NBA plays preseason games in India; China; and Japan with mixed reactions

The NBA preseason started around October 4, and it was on a global stage. Some teams played in the US, while the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers played two games against each other in Mumbai, India. India hosted its first two NBA preseason games at the NSCI dome in Mumbai, and some of the credit goes to Vivek Ranadive. Vivek is the owner of the Sacramento Kings, and he is of Indian descent. Larry Bird; Detlef Schrempf; and Jason Williams were in Mumbai to watch their former teams play against each other. Both teams made some fantastic memories in India. Next, the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors played a pair of games in Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The Toronto Raptors do not have Danny Green, or Kawhi Leonard as both players are gone through free agency/trade. The Houston Rockets added Russell Westbrook, but lost Chris Paul in a trade. Westbrook and James Harden are friends since their childhood days. The Raptors are favored to make the NBA playoffs out of the East, but NBA analysts should not see them in the NBA finals or eastern conference finals. The NBA games in Japan were a success. In contrast, the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets played a pair of games in Shanghai. Kyrie Irving suffered an injury in the first game, and he will miss the 2nd game. The NBA games in China are not about the games, but more about the NBA supporting the Hong Kong protests. China is a communist country that is dealing with the Hong Kong protests, and Daryl Morey tweeted his support of the protests on twitter. Morey is the general manager of the Houston Rockets, and he used his freedom of speech wisely. Adam Silver is the current NBA commissioner, and he applauded Morey for expressing his opinion on the Hong Kong protests. Recently, the US and China were locked in a trade war over the past handful of months. Today, the US has reached a phase 1 deal with China that will delay any further tariffs. After Daryl Morey's tweet, a few Chinese businesses that supported the NBA decided to withdraw their sponsorship and support. The NBA cares had to cancel some events in China, after the Chinese companies withdrew their support of the NBA. Chinese TV decided to stop the broadcast of both NBA preseason games in Shanghai. In this penultimate paragraph, let's discuss these three Asian economic stalwarts. China is the 2nd largest economy in the world, and it is the largest economy by GDP in Asia. Japan is the 2nd largest economy in Asia, and the country is host of the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo that start in July of next year. India is the 3rd largest economy in Asia, and it is the 2nd most popolous country in the world. If the global economy tips into recession in 2020, then Asia would be hit by rising unemployment; slowing economic growth; and a dearth in manufacturing. In closing, the NBA is a global sport and a huge entertainment platform that can expand to other continents. The NBA preseason could start playing games in Africa and South America. Brazil and South Africa are two countries that Adam Silver should consider, for playing future games. The NBA might play a regular season game in Paris, or Barcelona. The NBA plays regular season games in London and Mexico City already. Hope the audience enjoyed G. Ripley's post on the NBA; world geography; and recent political events. Enjoy the picture of Nagpada, a neighborhood in Mumbai that has tried to raise awareness of basketball on a global level.

Celebrating Mexican Independence Day!!

Every year, September 16 happens and it's time to drink Corona or Modelo since its Mexican Independence day. Yes, It's Mexican Independence Day!!! My birthday lands on Mexican Independence Day!!! If rahulio ganpuleone was in Mexico, it would be great to check out the parades; fireworks; and beautiful latin ladies. Big cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio are having huge celebrations for Mexican Independence day. Futhermore, today is El Grito. There are famous celebrities like Nick Jonas; Mark Anthony; and Alexis Bledel that celebrate their birthday with me. It is great to celebrate today with red, white, and green. These colors are on the flag of Mexico. Chiles En Nogada is a great dish to eat today, to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. To celebrate this day with the military, there is usually a huge parade. This day is to celebrate the 'cry of independence.' There is a lot of parties and dancing in Mexico, and maybe $ex is there also. This day is a national public holiday in Mexico, and for R$G too. "Viva Mexico" or "Viva la independencia" is shouted in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Finally, Elgin Baylor is born today and he is 85 years young. Mickey Rourke is celebrating his birthday today. Lauren Bacall and B.B. King celebrated their birthdays today, before they went to heaven. David Copperfield is in his 60s, and he celebrated his birthday. All of these people celebrated Mexican Independence Day. Enjoy the picture above of the Mexican flag. Buenas noches!

