BEST OF THE WEB: Olympic Color and the Russian-Georgian Conflict

By: Kathryn Carlson Tuesday's highlights of some of the best features newspaper Web sites have to offer.

Mike Smith: Smith's World
Las Vegas Sun
Editorial Cartoon
By Mike Smith

With the Olympics and a near all-out war competing for the world's attention, Mike Smith uses his comedic sensibilities to explain why the games might emerge the victor. Check out the Las Vegas Sun's editorial cartoon and agree, or agree to disagree, with Smith's bleak assessment as to why the Russia-Georgia conflict is able to fly lower under the radar than usual.


Phelps' Event Schedule
The Sun, Baltimore
Online Feature
By Kevin Van Valkenburg

If you at least glance at newspaper headlines, you probably know the name Mike Phelps. And if you're an avid Olympics follower, you probably have your eye on the Baltimore native who has already won three gold medals and broken three world records in his first three days of competition in Beijing. If you'd like to follow Phelps more closely -- and perhaps be privy to him breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven golds in an Olympic games -- then check out his event schedule here. Also, feel free to cast your vote on Phelps' likeliness to win eight golds in Beijing at this online poll.


Off the Beat Photos
The Virginia Gazette
Photo Gallery

Brighten up your Tuesday by checking out some seriously odd "off the beat" photos in this Virginia Gazette gallery. You'll see some freaky-looking fish suctioned to balloons, a grown man kissing a blown-up kangaroo, Qi Qi -- the injured and bleached dolphin rescued from Yangtze river in 1980, a cross-eyed king vulture, and a set of costume heads depicting the G8 leaders. With 40 photos in the gallery, there's bound to be something that gets you giggling.


The Russian-Georgian Conflict: Combat Intensifies
The Boston Globe
Graphic

With the Russia-Georgia conflict making headlines around the world, get informed by checking out this Boston Globe graphic and get a grasp of what's gone on over the past few days in some of Georgia's major cities. The interactive map offers a perspective on the geography of the two countries and situates the conflict zone in a global context. Scroll over the four cities highlighted in this graphic to read how the crisis has played out there so far.


Goofy Olympics Faces of George Bush
The Hartford (Conn.) Courant
Photo Gallery

If the "Off the Beat" gallery didn't quite do it for you, leave it to Dubya to draw some knee-slapping laughs. This Hartford Courant photo gallery captures Bush chillin' at the Beijing games. Whether he's enthusiastically waving the flag, hugging women's volleyball players, or excitedly checking out Phelps' gold medal, the president has a way of appearing spunky and cheerful, yet awkward and goofy all at the same time. Enjoy -- there's 39 "goofy" pics to flip through!