Andrew Hacker | NYRB | 21 December 2012 On big data, probability, Wall Street, Nate Silver, and Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Life gets less predictable, even as our analytical methods improve, because the complexity of our society grows faster than our analytics do Comments John Branch | NYT | 20 December 2012 Account of deadly avalanche in Washington state earlier this year that enveloped a group of expert skiers. This is part one of what's a long, compelling narrative Comments John McDermott | FT | 21 December 2012 “What I would like to vote for is a candidate that is socially liberal, a fiscal conservative, broadly libertarian with a small ‘l’, but sensible and pragmatic, and with a chance of winning. That’s more or less the empty set” Comments Jonathan Freedland | Guardian | 21 December 2012 The US Constitution is both a treasure and a curse. Any policy proposal, whatever its merits, must be proven compatible with the views of a group of 18th-century politicians whose words are revered almost as those of deities Comments Daniel Davies | Crooked Timber | 21 December 2012 Christmas parable. "As I grow older, I must admit, the prospect of Canada seems comforting and spiritually enriching rather than irritating. My wife is a firm believer in Canada and insisted on bringing up the children as believers" Comments Ben Schott | NYT | 23 December 2012 Guide to sommelier's jargon — as applied to both wines and customers. A "whale" or "baller" buys thousand-dollar bottles. An "extra big baller" spends more than $100,000 in the course of an evening. A "cork dork" is a wine geek Comments | 
