Зaпoй

It is Sunday and time is boiling slowly. Sometimes I feel really tired and I can't tell if it's from too much coffee or not enough coffee. I tend to side with not enough coffee because that one tastes better. Since I moved in to my dorm I have been using plastic spoons to stir my coffee. There is a part of me that is worried that the outer plastic of the spoons is melting into the coffee and eventually I will develop cancer from all of the toxins. I should probably just take regular spoons from the dining commons. Lev told me that they tag on extra money to your dining fee which covers theft. The same goes for clothing stores. This is why shirts at Hollister are $50.

Yesterday I commented on the elusive squirrel sneeze. The only thing I would like to add is that squirrel yawns are far less rare and much cuter. Check them out, they are amazing. Chipmunks are great too. They are like baby squirrels on Red Bull. The picture below was very hard to take but I was able to sneak up on this little guy while he was performing a Vulcan mind meld on a pile of rocks. It goes without saying that his hands are his best feature.


My roommate, Lev, spent the first 12 years of his life in Russia. You wouldn't know it talking to him. His English is flawless. This morning he was telling me about this phenomenon in Russia, called Зaпoй (or Zapoi). From what I can gather it is some sort of sporadic alcoholism. It begins with a night of heavy drinking. The next morning the drunkard stumbles to the liquor cabinet to fetch some more vodka. The best antidote for a hangover, Lev says, is more alcohol. Apparently when you drink, the blood vessels in your brain expand. After the effects of the nights prior wear off, you are left with incredibly constricted blood vessels in your cerebrum. The alcohol you drink in the morning expands these vessels enough to relieve the discomfort. Anyway the Russians nurse their hangovers with more alcohol until it is late afternoon, and it is only proper to begin another night of "vodka like water". A good Зaпoй lasts about a week. How anyone gets anything done in Russia is beyond me.

When I check my email on Yahoo I usually find myself looking through the headlines on the front page. There are always so many different kinds of news stories. If you haven't seen the 'cat sliding into box' you should definitely go see it for yourself. He is really a 5 star cat. It looks like Obama did something important too.


I have somewhere between 7 and 9 pages to write in the next 36 hours so I should really get to work on that.

Speak easy,
Neil

Today's Playlist:
Under The Covers (or artists who like other artists)

1. The Polyphonic Spree - Lithium (The Wait EP) *Nirvana*
2. Cake - I Will Survive (Fashion Nugget) *Gloria Gaynor*
3. Syd Matters - Hello Sunshine (The OC: Mix 6) *Super Furry Animals*
4. Bright Eyes - Devil Town (Noise Floor) *Daniel Johnston*
5. Rogue Wave - Everyday (Stubbs The Zombie OST) *Buddy Holly*
6. Xiu Xiu - Under Pressure (Women As Lovers) *Queen*
7. Youth Group - Forever Young (Casino Twilight Dogs) *Alphaville*
8. Nada Surf - If You Leave (The OC: Mix 2) *Orchestral Manoeuvres...*
9. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Grace) *Leonard Cohen*
10. Gary Jules - Mad World (Donnie Darko OST) *Tears For Fears*
11. Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights (Such Great Heights EP) *The Postal Service*
12. Fiona Apple - Across The Universe (Pleasantville OST) *The Beatles*

Someone actually covered the Bright Eyes version of Devil Town. It follows the arrangements and instrumentation almost exactly. The song was recently featured in a 'Friday Night Lights' commercial.
I was tempted to put on some Me First and the Gimme Gimmes but it didn't seem right. I would recommend them though if you are looking for more cover songs.

P.S
Lev woke up with fireworks in his pocket. It was a surprise to both of us.
He also told me about some guy who's friends with his dad, a mathematician, that named his dog 'Cosign'. Now that's what I'm talking about!

EDIT: Here are some playlist recommendations I received from Taylor Rose...

1. Jenny Lewis - Handle With Care (Rabbit Fur Coat) *Traveling Willburys*
2. John Mayer - Message In A Bottle (Any Given Thursday) *The Police*
3. The Vines - I'm Only Sleeping (I Am Sam OST) *The Beatles*
4. The Vines - Ms. Jackson (Outtathaway! Single) *Outkast*
5. The Vines - Paint It Black (Unknown) *The Rolling Stones*

It looks like there is some controversy on whether The Vines actually performed that cover or not. Either way I'm going to check it out. Thanks Taylor!