing a cupful of hot water underneath on the bottom rack. Roast the meat for 20 minutes, basting with the marinade occasionally. Reduce the oven to 350°F and roast for a further 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F. Step 3 Cool the pork briefly, then cut it into bite-size pieces. Garnish with spring onions and serve as an appetizer or with steamed rice as a light meal.       All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 210 S. Milwaukee Ave. Wheeling, IL 60090 USA