February 2006 Archives
2006.02.27
[Call_&_Response_#_11]
Damn, you guys! Trent never blogs for us anymore, does he? Plus, reports are that he's still giving The Spiral folks The Silent Treatment. But, you know what? I think we all know what Trent wants to tell us, don't we? Let's write his blog and message board posts for him, shall we?
Our own Maise has a jumpstart on us. She claims that she could totally save Trent some valuable time by taking on the job herself, and that she'd even do it for free. Trent, if you're out there, I think you could really benefit from a deal like that...
Here's his blog, as penned by Maise, thus far:
[02_25_06]
That late-night trip to Denny's didn't sit so well with me.
2:23am_PST
[02_26_06]
I really want to like Bode Miller, but he keeps on choking and talking like a total douche.
1:45pm_PST
[02_27_06]
Grumpy. Tired.
5:48pm_PST
[2_27_06]
I am drowning in mucus.
1:30am_PST
[2_28_06]
Some asshole in a Volvo totally cut off our bus just now. I flipped him off, but I don't think he saw me.
10:41am_PST
Not bad, I'd say.
Ok, so we all know his blogging style, right? Brief, cryptic, and faintly snide, right? In message board posts, I'd say that he runs more towards the pissed-off, defensive, and bitchy.
Let's see what you got.
Posted by Dierdre in call_&_response / with_questionscall_&_response / with_questions | Permalink | Comments (62)
2006.02.24
[Concert_Review: Des_Moines,_IA_2-16-06]
by dearly esteemed WTC reader Iris
Review of the Des Moines show: FUCKING AWESOME!
We had GA tickets, and I had shelled out the $60 bucks for the spiral membership, so we got in about an hour early (though we missed the sound check because of the fucking freezing rain made us drive slow). Moving Units came on, and they were okay. I liked them much better then Autolux. No one here seemed to be real into them, so I think they got kind of smart assed about it and thanked the audience for our attention, and said they weren’t used to such “highfaluting accommodations,” or something to that effect. The joke fell flat, so they announced they would do one more song and then leave so we could see who we really came to the show for. Crowd goes nuts.
Then there were the roadies. Normally not something to really talk about there but there was an old lady roadie! And I mean old but not the type of old woman that you might expect. She didn’t show the usual signs that she’d been doing this for years. You know the look that tough old broad who has probably drank, smoked, and fucked it all. No, this woman looked like my Grandmother (no lie). She looked so innocent, like she should be baking cookies, trimming the roses, going to church every Sunday, or wiping some snotty kid’s nose, only she was dressed all in black and moving microphones. I totally flipped-out laughing! So, at least now I know what I want to do when I retire. Move over granny, I’m going to be your replacement one day!
Then Trent and Co. came out. First time in the pit, and I can’t wait to do it again. The minute they came out, everyone surged forward and everything else that I saw kind of came in spurts. I remember getting splashed with water a couple of times, although I couldn’t say who was doing the throwing. We were pretty much between Trent and Aaron. I think it was Aaron spitting water. Ehh...whatever. Trent looked and sounded amazing. Here's the set list. There’s a song that when he sings his body is sideways to the audience and he bends to his knees and then bends back as far as he can a lot during it. Well, that little t-shirt he wore crept up a bit and I caught a glimpse of that sweet spot of a man’s hip. Don’t know exactly how to describe it, but check out the arrow. I think that might have been during “Terrible Lie”. Anyhow, totally HOT! Then, after the song was over, he was walking towards the backstage and I saw him hitch his britches up. There was something so endearing about that. So humanizing, you know? Man’s gotta adjust his pants every now and then. I get caught up in stupid shit like that.
Anyways, after “The Big Comedown” he was particularly chatty with the audience. All this is from what I can remember, but he thanked us for coming out, even though there was some shitty weather happening. He said that it was “great to back on tour, and great to be back here in Iowa… fuck… wait… I can’t remember if we’ve ever fucking been here. (chuckles) Anyhow you’re a great audience… we feel it you know… the love. Yeah.” That part I laughed to because of all our discussion on WTC about the different types of love there are. It made me wonder if he really does read this stuff. Hahaha. Then he said “that band Slipknot is from here, right? Yeah. Cool band. Great music. We had the unfortunate experience of going on after them in Japan. It sucked, 'cause the crowd was already wiped out by the time we went on. (laughs) This next song is one of my favorites. It’s off the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. It’s called Burn”. I know you like that one D., and as you described during the KROQ show “that first restrained 'burn,' and the way you can totally feel the way it's all about to fucking bust wide open in just a fucking minute” And indeed, all hell did break loose after that.
The sheer curtain came down either during, or right after “Eraser”, and they played the videos on it. Then, at the end of “Right Where It Belongs”, you could see him behind the curtain *throw* the mic stand at the curtain as the glass in the video breaks. Of course he doesn’t really throw the mic stand, but it was still funny to see the guy in front of me duck. “Beside You In Time” sounded great. Just listening to that song at home with my headphones makes my heart have irregular rhythms because of the beat. Hearing it and feeling it played live was unimaginable. Cheesy as it might sound, I thought I was going to pass out.
I think he talked some more between “Wish” and “Only”. I think it was only to say that it was off the new album. I was dealing with other problems during that part, as my hubby was trying to keep me from getting in a fist fight with this dude that wouldn’t fucking back off. I took my fair share of being groped and shoved from this guy (I wasn’t so naive to think that wouldn’t somewhat happen) but enough was enough. I caught an ear full from my hubby, and from this dude, for taking a swing at him, but a girl’s gotta get her point across somehow. And, he did back off a bit after that. I’ve still got the bruises under my arm from where he kept trying to pull me all over the place.
I was surprised we got “Starfuckers”, and I was so fucking wiped out at the very end of it all. The cool air conditioning felt great. Breathing in, and water never tasted so sweet. I was on cloud 9 from an excellent show. Reality set in real quick, though, after we went outside into the 0 degree weather, and I realized my clothes were soaked through with my, and whoever else’s, sweat. I was going to go to the Kansas City show, too, but I couldn’t find anyone else to travel with. Probably a good thing cause it feels like I’ve been on death’s door since Sunday from this sinus/sore-throat/flu thing. Anyways…incredible show, good audience (no fuck heads throwing shit), and I can’t wait til the next time I can see them.
Who’s with me?!?
Posted by Dierdre in live_inch_nailslive_inch_nails | Permalink | Comments (49)
2006.02.22
[NIN_Libs_#_1: UPDATED]
This just in from beloved WTC reader Maise!
Here are the rules: pick one blank to fill in until all are accounted for. First come, first served (Unless everyone uses the word "penis"...then we'll make an executive decision to ignore their phallic obsession).
1) Song title
2) Body part
3) Noun
4) Expletive
5) NIN Song title
6) Food
7) Food
8) Food
9) Female celebrity
10) Noun
11) Liquid
12) Noun
13) Celebrity
14) Body part
15) Disease
16) Pasta
17) Liquid
18) Menial job
19) Celebrity
20) Expletive
21) Possible NIN album title
22)
Noun
23) Adjective
All 23 items are in! Here's the [NIN_Lib]:
While singing (1) “Copacabana” one night, Trent was hit in the (2) biceps by a (3) poodle. (4) “Fuck or cunt!!!” he said, “That’s it! I quit! I’m tired of pouring my heart out to drunken cretins…it’s time to pursue my one, true passion—food!” And with that, Trent decided to pour all his time, money, and energy to open (5) Physical (You’re So) Café. The house specialties included raw (6) gummy bears, sauteed (7) pumpkin pie, and chocolate-covered (8) range-free water foul.
Trent’s first mistake was hiring (9) Winona Ryder as the hostess. She had a habit of misplacing customers’ (10) hand sanitizer and spilling (11) tequila on the (12) altoids of important restaurant critics. Perhaps Aaron North was not the best choice as a waiter. His enthusiasm for the job led to him kicking (13) Scott Speedman in the (14) epidermis. Trent wasn’t sure what ingredients sous chef Jeordie White was putting into his “special sauce,” but invariably, three weeks after eating at (5) Physical (You’re So) Café, all diners contracted (15) vaginitis. At least Alessandro could be counted on to cook up (16) tortellini with (17) Captain Morgan sauce (al dente, of course). Josh Freese wasn’t quite satisfied with his stint as busboy, dishwasher and (18) pedicurist. He noticed that the position had a high turnover rate.
