Property Valuation

Introduction Property evaluation refers to all activities that are aimed at establishing the value of an item which may be a house, land, machine, furniture or vehicle. However, this paper will refer to property as a housing unit for a family. Therefore, this discussion will focus on the considerations of evaluating the value of a house located in the outskirts of New York City (Evett 22).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Property Valuation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main aspects observed during property valuation are income, cost, market value, location and government policies regarding this practice. This paper explores the property evaluation considerations a person must observe before selling or buying a property in the United States. Background Property valuation is an old tradition that was used to determine the market value of commodities. This practice is believed to have been in existence d uring and after barter trade. Money had not yet been invented as a medium of exchange and people exchanged goods and services for other goods and services to enable them to get what they did not produce (Ross 21). This was the best way of getting what people wanted even though it was not a logical approach since it was very difficult to estimate the value of a service or good. Modern societies have different ways of determining the worth of a product through weighing or equating them to other standard ways of measurements. Therefore, it was necessary to know the value of a product or service that matched the value of its alternative product to ensure a person gets the correct value of the product exchanged. Therefore, people used to know how many kilogrammes of flour would be exchanged for a goat. However, there were other serious challenges facing barter trade that led to the introduction of money as a medium and means of exchange of goods and services. Money has simplified all tra nsactions involved in trading activities and mad it easy to determine the value of commodities in the market.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The International Valuation Standards Council is a body that was established in 1981 to develop consistency in the standards used to evaluate the value of goods across international borders. This body ensures local valuation agencies observe ethical and legal issues when evaluating the value of different property. Literature Review Soil Properties: Testing, Measurement, and Evaluation by Jack Evett Jack Evett believes that land is the most important property amongst all others since its value will never depreciate. According to him people should invest their money in real estates and land since these are property that will attract good rates in the coming years. He claims that the United States is facing a huge land crisis due to its huge population and the demand for land to construct houses for settlement and business activities. In addition, food supply is also a challenging issue and most Americans are looking for land in the suburbs to grow natural foods. He argues that other property like vehicles, furniture, and buildings will depreciate in value and this will not generate good profits. However, the demand for land will ensure people struggle to purchase land at whatever cost the seller will be offering. As a result, mortgages will be very expensive to finance, and bank loans will attract huge interest rates. However, he claims that the prices of family houses may remain steady, and their value will not depreciate very fast since they are kept well (Ross 18). Family house owners ensure they repair their houses regularly, and this helps to keep them in good conditions. However, the prices for hiring family houses will escalate due to demand by locals and foreigners to get these houses. The new immigrat ion bill will enable people to migrate to America and get permanent permits that will force them to rent houses. Evett states that the following are some of the most important issues to consider when purchasing a family house. First, the new owner must evaluate the location of the house in light of the future plans adopted by the local authorities. This will help in avoiding inconvenience caused by relocations and uncomfortable neighbourhood. Lastly, he argues that insurance is an important aspect in property valuation due to risks like fire, earthquakes, flooding and other accidents. Assessor Incentives and Property Assessment by Justin Ross Justin Ross is an esteemed property evaluator and has worked in many organisations as a property value assessor and educator in this field. He argues that property evaluation is an old age tradition that changes depending on the needs of the society and the medium of exchange.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Property Valuation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to him modern societies have been transformed by the money economy and everything is now being evaluated against the value of the currency used in that nation. He claims that land and housing units are the main property affected by evaluation and this seems to attract a lot of attention from investors. He creates a dynamic relationship between housing units and land and explains that land is a natural resource that cannot be recycled. He argues that buildings can be repaired or renovated to uplift their faces, and this restores their value. However, land is limited in supply, and this means that its value will continue to rise as demand for tit increases (Ross 77). On the other hand, the value of housing units will be determined by the state of the unit. Old units will fetch low prices while new ones will attract heavy prices. In addition, he notes similarities between these two it ems and explains that their value depends with where they are located, the market trends and the taxation policies imposed on them. This means that a house or land will be expensive if it is located in a prime area (urban areas that have good transport and communication network). On the other hand, those that are located in poorly accessible areas will be cheap even if they will be of the same size and quality as those in the urban areas. Secondly, urban regions are heavily taxed to ensure the local authorities provide all essential services to the population; therefore, all property in this region will be expensive. This means that a region that has high taxation rate will cost more than that with a low one because the tax will be transferred to the consumer. Ross concludes that houses that are old or those located in risky areas have high insurance premiums compared to those that are located in areas that are not prone to risks. Research and Facts The following issues are very imp ortant when considering a house to buy. People must always consult the relevant authorities to get information about their property before purchasing them even if the property will not be resold. People must stay in good houses that provide all services required by the occupants. Therefore, it is important to consider the following issues before investing in a family house.