So I entered this contest

which I have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.  Alas I never like to just roll over.  I will do what little (very little) I can to give it the old college try.

Long story short it's something that Walmart is offering where you vote for a product and the entries with the most votes get the chance to sell their wares on walmart.com.  I know, I know.  Walmart's evil.  It's taking over the world.  It exploits people.  But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing to get a good product in there.  As I recall an organic food activist saying after his products were placed on Walmart shelves, to paraphrase, "People think I'm getting in bed with the devil. But Walmart's so big it is where real change can happen."

Now my stuff's not organic.  It's not good for you.  In fact if you eat it, it would be very bad for you.  But I think it's cool that Walmart is empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs.  Sure they'll probably rip the hearts right out of the winner's bodies.  But if I win, I'll make sure to film that bit and put it on youtube so my family can become internet millionaires (or whatever you become when you get a lot of hits on youtube).

So here's the link to vote:

Get on the Shelf

You can vote once a day.  So vote early, and vote often.  There's really nothing better to vote for.  American Idol is so five years ago and the presidential race is full of people as ethically suspect as Walmart.  Sure, I may be ethically suspect too.  But the difference between them and me?  I admit it.  So a vote for Knotwork is a vote for an honest sell out.

I thank you for your time.

Oh, and here's my video submission for the contest:

Being Offensive

No, this isn't a post about running the ball in the NFL.  It's about what we say and/or don't say and how people react to it.

I posted something on my Facebook fan page about Whitney Houston's death the other day.  Some people thought it cruel and "too soon".  I understand that sentiment.  I do not agree with it obviously otherwise I wouldn't have posted it.  I don't set out to be rude.  I am just myself, which apparently lowers the tone and upsets the tranquility of those around me.

And to that I say?  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry I disturbed your little bubble of peace.  Honestly.

But you know what?  I'm disturbed.  No, not like that.  They did all the tests and they came back mostly normal.  But I'm disturbed that people get offended by the wrong things, in my, say it together, never humble opinion.

Some folks got offended that I made a crack about Whitney's crack usage.  I think that's the wrong thing to get offended about.  What am I offended about?

I'm offended that someone given everything (from what we know)- a good family, great talent, wealth, opportunity, beauty, physical health, etc, etc, etc- someone given so much more than literally millions, if not billions of other people on the planet would ever or could ever hope to get- squandered those blessings.

Do people make mistakes?  Of course.  I've made tons.  I have a few in my past that would make you puke your guts out.  Whitney made mistakes I guess.  Note the sentence there- "Whitney" made mistakes.  She made poor choices.  I am sorry for her family that she did so, as I'm sure all of her poor choices hurt them very much.

But I do not respect someone who was given everything and essentially held it up in front of the billions of people who would give anything for a crumb of her blessings, and threw it down, stomped on it and let it drain into the gutter.

I find that more offensive than any quip about her life or death. 

I know that people may find this cruel and judgmental.  Fair enough. Some may say, 'She had her demons. Addiction is a disease' etc, etc.  Again, fair enough. We all have demons.  We all have problems.  Most without the resources or ability to help themselves like Whitney had.  Hell I'm sure there are people in many parts of the world who would trade a year of life to have their last day partying at the Beverly fucking Hilton. 

I will save the tiny bits of my black heart that can empathize for those who do help themselves and who have everything working against them, rather than the other way around.

Hollywood is officially in the shitter

I know I've complained about this before.  Many times in fact. Usually it had to do with a stupid remake (Footloose and Dirty Dancing the most wretched examples).  But Hollywood is well and truly in the shitter.  I really can't criticize it enough.  It is like the black shit that sticks to gum on the bottom of your shoe.  

Have you seen the promos for the new Snow White film?  I had already heard of this some time ago and wondered how Kristen Stewart could possibly play anything other than a depressed waif (in real life as well as films).  And yet there I read that she was to play Snow White.  Fine. Whatever.

Have you seen who is to play the evil queen?  Charlize Theron.  Um, what?  In what universe is Kristen Stewart more attractive than Charlize Theron?  Other than the Twilightverse of course.  In every photo you see of Charlize she looks like a goddess.  She literally looked like one at the Golden Globes- a Greek goddess.  If you took all the beautiful women in the world and rolled them into one uber babe it would surely be Charlize.

Conversely if you took all the crack whores in the world, rolled them into a ball, gave them nice skin and a black mini-dress, you'd have Kristen Stewart.

I'm not a Kristen Stewart hater.  I like the Twilight books.  I think she ruined the films of course.  But it wasn't that hard to ruin them.  It was like pouring sour milk on a bowl of vomit flavored cornflakes.  Even without her, the films still would've made me ill.

Yet again Hollywood you have given me a film I will not bother seeing until it's on Netflix Instant five years from now.  Yes, me, Diane.  The girl who used to go to the cinema every single weekend and actually enjoy it- you even alienated me.  

So go take your depressed Snow White and stick it up your arse.  If you need help Kristen can show you how to cope with something stuck up your backside.