Jim Hightower

Now that DeMarco and I have written our new book, the question that's most on my mind is this: How do you swim against the current?

I'd like to hear your stories -- but more than that, I'd like to see them! Create a video and upload it to YouTube, and my staff and I will be picking the best at the end of March. We'll feature videos we like throughout the month, and the winner will receive an autographed copy of " Swim Against the Current" and a gift certificate to their local greenmarket or Mom-n-Pop store.

Here's how you can submit your video to be considered:

1. Shoot your video! It should be less than 10 minutes long. You can be as fancy with your style as you want to be.
2. Go to YouTube and create an account if you don't have one already.
3. Join the "Swim Against the Current" video group there and add your video to it.

The deadline to submit your video is Friday, March 28, 2008, 11:59 ET.

Here are some guidelines for what I'm looking for:

• Some ideas: Have you kept Wal-Mart out of your town? Got fed up and ran for office? Organized workers in your community? For us, it's all about the positive.
• Nothing inappropriate, folks! Keep it clean.
• You can define "success" however you see fit. The areas I'd most like to hear about are business, politics, health care, food, and religion.

If you don't think you're a Cecil B. DeMille in the making, you can help me out by watching the videos that are submitted -- then rate them and comment on them.

The grand prize winner will be contacted via YouTube's messaging service during the week of March 30, 2008. Once we've got all that we need there, we'll announce the winner here publicly.

The Fine Print

By adding your video to the YouTube group, you agree to the following:

• By law, you have to be over 13 years old to submit a video. If you're a kid and you've got a good story, get an adult to help you out -- we still want to hear from you.
• You don't mind if we post your video on jimhightower.com or hightowerlowdown.org
• Unfortunately, we're not responsible for technical issues preventing you from submitting a video.
• Really, I mean it: keep it clean. All videos must be appropriate for all audiences.
• You must have the rights to the content that you upload. That also means that anyone you film, you have to have their permission to be in the video. If you reuse content from TV or film, please pay attention to fair use rules.
• If my staff needs to get in touch with you, they will do so through YouTube's messaging. Make sure you can get email from YouTube.
• The legal mumbo-jumbo: Entrants agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Jim Hightower/Saddle Burr Productions/Hightower & Associates/Public Intelligence, and its employees, representatives, and agents from any and all liability, loss, damage, cost or expense, including reasonable counsel fees and expenses, paid or incurred by reason of its breach of any of the obligations, covenants, representations or terms contained in these Contest Rules or by reason of its intentional or grossly negligent conduct relating to performance of this agreement. [Whew.]

These rules are subject to change; my staff will notify entrants if they do.