Keeping New Year's Resolutions!

This year is coming to an end. New Year's Resolutions are the next best thing, which people will make in a few days. But, it is quite hard to attain the New Year's Resolutions. Many people break them within the first day of the new year. This reason is why people don't make New Year's Resolutions too. A friend of mine asked me "what are your new year's resolutions?" My response is "it is better not to make them, as the resolution will be hard to attain." Some basic new year's resolutions are losing weight, or to manage one's finances better. Keeping New Year's resolutions can boil down to willpower. New Year's resolutions are a common tradition globally. For those of you that attain the resolutions, there is a good feeling. The new year is a time to reflect, so people want to attain the resolutions. For those of you that don't attain the resolutions, it is ok. Good luck to everyone! Hope you enjoy the picture above, as it is an image for listing those resolutions.

Which team will beat the Golden State Warriors?

The Golden State Warriors have won fifteen games, and the NBA season is not even one month old. The defending NBA champions look unstoppable. If the Golden State Warriors win on Tuesday night, it will be the best start in NBA season history. Luke Walton is the interim coach for the Warriors, as Steve Kerr has gone through back problems. The Golden State Warriors are the best team in California too, as the Clippers and Lakers have faltered tremendously. Both LA teams are under .500, in winning percentage. As for the rest of the NBA, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers are battling out in the Eastern Conference. Behind Golden State, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks are close behind in victories. The NBA season is not even 20% old, but it's been a good one so far. The Philadelphia 76ers are the only winless team in the NBA, so let's hope they can win some games soon. Some of last year's best teams are under .500, including Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets. Recently, the Houston Rockets franchise fired Kevin McHale, their former coach. In closing, which team will hand the Golden State Warriors with their first loss? The Warriors play the Lakers on Tuesday night. The Lakers have won only two games, in Kobe Bryant's final year of his career. Only time will tell if there is a team, that can beat Golden State. Gotta love this game!

NBA 2015-16 season; which team will win the NBA championship?

The NBA season started about 9 days ago, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorite in Las Vegas. But, the Golden State Warriors won last year. Don't tell Stephen Curry that his team is not the favorite. So far, there are many undefeated teams in the NBA. There are winless teams too, like the LA Lakers. In Kobe Bryant's so called final year in the NBA, when will his team win their first game? Good question, and hope Kobe answers it soon. The Phoenix Suns have won three of their first five games. With the NBA season only 2 weeks old, the favorites are San Antonio and Golden State out west. Houston and OK City Thunder will be tough too, but they need to improve their shot selection to hang with the Spurs and Warriors. Out east, the Cleveland Cavaliers will battle Washington and Miami Heat for the best team. Atlanta could make it back to Eastern conference finals too. Hope it's another fun year. Chris Paul is the picture for this post. Peace!

Funny NBA Impersonations by Brandon Armstrong

Brandon Armstrong is a former NBA basketball player, and he has played professional basketball on four continents. He came into the NBA in 2001, as he played for the New Jersey Nets for three years. Brandon played professional basketball in Poland, Ukraine, and Venezuela too. Brandon has not played professional basketball since 2009, but that's ok for him. Because, he is one of the funniest NBA impersonators. For me, Brandon's funniest impersonations are of Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook. Brandon does these spot on impersonations, that's it is so funny to watch repetitively. Recently, Brandon has done impersonations of Kevin Garnett and Lebron James without any problem. Heck the nba players love him too, as Russell Westbrook was laughing so hard on his twitter account. Since Brandon could not live out his NBA dream, he is imitating the best NBA players. If you have not seen Brandon do his impersonations, then you are missing out on a good laugh or two. If you type in James Harden impersonations in youtube, then you should find Brandon Armstrong at the top. Hope Brandon continues to do more impersonations. Enjoy the picture of Brandon Armstrong doing a Kobe Bryant impersonation. Way to go, BA!

Vin Scully missing postseason due to medical procedure

The LA Dodgers are my favorite baseball team. One of my first baseball games was in Dodgers Stadium, back in mid-1980s. Vin Scully is one of the best broadcasters in sports, and he has been the main commentator for more than sixty years for LA Dodgers games. Unfortunately, he will be missing the postseason due to a recent medical procedure. Vin will be back in 2016, for his 67th final season. Furthermore, it is hard to believe that he has been doing the same job for six decades plus. Vin is from Brooklyn, NY originally. The LA Dodgers host the NY Mets in game 1, of the NL division series tomorrow night. So far, the MLB playoffs have been upset filled. The NY Yankees lost at home in the first wildcard game, to the Houston Astros. The Pittsburgh Pirates lost at home in the NL wildcard game, to the Chicago Cubs. Today, the Texas Rangers beat Toronto in Canada. Finally, the Houston Astros upset the KC Royals tonight. The Astros are looking really good. Hope the LA Dodgers can beat the NY Mets in their series. Go Dodger Blue! Hope you enjoy the picture above, as the LA Dodgers logo is a popular one.

