Grammar Woes

Over the last few weeks I have been spending alot of time working on final edits for a paper and a proposal my collaboration has been trying to finish.  It brings me to inevitable grammar question which google and basic grammar books seem not to be able to answer.  Below I list some of my dilemmas.  Many concerns are related to fractional or decimal numbers.

1.)  Do we see no event (or events)?

2.)  Is our expected background 0.6 +- 0.5 event (or events)?

3.)  Do we expect 0.2 misidentified photons (or photon)?

4.)  Are our detectors one-inch thick, 1-inch thick, or maybe even one-inch-thick or 1-inch-thick.

5.)  Is it ever okay to use numerical representation for whole numbers less than 10?

6.)  Are three semicolons and one colon too many for a sentence that makes up an entire paragraph?  Just how many are to many? 

Sarah Politician?

I have to say, Sarah Palin really surprised me in the debate tonight.  She was much more articulate and composed compared to recent interviews.  She seems to really have nailed down the art of deflecting questi
ns she did not want to answer.  Joe Biden, on the other hand, seemed to answer all the questions asked.

I made a list of the questions, I thought that she had avoided.

Deregulation of health care.
Causes of climate change.
Which is worse?  Nuclear Iran or unstable Pakistan?
Expanded office of the VP powers
What is Sarah’s Achilles’  heel?  I guess she doesn’t have one.
Expanded powers of the office of the VP (as set by this administration).

I still felt that she was acting a little like Ms. South Carolina.  She had talking points she wanted to make and she was going to make them regardless of what she asked.  In some ways, it reminded me of the Bush vs Gore debates of 8 year ago, only Biden was able to keep his sighs to himself, if he had any.

I felt a little touched by the point where Joe Biden choked up when talking about his family.  He seemed very genuine.