by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2008/09/23 03:01 -04:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2008/09/23/8961862.aspx
Nothing that is even familiar with something vaguely reminiscent of anything vaguely technical....
So one of those interesting mails from the Nine Inch Nails mailing list included information about a survey they wanted some people to take, which included a little bit of the bribeinducement to encourage people to take it:
As an incentive, everyone who completes the survey will be able to download a video of live performance from this most recent tour (and I know what's going through your little minds right now: "I'll just grab this off a torrent site and not have to fill out the survey!!!" and guess what? You will be able to do just that and BEAT THE SYSTEM!!!! NIN=pwn3d!!!)
BUT
What if we were to select some of those that DO complete the survey and provide them with something really cool? I'm not saying we'll ever get around to it, but if we did maybe something like signed stuff, flying someone to a show somewhere in the world, a magic amulet that makes you invisible, a date with Jeordie White (condoms supplied of course), you know - something cool. See, you'd miss that opportunity...
I was left wondering, I mean given my real disinterest in a date with bassist Jeordie White (not to mention fear of any activity that would make condoms seem prudent were such an event to happen -- seriously!), whether I had filled out some prior survey incorrectly or had signed up for the wrong mailing list way back when or whether the rule about not getting too drunk at the show had been broken once too often andI had forgotten something really important....
It actually reminded me of this blog, and this XKCD comic:
Because, while better than the alternative, clearly this would be a date gone horribly wrong....
On the other hand, being flown to a show somewhere in the world is a real treat I've seldom (but not never) had though never with NIN, and the magic amulet could really come in handy!
So the list was not entirely repugnant to me.
Plus Jeordie is a hell of a bassist, and I'd certainly be willing to buy him a glass of whatever he was drinking.
So why exactly did my mind rebel about this survey, just because of the paragraph? "Was I really such a cliché" I wailed softly as I was telling this story to Andrea a little while ago and she asked me close my eyes, after which she read the paragraph again but inserted the name of an attractive female bassist I've never expressed interest in previously, in the same spot Mr. White originally occupied.
And that actually bothered me too -- as much as if not more than the original words.
So, as Andrea was able to determine via nearly scientific methods, I'm a prude. :-)
Brilliant!
After we got off the phone, I decided to fill out the survey. I figured I could always give the date with Jeordie to Sam if I won it. She's a true groupie and I'm sure she'd appreciate it more than I would, anyway.
The video was cool, in any case. :-)
That reminds me! I managed to acquire tickets to see Liz Phair next month. A very different show than Trent Reznor would put on, obviously. But both tend to be quite memorable even if two very different ways, even to a prude like me.
Maybe I'll even blog about it....
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sam i am on 23 Sep 2008 3:26 AM:
hell yeah i'll take that date, any time!
Phylyp on 23 Sep 2008 8:50 AM:
If it were the Corrs, then I'd be (very) tempted :)
Ryan on 23 Sep 2008 11:42 AM:
That's strange. The blurry image you used for the link has text that's not in the comic itself (the student safety bit). Strange.
Michael S. Kaplan on 23 Sep 2008 11:46 AM:
It was, originally. Looks like a like revisionism might have happened?