It’s 1998, and time idles while I slog a public relations job.

The boss would spend more time away from than in the office and I, a recent journalism graduate, slummed alone through writing press releases.

The office remained silent, save for my pecks on the keyboard and the occasional drama of the fax machine. Fax lists for each of our clients included that number. On Sept. 24, the machine lit up, and it spit out a memo from Manpower, the quasi-employer.

It read, in part:

We wanted everybody to be aware of an incident that occurred today in the downtown Los Angeles office. A group came into the office when only the Service reps were present and indicated that they had permission from Home Office to film our operation. The group indicated they were from a television station and filming for a program hosted by Michael Moore.

The memo, dated Sept. 9 and just working its way to Michigan, went on to advise “Service reps” on how to handle such situations. “Keep in mind that we only look bad if we allow ourselves to be provoked,” it read. “Staff should not allow themselves to be bullied or intimidated into cooperating with such a group.”

The fax included tacked-on and related memos with a few different dates, representing comments added as the document worked its way around the company.

Moore’s avant populism appealed to me much more at the time, and I snatched the thin paper off the machine and stuffed it in my book bag.

Two days later, I emailed Moore through his Web site. Tia Lessen, as assistant at the time, emailed me back immediately to express interest. Moore himself emailed me before long, apparently quite eager.

Thank you so much for your e-mail. I was wondering how long it would take Manpower to catch onto what I was doing!

Would you please fax those three pages to me at my personal fax? No one will know about this correspondence between us. My fax number is [omitted].

I’ll stay in touch with you and let you know how we fare!

Thanks SO much for helping out.

BTW, we pay $700 for story ideas we use so that means I want to send you $700. How should I do this, keeping in mind the confidentiality concerns?

Take care,
Mike

I wrestled with it for a few days before making a decision I don’t think I’d make now, six years later. As I said, I was a recent graduate; that kind of money buys a lot of Ramen.

On Oct. 1, I walked into a Kinkos, document in hand, to fax Michael Moore. I waited nervously at the counter while the man waited for his machine to print a confirmation slip. I had included a brief note reminding Moore of our email exchange, and giving him my address so he could send a check.

That was the last I heard of Michael Moore - no check, no thanks, no nothing.

Not that I’m angry about it, or hold him in vile esteem. Moore has his place; I appreciate him in the same way I do the populist lean of Mother Jones or the stodgy English conservatism of The Economist. I know the information sources, and their strengths and weaknesses. I know what I’m getting from each source.

And I know, after six years, I’m probably not getting my $700 from Michael Moore.