private MetaList<DirectMessage> getDirectsFromTwitter(boolean fromDbOnly) {
    MetaList<DirectMessage> messages;

    long last = tdb.getLastRead(account.getId(), -2);
    Paging paging = new Paging();
    if (last > -1) paging.setSinceId(last);

    messages = th.getDirectMessages(fromDbOnly, paging);
    directs = messages.getList();

    return messages;
  }