Wicked received Four Golden Globe Nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe nominations announcements

On January 5, 2025, The 82nd Golden Globes Awards will happen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Golden Globes Awards will broadcast live on CBS, for the second consecutive year. For the past two to three decades, the Golden Globes Awards would appear on the peacock network aka NBC until 2024. Nikki Glaser will host 'Hollywood's Party of the Year'; and it will be her first time as host. Nikki is a renowned comedian. She was the host of the Tom Brady Roast on May 5, 2024. Furthermore, Wicked is a musical which has become a box office juggernaut in the past four weeks. The movie has earned more than $500 million at the box office, and the movie's budget is $150 million. The movie has received four Golden Globes nominations. Cynthia Erivo received Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical nomination; Ariana Grande received Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture musical nomination; plus the movie received a Best Motion Picture musical nomination and a Cinematic and Box Office Achievement nomination. If you saw the 'Wicked' movie already, then there will be a second 'Wicked' movie released in November 2025. If you are a mega fan of the first 'Wicked' movie, then you will have to wait another 11 months until November 21, 2025 for 'Wicked: For Good' movie. Next, there are some huge movies appearing in movie theaters on Christmas Day including 'A Complete Unknown' and 'Babygirl.' Timothee Chalamet plays Bob Dylan, and Edward Norton plays Peter Seeger in 'A Complete Unknown.' Timothee Chalamet is nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, and Edward Norton is nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The movie received a Best Motion Picture in Drama nomination also. Nicole Kidman is nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her starring role in 'Babygirl.' In this penultimate paragraph, the second part (half) of the Golden Globes Awards is dedicated to awards in television. The Day of The Jackal is a renowned novel, which was written by Frederick Forsyth in 1971. The book was made into a television series, which stars Academy Award Winner Eddie Redmayne. The television series is streaming on Peacock, the streaming service owned by NBC Universal. Eddie Redmayne received a Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Television Series - Drama nomination at the Golden Globes. 'The Diplomat' received three golden globe nominations, and it is a renowned television series starring Academy Award Winner Allison Janney and Keri Russell. In closing, the big movies that win at the Golden Globes awards are strong favorites to win an Oscar at the Academy Awards show. Dick Clark Productions will plan, host and produce the 82nd Annual Golden Globes®. It is viewed in more than 185 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s votes were tabulated by KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms. If you attend the Golden Globe Awards, make sure to attend those massive after parties like the Billboards after-party. Don't drink too much champagne and act responsibly, a friendly message from G. Ripley.

Donald Trump wins presidency, and becomes second president after Grover Cleveland to be president in different terms

On November 5, 2024; history was made in an unfortunate way. Kamala Harris lost the race to become the first female president of the USA. Donald Trump is the 47th president. Grover Cleveland was the only president who was in power in March 1885, then he was replaced by another person in April 1889. Yet, Grover became the 24th president in March 1893 and he served his final term. Donald Trump was in power from January 2017 to January 2021. Furthermore, Grover Cleveland was the 22nd president from March 1885 to March 1889. During this term, Cleveland did not deal with an economic recession. Donald Trump had to deal with the pandemic starting in 2020, which led to negative quarters of growth (or recession) in the first two quarters of 2020. On January 6, 2021, the votes for Joe Biden were confirmed as Joe Biden became the next president. Unfortunately, Joe Biden did not run for re-election in August 2024. In contrast, the Vice President Kamala Harris ran a campaign for president with her VP running mate from Minnesota - Governor Tim Walz. Their campaign went for 107 days. The polls were very tight throughout the presidential race, between Harris and Trump. Harris defeated Trump in their only debate on September 10, 2024. Donald Trump lied his way through a victory, in the only debate between Trump and Biden on June 27, 2024. Biden was said to be suffering from a cold, and major jetlag. In this penultimate paragraph, Allan Lichtman made the historical prediction that Kamala Harris would win the 2024 election. For the second time, Dr. Lichtman was wrong. In November 2016, he predicted Hillary Clinton would defeat Donald Trump. Hillary lost the presidential race to become the first female president. In November 2024, Harris lost both the popular vote and the electoral college vote. It was the first time that Trump won the popular vote ever, in his third time of running a presidential campaign. In closing, Dr. Lichtman is a professor at American University in Washington DC. He has taught at California Institute of Technology in the past in Pasadena, CA also. His thirteen keys did not hold true this time around. Dr. Lichtman and the rest of the USA was shocked on November 5 night, and the early hours of November 6. Will Donald Trump go through another impeachment in his second term? It appears that Donald Trump may not go to jail, for any of his four previous trials. The second Trump term might change the USA with the use of Project 2025; mass deportation; and tariffs. Enjoy the picture above of Grover Cleveland, and the author prays that the USA does have a woman as POTUS someday.

