The Online Acreage of Zach McFarlen
Currently Browsing: Miscellaneous
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jan 8th, 2010
Brief Research Survey
What is your gender?
FemaleMale
What age group do you fall into?
16 - 2122 - 3536 - 5555+
How much TV programming do you watch per day?
Less than 1 hour1 to 2 hours2 to 3 hoursMore than 3 hours
During what time(s) of the day do you regularly watch TV? (check all that apply)
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What are your favorite genres of programming? (check all that apply)
Comedy Drama News Sports Travel Variety/Music Magazine/Talk...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Aug 17th, 2009
Copag
A while back, I wrote about one way to upgrade your home/hobby poker game - by stepping up from plastic poker chips to composite or clay chips. There happens to be another easy (and less expensive) way to bring the casino feel into your home game - upgrade to a deck 100% plastic cards. Once you do, I’m confident you’ll never want to play with anything else. There are a few notable producers of high-quality,...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Aug 3rd, 2009
(500) Days of Summer
I have a confession to make. I’ve never seen Sleepless in Seattle. I’ve never watched You’ve Got Mail. But I bet I can guess what happens in both films: a man and woman meet, develop an attraction, are kept apart by some variable of conflict, and ultimately overcome this trial to live a life of pure bliss together. It’s safe to say that romantic comedies aren’t exactly my favorite genre of film. Heck,...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jul 16th, 2009
The Hurt Locker
Half-way through July, we moviegoers find ourselves in the thick of the Summer movie season, which officially kicked off back in early May. With the recent releases of Transformers 2, Bruno, and Harry Potter 16, deciding which movie to see may not be a simple task. Let me do it for you: if The Hurt Locker is playing in your city, it’s likely the best film out you can see right now. It is a war film, but not...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jul 2nd, 2009
Michael Mann
This week, Michael Mann adds to his directorial filmography with Public Enemies, the John Dillinger biopic starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and a handful of supporting players you’ll probably recognize. While the film is getting mixed reviews, I feel this is mostly a result of misplaced expectations and comparisons to Mann’s other films. In fact, another writer has quoted a former studio chairman who...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jun 16th, 2009
Blink
Being in graduate school, I have a fair share of “required” reading on my plate at any given time. My pleasure reading, then, usually takes the form of some combination of Wired magazine, various film blogs, and ESPN.com. I enjoy following several regular columnists on ESPN, including Bill Simmons, aka The Sports Guy. Recently, Mr. Simmons’s column featured a back-and-forth email exchange between himself...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jun 4th, 2009
Up!
If you have children, you have undoubtedly experienced the joy of seeing at least one Disney / Pixar film since the pair first released Toy Story into theaters 14 years ago. The Disney / Pixar partnership has enjoyed unprecedented movie-making success both critically and financially; their films have received more than 20 Oscars and have collectively grossed over $5 billion dollars at the box office globally....
Posted by zmcfarlen | May 5th, 2009
In Bruges
It’s May and thankfully that means the beginning of the Summer movie season. Perhaps no span of weeks and months is as dry at the cinema as those months between Oscar season and early May. And between such limited appeal at the box office and the current economic climate, it’s not a bad time to look for DVDs to rent (and buy) instead of going out for a weekly flick. But what to rent? I’m glad you asked.
During...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Apr 1st, 2009
The Art of Shaving
Getting shaved with a straight razor by your personal barber is an experience imbued with masculinity and often reserved for mobsters in movies. While I’m no crime lord, my wife recently arranged for me to have a traditional shave at The Art of Shaving. After all, even though I work from home, I appreciate the look and feel of a good shave as much as any guy.
The Art of Shaving was started in New York by aromatherapist/cosmetic...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Mar 16th, 2009
Jack Spade
If you have visited a coffee shop or college campus in the last 5 years, chances are pretty good you have seen a messenger bag, even if you didn’t know it. As its name implies, the messenger bag was traditionally used in the carrying of messages, letters, and mail by the likes of Pony Express riders and their modern-day counterparts: bicycle messengers. However, over the past decade, these bags have emerged...
I am a video editor and digital designer who enjoys dialogue about film and design as well as music, travel, and poker.
I own and operate Blinding Light Design, LLC, and I also regularly contribute to the media and product review site, FreshRadar.