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: September 14, 2012
September 14, 2012 · 8 Comments
The Vine: September 14, 2012

I’m trying to find a book I read in the mid to late ’80s. When I Google what I remember, I usually get to the Madeleine L’Engle Wrinkle in Time books, which sound like they …

The Nause-AA: Elite Hate
September 13, 2012 · 37 Comments
The Nause-AA: Elite Hate

Today’s write-ups by both of us, as marked. To vote, scroll down; to see the bracket, click here. We’ll leave these open a few days, so tell a friend (or queasy enemy).
You’ve probably got it knocked by …

The Vine: September 12, 2012
September 12, 2012 · 11 Comments
The Vine: September 12, 2012

Microsoft Word’s spell-check feature continues in its quest to drive me bananas, and turning to Dr. Google for an answer confused me even more. So obviously I’ve turned to you.
“Assumably.” Is it a word? Microsoft …

11 Stories, Some Sad, Some True
September 11, 2012 · 41 Comments
11 Stories, Some Sad, Some True

Drifting Away turned left when he crossed the plate and continued straight down the right-field line, where he met and embraced the Black Angel. The Angel’s wings enfolded him and the two of them continued …

The Vine: September 7, 2012
September 7, 2012 · 15 Comments
The Vine: September 7, 2012

Folks, believe it or nicht, I’ve begun to run low on Ask The Readers letters. The TN readership (Native American name “Red Cloudsource”) doesn’t just find books and movies, you know; we outfit hard-to-shop-for boyfriends for …

A Word From Our Sponsors: Blue Host
September 5, 2012 · One Comment
A Word From Our Sponsors: Blue Host

Over it with your free provider and looking for a dedicated hosting service? Want to consolidate a bunch of different domains? Give Blue Host a look — you can get a free domain with a …

The Vine: September 5, 2012
September 5, 2012 · 55 Comments
The Vine: September 5, 2012

I’ve been with my boyfriend for 5 years, living together for 2+ of those years. Near the beginning of our relationship I broke up with him over a differing opinion on the topic of parenthood …

The Nause-AA: Sweet Sicksteen
September 4, 2012 · 48 Comments
The Nause-AA: Sweet Sicksteen

Today’s write-ups by both of us, Keckler on the lefthand side of the draw and Buntsy on the right. To vote, scroll down; to see the bracket, click here. We’ll leave these open a few days, so …

X-Files Rewatch: Season 2
September 1, 2012 · 8 Comments
<I>X-Files</I> Rewatch: Season 2

So, I started rewatching The X-Files from the beginning — or, really, “watching it,” because during the series’ run, I came in late and only watched casually. It holds up pretty well almost 20 years later, despite …

11 Things I Learned From Manchester’s The Death of a President
August 31, 2012 · 10 Comments
11 Things I Learned From Manchester’s <em>The Death of a President</em>

The President is supposed to stand still during “Hail to the Chief,” and/or salute the flag. (27)
“At Brooks Kennedy had tried to rest briefly in the Lincoln while the First Lady made her farewells. Harassed …