Geek Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geek Love - Essay Example Degradation oddities mainly lowers lofty spiritual ideal that are correspondingly transferred to the material level, sphere of the universe and body of the prevailing individual unbreakable unity. Moreover, the powerful images of humans within the novel frequently are deformed via eating, drinking, menstruating, having sex, defecating and micturating as in the case of the Binewski offspring conducts. The physical abnormalities are conspicuous in the novel. The embracing moments of the characters of deformities revolves around assets thus depicting the interesting side of Binewskis. Despite Al and Lil resorting to the corresponding dangerous measures to offering themselves with the meal ticket depicts the high level of physical oddities in the novel, which aids in the development of the plot of the geek love (Dunn,pp 123-176). It is cumbersome to acknowledge the degree of the children’s personalities in regard to the influence by the chemicals eaten in the utero and the corresponding outcome of their abnormal upbringing. This depicts that the mental health in the Binewski family in regard to the strong suit is mainly caused by the behaviors of Arty. The novel also opens physical oddities of the Aloysius Binewski and Lilian Hinchcliff Binewski in reminiscing about the period prior to the children implying that she prefer flinging herself into the prevailing pit and bite of the heads off of the chickens. Subsequent to the marriage there exist Fabulon circuses that Al inherits depicting the hatched strategy that mainly breed a family of the bona fide freaks. Lil consume illegal and prescriptions pills, amphetamines, insecticides, and radioisotopes. Moreover, She initially deliver to Arturo the Aqua Boy who mainly flippers for the limbs then preceded by the Electra and the Iphigenia that renowned fringed twins subsequent by the Olympia, the hunchback albino dwarf.

Art History Final Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art History Final Paper - Essay Example There are motif of sculptures designed on the railings and the gates of the Stupa. There are representations of the lord Buddha through footprints, thrones and wheels. There is a command in the grand view of the Buddhist monument. There is a depiction of the beginning, development and decay of Buddhist architecture in the third century1. The Buddhist monarchy event was signified by the stupid in sachem. The emperor of Osaka had a religious establishment in Sanchi during his marriage as he built the monolithic pillar. This depicted the zeal of Buddhism in the emperor. The quietude provided a conducive atmosphere for meditation marking the prosperity of the establishment of Buddhism. Sanchi ensured a fulfillment of the conditions fit for the establishment of the Buddhist life. The Stupa was regarded as a symbol of the characteristics of Buddhism and fostered the prevalence of Buddhism in the region of Sanchi. The Stupas was associated with Buddhist in the region as it marked representations of the key factors the religion. A Stupa refers to a physical monument for memory of enlightment in the present space and champions for the enlightment in ten directions. The process includes skillful procedures there is a complete transformation of the environment through the compassionate energy through the interaction with different elements on the earth surface. The Stupas recognizes the enlightened nature in the present life. Stupas represent the Buddha in three forms including the speech, body and mind. The path of enlightment is represented by every part of the Stupa. Enlightment is the ultimate goal of life as represented by Stupas. A Stupa in the context of Buddhist is a physical representation of high regards by the Buddhists during the seventh century. What and where is the silk road? There are three main periods when the Silk Road was most active. What were these? Go the Met and see the Global

Market analysis of instant fast food industry

Market analysis of instant fast food industry The concept of non-consumer is vanishing at a faster rate and is becoming almost non existent in the current era of consumerism. Marketers are finding new ways and techniques to rope in new set of consumers previously not looked upon seriously. The trend followed till now was that the housewives bought individual food ingredients ranging from spices, vegetables, butter/ghee, etc. and mixed it in appropriate proportions to prepare a meal. The taste of meal was primarily governed by factors such as expertise of the cook, quality of the ingredients used, cooking time followed, etc. But still one cannot be sure of how will the meal taste. This was more difficult for bachelors, working men living away from family and working women. Marketers were successful to find this gap in highly cluttered food industry. The answer was Ready-to-eat. Ready-to-eat is defined as the status of the food being ready for immediate consumption at the point of sale. It could be raw or cooked, hot or chilled, and can be consumed without further heat-treatment including re-heating.[1] [1] Centre for food safety, Government of Hong Kong These are processed foods and no further processing is required. They are safe to eat and requires few minutes to cook if it requires cooking. The basic principle behind RTE foods is Convenience for normal consumers and Diet nutrition in case of health conscious consumers. The health category of RTE foods is RTE cereals which are rich in vitamins, fibers and have less sugar content. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS United States is one of the major countries of Ready-to-eat foods producers and consumers. All major RTE foods producers with an exception of nestle belong to US. Because of such a big market, advertisers gets quickly attracted. The television advertising budget average for the food industry is 2-4 percent of sales , but the RTE foods segment attract about 13 percent of the sales as advertising budget. India is also emerging market for these products. RTE foods in the normal practice are consumed in a short span of time. The advancement of packaging technology and introduction of retorting technology in India has made these items commercially viable and long lasting i.e. high shelf life. RTE market witnessed a growth of 7% between the year 2000 and 2005. In 2009, Indian RTE foods market was estimated to be around $33.5m, registering a CAGR of approximately 15% over the last five years. RTE segment is expected to grow to a Rs. 2900 cr (US$ 604.20 mn) industry by 2015. (Source: Tata Strategic Management Group) RETORTING PROCESS The operating principle of retorting process is heating foods prone to microbial spoilage in hermetically sealed containers to extend the shelf life. Three factors responsible are : These factors must be taken into consideration while designing a retorting process. Safety is the foremost concern. The retorting process involves inactivation of microorganism that can result in spoilage and in turn affect public health. For this, the F value is the measure followed. F value is the number of minutes to destroy the organism at 250 degree Fahrenheit. Under the food safety standard, different F value has been specified for each microorganism. Over heating also affects the finished product quality. So the product and process has to be designed carefully. Quality of Retort process is determined by two factors: From microorganism side, how much heat is required to inactivate the organism. From processing side, how much heat is reaching the product. The selection of specific retort style is largely affected by following factors : Container shape and size : easier in case of cylindrical shaped Product type : formulation , ingredients , etc. Throughput required Energy Efficiency VARIOUS RTE BRANDS IN INDIA Some other players are : Gits MTR Priya foods Rajbhog Foods Inc. Rainbow Foods India Satnam Overseas Ltd. Tasty Bite, etc. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN READY-TO-EAT (RTE) AND READY-TO-COOK (RTC) Most consumers often lacks clarity to differentiate between RTE and RTC, and often refer both as RTE. But they are different. RTC products are different type of pastes and consumer adds vegetables or meat to prepare a meal/dish. On the other hand, RTE products are complete products which seldom require any preparation and are often in the frozen form/cans/packets. Out of the estimated current production of 20,000 T, about 80 percent is exported. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AND FACTORS AFECTING FOOD SELECTION There are various factors influencing buying behavior and motivation among the consumers. In the broader sense, the most dominant factors in food selection are food availability and cultural factors. Societal Considerations With the increase in environmental awareness in the past few years, the food product composition and packaging has become a major determinant of the buying behavior. Health factor has become the primary concern for almost every consumer. This has given rise to the use of natural ingredients (i.e. it contains no additives and no artificial ingredients) and environmentally friendly packaging. Safety and Environment Quality are other food choice motivations by consumers. This is now become the competitive weapon for food marketing. Other factors linked to societal considerations and in turn shape purchase motivations are : Well Being Social relationships Enjoyment Pleasure Personal Identity Food defines the consumer personal identity and it also acts as a self-referent part. Diet change can trigger in redefining the self. Food habits change throughout the life cycle. Consumer in the adolescence stage will have different food habits than in the later stages of life. Gender differences also define the food selection habits. As per the normal understanding men are considered