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Insurance Insurance refers to the process of safeguarding a property against damages and risks associated with human activities and natural calamities. Nobody is ever sure of what will happen tomorrow and thus people must insure their property to ensure they avoid suffering losses when the property is destroyed. Property insurance involves visiting insurance companies and signing contracts with them regarding safeguarding a property. The insurance firm must have all the details regarding the house before they agree to enter into a deal with a client. Therefore, they will consult property valuators and other related stakeholders and work with them to establish the actual value of the house. A house that has already been insured will not attract new charges since the firm has most details of that property. However, it is important to evaluate the value of that property to establish the actual condition of the house since this will form the foundation of determining the premium to be p aid to the insurance firms. When an investor is looking for a family house, the insurance premium paid per unit will give clues regarding the risks that the unit is exposed to and this will be an insight into the quality of the house. A high premium rate may be due to the following important aspects. First, a house that has been constructed in the modern way and has the state of the art facilities will attract heavy premiums since its value will be very high due to the materials, fittings and facilities installed in the house. Secondly, a house that is located in a region where there are various risks that may interfere with its quality will attract a high premium rate. This means that houses located near roads, beaches, deserts or forests are prone to natural hazards and thus means that there will be high probabilities of risks occurring. For instance, a house located near a beach is more likely to be destroyed by flooding or tornadoes compared to one that is located in the midland s. Thirdly, houses that are in poor conditions will also attract heavy premiums since they are likely to collapse and require repairs that may cost the owner a lot of money. Property Tax Property tax refers to the money paid to the government by all property owners. People must register their property and pay tax for them to ensure the government is able to plan on how to provide essential services to its citizens. Land and houses attract huge taxes since their value is high compared to that of other property. For that reason, house and land owners must be prepared to pay huge taxes to the government. These taxes are used to provide services like security, water and sewerage, electricity and transport that are very important in all settings. An investor who is willing to buy a house must evaluate the tax levied on it before buying the house since some taxes may be very high and unaffordable by many people. In most urban areas property tax is very high since the government assumes th at urban dwellers are very rich and cannot fail to pay the taxes (Evett 26). In addition, urban centres require frequent services to ensure there is efficiency in disposal of garbage, transport, water and security services. On the other hand, people living in rural areas pay very little property tax since they do not require a lot of these services. An urban area has a huge population, and this means that the people living in it have many demands; therefore, the government must ensure that it collects enough money from them to enable it to provide good services to the population. Sometimes property tax can be higher that renting houses since the government assumes that once an individual has constructed a house there must be security for it whether there is someone living in it or not (Ross 78). Therefore, this makes property tax in urban areas to be very high and keep changing every year. An investor should use the property tax index to determine his ability to finance the house in terms of taxation since this is a mandatory requirement in all nations. Maintenance and Repair A house is a complicated property since it requires frequent maintenance and repair whether an accident occurs or not. This means that the prices of houses depreciate and thus there is the need to repair them to ensure their faces are renovated. However, there are different types of houses that require different repair services and most of these may be determined by the following aspects. First, a new house will require no repair services in the next two or three years after it has been occupied; however, an old one may require periodic repairs since most of the material used to construct it may be getting old and worn out. This means that there will be the need to replace tiles, ceilings, cabinets, floor and windows. In addition, an old house has already been exposed to some elements of nature like sunshine and hailstorms that may require the owner to replace the iron sheets. In addition , a person who has a family and kids that are between 4-12 years should be prepared to conduct regular repair and maintenance since children are very stubborn and may break some items in the house when playing. Moreover, an individual should consider investing in a house that has very few delicate items like glassware since these are easily broken and thus may lead to unnecessary expenses in terms of repairing and maintaining them. However, if it is an office, there is no problem having a glass wall since there are not children to break the glasses. However, it is important to understand that irrespective of the house, children or other risky items associated with houses an individual must conduct regular repair and maintenance services to ensure the house is of high quality and attractive should he decide to sell it ion the future. Rentals Rent is a headache tenants have to grapple with during end months since they constitute a large portion of their expenses. This means that most people especially in the United States pay a lot of money as rent. This figure is even higher that the amount used to buy food. However, since people can not live in the open space, they must rent or buy houses to live in and ensure they are comfortable. It is important to understand and that a good house will cots very expensive compared to an average and a poor one. However, everybody cannot live in good houses since people have other urgent needs like education, loans and school fees; therefore, they cannot use all their money to pay rents. In addition, no one will ever live in the best house in the world since there is no appropriate definition of this term. A house can be good but not affordable, and this does make it the best house (Ross 87). On the other hand, it can be affordable but of poor quality, and this means that people cannot live in it. Therefore, an investor should compare the price of renting a house for a period like 10 years and buying it through the various fin ancing options available. However, the difference between buying and renting houses will be determined by other factors like availability of funds and repayment periods for mortgages. Individuals should consult the relevant house agents, newspapers and websites to find out how much it will cost them to buy or rent houses before they decide to take the best amongst the many options available. The United States has a wide disparity between expensive and cheap houses depending on their locations, standards, age and facilities installed in them. Property Description The description of a property speaks more than any other aspect of property evaluation. Therefore, this should form the cornerstone of the evaluation process since all other aspects like insurance, tax and rent are determined by the description of a property. A property is described in the following ways; first, an individual evaluates the age of a property before deciding whether to buy it or not. A newly constructed house will cost more than an old one even if they are of the same quality. On the other hand, a new house that has been previously occupied even by one tenant will cost different from a newly constructed one. Moreover, the value of houses depreciates as time moves and this means that a 10 year old house will cost more than a 20 year old one. Secondly, the materials used to construct a house will also determine its value and the people who can buy the property. A property constructed from wood, glass and marble will cost more expensive compared to one that is constructed from stones or bricks only. There are other materials that can be used to reinforce the quality of a house and the more expensive these materials cost the more it will cost the investor to buy the house. Utilities The local authorities and engineering and construction boards in the United States must evaluate a property before it is declared for people to live in it. This means that there are regulations that must be obser ved before a person is allowed to contrasts a house to enable the local authority incorporate the property in its plans. Therefore, an individual must seek approval from