New York writer wins prize in second week of Allvoices' “Memories, Dreams” contest

Happy holiday greetings and a big "thank you" to everyone who participated in the second week of Allvoices' "2011 Memories, 2012 Dreams" contest that runs through Dec. 31.

Our second-week winner is Allvoices writer Veronica Roberts, who left us laughing and hopeful for 2012 with her satirical entry, "As 2012 sneaks up on 2011, here are 10 New Year's Resolution suggestions: Any of yours among them?" Roberts, of New York City, is an Anchor for Allvoices and has been publishing on the site since May 24, 2010.

Her report on New Year's resolutions included some fresh takes on familiar resolutions, plus some novel ideas that make reading her article a worthy pre-New Year's resolution for anyone interested in getting in some more laughter before the calendar slips into next year.

The following five reports (in chronological order) finished as runners-up:

2012 - unlocking the doors to Moon, Mars and beyond, by prabirghose, Dec. 11, 2011

Prabirghose, an Anchor who has accrued more than 2 million page views since he began writing for Allvoices on March 20, 2009, is based in Nashik, India. He takes Allvoices readers into the realm of space exploration with this interesting article.

2011: The year what began it all, by Benjamin Burton Jr., Dec. 12, 2011

Allvoices anchor Benjamin Burton Jr. of Atlanta has been contributing to the site since May 24, 2010. In this thought-provoking piece, he reminds readers that "what unites us is our humanity" and that focusing so intently on our divisions has been a factor in leading the world to the place of conflict it finds itself in now.

Political Satire, when gaffes give us laughs: 2011's funny side of serious and 2012's promised punchlines, by Veronica Roberts, Dec. 12, 2011

Roberts scores again with a look at the lighter side of American politics.

5 things in 2011 that lasted longer than Kim Kardashian's marriage, by Caitlin Tadlock, Dec. 14, 2011

St. Louis writer Caitlin Tadlock, an Anchor who has been writing for Allvoics since April 26, 2010, puts the oh-so-brief but very high-profile marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries in perspective.

The land of the free... a memory?, by paulaclibes, Dec. 15, 2011

A Mineola, N.Y., resident and Allvoices member since April 7, 2010, paulaclibes wrote this piece as her first report for the site. The National Defense Authorization Act and its possible consequences is the subject of this sobering entry.

The contest continues throughout the month of December, with $50 prizes to be awarded to each weekly winner and the grand prize winner receiving the iPad 2. The next deadline is at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, Dec. 24.

We recommend that submissions run between 400 and 1,000 words long -- concise and strong. Rather than simply summarizing, contest submissions should reflect, analyze, discuss and/or predict along the broad theme of "2011 Memories, 2012 Dreams."

Additional details about the contest can be found here.