Thursday, November 28, 2019

WordPress Plugin Check How to Check Plugins for Compatibility Issues

The huge variety of available plugins is a big part of what makes WordPress so great. But because there are so many plugins from third-party developers, you can occasionally run into compatibility issues. To find those issues, youll need to know how to perform a WordPress plugin check.By choosing your plugins, themes, and other tools carefully, you can prevent most problems before they happen. What’s more, diagnosing and dealing with compatibility errors if they do occur isn’t difficult.In this post, we’ll discuss what plugin compatibility means for your site. Then we’ll talk about how to handle errors as soon as you notice them, and how to carry out a WordPress plugin check to find incompatible plugin in the first place. Let’s jump right in! What does a compatibility error look like? This question can be difficult to answer, since the specific problem you’ll see will be based on the plugins involved. However, in general, these errors cause a specific feature on your site to function incorrectly or stop working.This feature may be inherent to the plugin causing the problem. Alternately, it might belong to another plugin, theme, or WordPress itself. In rare cases, incompatible plugins can even break your site – so this is an issue to take seriously.How to diagnose a potential plugin compatibility errorIf you think you may have a plugin compatibility problem on your site, don’t panic. In most cases, it’s easy to diagnose and deal with these errors. You can simply perform a WordPress plugin check, to see whether one of your plugins is actually causing the issue you’re seeing.The best way to do this is to disable your plugins, one at a time. We highly recommend doing this on a staging site for safety reasons. So you’ll want to start by creating a copy of your live site first (if you don’t already have one). Next, log in and navigate to the Plugins tab in your dashboard:Here, youâ₠¬â„¢ll see a list of all the plugins installed on your site. Under each one, you’ll see an option labeled Deactivate. The following process will help you carry out a WordPress plugin check for compatibility errors:Deactivate one of your plugins – preferably the one you most recently installed or updated.Check out your site on the front end, test whatever feature wasn’t working, and see if it’s fixed.If the problem has gone away, you’ve found your culprit! If not, reactivate the plugin and deactivate the next one on the list.Repeat the previous steps until you find the plugin causing the issue, or until you’ve gone through every plugin on your site. If none of your plugins are to blame, you’re likely dealing with a different type of WordPress error.Once you’ve figured out which plugin is giving you trouble, you have a few options. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling it, and see if that resolves the issue. If it doesnt, you ’ll either need to contact the developer for help fixing the error, or find a replacement plugin that does the same thing (more on this in the next section).Finally, it is possible for a plugin compatibility error to prevent you from logging in to your site at all. In this scenario, you can still carry out a WordPress plugin check. Youll just need to use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to access your site’s files directly. You can find more details on how to do this in our article on the subject.Automate your WordPress plugin checkWhile the manual process above is simple, it can still take some time to manually deactivate all of your plugins, especially if youre using a lot of plugins. To automate the process, you can try the free Plugin Detective plugin: Plugin Detective Troubleshooting Author(s): N SquaredCurrent Version: 1.1.6Last Updated: June 11, 2019plugin-detective.1.1.6.zip 92%Ratings 22,276Downloads WP 4.4+Requires This plugin, which won  WordCamp Oran ge County’s 2018 Plugin-a-Palooza contest, basically does exactly what we described abovejust automatically.Once you install it, you can use the new  Troubleshoot option on the WordPress toolbar.How to prevent plugin compatibility errors in the first placeThe WordPress Plugin Directory will let you know if a plugin is out of date and risky to install.While its certainly possible to diagnose compatibility issues after-the-fact, its better to try and figure out if a plugin will break your site  before you actually install it.While you can never 100% guarantee this, there are ways to significantly decrease the chance  of encountering any compatibility issues.Before installing any new plugin, you’ll want to:Make sure the plugin is compatible with your version of WordPress. This information is listed on each entry in the WordPress Plugin Directory, and on most other sites that sell plugins.Check to see if the plugin has been updated recently. In general, avoid plugins that havent been updated within the past six months.Take a look at the plugin’s user reviews and ratings. These will give you a general idea of its quality. Plus, people will often mention any compatibility issues they’ve encountered in their reviews.Consider whether the plugins functionality overlaps with anything already installed on your site. Having two plugins that affect the same feature doesn’t guarantee there will be a problem, but it does increase the risk.If you’ve gone through this list and the plugin you’re looking at satisfies each point, you’re probably safe installing it. Just to be certain, however, it’s still smart to activate it on a staging site first. That way, you can run a WordPress plugin check and catch any issues before you install the plugin on your live site.ConclusionBy using plugins, you can modify WordPress to add just about any feature you want. While this is great news, it’s also important to be aware of the risks involved. The more plugins you install on your site, the more likely you are to run into a compatibility error at some point.Fortunately, most compatibility problems are easy to deal with via a simple WordPress plugin check. You can diagnose them by systematically deactivating each plugin on your site until you find the one at fault. Of course, we all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For this reason, you’ll also want to vet each new plugin carefully before adding it to your site.Do you have any questions about how to diagnose or prevent plugin compatibility errors on your site? Let us help in the comments section below! Here's how to check new or existing #WordPress #plugins for compatibility issues at your site

Monday, November 25, 2019

Tom Cruise Essay Example

Tom Cruise Essay Example Tom Cruise Essay Tom Cruise Essay Tom Cruise was born on 3 July 1962, Syracuse, New York, USA.Originally, Cruise wanted to become a Priest at the age of 14, an ironic concept, compared to what his true career was to become.If you were to hear the name Tom Cruise, two words would generally come to mind, these words being Small and Scientology.Fortunately for Cruise, the latter term brought his fame up a level, not altogether in a positive way however.An example of this is in 1992, where, in an interview, Cruise claimed that Scientology has cured his dyslexia. More information on Cruises fame through Scientology can be found in Chapter 2.In 2006, Cruise, married Katie Holmes (his 3rd wife), however after finding his new love, he appeared to become deluded into thinking he had more public power than he actually did, shown in the Oprah scene. More information on the Oprah scene can be found in Chapter 3.2 ANALYSIS OF FAMECruises recognition came at the age of 21, in the film Risky Business.From then, he went on to Top Gu n where he came to fame in 1986. See Chapter 4.1 for in-depth analysis of Top Gun.Just 2 years later, Cruise appeared in the light-hearted drama Cocktail, where Cruise received his first nomination for a Razzie award in 1989. This will have boosted his fame furthermore, and, just at the age of 27, Cruise had appeared in 3 big hits.In 1992, Cruise appeared in A few good men, where he received a Golden Globe and MTV nominations. The Golden Globe would have brought Cruise massive respect from fellow actors, and, critics. Once more, Cruises fame was rising.12 years later, Cruise appeared in Vanilla Sky, a film, different in genre, compared to the typical action related films he usually partook in.Overall, Cruises career as an actor brought him fame, fortune, fans and finally, formidable flagging in terms of his publicity.However, his fame, combined with good acting certified him to be nominated for 3 Oscars, and caused his to win an impressive 40 nominations.3 POWER OF PUBLICITYOver tim e, Cruise has displayed several ways of publicising himself, be it positively, negatively, on purpose or just by coincidence.An example of Cruises negative self advertisement is The Oprah Scene.In 2005, Cruise professed his love for Katie Holmes upon his appearance of the Oprah show. His behaviour of jumping up and down on the couch and repeatedly hitting the floor, in the way to express his devotion for his new partner, was seen by almost everyone, as over-the-top drama. This is a classic example of a celebrity overusing their power, of which Cruise imagined he had a great deal of.Onto another topic, Cruise, seemingly inadvertently, leaks a video of him talking about his passion for Scientology.The video released on January 15, 2008, shows Cruise being interviewed, with the ironically background music from Mission Impossible playing in the background, denoting his action filled persona.4 FILM TRAILER ANALYSISIn this Chapter, I will analyse two separate films.The two films I am goin g to analyse are Top Gun and Vanilla Sky.The images above show two very juxtaposing films where, between a period of time, Cruise differentiates his genres in acting From action in Top Gun, to romance in Vanilla Sky.4.1 TOP GUNIn May 1986, Cruises big hit was released. Top Gun became the highest grossing film of the year, taking in $354 million in worldwide.Cruise plays the heroic marine pilot, a seemingly Perfect Fit role for him. Personally I believe this to be rationalised by his real life cocky mind-set.The TrailerThe trailer creates an atmosphere of fast beating action, shown by the quick-burst cuts/edits.The aspect of romance is partly shown in two parts. Firstly it is shown in the silhouette image of Cruise and his partner kissing, and again, where his partner his helping him to decide upon a perceptibly important decision. This portrays the soft, romantic side Cruise plays, to attract the female audience, whereas the action scenes entice the male audience. This was helped b y Cruises age making him an apt choice for the film.Finally, emphasis is displayed in the way of the trailer narrative to confirm that Cruise is the protagonist in the film.4.2 VANILLA SKY15 years later after the release of Top Gun, romantic thriller Vanilla Sky was released.The word Romantic instantly stands out compared to his preceding films, where his roles took on more action related parts, such as in the films Mission Impossible and War of the Worlds.The films itself is itself a remake of the 1997 movie Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes).Now at the age of 39, the difference in genre seems suitable; to portray the maturity Cruise has developed over time.The TrailerImmediately, the audience will realise that, compared to most other films Cruise has appeared in, the genre in Vanilla Sky is far different.It has a far more relaxed and surreal aspect to it and as the trailer continues, the romantic side is introduced.A clever device the studio uses when creating the trailer is the prese nting of 6 separate words, which sum up the films true light. These words are as follows:1. Life2. Work3. Play4. Hate5. Death6. RealityLife describes the films as a whole, basically concentrating on the life of the role Cruise plays David Aames.Play, cleverly used as an innuendo, links in with the affair Cruise takes part in, and then associating cleverly with the words Hate, Death and finally Reality. The latter word is yet another reminder of the surrealism of the film.5 FINAL ANALYSISIn general, I believe Cruises career has been a path of ups and downs. His life outside movies brought controversy with his multiple marriages, and stories of his love for Scientology.As with most actors and actresses, he had a big break, for Cruise, being in 1986 in the film Top Gun. From then on his fame took a high, with several big hit films, starring him, being released. Over time however, his fame somewhat faltered and shrunk.The infamous Oprah scene brought about some of this disapproval in hi s self-publicity stunts.Overall, I think that Tom Cruise has led the usual Hollywood life of fame and fortune and some unfortunate events of which he will probably wish to forget.His acting brought his true fame from the start, and tradition was only to be carried on by his publicity stunts. Yet I believe there are still some uncovered truths about this iconic actor, yet to be discovered. Undoubtedly they will be one day.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The argument - Essay Example Tight state budgets of the current year have drawn attention towards the efficient and effective use of taxpayer money instead of wasting it in, otherwise activities that are deemed to be used for illicit drug abuse. According to those in favor the money that is being used to help the welfare program can be saved for other public welfare expenditures where it is more needed. A Republican speaker of the Wyoming house, Edward Buchanan, said, â€Å"The idea from Joe Taxpayer is, ‘I don’t mind helping you out, but you need to show that you’re looking for work, or better yet that you’re employed, and that you’re drug and alcohol free.’ † (The New York Times). He has simply tried to put forward the motive for drug testing. To be able to be qualified to receive the welfare aid, one must be subjected to drug tests first to ensure that the taxpayer money will not be used in illegal drug activities. To support the point, Garth Everett, a Lycoming County Republican who is in support of drug testing legislation said that the workers are often tested for drug abuse by their prospective employers before their employment, however the recipients of welfare aid are never subject to such tests which may reduce the effectiveness of this program. Such drug tests will enable the government (that can be seen as an employer in this case) to ensure that the money expenditure on welfare program is being spent responsibly and in the best interest of the beneficiary. Since government can be seen as an employer of welfare recipients in this case, this shouldn’t be contrary to the law and constitution. (Hall). As opposed to those in favor of the new legislation, those against it have tried to make their point on the basis of statistical evidences and past data relating to substance abuse. The main point of their argument is that, the new legislation makes an unnecessary and unreasonable assumption about the recipients of welfare aid pr ogram that they are necessarily involved in some kind drug activity. This is strictly against the US constitution which prohibits any unnecessary search of people. Therefore testing these unfortunate citizens for drug abuse would amount to an unconstitutional search of people who sought help. Eventually this will also lead to withdrawal of public confidence in the welfare program and attract unnecessary expenses in future. Courts in US have dropped such issues in the past on the similar grounds. A Democrat state representative against the legislation, W. Patrick Goggles, said, â€Å"This legislation assumes suspicion on this group of people, it assumes that they’re drug abusers.† (The New York Times). Democrats are also of the view that the actual costs to conduct these drug tests and all other overheads preponderate the potential benefits and savings expected to be derived from it. In Idaho, such a budget analysis was conducted last year which showed that the costs of this program are likely to be more than the saving. This caused the proponents of the program to drop this idea. There are also various statistics available to support this theory, for example, one such study says that the recipients of government aid are not more likely than the general US population to abuse drugs which is 8% of the population. Maria Kayanan said, "What the states are doing

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Hamlets inexplicable fascination with death Essay

Hamlets inexplicable fascination with death - Essay Example An in-depth analysis of Hamlet’s character speaks of the fact that pathological obsession with death is one of many complex patterns of Hamlet’s psyche. This pattern will be scrutinized at-length in the following discussion to prove this argument that Hamlet’s relationship with and his attitudes towards death throughout the play an important role in destroying his reputation as a person of high social standing. If Hamlet’ action is explored in relation to death, many important aspects of the play get unraveled. This subject is very intense and open to multiple interpretations on a perceptual level due to which it is selected for this essay to be analyzed. It is worth-mentioning here that one of the most conspicuous themes of this Shakespearean tragedy is death which is evident in the way this theme interestingly influences the leading male character, the prince of Denmark. His relationship with death since the beginning of the play is very out of the ordin ary and exceptionally odd. As the story progresses, this relationship starts bordering on insanity which is why critics describe the way Hamlet reacts to death a rare experience which people do not get to witness commonly in the real world. It is claimed that â€Å"the most extraordinary of Hamlet’s universal aspects is his relationship to death† (Bloom 6). He is described as extraordinary not only because right after the news of his father’s death reaches him, he becomes filled with emotions of rage and revenge. Rather, the aspect of his personality which compels one to raise one’s eyebrows and question the equanimity of this hero is the way he becomes hopelessly interested in death on many other levels. He becomes passionate about ghosts too and develops an urge to know what happens after a person dies, how the bodies decay once buried etc. Despite being a person of high social standing and required to stay levelheaded to be an example to his people, he instead he becomes literally obsessed with the idea of death. This obsession is born first when the death of his beloved father is revealed to him by his friend Horatio. Before killing Claudius, Hamlet attempts to familiarize himself with ghosts, which speaks of his fascination for the subject of death. Instead of developing interest in other tasks to be identified as a good leader, he instead sets on finding about the reality of ghosts to know if they really live in the world after death of a person or not. He contemplates the idea of death from many perspectives which demonstrates the gradual and worrisome development of a pathological behavior which turns out to have enormous repercussions as the story unfolds. Hamlet ponders about death from a spiritual perspective when he becomes captivated by the idea of ghosts and explores it. Instead of acknowledging the concerned advances of other people who are true to him like Gertrude, he perceives them as potential antagonists preferri ng instead to look on to death as a definite solution to all his emotional and psychological problems. Little does he know that death is not the solution, but actually the driver of his gradual psychological downfall. When interpreting the enthralling idea of death on multiple levels, he is singularly most

Monday, November 18, 2019

Summative assignment on Next PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Summative assignment on Next PLC - Essay Example J D Wetherspoon plc incorporated in the London Stock Exchange is a firm with the operations in the development and management of public houses. Incorporated in the year 1979, the company owns and operates 927 pubs offering food and drinks throughout the United Kingdom (Yahoo. Finance, 2014a).   The overall performance of the Wehttherspoon remained improving for the past five years of assessment. The liquidity position of the company is notably low which further declines under the pressure of inventory; while the profitability of the company is the declining as a result of increasing level of costs such as labour cost, marketing expenses and other repair and refurbishment etc (Reuters, 2013). The star year the in the recent most history of the company remained the year 2012 where Wetherspoon notable grew its revenue and profits in the year 2012. The underlying reason for such growth has been Euro 2012 football  tournament and the Diamond Jubilee in which the company opened net of 37 pubs in UK (BBC, 2012a). However, the impact of this event was clearly expected not to be sustained over a period of long term (BBC, 2012b). Despite this fact, the company is expanding its business to sustain the growth. For the purpose, expansion of the retail space of pubs is increasing, and the company has also expanded with a new pub in the Ireland (Yahoo. Finance, 2013). Expansion is widely being financed by debt in addition to the retained earnings (J D Wetherspoon Plc.,2014); hence, affecting the interest coverage ratio. Also, the gap between the EBITDA and EBIT is also increasing as the depreciation and the amortization expenses are increasing. Consistent expansion and rising cost h ave affected the margins within turn is reflected in the ROE OF the company in the year 2013 and onwards (BFN News,2013). For a similar reason, the EPS of the company has also declined. In the view of the capital expenditure that company has been incurring and planning to continue

Friday, November 15, 2019

Stamp Duty: Policy Evaluation

Stamp Duty: Policy Evaluation EXAMINING STAMP DUTY: AN IDEAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE MACHINE AND A BURDEN TO BRITISH CITIZENS Stamp duty can be a costly part of any number of common transactions in Britain – from buying a home to investing in a U.K. company. In order to truly understand the degree to which this tax impacts a transaction’s bottom line, it is important to understand all the scenarios in which stamp duty is payable as well as determine what type of relief and exemptions are available. Before determining if stamp duty is an ideal tax, it is also vital to gather expert opinions on the various types of stamp duty, the reasons these taxes were created, and how recent changes are affecting British citizens and businesses. While the government may find stamp duty a perfect fulfilment of taxation principles due to its simplicity and the considerable revenue generated, stamp duty seems to be burdensome and impedes the financial success of many residents who dream of homeownership and to those companies who want to increase their market value through the stock exchange system. There are three types of stamp duty: stamp duty, stamp duty land tax, and stamp duty reserve tax. Stamp duty is â€Å"a charge on instruments† (Thomas 2003). Stamp duty is a general term for a tax that is levied on the purchase of shares and on property. While there is a flat rate for the purchase of shares, the rate for property has a range tied to different home purchase price thresholds. Considered a new tax in its own right rather than an offshoot of stamp duty, the stamp duty land tax went into effect on 1 December 2003 (Thomas 2003). This tax is charged to all land transactions whether or not it is actually stamped, or recorded, in a document (Thomas 2003). Included in these transactions are all types of property, including houses, flats, other buildings and land. What it really is considered is a land transaction but it retains the reference to stamp duty to link its activities to the original taxation system (Thomas 2003). The tax must be paid by the person buying the land and it is calculated as a percentage of the total purchase price. No stamp duty land tax is paid on any transaction under  £125,000. One per cent is paid on anything valued between  £125,000 and  £250,000. From  £250,001 to  £500,000, the tax is three per cent and anything valued at  £500,001 is taxed at four per cent (DirectGov 2006). The stamp duty land tax has been â€Å"founded on an entirely new set of concepts† and is â€Å"directly enforceable against the purchaser under a strict new self-assessment regime† (Thomas 2003). While some of the same relief provisions have been carried through from the stamp duty tax, other changes have been made to discourage certain types of transactions. For example, if the purchase price of a property is  £150,000 and the government has designated that area as disadvantaged, no stamp duty land tax is required (DirectGov 2006). Relief provisions that are retained from stamp duty include all the major provisions except that â€Å"group relief, reconstruction and acquisition reliefs, and charities relief† are now designed in a manner that prevents exploitation for â€Å"tax planning purposes† (Thomas 2003). Relief is now available for builders who make purchases in part-exchange as well as for â€Å"transactions not made for chargeable consideration † (Thomas 2003). The stamp land duty tax was designed to achieve a number of purposes. As with any tax, it was created as a way to raise more revenue for the government. The tax does this by stopping the loopholes in the stamp duty that were â€Å"exploited for planning purposes† (Thomas 2003); requiring the purchaser to file a tax return and pay the tax within thirty days of the close of the land transaction (Thomas 2003), and introducing a new upfront levy on the value of the rental stream over the â€Å"full term of the lease instead of on the average annual rent (Thomas 2003). The last of the three types of stamp duty is the stamp duty reserve tax. This tax is paid on any U.K share transactions when a person buys shares in a company that is incorporated in the UK or in a foreign company that maintains a share register in the UK (DirectGov 2006). These shares can be bought through a stockbroker and completed on paper forms or electronically through CREST, the electronic settlement and registration system (DirectGov 2006). The tax is a flat rate of 0.5 per cent based on what is paid for the shares, not what they are worth (DirectGov 2006). A higher rate of 1.5 per cent is paid when shares are transferred into a depository receipt scheme or a clearance service (DirectGov 2006). The fees are paid through the CREST system if a person uses a brokerage but are paid directly if this system is not used (DirectGov 2006). Even if a person does not pay cash but provides something else of value in exchange for the shares, the stamp duty reserve tax is based on the value of what the person gives for those shares (DirectGov 2006). Other situations that require payment of stamp duty reserve tax is when a person buys an option to buy shares, rights arising from shares and an interest in shares (DirectGov 2006).The only time the stamp duty reserve tax does not have to be paid is when shares are given to a person for nothing or a person buys foreign shares. One area where stamp duty revenue tax has been causing some dilemmas is with unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and the structure of stakeholder pension products. The best example of this is with companies that provide CAT-marked investments: Stamp duty reserve tax arises when investors buy or sell units in the fund, and is generally paid for by the fund. It cannot be forecast accurately in advance, for the ultimate liability will depend on factors beyond the fund managers’ control. Yet this tax must be included in calculating whether charges to investors meet the CAT standard of 1 per cent a year, despite the fact that it is not a charge made by the ISA provider, but a government tax. This has led providers to question the commercial liability implied by offering a CAT-market product (Warland 2000). The net result of the stamp duty reserve tax is that it is â€Å"complex to administer, very difficult for fund investors to understand,† and did raise significant revenue (Warland 2000). It has been argued by the figures within the City of London, including the London Stock Exchange, that stamp duty reserve tax should be scrapped because â€Å"it undermines the competitiveness compared with other financial centres and distorts securities trading† (Wighton 2006). The National Association of Pension Funds says that stamp duty increases transaction costs, which are then passed onto employers (Brown-Humes 2006). Stamp duty reserve tax is also considered controversial because â€Å"it accounts for a greater proportion of overall share transaction costs†¦because broker commissions and other