Learning more about Alan Turing, computer science pioneer and the father of AI

After seeing “The Imitation Game” movie, it made me realize that Alan Turing was a prodigal human being. The movie is based on a true story, about Alan Turing and his cryptography work during World War II. Alan received his PhD from Princeton University in 1938. Turing is touted as a computer science pioneer, and the father of AI (artificial intelligence). During World War II, Alan Turing worked on cracking the code in the German Enigma machine. This project started in 1939 for Alan, and his team of codebreakers. In the movie, Alan and his team struggle to crack Germany’s aerial assault on England. Yet, Alan and his team persevere to crack the code at Bletchley Park in later stages of the war. In 1945, World War II ended with the Allies securing victory in Europe and Asia. After the war, Turing engaged in acts of homosexuality. The homosexuality behavior was not tolerated in England, and this sensitive topic is discussed in the movie. Nine years after World War II ended, Alan Turing died. He committed suicide via cyanide poisoning. Turing showed signs of genius behavior, in his younger days. If you have not seen "the Imitation game", then you are missing out on learning about one of the most enigmatic minds. Enjoy the picture above of Benedict Cumberbatch, a renowned actor well suited for the role of Turing.

"Spectre", and other Bond facts

Yesterday, many bond fans including RSG awaited announcements regarding “Bond 24.” In London, the movie announcements were made by Sam Mendes and the Broccoli family. Sam Mendes will be behind the director’s chair again. Yet, some new faces will be there like: 1. Christoph Waltz, 2. Monica Bellucci, and 3. Lea Seydoux. First, Christoph Waltz is a cosmopolitan actor that hails from Austria. He is a two time Academy Award Winner, and he will be the villain in the next Bond film. He will play a character quite similar to “Blofeld”, the old Bond villain from Dr. No. Recently, Christoph Waltz received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was in “Horrible Bosses 2” also. Second, Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux will be the Bond girls. Monica Bellucci wowed crowds in the final Matrix movie, The Matrix Revolutions (2003). Bellucci will play Lucia Sciarra. Lea Seydoux was in “Inglorious Basterds (2009)," a Quentin Tarantino directed movie. Her role will be Madeleine Swann. Hence, the next Bond movie titled “Spectre” will be in theaters on November 6, 2015. Daniel Craig will play James Bond for the fourth time. It will be hard for this Bond film to surpass “Skyfall”, the last Bond movie in 2012, at the box office. Skyfall made over $1 billion worldwide. RSG can’t wait another 11 months, but patience will have to take over. Enjoy the poster for the new Bond movie above.

Comedic Tales of Professor Primo and Rahulio Greenleaf

In present day Monrovia, CA; there is an cognitive psychology professor named Primo. He has been teaching cognition and memory 101 for the past three years, at a nearby university. His students are fascinated, by how he uses his hilarious friends in his presentations. One interesting presentation involved the great Rahulio Greenleaf. Mr. Greenleaf is a witty fellow, that tries to get involved with many ladies. The key word is try, as Rahulio strikes out often with the females. One day, Primo starts the presentation with a picture of Rahulio. Primo says "my students, here is a picture of Mr. Greenleaf. Mr. Greenleaf is the coquettish type, especially with those young seductive ladies (YSL) in Los Angeles." Mr. Greenleaf is known for his prolific memory, as he remembers many facts about famous females. But, Mr. Greenleaf tries to be funny about his memory by often saying "remembering when I was involved with that famous broad, Amy A." Yet, towards the end of the professor's presentation, a students asks "why have you chosen to speak about Mr. Greenleaf?" Professor Primo responds with "he is the person, which you want to look up to. Mr. Greenleaf tries to be a casanova, and he is cognizant of all females sexual desires." Towards the end of the class, another student asks "what makes Mr. Greenleaf so desirable to the ladies?" Professor Primo responds with "it is his charm, and cool demeanor that the ladies are comfortable around." In closing, a beautiful female named Jesse got up at the end of class to say "ladies beware of Rahulio." Many people nodded their head, with Jesse, in accord.

