In this strangest of years, I've decided to mix things up a bit.

Every year, in December, right before I shut things down to accommodate some holiday

travel and to tie off the year just past with a bit of a bow, I released my favorite

episode that I did during the previous 12 months.

This year I've decided not to wait.

Now it may well be that the next three episodes I'll be releasing here in 2020 are in fact

better than the one you're about to hear.

I'm ever the optimist.

Any one of them could well become my actual favorite, but I am certain that I will not

regret the choice.

I released this one now for two reasons.

First, to kind of pull the curtain back a little bit.

I'll be totally honest with you.

I have found these past two weeks around the US election utterly exhausting.

I found every attempt to write my way through it and deliver something that feels it all

relevant to me in these strange days to be kind of a fool's errand.

And rather than give you something half-hearted, I have simply decided to take a breath and

I hope you don't mind.

I will be back to you with a new episode in a couple of weeks, as usual.

But here's the real thing.

What's the reason why this moment has been so exhausting is directly related to the

story you're about to hear.

...