May Bob have mercy on our dirty little hearts.

Wow. Nobody can discover Nine Inch Nails later than I did.

Not my fave... band? ever ever ever, but I found it like this... Something like this:

~Around friggin 1997 I read an ole entertainment mag featuring a list that was pooooooossibly titled "How to scare grandma away". One of the tips was "Play Nine Inch Nails. Especially the song -" WHAT SONG DID THEY RECOMMEND, if any?! :) Closer, perhaps? Well. I had never heard (of) Nine Inch Nails, but remembered the name for eternity as it gave me a vision of curled, filthy, world-record-long finger nails. Scratching chalkboards and silken skin. Uhu! And seeing how they were recommended in this way, I figured it must be the most evil, badass, noisy band in the universe. Good to know - in 1997 I was concocting a cunning plan on how to scare realtors and would-be buyers from our lovely rental summer house. :) It involved presenting a spotless room to my anxious folks on inspection, and whipping up a post-apocalyptic room to show the buyers 10 minutes later. I made a drawing describing the method. (Display a frightening road sign on the wall, spill substances on the floor, etc.) It was not at all the most exquisite picture ever produced. And it is gone. Somewhere. :C *weep* Hehe, the above wasn't that important. Good times though. (The plan was never realised and the house was sold.) But I wonder if Nine Inch Nails was streaming from the drawing's portable CD player? Maybe not... I knew no lyrics after all. And we listened mostly to E-Type that summer. Badass. How annoying, I SHOULD have checked out Nine Inch Nails that very autumn! XC Once I had read that list it WAS, officially or not, on my list of bands to check out briefly before my death, even though I hardly expected to enjoy... the noise. But there were other artists, more interesting... *shuddering sob*

~2003 brought sweet RICKMANIA. On IMDB:s Alan forum the Snape fans were going and going and going and going and going and going on about some Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails (or so it feels). Aha, that scary band. Well, I suppose I clicked on some picture link to see what I thought about their comparisons between him and Snape. "Maybe a bit." :/ I clicked Back and forgot. Nowadays: "Icarenotifheisamericangobackto1994thento2006-andsmuggletheboyintosnapesworstmemoryscenedammit!"

~In the summer of 2005 I had figured out how to record things from the TV to my beloved DVD recorder, so I kept MTV on and without food or sleep I waited for my fave videos to pop up so that I could make a nice DVD version of old times' MTV tapes. A video I did not care to deev was... (this must have been in 2005, right?) Only by Nine Inch Nails. And that is the only Nine Inch Nails song I remember being played on anything I listened to or watched... :( So I listened. "That doesn't sound like the most badass band in the universe. Sounds kinda normal. Can't get a good look at the pin-creature though." He sounded older than I had imagined. Had I imagined anything? In any case... That was not the worst voice I had heard, I noted in the back of me head and moved on with my life. If only I had not...

~In 2006, I was too busy worrying about something all through the summer job hunting season, maybe that's why I had to make do with the paper gnome mission... :)

~...without which I might not have landed THIS year's district. (And if I had been jolly and normal, I might have found another job.) The paper gnome gets a few papers of her own each day, if she does the job right. On August 7, 2007, I was browsing backwards through the entertainment section of each paper as usual and spotted (in a paper I wouldn't have read but for my gnome job) some boring headline saying... nothing about Nine Inch Nails or the Reznor bloke, but it was an interview with him, I noticed. Thought I'd read it. I did. Wooooooooooo!

Ratexla's diary: "He seems nice and his new record seems cool. I should check. It's called Year zero."
Interviewer, magically calling from the page: "Did you know they're playing in Stockholm tonight?! :D"
Ratexla: "Whatever. Wonder if I'm gonna fall in love with Trent. His singing WAS pretty nice, and here he complains about people who think global warming is a myth. Is it hot in here or is it just Trent?"

I considered the matter for a few days, ordered the CD, survived the death-plunging and returned home to the newly arrived Year zero. Late, so I soon hopped into bed and hit Play.

