Seven weeks after 2020 Election, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are saving the global economy to survive the K-shaped Recovery

Today's post will touch the following topics: 1. K-shaped recovery; 2. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris election 2020 victory; and 3. Additional stimulus for the US economy. Let's start with Joe Biden and Kamal Harris election 2020 victory. Joe Biden will be inaugurated in January 2021, and Trump is going to be kicked out of the White House. For the past seven weeks, Donald Trump has told the country that democracy stole the election result. This statement is part of Trump's misinformation and conspiracy theory plan that has no value or base. Trump lost the election in the electoral college; and in the popular vote. Next, there is a new $900 billion pandemic stimulus measure that the senate and congress have to vote on. The government will not be shut down, as the plan has been created. Once this bill or stimulus passes the house and senate vote, the US public should expect about $600 in January 2021. These stimulus checks will be in the consumers bank accounts, for the economy to get a good boost in the 1st quarter of 2021. If the US continues to improve on consumer spending, then it leads to a more positive GDP. The last statement means that the economic recovery will continue. Third, G. Ripley is covering that K-Shaped recovery. K-shaped recovery is changes in the structure of the economy or the broader society as economic outcomes and relations are fundamentally changed before; and after the recession. This type of recovery is called K-shaped; because the path of different parts of the economy when charted together may diverge. The K-shaped recovery resembles the letter 'K'; and it is different than a V or U shaped recovery. One last thing is K-shaped recovery describes the path of different disaggregated economic variables, such as income across different segments of society or employment in different industries, relative to one another. K-shaped recovery is going to be different in that while some parts of the economy may enjoy a booming recovery immediately following the recession; others may remain mired in sluggish growth or even continue to decline. In addition, the following parts may rise like consumer spending; real estate; and inflation. The numbers that could decline are unemployment numbers; and income inequality. The poverty level could continue to decline, which is another major problem for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to solve. The salaries of most workers may not rise either, as sluggish raises could be a major possibility. The coronavirus pandemic is a global issue, that all world leaders are trying to work around. Europe and Australia are two different continents, which tell different stories on how to deal with the pandemic. In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss the coronavirus numbers that have turned the world economies upside down. For example, India; UK; USA; Spain; Italy; France; and Brazil have gone through one of the worst recessions since the 2007-09 financial crisis[Great Recession]. On the other hand, China; Taiwan; Australia; New Zealand; and South Korea have controlled the death rates that other super powers could not resolve due to coronavirus pandemic. In Germany, the country may go through another economic lockdown. Germany is the 4th largest economy in the world, and India is the 5th largest economy. If these 2 countries slip back into recession, then Europe and Asia could go through many more economic disparities. In closing, there is no definite cure to solving economic inequalities in Africa also. South Africa is going through a recession, like no other in 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa such as Nigeria and other West Africa countries are continuing to suffer in terms of GDP numbers. The IMF is relaying that 2021 could see many different countries coming out of recession, which is good news for the six continent super powers (US; UK; Russia; Germany; Nigeria; Australia; and Brazil/Argentina/Chile). For the readers, today's post is a huge amount of information for the brain to handle. Always increase knowledge about the world; six continent economies; elections; and recovery/recession. Enjoy the picture above of 2018-2021 economic growth numbers, across the world.

Academy Awards and Golden Globes Awards change dates for 2021; plus three short movie reviews

In November, two movies were worth seeing. G. Ripley saw 'Hillbilly Elegy'; and 'Mank.' Both of these movies were in theaters, for close to 14 days. Then, these movies were released on Netflix, and the movies were not viewable in the theaters domestically. Hillbilly Elegy is based on a true story, and it is a memoir by J.D. Vance. The book came to publication first, and the movie is a thrilling drama. Second, Mank is a movie based on the true story of Herman Mankiewicz. Mr. Mankiewicz was an acclaimed American screenwriter. His nickname was 'Mank'; and Herman won an Academy Award in 1942. He won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for 'Citizen Kane' movie. Gary Oldman played the 'Mank' character. Amanda Seyfried ; Tuppence Middleton; and Lily Collins acted in revered supporting roles in the black and white flick. Next, 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' was on my list of movies to see in December 2020. This movie is based on a true story also, like the first two flicks. This movie will be showing on Netflix on December 18, 2020. All three movies listed in this story are Netflix original movie distributions. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is set in Chicago, Illinois in 1927; in the 94 minute gripping cliffhanger. Viola Davis played Ma Rainey in an incredible performance, while Chadwick Boseman portrays the cunning Levee in his last film ever. In other movie related news, the Golden Globes Awards is set for February 28, 2021. Usually, the global film industry has the GG Awards set for a date between January 5 and 10th. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic crisis, the international film industry and US film industry has suffered as movie theaters were closed for almost four months or longer. The 93rd Academy Awards is set for April 25, 2021 at the Dolby Theatre; in Hollywood, CA. Usually, the Oscars take place in February or March of the calendar year. Other film awards shows such as the SAG awards and BAFTA awards will happen in March/April 2021 timeframe. In addition, this fifth paragraph will discuss some movie contenders for the Academy Awards, etc. Best picture favorites are Nomadland; Mank; Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Best director favorites are Chloe Zao [Nomadland]; David Fincher [Mank]; Aaron Sorkin [The Trial of the Chicago 7]; and Regina King [One Night In Miami]. Best Supporting Actress favorites are Amanda Seyfried in Mank; Olivia Colman in The Father; Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy; and Ellen Burstyn in Pieces of a Woman. Best Supporting Actor favorites are Leslie Odom Jr. [One Night In Miami]; plus Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance; and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II [all three acted in The Trial of the Chicago 7]. Best Actress favorites are Viola Davis [Ma Rainey's Black Bottom]; Frances McDormand [Nomadland]; Vanessa Kirby [Pieces of a Woman] and Kate Winslet [Ammonite]. Best Actor favorites are Chadwick Boseman [Ma Rainey's Black Bottom]; Gary Oldman [Mank]; Anthony Hopkins [The Father]; and Delroy Lindo [Da 5 Bloods]. In closing, there are some big name box office flicks releasing on Christmas Day 2020. The popular hits are Wonder Woman 1984; News of the World; and Promising Young Woman. Each movie that G. Ripley saw; had less than 15 people in the movie theater. This low number of audience is due to people heeding the strict covid-19 guidelines and restrictions. Maybe the Christmas spirit will bring more moviegoers to the big time flicks on December 25, 2020. Enjoy the photo above of the Golden Globes Awards logo. Adios!

Doordash; Airbnb; and Bumble filing S-1 form to go public. Is 2021 the year of stellar IPO's coming to Wall Street

A few days ago, Bumble filed the Form S-1 to complete their IPO filing announcement. The dating app.'s plan is to go public on NYSE, in first quarter 2021. Bumble had its initial release, in December 2014. It is an app. that is available to download on Android, and Apple iOS. The company was founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd. She founded the company, after she left Tinder. Tinder is a dating app. that she co-founded as well. Next, Bumble acts a location-based social application that facilitates communication between interested male and females. In Bumble app., the female gender is the one that makes the first move. Bumble is available in sixteen different languages (English; Chinese; Hindi; French; etc.), on a global scale. Bumble's has over 100 million users, since its inception. The company is valued at $4 billion. Austin, TX is the corporate headquarters of Bumble. In contrast, Doordash has become one of the fastest on-demand prepared food delivery service companies in the world. This company was founded by four Stanford students, and it is a technology company with headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Tony Xu, Stanley Tang, Andy Fang and Evan Moore founded the company in July 2013. Doordash is trying to go public in December 2020. The company is valued at an astonishing $16 billion, according to Crunchbase Inc. The company has an adjusted EBITDA positivity and improving gross margins. In addition, EBITDA is Earnings Before Interest; Taxes; Depreciation; and Amortization in full form. Doordash reported operating cash flow of $315 million during the first three quarters of 2020, acoording to TechCrunch. DoorDash’s path is to achieve GAAP profits, in the next 6 to 12 months. GAAP is generally accepted accounting principles in full form. Doordash will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol DASH as reported by CNBC. DoorDash has around $1.6 billion in cash on hand, heading into the final six weeks of 2020. In this penultimate paragraph, Airbnb expects to list its shares on the Nasdaq market under the ticker symbol of ABNB. Their company's valuation is close to $30 billion. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are the two main underwriters on this IPO, listed in Airbnb's company prospectus. The company is a home-rental firm; with its headquarters in San Francisco, CA. The company was founded in 2008, by Brian Chesky and two other colleagues. The company has more than 6,000 employees; and Airbnb stands for AirBedandBreakfast. In closing, the company's online home rental listings are available in more than 50 languages. Airbnb acts as a broker, by receiving commissions from each real estate booking. The company does not own any of its real estate listings, and it does not host events. Their goal is to go public in December 2020, or January 2021 according to Kiplinger Inc. Last, all three of these companies will be a good stock purchase for any investor. Enjoy the IPO roadmap photo above. Happy stock picking!

Alex Trebek's demise brings many incredible memories to my mind. Trebek served as Canadian information man

Yesterday, Alex Trebek died of pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old, and he was the host of Jeopardy! for 37 years. Today, Mike Richards paid tribute to Alex at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, CA. Mike Richards serves as the Executive Producer of Jeopardy! I saw Mike's tribute on TV, and it was quite moving. Jeopardy is filmed at Sony Pictures Studio. Next, the final 35 shows that Alex Trebek did will be shown on TV through December 2020. The audience of this story may wonder out loud, 'who could be the next host?' Here is a small list of candidates: 1. Laura Coates; 2. George Stephanopoulos; 3. Ken Jennings; 4. Betty White; and 5. Alex Faust. My pick to replace Alex would be Laura Coates. Laura is a CNN legal analyst, and she was considered to be a replacement host in July 2018 when Trebek's current contract would expire. The 40 year old Coates has a BA from Princeton University, and a JD from University of Minnesota Law School. She received her bachelor's degree at the School of Public and International Affairs, at the prestigious Ivy League institution. In contrast, Trebek had not picked a successor to replace him. He expressed no or minimal interest in doing this task. If Betty White were to be the next host, she would be close to 100 years old and one of the oldest game show hosts ever. Betty is 98 years young, at this time. In other news about Alex Trebek, he graduated from University of Ottawa in the Canadian nation's capital. Trebek's broadcasting career started in 1961, when he first appeared on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). In addition, Alex Trebek is a guiness world record holder. In 2014, Guinness announced that Trebek held the world record for most episodes of a game show hosted by the same presenter, with 6,829 episodes at the time. Trebek wasn’t the original host of Jeopardy!, and the version he hosted wasn’t the original Jeopardy! Actually, it is a revival. Art Fleming hosted the original Jeopardy! for 11 years, before it was temporarily cancelled. Art served as the host from its debut in 1964 to 1975. In this penultimate paragraph, some more interesting facts about Alex will be mentioned. Trebek became a naturalized US citizen in 1998. Alex Trebek's first marriage ended after seven years in divorce, with Elaine Callei in 1981. In 1990, he wed for a second time to Jean Currivan. The two of them have two children, Emily and Matthew. In July 2020, Trebek released his memoir, 'The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life.' In closing, Trebek will be dearly missed by the public on a global scale. The many memories that G. Ripley has of Alex, are mostly good ones. Trebek was a great host, and he delivered his hosting duties with a good sense of humor. Trebek has his own star, on Canada's Walk of Fame located in Toronto. Enjoy the picture above of Alex Trebek. For G. Ripley, Trebek will always be remembered as the Canadian information Man. Adieu Alex Trebek!!

Ant Group and Alibaba: two integral pieces of Jack Ma's financial empire

Today, Ant Group is raising $34.5 billion in its dual initial public offering after setting the price for its shares. The IPO listing will be the largest listing of all time [in IPO history]. After the IPO listing is completed in November 2020, Ant Group's market cap valuation would equate to $313.37 billion. The market cap valuation would be higher than Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs, two of the biggest US financial institutions. The Chinese financial tech. behemoth is splitting its stock issuance uniformly across Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. This process is done by issuing 1.67 billion shares in each location. Next, Shanghai-listed shares will be priced at 68.8 yuan ($10.27) each. Shanghai listed shares will raise 114.94 billion yuan, or $17.23 billion. Hong Kong listed shares will be priced at 80 Hong Kong dollars ($10.32). In addition, the HK listed shares will raise 133.65 billion Hong Kong dollars [or $17.24 billion]. Ant Group's IPO listing edges Saudi ARAMCO, by more than $5 billion. Ant Group is a financial services company, which is a huge part of Alibaba's conglomerate. Furthermore, China International Capital Corp. and CSC Financial will underwrite Ant Group's Shanghai listing. CICC, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan will underwrite the Hong Kong listing. Ant Group owns Alipay, a third-party mobile and online payment platform. Alipay was established in Hangzhou, China in 2004 by Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group. Meanwhile, Alibaba Group is one of the largest e-commerce businesses in the world. Ant Group is expected to start trading in Hong Kong on November 5, per its regulatory filing. The company has not revealed when its Shanghai shares will begin trading. In retrospect, Alibaba's IPO listing in September 2014 on NYSE was the largest listing of its time. Alibaba's stock symbol is BABA on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Alibaba Group is a multinational technology giant. Alibaba Group's IPO raised $25 billion in September 2014. Ant Group would be Jack Ma's second record breaking IPO. Alibaba Group's current market cap valuaton is close to $830 billion. In this penultimate paragraph, Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai's financial ownership stakes will be discussed further. Ma is no longer the largest shareholder of Alibaba Group, as he retired from Alibaba Group in 2019. Joseph Tsai is a co-founder of Alibaba Group, and he is the largest shareholder in the company. Joseph holds the executive vice chairman position, within Alibaba Group. Mr. Tsai is the current owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. In closing, Ant Group could even push its fundraising total just below $40 billion if it sells shares through ostensible greenshoe options. The agreements allow the company's underwriters to sell additional shares, than initially planned. See the picture above of Ant Group's financial powerhouse breakdown. The various lucrative pieces of the company are: 1. Lending; 2. Insurance; 3. Asset Management; and 4. Online payments. Hope you enjoy reading this post as much, as I delighted in writing it. Arrivederci to the global financial market pundits.

