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VideoGameGeek February Art Contest!

Jess Damerst
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So, here we are, in February. We promised you guys that we would re-open the art contest, and we are keeping that promise! We will be changing the theme... but don't worry, we think this one is easier and more fun!

The prize is still the same:
Your choice of any ONE of the following on ONE of the platforms that it is available on.

These were last years' VGG Golden Geek Award Finalists!

Game of the Year
Mass Effect 2
Portal 2
Red Dead Redemption

Best Visuals/Artwork
L.A. Noire
Mass Effect 2
Red Dead Redemption

Best Indie Game
Bastion
Limbo
Minecraft

Best Mobile/Handheld Game
Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer
Neuroshima Hex!
Roll Through the Ages

Most Innovative Game
Heavy Rain
Minecraft
Portal 2

The theme is "Video Game Motivational" (i.e. http://bit.ly/zNpzab)

Now, before you get too carried away, we have a few rules that, by entering this contest, you accept and agree to be bound by:

1.For the "Video Game Motivational," only a "Final Submission" post is required. It can be a scan, picture, etc. We just need to be able to recognize that it's your piece. This rule is in place for a variety of reasons, so don't question it!

2. The contest starts on February 2nd at 12:01am CST and runs through February 29th at 11:59pm CST. Please submit your final piece by then, no exceptions! In the event of a dispute, all decisions made by VideoGameGeek are final and binding. Contest rules are subject to modification by VideoGameGeek.

3. Submissions must be uploaded to this thread under the entrants username and clearly defined as the "Final Submission."

4. The prize is as stated above, and it cannot be exchanged or cashed in for any thing else (such as money, other games, etc).

5. If you live in a state, country or region that prohibits contests of this type, then this offer is void and you may not participate. Employees and immediate family members of employees of BoardGameGeek, LLC are not eligible to participate in this contest.

6. Entrants may submit more than one entry under the same username; each labled "Final Submission."

7. Winners will be notified through GeekMail within 5 days of the completion of the contest (defined by the closing of the voting poll). Winners will be solely responsible for any local, state, and Federal taxes.

8. Entrants may use any medium (digital paint, photo, pencil, 3D, collage etc.) but entrants must not include any material in their submission that infringes upon the copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights of any other party. Entrants must have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, or permissions to submit for online distribution all of the material in their submission.

9. By entering this contest, each entrant forever discharges and releases BoardGameGeek, LLC and its directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability, claims, causes of action, suits, and demands of any kind arising from or in connection with this contest.

10. Winners are selected by popular vote of the registered users of the VideoGameGeek website. A poll will be set up for the submitted pieces after the completion of the contest. Details for the poll will be disclosed later.

11. Most importantly, artistic ability is not required! Just because it's a beautiful piece of art does not mean it will win. It can be silly, serious, or anything in between. Please don't be intimidated and just have fun with it!

Good luck (once more) and I look forward to all of your work! Feel free to ask questions, I will get to them as soon as I can!

Jess
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44 Comments
Subscribe sub options Thu Feb 2, 2012 4:37 am
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T. R.
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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How does "fair use" work, or does anything submitted to this contest need to be entirely my own?
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  • Posted Thu Feb 2, 2012 1:01 pm
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See my post in the other thread for our semi-official (and purposely somewhat vague) position about infringement and "fair use"...

Entirely original stuff is awesome and preferred, but we don't intend to draw lines about what is okay and what isn't at this point.

Basically - just use your judgment!
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  • Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012 4:08 am
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THE MAVERICK
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frumpish wrote:
How does "fair use" work, or does anything submitted to this contest need to be entirely my own?

Unfortunately it is not a simple issue, but here are a few relatively accessible articles for you to chew on...

Fair Use
Derivative Works
Fan Art

Given the amount of time the art contest has been under consideration, it is disappointing they haven't got better guidance to offer on the issue.

Although the official response seems to be approaching the point of "don't be bothered by all these rules"...
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  • Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012 6:39 am
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T. R.
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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The Maverick wrote:
Although the official response seems to be approaching the point of "don't be bothered by all these rules"...


I think you see through the lines better than I!

Thanks Maverick.
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  • Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012 10:03 am
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Nick Reed
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Final submission:





Okay, okay I'll come up with a better submission later. thumbsup
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  • Posted Sat Feb 4, 2012 1:08 pm
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Ryan Gatti
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Final Submission:

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  • Edited Sat Feb 4, 2012 11:58 pm
  • Posted Sat Feb 4, 2012 11:57 pm
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Ken Stuart
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This Masterpiece has been submitted in Response to the failure of the featured Microbadge to be approved by the VGG community.

