After firing off the spoiler horn at 1:27:12, your hosts enter the Spoiler Slot to talk about a remarkable documentary called "The Barkley Marathons."

This week kicks off with some talk about a recent Holiday Party and a rumination from Merlin on why people like podcasts. Quick follow-up on kids and passwords yields to a resigned shrug about the seemingly impossible epistemology of children’s anecdotes. John worries about Merlin’s office and offers some new notes on his pronunciation.

This leads to an unintentional mini-topic on kids’ toys. John’s wife has found a new way to buy toys, and Merlin makes the case for the raw power of Lady Train. Quick ideas for charitable giving are shared, and the phenomenon of the Very Special Episode is discussed.

Merlin wonders if people have always been so tribal, and John has a theory. John, perhaps unsurprisingly, does not trust machines to do his blocking for him.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 19, 2017.)

The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held in Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee. Runners may elect a "fun run" of 60 miles (97 km) or the full course of 100 miles (160 km) (distances are approximate). The race is limited to a 60-hour period, and takes place in late March or early April of each year.

The world's top ultrarunners fight to compete in the Barkley Marathons, an ever-shifting race designed by a madman to break their spirits through 100 miles of hellish Appalachian mountains. So far, only 14 people have completed it.

This week's challenge: have a Holiday Party.

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