Do You Know Your Ancestry?

My last post in 2012 is about knowing one's ancestry. There is a website, ancestry.com, and you can learn about your ancestry at that URL. URL is uniform resource locator, or global web address (in layman's terms). My friend, Amit, mentioned that he has a friend that works at ancestry.com. Ancestry.com is the main topic of discussion today. Ancestry.com is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The company's stock symbol is ACOM, and their headquarters is in Provo, UT. The company has a market cap. of over $1 billion, and the website is the world's largest resource for family history. The website is known for being a great portal for genealogy. Many of my friends would mention that my family history traces back to India. They are correct, but RSG wishes it was from Italy. You know the ganpuleone family! Anyways, let's get back to the topic at hand. When Rahul searched for his parents & family history on ancestry.com, his parents and other pertinent information showed up. It was incredible to see how accurate ancestry.com is. The family tree was displayed, and it was very correct. In closing, ancestry.com is a great website for learning about genealogy. Genealogy is an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms. For next time, Rahul hopes that you can learn more about your ancestry in 2013. Because at the end of a long day, it is best to remember what you learned. The more you learn, the more knowledge you gain. True words, indeed!

Long live the Gutterball!

Well, Rahulio was at the bowling alley on a Saturday night. What!? RSG does not bowl that often, but his buddy (the Nittany) wanted to kill some time. Big Daddy and the Sparta were quite interested in the sport too. All of us drove to the lanes. The Nittany won most of the games, while Sparta and Big Daddy duked it out for second place during the contests. Rahul chilled with his friends, and he kept watching the music videos on the projector screens. At 10:00 pm, the music came on and the lanes had additional lights for "cosmic bowling experience." The DJ played rap music exclusively, but there was some additional rock or country tunes. On another topic, one of the highlights of the night was "the gutterball." The Sparta threw a record 14 gutterballs. He was in rare form. Another highlight of the night was the many tattoos on the beautiful women in the next lane. The woman would have looked prettier without their skins, pieces, or sleeves (names for tattoo art). The final highlight is RSG's good memory on display. He remembered Mike Posner's songs, and RSG is now known for having a "good hard drive." Remember that a good hard drive is the equivalent of good memory. In closing, it was a great time at the bowling alley. It was an exciting way to spend a Saturday night in December 2012. Hope this final month of 2012 is not replete with drama (from work, relationships, or other situations), and with happiness instead.

Finding bars about "007" in The Cosmopolitan Hotel (Las Vegas, NV)

Well, RSG spent Thanksgiving 2012 in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is the Meadows in Spanish. Also, RSG went to nine different hotels, three different nightclubs, and 3 major artifacts. The nine different hotels were the Venetian, The Paris Las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan Hotel, The Aria hotel, the Vdara hotel, Caesar's Palace, the Palazzo, the Tropicana, and the Bellagio. The three major artifacts were the top of the Eiffel Tower, the Mob Attraction experience museum, and the Madame Tussaud's wax museum (in the Venetian). The three nightclubs that Rahulio frequented were Pure (in Caesar's Palace), Lavo Lounge (in Palazzo), and Tao (in the Venetian). When RSG strolled into the Cosmopolitan Hotel, he could not help but notice bars with names such as "Bond", "Vesper", "Chandelier", and "Queue." The Vesper is the original drink that James Bond has in Casino Royale, the first novel by Ian Fleming. The bartender at the bar asked me "hey, rahul, do you want to try the vesper?" Unfortunately, it was too strong of a drink whether it's shaken (not stirred). Bond Bar has Bond girls in it, and it's replete with LED lights. Tres chic! Furthermore, The "Chandelier" has about 5 different bars in it. There is a great "chandelier" scene in "Die Another Day." Finally, the queue bar is for the word "queue", but the bartender was mentioning it had to with "Bond." Yet, he was wrong as the bar is by the waiting area for the Marquee lounge nightclub (the premiere nightclub and one of the most expensive in Las Vegas). In closing, Sin City was fun (but it's not going to be done alone by RSG again). Doing vegas solo is something that can be done (only if you know how to be frugal). Being frugal was not part of the RSG equation this past weekend. KB (Keep Banging)!

Enjoying "SkyFall" and Fifty Years of James Bond!

