From the Newsroom
Could the eagles have flown Frodo into Mordor? — Sean Crist
My contention is that there is nothing in the text to rule out such a plan, and that it is simply a hole in the plot of an otherwise excellent book that the issue is never brought up. This is not to say that LoTR is in any way a bad book; it merely shows that even as excellent a writer as Tolkien does not always succeed at perfectly harmonizing the various entities which he has placed in his world.
Unnecessary Quotes — the "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks
We don't accept American Express. "Sorry."
One thing I have learned from running this blog, is that many, many people are not actually sorry for your inconvenience.
-Matt McNierney, Day Managing Editor
Sesame Street's Count von Count...Can't Count — Rebecca Rosen, The Atlantic
These sorts of numbers are so big they defy comprehension, not just for kids, but for the Count and grown-ups too. If the Count's miscount shows us anything, it's that there is a cause for celebration in the arbitrary milestones we hit -- whether we can wrap our minds around them or not.
-Claire Groden, Evening Managing Editor
Sequestered Development — Ellie Hall, BuzzFeed
And now, the story of a wealthy country that lost everything and the government that had no choice but to keep the nation together."Arrested Development"quotes help us understand the sequester.
A Day in the Life of a Freelance Journalist — Nate Thayer
From the Atlantic:
Thanks for responding. Maybe by the end of the week? 1,200 words? We unfortunately can’t pay you for it, but we do reach 13 million readers a month. I understand if that’s not a workable arrangement for you, I just wanted to see if you were interested.
Thanks so much again for your time. A great piece!
-Felicia Schwartz, Executive Editor
A Lunchroom Called Capitol Hill — Jennifer Steinhauer, The New York Times
When Republicans took over the House in 2010, one of their first moves was to end acomposting programstarted by the former speaker Nancy Pelosi, citing its high cost. The return of plastic foam and the jettisoning of compostable forks, which Republicans insisted could not stand up to aggressive salad fixings, presaged the next two years of deep divide.
Reading God's Mind — Frank Bruni, The New York Times
“You can twist the Bible any way you want,” Jeff told me, adding, “We overemphasize sexual morality, as if God puts a premium on what we do in the bedroom over what we do at the bank.”
'Man of Sorrows:' The Minister Who Helped a Woman Kidnap a Child — Andrew Harmon, The Atlantic
I asked him what he thought about the future of this country. "I expect it to decay and to disintegrate and to fragment and to decline," Ken replied, looking up and off to the right, as he did throughout much of his trial. "I appreciate our country very much. I appreciate the judicial system, even though I'm caught in it right now. But I don't expect too much out of this world anymore."
The No-Limits Job — Teddy Wayne, The New York Times
“I think she thought it made no sense,” Ms. Myers said. “You have to have a feeling that you’re doing something good for the world, and that’s hard to come up with in some jobs. If you’re a doctor or lawyer, or even in finance, you can justify it. But if you’re in fashion, it’s like, ‘Oh, boy, who cares?’”
-Leslie Ye, Dartbeat Editor
Please Do Not Chillax— Simon Akam, Slate
I am appalled byBridezillas. I should make it clear that I have never seen an episode of the reality show. I hateBridezillasfor one simple reason:Bridedoes not rhyme withgod. Ergo,Bridezillasis not a functioning pun.
Brookings wants to revamp the federal budget. Here are its 11 best ideas. — Dylan Matthews, Wonkblog (The Washington Post)
Paper:“Transitioning to Bundled Payments in Medicare”
Authors:Michael Chernow (Harvard) and Dana Goldman (USC).
What it proposes:Currently, Medicare compensates doctors per service provided. Chernow and Goldman would change that and have it establish a budget for each provider, with which those providers can care for Medicare beneficiaries. This would reduce provider incentives to provide unnecessary treatment and save $100 billion over 10 years.
-Sharla Grass, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The End of the Yankees' Evil Empire — Rany Jazayerli, Grantland
For anyone who has watched baseball over the last two decades, it's nearly impossible to imagine the Yankees as a toothless franchise. But when you build around old, expensive players, the reckoning coming up in your side mirror is — like thedinosaur inJurassic Park— closer than it appears. (Just ask thePhillies.) So it's time to proclaim the truth that everyone has danced around so far this year: The Evil Emperor has no clothes. Even the Yankees are capable of down cycles. This looks like the start of one.
-Don Casler, Opinion Editor