Roger Federer wins sixth Australian Open title, and 20th major grand slam in Melbourne

The 2018 Australian Open ended earlier today with Roger Federer winning his 20th major grand slam title in Melbourne, against Marin Cilic in an epic five set thriller. Federer won his sixth title in seven finals, and he had not lost a set coming into the final. Roger won the first set (6-2), the third set (6-3), and the fifth set (6-1). He lost the 2nd set in a tiebreaker, and the 4th set (6-3). Roger was up 3-1 in the 4th set, and Cilic won the next five games to extend the match. Roger should have won the 4th set, but his serve was broken twice during that five game stretch. In the deciding set, Roger found another gear to close it out in seven quick games. This match was the second time that Marin Cilic and Roger Federer had played in a grand slam final, in consecutive years. Federer had beaten Cilic in three sets at the 2017 Wimbledon final. Cilic hung around with Roger in the fourth set, and Marin will move up to #3 in the world in the new ATP rankings on January 29. Roger will move within 200 points of Rafael Nadal, as his 20th major victory helped him to gain traction on Nadal's #1 ranking. Roger's serve was much better than his stats were, in his semifinal victory over Chung. Roger won that match in two shortened sets, as Chung retired in the 2nd set before it was over. Roger won the first set by 6-1, and was up 5-2 in the 2nd set before the match ended due to Chung's foot blisters. Lastly, Cilic's path to the final included a five set win over Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Nadal retired in the fifth set, as he was down 2-0 before leaving the match with an right leg injury. Cilic beat Kyle Edmund in the semifinals in three sets, and Marin reached his third grand slam final in Melbourne. The Croatian has shown incredible consistency over the past 2 years in the grand slam finals. Both Federer and Cilic had the pleasure of playing, with some celebrities watching them in the final match. Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky were sitting courtside at the Australian Open final. The beautiful married couple are well known for their acting prowess. As this post ends, Roger Federer has won three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments. Hope he plays the French Open this year, as it would be good to see him in all four grand slam tournaments. Enjoy the picture above of Roger Federer and his new Australian Open trophy. His sixth trophy was another spectacular match, between two splendid players. Long live the Federer Express!

Why Taiwan is not considered an independent country by all nations?

Today's story is about the island nation of Taiwan, and the various reasons why China calls it as a state or territory. The capital of Taiwan is Taipei, and the Taipei 101 tower has served as an architectural icon for the country since 2005. Taiwan was my home for three years, from 1981-1984. Taiwan is called as Chinese Taipei, and the United Nations does not recognize Taiwan as a country. Taiwan's unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2017, and Electrical and Computer machinery are its top two exports. Taiwan has been independent of China since 1950, but do not mention this fact to most Chinese government officials. The Chinese government wants to keep Taiwan as a region, or state of China forever. Taiwan used to be called Formosa, and it is under the rule of Republic of China (ROC) in the Chinese constitution. Since 2013, over 67% of the Taiwanese population feel that the country should not unite with China. Almost 79% of the island population feel that they are Taiwanese, not Chinese. The official currency of Taiwan is the New Taiwan Dollar, and $1 is 30 Taiwan New Dollar (or NT). Could Taiwan go its own way or road, instead of being under Chinese unified rule? The country should pass an anti-secession law, but it could be many decades until this public opinion becomes a reality. Currently, the majority of the general public wants to maintain the status quo which is to be considered a region or state of China. More than 20 countries in different continents (North America, Asia, Africa, etc.) maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The political and legal status of Taiwan is called the 'Taiwan issue, or Taiwan problem.' In addition, the main language in Taiwan is mandarin Chinese. It is hilarious when people consider Taiwanese as a language. Heck, a few Chinese people have told me that Taiwanese is indeed a recognized language. This story's closing points is Taiwan should become an independent country, and hopefully this plan becomes a reality before 2050. The island nation of Taiwan may not be a very safe place, but the country has improved its economic status through major exports and a higher GDP in 2017. Taiwan is considered as one of the four Asian Tigers, and it is one of the largest supplier of computer chips in the world. Maybe, the flag of Taiwan will change its colors and symbols one day to be separated from China. The current flag of Taiwan shines brightly above.

Visiting Jacuzzi, Artesa, and Inglenook wineries in Napa Valley, California

Today, there were three wineries in Napa County and Sonoma County for me to visit. Jacuzzi family vineyards was the first winery on my list, and this winery offered 5 different wine tastings for $10. This winery had a good selection of white wines like pinot grigio, prosecco, and chardonnay. Besides imbibing these three white wines, there should have been more of my favorite white wines like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. But, these wines were not offered in the inventory. Jacuzzi vineyards is located in the city of Sonoma, in Sonoma County. The next winery for me to visit was Artesa winery, which is located in the city of Napa in Napa County. Artesa is known for its panoramic views of Napa Valley, and there are a couple of nice avant-garde structures on the grounds. Yet, the sole white wine for me to drink was Albariño which is made in Spain. Artesa wins the award for least amount of white wine, for G. Ripley to drink. There should have been two or more white wines for me to try, at Artesa. Then, this winery would not have been the worst one for me to see out of the three. Also, the food at Artesa was a very limited plate of cheese; salami; chorizo, etc. Next, Inglenook winery became the next winery for me to visit in the city of Rutherford. This winery located in Napa county is hard to find; as it is tucked away from other visible wineries. The winery is owned by the Coppola family, and there is a wall that gives its ancestry including the famous Hollywood director, Francis Ford Coppola. Nicolas Cage, Sofia Coppola, Talia Shire, and Jason Schwartzman are famous Hollywood actors and actresses mentioned in the diverse family tree. There was a vast selection of white wines at Inglenook, like Sauvignon Blanc; Riesling; Chardonnay; and Blancaneaux. Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling wines were the ones, which I enjoyed. Inglenook winery was the most favorite of mine in the list of wineries today. Inglenook is quite ostentatious and lavish, as the winery has two levels in the chateau. The second level has the Tucker vehicle, which is an American car built in 1948. Finally, the Inglenook winery is the oldest of the three wineries seen today as it was built in 1879. Artesa is my least favorite of the wineries, and Jacuzzi is in the middle. The picture above shows the Inglenook winery with its greenery; fountain; and beautiful steps. A dopo!

My encounter with the Zeus virus, and its definition

Today, my encounter with the Zeus virus was a crazy one. The virus started when Mozilla Firefox did not open up to rotten tomatoes website, on my laptop. Instead, there was a voice on my computer talking about someone stealing my banking information, through my Facebook account and my yahoo or gmail account. The Zeus virus is a Trojan horse malware that runs on MS Windows. The Zeus virus is used to steal banking information by logging keystrokes, that a person does inside their web browser. The Zeus virus is spread through phishing schemes. If you have Norton Anti Virus software, then the Zeus virus can be removed and detected. The Zeus Virus is one of the ten most destructive computer viruses of 2017, as G. Ripley found Infoworld.com had cited this information. The virus was discovered in 2009, and it is not retiring anytime soon. The virus was first discovered for performing criminal tasks, and it has infected computers in many diverse ways. In late 2010, the creator of the Zeus virus announced his retirement but not so fast. In recent months, the virus is still infecting computers like yours truly. If a computer has the virus, it is not the end of the world. The way to fix the computer was to uninstall Mozilla Firefox, and to turn off the computer. Then, you can reinstall Mozilla Firefox through another web browser. Test the Mozilla Firefox by going to basic websites like usatoday, and CNN.com. If you don't have the message coming out of your computer mysteriously, then the Zeus virus Trojan horse may be removed. Hackers from Russia and the Ukraine had controlled the Zeus virus back in 2011. Finally, there may be a time where the web browser does not have any indication or traces of the malware. In the end, everyone should realize that if your computer has a virus or Trojan malware then the computer can be recovered without any problems. One should install Windows Defender, McAfee Internet Security software, Norton Antivirus, or avast antivirus to remove and detect computer viruses. At the end of the day, a good computer is one that does not have any computer viruses that can infect the computer. Hope you enjoyed this article, on computer viruses and the 'system failure' image above. Addio!

From journalism to politics to Hollywood, etc. Sexual harassment claims saga continues

In the past 60 to 90 days, many prominent people have been accused of sexual harassment that it is quite disgusting to read. Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Tambor, Brett Ratner, Russell Simmons, and Jeremy Piven are only a handful of names. Kevin Spacey, Al Franken, Steve Jurvetson, and Charlie Rose have lost their jobs also recently due to the ridiculous actions. Whether it's journalism, politics, Hollywood, or venture capital; many diverse industries are being classified as unsafe places to work for both genders. Louis C.K. and Roy Moore have become lurid household names for sexual misconduct. Is there something psychologically wrong with these high profile men? That question is very hard to answer, as some of them including Harvey Weinstein have lost their marriage and state of mind also. Weinstein went to a residential treatment facility about six weeks ago, to seek help for sex addiction plus other problems. What about the victims, and how can they get help? Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Olivia Munn and other famous Hollywood actresses have told the press, and general public about their meetings with Mr. Weinstein; Brett Ratner and other movie directors. The #MeToo movement is growing rapidly on Twitter, and many people have tweeted their experiences on various social media platforms. Victims of sexual harassment have been encouraged to file a legal claim, even if they have allowed the extremely rude behavior. Sexual harassment has been going on for many decades, and there is no real ending for this major societal problem. Victims should seek help from therapists, because it will help them conquer their fear of not speaking out. Sexual harassment in the workplace seemed to be declining until the past six months, as all the bizarre cases in an array of industries have been revealed. Finally, let's look at some famous sexual harassment cases like the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. Some other notorious sexual harassment cases are Navy Tailhook scandal of 1991; Senator Bob Packwood and his sexual misconduct in the 1980s; comedian David Letterman and his major late night mishaps in the late 1990s and early 2000s decade; and New York Times journalist Glenn Thrush recently. In the end, the best advice is for everyone to be very meticulous of their actions and environs. Hope the reader likes the image above of the various paths, which people should seek whether they are the accused or the victims. Good night and good luck!

If you own any of 'FANMAG' stocks, then hold onto them!!

In the past few days, the three major stock market indices (Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq) in the US closed at record highs. If you own any of the 'FAANG' stocks, then you may have made a very smart purchase. 'FAANG' stocks are Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. CNBC reporter (and Thestreet.com founder), Jim Cramer; may have coined this acronym back in 2014. Today, Facebook (FB) and the other four tech. companies are some of the most valued companies in the world. Apple has a market cap. of $891 billion; Facebook has a market cap. of $520 billion; Amazon has a market cap. of $536 billion; Google's market cap. is $723 billion; and Netflix is at $87 billion market cap. The DJIA has increased by almost 20% in the past 10 months, while the Nasdaq has increased by 26% in 2017 YTD. Finally, the S&P 500 index has increased 16% in 2017 YTD. Yet, there is one company that should be added into the mix. It is Microsoft, and the tech. giant has a market cap. of $649 billion. Then, the acronym changes from 'FAANG' to 'FANMAG.' These six companies are high performing ones, and they are tech. long term values. Most investors and hedge fund managers would advise the stockholders of these companies to hold onto these six corporations, in order to gain a long term profit. All six of these companies have been innovators in different industries, in the past three decades. Amazon has been a leader in e-commerce for the past two decades, and the company is looking for a new city/state to build their second headquarters (HQ2). Apple released their Iphone X product yesterday, and the phone is the most expensive smartphone at $1000 for a consumer to purchase. Facebook has been a leader in social media for the past decade, or a shorter time frame. The company has gained major traction in advertising and journalism, as more than 40% of generation X and Y read the news on Facebook. Google has been the #1 search engine; a leading web advertising company; and their Google Pixel 2 smartphone is a viable option for the non Iphone (or non Samsung galaxy) person/community. Microsoft continues to be a leader in the software industry, plus dabbling in the video game world and other areas. Netflix leads the streaming video market, for the past eleven years according to many Goldman Sachs (and other huge investment banking) financial advisers. Finally, there are competitive companies that give the 'FANMAG' stocks a bigger reason to innovate. For example, Hulu continues to be a viable competitor to Netflix thanks to their new subscription based plan services introduced in 2015 and 2016. Samsung reported record 3rd quarter profits five days ago. The South Korean electronics juggernaut continues to make major headway with their Galaxy S8; S8 Plus; and Note 8 smartphones. Goldman Sachs and other leading investment banking firms think that most investors will buy more of the 'FANMAG' stocks in years to come. Good luck to you, if you are a 'FANMAG' stock owner. Enjoy the image above, and arrivederci from G. Ripley.

Drinking wine in a cool, Canadian city in Fall 2017

Six days ago, Niagara on the Lake was the latest wine region for me to taste beautiful white wine. The Niagara region in Ontario province in Canada is known for really good wine. Trius winery was the first spot, in which Sauvignon Blanc wine and tasty seafood was consumed. Then, the next winery for me was Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery. This winery is walking distance from Trius, and Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery is a distillery also. Besides wine, whiskey is the other beverage made in the same location. The great Hockey player opened up his winery in 2017, and it has crisp Pinot Grigio and Riesling wines. The Niagara region is known for good wine, and it is called Niagara-on-the-Lake to be precise. The area is home to Niagara Falls, which lies in Canada and the USA. The Niagara region will be etched in my mind forever, as a fun place to drink wine in cool 68 degrees Fahrenheit. For Saturday, the Casa Loma castle is a huge gothic style revival house. The castle is in midtown Toronto, and the rain had stopped in time. Across from the Casa Loma castle is the Casa Loma stables, which is a little bit nicer in my opinion. The Casa Loma stables is a historical landmark, and the stables had incredible Halloween decorations. At the Casa Loma stables, a very pretty Chinese woman wanted me to take a picture of her parents. Instead, Mandarin Chinese words came out of my mouth and she smiled at me. Instead, the picture was of her and the parents. It is great to practice a language, which G. Ripley had to speak for three years. After Casa Loma castle and stables, the final destination for me was the CN Tower by Lake Ontario. It was the third time for me to be in this majestic tower, that is the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. CN Tower is the third tallest tower in the world, and it was declared as one of the modern seven wonders of the world in the 2000's decade. The tower is a picturesque icon of the Toronto skyline, as it juts 1,815 ft. The tower is a great place for G. Ripley to speak French, and a few people understood my words in the lovely language. As for my next trip to Canada, Montreal might be the city to see. Au Revoir from Rahulio Ganpuleone! Enjoy the picture above of green vineyards producing wine, in the Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery.