Exploring Northwestern Univ. and Robie House, plus enjoying St. Regis and Londonhouse and Nobu hotels in 2nd City; September 2026

Almost 18 days ago, Second City of America and most exciting city of Midwest aka Chicago became the R$G celebration spot. Mexican Independence Day is the birthday of one cool Rahulio Ganpuleone. Northwestern University's Feinberg school of medicine at 420 Superior Street is the first place for me to see. The next day brought an incredible tour of Frederick C. Robie House at the Univ. of Chicago. Robie House is an Prairie style home museum, that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This home is planted right across the street from Univ. of Chicago Booth School of Business. Furthermore, Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. David Booth gave a $300 million donation to Univ. of Chicago in 2008. After Booth school of business, Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park was on my mind for me to enjoy. Seeing two free floors of museum art inside, and 225-foot-tall museum tower from the outside plus Eleanor Roosevelt fruit and vegetable garden were places that RSG checked out in Obama Presidential Center. The last two places for me to see were renowned Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park. Millennium Park has Crown Fountain, an video sculpture and interactive work of public art created by Jaume Plensa. Mr. Plensa is a Spanish Artist, and the black granite reflecting pool in Crown Fountain is placed between a pair of glass brick towers. In addition to Crown Fountain in Millennium Park; Jay Pritzker Pavilion and BP Pedestrian Bridge are two landmarks designed by acclaimed architect, Frank Gehry. Seeing these two famous places in Millennium Park helped RSG to burn off some calories after seeing the private, nonprofit Art Institute of Chicago. Art Institute of Chicago is the 2nd largest art museum in USA; and it is located in Grant Park of Chicago. A clever way to end September 17 (Thursday) is to have Chicago deep dish style pizza, at Pequod's restaurant in Lincoln Park neighborhood area. Their food and crisp Maplewood IPA beer were great, plus Midwest hospitality and female company is the best. For Chilean Independence Day (September 18), St. Regis hotel and Miru restaurant were the first two places for RSG to visit. St. Regis Chicago is located in a 101-story skyscraper next to Chicago River , and very close to Navy Pier plus Lake Michigan. Miru is a Japanese high end restaurant that gives one a panoramic view of the tallest structure in the world; designed by a woman architect Jeanne Gang [of Studio Gang]. After seeing these two places in one massive structure/building, Evanston became my next quick 30-40 min. stop on a beautiful Friday. Northwestern University's Kellogg school of Management and Medill School of Journalism, plus McCormick School of Engineering were three places that RSG walked around and toured in the affluent suburb of Chicago. Northwestern University and Downtown Evanston and the univ. area in Evanston are definitely worth checking out. After seeing all of these highly ranked schools (colleges or dept.) in Northwestern univ.; the Goose Island Brewery was my last enjoyable event in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Brewmaster Matt gave Carey, a smart jovial UK Australian based woman; and G. Ripley an awesome tour of Beer and Bourbon and Chicago wisdom. Goose Island Brewery is the most commercially successful and influential craft brand owned by Anheuser-Busch, and their sample glasses are real pint size ones to keep. The tour lasts 70 min. and it is well worth the $18 price tag. For my last day in Chicago, Nobu Hotel and LondonHouse hotel gave picturesque views of Chicago Fog and a trilevel cupola bar. Nobu Hotel has a cool downstairs restaurant in lobby area; and LondonHouse hotel rooftop bar on 22nd floor is even better because of the trilevel cupola restaurant. Chicago for five decades of young happy birthday memories was unforgettable. Thank you to the countless supporters from friends/family and other cohorts that told me seeing Midwest's global city is the best move. Take care and looking forward to another quarter century and other decades to experience the life of G. Ripley (and R$G and other fun aliases). Peace from solo meticulous traveler et intelligent process driven personality. Au Revoir mes amis!!

How Pablo Torre broke the incredible news on twelve months LA clippers salary-cap circumvention in NBA

