Gmail is reading my mind

Lying in bed this morning, as I was wondering if we still had a roof*, Mr SDS suddenly asked, “Who did that song 'The Lone Ranger'? God knows why but I've got it going through my head”. I couldn't remember, all I could recall was a fuzzy memory of something with the name 'Kimosabi' in the lyrics, the rest of the song long lost to the vagaries of my ageing mind. Besides, I was more preoccupied with the thought of looking out of the window to find my shedio reduced to a pile of rubble.

I grunted and turned over.

“1970 something, '76? '77?” he prompted. Then it came to him, “Quantum Jump!”

It still didn't mean much to me.  So that was that.

After getting up to find that a) we still have a roof and b) the piles of sketches inside my shedio are not scattered across East Anglia, I was checking my email this morning. I've been using Gmail for the last year or so; are you familiar with Gmail's advertising in the side bar? I've had a few laughs from them. Your friend sends you an email that includes a phrase like, “...I was listening to Blondie's Parallel Lines...” and there on the right hand side are all those adverts automatically 'linked' to the message content, which in that instance would probably include something to do with hearing aids, hair bleach and how to improve your maths... Anyway I was reading a short email from a friend, thanking me for a book I'd sent him and passing on a phone number, nothing more. So why this advert:

What Is Quantum Jumping?

Discover Why Thousands of People

are “Jumping” to Change Their Life.

www.(&^$£(_)_.com

Spooky.

I'm not one of those people who believes there must be a deeply mystical reason for this odd coincidence and that someone somewhere is telling me something (presumably to try quantum jumping?) But it is weird, isn't it? I might have to check the bedroom for bugging devices.... hmm.

Later of course I had to look up Quantum Jump's Lone Ranger song on youtube. It came flooding back to me, especially that bloody 'taumatawhakatangihangakoayauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukypokaiwhenuakitanatahu' bit.

I don't think there can be many other songs which include such politically incorrect lines as this: “maybe masked man he a poofter” - it could only have been in the '70s!  Apparently it was banned by the BBC for its references to homosexuality and illegal substances too.  Having said all that, it was only a short step from hearing that to reminding myself of a song a friend introduced me to last year which I like a lot more... the association being a bit more relevant than I believe any Gmail linked advert would be, what with the thoughts of cowboys, drugs and stuff now so firmly in my head:

*hope you still have too.