Watching "Interstellar" with covert Damon, and top notch McConaughey

Two nights ago, RSG saw "Interstellar" with Primo. RSG and Primo thought the movie was spectacular. The movie is directed by Christopher Nolan, and every minute is stimulating for the brain. The cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine. As for Matt Damon's covert role, he appears as Dr. Mann. The doctor emerges from hypersleep in his lab, on the icy planet in Damon's first scene. At one point, Dr. Mann becomes a sort of villain to Matthew McConaughey's "Cooper" character. Nonetheless, Damon does a nice job of portraying an eccentric character in various scenes. Speaking of the cast, Casey Affleck and John Lithgow and Wes Bentley have important small roles in the movie too. In terms of possible Oscar buzz, Christopher Nolan should get a best director nomination. Jessica Chastain should get a best supporting actress nomination also. Hopefully, the movie will win some accolades during the 2015 awards season. Even though RSG saw the flick in regular format, the 169 min. movie is best seen in IMAX format. Luckily, the movie is not in 3d in theaters. Finally, enjoy the picture of four important people on the recent Hollywood Reporter cover.

Review: new u2 album "Songs of Innocence", and Calvin Harris' new album

Recently, U2 released their new album "Songs of Innocence" via Itunes download. But, RSG had to buy the cd due to no Itunes account. The quartet from Ireland has produced another great album, as ten of the eleven tracks are spectacular. The album has great ballads, like "Every Breaking Wave" and "The Miracle of Joey Ramone." Also, the song "Iris (Hold Me Close)" sounds like another version of "Ultraviolet"; another popular U2 track from the "Achtung Baby" album. Ryan Tedder produced a handful of the tracks, and he is the lead singer of "One Republic." U2's latest album is better than "no line on the horizon", the group's last album released in 2009. In addition to u2's new album, RSG is looking forward to some new tracks from Calvin Harris. This EDM DJ is one of the best DJ's in the world. His new album titled "Motion" will be released November 2014. Three of the best songs on the album are: 1. Summer, 2. Blame, and 3. Under Control. "Summer" was released in the summer 2014, while "Blame" is Calvin's latest song hitting radio stations across the U.S. Wonder if Calvin's new album will have success similar to his last album, "18 Months." That album had produced more than five hit singles for the UK DJ. Finally, if you want to see Calvin Harris perform, you will pay $75 or more per ticket. The DJ is a regular performer in Las Vegas, London, and other U.K. venues.

HP, and Symantec to split up

In recent news, HP will be splitting up into two different entities. One company will focus on the computer and printer operations unit, and it will be HP Inc. The other company, HP Enterprise, will focus on software and cloud based computing services. The main question is which company will be the more prosperous? The split initiated by CEO, Meg Whitman, should have happened in 2011 (or earlier). In addition to HP's recent split, Symantec will do the same by splitting up into two companies. The two public traded companies will be: 1. Cybersecurity software, and 2. Storage and backup. Cisco Systems and NetApp may show interest in buying the two surviving Symantec corporations. Since 2012, the company has fired two CEOs. Poor financial performance, and other management mishaps have led to the terminations. Finally, EBay is going to split off Paypal. EBay and Paypal will be two companies operating, in two different industries. One for online auctions, and the other company will focus on online money transfers. In 2014, there have been more than 60 spin-offs announced. Which major corporation could be the next to spin-off? Microsoft does come to mind. For now, hope Meg Whitman and HP are successful in their spinoff.

Fall TV shows for Rickie Greenleaf to watch!