In September 2025, Pablo Torre produced groundbreaking investigative journalism findings about the LA Clippers facilitating the flow of $28 million in the form of a "no-show" endorsement deal. This "no-show" endorsement deal was completed to pay Kawhi Leonard, a two-time NBA Champion. Kawhi Leonard plays the Small Forward position for the LA Clippers. The LA Clippers made the dubious agreement, or underhanded transaction with the Aspiration company. Aspiration was a sustainability-as-a-service company before the company declared bankruptcy in March 2025. The company had its global operations(or corporate HQ) registered and based in Los Angeles, CA. Next, Pablo Torre reported in November 2025 that 11 Aspiration investors were suing Steve Ballmer, the owner of the LA Clippers. The eleven Aspiration investors filed a lawsuit against Mr. Ballmer for allegedly using the Aspiration company; to funnel millions of dollars to Kawhi Leonard. The Aspiration company offered more money than Intuit to own the naming rights to the Intuit Dome. The Intuit Dome is the arena that acts as home to the LA Clippers, and this NBA arena is located in Inglewood, CA. Intuit is an public, financial technology company that develops financial software and services; and this company has global operations in Mountain View, CA. In addition to the suspicious Aspiration deal, the Daktronics company paid Kawhi Leonard close to $8 million as part of an endorsement arrangement. This endorsement arrangement was tied to securing the Intuit Dome arena contract. The contract was to supply electronic signage and build the massive double-sided "Halo Board" at Intuit Dome. The contract was valued at $100 million reportedly. Daktronics is a public US company known for designing, engineering, and manufacturing massive digital LED video displays, scoreboards, and audiovisual control systems. The company has its corporate HQ in Brookings, South Dakota. Furthermore, Lockton Insurance is an insurance brokerage based in Kansas City, Missouri. This company provided off-court income to Kawhi Leonard also. The amount of money that Kawhi Leonard received from Lockton Insurance is ambiguous and uncertain. Besides Lockton Insurance and Daktronics and Aspiration offering endorsement agreements to Kawhi Leonard, Boingo Wireless is the fourth company that provided him with off-court earnings. Boingo Wireless is a private US company that designs, builds and manages wireless networks. This company has its corporate HQ in Frisco, TX. On September 2, 2026; the NBA penalized the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard following a year-long independent investigation that revealed salary cap evasion or bypassing. The LA Clippers team was fined $30 million and stripped of five consecutive first-round draft picks from 2029 to 2033. Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension from league activities, and Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers President of Basketball Operations, was suspended without pay for six months. Gillian Zucker, Los Angeles Clippers' President of Business Operations, was suspended without pay for one year by the NBA. Dennis Robertson was the business manager of Kawhi Leonard, until the summer of 2026. Robertson received a five-year ban from the NBA, which is barring him from conducting business with league teams. In closing, Pablo Torre hosts the 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast with Meadowlark Media. Mr. Torre hosted and contributed to various programs at ESPN previously, including the television program High Noon with Bomani Jones and the podcast ESPN Daily. Mr. Torre and his staff won the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting in May 2026. Pablo Torre is an renowned investigative journalist/reporter, who graduated from Harvard University in 2007. Pablo is a critically acclaimed reliable source of delivering outstanding news, in the Sports Journalism world. Many Kudos to Pablo Torre, and he will continue to take numerous victory laps!

Seychelles and Brazil plus USA are viewing G. Ripley's Experiences as Five Continents comes into play

Since 2009, G. Ripley is a household name on a cosmopolitan scale. The https://rsganpuleone.blogspot.com website is the writing weblog of one wacky guy, avec an alias of Rahulio Ganpuleone. Since July 2026, the Seychelles and Brazil and USA are the top three countries viewing mis escritos (Spanish for my writings). Na internet, escrevendo posts e histórias é uma forma construtiva de terapia. In July and August 2026, the top three TLD (top level domains) for viewing G. Ripley's Experiences comprise of A. Seychelles and B. Brazil and C. USA. Next, the country of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands off East Africa. The Seychelles has a top level domain of .SC. Victoria is the largest city and governmental capital of the Seychelles. The city has close to 25,000 residents as its population, and the government seat is located on the northeastern coast of Mahé Island. The currency of the Seychelles is known as Seychellois Rupee. One US dollar is 14.45 Seychellois Rupees, as the rate of monetary exchange. In contrast, Brazil is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. Brazil has a ranking of #5 in terms of total area across all World Hemispheres, spanning over seven continents. The main language of Brazil is Portuguese; while French and English are the top two languages in Seychelles. Brazil's top level domain is .BR ; and the main currency of Brasil is the Brazilian Real. The Portuguese spelling of Brazil is Brasil. The largest economy in the continent of South America is Brazil. However, the countries of Portugal and France are not the top two European Nations viewing the weblog of Rahulio Ganpuleone. The Netherlands and Germany have top level domains of .NL and .DE ; and these two European countries have the most views on World Wide Web for this weblog. Ukraine has a top level domain of .UA ; and this country is #3 in Europe for viewing this weblog. If you want to see the countries from Asia which are viewing this website the most, then India and Vietnam become the clear leaders. In this informative TLD and world geography story/post, Asia and Europe and South America and North America and Africa are the Five Continents viewing G. Ripley's Experiences. In closing, the main audience will see many world flags as the only background picture. If you counted all the countries on the .JPG image, then 55 nations from many different parts of the world can be seen. As the author of this post has gone to only three continents, it is incredible to meet many people that have visited five major continents. The five main continents of the world are North America; South America; Asia; Africa; and Europe. Australia is the smallest continent by land area; and Oceania is being grouped or another moniker of Australia/Oceania continent. Hope you and your coterie enjoyed this weblog post from one global informative Rahul Ganpule, aka G. Ripley or Rahulio Ganpuleone. Arrivederci Amici Miei!

Matt Damon and Christopher Nolan collaborate for third time on 'The Odyssey' movie

On July 17, 2026, Universal Pictures releases 'The Odyssey' movie in the USA. Matt Damon starred in small roles in 'Oppenheimer' and 'Interstellar' movies, and both movies were directed by Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan is directing 'The Odyssey' and Matt Damon plays the main role of Odysseus. The Odyssey is the first feature film in history to be shot entirely with 70 mm IMAX film cameras. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca; and he will endure a strenuous 10 year journey to get back to his wife and son. Furthermore, The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer. Homer's other well-known poem (or book) is the Iliad. Homer was a Greek poet. Both books give many details about the Trojan War and Greek mythology. Christopher Nolan has directed thirteen films since 2000. In addition, Dame Emma Thomas is Christopher Nolan's wife. Both of them have produced incredible flicks over the past three decades including 'The Dark Knight'; 'Batman Begins' plus 'The Dark Knight Rises.' Both of them operate Syncopy Inc. through two major offices in Los Angeles and London. Syncopy is a British American film production company. Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan won three combined Academy Awards for 'Oppenheimer' at the 96th Academy Awards in March 2024. In this penultimate paragraph, some of the main characters of 'The Odyssey' are Anne Hathaway portraying 'Penelope'; Zendaya portrays Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare; and Charlize Theron is Calypso, mythical enchantress/nymph from Ogygia. Calypso and Athena could be considered secondary characters, while Penelope is a major character. Tom Holland is Telemachus, the son of Odysseus; plus Jon Bernthal plays Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta. Robert Pattinson is Antinous, the main protagonist in the movie. Antinous leads the aggressive suitors who are attempting to force Queen Penelope into marriage. In the picture above, Matt Damon is listening to Nolan's stellar directing advice. As a renowned Hollywood actor/producer, Mr. Damon and Ben Affleck won one of their academy awards for 'Good Will Hunting' in 1998. Ben Affleck won another Academy Award for 'Argo.' Damon and Affleck own operate Artists Equity since November 2022. Artist Equity is an independent, artist-led production studio. Matt Damon and Christopher Nolan could be part of Oscar buzz in January 2027, during Hollywood Awards season. If you enjoyed this story by G. Ripley, make sure to read other stories as G. Ripley's experiences is viewed in Europe; Asia; and other cosmopolitan continents. Keep watching good movies directed by Christopher Nolan. 😊

Wine Spectator magazine review; Vivino app. review; and Teetotalers

Today, G. Ripley wants to discuss wine with his fans and fellow readers. Wine Spectator has the highest circulation of any wine magazine in the USA. Wine Spectator can be categorized as a lifestyle magazine. Wine Spectator has over 400,000 expert wine ratings plus tasting notes, score, and where to find good wine to drink. Whether you want to indulge in a good Pinot Grigio or Rose, read some good reviews about both wines at Wine Spectator. If you want to get good reviews of white and red wines, download the Vivino app. On your Apple iOS or Samsung Android smartphone. The Vivino app. Is touted as the World’s largest wine marketplace with trusted reviews, and doorstep delivery of great wines from around the USA. The ratings for white and red wines are on a 1 to 5 scale. G. Ripley finds good Pinot Gris like Acrobat, and good LaMarca Prosecco gets close to 4 out of 5 stars on Vivino app. The Vivino app. Is #1 wine app. And do not take G. Ripley’s word unless you downloaded the app. Today. Next, you may want to download the wine.com app. On your smartphone. Wine.com is an American wine online retailer. The company sells over 2 million bottles per year of red and white wines. Like Vivino, the Wine.com app. Has a corporate office in San Francisco, CA. Like Vivino, the Wine.com app. Has ratings on a 1 to 5 scale. In contrast, white wine and red wine is not for everyone to consume. Some famous people that do not drink alcohol are Larry Ellison, Chairman of Oracle software; Eminem, rap superstar; Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr.; and Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson. For Larry Ellison, he prefers not to have any foul substance that clouds his octogenarian rich man mind. George W. Bush is a famous former president that quit drinking alcohol. Robert Downey Jr. quit alcohol and taking drugs in 2003. A teetotaler is someone who does not consume alcohol. In closing, there is many alcoholic beverages that people choose to drink. Yet, sobriety can be accomplished through willpower and making other smart life choices. To be a teetotaler does not happen overnight. Drink responsibly and choose a designated driver if your night becomes a horrible one. Good day and good luck!

Jannik Sinner could win the Career Grand Slam in French Open in June 2026

In June 2026, the men's final of French Open is played on the first Sunday of the month. In Paris, Jannik Sinner appears to be the favorite to win the French Open title on the men's side. If Sinner wins the French Open, he will win the Career Grand Slam as the French Open is the only major title that he does not have. Sinner has won the Australian Open twice, as he won in January 2024 and January 2025. Sinner won Wimbledon in July 2025, and he won the US Open in September 2024. At the 2025 French Open, Sinner lost in the men's final to Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking of last year's French Open men's champion, Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his title at this year's French Open. The #2 ranked player in the world, Alcaraz; is sidelined with a right wrist injury currently. Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open; Italian Open; and the French Open. There is not a definitive timeline for Alcaraz's return to the ATP tour at this time. In 2026, Sinner has won five titles including the Italian Open in Rome yesterday. With his win in the Italian Open final yesterday, Sinner became just the second man to complete the Career Golden Masters along with Novak Djokovic. The Career Golden Masters means Sinner won all nine ATP Masters 1000 events in series history (since 1990). The #1 ranked Sinner has the #1 seed at the French Open, which starts play on May 24 at Roland Garros. The main draw for the men's 2026 French Open will be announced on May 21. On the women's side, the ladies French Open defending champion is Cori 'Coco' Gauff. She won the 2025 French Open in a thrilling three set match over #1 ranked Aryna Sabalenka. For the women's draw, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff appear to be the two favorites. Aryna Sabalenka did not win any of the tournaments in the 2026 clay court swing. Iga Swiatek has won the French Open in 2020; and she won the French Open in 2022-2024. In closing, Jannik Sinner could win his fifth major, if he wins his first French Open title on June 7, 2026. Recently, Jannik Sinner is finding romance with Laila Hasanovic. Laila is a beautiful Danish model and content creator. See the picture above of Laila and Jannik. Good luck to Sinner at Roland Garros. Au Revoir from G. Ripley.

Updates in the NBA Playoffs 2025-2026

Last weekend, the NBA playoffs started with exciting games on April 18 and 19. For the third year in a row, OK City Thunder is the #1 seed. The Thunder are winning in their series against Phoenix Suns, as Thunder won the first two games. Victor Wembanyama and his Spurs teammates are #2 seed. The LA Lakers are winning their series with Houston Rockets, as the Lakers won the first two games in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are hanging on the bench due to their recent injuries at the end of regular season. In the Eastern conference, the Detroit Pistons are tied 1-1 in their series with Orlando Magic. The Magic are the eighth seed and Orlando won game one in Detroit. The Boston Celtics are tied 1-1 with the Philadelphia 76ers in their first round series. The Knicks are tied 1-1 in their series with Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta won game 2. The Cavaliers are the #4 seed, and they won the first two games of their series against the Toronto Raptors. In terms of NBA awards, Shai Gilgeous Alexander won NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. Keldon Johnson won the sixth man award. Victor Wembanyama won the Defensive Player of the Year award. The three major finalists for NBA MVP are Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama. Jaylen Brown and Luka Doncic did not make the cut for the top three finalists for MVP award. Doncic won his second scoring title, as he had the highest scoring average in 2025-2026. If Shai Gilgeous Alexander wins the MP award, the Thunder could be the odds-on favorite to make the NBA Finals for second consecutive year. Yesterday, Jalen Williams from OK City Thunder injured his left hamstring. The number of games that Williams could miss is not an exact number at this time. The Denver Nuggets won game 1 of their series against Minnesota Timberwolves. In game two, the Timberwolves came back to win the game by five points. This series should last six or seven games. For the LA Lakers, they must win two more games and their opponent in second round could be OK City Thunder. If the Detroit Pistons beat the Magic in three more games, their second-round opponent could be the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many NBA analysts are saying the Cavaliers are under the most pressure in the playoffs. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden would have to lead the Cavaliers to an upset over Detroit, to make their first conference finals since the Lebron James era. Detroit vs. Boston would be an exciting Eastern Conference Finals matchup. The San Antonio Spurs have limited playoffs experience in the past seven years, so this team is not a lock to make the Western Conference Finals. In closing, there are only a few teams that have a good chance of making the conference finals in Eastern and Western conference finals. If the Lakers win their series vs. Houston and OK City Thunder beat the Suns in the first round, both teams will play each other in the second round (or conference semifinals). My pick is for the Nuggets to lose in six games to the Timberwolves in the first round. Minnesota could play the Spurs if San Antonio wins three more games in their series, with Portland Trailblazers. Last year’s eastern conference champion was Indiana Pacers. This team did not make the playoffs this season. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are in the picture above. Good luck to your favorite NBA team in the NBA playoffs.