text:
Chapter 8: She must have looked terrified because even the security guard with the very pleasant voice asked her if it was her first time flying. If he was flirting with her, she had no idea, nor could she bring herself to care. She did manage to give him a nod and an attempt at a brave smile when he assured that she'd be fine.
Well before she wanted to admit it, they were stepping on board the plane to be greeted by an English man and woman who smiled with grating abandonment. Perhaps they were ready to meet their maker, or maybe they were insane. Either way, Sabrina regarded them with severe distrust while she said her dutiful "hello" and "thank you."
She took some small comfort in the little screens each seat was equipped with, telling herself that sitting there watching movies would just feel like a lazy Saturday afternoon instead of a trip miles high into the air. Yet she still clutched her armrests tightly, not happy at all that Deanda insisted on taking the middle seat for security purposes.
That left Sabrina at the window in their three-seat row.
"So the fae –" She started out, mostly just to distract herself. But she caught herself when her friend shot a warning look her way. "The people you were talking to at the pool. How did they get waylaid? Mr. Smiley didn't get them, did he?"
"No." Deanda assured.
Her eyes never left the aisle, assessing each person who filed past them. Few of them were wearing suits, and none had on any sunglasses. There was nothing immediately suspicious about any of them as they chattered to their companions, grumbled to themselves, and generally tried to get past each other with minimal contact.
"They wouldn't have been able to call me if they'd been caught," Deanda explained without any bite. "And I texted them before just to let them know we were safe and what was going on. They're going to have someone meet us at Glasgow."
"Why not Heathrow?"
Deanda cast a glance at the adolescent boy who took the aisle seat next to her, but he was too busy listening to his headphones to pay them any attention. "We typically have two wingless agents at Heathrow, but one is in the hospital with severe food poisoning and the other just happened to disappear last week."
Sabrina's eyebrows rose. "Coincidence?"
"Doubtful," she replied with a grim shake of her head. "I'd say it's a pretty sure bet he was compromised."
Not wanting to contemplate the exact meaning of that ominous word choice, Sabrina moved on. "How are they wingless agents?"
Judging by the look on Deanda's face and the careful way she annunciated her reply, that was apparently a stupid question. "They don't have wings."
"Oh." Sabrina paused to think, unwilling to end the conversation so fast, since that would mean leaving herself alone with her own neuroses. "So they just have two agents at that whole huge airport?"
"It isn't easy getting us to agree to lose our wings." Deanda shrugged.
The co-pilot's accented voice interrupted them then to welcome everyone aboard, review the flight itinerary and inform them that they would be taking off shortly. While he spoke, Sabrina gazed out the window, staring at the stretch of pavement below. And what beautiful pavement it was too: so solid and tangible.
The plane rumbled beneath them like an isolated earthquake.
Sabrina gulped, feeling every heartbeat thud inside her chest while the aircraft backed up onto the runway, then eased forward into the lineup. She scrunched her toes together, tensing every part of her body without consciously trying.
"Aren't faeries supposed to enjoy flying by their very nature?" She hissed at Deanda despite their previous discussion on the subject.
"Calm down. Flying is safer than –"
"Driving," Sabrina interrupted. "So I've heard."
The flight attendants lined up to begin reviewing the safety information, which she didn't particularly want to hear. She kept them in the corner of her vision just in case they explained anything more brilliant than how to fasten her seatbelt. As for knowing where the flotation devices were, she really didn't want to think about that possibility.
The plane turned and came to a stop, giving Sabrina the briefest of hopes that they'd decided to cancel the flight after all. But the engines rumbled again and the plane shuddered forward. Then it was rolling faster and faster, picking up speed at an alarming pace.
Three seconds passed. Five seconds. Nine. Thirteen. And then, with a smooth tilt that she barely even felt, Sabrina was looking out the window at the black-topped runway shrinking in size below her.
They climbed higher so that the view panned out onto the entire airport. She could see beams from itty-bitty cars circling around it like ants with flashlights. Sabrina found herself so entranced with her new perspective that she completely forgot to be afraid, her hands loosening their death grip on her seat and her body relaxing.
That blissful state didn't last very long though, easily muscled out by boredom in the first hour. She tried to combat it by accessing the plethora of movies listed on her screen, but none of them could capture her attention for more than twenty minutes at a time. Five flicks in, she gave up and closed her eyes. Dozing off a few times, Sabrina might have slept for a total of three hours before the "fasten seatbelts" light came back on, and the co-pilot announced that they would be beginning their final descent to London Heathrow Airport.
A thrill of utter expectation ran through her. It was an automatic excitement at knowing she would be stepping out to a whole different country than she'd left behind. That enthusiasm didn't fade while she waited to exit the plane, or even when she stood with her fellow sleepy flyers in the customs line. But by the time she and Deanda had rechecked their luggage for the Glasgow flight, Sabrina no longer cared one bit that she was in England. All she wanted was to find a proper bed she could curl up onto for a twenty-four hour stretch. At the very least.
Since that wasn't an option for another several hours, they went to get hot coffee and muffins instead, despite how neither of them were actually thirsty or hungry after being so well fed on their long flight. It was just something to do.
"So I might be starting to believe in you-know-whats," Sabrina offered after they had sat down at one of the airport's little cafés. Turning her thick, paper cup around and around on the table in front of her, she made the comment more for conversation's sake than for any kind of real reconciliation on the matter.
"Oh, really?" Deanda asked with an attitude-laden raise of her eyebrows. She took a sip of her coffee. "And what makes you say that? Mr. Smiley and his goons? How I made them vanish before your eyes? Or the way I let you see them again?"
"No need to get smug there, missy," Sabrina replied without a trace of bite. Even if she had wanted to take offense, she wasn't sure she could muster up the energy for it. "I didn't say they do exist, just that suddenly there are little hints as to the possibility."
"Very academic reply for someone so deep in denial." Deanda yawned hugely.
Sabrina decided it was time to change the subject. "So what was that stuff you used anyway?"
"Very confidential." Deanda covered her mouth and squinted her eyes again as another sign of lethargy escaped her. "Meant only for true believers."
"Stop yawning," Sabrina demanded. "You're making me feel even more tired. And how can I become a true believer if you don't tell me?"
Deanda took the time to first slouch in her seat before deigning to respond. "It's a hormone called Faetenin that our bodies produce. It's how most humans remain unaware of our existence. Ask them and they'll claim it's supernatural, but it's just a biological cloaking system. We might have the physical additions of wings on our persons, but usually they can't see them."
"Usually?"
"Some people are less susceptible to the effects of Faetenin than the rest. It doesn't happen very often. Maybe one out of every hundred thousand people. But that's how the HPAC exists. At least, that's how it got started."
"Okay," Sabrina said, taking in the information. "So then faeries can't be seen at all? We're invisible?"
"No," Deanda corrected, pausing for another sip and eyeing an arguing couple who walked by. "They just can't see our wings. Everything else is perfectly visible."
"How is that even possible?" Sabrina questioned.
"If you want detailed answers, you're going to have to ask someone who studies these things." She grimaced. "I struggled to get a B in biology, but the way I understand it is that the hormone is just found in our wings. It's like why your hair is a different color and texture from the rest of your body, I suppose."
"Fair enough, I guess. But after you put the stuff on those guys, I couldn't see them at all."
"Sabrina, think," Deanda pointed out, though not meanly. "I dumped it in concentrated form on them."
Sabrina paused to digest the information, feeling rather foolish for not making the connection on her own. To regain her cynical composure, she resorted to a deliberate stalling tactic and let her gaze wander to the people around.
The range of accents and languages were fascinating enough to have captured her interest even if she wasn't looking out for a distraction. Eastern European men in designer jeans, the agitated nanny trying to corral two energetic children, an Indian family chattering amongst themselves in twice-accented British English: They all unknowingly begged for her full attention. Entranced especially by the vivid colors of the matriarch's sari, Sabrina watched the group until they disappeared from sight.
"So if I am what you say I am," she began again slowly. "Why couldn't I see them until you put that other stuff on my eyes?"
"Your scientific terminology is breathtaking." Deanda shook her head at the realization that Sabrina wasn't following her train of thought. "Using the word 'stuff' to describe everything?"
"Oh." Sabrina thought about it for perhaps one minute too long. "First of all, I haven't gotten much sleep, even after a near-death experience. And second of all, I wasn't brought up on any of this. So give me a break."
Deanda gave a small shrug of acknowledgement and downed the last few drops of her coffee. "It's another genetic anomaly called Leschius-3, which gives us what you might call a sixth sense. Really, what it comes down to is that we have more powerful eyesight than most humans could ever dream of having. And you, my dear, have been taking those dulling vitamins for very nearly your entire life, so you're just about as human as a faerie can get."
"That's pretty cool," Sabrina had to admit. "Does that mean now that I've stopped taking those vitamins, I'll be able to see everything?"
"I would assume. In a few days or so. Your physicals have all come out normal, and you haven't registered for any deficiencies."
"You've done physicals on me?" Sabrina asked warily, leaning away from her friend. "Without me knowing?"
"No, stupid." Deanda rubbed at her eyes. "I'm not a doctor, and I have no desire to get that up close and personal with you anyway."
Unoffended by the snippy reply, Sabrina would have gone back to ignoring her roommate in favor of people watching. But that wasn't a viable option.
Stretching out as far back as she could without tipping over, Deanda jerked to attention. The reason became very obvious very quickly: Four men in black suits and dark sunglasses were stepping their way. How Mr. Smiley and his gang had made it over so fast, Sabrina had no idea. And she didn't want to stick around to find out.
"Damn," Deanda muttered under her breath. "What in the world do they think they're going to do this side of security?"
The closer they got, the easier it became to tell that it wasn't Mr. Smiley's evil troupe after all, but a similarly dressed set of men. Instead of a single blond and three brunettes, this group had the opposite. Otherwise, even coming nearer, they looked similar to an eerie degree. And they were still HPAC without a shadow of a doubt.
Desperately wishing she had a hat or a bandana or even a bucket to put over her own, very distinctively colored hair, Sabrina looked to Deanda for guidance. She was completely unsure whether she should slouch into the chair or get up and run.
"How would they know we were going to Scotland?" She hissed to the side, unable to take her eyes off the four predators. "Are they clairvoyant or something?"
"No." Deanda shook her head, looking pensive. "They know your brother is in the U.K. It's a logical guess that, if we were going to fly to him, we'd have to go through Heathrow. If they have people here, you'd better believe they'll have more goons at Glasgow and possibly even Dublin. The good news is that I don't think these guys are going to try anything with so many guards around."
The unspoken but still stated "I hope" hung in the air between them.
It felt entirely wrong sitting there, especially when the one blond-haired goon pointed at the girls and said something to his companions. None of them changed their pace, neither speeding up nor slowing down. What they did do was stare. A lot. If they blinked, Sabrina couldn't tell, but she could feel their eyes on her all the same.
Airport security personnel, present though they were, wasn't much of a comfort. "Can't you make us invisible or something?"
"It won't do any good," Deanda replied. "Why do you think they wear those tacky sunglasses everywhere? They're Faetenin-resistant."
"Don't tell me the suits do something too?"
The men stopped across from the café, crossing their arms behind their backs, their mouths set in permanent scowls.
"No, those are just proof they take themselves way too seriously." Deanda reached into her purse for a hairclip. "But look at it this way, it makes them that much more obvious. So there's that." She wound her long hair up into a loose bun, ready for action should it come down to that. "We know they're here. They know we're here. Let's just stay calm and sit tight. Our plane should be boarding soon anyway."
They got up to find seats at their gate.
Of course, the men followed.
That left the two women with nothing to do but wait again. Though this time, the bad guys weren't trussed up. They had stopped only a few yards away by another stand of chairs, taking up the same creepy stances as before. Behind their dark sunglasses, Sabrina knew they were staring at her.
She wanted to cry.
"I don't get it." Sabrina had to sniffle a few times to keep herself together. "Why are they just standing there watching us? It makes no sense whatsoever."
Deanda had apparently had time to think it over though. "If I had to guess, I'd say they're checking to see which flight we board. That way, they can get additional agents over to our destination airport and take things from there."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"It should though." Deanda's entire face twisted into a sneer. "They might know exactly where we're going now, but they also gave themselves away. They've lost the element of surprise, which means we can better avoid them."
A woman's voice chose that moment to announce that their flight would begin boarding. First class could line up.
A few painful minutes passed. Then groups two and three were allowed to step forward.
Sabrina was out of her chair before the announcer had finished her last syllable, and Deanda was a fraction of a second behind her. They weren't quite the first people in line, but they were close. Only a well-dressed Japanese couple and an equally chic mother-daughter pair stood in front of them.
The lively blond ticket taker with the rosebud lips scanned the gentleman's boarding pass and waved him on to the security guard, who read over his maroon passport one last time. Next up was his wife, and then came the model-like woman with her grey pencil skirt and shapely legs.
Sabrina glanced backward at the HPAC thugs. They still hadn't moved.
She took a step forward, clutching her identification in one hand and her carry-on luggage in the other.
"Thank you so much. Enjoy your flight," the British blond chirped cheerfully, handing the ticket back to its owner and turning seamlessly to the next person in line.
Another maroon passport changed hands up at the security guard. Another cheerful chirping.
Sabrina's hands were shaking by the time it was her turn to hear the rote dismissal, her nerves overwhelmed with the thought that the suited men might still try something. She hoped the trembling wasn't too obvious as she shuffled forward again to hand her own little blue booklet to the tall, scrappy redhead with his white shirt, black tie and expressionless gaze.
He gave her a close, unreadable look before handing her passport back with a nod. Sabrina gave him a weak smile, then stepped onto the covered boarding ramp, pausing to wait for Deanda to make it through.
She didn't feel even a little safe until the plane was soaring up into the air.


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Star Wars Coloring Pages
Star Wars Bounty Hunters
We're pleased to welcome you to The StarWars.com 10th edition This is a series in which StarWars.com's editorial team gathers to discuss — as the form of a committee — a variety of issues pertaining to a galaxy that's distant. Today we're looking at some of the most coveted mercenaries from Star Wars.
"Bounty hunters. We do not require their filth." This was the view of Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back, however, he could not be more incorrect. Bounty hunters play a major part throughout Star Wars, often doing the dirty work of the major villains in the series such as the killing of a senator, or the capture of the rebel smuggler. They've become iconic as individualsand sometimes, based by appearance. It's up up to the viewers to envision the things they can do. To compile our list of favorites, we examined bounty hunters from Star Wars and the Star Wars films and on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and evaluated them based on a variety of aspects, such as their job performance, combat skills and who is the best "fearless and inventive." Note: None of the Expanded Universe characters or exploits were taken into consideration.
10. Zam Wesell, Attack of the Clones
An anthropomorphic bounty hunter Zam Wesell is extremely dangerous as well as an excellent shot. Employed by Jango Fett to murder senator Padme Amidala Wesell nearly succeeded in her attempt to end Senator Amidala's life. She first succeeded by bombing Amidala's spaceship, then by dropping two deadly arthropods in her bedroom and was repelled by Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as Anakin Skywalker. As a result of the chase she proved to be a formidable opponent to Kenobi and Skywalker who lead them on a wild high-speed chase across Coruscant however, she could not outrun or outwit Skywalker or Kenobi. Jedi.
9. Dengar, The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: The Clone Wars
A bounty hunter employed to hunt down Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back, Dengar sports distinct armor, sports distinctive headdresses and is armed with heavy weapons. As shown in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Dengar is also skilled at combat with his hands, and standing in the face of a mass assault from Kage warriors.
8. IG-88, The Empire Strikes Back
A massive, impressive figure, IG-88 is one of the bounty hunters that Vader prefers — and the only one on this list of droids. Although it was only briefly featured during The Empire Strikes Back, IG-88 is still a favorite among the fans of comics as well as video games as well as cartoons. The thing that might entice fans is the fact that IG-88's free to choose; he's dependent on no master or owner, which is unlike other droids. This is something terrifying as a bounty hunter without humanity.
7. Asajj Ventress, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Asajj Ventress is a vicious killer, and a an ex- Sith apprentice to the Count Dooku was a bounty hunter, not out of choice, but rather due to circumstances and desire. Disappointed by Dooku and forced to leave and lost in the dark, Ventress agrees to join Boba Fett and his team for a job that seems simple that involves escorting a box onto the train. Her ability to sense force and fight can be a benefit when the team is attacked however Ventress's hearts are (slightly) too large. When she discovers that the chest holds an inmate, Ventress sets her free…for an amount of ransom. Ventress later proves herself to be an expert bounty hunter by herself in capturing and tracking one of the Jedi -Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka Tano, even though no one else has the ability to. However, there's more to Ventress than she thought and the former fanatic of the dark side decides to assist Tano instead of immediately claiming her reward.
6. Embo, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Unpredictable and fast, Embo is a formidable male Kyuzo bounty hunter who ranks with the best mercenaries of the time. In the film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Embo is hired by farmers in Felucia to guard against Hondo Ohnaka as well as his pirate band His skills are amazing: He takes an unmoving speeder motorcycle from pirates, blasts it accurately using his bowcaster, jumps at and turns and blocks the incoming fire using his shield-hat. Embo seldom speaks however his actions are what speak for his actions. He also earns bonus points for owning an animal companion named Anooba.
5. Jango Fett, Attack of the Clones
Important To Star Wars, Jango Fett is so revered as a bounty hunter, that he is the blueprint for the clone army. In blue and grey Mandalorian clothing, Jango holds his own against Obi-Wan Kenobi during Attack of the Clones, and, during the Battle of Geonosis, blasts an unarmed Jedi out of a secret box that overlooks the arena of the planet — in motion — as well as kills an reek using an exact shot from the point of no return. His arsenal, naturally is impressive including a jet pack, fire thrower, rocket launcher blasters, and many other weapons. Even though he eventually loses to Mace Windu Fett does live up to the fame.
4. Bossk, The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Afflicting fear and intimidation, Bossk became a fan of choice after his snarling, I can hear you expression at an Imperial official during The Empire Strikes Back. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars Bossk is one of the galaxy's most sought-after bounty hunters. He works closely with Boba Fett. He also, as an Trandoshan is naturally a hunter. His character's attitude and unique style with no armor, a reptile-like appearance with long legs and arms with clawed feet and hands makes him the only one to his part of the Star Wars galaxy.
3. Aurra Sing, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Cunning and ruthless, Aurra Sing is a sharpshooting bounty hunter who has no conscience. in Star Wars: The Clone Wars we witness the depths Sing is willing to go to to earn money She kills clone troopers held captive as well as snipes security with long-distance headshots and kills former companions face-to-face. Sing also acts as an educator for abandoned Boba Fett and teaches her the killer instinct required for their field of work.
2. Boba Fett, the Star Wars films, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
When people think about "Star Wars bounty hunter," they're likely to think of Boba Fett. First appearing as a character in The Star Wars Holiday Special, and later playing a significant part as a major character in The Empire Strikes Back, Fett made an impact on the audience immediately. With his unique, combat-worn armor, sleek, modern helmet and weapons such as a rocket pack, sawed-off weapons, wrist gauntlets that included grappling ropes and blasters -the character of Fett was unlike anything else that was seen Star Wars. The ship that he was aboard was called the Slave I, seemed to fit him perfectly from the colour scheme to style. Of all bounty hunters employed by the Empire He is the one who track through the Millennium Falcon to Cloud City and collects an additional reward for his efforts by handing over Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt. This is something nobody else bounty hunter can do. The reason he died during Return of the Jedi is controversial among people who love the film however given the character's small screen time, his impact to Star Wars is even more remarkable.
1. Cad Bane, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Afflicted with no-nonsense, brutal and always a danger, Cad Bane is a man who appears as if that he came straight from The Good, The Bad as well as The Ugly — is the most successful bounty hunter from Star Wars. His work of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is awe-inspiring: Bane frees Ziro the Hutt from the prison that is heavily guarded on Coruscant and then enters The Jedi Archives and steals a Holocron. He's later resuscitated by Jedi and able to escape. He fights against Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi and also captures Ahsoka Tano. Also, he's a creative person and has a Zero-Gravity battle with Anakin as well as Ahsoka. With his arsenal of weapons and gadgets that includes twin blasters, rocket boots and weaponized gauntlets Bane is an imposing foe for everyone and everyone is safe, whether it's a an ally of the bounty hunter or Jedi. Although he's still a relatively unknown character Bane is now one of the most purest villains in Star Wars, cold and calculated and always in business.
1 day ago 1 day ago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We all knew it was coming and it's really no surprise at all. According to a CareerBuilder study 53% of American workers over 60 are planning to postpone retirement.
The reason, of course is due to lack of funds and debt. Studies show the average American has less than $500 in savings.
The research also broke the findings down by region, with the Northeast leading in terms of how many people (73%) are putting money in their retirement accounts. The South had the lowest amount of savers at 67%. Sixty-nine percent are saving in the Midwest and 71% are saving in the West.
While 31% of women and 17% of men say they don't know how much money to save for retirement, the numbers also show how many older people aren't prepared for their Golden Years: 23% of workers age 55 and older don't have a retirement plan, such as an IRA or 401(k).
The biggest chunks of debt are student loans, mortgages, and credit cards. The good news is there is a good way to get out of unsecured debt. If you have more than $10,000 in unsecured debt then you should consider debt settlement. It's basically where your creditors agree to take less than what is owed.
Usually about 50% but of course its not that simple. Read more about debt settlement here. If you do manage to settle your debts then you can save more of that money that was going to your debt service and retire on time!


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Structural Family Therapy: How It Works, Cost, & What to Expect
Published: December 28, 2020 Updated: November 28, 2022
Published: 12/28/2020 Updated: 11/28/2022
Silvi Saxena
MBA, MSW, LSW, CCTP, OSW-C
Benjamin Troy
What Is Structural Family Therapy?Definition
Core Concepts of Structural Family TherapyConcepts
What Can Structural Family Therapy Help With?What It Helps
Structural Family Therapy Research ExamplesExamples
Cost of Structural Family TherapyCost
How to Find a Structural Family TherapistHow to Find
Is Structural Family Therapy Effective?Effectiveness
How Is Structural Family Therapy Different Than Other Family Therapy Options?Differences
History of Structural Family TherapyHistory
Additional ResourcesResources
Structural family therapy is an approach to family therapy that focuses on a family member's role within the family system and how a family interacts and communicates. Unlike more psychotherapies, this approach focuses on the present instead of the past, allowing families to avoid blame and communicate constructively to solve problems. Any family can benefit from it and can expect treatment to last for at least 3 months.
The cost of this form of therapy can vary; it's important to look at your health insurance benefits for mental health. Many therapists offer sliding scale prices to ensure treatment is accessible and affordable.
What Is Structural Family Therapy?
Structural family therapy is a type of family therapy that looks at the members of the family unit in relation to their role within the family. This approach allows the focus to be on the family as opposed to one individual. Having context of how one's role in the family is shaped and embodied gives a lot of information to the family therapeutic process. As a result, we can look at how these individual family members are in their family unit environment.1
This approach to family therapy focuses on the here and now instead of past behaviors and history. The idea comes from the goal of changing perceptions and subsequently, behaviors, as a result of examining each member of the family within the family unit. Given that families are constantly changing as a result of each member of the family changing and growing over time, focusing on the present allows families to learn tools they can use as they continue to grow and change throughout its lifespan.1
Connect with a therapist that specializes in structural family therapy. BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Complete a brief questionnaire and get matched with the right therapist for you.
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Core Concepts of Structural Family Therapy
There are a number of core concepts of Structural family therapy, including:
Structure is the behavioral patterns exhibited by the family unit. A dysfunctional structure will lead to more issues within the family unit and among each member of the family. Obtaining a baseline understanding of how a family functions is very telling in what may or may not need to change with the family structure to ensure it can be more functional.
Even with functional structures, families will still experience moments of dysfunction but are better equipped to recover from those behaviors before they become a pattern.
Subsystems are smaller units within the larger family unit. This could be a dynamic with the siblings, with one sibling and one parent, with both parents, the female siblings and mother, the male siblings vs female siblings, the older siblings vs the younger siblings, etc.
The subsystem in each family unit is specific to the relationships and dynamics within each family. Understanding the origins of these subsystems is crucial to unpacking how they influence the family unit.
Power is the amount of influence each member, or subsystem has on one another, another subsystem and the family unit as a whole. Understanding power dynamics sheds light on the behavioral patterns of a family unit, how decisions are made and how structure may need to change to ensure all members of the family unit feel power relative to their role within the dynamics of the family unit.
Boundaries are essentially spoken or unspoken rules of how one member of the family and/or subsystem interacts with one another. Boundaries can be both concrete and abstract depending on the situation, boundaries may have more gray areas instead of black and white barriers. It's important to understand how boundaries are formed, why they are the way they are and how effective they are in maintaining a healthy family function.
Boundaries can be too rigid or not rigid enough which can impact individual members of the family unit, which can have a negative impact on the family unit and lead to dysfunctional patterns and an unstable, unsustainable structure needed for growth and change as the family unit matures.
Enmeshment is a behavioral pattern pertaining to boundaries. In enmeshment, boundaries are so loose that they interrupt individual growth of the family members engaged in an enmeshed dynamic. The needs for autonomy for each individual member of the family is critical to maintain a functional family unit.
Enmeshment blurs the line between members of the family beyond the level of creating a subsystem. This type of dependence becomes codependence, which hurts the potential for the family to mature properly.
Disengagement is a behavioral pattern pertaining to boundaries as well. In disengagement, boundaries are so strong that they can lead to major disconnection with members of the family. There is a strong sense of independence and leads to very little dependence on the family unit, which is needed to maintain trust, love, respect and growth for the family unit as a whole. Disengagement can make members of the family unit feel as though they have nothing in common with others in the family unit, leading to dysfunctional patterns.
Alignment/Coalition
An alignment is how a member(s) of the family and/or subsystems(s) relate to one another in the context of the family unit. A coalition is a type of alignment that only has two members of the family, excluding any other members or subsystems. Understanding these coalitions within a family and how they aligned can be a key to uncovering deeper behavioral patterns within the family unit at large.6
What Can Structural Family Therapy Help With?
Structural family therapy can help families with a myriad of issues. Some include issues pertaining to raising children with intellectual developmental disorders, incarceration, infidelity with the parental figures, mental health concerns and trauma.
Common life events that can necessitate structural family therapy are:
Separation/divorce
A child coming out with his/her sexuality
A partner that is transitioning
A parent changing careers
Traumatic experiences
Mental & behavioral disorders or concerns which structural family therapy can intervene include:
Life-changes
Changes in family structure
What's the Goal of Structural Family Therapy & Who Determines That Goal?
The goal of structural family therapy is to create more healthy family dynamics within all members of the family unit, relative to the relationships within the family. This can include assisting families create sustainable structure and mutually agreed upon rules and boundaries. Another goal is to understand how individual members or subsystems can positively influence the family unit with their alignments and/or understand better ways to function within their subsystems.
The last goal is to help family members stay connected with one another with healthy patterns of communication and engagement. This can include addressing enmeshment and disengagement among family members or subsystems and using role and power to compliment one another in the family unit.2
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According to 14 Best Therapy Services (updated on 1/16/2023), Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp and Online-Therapy.
Structural Family Therapy Research Examples
As we discussed above, there are many ways in which structural family therapy has been effective for families, despite their circumstances. These studies will highlight the benefits of structural family therapy interventions in a variety of life examples experienced by a family.
In a recent study, it was found that unpacking issues related to infidelity within relationships from the lens of a structural family therapy approach allowed partners to empathize with one another in a meaningful way. The reactions in the clinical setting exhibited by both individuals embodied compassion and care. Couples were able to understand how their dynamics regarding infidelity also impacts their children and how to manage that better as co-parents and/or a couple.5
Another study examined the impact of structural family therapy on families with children who struggle with mental health issues. In this study, children were found to have healthier ways of coping with their issues as opposed to internalizing their fears and concerns. Parents of these children reported improved relationships with their children and healthier dynamics within the family structure. Communication improvements were also reported to be a result of structural family therapy interventions for families of children struggling with mental health concerns.4
In another study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of structural family therapy on marital mediation, it was found that these interventions were very effective. Marital mediation process improved greatly as a result of the approach of a solution-focused structural family therapy intervention. Intimacy among couples improved as a result as well, highlighting the ways in which problems were dissected and understood to reach solutions from. Lastly, it was found that some marital conflict was completely resolved as a result from the ways in which engagement and structure were reorganized within the family unit.7
Cost of Structural Family Therapy
Family therapy can be covered by health insurance in some cases, which include the diagnosis of a medical condition. For example, if a parent is diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed physician, individual/family therapy would be covered as the issues which arise from a PTSD diagnosis can lead to a need for therapy.
The same can be true of a teen who is diagnosed with major depressive disorder by a licensed physician, as many types of depression can impact the family structure. There is usually a copay for mental health services, which can range from $40 and upwards of $100. Looking at "in-network" providers might be able to help with the out-of-pocket costs with copays.
In situations where health insurance does not cover family therapy, such as infidelity, separation and divorce, each session can range from $60-$200 per hour per session. It's important to consider therapists and practices which may offer sliding scale prices for sessions. In this case, considering that there was no external medical factor that triggered a need for structural family therapy, this would not be covered by health insurances.
How to Find a Structural Family Therapist
The best way to find a structural family therapist is by searching online and reviewing the in-network providers if your reason for structural family therapy is stemming from a medical condition for someone in the family. Looking through profiles online and narrowing down a few to contact for initial talks is a good first step. Many therapists offer a free phone consultation and that can give families an opportunity to evaluate if that may be the right therapist for what they are looking for.
Any type of mental health clinician is able to facilitate structural family therapy as long as they have the experience. While there is no specific certification or credential for this form of family therapy, there are many continuing education credits and workshops therapists may enroll in to gain experience. The mental health professions which may enroll in these courses are LCSWs, LSWs, LPCs, PsyDs, LMFTs, and any variety of these depending on the state in which you live.
Key Questions to Ask a Structural Family Therapist
The following are key questions to ask a structural family therapist when considering treatment:
What is your experience with structural family therapy?
How might this help my family with my issues?
How long will we have to be coming in for therapy?
How do we know if we're making progress?
What if someone doesn't want to come to therapy one week?
Can you see any of us individually?
Do you diagnose an issue with the family?
Do we have homework?
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
During your first structural family therapy session, your therapist will take time reviewing what their role is and understand what brought you in for therapy. The first session is to gain an understanding of how the therapist works and what the family dynamic is. The therapist will likely ask all members of the family to offer their reason why they all think they are in therapy.
This usually gives a therapist an understanding of any patterns and/or alliances within the family. The first session is usually an hour long and from there, the therapist along with the family will set up a treatment plan for frequency of therapy.
Is Structural Family Therapy Effective?
Structural family therapy is backed by all the major licensing association for mental health counselors. This approach to family therapy has been found to be effective with marital mediation and marital distress.7 In addition, structural family therapy is effective with mental health concerns, specifically for families with children who struggle with a myriad of diagnoses.4
Infidelity issues were also effectively managed and worked out and subsequent impact of infidelity on the family unit was proven to be helped with structural family therapy interventions.5
How Is Structural Family Therapy Different Than Other Family Therapy Options?
Structural family therapy is among the top forms of family therapy as it's proven to be very effective. The approach focuses on current problems and finding solutions in a way that promote the balance and equality of all members of the family. Compared to CBT, there is less emphasis on history of how one may think and more emphasis on communicating the experience for themselves.
Its focus is based on setting rules and understanding why those rules are significant to the health of the family versus CBT's emphasis on changing behavior. There are benefits to all approaches to therapy but the best form of family therapy for you will depend on your goals.
History of Structural Family Therapy
Structural Family Therapy was developed by a psychotherapist named Salvador Minuchin in the 1960s. His focus was aimed at how family dysfunction impacts the family structure and dynamics. To add, he believed that families' poor communication patterns and relational skills among others in the family developed because of these dysfunctions. By the 1970s, more therapists accepted this new approach to family therapy and it quickly gained popularity based on how effective it was proven to be.3
Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.
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Colapinto, J. (2019). Structural Family Therapy. Lebow J.L., Chambers A.L., Breunlin D.C. (eds). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham.
Diamond, G., Russon, J., & Levy, S. (2016). Attachment‐Based Family Therapy: A Review of the Empirical Support, Family Therapy: Special Issue: EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED TREATMENTS IN COUPLE AND FAMILY THERAPY, 55(3), 595-610.
Guzzardo, P., & Pina-Navarez, L. (2018). Structural Family Therapy. In L. Metcalf (Ed.), Marriage and Family Therapy, Second Edition: A Practice-Oriented Approach (pp. 203-221).
Jiménez, L., Hidalgo, V., Baena, S., León, A., & Lorence, B. (2019). Effectiveness of Structural–Strategic Family Therapy in the Treatment of Adolescents with Mental Health Problems and Their Families. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(7).
Negash, S., & Morgan, M.L. (2016). A Family Affair: Examining the Impact of Parental Infidelity on Children Using a Structural Family Therapy Framework. Contemporary Family Therapy, 38, 198–209.
Tadros, E., & Finney, N. (2018). Structural Family Therapy With Incarcerated Families: A Clinical Case Study, The Family Journal, 26(2), 253–261.
Ulya, Z. (2020). Structural family therapy as mediation process for marital conflict. Journal of Psychiatry Psychology and Behavioral Research, 1(1).
Weaver, A., Greeno, C.G., Fusco, R., Zimmmerman, T., & Anderson, C.M. (2019). Not Just One, It's Both of Us: Low-Income Mothers' Perceptions of Structural Family Therapy Delivered in a Semi-rural Community Mental Health Center. Community Mental Health Journal, 55, 1152–1164.
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7% 78% Median of all states 28% // State data highlighted23%Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's median household income falls in the middle of the pack.
$43,567 $82,604 Median of all states $59,116 // State data highlighted$59,445Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has an middling number of people with four-year college degrees.
20% 58% Median of all states 31% // State data highlighted31%Pennsylvania
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Steven Shepard
Senior campaigns and elections editor
Taking Biden at face value about Michigan and Wisconsin — where, for what it's worth (not that much), the exit poll data looks pretty good for him and he came in with a significant polling lead — here's where the map goes: If Biden wins those two, plus Maine, Nevada and Arizona, but nothing else, he's at 269 electoral votes. Which means he's a Nebraska-02 (where he's currently leading) away from hitting 270 on the number, WITHOUT Pennsylvania and Maine's 2nd District.
One thing to keep in mind as we've seen Biden's polling numbers vanish in states like Florida and North Carolina: His leads were much larger in Michigan and Wisconsin, and a bit larger in Pennsylvania. So he has a little cushion there to work with.
Charlie Mahtesian
Senior politics editor
We're not going to get a call out of Pennsylvania.
Holly Otterbein
National political reporter
With the caveat that we still know very, very little about Pennsylvania, let's zoom in on one county: Washington County, which is in the pro-Trump western part of the state. Trump wanted to drive more votes out of it; Biden wanted to cut his losses. One smart PA Dem strategist told me he wanted Biden to get to 40% in the county.
According to the NYT, more than 98% of estimated votes there have been reported. Here's the count:
2020: Trump: 70,760 (61.01%) Biden: 43,949 (37.89%)
2016: Trump: 61,386 (60.51%) Clinton: 36,322 (35.80%)
So, assuming NYT's 98%+ reporting estimate is correct, Trump got more raw votes out of Washington County like he wanted — quite a bit more. And Biden did cut his losses compared to Clinton. But Biden didn't get to 40% like the strategist wanted (and which Obama got beyond twice).
Christopher Cadelago
Getting at the "red mirage" idea, if we don't get Atlanta and big GA burbs, and some major blue areas of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania it's easy to see Trump's lead holding for now or staying closer than they should end up. Same for GA senate races Charlie
Holly My point in mentioning Montgomery County and Philly is that if those places aren't reporting all their votes, the red mirage scenario is still very much in place if the president chose that route.
Update: Philadelphia officials tell me they will report more mail-in ballot results between midnight and 1 a.m. The next batch will be reported at 9 a.m.
(I am deleting my post earlier that said Philly officials said they were not reporting more mail-in results tonight, because it appears to have been based on incomplete information. I apologize.)
Charlie We haven't heard yet from Allegheny County, which is also a top source of Democratic votes. But look, this is what PA elected officials told us could happen for months. We may not know results in PA for days.
Per Holly's point, keep in mind Montgomery County is a giant, the third most populous county in the state. It delivered a big margin for Clinton in 2016.
Update on Election Day in Philadelphia from the DA's office here:
"As of 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 68 incidents were reported to the Election Task Force and 67 incidents were peacefully resolved. The vast majority of reported incidents involved concerns about unlawful electioneering or interference at polling sites. Most issues involving misunderstandings or miscommunication about voting rules and laws were resolved by Election Task Force prosecutors by phone, and DAO prosecutors and detectives also responded to investigate incidents at polling sites in all six Philadelphia Police divisions. Several incidents will require follow-up by investigators."
For example, Holly, one example from Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden's campaign manager, that implied they were still counting on Pa could be seen in this quote. "If we just win one state between North Carolina and Georgia, then we could lose Michigan and Florida and still get over 270 electoral votes."
Holly If Biden loses Fla, North Carolina and Georgia, his so-called greater Midwest certainly includes winning Pennsylvania. That's a point that they made. Losing Pa would seem to require picking up something big elsewhere.
Christopher On the expectation-setting remarked upon earlier from the Biden campaign about Florida, what are we to make of the fact that the campaign told me this a few days ago about Pennsylvania — that "we can win without Pennsylvania," though they didn't think they'd need to?
Report that just went out from the Pennsylvania Election Protection Coalition on issues today in the state:
"Among the issues: Several polling places opened late. High turnout meant long lines, which remain active at some locations. (Any eligible voter in line by 8 p.m. is permitted to vote.) Voters spoiled mail-in ballots at high rates, and some poll workers were confused about how to process those ballots. Non-English-speaking residents faced language access issues at a few polling locations. Some voters expressed concern about imposing constables, others reported feeling harassed. Some precincts reported mechanical problems or ran out of supplies. While all of these issues are concerning, none of them are too far out of the ordinary for issues that arise during any normal election year — and this year was far from normal, with many expecting the worst in terms of potential disruptions and possible conflict."
Natasha Korecki
National Political Correspondent
Both campaigns have armies of attorneys at the ready for PA and other states. A lengthy post-Election court battle is the scenario Biden's camp has so fiercely tried to avoid by expanding their map to 17 states.
Mail-in numbers in PA:
1,658,804 cast by registered Democrats
599,494 cast by registered Republicans
284,931 cast by those registered as no affiliation/third party/other
About 548,000 mail-in ballots have not been returned as of now — but if they are postmarked by Election Day (or there is not a "preponderance of evidence" they were sent after) and received within three days, the state Supreme Court said they must be counted
30,000+ mail ballots — a teeny tiny fraction of the 2.5 million received as of this morning in the state — were just reported in Pennsylvania. We may be entering the brief "blue mirage" portion of the night, where Biden deceptively looks like he's doing well because counties first report the mail ballots they've been counting all day, and Biden supporters disproportionately voted by mail.
I feel like my job this entire night might be explaining why #nothingmatters in PA.
Polls close in 15 minutes in Pennsylvania.
Charlie Many voters in Philly and the suburbs don't like fracking and want to ban it. That's why it was interesting to see Trump rehash his line on fracking in Bucks County during a rally on Saturday. But in western Pennsylvania, as well as the northeast, it's more popular and has led to a boom in some areas that have been struggling economically for a long time. Biden wants to cut his losses in those places (and maybe even flip a county here or there), so that's why you see him reiterate again and again that he doesn't want to ban fracking. Trump, meanwhile, is trying to run up the score in those pro-fracking areas that already like him.
How much does fracking register as an issue across the state in southeastern PA, in Philly and its suburbs?
Anita And in a sign of how important PA is to the race, Biden tried to fend off Trump's attacks over fracking over and over. During Biden's final stop in the state yesterday at a drive-in rally in Pittsburgh, following his barnstorm of the state with his running mate Kamala Harris and their spouses, he said for the zillionth time that he doesn't want to ban fracking.
Anita Kumar
White House Correspondent & Associate Editor
Holly Trump's team really focused on Biden's fracking comments for the last couple weeks, convinced that they could make all the difference in Pennsylvania. They had ads, social media, conference calls, press releases, you name it on, all on fracking. They think even if it moved a few votes it could be enough to win the state.
Anita Trump aides were claiming high turnout in Republican areas in Luzerne, which is one of the three counties that flipped from supporting Obama to Trump in 2016.
Sen. Bob Casey — and local Democratic Party leaders — also said there was massive turnout in the Philadelphia suburbs, which would be a win for Biden.
You have to beware with these reports, though. During Election Day in 2016, Democrats reported good turnout in Philadelphia, and Clinton actually pulled out almost as many raw votes out of Philly as Obama in 2012. But what they didn't realize was that Trump was surging in rural parts of the state and flipping some swing counties like the ones mentioned above.
What I want to know is the number out of Philly -- what margin is Joe Biden taking out of the state's largest city? While Hillary Clinton dominated in Philadelphia, winning 82%, she only took a 475,000-vote edge out of the city, compared Barack Obama's 492,000 vote advantage in 2012. That made a difference in a state that was ultimately decided by roughly 45,000 votes.
Anita What do you want to know? I don't know where to begin! I talked to several elected officials and voter rights groups today, and everyone reported high turnout, particularly in Philadelphia. While I had less reporting on this, high turnout was also reported in the red parts of the state, too. To take one random anecdote, my dad claimed there was a four-hour line in one polling place in my home county, York (a very conservative area).
Holly Ready to hear what you have to say on Pennsylvania! I think it's the state to watch. It feels like the new Florida. Sorry Marc
Now we're talking.
Let's continue our tour around the Electoral College. When do we get to talk some PENNSYLVANIA :eagles:? After all, it's only at the center of the political universe tonight.
Ally Mutnick
House campaigns reporter
Charlie and PA, MI, OH & IL are on track to lose a seat!
Marc Caputo
Biden Campaign Reporter
Telling tweet from election law expert Rick Hasen: "Biggest surprise of the election watch for me so far: Florida's election administration doesn't make my top 3 of places I'm worried about. (PA, GA, MI)"
Good evening from Philadelphia! I'm totally zeroed in on Pennsylvania tonight. Election officials were not permitted by law to begin counting mail-in ballots in the state until today, so we may not know the presidential election results here for days. Then again, Sen. Bob Casey told me he thought the race could potentially be called in Pennsylvania tonight. So first, I'm looking to see what exactly we learn tonight and how quickly local governments across the state are able to process mail ballots. I just got off the phone with the City Commissioners office in Philadelphia, and they told me that all the machines that process mail ballots are up and running and that things are going smoothly.
Secondly, I'm looking to see if we get a sense tonight of how many "naked ballots" there are in the state. You might have heard of this: In Pennsylvania, if you don't submit your mail ballot with the proper envelope, it's called a naked ballot — and it will get tossed out. Earlier this year, one election official said the rule could result in upwards of 100,000 mail-in ballots being thrown out. Democrats, including Biden's campaign, spent a ton of money educating voters about this rule to prevent that. So will that number end up being less than 100,000, or not?
Nancy Cook
Hi everyone from D.C.! I'm watching to see what happens in Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest states which seems to be the most crucial for a potential Trump victory given the recent polling and his path to winning in 2016....I'm also watching to see what emerges as the chief issue for voters: the economy (which historically has favored Trump), or his administration's handling of Covid (where he has been far weaker in the polls). And then, like Anita, I am watching to see how POTUS reacts. If we do not know the outcome of the election tonight, is he cool, or does he try to claim victory regardless?
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Election results by state
By Allan James Vestal, Andrew Briz, Annette Choi, Beatrice Jin, Andrew McGill and Lily Mihalik.
Suggestions/comments? Email us.
Election results provided by the Associated Press. Additional data from U.S. Census Bureau, MIT Election Lab and POLITICO reporting.


Primroses flowering in May on the sides of Kennavara, Isle of Tiree.
Tiree, Gaelic Tiriodh, is located off the Scottish west coast. It is the most westerly of the Inner Hebrides. Wide expanses of clean sand, birds, including the rare Corncrake, spread out townships and relaxed way of life keeps tourists coming back to Tiree. For details begin with Tiree in the News page.


Turkey is the leading producing country of dried apricots.
Malatya, the major apricot-producing city in Turkey, is known as the "World Capital of Dried Apricots".
The inhabitants of Hunza (Pakistan) enjoy remarkable health and longevity, attributed in part to their famous dried apricots.
Size No. Diameter Count per kg.
Harvest:Harvest time is determined with respect to the type of apricot, the altitude at which it is grown, the ripening, the getting yellow of its colour, its softening and getting sweet and juicy. The most suitable apricot harvest is made by hand, so the fruits are not damaged during harvest and they are harvested when sufficiently ripe. The other harvest types are that are done by shaking and flapping.
Drying: Apricot is dried for using two different methods, called "Gün kurusu" (natural dry) and "Kükürtleme" (sulfured dry). Sulfuring is useful to shorten the time of the drying process, to preserve the natural colour, to prevent the product from getting infested with bugs and to increase the preservation period. Sulfuring, and the rest accomplish more than 80 % of the total drying efforts by drying in the sun. Spreading the apricot directly on earth, concrete, or cloths does 10 % of the drying processes.
In natural drying, the quality decreases because of the dirt and bruises that the apricots receive. In apricots that are day dried, bugs form a short time after the drying process, but nevertheless, these apricots are very tasteful.
Selecting and Packing: Drying process is made by growers and farmers and then these raw apricots are sold in the market to intermediaries. These merchants market the apricots to processor and packer companies. Packers companies first wash and fumigate these apricots, then calibrate to 8 different sizes, after these processes, apricots are waited in plastic baskets for 24 hours to absorb the excess water in it. After humidity and SO2 tests, if the product is conformed to official quality standards, handpicked by workers one by one. All the wounded, damaged, dotted and mouldy berries are selected.
The final outcome is put into generally 5 or 12.5 kg bulk cartons, inside pp nylon or oil paper. In many of processing and packing houses, retail packs like 200, 250, 400, and 500 gr is workable upon requests of buyers. These are white foam trays or clear cello bags.
Through the organic and inorganic substances it contains, apricot affects human health positively. Apricot contains a large amount of sugar, starch, protein, pectin, pectose, cellulose, vitamins and acids. Apricot is very rich of the mineral potassium and the vitamin ß carotene. Vitamin A is necessary for the health of the epithelium tissue surrounding the body and the organs, and for the health of the eye, for the health of bones and teeth, and for the functions of the endocrine glands. A diet of 200-250 grams of apricot contains sufficient oil and 1/3 of the necessary amount of vitamin A for one day. The property of apricot about being poor in sodium and rich in potassium may help the arrangement of some special diets. Sodium and potassium is necessary for the osmotic pressure and the acid-base equilibrium of the body fluids. Sodium accumulation in the body leads to edemas.
Insufficiency of potassium leads to insufficiency of glycogen. Apricot can conveniently be used in diets where sodium is restricted, for example in diets for congestive cardiac insufficiency, in renal illnesses, in hematite cirrhosis where, acid accumulates, and excess in the diets for persons having long times of carticosteroide therapy.
10. Strengthens the cardiac muscles and helps them to function smoothly, thus is effective in the heart's ability to recover during the reanimation efforts in a clinic death, if the person has eaten apricot a sufficient time before the event.
11. It's very important in nourishment because while it is rich in potassium and carotene, it is poor in sodium.


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32 days in New York City & Chicago Itinerary
Created using Inspirock United States itinerary planner
Start: Baden-Baden
Train + Fly + Bus: 13h 15min
Baden-Baden — Frankfurt (FRA)
Frankfurt (FRA) — Newark (EWR)
Frankfurt (FRA) — New York JFK (JFK)
— 18 nights
Bus + Fly: 4h 45min
Bus Lanes — Newark (EWR)
Newark (EWR) — Chicago Midway (MDW)
New York La Guardia (LGA) — Chicago Midway (MDW)
Fly + Train: 22h 15min
Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — Frankfurt (FRA)
Frankfurt (FRA) — Baden-Baden
End: Baden-Baden
Change things up with a short trip to Bronx Zoo in Bronx (about 36 minutes away). There's still lots to do: take in the pleasant sights at Central Park, admire the masterpieces at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, admire all the interesting features of The High Line, and admire the landmark architecture of Rockefeller Center.
For other places to visit, where to stay, reviews, and more tourist information, refer to the New York City travel planner .
Baden-Baden, Germany to New York City is an approximately 13.5-hour combination of train, flight, and bus. You can also do a combination of train and flight. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 6 hours traveling from Baden-Baden to New York City. In April, plan for daily highs up to 19°C, and evening lows to 8°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 14th (Tue) so you can travel to Chicago.
Museums Parks Tours
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Bronx Zoo
Find places to stay Apr 26 — May 14:
12:00pm, Sat Apr 27
10:00am, Tue May 14
A huge and vibrant city, Chicago is home to top-notch theaters, shops, museums, galleries, and restaurants.
Change things up with these side-trips from Chicago: Springbrook Nature Center (in Itasca), Chicago Botanic Garden (in Glencoe) and Wheaton (First Division Museum at Cantigny & Cantigny Park). Next up on the itinerary: admire the masterpieces at The Art Institute of Chicago, take in panoramic vistas at Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower, examine the collection at The Field Museum, and meet the residents at Shedd Aquarium.
To see other places to visit, reviews, ratings, and tourist information, go to the Chicago trip planner .
You can do a combination of bus and flight from New York City to Chicago in 5 hours. Other options are to fly; or drive. Traveling from New York City to Chicago, you'll gain 1 hour due to the time zone difference. Expect a daytime high around 25°C in May, and nighttime lows around 13°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 26th (Sun) so you can travel back home.
Things to do in Chicago
Museums Parks Shopping
Oak Park, Wheaton, Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Kishwauketoe Conservancy
Find places to stay May 14 — 26:
BATL-The Backyard Axe Throwing League
1:00pm, Sat May 18
Museum of Science and Industry
10:00am, Wed May 15
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Life – A Horrific Surprise of Epic Proportions (Some Spoilers)
April 4, 2017 Bonniejean Alford alien, Calvin, Life, martian, Movie Reviews, New Movies
The initial trailer I watched enticed. It left a viewer wanting more. It implied a story that didn't exist.
Okay, maybe it did exist. But not in the way implied. The trailer suggested a Sci-Fi narrative about the creation of life – a promise of a story about overcoming adversity at all costs. Moreover, it certainly did not present a preview of a horror film.
Not such a good surprise…
In general, it is always nice when a trailer doesn't leave you feeling as though you have already seen the entire movie. So, that surprise was welcome. For good or bad, though, Life horrified audiences. Subtle, yes, but the film can be classified as a horror film in tune with the likes of such films as Alien or Lost In Space – just not as good.
The difference rests in the delivery of the film. The acting, of course, was superb. But what otherwise remained was a cliché about good battling evil, right down to the overused concept of the evil seeming to win to make room for a sequel.
No surprise in the end…
Honestly, as the film unfolded, hope remained that in the end our heroes would overcome. But they didn't. As the one space lifeboat barreled through the blackness beyond our solar system, it became obvious that our Martian life form, dubbed Calvin, would land on Earth instead of float aimlessly in deep space, as was the plan for humanity's survival.
Calvin, it seems, has a mission to destroy earth, as it apparently had done on Mars. The implication being, that Mars was once a life-sustaining planet like Earth. That is, until Calvin, or others like Calvin, began their path of destruction, consuming all resources and leaving a wasteland in its wake.
Please, no sequel…
A sequel promises to be more of the same old thing – an unending battle between humans and this life form. It won't bring anything new to a genre of film.
Yes, as science fiction meeting horror, the psychological terror clearly faced by our heroes transcended the screen. But that's an obvious outcome. As is the wrong lifeboat landing on earth. Disappointment rings through, as the fishermen open the door to the next battle.
It would have been a nice surprise, for the door to open presenting a victory. Or at least the implication of a victory. A sequel still would have been possible, in that Calvin would have somehow found a way back to Earth – and maybe not alone. Now, that would have made for an exciting ending with a possibility of an electrifying sequel.
Making a statement…
The film does make a statement though. Calvin represents more than just an unknown alien. The curiosity that our astronauts have about Calvin ultimately is their downfall. Predictably so.
One might take the film to be speaking to the existence of human curiosity in general. As odd as it may sound, the film suggests that as humans we should stay on course and not go outside our comfort zones, lest we open the door to evil. It is in those moments when we venture into the unknown that bad things happen. Or so the movie seems say.
The film remains not as a feel-good story about overcoming adversity as new life is discovered. But rather, it serves as a warning about moving beyond some imaginary boundary, with exploration portrayed as noble but ill-advised.
In the end, the promise of a film with a powerful punch of science fiction simply didn't deliver.
Featured image via Columbia Pictures.
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Bonniejean Alford
Bonniejean Alford professionally writes marketing content throughout the technology industry and regularly participates in genre specific fan sites. She spent her youth as an avid gamer and her current favorite pastime is just about anything science fiction or fantasy. While she doesn't consider herself a nerd, others have, which only adds to her uniqueness as a writer. Bonniejean hopes to complete her first novel this year, a coming of age story about a woman tapped to protect the timeline. While not exactly science fiction, the presence of time travel shapes the novel. Bonniejean also teaches Sociology at a community college in Illinois. You can connect with Bonniejean on Twitter.
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Thomas Thynne, 1. vikomt Weymouth (Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth, 1st Baron Thynne of Wermister, 2nd Baronet Thynne of Kempsford) (1640 – 28. července 1714, Londýn) byl anglický politik. Od mládí se uplatňoval ve službách Stuartovců jako diplomat, byl též poslancem Dolní sněmovny. V roce 1682 s titulem vikomta vstoupil do Sněmovny lordů. V roce 1688 sice podpořil Slavnou revoluci spojenou se změnou na trůně, ale poté řadu let strávil v opozici. Až v letech 1702–1707 zastával funkci ministra obchodu.

