Fill your brain pan with nuggets from “If This is Tuesday, it Must Be…,” which explores all of those dusty corners of human culture that no one has bothered to clean in years; then kick off the weekend with “Friday’s Food and a Flick,” which pairs a must-see movie with a tasty dish. Nothing is sacred on this info junkie’s journey! http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/didyouknow/ Copyright Penguin Group (USA) Inc. karyn.gerhard@us.penguingroup.com (Karyn Gerhard) Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST There is a bracket tournament for just about every subject you can imagine, from pro wrestling to the Pope. Here’s a collection of my favorites. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-19-13-bracket-madness.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-19-13-bracket-madness.html Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST June always reminds me of one thing: commencement ceremonies. It’s not the entire ceremony that fascinates me; it’s the commencement speech. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/06-26-12-commencement.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/06-26-12-commencement.html Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST It’s no surprise by now that I love musicals, and especially musicals from the golden age of movies. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/05-18-12-pennies-from-heaven.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/05-18-12-pennies-from-heaven.html Fri, 08 May 2012 10:00:00 EST One hundred years ago today, the RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York; this weekend will mark the 100th anniversary of that tragic night when the Ship of Dreams went down. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/04-10-12-titanic2.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/04-10-12-titanic2.html Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST The list of actors and directors who have never won an Oscar is as long as your arm, and I obviously don’t have the space to list them all here. But there are a few big ones that just boggle the mind. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-24-12-oscar-snubs.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-24-12-oscar-snubs.html Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST Rube Goldberg machines perform a simple task as inefficiently as possible. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/02-07-12-rube-goldberg.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/02-07-12-rube-goldberg.html Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST I’ve got that shoulders-up-around-my-ears thing going on, a back with more knots than a boy-scout handbook, and a headache with JUST PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY written all over it. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/01-31-12-spa-day.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/01-31-12-spa-day.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST For me, ’70s films will forever be summed up by one word: DISASTER. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/01-27-12-airport.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/01-27-12-airport.html Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST My brother and I played with LEGO as kids, but our creativity went as far as making big Jenga-like towers that we’d smash with his G.I. Joe Mobile Support Vehicle. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/01-24-12-lego.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/01-24-12-lego.html Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST I’d like to give one last nod to the 2011 inductees to the Great Movie Studio in the Sky, and give you my recommendations for their must-see movies. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/friday-in-memoriam-01-13-12.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/friday-in-memoriam-01-13-12.html Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST To wrap up the year, here are a handful of the weird, fascinating, and sometimes just downright silly things your resident information addict has found on her journey. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/12-21-11-potpourri.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/12-21-11-potpourri.html Tue, 21 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST So, Black Friday is done, and Cyber Monday is almost in the rearview mirror, and still my Christmas gift list is a mile long. As much as I love getting the deals in the big stores, what I’d really love to do is to hand-make all of my gifts. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/11-29-11-handmade-gifts.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/11-29-11-handmade-gifts.html Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST This time of year not only has me thinking about the big turkey day, but also about giving thanks—and giving back. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/11-15-11-giving-back.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/11-15-11-giving-back.html Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST A number of years ago, on a trip to London, I saw a play that was so hilarious to this day the thought of it makes me laugh like a maniac. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/10-07-11-noises-off.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/10-07-11-noises-off.html Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST One of the great things about living in New York is the street art—not just the city-commissioned outdoor art, but the work done by artists roaming the streets who use the city as their canvas. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/10-04-11-graffiti.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/10-04-11-graffiti.html Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST The other day I saw the headline that Arch West, the creator of Doritos, died. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/09-27-11-last-hurrah.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/09-27-11-last-hurrah.html Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST I’m about six months late, but I’ve finally started on my spring cleaning. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/09-13-11-reduce-reuse-swap.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/09-13-11-reduce-reuse-swap.html Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST I’ve never been a big fan of summer, but there is one good thing about it—amusement parks! http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/07-19-11-theme-parks.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/07-19-11-theme-parks.html Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST My brother and I watched 1776 every year, acting out entire scenes in our living room. I’d play John Adams, stomping around and screaming, VOTE YES!, while my brother, as the entire Congress, hollered back,“SIT DOWN, JOHN! http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/07-01-11-1776.