Today was the first official day of Fall. For Rickie Greenleaf (new alias of RSG), it means watching new TV shows. Tonight, "Gotham" premiered on Fox. The one hour drama stars Ben McKenzie, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Donal Logue. McKenzie plays a young comm. James Gordon, while Jada Pinkett Smith plays villainous "Fish" Mooney. Donal Logue plays Det. Harvey Bullock, a possibly enemy to future Comm. Gordon. Meanwhile, two other prominent stars of the show, are Erin Richards and Sean Pertwee. Erin Richards plays Barbara Kean, the love interest of pre-Comm. Gordon. The story starts with the killing of young Bruce Wayne's parents. Bruce Wayne becomes "Batman" in another lifetime. When Bruce's parents are murdered, Alfred (Sean Pertwee) takes sole custody of the young man. The rest of the show tries to fit pieces together, of the real murderer of Bruce's parents. As for the first episode, it was gripping. Hope the next episode is another edge of your seat thriller. Tomorrow night, RG will watch "Agents of Shield" on ABC. Hope the second season is more stimulating, than last year's "hit or miss" inception. Enjoy the picture above, of the cast of "Gotham."

Implementing advice from a cog. psych. doctorate

Today, RSG sought advice from a friend on "how to cope with different personalities" in the office. In life, there have been people that have put me in difficult situations. In my current dilemma in the abnormal work environment, there is a person that is pushing me to the limit. He is the adversary, or someone who is pushing my buttons tremendously. Unfortunately, my way of coping with him is not working. So, my friend, primo, is the person who RSG has sought out for help. Primo's advice is for me to: 1. stay calm, positive and for me to be "the doer." 2. Talk to this adversary, about the problem of fear. Try to come to a meeting point, where both parties are working together to solve the problem. In my predicament, there has to be different strategies for me to try. As there are many different personality types, RSG is looking at all options. Some good sites on the internet appear to be: www.personalitypage.com, www.mentalhealthamerica.net, and www.humanmetrics.com. When people look at my personality, hope they see me as a "ESFJ." ESFJ is (Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judgment). The title was given to me in 2006, while RSG took a pseudo Myers Briggs test. This personality trait is for people that see problems clearly and work hard. This person has a lot of zeal for life, and for accomplishing a great deal. ESFJs, as do most SJs, bear strong allegiance to rights of seniority. Here are some cool people, that were the same personality. Go to http://www.celebritytypes.com/esfj.php to see the list. RSG is not in accord, with all of these people. Some of them like Hugh Jackman, are in my world though. :) Hope you like the picture above, as it is an ESFJ.

Seeing "John Legend" in concert

Two days ago, John Legend was at the Comerica Theatre in downtown Phoenix. It was great to see him perform. John is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, and he performed twenty songs. Most of his songs were from his past albums, except one Michael Jackson track. John was on stage for 105 minutes, and seeing him from the thirteenth row was incredible. John has four major albums, over the past eleven years. He has appeared on the original soundtrack for movies, like "Django Unchained" and "Think Like A Man." He is married to Chrissy Teigen, a beautiful model. Overall, John was very entertaining due to his great voice and humor. Mr. Legend has collaborated with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Ludacris, Lauryn Hill; and other artists. The crowd was singing with John, on many tracks. The crowd was replete with beautiful women and people of all color. :)

Remembering Robin Williams the RSG way!

A few days ago, Robin Williams passed away. The talented comedian/actor committed suicide. He was a an Academy Award winner for "Good Will Hunting" in 1998. He was in many tv shows like "Mork and Mindy", and an endless amount of movies. One of his final movies was "Lee Daniels The Butler", in which Robin played President Dwight Eisenhower. His latest tv show, "The Crazy Ones", was canceled after one season. Overall, the world is remembering him in many ways. Robin battled depression, alcoholism, and Parkinson's disease. He was married three times, and he died in Tiburon, CA. One of my favorite movies of Robin was "Dead Poet's Society." He was funny in "Mrs. Doubtfire" as well. At this time, may Robin rest in peace. His picture is one of him talking with his hands, which he did so well.

Finishing Joanne Kathleen Rowling's first novel. What a fun read!