"Skyfall" was released on October 26, 2012 to much fanfare in the United Kingdom (& other countries - Singapore, India, Russia, etc.). Within the first 2 weekends of its worldwide release, the movie made close to $100 million. With the movie's release in the United States on 11-9-2012, the movie is close to passing $600 million worldwide. In the U.S. alone, the movie grossed $88 million in its first weekend. In addition to starring Daniel Craig as "James Bond", the movie has other actors like Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Albert Finney and Javier Bardem. Bardem plays the villian that was a former MI6 agent, but he betrays "M" and the rest of the British intelligence agency. The Bond girls are Naomie Harris (Eve "Moneypenny") and Bernice Marlohe ("Severine"). The movie is set in Istanbul (Turkey), London, (England), Macau, and other famous cities. For RSG, seeing "Skyfall" made him realize that it was the best Bond movie of Daniel's Craig three tries as "007." Academy Award Winning Director, Sam Mendes, was the man behind the camera for this epic film. Daniel Craig is signed on for two more movies. This information means he will be back for the 24th & 25th Bond films. Finally, this year is the 50th anniversary of Ian Fleming's creation. The first Bond Movie, "Dr. No", was released in 1962 starring Sean Connery as "007." Long Live Sean Connery, and Roger Moore (the favorite bond in RSG's eyes)!

Checking out movie studios (Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox Studios, and Universal Studios)!

Today, Rahulio went to the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA. It was great to see the "Harry Potter" equipment and props in the museum at the Warner Bros. Studios. In my lifetime, RSG has been to three major movie studios (Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox Studios, and Warner Brothers Studios). 20th Century Fox Studios does not do a tour of the studios, unlike the other studios. I went to 20th Century Fox Studios to be a part of the audience in a NFL show on Fox Sports Net. It was great, and this event was in 2002. Today, the tour guide (Bob) at Warner Bros. Studios was hilarious and he got the crowd into the tour. It was a VIP studio tour. It was really fun. On another note, I went to Universal Studios in 1999, and another time during my childhood. Universal Studios tour included the back lot tour, which is pretty cool. All in all, I think Warner Bros. studios tour was the best. Enjoy the picture from today's tour. This picture is from the Central Perk set of the TV show, "Friends."

Seeing "Seinfeld" & "Beautiful Creatures"

Well, RSG saw "Jerry Seinfeld" in a comedy show at the Comerica Theatre (in Phoenix) on 9-22-2012. It was a very funny show. Chuck Martin opened up the show by doing a 15 minute comedy routine. After his hilarious routine, Jerry S. did his 70 minute monologue (funny, yet brief). When Jerry finished, he thought of doing a 10 minute Q & A session in addition to his comedy routine. Seeing both acts in club seating (2nd level, practically middle level of theatre) was a great experience. Jerry talked about the TV show, "Seinfeld", and his fellow cast mates (Wayne Knight, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards). Seeing Jerry and Chuck was a great night. Next, RSG saw "Beautiful Creatures" at a Private Screening movie event in Tempe on 10-2-2012. Seeing this movie at Tempe Marketplace Harkins Theaters was great, because the movie comes out domestically on 2-13-2013. Essentially, R.S. saw the movie four months before anyone else. Woohoo! The movie has a great cast thanks to the following actors/actresses: Jeremy Irons, Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Emmy Rossum, Emma Thompson, and Viola Davis. It's a scary good movie, with some romance too. Overall, it was a 7.3 out of 10 stars in my movie critic world. Hope tons of people see it in February 2013! This month, there are more good movies to see. R.S. needs to see "Argo", "Seven Psychopaths", etc. Next month brings the return of James Bond in "Skyfall." This movie should be a big hit for Daniel Craig. The picture for this post is from "Beautiful Creatures." It shows all the cast members and their respective characters also.

Being exposed to six languages!

Well, RSG has been exposed to six languages in his life. Here are all six: Hindi, Marathi, English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. He took four years of french in high school. He spoke three years of chinese, while living in Taiwan. He has spoken Marathi and Hindi for 30 years (on & off). He took 1 year of spanish in college. Yet, RSG speaks English fluently. Here is his attempt at French: Merci mes amis pour vos souhaits d'anniversaire. C'est la vie de rahulio ganpuleone. Je t'aime. J'ai trente six ans aujourd'hui. Au Revoir, mes amis! :) C'est Le francais, le langage de l'amour. :) Enjoy the map of France too!

What affiliation do you have to Italy?

Well, RSG was asked "what affiliation do you have to Italy?" on this past Monday night. The reason for this question is my name on Facebook appears as "Rahulio Ganpuleone." It is an Italian name which I devised. Rahulio is a name given to me by a family friend, during my formidable college years. Ganpuleone is similar to the "great Corleone mob family." Ganpuleone is a fictional name, and Corleone is a Sicilian fictional mob family. Corleone comes from "The Godfather", an epic Hollywood trilogy. Going back to Rahulio Ganpuleone, it is a name which I debuted on Facebook in August 2010. People call me with this name, and I respond frequently. Last night, I introduced myself but a family member immediately said "where's your pseudo name?". This pseudo name is my affiliation to Italy. Italy is a beautiful country known for it's tasty wine, opulent cuisine, and exquisite women. Long Live Italia!