Adventures of G. Ripley; Nalino Kash$; plus Christie Morgan in DA Ranch

Today, our adventurous story has three major places. Place #1 is Amitabha Stupa Peace Park. Nalino Kash$ had not ventured to this beautiful park, in the red rock country of Sedona. G. Ripley had gone there back in 2016, with his friends [Shramya]. Nalino Kash$ met G. Ripley, and the Peace Park is the spot for this storyline. In this spot, G. noticed beautiful YSL's in lululemon tights; plus other attractive leggings. Finally, G. and Nalino saw 4 statues of Gautam Buddha. Next, G. Ripley stated that Buddha was his father in a former avatar. Buddha has a son named Rahula. Rahula is another alias, of the covert G. Ripley. Rahula is an avator of Rahulio Ganpuleone. Nalino found these statements to be quite facetious. Hitherto, G. Ripley and Nalino went to DA Ranch Winery or Place #2. G. Ripley had to pursue les femme fatales. One of them was named Christie, and she had beautiful green eyes. She had brunette hair, and she was the voluptous phsyique. Then, there was miss Morgan who was another exquisite damsel at the winery. Miss Morgan offered to buy G. Ripley a bottle of Tannat Rose. Yet, the other seven mademoiselles were not our glass of vino. Furthermore, the picture above is of watery fountain at DA Ranch Winery. Besides drinking flights of red and white, Mr. Kash$ pushed G. Ripley to pour 3 glasses of water upon himself in this Cornville setting. This process is called the R$G bath. At one point, a wedding party became quite amused at G. Ripley for doing the R$G bath twice. All in a days' work when you are the Talented L.A. Lip Action is what G. Ripley wanted to do with the ladies, yet they were part of the married crew. In closing, G. Ripley and Nalino ended the day at BelFry brewery in Cottonwood. At this final place, there was a nice blonde waitress which caught Ripley's eye. Perhaps, she could have been the one. Au revoir mes amis!! Until next time, it is time to say 'ciao Bellas.'

lymphadenopathy and lymphoma; plus survivors of both medical dilemmas

Today's post discusses lymphadenopathy and lymphoma; plus its differences. Lymphadenopathy is the condition of immune system glands that usually enlarge in response, to a bacterial or viral infection. It can be referred to as swollen lymph nodes, which makes the whole body feel a viral infection is attacking it. For myself, lymphadenopathy was my diagnosis in October 2006. But, my hematologist did not give me this diagnosis until lymphadenopathy disappeared 100% from my body in May 2007. It was my friend, Dr. NJ that told me I was diagnosed with this medical condition in December 2006/January 2007. He works in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles. In this second paragraph, let's look at why Lymphadenopathy is not considered to be cancer. If a person has swollen lymph nodes at .7 mm (millimeters), then it's considered mild. Once you get to 1 full MM, then the primary care physician can issue tests to you for cancer. The first test is a biopsy, and this one is standard to see if you have any cancerous tissue. With myself, the biopsy was not recommended since the lymphadenopathy disappeared. With lymphadenopathy, doctors might recommend you go through an endoscopy or colonoscopy. Next, let's look at Lymphoma. Lymphoma is cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system. The infection fighting cells are called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes tend to grow out of control, and this step is the main cause of lymphoma. The main types of Lymphoma are Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (often termed as NHL). Treatment may involve chemotherapy, medication, and radiation therapy. In addition, Hodgkin's lymphoma is known for three main symptoms in the body. The three primary symptoms are night sweats; weight loss; and fever. Night sweats can appear in lymphadenopathy, but they will go away in less than 9-10 months. Lymph nodes can be swollen in the neck, arm, groin; or other body parts. For surviving Hodgkin's lymphoma, this feat can be done through various forms of treatment. Hodgkin's lymphoma can happen to a person when they are fairly young (19) or old (75 and above age bracket). In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss the case of Paul Allen and non-hodgkin's lymphoma. Paul Allen was the owner of Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Seahawks (NBA team and NFL team), but he's known for founding Microsoft in 1975 with William Gates III. Paul Allen died in 2018 from his fight with non-hodgkin's lymphoma. At age of 65, the demise of the billionaire Allen hurt many in the sports world; technology world; and venture capital world in different ways. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, and tumors can come into the body's system. Tumors can be malignant or benign. In closing, Lymphoma and lymphadenopathy are medical dilemmas that cannot be taken lightly. A person may not know that they have either condition for months, unless they see a primary care physician. It is best to get treatment as quickly as possible. Human life is so precious, that time can only tell how long a person stays on this planet. My final statement is to be safe; be resilient, and take care of your body. Hope you learned valuable information about both medical dilemmas. Enjoy the photos of Paul Allen, the founder of Vulcan Ventures. In the second photo, Bill Gates is to the left of Paul Allen.

Are stocks overvalued?

On September 3, 2020; Wall Street had its worst day in months. The S&P 500 dropped 3.5% on this day, and tech stocks were the culprits. Despite continued high unemployment and a weak outlook for corporate profits, the stock market is continuing to be overvalued. With the US economy in a recession, one would think that stocks should not be so high. Investors have been optimistic about tech companies, including Amazon; Apple; Microsoft; Facebook; and Alphabet. Amazon was up more than 90 percent this year, Apple more than 80 percent, Microsoft and Facebook nearly 50 percent, and Alphabet nearly 30 percent. Furthermore, tech stocks have fueled the recovery of financial markets since late March 2020. Since March 2020, the S&P 500 is up more than 50%. At the same time, many analysts are warning that the stock market’s gains are detached from reality. The outlook for corporate profits and economic growth is far from positive. Lawmakers were not able to reach an agreement on a relief package. In addition, corporate profits for S&P 500 companies are expected to be down nearly 20 percent this year. Also, the pandemic-related shutdowns this year have created persistent problems for the labor market. The unemployment rate is 8.4%, as this news was reported on September 4, 2020. The S&P 500 is up nearly 7 percent for the year, which is some good news for investors. On the other hand, the election could produce a steep drop for the stock market depending on the result. Next, the Nasdaq reached an all-time high on September 2, 2020. Apple's market cap is above $2 trillion, and Amazon has the 2nd highest market cap at $1.65 trillion. Microsoft and Alphabet are the other two tech bellwethers, that have market caps above $1 trillion. If stocks continue on an upward trend, Facebook could be the next stock to reach $1 trillion. The Dow Jones industrial average is down close to 1.5% for YTD. In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss the state of the economy during the global coronavirus pandemic. First, the pace of the economic recovery has decelerated. The U.S. is regaining jobs at a slower pace several months after the economy reopened. More people are spending money at fashion malls, and restaurants due to an uptick in some consumer spending numbers. Yet, the coronavirus has not gone away. Airports around the country are mostly empty, and hotel rooms are largely unoccupied. In closing, stocks are overvalued. Life is far from normal. Will the coronavirus pandemic lead the economy into a deeper recession in 2021, and beyond? Hopefully, an end to Trumpism may change the state of the economy in a positive way. Let's hope for a Biden victory on election day, to result in a better economic picture in the USA.

