Madiba becomes Ma-dead-a

Freedom fighter, prisoner, moral compass, and South Africa's symbol of the struggle against racial oppression. That was Nelson Mandela, who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead his country out of decades of apartheid. He died last night (South African Standard Time) at age 95. His message of reconciliation, not vengeance, inspired the world after he negotiated a peaceful end to segregation and urged forgiveness for the white government that imprisoned him. "As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison," Mandela said after he was freed in in 1990. Years after his 1999 retirement from the presidency, Mandela was considered the ideal head of state. He became a yardstick for African leaders, who consistently fell short when measured against him. Not falling short of that yardstick, however, is the world's first scheduled route for Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner. As the latest Dreamliner's first customer, Air New Zealand will be flying the launch aircraft from Auckland (where the airline is based) to Perth (in Western Australia) starting in October 2014. A cabin mock-up was revealed as part of the announcement at the opening of the airline's Customer Innovation and Collaboration Centre in Auckland. The launch aircraft will offer 302 seats total in four cabins: the business premier cabin housing 18 lie-flat seats, a premium economy cabin with 21 seats, and two economy cabins with 263 seats total. The plane will also have 14 rows with Skycouches - a design unique to the Kiwi airline that turns a row of three economy seats into a three-seater "couch." New features also include a slimmer seat back due to more compact inflight entertainment monitors, allowing more personal space for the passenger. Following the Auckland-Perth route, Air New Zealand will be flying its fleet of 10 787-9 aircraft on routes to Tokyo and Shanghai. Let's just hope the battery doesn't malfunction on the way to or from Perth. And speaking of batteries, a married couple from Missoula, Montana appeared in court yesterday, each facing a pair of felony charges after allegedly throwing a car battery through a window and burglarizing a trailer in the Hollywood Trailer Court. Clayton Willard Carter and his wife, Mary Ann Kickingwoman, are accused of breaking into a trailer and attempting to steal items to settle a debt. According to an affidavit, Carter repeatedly called the trailer’s resident, demanding money she supposedly owed him, but the woman stopped answering her phone and locked the door when the couple arrived at the residence. Unable to find a way into the trailer, Carter allegedly threw the battery through the window and crawled inside before opening the door for his wife. Carter was allegedly holding a knife and Kickingwoman was holding a large wrench when they entered the residence. “They demanded money and when she told them she didn’t have any, they began looking for items to take instead,” the affidavit stated. When the Missoula police responded, they found the car battery inside the trailer surrounded by broken glass and blood from a laceration on Carter’s hand. Kickingwoman and Carter were still inside. This is just wrong. They could've just sued them for the money instead of settling the supposed debt in ways more befitting of the mob. You don't just come into someone's home and steal their stuff over an unpaid debt - get a debt collector or the courts involved.