Tateru, once again, you are hysterically and wildly mis-stating how the political process in the US works, and totally exaggerating the significance of Mark Kirk and implying that congress shouldn't have the right to regulate virtual worlds.

Sorry, but elected representatives in democratic societies *do* take precedence over mobs of the politically-correct and extremist in viewpoint such as you pull together on your blog. We didn't elect you, and frankly, I will take even an ill-informed elected official that can be dealt with by lobbying or informing than those who rule the roost on the blogosphere and decide what "the Community" thinks and what should prevail on social media.

There's this belief that "ageplay" should enjoy endless tolerance under any notion of civil liberties. But law is tightening up on this even in the First Amendment US precisely because the linkage that has been found between tolerance of simulation of child pornography and the real thing. You may find this preposterous; others outside the Magic Circle do not.

You're also rewriting SL history here again. LL has always had a heavy hand on the birthday celebration; LL has always made it an official state occasion and selected whom it wanted to represent. All that happened is that the FIC, which usually gets selected and is in happy condominium with the Lab has now suddenly found itself not quite on the same page and not reading the Hive Mind with the same accuracy and alacrity that it used to -- that's all.

The family-friendly vote isn't something that one has to "grease," Tateru. It's a real force that has real issues and they are *legitimate* issues and politicans elected by them as a majority in some states have to serve these interests. That's how normal democratic politics work, when you aren't trying to read or control Hive Mind.

I'm glad that the media and congress NOT controlled by the Lab -- and there's been an awful lot of THAT as you know full well -- is also taking an inquiring and critical approach to virtual worlds that do have a powerful effect on society. Or did you think only congressmen in the Lab's pocket, that set up softball hearings for them, and only their lapdog press should get to cover these controversial issues they way you wish?