Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study

Principal investigator: Germaine M. Buck Louis, Ph.D., M.S.
The Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study (http://www.lifestudy.us ) is designed to examine the relation between ubiquitous environmental chemicals, lifestyle, and human fecundity and fertility. The primary exposures of interest include persistent chemicals (e.g., PCBs, PBDEs and PFOS) and lifestyle factors (e.g., stress, cigarette smoking, caffeine, and alcohol usage). The LIFE Study will follow 800 couples in two states as they try to become pregnant for up to 12 at-risk menstrual cycles. Women who conceive will be followed through delivery. Primary outcome measures include fecundability, pregnancy loss, infertility, and infant gestation and birth size.

DESPR Collaborators

· Enrique F. Schisterman, Ph.D.
· Aiyi Liu, Ph.D.
· Rajeshwari Sundaram, Ph.D.
Selected Publications

Lynch CD, Jackson L, & Buck Louis GM. (2006). Estimation of the day-specific probabilities of conception: Current state of the knowledge and the relevance for epidemiologic research. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 20 (Suppl 1):3-12. [Abstract]

Louis GMB, Lynch CD, & Cooney MA. (2006). Environmental influences on female fecundity and fertility. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 24(3):178-190. [Abstract]

Buck GM, Lynch CD, Stanford JB, Sweeney AM, Schieve LA, Rockett JC, Selevan SG, & Schrader SM. (2004). Prospective pregnancy study designs for assessing reproductive developmental toxicants. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112:79-86. [Abstract]

Rockett JC, Buck GM, Johnson CD, & Perreault SD. (2004). The value of home-based collection of biospecimens in reproductive epidemiology. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112:94-104. [Abstract]

Lobdell D, Buck, GM, Weiner MJ, & Mendola P. (2003). Using commercial telephone directories to obtain a population-based sample for mail survey of women of reproductive age. Paediatric & Perinatal Epidemiology, 17:294-301. [Abstract]

50th anniversary of Nubia Campaign

• © UNESCO/ Nenadovic
• Flooding of Philae Monuments

UNESCO, Egypt and Sudan have started commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Nubia Campaign, a defining example of international solidarity when countries understood the universal nature of heritage and the universal importance of its conservation.

The Egyptian and Sudanese governments’ request - in April and October 1959 respectively - for UNESCO’s help to save the 3,000-year-old monuments and temples of ancient Nubia from an area that was to be flooded by the Aswan Dam marked the start of unprecedented campaign.

“A moving demonstration of the miracles that can be achieved by international cooperation,” in the words of the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura who sent a message to the participants of a meeting held in Egypt to commemorate the Nubia Campaign. “Saving the temples and artefacts of Nubia became an urgent priority transcending national interests and pride, and, as we all know, the international community brilliantly rose to that challenge. Need it be further stressed that such international solidarity is more than ever timely in the current period of global, financial, environmental and social crisis…”

International expertise and funds were mobilized to dismantle and reassemble six groups of monuments in new locations. The scale of the 20-year project and the immense technological challenge it generated were unprecedented in UNESCO’s history. A total of 22 monuments and architectural complexes were relocated with the assistance of 40 technical missions from five continents.
The success of the Campaign inspired the development and adoption in 1972 of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention and the inscription of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on which the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae were inscribed in 1979.

UNESCO to hold World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Bonn (Germany)

• © Tang Ming
• Two primary school students observe a dying fish in Baicao River, Sichuan Province

The UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) will be held in Bonn (Germany) from 31 March to 2 April. Entitled “Moving into the Second Half of the UN Decade”, the event will bring together some 700 experts and stakeholders.

Organized in partnership with the German Ministry of Education and Research, the conference marks the midpoint of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), for which UNESCO is the lead agency.

The conference will underline the relevance of ESD to all of education; promote international exchange on ESD, especially between North and South; assess results of the Decade’s implementation; and develop strategies for the future. A final declaration will be adopted reflecting debates and proposing guidelines for the next five years.

Among the conference’s highlights, Queen Rania of Jordan, international advocate for education, and Graça Machel, international advocate for women's and children's rights and former Minister of Education and Culture in Mozambique, will present keynote speeches.

Thirty-six ministers from all over the world have already confirmed their participation in the conference’s High-Level Segment (31 March). The session will provide an opportunity for ministers and UN representatives to discuss experiences related to DESD implementation.

On 1 April, all participants will be invited to sign up for workshops at ongoing ESD projects in the Bonn region, to promote international exchange of good practices. An exhibition during the conference will showcase 25 ESD projects from around the world.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) seeks to integrate the values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education. The World Conference on ESD is one of UNESCO's four global Education Conferences organized in 2008-2009 to discuss education priorities.

Water and Global Change

Over the last decade much attention and many resources have been devoted to the documentation and prediction of climate variability and change. Simultaneously, there has been rapid development in advanced data capture and advanced data transfer technologies. Substantially less progress, however, has been made towards translating technical and scientific advances into information useful to water managers and policy makers world wide. Water resources and water resource systems are still generally managed under a “business as usual” framework.

Climate, water policy and management Since about 1980 there has been a distinct change in our understanding of the nature and origin of the statistics of hydrological variables, as measured in an individual catchment or region. Previously the assumption was that these statistics are entirely haphazard in nature and indeterminate in origin, and do not change with time. Thus the most important hydrological variables (such as precipitation, runoff and potential evaporation) are sampled over a calibration period (of perhaps only a few decades), and the statistics observed within that period are then used as the basis for hydrological design and water resources management. Now, however, there is increasing realisation that the nature of the locally observed statistics of hydrological variables is not stationary and may contain long-term trends caused by global-scale phenomena.At the seasonal to interannual timescale, the influence of El Niño and La Niña on hydrological statistics (and the occurrence of extreme hydrological events such as floods and droughts) is now well recognised – even catchments remote from the Pacific may be affected. There is also observational evidence of a relationship between the strength of the Asia-Australian monsoon and El Niño, and indications that these phenomena are together related to seasonal variations in Siberian snow cover. Similarly, recent studies suggest an association between the North Pacific Oscillation and precipitation in Europe and the Middle East. These relationships (and others yet to be identified) can generate seasonal distortions in the statistics of hydrological variables, thus threatening the validity of the operational rules applied to water management systems.There are indications that the strength of important fluctuations in the global climate (such as those associated with El Niño and the Asian-Australian monsoon) may themselves vary at the decadal timescale, which brings into question hydrological designs based on observations made over 30 years or less. Moreover, model studies suggest, and observational evidence tends to confirm, that an enhanced hydrological cycle is likely to be an important consequence of global climate change caused by "greenhouse warming". Some developed countries now have the capability to use models and data gathered with advanced technologies (such as remote sensing) to improve the prediction of the impact of multiple stresses present in individual catchments. Such improved management tools are, however, rarely applied in the extensive regions of the world where water-resource issues are most extreme and where their potential benefit for human welfare is greatest. Thus, it is clear that the basic paradigm, that is, the assumption of stationarity that underlies hydrological design and management (e.g. flood management), is open to question, but, in the absence of reliable alternative understanding and methods, current practice is locked in place by professional and legal precedents. There are now huge opportunities to develop hydrological understanding relevant to these policy issues. The past success of the scientific community now involved in the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX), the International Geosphere Biosphere Program (IGBP), and the Climate Variability and Predictability programme (CLIVAR) engenders optimism. It is likely that new and beneficial understanding of the Earth's hydrological cycle will emerge in the course of the next decade under the World Climate Research Program. Remote-sensing systems are now better able to provide global observations to monitor fluctuations and change in the Earth's atmosphere, oceans and continents. Field measurements using reliable, unsupervised hardware with remote data capture is now feasible. Meanwhile, the explosive growth of computer technology promises the capability to describe the entire globe with models having a grid scale of just a few tens of kilometres within a few years. Further, it has fostered a revolution in information transfer, bringing the capability to transfer data and knowledge at unprecedented rates.HELP will complement the global data that GEWEX and CLIVAR will provide with simultaneous, in situ hydrological observations in representative research catchments around the world. A particular focus of attention will be on extreme events (floods and droughts). An education programme is also required, to promulgate the use of modern hydrological monitoring and data transfer techniques and to disseminate the understanding and application of the relationship between global processes and regional hydrology.

The hydrological science contribution The overarching question that motivates research into water and climate is:

how can knowledge, understanding, and predictive modelling of the influence of global variability and change on hydrological variables and remotely sensed data be used to improve the management and design of water resource, agro-hydrological and eco-hydrological systems?

