If you missed it yesterday, in the midst of its digital-first redeployment, the Plain Dealer forgot to claim/reclaim the @PlainDealer handle on Twitter, so we registered it.

A representative from the PD — or was it Cleveland.com, or was it the Northeast Ohio Media Group — called us yesterday to politely ask for the account back while declining to acknowledge whether or not our stunt was funny (spoiler: they were not a fan). This would not be a free exchange nor a decision taken lightly.

We took the evening to consider our options and the perfect negotiation tactic.

This morning we decided the @PlainDealer account was worth a case of Great Lakes Oktoberfest and a six pack of PBR. The ransom call was made before lunch and just a few minutes ago two good folks from Cleveland.com showed up with the haul you see pictured to the right. We graciously handed over the password to @PlainDealer and thanked them for their prompt reply.

Thanks, Advance. We'll be enjoying these all afternoon.