My brain vs. the phantom Hans Zimmer

This week’s weird idea

I distinctly remember watching famed film composer Hans Zimmer live on the Oscars, flushed with excitement, clutching his new statue onstage. It wasn’t his first Oscar, but his expression told you that the thrill doesn’t fade. He looked down the little gold dude, then looked up the audience and said something like “If only this came with your next theme."

It was a sweet, funny thing to say. I laughed, and then it hit me: even this Titan of the industry, this multiple-award winner, is worried that he may not be able to come up with more music. The page always starts out blank.

Inspiring, huh? Yeah, except now I can find no record of him, or anyone else, saying this, or anything like it, anywhere. It either means:

• I haven’t looked in the right place yet, or,
• My mind made this whole thing up

I don’t know which option I prefer.

But I still love ya, Hans.

Go see

Rooster - watch tv show streaming online

Find out how and where to watch “Rooster” online on Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ today – including 4K and free options.

JustWatch

I'm surprised how many people I know who aren’t watching this, and boy howdy, are they missing out. Smart, fast-paced, warm, and snort-out-loud funny. It traces its pedigree back through Ted Lasso all the way to Scrubs, so this a production company that knows how to make you laugh by hitting you with the feels. A classic comfort watch.

Have a read

The Doors of Eden

Check out The Doors of Eden - <b>From the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning Adrian Tchaikovsky, <i>The Doors of Eden </i>is an extraordinary feat of the imagination and a page-turning adventure about parallel universes and the monsters that they hide.</b><br><i>They thought we were safe. They were wrong.</i><br>Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back.<br>Lee thought she’d lost Mal, but now she’s miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal’s reappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn’t the only one with questions.<br>Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power - and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor.<br>Dr Khan’s research was theoretical; then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors crash open, anything could come through.<br><b>“Tchaikovsky weaves a masterful tale... a suspenseful joyride through the multiverse.” (<i>Booklist)</i></b> by Adrian Tchaikovsky on Bookshop.org US!

OrbitAdrian Tchaikovsky

Big Ideas, mind-bending world-building, lots of action, and deeply human characters (even the hyper-intelligent rats). A standalone novel from one of the fiercest, most original sci-fi writers today. And all built around a love story.

(Say hi to the trilobites for me.)

Do you know?

Three people answered last week’s quizlet correctly: A4 Wagyu Tomahawk is in fact a magnificent name for a piece of cow. A4 is the grade, Wagyu is the breed, and Tomahawk is the cut. (Spotted by Pete and Ann at a Costco in Japan.)

Click to answer this week’s question:

What bird has the best wings?

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Take a deep breath

And remember, you don’t need to keep your brow furrowed to be a force for good. Laughter is not betrayal. Misery is a tool of control. So be uncontrollable.

Until we talk again, I remain,

Your pal,

Jamie