Subsidiary issues for study include:

* How significant is the relationship between the statistics of hydrological variables and observable global phenomena, and how does this change with location?
* How can remote data capture, and advanced information transfer technologies best be applied to improve the management and design of water systems?
* How can predictions of seasonal-to-interannual variations be used to improve the management of water, including for disaster prevention (floods and droughts)?
* How significant are multi-decadal fluctuations in climate, and how can knowledge of such fluctuations be used to improve the design of water systems?
* What is the hydrological significance of potential anthropogenic climate change, and how can predictions of such change best be used to improve design of water systems?

THIRD PHASE OF HELP- GLOBAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The first HELP phase (1999-2004) was a pilot phase and the second phase (2004-2008) operationalised the HELP principles. While the first two phase were very successful in bringing together scientists, policy makers and stakeholders implementing integrated water resources management there is still a need to help solve new challenges such as:

* Climate change-poverty-water sector adaptations
* Water-poverty-environment nexus
* Energy-water-poverty nexus
* Demand for bio-fuels ensuing competition for land and water resources used for food production
* Globalization and trade policies for food security
* The changing role of state and local actors in the water
* Gender and the feminisation of agriculture and other water-intensive sectors.

Recent progress on the HELP initiative has been captured in a special volume of Water SA 34(4) containing selected papers from the ‘HELP in Action: Local Solutions to Global Water Problems – Lessons from the South’ symposium, Johannesburg, South Africa 2007.

http://www.wrc.org.za/publications_watersa_sa_help_sp_edition.htm

HELP network is currently calling for proposals for the third phase. The next HELP call is likely to be in 2013.

During this phase HELP is being organized along the focal areas linked with IHP-VII themes. You are required to nominate focal areas of interest in your HELP basin. Please complete Form-A to renew an existing HELP basin and Form-B for the new HELP basin.

Recognizing that not all necessary information or evidence of support will be readily available by the 20th January 2009. This is not of concern, please submit your proposal and provide additional information as it becomes available.

Please send your proposal electronically to G.Gobina@unesco.org at the IHP-Secretariat by the 20th of January, 2009.

Opportunities for Students to Link with the UNESCO IHP-HELP Program

Currently there are exciting opportunities for students to link with the HELP program through targetted research with the HELP basins on various aspects of integrated water resources management. Should you be interested to join the HELP network as an intern please contact Mr Shahbaz Khan : s.khan@unesco.org.

PAST EVENTS:

HELP Participation at the IV International Symposium on Transboundary Waters Management

A special HELP session on transboundary basins was organised at the IV International Symposium on Transboundary Waters Management (15-18 October 2008, Thessaloniki).

For further information on the Symposium - http://www.inweb.gr/twm4

HELP Regional Coordinating Units Planning Meeting

A meeting of the regional coordinating units was held at UNESCO HQ on the 7th and 8th of May 2008 under the guidance of Shahbaz Khan the new Global Coordinator of the international HELP Programme. This meeting was aimed at aligning HELP with the IHP-VII directions and to plan the future of HELP.

The new HELP themes are:

*
Water and global change
*
Water, food and energy nexus
*
Water and ecosystem services
*
Water and human health
*
Empowering stakeholders to resolve conflicts
*
Water education based on proven practices

Key actions from the RCU planning meeting are listed below:

* Update of HELP website for all basins
* Regular HELP Newsletter
* Self evaluation of HELP basins
* Lists of funding sources (global list including RCU contributions) made available on the web
* Publications (HELP affiliation of authors, database of publications available on the web)
* Call/invitation for new proposals (Fall 2008)

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON WETLANDS AT LAKE OF ANNECY-SILA

The French HELP basin "Pays de Savoie, Annecy, Mont Blanc, Leman" launched a new initiative related to Integrated Management in high watersheds. This new project initiated by the Syndicat Intercommunal du Lac d'Annecy (SILA) is based on the theme "Integrated Management of Wetlands". The main output of the project is the creation of a sub-network between HELP basins managers and other partners to share techniques, tools and information on wetlands management issues.

A technical workshop entitled "International workshop on wetlands at Lake of Annecy – SILA" was organized in Annecy, France on January 31st and February 1st 2008. A field trip in the wetlands of Lake of Annecy is planned on February 2nd, the international day of wetlands.

Should you be interested to join this technical sub-network and share your experiences or current projects on wetlands management please contact Mrs Charnay at: Berengere.CHARNAY@sedhs.com

HELP SOUTHERN SYMPOSIUM 2007 4-9 November 2007

Local Solutions to Global Water Problems - Lessons from the South.

The International HELP Symposium “Local Solutions to Global Water Problems- Lessons from the South” aims at bridging the gap between science and policy to solve “water related issues” at the local, national and international levels. HELP is creating a new approach to integrated catchment management through the creation of framework for water law and policy experts, water resource managers and water scientists to work together on water-related problems.

Participation of the 67 basin organizations from 56 UNESCO partner countries makes this a tremendous knowledge sharing opportunity on how to put HELP into action.

The HELP International Symposium is being organized by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) in partnership with UNESCO HELP. It will be held in Pretoria, South Africa. Highlights will include technical and poster sessions, thematic discussions, workshops, receptions and a field trip to the Olifants River HELP basin.

For all information on the HELP Symposium, see the new HELP Symposium Website

EU LAUNCH OF THE DUNDEE CENTRE FOR WATER LAW, POLICY AND SCIENCE

The European Union launch of the Centre took place in Scotland House in Brussels, Belgium, on 28 November 2006. The launch included an afternoon discussion on water issues and EU initiatives. One of the most important tools to ensure implementation of a policy regarding integrated water management is a solid and responsive legal framework. Within this context, it is most important that water lawyers, water scientists and water users work together on water-related problems. The establishment of a global centre that will uniquely interface water law and policy with the biophysical sciences and engineering would provide an opportunity to ensure this relationship is effective and develop legal frameworks in line with stakeholders' needs and requirements.

It was during its 33rd session, in 2005, that the UNESCO General Conference approved the establishment of the IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science at the University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. The Centre is strongly linked to HELP and is based at the International Water Law Research Institute (IWRL) of the University of Dundee in Scotland.

Presentations, speeches and details on the event can be found on this link.

WATER IN MOUNTAINS. INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM 2006

The International Symposium "Eau en Montagne" took place in Megeve, France,September 20-22, 2006. Selected members of the HELP network were invited to present current research and projects on specific issues in mountainous catchments.The "Europe INBO 2006" International Conference on the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive also occured during the Symposium.

Proposals for the 3rd Phase of HELP are currently being considered. Check publications under the You and HELP section for relevant forms.

Why H.E.L.P. ?

At present there is a "Paradigm Lock" between outdated accepted practices adopted in water resource management for the benefit of stakeholders and the application of more recent scientific findings. Scientific research is isolated by lack of proven utility, whilst water policy and management is isolated by legal and professional precedence.

The HELP Approach on the ground:

The first step is the “Assessment Stage” of HELP, which synthesises existing knowledge, integrates such information across disciplines as part of IWRM, and provides two main types of outputs:

- simulation of future change scenarios (e.g., land-use, demography, or socioeconomics) in the water cycle and supply/demand for dif­ferent future catchment states, as well as checking model predictions based on known changes in the catchment environmental-social status.

- definition of “gaps” in scientific knowledge (e.g., process hydrology under­standing) that require development of a technical implementation strategy by hy­drologists in collaboration with basin stakeholders and managers. Such steps are taken to support already-de­fined land-water management and policy issues.

The outputs from the Assessment Stage answer a common criticism from pol­icymakers, especially at the national-government level, that scientists do not share knowledge with users. Integration of knowledge across disciplines provides a product for improving IWRM as well as for informing the public. This can be achieved by simulating alternative management decisions (i.e., via DSS) linked with ecohydrology and socioeco­nomic sustainability.

After establishing an agenda for scientific research and creating a science plan, HELP advances to a Research Stage This second stage requires continued dialogue with land-water managers and policymakers to ensure that research results are used to up­date management and policy tools. The manager’s role is critical since basin managers are at the fulcrum of HELP. To be effective, managers must have a thorough appreciation of scientific research and its role in enhancing management and policy . The promotion of a “bottom-up” approach within the network of HELP basins and close linkages between those basins, allows sharing and exchange of information on IWRM across a spectrum of environmental and sociocultural/socioeconomic conditions. Such steps move beyond the macroscale and address the intri­cacies and complexities of IWRM down to basins at the mesoscale (~10 000 km2) and even to communities at the microscale (~ 10 km2).

How is HELP managed?

The HELP programme is managed at three levels:

Global Level through the Global Secretariat - Strategic Planning and Directions

Regional Level through the Regional Coordinating Units - Operational Planning and Management

Basin Level through the Basin HELP Groups - Implementation of HELP Philosophy

Key HELP contacts are given below:

- Global Secretariat:

Mr Shahbaz Khan, Chief Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management Section, UNESCO Paris

- RCU for Australasia and South East Asia:

Mr John Blackwell, Charles Sturt University, Australia

- RCU for Latin America and the Caribbean:

Ms Pilar Cornejo de Grunauer, FIMCM-ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

http://www.fimcm.espol.edu.ec/webpages/help/index.htm

- RCU for North America:

Mr Edwin Engman, Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

- RCU for Europe:

Ms Patricia Wouters, UNESCO HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.

Finding a Buyer of Structured Settlement Payments

Many people that are currently receiving a stream of monthly structured settlement payments do not realize that it is possible to sell all or a portion of their payments for a lump sum of cash. Access to these funds could provide funding to meet the current life needs of one's family instead of waiting for a future stream of inflexible payments structured over a long period of time. This process of entering into a contract to sell ones legal right of receiving future structured payments to settlement companies in exchange for the present value of the money is called factoring. A large number of companies now offer cash for a structured settlement payment. When evaluating your options, try to work with financially sound companies that are competent and ethical. These factors are important considerations to note of when you compare the knowledge and integrity of a company or corporation as well as their dollar offers.

Sarjatik System – IX – Planets affect Environment, Life and the Earth?

New Delhi, India: February 8, 2008 – IR Summary – Released by Lord Vishnu Bhakt Swamy Raj Baldev.

The Sarjatik System of Occult Astrology is a scientific system that explains how the planets affect the Earth, Environment, Regions and Human Life? It clarifies that the planets only affect the human life maximum by 24% and not 100%. In fact, 76% influence of planets on life comes other factors like genetic properties from parents, regional effect, environment of one’s upcoming, the history of past destiny from deeds of previous birth, the paternal background, among others.

190. Swamy Raj: “My reverend Lord Vishnu, You have been kind enough to explain to me various factors of different effects on life up to 76%.”

191.“ That is – Maximum 8% genetic effect, 8% labor or income, 8% strategy, 12% effect of the Earth planet, 19% family background and 21% destiny. What about stars, My Lord?”

192. Lord Vishnu: “Yes, my dear Swamy, the remaining effects on human life are 24%, caused by different planets and objects in the Solar System.”

193. “The people think that planets and stars do everything in their life, which is not correct, it is their misconception, delusion or false imagination.”

194. “They affect the life of a human being only to a certain extent and do not cover all events of life. The planets or stars or any other concerned space objects are not responsible for all proceedings of life of a person, place, region or the Earth.”

195. “The calculation of planets, if properly computed, indicates what is right time to start a thing, its middle or end and that too depending on the nature of the task or mission, whether one really qualifies it or not.”

196. “Similarly, the planets and stars can indicate the negative period for a certain type of job, travel, or any type of initiative, undertaking or task. Wherever, the stars do not support a particular or job, its alternative is the best solution to seek from expert astrologers."

197. "Each type of planet has it own potency and power and its effect is different every femto second. Their distance from the Sun and the Earth are important factors, their orbiting position count and their effect on life on the Earth is according to the strength of their degrees."

198.Lord Vishnu continued: "If the degree of the planet or object is commanding or powerful, it shall influence on the Earth, its atmosphere and life.

199. "Since all planets and objects shed their rays on the Earth collectively, each planet partly loses its individual potency and merges into the total effect of their orbiting positions on the Earth. The power of planets and concerned objects should be worked out individually and jointly for their combined effect."

200. "All planets and their shared effect do not influence every body equally; the effect changes on every person even if a thousand people are born at the same time, place and date, shall have divergent life effect since they cannot be alike in their previous birth and cannot be similar in destiny wise."

201. "All planets of an individual should be read with the planets of one’s parents and their place of birth, if possible the names of grand parents should be included in the calculation of Occult Astrology, particularly when a child born."

202. Swamy Raj: “My dear Lord of Lords, kindly let me know in short how the planets affect the human life and what’s the broader formula to work out the predictions of a person?

203.Lord Vishnu: Each planet has its own composition of either gaseous, rocky or of other natures with mixed matter and energy. According to its mass, composition, gravity, distance from the Sun and the Earth and its orbital position, it releases its energy and rays that fall on the Earth.

204. "That depending on the orbit and distance of each planet or object from the Earth and the Sun, they shed their effect on the Earth through their rays and that eventually affect the human life."

205. "The planets and objects that come in the way of the Earth by blocking its rays. touch the Earth and affects its atmosphere, which is continuously changing every femto second."

206. "Each human catches the signals of these planets through various organs of the body. The Sun affects the whole body and also affects through third finger from the thumb."

207. “To cite an example of Jupiter, it releases its rays through hair, ears, first finger from the thumb, both hands and feet. Its rays are auspicious in Cancer and inauspicious in Capricorn."

208. “When a child is born, all stars collectively shed their rays on it, the auspicious planets and concerned objects shed inject their rays as per their strength. Similarly, the inauspicious planets shed their rays and neutral planets discharge their own rays."

209. "Thus the child attains the individual as well as collective strength of all planets and as per their nature and strength the child is influenced by them as and when the planets change their course and come either closer to the Earth or go far away from the Earth."

210. Lord Vishnu continued: It is important to work out the effect of planets of the parents along with the child. The names of each parent influences the child, and while working out the details of the child astrologically, it is important also to work out the name of the mother, maiden name so as to make the calculation of the child specific. (Further publication Discontinued)."

Note: The above 210 texts published in International Reporter under Sarjatik System of Occult Astrology are derived from ‘Vishnu Jyotish Puran’,and released by Vishnu Bhakt Swamy Raj Baldev. The series of Vishnu Jyotich Puran is very long, only VIII installments are published in International Reporter earlier, and it is the IXth installment. The entire puran (Book) shall be released by Media International Limited, New Delhi, later on very shortly. The puran sheds light on Universe, Life and Occult sciences.

raj.baldev2007@gmail.com

How to Sell Structured Settlement Payments

Many people who receive monthly annuity payments under a settlement agreement do not realize they can sell all or a portion of their stream of annuity payments in exchange for a cash lump sum. Getting paid this money can be a way to help fund the current life needs of your family. Receiving the cash now rather than waiting a period of a year or more for a stream of inflexible payments structured in the future can be a big advantage to some people. Factoring is the name of the process of selling ones legal right to receiving future structured payments in exchange for a the present value of that money. This sale becomes a legal contract with the settlement company.

Companies now offer to pay for your rights to receive future annuity payments under structured agreements. The settlement companies offer annuitants the benefit of direct access to cash.

To receive more information please fill out the form on the right.

On January 22, 2002, President George W. Bush signed new protective legislation. This law was designed to protect any individual who has received a settlement annuity as part of a lawsuit or settlement that wishes to sell their structured payments. Under the law a court would have to authorize a transaction to sell future settlement payments. A transaction must in the best interest of the annuitant, their family, dependents or estate to be approved. If a court order and approval is not received, a federal excise tax of 40% would be paid on the total payments sold. This law is intended to help people who receive offers of cash for their annuity payments from being defrauded or taken advantage of by settlement buyers or even their own families.

You have probably seen advertisements urging you to "sell a structured settlement payment". Many beneficiaries wonder if they should sell and cash out, especially if they are in a situation where they need the money. This is a major financial decision and you would be well advised to carefully evaluate your options before making a decision. You need to determine if selling all or even a portion of your guaranteed settlement payments is in your best interest. It usually takes about two months from the date you start to complete a sale and for you to receive the cash when you sell insurance payments. For more information please fill out the form on the right.

Best LIFE-Environment projects

Website: ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/bestlifeenv.htm

In October 2005, the EU Member States represented on the LIFE-Committee, together with the LIFE Unit, have identified the 24 best LIFE-Environment projects completed during 2004 and early 2005.

The main aim of the Best Projects exercise is to promote the LIFE projects selected as 'the best practices' by focusing part of the European Commission's and individual Member States communication actions on helping them to further disseminate their results. This is a pilot exercise. However, if 2005's trial run is successful, the initiative will be repeated with more substantial resources for 2005-2006.

All 24 projects will be featured in an online publication to be published in December 2005. The publication will focus on the projects' innovative qualities and results, as well as their possibilities for replication. The document will be available from the website, and those subscribed will be informed by a LIFEnews alert.

The five projects selected as the 'best of the best' included four relating to energy and transport (in no particular order):

* STIRLING Motor implemented by Mayer & Cie.
* SMILE implemented by Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie
* BBMpassiv implemented by BBM - Beschaffungsbetrieb der MIVA
* ENERWASTE implemented by Matadero Frigorífico del Nalón

Of the 24 projects, a total of 9 were related to energy and transport as follows:

* SMILE (France) - Sustainable Mobility Initiative for Local Environment.
* STIRLING Motor (Germany) - Miniature block-type thermal power station based on a long-lived Stirling motor.
* IEM in Hospitals (Germany) - Development of environmental management systems in hospitals from four European Regions and integration in QM-Systems.
* TANDEM (Italy) - Pilot action for promoting EMAS among local bodies operating on a large territory (provinces and main municipalities) in TANDEM with Local Agenda 21.
* ENERWASTE (Spain) - Implementation of an AD facility at a Spanish slaughterhouse for a sustainably closed energy and waste cycle.
* ECOBUS (Spain) - Collecting used cooking oils for recycling as biofuel for diesel engines.
* BBMpassiv (Austria) - Multifunctional company and administration building with logistics and cultural centre in passive house standard in sustainable timber construction.
* ENERLAB (Latvia) - Energy labelling of apartment buildings.
* EQUATION (Netherlands) - Demonstration and dissemination project for stimulating architects and local governments to build in a sustainable way with the help of innovative design tools.

Schuff Steel Company Starts Structural Steel Erection on Phoenix Children`s Hospital Expansion Project

PHOENIX--(Business Wire)--
Schuff Steel Company started steel erection on Phoenix Children`s Hospital`s
11-story patient tower, which is part of the hospital`s expansion project.
Schuff Steel Company is a subsidiary of Schuff International, Inc. (OTC: SHFK),
a leading family of companies providing fully integrated steel construction
services.

Schuff is erecting approximately 6,300 tons of structural steel for the
765,000-square-foot facility and plans to complete the steel portion in
September 2009. Schuff fabricated all of the steel for the hospital at its four
Arizona steel plants located in Phoenix, Gilbert, Eloy, and Flagstaff. Kitchell
Contractors is the general contractor on the project.

Other Arizona health care projects Schuff has been involved with includes Mayo
Clinic, Banner Children`s Hospital, Banner Ironwood Hospital, Banner Gateway
Medical Center, and Scottsdale Healthcare. Across the country, Schuff has
provided steel services for over 45 health care facility construction projects.
Other major Arizona projects erected by Schuff include Casino Arizona, Phoenix
Convention Center Expansion, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, the Arizona
Cardinal Stadium, and the Glendale Spring Training Facility for the Los Angeles
Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox.

About Schuff International, Inc.

Schuff International, Inc. (OTC: SHFK) and its family of steel companies is the
largest steel fabrication and erection company in the United States. The
32-year-old company constructs major projects throughout the country. Schuff
offers integrated steel construction services from a single source. Professional
services include design-build, design-assist, engineering, BIM participation, 3D
steel modeling/detailing, fabrication, advanced field erection, joist and joist
girder manufacturing, project management, and single-source steel management
systems. Major market segments include industrial, public works, bridges, health
care, gaming and hospitality, convention centers, stadiums, mixed-use and
retail, transportation, and international projects. Schuff International, Inc.,
which is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, owns and operates nine steel fabrication
plants and two steel joist-manufacturing plants. Companies include Schuff Steel
Company located in AZ, NV and CA; Schuff Steel-Midwest Division located in
Overland Park, KS, Ottawa, KS, Chicago, IL and Denver, CO; Schuff Steel-Gulf
Coast, Inc., located in Houston, TX; Schuff Steel-Atlantic, Inc., located in
Orlando, FL, Albany, GA and Atlanta, GA; Schuff Steel Management
Company-Southwest, Inc., located in Gilbert, AZ; and Quincy Joist Company
located in Quincy, FL and Buckeye, AZ. Schuff employs approximately 1,500 people
throughout the country

back to Buildings & Structures Homepage Floating Floors Picture Floating floors are used extensively in new developments to prevent acoustic and vi

Floating floors are used extensively in new developments to prevent acoustic and vibration disturbance from propagating through a building structure especially where quiet spaces are located near noisy areas.

System function. There are two fundamental elements to a floating floor; the acoustic air gap (usually 50 – 100mm) provides the acoustic isolation whilst the elastomeric isolators act to decouple the floor from the rest of the building structure preventing the propagation of structure-borne vibration.

Farrat's floating floor systems have been developed to provide high levels of acoustic and vibration performance whilst being economical, easy and quick to install either by Farrat or the contractor with Farrat supervision. They can be used in a vast array of applications including: cinemas, performing arts facilities, bowling alleys, instrument & nanotechnology facilities etc.

Farrat can advise on the most suitable type and grade of floating floor system and provide full specification, predicted natural frequencies, damping ratios, layout drawings, installation instructions and if necessary site installation or supervision.

Structural Vibration Isolation

Structure-borne vibration is becoming a serious concern as structures become lighter in weight and built closer to major sources of vibration such as railway lines and industrial plant etc.

Vibrational energy will take the path of least resistance and a stiff lightweight structure offers an excellent path to transmit the vibration from the transmitter to the receiver. The first measure of vibration control should be to isolate the source but if this is not sufficient or possible then measures can be taken to isolate or dampen the intermediate structure.

Incorporating materials into a structure with a lower stiffness than adjacent materials (such as elastomeric isolators) will effectively reduce the transmission of vibration in either direction. They also provide a degree of structural damping which will reduce any vibration disturbance as well as being very important when a structure is as risk from the effects of resonance as it is the only way to control the amplitude of vibration.

Elastomeric isolators can also be used a resilient seatings since they possess the added advantages of being able to absorb bending, torsion and rotation modes and can eliminate the risk of local stress concentrations which may arise from thermal expansion / contraction or ground settlement. These features, combined with the intrinsic damping of elastomeric materials make them far superior to lighter weight, glass fibre equivalents.

Farrat offers a comprehensive range of multi use elastomeric isolation materials (seen below) which can be used in all areas of construction to reduce structure-borne vibration and acoustic transmission across a wide frequency range. Our complete confidence in the material properties and performance is based on thorough lab testing as well as extensive, long term experience of use in a variety of scenarios.

Structural Steel Destruction of the Towers' Steel Remains

The only constituents of the Twin Towers that survived the "collapses" in the form of recognizable pieces of any size were their metal parts, such as pieces of structural steel and aluminum cladding. 1 Virtually all the non-metallic parts of the towers and their contents were converted to microscopic dust particles or small unrecognizable fragments.

Building 7, though also reduced to a short pile of rubble, was not as thoroughly pulverized as the towers. Large sections of the building's perimeter wall could be seen on the rubble pile.

The surviving fragments of steel from the Twin Towers, most of them between 10 and 30 feet in length, and the larger remaining steel sections from Building 7, were essential to any serious investigation of the collapses. These catastrophic failures were at least as deserving of careful study as other rare events that are studied intensively, such as the aviation disasters investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Normally, great care is taken in preserving the evidence from structural failures and crime scenes.

No such effort was made to preserve the evidence of the unprecedented and unexplained collapses of skyscrapers WTC 1, WTC 2, and Building 7 in lower Manhattan -- easily the three largest and least understood structural failures in World history. Indeed the evidence was destroyed with remarkable speed and efficiency.

SUPPER STRUCTURE

Twin 3,650-hp MTU 4000 V16 diesels, which Bassani claims will give the boat a 45-knot top speed and around a 40-knot cruise speed. Go for these, and you’ll also save about $8 million on the asking price (which is $16.55 million when the yacht is equipped with twin diesels, $24.83 million as tested, with triple gas turbines).

The 118 WallyPower is a high performance superyacht integrating technology with design, resulting with unique and marked characteristics like the vertical bow, the air inlets, and the deck superstructure.

Reduced: 47% of original size [ 540 x 360 ] - Click to view full image

The technical solutions contribute to the yacht appeal, like the shape of the bow that allows for a 50 per cent reduction of the vertical acceleration, and the superstructure design that features flat surfaces in order to be transparent.

Reduced: 47% of original size [ 540 x 360 ] - Click to view full image

The yacht features all the spacious comforts of a mega yacht together with the nautical characteristics of coast-guard boat: while remaining comfortable on board, guests are capable of cruising at 60 knots not only in flat seas but also in rough waters.

Reduced: 47% of original size [ 540 x 360 ] - Click to view full image

The tender garage in the bow is exposed when a triangular section of the foredeck lifts on three hydraulic rams revealing a storage compartment for a Zodiac, scuba gear ,fishing supplies and all the other water toys you can imagine.

