[Quote]:

Spiritually and philosophically, the Quaker organization devoted to peace and social justice feels a natural solidarity with the hundreds of protesters camping out at City Hall.

Which is nice.

But it is on a more fundamental level – way down at the foundation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – that the committee has reached out to the high-minded masses.

It’s letting them use the bathrooms.

For 150 years, the Quakers’ venerable headquarters in a brick building at 15th and Cherry has opened its doors to people engaged in peaceful protest, said Patricia McBee, executive director of the Friends Center. "Women’s suffrage meetings were held here, protesters involved in the antislavery movement and in the antiwar movement during Vietnam," she said. "We don’t know how long this will be an occupation, but we will continue to support them as long as we can."

I rant a lot about religion on this weblog – so it’s refreshing to show a good side every now and then…

[Quote]:

A Houston area law enforcement agency is prepared to launch an unmanned drone that could someday carry weapons, Local 2 Investigates reported Friday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Conroe paid $300,000 in federal homeland security grant money and Friday it received the ShadowHawk unmanned helicopter made by Vanguard Defense Industries of Spring.

[..]

Michael Buscher, chief executive officer of manufacturer Vanguard Defense Industries, said this is the first local law enforcement agency to buy one of his units.

He said they are designed to carry weapons for local law enforcement.

“The aircraft has the capability to have a number of different systems on board. Mostly, for law enforcement, we focus on what we call less lethal systems,” he said, including Tazers that can send a jolt to a criminal on the ground or a gun that fires bean bags known as a “stun baton.”

“You have a stun baton where you can actually engage somebody at altitude with the aircraft. A stun baton would essentially disable a suspect,” he said.

Gage said he has no immediate plans to outfit his drone with weapons, and he also ruled out using the chopper for catching speeders.

Well, I feel safer already.

[Quote]:

A three-year investigation into the police’s habit of fixing traffic and parking tickets in the Bronx ended in the unsealing of indictments on Friday and a stunning display of vitriol by hundreds of off-duty officers, who converged on the courthouse to applaud their accused colleagues and denounce their prosecution.

So they’re demanding the right to be corrupt, and they’re using that slogan? Yeah, yeah, I know, the printer was only following orders.

What could possibly go wrong…

“To serve the rich and protect our friends.”

[Quote]:

Qantas has grounded its entire fleet and is locking out its staff in response to unions’ industrial action.

The airline is fighting with its pilots, ground staff and engineers over pay, conditions and the outsourcing of jobs overseas.

In a shock move, Qantas boss Alan Joyce announced today all domestic employees involved with the dispute will be locked out as of 8pm (AEDT) Monday, but the fleet would be grounded immediately.

What isn’t helping is that Joyce recently gave himself a $2 million raise.

[Quote]:

Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real

No, not really. Because if the rest of the answer to the petition was real, you’d immediately make alcohol and tobacco illegal.

For example, how can you say, with dry eyes, that “marijuana use is a significant source for voluntary drug treatment admissions” and two paragraphs later that “we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment”

Ever heard of “self-fulfilling prophecies”?

Oh, and read the response to the “Under God” petition as well. So it’s official, whitehouse.gov petitions are nothing but mental masturbation. Pricks pretending to care.

[Quote]:

“I’m all for leaking when it’s organized.”

– Bill Daley, White House chief of staff

[Quote]:

"The ship of state, Bernard, is the only ship that leaks from the top."