Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Government Bailout, Who Benefits Essay Example

Government Bailout, Who Benefits? Essay The banks, on the other hand, that are receiving bailout funds have operating profits, they can borrow low and lend high, but suffer from capital requirement issues, which limits what they can lend. A capital infusion helps meet capital requirements, frees up lending and the banks can make a profit. Auto companies are not similar. Unless the auto companies can build and sell a car or truck at a gross profit(a profit neutral of debt service or taxes) it makes no sense to ball them out. They should be liquidated. The United States has been debating what to do concerning the foreclosure and banking crisis, with the answer being the consideration of a 700 billion dollar bailout. This bailout would benefit the middle class who have enough money and credit to ay a house, but give little benefit to the rich who may already own several houses, nor the lower classes, who are not typically able to afford a house. The current focus seems to be on helping only those middle-class people who made financially foolish decisions. Our nations working poor most likely cannot get access to bank loans, and must resolve on check cashing stores that loan money at over 14 percent interest. These working class and poor most likely do not have enough credit to qualify for a loan, so the bailout to the middle class will give little or no benefit to this specific group. The bailout is for the moderately rich who were careless with the use of their strong credit and ability to borrow cheaply on an almost continuous basis. According to the U. We will write a custom essay sample on Government Bailout, Who Benefits? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Government Bailout, Who Benefits? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Government Bailout, Who Benefits? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer S. Dept of labor, the number of workers In June 2008, among working class, as defined as construction and manufacturing non-farm employment was 21 ,565 thousand workers: retail trade at 1 5,324 thousand workers, leisure and hospitality 13,679 thousand workers (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics). Would such a bailout benefit these workers, when this group includes many who are struggling to simply survive in our society? The U. S. Government may be increasingly controlling of the economy. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, worries about a permanent shift of power and financial responsibility to the federal government. The bailout may simply put more power In an ever smaller number of people. Unlike the auto bailout, this bailout doesnt allow us to keep jobs or generate commerce plus, they were not adversely affected by the economic crisis. After already giving them $25 billion, they are still foreclosing on our homes, charging us loan shark rates on our credit cards, and refusing to loan money to business resulting in more lost Jobs and no commerce whatsoever. The goal of the new bailout Is to free up credit In consumer credit markets mortgages, car loans, student loans, Ana Creole car loans. I en mechanism AT console is interesting $200 billion, in a Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility, and $500 billion to buy Mbps (mortgage backed securities) guaranteed by Fannies Mae and Freddie Mac. The government is buying asset backed securities generated by the now notorious serialization process or structured finance. Academics and journalists argue that the serialization process so dilutes accountability that no one s responsible for taking excessive risks, meaning the borrower, the originator, the bundler, the rating company, the underwriter. So to get people to loan we are going to stimulate the serialization process, reward the serialization process, by buying securities to encourage more borrowers, originators, bundler, and underwriters. The biggest bank involved in the bailout is Citibank. Citreous Inc. Doing business as Cit, is a major American financial services company based in New York City, NY. Citreous was formed from one of the worlds largest mergers in history by imbibing the banking giant Citron and financial conglomerate Travelers Group on April 7, 1998. Citreous Inc. Has the worlds largest financial services network, spanning 107 countries with approximately 12,000 offices worldwide. The company employs approximately 358,000 staff around the world, and holds over 200 million custo mer accounts in more than 100 countries. It is the worlds largest bank by revenues as of 2008. It is a primary dealer in US Treasury securities and its stock has been a component of the DOD Jones Industrial Average since March 17, 1997. In October, Treasury bought $25 billion in preferred stock and warrants, at-the- market and equal to 10% of the value of the preferred. In November, the Treasury bought an addition $20 billion in preferred stock and warrants. The second batch of preferred stock pays an 8% dividend; the first batch pays 5% for five years and 10% thereafter. The new batch restricts dividends on common to $. 1 a share for 3 years without Treasurys consent; the old batch restricted an increase in dividends on common. All the preferred is non-voting. The biggest change comes in the control of executive compensation. The new preferred requires that any compensation plans must be submitted to and approved by the United States Government. The old preferred had open-ended compensation standards and a ban on oversized golden parachutes. Also, a government guarantee on a $306 billion pool of Agitprops mortgage-backed securities in exchange for another $7 billion in preferred, $3 billion bought by the FIDE. As of September 2008 the breakdown of the $555 billion running total of Wall Street aid to date went as follows: The Fed backstopped $30 billion of Bear Stearns risk in its sale to JUMP Chase in March, is loaning $85 billion to Alga in turn for an 80 percent equity stake, opened a $1 50 billion window for banks who could use risky mortgage securities as collateral, and extended the use of its discount window to investments banks who arent supposed to have that privilege, since theyre not regulated by the Fed. The Treasury has pledged to backstop Fannies and Freddie up to $200 billion, created an emergency $40 billion worth of T-bills to be auctioned to spot the Fed some extra cash, and is using a $50 Depression-era emergency fund to support the money market industry (Will the Government Bailout Work? , Naomi Prints, www. Mother]ones. Mom). In November, The federal government dedicated an additional $800 billion to two new loan programs. Bringing its cumulative commitment to financial rescue Annihilates to I Nils sum represents almost 60 percent of the nations estimated gross domestic product. With the size, complexity and originality of these programs its impossible to predict how much they will affect taxpayers. The money has been committed to a wide array of programs, including loans and loan guarantees, asset purchases, equity investments in financial companies, tax breaks for banks, help for struggling homeowners and a currency debilitation fund. Most of the money, about $5. 5 trillion, comes from the Federal Reserve, which as an independent entity does not need congressional approval to lend money to banks or, in unusual and exigent circumstances, to other financial institutions. To stimulate lending, the Fed said it will purchase up to $600 billion in mortgage debt issued or backed by Fannies Mae, Freddie Mac and government housing agencies. It also will lend up to $200 billion to holders of securities backed by consumer and small-business loans. All but $20 billion of that $800 billion represents ewe commitments, a Fed spokeswoman said. About $1. 1 trillion of the $8. 5 trillion is coming from the Treasury Department, including $700 billion approved by Congress in dramatic fashion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The goal of which is to restore liquidity and stability to the financial system of the United States. The rest of the commitments are coming from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.. And the Federal Housing Administration. Only about $3. 2 trillion of the $8. 5 trillion has been tapped so far, according to Bloomberg. And, some of it might never be. So, many ask, where is the money going? Most of the money is going into loans or loan guarantees, asset purchases or stock investments on which the government could see some return. If the economy were to miraculously recover, the taxpayer could make money. Thats not my best guess or even a likely scenario, but its not inconceivable, says Nail Shape, a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The risk/reward ratio for taxpayers varies greatly from program to program. For example, the first deal the government made when it bailed out insurance giant Alga had little risk and a lot of potential upside for taxpayers, Sh ape aid. Then it turned out the situation (at GIG) was worse than realized, and the terms were so brutal (to GIG) that we had to renegotiate. Now we have given them a lot more credit on more generous terms. Shape says the worst deal for taxpayers could be the Citreous deal. The government agreed to buy an additional $20 billion in preferred stock and absorb up to $249 billion in losses on troubled assets owned by Cit. Its hard to say how much the overall rescue attempt will add to the annual deficit or the national debt because the government accounts for each program differently states Shape. If the Treasury borrows money to finance a program, that money adds to the federal debt and must eventually be paid off, with interest, says Diane Limit Rogers, chief economist with the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan group that aims to eliminate federal deficits. A deficit arises when the governments expenditures exceed its revenues in a particular year. Some estimate that the federal deficit will exceed $1 trillion this fiscal year as a result of the economic slowdown and efforts to revive it. The Feeds activities to shore up the financial system do not show up directly on the federal budget, although teeny can nave an Impact.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Issues and Controversies Journalists Face

Issues and Controversies Journalists Face Theres never been a more tumultuous time in the news business. Newspapers are drastically downsizing and facing bankruptcy or the prospect of going out of business entirely. Web journalism is on the rise and taking many forms, but there are real questions about whether it can really replace newspapers. Press freedom, meanwhile, continues to be nonexistent or under threat in many countries around the world. There are also ongoing controversies about issues such as journalistic objectivity and fairness. It seems like a tangled mess at times, but there are many factors involved that well examine in detail. Print Journalism in Peril Newspapers are in trouble. Circulation is dropping, ad revenue is shrinking, and the industry has experienced an unprecedented wave of layoffs and cutbacks. So what does the future hold? While some people will argue that newspapers are dead or dying, many traditional outlets are indeed adapting to the new digital world. Most offer all of their content online, either via paid subscriptions or for free. This is also true for TV and radio media outlets. Though it seemed at first as if modern technology would win out over tradition, the tide seems to be finding a balance. For example, local papers are discovering new ways to localize a story to attract readers interested in a smaller piece of the bigger picture. The Rise of Web Journalism With the decline of newspapers, web journalism seems to be the future of the news business. But what exactly do we mean by web journalism? And can it really replace newspapers? In general terms, web journalism includes bloggers, citizen journalists, hyper-local news sites, and even websites for print papers. The internet certainly opened up the world for more people to write whatever they want, but that doesnt mean all of these sources have the same credibility. Bloggers, for instance, tend to focus on a niche topic, as do citizen journalists. Because some of these writers do not have training in or necessarily care about the ethics of journalism, their personal bias can come across in what they write. This is not what we consider journalism per se. Journalists are concerned with the facts,  getting to the heart of the story, and have their own on-the-job lingo. Digging for answers and telling them in objective ways has long been a goal of professional reporters. Indeed, many of these professionals have found an outlet in the online world, which makes it tricky for news consumers. Some bloggers and citizen journalists are unbiased and produce great news reports. Likewise, some professional journalists are not objective and lean one way or another on political and social issues. This burgeoning online outlet has created all types on either side. This is the larger dilemma because it is now up to readers to decide what is credible and what is not. Press Freedoms and Reporters Rights In the United States, the press enjoys a great deal of freedom to report critically and objectively on the important issues of the day. This freedom of the press is granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In much of the world, press freedom is either limited or virtually nonexistent. Reporters are often thrown in jail, beaten, or even killed just for doing their jobs. Even in the U.S. and other free-press countries, journalists face ethical dilemmas about confidential sources, disclosing information, and cooperating with law enforcement. All of these things are of great concern and debate to professional journalism. However, it  is unlikely to be anything that resolves itself in the near future. Bias, Balance, and an Objective Press Is the press objective? Which news outlet is really fair and balanced, and what does that actually mean? How can reporters set aside their biases and really report the truth? These are some of the biggest questions of modern journalism. Newspapers, cable television news, and radio broadcasts have all come under fire for reporting stories with a bias. This is especially true in political reporting, but even some stories that should not be politicized fall victim to it. A perfect example can be found on cable news. You can watch the same story on two networks and get two completely different perspectives. The political divide has indeed swept into journalism - in print, on air, and online. Thankfully, a number of reporters and outlets have kept their bias in check and continue to tell the story in a fair and balanced manner.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

An Argument about Animal Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Argument about Animal Right - Essay Example So, are vegetarians justified when they underpin the necessity of respect to animal rights? This paper attempts to fathom to what extent these vegetarians can be convincing by summarizing the reasons for which different people eat what they eat and continue to believe in what they believe in this context. Above all, the study seeks to confirm whether animals have their distinct rights as some authors claim. First is Fraser (2000) who says that she decided to become a vegetarian for two simple reasons that: (1) she was broke and (2) she was not and had never thought to become a lesbian. Unlike Walker’s (2004) deep conviction that killing and eating animals is predatory, and too, that it is concrete obstruction of animals’ rights of being, Fraser (2000) portrays that to her, avoiding meat and meat products was self betrayal. Fraser’s (2000) vegetarianism in the first place was volatile and induced to counter particular personal problems. But, as Fraser (2000) argue s, later she became convinced that a human being ought to do what his or her mind thinks safe. At first, Fraser felt no pity for animals as expressed by her retreat to using meat and meat products. However, later, Fraser (2000) sometimes felt that using animals thus was unjustified especially on ‘animals’ part’. ... Singer argues that human beings are ruled and guided by their conscience. Singer (68) and Fraser suggest that if one feels haunted by the mere idea of killing animals in any way, then it will simply be safe to avoid both the act of killing and eating whatever meat and meat products emanating from animal killing. Well, there is no way different minds of different vegetarians could possibly be mistaken for thinking along a similar line of argument. Walker (2004) goes even further to put her shoes in those of a chicken being slaughtered. Most religious beliefs make humans super creatures that must control and rule the earth, but according to Walker’s (2004) position, animals have their distinct rights to exist like any other creature from birth to death. Similarly, Masson (13) suggests animals are distinct entities and have their own jurisdiction but they are overpowered by other creatures, human beings. But one may counter this argument. For example, while domestic animals are n aturally highly prone to predation if left on their own, humans provide them with stiff protection. The question is; who pays for this? Animals must then pay in a way. Masson (14) says this is right but it is mandatory that they should be killed and eaten to insinuate payment and tribute to a particular farmer. But this argument may be said to be killing itself. If the farm animals are left to graze in the wild, they are killed by the wild animals. In this sense, they do not kill themselves either way. Foer (2009) challenges the killing behavior of humans as says that humans are extraneous in this context. From collective concerns of Masson (14) for domestic animals as collective pact, Foer (2009) isolates dogs and calls them ‘man’s best