Pac-12 and Big 10 cancel fall football; and will delay it to Spring 2021 due to covid-19 scare

Almost two weeks ago, the Pac-12 and Big 10 conferences canceled their college football seasons for 2020. Let's fast forward to Spring 2021, and these two conferences might play football. Actually, both major conferences cancelled all of their Fall sports. It sounds like a major bummer for me, since college football and basketball are two of my favorite sports to watch on Saturday and Sunday. The conferences are doing this process, as they want the sports programs to be safe for everyone to play. Yet, the ACC and SEC decided that it is going to continue their Fall tradition of sports starting in two to three weeks. Furthermore, the University of Notre Dame will play college football in the ACC for this year. This news is a major surprise, as the renowned college football team plays as an Independent standing team (or in Independents conference) consistently. In campus related news, Notre Dame has shut down its university for the upcoming two to three weeks as some students were testing positive for covid-19. The students were sent home for about two weeks, but the campus may reopen in September. If fall sports at Notre Dame were canceled as covid-19 cases go up, the university would lose a lot of money. Next, UNC-Chapel Hill had a plan for in-person classes for Fall 2020. One hundred and thirty people tested positive for coronavirus, and the tar heels are sending students back home. The fall semester will be online at this time. There have been an influx of parties at Notre Dame; UNC-Chapel Hill; Purdue; and Pennsylvania State (aka Penn State) which result in a lack of social distancing for college students. The USA is going through a steady number of coronavirus cases on a daily basis. In addition, many healthcare professionals and scientists do not want to see a twindemic; of influenza and coronavirus for September 2020 through December 31, 2020. With Covid-19 cases reaching close to 5.9 million in the US, the virus may not be contained until second or third quarter of 2021. Globally, there needs to be a vaccine in place for people just like there is a flu shot. Brazil; India; Russia; and South Africa are the other four nations that have very high cases of coronavirus. These days, the NBA and MLB have players that wear masks to their stadiums and arenas. Many of the bench players and managers;coaches; etc. are wearing masks and social distancing is a major requirement. In this penultimate paragraph, fans are not allowed at NBA; MLB; and NHL games. If there is a vaccine and the coronavirus is contained in the next 6 to 12 months, fans might come back to sporting events. At this time, cardboard cutouts of fans are common in MLB and digitals fans are making their cameos at NBA games. So far, the MLB and NBA have started to get back on TV. The NBA has started their exciting playoffs, and the NHL is back on the ice in Canada. In closing, the NHL and NBA are playing in a bubble. Orlando and other nearby cities in the Magic Kingdom area are home to NBA games. The NHL is having their games in Edmonton and Toronto, Canada. See the image above the Nationals stadium, as there are no fans. Will these major sports bring back fans in 2021? Let's hope for the best.

Zuckerberg becomes centibillionaire. What is a centibillionaire?

Today, Mark Zuckerberg's net worth passed $100 billion. Since his market cap is above $100 billion, Mark is a centibillionaire. Personally, this term is a new one for me. A centibillionaire is a person that has a net worth of $100 billion or more. Jeff Bezos is considered to be the world's wealthiest man. He is in the centibillionaire club. In addition, today's blog post centers on Income and new terminology. While centibillionaire is part of the new terminology, some people may wonder what is the regular wage for middle class America. Middle Class America has a salary range of $45,000 to $136,000. This range is for a family of 4 people that includes two parents, and 2 kids. The real question is can you survive off of the salary of $65,000 to $70,000, or another higher income. This question fits into the problem of income inequality, in this country. Next, Kirsten Gillibrand and Bernie Sanders have introduced the Make Billionaires Pay Act. Ed Markey is a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, and he worked with Gillibrand and Sanders on this $731 billion tax plan. This plan is a 60% tax on the windfall wealth increases of billionaires during this pandemic. It is done to pay for all out-of-pocket medical expenses, for every person in America for a year. In 2019, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sanders worked on another bill regarding the taxation of the wealthy .001% in the USA. Furthermore, the Forbes 400 list started in 1982. This list is published annually by Forbes magazine, and it compiles a good number of people that have the most wealth in the US. Some of these affluent individuals are doing more to accumulate wealth, like Bezos who has owned the Washington Post also. The list depicts the shift in finances, philanthropy, and leadership positions. Bill Gates may not be CEO of Microsoft, but he is big into philanthropy thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss the Forbes 400 wealthiest americans list. Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates were #1 and #2 respectively in the 2019 list. Bezos ex-wife, Mackenzie; joined the list with $36 billion. That number is #15 on the list. The gap between Bezos and Gates is $8 billion. Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison rounded out the top 5 list of wealthiest americans. In closing, the reader might be fascinated by the different names of wealth in this blog post. See the picture of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, at the top of this post. Most of the billionaires have an entreprenurial mindset, creativity, and a relentless work ethic. One great idea can make a billionaire amass their wealth, but it may take some failures before their big success takes off. These characteristics set billionaires apart from the common folk.

Trump cancels Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, FL; and Biden's vetting process for his VP candidate

Recently, Donald Trump has canceled the RNC activities in Jacksonville, FL; and this part was day 2 through 4 in the Republican National Convention (RNC). As of today, Trump has the RNC first part in Charlotte, NC on August 24, 2020 only. Canceling the second part of the RNC is an odd action, by Trump. In most swing states, Joe Biden is leading in the polls. Most of the polls have Biden leading, and the election is close to 100 days away. November 3 is election day, and there could be a lot of Mail-In Voting which Trump despises. As for Biden's VP candidate, he has narrowed it down to four women. His presumptive choices are Keisha Lance Bottoms, Kamala Harris, Susan Rice, and Val Demmings. These four women are in the vetting process, and Elizabeth Warren is not of his top four choices. Susan Rice is former United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013, as she served in this role under President Obama. Also, she served as National security advisor from 2013 to 2017 under President Obama. For Susan's education, she received her BA from Stanford University and her PHD from Oxford University. From a political experience standpoint, Rice has a vast amount of diplomatic knowledge which helps her tremendously. A big plus for Rice is she has had a long relationship, with Joe Biden. In contrast, Keisha Lance Bottoms is the current mayor of Atlanta. She has a BA from Florida A&M, plus a JD from Georgia State University. Next, Val Demmings is a politician representing Florida. She was former police chief of Orlando. Furthermore, Kamala Harris is a Senator from California. She is a former district attorney, and her presidential run as the presumptive democratic nominee ended in December 2019. If Joe Biden wants to pick someone that he has a close relationship, then Susan Rice seems to be a pragmatic choice. Yet, Harris seems to be woman that Joe could pick as well. Don't forget Keisha Bottoms or Val Demmings, as Biden has three weeks left to announce his VP candidate. The DNC (democratic national convention) is in Milwaukee, WI; from August 17 to 20. But, this event could be a virtual one because of the covid-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic continues to drive covid-19 cases up in Florida, canceling the RNC is an about face for Trump. Donald is trying to figure out how to make his big presidential candidacy speech. Frankly, Trump should have the RNC as a virtual event. Trump is a horrible speaker, and his strategy needs to shift for the Republican party to extend its support for him. In closing, there are lot of changes that could take place in the DNC and RNC formats. There are only three to four weeks until these two big conventions take place. Enjoy the picture above of the RNC logo, and the beautiful elephant symbol. RSG is wishing for some political peace, before Election Day.