Well, RSG saw all seven of the Harry Potter movies. His nephew, Ravi, has all seven of the Harry Potter books. Tonight, Rahulio finished reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", written by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling is known as Joanne Kathleen Rowling, and this book was her first novel on Harry Potter. She wrote six more books about the magical boy wizard. In addition, all seven of her books were turned into eight colorful movies. Each movie was a hit for Warner Bros. Studios. The movie's main stars were Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter). Yesterday, Daniel Radcliffe turned 25. The first Harry Potter movie came out in 2001, when Daniel was 12 years old. The movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" took the movie making world by storm. Seven more movies were made over the next ten years, with the final movie being released in 2011. Finally, there are more Harry Potter novels for me to read. If all seven are read by myself one day, it would be a fun goal accomplished. Reading is fun, and it opens my mind to many visuals of interesting people. Read because you want to enjoy a story, not because it's a mandatory action to be completed.

Wimbledon 2014 recap: Kvitova and Djokovic increase their trophy cases

The most prestigious tennis tournament is over. Today, Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the men's final at Wimbledon. The match lasted close to 4 hours, and it was a tight five setter. Roger Federer was outlasted by Novak Djokovic. Novak was serving for the match in the fourth set, but Roger won the final five games of that set. Finally, Roger lost the last game of the match on serve. Novak won his second title, and Roger showed class in the loss. Both players have a good friendship, which is uncanny on the ATP tour. Roger played a great grass court season, by winning in Halle, Germany. He played really well at Wimbledon, by making the finals. "RF" will be back next year to fight for that eighth title in England. As for the women's side, Petra Kvitova won her second wimbledon title. She beat Eugenie Bouchard in the finals, and this fortnight was replete with upsets for the women. Eugenie Bouchard pulled off two major upsets, by beating Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep. Eugenie had made the semifinals, at the French Open and Australian Open in 2014. She is referred to as " 'Genie ", as a nickname. Lastly, The Royal Box had Prince William and his wife Kate, David Beckham and actors Bradley Cooper, Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Hemsworth. Also, Orlando Bloom and other stars were in attendance. Wimbledon brings out the celebrities. :)

Chicago, the windy city and home of new "Star Wars" museum

Chicago is the nation's third most populous city. It has the John Hancock center, and Willis Tower. The latter of the skyscrapers is the second tallest building in the US. In the upcoming years, the city will be the home of the new "Star Wars" museum also. The creator of the sci-fi movies, George Lucas, made the announcement today. It is a major victory for Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel. Even though LucasFilm and Skywalker Sound are based in Marin County, CA; the revered director chose the state of Illinois. For RSG, this museum will be a "must see" for my next visit. For the opening ceremony, the storm troopers might march throughout the city. Or, the original "Star Wars" cast should do the honors of opening the museum. As for the next "Star Wars" movie, Episode VII will be in theaters in December 2015. Let's hope the museum is done before the release date.

Allez Maria! Sharapova wins second French Open title

Maria Sharapova won her second French Open title yesterday. She won her fifth title at a major tennis tournament. It was the hardest grand slam final victory for Maria. She beat Simona Halep in three sets. Maria will move back into the top five in the rankings. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal won his ninth French Open title. He beat Novak Djokovic in four sets. Going back to Sharapova, she is second now in the all-time women's prize money list. Hope Maria can win Australian, Wimbledon, or US Open again. Her next test will be at Wimbledon in two weeks. This grand slam tournament is the most prestigious. Au Revoir from Paris, the city of love. Enjoy the picture of Miss Sharapova, the russian beauty.

drinking red wine, and white wine. Which wine is better?