After performing the Heimlich maneuver on (19) Brad Pitt with messy results, Trent said, (20) “Asshat!!! That’s it! I quit! Back to music for me!” Fortunately, the trauma and stress of the experience gave him lots of material he could draw upon for his next album, (21) “Dissonance” Hit singles from the album included “Head Like a (22) Cup of Coffee” and “(23) Fierce (With Salmonella).”
So, there you have it, NIN fans!
Posted by Dierdre in wtc_guest_contributions | Permalink | Comments (43)
2006.02.21
[Dear_Trent_#_30]
Dear Trent,
I can only imagine how awesome it must be to attempt to present your
work to an abjectly retarded throng of teeming rabble who throw shit at you, night
after night for the better part of two years, but experiences on the NINternet have taught me that more
than, say, 85% of your fans are as dumb as bags of hair, and can't even
string together a coherent sentence. In light of the facts, I guess it's not that big a
surprise that one of the chowderheads in the audience would say, "Uh...
YEAH! NINE INCH FUCKING NAILS! WHOOOOOO!" and then decide that the best
way to express his (or her) love would be to THROW SHIT AT YOUR FACE,
but yeah... fuck those stupid motherfuckers.
All I can say, Trent, is that not only would I have returned your glittering gift of glistening amplitude (or, "microphone," whatever) that one time when Gabriel snagged it and shoved it into his underpants, but I think I can speak for all of us here at WTC when I say that we would never throw anything at you, EVER. I might blow you kisses or something, and yeah, I know I write this website, but really, not all of us are that fucking retarded.
I don't know what else to say, except that we love you, Sparklepants. Thank you for everything you do. I can't wait until it's over either.
Love,
Dierdre
Dear Cocksmack Idiot In Grand Rapids Who Thought It Would Be A Good Idea To Throw A Lighter At Trent's Face In The Middle Of His Performance,
Fuck you, you fucking fuck. Seriously.
Totally Reviling You,
Dierdre
Posted by Dierdre in dear_trentdear_trent | Permalink | Comments (36)
2006.02.19
[Reflections_On_NIN.com]
Goddamn, people! Have you ever noticed how thoroughly we are Trent Reznor's little trained bitches? I mean, I'm not complaining here, because, as all of you know, if Trent Reznor wants to "train" me and make me his bitch, I am SO IN, but I think it's a good idea for us all to take a long, hard look at where we stand, because we are totally his little, obedient minions.
I'm going to skip over the topic of how he's been leading the audience in a whole Bon Jovi-style clapping experience during "March of the Pigs", because that topic has been fully documented and totally nailed by our highly esteemed cranky little bitch-face, Gabriel Miller. If our collective willingness to go along with retarded arena-rock clapping in the middle of a song about how much our fearless leader disdains us is not ample evidence for how completely we are his little piggies, then I don't know what is, because that shit is GAY, and I don't mean that in the cool, Aaron North sense; I mean that in the "OMG, I love Trent Reznor SO FUCKING MUCH I could literally DIE" kind of way, and let's admit it: that is GAY.
But, like I said, let's forget the clapping. Let's pretend it never happened, and that Trent is not TOTALLY MAKING FUN OF US. I want to talk to you for a minute about all the thrills currently taking place on the Nine Inch Nails Official Interbot Headquarters. Now, it's not new news to anyone that the Nine Inch Nails website is a slapdash affair. I mean, I like the little wires/digital decay theme as much as the next girl, but, aside from the way you can watch those breathtakingly brilliant performances from the "Still" sessions in the VISUALS section, and now that the ACCESS page is only for paying customers and will no longer contain droll little curiosities like Trent solving word problems, all work shown, I think we can all agree that there's very little reason to visit Uncle Trent at his webhole, because at nin.com, EVERYDAY IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
Well, NO MORE, piggies!