Kanye West is headed in the wrong direction, as a 2020 presidential candidate

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July weekend, except for the news that Kanye West announced his 2020 presidential candidacy. The fellow Chicago native is a billionaire; rapper; and fashion designer. Now, he wants to battle Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the 2020 election. I know many of you thought that Kanye would support Donald Trump, since they are such wacky buddies. On the contrary, West announced his candidacy over this past weekend. I can't picture Kim K. as the first lady of this country. However, Kanye has no campaign organization set up for his election run. He has not filed any election paperwork, and he missed the ballot deadline in several key states. To be frank, his announcement for his presidential run seems quite impractical. Or, is it typical Kanye?! Elon Musk and Mark Cuban are supporting Kanye for his presidential run. This news is eccentric for sure! In the past, Kanye West had fought with Jay-Z. Recently, Kanye and Jay-Z patched up their friendship when they met at P.Diddy's 50th birthday party in December 2019. Will Kanye's presidential run ruin his friendship with Donald Trump? I hope the answer is 'Yes.' Hope Joe Biden can defeat Donald Trump and Kanye West in November 2020. In this penultimate paragraph, Kanye West should stick to designing Adidas Yeezy sneakers. Adidas Yeezy is a collaboration between Adidas and Kanye West. The Yeezy shoes have produced ten different types of successful shoe brands that utilize Adidas Boost material. West's rap music is not making the most money for him, as the Yeezy brand is the more successful product in the past 4 years. Some of the Yeezy shoes have sold out quickly, which made Kanye a billionaire on the Forbes list in 2020. In closing, Kanye West might go in the same direction as Justin Amash did. Amash had to abandon his 3rd party presidential bid in May 2020. Justin Amash is a libertarian American lawyer, that represents the state of Michigan. Enjoy the picture above of Kanye and the White House. Peace!!

Rare solar eclipse happens in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia

The most recent solar eclipse happened on June 21, 2020. It was not visible in North America, but it was seen in three other continents. It was a full annular eclipse. Northern India saw almost 100% of the eclipse. An annular solar eclipse takes place when the moon is too far away from the Earth to completely hide the sun, which leaves a ring of sunlight around the moon. In addition, this astronomical event coincided with the summer solstice of 2020. Annularity happened around not long after midday local time in Sirsa, India. In Taiwan, the eclipse was quite visible in Taipei. There is another solar eclipse set in December 2020, for viewing in South America mostly. A solar eclipse occurs when a portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon, which fully or partially blocks sunlight. In closing, the solar eclipse landed on Father's Day 2020. Hope you enjoy the image above of the annular solar eclipse. It is great to see images of this 'ring of fire' on the web. Adios Amigos until the next solar eclipse in six months!

The return of the NBA 2019-20 season will be magical

It is official that the NBA basketball season will start on July 31, in the magical city of Orlando. There will be 8 more regular season games, which will happen at the ESPN Wide world of sports complex. The end of the season will be eight games, between 22 teams. Then, the NBA playoffs would happen for 16 teams as scheduled. But, there will be no fans in the stadium per covid-19 rules. It is great that the NBA season will be from July 31 to October 10 most likely, as NBA stopped play on March 11, 2020. There will be 13 teams from the western conference, and 9 teams from the eastern conference as the end of regular season concludes. The playoff seeding will be good for each team, yet there is no real home court advantage. Also, there is no real travel for the teams in the NBA bubble. Some NBA analysts think the champion of this season, will have an asterisk next to it. In the end, there should be no asterisk. Furthermore, the NBA is the first team sport to go full circle with finding an end to their regular season. The NHL may not finish their 2019-20 season. MLB has not started in 2020, and it may not start as players are arguing over money. The NFL is trying to start in September 2020, with a 17 game regular season. Also, there could be 14 playoff teams. Both of these rule changes are good ones, for the NFL fans. In addition, Adam Silver and the board of governors voted today that the NBA season would continue with 22 teams in an almost unanimous decision. The NBA has to get past the 70 regular season games threshold, for the teams to get the TV money for each market. For example, the Milwaukee Bucks played 65 games already this year. An additional 8 games would mean that they have played 73 games, which is only nine less than the 82 game regular season. The LA Lakers are the #1 seed in the West, and they have played 63 games already. An additional 8 games played would mean they played 71 total games in the regular season. As for the LA Clippers, many NBA bettors want them to play the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Clippers have a great shot this year, of making it to the NBA finals. Personally, it would be great to see the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the LA Lakers in the finals. Lebron James is having an MVP season but he wants to play for the championship, instead of winning the NBA regular season MVP. In closing, enjoy the picture above of Lebron James and this year's Lakers. The end of the NBA season is less than 60 days away. It will be great to see the season continue in a somewhat orderly fashion. Peace!!

Will the summer movie season start in July 2020, or another date

It is May 2020, and the summer movie season would have started this month with 'Black Widow.' Instead, the movie theaters are shut down due to covid-19. The movie theaters might open in July 2020, as 'Tenet' and 'Mulan' have release dates in end of that month. In August, Wonder Woman 1984 would be one of the big blockbusters. Bill & Ted 3 will be another big blockbuster to hit the theaters, at the end of August 2020. Peter Rabbit 2 is another flick that could entice viewers, in August 2020. In addition, the summer movie season should expand until October 2020, as it may start in July 2020. September through December 2020 will have big flicks like 'Black Widow'; and 'No Time To Die.' With these movies releasing at dates that are unusual, the Academy Awards should be postponed until April 2021. This opinion is mine, but the real date is February 28, 2021. The awards season may include less movies from theaters, as many movies went the digital streaming route. Furthermore, many movies could be released in late Fall or early Winter. The christmas season would be flooded with Best Picture contenders, which is kind of an anomaly. If there are some good movies in January or February 2021, then these flicks should qualify for the Academy Awards 2021 show. All the movies and the release dates are subject to change. Movie theaters are not open now, and they will not open in June 2020 due to the lack of movies nationwide. For other movie fans, people are catching up on tv shows and older movies these days. If you have amazon prime; netflix; or other vod (video on demand) subscriptions; life can be sweeter with the older flicks to rent. It was good for me to catch up on Deadpool; Ant-Man; etc. It was great to see 'pitch perfect' movies; but lousy to see 'twilight' flicks. As this post ends, let's hope that tv shows and movies come back in the 2nd half of this year. Peace!!

