Makaristos, Flickr

The upcoming 2012 Summer Olympics marks 40 years since 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

In commemoration, the Israeli government and two US Congressmen asked for a moment of silence at this summer’s event, only to have the International Olympic Committee reject the proposal.

Danny Ayalon, the deputy foreign minister of Israel, sent a letter requesting the minute of silence to Jacques Rogge, the president of the IOC, on behalf of two widows of the murdered athletes. In addition, representatives Eliot L. Engel and Nita M. Lowey, both Democrats from New York, sent a letter of their own to Rogge.

In rejecting the requests, Rogge said, “We strongly sympathize with the victims’ families and understand their lasting pain,” adding that the IOC “has officially paid tribute to the memory of the athletes on several occasions and will continue to do so in close coordination with the National Olympic Committee of Israel.”

Ayalon called the response “unacceptable” and said in a statement, “The terrorist murders of the Israeli athletes were not just an attack on people because of their nationality and religion; it was an attack on the Olympic Games and the international community. Thus it is necessary for the Olympic Games as a whole to commemorate this event in the open rather than only in a side event.”

[The New York Times]

Bryan Bedder / Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

George Strait
Age: 60
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: A slew of country hits including ‘Fool Hearted Memory,’ ‘Ocean Front Property,’ ‘She’ll Leave You with a Smile’ and ‘You’ll Be There,’ dozens of industry awards, holding the record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country charts, and holding the record for most No. 1 albums, gold albums, and platinum albums in the history of country music

Tina Fey
Age: 42
Occupation: Actor, Writer and Comedic Genius
Known For: Her brilliant work as both a writer and performer on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ’30 Rock,’ penning the screenplay for the movie ‘Mean Girls,’ her spot-on portrayal of Sarah Palin on ‘SNL,’ writing the hilarious bestseller ‘Bossypants,’ being the youngest-ever winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and being an icon for smart, funny women everywhere

Joe Bonsall
Age: 64
Occupation: Singer and Author
Known For: Being one of the singers for the Oak Ridge Boys, which had country and crossover singles like ‘Elvira,’ ‘Bobbie Sue’ and ‘American Made,’ and writing books like ‘The Molly Books’ children’s series and ‘GI Joe and Lillie’

Chow Yun-fat
Age: 57
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His role as Li Mu-bai in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ his Asian film collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the heroic bloodshed genre films ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ ‘The Killer’ and ‘Hard Boiled,’ and voiceover work for the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ and ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ video games

Jack Johnson
Age: 37
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: His successful debut album, ‘Brushfire Fairytales,’ his work on surfing movies and soundtracks, being the organizer of the annual Kōkua Festival, and songs like ‘Better Together,’ ‘Flake’ and ‘You and Your Heart’

National Gallery of Art

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French (More info)

1896 – The US Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that “separate but equal” is constitutional (More info)

1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority (More info)

1980 – Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupts after being dormant for 123 years (More info)

2004 – Randy Johnson, age 40, becomes the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game (More info)

philliecasablanca, flickr

Pop quiz: if one man orders a soy burger and another orders a steak, which guy do you think is more masculine?

If you said the steak-eater, you aren’t alone. A new study indicates people tend to think meat is far more macho than vegetarian choices.

Researchers conducted several experiments to study the metaphors people use about foods meat and vegetables, and found the participants not only used more masculine words when talking about meat, they perceived meat-eaters as more manly.

“To the strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, All-American male, red meat is a strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, all-American food,” the researchers wrote. “Soy is not. To eat it, they would have to give up a food they saw as strong and powerful like themselves for a food they saw as weak and wimpy.”

This means health experts who advocate eating less meat may have a tough sell with guys. The study authors say that addressing the metaphors that shape consumer attitudes would help, but something as simple as reshaping soy burgers to make them look more like traditional hamburgers or even putting grill marks on them may make reluctant men more likely to give them a try.

[LiveScience]

Nick Laham/Adam Pretty/Clive Rose/Lintao Zhang, Getty Images

It’s important to realize that all guys, especially those who have the bodies of Greek Gods, are still human. They all have their ugly days. Trust us. So, when you’re pining after one of those hot, shirtless divers from the 2012 Olympics and thinking to yourself, “I’m not pretty enough to land a man like that,” just remember what they all look like in midair.

No matter how hot they are and no matter how chiseled their rock-hard abs are, none of them are immune to what we call “Funny-Looking Diver’s Face.” Still don’t believe us? See for yourself.

Bryn Lennon/Clive Rose, Getty Images

Clive Rose/Bryn Lennon, Getty Images

Al Bello, Getty Images

Nick Laham/Richard Heathcote, Getty Images

Adam Pretty, Getty Images

Richard Heathcote, Getty Images

Adam Pretty, Getty Images

Ronald Martinez/Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

Clive Rose/Al Bello, Getty Images

Clive Rose/Lintao Zhang, Getty Images

Bryan Bedder, Getty Images

Mary Richardson Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr., was found dead on Wednesday, and an autopsy has now revealed her cause of death: she died of asphyxiation due to hanging.

Police who went to Kennedy’s home in Bedford, NY on Wednesday afternoon to investigate a “possible unattended death” found the 52-year-old in a building on the grounds.

Mary was Robert Kennedy’s second wife. They married in 1994 and separated in 2010, and she’d struggled for years with alcohol and substance abuse problems. Toxicology tests are still pending and could take months to complete.

A statement released by Kerry Lawrence, her attorney, said, “We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her. Our heart goes out to her [four] children, who she loved without reservation.”

The death seems to add another chapter to the cursed Kennedy legacy. Robert Kennedy, Jr. is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Robert’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, Sr., was shot and killed in 1968.

[The Los Angeles Times]

Supermunch, Flickr

One of the best ways to save money is cooking at home rather than dinning out.

In these times, are Americans choosing to do that?

According to a new poll from Harris Interactive — which suggests the economic recovery is still a long way from being over — more and more people are dining in.

The survey asked 2,451 adults if they agree with the statement “I find myself cooking more instead of going out in order to save money.” Seventy-one percent did agree, with 41 percent agreeing strongly. Among the 26 percent who didn’t agree with the statement, nine percent disagreed strongly.

Despite this move away from dining out, 63 percent of the poll’s respondents had still been to a fast food restaurant chain in the past month, and about half have dined at a local casual dining establishment.

[PR Newswire]

sblackley, Flickr

Sunglasses don’t just make you look cool, they’re also good for your eyes. But a lot of parents don’t seem to know that rule also applies to their kids.

Research done by the Vision Council found that while three-quarters of adults regularly wear sunglasses, only about half make their kids wear them, too. And California ophthalmologist Paul Michelson says that should change.

“A substantial proportion of people still do not understand that UV exposure is harmful to the eyes as well as the skin,” he said. “Even [in] those who do understand, few understand it is the cumulative exposure that can be damaging.”

Among adults, the top three reasons given for not wearing sunglasses were that they forgot them at home, they break or lose them too often, and they don’t believe their eyes are at risk from sun exposure.

People with light-colored eyes are more susceptible to UV damage than people with brown eyes, but the risks for everyone include cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer of the eye, eyelid or surrounding skin.

[WebMD]

China Photos, Getty Images

At a school in China, hard work isn’t just rewarded with success — it’s rewarded with air conditioning, too.

Binhe Middle and High School in Shenzhen, China has 11 classes for 10th-graders, but only four of them — the honors classes — are air conditioned. Kids in the other classes have to sweat it out with only fans for comfort.

Students who do well on their high school entrance exams don’t just get a more comfortable classroom, they also get the most experienced and competent teachers. In exchange, those elite kids are expected to later enroll at one of the country’s universities.

A Binhe students said kids in the non-honors classes have offered to buy air conditioning units themselves and even pay for the electricity required to run them, but school authorities rebuffed their request, saying, “We may be put under investigation by education authorities if we allow such a practice.”

But the rationale behind the refusal seems to go deeper. One teacher said kids need to learn they can’t get whatever they want and that learning in a hot classroom will help them acquire the skills necessary to “overcome difficulties.”

Parents of some of those children are understandably upset, with one saying, “I think the school should treat all the students equally. Students in honors classes should not be given special treatment.”

[China Daily]

Mani, flickr

In 2011, there were more racial or ethnic minorities born in the United States than white babies. This marks the first time in history that minorities make up the majority of births in the US.

Of the 4.1 million babies born last year, 50.4% were minorities, while 49.6% were white. A total of 1.99 million were white, while another 1.05 million are classified as Hispanic. The remaining are black, mixed race, Asian, Native American or Pacific Islander.

According to the latest census data, there are now 114.1 million minorities in the US, which comprises 36.6% of the country’s total population.

This landmark in minority births is coming at time in which Hispanic and Asian immigration is leveling off — if not going into a decline. Yet because the Hispanic population, in particular, trends young they are still having babies at higher rate than the older white population.

Demographers estimate that the entire US population will become ‘majority minority’ sometime between 2040 and 2050.

[Associated Press]

Wayne Wilson, Getty Images

There is some good news being reported about the state of young people in America.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, fewer American teens and young adults are smoking cigarettes than they were nearly a decade ago.

This new report consists of data collected each year between 2004 and 2010 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Researchers interviewed nearly 158,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 and roughly 159,000 men and women between the ages of 18 to 25.

• The number of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoked every day fell from 3.3% in 2004 to 1.9% in 2010.
• Young people ages 18 to 25 years old also reported decreased daily tobacco use – from 20.4% in 2004 to 15.8% in 2010.
• The ranks of young smokers between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoke five or fewer cigarettes a day grew from nearly 37% in 2004 to almost 43% in 2010.
• The largest group of daily smokers between the ages of 18 to 25 who smoked between six and 15 cigarettes a day slightly increased from about 41% in 2004 to roughly 44% in 2010.
• There was nearly a 3% decrease in young adults who smoked 26 or more cigarettes a day.

According to researchers, the downward trend in tobacco use could be the result of anti-smoking laws, tax increases, and tougher laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.

Researchers also add that while these findings may be encouraging, many kids are still picking up this dangerous habit.

[WebMD]

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

At the end of April, Honolulu County passed a ban that made Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at store checkouts statewide. Of the four counties in the state, three had previously passed bans and the Honolulu County decision officially made the ban statewide.

The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club has spent two years campaigning for a plastic bag ban. Robert Harris, director of the chapter said, “Passing the bans did take an effort — change always does — but people seemed to understand the need for such an effort.”

He believes that in the end it was easy to go statewide because Hawaii is a marine state. “Perhaps we are exposed more directly to the impacts of plastic pollution and the damage it does to our environment,” he said.

Harris also explained that the group had lobbied for state legislation, but that effort failed. The group used the exposure from it to petition the four counties to make their own bans which would then have an effect statewide.

The Honolulu County Council passed the final ban late last month, but mayor and county executive Peter Carlisle held back his support, feeling that he needed more input from the public because of enforcement and cost concerns. Last Thursday, Mayor Carlisle showed his full support by signing the ban and helping Hawaii earn its first-in-the-nation status.

Retailers have three years to comply with the county law that bans non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout, as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. The ban will take full effect in July of 2015. You can find a list of other areas that have enacted bans on plastic bags at PlasticBagBanReport.com.

[MSNBC]

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer who was grandfathered in with an unlimited data plan after the company eliminated the option for new customers, enjoy it while it lasts — the company will be moving you to a tiered plan soon.

Speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference on Wednesday, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said customers with unlimited 3G data access will be required to switch to a data-share plan after transitioning to the company’s 4G LTE service.

“LTE is our anchor point for data share. So, as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go on to the data share plan,” Shammo said. “Everyone will be on [it]. A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited… [and] when they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share.”

So when will that happen and how much will it cost? The data share plan is scheduled to launch in mid-summer, but pricing details have yet to be announced.

[Fierce Wireless]

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Disco legend Donna Summer has died after a battle with cancer, TMZ is reporting. She was 63 years old.

Insiders say she wanted to keep the disease quiet, and a friend said that as recently as two weeks ago, Summer seemed okay and was even finishing up work on a new album.

The five-time Grammy winner shot to fame in the 1970s with songs like ‘Love to Love You Baby,’ ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Bad Girls,’ and continued her reign on radio airwaves into the ’80s with hits including ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ and ‘This Time I Know It’s for Real.’

Summer was also the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the US Billboard chart.

[TMZ]

ed yourdon, flickr

Riding a bicycle is no longer just for kids without a driver’s license or adults carrying around the burden of a DUI.

These days, more and more Americans are jumping on their bikes as a way to get some much needed exercise, as well as an alternative to driving or using public transportation.

With respect to May being National Bike Month, the people at Walk Score, which is a website that rates neighborhoods for their “walkability,” has just released its list of the top 10 most bike-friendly cities in America. These cities were rated by the number and quality of bike lanes and trails, destinations and road connectivity, and number of bike commuters and hills.

The highest possible rating that could be awarded was 100, although the top-rated city this year, Minneapolis, could only muster a 79.

So if your city made the list, congratulations. If it did not, Bike Score invites you to air your grievances.

America’s Most ‘Bikeable’ Cities:

1. Minneapolis
2. Portland, Oregon
3. San Francisco
4. Boston
5. Madison, Wisconsin
6. Washington, DC
7. Seattle
8. Tucson, Arizona
9. New York City
10. Chicago

[TIME]