Etihad named best Middle East airline

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Abu Dhabi, May 5 : Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been named the Middle East's Leading Airline for the eighth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards Middle East.

The prestigious accolade was one of three awards won by Etihad Airways at a special gala ceremony Sunday night in Dubai. The airline was also named the Middle East's Leading Airline - First Class, and the Middle East's Leading Cabin Crew.

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to celebrate excellence in travel and tourism, with industry professionals and travel consumers voting for the winners.

Described by the Wall Street Journal as the Oscars of the travel industry, winners are initially selected at six regional ceremonies, including the Middle East event, followed by a year-end global finale.

The number of qualified votes for the World Travel Awards 2014 global programme is expected to be a significant increase on last year's tally, which was over 530,000, with 25 percent of this total originating from industry professionals and 75 percent from travel consumers.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' president and chief executive officer, said: "On the back of another milestone year for Etihad Airways, we are delighted that the travel and tourism industry has voted us the Middle East's Leading Airline, the Middle East's Leading Airline - First Class and the Middle East's Leading Cabin Crew at the 2014 World Travel Awards Middle East."

He said the awards were "testament to our customer-centric approach, with guests placed at the heart of everything we did last year".

"Our service enhancements in 2013, from the launch of our Flying Nanny service to the continued rollout of Wi-Fi internet and live television across our fleet, highlight a commitment to delivering best-in-class products and services," Hogan said.

Graham E. Cooke, World Travel Awards' president and founder, said: "This is another fantastic achievement for Etihad Airways. Over the past decade the carrier has grown from a regional player into a global powerhouse and this achievement has again been recognised by the voters of World Travel Awards."

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Etihad named best Middle East airline

Majority Of Travelers Satisfied With Airport Security

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Mon, May 05, 2014

In the world of travel, airport security continues to be a hotly discussed topic on many levels, which is why Travel Leaders Group recently surveyed over 2,700 consumers throughout the United States to assess their overall satisfaction, gather feedback on how long it takes to get through airport security and obtain information on whether travelers view TSA PreCheck as helpful to the overall process.

With regard to "airport security satisfaction," 87.5% indicate they are satisfied or neutral with today's security measures; however, nearly 62% of those polled can't identify whether the TSA PreCheck program has made any significant difference in wait times for security screenings. The survey includes responses from 2,719 consumers nationwide and was conducted by Travel Leaders Group a $20 billion powerhouse in the travel industry from April 6 to April 28, 2014.

"Travelers today have become very adaptable in terms of airport security and what procedures they must comply with from airport to airport. That may help explain why such a high percentage of consumers polled are satisfied with or perhaps even resigned to what is required of them. In fact, when asked what one security measure they would like to eliminate, the second most common response was that they wouldn't eliminate any of the current requirements," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben.

"Throughout all of the changes in procedures over the years, our travel agents across Travel Leaders Group have been educating and reminding travelers what they may encounter at airport security, in an effort to make their overall travel experiences better. While we do have a number of clients who are 'Known Travelers' through TSA PreCheck, our survey findings clearly indicate that the 'verdict is still out' as to whether that program has improved wait times at airports for a majority of American travelers."

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Majority Of Travelers Satisfied With Airport Security

Atheist vs Theist 2/3 – Religion is not organized spirituality – Video

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Atheist vs Theist 2/3 - Religion is not organized spirituality
Homepage: https://www.seelenbaum.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seelentree Part 1: http://youtu.be/CsJeT-C-X3s Part 3: Link coming soon Why many times a healthy debate isn #39;t possible....

By: Seelenbaum

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Atheist vs Theist 2/3 - Religion is not organized spirituality - Video

May 5th World Realization Day, 44 Years of Sahaja Yoga Meditation

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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 5, 2014) - May 5, 2014 marks the 44th anniversary of the momentous beginning of the Sahaja Yoga movement, founded by Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923 - 2011). Sahaja Yoga is a simple, spontaneous experience of meditation which triggers the spiritual dimension within the human being, leading to harmonious integration of the individual's emotional, physical and mental aspects.

A fully enlightened person from birth, Shri Mataji had total mastery over the workings of the subtle energy centres and channels within human beings, knowledge chronicled by great souls and sages throughout the ages. When endowed with this divine knowledge, the individual becomes empowered to overcome obstacles preventing their growth into a higher, spiritually-evolved being.

Shri Mataji aspired from a young age to discover a method for bestowing spiritual awakening en masse to human beings and enable them to understand the subtle knowledge of the spirit. On May 5, 1970, while meditating on the shores of Nargol, India, Shri Mataji, through Her command of the primordial energy known as the Kundalini, awakened mankind's collective energy centre of the Sahastrara.

As a result of this happening, it became possible for spiritual seekers to receive from Shri Mataji the divine blessing of Self-Realization-the awakening of the Kundalini energy, previously dormant in the sacrum bone at the bottom of the spine. When awakened, the Kundalini energy rises along the spinal column and pierces through the Sahastrara Chakra in the limbic area, connecting the human being to the all-pervading power. The seeker's sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems become relaxed and balanced, producing a natural state of meditation marked by thoughtlessness, alertness, a profound sense of peace and bubbling joy within.

Shri Mataji travelled around the world for over 30 years bestowing the experience of Self-Realization, never with monetary charge, to audiences often large enough to fill stadia. She maintained that it was every person's birthright to receive their Kundalini awakening and cautioned against the dangers of false gurus preying on honest spiritual seeking. Today, established practitioners of Sahaja Yoga in over 100 countries continue to spread the experience of Self-Realization to seekers searching for the answer to their thirst for spiritual enlightenment.

Each year, on May 5, the Sahaja Yoga movement honours Shri Mataji's historic discovery of Sahaja Yoga, Her dedication to humanity and tremendous legacy. More information on Shri Mataji, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, and our free meditation programs worldwide can be found at http://www.freemeditation.com and http://www.shrimataji.org.

Vishwa Nirmala Dharma Educational Society/Sahaja Yoga International is a world-wide non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and spreading the art of meditation around the world as well as to provide education on our collective spiritual roots. The principles on which Sahaja Yoga International is based are morality, spirituality, mutual help in our evolution, search for truth, and healing our problems using our inner potential on an individual and collective level. Free classes are offered throughout Canada and the world. Information on locations and times can be found on our website: freemeditation.com.

Canada: http://www.freemeditation.com; Worldwide: http://www.sahajayoga.org; Shri Mataji's Life: http://www.shrimataji.org

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May 5th World Realization Day, 44 Years of Sahaja Yoga Meditation

Space Station Live: Commercial Crew Manager Talks Spaceflight Future – Video

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Space Station Live: Commercial Crew Manager Talks Spaceflight Future
Public Affairs Officer Kyle Herring talks to Kathy Lueders, Commercial Crew Program Manager, about the private companies designing future spacecraft to take humans to and from low Earth orbit...

By: ReelNASA

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Space Station Live: Commercial Crew Manager Talks Spaceflight Future - Video

Britain to plough billions into the space industry

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The British Government says it will back plans for an expansion of the UK space industry - increasing their input to 40 billion pounds by 2030. The government has said they are also considering developing legal framework so that a spaceport could be built in the UK.

The government's announcement comes in response to an industry report published last year that called for a properly funded national space programme in the UK.

The space industry in the UK already generates 9.1 billion pounds a year for the economy and saw a 7 per cent growth every year throughout the recession.

But now with further government backing through changes to the law and the regulations companies work by - how can the UK space industry grow further?

David Parker is CEO of the UK Space Agency:"Right now the UK is perhaps not known for its space activities as much as it should be. We're trying to pass the message that Britain is a great place to have a space business. We've got really good environment for the space industry that we're building: a good regulatory environment, a good tax base that allows space companies to grow and prosper."

The government are also considering plans to develop a legal framework that could permit a spaceport to be set up in the country - The first of its kind.

This would act as a travel hub where spaceships could depart with passengers on board and take them into space for a few minutes at a time.

Virgin Galactic could be sending tourists into space as early as the end of this year - but for the time being, that will be from their headquarters in the United States.

The British space business now aims to make its mark on a quickly evolving global space industry - where stalwarts such as NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency work alongside emerging agencies from countries like India.

David Parker says the UK space industry can be involved in many interesting technological developments: "In future, we're going to see an awful lot more data becoming available from satellites much more cheaply and the opportunity to develop lots more applications from space in everday life. It's possible to get real-time video data from satellites in orbit, so you can count the number of cars in a car park or supermarket; you can use satellite to monitor shipping in remote locations."

