The Mailbag

I'm beginning to agree with my brother's high school students — e-mail is a failed form of communication. They have all but abandoned it for text messaging. E-mail is useful for press releases, quick thanks yous, and telling me where I can pick up secret audiotapes.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe people can communicate effectively with email. Maybe the entire world is living in a constant state of rage and sarcasm.

After the Arnold tape story, I got this e-mail from a reader in Los Angeles:

I would like to commend you both for top notch reporting and your sincere journalistic approach to major news events. You remind me why I have a stack of used L.A. Times next to my toilet.... I am embarrassed to have your dismal newspaper represent our city. Please drop dead, along with your other Times cohorts. And tell your telemarketing department to stop calling me. I can only put up with so much phone sex per week.

Not that I mind! Please keep sending e-mails to politicalmuscle@latimes.com, so we can make this a regular feature. I'll make sure to read every one, and highlight the most sane.