Digital City

Joey Chestnut set a new world record beating famed eater Takeru Kobayashi at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. Chestnut ate 68 hot dogs to hold onto the the Mustard Belt becoming a consecutive three-time champion.

Kobayashi started off strong and looked to regain the top dog title. Before the competition he said he had figured out a way to inhale the buns. After the first minute, Kobayashi had the lead setting a blazing pace with 11 hot dogs. At the seven-minute mark, Kobayashi still had the lead with 29 hot dogs. Half-way through the contest at five minutes, Chestnut took the lead with 42 dogs to Kobayashi's 40 dogs. Chestnut still had a two-dog lead with three minutes remaining eating 52 to Kobayashi's 50 dogs.. Chestnut maintained his two-dog lead in the last minute with 63 dogs. In that last minute he took down another five dogs to set the world record and take the $20,000 top prize.

Happy Birthday, America.

Today is a day to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence that effectively, uh, declared our independence and birthed a nation.

To celebrate there are the ubiquitous fireworks shows across the country and big nightlife parties. You can also plan your own party at home that may or may not include beer can chicken or patriotic beer pong.

It's the first day since 9/11 that visitors to the Statue of Liberty are allowed back in her crown. If you plan on going, make sure you get your tickets in advance. Only 30 people each hour are allowed on teh crowd and most tickets through August are sold out.

So it's our nations birthday and nothing says, "God Bless America" like beer pong. Time to put a red, white, and blue twist on your normal pong game. You will have to hit your local store for a few items to compliment your backyard picnic table. Get yourself 6 red cups, 4 white cups, and 2 blue cups.

Start with the red by placing 3 cups on each end of the table, move on to 2 white cups, and finally complete the triangle with the one blue. Grab yourself some ping pong balls and fill those cups with your favorite brand of beer. Sam Adams seems like the proper choice, but decide. Grab a partner and get ready for some pong 4th of July style.

I feel silly admitting this, but it's been almost eight months since I wrote about visiting the wilds of New Jersey to buy a new car, and I still don't have one. But this Independence weekend, instead of getting tanked on beer, I'm going car shopping again for a deal -- and with all the tax incentives and sales on offer, I'm going to find one. You can, too.

I've test-driven more cross-over vehicles and SUVs than I care to recall, even briefly falling in love with the BMW 535ix sport wagon until I realized I couldn't even come close to being able to lie down in the cargo space...and I'm tall. My side-by and I disagree vigorously over the finer points of automobile ownership; that is, what's important in a car. He's about function over form, a true pragmatist. I am, by nature, a driver -- and a fast one. I look for handling (can I take the Taconic at 70 mph without much oversteer?), pick-up, and aesthetics.

The 4th of July is upon us with barbecues and backyard parties a plenty. Time to pay homage to our founding fathers with some patriotic drinks. If you like a martini or prefer a cool shot the Daily Drink has got you covered.

Red, White, and Blue Shooter - This one takes patience as you are layering the shot. The key is to slow pour each liquor over the back of a spoon and make sure you follow the directions closely. Here's what you need:
- 1/3 oz. blue curacao
- 1/3 oz. grenadine
- 1/3 oz. peach schnapps
- Shot Glasses

First pour the grenadine in the shot glass, then slowly pour the peach schnapps over the back of the spoon. Finally, do the same with the blue curacao and you got yourself a layered patriotic shot that is a great conversation starter.

4th of July Martini - This one looks great in the glass as the grenadine sinks to the bottom of the glass giving you a blue drink with a red bottom:
- 1 1/2 oz. vodka
- 1/2 oz. blue curacao
- 1/2 oz. triple sec
- 1/2 oz. sweet and sour mix
- 1 dash grenadine

Pour all ingredients except the grenadine in a shaker filled with ice, shake and pour in martini glass. Let drink settle and slowly pour in the grenadine. It will sink to the bottle giving a nice red layer to your blue 4th of July drink.

The Dog Days of Summer officially kick off today. While the meaning of the phrase highlights the appearance of the Dog Star in the ancient sky, coincidentally, these dog days comprise one of the hottest stretches of temperatures giving way to other theories of name etymologies involving beef products and napping.

Heat is heat and there are few remedies except crank up the AC which is why today is also Air Conditioning Day. The Dog Days of Summer last until August 11 so check out summer festivals and try and stay cool. If you want more history about The Dog Days of Summer in general, click here.

There is nothing more American than drinking a cold one and grilling outside on Independence Day. Using beer as a marinate for beef and poultry has been around for years but why bother even pouring it out of the can?

This 4th of July celebrate Americans freedom with beer can chicken. It's a really simple way to get yourself a delicious bird on the grill.

The international fast food markets are just as obsessed with pizza as the Americans. Australians love it, the French adore it and so do the Spaniards. They're so popular they even serve them on a canal ride through Amsterdam (called the 'Pizza Cruise'). So it's no big shocker that the Euros would come up with something gimmicky to reinforce their love of pizza.

At a recent food show, attendees got a glimpse of what is known to be a Coneinn Pizza. It's essentially a microwaveable pizza shaped like a cone, and a Barcelona-based company is the genius behind this concept. After all, they might be the new pizza experts.

Having a beach house in New Jersey during the summer was a sign of social status. While beach houses on the Jersey shore tend to be pretty simple affairs, the fact that a family (or person) could own two homes was a big deal. And even in this recession, some people are lucky enough to have that second home this summer. But more than likely they aren't spending millions on it.

For those who do have a few extra million burning a hole in their pocket, Top Ten Real Estate Deals just released a list of the best beach home deals but looking at the prices on some of these homes, you gotta wonder if these really are "deals."

Recently, a box landed on my office desk with a bottle of Knob Creek Bourbon inside -- an empty bottle. I was a little bummed to say the least (and thirsty, at that) but then I read the information sent with it.

This spirit, a super-premium bourbon from the Beam family, was experiencing a supply shortage. After what must have been busy year, Knob Creek drew far more fans than they expected and now you might not be able to find a bottle so readily available on the shelves of your local liquor store -- at least not until a little later this year.

When faced with the question of whether or not they should sacrifice quality for quantity, the bourbon maker is standing strong. This nine-year aged spirit will not be tampered with. The next batch will be ready in November 2009 and no earlier.