As Canadians we don't get to see enough of British influence. They are, after all, our parents nation... we still aren't technically independent from our monarchical overlords... (That's right, if you're reading this, you're likely a subject of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth the second... or a Yank). Long story short, this next clip is of one of my favourite comedians from the BBC and beyond, proving that the UK does commercials better! (Yeh, their commercials offer them entertainment in exchange for brand loyalty... take note America!)
Cheers to our cousins from across the pond! (Can we send the damn Old Spice guy over there in exchange?!?)


-D-
 
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What are the holidays without the staples? The cranberry sauce, the Yule-logs, the home made Crock-Pot wonders that come out once a year and fill you heart with joy! Well I've got great news because, this year, you can add to your festive catering list Rudolf and the gang! (No word yet if Canada is going to follow suit, but if you're one of our UK readers...You're in luck!)


Thinking of a different flavour for this year's treats? Why not throw a thick-cut reindeer steak on the grill? Recently featured at Lidl's, a discount grocery store, these reindeer steaks have been the center of some controversy. The frozen steaks were sold at $10 for a 350g pack, and were selling fast!

A spokes-person for PETA (that well-balanced and sane group of cheerful chaps) condemned the sale of the steaks, when interviewed by Sky News UK, saying:


 
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I bet you've never even seen 23,000 teddy bears...(or at very least I hope there was a special occasion for it if you have!) So here's a clip of this year's 16th Annual Teddy Bear Toss hockey game at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (December 12, 2010). Red Deer Rebels vs. Calgary Hitmen.


This was just the first goal in the first period by the Calgary Hitmen! (You should have seen what happened for the second goal... I'm not going to ruin it, but let's just say "Real Bears!")


Here's the clip:


 
David Paul Morris/Getty Images

Today's What-The-Friday is brought to you by insane parents of bratty kids! (And their lawyers, and activist groups...)


The Center for Science in the Public Interest is not the most famous groups in the world, nor are they one worthy of much merit. What is essentially the legal wing of an overgrown Mommy-and-me squad of obsessive parents who don't trust the world to manage their own caloric intake... is at it again!


I'm going to try to be as non-biased as possible in saying that this group, and many like it, are the ones behind the removal of soft-drink vending machines in schools (a school is no place to educate children and let them make their own decisions!) , the movement to label everything with it's nutrition content (WHAT!? That bag of peanuts may contain nuts!!! It damn-well better or Mr.Peanut will be receiving a very strongly worded letter from me!), and let's not forget to mention the movement to restrict the labeling of "diet" items to not persuade people into thinking the double-fudge whipped-cream and cheese-cake filled pastry was good for them because it was made with low-fat milk.


 
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Sometimes it's hard to wrap your mind around 500 million people, all accessing a single website. These people all interacting through buried cables and invisible channels in the air; luckily Paul Butler, an intern at Facebook's data infrastructure engineering team, thought he would help us imagine these paths. Using the interactions of Facebook users he's managed to plot shapes that, for the most part, outline the continents of the world. This image is just beautiful and really shows us just how influential this site has become.


Paul Butler was quoted, looking at this image, to say :


"‎"What really struck me, though, was knowing that the lines didn’t represent coasts or rivers or political borders, but real human relationships."
The story Here.
Full Res. image here.


Cheers to realizing the impossible, and seeing the incredible appear.


-D-
 
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The snow was beginning to pile up outside as I sat down to update the blog and jump into a few international chatrooms to see what the buzz on the net was about. As usual their were plenty of interesting topics on sites all other the place...but their was one that struck a cord with me more than any other.

We were discussing tattoos and art and I was asked by someone to explain my ink. I'm not one to brag about my tattoos and I'm not one to get them on a whim either. I always give the artwork months of thought and contemplation before settling on a design and location, as one should with something so permanent. It was in this conversation that someone asked me about the maple leaf I have on my chest. I told them it was the easiest decision I'd ever made and that it's a piece of art I will never regret. 

"How could you be so sure," they asked, "that you won't someday regret it... it's not like you can say that you're never ashamed to be Canadian!" This statement got to me a little. I couldn't help but think of the events I've lived through that genuinely made me feel like Canada, as a nation, had let the world down. Certain people, in this country of ours, have soiled its image with ignorance and greed... but then I got to thinking about our national identity; I thought about the sort of things that make us Canadians. 

Luckily, in my search, I came across more than just old videos of Bob and Doug McKenzie. The videos weren't just old skits with Colin Mockery and Rick Mercer... though I loved all of those clips all-the-same. I came across one video that really made me proud, made feel genuinely patriotic (which for a Canadian to do is a biological anomaly!) The video came to us during the Vancouver winter Olympics and wasn't even aired in Canada. So I thought it was worth sharing it with you guys today. Here is that video:

Cheers to patriotism every day of the year, because one day in the summer just doesn't cut it for a nation this Awesome!


-D-
 
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How are you enjoying the new Facebook layout? Still avoiding clicking on the button for fear of change? Well here's an idea that was had by French artist Alexandre Oudin. The profile page allowed him to flex his artistic muscles (Far as I can tell they are located just behind your eyes) and he came up with this Magritte-inspired collage. 


Anyone who wants to try this is free to upload pictures that are the exact pixel resolution as they display on the page, block the photos you are tagged in, and upload your own set. (Or, you can just enjoy this image and pass this article along... it's the lazy choice, but it's the right choice!)


Cheers to thinking outside the box, and into multiple cleverly designed boxes adjacent...


-D-

 
A short while back one of my favorite companies put together an initiative to help the world suck a little less. This company has always been a leader in innovation both in their product, and in society. The idea of the initiative was that we might be able to make people do better things, if we made those things more fun to do. Simple, I know.


The company, Volkswagen; The initiative, The Fun Theory.


Here's a taste:


 
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If only there was a God, Putin would have climb onto the stage and starting playing "Putin on the Ritz"! His actual performance was quite spectacular all-the-same. After being begged by organizers of the charity function, Putin finally gave in to the pressure and told everyone that he would sing for the children.  "Like the majority of people I cannot -- but do like to sing and to play -- so you'll have to rough it," he warned as he sat at the piano and played the beginning of Blueberry Hill. The song went on for only a short while before a Jazz band, lead by Maceo Parker, took up the tune. Putin and others than began to sing the song for the delighted audience. 


This isn't the first time the PM takes to the stage, but usually it's for empowering speeches or the occasional how-do-you-do at luncheons. I believe that more world leaders should embrace the media and have some fun...maybe governments wouldn't be so stuck-up and war happy! 


Many spectators caught the act on their phones, but RT has the real footage and is available on YouTube and right here on Memento Mori:

Cheers to a government with a sense of humour, and people's willingness to do just about anything for charity!


-D-
 
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Craig Ferguson Late Late show on CBS
So this is another non-story of the night. Craig Ferguson (or as you might know him "The Limy from the Drew Carey Show"), on his late-night talk-show, had an awesome skit with The Doctor himself!


Best of all Craig even started the show off with a Doc.W. themed song and dance! Watch it below and try not to pee a lil'





So there's a little bit of awesome to end on.
Cheers to age-old geekisms, alive and doing well!

-D-