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As Michael Phelps pulled away from the field in the 200 IM to win his thirteenth individual Olympic Gold Medal, he set the standard by which athletic greatness will be measured. The greatest athletes are not just good at one thing—the measurement of true greatness, established from antiquity to the present, is the ability to dominate different events, and the ability to do so more than once.

The post Measuring athletic greatness appeared first on OUPblog.

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Since the very beginning of the games at Olympia, the event has served to strengthen unity, bring peace, and celebrate individuals for achieving greatness after endless hours of hard work. The Olympics have always been a source of inspiration and a connection to our own humanity.

The post How much do you know about the origins of the Olympics? [quiz] appeared first on OUPblog.

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We used to have to take time off from work --or at least leave work early-- to watch the Olympics on TV. Now we can thank the engineering marvels of DVR and web replay for protecting our love affair with the Games from our evil work schedules. We are, rightly, mesmerized by the combination of talent, discipline, skill, and genetics embodied by the world’s greatest athletes.

The post Should we watch the Olympics? appeared first on OUPblog.

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As much as I love the Olympics—Missy Franklin's smile, Ally Raisman's fortitude, Bolt's bolts, Oscar Pistorius, Misty and Keri, the Call Me Maybes, Michael Phelps, the super divers, Mo Farah, royal fashions, travelogues, the roar of contained fire—I feel a hint of relief when the games come to an end.  Life will return to what life was.  I'll read more in the evening.

Last night, my husband having persuaded me to watch the Brazil-USA women's volleyball final, I wandered into the pantry late and there, three shelves up, its nose in a box of crackers, was a furry gray thing.  It didn't move, but I—an inveterate neat freak, an everyday housecleaner, and yet a woman (it is true) who had let her pantry go these past two weeks—screamed.

I've never had a pantry mouse before.

There were decisions to be made.  Who can kill a furry thing?  Who can let it stay?  In time, the mouse scurried down the wall and hid beneath the paper bags I had meant to recycle a good two weeks ago.  From there it made a bee line for the dining room and proceeded, for the next 60 minutes to creatively dash and hide.  This was a smart mouse, an Olympic mouse.  It clung to the denuded pipes of the old radiator.  It hid beneath a dish.  It zigged when we zagged and zagged when we zigged.  It did not wish to be caught.

It was a minor drama.  We needed strategies, quick.  I barricaded.  My husband broomed.  I dug an old shoe box out of my son's room, which can be counted on for many a thing that should have been recycled months ago.  Dash, then silence.  Tail, then scream.  I stood on a chair for a courage-free five minutes while it ran beneath me.  My husband would never do such a thing.

In the end, the mouse was shoe boxed and carried outside.  In the end, those errant paper bags were recycled and every open box discarded (there were only three) and I scoured every surfaced touched by mouse.  In the end, too, there was the exhilaration, perhaps even the romance, of having teamed in such savvy fashion with my husband.  We weren't just watching the Olympics this time.  We had our own starring roles.  It's the closest I've come to an adventure this summer.

Maybe I need a vacation.

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Okay, to be more precise, let's call this the "Help Me CHOOSE a Hottie Giveaway." Here's what's going on...

For my work-in-progress, I need to choose a hot celeb for my 15 year-old heroine to be crazy about. He should be:

--popular with today's teen girls
--someone who seems to be establishing a career (so when readers pick up the book down the road, there is instant name recognition).

And it would be great if:

--he was unmarried
--he had a great smile

Here are three candidates:

Robert Pattison



Michael Phelps



Chase Crawford


What do you think? Weigh in on these hotties and/or name others. And next Monday--to thank those who entered--I will randomly choose and then name a winner to get a signed copy of my book, How to Hook a Hottie.

Thanks in advance!

Tina

Tina Ferraro
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
How to Hook a Hottie
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys
www.tinaferraro.com

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Well, hello there, SFG'ers! Been a long time, hasn't it? Jeff, thanks for keeping this up and running. What a great inspiration for all artists.



Well, thought I'd stop by SFG to let you all know that I've illustrated my very first children's book, How To Train With a T. Rex And Win 8 Gold Medals, written by Michael Phelps with Alan Abrahamson. Yes, THAT Michael Phelps. Hey, check out some of the insides of the book HERE.

FYI: No, I didn't meet him. Yes, I've heard all the jokes. No, this is not an attempt to make parents forget about the photo -- the book was done a month before the photo was released. Just had to get all that out!

Okay! There ya go!

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Congratulations to our very own Ward Jenkins whose first illustrated children’s book has finally been published!

Ward illustrated Michael Phelps’s How To Train With a T.Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals.

To celebrate the launch of the book, Ward’s giving away a signed copy of the book and a print from his Etsy shop.

All you need to do to win is visit Ward’s blog and leave a comment by midnight (PST) Wednesday, June 17.

Great work, Ward! The book looks great.

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Millions of people flooded Washington, D.C. this weekend to catch a glimpse of our new President and take part in inauguration celebrations across the city – and First Book was no exception.  I was fortunate to attend the “Every Child Matters” Children’s Inaugural Ball on behalf of First Book.  It was a Sunday afternoon, family affair, and no tuxedos were required (which came as a relief to yours truly).

First Book had a booth in the story time/puppet show room where we encouraged children and parents to leave their mark on literacy by signing and writing notes in a book that we will be presenting to the first family at a later date.

We talked to folks from the D.C. area, and others that had traveled across the country to be there, more than a few PTA moms and others who were excited to bring First Book back to their organizations.  There were a few celebrity sightings (but no Sasha and Malia!).  We were thrilled when Debbie Phelps (mother of Olympic superstar Michael Phelps) stopped by the booth after her dramatic reading of Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? She is active in raising awareness of ADHD among children and was interested to learn more about First Book.

As part of our participation in the event and the signatures collected, First Book will donate 2,000 books to a local D.C. organization in celebration of this historic event!

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Dewey: 796.48









Swifter, Higher, Stronger: a photographic history of the Summer Olympics by Sue Macy, National Geographic, 2008

It is fitting that the cover for this comprehensive and engaging history of the Summer Olympics features a straight-on photograph of Michael Phelps, striking across the surface of the pool, towards the camera. The moment captures his energy and speed as the water, churned up in his wake, hangs in the air around him.

As I listened to Phelps in his interviews with Bob Costas this week, I was struck by his determination, his disciplined answers and his genuine joy in this Olympic experience. Last night, his mother, a school principal, talked candidly about her son's ADHD and how swimming was such a positive way to channel his creativity and energy. She recalled the bullying and teasing he received as a child (we mothers bears NEVER EVER forget) and other challenges he had to overcome. I am looking forward to the forthcoming biographies about Phelps which will no doubt soon grace the shelves of school libraries everywhere. His story is one kids will identify with. I pray, that in light of this record medal success, he can keep his head on straight and spirit together.

Costas provides the foreward for this book, noting,

"It's hard to find an atheletic honor geater than Olympic champion. Still many competitors take to the track, or pool, or court, with no chance of earning a medal. They find fulfillment in representing their nation in challenging themselves against the best, in exceeding their personal records, in experiencing a moment for which they waited four years or more."

The book covers the games from 1896 through the 2004 games in Athens. A snapshot of each Olympiad is included at the end, including a look forward to the Beijing games and the 30th Olympiad in London.

Jim Thorpe, Mark Spitz, Wilma Rudolph, Nadia Comaneci are well known names in Olympic lore and their stories are related. The lesser known Esther Kim who earned the Fair Play trophy after giving up her spot on the tae kwon do team to a rival is also highlighted.

The troubles and controversies surrounding the games are addressed. The murder of the Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists during the 1072 Munich games is illustrated by the well known photograph of the masked face on the balcony. Macy relates President Carter's boycott of the Moscow games, the bomb explosion in Atlanta and the ongoing need for drug testing as testament to the larger role the Olympics play in world politics.

This book will find an audience with young people who are enjoying the games now and are intrigued with the traditions and history of the events. No doubt, many watching these games are preparing for the Olympic games of the future.

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