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/07-01-11-1776.html Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST Walking to work this morning, I was bombarded by dozens of flags hanging from apartment windows and shop awnings. Of course—it’s Flag Day! http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/06-14-11-flags.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/06-14-11-flags.html Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST Your senses will never be the same. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/05-20-11-tommy.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/05-20-11-tommy.html Fri, 20 May 2011 10:00:00 EST As bad and as debilitating as they are, there’s a reason we keep them. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to unburden yourself? http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/05-17-11-secrets.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/05-17-11-secrets.html Tue, 17 May 2011 10:00:00 EST “Ok, but maybe you ought to think of something else to do, too—just as a backup.” http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/05-10-11-rock-stars.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/05-10-11-rock-stars.html Tue, 10 May 2011 10:00:00 EST Hooking up to get ahead in your job—we all knows it goes on. C.C. Baxter wants to get ahead, but he won’t give up his morals to do it. He would, however, give up his key. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/05-06-11-the-apartment.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/05-06-11-the-apartment.html Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:00 EST I’m a book junkie. There is no way around it. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/05-03-11-books.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/05-03-11-books.html Tue, 03 May 2011 10:00:00 EST A number of years ago I was visiting a friend in Minneapolis. Having never been there before, I made the rounds of all of the big museums—the Walker, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the like. They were all great, but while walking downtown we found the best of all—The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/04-19-11-weird-museums.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/04-19-11-weird-museums.html Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST A tribute to two late greats: Sidney Lumet and Paul Newman. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/04-15-11-the-verdict.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/04-15-11-the-verdict.html Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST The coach is waiting for his next beer. The pitcher is waiting for her first bra. The team is waiting for a miracle. Consider the possibilities. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/04-08-11-bad-news-bears.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/04-08-11-bad-news-bears.html Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST Let me start out by saying that I love bacon. Actually, that’s not quite true. I ADORE bacon. Can there possibly be anything more wonderful on the earth than the smell of that fantastic breakfast treat sizzling in the pan? http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-15-11-bacon.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-15-11-bacon.html Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST When someone mentions a movie starring a kid, most people think of some Shirley Temple/Curly Sue type of sugared-up concoction of obnoxious precociousness. And as far as Depression-era movies go, it’s hard not to conjure up movies like the Grapes of Wrath, with its gritty, desperate hopelessness. But with Paper Moon, a Depression-era movie starring a kid, you have neither of these things. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/03-11-11-paper-moon.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/03-11-11-paper-moon.html Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST Well, today is Fat Tuesday—Mardi Gras. I’ll confess, it’s a holiday I never celebrated—in fact, the first time I had a piece of king cake was just last year. The only thing I knew about Mardi Gras was that it was celebrated the day before Lent begins, and that there’s a huge parade in New Orleans. But there’s got to be more to it than that, right? So off I went to see what I could find. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-08-11-mardi-gras.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-08-11-mardi-gras.html Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST For me, the ’80s was all about two people. The first was the writer/director John Hughes. With movies like The Breakfast Club, Home Alone, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, he had the ’80s—not to mention teenage zeitgeist—wrapped up in a bow. The second was John Candy, who was hilarious in movies such as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Splash; Spaceballs; The Great Outdoors; Brewster’s Millions; and of course, on SCTV, which in the early ’80s was blowing Saturday Night Live out of the water. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/03-04-11-uncle-buck2.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/03-04-11-uncle-buck2.html Fri, 4 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST A few weeks ago I wrote about Old New York, and my love of finding then-and-now pictures of a certain spot or building. Right after I wrote that piece I came across an artist who was doing the same thing, only with her family. Clarisse d’Arcimoles took photographs of her siblings from when they were kids and restaged them as adults. The whole project got me wondering who else is out there trying to connect with the past through photography. It turns out, a lot of people are, and the work is just amazing. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-01-11-photos-redux.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/03-01-11-photos-redux.html Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST As we all know, the Academy Awards are being presented this Sunday, and just like every year, I’ll be watching—and probably cursing another stunning loss in the Oscar pool. So in honor of Oscar, this week’s food and a flick is all about the movies that I felt were robbed of the Oscar for Best Picture. It’s not to say I don’t think some of the winners deserved the award—many of them I do like—but there are some that just haven’t held up over time, and others that just won because of a sweep (yes, Gigi, I’m talking to YOU.) http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-25-11-oscars.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-25-11-oscars.html Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST This week we lost one of the darlings from the golden age of the MGM musical, Betty Garrett. I've always loved Betty - she was forever playing the wise-cracking, funny broad in musicals like My Sister Eileen, Neptune's Daughter, and Take Me Out to the Ballgame (you may also remember her as the kooky landlady from Laverne and Shirley). But her best role was that of Brunhilde Esterhazy, the man-hungry New York City cab driver in On the Town (1949). http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-18-11-on-the-town.