For those of you who shied away from the fireworks and the humidity, here's Bwogger Lydia DePillis' dispatch from Washington DC's 4th of July.

Washington DC on the fourth of July is the hothouse of American patriotism (in more ways than one). Having avoided it last year, this time around I thought I'd try immersing myself -- kind of like seeing how long you can hold your breath underwater.

I didn't actually end up doing the whole shebang. I only saw a section of the parade, and I skipped out on the Capitol Lawn extravaganza (complete with Taylor Hicks!). Perhaps that was why the whole thing never actually felt repellent: I hadn't stuck around long enough for it to really sink in.

The parade, however, had a different twist than I was expecting. Sure, it had the blaring brass bands, the self-declared country western stars, West Virginia dairy princesses (okay, there was only one of those). But a good chunk was actually composed of immigrant groups asserting their love of America.

Though this weekend many of your fellow Americans will be doing such celebratory things as eating hamburgers in an outdoors setting and watching fireworks, we know that 1. it is hot out, 2. many of you are vegetarians, and 3. there's an argument to be made that if you've seen one firework, you've seen 'em all. With that in mind, here's an alternative Movie Rental Guide to the Weekend that is both indoors and firework-free. And as always, feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments.

For the History Buffs: John Adams (2008)

If your perfect Fourth of July includes journeying back to the time when our founding fathers debated and eventually decided to declare independence from Great Britain, HBO's miniseries John Adams, which aired earlier this year and is now available on DVD, is for you. Starring Paul Giamatti as the title character and Laura Linney as Abigail, the miniseries is a very serious look at one of the most important, but largely unknown, founding fathers. The series begins with the Massachusetts native's decision to represent the British soldiers who were tried for their involvement in the Boston Massacre and spans all the way to his death on the Fourth of July, 1826. With in-depth scenes that delve into the issues that faced Adams and other early American leaders, John Adams explores how this day became a holiday in the first place.

This weekend, America is turning 232, making it just slightly older than the Columbia College website. Traditionally, Americans celebrate their country's birthday by cooking meat on grills outdoors and then watching fireworks. For this week's Guide to the Weekend, we've consolidated a few events that will give you the opportunity to do just that.

Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular; 9PM
Prime Viewing Spots: Manhattan: East River Park, South Street Seaport, FDR Drive between 14th and 42nd Streets; Brooklyn: Greenpoint, Empire Fulton Derry State Park (in DUMBO), Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Brooklyn Independence Day Parade; Between 66th and 86th Streets on 13th Ave in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn
Head to 66th Street in Dyker Height's for the 103rd Annual Independence Day Parade! Who knew Brooklyn had a 66th Street? Featuring classic parade staples like floats and veteran marching bands.