Last night, the first episode of season two of #IMMOOC went live and it didn't disappoint. As always, George Couros and Katie Martin led a very inspiring discussion with guest speakers John Spencer and AJ Juliani that engaged and empowered their viewers. Although I participated in the first round of IMMOOC, this was the first time that I followed the hashtag on twitter WHILE watching the live episode, and I loved being able to see what others were thinking as we watched together. I also loved being able to witness and be a part of the excitement and buzz in the air! Everyone was so pumped and it was contagious! One of my favorite parts of the show was the discussion around balance and meaning. I felt this conversation was a perfect continuation of George's recent post Working on "Meaning", which was a post that really resonated with me, as I'm sure it did with many others.
Guilt… it is something I feel every day. Guilt as a mom. Guilt as a wife. Guilt as a teacher. I think this is inevitable since I care so much and always want to do my best. Often, my struggle is that I feel as though I'm not giving enough as a teacher when I'm being a great mom and wife. And when I'm being a great teacher, I feel I'm falling short as a mom and wife. I think I feel this guilt because I'm not doing what everyone else is doing or I'm not doing what people expect someone like me would do. I often get comments along the lines of "I don't know how you do it" and well-meaning people tell me that I need to slow down or cut things out because "you can't do it all, you'll burn out, you'll lose your mind, you'll (insert negative comment here)". I get frustrated because these comments show me that people don't truly understand me, and all I want to do is prove them wrong. People generally assume that working is taking away from my family life, and I can't blame them, because I often feel guilty about this exact thing.
What George's post, along with the conversation yesterday, have allowed me to see is that submersing myself in my work is sometimes exactly what I need to recharge so that I can be a better mom, wife, and teacher! Win, win, win!
What I wish people would understand is that working is my "me time" and it refills my bucket, just like some people play sports or go to yoga to refuel. I'm so thankful for my amazing husband and family members who support me in all of this so that I can do these work related activities that reenergize me. So, although from the outside, it may look like I'm this crazy busy mom of 4 who works full time and who has to juggle and balance her work and home life, working gives me MEANING, and meaning is much more important than balance.
I feel exactly the same way!! Thank you so much for being able to put into words the tension that exists when you love work AND family and find a way to make both happen.
So true, if you have a work-life balance something is wrong! But still so many people live like that, what can we do in schools to help children not to make te same mistake?
Great question!! I think if we build relationships with our students and really get to know them in order to foster creativity, and incorporate their inserests in school, we'll be modeling to follow our passions and to persue happiness that way. Other thoughts?
Yes! I find that every February I find myself feeling like I'm in a rut. I'm doing good work but often without much enthusiasm. Just spending the evening on this book study and following it on Twitter was energizing and refreshing. Got some new ideas and came up with a few new ones on my own! Working last night definitely recharged me.
Thank you for sharing! I feel like we are kindred spirits. I have had similar experiences and have felt that same feeling of "you don't know me". My passion for work gives me meaning and energy. I have found what works for my family and I never feel that they are suffering in anyway. We are a supportive unit, a team.
I literally felt like you could read my mind while reading this post. Thank you! Thank you!
It's tricky being so invested as a teacher and as a mom. Posting this blog was a hard one for me, but it resonated with a lot of people, which makes me feel a little more normal! 🙂 thanks for your comment, Julie! I'm glad to have you as part of my tribe!


This page addresses some steps women could take to make themselves more physically attractive, which, although not the focus of this website, is nevertheless provided so as to not disappoint women looking for such information.
The topics addressed on this page involve primarily non-drastic measures, i.e., measures not involving prescription drugs, surgery, injections or gene therapy. The issues discussed are losing excess body fat, gaining muscle mass where necessary for acquiring a proportionate physique and some skin care issues.
Please note that what follows does not constitute medical advice, and it is your responsibility to seek medical clearance prior to embarking on dietary modification or an exercise program.
The basic idea behind non-surgical excess body fat loss is to use the excess body fat to supply the body's energy requirements. This can be achieved by reducing food intake, increasing physical activity or both. Let us address basic energetics to appreciate which strategy is best.
A calorie is a unit of energy. 1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie = 1 Calorie (note the capital C). Caloric information listed on food labels refers to kilocalories (Calories), not calories.
It is also useful to understand METS; MET stands for metabolic equivalent. 1 MET is defined as the energy expenditure per unit body weight per unit time while resting. Therefore, physical activity rated at 3 METS implies energy expenditure that is 3 times the resting energy expenditure, physical activity rated at 5 METS implies energy expenditure that is 5 times the resting energy expenditure, and so on.
Table 1 below lists the MET ratings of various physical activities.
Table 1: MET ratings of various physical activities.
Table 1 can be used to determine energy expenditure during various physical activities using the following formula.
Those who know their body weight in kilograms should multiply it with 2.2046 to get their body weight in pounds.
Let us determine the energy expenditure of a 200-pound woman engaging in leisurely swimming (MET value = 6) for one hour, i.e., 60 minutes. Plugging the numbers into the equation above reveals an energy expenditure of 546 Calories.
Now, consider the energy content of some food items in Table 2.
Table 2: Energy content of some food items.
Therefore, the 546 Calories spent during an hour of exercise by the 200-pound woman in our example above can be easily compensated for by a simple meal.
Assume that the 200-pound woman in our example above is mostly sedentary but starts spending 546 extra Calories per day exercising and does not increase food intake, i.e., her body ultimately taps the extra energy expenditure from her body fat stores. Burning 1 gram of fat provides 9.2 Calories of energy, i.e., if 546 Calories are ultimately obtained from utilizing body fat stores, then about 59 grams of fat have been removed from the body fat stores. If this woman removes fat from her body fat stores -- without replacing it -- at a rate of 59 grams per day, then it will take her 7.7 days to lose one pound of body fat or 77 days to lose ten pounds of body fat (1 pound = 454 grams). Therefore, relying on exercise alone to lose excess body fat produces slow results. Of course, the woman could exercise more to expedite weight loss. Let us say that she wants to lose 5 pounds of body fat per week by increasing her energy expenditure and having her body ultimately derive the energy from her fat stores. The energy contained in 5 pounds of fat, i.e., 2,270 grams of fat equals 2,270 x 9.2 Calories or 20,884 Calories. 20,884 Calories derived from body fat per week equals 2,983 Calories ultimately derived from body fat per day to compensate for the 2,983 Calories spent in exercising per day. Exercising at 6 METS, it would take about five and a half hours of exercise per day for this woman to lose 5 pounds of body fat per week. In other words, exercise alone is an impractical way for losing lots of excess body fat within a short amount of time. To expedite body fat loss, one has to resort to reducing food intake, i.e., dieting.
Firstly, a sharp reduction in food intake should not exceed more than a few weeks.
Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are present in miniscule amounts in food, and if one were to go on a severe diet, it would be highly advisable to take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement every day. Such supplements are very cheap, and one need not exceed 100% of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for each of these nutrients. Multivitamin/multimineral supplements should preferably be taken with meals, especially meals that have some fat content because most vitamins are fat soluble but not water soluble.
Fats are split into fatty acids and glycerol after digestion, both of which can be oxidized for energy. Fatty acids are also required for various syntheses. Two fatty acids -- linoleic (oleate) and linolenic (olenate) acid -- are essential, i.e., are not synthesized by the body. One may consider supplementing oneself with these two essential fatty acids while severely dieting.
Proteins are made up of amino acids, about half of which our body can make and the other half needs to come from the diet. Therefore, it is advisable to take an egg-white or whey-protein supplement while severely dieting. Such supplements are economical if purchased in bulk. Adults on average need around 50 grams of protein a day. 50 grams of protein provides about 200 Calories (kilocalories), i.e., protein supplementation won't interfere with dieting.
Since fiber tends to leech minerals, it is best to take fiber and multivitamin/multimineral supplements at separate meals.
A drastic -- though not recommended -- way of quickly losing lots of body fat is to employ a trick from starvation physiology. When someone starves, the body resorts to extreme measures to prolong survival. Normally, some proportions of fatty acids (a product of fat breakdown) are converted to ketone bodies, which can be burned for energy or utilized for other purposes. In starvation mode, large proportions of fatty acids are converted to ketone bodies, some portion of which is burned for energy and the rest exhaled, i.e., one quickly loses body fat because one doesn't have to burn all of it. This is the bright idea behind very-low-carbohydrate diets such as the strict Atkins diet; the body is forced to switch to starvation mode because of the low carbohydrate content of the diet. Not all low-carbohydrate foods or diets are equivalent; for a low-carbohydrate diet to work, one shouldn't consume more than 60 grams of carbohydrates a day. Needless to add, one hardly needs to warn people about possible negative long-term consequences of sticking to a genuinely low-carbohydrate diet because it is unlikely that one could stick to such a diet for long.
Food items that taste great are often rich in calories, but this doesn't mean that motivated individuals cannot prepare tasty low-calorie food. In 1998, the U.S. National Institutes of Health released a report on obesity, and part of this report included good information on selecting/preparing low-calorie food items.
Some people resort to specific exercises to target excess body fat in particular spots such as the abdominal region. However, it is not the case that subcutaneous (below the skin) or visceral fat in the abdominal region will be specifically targeted for mobilization as a fuel source by exercising the abdominal muscles. If there is a need for mobilization of stored fat, it will be mobilized from fat stores, including the abdominal region. Rigorously exercising the abdominal muscles does not spend much energy; one is better off exercising larger muscles such as the muscles of the legs and buttocks. Nevertheless, people who insist on submitting their abdominal muscles to a grueling workout can take some precautions to reduce injury.
Consider Fig 1, which shows the hip flexor muscles and two forms of exercise (hip flexion) that are often assumed to exercise the abdominal muscles but mainly target the hip flexors, instead. Obviously, the spine is pulled during hip flexion and this can create problems. Hip flexion in the form of raising one leg at a time while lying on one's back is less risky than hip flexion involving raising both legs simultaneously while either lying down or hanging from a bar or while using the arms and shoulders to support one's body weight (forearms resting on parallel bars).
Fig 1: The hip flexors and two examples of hip flexion.
Although there are some benefits to strengthening the hip flexors, most people had best avoid hip flexion involving raising both legs simultaneously, especially people with abdominal obesity, lower-back pain or a history of lower-back pain. It should also be noted that full sit-ups mainly involve the hip flexors for a large portion of the range of movement. Hence, abdominal crunches rather than full sit-ups are recommended, wherein the knees are bent, the lower back remains in contact with the ground throughout the movement and the hands are resting on the chest (Fig 2). Also, when performing calisthenics (systematic rhythmic bodily exercises performed usually without apparatus), avoid movements that twist your lower back in jerks.
Fig 2: Illustration of abdominal crunches. Picture taken from Sportsmed.
Some discussion of cellulite is also relevant here. Cellulite refers to deposits of dimpled fat found on the thighs and buttocks of many women (and some men, too), including non-obese or even skinny women. Excess body fat will make the appearance of cellulite worse, but getting rid of excess body fat is hardly a cure for cellulite since the problem also involves connective tissue, i.e., extensively exercising the leg and hip muscles is not going to get rid of cellulite. See the zipped compilation of articles on cellulite toward the bottom of this page to learn more about cellulite and its treatment.
Some very skinny women would aesthetically benefit from gaining muscle mass overall. Regular exercise will help in this regard. Those unwilling to exercise may achieve a small but noticeable increase in overall muscle mass by supplementing with creatine monohydrate, a fuel. Increasing the amount of creatine in muscles increases the amount of water stored in the muscles, thereby making them larger.(1) Creatine is generally considered a safe supplement; there have been isolated reports of muscle/stomach cramps, dehydration or irregular heart beats as a result of regular creatine supplementation but no long-term harm after years of regular use has been reported so far.(2) Creatine supplementation should be avoided by people with kidney diseases or pregnant/lactating women and people on medication or those suffering from ailments should consult a physician prior to supplementing with creatine. Creatine monohydrate is best taken in the form of a drink mix where it is mixed with a sugar such as dextrose (6 parts of sugar per part of creatine monohydrate); one usually takes 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for the first 5 days of supplementation, followed by 5 grams per day to maintain elevated creatine levels in muscles.
In some cases, the problem of gaining muscle mass to improve physique proportions is complex, an example of which is shown in Figures 3 and 4 (all photos are of the same woman), wherein the lower legs of the woman are out of proportion with her thighs and backside. For aesthetic reasons, this woman had better not add more mass to her buttocks and thighs, but she needs to add muscle mass to her lower legs. Unfortunately [from an aesthetic standpoint] for this woman, some of her lower leg muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus in particular (Fig 5), have short muscle bellies and long tendons (tendons attach muscles to bones or other sites of attachments), i.e., no matter how much she develops her lower leg muscles, the lower part of her lower legs will normally remain much skinnier [from an aesthetic standpoint] than the upper part of her lower legs unless the muscle structure were changed. In animal experimentation, short muscle bellies can be lengthened by subjecting them to chronic stretching, something that is not feasible for the woman in this case. Surgery could be used to lengthen the muscle bellies of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in her case, but I haven't heard of someone resorting to such an extreme measure for aesthetic reasons; the measure being extreme in terms of the costs involved, pain and weeks-long immobilization of the legs.
Fig 3. Pictures taken from FTV girls (adult site).
Fig 4. Pictures taken from FTV girls (adult site).
Fig 5: A model of the left lower leg shown from behind (source). The soleus lies beneath the gastrocnemius and runs the length of the lower leg.
Even though there is no easy way for the woman shown in Figures 3 and 4 to increase the length of the muscle bellies of the gastrocnemius and soleus, she can aesthetically benefit from adding some mass to these muscles. The gastrocnemius and soleus are especially involved in the act of raising oneself on the balls of the feet while standing and the soleus is also especially involved in the act of raising the lower legs on the balls of the feet while seated. The quickest way of adding muscle mass is to resort to eccentric training, which also corresponds to less cardiovascular demand while working out compared to other forms of resistance training.(3, 4) A muscle that shortens under load is contracting concentrically, whereas a muscle that lengthens under load is contracting eccentrically. Consider some examples of eccentric contractions. Imagine that you are doing pull-ups while hanging from an overhead bar, and at the topmost position, you let go of one hand. The typical person will not be able to remain at the topmost position in this case and will quickly descend, i.e., the front upper-arm muscles (biceps brachii, brachialis) of the hand holding onto the overhead bar will have lengthened under load (contracted eccentrically) in this case. Another example of an eccentric workout would be to equip a stationary bike with a motor that makes it spin counterclockwise (backwards) and then try to pedal the bike like one normally would, adjusting the resistance to one's liking. Eccentric training requires some ingenuity, specialized equipment (e.g., here) or partner assistance. Readers interested in such training would do well to learn more about the musculoskeletal system to come up with safe workouts on their own or seek a gymnasium/personal trainer that is able to help one workout eccentrically. Those starting out with eccentric training should start with very light loads or they will experience severe delayed-onset muscle soreness (1 to 2 days following the initial workout), i.e., immobilizing pain. Muscles exercised in order to increase their size should be allowed at least two days of recovery between workouts and three or more days if one is involved in intense eccentric training.