costs have fallen† (Brown-Humes 2006). In looking at the complete stamp duty tax scheme, the changes in the Finance Act of 2003 were intended to bring reform that was considered long overdue as well as infuse the government with much-needed revenue. Prior to that, legislation had been considered outdated and inadequate especially considering the real value that revenue from such a tax could yield (Thomas 2006). Prior to the Finance Act of 2003, the HM Revenue Customs (HMRC)did not have the power to enforce the stamp duty on any transaction that was not properly stamped (Thomas 2006). To the HMRC, â€Å"clamping down on perceived avoidance was the dominant motive for change† (Thomas 2006). To them, it was â€Å"unfair for well-advised taxpayers to avoid paying tax through good planning, as this puts an unfair share of the tax burden onto everyone else† (Thomas 2006). From this philosophy was born the most recent stamp duty requirements. In looking at the principles of taxation, stamp duty is ideal in that it is â€Å"easy to administer and collect† (Brown-Humes 2006). To everyone else outside of the government, the tax is considered less than ideal. As one of the most hotly debated government schemes and deemed a tax on the masses (Barrow 2006), it has been acknowledged by the chancellor that stamp duty land tax does place a burden on the average British citizen. According to figures released in May 2006, stamp duty is raking in revenues of  £1 billion per month (Barrow 2006) between residential and commercial transactions as well as share investment. These figures far surpass any tax amount ever demanded from citizens in Britain’s history (Barrow 2006). . In fact, one writer went as far as to say that the stamp duty has been one of the most lucrative stealth taxes developed by New Labour (O’Kelly 2006). As one economist noted, â€Å"We have now got to the level where it is hitting mainstream home-owners. It’s only going to get worse† (Barrow 2006). According to Halifax, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, 2.6 million homeowners had to pay stamp duty land tax (Barrow 2006). That equates to fiv e out of six homeowners feeling this burden (Barrow 2006). Another way to slice and dice the figure comes from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. They found that 55 per cent of first-time buyers and 86 per cent of home-movers paid the tax in September. The government has retorted that there are a number of relief provisions in place. It was recently announced that new – no pre-existing dwellings – that are considered â€Å"zero-carbon† homes sill be completely exempt from stamp duty (Goff and Harvey 2006). While attractive to new homeowners, this is not very realistic as many first-time buyers are not prepared to inhabit in such a revolutionary dwelling or they live in an area where there is not enough renewable energy to power these homes (Goff and Harvey 2006). Another move intended to decrease the burden was the announcement last year to increase the threshold at which stamp duty is triggered (Batchelor 2006). As one finance expert noted, â€Å"If stamp duty had kept pace with rising house prices since 1993 the threshold would have been set at  £190,000† instead of  £125,000 (Batchelor 2006). It seems as if the rising house prices are making the new threshold rate seem ineffective as a relief. As Matthew Wyles of the Portman Building Society said, â€Å"Stamp duty continues to be a deeply unfair tax to all who pay it. The burden of this tax will continue to increase unless the government undertakes a radical alteration to its policy in this area and abandons its current strategy of making the occasional cosmetic tweak to the threshold to keep criticism at bay† (Houlder 2006). The chancellor decided to end â€Å"seeding relief,† which was intended to help on â€Å"transfers of property into a unit trust with immediate effect† (Batchelor 2006). Revenue from taking away this relief is expected to raise  £50 million annually (Batchelor 2006). Recent changes also involved not making partnerships that are involved in a trade or profession responsible for stamp duty for land transactions owned by that partnership (Batchelor 2006). It seems as though the government could still use this lucrative tax to levy sellers instead of buyers since it is usually the sellers who are involved in investment schemes. It might even make sense to still gain this revenue from non-residents who tend to speculate in the property market, making home ownership less feasible for the first-time resident buyer (O’Kelly 2006). While it may seem like an ideal tax in the minds of the government and a solution to stopping investors from exploiting the system, it certainly does nothing to help citizens who are already struggling to buy a home let alone pay the stamp duty required on the transaction. Recent announcements to raise interest rates alongside the intense housing price inflation only exacerbate a domestic problem that has been brewing for as long as the stamp duty policies have existed. Homeownership and investment should not create a financial burden for citizens in Britain because the government wants to resort to an overuse of its taxation powers. The concern, however, is that if stamp duty was ever scrapped and the government continued to overspend, whatever tax scheme replaced stamp duty might be a jump from the frying pan into the fire. REFERENCES Barrow, Becky 23 May 2006, Stamp Duty Rakes in  £1bn a Month, Daily Mail. Batchelor, Charles 23 March 2006, Stamp Duty, Financial Times. Brown-Humes, Christopher 21 October 2006, Stamp Duty’s Hidden Benefit: It’s the Devil-you-know Tax, Financial Times. DIRECTGOV 2006, Tax on Buying Shares, Available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnSavingsAndInvestments/TaxOnSavingsAndInvestmentsArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10013514chk=Tac6CP. Goff, Sharlene and Harvey, Fiona 9 December 2006, Exemption from Stamp Duty Seen as Token Gesture, Financial Times. Houlder, Vanessa 7 September 2006, Amount Paid in Stamp Duty Up 30%, Financial Times. O’Kelly, Sebastian 12 March 2006, How Brown is Still Coining It with His Unfair Stamp Duty; the Chancellor is Milking Homebuyers. But Shouldn’t His Stealth Tax Target Sellers Instead? The Mail on Sunday, p. 13. Thomas, Michael 2003, Introduction to Stamp Duty Land Tax, Cambridge University Press. Thomas, Michael March 2006, Stamp Duty Land Tax, 2nd Edition, London: Cambridge University Press. Warland, Phillip 17 February 2000, How Stamp Duty Reserve Tax Threatens Low-Cost Savings, Financial Times. Wighton, David 27 July 2006, Balls Faces Calls to Scrap Stamp Duty, Financial Times. Clinical Psychology: History, Influences and Applications Clinical Psychology: History, Influences and Applications Myrto Giannakopoulou â€Å"Each student is expected to select info and produce an information pack targeted at a field/career of his/her interest in Psychology (e.g. Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Cognitive Psychology – for example, you can select information via observing or/and interviewing a professional [preferable] or secondary reading). The above package will be accompanied by an academic, reflective essay supporting the choice above (e.g. explain your interest on this scientific area of Psychology, describe the basic issues of the professional’s interest in this field, refer to the basic taught psychological terms and concepts that you noticed to this scientific area, etc.)†. Nowadays, applied psychology has four main sub-categories which are clinical, educational, occupational/industrial and criminological/legal. Clinical psychology refers to treating emotional and behavioral disorders. Educational psychologists work with children and adolescents and their families and they give more importance in the efficacy of teaching and learning methods. Occupational psychology is applied into workplaces in order to improve the productivity of the employees and to increase the levels of job satisfaction. Criminological psychology is involved in the criminal and legal system and facilities such as prisons and courts or the police force. It has two branches, forensic and investigative psychology. In this project we are going to analyze the field of Clinical psychology. Clinical Psychology is a part of applied Psychology and it focuses on the treatment and understanding of behavioral and psychological problems. Clinical psychology is often confused with psychiatry because clinical psychologists also work with people with mental disorders and they use the same methods of therapies. Their difference is that psychiatrists can give medicine, thus clinical psychologists are forbidden to do so. Clinical psychology was developed in 1896, when Lightner Witmer, who is regarded as the father of Clinical psychology, established the first psychological clinic in the University of Pennsylvania. The clients of Witmers clinic were children with learning difficulties and with behavioural disorders. Next, in 1904 Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon created the Binet-Simon scale which is a test that can identify children with mental disablement and children with normal mentality and it influenced the development of clinical psychology in USA. Witmer denied the helpfulness of this scale and this is why he disappeared from the scene of clinical psychology. Later, in the early 20s, the psychiatrist William Healy established the Juvenile Psychopathic Institute, the worlds first child guidance clinic. Additionally, Healy in his clinic used the Binet-Simon scale for the children and adapted Freuds theory for the unconventional behaviour. Clinical psychology has been influenced from human physiology. For example, the term psychopathology includes the words pathology (disease) and psyche, which means that mental disorders have a biological basis. In other words, a mental disorder is considered as a dysfunction in the physiology of a person that appears in his behaviour. According to the medicine, the causes of a mental disorder are separated in three general categories: the infectious diseases (e.g. encephalitis which is an inflammation of the brain and its symptoms are familiar with those of dementia, such as memory loss), diseases that are related with the dysfunction of a human organ (e.g. diabetes) and traumatic diseases that arise from external or environmental causes (e.g. a hit in the head can cause cerebral hemorrhage and can also provoke problems in behavior such as coma, memory loss, and personality disorder). Clinical psychologists do more than talk to people who are distressed about personal matter. They often do different types of activities from teaching to psychotherapy to laboratory research and this is why they need to have a special training program in clinical psychology. After obtaining their degree, they can apply for a master course in clinical psychology, which usually lasts three years and at the same time do their apprenticeship, in order to gain experience in their field. Furthermore, research is the basis of all clinical psychology activities. Research programs, help to understand which approach could be more effective for a clinical problem such as depression, anxiety, eating, or panic disorders, personality disorders, phobias, etc. They can also focus on various populations like families, couples, ethnic minority groups such as gay, lesbians, etc. Although not all of the clinical psychologists are involved with research, they should be informed about other researches, in order to improve their own clinical work. Most of them use various tests or questionnaires to help them to their work or to their research. These tests have many measures, such as cognitive, behavioral, neuropsychological etc. On the other hand, in research there are certain problems. The most important is the fact that the researchers and the participants are human and the results are not solid, because the participants behave in a different way than their ordinary life, for example they are too defensive because they try to hide their thoughts from the researchers or they behave too normal, because they know how the experiment works. This happens because the participants are part of the society and n this way they try to be socially accepted and it is known as the Hawthorn effect. Despite all that, psychologists try to use multiple ways of reducing such effects, for example by using double-blind questionnaires. Another important practice that is used in the fields of Psychology is the Evidence-based practice (EBP). It is a process that involves â€Å"the conscientious, explicit, judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients† (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, Richardson, 1996). Specifically, this practice gives to therapists a general guidance for addressing any given disorder in the best possible manner, based on research that they can use, but even if they don’t follow it to the letter is not wrong as long as they act in accordance to their professional experience. Although, it must be pointed out that these guidelines are general and do not take into account each person’s individuality and uniqueness. Another approach to EBP is the Ideograpdic one that takes into account each individual person and its singularity and is used by most health professions. Furthermore, there are three circles of Evidence Based Clinical practice, also known as the† three -legged stool†. The first circle represents the best available research proof, the second circle represents clinical expertness and finally the third circle includes the patient values, the preferences, the characteristics and the circumstances. Those three have to be combine in order to achieve the best clinical practice. Overall, Clinical Psychology is a complex field that parallels the complexity of human behavior and emotion and it combines and links human behaviour to stimulus created by people external environment such as everyday human relationships and interactions, health etc, and it explains the way it affects us. References: Barker M. (2003). Introductory Psychology: History, Themes and Perpectives, Crucial Kendall D., C., Norton Ford J., D. (1982). Clinical Psychology: Scientific and professional dimensions. New York: J. Wiley. Plante T., G., (2005). Contemporary Clinical Psychology, New Jersey: J. Wiley Sons, Inc. Sackett, D. L., Wennberg, J. E. (1997). Choosing the best research design for each question. British Medical Journal, 315, 1636. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol (2007). Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Psychology: What It Is, Why It Matters; What You Need to Know. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 611-631

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Style in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

The Style in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story or tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† is an interesting example of the multi-faceted style of the author, which will be discussed in this essay.    Edgar Allan Poe in â€Å"Twice-Told Tales - A Review,† which appeared in Graham's Magazine in May, 1842, comments on Hawthorne’s â€Å"originality,† and â€Å"tranquil and subdued manner† which characterize his style:    The Essays of Hawthorne have much of the character of Irving, with more of originality, and less of finish; while, compared with the Spectator, they have a vast superiority at all points. The Spectator, Mr. Irving, and Mr. Hawthorne have in common that tranquil and subdued manner which we have chosen to denominate repose. . . . In the essays before us the absence of effort is too obvious to be mistaken, and a strong undercurrent of suggestion runs continuously beneath the upper stream of the tranquil thesis. In short, these effusions of Mr. Hawthorne are the product of a truly imaginative intellect, restrained, and in some measure repressed, by fastidiousness of taste, by constitutional melancholy and by indolence.    Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† discloses a characteristic of Hawthorne’s tyle with regard to his short stories: â€Å"Almost all of Hawthorne’s finest stories are remote in time or place† (82). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is no exception to this rule, being placed in historic Salem, Massachusetts, back in the 1600’s.    Herman Melville in â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses,† (in The Literary World August 17, 24, 1850) has a noteworthy comment on Hawthorne’s style:    Nathaniel Hawthorne is a man, as yet, almost utterly mistaken among men. Here and there, in some quiet arm-chair in the noisy town, or some deep nook among the noiseless mountains, he may be appreciated for something of what he is. But unlike Shakespeare, who was forced to the contrary course by circumstances, Hawthorne (either from simple disinclination, or else from inaptitude) refrains from all the popularizing noise and show of broad farce, and blood-besmeared tragedy; content with the still, rich utterances of a great intellect in repose, and which sends few thoughts into circulation, except they be arterialized at his large warm lungs, and expanded in his honest heart.    How beautifully does this critic capture the basic attitude of Hawthorne, who avoids the â€Å"noise and show† and emphasizes his â€Å"rich utterances.