Damn, do I feel old now. On September 15th, 1989, Nine Inch Nails released their first single, Down In It, which serious fans also know as “HALO 1.” Today is its 36th anniversary.
(Trent Reznor assigns HALO numbers, to Nine Inch Nails releases in chronological order. It makes one’s Nine Inch Nails collection simpler to organize. He took the idea from Depeche Mode, who use a similar system called BONG numbers.)
Down In It would become the third track on Nine Inch Nails’ debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, which came out in October 1989. This album is one of my all time favorites, and those of you who were at my DJ sessions at Crazy Go Nuts University’s pub run by the engineering students, Clark Hall Pub, know that I often played tracks from this album, including Down In It.
There are a few versions of Down In It, but my particular favorite wasn’t the heavyily-produced album version, but the more raw-sounding demo version, which was released on the Head Like a Hole maxi-single, also known as HALO 3, featured in the video below:
Here’s the official music video, which features some very oh-so-1990 alt-rock visuals and the album version of the song:
I’ve always loved the synth riff in this song — the “dee doo doo doo dee doo deedley-doo” bit — and here’s how you play it:
Down In It came out at a time when I was, well, “down in it,” and while it may be a cliché to say that it (along with the rest of the Pretty Hate Machine album) got me through some hard times, it actually did. And to this day, this track, along with the rest of the album, still holds a special place in my heart.
The suspect, a 16-year-old student who attended the school, is said to have brought a revolver and lots of ammunition to school. He waited until lunchtime, after which he started shooting. He reloaded the multiple times, making his was through to school in search of more of his fellow students to shoot. The suspect died of a self-inflicted wound.
At another school in another state — Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah — Charlie Kirk, founder of right-wing student agitprop group Turning Point USA, was shot dead during one of his “come debate with me” sessions that he’s known for. He’s so well-known for it that he was parodied on a recent South Park episode (which Kirk is said to have “praised”):
My feelings on the matter, in case they need to be spelled out — and in these fractured times, they really need to be spelled out — are as follows:
His death is a tragedy. I condemn his shooting, I condemn the shooter, and I condemn political violence. His family have my sympathy and condolences for their loss.
His work promoted atrocity. His manner was cruelty wrapped in cordiality, bigotry wrapped in Bible verses, and the freedom he promoted would only come at the expense of the freedom of people he considered to be lesser.
I refuse to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death.
But I won’t mourn him, either.
Let’s not turn him into a sainted martyr, because that man was no saint:
Click the image to read the article.
He reveled in cruelty towards those not on his side:
Watch over the coming days as his supporters whitewash his history of hate, or at least try to paint him as reasonable and moderate and ask “Why?”:
The two most telling things about him are this line of his…
…and the reactions of his fans online when people started bringing up examples of the terrible, vicious, cruel things he’s said:
So what do we do at a time when some Americans think that the Reichstag fire is an example that should be followed?
(In case you don’t know what it is, please click on the link for Reichstag fire — pronounced “RIKE-stogg” — which I’ve repeated, because you really should know what it’s about.)
We work by staying vigilant, protecting the vulnerable, and setting good examples…
…we continue to fight for justice and equality, and remember that everyone can place a role in that fight…
Remember that empathy isn’t weakness, but strength:
Let’s be careful out there…
…and let’s remind ourselves that for all that’s going wrong in America right now, there’s a lot of good in here, but we need to work harder — and together — to bring it out:
Let’s not dance on his grave. Instead, let’s do the necessary leg work to make the world better.
I’m a firm believer in the notion that “prescribed times for everyday things” don’t exist at airports. In my opinion, breakfast-for-dinner or an early morning beer are perfectly fine when you’re waiting for a flight.
It’s Sunday, and it’s time for another “picdump!” Here are the memes, pictures, and cartoons floating around the internet that I found interesting or relevant this week. Share and enjoy!