Now, everyday, on the splash page, there is a new blurry photo taken from a moving bus of wherever the fuck in B.F.E. the boyz are today with a NIN logo slapped over it, and in recent days, there seem to be a lots of new photos in the CURRENT section with pictures of things like Alessandro Cortini's emo haircut, or Aaron North flying. All I'm saying is, if it's not a picture of Trent, WHO CARES? But, back to the splash page: I know Gabriel thinks they stole the cool idea of taking pictures of shit like, say, the bottom of your grody bathroom sink to make a web banner from him, but WHATEVS. I say that by discussing it at all, we are really just scrambling to wolf down the scraps our master tosses us, via his number one flunkie, Rob Sheridan.
Now, being that I am such an obedient little bitch for Trent, regarding this picture:
Can I just say how adorable it is that Trent's new dog, his rescued retired racing greyhound, is wearing a coat?
TRENT REZNOR is a man whose DOG WEARS A COAT.
Posted by Dierdre in inside_dierdre | Permalink | Comments (31)
2006.02.17
[Look_Familiar?]
I'm just sayin.
Posted by Gabriel in gabriel's_ponderings | Permalink | Comments (29)
2006.02.16
[Dear_Trent_#_29]
Dear Trent,
I can't BELIEVE I completely forgot to send you a Valentine, Sparklepants. I know you aren't mad, though; I bet you're not the type to get his panties in a twist over something like that.
I, however, am just that type, apparently, and I spent Valentine's Day wondering why my boy du jour couldn't be bothered to text me a little "Happy VD," you know, even as JUST A JOKE. Perhaps he's trying to send me a subtle message as to the nature of our relationship? If so, he needn't have bothered, because OBVIOUSLY, I love only you, and baby? This is the last time some little fuckbuddy of mine is going to get in the way of our love.
I swear to God, Trent, every single day I come closer to forswearing earthly love forever in favor of a life of devout chastity wherein the lashing torrent of your aural masterworks are the soundtrack to my ecstasy, and your voice is the loving scourge that sears my very heart, and with which I eradicate any notion of veering from my one true path.
That's right: I mean my dedication to the Holy and Sacred Order of the Name of That Which I Can Never Have. Don't freak out, Daddy-o. If I want to be fucking crazy, that's my business. You just keep at yours, and I will survive. Somehow.
Speaking of which, I see you're back at it, huh? Good luck, baby. Rock their socks off. I'll just kick it here in my garret in currently dreary Paris, where I'll be mainlining chocolate, trusting my soul to the ice cream assasin, and crying into my vin rouge.
Love,
Dierdre
Posted by Dierdre in dear_trent | Permalink | Comments (8)
2006.02.14
[Tragic_Maise_Rocks_On]
We've got a guest contribution today, dear readers! WTC's own Ghost of Beloved Pets Past, Tragic Maise, writes in with a review of the NIN-stravaganza last week in Champaign, IL!
He Didn’t Even Eat the Salmon Mousse!
NIN at Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL 2/10/06
Review and shitty camera phone pictures
by Maise
Oh, Trent, if you had stopped by Rosemont one more time, you, me, my husband, and the band could all have been kicking it at the Chili’s across the street from the Allstate Arena, eating boneless chicken wings and quesadillas. But no, no. This is the With_Great_Inconvenience tour 2006, so the husband and I made a 2.5-hour road trip to see the first show at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Driving through central Illinois in February is not unlike a Buddhist exercise. Flat land, no trees, not even any cornstalks in the field. Emptiness and nothingness. Om. But spending time in Champaign-Urbana gave me a chance to reflect on all the ways that my university was, like, a thousand times better.
Oh, and in a show of continued commitment to our relationship, my husband and I signed a new two-year cell phone contract and upgraded our phones, so I was finally able to live my dream of taking really shitty, Rorschach-like pictures at a concert. With some luck, I’ll be able to attach them here.
Assembly Hall:
This arena kind of reminds me of the mothership in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, especially when all lit up. Fortunately for us, it’s not a particularly tall arena, so what I feared were “nosebleed” seats really weren’t so high up that I couldn’t see the stage. Also, they only used about half or less of the available seating, which made the venue feel much more intimate than your typical Big Ten basketball stadium. They only have bathrooms on the lower level, though, which sucks beyond belief.
