Personal Empowerment Coach Certification – The S.W.A.T …

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Our Personal Empowerment Coach Certification is designed for the woman who is either ready to launch her coaching business or is already an expert in her chosen field and would love to add Certified Personal Empowerment Coach to her resume.

This self-paced program will give you the fastest yet most comprehensive training to help shift your clients out of any disempowered situation into making healthy, authentic, appropriate choices.

Crystal is a Godsend! I have had the privilege of working with Crystal as a student in her S.W.A.T. Institute, as a coaching client, and as a participant in her 12-week Emotional Edge Telecourse. As a S.W.A.T. student, I have been blown away by the quality of the educational curriculum. I have a doctoral degree and have taken many advanced level college and graduate courses. However, the S.W.A.T. curriculum was more comprehensive and useful than most of the graduate level courses I have taken! I learned SO much going through this program and it has been amazing to use the material to help other women.

Crystals coaching style is simply Genius! Her intuition is spot on and I have personally experienced how incredible Crystal is at seeing things for what they truly are. On our first coaching call, Crystal was able call me out on my secrets and get to the core of my issues in a way that was unbelievable to me. I have worked with other coaches in the past and none have had the intuition and wisdom of Crystal Andrus Morrisette, who has helped me to make MAJOR transformations in my life. Before working with Crystal, I felt lost and confused. I felt desperate, looking around relentlessly for answers. Well, Crystal quickly guided me to all the answers. She re-connected me with my real self and helped me to heal the wounds I had been carrying around for decades. I feel like a million bucks after working with Crystal! I wake up each day with a huge grin on my face, excited and hopeful for a future that I could not see before working with Crystal. I am so endlessly grateful for all she has done for me and I am so lucky to have her as a mentor and a coach.

~ Dr. Ellen Morello, PhD in Physical Therapy, S.W.A.T. Personal Empowerment Coach

Throughout this course, you will work closely with Professor Izabela Viskupova, L.L.M., M.A., and The S.W.A.T. Institutes Founder, Crystal Andrus Morissette, in receiving all the the practical and theoretical guidance youll need in order to fully master your coaching skills.

Professor Izabela graduated with a Masters degree in Law at the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Later, she earned another Masters degree in Psychology, from the University of Glasgow, Scotland; she also holds a Certificate in Person-Centred Counselling from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland and is a Master Empowerment Coach certified by The S.W.A.T. Institute.

Check out the extraordinary video testimonials sent into us from some of our graduates!

Our Personal Empowerment Coach Certification is composed of three modules:

The learning objective of the first module is to introduce the students to Empowerment Coaching and the basic tools of this specific coaching method. In this module, students will be invited to master the basic framework of Empowerment Coaching which includes:

This module takes the students in detail through the most crucial emotional levels on the Map of Empowerment such as Shame, Guilt, Apathy, Grief, Fear and Anger, while offering specific coaching strategies and interventions for each of these levels.

Module One offers a vast opportunity for the students to listen to practical examples of real life coaching sessions, which is an invaluable component of the program. Also included are video lectures on each emotional level, one live weekly call where students can chat with Professor Izabela, and a private Facebook Group for fellow student empowerment coaches to share, connect, and support each other.

Nearing the end of this module, students will also be introduced to the concept of Emotional Age (EA), which is the basis of Crystal Andrus Morissettes upcoming book, The Emotional Edge (Random House Publishing, December 29, 2015).

The objective of the second module is to build on the foundations laid out in Module One so that the students can further hone and expand their coaching skills.

This module also incorporates some of the more general topics in coaching such as how to structure the coaching sessions or how to build rapport with a client.

The aim of Module Two is also to prepare the students for some unexpected or more challenging circumstances in coaching such as coaching a client with a different cultural background or a client that has just lost someone they loved.

At the end of this module, students are invited to participate in the 12-Week TeleCourse: The Emotional Edge taught by Crystal Andrus Morissette in order to integrate their learnings, personally. Completion of the 12-Week TeleCourse is not mandatory in graduating with your Personal Empowerment Coach Certification.

The objective of the last module is to have the students do their own coaching and practice all the skills and techniques they have learned throughout the course while coaching their own clients. The clients will be provided by The S.W.A.T. Institute through the Mentorship Program that enables women from any part of the world to get free coaching. This is a beautiful opportunity for our students to hone their coaching skills.

Section 1: What you need to do to start your Practice Coaching

The objective of this section is to cover the logistics side of the coaching practice so that the coaches in training have everything set up and ready before they start their practice coaching.

Section 2: The Critique session

As soon as students have completed approximately half of their practice sessions (10-15 practice session), they select three of their calls and submit them to their Professor of Coaching who will review them and schedule a critique session with them. The objective of the critique session is to give them feedback on how they have been doing thus far.

Section 3: Final Exam Assignment

The objective of the Final Exam is to put everything together for the students both the practical as well as the theoretical side of the training. In order to do that, they are required to:

A new generation of women has emerged and I feel honored to be part of it. Unique women who have come together under a common call: to thrust the world forward while birthing a brighter humanity.

I proudly belong to a tribe of visionaries. They may call us insane, rebels, inspirational, powerful masters, guides or coaches we call ourselves: Simply Woman Accredited Trainers!

~ Loredana Thoenig

Every Tuesday, Crystal Andrus Morissette answers your questions and offers you strategies to your own challenges during a live call! You can write in or chat with her directly on the phone or Skype. Plus, you have two other opportunities each week to chat live with Professor Izabela and our Student Advisors! No matter where you live in the world, you will feel like you are close by, connected to, and supported by our entire institute. We are women empowering women!

Our Mentorship Coaches have all graduated from their Empowerment Coach Training at The S.W.A.T. Institute and are beginning to build their own coaching practice. Before they can graduate they must complete 30 practice hours. Our coaches have spent countless hours learning the empowerment process and this is the perfect way for them to refine their skills while women around the world get the support and empowerment they need at no charge. Its a true giveback and a beautiful win-win! Plus, our Mentorship Coaching Program offers our students and graduates lifelong coaching at no charge. Thats right! You have a slew of brilliant coaches at your fingertips, whenever you need a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or some kick-ass advice! Click here to learn more!

One of the most unique and special aspects of The S.W.A.T. Institute is our private forum where our students or as we call them siSTARs connect with, share, care, and support each other. No matter what is going on in their lives, each woman gets the loving advice, feedback, validation, and support she needs. We truly are a global coalition of empowered women!

Our five-day, full money-back guarantee allows you to take your time once you register to be certain this program is right for you!

Check out the extraordinary video testimonials sent in to us from some of our graduates!

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The Secret To Getting Over Divorce Is Telling Yourself These 5 Things – HuffPost

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Your thoughts, not your circumstances, determine if you thrive after divorce. You could end up with the house, your preferred custody plan, the china and the crystal, and still blame your ex for messing up your formerly picture-perfect existence.

Or, you could trade the house for an apartment, less custody time than youd hoped, mismatched Ikea flatware, and recognize your divorce as an opportunity to create an authentic, meaningful life.

So what makes the person who got what they wanted (or thought they wanted) bitter, while the downwardly-mobile one grows empowered?

The presence, or absence, of shame.

People who feel shame blame themselves or others for their choices and their situations. After awhile, the negative stories they tell themselves become a life narrative thats hard to shake. Negative thoughts lead to poor choices which create more shame, and the cycle repeats itself.

Those who believe that, despite some bad choices, theyre still good people, tend to manifest positive change. They recognize their errors, make amends where they can, and move on to the only thing they can control: the choices they make now.

And those choices are fueled by thoughts.

If you feel neck-deep in divorce shame and shame often comes disguised as anger, sadness, and fear notice your thoughts. Are they mostly of the gloom-and-doom variety? Do they resemble any of the following?

Shame festers. Youre chronically depressed. Angry. Resentful. You react to your ex in ways that invite more drama and conflict: knee-jerk replies to emails and texts, fighting battles that arent worth fighting, trying to control what goes on in his or her house. The chaos begins to shape your worldview. You stop trusting people. You see trouble where there isnt any. You expect the worst.

You dont have to live this way.

Personal empowerment begins with accepting things you cant control and choosing how you respond not just to events, but also to your own thoughts. If you tell yourself your ex ruined your future, as well as your childrens, how do you think youre going to act? Since your current way of thinking isnt helping you turn your life around, why not replace your bad thoughts with good ones?