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-18-11-on-the-town.html Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so of course I've been thinking about my favorite romantic movies. I have to admit, there are very few romantic comedies that are on my favorites list. The whole boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, oh-wow-guess-what-they-get-back-together-just-in-time-for-a-totally-predictable-syrupy-happy-ending thing just gets on my sodding wit. But there is one that is romantic movie that owns a huge chunk of my heart. Love Actually is so much more than a romantic comedy; it tells the tales of love from every angle, at every stage, and at all ages. Each tale is unique, but the types of love they depict are ones we have all experienced. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-11-11-love-actually.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-11-11-love-actually.html Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST Yesterday, February 7, marked the 47th anniversary of the Fab Four’s first American visit. It wasn’t the start of Beatlemania—their first single (“Love Me Do”) had been released in the U.S. the year before, and their first album, Introducing the Beatles had been released in the U.S. the month before. But when that Pan American Clipper flight 101 landed at JFK, and two days later they made their historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, Beatlemania went into overdrive. The revolution had begun. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/02-08-11-beatles.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/02-08-11-beatles.html Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST I’ll admit it, I’m not a huge football fan—baseball is much more my game. Still, that doesn’t mean I don’t love a good football flick! In honor of the big game this weekend, here are my favorite football-themed movies. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-04-11-football.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/02-04-11-football.html Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST I love the entire steampunk esthetic. It’s crafty, it’s history, it utilizes found and recycled materials, and above all, it’s art. So I thought, well, I’m crafty (in that knitting-needlepoint, not Bernie Madoff, kind of way), and I can certainly get my hands on recycled clock innards and whatnot, so why not try my hand at a little steampunking to jazz up my boring everyday gadgets! http://www.idiotsguides.com//static/blog/tuesday/01-31-11-steampunk.html http://www.idiotsguides.com//static/blog/tuesday/01-31-11-steampunk.html Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST What scares you the most? Spiders? Ghosts? Zombies? For me, it’s ventriloquist dummies. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been terrified of those little demon dolls, with their unnervingly vacant eyes and sinister clacking jaws, just looking like they’re going to come alive at any moment. So Magic,a movie about a possessed ventriloquist dummy? Nightmares, I’m telling you. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/01-28-11-magic.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/01-28-11-magic.html Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST Well, it’s another snow day here on the East Coast. Needless to say, this morning the snow was the lead story in the news. This always amazes me. Why on earth is snow newsworthy in the winter? Gigantic blizzards I understand, but regular snowfall? Snow in July—now, that’s newsworthy! But in January? I come from Cleveland, where the only time the snow leads the news is if it clears the Terminal Tower. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/01-25-11-snow.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/01-25-11-snow.html Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST Have you ever wanted to reinvent yourself? I mean, truly reinvent yourself, with new looks, a new job, new friends, a new life? The desire to do just that, and how it can all go horribly wrong, is at the heart of this dark and disturbing thriller. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/01-21-11-seconds.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/01-21-11-seconds.html Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST It seems that in New York every building, every street, every lamppost, has some kind of significance, which is why, after twenty-five years, I feel as if I haven’t even scratched the surface of this city’s history. Luckily, I’m not alone in wanting to mine the depths of the Big Apple’s past. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/new-york-01-18-11.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/new-york-01-18-11.html Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST I’ve never been a huge fan of Westerns. The whole shoot-em-up, gunfight at the OK Corral, cowboys-and-indians, John Wayne, “Come BAAAAAAAACK, Shane!” thing has just never been my schtick. I am, however, a huge fan of Mel Brooks, so it’s no surprise that his Blazing Saddles (1974), a movie that pokes fun at all those Western cliches, is one of my favorite comedies. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/blazing-saddles-01-14-11.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/blazing-saddles-01-14-11.html Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST There’s no doubt about it, letter writing is becoming a lost art. So I decided my resolution would be to bring letter writing back into vogue. I needed some inspiration, though—love letters full of great prose, hilarious memos, philosophic missives full of deep thoughts, post-it notes with quotes from Ghandi—anything to help get me started. So off I went to find some examples of great letter writing. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/letter-writing-01-11-11.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/tuesday/letter-writing-01-11-11.html Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST Well, it’s that time of year again, when we remember the people in the entertainment industry who passed away in the last twelve months. So, instead of my usual Food and a Flick format, I’d like to give a final shout-out to the 2010 inductees to the Great Movie Studio in the Sky, and give you my recommendations for their must-see movies. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/friday-in-memoriam-01-07-11.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/friday/friday-in-memoriam-01-07-11.html Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST Once upon a time, Complete Idiot’s Guides were just a bunch of orange books chock full of information, sitting on a shelf. Now, all of that knowledge is coming off of the shelves and going straight to your computer! Let me tell you, for an information junkie like myself, this site is more addictive than chocolate. http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/welcome-to-the-new-idiots-guide-site.html http://www.idiotsguides.com/static/blog/welcome-to-the-new-idiots-guide-site.html Tue, 21 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST