This week: Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth explores masks and the mind… We grill star chef Bobby Flay on etiquette… Food writer Michael Pollan says we are because we cook…Molly Ringwald sets a new standard for musical standards… Jane Fonda’s headbands & home videos inspire a health-crazed cocktail… And Mike Wolfe of “American Pickers” strikes it rich - as a four year old. Plus, Rachel Kushner’s hot new novel, part-time chickens, and a cowpoke joke.

Behold one of our favorite episodes...in which Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx plays Django and table tennis... JEOPARDY! champ Ken Jennings answers your etiquette questions (minus the buzzer)... Thrift Shop rap stars Macklemore and Ryan Lewis spin a playful party playlist... The Splendid Table's Lynne Rosetto Kasper is haunted by the ghost of Christmas-party past... The Hobbit's FX mastermind Joe Letteri traces Gollum's family tree back to Sherlock Holmes... And speaking of which, Rico learns to think like Sherlock Holmes. Plus: Civil War cocktails, Brazilian food rising, monkeys with no rhythm, and zen dogs.

This week: Actress Julia Stiles bashes brunch... Music legend Paul Anka answers your questions, his way... Jazz pianist Ben Sidran heps us to hepcats... Why the Summer of '68 changed baseball (and America) forever... The creators of a diabolical new TV comedy locate some hells on earth... The invention of the matchsticks inspires an incendiary cocktail... And nose-to-tail cooking gets literal. Plus, "girlfriend coats," anti-jokes, and soju-juice boxes.

This week: Actress Eva Mendes decodes her new film - and hieroglyphics... Writer and "SNL" vet Julia Sweeney answers your etiquette questions from the fetal position... New Orleans indie rockers Generationals spin a sweet-and-sour soundtrack... Science writer Mary Roach takes us on a field trip down the alimentary canal... Twitter queen Kelly Oxford tiptoes into David Copperfield's private lair... And Wrigley's Gum inspires a cocktail that WON'T lose its flavor. Plus, salt mines in the sky, self-hating jokes, and a new Rogue Wave.

This week: TV personality Andy Cohen - the man who launched 1,000 "Real Housewives" - tells us how to behave... Rising literary star Taiye Selasi on making novels and dresses... British prog-rock phenoms Alt-J throw a party in the woods... Satirist Sam Lipsyte on the joys of fatherhood... We tiptoe into "Room 237," a film about "The Shining"'s fanatical following... And Rico tastes the secret of panuchos. Plus, a drink born from cold fusion, new music from Mikal Cronin, and a monstrous joke..

This week: Filmmaker Harmony Korine on Cassevetes and mime contests… Chris O’Dowd, star of Bridesmaids and now The Sapphires on sudden successes… Marisa Silver develops an iconic photo into a novel… Noodling around with Ramen and Ravioli…The history of the Stanley Cup inspires a drink (with no ice!)…The Posts address door jams and outer-underwear…Your Spring fashion preview, featuring trendy Hamburglars…Plus, a new tune from “Vampire Weekend,” KFC’s poetry campaign, and a nuclear-powered joke.

This Week: While we soak in what's next at South-by-Southwest, enjoy this classic episode - one of our favorites. Actress Anna Kendrick (making the rounds at SXSW with the new movie "Drinking Buddies") sings of adorkability... SNL alum Kevin Nealon blesses us with etiquette advice..."The Perks of Being a Wallflower" creator Stephen Chbosky talks of time and place... Okkervil River runs through a party soundtrack... Here comes the (terrorist) bride... And the Primanti Sandwich goes national. Plus: We witness the birth of a clean machine, shine a light on art, and learn the history of comedy.

This week: "Enlightened" actress Laura Dern on brains and Baio... Folk-rocker Billy Bragg wins hearts and minds in our etiquette segment... They Might Be Giants list tiny gems... We toast the first man(nequin!) in space... The story behind SXSW, as told by the festival's co-founder... Indie musician Tracey Thorn finds her voice... Plus, build-your-own hotels, cocktails by the barrel-ful, Side of the Road music, and lots more.

This Week: “Stoker” star Matthew Goode on being a creepy Uncle and devoted Dad… Talk show legend Dick Cavett tells us how to ‘Hitchcock’… Essayist Michelle Orange undergoes a cinematic identity crisis… Ryan Quincy, creator of TV’s “Out There,” comes of age… Indie darlings Adam Green and Binki Shapiro turn scraps and metal into a dinner party soundtrack… How to run away with the circus… And Rico pays his last respects to a Tiki landmark… Plus, fly jokes, upside-downers, and woolly drinks.

This week: Oscar-nominated filmmaker David France on plagues and platforms… Pulitzer-finalist Karen Russell sinks her teeth into a new story collection… Bestseller queen Jackie Collins tells you how to (mis)behave… Alex Karpovsky (“Girls”) goes meta… We dip into chip history… Why religion matters to atheists… Plus Graveyard humor, cheating via satellite, and “Entertainment” provided by Phoenix.