Year zero: *BOINK BZZZZZZZZZZZ SCREEEEEECH*
Ratexla: "Oh... fuck, the sound of dustbins rolling downhill. It was to be expected. I doubt I can get used to this, but the idea was cool nevertheless, so I had to check. Tomorrow I will read the interesting, inaudible lyrics, prolly put the CD on the shelf forever, or sell it, and be happy for the experience." *CRASH*

The next day I did read all the lyrics and was awaaaaaaake during the last 2 songs - In this twilight and Zero-sum, both of which I liked instantly. :)

Ratexla: "I will at least listen to THESE again!" *goes trentsurfing*
Fan on forum: "I had to listen to Year zero a few times before I could like it..."
Ratexla: "Def more chances for you, little CD..."
Site-owning fan: "Nine Inch Nails is not everyone's cuppa, but if you are meant to be a fan, you will find your way to it..."
Ratexla: "Beautiful."

By nightfall, I didn't find it too bad, even musically, AND I was tolerably high on crush drug. :) After a coupla days, several songs were brain-splattingly listenable. Steel in the night, down the road from Terminator 2... (Oh, today yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the start of THAT war, innit. :O ) Flicking a raven feather to tickle my apocalyptic fancies. When I lie dying of radiation sickness, perhaps I can pull the CD booklet out of my torn, burned pocket and read a little, unless the nuclear blast has skinned me like a cat.

2 days after Year zero I was ready to drill my way through the Himalayas with a toothbrush to go and get the first album. I just took the bus though.

Ratexla: "Severus...?"

2 days later I got the famous The downward spiral, and unless postal service fucks up with The fragile, that's on its way... :) Thereafter I shall no longer be confined to merely standing around record shops, caressing, sniffing, licking, biting, sucking, hugging and ogling With teeth, nooooooo... :9 Damn, now I've hyped it for myself. :p And it will turn out to be one of them things that feature 2 LOVELY HIT SONGS plus x rotting shrimp corpses.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease come back to somewhere near me... soon... I must see Nine Inch Nails live before I die. (Or after, if necessary. Though in the latter case I would lack vision.) By still refusing to abbreviate the name I am vainly trying to make up for the partly lost years since I came to know it. :p Not only concerts were missed... During my Trentsurfing I found a group huddled in a forum thread, speaking of how Nine Inch Nails had been like a friend to them in their lives as outcasts. 1997-1998! I was blissfully ignorant of many things that now drive me off 99th floor window ledges... But I was never more... decidedly depressed or... intensely, continuously suicidal. I lived, as you can see. Undiagnosed, not super-serious, got up in the mornings, never fingered razorblades (uh... I had none, and I'd prefer pills), and was probably worried about being so abnormal and ugly and bloke-less, or about my shortage of friends. Friends like Nine Inch Nails? :B

Into the very bowels of Death I plunged!

But that's not all I did, this summer.

SUMMER CHRONICLE OF 2007!

I:

