Venice & Tennis: Two weeks ago

Ah, what would you do in Venice? Well, first let's be specific about which Venice (California or Italy)? Two weeks ago, G. Ripley was in Venice, California for some home buying! No, that's a major joke because I could not afford to buy a home in the venice canals. This home is practically a modern day castle from the canals in venice, california. The canals in venice are awesome. They are located a couple of blocks from venice beach. Besides seeing the homes in venice, G. Ripley checked out some women's tennis matches in carson, california. Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva were in the quarterfinals of the East Bank tennis classic. It was great to see this match. Sania Mirza was playing doubles before the battle of russia (sharapova vs. dementieva) began. It was fun to see sania in action. As for the rest of the trip, G. Ripley was doing some karaoke (sung "where the streets have no name" by U2) at dell's bar in west LA. Doing karaoke was a lot of fun.

Mixed Signals!

For all of those people who think they can figure out humans, there is another topic called mixed signals which sets human relationships far apart. Here's an example. A man seeks a woman as a companion, and the woman seeks him as a friend. But, there appears to be chemistry at odd times between the friends. The male and the female agree that they are friends. The male feels that there are times when the friendship goes above & beyond that (into possibly a relationship). The female laughs this off, and thinks that it's friendship only. When the male senses that the female is playing hard to get, it opens up another door of mystery. What is the male to do? Play the game with one female or look at another as a rebound. Why is that males pursue females, and females pursue males? It's a question that has many answers and did it really start with A & E, Romeo & Juliet, etc? The author writes this story from past experiences which his friends have gone through. Also, he speaks from his own experiences. This story reminds one that there is a Carrie Bradshaw in all of us. Props to the ladies of SEX & THE CITY!

Hollywood shining bright!

Well, it's the first picture on the blog of the Talented G. Ripley. This picture is up because this is another post on movies. This past weekend, Hollywood G. saw "harry potter and the order of phoenix." It was another great potter flick in the one of the most lucrative movie franchises in film history. Did you know that the harry potter movies have grossed more than $3.5 billion in profits over the past 6 years? Its is utterly amazing. Last night, I saw "fast food nation" on dvd. Greg Kinnear plays a fun loving marketing VP for a huge fast food chain, Mickey's. The movie also stars Wilmer Valderrama, Bruce Willis, Rosanna Arquette, and Avril Lavigne. Avril has a small part. I think she better stick to singing "girlfriend" or other good tracks. So much for her happy movie ending. What else? This past week, Ganpuleone was spotted on Buddystumbler and on the internet in a cool video. That's all for now.

"Live Free or Die Hard", Update on Harry Potter

Today, Hollywood G. checked out "Live Free or Die Hard" at the movie theater. This movie is a great flick. This past weekend, the movie was the no. 3 movie at the box office. It was behind "Transformers" & "Ratatouille". Nonetheless, this fourth die hard movie is a great movie with tons of action. It lives up to its solid "B" rating. Justin Long & Bruce Willis are a dynamic force to be reckoned with! Next weekend, it's Hogwarts mania as "Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix" hits theaters. Hollywood G. will definitely be at the theater to check out J.K. Rowling's fifth book (turned into a movie). As for J.K. Rowling, her final Harry Potter book comes out on July 20. The book has already sold 1.6 million copies online. That's magical!

Venus Shines, Roger F. makes it five straight at All England Club!

Venus Williams shocked the world at Wimbledon with four straight upsets en route to her fourth wimbledon title. Venus shined like none other on 7-7-07. On the men's side, Rafa Nadal pushed Roger Federer to five sets before surrendering the title. Twice in the fifth set, Rafa was up two break points yet it was to no avail. As for the Wimbledon tournament, the rain caused way too many delays for all players. Andy Roddick lost a grueling five setter to Richard Gasquet. The young frenchman was down two sets and 4-2 in the third, before he registered one of the biggest upsets in the men's bracket. Next up for the tennis world, it's the US Open Series. Let's see if Maria Sharapova can defend her titles in the summer plus at the US Open in Flushing Meadows.

Latest Reviews from Hollywood G.

Well, G. Ripley turned into his alter ego this past friday night. G. Ripley saw "knocked up", and here's a review from his associate. Doing his review, here's Hollywood G! Hollywood G. recommends "knocked up" as a great date movie. After seeing the movie, Hollywood G. thought of his friend, TAV. TAV is an old friend who reminded me of Leslie Mann. Leslie Mann plays the unforgettable part of "Debbie" in this hilarious summer flick! Knocked up has all this raunchy humor about sex, drugs, and various topics (like pornos, etc.). Anyways, Hollywood G. gives the flick a solid B+ rating. On Saturday night, Hollywood G. saw "Ocean's 13." The movie was hilarious and full of subterfuges! His good friend, Matt Damon, played a great role as Linus. Linus has this humongous nose and he is the womanizer in the movie! Hollywood G. gives the movie an A-. As for his rating system, Hollywood G. does not have a well defined one! He sees a movie, and tells his fans about it!

Meeting celebs!

This post has to do with celebrities in Sports, Entertainment, and Politics/Business. G. Ripley has met celebrities, but it is very hard to get their autograph! I have met at least one celebrity every year since 1999. Some of the celebrities are sports oriented (Shawn Marion & Andre Agassi), while others are entertainment superstars (Emma Watson and Tony Shalhoub). Others are politicians/business leaders like Alan Greenspan and Newt Gringrich. Around celebrities, you have to keep your cool! You can seek an autograph or a conversation, but it has to be done in a nonchalant manner. The best way is to be appropriate and diplomatic. It sounds simple, but it is far from it. My final word on celebrities is accept them for who they are! They are not superhuman, and they are not perfect. One day, you may step in their shoes!