when I heard "Stone throwing chimps that learn new behaviors" was that George W. Bush was back in town.

Humans, poo flingers in more formal clothes?

Anime conventions have been doing gatherings for a while successfully.

  I only point to Otakon, since it's the anime con whose practices I'm most familiar . This con started with a few guys putting some seed money together and frankly losing money, because of insurance and liability costs that sometimes need to be acquired for larger venues. Then they went non-profit and things were greatly improved. Also the philosophy was very similar to most other conventions as how to run it.

- Elect your corporate officers and convention president every year. It keeps things from going too stale and political

- Have a group goal and keep to it. Otakon's at least was and should still be a 'By fans for fans' convention while showcasing East Asian culture to the public.

- Improve every year. Regardless of how good or bad you did the mantra should be 'We can do better.'

Those are just the highlights, but years when I thought Otakon would go down it has kept going and growing.

This is exactly the case. This is something Congress can do that might possibly redeem their abysmal approval rating in the public. For the vast majority out there which no nothing about video games, this is a win.

  We know it's a loss and a colossal one. How do we convince people about it? This is no more than the rating system with movies. Back in the day when a movie was rated R kids didn't see it for many reasons:

1) Movies theaters and movie ushers didn't sell tickets to underage kids
2) There was a stigma to even going IN to see an R rated film
3) Parents could make the individual decision when it came out on cable, TV, VHS, Beta, RCA Video Disc etc.

This is the same thing. Parents, if you see a game rating above your child's age - don't buy it! or if you really feel that little Johnny can handle Nun Slashers Effect 3 for the Sony EyeStation then go ahead, but don't blame the video game industry when your son gets busted for assault and ends up living with you until he's 45!

Personally, I'm going to contact my representatives and also call and warn my Congressmen that this bill is a bad idea for these specific reasons. It only takes usually 25 calls per office to make a particular view on an issue stand out. If even part of Slashdot's collective might calls or writes in then this bill can be removed and we can move on with more important issues. Remember to also calmly include that you are a voting constituent and if you are of their party then mention that too.

We have all been seriously owned. The Daily Mail receives website hits and we banter about on a topic that really has no merit nor a drop of reality in it.

I post this as a warning to others. Don't waste anymore brain power on it.

If anyone with influence in the international community takes this seriously it should be struck down and its supporters immediately considered completely out of touch with reality. Then ignored.

"Hey, Mildred, that burger is YOU!" and the resulting LOLS

This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Eat Me!"

A little more Douglas Adams into it.

You got metal fever boy!

DON'T DATE ROBOTS!

Brought to you byyyyyyyyyyyyyy the Space Pope!

For example, the phone feature of the iPhone. The other week I was getting increasingly frustrated that my iPhone doesn't provide any way to block unwanted callers. Some telemarketer was calling a dozen times a day for several days, and it was pissing me off. How hard would it be to implement call blocking?

Uh Chief? . . . I feel for you, but that's something that should be handled by your phone service provider. Not necessarily by the device.

Tackling telemarketers.

Put your cel phone number on the Fed Do Not Call List. Your state might have one too.
https://www.donotcall.gov/

Some telemarketers bypass this by claiming a "business relationship". Calmly tell the telemarketer to take you off his call list and you do not want to receive any more calls.

If they call again then you call your phone service provider (aka Verizon, AT&T etc.) to have the number blocked.

If the provider doesn't do anything then call the police and tell them you are being harassed. Be sure to have the dates and times of all the phone calls.

Yes, it would be more simple if the phone handled it, but sometimes you have to do your own legwork.

[Fade in on a roadhouse bar in a small Washington state logging town.
A singer on stage croons a haunting tune about falling. We pan over to Harrison Ford, Kyle Maclaughlin and Russell Mulcahy
sitting at a table. Harrison is eating sushi with a bottle of whiskey, Kyle is eating pie and Russell is on the phone
with Christopher Lambert.]

Singer: Falling . . . Falling . . .

[The bar goes dark. The band disappears from the stage. A bright white light appears on the trio at the table and
on stage. Russell stops his call and all three stand to look mesmerizingly at the stage. A very tall man in the likeness of Mr. Homn from ST.TNG
fades into view on stage.]

Tall Man: [Speaking to Russell] It is happening again. . .It is happening again.

[A small dwarf in a red suit dances up to Harrison. He hands him a cel phone.]

Dwarf: Âɥɥɥɥn ÉÉÉÉÉ¥ É¥ÉÉ¥ÉÉ¥ÉÉ¥ÉÉ¥ ÉÉu ÂÊÊoÉ"s ÊZÇ×YpÄ±É sı Êı ÂooÊZ ÉoÉY zı ÇuoÉ¥d ÇÉ¥Ê Ë(TM)pÉoÉY Ë(TM)ÉÉ

[Harrison puts it on speaker.]

Ridley Scott: Hey there big guy! Me and the guys at Fox are lookin' to green light a sequel for Blade Runner! Starts a 1.5 Mil with 2.5% in points. Tell me you're in!

[Time slows downs. Russell reaches for the phone.]

Russell: Noooooooo!

[He throws the phone at the back bar wall and shatters the mirrored glass. The bright lights fade and everything returns to normal except the glass.]

Russell: I'm . . . I'm sorry Harrison. I don't know what came over me. I just can't let that happen again.

Kyle: It's OK, Russell, already been there. Done that.

[The trio leaves money on the table and get up to leave as everyone looks at them. Harrison tosses a coin on the bar.]

Harrison: Sorry about the mess.

Well, it's a series of tubes...

What my distinguished colleague really meant is: the internet is a series of Hobbit holes. . .

Agreed.

Maybe they should also look into organizations like the church of scientology. One of the genesis points of Anonymous. If there can be such as thing.