BO: Time Man of The Year (plus a segueing to Sarkozy)

In this story, B.O. stands for Barack Obama. It does not stand for body order or boron oxide. Hope you liked the chemistry in that last comment. :) Back to the story, Barack is the 2008 Time Man of The Year. Other notable people in the running were Sarah Palin (Governor of Alaska), Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Chinese Filmmaker Zhang Yimou, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It is surprising to see Zhang Yimou and Sarkozy on this list, especially Sarkozy. Sarkozy is President of The European Union (EU), and he holds this post in addition to his presidential duties in France. In an 60 minutes story earlier this year, Lesley Stahl referred to Sarkozy as "Sarko The American." He has been given this moniker by other reporters as well. Nicolas is doing his best to institute a 40 hour work week in France, which Americans find to be the norm here in the US. This may mean more working hours, and less vacation for the laissez faire French people. He wants to improve relations between the US and France also. Sarkozy is putting France back on the map, and he is a bright face in Europe too!

The Harsh Reality from RSG

Well, can you believe that there are only 2 weeks left in 2008? What a year for the world economy? As many economists will state, the world is in a deepening global recession. This could be the worst crisis since the Great Depression. A few weeks ago, The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) announced that the US has been in a recession since December 2007. The unemployment rate sits at 6.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It seems each industry is being hit with layoffs, and it is challenging the consumer tremendously. For the consumer, confidence in the economy is quite low as well. Just look at the latest consumer confidence report which shows the index stands at 44.9. Finally, GDP in the 3rd quarter of 2008 was -0.5% and it will be probably negative for the 4th quarter. This is your classic definition (2 consecutive quarters of negative GDP) of a recession. So, how does the economy continue to avoid the road to economic perdition? I think the US consumer is looking for the right government people (Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke, Tim Geithner, etc.) to lead them out of this recession. Let's hope that 2009 is a year of better economic times! Remember that January 20, 2009 is the end of an error, not an era!

Better Than Casino Royale (Review of Quantum of Solace)

On Sunday, I saw the new bond movie and it is much better than "Casino Royale." Quantum of Solace has less violence than the last bond, and the story was easier to follow than Casino Royale. These two attributes set it apart from the last Bond movie. Olga Kurylenko does a great job as "Camille", and she is also on the cover of Maxim's magazine December 2008 issue. For all you Maxim lovers, go & buy this edition. :) On another note, Quantum of Solace raked in $70 million in the weekend box office gross. It was easily #1, and it shattered the record set by "Die Another Day" by more than $20 million. If you are a huge fan of James Bond, then you will definitely have to check out this movie. Adios from the Red Carpet. 'Til next time, keep it off the record & on the QT. "

Hollywood G.'s Latest Reviews: "W." & "Body of Lies"

Hello, I saw W. tonight and it was a funny movie. It is kind of long and slow at times, but it was worth the price of admission. I think josh brolin did a great job as the president, and thandie newton looked just like the real condoleezza rice. Jeffrey Wright did a fantastic job as Colin Powell, as did Richard Dreyfuss with his role as Dick Cheney. The movie could have been better, but it was worthy of a C rating (on a letter grade scale). Also, Hollywood G. is going to talk about "Body of Lies." This was a good flick with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe trading a lot of verbal punches. The story takes place in various cities in Asia, Europe, and North America. With these sequential stops from city to city, it kept Hollywood G. engaged in this intense thriller. The book, Body of Lies, is better than the movie. Nonetheless, the movie is worth seeing. Ridley Scott directs and Russell Crowe stars in another of his thought provoking movies. As for Leonardo DiCaprio, he also does a great job as Agent Roger Farris. Leo is very intense and he did many of his own scenes. It was 14 years ago that Russell & Leonardo were in the same movie, The Quick and The Dead. In "Body of Lies", they reunite for a better movie about real world issues (terrorism, the CIA, and how the world is coping with terrorism in a post 9/11 world).

Crazy time in Chicago!

Well, I am back from a crazy 72 hour weekend in chicago. Let's just say that "Chicago is one crazy town that leaves you feeling amazing about life." G. Ripley was there for a wedding, to see some friends and family in the city and in the suburbs, plus to see some spectacular sights and attractions too. First, the architecture in this city is beautiful just like the Trump International Tower picture above. Second, the weather was gorgeous (almost 75 degrees F for a high) which is a major plus. Finally, I was in the 96th floor of the John Hancock building on my last night there. From that high up in the sky, you can see Lake Michigan and some other panoramic views. The city may be depressed about the White Sox and Cubs losing early, but the rest of city has elements which make any human being feel high off life. If you have never been to the Windy City, then you don't know what you are missing!