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Britain to plough billions into the space industry

The First American in Space Wore a Pee-Soaked Spacesuit

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Astronaut Alan Shepard, Jr., America s first man in space, poses in the Mercury space craft in 1961.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

By Amanda Wills2014-05-05 12:32:14 UTC

Fifty three years ago on May 5, 1961, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard blasted off in a Freedom 7 capsule atop a Mercury-Redstone rocket to become the first American in space.

Though his sub-orbital flight only lasted 15 minutes, it was a historical moment in the Space Race against the Soviet Union.

However, a little known fact about this flight is what took place before it. Shepard sat in the rocket for five hours because of delays, and the astronaut really had to use the restroom.

"Man, I got to pee," Shepard said to launch control.

That really wasn't an option for Shepard, who was already strapped in tight and ready for launch. And NASA wasn't prepared either because officials figured the mission would be short enough to avoid a scenario like this. Shepard, who donned a shiny silver spacesuit and was covered in wired medical sensors, couldn't just pee on himself.

However, NASA didn't have a choice Shepard, who had been in the spacecraft for a total of eight hours, really had to go.

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The First American in Space Wore a Pee-Soaked Spacesuit

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower 2014 Live Stream: Best Time To Catch Comet Halley's Stellar Performance [VIDEO]

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Looking for a front row seat? Tune into the Eta Aquarid meteor shower live stream, provided by the Slooh telescope, or visit NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center for live video coverage of the event.

The centuries-old Eta Aquarid meteor shower is one of two annual showers caused by the famed Halleys Comet. While Halley only makes an appearance every 75 to 76 years, Earth passes through debris from the comet twice a year -- from April to May, and again in October and November.

The result is a spectacular meteor shower that can be seen with the naked eye. Astronomers at the space flight center in Huntsville, Ala., said as many as 30 meteors per hour could be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, with double that in the Southern Hemisphere.

"What makes this shower somewhat special is that the meteors stem from the most famous comet in all of history,Comet Halley," astronomer Bob Berman, who will provide audio commentary during the Eta Aquarid live stream, said in a statement. "As Halley goes around the sun in its 76-year orbit, pieces of it, little chunks of ice, slough off the comet and we intersect that every year around this time, in early May."

This years April-May shower is expected to peak late Monday night and into early Tuesday morning. NASAs live video feed will begin on Monday around 9 p.m. EDT, but the best meteor shower viewing will occur between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Astronomers said Monday nights Eta Aquarid meteor shower could be especially striking because of the lack of a bright moon.

When meteoroids -- the name given to small rocky or metallic objects traveling through space at high speeds -- enter Earths atmosphere, they begin to glow some 70 miles above the surface. Meteoroids as small as grains of sand enter Earths atmosphere at speeds of 25,000 to 160,000 miles per hour.

According to Space.com, the Eta Aquarids were first classified in the late 1800s by American astronomer Hubert Anson Newton.

Here are some tips from NASA for viewing Tuesday mornings meteor shower:

To view the Eta Aquarids find an area well away from city or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient -- the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.

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Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower 2014 Live Stream: Best Time To Catch Comet Halley's Stellar Performance [VIDEO]

Red Sox lose to Oakland, miss out on series sweep

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Oakland Athletics left fielder Yoenis Cespedes hits an RBI-double in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Sunday, May 4, 2014, in Boston. The Athletics won 3-2 over the Red Sox. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP) Daric Barton didnt bat and barely got on the field. He still made the game-saving play.

Yoenis Cespedes drove in the go-ahead run on an infield single with the bases loaded in the 10th and Barton, playing first, cut down the potential tying run at third in the bottom of the inning as the Athletics averted a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

He made a terrific play, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Thats a gutsy play. Thats a play that if the runner gets over, they can win the game with a hit. A gutsy play.

Bostons Will Middlebrooks opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on the hit when center fielder Coco Crisp had the ball bounce away for an error.

With Barton playing in, guarding for a bunt, Jackie Bradley Jr. bounced it to first. Barton fired to third, cutting down Middlebrooks.

My whole goal was obviously to get the guy at third whether it was a bunt or a ground ball to me, Barton said. It feels good. Ive learned to be ready. Anything can happen at any time, but Ive learned to be ready when they call my name and go out there and do my job.

Barton came in when Josh Reddick left with a sprained ankle in the ninth.

Jim Johnson (3-2) then got Dustin Pedroia to bounce into a game-ending double play.

Middlebrooks was somewhat surprised and impressed by the play.

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Red Sox lose to Oakland, miss out on series sweep