Ba-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding

What's the hottest song in Great Britain at the moment? Would you believe a mobile phone ring tone? Believe it. Back on January 6th of this year, the day after I arrived here, I remember hearing a guy's phone ring with a crazy "ba ding ding ding...", sort of like a chipmunk doing an impression of a minibike. That was not the last time I heard it, and since then it has been put to a beat with some 80's rap music (can't remember the song) and climbed to #1 on the charts. It's known as the crazy frog (mp3 link, see picture below). I don't know if it's popular in America yet. BTW, the original sound seems to have come from this.



Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. (I'll see if I can't scrounge up some charcoal) and a bank holiday here. Schools and universities are out this week here, too, so many, many people here are on vacation (holiday). Because the library is closed and I've read everything I have on my research topic, today will be spent reading Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler. This is my first Cussler book to read, but won't be the last. FWIW, we're going Stratford-upon-Avon with folks from church on June 4, to Edinburgh on June 6-7 via rental car, and back to London June 11 via train. That will probably be the last of our adventures (not counting the flight home, of course). We fly out 3 weeks from today.

If you get a minute, check out Doug Giles advice -- 10 ways to ensure that you are a failure in life. I have linked to his article on the second one. The series begins here. I haven't read this guy's stuff before, and he's a bit wordy for what he says, but his thinking is on this right on target. His 10 ways are:

1. Be a slacker.
2. Blame others.
3. Embrace hopelessness.
4. Follow others mindlessly.
5. Be a wet blanket.
6. Hang out with morons.
7. Be a self obsessed me-monkey.
8. Stand for nothing.
9. Have an “it’s not my job” mentality.
10. Quit when the going gets tough.

It appears articles on the remaining 8 are forthcoming.