that they have more food than women. The figure conscious female counterpart highly influenced by the slimming industry often vary their food selection based the motivation they have to look good. Weight control (i.e. low in calories, fat and in turn control my weight) is a determinant. Men are more interested in Vitamin content and women are more concerned about the sugar content. Familiarity also kicks in while making food selection. Consumers carry these questions in mind while planning and shopping stuff : Is what I usually eat Is familiar Is like the food I ate when I was a child Convenience Another important factor in food selection is convenience. The stages of consumption process define the relevance of convenience. The most time and energy consuming step is Preparation. But the effort required in this step defines the consumer behavior and factors affecting the food selection. RTE foods producers look forward to this gap while defining their strategies. Sensory Appeal In this era of consumerism and competition, one of the main differentiator is Sensory Appeal. Every consumer want the food to smell and look nice, have a pleasant texture and should taste good. Packaging here plays an important role. In RTE foods, the physical evidence for the consumer is the packed unit. The taste is bound to be as per the standards followed by the company selling the product and is always in line with what consumer want. The difference is created in terms of the look of the packet. Price Price is one of the major motivation factor in food selection. Price factor is always considered and monitored in relative terms. Purchase motivation for RTE foods vary on the following factors: Cost of eating out v/s cost of RTE food Effort required to cook food v/s cost of convenience in RTE food Price of RTE food is determined by following factors : Product Brand Value of the company Type of Packaging Country of origin Shelf life of the product Other factors are following: Product and marketing message Availability of the product in terms of constant stock replenishment Reachability to the store stocking the product Ethical Concern: Country of origin, politically approved country. MEDIUM OF INFORMATION Retailers and food producers tap multiple mediums to highlight the offerings present at the store or under the portfolio respectively. Media RTE Food industrys advertising budget is 13% of sales which is second only to the automobile industry. The average budget for other components of the food industry is 2-4% which is much lower in comparison to RTE. Marketers have always believed that RTE foods need more advertising efforts to tap the new customers and retain old ones. Source: British Food Journal , Volume 105 , Issue 3 Advertising has been the primary weapon. The use of media personalities and cartoons in the ads has always been welcomed by the consumers. Marketers have also tried to rope in children through their ads. The basic principle behind it is to gain their loyalty at a very young stage. Also it acts as a catalyst in Impulse buying at the store level. The only disadvantage of Advertising is high cost involved. Direct mail (DM) Direct mail (DM) is another method to provide information to the consumers to assist in their food purchase. It is also referred to as Direct Marketing. Unlike Advertisements which are broadcasted and their reach is subject to the viewership ratings of the slot they were telecasted in, Direct Mail is more personalized and sent to individual consumers. Since each consumer receives a copy of the offer document customization is possible for a group of consumer with common interests. It also permits marketers to experiment with the mailers and its formats. These are generally used by hypermarkets and supermarkets to notify customers of daily, weekly or fortnightly offers. Through these direct mails the store also sends coupons and schemes to the customers catering to a particular festive seasons which are believed to be higher sale period. The new concept in direct mail being followed these days is Targeting Mailing. Marketers define the target group for the mails and then through database analysis send the mailers to only that group. This in turn has following advantages : More Direct Communication Saves cost Only Potential customers are notified and other customers are not disturbed. Disadvantages of Direct Mail : Often treated as junk or spam by the consumers Stores can only differentiate on the basis of offers and the way it is communicated through DM Internet Among the sources of information for food purchase this is the least used method because of low involvement characteristics in the food purchase. Very few consumers visit internet websites such as store websites to obtain food information. Amazon.com offers the catalogue for the RTE products. Bundled packages are sold in the combo offer. With the growth of internet and families turning to every single purchase, use of internet for food purchases is bound to grow in the coming year. Stores stacking other stuff also such as apparels and accessories, electronics, etc. along with food items, general format followed by the supermarkets and hypermarkets, use internet as a selling medium but not for food items. With the increase in competition and new strategies coming up, time is near when they start selling packed RTE foods also. Groceries or vegetables being sold as loose items will then be only food item left to stock. The benefits of e-commerce have been realized by most retailers. Illustrations from the RTE Food Industry To explain the process of Instant Food or Ready-to-eat food and the consumer behaviour, two companies have been chosen from the Indian Market. MTR Foods Pvt. Ltd. vs ITCs Kitchens of India MTR Foods Pvt. Ltd. is among the major processed food manufacturers in India and is owned by Norwegian Company M/s Orkla. Kitchens of India is an ITC brand which majorly exports various RTE food packages of specialty Indian cuisine. Marketing Mix Analysis Product MTR : Normal Day to day food varieties such as paneer, dal, etc. Portfolio comprises of 22 authentic Indian curries, gravies and rice. 100% Vegetarian offerings 100% Natural and no preservatives added ISO 22000 and HACCP Certified quality product Retorting and packaging technology from Defense Food Research Lab, Mysore. Kitchens of India: Prestigious offerings from the chefs of ITC Welcome Group Restaurants. E.g. Dal Bukhara from Bukhara Restaurant of ITC Maurya Shereton and Dal Dakshin from ITC Dakshin. Four layer packed to prevent the royal taste and smell Standards are monitored to compliance Price MTR offering are normal day to day food and is less expensive than ITCs Kitchens of India which is more expensive in comparison. Also the offerings by ITC are positioned for the target group which wants to experience the pleasure of royal palates at the comfort of their home. MTR Paneer Butter Masala 300g pack is priced at MRP of Rs. 50 On the same hand, Kitchens of India dishes start from Rs. 89 Place Both MTR and Kitchens of India mainly exports to other countries and sell through the retail setup in both India and other countries. Kitchens of India also services its customers through its website www.kitchensofindia.com . It also won the Best Website Award at the PC World Web Awards 2008. Website is the medium to promote the brand and display the recipes of various offerings. Use of classical music has been seen prominent with both the websites to portray the Indian culture. Promotion Kitchens of India promotion strategy circles around the product offering highlighting the essence Feast for the senses. The key message is bringing the royal tastes directly to consumers home without having to visit ITC Welcome group hotel. Kitchens of India promote its brand through various food exhibitions such as Anuga in Germany. These are also displayed and sold at food festivals across the ITC group hotels. MTR promote its offering on the essence Freshly cooked home meal. It targets the price sensitive consumer. Brand Analysis on the basis of factors influencing buying behavior Health MTR has positioned itself as a freshly cooked home food with modest offerings. Kitchens of India on the other hand has positioned as brand offering the royal palates matched to the same standards at the ITC Restaurants. Based on the study done among Indian consumers by Datamonitor, 50% of the consumers considered low or lowers cholesterol and low or reduced fat as a motivator during food purchase. Both brand understand this fact and mentions the health contents of the dish on the packets. Sensory Appeal MTR packaging is as per the standards do not attract the visual senses of the consumer. The product is also home cooked food offerings and smell factor is present as per the home cooked food. On the other hand Kitchens of India packaging is more lavish to support its image and price range. It has an outer paper bag like covering. Natural Content Both brand claim to be 100% natural and contains no preservatives. This is possible only because of the retorting technology used and the packaging. Consumer choices are affected by these factors. Weight Control Kitchens of India offers meals or dishes which are more lavish and specialty dishes high in oil and butter content which is de-motivator for weight conscious people. These dishes are not preferred at the daily basis. On the other hand, MTR offerings are more close to the weight conscious people. Mood Mood factor plays an important role in defining the consumer behavior. This can be specified by the rebellious behavior at the younger age to eat things different from what others in the family are having. Kitchens of India offerings promotes itself on this behaviour to compel consumers to have that royal meal once a while without even visiting any ITC hotel. MTR is not seen utilizing this behaviour characteristic in its promotion or marketing communication.

Dolls House: Themes And Theatrics Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

Ever since "A Doll House" first came to the stage in the 1880's, critics have argued vehemently about the Ibsen's intentions while writing the play, and the ambivalence over the play confused not only the plays but also the audience: while some patrons praised the play, others stormed the stages in protest of Nora's abandonment of her family. The difference of opinion ranged so far as to incite patron who, after reading reviews of the play that objected to the dialogue in the play, did not hear objectionable dialogues to accuse directors of censorship while in fact "not a word has been cut" and "the text they found so innocent contained every one of the enormities denounced by the critics" (Archer 20). Aware of the accusations that might be pointed at him, Ibsen, referred to by some as "enemy of the people," masterfully crafted this short work containing the dramatic development of the heroine Nora along several themes in the process of stirri ng up overwhelming amount of controversy One of the first themes in the play is the contrast between surface appearances and reality. From the beginning, Nora possesses every characteristic of an obedient gentlewoman and a submissive wife, but the audience knows that this picture is simply mistaken: for instance, Nora, Torvald's cute "little squirrel," disobeys Torvald by eating macaroons behind his back. It is interesting to note that to squirrel something means to hide or store something away in a way quite similar to how Nora slips her macaroon bag in her pocket; Ibsen uses the word "squirrel" to signify the Nora who is cute and childish but at the same time points out her tendency to hide things from Torvald. In moving Nora in a stealthy fashion to eavesdrop on her husband's door, the playwrights further accentuates the parallelism between Nora's actions and the actions of a squirrel, but surely the last thing someone would think to compare a model housewife to would be a playful and secretive s quirrel! Further disclosure of "squirreling" around by Nora arises when Nora informs Mrs. Linde about the true identity of the signer of the loan taken out for the purpose of funding the vacation to Italy Nora and Torvald took to improve Torvald's failing health at the time. Before Nora opens up to Mrs. Linde, everyone believ... ...e power of the written text, the playwright utilizes the characters of the childish yet ready to mature Nora and the protective and appearance-conscious Torvald along with the different aspects of theatre such as the well-decorated drawing room set indicating the importance of money and wealth in the play and movements of the character such as the light and easy way Nora prances about and the fashion Torvald watches and follows Nora like a hawk carefully watches his eyas to ascertain that no danger comes to his young ones. In doing so, a masterfully written play and an even more artistically glamorous performance on the stage remain intriguing to readers and theatre-goers even after the curtains are drawn. Bibliography Archer, William. "Ibsen and English Criticism." William Archer on Ibsen. Ed. Thomas Postlewait. (London: Greenwood, 1984). Bryan, George B. An Ibsen Companion: A Dictionary-Guide to the Life, works and Critical Reception of Henrik Ibsen. (London: Greenwood, 1984). Ibsen, Henrik. "A Doll House." The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama. Ed. W. B. Worthen. (London: Harcourt Brace, 2000).

Alcohol and Sports

When college students and adults drink irresponsibly, they often create negative associations with alcohol and its hindering effects. Alcohol is a constituent of various recreational and other events in the United States. It is available at a wide range of public sporting events and often is the central focus of celebrations of success and achievement. Unfortunately, as well as contributing to relaxation and conviviality, alcohol is also associated with verbal and physical abuse, arrests for aggressive behavior and violence and admissions to hospitals as a consequence of alcohol related assaults.These concluding aspects have recently been raised in sport broadcasting and news nationwide. This initiates problems such as violence, public urination, or people collapsing as a consequence of excessive drinking. Facility management programs have made proper precautions regarding such events. These problems are not a new phenomena in the world of sports. In an attempt to contain violence, m ore facilities and leagues have taken action to control and remove the availability of alcohol at such events.After considerable research, there seems to be a repetition of facility management aspects used in everyday sporting events, such as the TEAM and FAM organizational programs, specific â€Å"pre† and â€Å"post† game provisions, and actions regarding â€Å"in-game† incidents. There are many alcohol management strategies that facilities and programs have developed over the past two decades. Almost every professional sport team and facility follows the grand design of the non-profit organization called Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management.TEAM begin back in the 1980’s in reaction to the â€Å"high number of traffic fatalities resulting from heavy drinking at sporting events and to increasing public awareness of the problem of alcohol-related driving (Stadium Alcohol Management). † This program has two major goals regarding alcohol manag ement: reduce drunk-driving and publicize responsible drinking services and consumption at sporting arenas. There main focus is on major sporting venues. TEAM also branches into another program called Facility Alcohol Management (FAM).FAM further assists to public arenas in developing alcohol management. Furthermore, TEAM puts a strong emphasis on their 300 trainers who in turn train more than 30,000 sport facility employees. Training is a very important component involved in enhancing the awareness of staff. This regards factors that contribute to aggression and strategies to defuse potentially dangerous situations and legal issues regarding the proper management of venues. Hence, giving the staff an understanding of strategies to manage alcohol aggression on licensed premises.Planning is one of the most important features of alcohol management within a facility. An appropriate location of an event should always be selected with easy access to transport to and from the venue. Many sport facilities have restrictions or bans on alcohol brought into the venue, as well as restrictions on the type of containers brought into the venue. Alcohol is a great source of revenue for sport leagues and arenas. Facility organizers may also be unwilling to set up alcohol-free events because it is such a main attraction during game-play.More than 60% of professional sporting event revenues come from alcohol purchases (Class Video). Another important example of alcohol management planning is making sure to provide information before and during the event. This should include risks, regulations, requirements and controls. Sometimes the lack of information about strict alcohol polices can result in fans arriving unprepared, either not bringing enough money to purchase alcohol inside the venue or spending it before entry.There has been precaution involving the amount of alcohol served at sporting and large public events. Severity of alcohol problems can be related to length of a ga me, whether or not it is a playoff game or even if the game is an exciting one or not (Class Discussion). Facility managers and staff must take into consideration those key features of a game in order to prepare for alcohol related incidents. Facilities set restricted times for serving alcohol, including set period before the end of the event, where alcohol is no longer served..There have been proper preparations for regulating the sale of alcohol on premises within the grounds, particularly the times at which alcohol could be served. This allows for sobering up of patrons and reduced likelihood of drunk driving and other issues. This can be in between an inning, or at halftime. For example, most baseball games stop serving alcohol at the end of the 7th inning in order to maintain the crowd. Having a limited amount of alcohol served to each fan is another way a facility can avoid issues. Concession stands should only be serving 1 drink per customer.Most sporting facilities have kept this under control but staff members working the beverage stands have let this slide and provided more than 1 drink per customer. Server staff selection and training is very important, although evidence shows that enforcement needs to accompany this in order to ensure its effectiveness. Security staff and police officers have been a vital part of alcohol facility management over the past decade. During preparation for games and large sporting events, security takes measures to properly secure a facility for intended alcohol related use.Many facilities have implemented a range of strategies to reduce risks such as segregation of opposing fans or higher levels of policing. If there were safety concerns, security is granted authority to search public vehicles and individuals trying to enter an event with alcoholic beverages. It is important for the police force to try and maintain a crowd during the tailgating portion of an event. This is where the sot excessive drinking takes place. An example of a facility security measure involves video surveillance at the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium.In the article Drinking Games, it states that â€Å"most parks now include video surveillance equipment that can home in on specific seat locations, but beer hawkers, concessions-stand workers and ushers equipped only with their own eyes are also relied upon to recognize the tell-tale signs of intoxication, or in some cases the mere probability of intoxication. † The security staff and police presence should be visible and have a clear view of the area around them. Also, they should have the authority to ban or remove fans for public displays of drunken behavior.Facility managers take into consideration the importance of harm reduction. Some arenas have been setting up â€Å"dry areas† or family areas to reduce risk and nuisance, especially for families and young people. Also, alcohol served in a tempered glass or plastic and foam cups help reduce the likeliho od of containers being used as weapons, and to prevent accidental or deliberate injury to staff and fans on the licensed premises. In Europe, they have â€Å"sobering-up† areas which act as a very valuable strategy (Study Abroad experience 2011).There was minimal effectiveness but it may enable management of those who are overly intoxicated. Traffic management should be something planned before, during and after a sport game. After games, there are security checkpoints where drivers are checked for intoxication or any alcoholic beverages in their possession. This is where many people are arrested for DUI’s and drunkenly misconduct. When looking at the alcohol management regarding Madison Square Garden, there seem to be procedures and provisions similar to the ones listen previously in this research paper.At most of the events at MSG, alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. They train their staff within the terms of the TEAM organization. Alcohol sales are limit ed to up to two alcoholic beverages per customer per transaction and must provide an ID with purchase. MSG makes sure that guests do not bring in alcoholic beverages from outside vendors, and cannot leave with beverages purchased inside the arena. The last part of their alcohol management statement deals with management reserving the right to refuse the sale of alcohol to any guest (MSG. com).While there have been significant sport broadcasting about alcohol related harm at various professional and collegiate sporting events, there is little direct evidence to guide quality practice of such events. Nevertheless, there are a range of strategies that can be generalized from the mainstream research on reducing alcohol related incidents and strategies that have unpretentious biases. This relationship is a complex one, it arises from our interactions among various factors relating to the American culture, our drinking venues and the individual.