Refer to Table 3 for exercises that target specific limb muscles. Refer to the source of the data in Table 3 for detailed information on the exercises involved(5) or browse this directory for information on the muscles and exercises listed in Table 3.
Table 3: Limb muscle involvement in some exercises.(5) Key: 2 = strong involvement, 1 = moderate involvement, blank = no significant involvement; neutral grip = midway between palm facing up and palm facing down.
Key: ADB = Adductor brevis, ADL = Adductor longus, ADM = Adductor magnus, GR = Gracilis, SR = Sartorius, ST = Semitendinosus, BF = Biceps femoris, RF = Rectus femoris, VM = Vastus medialis, VL = Vastus lateralis, VI = Vastus intermedius.
The following items link to pdf files or zipped articles on a number of looks-related issues of interest to some women.
Powers, M. E., Arnold, B. L., Weltman, A. L., Perrin, D. H., Mistry, D., Kahler, D. M., Kraemer, W., and Volek, J., Creatine supplementation increases total body water without altering fluid distribution, J Athl Train, 38, 44 (2003).
Bizzarini, E., and De Angelis, L., Is the use of oral creatine supplementation safe? J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 44, 411 (2004).
Lindstedt, S. L., LaStayo, P. C., and Reich, T. E., When active muscles lengthen: properties and consequences of eccentric contractions, News Physiol Sci, 16, 256 (2001).
LaStayo, P. C., Woolf, J. M., Lewek, M. D., Snyder-Mackler, L., Reich, T., and Lindstedt, S. L., Eccentric muscle contractions: their contribution to injury, prevention, rehabilitation, and sport, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 33, 557 (2003).
Tesch, P. A., Target bodybuilding: precision lifting for more mass and greater definition, Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign, IL (1998).
Sketch by Dave Nestler (top left).


text:
A diplomatic step-up to match our military step-up
Dave Sharma
We need to strengthen the arm of Australian diplomacy just as much as we need to strengthen the military.
mkriedel/Flickr
The release of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update marks an important milestone in Australia's strategic thinking. As Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted, we are facing one of the most challenging set of strategic circumstances since the 1930s.
The 1930s was characterised by a deep economic shock in the form of the Great Depression and an inwards and isolationist turn by the major powers of the day. Rising powers in the form of Germany and Japan embraced nationalism as a political force, and stoked revanchist desires to reverse perceived historical wrongs.
The parallels with today's world, especially within the Indo-Pacific, are striking.
The global economy has been hit hard by Covid-19. Today's major power, the United States is less willing and less capable of playing the global guarantor role it has assumed since the end of the Second World War. China's rise has been accompanied by growing nationalism and a desire to assert historical claims, be they over Hong Kong or the South China Sea.
In the words of the Defence Strategic Update, our region is in the midst of the "most consequential strategic realignment since the Second World War". The Indo-Pacific is becoming the main theatre for greater strategic competition between major powers, making the region more tense, more contested, and more prone to conflict.
While the past two decades have seen large growth in the budgets areas of other parts of our national security apparatus, from Defence to the intelligence agencies and Home Affairs, our diplomatic budget has remained static.
In response, the Australian government is increasing defence spending, committing $270 billion over the next decade, which will ensure defence spending remains at or above two per cent of GDP for the foreseeable future. We are acquiring new capabilities which will enhance our ability to project power, safeguard our approaches, deter adversaries, and hit back in the cyber realm.
This is welcome news. In response to a strategic environment that has deteriorated more rapidly than expected, it makes sense to increase our investment in our ability to defend Australia and deter potential adversaries.
Alongside this, the other essential task for Australia is to seek to shape Australia's strategic environment, and work actively against its deterioration. Primarily, this is a task for diplomacy and statecraft. Clausewitz famously described war as the continuation of politics by other means. The reverse also holds: politics, or diplomacy, is the continuation of war by other means.
Defence and diplomacy work towards the same goal – the security of the nation – but using different means. If Australia is to effectively shape our strategic environment, we need a diplomatic step-up to match our military step-up.
Australia values an open Indo-Pacific, free from coercion and hegemony, where nations are sovereign and can interact on the basis of predictable rules and norms. We oppose a hierarchical order, structured by power, where "might is right". Most nations of the Indo-Pacific share in our goals for the region, as do most nations around the world. But we are currently not winning the struggle to preserve this Indo-Pacific order.
This is why Australian diplomacy must build new coalitions and new networks of cooperation from among these nations to defend our vision for the Indo-Pacific.
The United States will remain an indispensable partner in these efforts. But Australian diplomacy can no longer rely – as it has done for much of the post-war era – on being able to ride in the slipstream of US efforts.
The work to forge new coalitions are already underway. Foreign and defence ministers and treasurers from the "Five Eyes" countries are consulting more regularly. Our partnership with India is growing. We worked closely with the European Union to pass the Covid-19 resolution in the World Health Assembly. In the Pacific, our "Step-Up" is already yielding results.
Just as our changed strategic circumstances will require our defence forces to achieve more, so too will we be asking for more from our diplomats. We need to strengthen the arm of Australian diplomacy just as much as we need to strengthen the military.
The answer is partly resourcing. We remain one of the smallest diplomatic services, with the one of the smallest diplomatic footprints, within the G20.
While the past two decades have seen large growth in the budgets areas of other parts of our national security apparatus, from Defence to the intelligence agencies and Home Affairs, our diplomatic budget has remained static. We spend roughly $28 billion per year on defence, but only $1 billion per year on diplomacy.
In significant part, this has been down to a failure of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Canberra bureaucratic struggle for budget and resources. It has failed to sell its value to the political class, to cultivate champions within the cabinet, or position itself with solutions to the government's challenges.
This is why the answer is also partly attitudinal.
Overseas our ambassadors and heads of mission need to act with greater initiative, behaving nimbly and directly engaging public opinion to marshal coalitions for action, and spending less time on the stuffy and low-impact world of traditional bilateral relations.
DFAT's Covid-19 response, which was fast and effective, needs to be the norm, not the exception.
At home, DFAT needs to re-embrace its primary mission – which is to shape Australia's strategic environment to our benefit – and drop the inwards focus on cultural change and workplace norms.
Necessity will compel Australia to invest more in the years ahead to shape our strategic environment. This will need a diplomatic service which is better resourced but also more focused. The two need to go hand-in-hand.
Philippines government driving jeepneys off the road
Kim Jong-un zigs, Kim Yo-jong zags, and how North Korea negotiates
Jo-Hannah Lavey, Patrick Saez, Jesse McCommon 11 Jun 2021 09:00
"You're our guest. Act like it." A message to aid donors
The next phase of the "Grand Bargain" for global humanitarian reform must account for the voices of those most affected.
Bec Strating 8 Dec 2020 14:00
Favourites of 2020: The politics of Tiger King
An absurd insight? Dishonesty, narcissism and the celebritisation of politics do sound awfully familiar.
