Ah, time to wash away the controversies of the day, week, month and year for a while. Let’s see if I can find a few non-blood-pressure waiting items to wrap up:

* At the New York Times, Simon Critchley offers some reminders from Dostoevsky about the relationship between freedom and faith.

* At Ten Miles Square, James Wimberley wishes for a New Year with greater and more evidence-based attention to the facts of climate change.

* At College Guide, Andrew Gelman wonders if Ivy League schools should just start admitting students randomly.

* At TNR, Jackson Lears offers historical insights about Christmas.

That’s all for today! We’ll have a couple of posts tomorrow, but generally hope for a peaceful holiday for those of every and no faith. Peace is a gift that can only be experienced when it’s available to all.

Selah.

Ed Kilgore

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.