Mike Daisey emailed me this morning right after I ripped off some unsolicited advice to him re his retelling of the ART protest story. I prefaced my remarks to him by saying " This is probably one of a zillion emails you're getting on this... "

A zillion may be a high guess, but I'm certain he's getting a bunch, a lot, a ton, a shitload. But he got right back to me. Maybe this is baggage from my newspaper reporting days, but I respect the hell out of someone who gets back to me in a timely fashion.

I had an exchange this morning with an old friend and editor of mine. I emailed him, and he got right back to me. And I emailed the gentleman from Jacksonville with a question. The gentleman from Jacksonville got right back to me.

Good men, all. Daisey, Michael Burke and the genius from Jacksonville, Terrance Michael Collins.

Michael Burke will appreciate this. Speaking of getting back. There was this DA in Springfield, Matthew Ryan. The single most intimidating bastard I've ever run into. I had a call into him one morning. Needed some quotes. Ryan knew how to play many games, including raquetball. That's not the only one he was good at. He knew our deadline was 11 am sharp. He called back. Right after deadline. After my story had been submitted to the editors.

So getting back to me has been important for years. But like a lot of things, it's all in the timing.