My Name is Kate

The Truth and Lies about Why We Buy - Martin Lindstrom's Buyology

I was sent a review copy of Martin Lindstrom's new book Buyology a month or so ago.

I haven't had a chance to read it yet - it's in my holiday reading stack -  but their press agent just sent me a link to their book trailer which is so awesomely tense, creepy and compelling that I moved the book to the top of my stack.  Check it out below :)

The music is also the background music on Martin's site. You might want to take a valium before you visit! 

Oh, Carmen got a copy of it via Mini Book Expo: Business Edition - her review is posted over on One Degree.

Walking the Red Carpet

So, it seems to be that time of year - where everyone is handing out awards or naming their best of.  Well, the blogosphere is no exception.  I'm quite delighted and humbled to have been nominated in three separate events:

Canadian Blog Awards
MyNameIsKate.ca is a finalist in the Career/Professional Blog category

Best of 604
MyNameIsKate.ca is a nominee in the Favourite Company or Business Blog category

Canada's Influential Women in Social Media
I've been nominated as one of Canada's influential women in social media.

Lists and awards like these inspire a lot of discussion and debate.  I try to find a balance of  being grateful that someone took the time to put my name down and not-believing-my-own-press. :)

I tend to agree with Rob Cottingham when he says that possibly the chief benefit of awards like these is the discovery of other blogs or people you didn't know about (Rob's fantastic Noise to Signal cartoons are nominated in both the CBA and Bestof604 in the humour categories).  And also the delight that some of my favourite bloggers and socmed women  are getting some well-deserved recognition.

So ... it would be wonderful if you took a minute and voted for me :)  And doubly so if you take another minute and choose a blog or a person you'd never heard of before and visit their square of the red carpet.

Photo Credit: akav

links for 2008-12-04

• Social Media Case Studies SUPERLIST- 17 Extensive Lists of Organizations Using Social Media
  (tags: web2.0 study casestudy socialmedia reference marketing pr onedegree)
• Elfster.com - Secret Santa Online Gift Exchange Organizer
  Need to organize an office or family Secret Santa swap? Use Elfster.com Also, their blog is pretty great - lots of alternative gift giving ideas.
  (tags: xmas web2.0 tools swap gifts)
• Yarn Harlot: What is happening in Canada
  Excellent overview of the current Canadian political situation.
  (tags: politics government Canada parliamentarydemocracy)
• How Pantone's Color Expert Colors Your World | Mac|Life
  I would like Leatrice Eiseman's job!
  (tags: trends colour color pantone mac apple)

links for 2008-12-03

• A Vancouverite’s Guide to Twitter » Vancouver Blog Miss 604 by Rebecca Bollwitt
  Rebecca's put together a helpful and comprehensive list of media, entertainment, food & drink and other outlets around Vancouver who are Twittering. Excellent resource - especially since Twitter eliminated any useful people search. Great job, Rebecca!
  (tags: vancouver twitter resource)
• Science News / Florence Nightingale: The Passionate Statistician
  She pioneered the use of applied statistics to develop policy and developed novel ways of displaying them. Cool. Via my friend Daniel.
  (tags: visualization statistics information infographics)

links for 2008-12-02

• Vintage space age illustrations - Boing Boing
  Collection of cool space age illustrations.
  (tags: scrapbooking history illustration vintage collage)
• Sharpie Markers Official Blog
  A blog from the Sharpie (yes, the markers) folks. Highlighting creative use of Sharpies, celebrity sightings (really), tips and tricks, etc. Interesting idea - there is definitely a cult around the Sharpie! They also have a Flickr group and a YouTube channel.
  (tags: sharpie corporateblog blog design)