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 Tomato Nation Fall Classic II: Ham Fighters
October 16, 2011 · 7 Comments
The Tomato Nation Fall Classic II: Ham Fighters

Last year at this time, we raised money for an organization called Pitch In For Baseball. You can read more about them here, but PI4B collects and delivers baseball equipment and uniforms for and to …

The Vine: October 14, 2011
October 14, 2011 · 59 Comments
The Vine: October 14, 2011

So, it’s getting toward Halloween-time, and I’ve had a sudden nostalgic craving for ghost stories. When I was in school, I was hooked on those creepy ghost/scary story books you could snag through the Scholastic …

Meet The New Boss
October 13, 2011 · 25 Comments
Meet The New Boss

No, not Mabel (above), although it’s probably best to let her keep thinking she’s in charge. I’ve taken a job as the editor of Yahoo! Shine’s brand-new Pets channel. We just launched today, and I’d …

The Vine: October 12, 2011
October 12, 2011 · 24 Comments
The Vine: October 12, 2011

Some time ago you ran a Vine question from someone wondering who’d written a speculative story about aliens who came to Earth and offered to completely fix all the U.S.’s problems in return for all …

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and the Mixing of Blessings
October 11, 2011 · 12 Comments
<I>Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory</I> and the Mixing of Blessings

Joe R and I walked into Alice Tully Hall last night and I spotted him right away, on a balcony entrance above us: Damien Echols, surveying the scene. Right there, in a sharp black shirt …

Peanuts in the Outfield: 2011 LCS Open Thread
October 8, 2011 · 13 Comments
Peanuts in the Outfield: 2011 LCS Open Thread

Another Suds Series! The Rangers get another shot at a ring! And the shit-talk is already underway with Greinke’s comments about Carpenter? Awwwwwesome.
The LCSes could get pretty crazy; discuss everything from CJ’s unsuitable celebrity crush …

The Vine: October 7, 2011
October 7, 2011 · 6 Comments
The Vine: October 7, 2011

In case any of the people who helped with advice for our U.S. road trip are interested, here are links to photos of our trip:
Short version (also works for non-Facebook members)
Long version
We had a fab …

TN Read-Along #12: Gunn’s Golden Rules Discussion Thread
October 6, 2011 · 17 Comments
TN Read-Along #12: <I>Gunn’s Golden Rules</I> Discussion Thread

I know it’s not Tim’s way to dish bitchy dirt — except that 1) he has an obligation to dish it because he obviously has access to the best and most comprehensive Project Runway dirt …

The Vine: October 5, 2011
October 5, 2011 · 36 Comments
The Vine: October 5, 2011

Dear Tomato Nation:
Small backstory. In 2000, a friend from college and I became more to each other as we both came out of the closet, post-college, moved in together and had a wedding ceremony …

Rays of Light: 2011 Division Series Open Thread
October 1, 2011 · 41 Comments
Rays of Light: 2011 Division Series Open Thread

It’s the moooooost wonderful tiiiiiiime of the…you know, I think I make that joke vis-a-vis baseball when pitchers and catchers report, too. And on Opening Day. Well, the hell with it. It’s true.
Welcome to your …