How you feeling today? Happy, if a bit soggy from the night before, we hope. Take a deep breath, go for a walk. Smile at the sky. Love the one you’re with—or call them—they’ll appreciate it. Groove the joy.
Pretty amazing we’re all still here, though, all things considered, isn’t it? (Pardon me: I’ve been watching Season 2 of David Attenborough’s Prehistoric Planet on Apple+ TV.)
But what a year it’s been, in every way imaginable. The good, the bad, the ugly. More’s coming, for sure, especially in this fraught election year. In general, of course, we don’t do electoral politics: Here in 2024 you’ll read about the intel and security side of events—wherever the cards may fall.
Speaking of which, allow me to count our blessings for a sec. Thanks to you, we’ve had a banner year at SpyTalk: Subscriptions have doubled over the past 12 months; revenue spiked 70 percent. We now have readers in 183 countries and all 50 states, Substack tells me.
We’re especially thankful for that, given a year full of media crashes and downsizing. Maybe it’s because we keep our ambitions humble and closely moored to what we know best. And that seems to be what you’re looking for here.
And let me tell you where your subscription money goes: to the writers. With every new batch of paying customers, I can afford to pay our regular contributors more and welcome a wider range of new contributors to our pages, all of them veteran journalists, subject matter experts or former senior intelligence officials. They write with authority.
The numbers tell me it’s working—and that we’ve gained your trust, the coin of the realm in this business. So as Elvis said, thank you, thank you very much.
Have a great week. I just came down with a mild case of Covid-19—yep, it’s still around—be careful. So my offerings this next week may be limited. In any event, enjoy the rest of your holiday. I’ll catch you on the rebound.
Thanks, Jeff, for some wonderful pieces. And for that rockin’ Elvis clip👍
Thanks for a year of very interesting and enlightening information! Happy New Year, Jeff. Take care of that Covid bout. You’re the best!