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Daily Bafflements

• Today in Billionaires: a 2011 Escalade drove through the New Jersey home of billionaire Peter Kellogg on Monday, through the center hall, into the living room, and out into the back yard, according to NJ.com. An unnamed 26-year-old driver and 56-year-old passenger only suffered minor injuries. Most mysteriously, when reached by phone by a reporter, Kellogg said he didn’t know who the driver was, but wished the reporter a Merry Christmas.

• Yes, the origins of the idea of a “meritocracy” are literally a joke. (Via Andrew Simone and Rusty Foster.)

• Well, my stars, the New York Times may have lost theirs, but BuzzFeed is hiring an honest-to-gosh labor reporter (as well as a frankly shocking number of other staff members). (Via Zeynep Tufekci.)

• Merry Cynical Christmas! Head over to the Des Moines Register to find out which Bible verse each Republican presidential hopeful chose for his holiday card to send out to Iowa voters. (Isaiah 55:12 for Chris Christie, Psalm 13:5 for Ted Cruz….)