Quantico: a new tv show on ABC, and home of the FBI Academy

Have you been to Quantico, or heard of this small town in Virginia? It is in Prince William County, Virginia. The town is the home of the FBI Academy. The town is bordered by the Potomac River, and Quantico is 37 miles southwest of Washington, DC. During my three years living in Northern Virginia, a drive to Quantico was not high on my list of places to see. On the contrary, it should have been a place for me to see. Next, Quantico is a TV show on ABC. The show has its series premiere on ABC, on September 27. The show is a 60 minute fictional story, about young FBI recruits training at the US Marine Corps base. The show stars Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, as Alex Parrish. Priyanka is a talented Bollywood actress, and she won Miss World pageant in 2000. She has lived in the US, and in India throughout her cosmopolitan life. One of her best Indian movies is "What is your Raashee?"; which is a favorite of mine. Finally, hope "Quantico" tv show does well in its first season. Hope it gets extended to a 2nd season, if the first season's ratings are high. Hope you enjoy the picture of Priyanka Chopra above. She is in the picture, with Kerry Washington (another beautiful actress and the main star of "Scandal" on ABC). Au revoir!

Forget Under Armour and Nike, Adidas is the big winner at US Open 2015

If you are a fan of Roger Federer or Andy Murray, then you did not like the final men's result at the US Open. Andy Murray is sponsored by Under Armour, and Roger Federer is a Nike endorser. Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the men's final, and Novak wears Adidas shoes. Novak won his second US Open title, and he will end the year at #1 in men's rankings. Novak tired out the Swiss Maestro, and Roger converted on four of twenty three break point chances only. As for the ladies final, it was an all Italian one with Flavia Pennetta defeating Roberta Vinci. Flavia beat Simona Halep, the #2 women's seed; and Vinci beat Serena Williams in the semifinals. In the battle of Italian friends, Flavia won the match in two sets with her Adidas Stella McCartney Barricade sneakers. Vinci denied Serena in the semifinals the chance to win the calendar grand slam, in a shocking three set defeat. In Pennetta's second round match, a drone crashed into the seats. Pennetta survived this eccentric ordeal, and won her first US Open title five matches later. As for the footwear battles, Adidas is moving forward in other sports like the NFL. Recently, the German shoe producer signed Aaron Rodgers (the Super Bowl winning QB from Green Bay). DeMarco Murray, Jimmy Graham, and Vonn Miller are Adidas endorsers too. James Harden of the NBA Houston Rockets signed with Adidas, but Adidas has a very small share of NBA shoe market. Hopefully, more NBA stars will join Adidas in upcoming years. As a final thought, hope you enjoy the picture of Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini. Fognini beat Rafael Nadal at US Open in the third round, in a brilliant comeback. Fognini is the fiance of Flavia too. Pennetta announced that she would be retiring at the end of 2015, during her US Open trophy acceptance speech. Great way to end a good career!

Carson and Sanders challenging the front-runners in NH, and Iowa

Today, the US looks at a variety of candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties for Election 2016. On the Republican side, Donald Trump is leading Ben Carson in New Hampshire and Iowa. Trump has captured 29% support, and Carson has 22% support. These two candidates are the only GOP ones to hit double digits, in the NBC News/Marist poll. "The Donald" is being known as a tea party type, or anti-immigrant type. The next Republican presidential primary debate is September 16, at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. In contrast, Bernie Sanders has gained major popularity on the Democratic side. The independent Vermont senator is leading Hillary Clinton by 41%-32%, in the New Hampshire 2016 democratic primary poll. This poll is conducted by NBC News/Marist also. However, Hillary is leading the way over Bernie Sanders by 38%-27% in the Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucus poll. One may wonder how is Bernie Sanders gaining on Hillary in national polls. Finally, Georgia and Florida polls show Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the front-runners in their respective parties. Jeb Bush and the other Republican candidates are not gaining ground on Trump, and the retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Joe Biden has not announced his decision to run in the presidential race, and he is doing well in the democratic polls. Will the current Vice President announce his run for President? That question is a tough one for Joe to answer. In closing, the presidential election is less than fourteen months away. It will be here, before voters of all ages know it. Hope you enjoy the picture above, as some of the candidates faces are familiar ones.

Brazil mired in recession, with the 2016 Olympics less than one year away

Today, many news articles on Brazil is what came to me as great reading material. Brazil is the second largest economy in the western hemisphere, and the country has produced a negative gdp for the past two quarters. The country's currency, Brazilian real, is plummeting. The country's unemployment is rising quickly. Also, the country's president, Dilma Rousseff; has an approval rating of 8%. With all of these debacles happening in the country, how will the 2016 Olympic games be affected? If you are an optimist, then you hope the Olympic games will not endure the recession or further distress. Brazil is associated with BRIC, and it's an emerging market economy. Yet, China and Brazil are going through tough times. So, is the BRIC the right area to invest in? Furthermore, one of the main reasons for Brazil's recession is the major corruption in the country. Petrobras, Brazil's state-run oil company, is going through a major money laundering scandal. Electrobras, a large Brazilian utility company, is going through a major money laundering scandal too. In addition, the people of Brazil are protesting for Rousseff to be impeached. Finally, let's look at this experience from a foreign traveler's viewpoint. Would you want to travel to a country where your life could be in economic jeopardy? As a traveler, you could be exposed to the protests plus a falling currency, etc. In the end, think before you spend. Business travel will decrease to this nation, and other South American countries economies could lose steam. In closing, let's hope the Brazilians can turn the tide before the 2016 olympics start. Hope you enjoy the picture above, of the Brazilian flag. It is a cosmopolitan symbol for the author, and it should remain one of strength and resilience.