As some people know, RSG enjoys wine. The wine which he drinks is white wine only, as red wine has too many tannins. While on vacation, most of my cousins drank tons of sangria, moscato, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. Everyone got crunk off of pinot noir, and his cousins asked me "why is it that you don't drink red wine?" It is 10:30 pm, and everyone is wondering "what's next to drink on the agenda?" Yours truly spent the night observing everyone drinking, like there was no tomorrow. For rsg to drink wine, it has to be one of the following wines: 1. Pinot Grigio 2. Pinot Gris 3. Sauvignon Blanc 4. White Zinfandel 5. Chardonnay 6. Riesling 7. Chenin 8. Viognier Moscato is a good wine, but it is better to drink it during dessert. Since this wine is too sweet, it is not consumed by yours truly. Finally, if you can pair a good wine with some great food, you are the "sommelier." In closing, enjoy a good glass of vino. Wine can make one dine, and look really fine. That one is for the lovely ladies to follow! :) :)

coping with Lyme disease

Last night at a Benihana restaurant, a young man was asking me "do you want to eat those shrimp?". After a few minutes, RSG figured that he had enough shrimp, so it would be good to let someone else enjoy the meat. The young frail man started to eat the shrimp, and his father told everyone at the table "my son is having his last meal." Since the sequence of events had sparked my interest, RSG asked the skinny man "why is this meal your last one?" The patient told me "I am in the phoenix area to take care of a health issue." Within thirty seconds, the emaciated young man asked me "you seem interested to know my problem." Next, I stated "only you can divulge the problem you have, and reveal it if you feel comfortable." The young man mentioned "the Mayo Clinic is going to help me, to conquer lyme disease, as it has weakened me tremendously." Immediately, I told the lyme disease patient that he will survive this medical predicament. For the next twenty minutes, the young twenty two year old man described some of his symptoms, and how he is fighting for his life. RSG asked him, "how do you cope with this problem for so many years?" His response was "I have to fight it, or my life ends." Then, we discussed the theory of "fight or flight." The young man was taken aback, by the medical terminology and physiological theories. Towards the end of dinner, he said "the fighter mentality that I have is going to help also." At the end of the night, the young man's zeal to fight was a very motivating tool for everyone to do the right thing. The Mayo Clinic is located in Scottsdale, AZ; and it is one of the most revered medical centers in this country. Finally, the young man has aspirations of being a leading nutrionist someday. He is studying nutritional sciences at Oregon State University. May he accomplish his dream, and help others too.

Why e-mail accounts, and security should change

About twenty hours ago, RSG ended another chapter in his working life. While working his last day at Matrix Medical, a system admin. asked him "are you going to see your e-mail, after you leave?". Why would a system admin. ask me this question? Well, the reason is most people feel the need to go back into their e-mail account; after leaving their last employer. It's a good thing that RSG did not go back into his work e-mail account, as companies keep an old e-mail account for almost seven years. When people leave an employer, it is best to make sure that you leave with all your personal electronic files intact. Taking a flash drive to your work to download appropriate work files, or e-mailing work files to another e-mail account is the right step. In contrast, companies should delete old email archives that are only three to four years old. Companies are protecting themselves from future incrimination, by deleting these e-mail accounts sooner than seven years. It's a preventative measure, which should be followed. If three year old e-mail accounts are deleted in a quicker method, it will help companies to move onto bigger security initiatives.

Federer placing "family first" is right move

When you have won seventeen grand slam titles like Roger Federer has done, one will wonder "what is one of the most important goals of 2014." For Roger, placing his "family first" is one of those aims. This year, Roger's wife, Mirka, is set to deliver their third child. Her due date is supposed to be in spring/summer, and both parents do not know the "exact due date." Also, both people are being private about it with the media. This move is the other right one, for Roger to do. In two recent news articles online, from the Associated Press and ESPN, the "Swiss Maestro" stated that he would miss the French Open and other tournaments this spring/summer. He would miss those tournaments, to be with his wife during that special birth moment. For Roger, he is showing his unselfish demeanor and people should follow that trait. This week, Roger is playing in Monte Carlo for the ATP World Tour tournament. Roger won his 950th match today, and it was a tough win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The match was a three setter, and Federer was two points away from defeat in the second set. Next, he won the tiebreaker in the second set. Finally, he closed out the match with two breaks of serve in the third set with the score of 6-1. In the semis of Monte Carlo, Roger will play Novak Djokovic for their 34th time. Their rivalry is one of the best ones, as their head to head is almost a .500 percentage. Roger has 17 wins, and Novak has 16 wins; in thirty three matches. Hope it's another great match tomorrow for the two legends. The picture above is of Roger & Novak (rivals, as well as good friends).

Money, Power, and Happiness: Three possible secrets to success

About three days ago, RSG saw Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewing Arianna Huffington on CNN. In the interview, Arianna mentioned three secrets of success: 1. Money 2. Power 3. Happiness. In her new book titled "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder"; the highly successful editor in chief of the Huffington Post wants to enthrall the reader with this third perennial element of success, happiness. Seven years ago, Arianna Huffington collapsed in her workplace environment due to lack of sleep and major exhaustion. From this major life threatening predicament, she has a personal experience of being a "workaholic." After seeing this interview, it made me feel that working more than 50 hours a week; and making more than $100,000 a year is not going to define you. The three secrets to success (money, power, and happiness), and how you choose to have a balance of these elements will help you to become a better person. At the end of the day, humans should work eight hours a day and be happy, while doing this strenuous task. At the end of the interview, Sanjay and Arianna mentioned that they were fans of each others work. It was a great way to end the short Q & A session. Since RSG enjoys talking with his hands, it is great to see Arianna doing the same thing. See the picture above for the real woman in action.

providing more to life, by observing actions of other people

Today's post is about observations. At the age of 15, a young rsg was in mumbai, India. He was there for vacation, and to observe the actions of his cousins. On a daily basis, my job was to observe my cousin's actions in his/her college classes. My job was a two fold process. It would be asking him/her simple questions such as "what do you do in class, while your professor asks you about derivatives and integrals in calculus?" Or, "how did marathi class go today?" The other part of the job was figuring out, if I want to be like this erudite personality. Today, people live their daily life by following the path of a certain person. When someone asked me the question "how do you live your life?"; my response was a direct one. One should live their life by observing the actions, which the public around him/herself does. In India, one follows the "janata". But, in real life, we should not follow "the janata." Once you observe the actions of others, one should ask "would my life be better, if I made x amount of money?" or "would it be better if I had x amount of friends?". Following the janata may lead one to follow the path of a "fake" lifestyle. In the US, we follow many celebrities like "the Brad Pitt's, Tom Cruise, and Bradley Cooper." Many people should not follow the "fake" lifestyle, but one that will lead to better success & happiness. In closing, follow the person that you have observed meticulously. This person will lead you to perform the correct dharma. Enjoy the picture of Ravi Varma - Sankaracharya above.

Top five for actors/actresses, and how they rated at Oscars 2014

Well, the Academy Awards were five days ago. Let's play a fun game, of seeing how my favorite actor/actresses did at the star studded show. Here are the actors: 1. Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club" 2. Leonardo DiCaprio did not win an award 3. Matt Damon was not nominated 4. Christian Bale did not win an award 5. James Franco was not nominated Now, the actresses: 1. Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for "Blue Jasmine"; and this award was her second Oscar. 2. Marion Cotillard was not nominated 3. Penelope Cruz was not nominated 4. Anna Kendrick was not nominated 5. Amy Adams did not win an award Why did RSG pick these five actors & actresses? Well,it boils down to a craft that they have mastered. Winning an Academy Award is pretty hard mathematically, and literally. As for Oscars 2014, it was a fun event. Thanks to Ellen and the pizza guy!

Jewels Galore!