Seeing Tim Walz; Mark Kelly; Gabby Giffords; and other celebrities at a October 2024 rally

Election season is upon the USA, as November 5 is election day nationwide. Six days ago, G. Ripley saw Senator Mark Kelly and his wife, Gabby Giffords. Gabby Giffords was a senator from AZ. She was from the Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 8th district during 2007 to 2012. This political couple spoke about the upcoming speaker aka Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz. Tim Walz is the Vice President pick of Kamala Harris, the current Vice President of the USA. At this rally, the theme was an Early Voter celebration party. This party was held at Trevor Browne High School in Phoenix, and Arizona is a swing state. After Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords descended the podium, Ana Navarro was the next speaker. Ana Navarro is a strategist and political commentator. Yet, she is a member of Republican party and she is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. Ana is placing the US country over her political party. She gave a rousing speech, and she is a co-host of the daytime talk show 'The View' on ABC. The crowd inside the high school gymnasium enjoyed her speech thoroughly. Next, George Lopez came to the lectern. George is a renowned actor and comedian, as he has appeared in many tv shows and movies since 1990. George Lopez is of Mexican descent, and he was born in Southern California. George has received several honors for his work and contributions to the Latino community. The crowd and R$G enjoyed Mr. Lopez's hilarious jokes on everything, about the diverse reality that America has dealt with since 2015. In that year, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for US President. After George Lopez left the lectern, Tim Walz came on stage to give an enthusiastic speech. As Kamala Harris Vice President pick, Tim Walz is governor of Minnesota besides being a former high school football coach and high school teacher. Tim Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard. Tim Walz and JD Vance did their vice president debate on October 1, 2024 in Philadelphia area. Tim Walz mission at the rally was to encourage the crowd to vote early. As for R$G, voting early is a good practice which he did in 2016 and 2020 and 2024. In closing, the rally was a great event to experience. Many democratic voters were there, and there were some sad parts of the rally. One of them was seeing four people tossed out for comments regarding the Israel war. The secret service and security had to toss out these people for their unruly behavior. Lastly, make sure to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on 11-5-2024. Dump Trump and Maga (morons are governing America) forever!!

Seeing Ryan Tedder play melodious piano and OneRepublic sing for 'Artificial Paradise' tour; plus whirlwind Sky Harbor Airport Romance (SHAR)!

Four days ago, Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic played at The Venue at Thunder Valley Casino. One of their best songs is 'Singapore' off of their new album that is called 'Artificial Paradise.' Artificial Paradise deluxe album was released in July 2024; and Thunder Valley Casino and the Venue is located in Lincoln, CA. The violin and flute and other awesome instruments make 'Singapore' a peaceful, serene track and this song plus other beautiful medleys were played on Friday, October 4. OneRepublic's concert lasted 75 minutes, and the setlist was 12-15 incredible tracks. Yet, OneRepublic did not start playing the concert until 8:25 pm even though the scheduled start time was 8 pm. Next, the group started off the concert with 'Sink or Swim' which is a popular track from their new album. The group mixed four to five songs into one medley with the list including a. Good life; b. Lose Somebody (without Kygo); c. Apologize; d. Stop and stare; and e. Kids. The four to five songs medley was an ultra special request that OneRepublic did for the packed spectator crowd in the Venue. There was no intermission in the concert, and some beautiful Japanese women thought there was an opening band. R$G had to tell them that there is no headlining opener, which was much to their cute dismay. During this tertiary paragraph, OneRepublic did play 2-4 songs which they did not ever play live. Ryan Tedder, the band's lead singer; admitted that he has written/produced over 45 tracks for artists like Beyonce Knowles, Maroon 5; Tate McRae; etc. Ryan T. came out to a black piano and played the tune of 'Halo' from Beyonce. Then, he sang it like the great pop star and the picture above is from his great 'halo' performance. The beautiful Tate McRae song of 'Greedy' was the next song that Ryan played piano too. His voice was not as catchy as Tate's, but he did mention that the track is from 2023 that he produced for her. One of the last songs that Ryan played on piano effortlessly was 'Love Somebody' by Maroon 5. In this penultimate paragraph, Kygo's song of 'Stranger Things' was one of the last two songs that OneRepublic played. As this song was played, Ryan Tedder mentioned that 'Didn't I'[from 2021 album - Human] is another breezy song that Kygo helped the band to create/produce. Kygo is the main artist that Rahulio had to channel on October 3, in my Sky Harbor airport romance (SHAR). A sexy young Libra woman named Itzel is the one, that helped me to miss my flight to Sacramento (SMF airport) on Thursday. Some wacky sex god/player named Gary was in 'Blanco Tacos and Tequila' restaurant, and he bought a nice Tangent Pinot Gris for me. He bought two santan IPA beers for Itzel, and the three of us drank our alco beverages. In closing, Itzel and her latin lover Rahul guapo missed their 4:44 pm flight from PHX to SMF. The next flight for the California dreamers was four hours later, so Itzel and R. sexy decided to eat fish plus chips at 4 peaks brewery. Rahulio and Itzel exchanged kisses on the lips. The sensous LA (lip action) is one of my favorite things to do with les femme fatales. Miss Itzel is engaged, yet we exchanged numbers which led to more $exstasy of kisses and hugging. G. Ripley's advice to all engaged; divorced; or ysl (young sexy, lady) is to try the Airport Romance (AR) once or twice in life. Romance is good on the ground, or Up in the air per the Rahulio Ganpuleone playbook. Au Revoir Mon Amour!

Discussing card games and Sports Betting with a professional

About two days ago, G. Ripley ran into Ro$$ at a nice beer and burgers taproom close to home. Ro$$ is a man who can win $1000 in craps in two hours at Flamingo LV hotel. He told me that the Wynn hotel is the next spot for him to lose that $1000 in roulette. Ro$$ is the boss, yet he does not mind a money loss. For Ross goss, losing in roulette teaches him that fortunes can change in a matter of 100 minutes. Next, Ro$$ told me that roulette is a banking game with all bets being placed against the bank. The bank is the house or proprietor of the game. Roulette is french for small wheel. Players bet on which red or black numbered compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball will come to rest within. This small ball is spun in the opposite direction. In addition, the bets are placed on a table marked to correspond with the compartments of the wheel. The smartest bet in roulette games at Caesars Palace casino is on red/black, odd/even, or small/big. There is an almost 50% chance of doubling your money, thus you can play roulette for a longer timeframe. Straight bets come with a high level of risk, so it is best to keep the stakes low. At MGM Grand hotel, Ross has made his most money at roulette and craps. After a few Karl Strauss and Catalyst crafted vintage beers, young Ross explained that FanDuel and DraftKings should have merged some years ago. These two fantasy sports gambling enterprises are the best for online betting, and parlay[combo bets]. Ross will bet $1 on a game, and hope to get $2.40 thanks to his mega parlay in NFL sunday games. Ross got burned using BetMGM, even though BetMGM has more options. Yet, Ross has made good money with caesars sportsbook app. In closing, the well informed Ro$$ is not hitting up Las Vegas strip or Fremont street in downtown LV to play roulette or craps in the Fall 2024. The major prediction is he will win more money in NFL bets, through FanDuel or DraftKings. His gambling habit spiraled to major losses in 2020 and 2021. However, Ross rebounded with a huge windfall in the black in 2022 and 2023 figuratively that he paid off a major debt. Good luck to Ro$$ and all the future mad gamblers of the USA. Win Big always!!

When successful people change their mind on one career only to pursue another challenging endeavor

Today, G. Ripley discusses three to four people that changed their mind on one career and pursued another challenging endeavor instead. In this post, the stories of a young Harvard MD; an NYU graduate that is a comedic hit on SNL; and an academy award nominated actor from 'the office' tv show are disclosed. The first vignette involves Michael Crichton, the renowned best selling author who received his BA from Harvard Univ. in 1964. Five years later, Michael Crichton graduated from Harvard Medical School. Yet, he did not pursue a career as a medical doctor as he published 'the Terminal Man' and 'The Andromeda Strain' in 1969. A fair amount of Michael Crichton's books like Jurassic Park; Rising Sun; and Disclosure became box office movie hits, and these successful flicks garnered critical acclaim for the brilliant MC. In this subsequent paragraph, the Saturday night Live actor named Bowen Yang is the main topic. Bowen Yang was a pre-medical student at New York University initially. Then, comedy became his main passion to pursue. During his college years in NYU and beyond, he found time to perfect his comedic routine. Since 2018, Bowen joined Saturday Night Live as a member of the writers staff and worked his way to become a successful comedic actor on SNL and in hit movies including 'The Lost City (2022) and The Garfield Movie (2024). This multi-taltented arts performer is an alumnus of NYU dept. of chemistry. In this tertiary act, 'The Office' was a hit tv show on NBC from March 2004 to May 2013. The comedic show's eccentric and strikingly beautiful cast included Steve Carell; Rainn Wilson; Jenna Fischer; John Krasinksi; Melora Hardin; Mindy Kaling plus other aesthetic Hollywood actor/actresses. Steve Carell received an academy award nomination for best actor for 'Foxcatcher' movie in 2015, yet he lost in the Oscars (87th Academy Awards). Steve Carell graduated from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He did not pursue a law degree, as he could not finish the personal essay section of the LSAT (law school admissions test). At some point, Steve is thanking his lucky stars for pursuing 'the 40 year old virgin.' This movie plus 'Crazy, Stupid Love' and 'Anchorman' showed the filmmaking world; that he is known for his hilarious acting in successful comedic flicks. In this penultimate paragraph, the readers will see that pursuing another endeavor is taking another risk that can change someone's life in a beautiful manner. Matthew Damon is my final character in this fourth act that took a writing and acting chance, with his friend and business partner Ben Affleck; to produce 'Good Will Hunting' in December 1997. Affleck has two academy awards and Damon has one, which they both received in 1998 Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay for 'Good Will Hunting.' Since 2022, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck launched Artists Equity, a successful production company. G. ripley exhorts everyone to see the 'Air' movie from 2023, regarding Michael Jordan's first shoe contract with Nike. In July 2005, G. ripley met his beautiful siren, Laura; to have dinner and drinks at The Continental. Matt Damon did not graduate from Harvard Univ., as he was less than 10 credits away from graduation. Damon and Affleck's restaurant, the Continental in Beverly Hills; was a great place for food plus drink and ambience. In closing, pursue your passion and dream big in life. Who you can meet and the mentors that guide you will help you to pursue a hopeful career in medicine; engineering; law; acting; and the theatrical and writing arts. Bill Gates; Lawrence Ellison; Matthew McConaughey; Abhijit Talwalkar; and Eric Schmidt are my personal role models who can help humans to achieve the impossible. In less than three months, make the right choice to vote in the USA. Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to change America to attain the promising future; for young successful minds to grow and prosper. G. Ripley hopes all readers will enjoy the picture of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Good day; Good night; and good luck to the Global world!

Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora K. are the Wimbledon champions; plus Incredible structured rites of passage on Bastille Day

Bonjour Mes Amis! Aujourd'hui c'est le jour de la Bastille. Oui, C'est vrai!! Vive le 14 juillet. Des feux d'artifice ont lieu à la tour eiffel. Au revoir de Paris, Rahulio Ganpuleone! Next, Carlos Alcaraz won his second wimbledon title at All England Club in London. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the finals for the second year in a row. Carlos is undefeated in grand slam finals, as he picked up his fourth grand slam singles trophy. In the women's draw, Barbora Krejčíková from Czech Republic won her first wimbledon trophy. She upset Danielle Collins in the fourth round, and she defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she beat 2022 Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina then the ladies singles finals involved Barbora defeating Jasmine Paolini in a classic upset. Onto a different environment, Rahulio G. went to a well structured rites of passage at a funeral for Mrs. SDA. To preserve the privacy of Mrs. SDA, her name will not be disclosed. SDA is a well known Devi, in the valley of Phoenicians. In the Ramayana epic in Hinduism, Sumitra is the mother of Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Rahulio G. read the Ramayana and Mahabharata books in 1992; and in 1996 once again. In the funeral, the family of SDA made it clear that the rites of passage would last 55 minutes. In this penultimate paragraph, the hindu priest delivered beautiful bhajans as his voice was melodious. SDA laid in the casket, and her body was an incredible display for everyone to visualize and see. Her two daughters plus one son were resilient in their delivery, of the flowers to the body. Her husband, Baja; put together a great slideshow of pictures of family and friends. In closing, Bastille Day 2024 is replete with good memories. The first paragraph of this story is dedicated to Paris and France. President Emmanuel Macron called France’s snap parliamentary election to clarify the political situation. The snap election ended on July 7, and the Parliament in Paris is hung. Vive La France!