Životopis

Pocházel ze šlechtického rodu, který značně zbohatl v 16. století rozprodejem majetku zrušených klášterů za vlády Jindřicha VIII. Narodil se jako starší syn Sira Henryho Fredericka Thynne (1615–1680), který se zúčastnil občanské války na straně Karla I. a později patřil k oporám restaurace Stuartovců. Thomas studoval v Oxfordu a již v roce 1664 byl zvolen členem Královské společnosti. V letech 1666–1669 byl anglickým vyslancem ve Stockholmu, od roku 1666 byl také komořím vévody z Yorku. Později byl poslancem Dolní sněmovny (1674–1681). Mezitím v roce 1680 po otci zdědil titul baroneta spolu se statky v hrabstvích Gloucestershire a Shropshire. V roce 1682 zdědil další majetek spolu s hlavním rodovým sídlem Longleat House (Wiltshire) po zavražděném bratranci Thomasu Thynneovi (1646–1682). V návaznosti na převzetí značného majetku byl v roce 1682 povýšen na vikomta a stal se členem Sněmovny lordů. V letech 1683–1685 zastával funkci nejvyššího sudího (Custos Rotulorum) v hrabství Wiltshire.

Za vlády Jakuba II. stál v opozici a přišel o některé úřady. Poté podpořil tzv. Slavnou revoluci a v roce 1688 přivítal spolu s hrabětem z Pembroke na anglické půdě nového krále Viléma Oranžského. Znovu získal úřad nejvyššího sudího ve Wiltshire (1690–1706), ale později stál v opozici proti politice Viléma III., takže k vyšším funkcím se dostal až po jeho smrti a po nástupu královny Anny. V roce 1702 byl jmenován členem Tajné rady a v letech 1702–1707 zastával úřad prezidenta úřadu pro obchod a kolonie. Po vyhlášení království Velké Británie v roce 1707 nebyl uveden mezi členy Tajné rady, znovu se jejím členem stal až v roce 1711. Od roku 1711 do smrti také již potřetí zastával funkci nejvyššího sudího ve Wiltshire. V politice zastával značně liberální názory, ale ve společnosti proslul povýšeným vystupováním bohatého aristokrata.

Rodina a majetek
V roce 1672 se oženil s Frances Finchovou (1652–1712), dcerou 3. hraběte z Winchilsey. Z jejich manželství pocházely čtyři děti, dědicem titulů a majetku se měl stát Henry Thynne (1675–1708), který byl poslancem Dolní sněmovny. Kvůli chorobám spojeným s obezitou zemřel předčasně a bez potomstva, titul vikomta pak přešel na potomstvo Thomasova mladšího bratra Henryho Thynne.

Thomasův mladší bratr Henry Thynne (1644–1705) byl úředníkem Tajné rady a v letech 1684–1685 krátce jedním z lordů pokladu. Jeho vnuk Thomas (1710–1751) se v roce 1714 stal dědicem titulu vikomta a rodového majetku. V další generaci pak vynikl Thomas Thynne, 1. markýz z Bathu (1734–1796), který byl několikrát členem vlády a v roce 1789 získal titul markýze.

Kromě statků zděděných po otci převzal v roce 1682 hlavní sídlo Longleat House ve Wiltshire. Zdejší zámek nechal postavit v 16. století John Thynne (1515–1580), který skoupil rozsáhlé pozemky v rámci rozprodeje majetku zrušených klášterů za vlády Jindřicha VIII. Thomas Thynne na zámku realizoval stavební úpravy v barokním slohu a mimo jiné zde vybudoval rozsáhlou knihovnu. V úpravách okolí zámku ve stylu francouzského parku se nechal inspirovat zahradami ve Versailles.

Odkazy

Poznámky

Reference

Literatura
 KOVÁŘ, Martin: Stuartovská Anglie; Nakladatelství Libri, Praha, 2001; 359 s. ISBN 80-7277-059-4
 KOVÁŘ, Martin: Velká Británie v éře Roberta Walpola. K vývoji britského státu a britské společnosti v první polovině 18. století; Praha, 2004; 273 s. ISBN 80-86642-23-2

Externí odkazy
 Thomas Thynne, 1. vikomt Weymouth na webu thepeerage
 Thomas Thynne na webu The History of Parliament
 Rodokmen rodu Thynne

Angličtí šlechtici
Angličtí politici
Poslanci Dolní sněmovny Spojeného království
Členové Sněmovny lordů
Diplomaté Spojeného království
Stuartovská Anglie
Absolventi Oxfordské univerzity
Členové Královské společnosti
Narození v roce 1640
Úmrtí v roce 1714
Úmrtí 28. července
Muži

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The dwarf galaxy NGC 4449 is the first dwarf galaxy with an identified stellar stream (faintly seen at the lower right, and in inset). The star stream represents the remains of a smaller satellite galaxy merging with NGC 4449. The inset image shows the stream resolved into red giant stars.


Times up. We're speaking of sort processing – one of the most widely relied-upon components in software engineering. While you're refreshing yourself on the difference between a quick sort and an insertion sort, it's worth considering the first of these points. While solid research on the resource utilization of sort is hard to come by, it's self-evident that sort algorithms gobble-up resources in modern operating systems, utilities and applications.
Sort often operates behind the scenes as a silent partner. The connection between sort and other functions, such as compression, continues to capture the interest of optimizers. For example, Matt Allington, working on a Microsoft stack with SQL Server and PowerPivot, looked at the benefits of sorting data on load.
An IBM note on improving DB2 for z/OS LOAD performance offers similar tips, e.g., "present data to LOAD in the optimal order: sort the data in cluster order to avoid needing to reorganize it after loading" and "If you are loading a single table that has, at most, one foreign key or one index key, sort the data in key sequence." And so on.
"If you use flat files as drivers for your batch process, then ensure that you sort and split the files in the sequence of the database. This means that if you are PHIDAM, then you would sort and split the files using the Partition Selection Exit or high keys as specified in the RECON in ascending sequence. If you are using DEDBs, then you would sort and split the files in randomizer sequence" (p. 178).
Favero's focus was DB2's relational RDS sort, but DB2 sort performance is an issue not lost on sort specialists like Syncsort. In DB2, the DB2 Query feature allows Syncsort MFX SORT or COPY operations to directly retrieve data from a DB2 database based on a query specified by an SQL SELECT statement.
SAS Software users may have noticed that as much as 30% of all SAS processing is consumed by sort processes. That was a level of utilization that Syncsort MFX PROCSort and PROCSortIE were designed to alleviate.
Sort is so omnipresent that it's often taken for granted. User interfaces regularly call for resorting of columnar displays and bar charts whose back end executions usually entail sorting. Compuware's mainframe tool Topaz, for example, allows users to "filter, sort, export and display recorded events in table form.
The Big Data era has garnered attention for new products, new startups and new applications, but that's not the whole story. A survey conducted by Enterprise Systems Media last year suggested that Big Data would have an impact on mainframe processing, too. Over 89 percent of respondents anticipated that mainframes would play a significant role in their Big Data processing plans – through CICS, DB2 and WebSphere. Many also see mainframes as an opportunity to provide data to Big Data platforms such as IDAA, Netezza, Splunk, Spark, Oracle, Teradata and Hadoop.
The Syncsort incarnation of the venerable sort can also benefit from its use of IBM's zIIP processors, which can crank processing speeds for sort tasks by as much as 90%.
Because of its central, albeit behind-the-scenes importance, research into sort techniques is ongoing. Intel Labs' Throughput Computing group reported success at increasing radix sort performance by 2.2X on the Intel Core i7 CPU.
In-memory and load-time sort have proven critical to memory-resident business intelligence tools like QlikView that do not require data warehouse planning and deployment. As data volumes swell, mainframe hardware resources capable of both high speed I/O processes and high speed in-memory can produce similar benefits with even more vast amounts of data.
Fast sort will be a quiet, secret enabler.
Beginning in late 2011, the zHPF standard on z/OS added its muscle to QSAM, BSAM and BPAM methods. IBM's DFSORT and merge apps now use BSAM to exploit zHPF. Measurements made by Syncsort with its release of MFX 2.1 suggest that using zHPF can cut as much as 15% off elapsed times.
This explanation gets pretty technical, but the payoff is straightforward and transparent: using a zIIP to sort, with most sort steps taking place on that specialized mainframe-class iron, is typically easy to use.
Keep in mind that the sort game is far from over. In 2011, Bertasi et. al introduced a fast sort called psort in the Journal of Experimental Algorithmics. And a just-published 2016 article by Matai, Richmond, Lee et al. proposes a framework that generates sorting architectures for different computing needs.
Speed will come. Respect? That's a concern of lightweights.
You'll garner respect for your glistening new Mainframe DevOps Chief job title instead.