The saloon is designed with the same relaxed life of the cockpit; the drop-down bulwarks increase the view from inside. The teak planes are covered with cushions to serve as sofas, while the spaces between the teak planes contain various functions such as additional seating, tables, storage and technology. The teak soles are a continuation of the deck teak enhancing the inside-outside living concept of the yacht.

Reduced: 47% of original size [ 540 x 360 ] - Click to view full image

The spacious galley encloses the crew mess with 15? plasma screen. The galley is equipped with professional oven and stove, as well as plenty of fridges

The forward deck of the yacht features the cockpit with a large pop-up bimini roof and tables accompanied by sliding seats. This system provides the opportunity to modify the layout according to various situations and requirements, from dining to sun-bathing or a casual living area.

The motorized aft sliding gangway just off the poop deck serves as a very large passerelle (dock or diving platform at water level) when completely extended, and as swimming ladder when folded.Watching it extend or retract is mesmerizing.

The superstructure is elegantly built in strong and light weight carbon fiber and PVC foam covered with laminated glass.
The hull is carbon; the passarelle is carbon. Even the bath fixtures are carbon composites.

Just about the only major surface that is not carbon fiber is the decking.Both for its unmatched beauty and longevity in the marine world traditional teakwood was the choice.

The superstructure is made of a carbon frame to which the glass panels are glued. The glass is composed of Lexan and a triple laminate of glass.

The deck, cockpit, navigation, dining and saloon areas have been conceived as one continuous element. Inside the superstructure, the atmosphere if that of a New York style loft. The open space incorporates three areas, from stern to bow: the saloon, the dining/seating area, and the navigation cockpit.

The owner?s stateroom is forward, featuring a king size bed. Plenty of storage is provided by the side cabinets. A 20? plasma screen is mounted in the aft bulkhead. The cabin has plenty of natural light coming for the top skylight.

The owner?s double en-suites share the bathtub and shower.

On Incarnation- The Beginning of our True Life- The Soul

===========

To explain why such a process is a little more complicated, we need to go back to the beginning of the progress of the un-individualized soul, and once we have the understanding of this process correctly, we can better understand the process required for the soul that has undergone the re-incarnation.

At the instant our Father desires or intends for something to exist, the thing He desires comes into existence. Of those things, our soul, and by the soul I mean the complete soul consisting of the two “halves”, came into existence in the same manner. This is why Jesus said in the first century, “before Abraham was, I am,” which meant that before the man Abraham existed in the flesh, Jesus existed as a soul. Of course, this not only applies to Jesus himself, but also all of those souls created, including yourself, since we were all created at the instant of God’s intention.

But we existed in an un-individualized form, meaning that we were not at the time conscious of our own existence or individuality. At this time, the soul could be said to have an “instinct”, and many God determined actions are included within its instinct, the primary action being to find a spirit and mortal body into which to incarnate to become an individualized form. There are many other actions of course, including the feeling within the soul that it must answer the questions of life, such as “Why am I here,” “Where am I going,” “What is my purpose,” and similar questions which we all want to answer if we stay close to our feelings during our life.

Each soul could be considered in human terms to have a genetic imprint,
which comes directly from our parent, our Father and Mother, who is our God and Creator. At the time of human conception, when the egg and sperm cells combine, the genetic imprint of two further bodies begins, the body of the material, which man classifies as the DNA structure of the material body, and the body of the spiritual, which man cannot classify currently, but which also has a genetic blueprint which could be considered to be similar to the material body.

I cannot at this time discuss the intricacies of this process, since,
besides being very difficult for most to understand, it is not the point of my discussion. At a later time, these matters will be discussed with the medical fraternity, and I expect that their understanding of many medical and psychological procedures will deepen, with the resultant change to many medical practices currently used generally.

Now half of the soul incarnates into the body prepared. For the purposes of our discussion I shall still refer to it as the “soul”, but the reader needs to consider that it is the half of the soul that I am now referring to. The “first half” of the soul may incarnate into any material body in the earth plane, and this process is generally a random choice, in a similar nature to the randomness of a sperm finding and impregnating the egg in the process of reproduction. The second “half”, since it has an affinity to the first half, often remains in close proximity to the first half that has become incarnated, and in almost all cases, will incarnate into a body where it has a high likelihood of finding its soul mate during its existence on the
earth. This is a provision of our Father’s Love.

So the soul (remember the half of the soul), which is the real man or woman, has gained individuality, and, if left to a proper natural course, will continue its cycle of growth while contained with the spiritual and mortal bodies.

The first body that the soul becomes aware of is its mortal body. Once the brain of that body is able to adjust to its surroundings, awareness comes to the soul and that soul sees in a mirror a person, which it believes defines its existence. So, the soul which did not have an individuality, now has an individuality, and has a consciousness of the same, and believes that the person in the mirror, that others see, is the complete definition of who it is.

Now, many “souls” will go through their entire material existence without being conscious of any other part of themselves, and by this I mean that they are not really conscious that they also have a spiritual body, and a soul, which are both attached to the material body while it remains alive. Also, the soul often thinks of its material body as the “real person”, since it may not be conscious of these other concurrent parallel existences of itself.

As time progresses, the mind of the spirit body, through the exercise of the brain of the material body, may begin to become aware of “spiritual things”, which cannot be explained using a material analysis of the universe in which it “appears” to exist, although, I must say, is definitely supported by a scientifically open examination the material universe. This process is often accompanied by a “realization” of the existence of a higher being, which it now refers to as the “God” of which its conception may be correct or in error, depending on the information supplied by other “souls” within the material world.

Also, this same soul, while exercising its mind and brain, may become more aware of the spiritual body in which it is encased. And, in doing this, it may even come to understand the different areas where different types of information are being process while it is having the experience within the material world. Of course, if this process does not occur while the soul is attached to the material existence, it may occur during its existence while it is attached to its spiritual existence.

While the soul has the material experience, although it may not be aware of the fact, it is concurrently having a spiritual experience, and a soul experience. All it needs is an awareness to occur before it can really live a complete experience, and this is the fact whether it is in a material or spiritual world.

So, to summarize, the soul, before incarnation, is not personally aware of its own existence, or of its own “personality”. When it incarnates, during the process of living, it gains awareness, and now has individuality. Please understand that I am loosely using the term “process of living”, since some material bodies perish while in their mother’s womb, either by miscarriage, or by a miscarriage of Love through abortion, but they nevertheless are souls with individualization.

