The State of the Live Web:Truly Amazing!

Wow. I wish I was just as smart as Dave Sifry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sifry.

For anyone who doesn't know, Dave Sifry is the founder of Technorati, which is a blog search engine. http://technorati.com/. Currently, Technorati indexes 112.8 million blogs. Wow, that is ALOT of blogs. So this week I have been instructed to comment on Sifry's own blog, specifically an entry discussing "The State of the Live Web, April 2007". Now although I was well aware that the world of blogging is rapidly growing and will continue to do so, I must admit that I was not fully knowledgeable about the statistics, or the concept of tagging...but now I certainly am!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_(metadata) I personally have never made my own tag, but I am almost positive that I have utilized one in the past while either doing research on the web, or simply finding myself on a web page and being unsure how I ended up there. Sifry's posting truly gave me an insight into how useful and important tagging can be. It aids even more in the connecting of the social web, and really just makes our lives easier. With the creation of tags, we have a better chance of finding what we are looking for... or even what we weren't looking for!
Another important point that his blog addresses is the competition between mainstream media and blogs as news outlets. According to the statistics that Dave has provided, the number of blog sites included in the Top 100 Popular Sites doubled from 2006 to 2007... which means it is only going to grow. This competition of mainstream vs alternative media is one area I am a bit indifferent about. Although I believe that blogs provide us with an outlet for our opinions... I am not sure that I agree with this trend of people turning to blogs for news before they turn to the real news sites such as CNN. I truly think that this trend should be the other way around. I understand that blogs have the upper hand now because they relay information and then fact check so we receive the information faster, but how can this be okay? Why are we accepting that having something faster is better than having something accurate? I am not saying that I don't agree with blogs, but I think their use is much different than a news website.
But that might be just me. Anyone agree with me?
Anyways, we should really thank Dave Sifry for founding a website which has popularized the world of blogging, and provides us with a place to connect ourselves with web 2.0!
Check out this video to see how Dave describes blogs!

Here are some of the statistics that Dave provides us with in his blog:

• 70 million weblogs
  
• About 120,000 new weblogs each day, or...


• 1.4 new blogs every second


• 3000-7000 new splogs (fake, or spam blogs) created every day


• Peak of 11,000 splogs per day last December
  
• 1.5 million posts per day, or...


• 17 posts per second


• Growing from 35 to 75 million blogs took 320 days


• 22 blogs among the top 100 blogs among the top 100 sources linked to in Q4 2006 - up from 12 in the prior quarter
  
• Japanese the #1 blogging language at 37%
  
• English second at 33%
  
• Farsi a newcomer in the top 10 at 1%
• Tracking 230 million posts with tags or categories
  
  
• 35% of all February 2007 posts used tags


• 2.5 million blogs posted at least one tagged post in February
  

A vintage-lovers dream!

So as a student, money always seems to be on my mind, as I am sure it is on everyone else's. But the other problem is that we all love to shop, and sometimes nothing can stop us. So.. I thought I would share with everyone one of my favourite places to shop which is cheap, fun and one of a kind!!KENSINGTON MARKET. http://www.kensington-market.ca/Default.asp?id=1&l=1

It is my absolute favourite place in downtown Toronto. If you haven't heard of it, it is located off of Spadina between College and Dundas, and it consists of a few streets lined with amazing stores. It has small grocery stores, cheese and meat markets, and best of all... vintage clothing!!Now, I must warn you, if you don't have patience.. this may not be the place for you. In order to find the best finds that you may have heard someone raving about, you have to search and search well! I have found some great stuff in Kensington like vintage designer purses, vintage rock band t-shirts, and even a great pair of cowboy boots(when they were in style)! Some of my favourite stores are Bubblegum, Dancing Days http://www.dancingdays.com/ and Courage My Love. Unfortunately because these are small stores they don't all have websites which you can browse, but take my word.. they are the best! So if you are ever looking for something to do on a Saturday, go down to Kensington and enjoy the culture and shopping! You will not be disappointed!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Market

If you are a fan of this wonderful area, have you had any fabulous finds? Whats your favourite store?? Share your thoughts!!

A Friendly Reminder

Dont forget to refer to my list of favourite online shopping sites at the bottom of my page for all of the stores and brands I have been mentioning!!!

Backpack for style or comfort?

So today my day started off with my backpack zipper breaking.. meaning I had to switch to the bag I usually use during the summer, which is an over-the-shoulder bag and it is not comfortable at all. During the winter I like to change to a full back pack because it makes it easier while I am trudging through the snow. My travelling around campus today felt even harder today with the snow AND the bag I was using.. These feelings made me think about the types of backpacks I have seen around campus.. or the lack there of. Many girls for some reason do not believe in using a real backpack that goes on both shoulders. Instead, they choose over the shoulder bags which are uncomfortable and impractical.. but they seem to be fashionable. There is one bag which I have noticed alot of girls using which is made by a designer called Longchamp. These bags cost atleast $200 and are being used for school? I find that a little bit weird but I guess that's just me. I personally have purchased one from the store H&M which sells fashionable items at very low prices, and mine only cost me $20! I don't personally agree with an outrageous such as this one.. but lots of girls on campus seem to...What are your thoughts? Backpack or shoulder bag? You decide.

Sam Ronson's Famous Style

Hey everyone! So this week I have had the topic of DJ Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan on my mind.. and no its not because of their scadalous gestures.. but its because they are coming to our very lovely town of London Ontario!!! Im extremely excited as I may possibly get a siting of Lindsay and I get to listen to the amazing DJ skills of Sam. To see the details of this event happening this thursday at Mansion click on this Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=59916808367

But, this exciting event also made me think about the fashion sense of Sam Ronson as she is always photographed wearing somewhat of a man's type of outfit, such as a checkered shirt skinny jeans and a fedora (a hat). Although, this isnt a man's outfit anymore! Many stars have been seeing whering checkered plaid shirts such as Lauren Conrad from MTV's The Hills and she is not looking like a man at all in these pictures! I also mentioned Sam's favourite accessory--a fedora-- which she is usually seen wearing. I actually love the look of the fedora on girls as it gives a bit of a mysterious edgy look, and can help cover up a bad hair day!

I have found some cute cheap fedoras at stores like Forever 21 at http://www.forever21.com/ and Urban ofcourse, my favourite! These checkered shirts can also be found there!

What are your thoughts on these styles? Are they too manly for girls? Let me know!

The Perfect Shoes for Winter

So.. one of the things I have yet to discuss on my blog are SHOES, one of my favourite parts of my outfit! When the cold winter and big snow storms started to come so frequently, I realized that I would need a pair of shoes to wear out downtown that were going to keep my feet remotely warm. Well I guess not warm.. but something better than wearing open toe shoes in 10 feet of snow!!! So I have found the perfect addition to my winter wardrobe which will keep me warm and definitely stylish. BOOTS! They are all over the place in the bars!! Either ankle boots, knee high boots or something in between.. every girl is wearing a pair! I recently purchased myself a pair of just plain black leather ankle booties.. but there are some other really cute ones out there. For instance, I have fallen in love with these lace up shoes and booties! They are all over in stores like Aldo and seen on the runways of Prada. They add a bit of an edgier look to a cute outfit, with either a skirt or a pair of jeans. I have also noticed alot of knee high heeled boots on lots of girls, which make any outfit classy.

I have been browsing on this website lately looking at all of the latest trends.. Take a loook! Its great to see whats in style on the runway! Click here and you can see more pictures of these styles of shoes!!!

http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--Footwear-boot-shoe-trends-A-W-20082009-1073.html

Also, check out Urban Outfitters as well as they feature many of these boots in affordable prices!
www.urbanoutfitters.com



Enjoyyyy!

A Must-Have Hair Accessory

So.. it seems that the new hair accessory that many girls have been sporting is these cute, over-the-top type of headbands. They either have big bows on them or flowers and I must say they are very cute! I personally love them, I have a bunch that I actually found at the dollar store and at a store called Claire's which has great fashion accessories for very cheap! Although I am sure that the boys think they look a bit stupid, girls seem to be finding really cool ones and sporting them with a cute outfit. Now I must say that they do remind me of the headbands my mother used to dress me in when I was like 8 years old, but paired with a more sophisticated looking outfit they fit right in! Now I have found some really nice ones on the Urban Outfitters website, but they are like 20 dollars for one headband that I think I could make myself! So for an accessory that will probably go out of a style in a couple months, dont splurge! Look in those accessory stores that look sort of cheap but still have cute stuff. These headbands are a must have!!!

A 2-in-1 Winter Accessory!

Hey everyone! Hope you are having a great weekend.. although once again we are getting this crazy cold weather! I saw a really interesting piece of winter clothing yesterday on campus and I thought I would share it with you. I'm not quite sure what it is actually called but what it was is a winter scarf that had a hood attached to it.. so it basically serves two purposes at once! I thought I would look this new winter style up and I found it on many stores' websites such as Urban Outfitters and Gap.. they're a little bit pricey but you can think it about like you are getting one for the price of two! Take a look and let me know what you think! This particular one was taken from the Urban Outfitters website. Also, ill add these great stores' websites to list of favourite shopping sites!! Enjoy!

Update: Michelle Obama's Final Choice

As I mentioned in my previous post, there was no knowledge of Michelle Obama's final choice on which designer she chose to design her dress for the many inauguration balls that her and President Obama would be attending. So, I eagerly went onto the Internet this morning to see the pictures of the beautiful dress she chose. To many people's surprise, Michelle once again chose an unknown designer. Jason Wu, a 26 year old designer, designed a beautiful white chiffon, one shoulder gown with fluffy appliques and beading covering it. Lucky for him, this dress is going to go down in history! Michelle also chose to accessorize the dress with shoulder sweeping earrings which definitely complimented the dress as they picked up the gown's glorious sparkle. And I guess it would be important to include President Obama's choice of attire, which was a white bow tie with a single-vent, notch-collar tuxedo and an American flag pinned to its lapel, of course. They both looked stunning, but I think everyone's eyes were set on Michelle.

What do you think of Michelle Obama's choice?? Please share your thoughts!!

Michelle Obama's Fashionable Entrance

Hi everyone! As everyone (hopefully) knows, today was a day that went down in history. Today was the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States of America, Barak Obama. Of course Barak's speech was what everyone around the world was looking out for during the ceremony, but all of the fashionistas were focused on what Michelle Obama was wearing on this very special day. As many know, a big deal was made of which designer Michelle would appoint to design her outfits for the swearing in of her husband and the many inauguration balls that she would attend this evening. She probably had all of the top designers knocking at her door with brilliant sketches of beautiful dresses. Now, at this point we still do not have any confirmation on what she chose to wear to the evening balls, but we did get to see what she chose to wear to the ceremony. As everyone who watched the inauguration saw, Michelle decided on a dress and a matching coat which was designed by Isabel Toledo, a Cuban-American designer. The dress and matching coat were made of a combination of fabrics—lace over wool, both of a slightly shiny, pale green-gold hue known as lemongrass. This colour was said to symbolize the colour of hope. The designer incorporated a pashmina lining and handquilted cotton into the construction of the dress for warmth, since Michelle Obama would be wearing the outfit outside during the swearing-in and inaugural parade. Michelle made sure to pair her ensemble with green patent-leather Jimmy Choo heels that were custom-ordered for her. Wow must be nice being the first lady! Such a simple act of wearing this outfit made this designer known worldwide!!! As well, found on one website was a picture of a bunch of models who modeled some designer's dresses for Michelle.. so take a look and see which you like the best!!!

Apparently BENNIFER is a news alert in Fox's eyes---Video Response on Outfoxed

Good afternoon students!! Although this is a bit off the topic of fashion, I am required to comment on a video watched in class called Outfoxed. Outfoxed, specifically referring to Fox news discusses the problems faced with controlled media ownership and how imbalanced and biased the information we receive through news channels are. Through many examples, the video proves to us how problematic it can be to have one person in charge of a media conglomerate, as it will infringe on freedom of the press. Now onto my personal thoughts on all of this. Throughout my three years in MIT, all we constantly learn is DONT TRUST THE MEDIA... specifically the news of course. And this video proves just that. It becomes extremely clear how much the idea of a news channel has changed, slowly diminishing the idea of democracy. The authorities tell them what to say, how to say it and what not to say and if they ignore this, then they might as well kiss their jobs goodbye. As one interviewee says in the video, "Fox is not a newsgathering association, it is a proponent of a point of view", meaning we are simply being shown one side of every argument. It seems to me, and the makers of this video, how ironic it is that Fox seems to be very adamant on advertising a view that’s FAIR AND BALANCED, which makes them look extremely stupid. The viewer learns how conservative every action they perform is, subtly discrediting the liberals. It is actually quite humorous how they try to support this 'fair and balanced' view by bringing in faux-liberals, who appear to represent the other side but always seem to end up agreeing with the conservative voice. They are purposely bringing in weak individuals to represent the "other", unknown to the public and simply useless. Oh, and my favourite part of the video would have to be when they explained what types of stories seem to be considered a 'Fox News Alert'. For example, BENNIFER??? That must be some sort of joke. This is clear sensationalism, and most likely the reason why all our society seems to care about are the lives of celebrities. The news is dumbing us down, when really it is supposed to be educating us!! Unfortunately, there isn’t really much we can do about this lack of freedom in the press unless we plan on becoming the CEO of Fox News… which I don’t think will be changing any time soon. Therefore, we just have to take in the news with an extremely critical eye, and not believe everything we see as it has come to a time when nothing is unbiased anymore. Sometimes it may even be necessary to do some more research on a topic, to fully be educated on the topic. If you want to view this video to see for yourself, click on this link:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737097743434902428
Enjoy!!

A great store for a last minute outfit..

Hey everyone! Hope you are all keeping warm in this crazy -30 degree weather! Speaking of keeping warm, I'm sure many of us went downtown this weekend, relying on the alcohol to keep us warm! But of course, I'm sure many of us got dressed ignoring the fact that it was so cold outside, because we just want to make sure we dress to impress. On Thursday and Friday, I attend Mansion and 29 Park with my friends. Going out in London is always fun, especially seeing what everyone else is wearing! There are some styles I noticed this weekend which seem to be spreading throughout London. As I'm sure everyone knows, having the store American Apparel just a few blocks away is amazing but dangerous. Personally, whenever I find I have nothing to wear out to the bar that night, I'll walk over there as its always successful. If you take a look around the store, you'll recognize all of the essential pieces that are always integrated into every girl's outfit. Some of my favourite ones are their colourful body suits, their different styles skirts, and of course, their array of coloured tights (an essential at this time of year). All of their clothing is pretty simple, and bit pricey for being so simple, but definitely worth it as everything can be worn again with a million different outfits. Another plus to American Apparel is that it is sweatshop-free, a perk that makes everyone feel better. One of the styles that I have noticed around downtown has been pairing the body suits with a pair of jeans or with a skirt, maybe even adding a pair of their opaque tights to the outfit. The only problem about having this store just around the corner, is that we unfortunately all show up in the same outfit, maybe just in different colours! Men also enjoy AA, specifically those who sport more of an artsy, hipster look. I have noticed some guys sporting their v-neck tees and zip-up hooded sweatshirts, which also come in many different colours. If you for some crazy reason have never heard of American Apparel, I have added it to my list of favourite online shopping sites, as it is very fun to browse! In my next post, I will add some pictures of the different items I have mentioned. Also, make sure to check out the other sites I have listed, as they also feature lots of different brands to look at!!! Hope you enjoy.. Oh and if you have any items that you specifically love at AA, comment!!

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Winter Wear

Hi UWO students! This is my first blog on The Fashion Scene at UWO blog and it happends to be one of the coldest days of the year so far. So it would be appropriate to discuss the winter wear that all students seem to be sporting when trudging through the snow trying to get to class on time. Firstly, while walking through the slush and snow it is important to be sporting winter boots that are actually keeping your feet dry. The most popular boot of choice seems to be either the famous UGG boot or Sorels. Both brand of boots are known to be super-warm and stylish at the same time. Although some do look a bit like a snowboarding boot, they seem to have become the fashion trend for girls all over campus. But for men, the trend does not really seem to be as obvious. Some men do seem to be choosing the UGG boots styled for men, or the worker-type styled boots made by Timberland. Although they do resemble boots a construction worker would wear, they seem to be better than nothing. Now onto the jacket of choice.. It seems to me that there are two extremely, and might I add expensive, popular brands of choice. The first is North Face, which is a brand that seems to come in many different styles for men and women, and is known to be down-filled, making them as warm as possible. The second brand that I have seen all over campus is the Canada Goose jackets which are unisex, and down-filled as well. Although these are both necessities to our winter wardrobe, they are each approximately $300 dollars, which won't fit everyone's budget! The final necessity to one's daily winter wear are ofcourse, the accessories. Although we all love acessories to spice up our outfit, in -30 weather, they are also necessary! Around campus I have noticed many girls wearing different coloured knit berrets, or more baggy styled touques. Men seem to wearing very simply touques that are just black and classic, simply being functional to keep their ears warm. Lastly, scarves seem to be another essential, found in all different colours and patterns, keeping everyone warm. In the next post I have added some pictures of the different products I discussed above, hope you all enjoy!! Keep warm!!