Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Golden Globe Nominations! Road to Hollywood's Biggest Party in 2010!

This morning, The Golden Globe Nominations were announced by the lovely Diane Kruger. "Up In The Air" garnered the most noms with 6 of them. My personal favorite, "Invictus" earned 3 nominations. "Nine" got 5 nominations, while "Avatar" & "Inglorious Basterds" received 4 nominations each. Then, there were actors & actresses which were nominated twice. Matt Damon got 2 nominations (1 for Invictus, & 1 for The Informant), Sandra Bullock got 2 nominations (1 for The Blind Side, & 1 for The Proposal), and finally Meryl Streep got 2 noms (1 for It's Complicated, and 1 for Julie & Julia). It should be a great day at the Globes on January 17, 2010. For the complete list of nominees, check out http://www.goldenglobes.org/news/id/159. Hollywood G. can't wait to watch the Golden Globes, the biggest party in hollywood!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Beautiful medley of great songs by John Mayer


About two weeks ago, RSG did some research on new John Mayer songs. From the research, G. Ripley found some really cool songs from John Mayer's new album, "Battle Studies." The album has eleven tracks, and nine of them are worth listening. Some of my favorite songs on the album are:

1. Edge of Desire
2. Heartbreak Warfare
3. War of My Life
4. Half of My Heart
5. Assassin

It is a better album than his last release, "Continuum." Thanks to youtube.com, it was easy to listen to all the tracks. The album is pretty good, because the tracks relate to my life. "War of My Life" describes my own unfortunate struggles at this time. "Edge of Desire" has some good verses too. The whole album is a beautiful medley of songs.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Seeing Kelly Clarkson at AZ State Fair



Last night, Kelly Clarkson was singing some beautiful songs at the Arizona State Fair. It had been 20 years since RSG attended the fair. But, it was well worth it to see Kelly Clarkson. She has a beautiful voice, and she sang some really popular songs. The whole audience was singing along to her songs. The last concert that RSG saw was Paul Oakenfold in Myst nightclub in 2006. Kelly Clarkson was looking glittery in her top blouse, but there was this really pretty backup singer who stole the show. Kelly sang for almost 85 minutes, and I think she did close to 15 songs. She sang some cover songs of Patsy Cline, Alanis Morrisette, and White Stripes. Well, there's not much else to write except that it was a memorable concert. Those concerts are the ones which you really enjoy!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Looking & Acting like Jon Stewart!



Well, RSG was in Toronto this past weekend. While partying at his friend's engagement ceremony, two women told him that he looks like Jon Stewart. Not only does he look like Jon Stewart, but the pretty women (A.S. & P.S.) thought RSG acted like Jon Stewart too. You had to be there, but it is true. Anyways, RSG knows it's a compliment that he was compared to Jon Stewart. It was quite shocking to hear that RSG acts and looks like Jon Stewart. Some other highlights of the weekend were seeing the CN tower in Toronto, and doing some clubbing in Toronto also. Going to the top of CN Tower was incredible. Walking on the glass floor at CN Tower was mindblowing. The engagement ceremony was one of the best RSG has attended. There were some cool games, and it was a good time. At the next engagement ceremony, RSG hopes that he runs into people who tell him that he looks & acts like another cool celebrity. Viva The Daily Show!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Del Potro does the incredible!


Today, Juan Martin Del Potro defeated Roger Federer in five sets in the best US Open final ever played. Juan Martin Del Potro won the match & won the hearts of many tennis fans today. About 13 months ago, RSG had the fortune of seeing Juan Martin Del Potro win in UCLA. Thirteen months later, RSG had no idea that Del Potro would win the US Open final. Federer was so close to victory in the 4th set, but Del Potro won his 2nd tiebreaker to force a fifth set. Del Potro displayed a great array of shots, and Federer lost a grand slam final to an opponent for the first time, not named Nadal. As the writer closes this post, the following picture was taken by RSG. It is from the 2008 Countrywide Classic, and Del Potro won the tournament in August 2008. Viva La Del Potro! Please see the picture above.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

10 days from now!

Well, this post is about a special day in the life of RSG. In 10 days, Rahulio Ganpuleone will be staring at a pair of 3s. RSG will be wishing that he was in macau or monte carlo with four 3s. I think that's a pretty good hand in a card game. Anyways, this birthday is a different birthday than previous years. In the past year, not many things have gone well in the life of RSG! Yet, RSG has been resilient. It is an attribute which he has acquired over the past 3 years. Resiliency does not come overnight, but it happens by rebounding from each predicament. In order to rebound from each predicament, it starts with the right frame of mind. The person encountering the dilemma has to realize that there is a shining light at the end of the tunnel. The second step is the person has to ask a team of people or friends for moral support. Friends and family have been a huge sound board for me in the past three years. In the end, one will say "thank you for your support" to their friends & family. Finally, the person encountering the predicament must continue to try the right steps for battling the problem head on. In time, victory can be attained. There is a great movie called "The Shawshank Redemption," and there is a great quote from the movie. It is "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Always remember this quote!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Day After!


Well, it's the day after my latest endeavor ended. The endeavor was long, but definitely worthwhile. It ended as both parties could not see eye 2 eye on many important issues. It ended due to a lack of acceptance of one of the parties also. Yet, a lot of life skills were learned in this experience. It has definitely made RSG a better person. Now, it is up to RSG to concentrate on his present & work on the future. It was a mature conversation between both parties, and there were few tears shed. Both parties have agreed to a break. Keeping in touch will be hard, but RSG seems to be skilled in this task. Again, the road to perdition in the romantic endeavor has been avoided. It took some thinking on the author's part, but the informed decision was made. After this experience, RSG's mind thinks about the John Mayer song, "Say". It is on the soundtrack for "The Bucket List." "Say" is a great song by John Mayer. It makes a person think before they talk. It makes a person "say what they mean to say."

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Avoiding RTP!



As you may know, "Road to Perdition" (RTP) is a hollywood movie. It was a graphic novel turned into a great movie in 2002. "Road to Perdition" essentially means road to "state of final spiritual ruin" or "loss of soul." At this time, rsg is avoiding the "road to perdition." For the past 8 months, the author of this post has encountered four to five predicaments. Each predicament has brought the author to ask himself the question, "Can I avoid the road to perdition?" Now, it has become a question to ask regardless of the predicament. Whether it is a loss of a job, loss of residence, or financial instability, each time rsg has asked himself, "how can I continue to avoid RTP?" There is a lot of self-introspection occurring, which makes the author very careful about his decisions. He has faltered on many occasions, but there have been points of success. For those people who wonder how success happens, it comes from making the right decisions. One of them is avoiding RTP. Making the right decisions in one's career, relationships, & finances will lead to a natural avoidance of RTP. There is no exact formula, but it can be attained.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Checking out Wineries, plus RF's 15th grand slam title!



Well, it was a great 4th of July weekend for Hollywood G! I checked out three wineries (Korbel, Robert Mondavi, & Artesa), and went to muirwoods national forest also. Finally, sunday brought the best tennis match ever played as Roger Federer won his 15th grand slam title at wimbledon. He defeated Andy Roddick in an epic 5th set by the score of 16 to 14. Roddick shocked many people in this two week tournament, and he had his chances to defeat Roger. Roger played his best match of the year. Back to the trip, the weather was almost 40 to 45 degrees cooler than phoenix. It was a great escape to the SF Bay Area for Hollywood G! Check the picture above which was taken from Robert Mondavi winery! Korbel winery is known for its champagne and it was a great opening winery to check out. Robert Mondavi is a popular tourist attraction, while Artesa gives breathtaking views of Napa Valley. This trip is one to remember!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Rafa missing Wimbledon, Lakers win 15th NBA title!


Last Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th nba title by defeating the Orlando Magic 4 to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers played great basketball and brought the title back to Hollywood. Kobe Bryant was named MVP of the Finals. The Lakers Parade was great on June 17. I watched most of it. Hollywood G. is very happy with the Lakers winning their 15th nba title. Go Lakeshow for Life! Check the picture on the left of Gasol & Kobe enjoying the parade. :)

In other news, Rafael Nadal will not play in Wimbledon. Rafael is bowing out of the grand slam tournament due to severe tenditis in his knees. It is sad since Rafael Nadal is the defending champion. Many people were hoping to see him play in the finals with Roger Federer again. Now, the field is wide open for anyone. Hopefully, Roger can win his 15th title. Or, this could be time for someone else to win in London! It could be a new face doing the London Calling!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Federer wins 14th grand slam, Lakers go up by 2 in series!


Yesterday, Roger Federer won his 1st French Open title at Roland Garros in Paris. He has tied Pete Sampras for the most grand slam titles, 14, and he attained the goal of "winning each of the 4 majors" in the tennis world. Roger defeated Robin Soderling in 3 sets in less than 2 hours. Roger Federer received the trophy from Andre Agassi, the last man to win each of the 4 major grand slam titles. Agassi attained this feat in 1999. In other sporting news, The Los Angeles Lakers are 2 games away from winning their 15th NBA title. The Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in game 2 of the NBA Finals last night in overtime, 101-96. Kobe Bryant commented that "The Lakers are not done yet, and the job is not finished" in a post game conference. For the Lakeshow, it has been a team effort in both victories. Kobe has received help from Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher in the victories. Let's hope the Lakeshow can win in the Land of Magic, Orlando, in the next 2 or 3 games. Go Westside!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Listening to JM, U2, and movie soundtracks!

Well, it is a night of listening to John Mayer (JM), U2, and movie soundtracks. It is a night in which RSG tries to see clarity in his life. This month has been pretty hectic with the move back to a former home, the job search, and discussions on the present situation with friends & family. As I listen to "gravity" by john mayer, it makes me realize that it is hard to find balance in your life. It is hard to find a perfect balance for everything to take place. As I listen to "clarity" (by john mayer), it is the one thing which I search for & want to achieve with people. But, when I listen to "road to perdition", I know that my life is not heading into perdition. The soundtrack is very inspirational, and it is from one of my favorite movies. Another great soundtrack is "catch me if you can". It is music that makes me feel all jazzed up to get into a situation that is inconceivable. Finally, there is music from "the talented mr. ripley." This music is jazz, and it is also quite inspirational. There is a song, Italia, which is track 3 on the cd. It makes me want to go to Italy to see venice, milan, and rome. Someday, it will happen! Areverdci!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

NCAA Tournament & Wine Recommendations!