+Visited a wee but kickarse and überpopular veg*ism fair in Stockholm and gained 60 kg
+Moved back in with dear old Webshots
+Celebrated me Nick's 45th b-day wildly!
+Hung around the HP5 gala premiere in London!
+Hung around the HP5 gala premiere in OMG GOTHENBURG!
+Saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
+Listened to ALAN reading The return of the native by Thomas Hardy. :D It lasted all summer!
+Read Dracula by Bram Stoker
+Read Sagan om Isfolket: Trollbunden by Margit Sandemo
+Read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
+Read Bröderna Lejonhjärta by Astrid Lindgren
+Read Mio, min Mio by Astrid Lindgren
+Read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
+Read Män som hatar kvinnor by Stieg Larsson
+Read HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS BY JK ROWLING!
+Read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
+Started reading Collapse by Jared Diamond
+Waited outside Justin Timberlake's hotel even though I don't listen to him. I think I saw him, but he was too quick for a picture.
+Waited outside The Rolling Stones' hotel even though I don't listen to them. I think I saw... *opens encyclopedia* ...Charlie Watts, but he was too quick for a picture. Oh, and the rest of them snuck out the back door to punish us infidels who hadn't bothered to get concert tix. :B
+Found me an apparently raaaaaare CD which I got as an LP in 1990 or 1991 (my 2nd or 3rd record ever...) but which I haven't listened to since the mid-90's and which I had been looking for since 2004 - Scandalo by Gianna Nannini :)
+Did that death-plunging. Aye. Very flashy. See, a zoo thingy (relatively good one) that cooperates with my uni program were a few guides short and they e-mailed my entire class, begging for our divine services which we had practised there this spring. I suppose everyone else was away = at home, or working in other flashy relevant jobs they could keep forever. But my paper round had just died on me, so I had no excuse... to tell the guide-hunter, or myself. :p I dug up my old guide material, neglected my summer book and hopped on the bus. Originally I was going to take 3 - THREE! - groups round the park, but it was cut down to 2. Some kinda relief. My employer seemed to think I was devastated about this. :B Well, I survived the guiding for now, barely. At least I got ADULTS. To make my stay (which included 1 hostel night, mmm) more worthwhile, I was kindly given some extra random work behind the scenes. I got to pick sticks and other debris out of an empty enclosure. Ahhh. It all added up to 2 full work days... :) Soooooo, from now on, when I rot among the live honey-dipped baby mice in the emperor's kitchen, or wherever I get to work post uni, I will FOREVER be able to say that ONCE IN MY LIFE I HELD A JOB WHICH HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY EDUCATION! XD Now... let's just FINISH UNI... *GULP*
+Got rid of my evil bro at last. Well, it was actually his idea to move out, but he said it was partly thanks to me as I "talk too much about Harry Potter." Hmmmmmmmmmm? :D
+Discovered Nine Inch Nails. See tomorrow's separate dissertation on the development of my little obsession. :D
+Got yet another paper district, now to be tamed each Sunday for all eternity! Wee! Or until I move. (I NEVER MENTION MOVING OUT, DO I?!) Almost next to the last one, and bigger. Walking, of course. Not too hilly, so I may survive the winter.

DOUBLE list! :D Oh, you are screaming with excitement.

SPOILER WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILER FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS! SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER! *shuts up for 1 s*

