New tumblr

I’ve started a tumblr at the demand of some of my friends. I have been updating it pretty consistently.

The address is http://ispycandy.tumblr.com or the forwarded URL address is http://www.ispycandy.com.

See you guys there!

Race, Gender, and Opposition

J441 Prompt: Over the past few weeks there has been much discussion regarding the opposition to health care reform and President Obama’s race.  If Hillary Clinton were president, do you feel her gender would have an effect on support or opposition of health care reform?

Response: Yes, there has been much discussion regarding the opposition to Obama’s health care reform plan. I actually came across an article about a Facebook poll that asked if President Obama should be assassinated. It was shutdown and the Secret Service has begun investigation, and while there’s no evidence that the poll was in relation to the health care reform plan, the timing seems to elude that the two may be correlated. In any case, I would say political activism is at an all time high, especially considering that President Obama has been in office for about nine months. I don’t think I remember people having so much to say about Bush a year into his presidency. Being the first African-American president is a large source of this activism, I’m sure, but I also feel like it’s the extent to which Obama is liberal that is stirring up some controversy. Now if Hillary Clinton were to be serving in place of Obama, I honestly don’t think there would be much contrast between the two regardless of their differences in race and gender. While her being Caucasian is a common thread between her and the former 43 presidents, her being female is the new discrepancy and similarly while Obama being male is his common thread, his race is the new factor. Treating both gender and race as equal, but different factors, the equation leads to the same answer. However, to consider and weigh gender and race different values, could mean a completely different outcome. I find myself in the middle. I am not naive enough to equate both gender and race as equal, but at the same time, I don’t think they are light-years apart in the weight they hold. In the particular case of health care reform, I think more than the physical qualities of the proposer (Obama or H. Clinton), the implications of the actual reform plan is what has the public so heated up. I can imagine a similar reaction from the public if the proposer were any other former president. In the end, the people who care about the race or gender of the proposer and base their decisions solely or even heavily on those physical attributes, are insignificant in number and/or the political power they hold (under the assumption that they are not very well politically aware or knowledgeable). In short, no, I do not think that there would be a significant effect on the support or opposition towards health care reform if H. Clinton were to be president.

An update on my life…and future blog aspirations

Hi everyone..!

I am back! For real this time. I will be a lot more active this year than last year, I promise! I am hoping to brand the name of “ispycandy” with having a domain (www.ispycandy.com), an ispycandy YouTube account, an ispycandy Twitter account, and maybe even a Facebook page. I have already created the former three, so feel free to anticipate a ton of activity from me..! At the same time, I will try to maintain my own branding of Chloe Park (www.chloe-park.com) with my personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.

To give a quick recap of my life in the past six months…I have kept pretty busy. I finished up my spring semester at school in the midst of going crazy trying to figure out what I would be doing during the summer. An internship, I had anticipated, but where? Well, I applied to many out in the west, particularly the greater Phoenix area, and got a few offers at small design and ad firms. Just when I was about to seal the deal with one of them, I got an unexpected call from Condé Nast Publications in New York, asking if I would be interested in being part of their summer internship program. My response? “..uh..yes?!” That was in March and the interview process began. What was so interesting about this entire situation was that I hadn’t applied to this year’s program. Condé Nast has a program application process setup on their careers site. I applied for the summer of 2008, when I first found out about it. After not hearing from them, I hadn’t bothered to apply again this year, but I suppose they had my application on file for this summer’s applicant pool. In any case, what a surprise..! I remember reading on Ed2010 how insane the program selectivity was and how the chance of getting selected to intern was slimmer than getting accepted to an Ivy League (another similar post). So, I didn’t really have my hopes up as I braced myself for a really tough interview. I was actually in Phoenix visiting at the time I got the call for an interview request. The HR lady I spoke with asked to set up an interview time either in-person or over the phone. I kind of laughed aloud at the thought of flying out all the way to NYC for a short internship interview and asked for a phone one. I guess I was wrong to laugh, as I later found out that people flew out from all over the place (Miami, Ireland, etc.) just to conduct this 30-minute (maybe an hour, at most) interview. Anyways, long story short, I interviewed a few days later and was overnighted a copy of last year’s [n]tern, the Condé Nast intern magazine. Weeks later, I was offered the title of Creative Director of [n]tern 2009 and Corporate Art intern. Probably sounds a lot fancier than it was. I’ll probably write a more detailed post about my internship (with photos, hopefully, assuming that a lot of people are interested in the world of CN behind closed doors). So I packed up my car and drove the five hours to NYC (from my home in NOVA) and nine weeks later, I had produced my first-ever magazine. Don’t know how that really happened, but I do know it was an intense, intense nine weeks. So I was moved back home in early August, packed up again and drove another five hours down to school, moved in, flew out to Los Angeles for a few days to vacation before classes started, flew back to RDU and started school last last Tuesday. Now I am sitting in the multimedia lab waiting for my 1 p.m. class to start. I have a quiz at 3:30 that I have completely neglected to study for and instead am writing this right now…er…we’ll see how that goes.

Anyways, if you haven’t already noticed, I am quite interested in many things in life, so hopefully this blog will (continue to) be a reflection of that. I usually am pretty good to being up-to-date with the latest technology gadgets, beauty products, media news, and etc. It’s just a matter of trying to keep this blog up to speed with what my mind is thinking..! It won’t be easy as I am taking 18 credits this semester, working as a part-time graphic designer, serving as an officer for a club and participating in others, but sometimes being busy propels more activity…and other times it just leads to exhaustion (I’m praying for the former). This is my last year in school (assuming I can graduate on time), so I feel extra motivated to try my best at all I do. Wish me luck and be out on the look for more exciting posts coming soon! Cheers!

-ispycandy

My new website!

Hi all,

So I know it’s been a while, (over a year actually!) since my last post in 2008 (yikes…). Well I’ve been keeping busy and last week my goals was a website. So here it is: www.chloe-park.com. The site is made entirely of Flash (as of now). It’s really a place to put up my portfolio and resume and such, so nothing too wordy or interesting persay, but feel free to check out the portfolio section (newspaper, magazine, and photography) and leave comments here..! I had a even more minimalist design than what the site looks like now, but I got some feedback saying it should be more user-friendly to navigate. Comments, criticism, suggestions welcome! Until next year, ciao!

(JK, of course! (knock on wood))

It’s official. My new 2008 Honda Civic in….

Nighthawk Black Pearl (aka black with oh-so-pretty sparkles).

It wasn’t an easy decision by far. I was seriously a chicken with it’s head cut off at the car dealer. Going back and forth between silver, black, and white. The silver looked pretty, but I felt it was too pedestrian, especially for the Civic (based on my street observations it is by far the most common Civic color–along with Galaxy Gray). White was nice too..but I think I’m reserving that color for when (and if) I get a larger, more luxurious vehicle.

So yes, now it has been…a month and a half with my new black Civic (I started this post approximately that much time ago…apologies for any awkward-continuation-moments). In this time much has happened. I not only bought a new car, but I shipped it cross-country from Northern Virginia to Phoenix, Arizona and flew over to greet it. Then I began working right away at my new gig–a design internship with The Arizona Republic (Wiki) (some pages I’ve done so far have been posted in my portfolio).All this was in early January, when it was…eh..about 55 degrees out here (13 degrees back home–and a snow storm). Now it’s already almost V-day (and supposed to be in the 70s by the weekend) and the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday have passed..barely. Yesterday, for Super Tuesday, practically the whole newsroom stayed past 12:30 (a.m., of course) for primary coverage and it was….well…planned chaos.

Anyways, back to car stuff. One thing I have to say that is nice about silver is that it’s a very safe color–not only in terms of the whole pedestrian thing, but also in terms of surface scratches. Let’s just say everything shows up on black–I mean everything–and I’m sure it’s a similar thing for white. Silver on the other hand can get a bit more dirty, a bit more scratched and it will still look…nice. I’ve had some pretty bad “gasp” moments while washing my car (aka “WTF did that come from?”). Too many in fact, it’s quite depressing. So I’ve been trying to take really good care of Chanel (my car’s lovely name).Here’s a list of some things I’ve treated her to…

1. Cilajet Paint Sealant (done at dealer–Fairfax Honda): I swear my car felt like silk after this was put on.

2. Got some floor mats (only because I couldn’t stop cringing whenever someone with dirty shoes stepped in). Rubber Queen 70506 4-Piece Vinyl Floor Mats (Clear) from Amazon, which are clear, but with a slight bluish/purplish tint which actually goes really well with the Civic’s blue dashboard lighting.

3. Bi-weekly hand car washes using the Meguiar’s Gold Class Wash & Wax Kit ordered on Amazon. With drying done using The Original California Jelly Blade also from Amazon (really really speeds up the drying process). And buffing wax/spot drying/interior cleaning with the Meguiar’s X2020 Supreme Shine Microfiber – Pack of 3 and yes, Amazon.

4. 3M Window tinting done at A Better Tint (out here in Arizona). The sun’s temperature (aka 90% vanity) was getting to me and everyone (seriousl, everyone) has their windows tinted out here. It’s practically a dealer default, so naturally, I had to get them done–to Virginia standards though (lighter–boo hoo).

5. A retractable auxilary cable for my iPod and iPhone: Scosche IU3.5RC 2.5 Inch Plug Cable to 3.5mm Plug Cable – retractable from you-know-where and of course a jack adapter for my iPhone. Also a car charger for iPhone (or any iPod).

6. Various air fresheners and a car compass (necessary out here..really..!) with a suction cup that I’ve attached to my windshield.

I’m hoping that I haven’t spoiled her….(too late?) but it’s been fun (and not so cheap). I’m holding off purchasing a surface scratch remover (the couple I know exist are killing me). Any recommendations?

BONUS: some random interior shots during the first week or two back in VA (all taken with my iPhone–notice the clarity during day and the lack of at night). P.S. I am living off my the Google Maps app on my iPhone out here. It’s the only way I’m getting around..! Gotta love it and the new GPS-like feature (if you haven’t already go download the free update! (should be able to get through iTunes).

The Best Car Colors? A dilemma for the ‘08 Honda Civic!

I know I haven’t posted in…two weeks, but for good reason..! Two words: finals and car shopping. Okay so three, but I’m happy to announce that I have wrapped up all the final-mambo-jambo (woot) and am back home, only to take on the stressful task of buying a new car. As much as I am excited about owning my first car, I have to admit I am terrified of car dealerships and the dealers. So much so that I was trying to convince my parents that I should be a used car from a private owner/individual. But my dad was adamant about having a one-owner VIN report and was concerned about resale value from a used car, so low and behold I will be off to the dealership as soon as today or tomorrow. (YIKES!) I’m considering posting a blog about what I’ve learned from the car-buying process and some advice, that is, depending on how my own deal goes…. :X

Before I go though, I have been having the worst dilemma over what color car I should buy. It’s between the classic (and perhaps boring) black, white, and silver. My parents have a white and silver car already, so I was leaning towards black, but I noticed how beautiful the white and silver looked at night, whereas black was practically invisible (with the exception of the red brake and rear lights). I’ve done some quick research on the statistics of car colors and here is what Cars.com published from DuPont Automotive in their its Color Popularity Report, a study analyzing and predicting color trends by model type and world region. In 2007, white was the most popular color in North America, making up 19 percent of all vehicles. Silver, black, red and gray rounded out the top five. Then the report broke down the statistics by car type and for full-size and midsize cars, the most popular car was silver at 21%, followed by a tie between blue and white at 14%, which was followed by another tie between black and red at a close 13%.

Something I’ve noticed is the color really depends on the car model too. Like if I was getting a BMW, I know without a doubt I would get silver, but the reality is I’m getting a 2008 Honda Civic Sedan. Ever since I decided what car I (realistically) wanted, my eyes have been glued to every 2006+ Civic (7th generation) I’ve seen on the road (safety hazard I know), but I’ve noticed the white and silver make the Civic look a bit larger than the slimming black, which is logical. The thing is, the Civic is not a huge sedan, it’s midsize, maybe even slightly compact, where looking larger is not a bad thing. So I was leaning toward white and silver, but then black can be a very sexy color. Anyways, I have been changing my decision every other hour (not good), so I was hoping a blog entry would put my thoughts onto “paper” and perhaps some people would share their opinion (wink, wink). For reference, the interior will be gray for black and silver and I have the option of gray or beige for the white.

So tell me, which color should I get?

Black:

White:

(Keep in mind the white background)

Couldn’t find a shot of the sedan. Not a fair comparison, I know. Sorry!

Silver:

(Looks more gray than it actually is)

 *bonus: Interior shot (I’m digging the illuminated two-tier instrument panel)

Just bought the Apple iPhone, photos!

I just bought the Apple iPhone (Time Magazine’s Invention of the Year) the other day and have been to busy playing around with it to do much of anything. It can be very distracting…to say the least. It definitely keeps me connected, perhaps too much. I’m notified of each new piece of mail with vibrates and of course I can’t resist seeing who sent me what and I’m off again, into iPhone land…

I was already an AT&T(orig. Cingular) customer, so I thought the transition would be easy, but it was easier. I literally took the iPhone out of the box and connected it to my computer and voila! my old phone was deactivated and the iPhone in place and already syncing my photos, videos, and music–I had my old number and everything was good to go.

One thing I’ve noticed after two and a half days of use is that the way the iPhone responds to finger motion is revolutionary. The whole pinching in to zoom in and tapping (or pinching out) to zoom out, adjusting the amount of pressing pressure to click on links in Safari or magnify text is amazing. As one person put it, it simply does what you want it too. It doesn’t get much better than that.

It cost me $399 (iPhone) + $69 (warranty) + $25 (tax) = about $500.

After some extensive research, I ordered a nice case for the iPhone from cozip off of Amazon ($10 + 7 S&H). It happens to be the number one selling case there and for good reason. It’s sleek and made out of polycarbonate, meaning it’s a hard, but somewhat flexible (but don’t do gymnastics with it). It comes in the most popular black, silver (the same color as the original back), white, pink, and a deep red/crimson (which I bought). The case is very fitted and easily snaps on without creating scratches (as the Agent 18 case does, according to reviews). I don’t know how protective it is to impact (and hopefully I won’t be “testing” this out anytime soon), but at the same time I’m willing to sacrifice some protection for less bulk. What’s the point of having a beautiful device if it’s going to be wrapped within a cm or more of rubber (with lint all over it >:( )? That being said, I’ve got be careful…(knocks on wood).

I also bought the Crystal film from the Apple store for $15. It was very easy application, and keeps me from worrying about scratching the phone’s beautiful 3.5-inch screen. I contemplated between the Power Support crystal film (sold at the Apple store) and the InvisibleShield film, but I’m glad I went with the Crystal Film. I used InvisibleShield for my iPod mini and previous cell phone, and while it is very strong as advertised, I felt like it attracted too much dirt and lint on its edges (on the adhesive). Once again, willing to sacrifice some of the film strength (not too much sacrifice in this case) for the beauty of the phone.

Well, I took the liberty of taking a gazillion photos of the beautiful device. Here’s just a “few.”

NY Times: In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession

Just read (well, read a few days ago) about the first Internet addiction boot camp in Korea. Pretty crazy, but not unrealistic.

Researchers say an overwhelming majority of compulsive computer users are male. At Jump Up, campers are denied computer use and are limited to one hour of cellphone calls a day. Here, campers listen to instructions on how to get through the high-wire course.

November 18, 2007

In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession

By MARTIN FACKLER

MOKCHEON, South Korea — The compound — part boot camp, part rehab center — resembles programs around the world for troubled youths. Drill instructors drive young men through military-style obstacle courses, counselors lead group sessions, and there are even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming.

But these young people are not battling alcohol or drugs. Rather, they have severe cases of what many in this country believe is a new and potentially deadly addiction: cyberspace.

They come here, to the Jump Up Internet Rescue School, the first camp of its kind in South Korea and possibly the world, to be cured.

South Korea boasts of being the most wired nation on earth. In fact, perhaps no other country has so fully embraced the Internet. Ninety percent of homes connect to cheap, high-speed broadband, online gaming is a professional sport, and social life for the young revolves around the “PC bang,” dim Internet parlors that sit on practically every street corner.

But such ready access to the Web has come at a price as legions of obsessed users find that they cannot tear themselves away from their computer screens.

Compulsive Internet use has been identified as a mental health issue in other countries, including the United States. However, it may be a particularly acute problem in South Korea because of the country’s nearly universal Internet access.

It has become a national issue here in recent years, as users started dropping dead from exhaustion after playing online games for days on end. A growing number of students have skipped school to stay online, shockingly self-destructive behavior in this intensely competitive society.

Up to 30 percent of South Koreans under 18, or about 2.4 million people, are at risk of Internet addiction, said Ahn Dong-hyun, a child psychiatrist at Hanyang University in Seoul who just completed a three-year government-financed survey of the problem.

The ad agency behind the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, Ogilvy & Mather Toronto

I’m sure most of you have seen the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty commercials on TV or online. Let me introduce the main main behind these innovative ads. His name is Tim Piper and he is an associate creative director of Ogilvy & Mather Toronto, one of the largest ad agencies in the world. I remember seeing some of his videos he uploaded onto his YouTube account and as an interested fan, I sent him a message seeking creative advice, not really expecting a response. Much to my surprise, he responded almost immediately. He wrote:

Thanks,
Buy a book called ‘Pick Me’ How to get in advertising and stay there.
By Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk.
That will tell you everything you need to know. It’s a must.
Good luck,
Tim.

Right away, I ordered the book off of Amazon and it’s been helpful indeed. Janet and Nancy have a website that’s a great free resource: www.ihaveanidea.org and even their book for free viewing online. Particularly famous is their “Ask Jancy” column. There’s also a recent interview with ‘Jancy’ posted about the Dove campaign.

For those of you who haven’t seem the commerials yet or need a refresher, here they are:

dove evolution

dove onslaught

Richard May, unique illustrator

I recently stumbled upon Richard May, who produces illustrations that are a mixture of the fine arts and computer graphics. His work is interesting and unique.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview with Apple

With an impressive roster of high-profile clients — ranging from The Guardian newspaper and Timemagazine to Peugeot and Waterstones — and artistic collaborations with bands such as Echobelly and Therapy? under his belt, 27-year-old Richard May is spearheading a new generation of British mixed media illustrators.

May’s work is highly distinctive, with its fluidity and exciting textures, layered with sketches and graphics. But in creative circles, May is equally well-known as one of the three founding members of Pixelsurgeon— a Web portal for the creative community providing news, reviews and interviews with designers, musicians, filmmakers and artists, as well as competitions and online exhibitions of artwork from all over the world. The site is a “labour of love” that brings in more than 8,000 unique visitors each day, and prides itself — in May’s words — in “bending over for nobody in exchange for advertising”, and that means editorial integrity, which translates into respect.

Looking at the complexity and variety of May’s creative activities, it may seem surprising that his studio consists of a relatively simple technical set up: two Power Macs, a scanner and an Epson A3 colour printer. He also has a big cutting board and pasteboard, with paints and scalpels, and photography equipment (a manual Pentax and a few Polaroid cameras), which he describes as his “production line”.

This eclectic approach to his work is certainly influenced by the fact that May comes from a fine art, rather than a technical, background (“apart from computer games”, he chuckles).

Some of his work: