Go Fly A Kite. Boehner Letter, Frank and Ernest
A friend forwarded this:

I’d
never known that kite flying could be so graceful (thanks also to beautiful
camera work). If you’re in a rush, you don’t have to watch all 5+
minutes of it, though I was glad I did: he continues to introduce new
touches, and ends it very nicely. This man (Ray Bethell), a resident of
Vancouver, B. C., is apparently one of the most famous kite flyers in
the world.

John Boehner didn’t
really write this holiday letter, but I wish he had.

A history of end-of-the-world
predictions, from The
Economist.

The
psychology of social networking.

Daniel Dern writes:
Still freshly funny, after all these years (now done by Tom

Thaves, son of creator Bob Thaves). 
E.g. today’s, http://www.gocomics.com/frankandernest/2012/12/21

Also, per http://frankandernest.com/faq.html
lots of interesting

facts about the strip, e.g.

* First translation of syndicated comic strip characters to 3-D format.

* First availability of an interactive version of a strip first
published in the newspaper.

* First searchable database of syndicated cartoons.

Political Briefs:

• Al
  Qaeda Disbands; Says Job of Destroying U.S. Economy Now in Congress’s
  Hands

Dan Grobstein File

• Awesome
  Kwanzaa: A Made-Up Holiday for a Made-Up Country
• The
  Whole Nine Yards: Derivation
• The N.R.A.
  at the Bench – NYTimes.com
  

  By LINDA
  GREENHOUSE

  The
  National Rifle Association has taken an increasingly active role in
  judicial nominations.

• College costs
  way too much. Our tuition was much more reasonable. How can you learn
  to the vest if your ability and work? Crushing debt does keep the
  proles in line though. The growing role of class in academic success
  has added to fears over evidence that suggests low-income Americans
  have lower chances of upward mobility than counterparts in Canada and
  Western Europe.
  NYTimes: For Poor
  Strivers, Leap to College Often Ends in a Hard Fall
• A
  Question From the Staff of the Mother Jones Irvine Bowl.When
  did newspapers start using sponsor names when referring to bowl games?
• Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin)
  12/28/12, 2:56 PM
  RIP journalism, 1605-2012 pic.twitter.com/Qfw13i52