Blog 4: Magazine Proposal!

Name: THE USED AUTO

Concept: THE USED AUTO provides the only high-quality magazine experience for the Used-car enthusiast.  Due to high new-car prices and economic woes, the demand for used cars is at its peak and will likely stay that way for the foreseeable future.  THE USED AUTO will contain used-car reviews, brand highlights and lowlights, buyer's guides and repair/trouble-shooting sections, as well as regional classified ads.  It's fun, functional, and fills an unoccupied segment of the market, just like the ideal used car.

Features are in the Top Gear mold, pitting writers/editors for the magazine to buy used cars based on brand or other criteria and go on long road trips and complete challenges to find pros/cons about their automobiles and general hijinx.  

Readers:  Ages 18-55, mostly male.  Low-to-Middle incomes, disposable income, but necessarily enough for a brand new automobile.  Young buyers looking for advice/insight/reviews on used cars.    Feature articles will appeal to fans of other car magazines and car television shows such as Top Gear.

High-school and College students/graduates, Middle-income bachelors or parents looking for affordable/safe/fun/practical transportation for their children/family.

The enthusiast car owner who enjoys working on their own cars.  They keep good maintenance on their vehicles.  Might be looking for their first or next project car to restore.  Might occasionally go to or watch races, might even race themselves!

Competition: No direct competition!  Car & Driver, Road & Track, Automobile all highlight/review new cars, with short "long-terms" reviews (usually lasting a year or less).  Other magazines like Lowrider and Modified focus on very specific types of automobile modifications.  AutoTrader and similar trades are contain only classified/dealer advertisments.

Five Advertisers: Fram air and oil filters, Tire/Wheel companies/distributors such as Hankook, Firestone, Michelin, etc.  Motor oil brands such as Valvoline, Castrol GTX, etc.  Parts warehouses/specialists.  Auto Insurance companies.

Five Articles in an Issue: 
"Used Auto Adventure" - one in every issue, a long feature story containing challenges involving used cars meeting certain criteria such as age, price, size, brand, etc.
"What to look for..." - each issue will contain a buyer's/mechanic's guide to common issues with a certain brand's vehicles.
"Famous, Fair, Fail" - a comprehensive review of a brand's history, including mini-reviews of which models are/will be "Famous" (classics, future classics), "Fair" (mediocre design, perhaps reliable if unremarkable), or "Fail" (avoid completely).
"New or Used" - a race between two comparable models but one car is older and used, the other is new off the lot.
"Editor's columns" - Editors will write monthly columns regarding topics of their choosing.

Cover: The very top of the magazine is wrapped in checkered Black/White to evoke the racing checkered flag.  "THE USED AUTO" flag is Euro-influenced, simple, clean, easy to read and it's large, pink-red font will stand out.  The simplicity of the flag allows for easy/creative changes and possibilities for future covers.

The cover utilizes SAAB colors (Red, white, blue) an attractive, bright, dynamic photo of a used SAAB 9-3 Viggen, positioned left-to-right and positively angled up, aligning with western reading direction.  The font also follows western reading conventions.

Large red font provides good contrast and eye-grabbing.  The large "3" is attention-grabbing, and the repetition of it's use in the corners is both attractive and effective.

Underneath the main article promotion is the forward promotion of another article featuring a SAAB sports model.  The title of the article is a pun. "$7000 BMW Beater" is an effective, attention-grabbing tagline that should entice anyone even remotely knowledgeable of cars.

Chapter 3: Books

Books that have had the largest impact on me:

Brave New World
By Aldous Huxley

Brave New World is probably the most prophetic novels I've ever read. The book, published in 1931, predicted many things about the modern world that have come to fruition, including the state of modern advertising and slogans. It's also a sci-fi adventure which I love.  It's been a while since I last read it, but I remember enjoying it more than just about any other book I've ever read.  


A Clockwork Orange
By Anthony Burgess

Another future-fi story.  I am absolutely in love with both the book and the Stanley Kubrick film based on it. The use of invented words and slang in place of modern-english is beautiful, and also trusting of the intelligence of the book's readers (in that the book takes no extra effort to teach the reader the language, letting you find out what things mean for yourself).  The story is a fascinating and thrilling exploration of societal expectations, government-sponsored control, fear, joy, hypocrisy, and rebelliousness.  

I believe that the book (1962) and the film (1971) are both some of the earliest example of what I would consider the Punk Movement that grew in the seventies on through today.  

Go, Dog, Go!
By P.D. Eastman

This is undoubtedly the first book I remember LOVING.  I begged my parents to read it to me many, many, many times when I was a kid.  This is probably the single most influential book of my life.  I LOVE cars, I LOVE dogs, I LOVE the color red (featured prominently in the book).  My kids will have this book.

McLuhan's Technological Determinism

MEDIUM: Smartphones as Entertainment boxes.

Enhances: Boredom at any given moment.

Reverse: Disconnects user from face-to-face social interactions.

Obsolece: Gameboy, iPod, mobile-DVD players.

Retrieve: Stick, pen-and-paper as everyday accessory.

Media Autobiography.

I started young with Barney, Power Rangers, Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In elementary school through high school I experimented with home moviemaking.  Usually comedies, a horror short, a hidden camera surreality sketch show, and SNL-style fake product commercials.

I've worked in a foreign-language television studio for a local Vietnamese channel.

I was an on-air host and Production Group member at KRFH.net, Radio Free Humboldt for two years under the DJ-name "The Chief".

My second year I was appointed Co-Chief of Production with my good friend Peter Sheppard.  Together we changed the paradigm and attitudes towards production at the radio station.  We got an honorary "Spirit Award" for our College Radio Day programming that year from Radioflag.com, who we've continued to work closely with.  Our quality efforts in Production were also specifically cited when Radioflag named KRFH.net their 2012 Station of the Year. Radioflag 2012 Station of the Year

I also did the sound recording and final sound-mix for the short film "Sweet Dreams", made for the 2012 San Jose 48-hour Film Festival (Where filmmakers have 48-hours to go from prompt to completed project in 48 hours.)

I am transferring to San Jose State for the Journalism-Advertising Degree.  I would like to continue working in Radio/TV/Film, or as a voice actor.  I also enjoy design, graphic design, and branding.

I watch shows on Netflix, and currently on broadcast television: Workaholics, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Breaking Bad, WWE programming, Nathan For You, Top Gear (UK and US).

I read the Wall Street Journal most days of the week and the San Jose Mercury occasionally.

It must be summer.

It must be summer. I think I wouldn't be here otherwise. I mean, I haven't even come close to posting on this blog in over 2 years.

I mean, it being late night, and me being stoned probably are factors.
But really, it's because of summer.

Specifically the freedom it's brought to me. I'm not taking summer classes, so, it's a classic K-12 summer vacation in that sense. Currently my days are completely open. Of course I've spent that time mostly lurking the internet, checking and checking, endlessly refreshing the same pages over and over again. I guess I could call it "Reddit Syndrome", but that gives reddit far too much credit; it's really just "Internet Exists Syndrome".

Reddit of course, despite my criticisms and shame of visiting the site, has firmly embedded itself in my day's rotation of websites. But I suppose reddit is a topic for another day, if I decide to continue writing that is.

I don't know. I feel like forcing myself to write will be good for me. So, I suppose this is an experimental post.

Let's hope I've got enough to write on.

Off the top of my head: music, movies, radio, reddit... That's probably enough to get started here.

HIPSTER SIGNATURE



//chris

On Swine Flu: Part 2

A strange woman came up to me in Safeway today. I was standing in front of the cold meat section, trying to choose one for my week's sandwiches. She came up from behind, touched my shoulder and said: "Don't buy any of them pork products. It'll give you that pork flu."

I wanted to say that I was much more at risk of getting sick from her touching my shoulder, than by eating pork. But, in the interests of keeping the conversation as short as possible, I replied "Yeah," and walked away.

I bought sliced roast beef.

Teavana: An Experience

(I wrote this about a year ago.)

I'd like to begin this note by saying I enjoy tea very much. A well brewed tea has often been my companion on many-a-late-night, last-minute Essay write-up for class. I also love coffee, but it is tea that has soothed, propped-up, and enlightened my mind in my most trying times, not coffee.

Earlier this night, April 18, 2008, I was feeling restless in my room, doing mostly nothing, when I decided to visit a Teavana for the first time.

I had heard many good things from friends of mine about the purveyor of teas, but as-to-yet had not felt the urge to visit such an establishment. Tonight, I felt a need for a hot drink, to prepare me for a long night of reading for my ContempLit and Philosophy class. I made the decision to go with tea instead of coffee, although there was a Borders Book Store that served Seattle's Best coffee (their "Henry's Blend" is my absolute favorite coffee ever) in the same area as the Teavana.

The first thing I noticed about the Teavana was the brightliness (copyright Chris Phillips) of the branch. It was very well lit, and it's shelves were stocked with tea and tea accessories (thank you Hank Hill). The second thing I noticed were the two free sample thermoses set up just outside the door.

I immediately headed for the samples. I would tell you what teas they were, but their names were so ridiculous and arbitrary that my mind simply refused to memorize something so innane. However, I do remember that the first tea was very much overly sweet. I cannot stand things that are overly sweet, especially things that really ought not to be (and weren't meant to be) in any semblance, too sweet, such as beverages like tea and coffee. I can't stand Frappuccinos (another ridiculous and arbitrary beverage designation that I only remember, because I have to-so I never order it again), because they are far too sweet.

As I (regretfully) down the first tea from it's little plastic sample cup, a very cute Asian girl about my age, an employee of Teavana, greets me and asks me if it's my first trip to Teavana. I truthfully reply, and she proceeds to be very friendly, and pours me a sample cup of the second free tea.

Now, before I go on, I must say this: the employees of Teavana are friendly, the same type of friendly as car dealerships and their salesmen.

I liked the second tea, but I thought it'd be much better had it not been sweetened to the extent that it was. Cuteasiangirl led me through the small store, continuing to pour me samples of several other teas (I must say, I did enjoy being able to try 7 teas before purchasing anything). Most of the teas continued the sugary trend, the last two were so light, they tasted like warm water. Or like chicken, I guess with anything bland and pointless, you're supposed to say that it tastes like chicken.

I finshed sampling, and said that I enjoyed the second tea the most. I asked her how much it would be to get a cup of that (the fourth thing I noticed, after Cuteasiangirl, was the lack of prices and cup sizes for the drinks, something completely annoying and opposite of convenient). She checked the check-out computer, and said that it would be $2.50 for a cup 'this big'. Yes. She held her hands to show me the size of the cup. I thought Starbucks was annoying for their 'Grande' and 'Venti' insistences for cup sizes. At least 'Grande' and 'Venti' can be translated into 'Medium' and 'Large' for one's own reference. Teavana however, doesn't even have a menu! Let alone one that gives you options for cup sizes and prices. Instead you have a snake-oil salesman-I mean, Teavana Tea Associates positioning their hands horizontally at a distance.

Judging from the space between her hands, I guessed that the cup would be about the equivalent to a 'Venti' at Starbucks, or a 'Large' at Seattle's Best. I ordered the variable cup of that second tea. I specifically requested there to be a minimum amount of sugar in the tea (Cuteasiangirl insisted that it was better with sugar, so I had to relent from my original position of 'no sugar').

It took about 10 minutes to get the tea, during which I observed how Teavana was run. At the time, there were about 3 other salesladies doing their corporate duty. They walked their chosen fools in and around the store, selling them tea, teapots, teacups, and tea measuring spoons, all overpriced, and mostly unneccessary. I finally received the drink (I was hoping, like most coffeeshops, to get in, get the drink, and get out, in under 3 minutes, but this was not to be, of course with tea, this expectation is likely undeserved. Nonetheless, it took a long time).

Cuteasiangirl took me to the cashier computer. She tapped in the drink, but the price kept coming out to $3.99, a far cry from the $2.50 she told me earlier. She asked a veteran saleslady for help. The two talked to each other about the price, but I could not make out the details of the short conversation. What I did get, was something about the old prices being wrong. Anyway, the price was now confirmed at $3.99 for the cup of tea (which turned out to be a Large). Cuteasiangirl said sorry, and me, being a chump, and with cup of tea in hand, payed the $4 and change with tax, and left the store.

I began the walk back to my car, and took my first sip of the tea.

It was too sweet.

I drank the rest of the tea. I payed $4.30 for God's sake.

Every sip was one of hate, disappointment, and self-loathing.

Why oh why, didn't I walk across the street and get a 'Large', hot, perfectly brewed cup, of Henry's Blend coffee from Seattle's Best?

Why?

In the end I came home, and I sit here, with an empty Teavana cup, distastefully recalling the painful memories of moments ago, swallowing the oversweet, lukewarm, too-expensive "tea" that I was served after waiting 10 whole minutes for.

Teavana tought me two lessons:

1. When looking to buy a hot drink, stick to the good coffee when you can (WHICH YOU CAN, STARBUCKS/SEATTLE'S BEST ARE EVERYWHERE!) On that note, Starbucks' new "Pike Place Roast" SUCKS!!!

2. Don't trust cute asian girls.