Quick trip to Cincinnati, OH for WR$G appearance

Over the past three days, Cincinnati has been my quick getaway trip. There was a tv show called WKRP in Cincinnati, in early 1980s. This trip to Cincinnati, OH to see my cousins is for 'WR$G in Cincinnati' cameo. First, the reunion with Kumthekar, Mehta, and Kulkarni families has been fun and reminiscent. It is great to see three generations of family, from my mother's side. RSG is visiting Cincinnati, after three years. Today, the ATP/WTA Western and Southern Open is my destination. Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic in the men's final. Serena Williams defeated Simona Halep in the women's final. It was great to see both matches. During the women's final, the talented Mr. Rahulio Greenleaf spotted Drake. Drake is a renowned hip-hop musician. Drake is a major supporter of Serena Williams. Getting a picture of 'Drizzy' was the appropriate thing to do. After the matches, Roger Federer was on my radar. The Swiss Maestro came very close to me, and it was great to see the Grand Slam champion. That's all for me to write for this edition of 'WR$G in Cincinnati' chapter. Hope you enjoyed another vignette by RSG. Check out the picture above of Roger!

Google's new reorganization into Alphabet

In the past few days, Google announced that it would reorganize itself under a new parent company. Alphabet is the new parent company, and it serves as a holding company for all of Google's separate businesses. Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt will hold the top leadership positions in Alphabet. Sundar Pichai is the new CEO of Google, and used to be a product chief to Larry Page. Pichai is the head of Gmail, Android, and Google search products currently. As a conglomerate, Alphabet will be the holding company for Nest and Google Glass. Alphabet will let Google continue to innovate, and to pursue projects that may or may not come to fruition. Alphabet will report financial information separately for each of its companies. Financial analysts and investors will understand better how the different pieces of Google operate. Hopefully, the conglomerate will bring some revolutionary products to the tech. society. On the other hand, renaming Google may not have an immediate impact on consumers. Self-driving cars is another product line, that will be under Alphabet. Yet, this product line has not quite taken off. The future for Google remains bright. Android and YouTube are two familiar products, which will be under Alphabet too. Hope you like the picture of Larry, Eric, and Sergey (the brilliant triumvirate) above. What will be the new products under Alphabet? It is yet to be determined, as the future brand of Alphabet will be marketed superbly.

One year away from Rio, Michael Phelps makes the right decision

One year from today, the Summer Olympics will be held in Rio De Janeiro. The Brazilian public is ready to see Michael Phelps compete in his fifth Olympics. Will he win more gold medals? Outside of winning medals, the Maryland based US swimmer made a great decision recently. Michael Phelps is saying no to alcohol, and he wants to be sober throughout his Olympic training and Rio's summer Olympics. For the swimmer with the most gold medals ever, the decision is monumental. Michael Phelps received a DUI in September 2014, in Baltimore. Michael Phelps got a speeding ticket on that same day, which changed his life tremendously. Due to the citations, Phelps entered himself in Alcoholics Anonymous. Finally, he entered himself in a 45 day inpatient treatment facility to get through the debacles. In the end, Phelps will come out on top. Phelps retired after the 2012 London Olympics, but he came back to swim in 2014. He shocked many people and fans that had no idea. Phelps wants to add to his 18 gold medals, and he will do it in Rio. The 2016 summer Olympics run from August 5 to 21, and the global public will watch Phelps shine again. Be Resilient, MP!

If you use an Apple computer, then the top 4 sellers of PC's is a major surprise!

Recently, the Gartner Group released the Top 4 PC sellers in 2nd quarter of 2015. The top 4 PC sellers are: 1. HP 2. Dell 3. Lenovo 4. Apple Lenovo is the top PC seller globally, but the Chinese company is ranked #3 in the U.S. HP and Dell are the top market leaders. If you own an Apple computer, the company is #4. This ranking is one of the highest for the largest market cap. company, in the world. Making the top 4 in the US is a good start, for Apple. But, the company is not resting on its laurels. Don't be surprised if Apple rises from #4, into top 2 in 2016 or later. The company could catch up to its competition. For now, it is good to see HP and Dell as the top 2. Both companies are US ones, and their respective brands have improved steadily. All of these top 4 companies are trying to live up to the gold standard, and rein in top quality also. In closing, Lenovo is not the laptop (desktop, or notebook) computer for me. HP or Dell would suit me fine. Hope those top two continue to be in the top three. Hope you like the picture above, of laptop brands.

The 'Fantastic Beasts' hits theaters in sixteen months!