Accepting diverse economic recoveries, and the lack of campus experience due to Covid-19 recession

More than 30 days ago, students in most colleges and universities were told to pack up for the semester. At ASU; NAU; and University of AZ, students packed up their belongings and went home for the semester. Students were told that the rest of the semester involves classes done through Zoom web conferencing software. For students, classes are online regardless of your freshman or senior year. The campus experience is over due to Covid-19. Yet, students at 25 colleges are suing, as they feel the learning is not worth the cost. The class discussion is not happening, as campuses closed. Students at renowned institutions, such as Drexel; Univ. of California; and Vanderbilt Univ.; are frustrated with learning about their core curriculum on Zoom. Now, universities might change this process as some universities will open in Fall 2020. Students at ASU and University of AZ will be allowed to come back to campus. Purdue University in Indiana is one of the first campuses to reopen for students, when they announced this big decision in late April 2020. In other college related news, the summer internships that students desire is decreasing. The unemployment in the US rose to 14.8% today, for April 2020. Companies are not hiring, and more than 30 million people filed unemployment claims since middle of March 2020. The graduating class of Spring 2020 is looking at a bleak job market. The unemployment level is worse than the Great Recession, which lasted from 2007-2009. What type of economic recovery will take place, to end this coronavirus recession? Next, economists are debating if the economy will have a U-shaped, V-shaped, W-shaped, or L-shaped recovery. The u-shaped economic recovery happened with the Great Recession. The first quarter 2020 gdp rate was -4.8%, and this negative growth will continue through 2nd quarter of 2020. The worst case scenario for the economic recovery is the L-shaped one. In this scenario, the economy sinks and stays on the floor for a prolonged period of time and then either does or doesn’t return to its former state. Japan experienced this dire situation in 1990, and this dreadful period lasted for almost a decade. In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss some more types of economic recoveries. The nike swoosh recovery states that spending slowly resumes, with economic limits eased much more gradually than they were imposed. Also, the level of economic output stays beneath the level of its pre-crisis trend well into 2021. This situation means there’s a lack of animal spirits as people remain cautious of over-spending, or taking long-distance trips. Two more types of economic recovery are j-shaped recovery, and inverted-square-root-shaped recovery. Let's hope the latter type of recovery does not happen. Finally, is there an escape from all of this depressing news? Movie theaters will not play any new movies for another 60 days in the USA. More than 40 states have reopened for business, and the new normal will have a different definition. Social distancing may continue until early 2022, according to a Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health study from April 2020. See the picture of a v-shaped recovery on a global scale, at the above spot. Good day everyone!

Georgia; South Carolina; and Tennessee want to reopen for business before May 4, 2020

On April 17, 2020, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a statewide initiative to reopen businesses in the state on May 4. Georgia is reopening salons; gyms; tattoo parlors; etc. on April 24. Tennessee wants to reopen a majority of businesses on May 1, 2020. South Carolina has opened some retail businesses this week. Protestors have rushed the grounds of state capitol buildings in MA; PA; WI; MN; and VA in the past week. Should more Americans join the protests? In contrast, there are churches and hair salons that don't want to open up on April 24. Backlash will happen, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wants to reopen businesses asap. Yet, Donald Trump is recommending now that Georgia should not reopen too quickly. Last week, Donald Trump tweeted 'Liberate Michigan' and he recommended other states to open. Today, he is in discord with Republican Governor Kemp. These actions continue to show that Donald Trump is a walking contradiction. Most of the protestors appear to be part of Trump's loyal supporters, which is ironic. From a medical standpoint, NY state continues to be the epicenter of covid-19 in the US. A covid-19 vaccine is not ready to the general public yet. Most states could do testing, through a drive thru type testing center. The testing needs to be affordable, and the vaccine may not be ready for 12-15 months. Widespread testing has to happen, and Michigan is one of the first states to do free diagnostic testing. As many of my readers know, AZ is the state of my residence. Businesses are closed until April 30, 2020 in the state lockdown. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has not made his final decision on the stay at home order, and whether businesses should stay closed or reopen. His decision for the stay at home order should be made in week of April 27th. The stay at home order should continue until May 10, 2020; according to G. Ripley. In this penultimate paragraph, the price of crude oil continues to plummet. The global demand for oil has decreased significantly, which is leading to lower prices. WTI (West Texas Intermediate)is the grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing. Hundreds of oil companies could go bankrupt in the US, if oil prices are negative or barely positive. The forecast for Oil companies in the USA is a doomsday one. One of the main concerns is there will be no room to store those massive Oil barrels delivered in May 2020. In closing, this post covered certain Southern states reopening businesses; Covid-19 testing; stay-at-home orders; and the current Oil price debacle. Next week, the US economy will announce real GDP growth for the first quarter 2020. Some prominent economists are forecasting the US could announce a negative GDP, for the first quarter 2020. Is the US economy in the beginning of a recession; depression; or some other grim economic downfall without a true meaning? Observe the recession warning picture above. Peace in the USA!!

Scary Encounters with the hideous owl

Today, a hideous owl landed on the table in my backyard. As the ugly owl kept blinking, the bird was having a jolly good time. G. Ripley saw the owl in the backyard only 6 feet away, and he had to walk back inside the house. An owl is a bird, which is part of ornithology. Ornithology is the study of birds. Ornithology is a branch of zoology. Next, there are thirteen species of owls in Arizona. The short-eared owl or the western screech owl might have been the owl, in my backyard. Taking a picture of the owl was my intention, yet the owl flew away. Only God knows how long the owl was hanging out in the backyard. Other birds were flying into the owl, but the owl did not flinch. The owl has been in the community since 2016. In addition, the Owl can try to eat a cat or a dog. Many people walk in the different streets of the subdivision, with their dogs mostly. These dog owners and the dogs have to be cautious of the wacky owl. To this day, I have not seen the owl attack a dog or a cat in the neighborhood. Owls hunt small animals especially rodents. Most owls are nocturnal, yet this one was wide awake in the backyard. Furthermore, Owls eat meat mostly. These birds are opportunistic also. Summer may be the best time to spot an owl in the valley of the sun, but it was strange to see the owl in spring 2020. Owls can hoot whenever, and this one was hooting quite often. This owl's nest is in a huge palm tree, which is a few houses down. Thank god, the owl does not have a nest in my backyard. In this penultimate paragraph, Owls are in movies. The famous pigwidgeon owl is Ron Weasley's pet in the 'Harry Potter' movies. Then, there is Hedwig in 'Harry Potter' movies. Hedwig is a snowy owl. Hedwig is a close companion to Harry Potter. In my world, the owl is not one of my favorite birds. Finally, the owl is not a good choice for a pet. Enjoy the picture above of the great horned owl. If G. Ripley had a choice on which pet to buy, the owl is not high on my list. The next time that an owl comes into my periphery, it should fly away from me. Good day to the owl lovers.

