So yesterday, in a quiet moment at work, I was in discussion with ‘the film buff’ and the talk meandered round to Dustin Hoffman, as these things do. From my (rare) theatre visit to see him as Shylock in about nineteen eighty-something; the Merchant of Brooklyn. Accent didn’t really work. Little old Venetian Jew sounding like a Goodfella. Da qualidy of moiceee… Geraldine James as Portia was so brilliant it didn’t matter. And then to Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man and, of course, Rain Man. Tom Cruise’s undoubtable finest moment. When he changed from ‘grinning slimeball’ to ‘slimeball with a heart’. And a movie of such spectacularness it remains an all-time fave. Haven’t watched it in years.

After various activities last night, we finally watched the news, late (yes, its on ‘series record’ so I NEVER miss it). When it ended I shut down the recording and the tv went straight to Rain Man! I mean: whattttt??? Whatever channel that had been on before (I think BBC2) was showing Rain Man. LIVE.

We all know how creepy it is when you google something on your work computer and an hour later you open your personal phone and there’s seven ads for that same thing. But this was another league. We don’t have an Alexa at work, but I do at home, so the only explanation is that when I got home, Alexa read my mind, beamed it back to Beijing, along with the conversation we were having in the kitchen about whether Waitrose salted pistachio nuts are as good as the ones from the health food store, and Beijing then told the BBC due to an exchange of information arrangement they have, and ka-boom, Rain Man’s on tv that night. With a guaranteed audience of 1, for at least 10 minutes, until he goes to bed. I fully expected Sky tv to be on my doorstep this morning offering me Rain Man on pay-per-view, plus a Dustin Hoffman t-shirt, Tom Cruise (ugly) mug and other assorted ‘essentials’, for just an additional £2.99 per month!!! for the next 7 years.

There is no such thing as ‘coincidence’. Why would there be when ‘conspiracy’ is so much more fun.

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx