For my Chicago readers, the following information was forwarded to me by one of my mb colleagues: get moving!

Only one week left to submit a story to the first annual Penknife Press Short Story Writing Contest. Here are the rules.

1. Eligibility: Entrant must be 21 years of age. Employees of Penknife
Press and agents and the immediate family (defined as parents, spouse,
children, siblings, grandparents) of each such employee, and all those with
whom such employees are domiciled, are NOT eligible. For contest
eligibility purposes, current Penknife Press authors and contest judges are
considered employees of Penknife Press.

2. Timing: Contest begins at 12:00:01 a.m. Chicago Time on Saturday,
July 15, 2006 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. Chicago Time on Saturday, September
30, 2006.

3. How to Enter: Submit your entry online to contest@penknifepress.com. Each entry must be 1000 - 10,000 words. The story should have a social and/or political theme that reflects current events. Only one entry per person. More than one entry from any person or e-mail address will void all entries from that person or e-mail address.

4. Judging Criteria: Each entrant selected as a potential winner must
comply with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules, and
winning is contingent upon fulfilling all such requirements. The prize
winners will be selected by a neutral judging panel and will be rated in
three areas: 1- Writing Skill, 2- Story Content, and 3- social relevance.
Participants agree to be bound by these rules and the decision of the
judges, whose decisions are final. Potential winners will be notified by
e-mail. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within fourteen (14) days
after the first attempt to contact such potential winner, an alternate
entrant will be selected in his or her place from all entries received.

5. Prizes: The following prizes will be awarded:

First Prize: $1,000.00.

Second Prize: $600.00.

Third Prize: $400.00.

All taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of
winner.

Selected runners-up shall be included in a collection of winners' stories
to be published by Penknife Press at the end of the contest.

6. Other Terms and Conditions: Potential winners and any guests who
will share in the prize will each be required to sign and return an
Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability Release, and where lawful, a Publicity
Release, within fourteen (14) days of notification, failing which the
potential winner will be disqualified and another winner selected in the
place of the disqualified person at random from all entries received. If
any prize or prize notification is returned as non-deliverable, the
potential winner will be disqualified and another potential winner will be
selected in the original potential winner's place. By accepting the prize,
the winner agrees that Penknife Press and those acting under Penknife
Press's authority, may use winner's name, picture/portrait likeness and/or
voice, for advertising and promotional purposes without further
consideration, unless prohibited by law. BY ACCEPTING THE PRIZE, THE WINNER
AGREES THAT PENKNIFE PRESS, IT'S SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, ADVERTISING AND
PROMOTION AGENCIES, AND ALL OF PENKNIFE PRESS'S OFFICERS, DIRECTORS,
EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS, WILL HAVE NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER
FOR, AND WILL BE HELD HARMLESS BY WINNER FOR ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY INJURY,
LOSS OR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND TO PERSONS, INCLUDING DEATH, AND PROPERTY, DUE
IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE ACCEPTANCE,
POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF THE PRIZE OR PARTICIPATION IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES
OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY CONTEST OR PRIZE RELATED ACTIVITY. Subject to all
federal, state and local laws. Void where prohibited.

7. Miscellaneous: Penknife Press reserves the right to compile any
entry into an anthology to be published by the editors of Penknife Press.
The authors of such entries, with the exception of the contest winners,
will be paid exclusively in copies of the anthology. All other rights
revert to the author. In the event of a dispute, entries made by Internet
will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address
submitted at the time of entry. The "authorized account holder" is deemed
the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet
access provider, service provider or other online organization that is
responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with
the submitted e-mail address. A potential winner may be requested to
provide Penknife Press with proof that the potential winner is the
authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning
entry. If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned,
including due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized
intervention, fraud, technical failure, human error or any other causes
beyond the control of Penknife Press that corrupt or affect the
administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the
Contest, Penknife Press reserves the right in their sole discretion, to
disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to
cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Penknife Press assumes no
responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect,
delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or
destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Penknife
Press is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any
telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers,
computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received
by Penknife Press on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on
the Internet or at any web site, any combination thereof, or otherwise,
including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer
related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in
the Contest. Penknife Press not responsible for late, lost, illegible,
incomplete, stolen, or misdirected entries. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN
ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE
OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND
SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, PENKNIFE PRESS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK
DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

8. Winners List: A complete list of prize winners will be available at
http://WWW.PENKNIFEPRESS.COM.