Operations Management for the Construction of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Term Paper

Operations Management for the Construction of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital - Term Paper Example It has been found that this inefficiency can be attributable to the architects and contracting engineers who are responsible for the development of the construction plan including the type and quantity of materials to be used, the number of construction workers to be employed, and the duration of the project. Nevertheless, in many construction projects where quality has always been deliberately overlooked such that contractors make use of cheaper materials in order to earn more than to erect a high-quality facility, there is dire need to revamp the entire operations management in that the cause of this kind of unscrupulous approach may be detrimental to those who will use the facility at the end of the day. This paper will look at the case of the construction of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital and the kind of operations management needed to complete it economically while ensuring productivity and efficiency. In particular, this paper will talk about an important tool in operations management: Economics and Diseconomies of Scale†, which aims to contribute to solving problems involved in the construction phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital. ... Spreading the fixed costs, reducing construction cost, cutting cost of purchased materials, etc In the case of the construction of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, economies of scale can be a great tool in order to spread the fixed costs (Dixit and Baldick 8). When purchasing materials for the construction, the contractors can take advantage of buying construction materials in bulk or in large quantities such that the fixed cost per one kind of construction material will be distributed to the number of it that has to be purchased; the higher the quantity, the lower the cost for each material would be because for suppliers, the initial set up capital would just be the same regardless of the quantity of the material they have to produce; what these suppliers will have is a marginal extra cost. This is one of many reasons for company mergers or takeovers. Implementing this concept in the construction of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, it would be just as certain that the construction cost will be reduced. Obviously, as contractors obtain a good deal in construction materials by taking more quantity at a significantly lower cost would bend the â€Å"extra† budget more on perhaps improvisation of the facility or for the operating cost of the hospital once it becomes operational. Also, when variable cost is cut down, it automatically reduces the entire construction cost considering that the costs of the purchased materials are also cut back. Diseconomies of Scale Purchasing in large quantities does not always entail efficiency. There are cases wherein economies of scale no longer work for a construction operation such that instead of a sustained decrease in fixed cost with

Discuss ways in which Dickinson explores Essay Example for Free

Discuss ways in which Dickinson explores Essay The sense of the abstract covers a wide varity of ideas such as imagery and language. In ‘Going to Him! Happy letter’ Emily Dickinson explores these ideas of the abstract theme through her use of language. The sense of the abstract is explored through Dickinson’s method of thinking (unlike many of the people in the 1800’s) she was ahead of her time, writing about modern ideas in the 1800’s. Her poems never have a straight forward meaning, this is the abstract, concealing the meaning in her poems and thinking outside of the box. The abstract object in the poem also known as ‘494’ is the letter, which is referred to throughout the poem. Stanza one opens with ‘Going to Him! Happy letter! ’, immediately we see privacy in Dickinson’s poem, by using ‘Him’ we are left in the dark since we do not know who ‘Him’ is. This indicates that the poem is about a mysterious figure that she may or may not have feeling for. This creates obscurity around the abstract subject of the letter. The use of capitalizing ‘Him’ emphasizes the importance of this person, but still keeps the mystery alive, building up expectations. We know that the poem is about a letter; by including an exclamation mark after the word ‘letter! ’ makes it seem joyful, due to the context that it is in. However, the use of the exclamation marks also gives the feeling that the letter is being instructed to be happy; Emily Dickinson needs the letter to be cheerful when it is received in order for her true feeling to be realized. The exclamation marks can also be used in other contexts giving other feelings, such as, ‘Cautious! ’ by including this exclamation mark; the letter is made to seem vigilant. The imagery presented by the use of language adds to the sense of the abstract. In stanza one ‘Left the verb and the pronoun out’ shows how Emily Dickinson wants to say things to this mysterious person, but she is not giving away her true feelings and emotions or she is having trouble doing so. This relates to Emily Dickinson’s personal character, we know she was an extremely private woman who enjoyed her own company rather than others, which explains why she is having such difficulties showing her feelings. Throughout the poem there is repetition of the word, ‘Tell Him-‘followed by a dash, this indicates that Dickinson is building up expectations as well as anticipation. The word ‘Tell Him’ is also instructing the letter, assuring her message is received and understood. This links to the main idea in the poem, of being your own critic. Dickinson is constantly judging her own work, assuring that it can be the best it can be, so that when the letter is received, the message is given in the correct context. The use of dashes during the poem is indicating that Dickinson’s though process was changing a great pace, when reading the poem it seems as if the main idea drifts, which is the same as thoughts drifting in and out of our minds as we think. By using dashes when reading the poem the imagery is brought to life, because, the poem moves fast by changing topic, an example of the changing topic is, ‘But – if he ask where you are hid’. This also masks Dickinson’s true feelings towards this mysterious man, since we can never get her precise emotions. The sense of the abstract is enhanced by the personification of the letter, since the letter is the abstract idea. The poem is about Dickinson writing about the process of writing a letter, and by giving the letter feelings, brings to life the abstract idea. The letter is made to feel sleepy, a human sensation, shown by, ‘Any you – got sleepy’, which explains how as the letter progresses, it like a human becomes tired due to the amount of work it is having to do. The letter is again personified in stanza one, Dickinson expresses how she wishes the paper she is writing on had eyes, so that, it could see what she wants to say rather than she writes it, this is shown by the use of, ‘eyes in your pages’. The letter is personified throughout the poem adapting a personality; the amount of detail Dickinson includes in her letter brings to life the letter. This makes the poem seen as if there is a conversation between two separate people, (Emily Dickinson and the letter) Dickinson is asking whether her letter is good or not. The sense of the abstract is explored through what Emily Dickinson is trying to say. The letter is Dickinson’s feelings and thoughts. By writing a letter to a possible lover shows how difficult it can be to admit ones true mind-set and emotions. This is shows in stanza two when Dickinson explains that the letter was hard and different for her to write, ‘it wasn’t a Practiced Writer’. Since she does not write her emotions on paper, she believes that when the man reads her letter, her emotions will not be acknowledged in the way that she desires. The abstract theme is explored around the idea of the letter. This is through Dickinson’s method of attempting to write it in the correct context assuring it is received in the exact way she means it to be sent. The poem has modern day issues faced within it, such as, when writing an e-mail we hit the same problems, for example how will the recipient interpret the message? And will the message be taken in the wrong way? This is what the poems underlying meaning is about, sending a message (in this case a letter), and when writing it, thinking about how the message is received.

AIDS :: AIDS Essays

AIDS is the final, life-threatening stage of the infection with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiecy syndrome. The name refers to the fact that HIV severely damages the patient’s disease-fighting immune system. Cases of AIDS were first identified in 1981 in the United States, but scientists have traced cases to as early as 1959. Millions of AIDS cases have been diagnosed worldwide. HIV can be present in the body for 2 to 12 years without producing any outward signs of illness, yet there are definite symptoms. Infection with HIV appears to be lifelong in all that become infected. People infected with HIV eventually develop symptoms that also may be caused by other, less serious conditions. However, with HIV, these symptoms are prolonged and much more severe. They include enlarged lymph glands, tiredness, fever, loss of appetite and weight, diarrhea, yeast infections, and night sweats. HIV is commonly connected with a "wasting syndrome," which results in substantial weight loss, a general decline in health, and, in some cases, death. The virus also infects the nervous system. There, HIV may cause dementia, which is a condition characterized by sensory, thinking, and/or memory disorders. HIV infection of the brain may cause movement or coordination problems. HIV’s disruption of the immune system makes infected people susceptible to illnesses that are not normally serious. These diseases are called opportunistic illnesses because they take advantage of the damaged immune system. With the onset of several of these illnesses, an infected person is considered to have AIDS Researchers have identified three ways in which HIV is transmitted: sexual intercourse, direct contact with infected blood, and transmission from and infected mother to her fetus. The most common way of becoming infected in through sexual contact. In the United States, sexual transmission has occurred mainly among homosexual and bisexual men, but it is becoming more frequent among heterosexual men and women. HIV is transmitted through all forms of sexual intercourse, including genital, anal, and oral sex. Treatments have been developed, but cures for HIV and AIDS have not yet been found.

Political Culture Essay

Political culture is how many people define who they are and how they vote. The factors that can contribute to a regions political culture, define how the people in that region see themselves. Texas for example see themselves, for the most part, as a proud, tough, freedom loving people, who like their independence and their firearms. The political culture in Texas is geared toward traditionalistic and individualism, both wanting the government to stay out of the way, and also not to do much. The conservative roots in Texas are shown in Texas’s adoption as an amendment to the constitution establishing marriage as between a man and a woman. Texans also do not like the government to do much, it is for this reasons that the Texas senate is not in session except for 140 days, every other year. The state constitution, establishes that almost every office in the state is up for election. This unique effect of Texas political culture means that school boards are elected, judges are elected, and even our executive branch has been split up into seven different pieces, not just a Governor. The power of the executive was split due to the abuses of the governor put in place after the civil war Edmund J Davis. Davis’s administration was very centralized, giving the governor most of the power in the state. His abuse of this power led to the early Texas constitutional framers decisions to reduce the power of the office, and to put checks and balances on the offices. This is another of the unique effects that the Texas political culture has, the checks and balances they put in was to require public votes on amendments to the constitution. This has led to the primary issue with the political culture in Texas, voter apathy. Texas voters get to vote on so many things, that by the time the reach the end they are tired, and many people just turn to vote straight ticket voting, when the vote at all. This makes change in Texas politics very hard, if your current party is in favor, like the current Republican Party. Many people see Texas as a state that has deep republican roots. The vast majority of Texan governors have been Democrats; Texas has only been a republican state for the last fifteen years, the state has leaned more to the conservative side of politics, providing fertile ground for the Tea Party movement. Governor Rick Perry and the Tea Party have gained a lot of publicity in Texas. However with the shift towards urbanization, people tend to vote Democratic. The inclusion of the Latino population, the poorer areas of the state, and a population which is growing ever more progressive, is shifting the political culture of Texas. This can be seen as the major urban areas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio voted for the Democratic Party in the last presidential election.

Ideals and Values for 12th Century Medieval Aristocrats

Chrà ©tien de Troyes’ Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart, told a tale of a mighty knight. It has the air, to us, of fable. It was of fabrication as two cults of the time, courtly love and honor, dominated the story. These cults were parts of a set of medieval aristocratic ideals and values. Within this set, the cults had supportive notions of hospitality, oaths, service, and military prowess. Courtly love pushed the tale into existence when Lancelot stepped onto the cart and courtly love pushed the tale to completion with the death of Meleagant at the hands of Lancelot. Lancelot put into motion these actions. Lancelot’s love for Queen Guinevere bound him to honorable displays of his devotion to her.Chrà ©tien’s tale began with Meleagant’s appearance at King Arthur’s court at Camelot. He informed King Arthur that :â€Å"†¦King,If you have a single knightIn this court of yours you can trustTo take your queen to the woods,Where I’ll be goi ng when I’m finishedHere, then I’ll agreeTo let him have those prisonersI’ve got in my dungeons, providedHe can defeat me in battle,It being understoodThat possession of your queen is the prizeFor victory.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (lines 69-80).Those at court did not immediately secure the return of the Queen. She was gone. Chrà ©tien soon related how a knight (Lancelot) jumped into a cart driven by a dwarf. Those having committed criminal or despicable acts occupied such a cart in those days. Lancelot entered the cart since the dwarf promised to later reveal the whereabouts of the Queen. Chrà ©tian noted :†¦and the knightFollowed along behindFor several steps, not climbingRight up. But his hesitant shameWas wrong. †¦(360-364).This delay on the part of Lancelot came back to thwart his efforts when he had gotten the release of the Queen from her captor. She said :â€Å"Indeed? Didn’t the cartShame you the least little bit?You must have hesitated,For you lingered a good two steps.And that, you see, was my soleReason for ignoring your presence.†Ã‚   (4491-4496).This rigidity characterized the cult of honor as exemplified by Lancelot’s actions. If an affair of honor came about, then the knight must perform in the honorable way. Yet there were levels of honor as when Meleagant, described as a pitiless brave fool, subscribed to a higher honor of battling Lancelot at King Arthur’s court in a year’s time and agreed to forgo combat at an earlier time (3886-3895).Chrà ©tien saw that honor in service to love ignored common sense and reason. Reason did not include in its realm the working of the heart. Love had its way. For love’s commands, even shame endured. Deep in reflection, Lancelot had no defense against love. He did completely forget himself. An opponent challenged Lancelot three times before crossing a stream. The opponent struck Lancelot with Lancelot still in love’s command. The opponent ha d unfairly struck him. Lancelot wanted to avenge this disturbance of his revery (891-893). Outside revery he was in a fair enough way but his one and only heart he entrusted to some one else such that he was constrained in a special manner (1231-1248).   He found the Queen’s comb. It had strands of her hair and he was ecstatic:Touching them a hundred thousandTimes, caressing with his eves,His lips, his forehead, his face.And all of it brings him happiness,Fills him with the richest delight;He presses it into his breast,Slips it between his shirtAnd his heart – worth more than a wagon-Load of emeralds or diamonds, (1470-1478).Later, in traversing the sword bridge, the blade cut so as to maim him but the suffering was sweet since love led him on and relieved his pain (3115-3122). Still later a distraught Lancelot, thinking that the Queen is dead, attempted to kill himself by hanging himself from his saddle by means of his belt (4264-4268).Honor had its greatest demands made upon it by love but it spanned also military activity for which the knights were constantly prepared. In this preparation, a generous hospitality aided them that mostly included horses (284-289), beds (458-463), and food. For the first two, they had a choice. The mistress of a house offered Lancelot the house and the mistress of the house (938-949).Thus prepared, their military valor was a pledge, an oath, which they must uphold. A knight could be in the grip of another knight and not fight correctly; so the second knight asked to release the first knight. Then the second knight could recover his military equipment and they could then fight in the approved manner (839-852). The more honor gained in combat, the better. Accompanying a damsel involved an unspoken oath and was a very serious business since the knight was then responsible for her.A challenging knight could assault her with impunity if a challenging knight defeated the escorting knight (1304-1322). Mercy could be gr anted for the about to be vanquished but this usually entailed an oath be taken. The one who granted mercy redeemed this oath to their benefit. If one had an oath to carry out, then could not do it, there could be shame of a great dimension when another knight did the deed (4013-4019). Knights sometimes honored a pledge, for honor’s sake, even though it seemed not in the best interests of most of those involved as when Kay sought to have the Queen accompany him into the forest where a knight awaited :The king was upset, but his wordHad been given, and he could not revoke it,No matter how angry and sorrowfulIt made him (which was easy to see).The queen, too, was deeplyDispleased, and the whole palaceDenounced Kay’s pride and presumptionIn making such a demand. (179-186).Again, it could be a combatant who would not continue the fight if pledged by his lady to cease. Then the other knight must not force a continuance then and there by striking the one who no longer lifts a weapon. Meleagant, for example, struck Lancelot.   The Queen had requested Lancelot to stop fighting:  The king came hurrying downFrom the tower, to stop him. StraightTo the field of battle he went,Speaking these words to his son:â€Å"What’s this? You think it’s fineTo go on fighting, afterHe’s stopped? You act like a savage!† (3824-3831).The truth of the matter is that Lancelot only appeared to give up. In truth he was doing what his lady had requested of him. Later her captors said she was lying about bloodied sheets (4788-4798). This was a most grievous charge and so combat was called for. Holy relics came out and, on their knees, the parties involved did swear. Truth in other matters was another preoccupation of the aristocrats that Chrà ©tien wrote about. There were standards of truth against which the knights and others could measure their conduct. To seek death in ignorance was the action of a fool.   A fool too was one who does not truly humble oneself. A fool never lost his folly. Those nobles, not fools, did not need to seek praise to enhance their deeds and self praise did not increase one’s esteem. The madness of a fool had no cure:â€Å"Who do you think believes you?†Said the king. â€Å"All these peopleCan tell for themselves what’s trueAnd False. We know you’re lying.† (3841-3844).Far from the fool was the man as lover who was always obedient and gladly did his lover’s bidding in short order. He knew much about love and included in this knowledge was that honor done for love entailed no shame. Should something greatly go amiss, he would not fear death. Death desired those who were afraid of it (4283-4284).Before death there were dwarfs. Lancelot encountered two dwarfs in the tale. Neither one was up to any good. The first, described as a â€Å"Low-born and disgusting† dwarf (353) did lead Lancelot astray. The dwarf lied as to knowing the Queen’s whereab outs but did convince Lancelot to enter the cart. The other dwarf encountered Lancelot on Lancelot’s approach to the water bridge. The dwarf promised to take Lancelot to a special place (5081-5084). This dwarf also lied.No one said anything about what happened to the dwarfs. Presumably, they received a suitable fate for their unbecoming behavior. Perhaps death found them soon enough without their heads. It seemed that beheading was the surefire way to ensure that the one on their way out did indeed depart. Lancelot did battle with an enemy and after having vanquished him, a woman wants the opponent’s head. Lancelot obliges :One swing of the sword, the headWas off, and it and the bodyFell to the ground. And the girlWas happy†¦.(2927-2930).The headless one wronged her. Lancelot had already showed mercy to the opponent. Then again the opponent had pleaded for mercy. Then too the opponent had been most impertinent with Lancelot. So the upshot of this battle was the da msel was pleased and the opponent lost his head.Another beheading occurred at the end of the tale. Meleagant reflected on how it was that Lancelot had made his way to Camelot. Meleagant had thought he had locked Lancelot in a tower from which there could be no escape. He realized that he was a victim of trickery. He was ready for something worse than great shame and humiliation (6967-6969).   In his battle with Lancelot he lost his right arm. He felt badly since he then could not strike Lancelot. Then he was smashed in the face by Lancelot. Three teeth are broken in his mouth. His state enraged him to the extent he could not speak and so did not seek mercy. Lancelot cut off his head. It was finished :And let me assure you, no oneWho was there, watching the battle,Felt the slightest pity.The king and his courtiers and ladiesWere fairly jumping for joy (7099-7103). Works CitedChrà ©tien de Troyes. Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart. Trans. Burton Raffel. New Haven & London: Yale Univ ersity Press ,1997.

10 Grammar and Punctuation Rules to Always Remember - Freewrite Store

10 Grammar and Punctuation Rules to Always Remember - Freewrite Store The English language, cobbled together over centuries from Germanic, Scandinavian, Latin, French and Greek sources, is a minefield of confusing (and often contradictory) rules. So it’s no wonder that writers frequently struggle with the correct use of words and punctuation. However, most readers will agree that writing littered with errors comes across as sloppy and unprofessional, damaging their trust in the message and the author. To help you improve your writing, here’s a list of some of the most common mistakes that writers make, and tips on how to avoid them.   1. Apostrophes Apostrophes have two main uses – in contractions and to show possession. They’re quite different, so we’ll cover each one separately. Contractions: A contraction is where you take two words and combine them, missing out a letter or two along the way. Should not = shouldn’tI have = I’veWe will = we’ll Generally, wherever the missing letters are, that’s where the apostrophe goes. You can also apply this rule if you’re writing dialogue where someone cuts off the beginning or end of a word, like ‘ello, or nothin’. Possessives: A possessive apostrophe is used to show ownership. It’s done by placing ‘s after the noun. I am walking Pete’s dog this morning.I need to buy a gift for my sister’s birthday.The children’s bus was late again. Things get slightly more confusing, however, if the noun already ends in an s. In this case, you need to consider how you would say it out loud. If you would add an es sound to the end of the word, then you write it with ‘sat the end. I was summoned to the boss’s office.The bus’s tire was completely flat.Dennis’s parties were legendary. However, if you wouldn’t add an es sound to the end of the word, then a lone apostrophe is appropriate. I am walking my parents’ dog this morning.The kids’ hamster had five babies.The Hastings’ roses are magnificent this year. When not to apostrophize Don’t forget that apostrophes have no place in ordinary plural nouns, like bananas, toys, or megabytes. An apostrophe in an ordinary plural is sometimes called a â€Å"greengrocer’s apostrophe† because it could often be found on signs in fruit and vegetable shops. Apostrophes also don’t need to be used in dates or acronyms. I was born in the 1970s.Nobody uses CDs anymore. The exception is if you’re omitting letters or numbers or using the apostrophe possessively. The ‘80s produced some amazing music.Landing a probe on Mars was one of NASA’s greatest achievements. You also never use an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun. Theybecomes theirsHerbecomes hersItbecomes its 2. Semicolons Much confusion surrounds the use of the semicolon, but it’s actually quite simple to utilize. It only has two functions. The first is to join two related clauses in a sentence. There are three conditions of use: both parts of the sentence must be able to stand alone, they need to relate to each other somehow, and they need to be of equal weight. For example: I love Hawaiian pizza; the pineapple tastes amazing.I burned my tongue on the pizza; the pineapple was too hot. If you put a coordinating conjunction between the two clauses (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet), then you would replace the semicolon with a comma. The other use of a semicolon is when you’ve got a long sentence, and you’re listing groups of items. To prevent reader confusion, you can use a semicolon between each group. For example: My son needs a lot of things for his first day of school: pens, pencils and markers; exercise books, writing pads and binders; and erasers, paperclips and a calculator. 3. Oxford Commas The Oxford comma (aka serial comma or Harvard comma) is the comma that occurs before the and in a list. The second comma in the list below is the Oxford comma. I like pizza, cake, and chocolate. For such a small piece of punctuation, it has generated a lot of debate. Many style guides now prescribe that the Oxford comma should be omitted. At the same time, it has a lot of very vocal fans who insist it should be retained. If you don’t have a set style to follow, there’s no definitive rule beyond being consistent with whichever method you choose to follow. Most of the time, taking out the Oxford comma has no detrimental effect on the structure of a sentence. However, there are occasions where omitting the Oxford comma leads to ambiguity and, in those cases, it should always be used. For example, here’s a real-life quote: Amongst those interviewed were Merle Haggard’s two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. Without the final comma, the sentence appears to suggest that Merle Haggard was married to both Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. The use of an Oxford comma would have made it obvious that this was a list of four separate interviewees. So, if you have no set style guide to follow, the choice to deploy the Oxford comma rests with you – but if you prefer not to use it, make sure its omission doesn’t change the meaning of your sentence. Next, let’s look at commonly mixed-up words. Most of these are words that sound the same but have different applications. 4. Your/you’re Your = it belongs to you. Your library book is overdue. You’re = the shortened version of ‘you are’. You’re welcome. When in doubt: Try replacing the word with you are. If it doesn’t fit, then use your. 5. There/they’re/their There = a place. Put it over there. They’re = the shortened version of ‘they are’. They’re going to be late. Their = belongs to them. The couple enjoyed their pizza. 6. To/too To is a preposition with many meanings, including â€Å"towards† and â€Å"until†. Let’s walk to the bus. It should get here at five minutes to midday.Too is an adverb that means â€Å"also† or â€Å"very†. I want to catch the bus, too, but I am too tired to walk there. 7. Who’s/whose Who’s = the shortened version of â€Å"who is†. Who’s that? Whose = belonging to who? Whose bag is this? When in doubt: Try replacing the word with who is. If it doesn’t fit, use whose. 8. It’s/its It’s = the shortened version of it is. It’s a beautiful day. Its = belonging to it The cat swished its tail. When in doubt: Try replacing the word with it is. If it doesn’t fit, use its. 9. Less/fewer Both less and fewer mean the same thing, but they are not interchangeable. There’s a fairly simple way to work out which one you should be using. Less is for situations when you’re using words that don’t normally have a plural, aren’t made plural by adding an s,and cannot be counted. Examples of this include water, rain, and traffic. There was less water in the bath than I expected.I had hoped for less rain today.If more people caught the bus, there would be less traffic. Lessis also used when referring to numbers, either on their own or in measurements of time, distance or weight. The bus will arrive in less than five minutes.It is less than a mile away.The pizza recipe uses less than 12oz of flour. On the other hand, fewer is used for items that can be counted or made plural by adding an s, like cats, jobs, and roses. There are fewer cats in the neighborhood since the dog moved in.The rise in automation means there are fewer jobs available.This summer we have fewer roses in our garden. When in doubt: See if you can add a number to the word. You can’t say â€Å"there is five traffic,† so you would use less. You can say â€Å"there are three pizzas,† so you would use fewer. 10. Everyday/every day People tend to write this as one word. However, that changes the meaning. Everyday = common, usual. I’m wearing my everyday clothes. Every day = each day. The Queen doesn’t wear a tiara every day. When in doubt: Replace everyday with each day. If the meaning of the sentence remains intact, then you need to write everyday as two separate words. Given the complexity of the English language, there are exceptions to most of these rules. However, the ones we’ve outlined here will apply to most instances where you need to use these punctuation marks and words.  Are there any writing mistakes we've left out that drive you nuts?   Let us know in the comments section below!  Ã‚      About the author: Claire Wilkins is a freelance copywriter and editor from New Zealand. She loves to write about travel, health, home, and proper punctuation. After a career in financial services spanning almost three decades, Claire left the corporate world behind to start Unmistakable - her writing and editing business. She creates website copy, blogs, and newsletters for creative agencies and small businesses, and  specialises  in polishing existing content until it shines. In her spare time, Claire enjoys cloud-spotting, singing in the car and editing video.

God Bless America! The 8 Weirdest College Majors in the US

God Bless America! The 8 Weirdest College Majors in the US God Bless America! The 8 Weirdest College Majors in the US America has a long tradition as the land of the free and home of the brave. Does this include the freedom to study whatever you darn well like? And the bravery to dedicate yourself to a college course that will confuse your friends and family? You bet it does! To prove it, we’ve found seven of the weirdest college majors currently available in the USA, as well as another that (sadly) is even more unique. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Booze Studies! If you want to make your own beer, you could always study for a degree in Fermentation Sciences from the Appalachian State University. More into wine than beer? Try Cornell University’s Viticulture and Enology degree instead! 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Masters of Packaging For more than sixty years, Michigan State University has â€Å"been a leader in teaching, research and outreach focused on packaging containers, materials, their functionality and improvement.† We never knew so much thought went into packaging, but we’ll definitely remember next time we can’t get a pickle jar open. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Decision Sciences Unable to pick your major? Why not try a course in Decision Sciences? It’s not actually designed to help you make decisions, but it does cover statistics, information systems and operation management, so it sounds quite useful. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Become a Professional Adventurer! Ok, so a degree in Adventure Education won’t make you an adventurer in the same way Indiana Jones is an adventurer, but it’s definitely a start. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Truth is Out There†¦ Meet my PhD project Do people look at you funny when you say you’ve dedicated your life to discovering aliens? They might take you more seriously if you introduce yourself as a qualified astrobiologist! 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shoeing Horses Horses across the country are glad that farriers are trained professionals, as no one would want to have strips of metal nailed to their feet by an amateur. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mortuary Science If you find busy office environments a little stressful, you might enjoy the peace and solitude of the mortuary instead (as long as you don’t mind all the dead bodies). 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enigmatology According to its inventor, enigmatology is the study of puzzles. Why haven’t you heard of it until now? Because only one person has ever earned a degree in enigmatology: Will Shortz, who designed his own major program at Indiana University in 1974. This makes Will Shortz the world’s only college-accredited â€Å"puzzle master,† which sounds a bit like the name of a crossword-based superhero. For this reason alone, we salute him.