the local engineering and construction board and the local authority to ensure that he has conformed to all regulation of constructions. This usually begins with consulting architects that will give a client the plan of a region and how services are provided (Evett 109). The client will also see the location of his property and how it interacts with other public utilities like water, sewerage, electricity and roads. These items are very important all constructions since they determine how a house will be accessed from different locations. In addition, they determine the hygienic levels of a property and how wastes will be disposed. Therefore, an investor should evaluate the proximity of a property to the main road, hospital, school, church, urban centre and sports facilities. This will help the home owner to know ho w much it will cost him get these services. In addition, it will help him to plan his routine well and keep time to attend to his duties and that of his family. Secondly, sewage and water network are very important, and an individual must know where he will get water and dispose his waste. An individual must buy a house that has reliable water and electricity supply and has a working drainage system to ensure the person lives in a healthy environment. Income People must not force themselves to buy what their pockets cannot afford since this will affect their budgets and expose them to financial constraints. Even though, people have different plans, and everyone wants to live in a good house this has never been possible all the time because of several reasons. Money speaks louder than words and wishes; therefore, people should learn to live within their incomes. Most Americans earn an average salary that can afford them good houses (Ross 108). However, acquiring these good houses is determined by their prices, location and taxation and thus they should allocate sufficient amount of money to rent or buy houses they can afford. Sometimes financial institutions offer attractive terms to ensure people are encouraged to apply for loans. These loans are very important in providing quick access to property ownership since banks give people enough money according to their plans and financial abilities. However, these offers should not be considered at the expense of other needs of the family like food, education and medical bills. Even though, there are mortgage firms that give people soft long term loans to buy assets like houses, they should every careful not to spend the whole of their working lifetime to pay for a single housing unit. People should not spend more than what they can since this will means that they will be creating unnecessary debts that can lead to repossession of their property. Therefore, it is important for people to purchase or rent houses they can afford to pay without straining their budgets and inconveniencing other needs. It is very illogical to spend 80% of an individual’s salary to pay rent or bank loans, yet there are houses that can be purchased at low costs. In fact, an individual’s income and savings can determine whether the person can rent or buy a house and also give an approximate value of a house the person is capable of buying or renting. The current financial situation cannot allow low income earners to get loans to buy houses since the interest rates on these loans are very high. In addition, the high inflation rate makes people to give food and medical needs first priorities and consider other needs later. Market Values Property owners do not just wake up and decide to fix the value of their property since this would cause a serious crisis on the market. Even though, people use their money to construct, buy or rent houses or land they cannot decide their prices. Property evaluation is simil ar to other business activities that take place within a country or outside its boundaries. Therefore, there are other market factors that will determine the value of a property when all other factors held constant. The most important external factor is the value of a currency in the international market. This means that a currency that has a high value in international trade will means that the economy of that country is very stable. For instance, the value of the United States’ dollar has been fairly stable for a long time, and this means that the value of its property has remained high. On the other hand, when a currency has a low value on the international market the economy of that country will be very poor. Even though, the price of land and buildings will be lower in the latter case people will not be willing to invest in them since there will be no demand for real estates or land. Therefore, people should consider buying a property located in nations that have high cu rrency values like that of the United State since they will be sure that their property will appreciate in value, and they will sell it at a high price. Documentation Documentation is an important part of property ownership since it gives an insight into the legitimacy of a property and the transactions involved. An investor should demand to see the legal documents from the registrar of lands or property to evaluate the legitimacy of that property. Some unscrupulous traders have conned people their money by selling to them property that belong to the government. Most people have been conned into buying land belonging to schools, churches or other public amenities like parks and road. Therefore, it is important to seek to know whether a property belongs to an individual (private) or to the government (public). Secondly, it is important to know that the person whose details appear as the owner of the property is the high physical owner recognised by the government. This means that the individual must produce a land ownership permit (title deed) to prove that he is the owner of a property. Secondly, the house should have all the legal documentation that shows the construction adheres to the standards set by the government and engineering and constructions board. Security It is important to ensure that their property is secured from man made and natural disasters that may interfere with them. This may occur as damages or destruction of the property (Evett 56). However, people must not focus on protection of their property and forget about their health and wellbeing. Therefore, they should focus on protecting their property and ensuring that their health is safeguarded. Assumptions Most people assume that an attractive property is always expensive and forget that the value of a property is determined by many factors. In addition, most house owners believe that their property will appreciate in value after some time and forget that they must repair and maintain the quality of heir property. Moreover, they forget that even if they try to maintain the appearance of their houses their values will depreciate compared to that of land. Lastly, they believe that the government should not tax private property; however, they fail to understand that they need security, roads, and water and sewer services which are offered through the funds obtained from taxes collected from different departments. In addition, some people have always believed that it is very difficult to estimate the value of an old property. However, this belief is false since property evaluators are able to estimate the price of all property based on the procedure and elements observed. Conclusion People have always been fascinated by prices of commodities that are important in their daily lives. Food and fuel costs are daily struggles that make people frustrated or happy depending on their financial impacts on their budgets. However, another nightmare is slowly creeping in the minds o f most Americans as the demand for housing units continues to soar. The United States Immigration Department is creating room for more immigrants that will lead to struggle for the limited houses. Therefore, this will force home owners to raise the prices of their houses, mortgage rates will increase, and financial institutions will raise interest rates on loans. However, these issues will not change overnight since there are some considerations that must be observed before the price of a property is increased or reduced. Works Cited Evett, Jack. Soil Properties: Testing, Measurement, and Evaluation. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print. Ross, Justin. Assessor Incentives and Property Assessment. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print. This term paper on Property Valuation was written and submitted by user Cruz U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Biography of The Pitsburgh Steelers