Daniel Flitton 4 Mar 2019 16:30
Australia, it's time to put our political diplomats to the test
There's a better way to deal with politicians-turned-ambassadors and it comes from (whisper it) the United States.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Summary Prospectus
Investor Guide
First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF (FTXO)
Fund Summary | Holdings | News & Literature | Historical Pricing | Distribution History | Contact Fund
Investment Objective/Strategy - The First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF is an exchange-traded fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield, before the Fund's fees and expenses, of an index called the Nasdaq US Smart Banks Index™. The Fund seeks to replicate the holdings and weightings of the Nasdaq US Smart Banks Index™ so as to generate performance results 95% correlated to that of the Nasdaq US Smart Banks Index™.
There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objectives will be achieved.
Index Description According to the Index Provider
The Nasdaq US Smart Banks Index™ is a modified factor weighted index created and administered by Nasdaq, Inc. ("Nasdaq") designed to provide exposure to US companies within the banking industry.
Nasdaq selects the 30 most liquid eligible bank securities from the Nasdaq US Benchmark Index and then ranks those securities based on three factors
Volatility – trailing 12-month price fluctuation.
Value – cash flow to price.
Growth – the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month average price appreciation.
The securities are weighted based on their score on the three factors.
The Index weighting methodology includes caps to prevent high concentrations among single stocks.
The Index is reconstituted annually and rebalanced quarterly.
Ticker FTXO
Fund Type Banks
Investment Advisor First Trust Advisors L.P.
Investor Servicing Agent Brown Brothers Harriman
CUSIP 33738R860
ISIN US33738R8604
Intraday NAV FTXOIV
Fiscal Year-End 03/31
Exchange Nasdaq
Inception 9/20/2016
Inception Price $20.01
Inception NAV $20.01
Rebalance Frequency Quarterly
Expense Ratio* 0.60%
* As of 8/1/2022
Current Fund Data (as of 1/30/2023)
Closing NAV1 $28.13
Closing Market Price2 $28.13
Bid/Ask Midpoint $28.14
Bid/Ask Premium 0.02%
30-Day Median Bid/Ask Spread3 0.07%
Total Net Assets $226,423,440
Outstanding Shares 8,050,002
Daily Volume 88,232
Average 30-Day Daily Volume 90,795
Closing Market Price 52-Week High/Low $36.15 / $25.42
Closing NAV 52-Week High/Low $36.11 / $25.42
Number of Holdings (excluding cash) 30
Top Holdings (as of 1/30/2023)*
Holding Percent
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 8.19%
Wells Fargo & Company 7.85%
New York Community Bancorp, Inc. 7.02%
Citigroup Inc. 7.01%
Popular, Inc. 6.43%
U.S. Bancorp 4.37%
Discover Financial Services 4.30%
Truist Financial Corporation 4.21%
Regions Financial Corporation 4.07%
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 4.06%
* Excluding cash. Holdings are subject to change.
NAV History (Since Inception)
Distribution Information
Dividend per Share Amt (as of 1/31/2023)4 $0.2416
30-Day SEC Yield (as of 12/30/2022)5 3.00%
12-Month Distribution Rate (as of 12/30/2022)6 2.94%
Index Yield (as of 12/30/2022)7 3.58%
Fund Characteristics (as of 12/30/2022)9
Maximum Market Cap. $393,343
Median Market Cap. $14,927
Minimum Market Cap. $551
Price/Earnings 8.90
Price/Book 1.15
Price/Cash Flow 7.35
Price/Sales 2.57
Bid/Ask Premium/Discount (as of 1/30/2023)
Days Traded at Premium 101 19 --- ---
Days Traded at Discount 150 0 --- ---
Hypothetical Growth of $10,000 Since Inception (as of 1/30/2023) *
Tracking Index: Nasdaq US Smart Banks Index™
Month End Performance (as of 12/30/2022)
3 Month YTD 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10 Year Since
Inception10
Fund Performance *
Net Asset Value (NAV) 2.01% -17.95% -17.95% 0.20% 0.53% N/A 6.95%
After Tax Held 1.63% -18.89% -18.89% -0.89% -0.61% N/A 5.89%
After Tax Sold 1.19% -10.62% -10.62% -0.34% -0.11% N/A 4.98%
Market Price 1.97% -17.97% -17.97% 0.21% 0.49% N/A 6.95%
Index Performance **
Nasdaq US Smart Banks Index™ 2.17% -17.53% -17.53% 0.86% 1.18% N/A 7.65%
Nasdaq US Benchmark Banks Index 9.73% -17.27% -17.27% -0.31% 2.58% N/A 9.29%
Nasdaq US Benchmark Index 6.89% -19.73% -19.73% 7.01% 8.73% N/A 11.24%
Quarter End Performance (as of 12/30/2022)
3-Year Statistics (as of 12/30/2022)
Standard Deviation Alpha Beta Sharpe Ratio Correlation
FTXO 32.51% -4.06 1.07 0.15 0.72
Nasdaq US Benchmark Banks Index 30.96% -5.55 1.11 0.12 0.78
Nasdaq US Benchmark Index 21.80% --- 1.00 0.38 1.00
Standard Deviation is a measure of price variability (risk). Alpha is an indication of how much an investment outperforms or underperforms on a risk-adjusted basis relative to its benchmark.Beta is a measure of price variability relative to the market. Sharpe Ratio is a measure of excess reward per unit of volatility. Correlation is a measure of the similarity of performance.
*Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results and current performance may be higher or lower than performance quoted. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and shares when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
After Tax Held returns represent return after taxes on distributions. Assumes shares have not been sold. After Tax Sold returns represent the return after taxes on distributions and the sale of fund shares. Returns do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Market Price returns are determined by using the midpoint of the national best bid offer price ("NBBO") as of the time that the fund's NAV is calculated. Returns are average annualized total returns, except those for periods of less than one year, which are cumulative.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
**Performance information for each listed index is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent actual fund performance. Indexes do not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Indexes are unmanaged and an investor cannot invest directly in an index.
Nasdaq US Benchmark Banks Index - The Index is a float adjusted market capitalization-weighted index which includes securities in the US Benchmark Index that are classified in the Banks Supersector according to the Industry Classification Benchmark.
Nasdaq US Benchmark Index - The Index is a float adjusted market capitalization-weighted index designed to track the performance of securities assigned to the United States.
1 The NAV represents the fund's net assets (assets less liabilities) divided by the fund's outstanding shares .
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Posted on July 1, 2018 by Charlie Bowman
First World Problems: Macedonia and Greece battle for Semantic High Ground
FYROM. What does this acronym mean to you? In keeping with the majority of the people away from southeastern Europe, I would suggest very little. Even understanding what each letter and its collective represent does little to explain the unique, and what must be said confusing backstory that has recently been rebooted for the 21st century.
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, occupying the southern extent of, yes, you guessed it, the former Yugoslavia has something of an image problem. Bordering the Greek province of Macedonia has resulted in an otherwise peaceful coexistence whilst Athens insisted upon FYROM, rather than just plain old Macedonia, being how the international community differentiate the secessionist state from its own sovereign territory. Paranoid that tensions a la Kosovo could erupt resulting in Skopje laying claim to its namesake, left Greece fretting that a country bearing the same moniker could at worst attempt to absorb its northern province, at best create confusion where one Macedonia began, and the other ended. Athens, although oppressed by the more urgent matters of one financial crisis after another, has defiantly stuck to its guns – despite the embarrassing mouthful FYROM has become at the Eurovision Song Contest and on the international sporting stage. Once more it would seem that change is afoot, but again more to Greece's satisfaction.