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Integrated Case Assessment PowerPoint Presentation

Integrated Case Assessment - PowerPoint Presentation Example Strategies can be on different fronts and thus makes it important for the individual plans to be analyzed and verified accordingly before they are rolled out. The company should consider outlining strategies for every department within the organization as a means of enhancing efficiency. To this end, priority should be a factor to consider while outlining the individual strategies. Consequently, it is critical to point out that not all strategies can work for the good of the company. The strategies that have been employed by the company have been a success only to some extent. In fact, there is a need to revise the individual strategies so that a working plan can be enhanced. Strategies in the finance, operations, marketing and human resource departments have not been much of a success. Disharmony in the various departments has been experienced to the extent that synergy has been elusive. The strategies employed before in the respective departments did not take into consideration the need for all the departments to function as though they were one. Profitability has been affected to a large extent by the lack of coordination within the various departments. To this end, there has been a need to have the activities of the company work in harmony to ensure that efficiency and profitability are enhanced. To this end, there has been a need to revise the respective strategies for various departments. The department of finance should be strategically placed at a point of reference with respect to the policies that are drafted. Virtually all operations in the company depend on the resources. It is, therefore, critical for the company to include the finance department in every strategy for the purpose of aligning the company’s budget with other operations. In this strategic report, it is my prayer that we continue to position the finance department as a major driving force of the company as

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Design and Entrepreneurship Schools of Strategy - Comparative Analysis Research Paper

Design and Entrepreneurship Schools of Strategy - Comparative Analysis - Research Paper Example Strategy formation is establishing a fit between the strengths and weaknesses of an organization and the opportunities available in its external environment.   Christensen, Andrews, Bower, Hamermesh and Porter (1982) are among the major proponents for the design school strategy The model of strategy formation of the design school is one in which leaders seek to attain a fit between an organization’s internal capabilities and the possibilities external to the organization (i.e., the need to bring together the organization’s internal state with its external expectations). The design school model proponents place primary emphasis on the appraisals of the external and internal situations.   Appraising the external situations is accomplished by uncovering the threats and opportunities in the environment.   Appraising the internal situations is accomplished by revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization (Wang 2008, p. 643). The external environment includ es technological, economic, social and political aspects of a company’s environment and also includes issues of forecasting and scanning.   The design school proponents also consider the role played by managerial values and organizational social responsibility important in the process of strategizing.   Mintzberg et al (1998) provided a diagram detailing the process in the design school. Rumelt (1997), one of the proponents of this school, proposed a framework to evaluate strategy making.   In his framework, a formulated strategy should be consistent in terms of the goals and policies of the organization and must be adaptive to the changes in the organization’s environment. Rauch et al (2004) examined this framework through collected empirical evidence and found that the framework has a positive effect on strategic outcomes. The proponents of the entrepreneurial school focus on the leader and his vision. The central construct of the entrepreneurship school is a vision: a mental representation of strategy created or at least expressed in the head of the leader.

Friday, November 15, 2019

CDMA Technology

CDMA Technology â€Å"CDMA† What CDMA Technology is all about? The first proposals for CDMA cellular networks in the USA and Europe (1978-1980) yielded to alternative projects, which later evolved into the GSM and DAMPS standards. However, in the mid 1990s the 2G standard IS-95 was put forward, resting on a fully spread spectrum/ CDMA platform. At a cosmic pace, networks of this standard (later named cdmaOne) gained wide recognition in America, Asia and the former Soviet Union countries. The great success of IS-95, as well as careful analysis and further experiments, had led to acceptance of the spread spectrum/CDMA philosophy as the basic platform for the major 3G mobile radio specifications: UMTS and cdma2000. Both of them are now in the pre-operational stage and undoubtedly will become the main mobile communication instruments for the next decades. As we know it is all about multiple access, so multiple access is subdivided into: * Contention- Based Techniques * Conflict-free technique. CONTENTION BASED CONTROL: This is not in the scope of this project CONFLICT FREE CONTROL It involves the division of system resources into fixed channels which are than reserved by transmit/receive pairs of communication. This is beneficial for channels which require regular and continuos access to a channel like video and audio. Code Division Multiple Access In CDMA systems, channels are defined by the code not by time or frequency. Spread Spectrum rely on pseudo-random waveforms termed spreading codes to create noise-like transmisision.if users can be given different codes that have low cross-relation properties, channels can be defined by these codes. In CDMA channels are defined by Spreading Codes, eg with the direct sequence CDMA two signals can be defined as: Where a1(t) and a2(t) are spreading codes that define the â€Å"channel† of each user signal thus cross relation between a1(t) and a2(t) dictates the performance of CDMA.[1] Technology behind CDMA CDMA technology is based on the Spread Spectrum communication technique, in the past few years this technology has created a revolution in the wireless communication technology; today the users are using 3-G wireless data services and applications like e-mail, and videos calls etc. that requires fast transmission without any loss of data and quality. [2] Importance of Technology CDMA support all channel sizes (5 MHz, 10 MHz, etc.) provide circuit and packet data rates up to 2 Mbps, incorporate advanced multimedia capabilities, and include a framework for advanced 3G voice services, including voice over packet and circuit data. The interaction between mobiles in the same channel is the distinguishing characteristic of CDMA, CDMA Features and Services http://e-articles.info/e/a/title/CDMA-~-Features-and-services/ The features and faster access of data provided by CDMA technology leads the life of an individual to the ease of that comfort level that they need not to worry about anything in respect to the communication level. Benefits of CDMA Affecting human Life: 1 Primary voice features -. a) Call Forwarding Busy (CFB)/Call Forwarding Busy No Answer (CFNA)/Call Forwarding Busy Unconditional (CFU) CFB, CFNA, and CFU allow a called subscriber to have the system send incoming calls, addressed to the called subscribers directory number, to another directory number (forward-to number), or to the called subscribers designated voice mailbox. b) Conference Calling (CC) CC provides a subscriber with the ability to conduct a multiconnection call, i.e., a simultaneous communication between three or more parties (conferees c) Do Not Disturb (DND) DND prevents a called subscriber from receiving calls. When this feature is active, no incoming calls shall be offered to the subscriber. 2 Short Message Service Features a) Short Message Delivery-Point-to-Point Bearer Service (SMD-PP). SMDPP provides bearer service mechanisms for delivering a short message as a packet of data between two service users, known as short message entities (SMEs). The length of the bearer data may be up to 200 octets. b) Cellular Paging Teleservice (CPT) CPT conveys short textual messages (up to 63 characters) to an SME for display or storage. 3 Data transfer The best data transfer technology it has to offer is the EVDO technology, allowing for a maximum download speed of about 2mb/s (about 700kbps in practice), which is similar to what a DSL line has to offer. EVDO is not available everywhere yet and requires a cell phone that is EVDO ready. 4 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) The main advantage of using CDMA cell phone signals for reference clock purposes is that they work better inside buildings, thus often eliminating the need to mount a GPS antenna outside a building. http://www.allinterview.com/viewpost/165996.html Modulation Technique The modulation technique used in CDMA (specifically in wireless communication in mobile network) is dual-channel QPSK (hybrid phase shift keying (HPSK) or orthogonal complex quadrature phase shift keying (OCQPSK)) The methods used by dual-channel QPSK to Modulate are- Ø Orthogonal spreading Code Ø Scrambling code with Walsh Rotator Ø Pseudorandom codes (Scrambling) Orthogonal spreading Code Spreading transforms each data symbol into multiple data chips. This ratio (number of data chips/symbol) is called the spreading factor (SF). Thus, it increases the signal bandwidth. Data symbols on the I(real, or In-phase data component) and Q(imaginary, or Quadrature-phase data component) branches are combined with the channelization code In downlink it is used to separate different users within one cell, but in the uplink only to separate the different services of one user Generation of channelization code Allocation of code It is showing the root of code tree. It employs the spreading factors 4 through 512, in which 4 to 256 appears in uplink, and SF 512 is added to the SF catalogue in the downlink direction. It also shows how the codes can be allocated. Example: If the code C8,2 is allocated, then from its subtree no codes can be used (i.e. C16,4, C16,5, C32,8). These subtree codes would not be orthogonal with their parent code. Scrambling code with Walsh Rotator How it works? Example: Original data chip divided into its I and Q components (1,1) and a complex scrambling signal (-1,1). When complex scrambling takes place, the phases of these signals are added together (45 ° + 135 ° = 180 °) and the resulting signal constellation is (-1,0). The distance of I and Q from origin represents the power level of the signal. If the original data signal uses equal power levels for control and data channels, then the constellation points will be [(1,1), (-1,1), (1,-1)]. When they are scrambled using a complex scrambling code, the result always lies on either the I or Q axis; that is, mapped into the constellation points (1,0), (0,1), (-1,0), and (0,-1). This means that these phase shifts cannot cause zero crossings Pseudorandom codes (Scrambling) The orthogonal codes can only be used when the signals applying them are time synchronous. So for asynchronous users in the uplink direction if orthogonal spreading codes alone were used in the uplink, then they could easily cancel each other. So to overcome this situation pseudorandom codes are used. In this procedure, the signal, which is spreaded (full bandwidth) with an orthogonal spreading code, is further combined (means XOR) with a pseudorandom scrambling code. This scrambling code is either a long code (a Gold code with a 10-ms period) or a short code [S(2) code] Basic Requirements Hardware Software PLANET EV It is used to designing evaluation of network problems also provides a comprehensive set of coverage and interference analyses of different cell sites. Bangarpet%20Coverage%20MEIRP Tems Investigator * It provides view of the network. * It can evaluate the functionality of Call processing and received base station signal quality Tems Deskcat It estimates the performance of the network infrastructure. It can provide a comparison of oue network with the competitors network Antenna Editor It provides a view of Horizontal and vertical pattern of antenna. Skills Fault management The fault report must contain enough information so that the management system can make the right analysis and react correctly. Configuration management; Once the number of subscribers increases, new capacity is needed; thus, new equipment must be bought Performance management Ø Traffic levels within the network, both user data and control signalling Ø Verification of the network configuration Ø Resource-access measurements Ø QoS Ø Resource availability Roaming management A roaming agreement is a contract between the home-network operator and the serving-network operator User equipment management This is a feature that allows a network operator to trace the particular subscriber within the network. Software management The main software-management process can contain the following stages: Ø Delivery of software from the vendor Ø Forwarding of the software to network elements or element managers Ø Validation of the software to ensure that it is not corrupted Ø Activation of the software to an executable state ENHANCED SUBSCRIBER AUTHENTICATION ALGORITHM This method utilizes the Authentication and Key Agreement which provides mutual authentication between a base station and mobile terminal with increased key size. Mutual authentication overcomes the problem of false base station attacks, thereby preventing the voice privacy or private identity information of the subscribers from being compromised. The ESA algorithm also dismantles the cryptographic attacks such as reconstruction attack and list attack, thereby enhancing the security of existing CDMA systems. The simulation results also clearly Indicates that ESA based systems consume less power and the error rate is also less when compared with CAVE based system. Thus, the Enhanced Subscriber Authentication algorithm enhances the security of the CDMA systems. Advantages of CDMA 1. No frequency management In CDMA we are not required to use different frequency where as in both TDMA and FDMA the frequency management is always a critical task. Since there is only one channel in CDMA, no frequency management is needed. 2. No Guard Time in CDMA. In TDMA uses the concept of guard time so as to avoid interference between simultaneous users whereas in case of CDMA we are not required to add guard time which result in efficient use of bandwidth. 