Thank you Hong Kong; Tel Aviv; Melbourne; Rabat; Toronto; Barcelona; and Buenos Aires from R$G

When interesting people visit six different continents, they become great tourists. This information is 100% true, as R$G knows two people that have visited six continents. These people are family to me, and Hong Kong is high on our list for one of the best cities to visit. Between 1981 and 1984, Maanshan, Taiwan was our home. Taipei and Kaohsiung were cities that we visited for grocery shopping; clothes shopping; and other fun activities. Next, Israel is an island country located in Western Asia. This country has Tel Aviv; Jerusalem; and Haifa as its most populous cities. Yarden Mount Hermon White is a good white blend, which is kosher. It is white wine that is made in Israel. Let's go to Melbourne, which is the second most populous city in Australia. Australia is the world's largest producer of bauxite, a sedimentary rock and ore that contains aluminum plus gallium. The middle paragraph of this traveler's story will cover Toronto, home of the CN tower. Toronto is Canada's New York and Los Angeles mixed into one. The city is called Hollywood North, and Toronto has its own Canadian Walk of Fame. Niagara on the Lake is Canada's premier wine country, and this region is close to 70 miles from Lake Ontario. Make sure to drink white vino at Wayne Gretzky 99 estates and Trius in Niagara on the Lake city. This duo of wineries is what the talented white vino connoisseur Rahulio drinks. The fourth paragraph from the accidental tourist covers Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. French Montana is a favorite hip hop and rap artist, and he is from this North African country. Morocco is the fifth largest economy in Africa by GDP (gross domestic product). U2 is an huge Irish rock band, and the musical quartet recorded 'Magnificent' song in 2009. This song was recorded in Fez, Morocco. This penultimate paragraph covers Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. Argentine food is known by its incredible asado, or barbecue. You might want to try a good chimichurri sauce, on your pollo asado. The Argentina soccer team won the 2022 world cup in soccer, and the team was a runner up in the 2014 world cup. Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, in terms of area. In closing, Barcelona is the second most populous city in Spain. Spain has produced two well known male tennis players, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Enjoy the picture of Hong Kong above. The author got lost in this SAR (special administrative region) of China back in December 1981. 再见 or Zàijiàn which is good bye in Mandarin Chinese, from Rahula.

Rafael Nadal loses in 1st round in French Open 2024, plus Andy Murray ponders retirement from tennis

Bonjour mes Amis! Live from Paris, Rafael Nadal loses in the first round to Alexander Zverev. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist Zverev thrashed Nadal in three sets at Roland Garros. Many tennis broadcasters and sports critics feel 2024 French Open is Nadal's last time to play in the 2nd grand slam of the tennis calendar year. Due to Nadal's 2024 year replete with injuries and losses, Rafael has a current ranking of #275. This reason is why he faced the No. 4 ranked Alexander Zverev, the 2020 US Open finalist. Next, the major question for Rafael Nadal is 'should I retire this year from the sport which has fulfilled my career financially; successfully, and in other ways?'. Nadal turns 38 on June 3, and he is married. He has a son, and his body wants to recuperate with friends and family in Mallorca, Spain. Rafael Nadal did not play in Australian Open in January 2024. Wimbledon is the next major, which starts on July 1 in England. Rafael could play his last Wimbledon this year, and he won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010. In contrast, Andy Murray lost in first round to Stanislas Wawrinka. Wawrinka won three grand slam titles like Murray, and Murray has labeled 2024 as his last year possibly on the ATP singles tour. The Scottish Murray has won two doubles titles with his brother, Jamie Murray. Andy Murray has won two gold medals like Rafael Nadal, yet Nadal has won nineteen more grand slam titles. Andy Murray turned 37, on May 15. He has four kids and he is married also. Like Nadal, Murray has dealt with too many injuries in 2024. At the 2024 Miami Open, Murray damaged two ligaments in his left ankle. Murray had hip resurfacing surgery and this surgery is an artificial implant. Andy Murray was born with bipartite patella, a condition in which the kneecap remains as two separate bones instead of fusing together in early childhood. Murray has reached eleven grand slam finals, yet he has won only three grand slam titles. In closing, 2024 could be the last year for both of these celebrated grand slam winners. If Nadal and Murray retire, Novak Djokovic is the last of the big four to continue his illustrious career. Djokovic has not won a singles title in 2024. Yet, he is ranked #1 in the ATP rankings. Jannik Sinner won the 2024 Australian Open, and the Italian is ranked #2 in the world. Jannik Sinner is dating Russian Anna Kalinskaya currently. G. Ripley had to report this breaking romantic news, before he bids adieu to Sinner's cosmopolitan fans.