Although agreement in principal between the two countries has been reached for FYROM to finally be jettisoned, renaming the country of FYRO Macedonia to North Macedonia while the Greek province retains its historic nomenclature, further denudes Skopje's inviolable claims as the sovereign state it became by default once the Yugoslav Federation's back had been broken during its final, chaotic days. The Republic of Macedonia would be a viable, sensible alternative that ably differentiates between the two parties, although it seems Greece holds the whip hand with the renaming of their territory being strictly off-limits. North Macedonia does not sound like the designation of a country with full international recognition as a stand-alone state; rather, such a name demands of there being a South Macedonia, which the Greek region could in some quarters become known. Then, far more so than now, could concerns of a land-grab be in theory more justified.
There are examples elsewhere in the world where the renaming of land, usually when it breaks way from the country it previously remained part of, have resulted in a clearer demarcation than the Macedonia-Greece question. Being one such instance South Sudan's secession from Khartoum makes it clear than both are equally classed as stand alone, sovereign states on an equal footing. FYROM's proposed renaming as North Macedonia waters down its own presence and status, in effect leaving it to nominally at least play second-fiddle to a province within a neighbouring state. East Timor's secession from Indonesia was hard won, but never sought to declare itself anything other than the oriental side of the island of Timor, of which its occidental territory remains part of Indonesia.
Rejecting the name change the president of FYROM, Gjorge Ivanov, may nevertheless become isolated should parliament overturn a rigid stance highlighted in a recent email, accusing Greece of placing Macedonia in a position of subordination and dependence*. A plebiscite will ultimately decide, although the prime motivation for seemingly simplifying its appellation seems less to do with ditching FYROM as an identifying designation than gaining Greece's favour in exchange for an unchallenged route into NATO, and the European Union.
I for one believe the country of Macedonia should have free rein to choose by how it is to be known internally and on the world stage. In the 26 years of FYROM it has shown no desire to absorb its cross-border namesake, but on freeing itself from being part of the 'guilty by association' Yugoslav Federation Skopje should finally be at liberty to plot its own course, rather than being confused with and undermined by those with their own, historically-motivated agendas.
*Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-26/republic-of-macedonia-s-president-vetoes-name-deal-with-greece
Posted in Border Disputes, European Union, FYROM, Greece, Kosovo, NATO, YugoslaviaTagged Europe, Greece, Macedonia, Politics
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SKT210SY Data Transfer? [Archive] - CNCzone.com- Largest Forums for CNC Professional and Hobbyist alike!
CNCzone.com- Largest Forums for CNC Professional and Hobbyist alike! > MetalWorking Machines > Hyundai Kia machine > SKT210SY Data Transfer?
View Full Version : SKT210SY Data Transfer?
We have recently purchased a SKT210SY demo model and are trying to send and receive programs with no success. We are using MasterCam9 and would like to send programs via RS232. Does anyone have any experience on this method? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Is your cable made correctly?
You need to set the baud rate, etc. to the same in the machine and Mastercam.
Let me know exactly what you are having a problem with.
Now that was a fast reply! Well, that now raises an important question: how should the cable be made? We are using a RS232 with a crossover; handshake issues?
We have tried setting the machine in its "Read" mode only to get a 86 error. Baud rate has not been set seeing as we have not even seen a menu for such settings. The manual is not very much help since it is all Engrish translation.
The machine is a 2006.
You guys rock. Thanks for the fast response. I can get further information from our operator.
We have not a single idea as to how the parameters should be set. Funny how we can make this machine scream yet go blank when it comes to computers talk!!!
Thank you so much for your continued help. We will double check the cable.
EDIT: We have ruled out using RS232 and will use a CAT5 with dcoupar's specs.
Why rule out RS232? Why CAT5?
Location of the machine to the workstation makes CAT5 an inexpensive option. We moved a computer closer to the machine to try RS232. The computers are ~ 80' away.
Is there an advantage of one over the other? We are open to advice.
I've seen data loss when communicating with cheap cabling. I can think of 2 instances where I replaced CAT5 cables with good stranded/shielded data cable and immediately solved issues the user was having. These were both 75 to 100' cable runs.
We were advised that shielded CAT5 or 6 would suffice? We also do much welding so interference can become an issue. Any pointers as to where we can get a RS232 cable at ~80' lengths? Would there be any data loss if we run the cable threw a print server? DO we need to set up the IP configs on the machine or will we not be going that route with RS232?
Once again, thank you for all your amazing help!!!
Not sure how to communicate with the RS232 but we communicate thru the ethernet. Let me know if you are interested.


Dr. John Huang was born in Taiwan and came to the United States at the age of seven. He has lived in the Houston area for about thirty years. He attended St. Mary's University and received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and minor in Chemistry.
Upon completing his undergraduate studies he enrolled as a student at Texas Chiropractic College where he earned a Doctorate of Chiropractic. He is certified in CPR by the American Heart Association. He is a member of American Chiropractic Association, and Texas Chiropractic Association.
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Steven Wilson | Hand Cannot Erase
Steve Hackett | Wolflight set for March 30th
Steve Hackett's new album will be released on March 30th and carries on from where Steve left off with his previous album Beyond The Shrouded Horizon.
Wolflight – out on 30 March 2015 (EU) & 7 April 2015 (US)
* PRESS RELEASE *
Music pioneer Steve Hackett has announced the release of his new solo album Wolflight. According to the man himself, this "wild pack of tracks – starting with a wolf cry – will be unleashed on the unsuspecting on 30th March 2015."
Pre-order your copy now – all pre-orders signed by Steve!.
A teaser trailer for the album, featuring the first exciting snippets of new music plus some insight from Steve himself, can be viewed HERE.
From a plaintive wolf cry to Steve embracing real wolves (see sleeve above), exploring dark caverns, ancient ruins and tropical lagoons, primal energy is at the root of this album as a springboard to an exotic and exciting adventure.
Wolflight is Steve's first original solo studio album since Beyond The Shrouded Horizon in 2011. Primal and orchestral, it retains the Hackett trademark as electric guitar runs right the way through with a regular sprinkling of acoustic. The concept behind it is a new unexplored chapter in the guitarist's career.
The ten tracks take the listener through a journey in space and time looking at the different faces of the endless fight for freedom. Wandering between parallel universes, Hackett explores contemporary and ancient cultures, from Greece (Corycian Fire) to the Far East (Wolflight), the USA and Martin Luther King (Black Thunder), but also his very own childhood memories (The Wheel's Turning) and the unresolved drama of domestic violence (Love Song to a Vampire).
Photo © Rick Pauline
An excited Steve Hackett tells us more about the record: "My new rock album Wolflight is at the ready and lying in wait. It reflects everybody's struggle for freedom on a journey travelling through both inner and outer space. It explores sounds from as far afield as Greece, Azerbaijan, the deep American South, Sahara desert and beyond, from all our yesterdays, evoking the ancient past".
Steve Hackett's electric guitar plays a powerful role, whilst we also hear him on acoustic guitar, Arabian lute and twelve string, along with his strong lead vocals. Guest Musicians include long time collaborators Roger King (Keyboards & programming), Gary O'Toole (drums), Rob Townsend (sax, duduk), Nick Beggs (bass & stick) and Amanda Lehmann (harmony vocals). Malik Mansurov on tar and Sara Kovaks on didgeridoo add an extra exotic element, plus YES bassist Chris Squire plays on Love Song to a Vampire and Hugo Dagenhardt plays drums on Dust and Dreams. The innovative song writing team includes Steve Hackett, his wife Jo Hackett and also Roger King.
Track list as follows:
Out of the Body
Love Song to a Vampire
The Wheel's Turning
Corycian Fire
Loving Sea
Let Steve Hackett's magic guitar lead you like Pan's flute through a primordial dream of love, struggle and liberation. Take the journey to freedom with Wolflight, taking off 30th March.
Steve will embark upon his 'Acolyte To Wolflight with Genesis Revisited Tour' in October 2015, with 19 UK shows. Hackett states: "I'm excited to embrace Genesis Revisited once more on my tour whilst also celebrating 40 years of Voyage of the Acolyte, playing several Hackett favourties and introducing my new Wolflight album".
The album will be released in the following formats:
Special edition CD + Blu-Ray Mediabook incl. 5.1 mix, interviews & two bonus tracks
2LP & CD Gatefold vinyl
Standard CD Jewelcase
A short video message from Steve can be viewed HERE
Click here for more info on the tour
Click here for details & Ticket links
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Can Dance A Little | Carrie Melbourne
The Progmeister's top ten albums of 2020
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Kashgar | Artefact
David K and Organic | Mr Passive Progressive
The Tangent | Auto Reconnaissance
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Abel Ganz | The Life Of A Honeybee And Other Moments Of Clarity
Progzilla Podcast – January 2019
http://podcasts.progzilla.com/stevep/Progmeister_On_progzilla_002.mp3
Progzilla Podcast – December 2018
TPA Gig Guide
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Latest Hubble Constant findings?
NTassie May 16, 2019, 6:39am #1
So, the latest Hubble measurements confirm the universe is expanding faster than previously thought.
http://sci.esa.int/hubble/61318-latest-hubble-measurements-suggest-disparity-in-hubble-constant-calculations-is-not-a-fluke-heic1908/
The outcome being that physics has no current explanation, only theories about the unknowns, such as dark matter.
Further still, no curvature can be measured, suggesting infinity. If dark matter is a 'thing', surely it would be detectable by curvature?
Does this latest finding put to bed the concept of a multiverse?
DoKo (Dominik Kowalski) May 16, 2019, 12:24pm #2
I´m sorry but I´m terrible at everything physics-related. What is a "curvature", why does not finding it suggest infinity and what does that have to do with the multiverse?
pevaquark (Matthew Pevarnik) May 16, 2019, 1:45pm #3
NTassie:
Thanks for sharing. This has been going around for a while now and its good to see that the odds of it being a statistical fluke are less likely which means there can be some more exciting new physics.
This is a good thing. Perhaps this can teach us some things about dark matter which we do not yet know or understand (like how much it interacts with normal matter).
I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you elaborate? Are you talking about the flatness of the universe with regards to its geometry? That has nothing to do with infinity.
No, it has nothing to do with a multiverse. There are three main ways that our best theories lead to multiverses. One is with quantum mechanics and the many worlds interpretation. The next is with eternal inflation that leads to a cosmological multiverse. The third is the string theory landscape which could change physical constants in different parts of the the other multiverses.
NTassie May 16, 2019, 11:11pm #4
About curvature. The last sentence of this artical states…
So far, the measurements are consistent with a flat Universe, which is popular for aesthetic reasons.
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/cosmo/lectures/lec15.html
I.e, so far despite fantasies about all the posdible shapes and sizes of the universe, our best efforts to date conclude the universe has no curve, which also indicates 'infinity'.
pevaquark (Matthew Pevarnik) May 17, 2019, 2:31am #5
The curvature doesn't directly tell you anything about what is actually in the universe. It is just related to the ratio of the total density of stuff compared to something called the critical density. If you find that the density is close to the critical density (and thus the geometry is flat) then that means if you add up the density of all the stuff in the universe then it should be close to this value. So you add up the density of radiation and of baryonic matter and find that it is woefully short. If that's all the universe contained then either there is a lot of missing baryons we are missing (which was a hypothesis since rejected thanks to the CMB and nucleosynthesis- I can explain more if you like) or there is more stuff in the universe or the universe is closed or open (one of the other geometries). Interestingly enough, there were some anomalies in galaxy clusters and in galaxy rotation curves that either could be solved by modified equations of gravity or another form of matter that is 'dark.' And then measurements of the 'flatness' of the universe have the curvature being flat to one part in a hundred or so with the error bars. So all of these pieces were coming together. There's no reason why the universe had to be 'flat,' but yes it is particularly aesthetic
For me the word 'fantasies' sounds a little strange as there is nothing strange about other geometries. For example, the surface of the earth is not a flat geometry. When you travel in straight lines on the Earth you actually travel in a curve and two parallel straight lines can intersect and if you travel far enough you will end up back where you started! This type of universe in some sense would be a lot easier to visualize than a flat universe. I'm not sure what you are thinking though still, as the geometry of the universe is rather challenging to grasp. Wikipedia also has a summary of some of the things on the link you shared albeit updated with more accurate measurements:
Shape of the universe | Global universe structure
Global structure covers the geometry and the topology of the whole universe—both the observable universe and beyond. While the local geometry does not determine the global geometry completely, it does limit the possibilities, particularly a geometry of a constant curvature. The universe is often taken to be a geodesic manifold, free of topological defects; relaxing either of these complicates the analysis considerably. A global geometry is a local geometry plus a topology. It follows that a topol...
The multiverse again is a separate question from the geometry of the universe.
To summerise, my point is, and this is very new, that the latest Hubble constant findings 'confirm an ever faster expanding universe, and put the previous modelling of Big Bang Theory in doubt - based on known physics.
Cosmologists are now seeking answers, looking at dark matter, dark energy etc (untestable, invible stuff).
Im adding to this quandary, but pointing out that all 'evidence' points to an infinite universe, as parrallell lines show zero curvature. (This seems to get overlooked, understated, and talked around). Another example here.
How Do We Know The Universe Is Infinite?
Is the universe infinite or do we say that because we have not traveled to or seen its walls yet? This question was originally answered on Quora by Viktor T. Toth.
My thoghts are that theories of dark matter, dark energy etc, dont hold true against a zero curvature finding?
Even further, but still im trying to verify, distant galaxies are said to be of equal, or higher star brightness (Learner, Scarpa, 2014?). Big bang theory demands that they should be less bright, to my limited understanding/knowledge.
Perhaps the above evidence, at least puts doubt on the idea of a universal single big bang origin? Perhaps it opens up the idea of space as a blank canvas, where the birth of galaxies are not traceable to any plausible model?
I think, deep down, both the laws of physics, along with our own sense of importance, really struggle to face the 'evidence' of an infinite universe, similarly to facing our own mortality?
Kind of. About a year ago the discrepency was already published albeit less statistically significant. So it's not 'very new' in that sense. As one author noted:
"This is not just two experiments disagreeing," Riess explained. "We are measuring something fundamentally different. One is a measurement of how fast the universe is expanding today, as we see it. The other is a prediction based on the physics of the early universe and on measurements of how fast it ought to be expanding. If these values don't agree, there becomes a very strong likelihood that we're missing something in the cosmological model that connects the two eras."
