Alright, that's it for me. See you in 2015. In the meantime, I wish you all happy holidays, however you may celebrate the festive season, as long as it's within reason, which pretty much rules out, you know, Christianity, but so be it. Enjoy the turkey. Drink some good wine. Spend quality time with your loved ones. And try not to focus too much on material consumption, conspicuous or otherwise.

Speaking of religion, over at my place: On Christians, atheists, and torture.

Human Voices: The "true meaning" of Christmas.

Ramona's Voices: The problem with "Merry Christmas" or else.

Taylor Marsh: The Paul-Rubio battle over Cuba.

The Mahablog: The new Irish uprising over water.

And if you want some music for the season: "The Reaction. (Twitter: @mjwstickings.)

Send requests and suggestions to mbru@crooksandliars.com (with "For MBRU" in the subject line).