Minnesota Timberwolves sweep Phoenix Suns in first round; plus Oklahoma City sweeps New Orleans in first round

At the end of April, the NBA playoffs will showcase new teams in the 2nd round. The Phoenix Suns lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in four games. The Timberwolves were led by Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert in their game 4 victory last night in Phoenix. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 82 points, but the #6 seed Phoenix Suns lost by six points to Minnesota on April 28. Bradley Beal scored nine points, and the Suns were outrebounded by 11. The huge difference in rebounding is another reason why the Phoenix Suns season ended quickly. Next, the Oklahoma City Thunder had the best record in the Western Conference. As the Western Conference #1 seed, this team is led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous Alexander and a great supporting cast of players. Chet Holmgren; Jaylin Williams; Josh Giddey; and Gilgeous-Alexander scored in double figures in game 4 tonight. This fourth game is the final game in their first round series, as Oklahoma City swept the New Orleans Pelicans. Oklahoma City's coach is Mark Daigneault, and he won NBA Coach of the year honors this season. The OK City Thunder are the youngest team to win a playoff series in NBA history. In addition, let's talk about the best regular season team in the NBA which is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won 64 games and the team won the Eastern Conference by fourteen games. The Celtics won the first three out of four games, in their first rounds series against the Miami Heat. Game 5 is on May 1, and the Celtics should win that game at home in TD Garden in downtown Boston. The Miami Heat lost in the NBA Finals in June 2023, but the Heat could be ousted in the first round. In this penultimate paragraph, the Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship in June 2023. This year, the team is the #2 seed and their first round opponent is the LA Lakers. The LA Lakers are the #7 seed. The Nuggets beat the LA Lakers in five tough games. Will the Nuggets go back to the NBA Finals in June 2024? Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are leading the team, and hope Nikola Jokic does not win NBA regular season MVP. In closing, hope you enjoy the picture above. The picture shows the starting five for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last time that the OK City Thunder played in the NBA Finals was in June 2012. Good night and enjoy the rest of the NBA Playoffs!

After 'No Time To Die' movie in 2021, the next James Bond actor is a mystery

In October 2021, Daniel Craig played James Bond for the last time in 'No Time To Die.' This movie had its twists and turns, as James Bond died plus James Bond's daughter made a cameo. These two scenes were crucial ones, that are considered to be a first for the 007 movies. With Daniel Craig being cast as James Bond for five movies, it is going to take a couple of more years to find the next marvelous British spy. This enigma might have a few candidates in the mix now. Let's look at some respective names in the upcoming paragraphs. First, Idris Elba could be the first Black James Bond. The stellar English actor is 52 years young, and he could be a regal choice for the role. On the contrary, some critics think he is too old to play Commander James Bond. Another British name to arise out of the blue is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Aaron is the right age at 33, and he has played a Marvel character in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron.' Taylor-Johnson played Kick-Ass superhero adapted from Marvel comics in two successful movies. Second, many people think of Henry Cavill as a multi-faceted adept actor. Remember that he played Clark Kent in three to four movies. The familiar movies were 2013's 'Man of Steel' and 2016's 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.' Cavill reprised Superman in 2017's 'Justice League' and 2022's 'Black Adam' movies. Cavill can be seen in 'Argylle' of recent, which was released in February 2024. With the news of Aaron Taylor-Johnson's offer of the James Bond role, does it mean that Cavill got snubbed for 007? Third, Tom Hardy could be a possible choice for a 'Bond 26' flick. The 26th installment of the spy linked movies is about two years away from any major Hollywood announcement. Hardy received an Academy Award nomination for his villanous role in 2015's 'The Revenant.' In 2012, Hardy played the puzzling 'Bane' character in 'The Dark Knight Rises.' If the author of this post had to pick two, Hardy would be one of the top two choices. Hardy has received major recognition for the 'Venom' films, and will be back in 'Venom: The Last Dance' in October 2024. In closing, the list of James Bond actors may include Henry Golding. His fans know him from 'Crazy Rich Asians' in which he was the love interest of Constance Wu. In 'A Simple Favor,' Golding plays the husband of Blake Lively in an incredible crime comedy thriller. The four choices for James Bond are listed in this informative post, and the choice will be up to the public in 2025 or 2026. Enjoy the picture above of the SIS building. Good night from the MI6 building plus the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, the United Kingdom's foreign intelligence agency.

Capital One buying Discover Financial Services in first noteworthy merger of 2024

When you think of CapitalOne, the stock symbol is COF. The company has corporate headquarters in Mclean, VA. The company has Jennifer Garner, Samuel L. Jackson, Charles Barkley, Spike Lee, Jim Nantz, and Willie Nelson in their various commercials. One of the slogans of CapitalOne is 'What's in Your Wallet?'. The market capitalization of Capital One is $51 billion. Next, Discover Financial Services has a stock symbol of DFS. The company has corporate headquarters close to Chicago, IL. The company has a market capitalization of $30 billion. One of their slogans is 'It pays to Discover.' Two days ago, Capital One announced that the company will buy Discover for $35 billion. In addition, this merger in the credit card industry will make credit card users live under more pressure from high interest rates. The US public is known to be in record debt, and Elizabeth Warren is one Massachusetts senator that is asking for the FTC to block this deal. Warren is stating that the deal could reduce competition. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover are the four biggest credit card brands in USA. Some stock analysts believe that the duopoly is Visa and Mastercard. In this penultimate paragraph, the author states that he used to have a discover credit card and a citigroup mastercard credit card. In 2015, my two accounts were closed due to debt in both of the credit cards. Currently, my only credit card is a Visa through Bank of America. Discover credit card and Mastercard credit card send me more promotions, for credit card offers. It may be better for me to decline those offers, as most world citizens should stop living in credit card debt. In closing, American Express is a credit card that is not for me. If CapitalOne and Discover merger is approved, it would happen in another 8-12 months. The deal could be blocked, and antitrust issues is the reason why the merger may not be approved. See the picture above of Disover's logo. One main advantage of Discover is earning unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases. You can earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter, when you activate. Hope this feature stays, if CapitalOne and Discover merge into one company.

At the Golden Globes 2024, The big winner is 'Oppenheimer'

Last night, the Beverly Hilton hotel was the location of the 81st Golden Globe awards. The host of the show was Jo Koy, and his monologue was not a great moment of the night. 'Oppenheimer' won five golden globes last night, and it was the big winner. Christopher Nolan won for best director, and the movie received the best motion drama picture award also. Cillian Murphy won best actor in a drama motion picture, which was a huge surprise for 'Oppenheimer.' Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor in a motion picture, which was a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, the 'Killers of the Flower Moon' got one huge award for Lily Gladstone. She won for Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, for her incredible performance. In her acceptance speech, the fellow Native American gave a cool speech in the Blackfeet language. If you have seen 'Poor Things' movie, the science fantasy black comedy won two golden globe awards. Emma Stone won a golden globe award for the movie, in the best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy category. The movie won the golden globe in the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy category. Next, the foreign language film 'Anatomy of a Fall' won two awards. Also, 'The holdovers' won two golden globe awards. Paul Giamatti won a golden globe for 'the holdovers' in Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy category. Da'Vine Joy Randolph won a golden globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for 'the holdovers.' This movie is on my list of movies to see. In closing, the awards season will continue this month. The Oscars official nominees will be announced on January 23, 2024. The Oscars will be held on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Other prominent awards shows will happen in February 2024. Until then, enjoy the picture above of Christopher Nolan receiving his first golden globe award for 'Oppenheimer' movie.