Triple Tri Blog

Now, this one is pretty sweet (from the guys at Uncrate):

It's one thing to build a supercar from the ground up. It's something else to take a sports car, break it apart, lengthen it, and put it back together with a different engine inside. Yet that's exactly the case with the Hennessey Venom GT ($TBA). Limited to just 10 per year, the ultra-exclusive Venom GT is based on the Lotus Elise, but is powered by the Corvette ZR1's supercharged 6.2 liter LS9 V8. Hennessey has tuned the stock engine's output up to 725hp, but will also offer twin-turbo versions putting out 1,000 and 1,200hp, respectively. Other Ferrari-fighting features include a six-speed Ricardo gearbox, 15-inch carbon ceramic brake rotors, a programmable traction control system, an active aerodynamics system with adjustable rear wing, and massive Michelin PS2 tires. The Bat signal awaits.

This one is a few days old, but with all the sports/super cars I post, I couldn't pass over this one:

Four-door Veyron, anyone? While it's still just a concept — production models aren't expected to arrive until 2012 — the Bugatti 16C Galibier ($TBA) is very much a sedan successor to the blindingly fast supercar. Its engine will boast the same 8.0-liter W-16 architecture as the Veyron, but will employ two superchargers in place of the two-door's quad-turbos; other features will include dramatic LED-laden headlights and taillights, a unique dual-opening hood, a main "spine" running the length of both the exterior and interior, an eight-speed automatic transmission, eight individual tailpipes, and a luxurious, yacht-worthy interior. As for the price, you'd better start planning your bank robberies now: it's rumored to top the one and a half million mark.

I like the Bugatti better as a two-door, but I understand what they're going for with this model. Still, awfully sleek and sophisticated.

The last Triple Tri birthday of March is upon us - Happy Birthday Maggie.

Hope you have a great birthday (despite the dreary weather here today) and get a chance to relax and enjoy the day.

Earth Hour takes places tonight at 8:30 PM (local time).

Not sure what Earth Hour is ? Head to the official website, or see our previous post for more information.

Looking at these images, it's hard to call this one a "video game" but check out the newest generation of console games featuring a "cinematic experience":

You know all the crap we've been fed over the years about this game or that game offering a "cinematic experience?" Well, Heavy Rain ($55) actually delivers the goods — and then some. Defying conventional game design, this interactive thriller has you step into the shoes of four main characters who are involved in a search for a murderer called the Origami Killer. As you move through the story, you're given hundreds if not thousands of choices, some big, some small, but all influencing the rest of the game in profound ways. You even continue playing if your main character gets killed, just like how a normal movie doesn't end when one of the main players gets offed. A cinematic experience, indeed.

My only complaint: it is only available for the PS3 platform, and not XBOX360. Maybe in time...

Hard to believe it, but we're to our third Triple Tri birthday of March already (one each weekend, this year) This time the birthday wishes go out to AES.

Hope you have as relaxing of a day as this little girl.

Hope you have a great day. We're having our annual Triple Tri Birthday / St. Patty's Day Extravaganza this weekend, so we have lots of things planned and will have a great weekend.

On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. In the U.S. where we are already feeling the impacts of climate change, Earth Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about this issue and want to turn the lights out on dirty air, dangerous dependency on foreign oil and costly climate change impacts, and make the switch to cleaner air, a strong economic future and a more secure nation.

Participation is easy. By flipping off your lights on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time you will be making the switch to a cleaner, more secure nation and prosperous America.

This doesn't take any extra effort or cost to participate and that is one of the best parts of this movement. Simply flip off the lights for an hour. If it were one week sooner, we'd host a Triple Tri Earth Hour party --- but instead, it's up to each of us to do our part.

Check out EarthHour.org for more info.

Wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Triple Tri. Hope everyone has a great day.

Interesting St. Patty's Day tidbit:

Originally the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. However, over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. St. Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. Then in 1798 in hopes of making a political statement Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching attention with their unusual fashion gimmick. The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from the song of the same name.

And now you know,... and knowing is half the battle. (couldn't resist)

With the NCAA Tournament field set, people have noticed there are some schools in the running that aren't well known by the masses. That inspired this quiz from Mental Floss.

Hit the link to take a 12 question quiz where you identify the state that is home to 12 lesser-known basketball programs. I got 10 out of 12 - but had to guess on 4 (only got 50% of the guesses correct)

It's that time of year again to fill out your college basketball brackets. This year, like 2002-2003 will be up for grabs because our beloved Heels aren't in the cut, which makes the picks a little more unbiased. Enough about that, good luck to those of you who participate.

Group Page
Group Name: Triple Tri
Password: duke sucks

If you would like an invitation to join the group, leave a message with your email address and I'd be glad to send you one.

Past Winners:
2004 - L8N
2005 - AES
2006 - L8N
2007 - Jess
2008 - Vickie
2009 - L8N/Phil (T)
2010 - ?

The second TT birthday of 2010 is upon us and this time, it's Coop's turn.

Happy birthday L8N - Hope you have a great day and get to relax. T minus 7 days and counting till our annual TT St. Patty's Day / Birthday extravaganza, you start getting excited.

Tough to imagine that it's been 10 years since Connor and Murphy, Smecker, and Rocco fell into our laps in this awesome flick. But it has been a decade, today precisely, and to commemorate, many theaters across the nation are showing "The Boondock Saints," tonight only.

If you haven't seen the movie before, or if you have and love it (like us), you might consider hitting this up tonight for a dose of the McManus brothers. We'll be catching this great flick tonight...suggest you do the same.

The release of tension caused by the friction of tectonic plates grinding against each other causes earthquakes --- that bit is fairly easy to understand. Something that I didn't consider about earthquakes however - is if one plate slides over (or under) another plate it takes the cities and buildings built on top of it, along with it as it moves. Such is the case in Chile where cities moved 10 feet:

The magnitude-8.8 earthquake that rocked the west coast of Chile last month was violent enough to move the city of Concepcion at least 10 feet to the west and the capital, Santiago, about 11 inches to the west-southwest, researchers said.

The quake also shifted other parts of South America, as far apart as the Falkland Islands and Fortaleza, Brazil.

Pretty amazing when you consider the massive forces at work here.

Another super car for your viewing enjoyment:

God bless Gran Turismo, for giving us a chance to "drive" cars that we could only afford if we hit a Hurley-sized jackpot. The Koenigsegg Agera ($TBA) would qualify as one of those cars. This Swedish-built supercar sports the same 4.7-liter V8 as the company's prior CCX, but ups the ante with 910 hp, good for a 0-62 time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of over 242 mph. As if that weren't enough to entice you to spend your virtual dollars, the Agera also sports LED headlamps, new front and rear fascias, and a carbon fiber and aluminum chassis that helps bring the beast's weight down below 2,900 lbs. Oh, and having lottery-winning money isn't the only requirement for ownership: only 16-20 will be built each year, meaning that you'll have to win the lottery all over again in order to get your hands on one.

I've been a huge fan of Koenigsegg since I first heard about the CCX. Great to see a new model out and the car-maker, once again, drawing attention to themselves with a model that is unlike any other car currently made.

Our first Triple Tri birthday of 2010 is upon us and it's time to wish Vickie a very happy birthday. Hope you have a great day, VAH, and rest up for our annual TT Birthday Extravaganza / St. Patty's Day celebration in a few weeks.

Happy Birthday Vickie

This one if for MDH -- I knew this would brighten his day. Some fine work from the guys at Porsche:

The result of a mad scientist's experiment involving a 911, a Prius, and the front end of a Ferrari F430, the Porsche 918 Spyder ($TBA) is a new plug-in hybrid concept borrowing bits of all three. A 500hp V8 mid-mounted motor is paired with two electric motors — one for each axle — giving the open two-seat 918 a total of 718hp, good for a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds, a top-end speed of 198 mph, and yet, amazingly, the possibility for 78 mpg fuel economy. A seven-speed PDK transmission, a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body, powerful brakes, a bevy of driving modes, and that prancing horse-inspired front end round out this eco-enthusiast's dream ride.

Just looking at that beast, there's no doubt that it's fast and can smash you against the seat.

The science supporting this is solid - but the fact that our earth-days may be shortened as a result of the earthquake in Chile really messes with your mind if you think about it. Granted, 1.26 microseconds is imperceptible but the idea that we're actually spinning faster is mind-boggling.

The massive earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday may have shifted the Earth's axis and created shorter days, scientists at NASA say.

The change is negligible, but permanent: Each day should be 1.26 microseconds shorter, according to preliminary calculations. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.

A large quake shifts massive amounts of rock and alters the distribution of mass on the planet.

When that distribution changes, it changes the rate at which the planet rotates. And the rotation rate determines the length of a day.

NASA's newest (and best) picture of the Earth, via Flickr

Read the rest of the article (for a thorough explanation) here.