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: March 4, 2009
March 4, 2009 · 119 Comments

Hi Sars,
About five years ago, when I was younger and not so smart, I went out and got a tattoo on my lower back. (Like everyone else in the world.) Perhaps not surprisingly, I decided …

DVR Break-Up: Brothers & Sisters
March 3, 2009 · 31 Comments
DVR Break-Up: <I>Brothers & Sisters</I>

It’s not an official break-up yet, but I may need some space, some time to figure out if this is what I really want.
The show isn’t bad; the acting is still top-notch, and the cast …

The Vine: February 27, 2009
February 27, 2009 · 49 Comments

I recently wrote a blog entry about a book I’ve been looking for, the second novel from a writer whose first book I loved.The entire entry is here.
A couple of years ago, I bought a …

The Crushed Film Festival presents: Crossing the Bridge
February 25, 2009 · 24 Comments
The Crushed Film Festival presents: <I>Crossing the Bridge</I>

by Sarah D. Bunting
The Movie: Crossing the Bridge
The Crush Object: Josh Charles
The Story: Stuck in a post-high-school rut, Mort (Charles) must decide whether a cross-border drug run is a solution to his problems, and whether …

The Vine: February 25, 2009
February 25, 2009 · 43 Comments

Hi Sarah,
I do PR for a living (and with that comes a lot of writing and editing) and recently came across a dilemma.
When you are saying that someone “authored an article” (as opposed to “wrote …

Sober House: Discuss.
February 25, 2009 · 15 Comments

I’ve got a Vine and a Crushed Film Festival entry in progress, but while you wait for those, you can discuss the latest Sober House-nanigans here. Linda and I have had a brief IM -versation …

The Vine: February 20, 2009
February 20, 2009 · 92 Comments

Hi Sars,
I’m after advice on a beauty issue that I hope the readers might be able to help me with, although it isn’t as fun as suggesting a new nail polish.

The Vine: February 18, 2009
February 18, 2009 · 106 Comments

Hi Sars,
This is somewhere between a language and a societal question, so I figure you’re the perfect person to answer it.
What’s up with straight women referring to their female friends as “girlfriend”?This is hardly a …

The Crushed Film Festival presents: Kuffs
February 17, 2009 · 46 Comments
The Crushed Film Festival presents: <I>Kuffs</I>

by Sarah D. Bunting
The Movie: Kuffs
The Crush Object(s): Christian Slater; Tony Goldwyn
The Story: Charming commitphobe George Kuffs (Slater) is forced to grow up in a hurry when gangsters kill his brother Brad (Bruce Boxleitner) and …

The Crushed Film Festival presents: Suspect
February 15, 2009 · 38 Comments
The Crushed Film Festival presents: <I>Suspect</I>

by Sarah D. Bunting
The Movie: Suspect
The Crush Object: Dennis Quaid
The Story: Public defender Kathleen Riley (Cher) gets saddled with what looks like an unwinnable case — her homeless client, Carl Wayne Anderson (Liam Neeson), has …