The Opening Band:
Unlike some audiences who will be enjoying Saul Williams, we experienced the musical stylings of Moving Units. They appear to specialize in playing fast-tempo songs in a really lethargic manner. Kind of like the Strokes or Franz Ferdinand with zero charisma or stage presence. But they weren’t painful to listen to either; perhaps they would be better served on a smaller stage. Towards the end of the show, the lead singer apologized for the quality of his voice, explaining that he was sick. Said my husband, “That’s a pretty poor excuse for sucking.” You’ll have to excuse him for a lack of sympathy—he’s a cop.
Is this some sort of UFO sighting? Nope, it’s the Moving Units on stage, from our vantage point.
The Band:
Jeordie White - Yeah, he was there.
Aaron North - With all of his roundhouse kicks or whatever he’s doing up there while wearing his “action jeans,” I have determined that he is the Chuck Norris of rock. Every now and then, Trent would ram into him or perhaps smack him upside the head. Christ, wouldn’t we all love to do that? Still, no complaints about his performance.
Josh Freese - A HUGE improvement over Alex Carapetis.
Alessandro Cortini - Povero Alessandro! Practically stuck backstage while running the International Space Station or nuclear submarines or whatever you’re doing with all those buttons and switches. Are you pushed so far at the back of the stage because you’re so pretty? I totally sympathize. When I was in high school drama, I went from my 15 minutes of fame as “Patty” in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown to a member of the so-called “Backstage Chorus” in Godspell. God, it was so humiliating! We were kept backstage for most of the show to sing back-up, but every now and then, they’d trot us out for the big numbers, like “Day by Day,” during which we had to kneel at the front of the stage and sing while doing sign language. That was when I reached my personal nadir in terms of coolness. So, Alessandro, I totally feel you.
Trent Reznor - Compared to the Chicago show of 10/07, when he apparently was exhausted with last-minute rehearsals, he was a lot more rested and energetic. He seemed to be in a really jovial mood. **Drool warning** Even though I was probably about a mile away from him, I could still see the sharp definition of his biceps and bowling-ball-like shoulders. And no one in the history of rock has made tambourine-playing sexier (during “With Teeth” and “Every Day is Exactly the Same,” as I recall)... not even Davy Jones.
I swear to God, you can kind of see him in this picture. In the middle…see? There are his arms.
The Performance:
As compared to the Chicago show, I would say that there were a lot of improvements. The show lasted a full two hours, and the band spent a lot less time behind the gauzy curtain. Because, you know, if you spend too much time behind a curtain, you turn into the Gorillaz. I’m just saying.
There were a lot of surprises in the setlist, which you can probably find on ETS in a much accurate form than I could construct. I was worried that the general strategy for this leg of the tour was going to be “Well, it’s all new to you hicks, so here’s our well-oiled routine.” I felt that opening the show with “Mr. Self Destruct,” was a refreshing surprise. Other “OMFG, I can’t believe I’m hearing this live” moments included “The Big Comedown” and “Please.” Thank God he revisited “Sin” and “Gave Up,” as those songs have been particularly meaningful to me as of late. I was also happy to hear “With Teeth” just because I strongly believe that one should play the titular song of the tour.
At first I thought that Trent had this rule that he could only say the words “thank you” within the borders of Illinois. However, in the middle of the show, he became downright chatty. I paraphrased the following from memory, so apologies for any misquotes:
“I want to sincerely thank you for coming out tonight. This is the first show of our new tour, and how long has it been—six weeks? Two months? Anyway, the first few shows are always a little weird. We’ve been recording songs for a new album…” [at this point the crowd erupts] “You haven’t heard it yet, so don’t yell. It’s weird to be around people after being in that mindset. So that feels a little funny, and then during “Eraser”, I started feeling funny. So I puked up a piece of salmon, and I didn’t even eat salmon. I haven’t had salmon for a month.”
Awww…Trent. I don’t know about you, but I find barfing to be extremely traumatic, and I’m so proud of him for being a trooper. He didn’t miss a note while regurgitating. If it were me, I would have made the following announcement: “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. I just totally barfed, so I’m afraid I have to stop the show immediately, lie down, and watch Lord of the Rings on DVD. But that’s why Trent is a god of RAWK, and I am not. I truly hope that he felt better after that because nothing is worse than having to travel with nausea. It brings back memories of suffering a migraine on a train from Pompeii to Rome and puking up some gelato in the teeny-tiny bathroom. Horrific.
