By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Dec 04, 2012 at 4:14 PM

With Christmas three weeks away, today the mailman played Santa and brought an early gift from a reader.

It's a long slog, reading every single talkback posted to OnMilwaukee.com. I support the reader feedback feature on our articles – it's an important part of building an online community – but having to approve each comment means looking at a whole lot of smack talk, because when they can post talkbacks anonymously, folks will say just about anything.

So, when I got a letter from a reader today thanking us for what we do at our jobs, it was nice. Everybody loves – and deserves – getting a letter like this one.

"The staff at OnMilwaukee does a wonderful job each week, and the effort is really appreciated," our fan wrote.

"For people like me who are just looking for a new adventure, you've always got something fun and exciting for us to check out."

No one really does a job to get kudos, but when kudos do come, especially completely out of the blue, they can give you a jolt of energy.

Thank you, dear reader, for making my day.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.