Andreescu wins her 1st grand slam at US Open, while Nadal wins 4th US Open title

The US Open is the last grand slam tournament for the Tennis world. Bianca A. won her 1st grand slam title, by defeating Serena Williams in the US Open final yesterday. Serena Williams is stuck on 23 grand slam titles, as she lost her 4th straight final at a grand slam tournament. Andreescu played lights out, as she beat Williams in two convincing sets. Serena seemed the favorite coming into the final, but her serve was not as consistent yesterday. As for the men's final, Rafael Nadal won his 4th US Open title. He has 19 grand slam titles, and Roger Federer has 20 grand slam titles. At this point, Federer knows that Rafael could tie the record in 2020. Nadal won in 5 sets over Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev lost the first 2 sets, but battled back to win sets 3 and 4. In the fifth set, Nadal found a way to win. When the men's draw came out, the fans looked for djokovic vs. federer in the semifinals but djokovic lost in the 4th round. Federer lost in the quarterfinals, so he did not play nadal in this tournament. Federer has not played Nadal ever at the US Open, and this matchup could have been the final. Yet, Federer lost to Grigor D. in the quarterfinals. Nadal and Djokovic are battling each other for the year end #1 ranking on the ATP tour. During the men's final, there were some definite celebrity sightings. Uma Thurman; Paul Bettany; Jennifer Connolly; Michael Douglas; Ralph Lauren; and Anna Wintour were the Hollywood and fashion icons in the building. Tennis legend Rod Laver attended the match also. At the women's final, Meghan Markle was rooting for Serena to win. In the end, Andreescu became the first Canadian to win a grand slam final at the US Open yesterday. In this penultimate paragraph, upsets started happening in almost every round on the men's and women's draw. The women's defending champion, Naomi Osaka; lost in the 4th round. She will not be #1 when the new rankings come out tomorrow. Ashleigh Barty, the 2019 french open champion; will be #1 again. On the men's side, Novak Djokovic lost to Stan Wawrinka in the 4th round which was a major upset. In closing, Nadal played his best throughout the final 2 weeks. The Spaniard could win #20 in the French Open, unless he wins at Melbourne at the 2020 Australian Open. Could Roger F. win #21 in Melbourne? Enjoy the picture above of Bianca and the women's trophy. She shocked the world indeed!

Recession warnings from Germany, Brazil, etc.

While the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) survey has predicted a recession in 2021; there are major economies like Brazil and Germany that could be experiencing a recession in 2019. Other economists believe that there is a 40-45% chance of a recession in 2020. Morgan Stanley economists believe that the recession could happen in 2020; if the trade tensions between China and the US continue to escalate. The last recession in the US was from 2007-2009; and it was given the nickname of 'The Great Recession.' President Trump continues to state that the word 'recession' is inappropriate. Back to Brazil and Germany's recent economic data, Germany saw a 0.1% drop in the April to June period. Europe's largest economy is seeing falling industrial production and orders, which makes it seem the slump is continuing during the 3rd quarter 2019. If Germany experiences a recession in 2019, then the rest of Europe could follow suit. UK and Italy have experienced growth that is negative, throughout 2019. Brazil has seen negative growth in 2019, in GDP numbers. Argentina is in a recession also, and Mexico joins them as another Latin American country in turmoil. Next, Singapore and South Korea are two troubled Asian countries that are showing negative numbers for GDP in 2019. The US-China trade war is hurting Singapore and South Korea. Russia could enter a recession by the end of this year. With these nine countries in recession or on the verge of entering recession, it gives the US a higher chance of entering recession in 2020. Consumer spending is continuing to help the economy grow in the US. If retail sales start to slow, there could be widespread store closings and layoffs in the retail sector. These problems would result in an increase in unemployment. An increase in unemployment would make the consumer stop spending, which could lead to a decrease in GDP in the future. The consumer confidence numbers in a recent Univ. of Michigan survey showed that the consumer is worried about a recession. The recent ISM report showed that manufacturing is growing at 51.2%. This number is above 50, but it went down since June 2019. In this penultimate paragraph, the US election is close to 14 months away. If President Trump loses his re-election bid, will the US go into recession? This question is one major point that the President is trying to tell his supporters. The author of this post is not a Trump supporter, and he is hoping that the democratic party can win the election in November 2020. Trump needs to stop tariffs before 2019 is over. Tariffs are going to hurt the US consumers. In closing, the US consumer needs to be wary of a possibly recession in 2020. Consumers can save up money now, or keep spending to help the economy. Enjoy the picture of the global world map above. Hope the recession does not come until 2020, or 2021. Hope the readers enjoyed this discussion on recession; global growth; and current countries that are experiencing or on the verge of recession.

Mergers in the world of newspapers

Back in the 1990s, people would read newspapers daily. Times have changed, as many people do not read newspapers these days. The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, the world's richest person. Gannett owns USA Today, and 99 other daily newspapers. But, New Media Group announced plans to acquire Gannett in the past two weeks. This merger would create the nation's largest news company by print and digital audience. Next, the main combination is Gannett and Gatehouse. Gatehouse is owned by New Media Group. Leon Cooperman is a billionaire, and he has increased his stake in New Media Group recently. He is an influential investor in New Media Group, as he owns 9.9% in the company. MNG Enterprises failed in its hostile takeover attempt of Gannett. MNG Enterprises and major stockholders may oppose the merger between New Media Group and Gannett. Furthermore, Gannett is twice as large as New Media in terms of revenue. New Media would own a majority of the company, if the merger is approved. New Media Group's acquisition deal is worth approx. $1.4 billion, with Gannett. The shareholders of Gannett and New Media will vote whether to approve the deal, before the start of the 4th quarter 2019. The merger should close by the end of 2019. There have been continued declines in print advertising, as people read the news on their smartphones; follow news through social media; and read online news. In addition, consolidation would be huge for digital journalism changes for Gannett and New Media. The merger makes senses as overlapping costs would be shed, and the combined company would attract advertisers on a national scale. In the digital journalism transformation, this deal should happen. The combined company will continue with the Gannett name. If the merger is approved, the two companies would operate more than 260 daily news operations and boast the largest online audience of any American news provider. In this penultimate paragraph, the merger could be in limbo. New Media Group's market cap is close to $500 million, while Gannett's market cap is $1.1 billion. New Media Group has corporate headquarters in NY state, while Gannett has main offices in McLean, VA. If the merger is not approved, Gatehouse and Gannett would stay as independent companies. The merger could fail due to industry attractiveness; long-term future; net present value being greater than purchase price; and integration challenges. In closing, digital journalism could transform in many ways if the merger of Gannett and New Media Group is approved. Enjoy the picture of Gannett company headquarters above. The merger will help both companies in the long run, according to many digital journalism critics. Good day everyone.

Four Billion-Dollar Films for Disney shows Mouse house dominance

In 2019, Disney has four billion-dollar films in the first seven months. "Captain Marvel"; "Avengers: Endgame"; "Aladdin"; and "The Lion King" have grossed over $1 billion at the global box office. Pixar's "Toy Story 4" could gross more than $1 billion in the next couple of weeks. Disney's movies have grossed $7.67 billion already, which has surpassed their own record of $7.61 billion in 2016. "Frozen 2" and "Stars Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" could be two more movies that surpass the $1 billion mark also. "Frozen 2" will be released in November, and "Star Wars Episode IX" will be released in December 2019. In 2017, "Star Wars Episode 8" and live-action "Beauty and The Beast" surpassed $1 billion at the box office. Last year, three movies surpassed the $1 billion mark for Disney. "Black Panther"; "Avengers: Infinity War"; and "Incredibles 2" were the big moneymakers. In addition, "Avengers: Endgame" is the #1 movie at the box office of all-time. The movie surpassed "Avatar" to achieve this monumental feat. As for next year, "Black Widow" will be released as its own stand alone movie for MCU fans. Scarlett Johansson will reprise her role as the international spy and assassin, that is seen in other Marvel Studios movies. Rachel Weisz has been confirmed as a villain in the 2020 flick. As for other summer 2019 box office hits, "Spider-Man: Far From Home" has surpassed $1 billion which is good news for Sony/Columbia. Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland did a great job in the movie. Finally, other movies that peaked my interest were "Godzilla: King of Monsters"; "Dark Phoenix"; "Men In Black: International"; and "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood." So far, the 2019 summer box office has grossed close to $3 billion. 2013 and 2015 summers were 2 of the best summer box office numbers ever in Hollywood, in the past decade. Hope you have enjoyed the summer flicks so far. There may be one or two more sleeper box office hits before the end of August 2019. Au revoir from the box office, and hope you like the picture above of Spider-Man.

Facebook introduces Libra cryptocurrency as a new product to reshape global financial system

Facebook is the world's largest social network with approx. 2.4 billion users. The company is going to introduce their own cryptocurrency called Libra, in 2020. The cryptocurrency and blockchain system is backed by major companies, and it is supposed to change the global financial market in numerous ways. The main goal of the cryptocurrency is to help 1.7 billion people get access to financial systems. This huge amount consists of adults who do not have their own bank accounts, across the globe. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes called the prospect of Libra’s success, as very scary. On the other hand, Wall Street is liking this endeavor because it adds a potentially big source of revenue. Facebook makes a majority of their profits through advertising, and cryptocurrency could be another moneymaker. Facebook can profit big time from consumers using Libra, even if the transaction fees are low. Libra could help Facebook get into finance, and become a huge financial player. Libra has the power to be a new decentralized global payments platform. Libra is a cryptocurrency like bitcoin, but there are major differences. Libra's value will be pegged to a basket of modern paper currencies and backed by reserves consisting of bank deposits; government securities; and other low volatility assets. First, Libra will be on a blockchain that allows only known nodes to participate in the network. Also, this blockchain is called permissioned because access is granted to validators — entities that endorse transactions. Eventually, Libra plans to have no permissions as long as technical requirements are met. Libra will be governed by a nonprofit group based in Switzerland consisting of 28 founding members. The Libra blockchain will be open to anyone who wants to build applications on it. Each founding member can control a validator node, by investing at least $10 million through the buying of Libra Investment Tokens. The tokens grant rights to a share of future interest earned by the reserves. Next, Facebook seeks to diffuse the concerns of regulators; competitors; and consumers by controlling Libra. This process will be done with the setup of a nonprofit group, Libra Association. The Libra Association is a system that is purely controlled by Facebook, as the firm is becoming a subject of massive skepticism and concern due to its practices. Libra is not a blockchain in the pure sense, because transactions are not totaled into blocks. A huge concern of Libra is the cryptocurrency could leak a lot of information about users transactions. Another concern is usability, as private keys are evaporating - lost by users or stolen. In this penultimate paragraph, cryptocurrency problems will be further discussed. One problem is they lack price stability. The second problem is they are prone to be used for illegal activities. The final problem is they seek to circumvent central authorities, among other obstacles that impede mass adoption. Libra is created to avoid many of these challenges. The blockchain system could become a framework to support many platforms. In closing, Libra will not be supplanting financial institutions or central banks. The world's major banks will be involved, if Libra is launched successfully in 2020. Facebook’s entry into cryptocurrencies would hasten the regulation of bitcoin, ripple, etc. Enjoy the picture of Libra cryptocurrency. Let's see if the cryptocurrency can help Facebook make more $$$, in twelve months.