Well, JK Rowling has done it again with a new Harry Potter spin-off adventure. The movie, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", will hit movie theaters in November 2016. Eddie Redmayne will play Newt Scamander. JK Rowling wrote this book in 2001, and it's neither a prequel nor sequel to the Harry Potter series. Will this movie be a great adventure, like the original Harry Potter movies? Recently, a casting call was announced in the form of an open audition. Warner Brothers film studio held the original one for the Harry Potter movies, so it's only fitting that they hold one for "Fantastic Beasts." The casting call is for young girls, to play Modesty. The girls have to be in the age range of 8 to 12, and will compete for the role on July 18 in London. Besides Eddie Redmayne's Academy Award winning acting will be two fellow thespians, Ezra Miller and Katherine Waterston. Modesty is a young woman that understands people, even though she is haunted. Finally, how will Harry Potter fans like myself welcome this movie? The movie should be another box office hit for Warner Bros. Entertainment, and the story takes place in New York. It will start seven decades, before the original Harry Potter was in school. Newt Scamander is a magizoologist, and this person is one who studies magical creatures. May this magizoologist entertain the public, like no other J.K. Rowling character has done before. Way to go, Joanne K. Rowling!

Lil' Wayne dropping mixtape on Tidal music streaming service, Jay-Z owned venture

As many readers know, Jay-Z is one of my favorite hip-hop artists. Tidal, a Jay-Z owned music streaming service, got some good recognition recently thanks to Lil' Wayne. Lil' Wayne's new album, Free Weezy Album (FWA), was released a few days ago on Tidal. Not only did Lil' Wayne drop the album, but he became a co-owner in Tidal. Tidal has added Lil' Wayne to its roster of talent, as he joins Prince and other eclectic stars. In addition, Tidal app. is giving its users the opportunity to buy concert tickets. Once users download the app., they can use Tidal to buy concert tickets in selected cities. Does this cool feature mean Tidal will compete with Ticketmaster, and Stubhub? Recently, Prince pulled his content (music) from all streaming music services except Tidal. It appears that Prince is being a co-owner in Tidal, like Weezy (aka lil' Wayne). In closing, Tidal is a subscription service for college students at $4.99. For a non-college user, the music streaming service costs $9.99/month. Tidal is competing with Spotify, Google Play Music, and other popular streaming services (Apple, Pandora, Rhapsody, etc.). If you are a fan of Rihanna, then you will be glad to see that the Barbadian singer is on Tidal's roster also. Enjoy the picture above of Rihanna's music video debut, on Tidal. Which music streaming service is the best? That's for the audience to decide.

Finishing my 2nd Harry Potter book! Jeah!!

In the past two years, Harry Potter has entered my life. Yep!! Reading about Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione is a fun part of G. Ripley's literal experience. Finishing my 2nd book about the boy wizard is a good thing. Last year, "Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone" was one of my summer reads. Today, "Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets" is another book finished. Hence, what is the next story after "Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets"? The third novel by J.K. Rowling is titled "Harry Potter and the prisoner of azkaban", but that one will be read later in my life. The magical characters depicted in J.K. Rowling's books are human, with a twist of witches or sorcery added. For example, there is Tom Riddle. Tom is Lord Voldemort, yet Riddle is introduced first as a simple creature. Towards the end of 'chamber of secrets', the character turns into Lord Voldemort. Riddle is not an alias of Voldemort (the evil enemy of Harry Potter), instead Riddle could be an avatar. Furthermore, the reader should realize that seven Harry Potter novels became eight blockbuster box office movies. The final Harry Potter book was turned into two movies, since Hollywood likes to ameliorate the movie going experience. Even though G.Ripley has seen all eight movies, it may be great to read the seven novels too. Time will tell if a couple of more HP novels can be read, by this excessive weblogger. Hope you enjoy the picture above of Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter. Good night from Diagon Alley!

Samsung mocking selfie stick users, and major businesses ban tech. gadget

Back in April, Puerto Penasco was my vacation destination for a weekend getaway. Yet, an eccentric person lured me into a few pictures with them during the trip. This strange individual used a "selfie stick" to take the pictures. Why?? Because the wacky guy wanted to use the latest gadget to look cool. Tech. gadgets can be hazardous, and should be used with caution. No joke here!! Now, let's fast forward to two months later as selfie sticks are banned at Disneyland and Churchill Downs. Disneyland theme park has banned selfie sticks, so attendants cannot take them on rides. Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, banned selfie sticks for this year's "Derby Day" event. A few days ago, Samsung's new ad for its galaxy s6 and s6 edge labeled selfie stick users as "cave people." If one of the world's biggest cellphone makers calls selfie stick users as "cave people," would it prevent you from buying a selfie stick? Hope your answer is a resounding yes. In closing, see the flowchart picture above for why shoppers buy a selfie stick. The flowchart has questions, and the diagram shows some interesting reasons for buying/not buying a selfie stick. Did you know the selfie stick was patented almost ten years ago, in 2005? Time magazine listed the selfie stick, as one of the best inventions of 2014. By the way, a decent selfie stick can cost $15-$100. Let's hope you don't make that $15 mistake. Caveat emptor!!

Using Snapchannels, Snapchat Discover; and other file sharing (messaging) apps.

Ok, Snapchat took over my weblog at the end of May. Now, Snapchat Discover is an file sharing and messaging app. for millennials. The tool lets you send news clips to your friends. The news clips can be from CNN, Discovery Channel; or ESPN. The Los Angeles-based social messaging company is hoping ESPN and CNN; become permanent business partners for using snapchat discover. Furthermore, there is a new update for Discover app. If you are a regular Snapchat user, then you should have a "snapchannel." The snapchannel is located in the middle of the Discover screen. The channel acts, as a way for people to "snap" clips from different news websites. Then, the user can send their newsclips to friends. Finally, CNN and ESPN have the app. on their websites. Users of ESPN mobile and CNN mobile editions, are using it too. All of this traffic to snapchat discover will help the tech. startup, to gain market share. Since "snapchatting" is the in thing to do, maybe using snapchat discover will help you in the friends & information world. Good looking out, R$G.