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The Heliotropes Interview
Published On March 6, 2013 | By Kymbo Slice | Check It
Heliotropes is a very buzzworthy band that hails from Brooklyn. They emerged on the indie radar back in 2012 after being named one of Village Voice's 5 not-to-miss bands during CMJ. They were also dubbed one of Flavorpill's favorite bands of CMJ 2012. Their repertoire of releases is minimal and little is known about the individuals that make up this all-female lineup, but Heliotropes has managed to land a spot on SXSW during their tour, which they funded via a Kickstarter campaign. They signed to LA's Manimal Vinyl label, which includes Bat For Lashes and Warpaint, and have 2 released 2 singles, "Moonlite" and "The Dove", with a yet-to-be-titled full length slated for 2013. We caught up with lead singer/guitarist Jessica Numsuwankijkul for a brief Q&A about the upcoming tour, which kicks off in Pittsburgh tomorrow, March 7 at 6119.
Kymbo Slice: How did you come up with the name Heliotropes? Are any of you into gardening (or the At the Drive-In song), or was that just a coincidence?
Jessica Numsuwankijkul: We just liked the word. None of us are really into gardening, but I did try to plot a mosquito-repellent garden in my yard a couple years ago: mosquitoes dislike Marigolds, Yarrow and Catnip. Unfortunately, I went to Austin for a week and discovered that my then-boyfriend forgot to water the saplings and starved my garden to death. As for At The Drive In, we aren't especially partial to them, but I did enjoy one of their shows at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco back in 1999 — but then again, I enjoyed capri pants and having a bowl haircut around that time.
KS: You raised a very modest 5K via Kickstarter to purchase a van for your tour. What made you go the Kickstarter route and were you nervous it wouldn't work out given the time crunch?
JN: We went with Kickstarter because we didn't have any money. Yes, we were nervous it wouldn't work out, but we made it, thanks to our amazing and kind supporters.
KS: You're all based in Brooklyn and will be playing a cluster of shows in Brooklyn/NYC right before you kick off your tour here in Pittsburgh. What do you think the biggest difference will be playing on the road VS playing where you live?
JN: I think the main difference is that there will be fewer people at the shows outside of New York.
KS: Heliotropes formed as a result of a Craigslist ad seeking a band to play Brian Eno songs – what are some of your other influences, both past and present?
JN: GG Allin, Talk Talk's Spriit of Eden/Laughing Stock, Nirvana, early Pumpkins. Amber and I sometimes mess around with some Early Music vocal styles, where you just sing in fifths like it's the year 1285.
KS: Where would you like to see Heliotropes this time next year?
JN: Somewhere in Mexico, freaking out on peyote.
For now you can catch them before they head to SXSW. They'll be at 6119 tomorrow night. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here. The show starts at 9:30, so make sure you're on time to catch local opener Shockwave Riderz!
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Eco, an Italian philosopher and best-selling novelist, is a great polymathic fabulist in the tradition of Swift, Voltaire, Joyce, and Borges. The Name of the Rose, which sold 50 million copies worldwide, is an experimental medieval whodunit set in a monastic library. In 1327, Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate heresy among the monks in an Italian abbey; a series of bizarre murders overshadows the mission. Within the mystery is a tale of books, librarians, patrons, censorship, and the search for truth in a period of tension between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. The book became a hit despite some obscure passages and allusions. This deftly abridged version, ably performed by Theodore Bikel, retains the genius of the original but is far more accessible. Foucault's Pendulum, Eco's second novel, is a bit irritating. The plot consists of three Milan editors who concoct a series on the occult for an unscrupulous publishing house that Eco ridicules mercilessly. The work details medieval phenomena including the Knights Templar, an ancient order with a scheme to dominate the world. Unfortunately, few listeners will make sense of this failed thriller. The Island of the Day Before is an ingenious tale that begins with a shipwreck in 1643. Roberta della Griva survives and boards another ship only to find himself trapped. Flashbacks give us Renaissance battles, the French court, spies, intriguing love affairs, and the attempt to solve the problem of longitude. It's a world of metaphors and paradoxes created by an entertaining scholar. Tim Curry, who also narrates Foucault's Pendulum, provides a spirited narration. Ultimately, libraries should avoid Foucault's Pendulum, but educated patrons will form an eager audience for both The Name of the Rose and The Island of the Day Before.


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HS coach of IU's Fuchs: 'Best forward I've ever coached'
Indiana basketball added a big body from within Wednesday, as tight end Jordan Fuchs moved over from the football team.
HS coach of IU's Fuchs: 'Best forward I've ever coached' Indiana basketball added a big body from within Wednesday, as tight end Jordan Fuchs moved over from the football team. Check out this story on pal-item.com: http://pinews.co/1Dj6aiD
Zach Osterman Published 8:23 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2015 | Updated 8:41 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2015
Jordan Fuchs is congratulated by Shane Wynn after Fuchs' touchdown against Indiana State, Oct. 4, 2014.(Photo: Robert Scheer / The Star)
Indiana got "tougher" this week, according to the man who coached Jordan Fuchs to two city championships at Christ the King in New York City.
Fuchs, a tight end on Indiana's football team, joined the basketball team and will be on the roster Wednesday night in College Park, Md. Joe Arbitello, Fuchs' basketball coach at Christ the King, wouldn't understate his former pupil's talent, or potential impact.
"He was part of two city championship teams in one of the hardest leagues in America," Arbitello told The Star. "He's probably the best forward I've ever coached."
Originally a basketball recruit out of Christ the King, Fuchs claimed offers in that sport from Dayton, Fordham, Iowa State, Columbia and Rutgers, among others. Fuchs took up football as a way to toughen up and increase his athleticism, but took to the sport.
Fuchs, 6-6, 230 pounds, played in all 12 games for the Hoosiers' football team, catching three passes for 31 yards and a score. As a senior at Christ the King, he averaged 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. He was considered a power forward.
"He's tough. Start there," Arbitello said, asked to describe Fuchs' skillset. "He's a tough kid that's gonna bump the cutter – bump him hard – be physical and smart. He's going to rebound the basketball. He can shoot it a little bit."
Indiana took up interest in Fuchs when assistant coach Chuck Martin – who recruited Christ the King as head coach at Marist and remembered the athletic forward – connected the name and player in his memory.
"Jordan is someone we've been aware of for some time now and had he not gotten injured in the Purdue game and had to recover from that we would have brought over to evaluate earlier," Tom Crean said in a statement. "He has considerable basketball experience and brings size, athleticism, toughness and a tremendous competitive attitude."
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Selago glomerata är en flenörtsväxtart som beskrevs av Carl Peter Thunberg. Selago glomerata ingår i släktet Selago och familjen flenörtsväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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glomerata


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// Copyright 2020 The Chromium Authors
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

import 'chrome://os-settings/chromeos/os_settings.js';

import {flush} from 'chrome://resources/polymer/v3_0/polymer/polymer_bundled.min.js';

suite('NetworkSummary', function() {
  /** @type {!NetworkSummaryElement|undefined} */
  let netSummary;

  setup(function() {
    netSummary = document.createElement('network-summary');
    document.body.appendChild(netSummary);
    flush();
  });

  test('Default network summary item', function() {
    const summaryItems =
        netSummary.shadowRoot.querySelectorAll('network-summary-item');
    assertEquals(1, summaryItems.length);
    assertEquals('WiFi', summaryItems[0].id);
  });

  [false, true].forEach(isHotspotFeatureEnabled => {
    test('Hotspot summary item', async () => {
      loadTimeData.overrideValues(
          {'isHotspotEnabled': isHotspotFeatureEnabled});
      netSummary = document.createElement('network-summary');
      document.body.appendChild(netSummary);
      flush();
      const hotspotSummaryItem = netSummary.$$('hotspot-summary-item');

      if (isHotspotFeatureEnabled) {
        assertTrue(!!hotspotSummaryItem);
      } else {
        assertFalse(!!hotspotSummaryItem);
      }
    });
  });

});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub