A little Greek, a little American BBQ, a whole lot of Love. A while back I visited a cozy restaurant along Rose St. in Franklin Park, appropriately named Smoked on Rose. Although the menu I experienced was created for a private event, the restaurants menu focuses on Smoked BBQ with traditional southern side dishes alongside Greek entrees and sides. An interesting combination that is pulled off very well.
While there I had the chance to speak briefly with Kostas, the restaurants owner, who was raised on the Greek island of Kefalonia. His fond memories of his upbringing and the food from his childhood ultimately led him to focus on the fusion of Greek and American classics. Kostas, his wife Stephanie and their chef Francisco share the same philosophy for creating dishes that aren't filled with additives and pre-made seasoning mixes. They focus on doing everything from scratch, the hard way, void of some of the modern time-savers.
I was immediately able to pick up on their food philosophy when I tasted the smoked brisket, both with and without BBQ sauce. The meat was well seasoned, but totally different than I expected and have experienced at other Midwestern BBQ restaurants. The spice blend that they've come up with is delicious, I could definitely taste components other than salt and sugar, which I enjoyed.
During this visit I had the pleasure of experiencing a special multi course meal that included regular menu items and some of their family recipes.
Everything was really good, although there were some standout favorites for me, the Eggplant relish, which I would buy a big Vat of was amazing! I can't even explain the taste, but it's something that you can eat a lot of, even if you HATE Eggplant, it's really that good. Stephanie shared with me that it took her more than 30 years to perfect the recipe. She experienced the relish early on in her and Kostas courtship while in Greece. I applaud her determination to recreate it, because now I'm hooked.
Although I could go on and on about the Eggplant relish, I truly enjoyed everything, my other favorites were the Greek gazpacho, smoked brisket, and suckling pig. The various meats at Smoked on Rose spend hours in a vintage smoker from the 1960s. They are cooked at low temperatures for an extended period of time to achieve the right amount of smokiness and a tenderness that is unmatched.
As the owners put it, Smoked on Rose is definitely not a BBQ Joint. I find that it's more of a Greek/BBQ fusion restaurant. Don't go there expecting the sticky BBQ ribs and saucy rib tips that are inherent to Chicago BBQ. Instead be prepared for a full restaurant experience, complete with silver flatware and ceramic plates.


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Curating
Space related work
Relation, 2015, white colour LED- light moduls in terrazzo stone pavement, 6113 x 443 cm
The lighting artwork Relation consists of 19 linear light modules (white LED-chains), which are partly but also accessed as a whole and programmed by me in colour temperatures of white (from yellow-white to cool, pure white).
The performative composition has a length of 15:40 minutes that plays in a loop.
The flow/sequence of the light art is programmed in such a way that it emanates an intense effect / impression from the immediate vicinity on the terrazzo, both close up and further away (e.g. the 4th floor of the art museum).
The following components / aspects play an important role: the relationship between the single light tube and the groups as well as the temperature and intensity of the light, the tempo of the sequences and the combinations (the illumination of the tubes or its flashing as a whole).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Strap up Ladies and Gentlemen!!! Falz says opinion on runs girls, stands (Video)
January 17, 2019 bigfemz Gistz 0
Folarin Falana known popularly has Falz, has made it very clear he hates 'transactional sex', and will continue to speak up against it.
The rapper who came under so much criticisms after his released songs – where he preached against many ills in the Nigerian society including 'transactional sex.
Many critics blamed the rapper for judging how a woman chooses to use her body, and also called him out for not criticising those who buy and not just the seller of sex.
Well, Falz in this new video says he stands against it and that his an opinion he is entitled to – stressing that he would for a long time.
I'm Not Going To Enrich Members Of My Family But My Friends – Atiku
2 church guards steal pastor's daughter's pants


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Home » Latest News » Husband of Culpeper woman…
Husband of Culpeper woman shot in February died of natural causes
wtopstaff
The husband of a Culpeper woman shot and killed during a traffic stop in February was found dead in his home Tuesday morning. Police say he died of natural causes.
WASHINGTON – Investigators say a Culpeper man who is suing over the fatal police shooting of his wife has died of natural causes.
Maintenance workers found Gary D. Cook, 62, dead about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning inside an apartment in the 1000 block of Friendship Way in Culpeper. The Virginia State Police were called in to investigate his unattended death.
The Medical Examiner's office in Manassas determined Cook died of natural causes following an autopsy, the Virginia State Police said Wednesday afternoon.
Police did not suspect foul play but the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Culpeper Field Office was called in to investigate Cook's unattended death. The investigation continues, the state police said Wednesday.
In May, Cook filed a $5 million lawsuit against former police officer Daniel Wayne Harmon-Wright, who is accused of shooting and killing Cook's wife, 54-year-old Patricia Ann Cook.
On Feb. 9, Harmon-Wright responded to a report of a suspicious woman parked in the Epiphany Catholic School's parking lot.