Drinking vino and brews in Verde Valley, Arizona's green region

Yesterday, Verde Valley was the place to be for me and my coterie. Oak Creek Winery was a fun time, as we enjoyed good Fume Blanc. Red and white wines were consumed, and the weather in Verde Valley was spectacular. Oak Creek had a limited selection of white wine, with Fume Blanc; Chardonnay; and Grenache Blanc being the only three whites. The winery is on Page Springs Road, a street that has four to five wineries surrounding it. If you don't like one winery, then you can try the other one. Page Springs Cellars was the better winery, of the two in Cornville. Next, Oak Creek Brewery and Grill was the restaurant for brews; and good "pub grub." The Pullman Porter was the beer of choice, for me. It was a good, dark beer blended with brown malt; and fine savory hops. Other friends tried the oak creek amber ale, oak creek nut brown ale; or other fine brews made by Oak Creek Brewery. The restaurant is nestled in the popular Tlaquepaque shopping district, of Sedona. There are many renowned art galleries, rug galleries, and shops in the Tlaquepaque enclave. If you haven't tried the wines in Verde Valley, make it a point to check out Arizona's wine country. The oak creek brewery was a good lunch spot, and the environs of Tlaquepaque is a romantic setting too. Arrivederci!!

Do you Snapchat? Snapchatting is "in" thing to do

Today, consumers will take a picture and chat about it; with friends. That's what happened two weeks ago, when Primo showed me the Snapchat app. Primo had snapchat on his Iphone 5s, so he took a picture of me. Then, the picture was sent to the digital world for people to give their comments; or chat about it. Primo told me that the picture (file) does not exist on his smartphone, as the snapchat app. has sent it already. Fast forward to May 28, Snapchat is a two hundred plus employee company. Evan Spiegel, Snapchat CEO; mentioned that the tech. startup will do an IPO in the next 18 months. The company is moving into new office space, in Venice, CA. Venice is in the "silicon beach" area, as the tech. environs in western Los Angeles county go by this moniker. In addition, the LA county and Orange County areas house many tech. companies; so the two counties go by the "digital coast" nickname. Back to Snapchat, the company was courted by Facebook and Google in 2013. Yet, Snapchat declined the acquisition offers. The social media company has a market cap. of $3 billion. Yet, is the company profitable? This question has to be the main one, for shareholders and investors to ponder. The snapchat app. was the fastest growing social app according to GWI (global web index). The best demographics for snapchat users is the 13-25 age group, as teens use the app. frequently. In closing, Snapchatting appears to be the "in" thing to do. R$G will start calling you as "snapchatter"; if you snapchat more than once. Snapchat beat Facebook Messenger, Pinterest, and Instagram in the Global web index study. Hope Snapchat stays around for the next decade, and the company goes public. Kudos to Evan Spiegel, Snapchat co-founder; and his entourage for creating a covert social media application.

Catching U2 on the "Innocence + Experience" Tour

Last night, U2 performed at US Airways Center as part of their "two night" shows in Phoenix. The group played 26 songs, in 135 minutes. The Irish quartet played on three stages: one stage was innocence, one stage was experience, and the final stage was the huge LED screen. The latter stage served as a LED screen; and the band members walked in & out of the stage during songs. Of the 26 tracks, seven of them were from their latest album; "songs of innocence." For myself, seeing U2 at US Airways Center was the second time in my existence. My first time seeing them perform was in Sun Devil Stadium (Tempe), in 1997. The second time around, an opening band was not there. U2 performed an incredible show, with the first 10 songs being the first set. The second set (or part) was thirteen songs, including "The hands that built America"; from "Gangs of New York" movie. U2 sang the great ballad covertly, and only a few people realized it. Finally, the encore part or finale was three classic songs. Bono and The Edge said "good bye"; but the innocence and experience stages had "city of blinding lights" instead. The LED screen showed pictures of Los Angeles, and New York skylines during my favorite song. Phoenix is the third city, on the "I+E" tour. Seeing the concert with my trio of family members was quite memorable. The vibe, and electricity at a u2 show is ineffable. In closing, enjoy the picture above. Three beautiful ladies came on stage, during the "mysterious ways" song. Bono, and Co. know how to entertain people. Cheers!! The set list to the concert is online at http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/u2/2015/us-airways-center-phoenix-az-bc84d92.html

Experimenting with dating, hookup apps.

