Eideard

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British Airways is one of the world’s ten safest commercial airlines, a new study has claimed.

Two other European airlines, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, featured in the report, which was published by the Geneva-based Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA).

Six of the ten safest airlines – Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and US Airways – are based in the United States. Japan Airlines was also named among the top ten.

In its “Holistic Safety Rating” report ATRA compared publicly available data on 100 of the world’s largest airlines.

It took into account 15 different criteria, including the age of the each airline’s fleet, their pilot training facilities and the number of accidents they have been involved in during the last ten years.

Though I refuse to fly anymore – with the advent of TSA and their Homeland Insecurity nanny – the topic is still important to many of you.

I suppose there could be sufficient emergency or motivation to get me back on an airplane. I used to fly with some frequency. But, I refuse to cave into the fear mantra that rules our society and politics nowadays. That includes refusing the ritual “approval” to fly.

And then there’s Phallus Drewsii

The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists – scientists responsible for species exploration and classification – announce the top 10 new species described in 2009.

On the list are a minnow with fangs, golden orb spider and carnivorous sponge. The top 10 new species also include a deep-sea worm that when threatened releases green luminescent “bombs,” a sea slug that eats insects, a flat-faced frogfish with an unusual psychedelic pattern, and a two-inch mushroom that was the subject of a “Bluff the Listener” segment on the National Public Radio quiz show “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me.” Rounding out the top 10 list are a banded knifefish, a charismatic plant that produces insect-trapping pitchers the size of an American football, and an edible yam that uncharacteristically sports multiple lobes instead of just one.

The top 10 new species come from around the world, including Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States and Uruguay. The announcement of the top 10 new species list coincides with International Day of Biodiversity being marked May 22 by the United Nations.

Here’s a gallery of these glorious critters. Don’t let them overwhelm your curiosity.

Daylife/AP Photo by John Reynolds

Let’s face it: Your weekly (or daily!) run to the grocery store is the foundation for your good health. So it’s thrilling news that the supermarket industry is on a health kick — these days you’ll most likely find organic produce and “natural” packaged foods at almost any store you go to.

Which chains are outdoing themselves to deliver the freshest and healthiest foods to you? And which ones provide the best tools to help you make smart choices? We asked six prominent health experts to help us pick the top 10 healthiest grocery stores out of the nation’s largest chains.

Click here for the list of the true standouts.

We do our weekly grocery shopping at two of these ten. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

I must admit it’s one of the fun adventures in my life as hermit. My honey and I plan the week’s menu on the fly. Centered on basics; but, the dynamic is governed by what looks good, what’s affordable and, always, what’s new?