How many keys on your keyring?
House & bike.
Curse you use the most?
Fuck
Do you own an iPod?
No, but I want one... soon, I think...
What time is your alarm clock set to ring?
2am for da Sunday paper girl :D
How many suitcases do you own?
1, but it's too fucking big so I use my dad's little neat one mostly
Where do you buy your groceries?
Different places... I don't pay for em yet :B
Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Taketaketake *dives*
Latest movie you saw?
New movie? Shrek 2. Better than the first. Old movie: Shakespeare in luv.
Does any of your friends have kids?
Yes, 1's got 1 AFAIK... Among the closer friends that is.
If you won loads of money, what would you buy first?
1 200 000 000 hectares of rainforest
Has anyone called you lazy?
YES SIR!!!
What CD is in your player right now?
Pretty hate machine by Nine Inch Nails :)
Regular or chocolate milk?
Chocolate soy milk, which is like... Alan's voice... so I drink mostly regular soy milk (only 99% as good) to keep some self-control :9
Has anybody told you a secret this week?
No...
Do you use hoodies?
They are all I want to use, ever
Can you whistle?
Yes but not well
Have you ever partaken in a protest?
Yes, against nazis and the fur industry a few times
Who was the last person to call you?
My paper boss who told me I could have a new district, every Sunday for all eternity! Or until I leave this part of town.
Do you think people talk behind your back?
Yes. I want to hear it. :p
Did you watch cartoons as a kid?
Hmm yes.
How many siblings?
"Only" 1
Do you know all the lines of any movie by heart?
Not rilly, but one night in 1995 or 1996 when I couldn't sleep I found that I was able to recite like the first half of The lion king, at LEAST, in me head. After that I feel asleep. Aye.
Do you own any band t-shirts?
Robbie! I used to have a v cool Gianna Nannini t-shirt as well which I got after a 1990 concert, but I haven't seen it in years. XC
When was the last time you flew?
July 4, from London! OMG!!! Go, Native Energy!
How many chairs around your kitchen table?
It ain't my table, and when I move there will be like 1 chair "around" mine, normally... :q
Do you read for fun?
MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Do you speak any foreign languages?
English, sorta
Do you wash your own dishes?
Usually not... *prods dishwasher suspiciously*
Have you cried in public?
Maybe when I was wee at least
Do you have a laptop or... *translation cogs turn* the other thingy?
The other THINGY!
Do you always try to learn new things?
Yes, for example, my fresh Nine Inch Nails obsession drove me to such extremes as sitting down at the piano and trying to learn a few notes and to play the simplest of baby songs. And asap I will pick up some of me old Spanish studies by reading HP1 in Spanish with the English version on the side, that way I should be able to decipher the Spanish one, MUAHAHA!
Do you want any tattoos or piercings?
Yes, but I can't come up with a proper tattoo, and anyway I change my mind too often for that perhaps... My belly button piercing jumped out and is greatly missed. I'd love a nose piercing. Maybe.
Do you think the bloke should pay on the first date?
Not just the bloke... Wait, whose date? *runs & screams*
Would you date anyone with loads of tattoos?
I would not date anyone, but...
Do you have a blog?
DUUUUUUUUUUUUUAH!
What was your favourite subject in high school?
Swedish! The teacher we had in the last 2 years let me run wild. :) If she hadn't, I might have spelled out "2" in letters which I believe is the correct way. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2!
What personality trait is essential in a partner?
Empathy or summat :x
Do you like your housing situation?
It could be so much worse... but I wanna MOVE!
Fave fruit?
Grapes... :q
Do you care about the number of calories in what you buy?
Not much.
How old will you be next birthday?
2fucking4!
Are you picky about spelling and grammar?
Kind of... Though I can't be in English since I suck.
Who was the last person to piss you off?
Da dad
How did your parents pick your name?
Dunno, I think they just liked it
You like mustard?
No? But if I get it on a burger or so, a wee bit, it works...
Would you go parachuting?
No, what if someone had fucked up with the packing :B
Do you sleep on your side, belly or back?
Side, sometimes back, never belly. *suffocates*
Have you ever bought anything from eBay?
No... Well, me little Tradera is owned by eBay...
Do you like hugging people?
It's more than aight if I've got a crush on them, but when I do meet my crushes it feels too stalky to ask for a hug if one even gets a chance... Hehe. Damn. I wanna smell them.
Would you say you are trendy?
No. Nor am I a wild free spirit, but when I follow trends, I do it late.
Do you own a digital camera?
HELL YEAH!
If someone who did not interest you asked you out, how would you react?
Say NO THANKS and rejoice in the fact that if I had lived in Austenverse I might have reached my Austenverse-life goal MARRIAGE after all!
Who is your fave Star Wars character?
The guy EWAN plays of course... Oh aye, Obi-wan. *dozes off*
What books, if any, have made you cry?
The call of the wild by Jack London for being fucking beautiful and sad, The green mile by Stephen King + Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk-Cross + On the beach by Nevil Shute because, well, fucking sad stuff happens in them, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling because I was touched by the fact that someone was named after Severus, and of course many of the stories in James Herriot's collection of dog stories were SAD AS HELL! There are others. :D
Do you find yourself attractive?
*opens photoshop*
What are you allergic to?
A painkiller, and maybe mildew and/or Acarida poo
Do you feel bad after eating meat?
Yes, so I haven't eaten it since 2003 :D
What would you name your kids, boy & girl?
OH GOD! SO MANY NEAT GUY NAMES! Mostly stolen from me idols. Ahem. Nicholas and Dana, maybe. Haven't got a girl name that I LOVELOVELOVE. Lucky I shan't need one. :D
Grab the nearest book, look up page 18, line 4 - what does it say?
"håller bukten i nypan och drar i fasta parten." That is Swedish and sounds very porny, but is actually from a book on knots. Belonging to my dad.
*pervy voice* What are you wearing?
Dark blue socks, eco-jeans (finally! My ole ones were getting very ill and I couldn't fucking find any fitting 2nd hand ones) that are sadly also dark blue, some fancy knickers, fake leather belt, eye-green t-shirt, eye-green 1998 sweater... OMG I'M NOT WEARING BLACK! DON'T LOOK, YOU BAHSTAHDS!
What music did you last listen to?
Zero-sum from the album Year zero by Nine Inch Nails! XD

