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This Just In: Michael Phelps Cashes in His Winnings

casasugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:30:43 -0700

Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps has just acquired a crave worthy pad, paying $1.69 million for a 4,080-square-foot condo overlooking Baltimore's revitalized Harborfront, according to the Maryland Leader. The pad features amenities sure to win over any young Olympian, such as a rooftop terrace with fireplace, a private screening room, a state-of-the-art gym, a clubhouse with pool tables, and a Jacuzzi. He also recently purchased the Meadowbrook Swim Club and Northwest Ice Rink in Baltimore, which he and his coach plan to turn into an elite Olympic training center, and on the car front, he has been looking at "some Aston Martins and some Maseratis." Ohhh, new money. Let's hope those endorsement checks start rolling in fast.

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Midday Muse: Olympic Wreaths

casasugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Come November, many people worldwide will hang wreaths on their front doors, celebrating the holiday season. But, who says wreaths should be reserved Christmas? One San Francisco city dweller decided to celebrate this year's Olympic games by making and hanging their very own set of Olympic rings . . . in wreath form! The symbolic five intertwined rings were reimagined with plastic fruits in the iconic colors white, red, blue, green, yellow, and black. Does your home have Olympic spirit? What other ideas for decorating like a champion do you have? At the very least, one of you must own an Olympic poster . . .
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Retro Olympic Fashion

FabSugarUK — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:43 -0700

Bring British means that I no longer need to concern myself with the winning aspect of the olympics. Instead I can take the Miu Miu luxe sportswear approach and focus on what the athletes are wearing! With a mere few hours to go until the opening ceremony here we take a look back at retro olympic fashions.

My Country 'Tis of Thee

babysugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:00:04 -0700

Sweet land of liber–tees, of thee I sing. The Olympics are about to begin, and people are getting amped up to cheer for the Americans heading to Beijing this week. As school is out and camp is coming to a close, my 7–year–old niece is finding solace in the fact that she'll have hours of gymnastics and swimming to watch on the boob tube. Look out, we may have the next Kerry Strug on our hands.

Get your American lovefest fired up with one of these Altru American tees. They're as patriotic as you can get without wrapping yourself in stars and stripes. They'll come in handy when your wee swimmer wants to cheer Michael Phelps onto winning eight gold medals!

Yum's August Must Haves

partysugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:30:08 -0700

The dog days of Summer are upon us, and August is an exciting month this year. Not only is it a time for Summer vacations, but both the Beijing Olympics and Slow Food Nation are happening. Here's my list of everything you need to survive (and celebrate!) August in the most fabulous foodie style.

Iraq Banned From Olympics: Government Broke IOC Rule

LibertySugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:14 -0700

Iraq has been banned from participating in the Beijing Olympics because the government replaced the country's Olympic committee originally elected in 2004. The Olympic Charter states that all nations must have committees free from political influence. Now, Iraq's seven qualifying athletes — two rowers, two sprinters, an archer, a weightlifter, and a judo competitor — cannot fulfill their Olympic dreams because of their government's quarrel with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The dispute began in May when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government disbanded the Iraqi Olympic Committee, maintaining that the members were corrupt and won their spots through phony elections. The action broke IOC rules, and prompted the banning. Following the decision, the general secretary of the current Iraqi Olympic Committee said, "it is a blow to Iraq and its international reputation, its athletes, and its youth."

Although Iraq faces problems much more urgent than exclusion from the Olympics, watching fellow citizens compete with the rest of the world could have raised Iraqis' spirits and potentially inspired further reconciliation. Should the Olympics make an exception for Iraq, or stick by its standard of not mixing politics with sports?

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Speak Up: Who's Your Favorite Current Athlete?

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Spring and Summer are busy seasons in the wide world of sports, and the Olympics are just around the corner. Exciting competitions like Wimbledon and the US Open, not to mention the ongoing baseball season, definitely make for good entertainment.

The athletes are fun to watch and inspiring, too, so I was wondering . . .

Does Your Olympic Knowledge Deserve a Gold Medal?

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:00:47 -0700

The Olympic Games have been going on since 776 BC! That's a whoooole lot of time for trivia. Did you know that when you put together the names of this year's five Olympic mascots — Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni — they say "Welcome to Beijing?" Go for the gold, and test your knowledge of Olympic history.

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Front Page: Hurricane Dolly Hits Texas, China to Allow Protests, Iran Says No Concessions

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:56:59 -0700

Hurricane Dolly Hits Texas:
Hurricane Dolly arrived on the Gulf Coast early Wednesday with heavy rain and winds ramping up before the center of the storm hits towns on the Texas-Mexico border later today. The hurricane will bring up to 15 inches of rain, threatening local levees that gave way 41 years ago in Hurricane Beulah. The National Hurricane Center said Dolly could approach Category 2 strength when it makes landfall today.

China to Allow Protests:
China has announced that protests will be allowed in three specific city parks during the upcoming Olympics. To protest, one has to apply for permission from the city government and police, and stay within the parks. The director of the Beijing committee said the parks are "close to the city proper and the Olympic venues," but didn't know how the application process would work "at this time."
Iran Says No Concessions:
The president of Iran says the country will not back down in its nuclear activities. The US, UN, and EU have instructed Iran to give an answer on the issue within two weeks or face sanctions. President Ahmadinejad responded in a televised speech, "the Iranian people are steadfast [they] will not retreat one iota in the face of oppressing powers."

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Olympics Emergency Air Plan: Is Wearing a Mask an Insult?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:00:26 -0700

Traffic restrictions started in Beijing over the weekend in a frantic effort to try and improve the city's air quality before the start of the Games. By only allowing vehicles with odd-numbered license plates into the city on alternating days with evens, officials hope the halving of traffic will take 60 percent of the city's 3.3 million cars off the roads and reduce emissions by two-thirds.

Though the atmospheric throat-clearing is all about getting gussied up for company, locals are loving the effect. One mom said, "it's great — today there are far fewer cars on the road and the air quality is so nice. This is good for the children." With 1,000 new cars hitting Beijing streets every day the measures are herculean in one of the world's most congested cities.

Not limited to cars, construction and factories have also been quashed, making it clear that the bid for cleaner air is wholly temporary — once the rings come down, it's business as usual. For now, an extra 4 million people are expected to smush their way onto public transportation — claustrophobes, stay out of China.

Though the plan seems to be helping a little, all of this effort still might not be enough — and the stars of the show, the athletes, are grappling with a crisis of manners over performance. To see how,