Hitting Thirty Deuce!

Well, today is the day which Hollywood G. (aka G. Ripley aka Rahulio Ganpuleone) came into this planet, Earth. As he looks back at the events which have occurred, there is only the luck of god that has saved him in so many ways. Hollywood G. has had the joy of meeting people from washington dc (a la Alan Greenspan), hollywood (rupert grint, david hasselhoff, etc.), bollywood (another covert story), and other walks of life. For now, there is a whole lot of living left to do. So, Just keep living (J.K.Living) which is a phrase from Matthew McConaughey. I have to quote this hollywood actor who has made great movies for the past decade or so. Check out Tropic Thunder, because Matt M. made the movie funny, but the credit also goes to Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, and a few other actors/actresses too.

Five In A Row for The Federer Express!

24 Hours Ago, Roger Federer made history again on the tennis court by winning his 5th consecutive U.S.Open in the Men's final over Andy Murray. Roger broke Andy's serve seven times in a match that lasted less than 2 hours. Roger Federer has won 13 grand slam titles, and is in sole possession of 2nd place on the all time list only behind Pete Sampras 14 grand slam titles. Can Roger tie the great Pistol Pete in the 2009 Australian Open? It could happen in Melbourne. As for his game, Roger won in 3 sets. Roger That! This following picture is of Roger Federer with the US Open trophy while he is on top of the Empire State Building. He is in the viewing deck. What a picturesque view of Manhattan!

From the USTA Center in Flushing Meadows: US Open results (pre-men's final) 2008

Well, the men's final of the US Open is on Monday, September 8, 2008. The men are playing on Monday due to the tropical storm Hanna bombarding NYC on saturday, september 6, which postponed the 2nd men's semifinal match. In the first semifinal match, Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic in 4 sets to secure his spot in monday's final. In the second semifinal match, Rafa Nadal was down 2 sets to none to Andy Murray until rain suspended the match until today. In today's conclusion, Rafael Nadal was stunned by Andy Murray. Rafael Nadal won the third set, but Andy Murray won the 4th set to win the match. Down 3 to 1 in the fourth set, Murray battled to win the next 5 of 6 games to win the 4th set by the score of 6-4. G. Ripley is definitely pleased to see Murray vs. Federer in monday's final. Ripley is hoping for a great match. Federer will be vying for his 5th straight US Open title, while Andy Murray will be vying for his 1st title in a grand slam final ever. As for the women, Serena Williams won her 3rd US Open title by defeating Jelena Jankovic in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5. It was a great match played by both ladies. In the end, Serena won the final 4 games of the 2nd set to close out the match. It was vintage Serena! She is now the new no. 1 player in the women's rankings. G. Ripley is hoping that she ends out the year No. 1 as that's his prediction. Hope it comes true!

The dramatic onslaught of the Beijing Olympic games 2008!

Four days ago, the 2008 Olympic games started in Beijing. It will continue for twelve more days, and NBC reported that ratings for the Opening Ceremonies were the most watched non-U.S. Olympic Games in history. That is incredible! US Swimmer Michael Phelps has already won four gold medals, and he is vying for eight golds at these Olympic games. So far, two nations are duking it out for the top spot in the medal tracker. These two nations are Team USA and the host country, China. Actually, I can't wait until the Track and Field part of the competition starts. I will have to wait until August 15. Then, Tyson Gay will battle the duo from Jamaica, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, for the title of world's fastest man! Plus, the US basketball team hopes to win gold in the men's & women's competition. The Olympics are always fun to watch and hope your favorite athlete performs at the highest level! Go Kobe and Team USA!

"The Dark Knight" continues to shatter the box office!

In a matter of 3 weeks, "The Dark Knight" has amassed $450 million at the US Box Office. It is utterly mindblowing. Heath Ledger should get nominated for an academy award in February 2009 for Best Supporting Actor. Hopefully, he will win posthumously. As for Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, the film's other stars, they put on some great performances too. Aaron Eckhart has mentioned that he should be back for the next Batman movie. Holy cow, another batman movie! Yes, it is quite possible that chris nolan, christian bale, and the rest of the cast (minus Heath Ledger) could be back in a couple of years. We'll have to wait and see! Of course, Hollywood G. will be there to give another fun review on the Warner Bros. picture. Au revoir til next time!

