There was an article in Britain's Times Newspaper ascribing the enormous success of the BBC's Wildlife Documentary 'Frozen Planet' to the fact that's it's bleak artic feel was, somehow, a metaphor for our times. There may be an element of truth in this observation, but I think the real deal in this respect has to to be Fenton the runaway black labrador.

Fenton is a serious contender for greatest viral of all time - and will surely give Dog Tease a good run for it's money in the animals category. But Fenton is made of sterner symbolic stuff. Part of its joy is that the owner is so hopelesssly behind the action - his chance of regaining control is nil. That pretty much sums up 2011 whether you're a Prime Minister in Eurozone or a night shift foreman.