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The Vine

The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!

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Articles by Sarah D. Bunting

The Vine: December 17, 2010
December 17, 2010 – 12:57 PM | 8 Comments
The Vine: December 17, 2010

I have a book question I thought you or the Vine readers could help with. I want to buy my boyfriend a first-edition book for Christmas, and it turns out that all of his favorite …

The NC Double Scrooge Semifinals: Round One
December 17, 2010 – 9:37 AM | 11 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge Semifinals: Round One

Below, you’ll find the semifinal polls for the Shopping, Entertainment, and Decor divisions. A couple of similar top finishers got merged into one entry; another poll has four semifinalists instead of three because only one …

The NC Double Scrooge: Storybook Division
December 16, 2010 – 9:17 AM | 110 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge: Storybook Division

And by “storybook,” we don’t really mean books; we mean non-song narratives generally. TV specials, disappointing and desperate reunions of sitcom casts that led to even more pathetic spin-offs, craven attempts to capitalize on kidly …

The Vine: December 15, 2010
December 15, 2010 – 2:31 PM | 33 Comments
The Vine: December 15, 2010

Dear Sars:
My partner and I have been together three years now.We have a wonderful relationship and both feel very fortunate that both sets of parents are accepting of our relationship.Now, here comes the “but.”
My partner’s …

The NC Double Scrooge: Songbook Division
December 15, 2010 – 9:22 AM | 154 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge: Songbook Division

I’ve made my feelings about various Christmas songs clear elsewhere, so I won’t belabor the point, but today’s the day in the NC Double Scrooge on which we formally censure the holiday tunes we hate …

The NC Double Scrooge: Family/Social Division
December 14, 2010 – 9:28 AM | 64 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge: Family/Social Division

“I think it says ‘fragile,’ honey.”
It’s the interpersonal aspects of the holidays that cause the most stress — not because we hate everyone, either, although rage does occasionally play a role. It’s more about performance …

The NC Double Scrooge: Decor Division
December 13, 2010 – 12:57 PM | 106 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge: Decor Division

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree: how could such a lovely symbol cause so many problems? But it does — or perhaps it’s the futile quest for arboreal perfection that ties us in knots. Whatever …

The NC Double Scrooge: Entertainment Division
December 10, 2010 – 11:43 AM | 101 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge: Entertainment Division

“How many people do you think Keckler and Bunting offended with this poll? Show us with your hands.”
Today’s poll focuses on all manner of media disappointments: Christmas movies you’ve never really gotten, songs you can’t …

The Vine: December 10, 2010
December 10, 2010 – 9:46 AM | 38 Comments
The Vine: December 10, 2010

This one might be too obscure even for the awesome powers of the Nation, but I figure it can’t hurt to try. There’s this song that my dad always sang when we were going to …

The NC Double Scrooge: Shopping Division
December 9, 2010 – 12:25 PM | 92 Comments
The NC Double Scrooge: Shopping Division

“Shahhhhpping!”
We begin our roast of Christmas present in the retail ring. Have we left things out? Probably. That’s what the comment section is for. And therapy. And bourbon.