At times, RSG likes to discuss jewelry with friends. It is good to know the 4 C's of diamond, and they are: 1. Carat 2. Cut 3. Color 4. Clarity Now, let's discuss some different stones like sapphire, amethyst, and opal. Since we discussed stones, let's go into the big jewelry companies. There is Signet Jewelers, the parent company of Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry. Some people like to buy jewelry from Zales. Three days ago, Signet acquired Zale Corporation in a $1.4 billion deal. The merger will enable Zale to accelerate its performance for current and future customers. People can buy diamonds, a girl's best friend, at online sites too. One new site for people is Etsy, and people should go to "Jewelry on Etsy" to find the latest jewelry. One of the first sites online for buying jewelry is www.bluenile.com. This online jewelry retailer started in 1999, and is based in Seattle. Finally, people can go to Harry Winston salons to buy the upscale jewels. Many celebrities in Hollywood, CA or Miami, FL want to adorn themselves with this jewelry. In closing, make the right choice when you buy the beautiful jewel for that special someone. Hope you like the signet ring engraved Sam Alfano image above. Rings are beautiful pieces of art too.

Latest technology news (Microsoft hires new CEO from within; Google passes Exxon to be No. 2 in market cap.)

Three days ago, Satya Nadella was named as the new CEO at Microsoft. The company is going through major changes, and needs to make a transition into the right direction. Satya is a hyper educated guy, as he has three college degrees. He has been with the company for twenty two years, and the hiring appears to be the right one so far. Also, Bill Gates is not the chairman of Microsoft. He stepped down three days ago. Bill has stepped into the role of Founder and Technology Advisor instead. In other news, Google passed Exxon this week as the No. 2 company in terms of market capitalization. Google is a fifteen year old company, which has its hands in many different businesses. It is great to see this company surpass Exxon. Google's current stock price is more than $1,177. Oh wow! That price is not cheap. Hope you like the picture of Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt. It's a nice picture of the big three "googlers."

Stunners in Land Down Under (Australian Open 2014 recap)

There were two new champions in Australia, as the Australian Open 2014 crowned Li Na and Stanislas Wawrinka as the winners of the women's & men's finals. Li Na won her first Australian Open title, by defeating Dominika Cibulkova in two sets. The latter had upset Maria Sharapova, and Agnieszka Radwanska before losing in the finals. Li Na was a finalist (runner-up) in Melbourne twice, before proving that "the third time is the charm." As for the men's side, Wawrinka beat Djokovic (quarterfinals), Berdych (semifinals), and Rafael Nadal in the finals. It is Wawrinka's first grand slam championship, and Li Na's second grand slam victory. Wawrinka will move up to No. 3 in the rankings, and Li Na is No. 3 in the women's side. These matches were great in Melbourne, and RSG is happy that Roger Federer made it back to the semifinals in Melbourne. Roger made the finals in Brisbane also, so he has raised his level of play to start 2014. Keep it up, RF! Hope you like the picture above, and it is Stanislaw Wawrinka in Indian Wells,CA (at BNP Paribas Open). Thankfully, RSG has seen Stanislas play doubles with Roger Federer in 2011 BNP Paribas Open. Two great swiss players, who can be the new "swiss duo."

Diverse House Party 2014

Last night, G. Ripley attended a fun house party in AZ. The house party was diverse, because there was a person from Vietnamese, french, Indian, American, and Spanish descent. It was a cosmopolitan party, and the hosts were gracious. People watched the New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts game, and ate good food (plus drank some cool alco beverages). After the game ended, people talked and played "catchphrase" game. The party was a great way to start 2014 for me. For 2014, it is about continuing to be diverse in my actions. Next, RSG hopes to make it to a foreign country or new city in the USA. Last year, G. Ripley went to Tampa and New Orleans. Finally, G. Ripley went to the wine country in Temecula Valley, CA to close 2013. Both of those accomplishments made the bucket list. For 2014, G. hopes to make it back to Santa Barbara or Tampa. Hope this year is a great one for all friends! Hope you like the picture of Argentina, and the regions for growing Torrontes wine (white wine from South America). Enjoy the vino!