3. No Hard Handoff As we CDMA is based on code sequence and uses the same frequency, the connection to the new cell site can be made without breaking the connection of the current cell. And it also requires less power, which reduces interference and increases capacity. 4. Use of Rake Receiver In CDMA have rake receiver which is multiple receiver in one which identifies three multi-path signals and combines them to make a very strong signal. Both mobile and cell site use rake receivers. Whereas in case of GSM handsets it picks the first the first signal it gets. No matter what is the strength of signal? 5. Power Adjustment in CDMA- in CDMA handset itself can adjust at which they transmit the signal. This insures that base station is receiving signal at the power which is needed. Both forward and reverse link uses power control techniques. Where as in case of GSM network handset will transmit at the fix setting whatever the distance between handset and base station is. The base station would face extremely strong signal from the nearer and extremely low from the farer device which result in Near-Far Problem. 6. CDMA can have this flexibility with their own service that stores data on the operators database. So if the cell is lost then its contact any other information can be recovered where as in case of GSM if mobile is lost then SIM is also lost. 7. CDMA capacity is around 10-20 times to FDM and approx 4 times to TDMA. 8. More coverage comparatively GSM One of the main advantages of CDMA is that dropped only when the phone is at least twice as far from the base station. 9. CDMA also have better security and higher data and voice transmission quality because of the spread spectrum technology it uses, which has increased resistance to multipath distortion. Disadvantages of CDMA 1. Connection fixed with the Handset- The main problem with CDMA technology that customer faces it that it does not allow to change handset easily because many functionality is embedded in the handset whereas in case if it uses SIM card that identifies a user and stores the information in the handset. The SIM card can be swapped between handsets, which enable to move all the contacts to the new handset with ease. 2. international roaming In case of international roaming handsets with GSM is far better than CDMA handsets because GSM is used in most the markets across the globe. 3. Battery Life- The battery life in case of CDMA is lesser as compared to TDMA because CDMA handsets transmit data all the time but TDMA does not require constant transmission. CDMA is best suited for implementation 1. For Microcell and in-building Systems: CDMA is probably the best system for microcell and in-building systems. The embedded microcell shares the same frequency and has full connectivity with the overlaying macrocell. The capacity of microcell and macrocell is derived and simulated at various traffic distributions. The microcell capacity is 1.03 to 1.12 times the capacity of a regular cell. The capacity of the combined microcell and macrocell is 2.00 to 2.11 times that of a regular cell. The microcell and macrocell performance is also analyzed in terms of RF reliability, soft hand-off factors, and interference and power levels. The macrocell RF reliability will degrade more seriously than that of the microcell. The radio hand-off factors of the microcell are about 11% higher than that of the macrocell. The average required forward traffic channel power of the microcell is about 10% less than that of the macrocell. Microcell engineering guidelines in a commercial CDMA system are als o provided. The results show that embedding the microcell in an existing CDMA network could be a very efficient way to improve hot-spot capacity and dead-spot coverage.[1] 2. For rural area  § CDMA is that dropped only when the phone is at least twice as far from the base station. So it will be profitable in constructing the number of tower where in case of GSM it will be more because its coverage area is less.  § CDMA handsets can also work with anolog signal; we can get at rural areas where digital signals cannot be transmitted. 3. For Dense area CDMA uses spread-spectrum technology and a special coding scheme to allow multiple users to be multiplexed over the same physical channel, coding provides more users for the same amount of available power used in other system. Problems In Implementation of CDMA Ø Spectrum Shortage The major problem faced by CDMA technology is lack of available spectrum and this is hindering their subscriber growth. In India CDMA operators are having problem in allocation of spectrum in 1900 MHz band which is common in other regions. According to B.B. Anand (President for Regulatory Affairs at Reliance Infocomm ) It is of the utmost importance that the 1900 MHz spectrum be allocated to CDMA operators in India to ensure that the region remains part of the international community of roaming wireless subscribers worldwide,[1] In India the band was allocated to Defense Services for their mobile communication usage. However upon the launch of mobile communication services for public, coordination was sought from the Defense department to make the spectrum available for mobile services. The Defense is releasing some spectrum through auction but it is opposed by the GSM operators on the commercial ground for preventing growth of CDMA Ø Low performance in hilly regions- The towers in CDMA interfere with each other and normally they are installed on much shorter towers and because of this CDMA (IS-95 standard) may not perform well in hilly terrains and India has plenty of such region in north region. Ø Near Far effect- In Near Far effect the code transmitted from a transmitter (A) to receiver is interfered by another transmitter (B) which is nearer to the receiver as compared to sender transmitter and this make difficult for identification of the original signals by the receiver .This effect became a major obstacle for successful implementation of CDMA technology. It is very expensive to solve the near far problem in a CDMA system. The precision power control algorithm are used to solve near far problem which consists of open loop power control and closed loop power control and this make a CDMA transreciever very complicated in both hardware and software implementation. Ø Breathing of Base Stations, where coverage area shrinks under load. In CDMA as number of subscribers using a particular sit increases the range of that site goes down. In other words unlike GSM where number of users are finite but in CDMA users are not finite and in more load the voice quality goes down. Design And Implementation of CDMA CDMA basics The CDMA technology works on basic principle of communicating through specific code on available frequency instead of assigning a specific frequency. Since users are specified by code they are able to use same carrier frequency and this eliminates the frequency reuse problem encountered in other technologies. Implementation At Sender site cdma Steps in generation of CDMA signals 1. Analog to Digital Conversion of Voice: CDMA uses Pulse code Modulation (PCM) for converting analog voice or audio to digital signal. This process is also known as digitalization. 2. Voice Compression: CDMA uses a special device VOCODER to do voice compression. They are located at the BSC and in the phone. While talking we give space or pause between words and CDMA takes advantage of these pauses in speech activity by using a variable rate vocoder. There are four data rates at which vocoder compresses the voice signal and they are  ½,  ¼, 1/8 and Full. Vocoder uses its full rate when a person is talking very fast. It uses the 1/8 rate when the person is nearly silent. 3. Encoding and Interleaving: Encoders and interleavers are built into the BTS and the phones. They build redundancy into the signal so that information lost in the transmission can be recovered. CDMA uses convolutional encoding to encode audio signals provided by VOCODERS. Interleaving is used to reduce the effects of burst errors and recovering lost bits. 4. Channelization: The encoded data after encoding and interleaving is again encoded to separate it from other encoded data. After that encoded signals are spreaded over the entire channel. CDMA uses WLASH code to channelize user on the forward or upward link i.e. from BTS to mobile and Pseudorandom noises to channelize user on reverse link or downward link i.e. from mobile to BTS. 5. Converting digital signal to a Radio Frequency (RF) signal. The channelized data from all calls are combined into one signal and then it is converted into radio frequency signal for transmission. A more relevant and self explanatory example is show below of transmission through base station. As explained above each conversation is compressed with a vocoder and the output is doubled by a convolutional encoder that adds redundancy for error checking. The encoded bit are then channelized and all calls are combined and modulated onto a carrier frequency. At Receiver site At receiving site the steps followed are just opposite of sender site 1. Conversion of RF signal to digital signal 2. Despreading the signal 3. Deinterleaving and decoding 4. Voice decompression 5. Digital to analog voice recovery RF signal are converted into digital signal by quantization into bits (chips) by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The output is deschannellized and decoded through a decoder know as Viterbi decoder which corrects the errors using the convolutional code. The output goes to the vocoder for decompression and then to digital-to-analog converter (DAC), which decompresses the bits and turns them back into waveforms (sound). Reference 1. Unknown (14 Oct 2004).CDMA Wireless Community Calls For Harmonized Spectrum Allocation.Available: http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/October2004/8463.htm Last accessed 3 March 2010. 2. Available: http://www.pangolinsms.com/images/cellular-standards/cdma-large.gif Last accessed 30 March 2010. 3. Available: http://www.yourdictionary.com/computer/cdma Last accessed 16 March 2010. 4. Available: http://www.cdmauniversity.com/ProdTech/cdma/training/cdma25/intro/modules.html Last accessed 23 March2010.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Factors that Relate to Student Persistence in a Two-Year Vocational Program at a Community College Essay

Student persistence is one of the many factors that educators try to consider in the goal making students succeed in their education. Schools cater to the academic needs of students and it is the primary role of schools to provide education to children, but nowadays there have been a number of children that have low interest in finishing an education (Smith, 2002). Community colleges are institutions that cater to those children who want to consider taking up a vocational course instead of a bachelor’s degree after graduating from high school. In institutions such as these, there have been a number of studies that shows that students enrolled in this program identified different factors that contribute to their success in the program. The references gathered in this study revealed seven thematic findings with regard to persistence of students enrolled in a community college. These first thematic finding that studies reveal relevant to the success of student enrolled in community colleges is support, this support comes from peers, family members and as well as support from mentors. The second thematic finding is financial support, wherein students saw that being able to be granting a support financially to cater to their education were beneficial for them to continue education. The third thematic findings discusses the different self-variables that contribute to their success, these factors include the determination of a child to succeed and the fear of failing as one of the important factors that made them continue schooling. The fourth thematic finding will discuss all about a student’s background or life experiences that contribute to their persistence in school. The fifth will tackle all about how different techniques that students use in coping with school are beneficial to their stay at school. The sixth will look into how students say that behaving in a professionally during their stay at school became beneficial for their success at school. The seventh and the last will dwell into the different challenges that students face in school, such as stress, as a major barrier in their success at school. All of these will be given corresponding analysis, discussion and interpretation as regard to their contribution to the success of students enrolled in community colleges. Thematic Finding 1: Support It has been well known that one of the factors that contribute to student success is the support which students get from educators as well as from their peers. Studies reveal that all participants believed that the support that they have received from mentors, peers and family members played a big role towards their success in school. Support from people surrounding a student is notably a factor to consider in ensuring success of a child at school. The first support that would surely boost student confidence in continuing their education comes from their own mentors. This is said to be true because if mentors or educators are providing support to their students, they would be able to have a sense of encouragement, and this encouragement boosts their determination and therefore makes the student persist school (Hu & Ma, 2010). This kind of mentor-student support is viewed as a counseling support, wherein this kind of support is seen to be beneficial for student to persist school (Fralick, n.d). This type of support has been supported by mentors or educators as beneficial for student’s persistence in school. Aside from support that student’s get from educators it is also seen that peer support plays a big role in the persistence of students at school. The role that the peers of an individual play a big role is seen not only in the education of an individual but as well as in their own lives. This is why studies have shown how beneficial peer support plays in assisting a student not only in academics as well as personal matters (Quimbita, 1991). Peer support is also seen as a major factor that contribute to the persistence of a child at school because of the fact that students get to share the learning experience with their peers in other words, they experience shared learning (Holzer & Nightingale, 2009). It is here that peer support is indeed a major factor that would contribute to the persistence of a learner. Aside from mentors and peers, the one and most special source of support would come from family members. Different studies have revealed that the support coming from parents and other family members have been beneficial for student success (Holzer & Nightingale, 2009). It is in this kind of support that students would see that the people play a big part in their lives are supporting them, this kind of support provides encouragement, and this is what students take in order for them to succeed in school. The support that learners gain from these different types of groups evidently brings out one thing that is so important in one’s success at school, and that is encouragement that brings about determination. In analyzing the role of support in student persistence at school, it could be clearly seen that the one factor that students get from these support is encouragement. This encouragement from supports such as educators, peers and family members makes students determined to succeed academically because they know that people believe in them, this alone is big factor to consider in ensuring student persistence at school. Comments: Thematic Finding 2: Financial Support It is common that students that finish high school would not continue on going to universities and colleges, the primary reason for this is mainly on financial issues. This has been an issue especially among students that belong to poor families (Smith, 2002). Seeing financial issue as a barrier for children to acquire an education, different financial support is now granted to learners in order for them to acquire an education (Wan Ko, 2005). Different studies have revealed that majority of the total population of the participants saw financial aid or assistance as one factor that contributed to their success at school. Financial support or aid is said to be beneficial to student’s persistence at school because of the financial support it gives to cater to the different need of the students in the duration of their stay in the school (Wright, 2010). The various financial aids available primarily cater to the financial needs of individuals during their whole stay at school; this is especially beneficial for students that belong to poor families (Hu, 2001). Educators who avail such assistance are provided full financial support, from enrollment to different school related finances, they are provided with all of these things (Wright, 2010). Especially among students that belong to poor families, this kind of support is something that would really help them in their pursuit of obtaining an education (Scrivener, 2008). Financial support is evidently a need amongst students, because of the fact that as years pass, the price of education n also increases and the less fortunate are deprived of an education because of this (Li, et.al, 2008). Such financial support is evidently needed in community colleges, because of the fact that most of the population of students enrolled in community colleges belongs to financially challenged families (Wright, 2010). Some financial aid or services not only provides financial assistance, most services also provide rewards for academically high performing students (Holzer & Nightingale, 2009). The additional perk from financial support makes students motivated to perform well academically (Holzer & Nightingale, 2009). Such rewards are not only provided for financial sake alone, this kind of reward also provides learners with an opportunity to perform well academically (Holzer & Nightingale, 2009). This shows that such financial assistance would not only provide the student with the chance to have an education, but as well as provide motivation to perform well in class. This kind of motivation brought about by financial support allows students to improve their grades, as well as provide enough motivation to bring about a sense of persistence in school. Studies and reports have revealed that indeed financial support plays a big role in student persistence in school. Financial support is seen to be one primary factor in student persistence in school because of how this service caters to the needs of students who are financially troubled and at the same time this service provides learners with an opportunity to do better at school and provide enough motivation for students to persist school

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Even A Clown Can Do It: Cirque du Soleil Recreates Live Entertainment Essay

Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company which was created in 1984 by a group of young street performers. Daniel Gauthier and Guy LaLiberte are the founding Co-Presidents of Cirque du Soleil who self-described the company as a mix of circus arts and street entertainment and reinvent the circus industry from then on. 1. What are the key factors kept by Le Cirque? Which ones are downplayed and which ones were played up? Since Le Cirque is a circus company, it kept existing traditions of the circus such as the circus arts, featuring jugglers, trampolinists, trapeze artists, teeterboard virtuosos and, of course, clowns. Soleil combined elements of dance, circus and opera to keep its artistry, but the proportion of fun and humor in the whole show was decreased. Further, due to the increase of thematic line and the lack of a ringmaster announcing the acts, the individual performers are downplayed. Each of them now acts one of the roles to develop the overall thematic element an d their names are not showed in the cast list. In other words, big name acts have no place in Cirque du Soleil. Soleil keeps tents and concessions. As a traditionally large source of circus revenues which around 20% at the Ringling Brothers& Co. shows, Soleil only gains less than 10% of revenues from it. Compare with earning some of money from selling food and toys during the performance or inside the tent, Soleil preferred the performance-centered ethic of the troupe since the performances and themes are utterly unique. Sponsorships are an important source of revenue for Soleil. Soleil can mention the sponsors in the playbill, advertising and banners around the tent. The last key factor kept by Le Cirque is retaining the show on tour. Soleil plays it up by permanently perform three shows in Las Vegas and Disney World. 2. Which factors were totally eliminated by Le Cirque and what are the operational and financial implications? Soleil changed the multiple show arenas which is known as the three-ring venues for the following reasons. In order to overcome the visual distance from the audience, the clowns paint face garishly and we ar oversized shoes which probably frightening to the small children in a closer distance. Also, this format required more performers for each venue which definitely increase the cost. The aisle concession  sales were totally eliminated for the reason I mentioned above. The most striking differences of the Cirque du Soleil from the traditional circuses are the complete absence of star performers and animal shows. The animal acts are known as the most expensive cost for a show since the animals for circuses are frequently owned by their trainers and only leased to the show. Further, there are the fee for the services of the animals and its trainer, transportation as well as training. 3. Which factors were newly created by Le Cirque, and where do you think the inspiration came from? First of all, combination of traditional circus and street entertainment are the core created by the company. Second, a thematic line and storyline are manifested throughout the show in all kinds of ways. The creative teams at Cirque du Soleil would choose a theme first and then build a show to suit. It is more like an opera in this way and provides a high quality, seamless and fulfilling entertainment experience for audience. Third, by choosing distinctive themes, the com pany can create multiple productions which can enhance the reflux rate of the audience. For example, Cirque du Soleil has the shows named Mystere, La Nouba, Dralion, ‘O’ and Quidam. Four, an artistic original music and dance with ‘magic’ lighting and timing effects bring the audience visually feelings. The inspiration comes from mixing elements from circus, opera, music, dance and theatre as well as quit some aspects from traditional circuses, Laliberte actually reconstructed elements and the form of circus to a sophisticated entertainment. By doing so, Soleil is able to sell the tickets at a higher price to all aged audience instead of discounted tickets to children. It has raising the circus to a new scale and expanded target audience. As the circus historian Fred Pfening asks, â€Å"But is it circus?†(Williamson, 2000) Laliberte, probably, want to do something utterly unique and irrelevant or rather he just hope to help young people to express the ir dreams. 4. How does Cirque du Soleil create superior profits? How does it improve industry growth and generate revenues? How does it raise profitability and reduce its cost structure? Cirque du Soleil create superior profits by reinventing the circus industry and creating an uncontested market space. More professionally, it move from red ocean strategy to blue ocean strategy. Same as the traditional circus, the great majority of revenues for Soleil are form ticket sales. However, it redefied circus industry and target audience as I mentioned above to sell  tickets higher with full face value. It actually make the competition irrelevant. By creating diversified themes and high quality performances, Soleil remains the highest seat occupancy with approximately 85%-95% in the industry. Further, from Exhibit 2 we can see the amount of attendance jumped rapidly to almost 6 million from 1990 to 2000. The themes were also increased from one to six. Soleil creates and captures the new demand of the audience. Sponsorships play a low-key but important role in Soleil’s profits. A main sponsor guarantees a gate to the circus and is able to sell the tickets independently. Besides, three permanent shows hold frequently in the places with large potential customers, such as Las Vegas. Or lando and Disney World. The way of choosing the locations are changed. Obviously, the combination of these tourist cities and the fantastic shows is a creative idea to attract plenty of audience. Therefore, we can see the form Exhibit 1 that the major circus revenues increased rapidly to catch up with Feld Entertainment from 1993 to 2000. The most importantly, Soleil follows the different strategic logic called value innovation. It is the cornerstone of the blue ocean strategy since it break the value-cost trade-off. The definition for it is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost, creating a leap in value for both buyers and the company (Blue Ocean Strategy, 2013). In this case, Soleil pursue the differentiation and lift buyer value by reinvent the industry and create many new factors as I mentioned in question 3. In addition, it eliminated animal acts and star performers to reduce the cost. Unlike the Irving Feld who expends a lot to add trill and danger, Soleil r educed these to save money for company. In conclusion, Cirque de Soleil realized if it wants to be succeed, it must stop compete with each other and to create a new market. According to the four action framework, the company find out the specific changes it should take. By breaking the market boundaries of circus and theater and reconstruct all the elements, Soleil achieved both differentiation and low cost or rather value innovation. It breaks the value-cost trade-off and create new best-practice rules under the blue ocean strategy. In general, it is not circus. It is Soleil. Reference Blue Ocean Strategy (2013). Value innovation. http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/concepts/bos-tools/value-innovation/ Williamson,M. (2000) Even a Clown Can Do It: Cirque du Soleil Recreates Live Entertainment.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Convert Feet to Inches

