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!

Contest: Punctuate The Positive
October 19, 2009 · 18 Comments
Contest: Punctuate The Positive

Good morning, everyone.   We’re very close to our next match: $73,024 at the moment.
Today’s mini-prize isn’t very mini — reader (Yo) Adrian has offered four (4) $50 Donors Choose gift cards to those who …

Contest: Insert crafty pun here
October 18, 2009 · 4 Comments

Guys!   $71,400, AND we hit 700 donors! (701, actually.   Hi, 1!   You’re awesome.)
I am about to head out to Queens for a crafting day at the White Russian’s house, which I plan …

Contest: Seventeeeeeee!
October 17, 2009 · 12 Comments

70K is so very close, friends: $69,598 at the moment.
Before I talk about the weekend’s prizing, two things.
1) Some of you may have received a Vine notification instead of a contest receipt notification this morning. …

The Vine: October 16, 2009
October 16, 2009 · 89 Comments

Hi, Sars,
I’m writing to ask what you think about some advice given by a fellow advice column writer, Lucinda Rosenfeld over at XX. A recent column of hers has caused quite a bit of controversy. …

Contest: You Feel Pretty, And Witty, And Bright
October 16, 2009 · 18 Comments
Contest: You Feel Pretty, And Witty, And Bright

And you should!   You rule!   $67,656!
But juuuuust in case you would like to augment your cleverness and beauty with a little maquillage, your benevolent and chic fellow reader Jennifer W. has contributed two …

Contest/Support Local Biz: Asirda, Greg Heffley, and PayPal
October 15, 2009 · 12 Comments
Contest/Support Local Biz: Asirda, Greg Heffley, and PayPal

I just said a mouthful!
An odd and an end first: 1) my review of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is up on Monkey See — great read, as usz (Kinney, not …

Contest: Christmas in October
October 15, 2009 · 18 Comments

Talented and generous readers Helena and Julia have offered us today’s mini-prize — blind the kids with science, and you could win one of six (6) holiday-card packs from The Spotted Sparrow!
How it works: donate …

The Vine: October 14, 2009
October 14, 2009 · 54 Comments

Hi Sars,
My boyfriend and I just moved to New York, and since I arrived two weeks ago, I’m plagued by a near-constant fear of being attacked. (I figured I might as well jump right in.) …

Contest: A quick update
October 14, 2009 · 9 Comments
Contest: A quick update

1. Congratulations on 60K! Keep going; our next match is 5K at $75,000, which isn’t far away at all, plus I’ve got all these prizes to give away.
2. The 3K-at-60K match will go into effect …

Contest: Who’s a good little bear? You are! You are!
October 14, 2009 · 50 Comments
Contest: Who’s a good little bear? You are! You are!

The awesome: $57,269. Ahead of the pace of last year’s contest, too, which is very exciting — plus we’ve helped more than 18,000 students, and nearly 600 of you have donated, many of you several …