Punctuation Saves Lives!

Punctuation Saves Lives! Punctuation Saves Lives! Punctuation Saves Lives! By Daniel Scocco Its Saturday, so instead of our usual writing tip well have some fun. The image below appeared on Deborah Ngs Google+ (Googles social network) stream yesterday. Nice huh? For those who cant see the image, the first line says: Lets eat grandma!. The second line says: Lets eat, grandma!. And the conclusion: Punctuation saves lives!. If you have similar images about the English language and want to see them featured on the blog you can send them to info@dailywritingtips.com. We might make this a regular column. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Quiet or Quite?

Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha Located about midway between Cape Town, South Africa and Buenos Aires, Argentina lies what is often referred to as the worlds most remote inhabited island - Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha is the primary island of the Tristan da Cunha island group, consisting of six islands at approximately 37Â °15 South, 12Â °30 West. Thats about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) west of South Africa in the South Atlantic Ocean. The other five islands in the Tristan da Cunha group are uninhabited, save for a manned meteorological station on the southernmost island of Gough. In addition to Gough, located 230 miles SSE of Tristan da Cunha, the chain includes Inaccessible at 20 miles (32 km) WSW, Nightingale 12 miles (19 km) SE, and Middle and Stoltenhoff islands - both just off the coast of Nightingale. The total area for all six islands amounts to a mere 52 mi2 (135 km2). The Tristan da Cunha islands are administered as part of the United Kingdoms colony of Saint Helena (1180 miles or 1900 km to the north of Tristan da Cunha). The circular island of Tristan da Cunha is approximately 6 miles (10 km) wide with a total area of 38 mi2 (98 km2) and a coastline of 21 miles. The island group lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and was created by volcanic activity. Queen Marys Peak (6760 feet or 2060 meters) on Tristan da Cunha is an active volcano that last erupted in 1961, causing the evacuation of Tristan da Cunhas residents. Today, just under 300 people call Tristan da Cunha home. They live in the settlement known as Edinburgh that lies on the flat plain on the north side of the island. The settlement was named in honor of Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, upon his visit to the island in 1867. Tristan da Cunha was named for Portuguese sailor Tristao da Cunha who discovered the islands in 1506 and although he was unable to land (the island of Tristan da Cunha is surrounded by 1000-2000 foot/300-600 meter cliffs), he named the islands after himself. The first inhabitant of Tristan da Cunha was American Jonathan Lambert of Salem, Massachusetts who arrived in 1810 and renamed the islands the Islands of Refreshment. Unfortunately, Lambert drowned in 1812. In 1816 the United Kingdom claimed and began to settle the islands. A handful of people were joined by the occasional shipwreck survivor over the next few decades and in 1856 the islands population was 71. However, the next year starvation caused many to flee leaving a population of 28 on Tristan da Cunha. The islands population fluctuated and eventually rose to 268 before the island was evacuated during the eruption of 1961. The evacuees went to England where some died due to the harsh winters and some women married British men. In 1963, almost all of the evacuees returned since the island was safe. However, having tasted the life of the United Kingdom, 35 left Tristan da Cunha for Europe in 1966. Since the 1960s, the population swelled to 296 in 1987. The 296 English-speaking residents of Tristan da Cunha share a mere seven surnames - most of the families have a history of being on the island since the early years of settlement. Today, Tristan da Cunha includes a school, hospital, post office, museum, and a crayfish canning factory. The issuance of postage stamps is a major source of revenue for the island. The self-supporting residents fish, raise livestock, make handicrafts, and grow potatoes. The island is visited annually by RMS St. Helena and more regularly by fishing vessels. There is no airport or landing field on the island. Species not found anywhere else in the world inhabit the island chain. Queen Marys Peak is shrouded by clouds most of the year and snow covers its peak in the winter. The island receives an average of 66 inches (1.67 meters) of rain each year.

Comparison of the Role and Powers of the OMB to the CBO Essay

Comparison of the Role and Powers of the OMB to the CBO - Essay Example The conclusions made by CBO are generally not challenged though many scrutinies are done. Therefore, the services of CBO can be categorized into four areas. Firstly is helping the congress formulate a budget plan. Secondly is to help the budget process stay in the plan. Thirdly is to help assess the impact of federal mandates. Finally contributes to consider issues related to economic policy and budget. The office is purely analytical and is not involved in bill writing, conduct audits, enforce budget rules, or implement regulations (Dewhirst & Rausch, 2007). The overlap of CBO and OMB Both OMB and CBO are involved in scoring legislation costs. This includes the appropriation and direct spending included in authorization bills. Budget committees have the responsibility for determining the scoring effects of legislation for enforcement by congress. However, the budget committees rely on CBO estimate during congressional consideration of individual bill so that consistency with the budget resolution is achieved. The President utilizes estimates of OMB to determine the cost of budget-related legislation. OMB explains the differences or reconciles the two sets of discretionary estimates. The difference between OMB and CBO The difference between OMB and CBO lies on their roles and powers. The CBO is a legislative agency that is involved in advising the congress on the general budget matters. The first and foremost agency that is accountable to congress specifically the Budget Committees.

Federal regulations and federal agencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Federal regulations and federal agencies - Essay Example Banerjee (2009) explains that despite research being the basis of the industry’s product development, pharmaceutical companies still spend more than twice on marketing as much as they spend on research and development. This establishes a motivation into ethical manners such as corporate social responsibility that is likely to develop associations with consumers and establish a competitive edge into profitability. Consumers would appreciate the responsible initiatives and prefer organizations’ products for their social actions and increased sales volume, into higher profits, over competitors would be the consequence. The fear possible and unfavorable legal regulations should organizations fail to act ethically is another reason for my belief that pharmaceutical company would consider ethical manners, even in the absence of legal rules. Legal regulations may induce mandatory cost of compliance that would otherwise be avoided. Failure to comply with legal regulations, even if it is accidental, may attract monetary policies, unlike failure to comply with moral rules and in order to avoid possibility of such fines and possible deregistration, pharmaceutical companies would prefer to operate ethically (Lamb, Hair, and McDaniel, 2011). Profit motive and the need to avoid legal regulation would therefore dictate ethical

The Resistivity of Wires Essay Example for Free

The Resistivity of Wires Essay Introduction Anthony Gullan Physics Coursework An Investigation to Find the Resistivity of Wires The Experiment The experiment that was used to obtain the results was very simple. The voltage and current were measured whilst varying the length of wire. The results for voltage and current were recorded along with the diameter of the wire. This allowed for a range of other values to be calculated, including cross-sectional area and resistivity. image00. png. The Equipment A power supply A voltmeter and an Ammeter A jockey A micrometer A 1 meter ruler Wire Connecting cables What is Resistivity? The resistance of a conductor depends on three factors: The material The size of material (eg length) The temperature The equation for Resistance is: R = ? l A In this equation the constant is called resistivity, ?. This is governed by the nature of the material and is affected by temperature. Resistivity varies for different materials, but stays constant for a given material. Below is a table illustrating a few materials resistivity. The equation for resistivity therefore is: ? = RA L The units for resistivity are ? m (ohm-metres). Conductivity The opposite of resistivity is conductivity. This can be calculated by using this formula: ? = 1/? The units are ? -1m-1. Predictions I think that the results that I work out will show these patterns: As the length increases the resistance will also increase – there is more wire resulting in more energy needed for the same results As the Cross-Sectional Area increases the resistance will decrease – the wire is ‘wider’ resulting in more electrons being able to flow at any one timeThis graph is a straight diagonal line. This shows that Resistance and Length are directly proportional. In other words if one value increases by a certain amount then the other value will increase by a proportional amount. Although in this experiment there are a few anomalies, caused either by technical problems or through human error, this graph shows a strong picture of the relationship between length and resistance of a wire. Resistance against Area and 1/Area Resistance (? ) o start with I will analyse Resistance against 1/Area. This graph shows that the cross-sectional area and the resistance of a wire are inversely proportional. At first the shape of the graph suggests that the two values are directly proportional. However, as the area is displayed as 1/area this makes it inversely proportional. This is because the equation for something that is inversely proportional is: A ? 1/B, or in this case Resistance ? 1/Area read more. Conclusion From the data I have made three observations: The length of the wire has a proportional effect on the resistance of the wire The cross-sectional are is inversely proportional to the resistance of the wire The length of the wire divided by the area of the wire and the resistance of a wire are proportional. Having plotted a graph of these values the resistivity of the wire can be found out by calculating the gradient of the line. These observations can also be written as: R ? L R ? 1/A ? = RA/L Evaluation I think that the results that were obtained were good. There were a few anomalies in the graph, however these did not seem to affect the calculations too much. The graphs that I could produce with the data showed how each aspect was related to the others. The experiment used to calculate the results could have been better. For example, more readings could have been taken – i. e. every 5cm. However with the data I was given it was possible to show the relations between resistance, length, cross-sectional area and resistivity. read more. This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section. Found what youre looking for? Start learning 29% faster today 150,000+ documents available Just ? 6. 99 a month Get Full Access Now or Learn more Not the one?

I and Thou Essay -- Essays Papers

I and Thou What exactly is a soul mate? What does this mean, and how do we know if we have found the one we are supposed to live with for the rest of our lives? Is it an instant feeling that you have for another, or is it an instant response and action you have with another? Martin Buber spent much of his life determining questions such as this, yet in a more concise manner. Buber focused on the relationship of man with man and what it ought to be, or perhaps could be. "The relation can obtain even if the human being to whom I say You does not hear it in his experience. For You is more than It knows. No deception reaches this far: here is the cradle of actual life" ( Buber, 1970, p.59). This quote comes from Martin Buber's book I and Thou and is, in essence, connected to his Theory of Dialogue. In class we briefly went over Buber's definition of dialogue and his explanations of an I-Thou dialogue versus an I-It monologue. However, Buber's Theory of Dialogue is the foundation of his theory of hu man existence. intimacy. The I-Thou dialogue is the definition of intimacy. In this paper I will be addressing Buber's Theory of Dialogue and the applications his theory has on every human being's intimate relationships. I will apply Buber's theory to my personal situation and critique the theory's strengths and weaknesses. I will also explain how this theory relates to humanistic and scientific standards, and ultimately explain the significance of Buber's theory. First, it is necessary to receive some sort of comprehension on the different dimensions of Buber's theory. There are two main dimensions that Buber writes about. The preferable relationship, according to Buber, is the I-Thou relationship. Yet, in order to have the I-Thou rel... ... to be this way: that is what choice is for. All in all, I respect Buber's theories and hope to live up to them the best way that I can. I would like to end with a simple quote from Buber (1970) that, I feel, is inspirational considering the argued difficulties of his theories: Believe in the simple of magic of life, in service in the universe, and it will dawn on you what this waiting, peering, 'stretching of the neck' of the creature means. Every word must falsify; but look, thing beings live around you, and no matter which one you approach you always reach Being ... all actual life is encounter (p.67). References Buber, M. (1970). I and Thou. (W. Kaufmann, Trans.). New York: Charles Scribners's Sons. (original work never published in U.S.: written in 1937) Friedman, M. (1960). Martin Buber, The Life of Dialogue. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Research Analysis: ‘Adult Drug Courts’

The General Accountability Office (GAO) did the study on Adult Drug Courts. GAO is an agency, operating independently and without any partisan agenda, that works for the U.S. Congress. Its role is to investigate how the federal government appropriates public revenue to aid Congress in deciding over approval of the budget allocation of the federal government and ensure the accountability of the federal government for approved budget allocation.The drug court programs that started in the latter part of the 1980s (GAO 1) comprise one area of budget allocation by the federal government. The purpose of the drug court programs is to prevent recidivism of inmates involved in drug-related crimes. This served as a solution to the exploding prison population and escalating costs to the criminal justice system.The federal government commenced awards or grants to these programs in 1994 through the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act.By September of 2004, there were already 1,200 progra ms established in the different states and 500 more programs are in the planning stage. (GAO 1) GAO conducted the study to determine the achievement of the purpose of the federal awards by considering the outcomes of drug court programs as mandated by the appropriations authorization law for the Department of Justice (GAO 2).The independent and non-partisan character of GAO as well as conducting the evaluations based on a legal mandate contributed to the objectivity of the results.What was the study about?The study is a systematic evaluation of previous researches done on drug court programs. GAO initially selected 117 studies assessing drug court programs conducted between May 1997 and January 2004 that made reports on recidivism, relapse of drug use, and outcomes of program completion (GAO 2). Of this number, GAO selected 27 studies that compared a group undergoing the drug court program and a group not part of any drug court program.Five of the 27 studies were experiments with an experimental and control groups with members assigned at random. The 27 studies covered 39 drug court programs for adults. (GAO 9-10) The aim of the GAO evaluation was to obtain systematically information on drug court programs, specifically the components of drug court programs, the outcomes of these programs, and costs of these programs.The evaluation also conducted a cost-benefit analysis of 8 studies providing information on costs and benefits. Four of the 8 studies even enabled the determination of net benefits. (GAO 9-10)To augment the evaluation of studies on drug court programs, GAO also interviewed key respondents from three government agencies with direct involvement in the implementation of the drug court programs, including the Department of Justice, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Office of National Drug Control Policy (GAO 3).The combined evaluations and interviews supported conclusions based on multiple perspectives of the effectiveness of drug court programs t o aid legislative decision-making.What is the time-period of the study?The evaluation commenced in October 2003 and concluded in February 2005 in compliance with auditing standards (GAO 3). Although the research process involved a period of 1 year and 4 months, the study is a cross-sectional study because the focus is results over a given period, specifically studies done between May 1997 and January 2004 and interviews over the operations of drug court programs during the same period.The evaluation did not intend to trace developments in drug court programs or study specific individuals involved in drug court programs over an extended period. Doing cross-sectional study allows the comparative and collative evaluation of studies on drug court programs. However, this also creates the limitation of the results by not covering developmental issues or problems emerging from the programs.What is the research design of the study (planning)?The research design employed in the evaluative st udy is the mixed methods research that integrates both quantitative and qualitative aspects to derive better results when compared to using only one aspect or the other. The mixed method research requires the derivation of both quantitative and qualitative data and integrative analysis of both types of data.The study by GAO collected quantitative data by using statistical analysis of the data derived from the 27 studies. The presentation of results was through comparative and summative tables. It also derived qualitative data based on the results of the 27 studies and interviews with three government agencies (GAO 3) directly involved in the implementation of the programs. The presentation of results was through tables and text discussions.The planning of the evaluative study by GAO involved secondary research and interviews as data collection techniques. Secondary research is a three-stage process. First stage is searching for studies on drug court programs from research databases using key words such as drug court program and recidivism as well as drug court websites of research institutions or organizations that are likely to have made studies on drug court programs.GAO also considered previous studies it made on drug court programs. It also requested for drug court studies from research agencies. Second stage is review of the studies found to determine those that qualify for its criteria of study coverage including recidivism, drug use, and program completion.Third stage is in-depth review to determine the studies that employed group comparison methods such as those using experiment and control groups in experiment and quasi-experiments, which employed either historical comparison group or contemporaneous comparison group (GAO 17). The studies selected also employed a number of statistical methods to address individual differences and allow for comparison and collation as well as address selection bias (GAO 19).Interviews with three agencies yielded backgr ound information on the drug court programs including the characteristics of the drug court programs and the participants of these programs. (GAO 9-10) The analytical techniques also combined statistical with document or text analysis.The combination of data collection methods and use of multiple analyses addressed selection bias arising from differences in the methodological approaches of the studies evaluated and derivation of as much information as available to support generalizations.What are the results of the study?The results of the study had strong and weak points. These showed reduction in recidivism during the course of the program, lower percentage of re-arrests or re-convictions for participants of the program relative to non-participants, there was also relatively lower re-arrests or re-conviction across program participants, recidivism reduction was uniform regardless of the severity of the drug-related offence.However, there was no conclusive data to support the link between specific characteristics of the program to within-program recidivism. Recidivism rates within one-year after program completion were similar with recidivism during the program to indicate maintained low level of recidivism. (GAO 5-6) However, this only covers the immediate year following program completion.Data on drug use during the program was inconclusive. Drug tests showed a decline but self-reported use indicated no change (GAO 6). This could be due to the limitation of drug testing as the means of determining drug use within the program. This could also be due to methodological issues such as insufficient data or lack of comparative measures.Completion rates that depended on compliance with activities and responsibilities varied between 27 to 66 percent. Factors such as age and severity of offence are explanations of the variance in completion rates with older participants more inclined to complete the program. (GAO 6) There were no definitive explanations for the vari ance in completion rates.Cost benefit analysis showed a greater cost per individual program participant when compared to cost per individual non-participant of the program. Results of four studies covering seven drug court programs indicated net benefits because of the decline in recidivism that meant decline in costs to the judicial system and avoidance of costs to potential victims of recidivism.Nevertheless, these did not consider indirect benefits. Only two drug court programs reported actual data on cost savings of the criminal justice system. (GAO 6-7) More data is necessary to support generalizations on the comparative costs and benefits of drug court programs.What are opinions of the study?The study holds beneficial value but it also has limitations. Its beneficial value comes from providing an overview of the state of knowledge over the effectiveness of drug court programs. Decline in recidivism, at least during the program and one-year immediately following program complet ion, reflected the extent of effectiveness of drug court programs.Some of the drug court programs also led to financial net benefits. This implies the contribution of the drug court programs in lowering drug-related recidivism. As such, Congress could decide to continue approving federal appropriations to drug court programs.However, the study also has limitations as a preliminary study that requires follow-ups. The use of secondary research meant that data relied on the results of existing studies, which is not sufficient to inform on the overall effectiveness of drug court programs.The use of interviews provided characteristics of the drug court programs and the participants but was underutilized. The interviews could have yielded more data such as on implementation issues, best practice, areas for improvement, and other pertinent information to support the evaluation.Work CitedGovernment Accountability Office (GAO). Adult Drug Courts: Evidence Indicates RecidivismReductions and M ixed Results for Other Outcomes. Washington, DC: GAO,

Of Mice And Men: Symbolism Essay

In the novel, of mice and men, theer was symbolizm throughout the story. In the beginning of the novel the stting was perfect, like â€Å"The Garden of Eden†. LIke in â€Å"The Garden of Eden† there was a snake, and in this novel it slipped across the water sggestin possible evil to come. The rabbits on the other hand symoloized Lenny’s joy and goodness, and formed the bases of his dreams. In the beginning Of Mice and Men, the story began looking like a perfect world. The author describes the setting as a wonderful place where â€Å"willows fresh and green with every spring: .(p.1) the perfect world resembles : The garden of Eden†, how everything was in place and the surroundin was in paradise.† ON the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie †¦.among them†.(p.1) It was a wonderful place to be, because the setting is peaceful and no evil or wrond doing is happening. The snimals do not live in fear because the setting is perfect and it sounds accomadating to everyone and everything. All thought the setting was perfect in the beginning, there must be evil to come. As the snake was in â€Å"The garden of Eden† as a form of evil, there should be a form of evil to come further in the story. Teh form of evin that appars in the setting is a snake. The snake also appeared in â€Å"The garden of Eden†, and if so tehre must be some sort of evil to come. When the snake slipped across the pool, it examined the scene like a submarine would when hunting down itz prey. The snake must of picked it’s target, like a submarine would. â€Å"a water snake alipped along on the pool, it’s head held up like a little periscope†.(p.7) And that someone that the snake targeted must have been Lenny, because he dies at the end of the story. As the snake slipped across the pool â€Å"the reeds jerked slightly in the current†. (p.7)When the snake moved across the pool and the reeds started to jerk, symbolizing the peaceful world being disrupted by an evil form. Moreover, the snake symbolizes evil and the negative energy in the story, but the dreams of rabbits and the farm, they symbolize good and bring positive energy to the story and Lenny’s mind. Teh rabbits in the story symbolize Lenny’s innocent side. They also are a positive enery in the story. When the setting was described in the  beginning, the rabbit appeared showing that they are a positive energy. â€Å"Rabbits comout of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening†.(p.1)Also the rabbits are a symbol of Lenny’s innocent side, because the rabbits do not mean to harm anyone but only are there to comfort Lenny’s caring side. The rabbits were also in Lenny’s dream of teh farm. All he wanted to do was to tend to the rabbits on the fam. â€Å"And I get to tend the rabbits†.(p.105)The dream of having a farm and rabbits was what drove Lenny in life. And when George would describe the farm again and again Lenny would become happy inside, and would picture the farm in his head. Nevertheless, Lenny’s dreams did not come true/was he dead at the end, of the story. In conclusion, symbolism is used throughout the whole story, And â€Å"The garden of Eden† was a perfect world and so was the setting until the snake appeared. The snake was a form of evil and he disrpted the setting with his presence. The dream of the farm and tending to the rabbits was a wonderful dream, where Lenny’s imagination would go to when George told him of the farm.

170208- denature, enzyme , metabolism , substrate Essays - Chemistry

170208- denature, enzyme , metabolism , substrate Essays - Chemistry 170208- denature, enzyme , metabolism , substrate , synthesis list three food stuffs humans have used to prepare Cells at work Living cells Although different cells carry out different specialized functions, the same basic processes are carried out by cells. They must obtain nutrients, manufacture materials for growth and repair, provide energy for movement and metabolism and eliminate wastes. The activities of cells require a variety of biological molecules to be produced and assembled into new organelles or used for repair. Specific proteins called enzymes catalyze and precisely regulate these processes and other processes such as respiration that keeps cells alive. Enzymes: biological catalysts -Catalyst: Substance that change the rate of a reaction (almost always by speeding it up) -Make a reaction take place more often -Are needed in small amounts and are neither reactants nor products -Do not change the direction of a reaction or the amount of the product -Can catalyse a reaction either way - most reversible Enzymes Acts as a catalyst for chemical reaction in the body, speeding up to 1 million times Are specific - each enzyme catalyses only one type of reaction The substrate with which an enzyme catalyses only one type of reaction The substrate with which an enzyme acts has a shape that fits with enzymes active site - LOCK_AND_KEY MECHANISM 38798553467000Recent evidence INDUCED_FIT MECHANISM - interaction with substrate and enzyme, changes shape to make good fit Rate of enzyme action and temperature 0-63500pH changes in pH may not only effect the shape of an enzyme but it may also change the shape or charge properties of the substance so that either the substrate cannot bind to the active site.

The Lost Art of Effective Procrastination

The Lost Art of Effective Procrastination Amending My Ways A couple of weeks ago, my assistant Jeanne requested that I stop sending her the copy for my blog articles on Sunday night or sometime on Monday, when I need her to publish it on Monday night. I’ve been writing my blogs on Sundays for 5 years, which worked fine when I was the one posting and distributing them. But now that another person’s schedule is at issue, I need to change my ways. This Friday, in an attempt to please Jeanne,  I squeezed  in my  blog in  the last minutes before heading  off to Breitenbush Hot Springs (near Portland, OR), where I had no  internet access (gasp) for 24 hours. Yup.  I left blog writing  to the last minute. I don’t procrastinate about a lot of work-related projects. In fact, I tend to err on the side of doing things right away so I don’t have to worry about them later! But in the case of my blog, I did so revel in a weekend of not knowing what I’d write about and being (mostly) at peace with that as Sunday night approached. So far, I have always thought of something to write about before deadline. I see the advantage of moving my deadline to Friday: I now don’t have the nagging thought, â€Å"I have to write my blog,† on my brain all weekend. But an early deadline has its challenges too. I have one more thing to fit into my work week, and pressure to think of something in what seems like less time. Procrastination Defined Procrastination, says Wikipedia, is â€Å"the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the ‘last minute’ before a deadline.† This form of procrastination can be destructive. People can get fired because they put important projects off until the last minute, often compromising quality- or missing deadlines altogether. But what about procrastinating on making decisions (and I don’t mean using the excuse â€Å"I’m still deciding the best way to proceed† to avoid starting a project!)? Whose Decision is it Anyway? As I shared in last week’s newsletter, I recently thought for too long about whether to sign up for coveted Forrest Yoga classes with the founder of the discipline, Ana Forrest, who was visiting Chicago. I noticed, while blithely  putting off  this decision, that there was something appealing about letting others make decisions for me. In this case, by the time I decided on purchasing the tickets, they were gone. I was forced to come up with Plan B, which was, ultimately, okay with me. My decision-making procrastination transferred to the decision of whether to fly to Portland for a week to check out the yoga scene there and to explore the area. I looked for friends to stay with before buying the ticket; that didn’t work. I almost let that make my decision for me, but persevered, finding an Airbnb spot that was perfectly situated. Then I decided if I couldn’t get my ticket for less than 50,000 miles I wouldn’t go. But the ticket stayed within my budget. So finally I booked my room and a rental car and hit â€Å"Purchase† on my plane ticket. Immediately fear set in. What was I doing? Why was I going to new city by myself with no real plan? Maybe I’d have a horrible time. Oh my, no wonder I took so long to make this decision. There was terror behind my procrastination. Putting the Pro in Procrastination I did not let my fear stop me, and by the first day I was enjoying a beautiful hike by some waterfalls and eating a delicious crepe at the Portland Farmer’s Market. I met two business contacts for very fruitful coffees and lunches (those I did plan a little bit ahead). But pretty much everything I did on my trip I decided to do at the last minute. Breitenbush Hot Springs is notoriously full at this time of year, but I called Thursday and got the last bed  available for the next night! I also managed to get an appointment with a bodyworker in Portland  10 minutes after I called to ask about availability. As a traveler, there’s not much difference between procrastination and spontaneity. Last-minute choices allow for a sense of adventure, which I truly enjoy when I’m on â€Å"vacation.† I ended up doing many things I would not have predicted because I did not plan ahead for every moment in Portland. To be sure, deciding things at the last minute requires a willingness to accept the consequences if things don’t work out as planned. I don’t recommend this tactic when other people (like your assistant) are depending on you, or when the consequences of letting circumstances make decisions for you are unacceptable. But when all that’s on the line is exactly what you’ll be doing for fun and adventure, why not go with the flow?

Formal Language Tests. The Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language Essay

Formal Language Tests. The Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language - Essay Example The CASL can be used on children as old as 3 and adults up to the ages of 21. It is mostly through the use of CASL that you get a clear picture of an individual’s language processing skills and his structural understanding thereby proving to be a useful tool for documenting development of an individual from a very early age all the way to his post secondary years. It also applies to a person with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) set up guidelines used for recognizing language impairment mostly because the CASL functions solely on age-based norms. The CASL consists of 15 tests all of which aim to effectively measure one’s language processing skills; these focusing primarily on comprehension, expression and retrieval. The structure is measured by division into four language categories; these being†Semantic or Lexical, Syntactic, Superliguistic and Pragmatic† (Carrow-Woolfolk, 1999).... is such that the most representative aspects of the language categories fall into the core measures whereas the supplementary aspect concentrates on providing additional information that aids in quantitative and qualitative evaluation. Also it is imperative to mention that for most CASL tests there are Descriptive Analysis Worksheets provided which enable an individual to focus on specific skill aspects for intervention. The Test Books that are provided are not only easy to use but aid the administration by serving as a fast and simple reference. The initial part of the book focuses on providing administration guidelines whereas the rest of it focuses on convenient record forms, which are for a range of ages (3-6 and 7–21). The sole purpose of the book is to provide ample room for an analysis for profiling, responses towards items, different scores and behavioral observations. The Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS; Carrow-Woolfolk, 1996) is different from a CASL in the wa y it is a theoretically based measure which is applied individually and aims to measure receptive and expressive language for little children as well as adults. It is a test that is administered using oral as well as written components for ages 3 to 21 years, however the written expression is mainly for ages 5 to 21. The test takes about 20 minutes to administer, and along with its overall score, the OWLS Written Expression gives percentages for nine special skills areas that are divided into three main planes; ‘Listening Comprehension ( LC), Oral Expression (OE), and Written Expression (WE)† (Carrow-Woolfolk, 1996, p. 33). While these scales are developed and form a part of the same evaluation, the oral language component, that is LC and OE, are put together in the same manual while the