Biography of The Pitsburgh Steelers Free Online Research Papers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC. Pittsburgh has won more Super Bowl titles (six), won more AFC Championship Games (seven) and hosted more conference championship games (ten) than any other AFC or NFC team. They have played in more AFC conference championship games than any other team and are tied with the Dallas Cowboys with 14 championship game appearances in either the NFC or AFC contests. With the exception of the 1960s which featured only three Super Bowls, the Steelers have appeared in at least one Super Bowl in every decade of the contest. The Steelers won their most recent championship, Super Bowl XLIII, on February 1, 2009. The fifth-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Steelers were founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933, by Art Rooney, taking its original name from the National League baseball team of the same name, as was common practice for NFL teams to do at the time. The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since its founding. The current owner is Arts son, Dan Rooney, who has given much control of the franchise to his son Art Rooney II. The team enjoys a large, widespread fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation and currently play their home games in Heinz Field on Pittsburghs North Side, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Built in 2001, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium which hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons. Prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field. Franchise history The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL first took to the field as the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, 1933, losing 23–2 to the New York Giants. Through the 1930s, the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than .500 (1936).[ Pittsburgh did make history in 1938 by signing Byron White, a future Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to what was at the time the biggest contract in NFL history, but he played only one year with the Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions. Prior to the 1940 season, the Pirates renamed themselves the Steelers. During World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages. They twice merged with other NFL franchises to field a team. During the 1943 season, they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the Phil-Pitt Eagles and were known as the Steagles. This team went 5–4–1. In 1944, they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card-Pitt (or, mockingly, as the Carpets). This team finished 0–10, marking the only winless team in franchise history. The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947, sharing first place in the division at 8–4 with the Philadelphia Eagles. This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field, which the Steelers lost 21–0. That would be Pittsburghs only playoff game for 25 years, though the Steelers did qualify for a Playoff Bowl in 1963 as the second-best team in their conference, though not considered an official playoff. In 1970, the year they moved into Three Rivers Stadium and the year of the AFL-NFL merger, the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of three old-guard NFL teams to switch to the newly-formed American Football Conference (the others being the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts), in order to equalize the number of teams in the two conferences of the newly-merged league. Logo and uniforms The Steelers have used black and gold as their colors since the clubs inception, the lone exception being the 1943 season when they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles and formed the Steagles; the teams colors at that time were green and white as a result of wearing Eagles uniforms. Originally, the team wore solid gold-colored helmets and black jerseys. Unique to Pittsburgh, the Steelers black and gold colors are now shared by all major professional teams in the city, including the Pittsburgh Pirates in baseball and the Pittsburgh Penguins in hockey. However, the Penguins use Vegas Gold, a color similar to metallic gold, and the Pirates gold is a darker mustard yellow-gold, while the Steelers gold is more of a bright canary yellow. Black and gold are also the colors of the citys official flag. (1963–Present) The Steelers logo was introduced in 1962 and is based on the Steelmark, originally designed by Pittsburghs U.S. Steel and now owned by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In fact, it was Cleveland-based Republic Steel that suggested the Steelers adopt the industry logo. It consists of the word Steelers surrounded by three astroids (hypocycloids of four cusps). The original meanings behind the astroids were, Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure, and widens your world. Later, the colors came to represent the ingredients used in the steel-making process: yellow for coal, red for iron ore, and blue for scrap steel. While the formal Steelmark logo contains only the word Steel, the team was given permission to add ers in 1963 after a petition to AISI. The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts its logo on only one side of the helmet (the right side). Longtime field and equipment manager Jack Hart was instructed to do this by Art Rooney as a test to see how the logo appeared on the gold helmets; however, its popularity led the team to leave it that way permanently. A year after introducing the logo, they switched to black helmets to make it stand out more. The current uniform designs were introduced in 1968. The design consists of gold pants and either black jerseys or white jerseys, except for the 1970 and 1971seasons when the Steelers wore white pants with their white jerseys. In 1997, the team switched to rounded numbers on the jersey to match the number font (Futura Condensed) on the helmets, and a Steelers logo was added to the left side of the jersey. The current third uniform, consisting of a black jersey with gold lettering, white pants with black and gold stripes, and a gold helmet were first used during the Steelers 75th anniversary season in 2007. They were meant to evoke the memory of the 1963–1964 era uniforms. The uniforms were so popular among fans that the Steeler organization decided to keep them and use them as a third option during home games only. In 2008–2009, the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to defeat an opponent three times in a single season using three different uniforms. They defeated the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh in Week 4 in their third jerseys, again Week 15 in Baltimore in their road whites, and a final time in the AFC Championship in Pittsburgh in their home black jerseys. Rivals The Pittsburgh Steelers have three primary rivals, all within their division: (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals). They also have rivalries with other teams that arose from post-season battles in the past, most notably the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys. They also have an intrastate rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles, but under the current scheduling rules the teams only play each other once every four years. Divisional rivals 1.The Cleveland Browns and the Steelers have been divisional rivals since the two cities teams began playing against each other in 1950. After posting a 9–31 record in first 40 games of the series between the two cities, the Steelers recently took over the all-time series lead for the first time ever (60–56); partly due to their dominance over the post-1999, Cleveland Browns (or New Browns) franchise and won the last twelve straight before the Browns snapped their losing skid against them by beating them 13–6 on December 10, 2009. Additionally, the Browns lost 16 straight years in Pittsburgh from 1970–1985 and posted an abysmal 5–24 record at Three Rivers Stadium overall. Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher coached the Browns special teams and secondary before following Marty Schottenheimer for a brief tenure as Kansas City Defensive Coordinator, and then hired by Pittsburgh. This has only intensified the rivalry. 2.The Baltimore Ravens and the Steelers have had several memorable match-ups and have a bitter divisional rivalry. Both teams handed the other their first losses at their current home fields. The Steelers won the inaugural game played at Baltimores MT Bank Stadium in 1998, 20–13, and three years later the Ravens handed the Steelers their first-ever loss at Heinz Field, 13–10. Later that season (2001) Pittsburgh won a divisional playoff game 27–10 against Baltimore, who was the defending Super Bowl champion. During their NFL championship season in 2000, the Ravens defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 16–0, in the season opener with the Steelers later exacting revenge, 9–6, in Baltimore (the Ravens final loss of the season). During the Steelers 2008 Championship run, they beat the Ravens three times, including a win in the AFC Championship game. The Steelers lead the series (begun in 1996), 16–10. The two teams complement each other by consiste ntly fielding strong defenses in their division. The Steelers-Ravens Rivalry really began when Art Modell moved the his Franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. The Steelers saw the Ravens as Modells team, which was reason enough to want to beat them. The Steelers also looked at Modells move of his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore as taking away the Steelers longest and deepest rivalry away. 3.The Cincinnati Bengals rivalry with Pittsburgh dates from the 1970 season, when the NFL-AFL merger was completed. In 1976, the Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive (they later won the division) with a late-season 7–3 win in snowy Cincinnati. One of the most memorable games was the 2005 AFC Wildcard playoff game, in which the Steelers, en route to a Super Bowl title, won a 31–17 come-from-behind victory after Bengals QB Carson Palmer was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. The knee injury happened when nose tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen fell forward into Palmers knee. The Bengals players called this a dirty play, the NFL ruled that it was accidental and did not fine von Oelhoffen for the hit. This incident has led to an intensifying of the rivalry since this game. The Bengals beat the Steelers in week 13 of the 2005 season 38–31, and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh used a Terrible Towel to polish his cleats while walking up the tunnel after the game, f ueling the rivalry. The Steelers and Bengals finished 2005 and 2006 with identical records (11–5 and 8–8 respectively), splitting both regular-season series, the Bengals winning the tiebreaker both years due to having a superior division record. The Steelers also are responsible for ending the Bengals season in Cincinnati two years in a row, eliminating them from the playoffs in 2005 and taking them out of contention in 2006. The Steelers lead the all-time series, 47–30. Stadiums In 2001 the Steelers moved into Heinz Field as their football-only state-of-the-art stadium. But the franchise dating back to 1933 has had several homes. For thirty-one seasons the Steelers shared Forbes Field with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1933 to 1963. In 1958 though they started splitting their home games with the football only Pitt Stadium three blocks away at the University of Pittsburgh. From 1964 to 1969 the Steelers played exclusively at the on campus facility before moving with the Pirates to Three Rivers Stadium on the citys Northside. Three Rivers is remembered fondly by the Steeler Nation as where Chuck Noll and Dan Rooney turned the franchise into a powerhouse, winning four Super Bowls in just six seasons and making the playoffs 11 times in 13 seasons from 1972 to 1984, the AFC title game seven times. Since 2001 however a new generation of Steeler greats has made Heinz Field legendary with multiple AFC Championship Games being hosted and two Super Bowl championships. Current roster Pittsburgh Steelers roster view talk edit Quarterbacks 16 Charlie Batch 2 Dennis Dixon 7 Ben Roethlisberger Running Backs 49 Sean McHugh FB/TE 34 Rashard Mendenhall 21 Mewelde Moore 33 Isaac Redman 44 Frank Summers FB 28 Justin Vincent Wide Receivers 81 Arnaz Battle 13 Jason Chery 19 Tyler Grisham 11 Stefan Logan 15 Brandon London 82 Antwaan Randle El 14 Limas Sweed 17 Mike Wallace 86 Hines Ward Tight Ends 87 Eugene Bright 85 David Johnson 83 Heath Miller Offensive Linemen 79 Trai Essex G 73 Ramon Foster G/T 62 Justin Hartwig C 66 Tony Hills T 68 Chris Kemoeatu G 64 Doug Legursky C 67 Jonathan Scott T 78 Max Starks T 65 Kraig Urbik G Defensive Linemen 93 Nick Eason DE 98 Casey Hampton NT 77 RaShon Harris DE 76 Chris Hoke NT 96 Ziggy Hood DE 99 Brett Keisel DE 69 Steve McLendon DE 71 Scott Paxson NT 91 Aaron Smith DE Linebackers 55 Patrick Bailey OLB 45 Derrick Doggett ILB 51 James Farrior ILB 50 Larry Foote ILB 57 Keyaron Fox ILB 54 Andre Frazier OLB 92 James Harrison OLB 94 Lawrence Timmons ILB 53 Johnny Williams ILB 48 Renauld Williams ILB 56 LaMarr Woodley OLB Defensive Backs 40 Will Allen FS 27 Joe Burnett CB 25 Ryan Clark FS 31 Tuff Harris SS 20 Keenan Lewis CB 37 Anthony Madison CB 29 Ryan Mundy FS 30 David Pittman CB 43 Troy Polamalu SS 24 Ike Taylor CB 35 Trae Williams CB Special Teams 5 Piotr Czech K 8 Adam Graessle P 3 Jeff Reed K 61 Jared Retkofsky LS 60 Greg Warren LS Reserve Lists Currently vacant Restricted FAs 74 Willie Colon OT 22 William Gay CB 9 Daniel Sepulveda P 89 Matt Spaeth TE Rookies in italics Roster updated April 13, 2010 Depth Chart Transactions 66 Active, 0 Inactive, 4 FAs ? More rosters Steeler Nation Steeler Nation is the unofficial name of the fan base of the NFLs Pittsburgh Steelers, coined by NFL Films narrator John Facenda in Blueprint for Victory, the teams 1975 highlights film. Steeler Country is often used for the Pittsburgh area where the fan base originates or for areas with a large Steelers fan base. History Early years The Steelers have had a following in Western Pennsylvania since Art Rooney bought the team with $2,500 of his own money, and not, as myth would have it, from his winnings as a horse race handicapper. That year, Pennsylvania relaxed its blue laws allowing sporting events in the commonwealth on Sundays, paving the way for the Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles to begin play for the 1933 NFL season. Previously, the state had teams in Pottsville and Frankford, but both had already folded, due to both the Great Depression and their inability to play on Sunday, when most NFL games took place. Much like the league itself in the early years, the Steelers had to compete with baseball and college football teams in the city, making the team third in the hierarchy to the Pirates and the Pitt Panthers. Despite the teams early struggles, it had a small but loyal fan base in the city due to the popularity of American football at all levels, dating back to the 1800s, when Pittsburgh hosted the first wholly professional football game in 1895. Rise of the Steelers By the 1950s, the Steelers had gained some popularity in the city and were on par with Pitt, but they were still a distant second behind the Pirates in the city. In the early 1970s, the Steelers began to rise in popularity, due to changes made by the team in 1969 that saw the hiring of head coach Chuck Noll and the drafting of future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene. By 1972, the Steelers were a playoff contender and began