Very sorry that I missed this excellent entry before voting closed :/ Frankly, the variance of the entries was so high that I just lost motivation, but this was an awesome entry and I flatter myself to say that it is similar in spirit to my own. Great work!
Joe
Hi Joe,
many thanks for those kind words :) I'll admit I had missed your entry as well -- not only is there indeed high variance (which does contribute to the charm however, I love this contest) but I find the forum quite painful to use, such that engaging in discussions here is a lot less natural than it could be. I wish they would use something a decade or two more modern.
Off to read your essay -- best of luck!