I think that the holidays feel like frozen noses. I love walking with the dog for long periods of time,

hopefully it's snowing and you've got to wrap up warm. So I think a frozen nose is

a sweaty armpit because like you're wrapped up so warm but then you're climbing hamps

to the teeth and you get to the top and you're like and then you can see the breath

but then your nose is still freezing to touch.

Joy in every sip with red cups now back at Starbucks.

Hey Michael Steel Podcast listeners, Michael Steel here with another quick take from the Michael

Steel Podcast. Check out what's going on right now. One of the things that I picked up in this book

very early on because I look for for things like this as a tell tell sign about the individual

that otherwise would may not be noticed in other narratives and it was really right in the pro

lock where you you talked about being you know a little bit of a reformer. You wanted to change the

way and I identify with that is the former chairman of a party that could use some reforms.

I identify with that narrative and that desire to look at what is and see to you again to what

you're saying the hopeful side the possibilities of what can be in terms of how even in the diplomatic

space we can improve upon these relationships in a way that in order to the benefit certainly of the

US but also to our allies and our opponents. How have you found how did you find reforming

the the process of diplomacy in your work particularly doing your two tours at Ukraine and having

to deal with Russia for example stimulating frustrating successful what I'm not sure we've actually

entered the period of reform. So I mean there have been changes changes on the margins but I think

that you're right the State Department needs to reform because we are essentially still a service

you know from the 1950s which was you know a white boys club either of us didn't and you know

the makeup of the families was different and I think you know a lot of personnel things need

...