Have you ever used Tinder, Match.com, or OkCupid before? These websites are on the internet, and the companies are hookup apps. that can be downloaded. If you have an Iphone or Android OS based phone, then you can download Okcupid; Tinder; and other hookup apps. IAC Corp. owns Tinder, Match.com, and OkCupid. The three "social discovery apps" are part of the Match Group, a subsidiary of IAC corp. Next, consumers use these websites to find the right partner in their life. But, Tinder users may not be the right people to look for; or "hook up with." According to GlobalWebIndex, 42% of the users on Tinder are in a relationship already. Yet, these users are searching for another partner. This statistic should lead humans to be more cautious, of their "swiping" habits on Tinder. A vast majority of the 42% of users are men, which are in a relationship. Guess being a player is cool. Not!!! In contrast, one should wonder how many of the users on Tinder; are married women seeking out men. These hookup apps. are questioning the principle of "committed relationships" and marriage. Are married couples really committed, or are they looking for a new love interest? Outside of the three hookup apps. mentioned frequently in this article, other niche relationship services are Hinge; pof.com; coffeemeetsbagel.com; and zoosk.com. OkCupid, Match, and Tinder are the three most popular downloads for dating apps. This statistic is from Apple App, and GooglePlay app stores. In closing, use caution while searching for the right partner on these dating apps. Hope you enjoy the picture above. Did you know that Coffeemeetsbagel (CMB) has more female users on it, than male users? True statistic, and story. Happy Trails!

Space Exploration Companies 101: Introduction, Terms, and Extras

In 2012 and 2013, NASA received funding from President Barack Obama. According to the White House's 2013 budget request, NASA would receive $59 million less than the 2012 figure. NASA would see a cut in planetary science spending, as well. With these various cuts in the government's budget spending happening, the organization may have thought "where is the money going to, and who is the competition stealing the airspace?" These questions bring in the diverse companies competing with NASA, such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Blue Origin. First, Richard Branson wanted Virgin Galactic to take passengers on suborbital flights. The talented musical, airline, and telecom entrepreneur has tried to offer suborbital flights since 2007. Yet, the start date was pushed back an innumerable amount of times. The list of development problems started in 2007, with various crashes during test flights and continued sadly through 2014. Virgin Galactic started TSC (The Spaceship Company), and it is headquartered in Mojave, CA. TSC is building spaceships, that will help Virgin Galactic achieve the dreams of its 700,000 paid customers. Up next is Elon Musk's SpaceX, short for Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. The company is based in Hawthorne, CA. Since 2002, the company has become a major player in Space Transportation Services. SpaceX designs many of its parts in-house, in order to control costs and quality. This process has helped the firm, to offer one of the lowest launch prices in the industry. SpaceX has signed many contracts with NASA, and other private sector companies for its space launch services. Last but not least is Blue Origin, another privately funded aerospace manufacturer. The company was started by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com. Blue Origin is creating technology for humans, to have low cost, private access to space. The scientific process is done with an affordable cost, and increased reliability as the main principles. The company is based in Kent, WA. The company is focused on sub-orbital spaceflight products, and increasing human safety measures for space tourism. In closing, my goal was to inform you of a diverse set of "space exploration companies." When people think of the final frontier, they should know this subject has not dissolved into thin air. Enjoy the image above of SpaceX helping private companies, to receive satellite funding.

Researching Flipkart, India's premier e-tailer

Remember how you were flipping a cart in a grocery store. Back in the day, flipping a cart was "the in thing" to do. Fast forward three decades, you don't buy goods in a grocery store. Many people shop online, so Amazon.com is their e-tailing destination. Yet in India, Amazon.com is not the premier e-tailer (electronic retail website). The citizens of the subcontinent choose Flipkart instead. Hence, Flipkart is called "the Amazon of India." The company is a huge business to consumers (B2C) marketplace, but the firm is unprofitable. One of the goals of Flipkart is to attain profitability, by 2017. Readers may wonder "is the company a public one, on the Sensex, or another global stock exchange?" Flipkart has filed their IPO in Singapore, and hopes to go public in 2015 on SGX (Singapore Exchange). Flipkart is headquartered in Bengaluru (Bangalore), the Silicon Valley of India. In addition to going public (IPO), the company has a market cap. of $11 billion. The company was started in 2007, by Sachin and Binny Bansal. The company has diverse marketplaces, and the e-commerce firm has modeled Ebay India's various marketplaces. The "marketplace modeling" is not a bad way for Flipkart, to become a more visible company. The company has received accolades, and other various praise from the Indian government. The company has an entrepreneurial spirit, and it should continue to grow by leaps and bounds. In closing, the company should continue to gain traction in one of the world's top 20 economies. The picture above is one of the logos, of Flipkart. Hope you enjoyed this brief company perspective. Au Revoir!

Mixing various concoctions with a twist, avec G. Ripley; et entourage

Today, G. Ripley was mixing different spirits. While at "The Vig lounge" R$G drank the following concoctions: paco blanco ribeiro wine (from Spain), Purple Hooter mixed drink, and Washington Apple shot. Paco Blanco ribeiro wine was a new wine, for me. It is a beautiful blended white wine, and the vino tastes very similar to sauvignon blanc (or pinot grigio). The ribeiro was a crisp, clear cut wine. Second, the "Purple Hooter" drink had Vodka and Chambord liquer. This spirit can be made into a shot, or a drink. The drink is going to have more alcohol, and it can take "more time" to consume. More time to consuming a twisted concoction is a good thing. The final drink, Washington apple, can be made into a shot only. Washington apple has dekrupper schnapps, and whiskey as the main alcoholic ingredients. The present "peter smith-kingsley" ordered the Washington apple, for the table. Finally, the table had some nice female vixens. One was the local "meredith w.", and she was a beautiful brunette. The other "femme fatale" was a current "marge r." She was a prankster of sorts, too. So, the night was full of vignettes to divulge. In closing, all the recent characters are prevalent in Patricia Highsmith novels. She was the author of "the Talented Mr. Ripley," and the Ripliad. The author recommends each friend, and family member to read these five riveting books. Each book mentions Tom Ripley, as a good person and a cunning villain. The picture above showcases the ribeiro wine, and purple hooter drink; plus two refreshing beers. Arrivederci!

Exciting adventures in Puerto Penasco, Mexico

Visiting Mexico and spending time on the beautiful beaches can be crossed, off my "country list." Last weekend, Puerto Penasco was my party destination of choice. It is 212 miles from Phoenix (Tempe) to Rocky Point. Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point in English, is called as "Arizona's closest beach." The Pacific Ocean is the body of water, and Rocky Point is in the state of Sonora. After reaching the condo resort, activities such as "shot crawl" and "bar hopping" were the main events. The "bar hopping" involved the citron restaurant bar, and the "sand pool bar." The "pool bar" turned into a dance floor, after 9 pm. A plethora of pretty women, and men danced the night away. A good amount of bumping and grinding (B&G), plus seduction ensued in the friendly confines. Many people had "fireball" shots, or consumed "mind erasers" and "hurricane" drinks. These mixed drinks were made by Hollywood G., and his mixologists. On the second night, the lovely ladies were luring me to "The Reef." This nightclub/bar is on the Pacific Ocean. The main cover band was playing top 40 hits, and pop/rock songs from past decades (80's, 90's, 2000s', etc.). Dancing at this nightclub was the best activity for me, and it was good to buy drinks for trusted friends too. Purple Hooter, and Bombay Sapphire Tonic were the drinks of choice for "ladies and R$G." After buying drinks for ladies, they paid me back with romantic kisses. The "kiss exchange" was in full effect. The final enticing activity was getting delicious tacos at an authentic taco shop, Capone's. Lastly, Sunday was a day for doing shopping in old town Rocky Point. It was cool to buy souvenirs of NFL teams, or NBA teams for a good bargain. The seafood, and other fine meats were cooked properly in restaurants. Everyone enjoyed the Spanish cuisine. There were some great memories of this past weekend, for G. Ripley. Someday in the near future, Rocky Point will be a place for me to take more friends to see. The picture above is from my condo room, and it was one of many photos that I snapped. Adios Amigos!

Different TLD's, web browsers, etc. lead to new web terminology for R$G

Registering a domain name used to be expensive, but people's web addresses can be registered without knowing it. For example, try going to rsganpuleone.blogspot.in or rsganpuleone.blogspot.fr. If you go to each one, then you think that it's an Indian website or a french website. Wrong answer, buddy. Essentially, you are viewing my weblog in english yet at an Indian or French based domain name. Hence, let's go over some web terminology. A top level domain (tld) identifies the most generic part of the domain name, in an Internet address. There are country level TLD's like .za for south africa, or .de for germany. There are generic level TLD's, such as .co, .biz, or .info. The generic level TLD is meant to be used for a purpose, like a specific business (.biz) or Information (.info) only. For me, these top level domains were simplified by using http://www.name.com. Next time you want to go to Switzerland, don't book an airline ticket. Just check out .ch websites, as they may teach you more about Switzerland. The Swiss are viewing G. Ripley, and his every move. For real! Peace!

Making an entrance, and an appearance for three countries

This week, R$G made an appearance at St. Patrick's Day on 3-17-2015. It was a fun night at Casey Moore's with Puneet, Y.U., NP, etc. Towards the end of the night, it was great fun to kiss two beautiful Canadian sisters. Sheila and Carol were trading kisses for alcohol, as Hollywood G. bought them a couple of drinks. By far, one of the best romantic exchanges of my life. Next, it was on to the Brazilian festival in downtown Phoenix on March 21. This festival was overpriced, and the food was ok. The Pressroom venue was small, and the crowd was too large. This South American country's festival will be one, which is not high on my list. On to the next one, like "Jay-Z" says. Finally, today was the 2nd annual Italian festival in Scottsdale. This one was the best one, of the three parties. Brazil, Ireland, and Italy are countries for anyone to visit. Visiting Italy as a youngster was fun. It was the best festival/party, as the food from restaurants was good. The outdoor location was incredible. Rahulio Ganpuleone enjoyed this one the most. Lastly, checking out Italy as an adult is high on my "bucket" list. Arrivederci!

Etsy going public, yet online crafts marketplace is unprofitable

Today, Etsy Inc. announced their IPO plan. In the public filing, Etsy plans to raise $300 million. But, the online crafts marketplace is not a profitable company. Founded in 2005, the Brooklyn, NY based company lost $15 million in 2014. The company has 54 million active members, and the company has to come up with a turnaround strategy fast. For investors, the company would be appealing if it's "in the black." If the company continues to be "in the red" or unprofitable, it will be a tech bubble mainstay. Etsy should not be another Twitter, as the popular microblogging website has yet to churn a profit. On the other hand, Twitter's user base is geared toward a different demographic. Etsy is geared more towards females, and for the millennial (age 18-34) generation. Finally, Etsy has an app. online. The company is requesting more users to download the app., and to buy their products from smartphones. The website is the most “pinned” on Pinterest. Etsy is comparing itself to EBay, since Ebay was the pioneer of the online crafts marketplace world. The last question is whether Etsy will surpass the incredible visits to their website figure, that Ebay has amassed for years. Enjoy the picture above, it is from an MBA case study done on Etsy. When buying crafts and jewelry online, be cautious!