Final Submission:

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  • Posted Sun Feb 5, 2012 3:40 am
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Aaron Tubb
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Final Submission:
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  • Posted Sun Feb 5, 2012 3:15 pm
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Ryan Gatti
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Final Submission:

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  • Posted Tue Feb 7, 2012 10:18 am
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Jess Damerst
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Looks great!!! Keep it up Remember, you can do more then 1 entry!!
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  • Posted Tue Feb 7, 2012 6:31 pm
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Final Submission:

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  • Posted Wed Feb 8, 2012 8:16 am
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rgatti wrote:
Final Submission:


Nightmare? A blessing!

Only then would you leave Plato's cave and enter the sunlight (think Matrix, for those who aren't familiar with Plato) to see the reality of the endlessly recycled themes, failure to really engage your imagination, and boring and repetitive gameplay that are behind most modern titles.
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  • Posted Wed Feb 8, 2012 1:06 pm
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Ryan Gatti
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The Maverick wrote:
rgatti wrote:
Final Submission:


Nightmare? A blessing!

Only then would you leave Plato's cave and enter the sunlight (think Matrix, for those who aren't familiar with Plato) to see the reality of the endlessly recycled themes, failure to really engage your imagination, and boring and repetitive gameplay that are behind most modern titles.

Ah, but it motivated you to post a rebuttal/discussion piece about the reliance on graphics in modern gaming as compared to the substance(?) of older games that couldn't rely on a rich color palette to be enjoyable. Yes, I agree that games have changed dramatically from the CGA days, some for the better, some for the worse. However, I think most would agree that drawing back the Matrix-like veil doesn't improve ones view on modern gaming, hence the "Nightmare" tag. Also, I decided to use Comic Sans font, since it's also partially in jest.

...but cyan and magenta?
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  • Posted Wed Feb 8, 2012 11:02 pm
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Barad The Dwarf
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  • Edited Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:20 pm
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Why can't we all be winners?
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  • Edited Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:41 am
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Another final submission

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  • Posted Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:48 pm
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T. R.
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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Can I create that black background and text using ms paint?
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  • Posted Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:20 pm
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frumpish wrote:
Can I create that black background and text using ms paint?

Yes - these kinds of images don't really require much more functionality than you get in paint.
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  • Posted Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:42 pm
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T. R.
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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Is there an easier way to center the text than trial and error?
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  • Edited Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:50 am
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T. R.
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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Final submission entry.

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  • Edited Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:58 pm
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frumpish wrote:


Is there an easier way to center the text than trial and error?

It depends on your graphics program, but some will let you center the text within whatever text entry window you specify.

However, another method is to "measure" you text (put it in a place where you can find the start/end pixel count). Then, if you know the width of your image, you should be able to do some simple math and center it manually.
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  • Posted Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:24 am
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Final Submission:

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  • Posted Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:30 am
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T. R.
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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Man, you guys are amazing at getting the image and the text centered. I tip my hat to the lot of yous.
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  • Posted Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:45 pm
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3rd Final Submission:



Honestly - from the characters, game modes, moves and dialogs, it's clear what drove every aspect of this game's design...
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  • Edited Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:50 pm
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Michael Dorosh
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Final Submission:

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  • Edited Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:17 pm
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Adam Slape
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Final Submission:

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  • Posted Sat Feb 25, 2012 12:23 am
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Final submission

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  • Posted Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:14 pm
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Final submission





Does anyone see a trend with my images?
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  • Posted Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:15 pm
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And, inspired by recent discussion in the arcade, just for fun
Final submission






This is a joke, not meant to be sexist. Please forgive me ladies.
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  • Posted Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:23 pm
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Bruno Abreu
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MAISON ABREU: Lair of Abreu, you know, that guy below. Do not mistake this for other Maisons or Houses or even Abreus.
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wizcreations wrote:
And, inspired by recent discussion in the arcade, just for fun
Final submission






This is a joke, not meant to be sexist. Please forgive me ladies.


I fully support this submission.
As I stated before I now know how Mona Lisa must have felt...
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  • Posted Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:42 pm
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Final Submission:

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  • Posted Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:17 am
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With my latest final submission I've decided to be more motivational:

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  • Posted Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:53 pm
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So... voting?
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 2:17 am
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Is there anything left to vote on after Rule 8 is applied?
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 3:21 am
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Was hoping to get voting up tonight, but I've been swamped with GDC preparations...

We'll try to get the voting going in the next day or two.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 6:20 am
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The Maverick wrote:
Is there anything left to vote on after Rule 8 is applied?

All of my submissions are 100% hand-drawn (well, Gimp-drawn), if that's what you're implying.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 7:55 am
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rgatti wrote:
The Maverick wrote:
Is there anything left to vote on after Rule 8 is applied?

All of my submissions are 100% hand-drawn (well, Gimp-drawn), if that's what you're implying.

No, not implying anything like that at all... I was just surprised to discover that the owner of Link was a VGG user.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 12:38 pm
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You don't have to be Shigeru Miyamoto to be allowed to draw a representation of Link or take a screenshot of him.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 3:45 pm
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Speedracer513 wrote:
You don't have to be Shigeru Miyamoto to be allowed to draw a representation of Link or take a screenshot of him.

Absolutely correct.

However, according to Rule 8, you do have to be him (or have his permission, or that of whomever owns the IP to Link) to enter such items in the VGG art contest...

While it is up to VGG to decide how to apply the rules, as written the rule would prohibit any entries which include game screen shots, derivative works based on copyrighted materials, or trademarked properties.

If that is not the intent (or if the rule is just not going to be applied), then it shouldn't even be in there next time around. That way you level the playing field and let everyone know from the start that possible copyright and trademark restrictions are not a bar to contest entries, as opposed to what the rule currently states.
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  • Edited Fri Mar 2, 2012 5:09 pm
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The Maverick wrote:
Speedracer513 wrote:
You don't have to be Shigeru Miyamoto to be allowed to draw a representation of Link or take a screenshot of him.
However, according to Rule 8, you do have to be him (or have his permission, or that of whomever owns the IP to Link) to enter such items in the VGG art contest...


That's not completely accurate... Rule 8 says, "Entrants must have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, or permissions to submit for online distribution all of the material in their submission" -- that doesn't necessarily mean 'express permission' from the IP holder.

There is quite a grey area regarding fair use and derivative works and we are not going to get in the business of making unnecessary legal conclusions. If there is something that is clearly an infringement of copyright, or if we are contacted by a rights-holder that objects, rest assured that we will take the appropriate actions.

In the meantime, this is intended to be a fun and friendly contest and I don't think anyone is complaining that we have put the site or its users in danger - or harmed the rights of any IP holders - by anything that has been included here.

That said, I really do appreciate the concerns you have voiced. This is our first attempt at a contest like this and I have thought a lot about the way we did things this time and how we may do things in the future. "Rule 8" in particular will get a closer look before next time.
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  • Posted Fri Mar 2, 2012 6:51 pm
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THE MAVERICK
Afghanistan
(Currently far from) Herald
California
designer
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Speedracer513 wrote:
There is quite a grey area regarding fair use and derivative works and we are not going to get in the business of making unnecessary legal conclusions.

Unnecessary? Such conclusions are explicitly called for by the contest rules...

Again, whether or not you enforce the contest rules is up to you. However, such a decision should not be cloaked with misinformation and unsubstantiated claims about the scope of fair use. As I have stated previously, there does not seem to be a basis in the law to claim that "fair use" covers entering an item in a contest with commercial prizes...

A few informative links on the topic:
Fair Use
Derivative Works
Fan Art

Hopefully this will be substantially cleared up the next time around, as you have indicated.
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  • Posted Sat Mar 3, 2012 5:06 pm
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Adam Slape
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I've edited my final submission in order to be in compliance with Rule #8...although now I guess I'm breaking Rule #2 so I can't win either way. soblue

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  • Posted Sun Mar 4, 2012 1:21 am
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T. R.
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Minneapolis
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Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. Chief Seattle
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Ciaran wrote:
I've edited my final submission in order to be in compliance with Rule #8...although now I guess I'm breaking Rule #2 so I can't win either way. soblue



It was better before, and rule 8 does not seem to be enforced.
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  • Posted Sun Mar 4, 2012 2:30 am
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T. R.
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future. H.G. Wells
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Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. Chief Seattle
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Voting is open.

http://videogamegeek.com/blogpost/8540/february-art-contest-...
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  • Posted Sun Mar 4, 2012 12:23 pm
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