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!

Attaining mission impossible!

As one reads the title of this post, the last two words (mission impossible) seem to be ordinary. These words come from a popular TV show and a well known hollywood trilogy. Yet, this post is not fiction but reality. This is a true story of how G. Ripley dealt with an anomaly through the support of friends and family. As humans live, we deal with various medical conditions. A few posts ago, I wrote about testicular cancer. People like Lance Armstrong and Joe Torre were the true inspiration for that part of the post titled "Shock Therapy." For this specific post, I need not look no further than within myself to speak the truth. After surviving an aberration (i.e. lymphadenopathy), a human being's perspective changes and it boils down to "survival of the fittest." It was Charles Darwin who wrote this phrase in his ideals on Natural Selection. As humans, we should live by this cliche. As this post comes to an end, my closing remarks are that you must continue to monitor your body. Anything is possible and you are responsible for your actions. When you feel there is a problem, find the power within yourself to seek help. The more knowledge you can absorb, will help you attain mission impossible (a very healthy body).

Adventures in the .com world!

This entry is not about the Dot Com (.com) world per se, yet it touches upon entreprenuerial ventures. Earlier this year, a new social networking site was started online. It is Buddystumbler. It is a site designed by my associate, r. bhatia. My associate is a friend who has started this business with one intention. His main intention is to spread the idea of meeting people online through instant messaging. It is a brilliant idea and one that sticks like glue! Actually, I have been friends with this entrepreneur for a handful of years. Many technology entrepreneurs start businesses (or a company) as a side project of sorts. But, is it really a side project or a fun way to make some extra cash? As an entrepreneur in the 21st century, there are many risks and rewards for starting your own venture. First, there is the true business idea. Second, there is the idea of making a profit. Third, there is the stellar idea of "going public." The first two ideas are necessary for keeping the business afloat. What about the third idea? The third idea (going public) was the Mantra of the late 1990s technology boom. Now, there are social networking sites which are not public. The common examples are MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook. All three are "the heavy hitters" for people who want to expand their social network. What's the next big idea in social networking? G. Ripley wants you to go to Buddystumbler. Please support my friend and try something new. Au Revoir, mes amis! Bon chance!