Large wooden home in Vietnam

Large wooden home in Vietnam One's first house At home due to be built all the way wood is Don's expensive and to Vietnam are made in Nghi Phu, Vinh city-Nghe An, attracting not only people of Nghe An province where many people other to see Who is shocking, strange lùng before a house in a two this is not. Minister Le Doan Hop VHTT also have to place to see the architecture of this house. Owner of it is Cuong Tran - nickname is "Cuong Tho. Works with a two Home is located on the campus nearly 4000 m2, surrounded barrier wall is solidified over 3 m high, built very elaborately, OP to 5 rock types. Mount lợp barrier wall with the glaze tile eel waves as giant dragons blockade lấy campus. A mason told us: Each member lợp on the tile wall barriers cost of 2500, the total cost to build barrier walls fresh nghẹt 2 billion. This is certainly a record in the construction barrier wall. Record is the next tree is written uom inside barrier wall. I have to count all the trees found several dozen written to two people not embracing Xue, price per tree from 50 to 100 million, told the owner to buy in many places, transportation of uom available, as will be done in house in campus, to create a harmonious space with the house. More stupid than when you walk on campus in the air before labor by hundreds of people are rampant construction of such a large school. Break your eyes I'm home timber giant 8 sleeps on roof area of 400m2 with 46 wooden columns high cloves 6 to 8 m with round Vanh 1.2 - 1.4 m. Eight corner mái dispose as curved roof home village is đắp the cloud and dragon nụ cerulean eyes very start. Roofs overlap tube sound ways of enamel paint nhẵn light dust grains are not clickable! 46 Except for round timber columns, left everything to the wood for the glue, away from home ... sculpt all the flower pictures are very sophisticated. Besides the record of area in a house to 400m2, the house also has the largest record is the timber. Every woodworker wings as revealing that the number of timber owner used to house convention about 500m3 cloves into wood gas. He made you do the job with us to calculate: to have wood products that housing must exploit to 5 ha of forest wood raw cloves of 500 years old. Behind the house is the house building, wooden columns also a way ancient area of several hundred square meters. Heard this will be in place by ... cannot. Connecting the two houses is a coffee shop to be made of wood is also a way of not. This is the house in wood largest, most expensive Vietnam, what should you make any shady ran as a "the metamorphosis", a "Forbidden City", a "from and" Greek "... through with it also reflects the level of due process .. "Superman" Cuong Tran Top woodworker Nam Dinh are engraved state Born in 1964, is the second son of Mr. Tran Tho, a Vietnamese doctors treat the famous and rich in Nghe An. People Nghi Phu said his children are very Thọ "blood" business and see all the rich, in which Tran Cuong as "superman". Tran Cuong each of the team. Between decade of the 80 centuries ago, he moved to work in the company agricultural materials Vinh city. Implementation guidelines on capital in business, he is married Lan Anh rental business in building materials. Those with the company he said that, walking it, Mr. Cuong also very hard, the only business you sad English Poland-out, but he always Cuong out to overcome the Laos, where he is very familiar to traders, spent on Vietnam. Mr. Cuong famous for two products in the fields and tamper. The 1990s it was Don Mr. Cuong "sập to" take more than 2 billion, nearly a year of budget xứ Nghệ this city at the time, so he Cuong still not as smooth. Own this, replied that they had called him a "superman". Around 1995, 1996, people see only English Poland business building materials, as Mr. Cuong then was director of Co. Red River. Of business primarily by the company are import, export of timber. People feel like after the break he Cuong buy both wings cloves timber forest resources in your country of Laos. He completely owned timber market cloves Vietnam, and then exported to Taiwan, China. In 2000, he made house 4 storeys in block 7, Le Loi hoành page that the cause of "the university" in Vinh city must of lost my body. Add this more they respect him as "superman". Cuong his life only once risk. It is 2002, he was Police to Hanoi, and must proceed from the suspension, because I smuggling. After that out, nor Co. Red River in his work anymore. Moneybox buy farms in Thanh Chuong district to afforestation, planting fruit trees, purchased some land in Cua Lo beach, Vinh city. In addition, information from the ones of his household Highway: He turns to contribute capital to the Company Phu Nguyen Hai, a private company with big potential in Nghe An are many business fields, including exercise mechanical loading and ore mines. In this company he received only positions Deputy Director. Those households on road Tran Cuong were friendly to him as human work, always confused money and make the vehicles with no one. And in particular have very good health. Every respect be twice as "superman Nghệ land", as more time go to the house this big, people continue to call him a "superman". This is the house he expected short-term construction materials must be unique and expensive houses in his right is not the same house any time. Home instead of subjects? Mr. Chu Huu Dinh, music of Cuong Tran is also designed, directed construction this house for him in person and hire stepchild necessarily a translation, take 100 million to China as samples home. Although to the ancient Chinese as the Dinh Hoa's, te tướng Save gu, and "From the Greek, Forbidden City, but do not form the lot, he eyes the father. Mr. Dinh said that they have the real wood, but actually to have no state, more graphics sculpt that draw directly from a raw material paste into another timber should not be learning anything. Return to water, his father children "having a rice mắm", "with stars such as," as Mr. Dinh said. According to Dinh, wood used to make this house over the one thousand block, the contributions of ten years training. So, sorry do not do houses for hoành page. Mr. Dinh also adds, he advised of the re put money, wisdom to create a 100% of culture to show that not only China or the past to create new projects with long life time that Nghệ land at this time as well as to the neck and completely pure culture. So his son-in-law agreed to ask the wife stands to make. With new ideas that same year, a dozen years later still as new, and he is the design of self in and conduct construction. The process of construction, said of his star, 50 hand carpenter Nam Dinh, dozens of construction workers to do so. He was wrong to do it again, fear not expensive as long as you properly. Who reset, the rest of his days. And he actually did: four architects to design the wall as a campus, for his dismissal because he is not level! Owner with a contractor in time woodworker sculpt 50 The he, for all his work. His strong hand to the children re lo fever wife as hard as any of his wife is the head of people do now. Mr. Dinh still very confident, in the: Children who ask for the parent secure. And he is guiding and making the house is just the stepchild. Mr. Dinh said: "We do house, which is where the houses are long - time - of - Ward as Don's galaxy. He explains: "Long-time - of - Ward is the architecture of Temples, shrines look. We house only sculpt the flowers, birds 4 spring - summer - to - east. This is the scenic beauty and close to people. He just go and will see. " I acknowledge by him. He only hands say: "to have more graphics in 8 corners of the roof is the symbol of the mushroom cloud and dragon." He emphasized: "May the dragon and the dragon, not nhé!". Finally, he concluded: "We want to give a life of eternal culture, unique and a work by Vietnam not reproduce what the architecture of China ...". Asked about the amount of construction, lightweight features of his: "Some three dozen billion, how much is where. The most expensive wood, the wood is we already have it. Other materials is not their country lack. " Great house this is the 100% culture or do not need the expert assessment. Scatter but we saw this house in the Vietnamese workers who work a reality. But as Mr. Cuong home in to, so expensive, how in the end, when Mr. Cuong only 3 people (husband and she his daughter). Play started, here are a couple houses fathers put up money as dowry for her daughter after this unique?
Vietnamese > English swap Translate

The structure of the cave in "The Myth of the Cave". what's the symbolic meaning of the different elements?

the cave is
A. a symbol of ignorance hence the darkness.
may also represent safety to some degree.
also our primative beginings.

B. prisoners are "kept in the dark" this represents forced ignorance.

C.the fire is an artificial light that creates distorted images.light represents ultimate or pure knowledge there fore fire would be mans conceived knowledge tainted and disformed by his own fears ,ignorance and personal agenda.

D. in this "light"the puppet master reveals a distorted version of reality to his captives. a comfortable version that does, nt mess with the puppet masters agenda.

E.hands are tied .feet are bound.symbolizing the helplessness of the prisoners to break free.
and or the fact that the bonds are composed of the misplaced trust they have of their captors.

i have more info at this site if you wish to see it.

peace><>

MEDIA AS LIFE WORLD

I. MEDIA AS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

When speaking or writing about media we still tend to think in terms of channels to which sender and receiver are connected, a temptingly simple but inadequate definition. Current media theory proposes the "Gutenberg Galaxy" has run its course,that the electronic media itself has become the "message" and its forms are to be understood as "extensions of man"¹ Following Marshall McLuhan and considering the stunning developments of the "new media" theorists such as Neil Postman, media is analyzed not only as a metaphor and representation of knowledge, but as an activity, one shaping our social envoirment and subject to media ecology.² This shift in understanding necessitates a fundamental change in our relation to media, and in our thinking. Yet although the distinctions between reality and imagination, truth and fantasy seem to vanish, and the acceptance of media as an authentic lifeworld the next step, media theory is still reluctant to face this consequence. Signification, representation, the ideology of an independent reality as the measure of truth — these are compelling and long-held presuppositions not easily cast aside.

A phenomenological view, however, allows us to skip over the question of whether the world of new media is real or not and instead describe how the new media shows itself to us. We then become aware of the seductive intensity, the speedy flow, and the open audio-visual textuality with which music videos, for example, "blur previously distinct separations and boundaries, such as those between popular and avant©garde art, between different genres and artistic modes, between past,present and future".³ Artistic media have long been considered as possessing a reality of their own, and the artist's work is often viewed as autobiography. In the new media of cinema⁴ the trend toward self-potrayal is perhaps most obvious. Phenomenologically, such 'writing' of one's life in media reveals its structure as an in-between which is neither subjective nor objective. It fulfills an intentionality which transforms 'objective' material and 'subjective' goals into a living process. A lifeworld is commonly "lived through"⁵ silently, the need to acknowledge is largely unfelt; in the case of mass media however only we can be held responsible for its superficiality. The model of nature with its self-evident presence is replaced by the model of technology which has to constantly give evidence and defend its presence anew.

In the technological age we can not simply live our lives, we have to write — and rewrite — them, or others will do it for us. Having been changed into this autobiographical 'writing', communication can now be defined as authentic, as a responsible style of media. The difference between the "life lived through" and the world of media is still a sharp one in terms of perception, as Maurice Merleau-Ponty indicates,⁶ but is an abstraction in terms of intersubjectivity as the basis of communication. In a lifeworld shaped by technology we consider as humane that for which we as artificial beings can and must take reponsibility.⁷ That society and mass media usually live our lives for us is entirely our own fault and not due to any flaw in the structure of these modes of our existence. We are, by nature, the artificial ones; rejecting our artificiality for a more 'natural' mode of being is a naive denial of our potential as well. Consequently our search need be for the authentic mode of artificiality. The artificial lifeworld created by us in the new media is of itself a fulfillment of humanness — a frightening outlook if one regards American prime time televesion as an example.

