Kudos to you, Denise, for getting a shout-out from Tim Denning! And it amazes me how quick people are to assign dark intentions to the Medium execs and editors — all the time, but particularly in this contest. Nobody is holding a gun to our heads to write to these topics, or indeed at all (with the possible exception of a ransom note). Don't like competition? Fine. Don't find the chosen themes appealing? Also fine. But why the kvetching? Writing contests are classier than buying lotto tickets, after all.