Oh, and they’re still closing the show with “Head Like a Hole.” So for future concert-goers, this song is your signal that Trent has finished aurally fucking you and that it’s time for you to put on your clothes and leave. I promise you that you will not leave dissatisfied. One of my most joyous concert experiences ever. I think it helps that my personal life didn’t collapse immediately before this show.
And at this point in the show, Alessandro must have pressed the wrong button or flipped the wrong switch because an enormous burst of radiation vaporized everyone on stage. It was so unbelievably tragic.
In Conclusion...
C and Gabriel be damned, I do love you, Trent. [heavy sigh] No, not in the same way that I love my husband. I have willingly gone to hell and back for the spouse, and I doubtlessly will have to do so again in the future. But Trent has provided me with the soundtrack to my Orphic journey and has unwittingly kept me sane through some really heavy shit. And that really means a lot to me. Unless Trent is really into haikus, I don’t think that there is ever a way I could repay him for that, so I’ll just take this opportunity to say…thanks. It was a fantastic show. It was even worth leaving the Chicagoland metropolitan area.
Posted by Dierdre in live_inch_nailslive_inch_nails | Permalink | Comments (28)
2006.02.10
[Important_Breaking_NINternet_News]
This just in from tonight's NIN Spiral chat:
1. Trent has a new pet! He has adopted a retired racing greyhound (Awwww).
2. Trent claims that he always has fishnets on under the sparklepants, and says he's not on the verge of ditching the eyeliner.
3. Trent's favorite lovesong: "Save The Best For Last" by Vanessa Williams. "Gets me every time," quoth he.
4. Sorry, perverts, but the notorious and truly grody "Broken" movie will never be offered for sale. Your best option, according to Trent? "Just download the fucker."
5. What "space" is Trent in, writing his new record? "Angry and fed up."
(Thanks, good Spiral buddy.)
Posted by Dierdre in inside_dierdre | Permalink | Comments (85)
2006.02.10
[OMG! Now_He's_A_Movie_Star!!]
After his brilliant turn as Fat DeNiro in Bowie's Taxi Driver-inspired "I'm Afraid Of Americans" video, I think we all knew it was just a matter of time before our boy Michael T made his big break into the world of feature film acting.
After seeing some photos leaked today on Ain't It Cool News, I'm excited to announce that Sergeant Trent Reznor will be appearing in the upcoming X-Men 3!!!
I thought him getting bulked up was kinda over the top for the concert tour, but after seeing him in costume as Scary Goth Mutant #4, I totally understand his master plan!
Maybe he'll even do some songs for the soundtrack!!! This is gonna be the best movie EVER!
Posted by Gabriel in gabriel's_ponderings | Permalink | Comments (8)
2006.02.09
[WTC_Bookclub: The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness, Part_2]
Greetings, WTC Bookclubers!
Today we wrap it up on Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. If you have not finished the book, and want to be surprised, then it is advisable that you stop reading this thread now, and carry on with pitying me for being in love with Trent, or something.
I hope you all enjoyed this book, because I certainly did. In the end, it reminded me of something Vaclav Havel, the playwright and dissident who became the first President of the Czech Republic after an oppressive communist regime crumbled in that country, said about the difference between "hope" and "optimism," and which was, for him, a reason for not letting cynicism defeat the struggle for something worth struggling for, even if the opponent seems totally intractable:
"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
I love, love, loved Genly Ai and Estaven's long, arduous trek over the Kurkurast Domain in midwinter. I loved the bond that was forged in their common purpose, and I loved that they both had their own motives for doing so; that, even though they knew their chances were slim, they were as meticulous in their planning as faith could make them. Somewhere on that frozen wasteland, I fell in love with Estraven, and came to see Genly Ai's strength and courage as a reflection of the purity of his heart and hopes for his mission.
I don't know if you all know this about me or not, but I am a sucker for idealism. I loved Genly Ai's response when Estraven asked him why he came alone to Genthen? Why make the task so difficult?
