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!

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
June 24, 2008 · 30 Comments
<I>Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired</I>

From a reader:
Hi Sars,
Have you watched the Roman Polanski doc on HBO yet? With your interest in true crime, I wondered if this one appealed to you.

As much as they tried to make him very …

In praise of the drive-in
June 24, 2008 · 23 Comments
In praise of the drive-in

Dennis Cozzalio has an excellent piece up at GreenCine, a comprehensive primer of drive-in-movie film and culture.The essay includes movies that feature drive-ins, movies that would have played at drive-ins, the design aesthetics, and a …

“I don’t know how you feel about it…”
June 23, 2008 · 43 Comments
“I don’t know how you feel about it…”

“…but I am getting pretty sick and tired of these fucking church people.”
My boyfriend uses that Carlin quip in response to anything and everything — he can’t find his keys, he’s lost his train of …

The Vine: June 20, 2008
June 20, 2008 · 21 Comments

This is seriously hampering my productivity at work.
The Cartoon Network used to show anime movies on Saturday morning (not sure if they still do this, since I don’t watch cartoons on Saturday mornings anymore), …

A Walk Into The Sea: Danny Williams And The Warhol Factory
June 19, 2008 · One Comment
<I>A Walk Into The Sea: Danny Williams And The Warhol Factory</I>

I’m pretty up on the Warhol Factories, but mostly the later iterations in the ’70s; I hadn’t heard of Danny Williams, so I looked forward to seeing A Walk Into The Sea.
But like many Warhol-related …

The Vine: June 18, 2008
June 18, 2008 · 58 Comments

Hi Sars,
I have a friend, who I’ll call R., and R. has a friend who I’ll call Fuckface. R. is a pretty good guy, but Fuckface is quite racist.
I’ve often told R. that I can’t …

Awww.
June 17, 2008 · 31 Comments

That’s damn right, California.

Of Willie And Wang
June 17, 2008 · 23 Comments
Of Willie And Wang

(Had to.Sorry.)
To the headlines: Randolph got pink-slipped, finally, and Chien-Ming Wang broke the crap out of his foot.
I feel kind of bad for Randolph, because, although we can’t know what went on behind closed doors, …

“Finola Hughes is no Drago”
June 17, 2008 · 4 Comments
“Finola Hughes is no Drago”

Can’t imagine to what that quote could possibly refer?Head over to The House Next Door, where Joe R and I live-blogged Staying Alive for their joint “Summer Of ’83” feature with Movie Geeks United.
Other coverage …

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
June 16, 2008 · 6 Comments
<I>They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?</I>

I watched the first 20 minutes of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? at Gustave’s house, months ago, but didn’t get around to watching it in its entirety until last week, and it’s worth the revisiting.I …