Singapore: Youth Olympic Games

The countdown continues to the debut Youth Olympic Games (YOG), set to take place in 92 days in Singapore.

During the Vancouver Games there were three YOG executives in attendance at the World Olympians Association gathering one evening, and it was a pleasure to learn more about this new event of the International Olympic Committee.

According to the YOG "99 Days" countdown press release, the inaugural YOG will include around 5,000 athletes from up to 205 national Olympic committees. There are 26 sports events to be contested, and culture/education initiatives are part of the festivities. I found the YOG FAQ section quite informative.

From what I've seen so far, this global event has some similarities to the U.S. Olympic Festival concept used by the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1978 to 1995, since the YOG is for younger athletes (though the USOF also included adult Olympians in some competitions, based on the level of athletes each national governing body sent to the Festival, the majority of competitors -- especially in the latter USOFs, tended to be high school athletes).

I haven't yet been to Singapore, but this event is of interest -- anyone out there got a few grand to send my way as "official sponsor of the five-ringed blogger" (LOL)?

Stay tuned for updates on YOG final preparation. And please write to me or comment if you know a specific YOG-ger (competitor heading to the YOG in Singapore).

Photo of skyline via this site. Map via WordTravels.com

Say Hello To My Little Friend

During a recent visit to Maui, our Haleakala bike tour stopped for provisions at a mountainside general store, and our group was surprised to spot a chameleon climbing on a large flowering shrub where we parked.

Imagine my girlfriend's shock and embarrassment as I reached out to grab the green gal (our tour guide informed us this chameleon is a female), later to discover than I slashed my wrist on the shrub's massive protective thorns (ouch!).

So, say hello to our little Maui friend, who left our tour group singing Boy George songs for the last part of our ride.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver and Donna S.

More Aloha Photos

Based on popular demand, here's another round of Hawaii photos from recent travels to Maui and Oahu. The yellow windbreakers are courtesy of the sunrise tour and bike ride back down Haleakala (with numerous stops on our journey).

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver and Donna S.

Aloha Photos

For friends and family who asked since my recent return from Maui and Oahu holiday, this post includes some "Top Pick" photos from the trip to the islands. Aloha!

All photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Thoughts of Lena Horne

Lena Horne was one of the first famous people I learned about via "Sesame Street" -- any time she came on the screen, she had my attention for her big, soft eyes and her bigger voice.

Here are a few Lena Horne greatest hits, if only as a result of the Children's Television Workshop.

• It's Not Easy Being Green
  
• The Alphabet Song


• How Do You Do?
  

But even with Kermit and The Muppets, for Lena Horne, nobody beats "The Wiz" and her version of "Believe In Yourself."

So long, Lena.

Photo via Fanboy

Where The Wind Comes Sweeping Down The Plain

Just got the news that tornadoes are raging tonight in my home state, Oklahoma. Who knew than when I phoned home briefly a few hours ago, only miles from my parents' house there were cars and tractor trailers getting tossed off the Interstate?

Leave it to KWTV 9, home of Gary England (the weather expert who appeared in the film "Twister"), to capture the jaw-dropping video and photos of the storms during sunset. Amazing!

Haven't seen TV news helicopter coverage of a tornado like that since the KARE 11 chopper won an Emmy for flying during a major twister in the Twin Cities (I later flew with the pilot of this video on April 19, 1995).

Growing up there, there was only one night when tornadoes got too close for comfort -- it was the night of my 12th birthday, and also a middle school band concert delayed by the citywide tornado alarms blaring (picture dozens of middle schoolers in formal band geek attire gathered in halls to duck and cover next to their clarinets and tambourines).

About 30 homes got blown away that night, including a residence next to, or that actually belonged to, the family of fellow Edmond resident Shannon Miller (at the time she was not yet on the Olympic scene, but as I recall, her memoirs mention the storm).

Tonight's breaking news photos are about as dramatic as the storms from that night back in 1985.

Writing about Oklahoma makes me think of the stage performances of "Oklahoma!" and some of the popular films in which song lyrics from the musical appeared. Two favorites, of course, are Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan singing "Fringe On The Top" at a Sharper Image store in "When Harry Met Sally," topped twice, first with the ensuing "wagon wheel coffee table" scened, then by Dr. Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs" with his epic quote (and music song title) "People Will Say We're In Love."

Here's hoping the folks in Oklahoma are safe and accounted for tonight -- may the storms quickly keep sweeping down the plain (and on over into Arkansas!).

Photo via KWTV 9 Oklahoma City

Goodbye, Georgy Girl

Lately it seems that the only time I find to blog is right around the time some celebrity dies.

Sorry for another bad news post, but this one is about the passing of Lynn Redgrave, one of the nicest celebrities I had the pleasure of escorting for a morning media tour in Atlanta.



In early 2004, Redgrave was in town performing "The Exonerated" on stage at then-client, Georgia Tech's Ferst Center for the Arts. We picked up Redgrave (in my Volvo, mind you) at the Georgian Terrace Hotel in Midtown Atlanta, and Ms. Redgrave, her personal publicist and I (as P.R. for the Ferst Center) trekked over to WAGA-TV Fox 5's set for a "Good Day Atlanta" interview.

Redgrave was so polite, eager to discuss "The Exonerated" and happy to answer my silly questions about her roles in "Georgy Girl" and "Shine" (I chickened out and did not ask about her work with Woody Allen for "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex (But Were Afraid To Ask"). She kicked-butt on her TV interview, too -- I was disappointed that travels out of town later that day prevented my attendance at the play to see her in a real performance.

Ms. Redgrave provided one of those celebrity interactions before my habit of asking Olympic-related questions kicked in, so I did not speak with her about any Games connections during our brief conversations. Just remembered she laughed during my attempts at quoting her "Shine" co-star's line to her character, imploring Redgrave to "Talk to the Stars!"

I hope she is.

Photo via Yahoo! credited to the Everett Collection