"It's the Ekumen's custom, and there are reason's for it. Though in fact I begin to wonder if I've ever understood those reasons. I thought it was for your sake that I came alone, so obviously alone, so vulnerable, that I could, myself, pose no threat, change no balance: not an invasion, but a mere messenger-boy. But there's more to it than that. Alone, I cannot change your world, but I can be changed by it. Alone, I must listen, as well as speak. Alone, the relationship I make, if I make one, is not impersonal, and not only political; it is individual. Not We and They; not I and It; but I and Thou. Not political, not pragmatic, but mystical. In a certain sense, the Ekumen is not a body politic, but a body mystic. It considers beginning to be extremely important. Beginnings, and means. It's doctrine is the reverse of the doctrine that says the ends justifies the means."
Is there anything more thrillingly gorgeous than the human urge to perfect the soul and its relationship with other souls? I think not. It's that effort, more than anything else, that makes me love Trent so much.
So, today, my dears, let's hear your thoughts on the conclusion of The Left Hand of Darkness, and also, let's relate all this back to the subject of our dearly beloved raison d'etre, Sparklepants Reznor. I think there are about a million places for comparisons to be made, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.
Finally, let's hear your suggestions about a next book to take up. Personally, I am suggesting the controversial J.T. LeRoy's book The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things because it arrived in my mailbox just yesterday, but what do you think?
Posted by Dierdre in wtc_bookclub | Permalink | Comments (6)
2006.02.08
[Call_&_Response_#_10]
You guys, I have a question for you, but before I ask it, I want to make a few things perfectly clear:
- I do not have a CRUSH on Trent; what afflicts me is something far, far worse.
- I do not care if you think that's creepy.
- Any protestations of a self-righteous, castigating nature posted to this blog are absolutely hilarious. Please post millions of them, haters, and know I love you almost as much as I love Trent.
With that out of the way, there is this one thing I am BURNING to know. Yesterday, our illustrious reader, the enigmatic "C", expressed his/her tendancy to disdain those who "harbor crazy, creepy celebrity crushes," and then the WTC reader bearing my personal favorite handle, GreatBigFatBitch, defied that castigation with a bold-faced, unashamed avowal of the fact that she does indeed harbor such a crush. Good enough! But, my question is this: what EXACTLY is so "crazy" and "creepy" about a celebrity crush?
I once had this really, really, horribly intense crush on this guy I didn't know that worked in my local cafe for MONTHS. Oh, the delicious torture I continually suffered as he smilingly whipped up espresso after espresso, and frothed milk, all with those burly forearms of his! Is that creepy? Or, is it NOT creepy because he's not a celebrity? When I was a girl, I had a ginormous crush on e.e. cummings and a total obsession with Mr. Darcy, a dead American poet and a fictional character, respectively. Creepy?
My Oxford American Dictionary defines the word "crush" as "a brief but intense infatuation for someone, esp. someone unattainable or inappropriate." Now, I think that definition shoots the whole notion my having a "crush" on Trent right out of the water, because as inappropriate and unattainable as he arguably is, I have suffered the slings and arrows of true love for that bitch for over 10, roller-coaster years now, with, it must be admitted, varying degrees of intensity. I know I suffer from true, yet unrequited, bone-deep love for something about Trent Reznor that is as real as all the things I don't know about him, and if you think you can change my mind about that, you haven't been paying attention to this website. Creepier than a brief, intense crush? Maybe.
Whatevs.
In service of my hopeless passion for Trent, here's what I do: I buy his records, go to his concerts when I can, read his interviews, and consider his work. I also entertain myself by writing about him, and think about him naked, sometimes. What's so awful about that? It's not like I live in his bushes, carve his name in bloody gashes on my forehead, or buy vials of his sweat off e-bay and drink them.
Seriously: is it truly so wrong to love a man like Trent from afar? Why?
Posted by Dierdre in call_&_response / with_questions | Permalink | Comments (76)
2006.02.06
[Inside_Dierdre: Stuff_I_Love_To_Read_About_Trent]
Second in thrills only to interviews featuring his pronouncements that he'd like to say "FUCK IT" and just play the new record in its entirity on a solo piano tour, or some such effort to "just be an artist about it," pronouncements that will probably never see uncompromised fruition, are articles in which some person who worked (or works) in a technical, or cooperatively creative position within The Empire, talks about what some would call notre amour's "tight-assed, anal control freakery," but which I like to think of as his "relentlessly focused artistic intention."
