Memelabs is proud to announce our partnership with Apathy is Boring. As a great supporter of their initiatives and goals, we have launched a new video contest to all Canadians who believe that Apathy IS Boring.

We know the statistics. Youth aren’t voting and they aren’t opting into the traditional political system. Apathy is Boring isn’t waiting for an election to turn that around. Apathy is Boring wants young Canadians to grab their cell phone or video cameras and tell us their vision for the next 250 years of Democracy in Canada. On the 250^th anniversary of the birth of parliamentary democracy in our country, Apathy is Boring is encouraging young Canadians to look forward towards our next 250 years and articulate their vision of Canada and the world.

Starting in July and running through the month of September, the contest will culminate with the grand prize: a trip to Halifax for the winner to attend and showcase their video during a Youth Dialogue hosted by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, on September 20^th. More information on the Governor General’s Youth Dialogues is available at Citizen Voices. The winner will also receive backstage passes to the Apathy is Boring Concert featuring artists ill Scarlett.

Few video’s find their way into my heart. This gem not only makes me want to be a better person, but it also has encouraged me to believe in my dreams. One day I’d like to provide my Beta video editing skills to the world but I have to be realistic and acknowledge the competition that lies in the foothills of the Okanagan. I can only wait and learn from the best. Now pour yourself a nice glass of buttermilk and enjoy my weekly find.

Posted by Jenn Lowther

A couple of Stanford University students have started a grassroots marketing campaign for US Presidential Candidate Barack Obama called Youbama. Youbama is a mashup of Digg and Youtube allowing people to create a short video of themself discussing why they support Obama. Viewers then have the ability to vote up their favorite clip. The clips on the site already include a couple of celebrity endorsements from George Clooney and Charles Barkley.

This is a great example of using social media to engage the youth demographic in the political process. The best part of it all, is that this was not set up by the Obama campaign. This endeavour is emblematic of the web savvy campaign that the Obama camp has run up until this point.

Posted by Jenn Lowther

This blog post could have had many different titles: overused, asinine, worst, overplayed – you get the idea. I’ve listed the 5 that annoy me the most, some of you will agree others will have there own. I’d love to hear what meme irks you the most.

L33t Speak
**This one made my list with much argument between Dario and I. He thinks that l33t rocks and that I’m a n00b for including it on this list. His position is that it’s classic and awesome, only slightly less awesome than the pic on the right (which is actually posted on the door to his office). But I’m writing this so it made my list. Feel free to let me know if you support Dario on this one.

0K, S0 7h12 0n3 12 pH1n3 1n sm4LL D0s32, 8u7 u K4n 7h4NK 4Ll 0F 7H023 d0UCH38492 0U7 7H3r3 wh0 48u23 12. N0, 1 d0 n07 W4N7 70 r34D 4 3N71R3 P023 1n l337, 17’2 4nN0Y1N’, s70P 17 n0w, Ph0r 7H3 L0V3 0F 90D, pl332 S70p 17.

For those of you who are less than fluent in l33t, here is the English translation:

OK, so this one is fine in small doses, but you can thank all of those douchebags out there who abuse it. No, I do not want to read an entire post in l33t, it’s annoying, Stop it now, for the love of god, please stop it.

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris has always been at best a C-list celeb, and then the internet embraced his awesomeness and made him a full on internet phenomenon. But then Chuck had to go ruin it for us all. First he sues the publishers of Chuck Norris Facts and follows this up with stumping for Mike Huckabee. Chuck, if you’re reading this, you should know that on the internet it’s all about Ron Paul. RIP Chuck.

Numa Numa

You were awesome with your first video, but you really really should have left it at that. You’re like most sequels…they are never as good as the first, and we like you a little less with each subsequent installation, till we can’t quite remember why we liked you in the first place.

Don’t Taze Me Bro

I think I’m going to scream if I hear one more person use the phrase ‘Don’t Tase Me Bro’ or some sort of derivation. When I went and played laser tag and everyone was yelling ‘Don’t Lase Me Bro’, I knew it had gone too far (well that and the MC Hammer remix). This one was funny for like a week and now needs to go somewhere and die a nice quiet death.

Tub Girl and similar parodies

This one really needs no explanation. These meme’s make me wish that I could unsee things. Really I think I may need some therapy after being subjected to these.

The Wind Blows contest is over and the winner has been announced: Depictions of Energy came out in the top spot and scored $10,000 for Team Depictions. The video steadily occupied one of the top spots in the contest but in the last weekend before the contest end they skyrocketed to first place to take the championship.

Second-place video Wind Blows an Emo Kid held the top spot for a long time but was defeated by a slim margin of votes in the final hours of the contest.

Congratulations to Depictions of Energy’s team, and be sure to check out our other awesome contests at Memelabs!