Sars —
Can you recommend a book on New York City that chronicles its historical, political, and social evolution from its discovery to today? I want something that is thorough, but readable, more like Peter Ackroyd’s …

I need to buy them online. No. 1 pencils, not No. 2s or any other grade. I’d like a U.S. retailer; anyone who can suggest an identical/similar style or brand that’s available here, please do …

Hey there,
I’m looking for an inexpensive desk — under 100 dollars, hopefully. Why is it that a sleek, simple desk made of metal and plastic can cost upwards of 1,000 dollars? I’ve already checked out …

Finally I see one of the ads for Live Free Or Die Hard, and…it’s the one without music. Boo! But the DVD is out now. Word to the wise, though: Gunz “Mick” Bones tipped me …

First of all, thanks to Tomato Casual.com for the incoming link. The site is “everything tomato for people who love tomatoes,” so if you’d care to make a lycopene hat trick in your bookmarks with …

All y’all Omar G fans, keep an ear out for the man himself on All Things Considered tomorrow on NPR, doing a segment on OS X Leopard.And don’t believe what he says; Om has superpowers …

Sars,
A query for your ever-helpful armies of readers; hopefully, they’ll have some ideas that I haven’t, and I can stop wanting to tear my hair out.
I am powerfully coveting a pair of wool stockings (tights, …

You can get the story — and commentary on it — anywhere, but if you’re looking to kick back with some “A-Rod re-signs with the Yanks” reading, I’d suggest Replacement Level Yankees Blog’s post and …

Of course, said book is but a mote compared with Bonds’s massive cranium: “Baseball home-run king Barry Bonds used steroids to fuel his success and then lied about it, prosecutors said on Thursday in charging …

“It’s a stupid name!”   “So’s your face!”
The UN free-rice vocab game, guaranteed time-suck for word-nerd know-it-alls like me (thanks to reader Smash for the tip).
The new TWoP blogs, with daily picks and random bitching …