Pottery in the Philippines Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Pottery is defined as the art or craft of a potter to manufacture material from which pottery ware is made. It can be made from earthenware, porcelain or stoneware. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), pottery is defined as all fired ceramic wares that contain clay materials. Pottery uses clay and may sometimes be mixed with other materials to form the clay body. Clay bodies differ in physical stages during the making of pottery. Earthenware, an example, is made of clay produced in a swampy area or in open fields near riverbanks. The process of pottery involves forming or shaping a clay body into your desired shape. It is then heated to high temperatures in a kiln that removes excess water thereby hardening the clay and setting it to a permanent shape. For aesthetic purposes, the clay body may be decorated before or after the firing process. Kneading the clay body is an important step prior to shaping the clay. It ensures an even distribution of moistur e content and removes the air bubbles trapped within the clay body. Pottery is found in almost all archaeological sites. In fact, pottery has provided archaeologists with information about the past, mainly about trade and technology. II. SCOPE AND LIMITATION The focus of this paper will be pottery and its evolution through time. The paper will be limited to Philippine pottery only. III. EMERGENCE OF THE FIRST POTTERY The emergence of pottery in the Philippines indicates the complexity of cultural development during the Neolithic Period. Like the rest of the early people in other parts of the world, the early man and woman in the Philippines were also highly dependent on nature. Nature provided them with the basic necessities needed for survival. In earlier times, vessels such as leaves and tree barks were used in gathering food. Not long after, the early people learned to cook using the vessels. According to Valdes (Pang-alay),  humans discovered the properties of clay and how it hardens when tempered with sand and fire. IV. ANCIENT RITUALS IN POTTERY Before the Spaniards set foot in the Philippines and spread Christianity, the early Filipinos were pagan worshippers. Paganism refers to indigenous religious traditions wherein people worshipped animals and deities. The discovery of pottery led them to fashion effigies called tao-tao by the Visayans and likha or larawan by the Tagalogs. In paganism, they offer special offerings of fruits and perfumes to appease the spirits they worship. It was believed that refusing to offer special presents to the spirits would anger them and bring illness and misfortune. The offerings were placed in earthenware pottery and offered in the fields for the spirits. The early Filipinos also believed in life after death. For this reason, they took special care of the dead and gave â€Å"pabaon† for their journey in the afterlife. The bereaved brought food contained in clay vessels or palayok as offerings (Fox, 1959). The clay pots that were used as ritual vessels were the same pots used in their daily life. As time passed, the designs of the vessels became finer and more intricate. V. GOLDEN AGE OF POTTERY IN THE PHILIPPINES The Golden Age of Philippine pottery was ascertained to be during the period when the use of metals flourished, about 2000 years B.C., but some of the earliest pottery discovered dated further back in the Neolithic Age when the development of horticulture and animal domestication dominated. There is little of Philippine Neolithic pottery left extant as stated by Jesus T. Peralta in his work, â€Å"Pottery and Ceramics Excavated in the Philippines†. Some potteries excavated in sites widely spread in the Philippines indicate original designs and attempts for aesthetic designs in their construction. During this time, pottery was made to suit ones need whether for household or burial needs. VI. POTTERY IN THE METAL AGE The start of the Metal Age marked the development of pottery technology estimated to be between 500 B.C.E. and 900 C.E. Specific typologies of pottery surfaced. Larger pieces of burial jars were said to have appeared during this age. Evidences of pottery with elaborate and intricate designs on their vessels that were prominent during this age were unearthed in Palawan. Apart from Palawan, the same markers were also found in Masbate, known as the Kalanay Complex site. The excavation was lead by Dr. Wilhelm Solheim II in the 1950s where they found earthenware pottery.Evidences of pottery dating back to the Metal Age were found in archaeological sites in Cebu by archaeologists from the University of San Carlos and the National Museum in the summer of 2011. VI. POTTERY AS USED