Well, the national men's basketball (ncaa) championship game is on Monday, April 6. The game features the Michigan State Spartans vs. the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. The NCAA men's b-ball tournament is always a fun 2 or 3 weeks of basketball filled with upsets, surprises, and routs. Today, I saw the game at Dos Gringos in Scottsdale, AZ. Across the street, there were a ton of Michigan State fans at Upper Deck Sports Bar. I am glad to have witnessed the game at Dos Gringos with friends and a much less crowd than Upper Deck. Later, I went to a Wine & Cheese party which made me realize that this is a fun way to spend time with friends & meet new ones during this economic downturn. At the party, a fine young woman asked me what wine to try. Even though I drink white, Red Wine was on my mind. I recommended a Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was a natural recommendation. Maybe, RSG should go into Oenology instead of supporting IT computer systems/software. If you are enjoying some white wine or red wine, then remember that being a wine connoisseur can always be a 2nd career. It's always good to wear many hats! Drink vino to your heart's content too!

Friday, March 6, 2009

G. Ripley's resilient day!

Well, it is 3-7-2009 and G. Ripley is wide awake with ideas to convey to his public! After a day of doing damage control (literally) and engaging in a worthwhile discussion with the special someone in his life, G. Ripley is thinking that his resiliency was the main element for survival today. After a day like this one, G. Ripley thinks that life is "as good as it gets." The weather outside is in the 70s and quite cloudy. It was 88 degrees on monday afternoon. On Friday afternoon, my car thermometer was at 68 degrees. That's a drastic change. One may ask "what gives?" G. Ripley is no weatherman, but he knows that "you just keep living" and life will get better. Check the picture below of Helen Hunt! She's my inspiration for writing this post, as so is the special someone in my life.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire takes over Academy Awards by storm!

For Hugh Jackman, it was his first time hosting the academy awards. Actually, he did not seem like a rookie. He did a great job as the host, and the 81st academy awards show was one to remember. As an avid fan of the movie industry, it was great to see "slumdog millionaire" take home eight awards. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" won three awards, even though it had thirteen nominations. There were some first time academy awards winners like Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet. Both women looked stunning in their dresses. As for the best actor award, the winner was Sean Penn. It was great to see Mickey Rourke in the crowd, but it was better to see Sean win his second academy award. As for the show's ratings, the numbers so far were better than last year's dismal performance. Will Smith presented a couple of awards, and he was hilarious as usual. The academy awards was a great show to watch last night, and it brought many smiles to people's faces worldwide. As Hollywood G. finishes this weblog post, enjoy the picture of Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet. They are an adorable academy award winning couple!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Another Great Super Bowl, plus Rafa wins in Melbourne (Aussie Open recap)!



What a weekend in Sports! RSG is very happy with the super bowl outcome, and with a Rafa Nadal victory over Roger Federer in the Australian Open Final too. First, let's talk football by saying that the Steelers edged out the Cardinals. It was a great game, and the cardinals could not contain the steelers at the end. Santonio Holmes made a great grab in the back of the right side of the end zone, which was incredible. The cardinals shocked the world with their trip to the super bowl, and this will give them more confidence going into next year. Onto the tennis world, Roger Federer only converted on 6 of 19 break point chances as he lost to Nadal in 5 sets. Nadal won his 1st Australian Open title, and he became the first Spaniard to win the title. At 22, Rafa has 6 grand slam titles (4 in Paris, 1 in Wimbledon, & 1 in Melbourne). If he can win in Flushing Meadows (at the US Open), Rafael Nadal will have won all 4 of the majors. The last men's player to win all 4 of the grand slam tournaments was Andre Agassi, one of my favorite players! As for the ladies side, Serena Williams proved that she is the top female player again by winning her 4th title Down Under. She won the title in 59 minutes, which was a record time for a women's final. Safina could not hang with Serena, as Dinara won only 3 games the entire match. Watching the men's Australian Open final was thrilling, and seeing the end of Super Bowl XLIII was the best thing yet! One more thing, the image of Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers MVP) on the right is his post game interview. The picture on the left is Roger Federer realizing that he could not equal Pete Sampras record of 14 grand slam titles. Shocking!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Disaster strikes Hollywood G!

As some of you know, romance is a big part of my life. When there is romance, then the incredible happens. Now, there is no romance in my life. This sixth life I started about 7 months ago was a life for handling tough situations. It is a life that started with some adventure, and it is now about handling disaster. Earlier today, disaster struck Hollywood G. as the romance in his life dissolved. Hollywood G. is looking at moving on with his life, and it will take time to perform this action. It is a horrible way to start the new year, but it will teach him some valuable lessons in life. First, it was a loss of a job and a girlfriend in his life. Now, the tables are turned. The job is there, but the romance is gone. It was probably for the best, and now it is time to move on to bigger & better things in life. No matter what, Just Keep Living!