Trader,
I agree with you entirely - too few of us give track miles anything like as often as we should. Personally, I try to on first call but it isn't always possible.
As for the speed - that was my pitiful attempt at sarcasm - all to often, we are vectoring you guys all aove the sky at 230kts, trying to arrange a sequence and the center keeps everyone else coming in behind at 300+ kts until the last possible second 'cos it means they don't have to do, as one of my colleagues puts it " some of that ATC ****"!!