2012 Summer Olympics plus triple digit (100) post!

The 2012 Summer Olympics started on July 28, 2012 in London. The Chinese are the leaders in the medal count with 30 total medals. The U.S. is second in the medal count with a total of 29 medals. These results are as of August 1, 2012. There are another 11 days left in the XXX Olympic Games. The U.S. can still win a good amount of medals in Track & Field, Basketball, and other sports. Michael Phelps won his 19th medal (total) at these Olympic games by winning a gold medal last night. He won two silver medals already during these games. Phelps has 3 more events left to add to his total. In other happenings, this is the 100th post for RSG. It is kind of special. RSG saw most of the movies this summer, which he wanted to see. The last movie was "The Dark Knight Rises." In my mind,this movie was the best of the three movies directed by Christopher Nolan. The movie has eclipsed $300 million worldwide already in 12 days. As for the rest of the Summer games, the U.S. may not win the total medal count. China may win this title in the 2012 Summer Olympics. So far, the Olympics have been thrilling to watch. Hope the excitement continues! Finally, the picture above is of Dana Vollmer. So far, she has won two gold medals in swimming (Women's 100 meters Butterfly and Women's 4 x 200 meters Freestyle Relay). She is beautiful, and a great athlete too!

R. Federer and S. Williams win at Wimbledon; Order Restored!

In today's Men's Wimbledon Final, Roger Federer won his 17th Grand Slam title by defeating Andy Murray. Roger won the match in four grueling sets. Murray won the first set by the score of 6-4. Roger won the next 3 sets (7-5, 6-3, 6-4). Roger played tennis in the fortnight like "the Vintage Roger" from his days of dominance (2006, 2007, & 2009). All RSG can say is "Way to go, Swiss Maestro!" Long Live, The Federer Express. As for the Ladies Wimbledon Final, Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam tournament in two years. She collected her 14th Grand Slam title in the fortnight. The new No. 1 in Women's Tennis is Victoria Azarenka. She was #1 back in early June, until Maria Sharapova took over the #1 ranking for four weeks. Maria is #3 now, and RSG hopes she can come back to win another big tournament this year. Serena beat Agnieszka Radwanska in the final in three sets (6-1, 5-7, 6-2). The underlying question in this weblog post is "Was order restored in the tennis world (in both Men's and Women's) with the huge victories by Roger and Serena?" At this point, the answer is a resounding "Yes." Roger was resilient, as was Serena. RSG bids adieu to the 2012 Wimbledon tournament. :)

Great events in Tennis, and Hollywood Marriage!

On June 9, 2012, History in Women's Tennis was made. Maria Sharapova became the 10th woman to win the Career Grand Slam. Maria won the 2012 French Open Final over Sara Errani. Maria won in 2 sets by the score of 6-3, 6-2. Maria had five breaks of serve to Sara's two breaks of serve. Maria won the first four games of the first set, and she served out the set at 6-3. In the second set, Maria broke Sara three more times and it was the difference maker. Maria served out the match when she lead 5-2. The final game was extended to more than one deuce, as Errani hit a couple of drop shots which irritated Maria. In the end, Maria hit an ace and Errani hit a drop shot into the net on match point. Maria won $1.56 million as prize money for being the 2012 French Open champion. Sharapova is the new No. 1, and Errani moves into the top 10 with her appearance in the French Open final. In other news, Matthew McConaughey married Camila Alves in Austin, TX on June 9, 2012. After being together for the past 6 years, the happy couple tied the knot. It was a small ceremony, and it was a bit of a surprise for some guests. Matt and Camila have 2 kids together, and let's hope they spend the rest of their lives together in marital bliss. Congrats to Matt, and a huge congrats to Maria Sharapova also. Both events made RSG happy!

Roger F. receives suit from Agent J. (Will Smith)

Roger Federer won the men's final in Madrid today. Besides getting a Ion Tiriac trophy, Roger received a suit from Will Smith (the exciting Hollywood actor). The suit is from the upcoming movie, "Men In Black 3." The movie comes out in the U.S. on May 25, and it stars Will Smith as Agent J. It must be cool to get a suit, and a trophy after beating Tomas Berdych in three exhilarating sets. Will Smith is in a movie, after a three year hiatus. RSG saw Will in "Seven Pounds" in December 2008, in his last major Hollywood role. Hope the new movie is a big hit at the summer 2012 box office. Roger F. and Agent J. look sharp together!