I positvely adore it when, as you read, you can't tell whether some former employee is saying that he truly enjoyed the work, or if he is merely using positive language to describe a professional nightmare spent under the thumb of an unforgiving, Napoleonic tyrant.
This article is deliciously chock-loaded with such things.
Sentences like this one:
“I found Trent to be one of, if not the most demanding artists that I’ve worked with. He’s very involved in the production process, the ideas and execution and he notices everything."
and this one:
“One of my favorite points in creating the show was that Trent was very ready to try things, tweak them or bin them if we felt that it didn’t work. He’ll give you enough rope to either tie it up securely or hang yourself."
postively thrill me.
I love the idea that His Imperial Majesty has his fingers in everything, and makes decisions regarding every aspect of his art project. Seriously: that bit in Closure, the bit where he berates the lighting technicians for the fact that the lightshow can suck his ass, telling them that "the two guys in charge, me and me" didn't know it wasn't ready, was so sexy it made me come. I mean, I may not be fully on board with every decision, and I may think that it was time to give hack deluxe, Rob Sheridan, his pink slip a long fucking time ago, but at the end of the day, that's not up to me; it's up to Big Daddy Reznor, and that's the way I like it; even if I don't really like it.
I also love imagining the fate of some poor minion who's gone ahead and hung himself with all that rope, and the moment when Trent -- his sharp eyes blazing with dissatisfaction, his fucking pornographic teeth gritted, fists balled up at his sides, and maybe a few beads of sweat standing out on his bronzed, solarium-roasted forehead -- tells said minion that he will suffer no further fucking incompetence, because that shit is HOTT!
It all makes me wonder: is Trent the kind of man who is constantly giving a girl notice of where her hands should be, and detailed instructions about when to bite him in bed? I mean, don't you just love a man who's constantly barking explicit instructions? I know I do. Or, perhaps Trent prefers a break from his dictatorial position when he throws on the D'Angelo/Sade/Sigur Ros luv mix, and gets his freak on? Maybe he's the kind of man who lets you tie him to the four-poster, and then just takes what's coming to him?
I don't pretend to know that kind of information. All I'm saying is, that article about his stage designer is really good.
Posted by Dierdre in inside_dierdre | Permalink | Comments (55)
2006.02.03
[Fire_Woman_In_Your_Ass]
Yes folks, it's true: THE CULT is reforming to tour North America this year.
Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, the masterminds behind the rock genius of Love, Electric, and Sonic Temple have cast aside their stupid side projects and Ray Manzareck ego strokes and announced the A Return to Wild tour.
Not only does this band rock you ass off with songs like "She Sells Sanctuary", they were one of the prototupical early English goth acts, back when they called themselves Southern Death Cult.
Aw, yeah.
Posted by Gabriel in gabriel's_ponderings | Permalink | Comments (10)
2006.02.01
[WTC_Bookclub: The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness, Part_1]
So? How's everyone feeling about The Left Hand of Darkness?
I'm really enjoying it.
This here's the first dedicated discussion thread for the book, and I'd like to ask that you all keep to discussions including only the first five chapters, because we don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't finished the book yet.
Chapter 5 ends with Genly Ai in conversation with Faxe, The Weaver, after his question has been submitted to, and answered by the foretellers; foretelling being a discipline perfected by its pracitioners for the purpose of exhibiting "the perfect uselessness of knowing the answer to the wrong question."
Beautifully (I thought), Faxe goes on to tell Mr. Ai:
"The unknown... the unforetold, the unproven, that is what life is based on. Ignorance is the ground of thought. Unproof is the ground of action. If it were proven that there is no God, there would be no religion... but if it were proven that there is a God, there would be no religion... What is known? What is sure, predictable, inevitable -- the one certain thing you know, concerning your future and mine?"
Mr. Ai replies that only death is certain, to which Faxe replies:
"Yes. There's really only one question that can be answered... and we already know the answer. The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next."
There are plenty of resonant themes in that little snippet, and I think it's as good a jumping off point as can be wished for to kick off our discussion. Let's hear your thoughts!
And, if you had another favorite bit from the first 5 chapters, do tell!
Posted by Dierdre in wtc_bookclub | Permalink | Comments (53)
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