HOF - Can't we find something better to worry about?

Okay, I'll admit - I'm a black and white, letter of the law rule follower. I would have looked at the HOF rules and gone exactly by them to the point of obsession with the fear that any deviation from them would cause my entry to hit the shredder (and I believe most people did just that). But, then, I would have assumed that CK had a LEGAL responsibility to eliminate anyone not following those rules per the strict "gaming laws" that Utah has - the strictest in the nation. Common sense says that when a FANTASTIC photo of an entrant comes in that doesn't look like it was physically possible to take herself, they should have approached it with suspicion. I mean, we've all tried to take great photos of ourselves, but they never work out THAT WELL. I bet most entries had photos of kids at ballet, friends on the boat, etc. But any REALLY GOOD PHOTOS of the entrant themselves should have put up a yellow flag and caused them to take the time to go back and at least ask. DUH, there was no credit given to the photographer BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REQUIRE CREDIT to be noted. BECAUSE THE PHOTOS WERE TO BE TAKEN BY THE ENTRANT! It's like some weird circle of finger pointing. What was it that they (whoever THEY are) say? When you point a finger at someone, remember, the other three are pointing back at YOU!

This is not unlike the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore - it just goes to prove that it's an empty meaningless award. Al Gore did NOT in any way fit into the parameters of the award guidelines (no matter where you stand on Al) any more than Yassar Arafat did when he won it. It's now just a popularity contest - as the HOF has become. When the integrity of the contest is stripped, there is no point in paying attention or giving accolades to the contest any more.

So, we can all agree that there was a TREMENDOUS brain-blip of integrity here by all parties, can't we? But, then why are we surprised? This industry is never far from a 7th grade girl fight. Someone always has their panties in a wad over something. It's the one part I don't like about it. In some places in the scrapbook universe, you aren't allowed to disagree with "The Mob". Just like 7th grade, if you stand up for someone and point out that they aren't as bad as Satan, you lose all your friends and get something nasty dumped on your coat at lunch. If THE MOB is mad, you darn well better be mad too!

This all being said, I think we need to write our letters to CK and be done with it and move on to important matters. People who really don't have a dog in the fight are consuming every waking moment reading and commenting on something so insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

CK messed up. Cancel your subscription to ALL their magazines (as some are suggesting), send your letter and move on. Life is too short to spend weeks and weeks angry and upset over such a small matter.