* LIST 2 * LIST 2 * LIST 2 * LIST 2 * LIST 2 *

3 names you respond to:
Josefine, Ratexla, Yoze :p No one ever uses -
Something I like about myself:
Hmmmmmmmmmm... Around 1994 someone said I was reliable :B
Something I dislike about myself:
I'm a whimp who would probably crumble under torture and many other things
I'm afraid of:
Torture & equally torturous situations
3 things I want daily:
Music, book, food
3 things I absolutely cannot do:
Swim among jellyfish, hack off my own limbs, paddle to London
I enjoy doing the following:
Gallopping, listening to Alan, spreading MoonCup propaganda
Right now I want to:
Place the right wing of my nose lightly against the side of Trent Reznor's neck and inhale his scent :)
Best feeling:
Fuzzy crush drug? +)
Worst feeling:
Self-kicking?
Traits I like in a partner:
Did I say empathy above?
Am I in love right now?
You know, not Truly madly deeply kind of love, but YES, A SWEET LITTLE CRUSH!
Do I want to get married?
No, I don't want to promise too much. Btw, do the promises include anything about monogamy? :B
3 things I want to do before I die:
Save all rainforests, see Joaquin IRL, visit New Zealand
Most precious thing I own:
Comp :x
A present I want:
Ticket to a Nine Inch Nails concert :)
Right now I'm wearing:
See the first list
Favourite clothes:
Black... eco-jeans, hoody, any cool top, trainers, baseball cap back-to-front
Favourite pets:
Guinea piggies, aye :D
Favourite styles of music:
Soft rock, generally
Favourite songs at the moment:
Fine, I'll pick 1 off each Nine Inch Nails album that I've heard so far, hehe... Something I can never have, Closer and Zero-sum. XD *explodes*
Best/worst school subject:
Swedish & physics. :O~~
Astrological sign:
Virgo
A book I love:
THE CALL OF THE WILD BY JACK LONDON OMFG!
A film I love:
Lunch with Charles
TV shows I like:
X-Files season 1-5, Once a thief, Scrubs, Simpsons, Futurama, ER, etc etc
Fave smell:
WTF! Jasmine, then.
I like to eat:
Vegan pizza
I like to drink:
Chocolate soy milk
Fave sweets:
Gelatin-free gel sweets :9
I want to go on holiday to:
New Zealand
Eye colour:
Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen :D
Height:
~172 cm
I believe in:
Er... Environmentalism? :)
I play:
Sudoku, but not as often as in April
Person I admire:
Joaquin Phoenix :)
This is how I live:
Boxy house with folks in quiet area
Number of dead plants at home:
My wooden desk
This turns me on:
Deep British voices and pervy biology
This turns me off:
Fascism and unmarked letterboxes... wait, same thing.
Favourite colour:
Something violet?
Favourite quote:
"The question is not Can they reason? nor Can they talk? but Can they suffer?" or something like it, by Jeremy Bentham :)
A secret I know:
My own... ones
Best gift I received:
Well, my first digicam was a graduation present and didn't that come in handy... :D
Latest CD I bought:
A used copy of The fragile by Nine Inch Nails... It hasn't arrived yet. *shakes in corner*
What I like most about my appearance:
Uh, green eyes? :B
What I like least about my appearance:
Acne and its traces
Weird ability:
Raising left eyebrow (:B
If I could be any animal I would be:
Raven maybe? :q
What are you listening to right now:
Er, The hand that feeds by Nine Inch Nails on Youtube... I'm getting With teeth SOOOOOO fast, as soon as I've digested The fragile... :q
What have you done/what do you plan on doing today?
Read a bit
Where were your folks born:
Mum: Gothenburg. Dad: Way north, he may not want me to write it here because there are probably like 4 people in his hometown.
What did you last install on your comp?
Fatarse external harddrive #2
Fave restaurant:
I look forward to trying a famous, mostly-vegan place called Kelly's, however I "never" eat out
