Only one week between insomnia, this time back-end after getting to sleep normally and sleeping for about two hours. At first I did lay there hoping to fade out while listening to the CD that led me to sleep, but after that played out, I got up and sitting up listened to one of my mix CDs, not even hoping for sleep.

And I started drinking. After the CD, I switched on the TV to watch live LPGA coverage (day 3, Portland) and continued drinking and started to fade during that, and some time after that I put on a Tokyo Jihen concert DVD and definitely faded out shortly.

I slept through most of the DVD, fading in a few times, but afterwards felt fine and rested. Go fig. Even with the drinking I don't feel fucked up like other times. I got enough sleep, albeit it was 2 in the afternoon when I got up.

Geeking out:
I got up during one of the Tokyo Jihen concert's closers. I've had this DVD since 2012 when Tokyo Jihen broke up, and I never knew what this particular song was. It wasn't in their catalog that I knew of.

Then recently, late last year and earlier this year, Shiina Ringo released a bunch of discs to celebrate 15 years since her debut in the business. She released a compilation CD of songs over the years in which she collaborated with other artists; she released a live compilation CD; a live DVD of a post-Tokyo Jihen show which may or may not hint at a new direction for her; and finally a "self-cover" album.

The self-cover album is her versions of songs that she wrote for other people. They're covers because the other people are the original artists. It's like when Carole King co-wrote "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for Aretha Franklin, the original artist. When Carole King recorded it later, that's what's being called a self-cover in this case.

On one hand, I wonder if she informed those artists that she was going to do this, kinda as a courtesy warning because her versions were going to blow theirs out of the water. Even on paper, anyone would know that because it's Shiina Ringo essentially recording her own songs, even if written for other people.

On the other hand, the original songs are all in the past and her release of her versions are not going to affect sales of the originals in any way (only the integrity). Maybe even boost them. And indeed, in my opinion, her versions for most part blow the originals out of the water. And indeed, I know this because I hunted down the originals online to hear what they were like (more scrupulous people would have bought them, boosting their sales).

Anyway, the song towards the end of Tokyo Jihen's final concert was one of those songs she wrote for someone else (Chiaki Kuriyama, better known in the West as an actress who played Gogo in "Kill Bill, vol. 2") and was like a hibernating Easter egg for me, since I didn't find out what it was until two years later.
/geeking out

The injury to my hand is not nearly as bad as I feared. Nothing broken, no need for a doctor. Basically a bruised pinky that I'm keeping taped for stability until it heals. Should immediately be able to go to the gym, just lay off anything that requires that hand. I suspect I can ride in a day or two as well.