FOR BURIALS Filipinos, in the past and in the present, heavily believe in the afterlife. Giving respect to the dead has been a custom from way back. Since Filipinos in the past believe in â€Å"pabaon†, the ceramic potteries they acquire from trading with other countries like China are buried together with their deceased loved ones. The ceramics were treated as valuables rather that for utilitarian purposes. Burial jars unearthed in the Philippines were dated back to the Neolithic Period. Anthropomorphism had become a dominant design. It is the personification or attribution of human characteristics to inanimate object, in this case, jars or pottery. These jars, made of earthenware, are designed like human figures complete with facial characteristics. The Mannunggul jar, Maitum Anthopomorphic potteries, and Leta-leta potteries from Palawan have greatly contributed to the understanding of burial customs during the early times. VII. INFLUENCE FROM OUTSIDE Evidences of contacts with Mainland and the rest of South East Asia were evident in trade and cultural exchanges. The production of domestic pottery became competitive increasing the pressure on the international market in  the South Seas (Peralta). Pottery trades with China were most evident. Traditional ceramics are composed of clay minerals (i.e. porcelain), as well as cement and glass. Ceramic artifacts have been useful in archaeology for understanding culture, technology and behavior of people in the past since they are among the most common artifacts to be found. Sherd is a term referred to small fragments of broken pottery. During the Pre-Christian era, highly-fired ceramic wares were evident in China. Ceramic technology in the mainland was very advanced and kaolin, very fine clay that can be fired to high temperatures, was the contributory factor. Kilns in China became known for their ability to produce temperatures well-above 1300 °. Ceramics from China were deemed to be of superior quality and thus were preferred over low-fired ceramics from other lands. H. Otley Beyer mentioned the recovery of three-colored ceramic shards from Tang Dynasty in the Philippines that verified the early trade networks of the early Filipinos with Mainland Asia. According to text, the discovered shards were systematically excavated from sites giving way to a large drawback on the presence of Tang Dynasty ceramics. However, in the 1980s, a site in Laurel near the edge of Taal Lake in Batangas was excavated and shards of of polychrome glazed jars were recovered. Polychrome glaze, obtained by using coloring agents such as copper, iron, manganese, and cobalt, was a product of Tang Dynasty. VIII. PHILIPPINE POTTERY AT PRESENT With the development of technology, modern ways on how to do pottery have been developed. Pottery equipment machines have been invented to make pottery for industrial purposes. Nevertheless, the art of pottery still struggles to live and strives to remain as a priceless piece of folk art. In places across the country, the art of making pottery in the primordial way still lives on. In the province of Antique, potters of Barangay Bari in Sibalom still adapt the traditional process of pottery. The potters, known  as â€Å"manugdihon kang kuron†, have been famous for making good quality and durable pottery. Likewise, in an area in Vigan, Ilocos Sur known as Pagburnayan, traditional pottery methods are also practiced by workers. Pottery is one of the most primordial arts that helped developed our culture. Preserving the traditional way of making pottery and keeping artifacts intact will also help in preserving Philippine tradition and culture that will benefit the future generations. REFERENCES Fox, Robert B., â€Å"The Calatagan Excavations: two 15th Century Burial Sites in Batangas, Philippines†, Philippine Studies, Vol. 7, Manila, Philippines; 1959 Valdes, Cynthia O.,â€Å"Pang-alay: Ritual Pottery in Ancient Philippines†, Makati City; 2003 Orton, Clive; Tyers, Paul and Vince, Alan, Pottery inArchaeology, Cambridge manuals in Archaeology; 1993 Ronquillo, Wilfredo P., Philippine Earthenware Pottery: An Overview â€Å"Pottery dating back to the Metal Age found in Cebu town†, Cebu Daily News; 05April2011 Callister, William D. and Rethwisch, David G., Materials Science and Engineering, 8th Edition, John Wiley & Sons; 2011 Eusebio Zamora Dizon, â€Å"An Iron Age in the Philippines? A critical examination† (January 1, 1988). Solheim, Wilhelm II G., â€Å"Further Notes on the Kalanay Pottery Complex in the Philippine Islands† Peralta, Jesus T. and De Santos, Arturo, Kayamanan: Pottery and Ceramics from the Arturo de Santos Collection, Central Bank of the Philippines; 1908 Magbanua, Richard. Traditional Pottery Making in Antique Philippines.