a sellout streak in Three Rivers Stadium that carried over to Heinz Field and still stands to this day. The team is second to the Washington Redskins for the longest active consecutive sellout streak in league history. The teams four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s coincided with the a recession that struck the United States, and the city in particular, that would lead to the closure of several steel mills in the early 1980s. The teams success was credited with giving people in the city hope and leading to the increased fan base. Due to economic uncertainty in the area, many Steelers fans relocated to other areas but retained their identification with the Steelers as a reflection of their former hometowns steel industrial base. During the lead up to Super Bowl XIII between the Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, Phil Musick contrasted the Dallas and Pittsburgh fans by saying that Dallas is superfan Whistling Ray and a hat that sprays the unsuspecting with water; Pittsburgh is a guy in a gorilla suit wholl stove five of your ribs if you laugh at him. Player fan clubs In the 1970s many fans organized fan clubs for their favorite players. Some of these fan clubs included Francos Italian Army, Frenchys Foreign Legion, Gerelas Gorillas, Bradshaws Brigade, Lamberts Lunatics, Dobre Shunka (Good Ham, for Jack Ham),Rocky and the Flying Squirrels, Shells Bombers, and Russells Raiders among others. Today Since the 1970s, the Steelers have enjoyed a large fan base and have eclipsed the Pittsburgh Pirates as the most popular sports team in Pittsburgh. While the teams success gained it a large fan base nationally, many consider the collapse of the citys steel industry to have been a cause for the strong fan base in other cities, demonstrated when teams whose home turnout would otherwise require a local blackout on television end up selling out when hosting the Steelers. The Cincinnati Bengals are perhaps the best example of this, as throughout the 1990s, the team usually only sold out home games when playing against the Steelers. Another instance of the teams large fan base was at Super Bowl XL, where an ESPN.com columnist suggested that Steelers fans outnumbered Seattle Seahawks fans more than 25 to 1. In November 2007, a study by Turnkey Sports found that the Steelers brand was the strongest in its local market of any team in the NHL, NBA, MLB or NFL. Another study found that the percentage of female fans in the Pittsburgh market was more than double the average. Comparison to other NFL fans Attempts at quantifying the loyalty of Steeler Nation relative to other NFL fan bases have shown mixed results. A 2006 study by the American City Business Journals placed the teams fans 21st out of 32 teams in the league, behind all three of its division rivals in the AFC North. The study found that although the team had been selling out games for years, some fans were not actually attending the games, and Pittsburghs weekly turnout percentage for home games was 16th in the league. That ranking was down seven slots from the publications survey conducted in 1997, which ranked Steeler Nation 14th out of 30 teams, partly due to fans leaving nearly 10 percent of the seats in the stadium empty. Conversely, A 2008 study from Forbes.com ranked Pittsburgh fans 8th overall, citing amongst other things a long season-ticket waiting list. A 2008 article for ESPN.com ranked Steelers fans as the best in the NFL, citing their unbelievable sellout streak of 299 consecutive games. Criticism Like other large and vocal fan bases, such as the Cleveland Browns Dawg Pound or fans of the New York Yankees, Steeler Nation has at times been presented in an unflattering light, especially by fans of other teams. They have occasionally been described in unflattering terms by sports journalists in other cities. For example, prior to Super Bowl XLIII, the Phoenix New Times warned fans of the Arizona Cardinals that Steelers fans were the grubbiest, loudest, and nastiest fan base in all of sports - as well as one of the largest and being the only NFL team based in Appalachia, that they were white trash and hillbillies. Steelers fans have also been singled out by newspapers in rival cities for inappropriate behavior during games - a common problem in the NFL Anti–Steeler Nation sentiment has grown strong enough that in some cases, front offices for other teams have taken steps to keep Pittsburgh fans out of games in their cities. Instead of being permitted to buy tickets to a Chargers-Steelers game in San Diego, for instance, they were required to pay for tickets to two other games, as well. In other cases, teams refused to sell tickets to fans calling from Pittsburghs 412 area code, and they encouraged fans who were selling their own tickets to do the same. Steelers President Art Rooney II complained to the NFL about the situation, but his grievance was not well received. Famous fans One notable members of Steeler Nation include President Barack Obama, rapper Snoop Dogg, actors Burt Reynolds and Michael Keaton, former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, talk show host Rush Limbaugh, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, country music legend Hank Williams, Jr., author John Grisham, actor Verne Troyer, musician Bret Michaels, and PGA Tour golfer Jim Furyk. Research Papers on Biography of The Pitsburgh SteelersThe Hockey GameAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2The Spring and AutumnResearch Process Part OneHip-Hop is ArtThe Project Managment Office SystemMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAW

To what extent is it possible you justify any type of censorship in Essay

To what extent is it possible you justify any type of censorship in the creative media world within democracy - Essay Example According to Kieran (1997), censorship is the limitation of expression for the sole intention of shielding people from themselves by selectively limiting access to a variety of ideas deemed to be harmful by some authority. Such ideas are perceived harmful, objectionable, or sensitive. Censorship is common in any country – authoritarian, democratic, dictatorial or otherwise. Though political diversity has brought about some freedom, censorship, especially in the creative media is still prevalent in nearly all the countries of the world. The justification of censorship in the creative media is a subject of debate. Some countries, especially the undemocratic countries, are often high-handed in implementing censorship in the creative media to an extent of crushing some basic individual rights. This shall be discussed elsewhere in this essay, but first lets start with the justification debate. First, according to Kieran (1997), censorship in the creative media is a necessity to manage the spectrum of thought, and prevent any kind of dissent against the practice. Some programs may be fit to be viewed by adults, but have long-term negative effects on juniors. In such an instance, censorship of such materials would do more good than harm, thus justifying its practice. In democratic institutions, civil liberties must be rooted in the freedom of speech and expression. Infact, one of the essential foundation stones of a democratic society is freedom of expression. The freedom of information and expression must be entrenched and guaranteed in the constitution. In a democratic society, the media must be let free to publish, and the public must be let free to receive the information and the opinions. This is an individual entitlement. In essence, for individuals to be autonomous and have a sense of self-fulfillment, they must be free to receive and impart ideas and information. Freedom of expression is also beneficial in society in that it promotes debate,

