Issue #22

Hey friends 👋🏽,

Welcome back to Thought Caffeine, a weekly newsletter where I share my favourite discoveries during the week.

I got my second CoronaVac shot last Friday, about a week late from the recommended 14-day window because you guessed it – inventorial issues from the central government, but I digress. I’m quite happy to report no side effects save for minor aches at the injection site – unlike my nauseous bout the first time around.

📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I’ll be giving some 5-6 books away for my newsletter subscribers for free next month! More info on that soon via my other social media outlets (Follow my Instagram and Twitter for the latest).

🤖 Daft Punk's One More Time beat breakdown

If you haven’t heard already, Daft Punk just announced they are breaking up. Their retro-style classics Get Lucky and Instant Crush was there to witness some of my best moments in high school. 

One of their most recognisable beats in One More Time (it’s already playing in my head) was broken down in this highly visual 51-second video by Tracklib. 

The video compares the iconic beat to Eddie John’s 1979 hit More Spell on You. Now I’m no audio scientist, but I thought this was a beautiful example of creativity in preservation of originality. In Perell’s words, this would have been one of Daft Punk’s intellectual phase transitions.

🪴 Weed Explained

I’ve been upping my productive-slack game recently, switching from my customary sit-coms to docu-series. My latest musing has been Netflix’s Explained series, which boast high production value and (in my opinion), extremely entertaining – unlike stereotypic documentaries. 

Here’s a summary of the latest episode I watched about weed (Spoiler alert, obviously):

1. There are 3 different species: C.sativa, C.indica, C.ruderalis. These have been crossbred like crazy by humans (mostly to improve crop yield & survivability). There has also never been a pure genetic sample of each one, so it’s all a mixed bag now.
2. Generally: C.sativa is daytime marijuana and C.indica is nighttime marijuana. Sativa makes you high as a balloon & C.indica makes you stoned & lethargic.
3. Traditional weed is 11:1 THC:CBD. Now it’s closer to 250:1. THC content is inversely proportional to CBD & the opposite is also true.
4. THC is the psychoactive compound, CBD helps you relax & boasts medical benefits.

🙂 Other things I've been enjoying

1. Show: The Last Dance. In spirit of my productive downtime zest, I've been carrying out most of my home workouts in the companion of Jason Hehir's Netflix masterpiece. I wasn't around to witness Chicago Bulls during their glory days but this series (I would like to think) superbly captures the drama and tension in Michael Jordan's last dance with the squad.
2. Book: 4-Hour Workweek. This has been long overdue. I'm not going to lie, the page count was a huge put-off and I constantly found myself push this book back in place of other shorter reads. I'm only 10% into the book, but I already know it's going to live up to its reputation.
3. Article: 100 Very Short Rules for a Better Life by Ryan Holiday. It's my favourite article of the year. I think I should let the piece speak for itself here.
4. Song: Malemolencia by Céu. The melody gives off a slight mystical slight melancholic latin vibe that is very intimate and paradoxically energising. Give it a listen – you'll know what I mean.

📖 Quote of the Week

"Often the fear of the unknown is simply the fear of not seeing the path ahead of you."

From 16 Things Everybody Should Stop Doing in Order to Be Successful (Article) by Parker Nash. Resurfaced via Readwise.

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Hope you have a great week! 📚

John