Read from bottom-up to see the e-mail exchange I somehow restrained myself from having yesterday with the parent of a four-year-old at Scout's Montessori school:

 

Dear Ms. Thornbush—

Yesterday Brady walked up to Elizabeth and blasted her across the cheek in just the sort of unprovoked attack that has become his modus operandi at the Montessori Academy. We hope he does better at the military school we hopefully assume you're sending him to.

Thank you for taking him away,

The Murrays

 —— Forwarded Message
From: Evelyn Thornbush
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:11:44 -0500
Subject: Brady's last day at The Academy

It is with a heavy heart that I write this to let you know that Friday August 29th will be Brady's last day at the Montessori Academy.  

We have enjoyed being a part of the school community, and appreciate the friendship, support and learning environment that you provided for Asher and our family.  You are amazing teachers and families and we would very much like to keep in touch.

Mike, Evelyn, and Brady Thornbush

_________________________
 Evelyn Thornbush | Associate Strategist | Global Quantitative Management
Please visit northerntrust.com.

Researching an article on CEOs' letters in annual reports for an online newsletter called ContentWise, I came across a study by a Ken Hyland, from the City University of Hong Kong, intriguingly titled, "Exploring Corporate Rhetoric: Metadiscourse in the CEO's letter."

Communication pros who have written for CEOs will be amazed to read about what they do:

This article explores how CEOs attempt to influence readers and project a positive personal and corporate image in company annual reports. It examines the role of metadiscourse, as a manifestation of the writer's linguistic and rhetorical presence in a text, to show how CEOs use non-propositional material to realize rational, credible, and affective appeals. … Metadiscourse allows CEOs to control the information they provide by using expressions that organize and evaluate that information in order to direct readers how they should understand and appraise the subject matter. … The study suggests a descriptive framework for metadiscourse in business communication and points to the need for a rhetorical awareness of this persuasive genre.

And you thought you were just hacking out some jive to fill the space.

Reading Vibe in case I want to write more for them after they took my Jesse Jackson piece last month, I picked up some nice new language that I can use in my own life, like Lil Mama's remark about why people hate on her so much: "I'm too 'hood for the good and too good for the 'hood." (Not to mention Yung Berg's explanation of why he produces his own music: "I've got to ride my own dick.")

Now I've contracted with Roadracing World to cover a vintage motorcycle race in Birmingham, Ala. in October. I'm leafing through a sample issue of that fine magazine to get a sense of the style.

The news items are … on the grisly side:

"Surgery to reconstruct racer Lee Acree's left lower leg and restore blood supply using an artery and tissue transplanted from his abdomen was successfully completed June 21 …. John Hokins underwent successful surgery July 7 to repair damage ot his fractured ankle, leg and knee  …. The family of the late teen racer Connor La France is planning a memorial 5K Run/Walk …. La France, 14, died after a crash at Barber Motorsports Park ….."

… in Birmingham, Ala.

I'm starting to question the wisdom of my "trackside" campsite.