Changing the way you think takes discipline and time. Your brain is used to following the well-worn tracks of negativity, so have patience with yourself. When you catch yourself ruminating on the same bad story, watch those destructive thoughts float by, without judgment. Set your intention to swap out your bad thoughts for good ones. Make this a daily, even hourly, practice, and one day youll realize that you havent just survived divorce.

For more help managing your divorce, visit http://www.virginiagilbertmft.com.

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Students learn self-defense, gain confidence at Junior Deputy Camp – The Daily News Journal

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Mariah Timms , The Tennessean Published 3:44 p.m. CT June 6, 2017 | Updated 4:24 p.m. CT June 6, 2017

Lanise Harden, a rising sixth-grader who attended the Junior Deputy Camp, demonstrates her favorite radKIDS technique, the elbow strike.(Photo: Submitted)

Nearly 80 students entering sixthgrade in Rutherford County schools attended a Junior Deputy Camp hosted by the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office.

I love how they teach us to defend ourselves if our parents are not around, rising sixth-grader Lanise Harden said. I will do anything to defend myself.

Harden gained confidence while learning self-defense techniques from school resource officers at Riverdale High School and Stewartsboro Elementary School over the four-day course, according to a release from the RCSO.

The students were taught methods of defense from the radKIDS Personal Empowerment Safety Education Program, which teaches decision-making skills and physical resistance options to escape violence, the release said.

Chris Erwin, an SRO with the sheriffs department, led group classes while other SROs helped students hone their skills one on one.

This is to protect you from danger, Erwin said in the release, adding that regular practice will help students turn the techniques into instincts they can act on in case of an emergency.

To allow students to practice the moves properly, Riverdale SRO Jason Urban wore a protective red suit when instructing the children. He said the program teaches students how to get away from an abductor.

SRO Sgt. Tim Hayes, who coordinated the camp at Stewartsboro, said the physical training was the primary focus of the camp.

We train the kids on how to protect themselves from abduction and gave more knowledge of what law enforcement is all about, Hayes said.

More than just teaching children how to defend themselves from theoretical strangers, the SROs held discussions with students about bullying, internet safety, bicycle safety and more.

SRO Mike Farmer of Buchanan Elementary talked with the kids about how to deal with bullying because verbal abuse lasts a lifetime, according to the release.

It means everything in the world to me to show them extra attention, Farmer said.

Students learned about investigations and evidence and how bloodhounds can help track lost children. They also were toured the adult detention center and learned about first aid from Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services paramedic Terry Cunningham.

Overall, the sixth-graders enjoyed the experience.

Shawn Walding said he would definitely remember the radKIDStraining, which he described in the release as awesome and I get to defend myself.

Student A.J. Wilcox liked the different moves he learned, the release said, and fellow student Lucas Lovell said he learned self-defense, preparing him to run away to a safe place.

The Junior Deputy Camp is held annually after the end of the school year and is open to rising sixth-graders attending middle schools.

Read or Share this story: http://www.dnj.com/story/life/2017/06/06/students-learn-self-defense-gain-confidence-junior-deputy-camp/375394001/

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Students learn self-defense, gain confidence at Junior Deputy Camp - The Daily News Journal

5 Reasons Gen Z Should Consider Going To College In China – Forbes

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5 Reasons Gen Z Should Consider Going To College In China
Forbes
According to CNBC, 75% of Gen Z-ers feel strongly that their work should have greater meaning than simply earning a good living. What they want out of a job is fulfillment, but also personal empowerment and a belief that what they're doing actually ...

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5 Reasons Gen Z Should Consider Going To College In China - Forbes

Happiness Before Homework: Focusing on Feelings in the Classroom – Education Week (subscription)

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First Person

By Ronen Habib

Eight years ago, I was beginning to feel burned out. As a teacher at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif., I first taught math and then moved onto algebra, AP economics, and history. I was tired of the amount of work it took to plan lessons, teach, create assessments, and grade, and I was frustrated with my students' obsession with working for grades, rather than their natural curiosity to learn. Conversations with parents about why their child earned a B+ instead of an A- drove me crazy. I began to lose touch with the real reasons I became a teacher.

But in May of 2009, I received a rude wake-up call. I arrived at school to an emergency meeting; one of my students had committed suicide. I was shocked and devastated.

As I sat in the first row at the student's funeral, I was overcome with emotions, bawling alongside my students, and the deceased student's family. He was in my class for six months and in so much pain, I thought. How did I miss this? How were we so disconnected that I had no idea?

Before my student's suicide, I was nave. I looked at my students and made assumptions that they were fine. I would tell myself, "We live in an amazing place at a high-achieving school. These kids have bright futureshow hard could their lives really be?" And I would focus on the content of my teaching and my students' performance. But under the smiles and the high or low grades, my students experienced internal struggles that were not always readily visible.

Although I felt helpless in the face of my student's suicide, I suddenly felt a new purpose. I knew that something needed to change. If I were to continue to be an educator, nothing could stop me from putting my students' well-being first. I became determined to figure out how to connect more authentically and form stronger relationships with my students. I wouldn't worry about academic standards, content, or grades, until I made sure they felt like they belonged and gave them more skills to ride the waves of life.

I set out to create a course on positive psychology, the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, for juniors and seniors at my school. The curriculum focused on personal empowerment: We live life "choice by choice." I taught students that it's critical to be aware of our emotions as well as the suffering that can be caused by our thoughts. We dont need to "buy into" what our inner critic is telling us, and treating ourselves with compassion is key to our well-being and resilience. In the first year, 107 students signed up. Year after year, I've seen hundreds of students pass through my classroom and change their behavior, including the debilitating nature of perfectionism so many students wrestle with in high school.

These principles were also useful in every other class that I taught. Incorporating just five minutes of mindfulness into my AP economics course saved instructional minutes because the students were more focused.

To train other teachers to use strategies of positive psychology with their students, I created EQ Schools, a California-based organization that empowers educators through positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness training. In trainings, teachers learn about the neurobiology of stress, focus, and happiness, as well as the creative ways to incorporate play and social-emotional skills in classrooms such as playing games and doing yoga. Teachers say that they felt revived and inspired, and that bringing emotions into learning, as well as taking stock of how burned out they are, is transforming their classrooms.

Over the last few years, I've had the privilege of working with thousands of educators across California, and it's abundantly clear that our societys obsession with academic performance and preparing students for tests leaves them, and many teachers, drained and empty. As teachers, we want our students to be well-educated, but when the balance shifts to focusing on educating students brains to the detriment of their well-being, students are at risk.

And it's not only students who are struggling. Teaching is one of the most stressful professions, and burnout rates are very high. But it doesn't have to be this way. It is time for us to prioritize and infuse our schools with more joy, connection, and a focus on well-being. Learning will deepen, academic achievements will improve, and we'll raise a generation of happier, well-adjusted, and creatively confident people.

Research shows that emotional intelligence is far more predictive of a person's future success than academic achievements. Happier students and teachers tend to be more productive, creative, and resilient. And happiness is a positive-sum game. The happier you are as a teacher, the happier your students and colleagues will be, too.

So, how can you work to bring more happiness into your classroom?

Be present. You know those times you are with a student or colleague, but you are actually ruminating about how your last lesson went or why some of your student scored poorly on a portion of a test? Or perhaps youre fearing the evaluation that you will get from your department head? You're not being present and this diminishes your well-being. The trick isn't to beat yourself up when you notice your mind wandering, but to remind yourself to return your focus. Bringing your mind back when it wanders can go a long way toward strengthening the muscle of being present.

Connect deeply with others. According to Harvard University's Study of Adult Development, which has studied participants mental and physical health over decades, relationships are the No. 1 predictor of happiness and longevity. Before you begin your class, take three deep breaths and as your students enter the classroom, greet them with warmth and eye contact, and maybe even send them silent good thoughts. Ask yourself, what is one small step you can take today to cultivate or feed a supportive learning environment and connect with students?

Take time to experience positive emotions. Take a moment to think about one thing you feel grateful for today and savor that feeling. Give a colleague a compliment or write them a supportive note. Games, like "Pass the Sound," also help to foster joy and build community in your classroom. Have your students stand in a circle. Tell the first person next to you to clap, and then the next, and the next, until the clap gets all the way around the circle. Explain that this is timed and the goal is to "pass the clap" under a certain number of seconds. Tell them that if we 'fail,' we are going to celebrate our failure like crazy! In unison, shout "woohoo!" and throw our hands up in the air. If they are successful, up the challenge by decreasing the number of seconds. And so on. Cultivate a playful attitude. Cheer them on, and tell them you believe in them, even if we fail all together.

Feel your negative feelings. Some might think that the best way to get through difficult emotions is to ignore them and move on. But the more you suppress your emotions, the more problematic they become. As teachers, we must cultivate nonjudgmental awareness of difficult feelings so we can strive to be more perceptive to our students when they are down. Letting them know they are not alone in struggling with anger or sadness will help them feel more comfortable reaching out to others for support.

Invest in self-care. When I ask teachers what they do for self-care, they often chuckle, "Who has time for that?" But if you don't learn to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, you might unintentionally affect your students because you seem grouchy or distant. You might also burn out, which means your students would miss out on your gifts. Take a moment to think about what recharges your battery, whether it's going on a walk outside and appreciating the trees or taking a slightly longer showerschedule it into your day.

Continue to grow and pursue intrinsic goals. Your professional development and growth should be meaningful. Take time to identify a personal or professional goal you have for yourself and break it down into steps. What kind of impact do you make for your students, and how are you going to do so?

Photo provided by author.

Coverage of social and emotional learning is supported in part by a grant from the NoVo Foundation, at http://www.novofoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Ronen Habib is a teacher and ed-tech coordinator at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif. He is the founder of EQ Schools, which provides emotional-intelligence training to teachers, students, and parents in the United States and abroad. He is also a contributing writer for EdSurge.

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‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’: Season 3 Embraces Its Sadness … – PopMatters

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Season 3 Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski (Netflix)

It doesnt take long for the third season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to remind its audience why its such a powerful and unexpected treasure; by the time the first new episode Kimmy Gets Divorced?! is over, its proven itself, once again, to be a truly wacky and wounding oddity. The first season of the show introduced the audience to Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper)the perpetually enthusiastic former cult member unleashed onto the streets of New York after being held captive for over a decadewith aplomb and style. It was a fantastic season of television, and if the second season expanded the narrative goals somewhat unsteadily, the third installment is a rollicking return to form by getting to the sadness beneath its day-glow wonderland aesthetic.

When were reintroduced to Kimmy, shes received divorce papers from her former captor and cult leader, Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm). Initially, shes ecstatic to have another remnant of her old life pushed aside, but falters in signing the document, partly because her friend, the wealthy Upper East Side socialite Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski), introduces her to the idea of spousal power dynamics. Kimmy, Jacqueline argues, is now the powerful party by virtue of the fact that she has something that Richard wants. For a woman who had all of her agency removed from her and whose life was a constant struggle for even small shreds of personal empowerment, the prospect of withholding something Richard wants is irresistible.

Its an enormous testament to the show in general that this comedic set-up, in which Kimmy comes up with more and more elaborate excuses for not signing, feels so nuanced and emotional. Kimmys motivations are evident without being signposted; the joke ends up being a funny one, but its the emotional wallop that leaves a bruise. When she finally decides to grant her enemy a divorce, it feels like genuine development rather than an easy narrative cop-out, because its so rooted in character growth. Kimmys reminded that even if shes at the head of the table, shes allowing Richard to have a seat next to her; power means proximity, which ultimately leads to powerlessness again. Characters have realizations like this throughout the showKimmys outrageous roommate Titus (Tituss Burgess) more than anyonebut they never feel cloying or blithe, and never get in the way of the joke.

For many sitcoms, the trick to longevity and success is finding ways to constantly re-establish the formulae, to reset at the end of each episode so that the audience knows exactly what to expect next time; but Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt blows that dynamic up, demanding that the viewer accept that these people will be different with each passing episode: that sadness will seep through, that trauma will rear its ugly head at inopportune times. Part of what made the second season feel fragmented was the difficulty it had in giving each character side-plots whilst still maintaining the fun group dynamic that was so successful.

Season three feels much more fluid, making a virtue of the fact that Kimmys apartment is a place of perpetual forward motion; characters whizz in and out of it with remarkable speed, whilst still touching base with each other. Each character is integral to the fabric of the show, so their own stories feel like extensions of the narrative rather than peripheral to it. This is helped by the fact that there isnt a dud story amongst the four main cast members; each have their moments of whimsy, horror, and breakthrough.

Thats whats always been the shows greatest strength and perhaps the thing that may stop people from entering its world: the clash between the bubble-gum pink colour scheme and the darkness of the premise takes a few beats to get used to, even for someone who knows what to expect. Its a sad show enacted by characters that, at least on the surface, appear to be clowns. Kimmys gee-whiz-ness, Jacquelines privilege, Tituss zaniness, are all extremely well-constructed joke personas until the characters are revealed to be all too human: lonely, impatient for change, waking up to the injustice around them. Titus, who left New York to pursue a career as a cruise singer in season two and returns under mysterious circumstances, gets a particularly well-shaded character arc that forces him to realize that love isnt owed as much as its earned.

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All of this makes it sound like the third season is significantly gloomier than what preceded it; it isnt. It still has a manic comedic energy like nothing else on television and follows the Tina Fey school of lobbing so many jokes at the screen that if some miss it doesnt really matter. Maya Rudolph has an especially loopy supporting role as Dionne Warwick in a plot line that sees her playing against Burgess expertly. In order to pay her way through college, Kimmy takes part in the gig economy in increasingly elaborate and ludicrous ways. A recurring joke about robots being part of the New York populace is absurd, precisely because the show refuses to acknowledge its absurdity. Fred Armisen returns with his weirdly modulated Robert Durst impression and Krakowski is excellent in a late season twist that sees her husband getting crushed by a reversing car and emerging from hospital as a significantly younger, significantly hunkier version of himself.

It certainly has one of the highest joke to screen time ratios on television at the moment, and its remarkable how smooth each delivery is; there are very few times when the episodes feel as if theyre reaching for a punchline. A sequence that shows Titus happily singing extremely offensive things about politics, religion, and gender, only to be horrified and offended at singing a breakaway pop hit called Boobs in California, is particularly noteworthy for its strangeness and hilarity.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is still, rest assured, very bizarre and rabid in its pursuit of a punchline. The sheer variety of joke formats is impressive; puns, pratfalls, satire, camp, word play, musical comedy, pop-culture riffs and sheer showmanship are thrown at the screen, making the whole show worthy of a second watch. Yet, its hard to argue that this year the show isnt more interested in the darkness that constantly threatens to disrupt the candy-toned hilarity. In the third episode Kimmy Cant Help You! the excellent Laura Dernthe queen of making sadness feel funny and vice-versamakes an appearance as Wendy Hebert, a divorce attorney who wants to rush through Kimmys divorce in order to marry Richard Wayne Gary Wayne herself.

Eventually, its revealed that Wendy is in love with the cult leader because hes incarcerated, not despite of it. Her previous relationships have been so bad and abusive that the prospect of being in love with someone whos physically incapable of damaging her seems like a dream. Its heartbreaking, but made even worse when Kimmy, in an attempt to convince Wendy that shes doing the wrong thing, calls Richard a rapist. Previously, the show has referred to Kimmys history with weird sex stuff, but its never been so forthright in its depiction. Kimmys recovering from trauma the likes of which she doesnt completely want to reveal to those around her; putting a label on her experiences, its made clear, makes them feel more real to the protagonist.

It also makes sense of one of the seasons more thought-provoking elements: Kimmys constant cycling through institutions and ideologies. In the aptly titled episode Kimmy Is a Feminist!, Kimmy comes up against the multitudes of modern feminist thoughts, vacillating between staunch feminism and rejecting it all together. Kimmy also decides to throw herself into religion, only to discover that shes replacing the indoctrination of her past in the bunker with a new, more socially accepted one.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is at its most humane when it allows itself, and its characters, to try on different lifestyles and points-of-view, building Kimmys worldview in front of the viewers eyes. By showing Kimmy coming up against the concept of utilitarianism, the season poses interesting questions about how difficult it is to wrestle with morality, especially for a person who was forced into arrested development. It makes the show deeper than a lot of much more traditionally serious shows on air; its its levity that allows it to sneak in so many interesting concepts about personal responsibility and reinvention.

That isnt to say that everything works. Season three doubles down on the storyline that many fans have found the most off-putting; Jacquelines personal struggle with her Native American heritage and her guilt about passing in the extremely white, extremely wealthy Upper East Side. This may not sound controversial, but Jane Krakowski is decidedly not Native American, and the show has been criticised in its clumsy handling of the whole thing (the show was also criticised for its handling of Asian American characters), and this season sees Jacqueline taking on the owners of the Washington Redskins. Its certainly an interesting discussion about the role of heritage vs empathy, but its still never fully convincing or barbed enough to be cutting. Theres also a strangely pointed joke at the expense of college campuses insistence on sexual consent, which seems strangely out of synch with Kimmys history, that amounts to arent young people sensitive about rape culture.