II. MUSIC VIDEOS: FROM YOUTH CULTURE TO ARTIFICIAL LIFE

McLuhan's pragmatic children use music videos as their "own comfy space" and as a "radio station for the eyes",⁸ enjoying the pleasure and magic of their youth culture. With the start of 24™hour cable MTV in 1981, music videos became the life style of an entire generation. Dweezil Zapa, the gifted son of a famous father "watches hours of MTV every day",⁹ and he is neither uneducated nor unemployed. MTV alone plays 75-110 clips a week, each with a life span of 9-18 weeks; other channels (Black entertainment Television, to name just one) add to this number. Performers like Michael Jackson and Madonna have attained a personal iconographic power apparent on any street.

In the eyes of one shocked admirer of Plato, the "ambition" of these young people seems to be "to win fame and wealth in imitating the drag queen who makes the music". Professor Bloom denounces music videos for turning life into " a nonstop, comercially prepackaged, masturbational fantasy".¹⁰ And Kuan Hsing Chan, an observer even more knowledgeable in video culture shows deep concern when he writes: "If ecstasy of communication, fascination, desire, schizophrenic corruption of temporality and spatiality, obscenity (of sexuality), collage, quotation, fragmentation and non-unity are the key terms to describe MTV, then we have moved from the question of 'what does it mean' to 'what does it do?'"¹¹

Since music videos are at the core of todays youth culture, such harsh reaction to their seeming corruptive influence is predictable. Every youth culture antagonizes mainstream culture, criticizes the parent generation, and develops its own language and gestures, invents its own style and idols. Undeterred by the intended shock effect of the new and unfamiliar, by the strangeness of certain appearances, a phenomenological approach will continue asking how the phenomenon of music videos shows itself to us, as long as it remains unknown. It should be noted that music videos are appreciated outside the youth culture as well. Station VH-1, for instance, is geared specifically to adult audience. Music television is one of the few media hybrids interactively using other telecommunications media and live events for two-way communication in order to spark imagination and interest of its viewers. These channels are continually re-evaluating and re-defining themselves, and in so doing retain the vitality of the avant-garde.

III. INNOVATIONSIN COMMUNICATION: THE PHENOMENON OF MUSIC VIDEO

Music Videos are made for nearly every single released today and have become a major force in the music market. The leading channel MTV reaches 36 million people. Music videos have influenced, changed, colonized, cannibalized, and merged other types of media. And the viewer has become a collaborator. Music television seeks the constant feedback of its audience, altering its programming accordingly. Music videos seem to be a postmodern response to Richard Wagner's "Gesamtkunstwerk", the attemp to unite the arts in the grand opera. Though music videos are only 'operetta' they should not be underestimated: there is no question that this new medium is here to stay. Michael Jackson's recent 17-minute video "Bad", directed by none other than Martin Scorcese, is a clear indication that music videos are about to break out of their rigid format.

A phenomenological awareness is less interested in the content of the music video — decisive is rather the way it manifests itself. That many music videos represent "male street culture, social rebelliousness, and fantasies of female conquest",¹² and that there is an answer from a "female culture" is not our concern here. Music videos are clearly an integral part of contemporary youth culture and for this reason alone an interesting field of research for both sociologists and semiologists. Nonetheless, our line of questioning will be the inovations in communication which music videos indicate apart from and beyond their role in youth culture, changes in the way we communicate with ourselves and with one another. This development is by no means restricted to music videos. But perhaps most visible in music videos — or perhaps they are simply the most fun to analyze! Their colorful and anarchistic texture, filled with shock images, their visual variety and ability to cut through clutter stimulates a sense of creativity too often missing in the technological life world.

Before we consider the phenomenon of music videos in detail, I would like to stress the point that music videos belong to cinema and its aesthetics. The movement-image is, according to Deleuze, the basic unit of the cinematic discourse. This unit, a totality encompassing time and space not only makes the difference of opposing entities clear, it also allows them to be experienced as separate and distinct yet belonging to the whole. The movement image, as a process, does not destroy the identity of the cinema, of movement and image. In the mode of unity the instant and the whole, immobility and change, self-awareness and a sense of the other are experienced in their discretness as two differing and dialectically joined moments and, precisely through this relation, in their oneness. The cinematic movement-image gives us together and as one unit both the instant (i.e. the smallest perceptual unit of the shot) and the whole (which is our sense of change, flow, and duration).¹³

The music video is grounded in this a-centered unity of the movement-image which allows us a communication in-between. The characteristic modi of such communication are manifest in the music videos and can be understood as creation of a life world in which mediation becomes the reality. Our music video examples will include performance clips as well as concept clips. We shall be viewing two iconographic videos in which the performer is spotlighted: Prince's "You've got the look" and Michael Jackson's "Bad". Both pieces are edited, but you need to see only a few minutes to get the point; the details deserve our attention. In their shortness and compactness music videos reveal a structure often similar to that of a poem. Viewed in its entirety the concept clip "Dear God" from XTC offers a unique opportunity to find out how the problem of theodicy has changed since the time of Leibniz.

Let us now examine music videos within the modern structural perspectives of time, space, matter, language, person, and truth in relation to their postmodern counterparts of presencing, rupture, hyperreality, writing, happening, and exposure.

1. FROM TIME TO PRESENCING
Time in music videos is created by cutting and montage. At first glance, performence clips seem to deal with real time, and concept clips to have more freedom in time disruption.¹⁴ But how do music videos generate a sense of time? The rhythm, the pulsating beat, constitutive of most music videos, defines time. The driving, unrelenting beat, whether of sound and/or the visual beat marked by the rapidity of the image's movement, creates a time without past and future.The " reign of the presence"¹⁵ is obvious and total. Even quotation of the past as Madonna's "Who's that Girl?' is merely material for an overwhelming universal coexistence, a time process of pure moments which could be called presencing.

The power of this presencing in music videos literally wipes out the sense of space. The stage character of the environment makes space appear artificial and interchangeable. The idea of progress which can create space has been abandoned in music videos. The beat, the gestures, the drive may still be rebellious but ultimately go nowhere. Prince's cruising and Michael Jackson's "loose — limbed prowess" demonstrate a stunning formalization of street rap, the art of movement without moving, a flowing with the beat in stillness. XTC's "Dear God" may seem to be narrative in composition and have a beginning and an end, but this impression is contradicted by the video's surrealistic elements. What we have is the presence of a nightmare without end and a narrative continuing on like a broken disk.

2. THE ABSENCE OF SPACE: RUPTURE AND DECENTRALIZATION
A sense of space provides security and helps satisfy our desire to determine our place in the world. Merleau-Ponty points out that space is the distance between the body and the objects which create our own sphere.¹⁶ Emotional distance allows us the experience of being the center. In music videos space is present in absence only, as rupture and decentralization. Immediate access to emotions and images destroys any sense of personal. Behavioral as well as spatial scope have diminshed. The "global village" realizes the end of distance: where barriers have fallen there can be no space. And the ruthless use of even the most expressive symbols has forgotten space. Rupture, experienced through distortion, need not be spectacular, as in heavy metal videos, it can be achieved through subtle changes, all the more effective. The video "Dear God " goes out of tune; this is effected by (a) varying shutter speed, (b) reversing tape direction, and (c) varying playback speed. Relevant to disorientation, Deleuze notes the viewer of cinema is acentered, lacking a fixed point of view. Technical manipulation in music videos and a "floating" viewer together create the rupture of personal space and a spreading out of presence. Temporality has become ever more important, incorporating all that which has formerly the realm of spatiality.

3. THE PERCEIVED WORLD: MATTER AS HYPEREALITY
The slant of distortion is how music videos perceive our being™in-the-world, but this is not a pessimistic view. In fact it reveals a multiperspectivity which gives us more authentic world than the fake narratives of print media and television. The layerings in the beginning of Prince's video create, by superimposition of different perspectives, hyperreality which is according to Merleau-Ponty more real than reality. Out of Michael Jackson's rumble dance on stage of a New York subway platform in which film, music and dance are equally balanced, emerges a coherence in dissonance which is the material side of most music videos. Even "Dear God" is a realistic look-alike, only to turn surrealistic after a few moments.

4. WRITING THE DIFFERENCES OF LANGUAGES
Music videos can be viewed as an example of Jaques Derrida's criticism of our traditional logocentrism with its predominance of the verbal language. The lyrics are composed of jokes and puns, intending to be self ridiculing and confusing. Difference, not identity, is at stake. The equality of verbal, visual, audio, and body language breaks the spell of meaning and reveals the whole of language which is beyond our instrumental grasp. Disconnection, distortion in pitch, and contradiction are on all levels the movens/ stimuli.

Critics have attacked the non-narrative structure of music videos as impotent, unable to create an authentic lifeworld, and as an escape into the abstract. But the fact is that STOP MAKING SENSE creates a life world in its own right experienced and shared by millions who view music videos. Michael Jackson has been accused of "evading reality" and seeking an "occult solution",¹⁷ but his streetwise dialogue is meant to overcome a ghetto reality by stylization. This creates an artificial lifeworld in which communication is split and re-split in an interchange rather than the writing of differences, the play of non-elimination, and changes in perspectives are needed in a lifeworld shaped by the violence of identity.¹⁸

Even the concept videos which have a message do not usually preach it, as we can see in "Dear God"; it is not a straight forward theodicy, but a tricky process of thinking without abstraction.

5. ICONS, PERSONS, AND LIFE HAPPENING
Commonly understood, a person is defined as a certain life history, developing an identity in an intersubjective communication. Perhaps the most startling observation in music videos is that despite the personal iconographic power of the performers, the process of identification is not encouraged. This is not to say that there is no strong business interest in repeating the hero identification attributed to youth culture. The popularity of the "Madonna Style" was notorious and visible through the USA.¹⁹ But there are some significant differences worth noting. Icons such as David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson, attempt to diffuse their role model and obliterate (to some extent) race, sex, and age. Icons celebrate the bad and ugly, scorning the dictates of a traditional aesthetic. Michael Jackson looks very much like a yelling women! Involvement in a peer group becomes non-personal; it is no longer an interpersonal but an interfunctional relation, an interchange of performer, viewer, producer, engineer. Music videos suggest a life as life happening, and the icons offer keys to this lifeworld of music videos much closer to art than to so-called reality, that which we conceive to be reality. Make it happen, let it happen! Without history, without future, without present, only happenings exist.

6. THE EXPOSURE OF TRUTH
The play of the revealed and the unrevealed (and the never to be revealed) is the play of truth as disclosure, according to Heidegger.²⁰ Music videos do not intend to be true, and in their elusive concreteness reveal what a direct approach would miss. When our interpretational models of meaning disappear quite a different view of things open up to us. Music videos expose a lifeworld which already exists but is still hidden from a knowledge which knows too much. Does this mean Michael Jackson is exposing the bad as a fundamental, Prince the ambiguity of appearance, and XTC the absurdity of the human condition? Much too simple. Music videos can not be utilised for meaningful messages. The creative how is the "message". Music videos offer an exciting example of a concrete comprehension and critical thinking of a kind which leads to discovery not meaning. Amazement and wonder are not eliminated from this process, on the contrary, they are "traces"(Derrida) of and toward a world on the horizon of technology.

IV. CONCLUSIONS

Should mankind live to see its future (which is not very likely) music videos can be considered as the first hints of a lifeworld shaped by the conditions of a fully developed technology. We pride ourselves on our state-of-art technologies, blind to the actual primitiveness of these advancements. Present technology is still in its earliest development stages. The high technology of coming generations is a self-evident life technology functioning as naturally and imperceptibly as the techniques of breathing and walking. Outwardly this technological world organized by a computer society, urban living, automated production, genetically engineered organisms, etc. will appear much more the same as our world today. But the human attitude will be totally different. That which compells us to live in unrecognition, as instruments, that which makes our life inhuman, can by the same token develop our authentic human potential, given the opertunity to enfold within a non-instrumental manner of living. Human beings will be considered — as were the ancient greeks — to be able to assume responsibility for their "bios" and act free as artists, whatever their work may actually be. This life would be a truely artificial life and the fulfillment of humanity. This life style will be characterized by a wider range of life techniques which we cannot yet imagine — but it is likely that music videos will expose to us some of the future modes of living. Like Moses, we shall never set foot in that promised land, but music videos, although only an accompanying phenomenon of contemporary life, give us a strobe-light glimpse of a lifeworld already here but not ours.

Notes

• ¹ Marshall McLuhan: îUnderstanding Media. New York : Signet books 1964.
  
• ² Neil Postman: Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Viking Books, 1985.
  
• ³ E.Ann Kaplan: "History, the Historical Spectator and Gender Address", in : Music Television. Journal of Communication Inquiry, Winter 1980(10/1), p.6.
  
• ⁴ This term is used to describe the unity of film, television, music, photography, and video. Cf. Gilles Deleuze: Cinema 1,Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,1986, chap 4.
  
• ⁵ Maurice Merleau-Ponty : Phenomenology of Preception, trans. Colin Smith, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1962.
  
• ⁶ Maurice Merleau-Ponty : "Film and the New Psychology", in:Sense and non-Sense, ed. Dreyfus, Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1964, p.48ff.
  
• ⁷ Carl Mitcham: "Responsibility and Technology: The Expanding Relationship", in: Technology and Resposibility, ed.Paul Durbin,Dordrecht: Reidel, 1987, p. 5-39 ; cf. now: Wolfgang Schirmacher: "Homo Generator: The Challenge of Gene Technology", in the same volume, p. 203-205.
  
• ⁸ Barry Walters: "Like it or Not : MTV Lives", in: The Village Voice, June 2, 1987, p.39.
  
• ⁹ US, March 9, 1987, p.54.
  
• ¹⁰ Allan Bloom: The Closing of the American Mind, New York:Simon & Schuster, 1987.
  
• ¹¹ Kuan-Hsing Cheng: "MTV: The (Dis)Appearance of Postmodern Semiosis, or the Cultural Politics of Resistance", in: Journal of Communication Inquiry, Winter 1986 (10/1), p.66
  
• ¹² Lisa A. Lewis: "Female Address in Music Videos", in: Journal of Communication Inquiry, Winter 1987 (11/1), p.74.
  
• ¹³ Cf. Deleuze : Cinema 1, op. cit.
  
• ¹⁴ Cf. B. Walters: "Like it or Not: MTV lives", op. cit.
  
• ¹⁵ David J. Tetzlaff: "MTV and the Politics of Postmodern Pop", in: Journal of Communication Inquiry, Winter 1986 (10/1), p.83.
  
• ¹⁶ Cf. Merleau-Ponty: "Film and the New Psychology", op. cit.
  
• ¹⁷ Stephan Holden: "The Dark Side of Peter Pan", in: The New YorkTimes, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1987 (Pop View).
  
• ¹⁸ Jaques Derrida: Margins of Philosophy, ed. A. Bass, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1982, p.3f.
  
• ¹⁹ Lewis, op. cit.,p.80.
  
• ²⁰ Martin Heidegger: " The Turning", in: Heidegger: The Question Concerning Technology, trans. William Lovitt, New York: Harper & Row, 1977, p. 36-49.
  

My special thanks to Carol Froehlich, Producer, BMG New York, for her assistance in the selection and editing of music videos discussed in this paper.

What are Structured Settlements?

Historically, personal injury or product liability lawsuits were settled by the exchange of a single lump sum cash payment in return for the release of claim in a lawsuit. Under this arrangement, it was up to the individual and their families to manage the large initial sum and to use it to provide for the victim's medical and income needs over their entire lifetime. Structured settlements laws were created to help reduce the difficulties faced in these types of situations and to help provide the claimant and their families with long-term financial security.

Structured settlement payment agreements are unique in that they focus more on the beneficiary's financial needs and may provide payments for a certain period of time or throughout the injured persons life time. Formally recognized by the U.S. Congress in 1982, structured settlements are voluntary compensation agreements between the injured person and a defendant(s).

Structured settlements enable the beneficiary to receive a series of periodic payments instead of a cash lump sum. Most settlement agreements are entered into privately (e.g., a pre-trial settlement) while others, usually involving minors or persons deemed mentally unfit, may be created by a court order.

Structured settlements are a creative solution in that the payment amounts and the future annuity timetable are completely up to the parties negotiating the structured agreement. Rather than receiving a single lump sum, victims can receive a customized stream of annuity payments. Using structured settlements, annuity payments may be in equal amounts at regular intervals, or they may be paid in periodic lump sums. Larger intermittent payments are sometimes used to provide for anticipated future needs such as funding; a college education, medical equipment replacement (motorized wheelchairs), or planning for retirement. It is important to note however, once the parties have agreed to the structured settlement annuity amounts and timetable, the plaintiff cannot make changes. When unexpected financial emergencies arise individuals may consider selling all or some of their payments for a lump sum of cash. To receive more information please fill out the form on the right.

Properly structuring payment benefits is very important. Most victims and their lawyers know that structured settlements are tax-free to the injured party. There are other factors however that you and your financial advisor should consider. Special tax ramifications on the investment income of the settlement proceeds need to be considered. In some cases, receipt of a large sum can result in loss of public benefits. It is important for the victim that the structured settlement benefits are properly structured so that the principal can be invested, and that the investment income remains tax free to the injured party. Structuring payments properly can also avoid the loss of public benefits. These are all important financial considerations.