"The Greatest Men's Wimbledon Final Ever"

In an epic five set match for the recordbooks, Rafael Nadal is the new 2008 Men's Wimbledon champion. By beating Roger Federer, the current No. 1, Rafa won his first Wimbledon trophy. Rafa won the fifth set, 9-7, right before darkness fell on centre court at 9:16 pm London time. It was the longest men's final ever. Rafa Nadal now leads the head to head battle by six victories over Roger Federer. Rafa has won 12 out of eighteen matches against Roger Federer. Roger only coverted one out of 14 break point chances. The match was 12 minutes short of the 5 hour mark. Rafa won the first two sets by the score of 6-4, then Roger won the next 2 sets in two wild tiebreaks. Nadal finally prevailed in the fifth set after two rain delays. Rafa Nadal has won two of the three majors this year. Roger still may be No. 1, but Rafa is not that far behind! Vamos Rafa!

French Open recap! Rafa wins lopsided final, plus Ana Ivanovic is the new #1.

Today, The men's final of the French open was one of the most lopsided finals ever. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in 3 sets, and Rafa remains undefeated at Roland Garros. He ran his record to 28 wins, 0 losses. It brings in the question, "Is Rafa indeed unstoppable on the clay surface in Paris?" As for the ladies final, Ana Ivanovic won in 2 sets over Dinara Safina. Safina was the biggest surprise in the ladies final as she beat her other fellow russian teammates one by one. First, she beat Sharapova in the 4th round, followed by a stunning defeat of Dementieva in the quarters, and Kuznetsova in the semis. Safina seems to be following in her brother, Marat Safin's footsteps. Safin has won the US Open and the Australian Open in his career. With the french open title as her first grand slam championship, Ana Ivanovic is the new #1 in the WTA tour rankings. In two weeks, Ivanovic will begin her defense at Wimbledon. Will she win her first wimbledon? It will be tough, but anything is possible.

This week's shocker (Justine Henin retires abruptly!)

Two days ago, Justine Henin shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement from the sport. The current #1 ranked player will relinquish her top ranking this week. This means that the new #1 women's tennis player will be Maria Sharapova. Maria held the #1 ranking in 2007 for a short time, and in 2005 for a short period also. The top Russian femme fatale has won 3 tournaments (Doha, Melbourne, and Amelia Island) in 2008. But, it is quite sad to see Justine Henin leave the game. She won 7 Grand Slam titles, including 4 times at Roland Garros. She was dominant on the clay surface. Long Live the Belgian Baseliner!

It's April, and the top Two Men's Players are winless!

Yes, this is true. Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal have not won a single tournament in 2008 yet. Today, Rafael Nadal lost in the finals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, FL to Nikolay Davydenko. This year, Rafa is 0 for 2 in tournaments finals with losses to Mikhail Youhzny (in Chennai) & Nikolay Davydenko (in Miami). Roger F. has not made it to a tournament final this year. The tennis champion battled mononucleosis earlier this year. Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick have won 2 titles each already. Djokovic won the Australian Open, and in Indian Wells. Roddick won in San Jose, and in Dubai. On the women's side, Justine Henin has not made it to a tournament final in 2008 yet. Ana Ivanovic has made it to 2 finals, the Australian Open and Indian Wells. She beat Kuznetsova in Indian Wells, but lost to Maria Sharapova in Melbourne. Speaking of Sharapova, she has won 2 titles this year. In closing, both sides have no clear favorite yet. On the men's side, Federer is not dominating for now. On the women's side, familiar names are coming back to win big titles like Serena Williams (in Key Biscayne, FL and Maria S (in Dubai and Australia). The next 7 months should bring some more excitement to both genders. Let's see what happens next at Roland Garros at the end of May. Will Roger finally break through to win the one elusive, Grand Slam title that he's lost to Nadal 2 years in a row? Will Justine continue her dominance on clay courts in Paris? Finally, Andy Roddick got engaged to model, Brooklyn Decker. See the picture of the talented twosome below. Congrats, Andy!

Chilling in My Palazzo in Las Vegas

Well, G. Ripley is back from vegas physically. Yet, his mind is still on a fun weekend which transpired in some wacky ways. Let's go over some highlights. First, RSG saw the 40/40 club in The Palazzo hotel. This club is designed and owned by Jay-Z and his partners. The hip-hop extraordinaire has put jerseys of basketball players, baseball players, and NFL football players in this cool lounge. There are tons of high definition tvs and plasmas so the place has the feel of a sports bar in the day, nightclub at night. After G. Ripley took pictures in the sports club, RSG saw the rest of the Palazzo. Then, RSG went to the Wynn hotel to see the maserati ferrari dealership. It was great to see maseratis, ferraris, and one lamborghini too. Next, RSG got into a ferrari 430 spider and did a photo shoot. RSG took 4 pictures in that car, and one of them is framed. It's part of the admission when you go to the dealership. The dealership is awesome. As for saturday night, RSG hit up Tryst. The wait in line was for a short amount of time (25 minutes), and then into one of the best clubs in the world. The waterfall at tryst, plus the dancers, and the cosmopolitan women were great. On friday night and most of saturday, RSG gambled on ncaa basketball and nba basketball at the sportsbooks in casinos. The fans of college teams (like wisconsin, UNC tar heels, or Kentucky) go all out for their team by wearing their school colors, and raving about their teams. One fan from wisconsin was totally loud and boisterous, that he started imitating Dick Vitale and ragging on the michigan state squad like there was no tomorrow. Many people in the casino sportsbook, including myself, thought the wisconsin fan provided tons of entertainment. RSG won 3 out of the 6 games which he bet on. Ganpuleone ended up losing $40 cuz various dollar amounts ($20 or $40 or $60) were bet on certain games, but it was fun. Lastly, check the waterfall picture below. It's a picture of the 90 foot waterfall at Tryst.

Review of "Breaking Back"

Yesterday, I finished reading "Breaking Back" by James Blake. It's a great book about James Blake's battle with Herpes Zoster and his other battles (specifically his dad's demise from stomach cancer) in 2004. The story will open your mind and give you the idea that "there is always hope in life." Hope is a good thought to think about and it helps you to keep going. For the author of this post, this book was special because it hit home. In early February 2008, Shingles entered G. Ripley's face (specifically the right eye) and it distorted vision plus it brought about shooting pain in various parts of the body. Three weeks later, the right eye was back to normal. The bumps on the right eyelid had disappeared as well. Back to my review, the book gives a timeline of James tennis career starting from 1999 to 2006. Since G. Ripley follows tennis passionately, it was good to catch up on tour results from the ATP. Last year, I saw James Blake on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". James was poised in his interview with the comedian. He talked about his book, and how the medical experience changed his life forever. Once you read the book, you will know that life is truly about "getting better."

80th Academy Awards Recap From Hollywood G.

Tonight was the glitziest night in Hollywood. The 80th Academy Awards took place, and it was a great show. The big winner was "No Country for Old Men", which took home 4 awards. The movie won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, plus a Screenplay award. Yet, there were some big surprises. Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Michael Clayton." She gave a great speech by thanking her agent and the cast of the movie. Another big surprise was Marion Cotillard winning for Best Actress in her role in "La Vie En Rose." She is a young, beautiful, talented actress from France. Other big winners were Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor for "There Will Be Blood", Javier Bardem for Best Supporting Actor for "No Country for Old Men", and Diablo Cody for Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) for "Juno." The show's host Jon Stewart was a great choice. He was hilarious, and serious at odd times. Way to Go, Jon!

Tom Brady & Co. Stumped by Giants!

Well, the Super Bowl ended almost 3 hours ago. The Final Score: NY Giants 17, New England Patriots 14. It was one of the best games ever. Tom Brady and his team lost a great game. The Patriots were favored to win by more than 10 points. The spread was not covered, and some Las Vegas gamblers probably lost some money! It was a very even game towards the end, but the Giants pulled off "The Incredible Upset!" This game will go down in history as one of the best Super Bowl games ever! Here's a picture that sums it up:



In the end, the Giants defense was great at the right moments in the game. Super Bowl 42 was almost one of the lowest scoring games ever. Heck, it was the Patriots up 7-3 at the end of the 3rd quarter. In the end, the Giants spoiled the Patriots bid to go undefeated for the full year. History was made tonight in Glendale, Arizona. "The Incredible" did happen, and the giants stunned the world.

College Dropouts, College Graduates (Which One Are You)?

Well, people go to college to get a degree and to experience the College Scene. But, there are people who don't graduate. I can name at least six people who did not graduate from college, and they are very successful entrepreneurs. Here is the list:

1. Larry Ellison
2. Bill Gates
3. Michael Dell
4. Paul Allen
5. Steve Jobs
6. Mark Zuckerberg

Surprisingly, these entrepreneurs are all Info. Technology Moguls. You may recognize a few of the names, or all of them. This story is emphasizing that you don't have to graduate from college to be successful. On the other hand, I recommend getting a degree or two because it really helps you when hunting for that first job in the real world. Each one of these entrepreneurs from the list attended a university (like Harvard, University of Chicago, and University of Texas at Austin, etc.), but did not finish their degree. One reason is they had started the business plan for their future venture while in school. One final thought is what might have happened to these people if they did graduate from college. Who knows what "Other Business Ideas" may have come from these great, interesting minds? In case you wanted to know more about Mark Zuckerberg, check the link below. It's a good article.