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: December 19, 2003
December 19, 2003 · No Comment

Dear Wing Chun,
I bet you’re going to get a ton of email expressing this same woe — I feel like I’m getting buried in clutter!We’re so busy that we’re almost never home, and when we …

The Vine: December 18, 2003
December 18, 2003 · No Comment

Here’s the basic situation: a 1200-square-foot house containing two people,
a normal amount of furniture and goods, and 10,000 books.I’m assuming you
already see the problem.We ran out of wall space for bookcases within a
year of moving …

The Vine: December 17, 2003
December 17, 2003 · No Comment

Dear Wing Chun —
I have a small problem. Actually, it’s a big problem in a small apartment. I
am a self-admitted pack rat — I mouse away souvenirs, books, mementos, and
especially paper. Anything that looks even …

The Vine: December 16, 2003
December 16, 2003 · No Comment

Okay, so here’s the deal. I work for this professor. I was originally hired to do basic office tasks, but they quickly realized that I have more than half a brain and I’ve been given …

The Famous Ghost Monologues, No. 17: Russell Ettinger Penny
December 15, 2003 · No Comment

“Life.” That word. You still use it all the time, “get a life,” “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” it’s still a part of your…your existence. And your existence…feels…like life. You still …

The Vine: December 12, 2003
December 12, 2003 · No Comment

Dear SarsDad,
My husband and I just got married, and are starting to save funds for a first home.Do you have any recommendations for a savings plan that gives you the most bang for your buck?Something’s …

The Vine: December 11, 2003
December 11, 2003 · No Comment

Hiya Sars!
I think your “Ask The Expert” series is a fantastic idea. Already I’ve put
new knives on my Christmas list. My question is for your financial expert
father: I’m looking to give stocks to my young …

The Vine: December 10, 2003
December 10, 2003 · One Comment

Dear Sars’s Dad —
I need to pay off some credit debt, and was considering taking some of the money out of my 401k to do it.I realize this will incur a penalty, but the …

The Vine: December 9, 2003
December 9, 2003 · No Comment

Dear Mr. Bunting,
What would you do with a windfall right now?
I recently got some money from a relative’s life insurance policy. I
don’t have any debts other than my mortgage, which is at a fairly
competitive rate. …

The Vine: December 2, 2003
December 2, 2003 · No Comment

Sars,
This is a genius idea.I’d like to ask Keckler a simple question: How do I
cook chicken breasts in the oven so that they aren’t too dry, or so pink that
my small intestine cramps just looking …