Baseball

“I wrote 63 songs this year. They’re all about Jeter.” Just kidding. The game we love, the players we hate, and more.

Culture and Criticism

From Norman Mailer to Wendy Pepper — everything on film, TV, books, music, and snacks (shut up, raisins), plus the Girls’ Bike Club.

Donors Choose and Contests

Helping public schools, winning prizes, sending a crazy lady in a tomato costume out in public.

Stories, True and Otherwise

Monologues, travelogues, fiction, and fart humor. And hens. Don’t forget the hens.

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!

The Vine: May 5, 2010
May 5, 2010 · 32 Comments
The Vine: May 5, 2010

Dear Sars,
When I was younger, my mom and I had a number of cats and two dogs. The last of the dogs passed away right around the time that my mom was changing her career …

N Candy AA: The Championship Round
May 2, 2010 · 40 Comments
N Candy AA: The Championship Round

1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup vs. 5 Twix.
It’s been a long road. Getting from there to here. It’s been a long time, but Reese’s dominance is finally near. I like Twix a lot, but there …

The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 30, 2010
April 30, 2010 · 46 Comments
The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 30, 2010

I did not manage to clear the entire backlog…because y’all’s enthusiasm for the anniversary project created an entirely new backlog. Heh. We’ll get to them all in time; until then, see what you can do …

The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 29, 2010
April 29, 2010 · 80 Comments
The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 29, 2010

Dear Sars,
Would love a little help figuring out what the heck I am remembering here.
It’s something I saw as a kid in the mid-to-late eighties on a children’s program. I’m pretty sure it was a …

The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 28, 2010
April 28, 2010 · 29 Comments
The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 28, 2010

Dear Sars,
Yet another “help me find a book to share with my kids” request is in the offing. I can’t help myself. I have Googled the living tar out of it, but I have not …

My music-video debut: The Deadlyz, “Fall”
April 28, 2010 · 14 Comments
My music-video debut: The Deadlyz, “Fall”

Putting the “fun” back in “Superfund”: director/producer Eddie Ortiz, Deadlyz drummer Mark Mastellone, and location manager/co-star yours truly on the roof of King Killer Studios in fragrant Gowanus, Brooklyn. Photo by Bill Bjornholm.

The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 27, 2010
April 27, 2010 · 84 Comments
The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 27, 2010

Hi Sars,
Reading the plot summary of An Education reminded me of a book I read as a youth. This would be young-adult material, which I read around the early 1990s (late junior high/high schoolish).
Like …

The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 26, 2010
April 26, 2010 · 101 Comments
The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 26, 2010

A quick administrative note: I won’t pick prize-winners until all the anniversary Vines have gone up; that’ll give everyone a decent enough crack at answering. On to today’s questions!
*****
Hi Sars,
I have one for you and …

N Candy AA: Final Four
April 26, 2010 · 15 Comments
N Candy AA: Final Four

Final Four polls close Wednesday morning; updated bracket is here.Confused? Click here.

2 fudge vs. 1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. I love fudge (hew), but it’s surprising to see it in the Final Four; the high …

The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 25, 2010
April 25, 2010 · 86 Comments
The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 25, 2010

Dear Sars,
You know how some people will refuse to watch a show because of the silliness of the premise, name, genre, etc.? Well, my question is basically how would you describe Buffy to someone like …