The LA police department’s drones have reportedly taken to the sky over the city. Q: How will I know when I see one? A: Well, you know that thing that’s been “stuck” in the tree outside your window for the last fifteen minutes? Well that’s one of them and it’s streaming your life live, Truman Show-style, to the sheriff’s MySpace account. You’re one of his 10 million special friends.

At $30,000 each, the sheriff’s office says the drones are a steal, because helicopters cost $2 million a piece, not including barrels of fuel and landing pads and maintenance. Here’s Aviation Week on drones: “They’re inaudible from 1,000 ft. or less, can detect targets under trees, distinguish facial features from 4 naut. mi., and automatically recognize target vehicles.”

Maybe we could get some of these drone-kites to teach our “targets” when the targets are still preschool age, before they become adult “targets under trees” or the people driving “targeted vehicles”?