Seeing The Tallest Structures In The World

RSG has been to the top of the Empire State Building, Willis Tower, CN Tower, and the Space Needle. But, he hopes to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa, and the Tokyo Sky Tree. The Tokyo Sky Tree is going to be the "World's No. 2 tallest free standing structure", when it opens in May 2012. This structure will stand at 634 meters (2,080 feet) with special technology to handle earthquakes. It has a restaurant and two cafes on the observation decks, a vertigo-inducing glass floor that allows visitors to look straight down, and an emergency staircase with 2,523 steps. The needle-like radio and television tower opens to the public on May 22, 2012. The city of Tokyo hopes it will also become a new tourist destination in Tokyo. The structure was designed to handle an earthquake, with the magnitude of a 7 on the Richter scale. There are other buildings, which RSG has been to the top of. One World Trade Center is another building, which he would like to go to the top of. This building will rise to 1,776 feet in the middle of 2012. It will have a spire on top of it, which will make it the tallest building in the US. It is being constructed in the same area, as the original Twin Towers. More than 12 years ago, RSG went into the basement and ground level of the Twin Towers. One day, it would be great to go to the top of the One World Trade Center. Dreams can happen!

Seeing King Rafa and The Swiss Maestro!

On St. Patrick's Day 2012, RSG saw Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battle it out. It was a great Men's Semifinal Match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA. The first semifinal's match was Novak Djokovic losing to John Isner. Isner pulled off the upset in a 3rd set tiebreaker.

But, the highlight of the day was watching Roger F. beat Rafael N. Nadal had his supporters at the tournament, but it appeared that Roger had more supporters.
There was a three and a half hour rain delay between both semifinal matches.
It was out of RSG's control. The weather was f***** cold in Indian Wells.

Nonetheless, it was spectacular to see Roger and Rafael play each other.
It was an unforgettable day, and I hope to see these two great players duel it out
again someday. Long Live Roger F. and Rafael N. !

"The Artist" and "Hugo" win five awards each?

The 2012 Academy Awards were tonight. "The Artist" and "Hugo" won five awards each.
It was surprising to see both movies tied for the most awards. It was great to see
Christopher Plummer win for Best Supporting Actor for "Beginners." Kudos to Octavia Spencer for winning the Best Supporting Actress for "The Help."

But, there were people that were robbed of awards. Two people were George Clooney and Viola Davis. Jean Dujardin beat George in the Best Actor category for "The Artist." Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award for "The Iron Lady", by beating Viola Davis in the Best Actress Category.

The Artist won for Best Picture, and Michel H. won for Best Director (for "The Artist")
also. It was good to see "The Descendants" and "Midnight in Paris" win one award each. But, "The Descendants" deserved to win another award. That's all RSG has to say for tonight. Billy Crystal was marvelous as usual. Way to Go, Billy!

Seeing Will.i.am Up Close!

Last night, RSG saw Will.i.am at the Bird's Nest Tent in Scottsdale. It was great to see William James Adams,Jr.(aka Will.i.am) mixing some great songs. His beats were raw, and my friends wanted to see him up close & personal. His show was part of the Coors Light Bird's Nest entertainment tent, across the street from the TPC Scottsdale (site of Waste Management Open). Many people were crowded in a gigantic tent, as Will.i.am came on to mix some phat beats.

Will.i.am performed (did his DJ set) for 100 or 105 minutes. There were four beautiful dancers dancing on the stage, while Will.i.am was mixing songs from current hits and old school tunes too. RSG got about two handfuls of pictures, and some of them were as close as it gets. RSG had not seen a concert (or DJ set) that up close, since his college days. But, the ticket for Will.i.am was steep. Parking was ridiculous also.

All in all, it was a good concert experience. RSG saw some nice females there, and it was cool to dance with some of them. Peace!

Handing out Movie Awards (Pre-Golden Globes, Pre-Academy Awards, etc.)

It's that time of the year in which the Golden Globes and Academy Awards are approaching quickly. The Golden Globes are on January 15, 2012. This year, "The Artist" is leading all nominations with six golden globe nominations. "The Descendants" has five nominations, and I saw it last month. It is a great movie. Also, the Producers Guilds Awards, Screen Actors Guilds Awards, and Art Directors Guild will have their awards shows. This is all leading up to the Academy Awards in late February (February 26, 2012 to be precise).

Furthermore, "The Artist" and "The Descendants" look like clear frontrunners. But, other movies like "The Help" and "My Week With Marilyn" could get some nominations as well when the Academy Awards nominations are announced. Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 24, 2012. This time of the year is very exciting for RSG. Hope this awards season is another great one!