Surviving extremely cold weather in CHIBERIA!

Well, Rahulio is back in Phoenix. He spent the last four days in Chicago. Chicago's cold weather was the worst temperatures on record, for the "Windy City." The city was called "Chiberia", or "Chicago + Siberia" for February 18 and 19. The average high temperature during my stay was 15 degrees Fahrenheit. This trip was my first time at the Allstate Insurance company headquarters. Due to my current role of Software Support Engineer/Application Software Developer in my career, this trip involved "work + pleasure." For pleasure, RSG went to Chicago River and the restaurants/bars by the environs of downtown Chicago. If you see the picture above, it is a picture of Chicago River on the "coldest day of my life." It was great to see the picturesque skyline of the city. Willis Tower, AON center,and John Hancock Center were some of the majestic skyscrapers seen by RSG. Finally, it was great to see my cousins from both sides of the family. It was great to spend time with female friends too, while sipping on Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling wine. Consuming Effen vodka, lemonade, and cranberry juice was another titillating experience too. Reading Wine Spectator magazine was my penultimate highlight, as a coworker gave me three magazines. It was great reading material for the plane ride home.

Should Brian Williams step down permanently from NBC?

At the beginning of this month, Brian Williams was an NBC Nightly News Anchor. He had held this job, for more than a decade. Then, he uttered a couple of fibs. His first made up story was Brian being in a helicopter hit by enemy fire in Iraq, in early 2003. His second made up story involved Brian coming under enemy fire by Hezbollah, while on a trip to Israel. Next, Brian apologized to the public on NBC Nightly News on February 4 for his erroneous stories. He mentioned that he should step down from the Anchor desk, as the NBC network does an internal investigation. The next question is what does Brian Williams gain, by fabricating? From a possible psychiatric point of view, Brian is hiding feelings of unworthiness, and weakness. In the end, should Brian Williams step down from his anchor job permanently at NBC? That question will be answered in the final paragraph. In summary, Brian Williams journalistic credibility is in jeopardy. He has come forward with an apology, but can he be vindicated completely. NBC News could find other lies that Williams has told, and demote him. At this time, the public is in a "wait and see" time frame. The final question could be who would replace Brian Williams. RSG's pick would be Willie Geist. If you don't know Willie, then you don't watch the "Today" show on NBC.

2015 Chinese New Year is "Year of the Sheep"

More than three decades ago, RSG lived in Taiwan. According to the Chinese New Year, he was born during the year of the Dragon. In 2015, the Chinese will celebrate their New Year on February 19. This year is the year of the sheep, per the Chinese zodiac. But, what does the year of the goat mean? Furthermore, the sheep is one that should practice self-care in the workplace. In terms of relationships, the sheep has the traits of sharing their feelings. A person that is a sheep, will be trusted by more people than usual. In 2015, the sheep will be in the money by making sound financial decisions. Lastly, the sheep should stick to their routine to attain topmost health. In the end, it is good to be a sheep in 2015. 2003 was the last year of the sheep. The different animals, or signs in the Chinese zodiac comes back every twelve years. In the cities of Washington DC, NY, SF, and LA; there will be huge parades for Chinese New Year on February 19. The Chinese New Year is celebrated in a global way too. Hope you enjoy the picture above, from Chinese New Year celebration in London's Chinatown district.

Why does India have so many political parties?

Tonight, Rahulio and a good friend discussed political parties in India. His associate, Primo, brought up three political parties and how they became popular. The first party was BJP. BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which means Indian people's party in Hindi. The second party was Shiv Sena, which means Shivaji's army in Hindi. It is a far-right regional political party based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The final party mentioned was the RSS, which stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. This party name means National Volunteer Organization in Hindi. After being informed about these three parties, the reader may ask "why are there more than two parties in India?" If someone was to ask "what is the world's largest democracy?", the answer most likely would be the USA. But, the correct answer is India. Yet, how does India have a democracy with more than 50 political parties. It is done because the population is so huge and diverse, that each state has to have more than five political parties. Furthermore, here is a good example of an Indian state with more than 10 political parties. It is none other than Andhra Pradesh. This state has close to 35 political parties. The state has Telugu as its main language; and some of the main parties are Congress, BJP, and communists. Since the author of this post is from Maharashtra, it does not hurt to mention that this state has more than thirty political parties. Marathi is the main language, though it may not be the main language spoken in Mumbai. Gujarat, and languages from the South (tamil, kannada, or malyalee) are prominent languages as well. Currently, Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. He came from the BJP party. If Narendra Modi were to visit Europe, he may look at Germany and other countries (Belgium and UK) that have more than ten political parties. He may be able to tell Angela Merkel (German Chancellor) and David Cameron (UK prime minister), that having more than five political parties is not an anomaly. Lastly, hope you enjoy the picture of the tricolor above. The Indian flag is always a favorite picture of yours truly.