Please visit our archives

As of June 1, 2013, Idlermag.com will no longer be publishing original material. For a little bit less than three years, we’ve had the privilege of sharing the work of an amazing group of writers, and we plan to leave that work available on this site as an archive for the foreseeable future. If you’ve … Continue reading

Here We Go Again: Another NHL Lockout

The worst part of being an addict is the lack of a fix. I’m an NHL addict. I read NHL blogs, listen to NHL podcasts, follow NHL writers and players on Twitter, and even had a brief writing gig for a hockey blog (a weekly column about fantasy hockey). Heck, I even had a weekly … Continue reading

Snark Madness

I’m a big fan of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, commonly known as March Madness. As a 64-team [*ahem* 68, but who’s counting?] single-elimination tournament spread out over roughly three weeks, there’s simply nothing else like it in college or professional sports. The first and second rounds alone consist of forty-eight games in four …

Wishlist: Practically awesome

If spending the past two years living in an expensive city has taught me anything, it’s that asking for things you want for the holidays only makes sense if you’re willing to buy yourself all the practical things you need (which I’m not). And also, that rats can be the size of small children. Because … Continue reading

Not a bang, but a whimper

This week marks the full-scale beginning of DC’s Universe-wide reboot, but before we hit the reset button on every superhero’s origins and adventures, it’s worth acknowledging the end of one of the longest running comic series in history: Action Comics Volume 1. The first issue, which came out in June 1938, it the holy grail … Continue reading

Year One: Readers’ picks

As part of the celebration of our first year, we reached out to some Idler readers and asked them to share their favorite pieces from the site. — Suzanne Fischer: Duck decoys, lost laptops, and a necklace to grieve with: Teal Amthor Shaffer’s post “Souvenirs” is a bittersweet exploration of the emotional power we invest … Continue reading

Year One: Editors’ picks

The editors of The Idler are a shadowy, self-effacing crew. But to help celebrate the site’s birthday, they put together a list (in no particular order) of some of their favorite pieces from The Idler‘s most frequent columnists. It’s been an amazing first year, and they claim to be very much looking forward to the … Continue reading

Dating and taxes

Listen up, tricks. I’ve been struggling with something lately, and that something is online dating. I’m not looking to online date per say, as I’m more than a little bit taken, but I’m not exactly asking for a friend either. You probably don’t know this but online dating sites are very prominent tools in the … Continue reading

Brandon comes back

Last week, Detroit Tigers third baseman, catcher, centerfielder, oh-hell-put-him-anywhere-and-he’ll-play guy Brandon Inge was called up from the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in Toledo to join the starting lineup against left-handed pitchers. A ringing endorsement, I know. Inge was assigned to Toledo earlier this season when his hitting, never stellar, totally bottomed out — .177 in 239 … Continue reading

A Moscow Mule, in a copper mug

I am mainly a beer drinker, but I like to say I am an “equal opportunity drinker,” so I will try anything once. When I was prepping for my recent journey to the Keweenaw Peninsula (some 550 miles away from me in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula), I reached out a friend who attended college in the … Continue reading