Triple Tri Blog

Today is Nation Cheesecake Day -- I didn't realize such a day existed until just recently. Though there has been some debate on whether this is actually a "national" holiday (there is no documentation confirming this to be a "National" day - no congressional records or presidential proclamation) it is widely celebrated by those in the cullinary industry on July 30th each year.

Just another excuse for having another slice -- count me in...

Happy National Cheesecake Day

Today marks the start of the HullabaLOU Music Festival in Louisville. Kentucky. This is the first year for the festival which is described as:

A three-day, five stage music festival with over 65 artists, offering the chance to connect and reconnect - with the best in classic rock, country, bluegrass and adult contemporary music. HullabaLOU provides a casual, outdoor lawn experience combined with reserved seating at Grandstand Main Stage - with fresh, regional cuisine, a wide array of Kentucky handmade crafts, and featured unique visuals throughout the Festival grounds.

Three Days. Five Stages. Over 65 bands including Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Steve Miller Band, Jason Aldean, Al Green, Zac Brown Band, and the Avett Brothers. At legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY July 23-25, 2010.

AES and I are attending the festival on Sunday when it culminates with a performance by Dave Matthews Band. We're looking forward to seeing some great artists that day (Steve Miller Band, Zac Brown Band, Dwight Yoakam, Kansas, The Avett Brothers, Tonic, Stealing Angels --- just to name a few) Look for some pictures to come your way in the next week or so.

Some familiar names appeared on the list of award winners and finalists for the 2010 Drummies.

In case you don't already know, this is the 15th year for the Drummies, conducted by DRUM! Magazine/Enter Music Publishing, over the course of that time they have experienced tremendous growth. Last year, more than 5000 ballots were cast in 40 categories, covering best drummers in various genres to most popular drums, cymbals and instructional videos.

For the last three years, Neil Peart has won drummer of the year and other awards. Prior to Peart’s popular resurgence, other Drummers of the Year included Travis Barker, Tré Cool, Carter Beauford, and Chad Smith. And, last year, Sheila E returned to Drummie fame by winning “Best Percussionist.”

Personal favorites of mine, Mike Portnoy, Carter Beauford, Neil Peart and Giovanni Hidalgo did well this year and took top honors in several categories. I'm a big Peart fan, but I'm not convinced about his Drummer of the Year award. Taking the "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" stance, I think Portnoy would be a better candidate for this considering his work with Dream Theater, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold, all in the last year. Peart is a legend in his own right, no arguing that, but have his contributions to the craft in the last 12 months warranted this award ?

Today is our last Triple Tri birthday of the year....

"License and registration, right meow."

Happy birthday to MDH - hope you have a great day and have a chance to relax a bit. From all our readers, members, friends and family - hope you have a good birthday Papa Hoy.

Longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning, his family confirmed in a statement. "It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing. He passed away this morning in Tampa, Fla., at age 80," the family said in a statement. Spokesman Howard Rubenstein said he died Tuesday morning. He had a heart attack, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and died at about 6:30 a.m, according to multiple reports.

By no stretch are we Yankees fans, but he certainly did a lot for the game of baseball. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

Boeing’s new Phantom Eye UAV is powered by hydrogen, making it a very fuel efficient vehicle capable of flying at more than 12 miles of altitude for 4 days at a time. From the company’s press release:

“The program is moving quickly, and it’s exciting to be part of such a unique aircraft,” said Drew Mallow, Phantom Eye program manager for Boeing. “The hydrogen propulsion system will be the key to Phantom Eye’s success. It is very efficient and offers great fuel economy, and its only byproduct is water, so it’s also a ‘green’ aircraft.”

Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engines that provide 150 horsepower each. It has a 150-foot wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload.

Could your friendly neighborhood Blockbuster be a relic of the past? Yes, according to Douglas A. McIntyre of 24/7 Wall St. In fact, Blockbuster is just one of 10 national brands that may disappear as soon as next year:

Blockbuster was the national leader in the video rental business for nearly two decades. Now it is contemplating Chapter 11 to eliminate debt. The company lost $65 million last quarter. Its revenue continues to fall rapidly as firms such as Redbox and NetFlix (Nasdaq: NFLX – News) siphon off its revenue. Blockbuster has more than 6,000 stores, so it is hard to imagine that the company could disappear. But, there is some precedent, even if it is on a smaller scale. Blockbuster rival Movie Gallery said in February that it would close all of its 2,400 U.S. stores. Blockbuster’s model of renting movies through physical locations has been destroyed by cable and satellite video on demand, DVDs via mail and dispensing machines. Blockbuster may still be around as a company that has movie kiosks and a small mail and Internet-delivered content business. But its brick and-mortar business is dead.

The most interesting part of the article, in my opinion:

Back in 2000, when Netflix was young and losing money, Blockbuster had a chance to scoop the company for a mere $50 million. Instead, they decided to ink a 20-year deal with Enron on video-on-demand when the energy company was getting into telecom. Now, Netflix is a billion dollar company, and we all know how Enron ended!

Another gem from the guys at Uncrate.com --- wouldn't mind giving this a try at our next cookout:

Specially selected for its robust qualities, Grill Honey ($12) is ready to take on the flames at your next BBQ. It's 100% pure raw and KSA Kosher Certified, and is a great way to add a little sweet zing to your grilled meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetable dishes, without the need for heavy, artificial spreads or marinades.

I can't believe it took me until today to notice... but L8N's Gary Coleman post from late May was his 600th post here on Triple-Tri.com. Congrats to him on passing that blogging milestone.

Over the years, L8N posted about cool products, celebrity news, movies and music --- but he is most famous for posting more than his fair share of sports news and is always sure to keep TT readers informed on the latest happenings out of the boys in blue in Chapel Hill. In fact, L8N is such a prolific blogger that if you read an article on this blog, there's a one in six chance that he wrote it. (Don't interrupt my story with your reality and numbers)

Thanks for all the great posts L8N - undoubtedly, we will be the recipients of many more interesting posts in the weeks and months to come... so stay tuned.