I love strong females. I’m inspired by them and driven. Adele strikes me as a woman who is in charge. I’m very motivated by that at work.

I’ve been reading The Anti-Social Media blog for little while now but today I reached a milestone.

I am officially declaring it as my most favourite blog. Ever.

This is the post responsible: The 4 Stages When You Have Nothing To Blog About.

Sometimes I get a bit bored reading social media marketing advice from so-called ‘experts.’ Jay Dolan, the writer behind the blog, tells it like it is.

You should watch this video below featuring Jay. It’s pretty obvious why his blog is so funny. He’s one smart cookie.

You’re a hungry lot when it comes to Twitter and other social media tools.

Let’s look at the 10 most popular posts. They’re listed most popular to least.

1. Ten amazing, minimal WordPress themes

2. Instant Eyedropper for Mac

3. A guide to using Twitter

4. Stuck for tweet ideas? Need a cure for Twitter block?

5. Using Facebook and StumbleUpon to increase traffic to your blog

6. 20+ super cool websites to visit

7. Guest post: Foto Friday and how a Winnipeg photographer used social media as a gift

8. Guest post: Using social media to build your brand online

9. Attend social media seminars in Winnipeg 2010

10. Great links for learning about Twitter

Recently, a number of things have made me think about stuff I like – ingrained in me from childhood.

One of those things is a traditional Christmas song which I’ve posted below.

I was raised a Catholic. At around age 9 or 10 I was allowed to decide if I wanted to go to church. I decided not to go. I no longer believe in the Catholic faith nor do I practise it. But I do continue to enjoy some of the tradition that accompanied it.

For years – since I was in primary school (under 10) – I have loved this song. No idea why. Never given much thought to it. I think nostalgia plays a big part.

I found an interesting interpretation of the song which I wanted to share with you.

I present to you: Good King Wenceslas sung by a deer and a bear.

Well, dear reader, this is one of those posts.

Three important things happened this week which I want to tell you about. Each thing is something I’m very proud of and, in two cases, incredibly honoured.

We’ll tackle this chronologically.

Monday marked my first session with a personal trainer.

And now I can’t walk.

I’m told things will get better. I beg to differ.

I’ve never been to the gym. I’m not someone who really thinks too much about my six pack. I enjoy life. I drink. I smoke.

I cycle to work during the summer months. Faithfully. But during winter I tend to hibernate. I’m 36 which is the unhealthy side of 35 for drinkers and smokers. And I might have a little extra padding. More than I really need.

My job as website manager and the way I spend my leisure time means I’m sitting in front of a computer. All the time.

It was time to get a personal trainer.

Circumstance led me to Lindsay Hamel who happens to be someone I’ve known (of) for years. And before you think that my blogging (or my dog’s blogging) has turned me into a millionare, think again.

In Winnipeg the cost of a personal trainer is not out of reach (like some larger cities, and certainly like London, England where I’m from). With a little less drinking and smoking, I should be able to cover it.

Just before heading off to my session with Lindsay yesterday afternoon I spied an incredible blog post in my inbox: Women in blogging: 125 fearless female bloggers by Kristi Hines who runs Kikolani.com.

Please know that I am just a Brit gal fumbling at blogging.

Imagine my total shock when I noticed myself on the list. Yes! Me. What was I doing there? It must be a mistake. Honestly, I felt sick and my heart was beating fast (further confirmation that my impending visit to Lindsay was a decision well made).

You must be familiar with these types of list – sometimes they appear in the weekend sections of the newspaper showing the top employers or entreprenuers in your area. In the blogosphere they’re also usually a fairly good indication of who you should be paying attention to.

I am honoured to be listed.

And the icing on the cake was, today, finding out that my dog’s blog Hi, I’m Sadie Shih Tzu has been shortlisted for a Canadian Weblog Award in the ‘Best Design’ category. This means that she is in the top five blogs being considered for that accolade.

She was originally nominated in three categories. Independent jurors select the top five in 37 different categories.

Admittedly the other four blogs in the ‘Best Design’ category kick arse so I don’t know if Sadie’s will win but to be shortlisted is amazing.

I’m too late for Thanksgiving but I’d like to give a little tip of the hat to all that stuff: thank you for supporting me on Facebook while I moan about aching muscles; thank you to you dear reader for visiting this blog; thank you for inspiring me to produce content and get creative with Sadie’s blog. I have much to be thankful for (but Lindsay, I am NOT thankful for lunges).

I’ve always had a cell phone but only ever used it to make phone calls and the occassional text message.

Because I know my (limited) way around a computer and seem to have a grip on this social media stuff, folks assume I know my way around the mobile world too. I don’t.

It’s not that I’m stupid. I’m just not particularly seduced by gadgets and toys. They have little relevance in my life since I’m usually always in front of a computer. I just haven’t needed an iPhone.

For those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, let me explain: during my social media presentations I mention mobile access to sites such as Twitter and Facebook but without much personal experience because ‘my partner won’t let me have an iPhone.’

I say it in all my presentations because it usually gets a good laugh but also because it was true.

Until last weekend.

My other half said to me ‘You work hard. You deserve a good phone.’ I was astonished. I have been unsuccessfully campaigning for an upgrade to my little Sony Ericcson (which looks something like this) for close to a year. I even persuaded my partner’s boss (who has a bit of an important job at our regional daily newspaper) to remark in a meeting that I really needed an iPhone.