Police originally said Patricia Ann Cook tried to drive away with Harmon-Wright's arm caught inside the vehicle after she closed the driver's side window. They said he was dragged along and commanded Cook to stop, and that he shot her and the vehicle crashed.
Fauquier County Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Fisher later said the initial description of events was only "partially accurate," and Harmon-Wright since has been indicted on charges of murder.
He has pleaded not guilty. A trial is set for Jan. 22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest News Local News Virginia News
culpeper county death gary d. cook patricia ann cook


Rotary Club of Bradford on Avon - Welcome!
The club has a strong membership of over 40 members from very diverse professions, meetings are held on Monday evening and will include a meal on most occasions.
Some weeks outside visits are arranged and this has varied in the past from a tour of a local factory to a visit to a car museum, theatre trips and a visit to Bath races have also been organised.


I had heard rumors for over a year about how cool, trendy and hipster Austin is, but I couldn't truly believe all the hype until I saw it for myself.
Walking down South Congress, the streets are full of 20-something to 30-somethings all dressed like they are on their way to a music festival. Smiles and laughter are prevalent, it seems Austinites have discovered the secret to chill easily living while looking like they walked out of a Nylon magazine.
Bright colors and twinkle lights adorn homes and businesses while succulents and air plants appear to be a perquisite for every establishment.
Shops along South Congress are mixed aesthetics of quirky, vintage, trendy, western, modern and bohemian. Boutiques sell everything from high-end vintage clothing to unique home furnishings. If my suitcase was bigger I would've come home with an entirely new decorating scheme for my apartment!
The food options are just as vast with eccentric container bars and food trucks lining the streets. Hybrid Tex-Mex tacos and vegan/gluten free/organic/free range options are in abundance making it hard to pick just one spot to eat.
I would highly recommend Austin as a getaway destination to anyone who is looking for a break from the monotonous.


Before founding Hilo Coffee Mill on the Big Island five years, ago, Katherine Patton and Jeanette Baysa knew nothing about coffee other than that they loved to drink it.
When: Meet between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. No appointment is necessary for parties numbering less than 10. Weekends tours arranged by appointment.
Notes: Gift items, accessories and coffee can be purchased on Hilo Coffee Mill's Web site. Coffees are roasted to order, packed and shipped within three days. Notes Katherine Patton, "Coffee is like fine wine. It needs time to breathe and age. The best time to drink your freshly roasted coffee is three days to one month after roasting." The coffee also can be purchased at more than a dozen stores, inns and restaurants on the Big Island, including KTA Supermarkets, Cost-U-Less, Puna Fresh Foods, Hale Kai Bed & Breakfast, Kope Kope Espresso Café, and Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm.
Longtime friends who had met while working as managers for Bank of America in Honolulu, they were the proprietors of Kope Kope Espresso Café in Hilo. "It was the only way we could get a quality cup of coffee," recalls Patton, Hilo Coffee Mill's president. "We would always be approached by farmers who wanted us to sell their coffee."
Both agreed that doing so would be a good show of support for community businesses, but after conducting numerous taste tests they were disappointed by the lack of consistent quality among the products.
"We decided to create another business that would mitigate the consistency issue, afford us the ability to create our own blends and special roasts, and roast coffee not only for our cafe, but for other fine restaurants," Patton said.
While building a home in Mountain View, they hired Steve and Kristy Hill to do the tile work. Meeting them proved to be serendipitous; they discovered the Hills owned a 12-acre coffee farm in the area.
"With Jeanette and I having the business background and Kristy and Steve having the farming background, it was a perfect match for the start-up of Hilo Coffee Mill," Patton said. "When the idea became serious, we asked for their input, and they became involved as co-founders of the business. Even though Jeanette and I manage daily operations, they're still valuable resources for us. In fact, Kristy works three days a week as our primary roast master."
Chief roaster and Hilo Coffee Mill co-founder Kristy Hill with freshly roasted East Hawaii coffee beans.
HILO COFFEE MILL began as a processor and wholesaler. In October 2004, Patton and Baysa sold Kope Kope Espresso Café so they could concentrate on the new business.
Today, Hilo Coffee Mill is East Hawaii's largest certified coffee mill.
Say "coffee," though, and the first thing most kamaaina still think of is Kona on the Big Island's west side. Few people know that in the late 1800s, 6,000 acres of coffee flourished in the fertile eastern rain forest regions of Hamakua, Puna and Kau. Farmers gave up coffee production there at the turn of the last century, when sugar cane proved to be more profitable.
In the mid-1990s, after the last of the Big Island's sugar plantations closed, East Hawaii farmers looked to coffee as a viable replacement. Hilo Coffee Mill is now leading the area's coffee renaissance.
The company grows coffee on five of its 24 acres in Mountain View and helps about 40 small farms (ranging from one to 15 acres in size) process, roast, package and market their products.
"To ensure a quality crop, we advise them on the varieties of coffee to plant, the fertilizers that are best at different stages of growth and the proper methods to use should they decide to process some of their crop," says Patton.
"All of our coffee is pesticide-free, and the crops of all of the farmers we work with also are pesticide-free."