Environmental Management . response 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmental Management . response 1 - Essay Example Barrier effect restricts species exchange thereby threatening their survival. Roads increase extinction rates of species since restricted movement causes inbreeding depression, which can wipe an entire species (Underhill, 2002). These assertions are true since presence of a road in a wildlife habitat causes disturbance or affects migration routes and even destroys homes of the species. Moreover, the author asserts that, in some instances, fragmentation caused by road can be beneficial to the animal population since it can help the species to re-colonize new areas. However, I partially agree with this notion since it occurs rarely and depends on the extent or coverage of the roads. Further, the author argues that the presence of a road in wildlife habitat increases chances or prevalence of animals being involved in fatalities or accidents (Underhill, 2002). This assertion is true since when animals cross the road, there are high chances of being knocked over by vehicles and this can result in death or injuries to the affected animal. The author proposes that in order to curb roadway fatalities, as well as minimizing population fragmentation, there is a need to devise a system whereby wildlife can move freely to each side of the road without any problem (Underhill, 2002). This can be achieved through construction of underground tunnels during building of new roads. I believe this is a noble idea and should be implemented without considering the expenses or costs to be incurred. This is because wildlife is of higher value compared to the cost of resources to be used in constructing the underground tunnels. Therefore, it is logical to spend many resources in conserving and protecting wildlife than save the resources and later experience species loss and extinction, which is more

American rangelands and forests Essay Example for Free

American rangelands and forests Essay Part 1 Choose either a rangeland or a forest of the United States and describe current federal management strategies. Explain federal efforts to manage these lands sustainably by completing the chart below. Rangeland or Forest Location Brief History of Rangeland or Forest What are current land management problems? What are the current federal land management strategies that address these problems? What is one sustainable effort that should be implemented? American Rangeland or Forest: San Bernardino National Forest San Bernardino Forest The San Bernardino Forest was born in 1907 after the forest reserve act was passed in 1891. The forest has a history of mining and prospecting in the past. The roads during the winter. Trees are dying off at a fast rate causing a high chance for forest fires. Insects are damaging the trees at a fast rate. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program is trying to stop the damage that burnt areas causing. The run off hurts fish, wildlife, and many other things that are important. Ecological Restoration plan. It will take over stewardship of the land for the next 15 to 20 years. They need to sell some of the land for mining as it has a history of mining and prospecting in the past. Part 2 Take your information from Part 1 and use it to create a Sustainability Plan. Your sustainability plan should present what, when, and how something is to be sustained and maintained now and into the indefinite future. Your plan can be submitted in a narrative or table format. The Corporation for  National and Community Service (n.d.) provides the following list of components that make up a sustainability plan that should be included in your paper or table: 1. Action items: Provide the items or activities that need to be addressed or that need to occur. Refer to the following example: My plan for sustaining clean air in my community is to develop an education program about air pollution-generating activities and their effects, schedule a presentation day and time, invite community participants, and research the effects of air pollution. 2. Order of action items: Discuss how the action items in Step 1 will align or occur. One event or activity should occur before another; thus, order the items into steps similar to the following: 1) Research the effects of air pollution. 2) Develop an education program. 3) Schedule a presentation day and time. 4) Invite the community. 3. Action steps: Explain how you are going to conduct the action items. How are you going to make each item or activity happen? Include individuals or groups who will help you conduct these activities. Use the following as a guide: In order to schedule a presentation day and time, I will attend next month’s community homeowner’s association (HOA) meeting and request permission from the board to add it to the following month’s agenda. 4. Timeline: Estimate when you are going to conduct the action items, such as â€Å"In months 1–3, I will complete the research.† If an item or activity does not have a specific conclusion time, indicate that it is ongoing. The following is a sample of how you might incorporate your sustainability plan into a table format—keep in mind this is an incomplete plan: Action Items (in the correct order) Action Steps Action Steps Research and identify the effects of air pollution. Review environmental websites and journals. Document the sources of air pollution and both environmental and health effects of air pollution. Document video interviews of environmental researchers and facilitators. Month 1–3 Develop an education program about air pollution effects. Develop a presentation about why this program is needed and include air pollution’s ill effects, the lifestyle changes that will be required, and the benefits and challenges of change. Month 1–3 Schedule a presentation day and time. Attend a monthly HOA meeting to present the benefits of the program. Request that the HOA board add the presentation to the following month’s agenda. Document the audio and visual equipment needed for presentation and layout of the room. Month 4 Identify and invite community participants. Tally the number of homes in the community. Create and distribute flyers to homes announcing the next HOA meeting and the educational program that will be introduced. Month 4–5 Blank Sample Action Plan Action Items (in order) Action Steps Timeline Anybody who wants to join groups that wants to save the San Bernardino Forest. We will talk about information on saving the forest; newsletters, and other ways of keeping people informed. We need to set regulations and rules to help preserve the forest. We have many laws and Government groups (Baer) that need our help and support. I feel that education will be the most important tool. People always want to get involved we just have to give them a chance. If they know what to do if something is wrong it could save the forest. 1 – 5 months Education will be the most important for everybody that works or visits the forest. If we want to keep the forest in good condition we have to educate all people that work and visit the park what causes damage and how to keep the forest safe. If people know how to save the forest they will. We need to make sure all laws are posted up all over. We need to make sure that people know the benefits of keeping the forest in good condition. 6 – 9 months How to preserve the forest. We need to inform all entering the San Bernardino forest why it is important to protect the forest. The forest is very important to way of life and the future of our kids. It will help with air quality and the clean water. We need to cover fire safety. 1 year How to take action We need to take action and make sure we implement Government plans and the plans as a group that we came up with. We need to take care of the insect problem with safe pesticides that don’t hurt the wildlife and fish. The future Be a good steward Follow up on all the plans and make sure we take the lead as a group. We need to see if the plans we made are making a difference and cleaning up the burnt trees and the insect problem. Follow up References www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf/ Corporation for National Community Service. (n.d.). Sample sustainability plan. In Toolkit for program sustainability, capacity building, and volunteer recruitment/management (Section 4). Retrieved from http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/filemanager/download/online/sustainability_plan.pdf.

Jd Salinger Essay -- essays research papers

Salinger, J(erome) D(avid) (1919- ), American novelist and short story writer, known for his stories dealing with the intellectual and emotional struggles of adolescents who are alienated from the empty, materialistic world of their parents. Salinger's work is marked by a profound sense of craftsmanship, a keen ear for dialogue, and a deep awareness of the frustrations of life in America after World War II (1939-1945). Jerome David Salinger was born and raised in New York City. He began writing fiction as a teenager. After graduating from the Valley Forge Military Academy in 1936, he began studies at several colleges in the New York City area, but he took no degree. He did, however, take a fiction writing class with Whit Burnett, an editor of Story magazine, who encouraged Salinger and brought out his first published story, "The Young Folks" (1940). Over the next several years Salinger contributed short stories to popular magazines such as Collier's, Esquire, and The Saturday Evening Post, continuing to produce work even while serving in combat during World War II as a staff sergeant in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946. After returning to civilian life, Salinger continued to achieve success with his short stories, many of which were drawn from his war experiences. During the late 1940s he published work in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan, and The New Yorker. At the age of 31, Salinger gained a major place in American fiction with the publication of his only...

Deciding on the Marketing Program Essay

International companies or marketers may choose between two alternative approaches in developing its marketing strategies or marketing mix. These two approaches are: a. Global Marketing Strategy – defines a standard marketing mix and implements it with minimal modifications in all of its domestic and foreign markets. This standard approach saves money because it allows large-scale production runs and reinforces the brand’s image. It can foster collaborative innovation. Through global marketing strategy, Global firms can effectively market some goods and services to segments in many nations that share cultures and languages. This approach works best for products with strong, universal appeal such as McDonalds and for luxury products that target upscale consumers everywhere. b. Multidomestic Marketing Strategy- assumes the differences between market characteristics and competitive situations in certain nations require firms to customize their marketing decisions to effectively reach individual marketplaces. In other words, it is an application of market segmentation to foreign markets by tailoring the firm’s marketing mix to match specific target markets in each nation. Keegan has distinguished five adaptation strategies of product and promotion to a foreign market (see figure below). 1. Global Product Strategies a. Straight Extension – introducing the product in the foreign market without any changes. This strategy permits economies of scale in production and marketing, for it involves no additional R&D expense, manufacturing retooling, or promotional modification. Once implemented successfully, it cerates universal recognition of a product for consumers from country to country. b. Product Adaptation- involves altering the product to meet local conditions or preferences. There are several level of adapatations, it could be regional version, country version, city version and retailer version. c. Product Invention- consists of creating something new. It can take two forms, Backward invention and Forward invention. It is a costly strategy but the payoffs can be great. i. Backward Invention – is reintroducing esrlier product forms that are well adapted to a foreign country’s needs. ii. Forward Invention- is creating a new product to meet a need in another country. 2. Global Promotion Strategies d. Communication Adaptation – is the process in which a company run the same advertising and promotion campaigns used in the home market or change them for each local market. e. Dual Adaptation- is the process in which both the product and communication are being changed for each market/country. 3. Global Pricing Strategies Global Firms faces several pricing problems when selling abroad, they must deal with price escalation, transfer prices, dumping charges, and gray markets. f. Price Escalation- needs to adjust the marginal cost depending on the added costs including the currency-fluctustions risks to the product’s factory price inorder to attain the same profit locally. Because the price escalation varies from country to country, the question is how to sell the prices in different countries. Companies have three choices: iii. Setting uniform price everywhere iv. Setting a market-based price in each country v. Setting a cost-based price in each country g. Transfer Price- different prices that is being charged to its subsidiary in different countries/market h. Dumping – it occurs when a company charges either less than its costs or less than it charges in its home market, inorder to enter or win a market. i. Arm’s-lenght price – the rpice charged by other competitors for the same or a similar product j. Gray market – it occurs when the same product sells at different prices geographically. 4. Global Place (Distribution Channels) Strategies Many companies/manufactuers think their job is done oncethe product leaves the factory, however they should pay attention to how the product moves within the foreign country. They should take a whole-channel view of the problem of distributin products to final users. k. Seller’s international marketing headquarters- the export department or international division makes decisions on channels and other marketing mix- elements l. Channel’s between nation- gets the products to the borders of the foreign nation. The decision that is made on this link includes the types of intermediaries, type of tranportation, and financing and risk arrangements. m. Channel’s within foreign nations- gets the products from their entry point to final buyers and users. II. Deciding on the Marketing Organizations Companies manage their international marketing activities in three ways: through export departments, international divisions, or global organization. a. Export Department b. International Division i. Geographical Organization-each with vice presidents per region and each regional vice presidents has country managers who are responsible for a sales force, sales branches, distributors, and licensees in their respective country. ii. World Product Group-each with an international vice president responsible for worldwide sales of each product group iii. International Subsidiaries- each headed by a president c. Global Organization Several firms have become truly global organizations, these companies however faces several organizational complexities thus Bartlett and Ghoshal have proposed circumstances under which different approaches work best. They describe forces that favor ‘global integration’ versus ‘national responsiveness’. They distinguish three organizational strategies: d. A gloabl strategy treats the world as single market. e. A multinational strategy treats the world as a portfolio of national opportunities. f. A â€Å"glocal† strategy standardizes certain core elemetns and localizes oter elemets.