Turns out I didn’t really want an iPhone anyway.

Presented with the choice of owning a shiny new smartphone I really had no idea what I wanted nor what I would really do with it once I got it.

I put word out on Facebook and Twitter asking for advice about what smartphone I should get.

The replies were wide-ranging. Here are a couple.

I still had no clue what to do so I got on the interwebs and looked at which smartphones were available from my mobile provider, Rogers.

I narrowed it down to a handful that ‘looked’ interesting.

A couple of friends had also strongly recommended I get an Android phone. Don’t ask me what that is. Click that little link back there to find out.

What I liked about Android was the idea of open source development – allowing anyone to create apps. That just struck me as a positive philosophy. Let’s face it, I had little else to go on.

And so this past Sunday we headed to the Rogers store and I walked out the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Captivate. It looks pretty. Everything is displayed in HD quality and when I was fiddling with it in the store it seemed fairly intuitive to use. I’m not an impulsive buyer so I played around with a few devices until I was sure I was making the right choice.

With my purchase made, I certainly felt different – like I’d finally arrived in the 21st century. It felt like everyone else was using this kind of gadget except me.

Now that I have the phone – and bear in mind it’s only been a couple of days – I’m still not sure what to do with it.

I checked my email on the bus on the way to work yesterday and felt all ‘mobile.’

But any new-found enthusiasm was quickly squashed when my phone rang yesterday and I couldn’t work out how to answer it. Honestly, I’m not a technophobe.

Conversely it was in that same moment that I realised how vital it is that I have this phone.

This is one of those times.

A colleague sent this link to me and if you have ever been a client of a web designer or you, yourself, are a web designer, I guarantee this is essential reading.

I can only post an extract. After you’ve seen it, you have to visit The Oatmeal for the full comic strip. Then you must buy the poster.

Go on. Check out the The Oatmeal for the full comic strip. Your sides will split.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to attend one of my presentations, check out my most recent which was filmed by the wonderous James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot of Blink Works -  a Winnipeg boutique production studio.

This video was shot during my presention for PechaKucha Winnipeg.

Note: some strong language.

We’ll be sharing our experiences, from the techie bits to the creative stuff of choosing a theme, deciding what to write about, how to format a blog post, and why it’s important to post regular content.

Join us on Tuesday, June 8 (at 6 p.m. if you want to nosh on the delicious food at EAT! Bistro in Aqua Books or 7 p.m. if you just want to feed your mind.)

While the title of the event might be a bit girl-biased – boys are totally welcome.

Everyone is invited; if you plan on attending, please RSVP via Facebook or Eventbrite.

Really hope to see you there.

About us (the gals doing the talking)

I moved to Winnipeg from London, UK seven years ago and work as the digital media manager for the National Screen Institute – a film and TV training school. I author two blogs: Diary of a Web Gal and Hi, I’m Sadie Shih Tzu (nominated for a Canadian Weblog Award). I’ve presented workshops about the social web for the National Screen Institute, On Screen Manitoba, Canadian Women in Communications, the National Film Board and more. I also do web consulting to help develop and improve websites. My passion is the internet and how to best use it as a communications professional. Catch me on Twitter @lizhover @nsicanada @sadieshihtzu

My pal Polly moved to Winnipeg from New York over 10 years ago. She’s a film and digital media producer, owner of the production and consulting company Positron Media. She provides consulting and training in production and web marketing. She’s currently producing three feature films, a couple of shorts, a collaborative online digital media project, an iPhone app and an augmented reality game. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, she’s just launched a new blog ScreenLiving to examine content creation and distribution in a world where screens are both converging and proliferating.  Catch Polly on Twitter: @pollywashburn

One of my blogs, Hi, I’m Sadie Shih Tzu has been nominated for a Canadian Weblog Award (Life category).

The Canadian Weblog Awards promote blogs from across Canada year-round with interviews, articles, and the nomination, judging, and award process. A jury then decides on a short list and winners are announced in January 2011.

The awards are something of a breath of fresh air: they’re designed to uncover good, but perhaps not mainstream or popular blogs.

Much of the judging criteria focuses on common sense stuff that all web designers would apply when creating a website. The same stuff I use in my job as website manager.

Design

• Usability — Is the website user-friendly and easy to navigate?
• Operability — Do all of its components function properly?
• Interactivity — Are a comments section and author contact information available? Are its interactive components (including comments, audio, video, etc.) effective, appropriate, and accessible?
• Aesthetics — Is the website pleasing to look at? Is its design original?

• Originality — Is the content original and creatively expressed?
• Intelligibility and clarity — Is the content well-written? Are the content’s messages clearly and effectively delivered?
• Currency — Is the content timely? Is the weblog updated on a regular basis?
• Transparency and authenticity — Is the author’s purpose and realness both trusted and apparent?
• Attention to detail — Has the content been edited for spelling and grammatical errors? Is the content arranged for ease of consumption?
• Engagingness — Is the content interesting? Does it contain broad appeal within its genre?

So we’ll have to be patient for a few months before we find out if Sadie’s blog progresses any further.

This is truly an honour to be recognised among my fellow Canadian bloggers. I’ve never envisioned making money from Sadie’s blog. It’s only ever an online space for her personality to come alive for others. Pure entertainment. And with the deluge of blogs available it’s a wonder anyone ever found Sadie’s.

We’ve no idea who nominated Hi, I’m Sadie Shih Tzu. If it was you, thank you.