Restaurant closings in US states; country lockdowns; and more eccentric news in global coronavirus crisis

First, let's get to some exciting US politics. Tulsi Gabbard has dropped out of the presidential race, on the democratic side. The democratic candidate race is between Bernie Sanders, former senator from Vermont; and Joe Biden, former Vice President. On March 17, Joe Biden won the democratic primaries in AZ; IL; and FL. Ohio was supposed to have its primary on March 17, 2020; but it was postponed to June 2, 2020. Joe Biden has a commanding lead in the democratic delegate count, as he has 1201 delegates to 896 delegates for Bernie Sanders. Next, it's time to switch topics to coronavirus. France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium are on lockdown due to coronavirus. Germany may follow suit soon, as Europe's largest economy is dealing with an increasing unemployment. Europe is considered to be the epicenter of coronavirus, as the continent has surpassed China in the number of cases. Italy has the highest number of deaths, from coronavirus as the death toll sits above 4800 according to Bloomberg news. Recession and economic global depression is spreading across Europe and USA. Furthermore, New Jersey; Illinois; Connecticut; New York; Pennsylvania; Texas; Florida; Nevada; and California have ordered 'stay at home' lockdown in the past week. Many employees in various companies around USA are being ordered to work, from home only. State unemployment rates around USA are increasing dramatically. Restaurants across the USA are closing, and 5-7 million jobs could be lost in the next three months in this industry alone. This incredible problem will lead to higher chances of a recession occurring in USA. The restaurant and airline industries are being forced to ask the US government, for a lifeline or recovery fund. Back to Europe, the UK has forced pubs; gyms; and restaurants to be closed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants people to stay home in London; and other major English cities. Some good news is the country's government will pay 80% of wages for restaurant and pub owners, as pubs see a decline in business. For Asia, Israel; Singapore; South Korea; India; and the UAE have reported an increase in deaths. South America is being hit with coronavirus, as Argentina began a mandatory quarantine in the past week. Brazil has closed most of its borders. In addition, Senegal and South Africa are two countries that have the ability to do testing of novel coronavirus. African nations are trying to innovate their health standards and testing methods, to fight COVID-19. Beaches in Sydney, Australia are closing after crowds are ignoring social distancing. Social distancing is a new term, that borders on eccentric and normalcy in today's coronavirus pandemic. An example of social distancing is the cancellation of events which are likely to draw crowds. In the Phoenix, AZ metropolitan area alone; country thunder musical festival; Scottsdale culinary festival; and Italian festival were cancelled or postponed in March and in the upcoming month of April 2020. Social distancing is being stressed as a positive action by Public and World Health officials, to slow down the spread of highly contagious diseases. In closing, the coronavirus outbreak of 2020 may last for the next 18 months. Wuhan, China is one of the first cities to report cases of coronavirus in late 2019. Coronavirus should not be called as 'Chinese virus'; or other misleading terminology. Self-isolation is another way to fight the spread of coronavirus. Enjoy the picture above of social distancing. May all humans learn to survive the global coronavirus pandemic.

Campaign suspensions on Democratic race; James Bond movie release delayed; and other news

In March 2020, Tom Steyer; Amy Klobuchar; Pete Buttigieg; Michael Bloomberg; and Elizabeth Warren suspended their presidential campaigns. All five of these candidates dropped out by March 5, 2020. The democratic nominee for president is a two way race between former Vice President Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders, former senator from Vermont. On fox10 news in Phoenix, Tulsi Gabbard's name is still coming up. She has not officially dropped out yet, and the last time she appeared in a democratic debate was November 2019. Next, Gabbard will most likely not qualify for the debate in phoenix, az; which is on March 15, 2020 at Arizona Federal Theatre. The debate on March 15, 2020 could be a debate between Biden and Sanders only. On Super Tuesday [3-3-2020]; Joe Biden won in 10 states. Bernie Sanders won in 4 states, including California. Michael Bloomberg won in American Samoa territory only. Furthermore, the next day for voting is March 10 as six states have primaries. Pete Buttigieg; Amy Klobuchar; Kamala Harris; Cory Booker; Michael Bloomberg; and Beto O'Rourke are endorsing Joe Biden. Elizabeth Warren has not endorsed any one of the candidates specifically yet. Marianne Williamson and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC) are endorsing Bernie Sanders. On March 17, four states will have primaries on St. Patrick's Day. Now, let's switch topics away from the democratic primaries. The new James Bond movie, No time to Die; was supposed to be released on April 10, 2020 in the USA. Unfortunately, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has delayed the movie until November 25, 2020. The state of New York declared state of emergency, and five other states did the same process including California. Deaths from coronavirus happened in Washington, and California. Coronavirus has become a pandemic as there are cases [and deaths] in Italy; South Korea; and nine other countries globally. In this penultimate paragraph, the NBA had some shocking news. Kenny Atkinson was the coach of the Brooklyn Nets until March 6, 2020. On March 7, 2020; ESPN and other news outlets reported that the Brooklyn Nets and Kenny Atkinson parted ways. The interim coach is Jacque Vaughn. The team did not have Kevin Durant for the 2019-2020 season, and Kyrie Irving played in only twenty games due to injuries. There were reports that Kyrie Irving wanted Tyronn Lue, as the new brooklyn nets head coach. But, Lue is a current assistant coach for the NBA's LA Clippers. In closing, hope you enjoyed these different paragraphs of the vital 411 from R$G. Hope you like the picture above of 'No Time To Die' movie. G. Ripley wishes that the James Bond movie did not move from April 2020 to November 25, 2020 (Thanksgiving 2020). Billie Eilish sings the title track, and she sings a great song with a beautiful tune plus cool lyrics. Arrivederci!!

Kim, Lori, and the interesting massage by G. Ripley at Casey Moore's

Tonight, G. Ripley met his cohort. His cohort is Nalino. We met at the Porch rendezvous spot, in which Rahulio wanted to get a picture with Emma. Yet, Emma did not want a picture with Rahulio. It was ok, for Emma to turn down Rahulio. Emma was a cute, two decades old vixen that called me as RIP. Next, Rahulio and Nalino went to Casey Moore's for some dinner. In this restaurant, a young Kim was flirting with me. She was into my sign, but she was a Sagittarius. At one point, Rahulio had to give her an awesome massage. Kim enjoyed my massage, but I kept going low. She thought I may caress her nips, yet it did not happen. Furthermore, her friend Lori was vaping. It was strange to see Lori vaping with her husband, who was looking at his cellphone for some odd reason. Lori was a pretty blonde and Kim was a nice blonde. Oddly, Kim called Nalino as 'Navin Johnson.' This odd nickname was for the movie 'the jerk.' Rahulio did not get the reference at first. In addition, the food at Casey Moore's in Tempe was awesome. The chicken fingers and chicken wings were mixed with chipotle sauce and ranch. Kim started to mention that she was married. Lori was married too. Rahulio felt the need to flirt, but there were not enough women to be with. If Kim were not married, Rahulio would feel the need to kiss the nice lips of Kim. Since G. Ripley does not commit adultery or break up people's relationships, kissing was not the smart option. In closing, the night had revelry. At the porch restaurant, modern times pilsner was on my mind. It was a good beer that ravishing rachel gave me. Good bye from my fun night with Nalino. Peace!! Enjoy the picture of the snowboard and Guinness!!

Pentagon; rubik cube; and other geometric stories from G. ripley

Today, geometry came to my mind. A rubik's cube has been a puzzle, that G. Ripley has not solved in his life. A rubik's cube is a 3-d combo puzzle, which was invented in 1974. The hungarian professor of architecture, Erno Rubik; designed this exciting toy. In addition to being a professor of architecture, Rubik was a sculptor. The rubik's cube has 9 panels, and it has six sides. Furthermore, the cost of this fun toy is less than $7 at discountmugs.com website online. G. Ripley will not be partaking in that transaction, to buy that really old toy. This morning, a beautiful blonde named Meredith presented a new rubik's cube to me. Her boyfriend, Dickie; happened to be in the vicinity. Dickie V. happened to tell me that the new rubik's cube is a pentagon shaped toy. A pentagon is a five shaped object, and this rubik's cube has 12 sides. This special rubik's cube is called a megaminx. Next, Dickie told me that he bought the megaminx on amazon.com. He entered this sweet coupon code, and he got an incredible deal. Immediately, Meredith corrected Dickie that he did not have the coupon code. The discount did not happen, but the cost was minimal. Meredith looked at Dickie with disgust, as he could not fool her. Meredith mentioned that the megaminx cost $9.99 without tax. As a result, G. ripley asked Dickie 'what did you want to pay for this toy?'. Dickie mentioned that the value of this product is less than $8. Ripley told Dickie that he could have bought the product at a street, which is less than 2 miles away. The street is called wisteria, and it is a renowned lane. Ripley gave the driving directions to Dickie. Dickie had this huge plan to buy another similar rubik's cube, as a birthday gift for Meredith. Moreover, Dickie and Meredith made a plan to meet at swapstore 411. G. Ripley gave directions to Dickie, which stated the store was on the northeast corner of Wisteria and Wunderkind. Dickie drove to wunderkind and wisteria, only to find that his gps on the iphone 9 gave him the wrong coordinates. Meredith and Dickie did not realize that a gps is not 100% accurate, since they were lost. They drove for 20 minutes, to find that the store was only ten minutes away. Dickie's question to meredith was 'how can a gps give the wrong geometric coordinates to me?'. In closing, one may know the directions to a store from the gps on any smartphone. But, it is better to write down directions instead. Rely on yourself to get from point A to point B, or directions. Don't assume the gps tech. is 100% accurate. Enjoy the shapes of the rubik's cube, in the geometric picture above. Arrivederci amici miei.

G. Ripley going through sobering experiences. Time to change!!

In life, human beings go through many experiences. Some of them are ones that are sobering. A sobering experience can be a very serious one, for many people to face. An example is a car accident that shakes someone's feelings on living, but changes their life forever. Let's look at January 9, 2020. A day for g. ripley to remember, as his car was in Mesa AZ; but the car did not go through any accident with another car or human being. Instead, the car came to a complete stop and RG did not feel the need to panic. He called Progressive which came to move the car back to his residence in a tow truck. Then, a week later passed and the toyota camry solara was transported to greulich's car repair. Here, the mechanics recommended that the car engine be replaced for good. The auto mechanics worked on the car for a week, then a hiccup happened with the car parts. In addition to the sobering experience with RSG, one has to pay for this major expense. To replace a car engine, it may cost $6-8 K ($6000-$8000 dollars) and financing has to happen. Luckily, snap finance called me to do the deal. Paying off this expense may take 8 months, but it will happen in a smooth fashion. Driving another car is strange, but any human will get the hang of putting the pedal to the metal in a black nissan altima. For me, this car is the black stallion that served a good purpose. In the next paragraph, let's talk about another sobering experience. When g. ripley meets a cancer survivor, what can you visualize? For me, a cancer survivor has this resilient strength to fight the disease with 100% energy. There are family friends that have cancer, of the brain and another body part. No details will be given, to tell the names of the people. Furthermore, these people are close family friends that give me the 2nd sobering experience. On December 23, 2019; a 68 year old woman told me that she works a job to fight her cancer. She could retire from Intel, but she wants to help people and herself to earn a stable income. For the past 3 months, this woman serves as an inspiration to many people. She has cancer of the brain, but her brain can still operate at a successful rate. In another 8 months, she hopes to be cancer free through chemotherapy; and other help from renowned oncologists and physicians. Finally, each experience can be serious and exciting. Today, two sobering experiences are discussed to help everyone. Enjoy the picture of auto repair, as it is an important part of g. ripley's life. Au revoir from Arizona, and the USA.

Good speeches by Michelle Williams; Joaquin Phoenix; etc. at Golden Globes 2020

The golden globes happened two days ago, at the beverly hilton hotel in beverly hills, CA. The big winners were Joaquin Phoenix for best actor in 'joker'; brad pitt for best supporting actor in 'once upon a time in hollywood'; laura dern for best supporting actress in 'marriage story'; and renee zellweger for best actress in 'judy'. Sam Mendes won the best director in film award for '1917' movie. Best picture in drama went to '1917' movie as well. '1917' won two awards. This movie winning those 2 awards is a big surprise, as '1917' movie could win an award or 2 at academy awards in five weeks. Furthermore, 'the irishman' movie did not win any awards. The movie received multiple nominations for film categories like best supporting actor; best picture; and best director. 'Parasite' movie won best foreign film. The south korean movie won one award, which puts the picture in good shape to win best foreign movie at academy awards 2020. 'parasite' is on my must see list for future movies to watch. Next up, there were great speeches at the golden globes. Michelle Williams won a golden globe award, in the tv category for 'fosse/verdon.' She gave a very moving speech, when she accepted the award. Joaquin Phoenix's acceptance speech for best actor, was more about the world making a difference for actors. He wanted everyone in the acting world, to make the difference for themself which would come down to actors doing the right thing. Joaquin Phoenix is my pick for winning best actor at the Academy Awards, on 2-9-2020. Let's move on to the Brad Pitt speech. He won an award for best supporting actor. If he wins the academy award for best supporting actor at the 2020 oscars, it would be his first academy award for acting. He won his 2nd golden globe award on sunday, and his speech was hilarious. He talked about his funny dating life, and how he brought no one as his date. Pitt gave a nod to leonardo diCaprio and Tarantino for helping him; with the acting in 'once upon a time in hollywood.' His ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston; did not win an award at golden globes 2020. In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss Tom Hanks winning the Cecil B. Demille award. Hanks speech was very moving. Tom thanked a lot of people including his wife, Rita; and their kids; charlize theron and his movie directors from past films;and other fellow actors/actresses he worked with. Hanks was nominated for best supporting actor for 'a beautiful day in the neighborhood.' Finally, Ricky Gervais did a good job in his monologue. He has been the host on more than 4 occasions, of the this great awards show. See the picture above of Brad pitt and leonardo dicaprio. This show is not something I watched on sunday night, as I had more romantic stuff with the ladies taking place. Check out g. ripley in February 2020 for academy awards coverage. It is the most exciting time of the year, in the film industry and Hollywood. Good day!!