When did you last swim in a pool?
Funny, can't remember doing it at any time after that cell biology course. :) I could check me diary.
Have you been in a school play?
Alas!
How many kids do you want?
0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0
Least favourite style of music:
*error overload*
Have you decided what to vote for in the election?
Environmental, baby!
What TV channels do you have?
SVY1, SVT2, TV3, TV4, Kanal 5, TV6, Kanal 9, MTV, Eurosport, Discovery Mix... blah blah. No extreme number.
Have you ever ridden a moped?
OMG! NO! :O But I once decided to buy one. That was in 2000.
Have you ever made a prank call?
Hehehe
Have you ever been given a parking ticket?
No, I stay away from those complicated parking rule signs.
Can you imagine parachuting/bungyjumping or have you done it?
I answered this in the other list eh?
Most distant place you have visited:
That would be Vancouver, Canada :q
Do you have a garden?
Somebody does. *hands off*
Fave cartoon:
Futurama
Do you know all the words in the national anthem?
No... but I tried to play the thing on the piano the other day :B
Bath tub or shower?
Shower, mmmmmm
Best movie you've seen in the last month?
Watched most of Shakespeare in love on Friday... again.
Favourite pizza:
Homemade vegan covered with Everything
Crisps or popcorn?
Poppkorrn, which aren't good either
What lipstick colour do you use:
Not anymore, but I used to use a copper-coloured one... Neat... Dark-dark red or black looks cool too, but not on me. :p
Have you ever smoked peanut shells?
No, but I'm curious now
Have you ever been in a beauty contest?
No
Orange or apple juice?
Apple juice is probably a little more locally grown here, on average... :)
Who was the last person with whom you dined out:
My mum, we pre-partied for the new Potter movie by having falafel
Fave chocolate:
White! (A certain vegan, organic, fair-trade brand. *feels around for vein*)
When did you last vote:
September 17, 2006
When did you last eat a home-grown tomato:
Possibly never, but I'm gonna try to grow them when I move, at the latest... Just found some instructions in a mag :)
Have you ever won a prize cup?
No
Are you good at cooking?
Shite happens
Can you fill up petrol on your own?
No, I've done it while being talked thru it though... Just as well.
Have you ever ordered anything from those shopping shows on TV?
No
Pepsi or coke:
Pepsi? I think I've quit coke... But I don't go round drinking Pepsi either.
Have you had to wear a uniform for any job?
McDeath, and just a wee vest for my guide job and a Very Important T-Shirt when I was a janitor
What was the last thing you bought?
A certain CD...
Have you vomited in public?
I do not recall it :D
Would you rather become a multibillionare or find true love?
I doubt I'm capable of true love... so money then. :D Well, I could probably truly love a non-human again if I let myself go, but they usually die on you, don't they. XC
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yeah, I guess
Can you be friends with your ex?
My gran is. With her ex, I mean. I hate the slimy ex.
Who did you last visit at the hospital?
Maybe my 12-h-old cousin and her mum in 1991
Did you have a lot of hair when you were wee?
Kind of
What is your message on your answering machine/mobile?
Haven't got one. I hope.
What is in your bag?
The papers' raincoat
For what are you grateful today?
That I just bloody happened to read an interesting Trent Reznor interview on August 7 that made me blind-buy Year zero. :p *kisses dust*
Where did you find this list?
In C's blog. :) However, I omitted a few questions that I couldn't be arsed to translate. :p