How to Convert Feet to Inches Feet (ft) and inches (in) are two units of length, most commonly used in the United States. The units are used in schools, daily life, art, and some areas of science and engineering. The feet to inches conversion is useful and important, so heres the formula and examples that show how to convert feet to inches and inches to feet. Feet to Inches Formula This conversion isnt quite as easy as converting between metric units, which are simply factors of 10, but its not difficult. The conversion factor is: 1 foot 12 inches distance in inches (distance in feet) x (12 inches/foot) So, to convert a measurement in feet to inches, all you need to do is multiply the number by 12. This is an exact number, so if youre working with significant figures, it wont limit them. Feet to Inches Example Lets say you measure a room and find it is 12.2 feet across. Find the number in inches. length in inches length in feet x 12length 12.2 ft x 12length 146.4 or 146 inches Converting Inches to Feet Since all you do is multiply by 12 to convert feet to inches, it should make sense to you that all you do to convert inches to feet is divide by 12. The conversion factor is the same: 12 inches 1 foot distance in feet (distance in inches) / (12 inches/foot) Inches to Feet Example You measure your laptop and find the screen is 15.4 inches across. What is this in feet? distance in feet (distance in inches) / (12 inches/foot)distance 15.4 in / 12 in/ftdistance 1.28 feet Important Information for Unit Conversions with Division One of the most common areas of confusion when doing unit conversions involving division concerns unit cancelling. When youre converting inches to feet, you divide by 12 in/ft. This is the same as multiplying by ft/in! Its one of those rules you use when multiplying fractions that a lot of people forget about when dealing with units. When you divide by a fraction, the denominator (part on the bottom) moves to the top, while the numerator (part on the top) moves to the bottom. Thus, the units cancel out to give you the desired answer.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

How Latin American Music Has Developed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How Latin American Music Has Developed - Essay Example The Development Process The actual origins of Latin American music cannot be traced easily, however, various explanations have been put up explaining this. Tiemstra (1992) suggests that one of the major explanations is cultural interactions: people from the European countries moved to America and were later followed by the African slaves. The two traditions together with the American one mixed and came up with an impure culture. Latin American music is a form of art which is associated with countries of Latin America, such as Cuba, and it is usually popular due to its unique rhythmical structures. Slonimsky (1946) explains it is both vocal as well as instrumental and formally derived from African traditional ceremonies. Its main characteristic is the unique rhythm it exhibits when numerous rhythms are played together to produce one exiting rhythm. Traditionally, the music was played using percussion and other string instruments like the timbales, guitar, tres, congas and the bongo (Thompson & Chase, 1947). With developments in the music industry, instruments like guitars were replaced by the piano and other instruments such as trumpets, trombones, woodwinds and the bass to play riffs and also melodies. The exiting rhythm produced in Latin music is normally called â€Å"clave† which has a pattern of 2-3, and it is the basis of all the music of Cuba (Bloomington & In Orrego, 1971). The clave can be said to be a rhythmic pattern that is syncopated which is the revolution point of the band and is normally played using two sticks. In describing the form exhibited by the Latin music Bloomington & In Orrego (1971) say that it is usually played using three main forms. One starts with a long verse of introduction which is then followed by a section known as montuno; here the band plays an instrument called vamp. This instrument is blended appropriately with other instruments such as the mambo in order to build intensity (here the front line members play riffs of the contrasting nature). Finally, the whole choir members shift their focus to the verse, and close their presentation with a coda, which is a way of closing a piece which is precise and predetermined (Tiemstra, 1992). Having described and presented what Latin music is one needs to understand the developments that have taken place in this music. Bloomington & In Orrego (1971) assert that even before the colonial era the people who were involved in this music industry were mainly the Amerindian, Europeans mainly the Iberian, Mestizo as well as Africans. It was a mixed cultured scenario and the music which was played at this time reflected a multi-cultured origin. However, the emergence of the colonial era between the 16th to 19th centuries marked a major transformation in Latin music history. Majority of the people with Amerindian origin were decima ted and many of their traditional musical instruments destroyed together with their Iberians people’s culture (Thompson & Chase, 1947). Currently, there is very little

Friday, November 1, 2019

Research paper about Worlf of Warcraft online Essay

Research paper about Worlf of Warcraft online - Essay Example So when Blizzard announced that they were going to reveal their next project this September, the speculation ran rampant, as usual, as fanboys and industry dorks alike started guessing at the possibilities. STARCRAFT 2? Massively multiplayer DIABLO? A first-person shooter? The answer was finally revealed on September 2 at ECTS in London--and, as usual, everyone was wrong again. Coming next from Blizzard is WORLD ΟF WARCRAFT, a massively multiplayer RPG set in the WARCRAFT universe. And although no one expected this, it is as exciting an announcement as they could have made. Finally, Blizzard is swooping down from that eagle-eye view and letting us play inside one ÃŽ ¿f their fantasy universes. Finally, instead ÃŽ ¿f commanding troops from above, we get to be mighty heroes ourselves, creating cur own personal legends. It is Blizzard most ambitious game to date--and over the next 10 pages, the green-skinned CGW peons are ready to take you on a tour ÃŽ ¿f the now-living kingdom ÃŽ ¿f Azeroth in this exclusive first look, Zug zug! As any serious WARCRAFT geek knows, Blizzard has long had a huge story in place for its flagship universe--but most ÃŽ ¿f that story never appeared in the games themselves. But the WARCRAFT I and II designers were obviously frustrated story-tellers, because they packed the manuals and subsequent novels with details ÃŽ ¿f a deeply thought-out fantasy world (somewhat reminiscent ÃŽ ¿f Raymond Feists great Riftwar Saga) that has just begged for further enrichment. Blizzard tried to build on the story in the never-released WARCRAFT ADVENTURES, and the fact that theyre coming back to it again--this time in an online RPG--just proves the level ÃŽ ¿f their obsession. (Bessià ¨re 530-5) "The simple fact is that WARCRAFT is our flagship gig," said Chris Metzen, longtime Blizzard veteran and "keeper ÃŽ ¿f the arcane flame" ÃŽ ¿f all WARCRAFT continuity. "DIABLO kicks ass, STARCRAFT kicks ass--Im partial to