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Thanks to everyone who took part in our All-Star weekend Journal Contest. We had 33 entries altogether, and it was no easy task coming up with a winner. Ryan, Joe and I had to lock ourselves in a room for a day and argue which entry was the best; it was a little like the movie 12 Angry Men.

In the end, we chose loveforthehornets as the winner for his entry I'm a Grown Man and I Sent CP3 a Get Well Card. He gets the prize of a $100 voucher for the Hornets Nest store, a Chris Paul Mardi Gras bobblehead, and a signed poster of Darren Collison. Here's the full Journal entry for your perusal:

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Oh look, we're having another All-Star contest. The important stuff first:

What's the prize?

There will be only one winner, one grand prize. That prize will consist of:

• A $100 voucher for the Hornets Nest store.
• A Chris Paul Mardi Gras bobblehead (from last week's Hornets-Sixers game).
• A signed poster of Darren Collison.

Who can enter?

Pretty much anyone. You don't have to live in the United States. We'll send the prizes to New Zealand if we have to.

How do I win?

We want you to write a 200-400 word Journal entry about pretty much anything Hornets-related. It can be about one player, the whole team, coaches, trades, rumors, Buzz Fest, whatever. It can be funny, sad, optimistic, pessimistic, cataclysmic or even complete fantasy. By all means, get creative and throw a curveball in there. All we really ask is that you refrain from writing anything rude or derogatory, and submit an entry that accomplishes one or more of the following:

• Entertains the reader.
• Expresses an educated opinion.
  
• Generates discussion.
• Informs/educates the reader.
• Shares an original thought/idea.

After the deadline, our select panel of judges (that would be me, Ryan and Joe) will review all the entries and pick a winner. If there's any disagreement between the judges, I get final say because I'm the coolest.

How do I get started?

First, if you haven't already done so, you need to register with the site. After that, make sure you're logged in, and then go to write a Journal entry. You must provide a title and content before you can save or publish. You can come back later and edit what you wrote via your Journal listing page. (Be advised that you cannot delete a Journal entry once it has been published.)

If you have trouble, check out this introduction to Journals, or let us know what's up in the comments below.

Rules and stuff

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There have been many strong opinions and disagreements in the comments recently, with some commenters being called out for various reasons. I want to take a minute and address the issue.

A few things:

• Calling someone an idiot because they disagree with you or say something you don't want to hear is just plain lazy. Take a minute and explain your opposing view. If you can't do that, then best not to respond at all.
  
  
• I suspect that many of you who get upset in the comments do so not because you disagree with points that have been made, but because there is an element of truth to them that you'd rather not acknowledge.
  
  
• Gloating (e.g. "I told you so!") gets you nowhere. People will label you arrogant rather than a genius. Give yourself a quiet pat on the back and move on.
  
  
• Don't question another commenter's fanhood. Again, I feel that's a lazy response. It doesn't even matter if someone is or isn't a "real Hornets fan," however you might define that. Some of the best insights come from people outside of New Orleans who might only catch a handful of games each season.
  
  
• Repeating the same points over and over gets annoying. It's no fun seeing old arguments popping up repeatedly in the comments, and I have to wonder if some people do that just to ruffle a few feathers.

I'd ask that everyone -- yes, everyone -- please step their game up when it comes to commenting. The comments are there for people to engage in mature and responsible discussion. You don't have to agree with everyone else, but please respect them.

The New Orleans Hornets 2009-10 regular season finally gets cracking tonight, as our boys take on the Spurs in San Antonio. Que D-West's happy face...

If you're in or near New Orleans this evening, come join me and a bunch of cool people at Handsome Willy's bar to watch the game. There will be drinks specials, plus a $100 Hornets Nest voucher up for grabs.

We had a blast doing this a year ago.

More details about tonight's party in the calendar, and you can RSVP on Facebook if you're among the cool kids there. Feel free to send out extra invites to all your Hornet-lovin' Facebook buddies. Even Spurs fans are welcome, but they have to stand in the corner and pay full price for drinks.

Here's a map to Handsome Willy's. Plenty of free parking.

For anyone on the Northshore, be sure to check out the official Hornets watch party tonight in Covington. Details here.

Lucky me will be at Hornets media day next Monday, ready and willing to ask the players and coaches bunches of questions. I already have a few key things I want to ask and certain guys I want to focus on, but I'd love to get your ideas also.

So, what questions would you like answered? Anything you'd love to know about a particular player or coach? Want someone's take on a certain subject?

Give us your ideas in the comments below. And keep them realistic, please.