They are mostly comparing the Hubble constant measured two independent ways and they don't quite line up (and are less likely to be a statistical fluke now). The reason for this discrepancy is most likely new physics which is exciting! Since we don't exactly know of a way to derive the Hubble constant besides just measure it, this means that we are one step closer to understanding the fundamental properties of our universe. Very exciting
Kind of. The stuff is not untestable as we have measured with great precision quantities of dark matter and dark energy. It doesn't interact with lights so it is actually transparent instead of dark but that's just its name. Specifically what is interesting is that this discrepancy with very accurate measurements of closer galaxies to further once could help teach us something about how dark matter actually interacts which is presently unknown except that it interacts similar to the weak force.
Im adding to this quandary, but pointing out that all 'evidence' points to an infinite universe, as parrallell lines show zero curvature. (This seems to get overlooked, understated, and talked around).
I guess. But it's really not that interesting because of the limits of our ability to see back into the past. We are limited to see as much as 13.8 billion light years away but the universe is already bigger than that which as the article you shared says means we can't exactly measure it for universes bound or unbound. By infinite all that that really means is that in a Euclidean plane the coordinates go from negative infinity to positive infinity. This would not be the case if the universe was closed as you can again think of the surface earth as what a closed geometry would look like. The coordinates of course would be finite in that universe. Better measurements though may yield some deviation from being perfectly flat but being perfectly flat is statistically consistent with the current standard deviation.
Dark matter and dark energy are completely consistent with a zero curvature universe. The flatness of the universe was one of the reasons why some cosmologists considered adding the cosmological constant (a particular type of dark energy) back into Einstein's equations of general relativity before we measured the accelerating expansion in the late 90s.
See for example:
This demonstrates All the stuff of the universe significantly changes its behavior over time. Specifically if the universe is flat that means that the sum of the two quantities there which represent the fractional energy density of dark energy plus the fractional energy density of matter must equal one. So basically the flatness of the universe is due to large amounts of dark energy and includes dark matter which has an impressive amount of evidence for it.
All the stuff of the universe significantly changes its behavior over time. Specifically if the universe is flat that means that the sum of the two quantities there which represent the fractional energy density of dark energy plus the fractional energy density of matter must equal one. So basically the flatness of the universe is due to large amounts of dark energy and includes dark matter which has an impressive amount of evidence for it.
Even further, but still im trying to verify, distant galaxies are said to be of equal, or higher star brightness (Learner, Scarpa, 2014?). Big bang theory demands that they should be less bright, to my limited understanding/knowledge
I am not sure what you're referring to, so I will have to look up the specific paper reference. I mean it's possible that a supernova is quite bright as supernova can be much brighter than entire galaxy's and distant supernova have been a large part of learning about distant regions of the universe.
It certainly would not do that. I wish that I could just teach a cosmology class right now in this thread, as there is a lot of observations that go into our understanding of the universe. While there are things that we do not yet know it certainly does not mean that the things we do understand and know are all wrong.
Tom13 (Tom Sarbeck) May 18, 2019, 6:49am #8
I studied physics at the University of Florida and Florida State University. I earned the credits for a minor in it, though my recorded major and minor are mathematics and economics.
The Standard Model (aka the Big Bang) appears to be based on an assumption that light behaves as sound does. Here is Edwin Hubble's full statement on the subject, in the 1937 Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices:
"If the red shifts are a Doppler shift . . . the observations as they stand lead to the anomaly of a closed universe, curiously small and dense, and, it may be added, suspiciously young.
"On the other hand, if red shifts are not Doppler effects, these anomalies disappear and the region observed appears as a small, homogeneous, but insignificant portion of a universe extended indefinitely in both space and time."
I understand sound is a longitudinal wave while light is a transverse wave. To my knowledge no one has provided empirical evidence that red shifts are a Doppler effect.
system (system) closed May 24, 2019, 12:49pm #9
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Marketing your business has gone beyond where you live because we now have technology, and I am going to share with you three ways you can market your products and start getting customers for your business today.
If you don't already have one, you should get one…not because it is cool to have a Blackberry but because it is a very good marketing tool. Take pictures of your products and use it as your dp (display picture). You will find that people in your contact list will start asking you about it and you can get sales. PS: Don't send too many broadcasts ooo…you will annoy people on your contact list.
Take pictures of your products and share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Nobody will know about your products if you don't show them.
This helps you to communicate with potential customers.
Especially exhibitions that your target audience will be attending.
I would like to hear form you. Do you know any other way you can market your products? Share them with us in the comments below.
Great post. I just recently started to really get into using pinterest/instagram/and vine, and they've honestly helped so much! Do you have any recommendations for successfully using twitter?
You're very correct Steph, thank you. Also, she can start wearing her designs so people around (even old people……laughs) can patronise.


KIEV, Ukraine -- At last the most intimate detail of president's and premier's life became known for public. From now on they'll get salary at the level of head of a major bank but their wages are still lower than that of a top manager of a western company representation.
So, as from June Yushchenko's salary will be UAH 23,657, Tymoshenko's – UAH 16,898 per month. The figures were given by president's press service. Press secretary added that was the sum subject to taxation, without grants and premiums.
As known, according to the recent decree issued by the government, president's salary is attached to the premier's and constituted 140% of the latter. This rule functions as from June but premier's salary was unknown. So it was impossible to figure out what Yushchenko brings home.
On May 8th, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a decree raising wages to state officials, but Tymoshenko didn't specify the sums. "We think that president and premier should have fixed wages. The salary should correspond the amount of job done by the official", Tymoshenko noted.
When asked about her salary, Tymoshenko responded she had no time to get it. Now she knows it's a lot of dough, so maybe she finds time to get the money. Before these decrees were adopted her salary constituted UAH 2,040, says Tymoshenko's press-secretary Vitaliy Chepynoga.
According to the head of State Service Ihor Tarasuyk, the president's salary was UAH 2,600 in December 1999. Kuchma himself gave the same figures.
In desperation he put his hands in the air, accidentally demonstrating his 10,000 euro watch… "There's no problem of spending my salary. As they say in Odessa: may you live for just one salary", Kuchma cracked a joke.
Now the salaries are much higher. Supposedly that will keep officials from Kuchma's life style.
Salaries of the other highest state officials also depend upon Tymoshenko's wages. Although, these depend upon her salary scale, which is still unknown.
So, the secretary of National Security Council will have 95% of Tymoshenko's wages, the first Vice-Minister - 94%. The others Vice-Ministers will have 92% of Tymoshenko's salary.
It needs mentioning that other officials are not that lucky. Their wages will be dependent on minimum wages that will constitute UAH 332 in September.
For instance, the head of Central Election Committee will have UAH 5,580 (18 minimum wages), the head of Constitutional Court - 4,650 (15 minimum wages). The head of the Supreme Economical Court, who decides million disputes, will get the salary at the rate of 13 minimum wages, i.e. UAH 4,030.
Their only consolation is extra payments for official status, long-service bonus, academic status and even the knowledge of foreign language if they have corresponding pretensions.
Radical and considerable rise of salaries approximates Yushchenko's and Tymoshenko's salaries to European level.
In June of this year there have been announced the results of study of premiers' salaries carried out by International Wages Bureau Hay Group. German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder appeared the "wages champion". His salary constitutes, without bonuses, 272,000 euro a year.
British Premier Tony Blair got the second place in this contest: his salary constitutes 261,000 euro. Last year his salary was raised by 2%.
French premier brings up the rear with the salary of 240,000 euro. Then comes his Belgian colleague Guy Verhofstadt with 192,000 euro. Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende has 123,000 a year.
Polish premier, according to EU standards, got the lowest salary of 49,500 euro a year. But Tymoshenko's $300 a month would be a shock for Europe even on the background of polish premier's wages.
Tymoshenko's UAH 16,898 equals 2,748 euro or $3,364 that makes 33,000 euro or $40,000 a year.
Yushchenko gets even more – 3,847 euro or $4,685 that makes 46,160 euro or $56,215 a year.
Although, Russian president gets higher salary after 2004 when he raised salaries for himself and state officials. So his wages constitute RUR 1,760,000 that equals $61,000 a year.
But Ukrainian officials have won over other neighboring colleagues. Lukashenka gets $300 a year. There is a standing joke: "As a president I get 300 bucks, as the president of national Olympic Committee another 300. Have some bonus as Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Not that bad, I should admit…".
After that it was forbidden to mention president in such jokes on TV, and Belarusian censorship eradicates the entire negative aspects for the president.
The president of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin gets about $740 plus $288 of pension.
It needs mentioning that East and West-European leaders can't compete with the US presidents. George Bush Junior gets $400,000 a year.
The first US president George Washington had the salary of $25,000 a year which was pretty much at the end of the 18th century. Although he refused to take the money since he was a rich man. Among his followers, only John Kennedy did the same.
do you belive in it...???
Kindly refrain from using street language on this blog.
We did not write this story - just reported it.


9) Manner, Inc. has 5,000 shares of 5%, $100 par value, noncumulative preferred stock and 20,000 shares of $1 par value common stock outstanding at December 31, 2011. There were no dividends declared in 2010. The board of directors declares and pays a $45,000 dividend in 2011. What is the amount of dividends received by the common stockholders in 2011?
11) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposed which new penalty for executives?
14) Which of the following is a fundamental factor in having an effective, ethical corporate culture?
15) Dawson Company issued 500 shares of no-par common stock for $4,500. Which of the following journal entries would be made if the stock has a stated value of $2 per share?
16) Hahn Company uses the percentage of sales method for recording bad debts expense. For the year, cash sales are $300,000 and credit sales are $1,200,000. Management estimates that 1% is the sales percentage to use. What adjusting entry will Hahn Company make to record the bad debts expense?


The UK is to put a resolution to the UN Security Council later on Wednesday "authorising necessary measures to protect civilians" in Syria.
The resolution will be put forward at a meeting of the five permanent members of the council, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter.
Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said the Security Council must not be "missing in action" on the crisis.


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Rising Stars: Meet Johnathan Chriest
Today we'd like to introduce you to Johnathan Chriest.
Hi Johnathan, we'd love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Often times musicians can point to their parents' love for music as a defining factor of their early taste. I don't really have that experience. My family listened to music, but it never felt like a definitive part of my childhood experience. I wanted to be in band in middle school, but we couldn't afford to rent the instruments. Eventually, my mother went in for a "First Act" guitar from Walmart, and after I played that for a while and seemed more seriously into the guitar, I got a few better guitars. I eventually settled on acoustic guitar and got into finger-picking style. Without specific influences at that point, I sort of developed my own style of chording and building songs and melodies. My music started as a sort of solo folky style with a focus on lyrics, but my tastes evolved into a more ambient folk feel, and now I make ambient, dream-folk, and cinematic music. After living in Pittsburgh, then NYC, I settled in LA, where I have lived for around 3 years now.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The early struggles in my musical career come from lack of funds. That struggle continues but now, with social media and recording programs, you don't need lots of money to make great music and promote it yourself, but it does take a good amount of time and work to find success. Especially now that it is more attainable for more people and the pool of artists is much larger
I think my song structures are what set me apart from many others. When I write an EP, usually of four songs or so, I try to tie them together as four parts of a larger story that all move together.
I think, for most people, deciding to become an artist and committing to that is a huge risk. Our socioeconomic system doesn't reward you early for those risks in most cases. Working on something that doesn't pay and isn't guaranteed to ever pay is a huge risk. That is why it is a career path that favors those who didn't have to struggle to learn the craft and buy the gear, but for the rest of us, it is a massive stressful risk, but a necessary one I feel.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opris_music/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM2psk4oqdztRzPzV8HmknQ
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/opris_music
Natasha Wilson


View agendas and minutes for the Police and Fire Commission.
Find out hour you can access minutes and agendas for the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.
Browse through meeting agendas and minutes for the Police Pension Board.
Check out Village Board Meeting minutes and agendas.


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Kosrae to get $1.5M in US funds for construction of quarantine facilities
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs and Assistant Secretary announced the approval of $1.53 million in Compact of Free Association and CARES Act funding to help build several quarantine buildings in Kosrae.
"We are glad to see that construction has begun on new buildings to be used in Kosrae State for quarantine and isolation purposes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic," DOI Assistant Secretary Doug Domenech said.
Kosrae, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, remains Covid-free and its border has been closed since FSM President David Panuelo declared a public health emergency in March.
FSM is currently preparing for the arrival of the first batch of citizens and diplomats stranded on Guam, Marshall Islands and Hawaii while in on their way back home.
"This important support provided by the Compact and the CARES Act will help Kosrae isolate and address potential Covid-19 cases, thereby reducing the potential for community transmission of the disease as repatriations and the relaxing of travel restrictions are considered," Domenech said.
In March, the FSM government restricted travel due to the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic and, to date, the FSM has no reported cases of the coronavirus. The U.S. government has been providing ongoing support and assistance to the FSM and the other freely associated states to help address the pandemic.
Certain economic assistance provisions under the Compact of Free Association agreement between the FSM and the United States are set to expire in 2023. Bilateral discussions are underway related to the expiring provisions.
Doug Domenech


I just wanted to share a link for one of our latest projects, SNIPER COMP. Every year the U.S. Army's Sniper School at Fort Benning, GA, hosts the International Sniper Competition, inviting the best snipers from around the world to compete in 24hr combat simulations, lasting 7 days. Just viewing the the link below helps to support our efforts.
Two-thirds of all profits are being donated to The US Army Sniper Association and The USMC Scout/Sniper Association. We are very excited about the potential to support our troops and hope you enjoy it.
Please feel free to share it with friends or family and we appreciate your support! Thanks so much!


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So, my partner agreed that he could teach her, and I set to work designing a curriculum. And because I'm me, it is a super-organized curriculum packed full of lessons, activities, outings, etc. We are all really excited about it and I think she's going to have a phenomenal time.


Here's a look at the most popular stories this week on Military.com.
A U.S. Navy sailor, who intentionally shot himself with a government-issued rifle on board a Groton-based attack submarine on Jan. 12, had been temporarily removed from the list of those allowed to carry a gun during watch-standing duties.
A decorated, high-tenured Marine colonel ended up behind bars last fall after being convicted of sexually abusing a six-year-old girl. The child's family is now pursuing a lawsuit against the Marine Corps, saying senior leaders failed to hold the officer accountable after he was booted from a previous posting in Australia just 10 days in for crass and drunken behavior.
Two Army ROTC cadets visiting from the mainland were rescued Sunday after spending the night lost in a jungle warfare course in Wahiawa.
The Air Force Is Sending a Stealth Fighter to Europe. But Which?