Overall though, its a very good, thoughtful season of television, buoyed by a fantastic performance from Kemper, some truly hilarious punchlines, and a keen, startling interest in the emotional lives of its characters. By being brave enough to suggest that the world isnt always fair or kind, even to those who approach it with nothing but fairness and kindness, it emerges as an inspiring and inspired, sly and sentimental. Oh, and if youre a Beyonc fan, you wont believe what Titus has planned when he decides to Lemonade.

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Jay has a BA in English Literature and Film Studies from Roehampton University and an MA in Film and Screen Cultures from the same institution. His debut novel Until There Was You was released last year and the follow-up, The Restart Project, is forthcoming, both with Less Than Three Press. You can read his television rants on Twitter or his website.

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'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt': Season 3 Embraces Its Sadness ... - PopMatters

California, China strike collaboration on clean energy technology – Utility Dive

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Dive Brief:

President Trump's decision to abandon the Paris accordand largely, the global conversation on climate changehas created a domestic climate leadership vacuum that industry, states and local governments have rushed to fill. And on the global stage, China may be stepping into that role as it develops growing amounts of renewables.

All that set the stage for this week's meeting between Brown and Xi, and a green technology agreement that could be the beginning of a broader partnership.

"California is the leading economic state in America and we are also the pioneering state on clean technology, cap and trade, electric vehicles and batteries, but we can't do it alone,"Brown said during his meeting with the Chinese President, according to his office. "I have proposed that California will cut its greenhouse gases 40 percent below 1990 levels and that we'll have 50 percent of our electricity from renewables. To keep that goal, we need a very close partnership with China - with your businesses, with your provinces, with your universities."

The technology agreement expands cooperation on the advancement of "low-carbon, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies"specifically, zero-emission vehicles, energy storage, grid modernization and low-carbon urban development.

"Under the agreement, California and China will also deepen their partnership and coordination on greenhouse gas emission and air pollution reduction programs, including emissions trading systems and carbon capture," the statement said.

While California's sixth largest economy may expand the state's reach, all total a dozen states and Puerto Rico have formed the U.S. Climate Allianceand committed to achieving the goals of the Paris accord. The states, including California, New York and Washington, will reduce emissions 26% or 28%from 2005 levelswhile meeting or exceeding the targets of the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan.

Signed by 195 nations at the end of 2015, the Paris accord aimed to limit global warming to 2C this century. President Trumpsaid the agreementis a "bad deal for Americans" that "disadvantages the United States. The country's commitments would have translated into an 80% economywide decarbonization for the U.S. by 2050.

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California, China strike collaboration on clean energy technology - Utility Dive

Gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter soars 26% in public debut – TechCrunch

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Investors greeted ShotSpotter with a warm reception on Wednesday, on its first day as a public company. After pricing the IPO at $11, the stock closed at $13.86, or up about 26 percent.

ShotSpotter notifies police departments about gun violence by using sensors that ignore ambient noise. Their sophisticated technology alerts authorities within 45 seconds of the trigger being pulled.

Its currently used in about 90 cities, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco. ShotSpotter estimates that about 80 percent of gun violence goes unreported, and they are in the process of convincing municipalities worldwide that their technology will reduce fatalities.

According to CEO Ralph Clark, its not just about catching assailants, but they hope to deter crime also. Nopolice responseleads to normalization of gun violence, he claims.

ShotSpotter makes money by charging local governments on an annual subscription basis. According to their IPO filing, they had just $15.5 million in revenue last year and $11.8 million the year before. Losses increased from $6.2 million to $6.9 million in that time frame.

That is likely why the IPO was so small, raising just over $30 million. They will be using some of the proceeds to pay down debt.

But they are optimistic they will expand to more cities, because clearly gun violence is a fairly big problem in the U.S. and globally, said Clark. We want to continue to invest in customer success, he said.

The largest stakeholders are Lauder Partners, Motorola Solutions and Claremont Creek Ventures. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company previously raised at least $67 million in funding.

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Gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter soars 26% in public debut - TechCrunch

Smile to enter: China embraces facial-recognition technology – Financial Times

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Financial Times
Smile to enter: China embraces facial-recognition technology
Financial Times
China's technology giants are rushing to embrace the commercial use of facial-recognition technology, attempting to leapfrog western rivals that have taken a more cautious approach for fear of alarming privacy-conscious consumers. While privacy ...

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Smile to enter: China embraces facial-recognition technology - Financial Times

Technology: Momentous Momentum – Seeking Alpha

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The technology sector is on fire. Potentially blazing out of control as a matter of fact. For the ride higher is being driven largely by momentum at this point. Where and when it stops, nobody knows. But we have entered territory across the sector where the risks to the downside are accumulating at a compounding rate the further the current run continues to the upside.

Blazing Hot

The run higher in technology stocks over the past year has been remarkable. After languishing in a sideways trading pattern for the better part of two years since the end of 2014, technology stocks finally broke out to the upside in early July 2016.

The catalyst for the breakout? This, of course, was the immediate aftermath of the surprise 'Brexit' vote, which raises an initial eyebrow. I am not yet clear how the departure of the United Kingdom (NYSEARCA:EWU) from the European Union (BATS:EZU) is a boon for the prospects of the technology companies found in the S&P 500 Index (NYSEARCA:SPY), but what I do know is that central banker support stood at the ready to calm financial markets in the wake of the vote announcement. And soothe tech investor fears they appeared to achieve!

Tech stocks trended sideways following the July 2016 channel break until the end of the year. Then suddenly, the sector completely caught fire and has been riding a growing wave of upside momentum ever since.

Fundamental Support, But To A Point

At first glance, it appears that the upside in technology stocks is enjoying fundamental support. And to a certain degree, this is true.

Consider the path of the Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLK) over the past six years since the summer of 2011. Why the summer of 2011? Because it was at this point during the post crisis period where U.S. stocks (NYSEARCA:DIA) and the rest of the world (NASDAQ:ACWX) including developed international (NYSEARCA:EFA) and emerging market (NYSEARCA:EEM) parted ways with U.S. stocks (NASDAQ:QQQ) continuing to rise to the moon as stocks across the rest of the world effectively have gone nowhere ever since.

Unlike some other market sectors, the rise in technology share prices has been supported by an increase in underlying earnings growth. During periods when earnings growth was accelerating, so too were technology stock prices. And during periods when earnings growth either stalled or showed signs of fading, the advance in technology stocks ground to a halt. Thus, the contention can be made that technology stocks are behaving consistently with the fundamental patterns implied by underlying earnings growth.

This is certainly constructive. But the one problem with this assessment over the past six years is the following. While technology stocks are advancing in correlation with rising earnings, the price that investors are paying for technology stocks is rising at a much faster rate than the underlying earnings. Put more simply, investors have been consistently paying increasingly more for each dollar of earnings growth that the sector is generating. This is reflected in the second chart below where the XLK and underlying sector earnings are placed on the same scale.

This can also be reflected in the following chart, which shows the daily rolling trailing 12-month price-to-earnings ratio on the XLK from July 1, 2011 to the present.

Whereas technology stocks were once priced at an attractive 13x to 15x trailing earnings back in 2011 and were still pricing in the expensive but still somewhat reasonable 17x to 20x range as recently as a year ago, they are now trading in the 25x times trailing earnings range.

Putting this in a different perspective, technology stocks are now offering an earnings yield of roughly 4%. Given the cyclical nature of the industry, this is not a lot of "yield" to receive even in today's persistently low interest rate environment.

Of course, technology stocks can overcome this premium status through an acceleration of underlying growth beyond its already robust +20% pace over the past year. Such a feat is not out of the question, but it is a tall order given the fact that technology is still a highly cyclical sector whose annual earnings growth rate has fluctuated between -10% and +20% at any given point in time over the past six years and is currently running at the very top end of this range coming out of the most recently completed quarter in 2017 Q1. In short, it's possible, but not likely.

Momentous Momentum

This is where the momentum trade comes into play for the technology sector. Over the past six years, the tech sector has evolved initially from an "intrinsic value" theme to more recently a "growth at a reasonable price" to lately a "growth at any price" pursuit.

It has been widely noted how stock market breadth has narrowed in 2017. For example, the percentage of NYSE stocks trading above their 50-day moving average has fallen from a peak of 84% at the start of the year to roughly half of stocks in recent months.

In addition, economic growth forecasts have steadily faded since the start of the year from the enthusiastic growth expectations that initially sparked the markets at the end of last year.

Yet despite this narrowing market leadership and fading economic growth prospects, the S&P 500 Index is still up strongly in 2017. The primary driver of these gains has been the strength of the technology sector. And part of the driving force behind this move has been the sentiment that excess liquidity is looking for a home and that technology is the one sector where investors can still buy growth while also gaining a degree of downside protection. Put more simply, investors have been parking money in tech lately regardless of the price driven by notion that they can continue growing regardless of the economy. Hence the still accelerating upside momentum despite the already impressive run.

This has been a great trade for those that have ridden the upside to this point. My premium service on Seeking Alpha, for one, went long technology stocks via the XLK back in mid-December 2016 as a hedge against a cyclical acceleration in economic growth. But through the end of February after an already impressive run to the upside that pushed the relative strength index to readings above 80, which was an overbought level that had been rarely reached in its two decade history, the decision was made to take profits. Thus, I have been merely a spectator to the sector's latest leg to the upside that began in late April and continues to date, which serves as another important reminder of the powerful upside momentum that remains in today's stock market.

Maintaining Momentum

The challenge for the technology sector going forward is its ability to maintain its recently remarkable upside momentum. One of the primary risks associated with the momentum trade is that it is not necessarily built on fundamentals or even technical for that matter. Instead, it is built primarily on enthusiasm and the willingness of the next buyer to pay more for the right to own shares of the company than the previous buyer. And this all works beautifully for a time until it does not. And the longer the forces of momentum take hold and the longer they run, the more painful the subsequent downside adjustment can end up being.

Such is the primary risk facing the technology sector at this stage of its recent run. The sector itself is expensive and becoming increasingly expensive with each passing trading day. And this is something that is true not only of the sector itself but many of the underlying individual stock names in the XLK.

Consider the following trailing 12-month price-to-earnings ratios for the following notable companies make up roughly 40% of the entire XLK.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

2011 P/E Ratio: 12.0x

Current P/E Ratio: 18.0x

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)

2011 P/E Ratio: 21.8x

Current P/E Ratio: 33.7x

Facebook (NASDAQ:FB)

Current P/E Ratio: 38.9x

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

2011 P/E Ratio: 14.7x

Current P/E Ratio: 31.9x

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

2011 P/E Ratio: 9.7x

Current P/E Ratio: 15.6x

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO)

2011 P/E Ratio: 12.7x

Current P/E Ratio: 16.0x

Does value still exist in the technology sector? Perhaps among selected individual names. But at least in so far as the above list is concerned, it would require an acceleration of already robust earnings growth as of late to create this value. And in an environment where the pace of economic growth is fading and the U.S. Federal Reserve is raising interest rates, this is becoming an increasingly tall order.

The Bottom Line

The technology sector has enjoyed a tremendous run to the upside in recent months. But it no longer represents a good buying opportunity for investors with a more conservative to moderate risk tolerance, for the downside risks now outweigh the expected returns at this stage of the rally. In short, the reasonable upside opportunity set in the sector has played itself out long ago now.

Does this mean that the sector is done advancing to the upside? Not by any means, for once a momentum trade takes hold it can run indefinitely and well beyond what might be implied by fundamentals. But the sector is now running increasingly ahead on price of an already heady pace beyond its underlying earnings, thus the associated downside risks with such technology holdings are rising accordingly with each successive gain in price. Thus, selective profit taking in tech holdings may also be a prudent approach depending on your investment strategy and how your technology stock holdings fits into your broader asset allocation.

Is the technology sector then an attractive shorting opportunity? It will be at some point, but not until the upside momentum has been broken. This will be worth watching for in the days and weeks ahead. But if the current market environment has taught investors anything, any future short allocations are better implemented as part of a pair trade to hedge against a broader market that remains determined to advance to the upside no matter what is taking place in the underlying economy.

So while the tech sector that is filled with glamorous, headline grabbing stocks continues to run to the upside, equity investors with a value or "growth at a reasonable price" orientation are better served to look elsewhere at this stage of the rally.

Disclosure: This article is for information purposes only. There are risks involved with investing including loss of principal. Gerring Capital Partners makes no explicit or implicit guarantee with respect to performance or the outcome of any investment or projections made. There is no guarantee that the goals of the strategies discussed by Gerring Capital Partners will be met.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: I am long selected individual stocks as part of a broadly diversified asset allocation strategy.

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Technology: Momentous Momentum - Seeking Alpha

MIT Technology and Policy Program’s Best Thesis for 2017 maps out a clean energy future for India – MIT News

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As the worlds second fastest-growing major economy and third largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, India is at a crossroads.

Intent on raising its standard of living and extending reliable access to electricity to the nearly 19 percent of its citizens who lack it, India is expected to more than double its energy consumption by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency.At the same time, the nation has pledged to make reductions in greenhouse gas emissions intensity (the ratio of carbon dioxideemissions producedto gross domesting product) as specified in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate. Achieving these seemingly conflicting goals will require energy technologies and policies that are both economically viable and efficient at cutting emissions.

That's whyArun Singh, a masters degree student in the Institute for Data, Systems and Societys Technology and Policy Program (TPP), decided to help India's decision makers weigh their options. Singh, who is also a fellow of the Tata Center for Technology and Design and a research assistant in the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, has analyzed climate policy options for India by building and applying a model of the Indian economy with detailed representation of the electricity sector.

Developed with his advisors, MIT Sloan School of Management Assistant ProfessorValerie Karplusand MIT Joint Program Principal Research ScientistNiven Winchester, the model enables researchers to gauge the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of different technology and policy choices designed to transition India to a low-carbon energy system. Singh used the model to assess the economic, energy, and emissions impacts of implementing Indias Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement which aims to reduce carbon dioxideemissions intensity by 33 to 35 percent from 2005 levelsand increase non-fossil based electric power to about 40 percent of installed capacity by 2030.

Singh determined that compared to a reference scenario of no policy constraints, an economy-wide emissions intensity reduction policy (simulated as a carbon price) would cost at least 43 times less per ton of carbon dioxidethan a mandated expansion of non-fossil-based electric power capacity. He also found that an economy-wide emissions-intensity reduction policy would also reduce carbon dioxideemissions in all sectors of the economy, whereas a non-fossil mandate in the electric power sector would lead to increased emissions beyond that sector.

These findings appear in Singhs masters thesis, Clean Development Pathways for India: Evaluating Feasibility and Modeling Impact of Policy Options, which was awarded the honor of being the TPP's best masters thesis for 2017.

Aruns thesis stands out because it goes beyond modeling policy options for meeting Indias climate goals to evaluating their feasibility in practice, based on an on-the-ground understanding of Indias institutions, stakeholders and technology, Karplus says. This combination has produced results that are likely to be both relevant and actionable for policymakers in India.

Singhs paper may also have broader application.

The thesis extends a single-country modeling framework that can be used to analyze the impacts of policies consistent with the Paris Agreement in other countries, Winchester says.

Singhs model projects that achieving Indias NDC emissions intensity target with a so-called purecarbon pricing policy (in which no additional targets are set to expand non-fossil electric power capacity) would require a price of $17.40 per metric ton of carbon dioxide. Becausethis is a higher carbon price than whats been implemented in most developed countries, Singh acknowledges the political intractability of such a policy. If a carbon pricing policy were combined with enforcement of non-fossil electric power capacity targets, the carbon price would go down to $2.06, but consumers would face higher commodity prices resulting from more expensive utilities. However, declining wind and solar costs in the future could lead to lower utility prices, making a hybrid carbon pricing/electric power capacity expansion policy a viable option to meet Indias electric power demand and climate goals.

Singh shared preliminary findings from his research on clean energy development pathways for India last November as a panelist for a side event of COP22, the 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, Morocco. He was the only graduate student among nine speakers on the panel, which explored strategies to implement the Paris Agreement.

With this modeling endeavor, we aim to provide policymakers in India with a tool that they can use to assess the impacts of proposed climate policies, says Singh, who will receive a master of science degree in technology and policy at Commencement this week.

Upon graduation, Singh plans to continue working with Karplus and Winchester on expanding the models capabilities and developing collaborations with policymaking bodies in India.

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MIT Technology and Policy Program's Best Thesis for 2017 maps out a clean energy future for India - MIT News

Coaches give latest updates on Giants rookies’ progress – Giants.com (blog)

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Giants position coaches spoke with the media Wednesday and gave updates on the 2017 Draft class:

Nobody knows a football player better than his position coach.

From the meeting room to the practice field, thats who they spend the most time with at the facility. And that goes double for rookies.

TE EVAN ENGRAM

Tight Ends Coach Kevin M. Gilbride: He shows, very much so, a willingness to block and to finish. Its not pads [in OTAs], so that will change things to an extent, but I dont see him backing down. He has a toughness and a willingness to go against anybody on our defense, and Im hoping thats how itll be throughout the course of the season.

He certainly has some development to go, but he has a good knack for [catching the ball] in the fact that he understands coverage. He understands how the leverage of the coverage is going to change how he needs to run his route. He came in with that, and its continued to progress from there.

DT DALVIN TOMLINSON

Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham: I think any rookie, as they come into the league, they dont know anything about this league aside from the stuff they read in the media and see on TV. So I think its important for them just to stick with what theyve done just in terms of being a good football player up until this point. An organization in the NFL wanted them. To be humble there, listen to the players and listen to the coaches and just diligently work through the process. [Tomlinson is] a pretty even-keel guy. Hell be able to handle it. We will see how it plays out once the competition comes and the season comes.

You never know with anyone. This league is unique. The day-to-day grind is very unique. Guys will just have to experience it. We will see where it goes from there. We wanted him for a reason. Hes a good football player, and he comes from a good program. Hell just work through the process, and we will do our best to make sure we facilitate that as much as possible.

QB DAVIS WEBB

Quarterbacks Coach Frank Cignetti Jr.: The adjustments been great. Hes functioning, hes intelligent, he has the willingness to learn, and every day hes making progress. [The biggest challenge coming from his college system] is a couple things. Lets start with the fundamentals. The fundamentals of the footwork are totally different. Then you talk about the pass game reads. Not only is the scheme different, but the reads are different. Then youve got to look at the pass protection. We have multiple protections in the National Football League. Then lets talk about even being under center, taking a snap under center, and having a run game. So there are a lot of things, and hes done a great job learning it.

RB WAYNE GALLMAN

Running Backs Coach Craig Johnson: I think he brings a lot to the table, but hes like all young backs that I know. Most young backs have to figure out how [they are] going to be good in all three phases in the NFL early. Number one thing: As Im running the ball, how are my guys blocking so I can know my tempo and timing to hit the hole? Number two: What am I going to do in my pass protection to make sure I protect my quarterback? I have to do that. Thats a key asset to be able to get on the field, and certainly in the NFL game, the blitzes and the pressures and multiple, so that takes a lot of time. And then last but not least: Wheres my spacing in the passing game? Am I a check-down option? Am I a primary option? Where am I supposed to be? How does my quarterback want me to run this route? That is key.

Every rookie that I know that has come into this offense is kind of slow and overwhelmed early; thats just part of the process. And then you start seeing them play faster. You can see it. They go, Oh yeah, Ive got this now. Then when they feel good about it, well give them a little bit more.

DE AVERY MOSS

Defensive Line Coach Patrick Graham: Avery Moss, my buzzword is diligent. He is very diligent in working in the classroom and on the field. Hes a rookie, so hes learning to work through the system and work through the meeting time and the grind of the day-to-day in the NFL. I think on the field hes definitely shown why we wanted to get him, and I think well see how it plays out in the competition in training camp.

OT ADAM BISNOWATY

Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari: Its still early, but right now weve got him at right tackle. But again, hes a guy that has versatility. He could go to guard. He has played a little guard in his career, but obviously left tackle [mostly in college]. Right now we like him at right tackle. Were trying to get him as many reps as possible, just again, so when training camp comes, these young rookies are ready to compete.

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Coaches give latest updates on Giants rookies' progress - Giants.com (blog)

Still a work in progress, UC Riverside’s Tayler Fleming leaps into NCAA championships – Press-Enterprise

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RIVERSIDE Just run and jump.

The secret to being a good long jumper is probably more complex, but running fast and jumping is a good way to start.

For UC Riversides Tayler Fleming, that was enough to earn the Highlander junior a spot in the NCAA Track and Field Championships this week at the University of Oregon.

The former hurdler at Riverside King High made the transition to collegiate long jumper last season and knew she was onto something.

I watched (the NCAA championships) last year on TV and said I was going to be there. Im going to do that. Its within reach.

Thats a bold statement for someone just learning the event, but Flemings natural athleticism proved hard to match. She became a heptathlete last season and placed second at the Big West championships. She was a quick study, particularly in the long jump, where she set the UCR record of 20 feet,11.75 inches, last year on the way to winning the Big West title. She also set a school record in the heptathlon.

When I started I was a good jumper but technique-wise I didnt know what I was doing, Fleming said, adding her speed helped overcome her inexperience in the event.

This season was supposed to be about improvement and continuing to perfect the nuances of the long jump. Fleming also wanted to challenge for the heptathlon title at the Big West championships, but her season was slowed by injuries. A few weeks of missed practice meant she had to basically restart her training and reboot her season.

She showed a lot of resiliency coming into regionals, Coach Dan Newell said.

Fleming said she was disappointed after finishing third in the heptathlon and second in the long jump with a leap of 19-06.75 at this years Big West Championships. But the NCAA regional was a chance for redemption and a chance to make the NCAA championships.

My confidence was kind of shot, Fleming said. Going into regionals I just wanted to have fun and enjoy it. Nothing else matters at this moment.

Fleming saved her best for last at the regional meet, leaping a season-best 20-8.5 on her final attempt. She waited as other jumpers finished, but her mark held up to tie for 11th place and secured the final NCAA championship qualifying spot.

That was my goal, she said. I was so excited.

Two weeks later as she prepares for the biggest meet of her career, Fleming said shes still amazed by the progress shes made in a relatively short amount of time.

Im completely surprised how far long jump has taken me, no pun intended, she said, adding that expectations will be even higher next year as she continues to improve on her technique.

Jumping higher leads to jumping further. Thats been the emphasis of training, Newell said. Flemings speed gives her an advantage, but once she learns to consistently combine it with the perfect takeoff she will be hard to beat. The process is ongoing.

She naturally had some good jumping potential that was untapped, Newell said. Its really worked out for her.

NCAA DIVISION I TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday-Saturday

Hayward Field

University of Oregon

The long jump competition is Thursday at 6 p.m. Two flights with 12 jumpers each from the East and West regionals will compete. The top nine overall after three jumps compete in the finals.

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Still a work in progress, UC Riverside's Tayler Fleming leaps into NCAA championships - Press-Enterprise

Solid Progress For IDO Inhibitors | Seeking Alpha – Seeking Alpha

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The search to expand upon the progress made by checkpoint inhibitors Keytruda and Opdivo and others has put the spotlight on several novel mechanisms. IDO inhibition appears poised to be the next advance after release of data at Asco showing a benefit when used in combination with the Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) drugs.

Leading the pack is Incyte's (NASDAQ:INCY) epacadostat, which had detailed phase I/II Keytruda combo data that support pivotal trials in three types of cancer. Incyte's combination-agnostic approach has also enabled it to confirm clinical benefit with Opdivo, showing responses in melanoma and head and neck cancers.

Building evidence

Epacadostat is not the only IDO inhibitor in the clinic. Newlink Genetics' (NASDAQ:NLNK) two assets, indoximod and the Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY)-partnered RG6078 had data at Asco, along with Danish group IO Biotech's IO102.

But Incyte's project so far has generated the richest body of evidence. Thanks to the adaptive design of the Echo-202/Keynote-037 trial with Keytruda, Incyte was able to present efficacy data in head and neck, non-small cell lung, renal cell, triple-negative breast and ovarian cancer, along with pooled safety data.

Breast and ovarian cancer do not look promising - in the former, 30 of 37 patients had progressed or died at a median follow-up of 20.8 weeks, while in ovarian cancer 26 of 34 patients had progressed or died at a median follow-up of 23 weeks. Objective response rates of 10% in breast cancer and 8% in ovarian, with no complete responses, are not very persuasive.

On the other hand, the signs have been strong enough in numerous other diseases to proceed into phase III (Incyte dramatically ups the immuno-oncology combo ante, April 3, 2017).

At Asco, Incyte also featured lung, urothelial, head and neck and kidney cancer (see table).

Ovarian out

With the other leading PD-1, Opdivo, also reporting disappointing data in ovarian cancer in combination with epacadostat, it is safe to say that in the absence of a signal in subgroups this indication might not be one where the IDO inhibitors will be used.

On the other hand, the Opdivo-epacadostat pairing also had data in head and neck cancer - cross-trial comparisons are tricky with small patient numbers, but Opdivo and Keytruda look pretty similar at this early stage of development (see table).

Moreover, the 58% partial response rate in a melanoma cohort in the Echo-204 trial yielded the best objective response rate seen at Asco - not surprising since the skin cancer is the most responsive to immunotherapy. And Incyte has announced plans to advance the Keytruda-epacadostat combination into phase III in melanoma.

Amid the advances for epacadostat, Newlink's two IDO inhibitors were trying to remain relevant. RG6078 was tested in a phase I dose escalation trial with Tecentriq in solid tumors in which 9% of patient showed a partial response and 24% had stable disease.

Indoximod was tested following treatment with Valeant's (NYSE:VRX) Provenge in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer - patients taking the IDO inhibitor had a median progression free survival of 10.3 months compared with 4.1 months for patients taking placebo.

IO Biotech, meanwhile, had a poster on its planned phase II trial of IO102 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in advanced, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

IDO inhibition shows promise, but the onrush of combination trials with PD-1 inhibitors means that it has to fight for attention (Immuno-oncology combinations surge as sector seeks the fairy dust, June 1, 2017).

Nonetheless, combining two checkpoint inhibitors remains an attractive choice, and medical meetings next year may very well show whether that attraction was worthwhile.

Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

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Teddy Bridgewater surprised coach with two weeks of progress … – NBCSports.com

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Teddy Bridgewater surprised coach with two weeks of progress ...
NBCSports.com
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was gone for two weeks, and he's still recovering from his latest eye surgery. But he could easily see a difference in quarterback ...
Minnesota Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater making progressUPI.com

all 19 news articles »

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Teddy Bridgewater surprised coach with two weeks of progress ... - NBCSports.com

As OTAs Come To An End, Cowboys Encouraged By Jaylon Smith’s Progress – DallasCowboys.com

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FRISCO, Texas Strictly speaking, Wednesday was just another day for Jaylon Smith.

The second-year linebacker followed his usual schedule, participating in the Cowboys OTAs after taking a day off. He did a full complement of individual and special teams drills, followed by a small amount of seven-on-seven participation.

Im just doing everything Ive been doing, taking it day by day and performing at a high level, Smith said.

The difference was that Wednesdays practice was one of just three to take place in front of reporters, who are allowed to view just one OTA per week. So as far as the cameras are concerned, Wednesday marked the media has seen the young linebacker practicing since he was drafted last year.

We certainly love the progress that hes made and are excited about what hes been doing up to this point, said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. Hes getting better and better and better. Hes getting more and more comfortable with the football movements.

Its been interesting to follow Smiths progress since the Cowboys revealed their game plan for his offseason. He has practiced twice a week since OTAs started, skipping the Wednesday session. But with OTAs starting on Monday for this final week, Smith took Tuesday off and was available for the open practice.

It was pretty intense individual work and getting some seven-on-seven in, some special teams, Smith said.

Thats all incredibly encouraging to hear, but its also just one more step in what has been a long journey. Smith has obviously overcome plenty in the 15-month span since he tore both his ACL and LCL, as well as damaging his peroneal nerve in his final college football game.

But, as defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli pointed out, pads are everything and Smith hasnt quite reached that level yet.

Hes going through Stage 1 here, and its good stuff so far, Marinelli said. But to me its just step by step progress. Try not to see it more than what it is. Its just day by day progress.

That naturally poses an obvious question what is the next step. Garrett said that Smith will operate on a similar schedule during the Cowboys mandatory minicamp next week, meaning hell go through two limited practices and take one rest day.

Garrett didnt want to detail exactly what the plan would look like for training camp, but he allowed that it would probably be somewhat similar.

Well have an analogous plan. Im not going to say its going to be exactly the same, he said. But well do something like this with him and some of the other guys who are coming back from injuries.

It makes sense to be follow that approach not to give a recovering player too much before hes ready. But Garrett was asked if, at some point, he needs to find out what Smith is capable of in order to know if the Cowboys can rely on him.

Even that is a process that will play out step by step.

Within the confines of what were asking him to do, were really cutting him loose him every day, Garrett said. Hes responded so well to that. And as you go day by day and week by week, you increase the threshold.

Itll be fascinating to see how that threshold develops in the coming months, particularly when the Cowboys get to training camp and begin the grind of daily practices not to mention a whopping five preseason games.

While hes working toward those next steps, Smith said hes proud of how far hes already come.

Coming in drafted, coming off a severe injury, I understood it was going to be a process, and I truly embraced it, he said. Now that Im getting back to football, participating, being a part of the team, being a part of the guys being a part of this culture that weve built Im just embracing it.

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As OTAs Come To An End, Cowboys Encouraged By Jaylon Smith's Progress - DallasCowboys.com

Jets’ Hackenberg ignores critics, focuses on making progress – FOXSports.com

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Christian Hackenberg has plenty of critics, many of whom think the New York Jets second-year quarterback will never be an NFL starter.

And thats before the former Penn State starter has even played in a regular-season game.

Thats their opinions, Hackenberg said of the naysayers. I cant really speak for them, whoever it is.

Hackenberg was drafted in the second round last year, a pick some thought was a reach because of his struggles with the Nittany Lions in his last two seasons following a fabulous freshman campaign. He was widely considered a project who needed work on his mechanics, footwork and overall approach.

It didnt help that Hackenberg went 17 of 47 for 159 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his two preseason appearances last summer. And, even as the quarterbacks carousel spun with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty taking turns under center during the regular season, Hackenberg never saw the field.

I know what I can do, Hackenberg said. And I know what my coaching staff feels I can do, so Im just confident in my abilities. And when I get my opportunity to play, Im going to do that.

Sounds like a guy who knows he has lots to prove to everyone other than himself.

Im confident that I can play at this level, and play at a high level, he said. So, when I get my opportunity, Im going to take advantage of that.

Hackenberg is competing with Petty and veteran Josh McCown for the starting job in what the Jets have characterized as an open competition that might not be decided until sometime in training camp.

McCown is the early favorite to be under center in Week 1 at Buffalo on Sept. 10, having worked mostly with the starters during practices open to the media. But with New Yorks offseason purge of veteran stars, including wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, the franchises sights are firmly set on the future.

Hackenberg will get the chance to show whether he can be the quarterback to lead the Jets this season and perhaps beyond. At 6-foot-4 and a solid 228 pounds with a cannon arm, Hackenberg certainly looks the part.

I love the way he prepares and the way he competes, offensive coordinator John Morton said at the start of organized activities two weeks ago. Im talking about competing in the classroom, too. Guys have to learn to do that, and be a pro and be a student of the game and learn to take notes and those things. Hes doing those things.

On one play at practice, he can hit a receiver with a pretty back-shoulder toss in the end zone. But then, he can also have some ugly throws that could be interceptions.

Thats how it has been so far this offseason for Hackenberg. Some ups, some downs and even some progress while learning Mortons offense.

Im not going to say night and day, but definitely just being able to go through it, its been really good, Hackenberg said. I feel a lot better going in there, having a greater understanding of whats going on.

Hes no longer the wide-eyed rookie trying to navigate his way through the basics of life in the NFL. The plays on the field are also coming to him a lot easier, even compared to a few months ago.

I think were getting to a point where Im not even thinking about it, Hackenberg said, and Im feeling that right now.

Hackenberg has been a starting quarterback since high school, so sitting out all of last season a redshirt year took some getting used to. It was a humbling experience in which Hackenberg had to keep his ego in check.

I really cant change it, Hackenberg said. It was in the past. It is what it is. But I think if youre a negative person, you kind of think about it negatively and you say, `Dang, I wish I had a chance. I dont want to fill my mind with that type of negativity.

Id rather focus on the positives of it and take what I learned from it, the good from it. Thats how I kind of look at last year: I try and take the positives out of it and go from there.

Hackenberg has been working closely with new quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, the two often seen chatting during practice. Theres still plenty of work to be done, of course, but Hackenberg could end up working his way onto the field during a game and silencing all of the doubters.

I think Ive grown in a lot of ways, he said. Its a long road, but I feel good where Im at right now.

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Jets' Hackenberg ignores critics, focuses on making progress - FOXSports.com

4 life-changing emerging technologies to get excited about – Born2Invest

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Cutting-edge technologies and innovations are changing the way we live on our planet.

Our world is changing fast and it can get hard to keep pace with all the industrial scientific emerging technologies and high-tech breakthroughs that are surfacing every day. Here is our pick for cutting-edge technologies and innovations that could change the way we live on our planet:

This is another brainwave from Elon Musk and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (better known as SpaceX) that hopes to improve and ultimately change the face of transportation. The design is surprisingly elegant in its simplicity. There are specifically designed pods or capsules upheld in a near vacuum that are floating on 0.05 inches of pressurized air which are then send at high speed through a steel tube. Well, it does sound a tad claustrophobic especially that this passenger capsules would travel at an average speed of approximately 600 miles per hour with potential max speeds of up to 760 miles per hour. Energy efficient and wicked fast, this innovation could change the way people get from place to place forever.

Energy efficient and wicked fast, this innovation could change the way people get from place to place forever. (Source)

More of an intellectual movement than an invention, Transhumanism is the belief that humans can still evolve. Its that final evolution linking our minds and bodies with advanced technology, a subject thats been popularized by sci-fi films and books for years and in fact, the term Transhumanism was coined by Julian Huxley, the brother of Brave New World author Aldous Huxley. The idea is to ultimately bring forth a post-human state of being. While the concept is unnerving at its best for many, for those who embrace the idea there has never been a more exciting time to be alive, even if that life may be linked to a hard drive.

Transhumanism is the belief that humans can still evolve. (Source)

This is the name given to the design of a method of advanced space propulsion technology, also known as a radio frequency or RF resonant cavity thruster. This electromagnetic thruster uses pent up electromagnetic radiation to achieve impetus and momentum without discharging propellant. The conservation of momentum implied in Newtons laws of motion says it should be impossible and therefore there are many skeptical scientists whove given it the nickname the impossible drive. However, if they do get it to work it would completely change how we could lift off, making space exploration and defense missions that much simpler.

The EM drive uses pent up electromagnetic radiation to achieve impetus and momentum without discharging propellant. (Source)

Samsung bought the company back in 2014 and the concept is basically in the name. The idea is to produce smart home using an open platform where your appliances and devices all interact with one another. Using the internet of things, the system would work on a hub connected straight into the houses internet router, connecting devices to one another via the cloud. Compatible things could consist of locks, lights, electrical outlets, motion sensors, speakers, moisture sensors, and thermostats. Like most innovations that lurk on the border of sci-fi and reality, this sounds like it could either be amazing or a hackers paradise.

Using the internet of things the system would work on a hub connected straight into the houses internet router. (Source)

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4 life-changing emerging technologies to get excited about - Born2Invest

‘Wounded but not dead’ Cassola says AD right in not joining PN – MaltaToday

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Green Party chairman Arnold Cassola says he has no regrets at ADs decision not to take an easy ride on PN votes

Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Arnold Cassola with deputy chair Carmel Cacopardo

Alternattiva Demokratika, which has been contesting elections since 1992, ended up with just over 0.8% of the popular vote similar to its 2008 outing reaching once again a nadir in popularity.

As expected, the result was a bad one, said Prof. Arnold Cassola, whose party refused to take the cue of former Labour MPs Marlene Farrugia Democratic Party to contest on the PN ticket. Farrugia could now be in line for a seat in parliament after amassing over 3,000 votes on the tenth district, a PN stronghold.

Expected, because we decided to stand up for our principles and values before our personal egoism, that is, the easy way of riding on the PNs votes and trying to get into parliament with their number ones and inherited votes.

Cassola said that his partys principles had come at the cost of a social media barrage of name-calling and insults, saying he had been punished by being called barri (bull), muqran (cuckold), Judas and traitor.

But worse than that, for being principled we were demonised by the PN party machine that encouraged its supporters to close ranks and to avoid casting any preference votes for our candidates, Cassola added.

At one point, The Malta Independents own editor Stephen Calleja wrote that voting for AD, which has only ever commanded a maximum of over 5,000 votes in its history, would be a vote for Labour.

With hindsight, am I sorry that AD did not join the supposed coalition and that at the moment I am not in the running for a seat in parliament, on a par with craftier politicians than us? The answer is absolutely not.

On the contrary I am even more convinced that we did the right thing by not pandering to hunters, to the Armier shantytown owners, to the Gozo tunnel aficionados in order to get votes, but stood strong sticking to our values.

Cassola said AD had lost 3,000 votes from the last election, when the party was chaired by Michael Briguglio, who in this election took a stand in favour of the Forza Nazzjonali coalition between the PN and PD, and publicly lent his face to the effort.

Being the Chair of AD, the major responsibility for this loss is obviously mine. In the following weeks AD will have to take stock of the situation and chart the way forward for the future. But your precious 2,500 and over number one votes cast for AD make us proud. We know that out there, there are Maltese people who appreciate politicians standing up for ones principles and looking at politics not just as an opportunistic way of getting a seat in parliament, Cassola said.

The academic did not suggest he would resign, although he had already resigned after the 2008 election before taking up the position again after the resignation of fellow academic Michael Briguglio in 2013.

Indeed, Cassola might have attempted a slight dig at his predecessor, even if not mentioned by name. We are of course wounded but certainly not dead, as someone in the Maltese intelligentsia might have wished.

Your precious support gives me the strength to continue looking Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in the eye and to remind him that if he does not kick out Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri and Brian Tonna out of Castille, if he does not immediately convene a Constitutional convention to reform our comatose institutions, then he is leading our country into a sure future of moral and ethical decline With your help, AD can continue to be a leading beacon of honesty, consistency and credibility in Maltese politics.

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Hedonism II All-inclusive Resort Reviews & Deals, Negril

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We had an issue with one of the servers (kept passing us by because we were locals) and their Supervisor Windera Horrel, Latoya Whitmore and Jodian Henriques went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. This showed us that they are willing to make...More

Tivan D, Thank you for your comments. We are pleased to know that you will be joining us again. Pursue Pleasure, Randymon DOSM Hedonism II

"The act or practice of one who is hospitable to strangers or guests with kindness and generous liberality in reception and entertainment without reward That is the definition of customer service. While your stay at Hedonism II, its easy to forget these workers have lives...More

Hedo Greetings Amanda L, We truly appreciate your kind words and staff shout outs! We could not agree more, but then again we are just a bit biased. We look forward to welcoming you home again soon! Randymon DOSM Hedonism II

Reviewed 5 days ago

I went to Hedonism for 3 nights with my husband. I'm still on the fence about this place so I will give you all my pros and cons. This was not the first all-inclusive that i had been to, so I had other resorts to...More

Dear JenelleH_13, Thank you for taking the time to write this review. While it is apparent that you generally enjoyed your stay with us, your comments about the check in process are disappointing and we have taken your words to management. We do hope that...More

Reviewed 1 week ago

New lobby, lots of rooms renovated, food variety, very professional and friendly entertainment. Bartenders Navaro and Dan were very nice and friendly! Love the entertainers Migeal, Ricardo, Chin, Diana and Denise to mention a few. It is a fun place for adults looking for some...More

Hi Claudia P, Thank you for this review and your staff mentions. They are simply the best! Don't wait another three years before coming home again for mre sexiness! Your Pleasure Is Our Passion! Randymon DOSM Hedonism II

I have returned home from a 12 day vacation in Negril Jamaica Hedo 2 My stay was Amazing!!!! The entire entertainment staff were encredible. The food was great also. A special shout out to Winston the Entertainment Manager, Sir u are simply the best. Thanks...More

Lamarsouth, We are very pleased to read this review. Thank you! We look forward to welcoming you home again soon. Pursue Pleasure Randymon DOSM Hedonism II

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Do u have to be in costume to attend theme nightclub. Do people have sex in the club What is in the playroom

5 June 2017|

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when is a singles wacation the best with hot field and a good party

1 June 2017|

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Hi Everyone. I'm not having much luck getting a clear answer thru the Hedo email people so I'll ask here. I'm a single male and I understand there is an added fee if I don't want to be paired up with a total stranger in my room. If I'm purchasing a vacation package thru an airline to include room and airfare will I be hit with this additional fee when I arrive? I don't want to show up at the front desk in a foreign country thinking everything is paid for and get hit with a huge fee for what I thought was a private room. There doesn't seem to be much info on this "singles fee" and I really had to dig for it which seems shady to me even though it adds 50% to the cost of your room.

30 May 2017|

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Hedonism II All-inclusive Resort Reviews & Deals, Negril