times to come?

Signs of times to come?

-- In New Mexico, the air force is ramping up its drone pilot capabilities.

"Every combatant commander in the world is asking for these things. Down in Southcom, Africom, Pacom, they're all asking for these assets, so it is in very high demand," said Lt. Col. Mike Weaver ....

Drones ... the remotely activated surveillance and killing machines that have inspired delight and despair. Everyone would like to enforce his way. No one likes blood on his hands. Accidents will happen, but hey, everything's got a price, right?

-- In civil-war-torn Syria, someone has kidnapped two top-gun Christians:

Yohanna Ibrahim is head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Aleppo and Boulos Yaziji leads the Greek Orthodox Church in the city.
They are the most senior Christian clerics caught up directly in the war.

No one knows who did the kidnapping or why, but it is hard not to imagine that cash-strapped fighters would see a potential treasure trove in church coffers. Kidnapping has long been a source of income for those who want or need income, but perhaps the industry has been too narrow-minded in the past. Willie Sutton robbed banks, allegedly, "because that's where the money is." Religions, too, tend to stockpile money.