The mill opened its new 3,000-square-foot plantation-style headquarters in October. Located off Highway 11 midway between Hilo and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, it includes milling, roasting and packaging facilities; offices; a retail store; and the Latte Da Bar at the Mill, which offers a menu of lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, hot chocolates and fresh brewed coffees and teas.
On a complimentary hour-long tour, visitors can learn about the coffee production process, from cultivating the trees, pulping (taking the fruit off the beans) and fermenting (taking the mucilage off the beans) to drying, hulling and roasting the beans.
"We also show them how the coffee is flavored, ground, packaged and brewed," says Patton. "We conclude the tour with free samples in the Latte Da Bar."
She describes the flavor of East Hawaii coffee as "nonacidic and smooth yet maintaining a bold, full-bodied, robust edge.
"Many people have said they can drink it black because it's not bitter. Our slogan is 'Paradise in Your Cup.'"
Coffee cherries ripen before harvesting.
Patton and Baysa often conduct the tour themselves. "We tailor it to the interests of the participants," says Patton. "We share tidbits about coffee; for example, we throw away the fruit of coffee and eat its seeds. With every other fruit, we eat the fruit and throw away the seeds."
The tour also includes a bit of history about sleepy Mountain View, which, according to Patton, was a thriving town from 1900 to 1942, complete with a theater, grocery stores, meat market, gas station, barber shop, bakery, tailor, blacksmith, shoemaker, pool hall and even tofu and pickle factories.
A nine-hole golf course was a popular diversion in Mountain View for 14 years. After Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 7, 1941, however, the course was covered so enemy aircraft couldn't use its fairways as landing strips.
These days, Hilo Coffee Mill is Mountain View's biggest attraction. It currently is processing 2,000 pounds of coffee per month, an amount Patton estimates will quadruple in October, when brand-new pulping and drying stations will be fully operational.
She's also excited about Hilo Coffee Mill 100 percent Kau Coffee Ice Cream, which was just introduced by manufacturer Hilo Homemade Ice Cream. One of the Latte Da Bar's specialties is Black Eye, a generous scoop of this rich ice cream that's indented at the top to hold a shot of hot espresso.
Hilo Coffee Mill also is selling chocolate-covered espresso beans and handmade soaps scented with its roasted coffee.
"Coffee is a natural deodorizer," Patton said. "The soap is great in the kitchen for removing fish, onion, garlic and other strong odors."
She and Baysa are constantly experimenting with coffee blends to add to the list of perennial Hilo Coffee Mill favorites such as Puna Punch and Big Island Buzz. Every sip is proof of their commitment to "unparalleled quality, freshness and consistency," Patton says. "Paradise in your cup!"


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2010 Year in Review: College Tennis
Georgia Tech's Irina Falconi was named the women's 2010 Campbell/ITA National College Player of the Year, awarded to the singles player who had the most outstanding year in college tennis. Falconi was ranked No. 1 in the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings the entire spring season and finished 2009-10 with a 40-3 record and a program-best .930 winning percentage. Named the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP, Falconi led her team to the 2010 ACC Championship title with a 4-0 record, including a match-clinching victory in the championship against then-No. 1 North Carolina. She was also a key member of the first-place U.S. team at the Master'U BNP Paribas international collegiate team competition. Falconi turned pro following her sophomore year and has posted successful results ever since, finishing the year ranked a career-high No. 187 in the world.
2010 was an exciting year in Division I college tennis from start to finish, with outstanding performances from teams and individuals, including Georgia Tech's Irina Falconi and USC's Robert Farah, who earned Campbell/ITA National College Players of the Year honors, and the USC men's and Stanford women's teams, which captured titles at the prestigious NCAA Team National Championships and finished the 2009-10 season ranked No. 1.
Among the highlights from the year, USC clinched its second consecutive and sixth overall NCAA Division I men's national title after defeating Tennessee in the final, 4-2. For the women, Stanford's Mallory Burdette clinched a 4-3 victory over Florida to give the Cardinal the 2010 Division I women's tennis national championship and their 16th title in the program's history.
U.S. players made it a clean sweep at the individual NCAA Championships for the first time since 2003, as Georgia's Chelsey Gullickson and Stanford's Bradley Klahn won in singles, Stanford's Hilary Barte and Lindsay Burdette won the women's doubles title, and Virginia's Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz claimed the men's doubles crown. Shabaz's win was his second straight at the NCAAs, as he also picked up the doubles championship in 2009 with partner Dominic Inglot.
In other 2010 events, the University of Virginia defeated Tennessee to become the second team in history to win three consecutive titles at the ITA National Men's Indoor Championship. Stanford is the only other team to achieve the feat, having won the first three tournaments held from 1973-76.
Meanwhile, the Northwestern University women captured their second consecutive ITA National Women's Indoor Championship title with a win over North Carolina. With the victory, the Wildcats became the eighth team in the 23-year history of the tournament to win multiple titles back-to-back and the third straight team to accomplish the feat since 2004, following Georgia Tech's titles in 2007 and 2008 and Stanford's three-year reign from 2004-07.
The Virginia men's team also won big at the 2010 ITA/D'Novo Men's All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., the first major championship of the 2010-11 season held in October. Virginia freshman Alex Domijan won the singles title at the event, while his teammates, reigning NCAA doubles champs Courtney and Shabaz, claimed the doubles title. The wins gave the Cavaliers their second straight sweep of both the singles and doubles titles and marked only the fifth time in history the feat was accomplished by one school.
As the Virginia men made history in Tulsa, Stanford senior Hilary Barte entered the record books at the women's tournament, becoming just the fourth player in the 26-year history of the ITA Riviera/ITA All-American Championships to capture the singles and doubles titles. No. 2 seed Barte knocked off top-seed Jana Juricova of California, 7-6 (4), 6-3, to claim the second singles championship of her career. She then teamed with Mallory Burdette to win the doubles title.
For the first time ever in November, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., home of the US Open, played host to a major college event – the 2010 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. The USTA/ITA National Indoors delivered surprising results throughout the tournament, and by the time the event was over, two new champions – Tennessee's Rhyne Williams and USC's Maria Sanchez – were crowned.
In another first in college tennis this year, players from six NCAA Division I schools took on eight of the nation's top juniors in round-robin play at the Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic, which took place Sept. 24-26 in St. Helena, Calif. The NCAA meets USTA experiment was deemed a huge success by all the parties involved, with Florida senior Alexandre Lacroix capturing the title.


By this very definition, it's somewhat easy to observe the difference between the idea of content marketing and advertising. Instead of pitching your products and services directly to your target audience, as you would with a traditional advertising campaign, with a content marketing strategy you will be providing useful and relevant content to your customers and prospects as a means of anticipating and solving their problems.
In exchange for this service, your audience will begin turning to you for regular input, thus branding you as an authority figure in the industry. Depending on the efficiency of your content marketing strategy and the value provided by the content, itself, you will be able to reverse the relationship between your company and customers.
So, instead of pushing your product through various channels of communication and hope that some of it will stick, with content marketing you indirectly create awareness about your product by helping your customers and prospects with channels such as blogs, social media, etc.
Content marketing came to prominence right alongside the internet. If in the past it made complete sense to use ads to promote products and services, be it via TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, or direct mail, with the arrival and spread of the internet, the proliferation of ads has led to some unforeseen circumstances.
There are several reasons why content marketing is more efficient than the alternative – one of the most important being ad fatigue. In short, Ad fatigue is a condition by which consumers grow increasingly tired of being constantly bombarded by repetitive and interruptive ads.
In this scenario, people who suffer from ad fatigue may not even realize it. And while this condition does not necessarily affect them directly, the one who truly stands to lose from this situation is the advertiser. As it so happens, Ad fatigue may lead to an unconscious feeling of resentment toward the brands in question, resulting in decreasing brand reputation, ad performance, and campaign ROI.
All numbers indicate that content marketing is gaining more traction than ever before. Major brands such as Cisco, Virgin Mobile, Toshiba, Marriot, American Express, IBM, Intel, LinkedIn, Coca-Cola, and even Lana Del Rey, among many others, all made it big by using content marketing. But while not all of them are B2Bs, the efficiency of this particular marketing strategy cannot be contested.
Concerning B2Bs, statistics show that 89% of all such companies are using content marketing. Among these, 73% consider turning content marketing as their de facto marketing strategy, going forward. What's more; 63% of all B2B marketers are very committed to their content marketing, while 70% are looking to create even more content than they created the year prior.
One reason for this could be that content marketing is evolving and becoming more efficient, as a result. 70% of B2Bs that use it say that it's much more effective than it was last year.
In addition, content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising. B2B companies that blogged more than 11 times per month had seen three times more traffic than those who blogged 0-1 times per month. Likewise, companies that published 16+ blog posts per month witnessed 3.5 times more traffic and 4.5 more leads than those that published a maximum of 4 posts per month.
An important aspect that defines advertising is the fact that it's interruptive. Regardless of the channel used – TV, radio, print, social media, etc. – an ad works by interrupting you from whatever activity you were doing and, more or less, force you to watch it.
Over the internet, all sorts of advertisements are littering websites of all shapes and sizes. As a direct consequence, more and more internet users are turning to ad-blocking software as a means of sparing themselves from ad fatigue. In fact, over 20% of all internet users between the ages of 16 and 34 are using some adblocking software. In 2016 alone, the total cost as a result of adblocking was over $40 billion.
A lack of interruptive ads is also one of the primary reasons why 36% of US households are subscribed to Netflix, as opposed to Hulu, for example. And given these facts presented here, it's no wonder that advertising campaigns are becoming less worthwhile.
In addition to all that's been presented above, there are other benefits of content marketing in comparison to traditional advertising.
Unlike advertisements, content has the advantage of engaging the customer, instead of interrupting them from whatever they were doing, in the first place. Not only does this put you in a better light, but it also gives you the opportunity to develop your brand's reputation and to generate qualified leads.
You can also use this content to set yourself apart from the competition by providing your audience with valuable information which they can use to better their personal and professional life. Google points to how-to videos and similar material as an essential marketing asset. In their research, it turns out that over 65% of millennials often turn to this type of content as a means of quickly picking up a new skill, or learning how to use a particular product.
You can also use content marketing to promote success stories. Testimonials are a particularly good example of this as they offer the necessary reassurance to people before considering employing your services.
There is no secret that happy customers tend to provide the most business to a company. Nevertheless, studies have shown that between 60-80% of customers who describe themselves as satisfied with a company's services, will NOT do business with that company again. A lack of connection is to blame here. But with a proper content marketing strategy at play, this connection can be maintained long after the first purchase took place.
Google's updated search algorithm for ranking websites now puts a much stronger emphasis on quality content than it did in the past. By providing high-value content on a consistent basis, you will not only increase your reputation and draw more leads but also improve your website's standing in Google's search results.
While the list of benefits presented here is by no means exhaustive, it, nevertheless, shows just how much potential content marketing has for a B2B company. Unlike typical adverts, content marketing is more effective and more meaningful to your clients. It helps you maintain lasting relationships with existing customers as well as to build new ones. In short, people relate much better to quality content than interruptive advertisements.
If you want to learn more; get a free digital consultation from a professional Content Monsta!


USDA Farm Service Agency services farmers and ranchers at a local level. FSA employees deliver numerous Titles of the Farm Bill and its related programs, including but limited to commodities, price support, lending, conservation, disaster, trade, and livestock.
The USDA government office in Wapakoneta, Ohio has openings for temporary intermittent part-time office and field inspector positions. Successful office applicant must be reliable, be proficient with computers, have professional attitude and enjoy working with the public. Field and commodity inspector positions include conducting GPS field measurements and inspecting and measuring stored grain. Knowledge of local agricultural practices is helpful but not a requirement. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2018. Applications may be obtained and submitted with resume to the USDA Service Center at 110 Industrial Drive, Wapakoneta (419) 738-3918. FSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.


You are here: Home / Blog / Internet Facts / Hire a Webmaster/web designer or Design my Website Myself?
The problem with building your own website is not knowing the webmaster ropes!
Your looking at instant internet failure!
This happens when anyone that doesn't have the proper skills to properly design and market a website, so you have to ask yourself Do I build it myself? Or Hire a Webmaster?
Lets take a look at pros and cons of building it yourself vs hiring a webmaster.
The first thing to think about is how much is your time worth as a business owner? If the answer is more than it costs to learn basic html, css and web design and implement a website (which would take about 3-6 months) depending on your learning curve, then it would not be worth the hassle.
When you hire a professional webmaster, it takes your business to the next level of "set it and forget it" let the webmaster handle everything from design, coding in your favorite social networks with custom backgrounds, setting up the domain and hosting, setting up the email accounts and completely filling out all the information for you, keeping track of updates and backing up your website regularly incase of a hacker attack. All these things the webmaster does will allow you to concentrate on what you do best to make money and run your business.
A good webmaster will always be in constant communication with you and coming up with new ideas to market your BRAND! If you tried to do this yourself, not only would it would take longer for you to do it as your probably not an expert with social networks and how to effectively use them.
Niche and branding is essential for growth of your business. A business owner would probably not be interested in spending hours on the computer for days trying to "Get His Brand Out".
More importantly the look and feel of your website will be greatly enhanced using a professional webmaster rather than attempting to do the graphics in paint 🙁 .
6. Webmaster VS Web Designer..Whats the difference?
Folks, A webmaster knows every aspect of the "Internet" as a whole. Strong in skills like Graphic Design, PHP, SQL, CMS, HTML, CSS as well as social networking skills incorporating SEO as leverage to rank high in the search engines niche consulting you name it he knows it all.
A web designer on the other hand will only be proficient in code and development but NOT SEO or Marketing which is the foundation for success on the NET.
When it comes to doing it yourself vs hiring a webmaster, you have to think "Will i study Auto Repair to repair my car?" or Study Dentistry to fix my own teeth? then why not hire a professional?
Whatever you decide, consider the entire project as a whole. The most important thing to keep in mind is making a solid decision that will make sense for you and your businesses online presence!
Doing it yourself is a great way to save money but it's only worth it if you know what you're doing, and most don't. So in the end what matters is that your end product can be found easily in the search engines, Properly setup, is pleasing to the eye and the site converts into sales.
Would you build your own website? Or Hire a Webmaster/Web designer?
Hire a Webmaster NOT a WEB DESIGNER and here's why!
After going over a few of the blog articles on your web site, about hiring a webmaster not a web designer.
be passing it on to my clients as well. Take a look at my web site as well and tell me how you like it.


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Business Strategy Report Part 1
Structural Approach to Family	Counseling	1
BusinessStrategy Report
Structural	Approach to Family Counselling
Itappears a challenge to describe family counselling without theconsideration of the social work. Both can be said to have a commonground at the practice as well as conceptual levels. Both involve aperspective of viewing the person in context, analyzing the relationbetween the environment and behavior, between whole and part. Insocial work and family theory, a passive problem solving stance isrejected and in place of it what is supported turns out toindividuals' empowerment through tapping of their resources inexistence, creation of a viable change context and uncovering newresources (Sink, 2011, p. 18).
Theobjective of this paper is to describe some of the main concepts ofthis perspective, using structural family approach. This is just butone of the various schools of family counselling. In the similarmanner that a person reflects only a part of the family, thisapproach characterizes only a partial reflection of family theory.The effectiveness of this approach to family counselling has beenscrutinized with various clinical populaces especially substanceabusers and psychosomatics.
Inthe structural approach to family counselling, intervention andassessment seems to be a woven fabric which is inseparable. They aretailored by the feedback of the system. The counsellor is encompassedin this process of weaving at the intellectual level as well as theexperiential stage. Assessment is inseparable and ongoing from onestage to the next treatment stage and all interventions. From astructural approach viewpoint, assessment is subsequently lessapprehensive of the symptoms etiology but much concern is given tomaintenance of current symptom. As sorting out of the present fromthe past is no easy task, the counsellor ought to be an editor tochoose from all the data available in regard to obtain theinformation that best exhibits patterns and consequently enhancestherapeutic leverage(Tan, 2011, p.112). .
Maps:	Blue prints for change
Thecounsellor is directed in the change process through constructing afamily map. Statistically, maps reflect the family's ongoingtransactional outlines, much as blueprints exhibit the evolutionprocess of constructing a home in a statistical manner (Erford, 2013,P.417). In the assessment phase of this approach, the maps serve thedouble objective of assisting in formulating of treatment goals andstructural hypothesis concretization.
Therapeutic	attitude
Justlike all counsellors, a structural family counselor is neverimpartial. Assumptions of the structural approach form the ground ofall undertakings. The chief objective of counselling is to alter thefamily's transactional rules that sustain the symptom. The momentthe modification of those rules takes place, members of the familystarts experiencing an extended sense of "other" and "self"and the viability of the system is enhanced through increased problemsolving choices and flexibility. Following modification, homeostasis,which initially integrated the symptom, now operates in aim ofmaintaining and incorporating some of the rule changes and the veryroles the system previously nullified or rejected (Tan, 2011, p.113).
Thecounselor ought to perform the role of the accommodator as well asthe challenger. Change cannot come by lest the counselor riskschallenging the rules of the family that are dysfunctional.Concurrently, the counsellor ought to respect the culture of thefamily. The solution for the counselor in such a dilemma is to adoptan attitude that brings balance in the elements of respect and thoseof risk. The counsellor does not challenge individual's motives buttheir methods of solving problems. In that manner it is easier torecall that the family and the counselor share a common enemy that isthe rules that bond the system and this makes them colleagues inshared endeavor (Erford, 2013, P.46). For better grasp of this saidendeavor and what is to be done about it treatment is divided intoseries of phases.
Stages	of Treatment
Allfamily counselors share a common view that the path to symptomresolution is by means of system reorganization but it is importantto note that not all share a common perspective when it comes to theroute to follow. Even though each and every phase possess its ownhazards, techniques and goals, stages aren't viewed as entitiesthat are discrete. However, they are abstracted as nesting in anindependent manner. That is to say that each contain proportions ofall (Tan, 2011, p.114). The nature of the mixture is dependent uponthe treatment stage, its affiliated goals, the techniques in use, thephase of the specific period and the distinctive blend between thefamily and the therapist.
Themethodologies of structural approach can be categorized into twoclassifications i.e. the ones that assist to form the counsellingschematics and sustain a family's self-sense and the ones thatpromote change, disequilibrate the system and challenge theself-sense (Seligman, 2014, p.77).
Stage	one
Theobjective of this first stage is to develop the counselling system.The approach that is most commonly applied in this stage is joining.Counselors ought to come to know the families they are treating andsubsequently join their specific culture. This should happen withoutthe therapist compromising their objectives or themselves. Directedby feedback, the counselor builds a vibrant balance between distanceand proximity, creating leadership through following the clientthrough joining aspects referred to as tracking, mimicry andmaintenance. In this stage, there is formation of initial hypothesisafter which it is tested, refuted or modified and then embedded inthe change process. Any preliminary discomposure experienced byeither the family or even the therapist is just but a short-livedbreak of a framework in evolution. Such distresses really exhibit aunique moment to link with the families and experience and read theirrespective structures (Sink, 2011, p. 20).
Stage	two
Atthis point there is combination of three functionalities. Theoperations include identifying the problem, setting goals andplanning, and structure identification. Problem identification is tobe done with the family in a fashion which is specifically explicit.This is to mean that focus is on why the family is on treatment, whatare the specific behaviors they don't want to remain with and thuswant them changed. Structure identification takes place at theconceptual level within a therapist's mind. The therapist startsthe formation of the family's map, determines the constellation ofinteractions that sustain the symptom (Sink, 2011, p. 2).
Stage	three
Thisis a stage which primarily encompasses the restructure of operations.The counselor actively functions in order to embed the structuralgoals and the stated treatment by trying to correct dysfunctionalcoalitions in the family, introduce and fortify suitable boundaries,reinforcing the parental subsystem and dissolving coalitions. Sucharrangements considered to be dysfunctional would consist ofinstances where other systems become part of the symptom maintainingstructure. Interventions ought to be in consistency with empowermentof suitable family hierarchies as well as structural goals (Sink,2011, p. 21). The assignment of tasks at this point is boththerapeutic as well as diagnostic and has the capacity to reinforceexperiences from the session as well as treatment goals.
Stage	four
Thisis a phase which focuses on sustaining change. The self-fortifyinggains created in the previous stages need to be stabilized as thefamily tussles with pressures of change. New relationships and rules,though more operative, are still subject to their desired patternspull (Sink, 2011, p. 22). This turns to be a crucial point oftransition in the counseling process. It is a process which isarduous and long. Complacency can creep in if care is not taken assome changes have occurred and one might be tempted to think thateverything is now good. Both the therapist and the family tend to betired of their efforts, in addition, they are somewhat pleased withthe direction of things.
Stage	five
Thisis the last phase, also known as the termination stage. Even thoughit is assumed most often, it does not have less significance whencompared to all other stages. Structural family therapy model doesnot have an optimum number of sessions. Nevertheless, treatment isnormally brief, moderated by the family, their background culturesand the ongoing problem. At this stage, one can assist in determiningwhen treatment is to be terminated. Indicators such as more jokingand more social time can signal that the treatment is coming to aclose (Sink, 2011, p. 22). Structural reorganization deliversconcrete and worthy markers for termination and change. For instance,is there change in the family map? Has the flexibility and thevariety increased within the family? Are there boundaries which areclearly defined? Are individuals developmentally on the right track?In this stage, the counsellor starts to distance from the family. Thecounselor ought to make the family to leave treatment easily and evenreturn return more easily when need arises. At the end of it all thetherapist should trust the natural ability of the family to healitself (Tan, 2011, p.120).
Themain goal of a structural approach to counselling a family is torestructure a family organization which is dysfunctional. The familyand the members are hypothesized as systems that nest in anindependent manner within huger systems with each having an influenceon the other. The counselor is an active agent of change and isresponsible for development of a therapeutic system and establishmentof a setting for transformation through means of restructuring(Sharf, 2004, p.111).
Inthis approach, normal development and thinking processes areintegrated with each other to form a treatment basis. The sociocultural context or the eco-system is perceived to be a significantelement of the family functioning. So as to meet the demands fromsuch a bigger setting, change is a necessity in the organizationalstructure (Seligman, 2014, p.76). Growth and subsequent greatercomplexities are counterbalanced by the need for stability andprotection. Families that are trapped at a developmental plateau areincapable of bargaining the pressure of restructuring thus stick todesired roles and rules. By means of a dynamic symmetry of approachesof disequilibrium and accommodation, the counselor is responsible forthe organization of a healing framework with the family. This istreatment paradigm which is shared, it gives the members of thefamily the opportunity of tapping hidden aspects of themselves andsubsequently renovate the family into a more developmentally suitableand flexible assembly.
Personal	integration section
Integrating	Christianity and counselling
WhenGod created Adam and Eve, he had the intention that they should livein harmony. God gave them the opportunity to fill the world but peacewas to be required of them. In today's world, this is not the caseas many families are torn apart, holding onto anger. I think thestructural approach to family therapy is well suited in bringing thatpeace back, the peace commanded in the Bible. According to Christianprinciples, living in unity is a fruit from God, Peace is God givenand conflict is viewed as something that angers God (Tan, 2011,p.46). It is in this line that I find the structural approach tofamily therapy in consistency with my faith which is Christianity andthere is no one point that there occurs discrepancies.
Thestructure of a family relates to the rules that are establishedwithin a family over a period of time. These structures consequentlydetermines how and with whom the members interact. According tostructural approach, the structure of the family will at the top haveparents possessing most of the power and the children will be beneaththem. In an integrated Christianity line, however, ideally thehusband is the head of the household and thus is supposed to havemuch power (Tan, 2011, p.46). Beneath him follows the wife and thechildren respectively.
Inregard to the Bible, which is the most powerful book used byChristians, family is something sacred and favored by God. The bookof Genesis 2:24 says that for that reason a man is to leave hismother and father and in is to be unified by his wife, and for thatreason they become a single flesh in God's eye. In an almostsimilar way, Proverbs 17:6 implies that the children bore by childrenare considered a crown to the aged, and similarly parents turns outto be a pride to their children. God intentions according toChristianity was for man and woman to be married and for them to bearchildren. God wished-for generations of families to emanate from oneunification of one woman and one man. The fact that most families arealways far from realizing God's purpose for the formation of thefamily brings sort of psychological burden which structural approachto family counselling is always trying to fix. The way Christianityenvisions a family without hitches, a family where respect is part ofdaily living is the same way structural approach of family therapyintends family members to live (Tan, 2011, p.32).
Behaviordisorders comes to take place in the family when its boundaries andstructure fail to permit the family favorably respond to fluctuatingsurroundings. Structural hitches frequently propose a family whichhas a hierarchy which is ineffective and weak or one that isarbitrary and rigid. The structural family therapist ought to beconscious of the structure and rules of a family so as to help thedysfunctional family in a better way(Tan, 2011,p.46). This is also true for the therapist that uses anintegrated Christian approach.
Likecoalitions and alliances, boundaries are subsequently factors usefulin the determination of behavior disorders. Boundaries that are looseare linked with enmeshment and this implies that there is a veryclose connection between the family members. This can be a greatsource of conflict of roles leading to displacement of individual orfamily identity. Boundaries that are rigid, on the other end, have aconsistency in detachment, this implies that there is too muchdistant and consequently leads to poor patterns of communication.Families that are said to be enmeshed attempt to take everything inas opposed to detached families which always try to keep everythingout. Both cases of extremism are trouble signals. Both my religion,Christianity, and the structural approach of family counselling sharea common viewpoint in solving such cases.
Variousfamilies that have greatly embraced Christianity always attempt to bedetached from the external world for the reason that they always wantto secure themselves from the evils impurities of the society.However, this kind of detachment can make an individual to become tooentangled with God and affect how effective the family will deal withthe life cycle issues of the family and also how upright the maturityof the children will be. For the reason that Christians can turn intoa bunch of stubborn beings who would die sooner instead of changing,the family counselor can have a key test trying to transform them inthe direction of change(Tan, 2011, p.46).On the other hand of this extreme, families which have not embracedChristianity in a way can be too trapped in the earthly life andwidely be detached from God. What the structural family therapistusually strive to do is striking a balance so as to ensure thereexists equilibrium in the approach he is using to heal a sufferingfamily. The Christian family therapist might experience acorrespondingly challenging hurdle in attempts to inspire the familymembers to change for the best. Trying to bring sanity to the familyinvolves striking a balance so that an equilibrium is attained, sucha balance is an advantage as it prevents the consequences ofextremism(Tan, 2011, p.46). In myperspective, I share the same notion as my definition of an effectiveChristian excludes being overzealous. I picture a good Christian asone who have a life which is more balanced and this gives room forchange during the process of counselling as rigidity affects theprocess in a bad way.
Closing	Remarks
Inthe development of the structural approach to family therapy thedeveloper was focusing on individuals within the family and theirinteractions within the family set-up. The main constructs for thisapproach are the family structure, their boundaries and theirsub-systems. These principles make up a stable ground from which onecan establish an integrated family counseling model. The objectivesof family counseling are to fortify the parental hierarchy, createflexible boundaries between members and their respective families,creation of clear boundaries and establishment of interactionspatterns that are more adaptive. In the light of Christianity, theseare goals which are in union with the scriptures from whichChristians derive their faith. The structural approach manages tostrengthen and stabilizes Christianity as it is a reminder of whatvirtuous things should be done. The counselor pursues to reinforcethe marital, parental, spiritual and the sibling sub-system in orderto assist each member of the family comprehend their role and placewithin the family. In my opinion it is like the therapist realizesthat God, who is a supreme being, in the end of it all has theappropriate solution for all the challenges in the families. Ittherefore gives them easy task of finding means of embedding theappropriate changes into the lives of the members of the family (Tan,2011, p.46).
Sharf,R. S. (2004). Theoriesof psychotherapy &amp counseling: Concepts and cases.Pacific Grove, CA: Thomson/Brooks/Cole.
Marini,I., &amp Stebnicki, M. A. (2009). Theprofessional counselor`s desk reference.New York: Springer Pub.
Erford,B. T. (2013). Assessmentfor counselors.Belmont, Calif: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.
Sommers-Flanagan,J., &amp Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2013). Counselingand psychotherapy theories in context and practice: Skills,strategies, and techniques.Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Tan,S.-Y. (2011). Counselingand psychotherapy: A Christian perspective.Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Craig,R. J. (2005). Clinicaland diagnostic interviewing.Lanham, Md: Jason Aronson.
Sommers-Flanagan,J., Sommers-Flanagan, R., Bodnar, C., &amp Sommers-Flanagan, J.(2012). Counselingand psychotherapy theories in context and practice study guide, 2ndedition.Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Sink,C. A. (2011). Mentalhealth interventions for school counselors.Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.
Sharf,R. S. (2012). Theoriesof psychotherapy and counseling: Concepts and cases.Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
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Seligman,L. (2014). Diagnosisand treatment planning in counseling.New York: Springer.
Hadfield,K. (2000). Astructural family therapy approach to counselling families.
Minuchin,S. (1974). Families&amp family therapy.Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
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