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Microsoft's Purchasing Problem

Problem

Microsoft today is finding that it has problems just like any other company. Problems could come from anywhere as far as cost reductions. All the material used in this paper is taken from the article Microsoft Takes Steps to World Class Procurement.

The problem that Microsoft found when it was looking at its financial material was that it needed to start cutting costs. Steve Ballmer the CEO of Microsoft issued a 1 billion dollar cost savings goal in 001. Today Microsoft was about to meet and exceed this goal. The goal was to be accomplished in 4 months and at 0 months Microsoft was sitting at $85 million. The cost savings could not have even come close to 1 billion dollars if it wasn't for a worldwide procurement strategy led by Don Jones. Since Microsoft keeps on growing into new markets and new lines of products the cost cutting goal is harder to accomplish.

Microsoft

Microsoft is an ever-growing company from numerous new products in existing product lines to new products in new product lines. A new product that Microsoft recently put out two or three years ago was the X box. The X box is a gaming system that is different from what Microsoft usually puts out for products. Since the X box has come out Microsoft has had to go overseas to get the raw materials to put it together.

Environment

The environment that Microsoft works in is a very global industry. Everyone all over the world has computers and they use Microsoft's software. Not only does Microsoft have to ship its software globally but also the material it brings in comes from different markets other then domestically. Microsoft today is the leader in the computer software industry. According to Microsoft financial statements history it brings in revenues quarterly from 5.5 million to 8.5 million. Revenues have increased over the years since Microsoft went from a domestic company to a global company. The Global environment that most companies are in now a day makes it a little harder to coordinate a very effective purchasing strategy. There are many factors that have to be taken into account when a company is dealing with suppliers in different countries. The two risks involved are political risks and economic risks. The economic risks deal with the currency changes, the fluctuation of the countries current currency compared to the American dollar. The political risks come from dealing with a company in another country and there political affairs.

Problem Resolution

The problem resolution began when Microsoft hired Don Jones to help out with the procurement strategy. The first thing that Don Jones and his procurement staff did was develop a set of online tools for use by the employees of Microsoft to buy indirect goods and services. Microsoft has online tools that let employees pick up day-to-day things that they need like PC's that are replaced quite often at Microsoft. Microsoft keeps the technology that it uses updated.

MS Market

One of the online tools that is used is MS market. MS market is the foundation for Microsoft's purchasing system. The MS market system allows company employees to buy goods and services from suppliers worldwide. With MS market Microsoft employees have the authority, when buying goods, to set spending limits. According to Don Jones, "Our online tools are so advanced that we pushed the buying function out into the business units." Microsoft gives its employees in each business units the power to find suppliers that are low cost. According to Don Jones, " Orders don't flow through procurement, nor do we select all suppliers for the business. What we do in procurement is guide employees to do the right thing."

Microsoft has 7 separate business units inside the company. The seven units are Client, Server Platforms, Information Worker, Business Solutions, MSN, CE/Mobility, and Homes. Usually on average these seven units spend about $10.5 billion annually.

Global Purchasing

The things that Don Jones and the purchasing department are doing now to decrease costs are pretty big. The first step that purchasing is working on is increasing the worldwide purchasing staff that Microsoft has by 50% in 18 months. This includes hiring experienced purchasers like when Microsoft hired Ken Litton. Ken Litton was the former vice president of sourcing at Rockwell International. Microsoft also has hired Winston Smith; Smith was the supplier diversity director for AT&T. Both of these guys have a lot of experience in the purchasing and supply chain field.

The second step that Microsoft has taken is to strengthen the reporting systems of purchasing in different countries. For example some buying groups that are in Asia report directly to the head of purchasing Don Jones. It is like this in all countries that Microsoft has buyers in.

Microsoft has been working on a few things to cut even more costs and to help out its purchasing department. The first is enhancing MS Market and starting up a new program called MS Spend. MS Spend is a program that will capture spending activity by United Nations Standard Products and Services Code of each business. The second thing Microsoft is doing is introducing MS Vendor Program. MS Vendor Program is a supplier management tool; it helps bring together a wider base of the companies suppliers.

Suppliers

A big part of what Microsoft has to buy is print and packaging for its products. Currently Microsoft is buying print and packaging for its X box, Windows, Office, the mobility group and the Great Plains division. On print and packaging alone for these divisions Microsoft spends $5 million annually. Microsoft was able to cut $0 million in costs by just finding the right suppliers. Microsoft had 15 suppliers for print and packaging and it was able to cut this down to about half. There have been a few other things that have been used to cut costs by reducing the amount of suppliers. By bringing together the purchasing of blank compact discs Microsoft reduced costs by $1 million dollars. One individual business unit was paying $1.0 per compact disk while a different business unit was only paying $0.0. When Don Jones came in and brought the purchasing units together and consolidated most of the practices Microsoft really started to cut costs.

Purchasing Council

A major change that Don Jones made when he came to Microsoft was to set up a purchasing council. The purchasing council consists of key decision makers and budget watchers in each of the seven business units. The council comes together about once a month to discuss the purchasing strategies that each business unit is using. The council also discusses business goals and then it also talks about how to align the purchasing strategies with the business goals. The council also goes over new purchasing strategies and supplier scorecards, which purchasing uses to rate suppliers.

MS Market

MS Market is a very useful tool that really helps out the purchasing department at Microsoft. MS Market is Microsoft's computer system that places orders electronically with suppliers. MS Market gives Microsoft an easy way to add new suppliers to the database. A supplier only needs to fill out a questionnaire and they will be in the system. The best part about MS Market is that as soon as an employee types what it needs into the system, the system matches the purchase to the best supplier for the job. MS Market is used mainly for indirect goods and services. MS Market is used to purchase $6.8 billion worth of products or raw materials annually.

Microsoft also has a Microsoft Vendor Program or MSVP. MSVP provides standard contracts for Microsoft to do business with its suppliers. Microsoft uses $5. billion of the companies spending to buy supplies from suppliers in the MSVP system.

Supplier Scorecards

Another key to cutting costs for Microsoft is how it rates its suppliers. Microsoft does not want to waste its money on bad suppliers so it keeps very tenuous records. When a supplier becomes unfavorable in the system he is then dropped. Just up until a little while ago procurement was not the ones who measured supplier performance. When Jones came to Microsoft he made it a priority that purchasing rated the suppliers since it was the department that worked with them. The purchasing department came out with scorecards to rate the suppliers. Microsoft spends about $10 million annually to measure the suppliers. The measurements on the scorecards are quality, value, service, innovation, delivery, organization health and supply chain management. According to Don Jones, We're connecting everyone in the company with the best suppliers through tools and practices and then measuring performance of those suppliers. We are going to expose that rating to everyone at Microsoft who may want to use that supplier in the future."

The scorecards not only have helped out Microsoft with picking the right suppliers but it also helps out the suppliers. The suppliers now know what they have to concentrate on and do well on. Before the suppliers were not really sure what Microsoft was judging them on. The suppliers didn't know if they were being chosen for what they did or if people just picked them because they were biased towards them.

Analysis

Microsoft Market

Microsoft is such a big company that it needs to have an electronic or computerized system to order its goods. Most companies can't have a system like this because it costs too much money. The system that Microsoft has, Microsoft Market, is like an ERP system. An ERP system lets companies control and manage inventory. Some ERP systems can also give supplier selection assistance, supplier performance measurement and control. These are a few things that Microsoft Market has that are in ERP systems. The implementation of Microsoft Market has already been done so the implementation cost has already gone through. According to Purchasing and Supply Chain Management," Although ERP systems hold out the promise of improved integration, some companies is finding the implementation process to be expensive, and in some cases ineffective." This has not come into play for Microsoft yet the system seems to be doing exactly what Microsoft thought it would. It is helping them pick better suppliers, and it is making it easier to purchase everyday products. The fact is Microsoft is a very big company so it needs the computerized system. Supplies come in and out of Microsoft everyday and a computerized system cuts down on a lot of paper work. Another reason that Microsoft Market is a great idea for Microsoft is the fact that not only can it work with individuals who are internal to Microsoft but suppliers that are external use it as well. According to Supply Chain Management and Purchasing, "As supply chain members increasingly work together, integration must occur between different functions that are internal to the organization as well as between parties that are external to the organization." A good way to do this is through Microsoft market not only can Microsoft have internal accountants, purchasing, manufacturing, engineering, marketing and logistics involved but it can also bring together suppliers, warehouses, and transportation providers as well.

Suppliers

I feel that the first good idea that Don Jones had was to set up the computerized system for purchasing. The best idea that Microsoft had was to cut down on the amount of suppliers it had. Like I stated with material from the article Microsoft had too many suppliers supplying the same items. Microsoft had 10 to 15 suppliers to supply blank compact discs at many different prices. The fact that Microsoft cut the suppliers down to the best and most reasonably priced and used them for the same products time and time again really helped to cut costs. When one supplier has compact discs for $0.0 and another for $1.0 and sometimes part of a department is ordering from the supplier who has the higher priced one the costs will be higher then it should be.

When Microsoft cut the supplier field down it was able to work with certain suppliers. I feel that Microsoft should pursue collaborative relationships with its suppliers. According to Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, "A firm can gain many advantages by pursuing closer relationships with suppliers." A few advantages that the book says is the development of mutual trust. If Microsoft builds trust with its suppliers it can share data with them to see what area it could cut costs even more. Microsoft can work in a joint effort with its suppliers to help cut costs. Purchasing and Supply Chain Management says that another advantage is the opportunity to evaluate which suppliers should receive longer-term contracts. Longer-term contracts could help Microsoft and its suppliers come up with new technological ways to cut even more costs. Having a collaborative relationship will also help with quality problems. According to Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, because suppliers play an important role in an organization's overall success," it is not difficult to see why choosing only the best suppliers supports higher performance." This is the reason Microsoft cut down its suppliers it wanted only the best. Most of the suppliers that are used are relatively large and give Microsoft plenty of options.

Worldwide Sourcing

Microsoft went into worldwide sourcing which I feel is a very good idea. There are a couple of risks that go along with sourcing worldwide and they are political risks and business risks. According to Purchasing and Supply Chain Management the four reasons companies source worldwide are to achieve cost/price benefits, to ensure better quality, to gain access to technology, and to access the only source available. A couple other reasons that the book points out is to introduce competition to the domestic supply base, satisfying counter trade requirements, reacting to the sourcing patterns of competitors, establish a presence in a foreign market, and increased supplier responsiveness. These are all good reasons for Microsoft to source globally. Microsoft already had very good control of the market in the United States so it was a good idea to source globally so that it could get into new markets.

Microsoft I feel has done a very good job with the problem of cutting costs. At the same time it cut costs it tremendously improved its purchasing department. Before Jones came to Microsoft the purchasing department was a mess. Even though Microsoft has improved and has cut some of its suppliers down I feel it is time that it starts to build collaborative relationships. It really helps out the supply chain when a company can get help with certain problems from people that are involved. The key for Microsoft to become even better is to build long-term relationships to help it keep progressing.

Works Cited

Avery, Susan. "Microsoft Takes Steps to World-class procurement" Purchasing.

April , 00.

Monczka, Robert M, Trent Robert J, Handfield Robert B. Purchasing and

Supply Chain Management. P. 1-17, -5, 6-65. 00

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Enlightenment Philosophers DBQ

There were many philosophers throughout the Enlightenment period. Some of these great thinkers shared similar views on related ideas, others differed completely. I personally agreed most with John Locke's philosophies. Locke was born in 16 and died in 1704. His works concerned human nature, how the structure of a society should be set up, and other issues to that effect. Locke's philosophies and books are all applicable to our society today and some of our country's political foundations are based on his notable philosophies.

I agree with his reasoning on why an absolute monarchy is no form of a civil government. I believe that the people who make the decisions for their country are their country and that "the people' should have equal power and all be on the same level socially and politically. Like Locke, I believe that a superior to judge between right and wrong and to punish those who do wrong is absolutely necessary, yet the power should be in the hands of the people and not a monarch. Before the enlightenment, both secular and religious worlds were in a power struggle and became extremely corrupt, proving that "absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

Locke stated ...and have a common established law and judicature to appeal to, with authority to decide controversies between them and punish offenders. I have no doubt that to have structure and a judicial system in a society is essential and without it there would be complete and utter chaos. I also agree with Locke on the subject of why a civil society is better and more productive then living in the state of nature. Locke's state of nature was a state of liberty, and all people were considered equal, but there was no authority to enforce the law which I believe to be greatly problematic. Without laws or government, a state or country is bound to be inextricable and completely disorganized which are not good conditions. With such disagreeable circumstances the people are bound to fight with one another and act cruel causing the overall conditions of the state to worsen even more. Locke philosophized that a civil state should be formed for three significant reasons; an established law was needed, authority to judge right from wrong according to the established law, and a power to back and support the sentence when right and give it due execution. I find these three reasons to be substantive in our society today and without those factors our society would be in a disordered situation where nothing functions correctly and all people are corrupt.

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Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in Pornography and Sexual Violence, therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your Pornography and Sexual Violence paper at affordable prices ! My topic is Pornography and Sexual Violence and my research comes from Taking Sides Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality, by Robert T. Francoeur and William J. Taverner. An issue presented in the text asks if pornography is harmful to women � is the use of pornographic material directly linked to physical and sexual abuse to women? (Francoeur & Taverner, 000). Ill provide both sides to the argument and let the debate begin.

Researcher Elizabeth Cramer says yes to the relation between porn and violence. She states the theory of pornography…using pornographic materials actually teaches the user that women are there for the gratification of men, and that women enjoy the sexual liberation that violence brings, (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 0). Cramer offers results from a 188 survey of 45 adult-only, X-rated films, and found that 60% of the video time showed explicit sexual acts, and of these actions, 8% were considered exploitive, with men doing 80% of the dominating/exploiting. A womans rape was shown in over 50% of the films with a male rapist leading the attack 0% of the time. Physical abuse appeared in 7% of the videos, and men were usually portrayed as professionals, while the women were housewives, students, or secretaries. Cramer believes the message these videos send is a distorted characterization of both male and female sexuality that is particularly degrading to woman. (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 0). To that, I say, No S # % T!

Cramer also provides the findings to a 14 Relationship Inventory, assessing the status of relationships including information about pornography use. The survey was given to 87 women who had pressed physical abuse charges against her intimate partner and four questions with a yes/no option were asked (1) Does the man who abuses you EVER use pornographic magazines, films, or videos? () Does the man who abuses you EVER show you or make you look at porn in magazines, films, or videos? () Does the man who abuses you EVER ask you or force you to act out the pornographic scenes he has looked at? (4) Does the man who abuses you EVER ask you or force you to pose for pornographic pictures? The results are scary - forty percent reported pornography use, and of these, 5% had been asked or forced to reenact scenes they had been shown. Thirty-six women had been raped, and of these, 74% stated that their partner used pornography, and 6% were reminded of porn during the attacks (Francoeur & Taverner, 000). In considering the findings, Cramer emphasizes, …pornography was defined by saying, We are talking about when women are held down and hurt, thus making sure that the women were not reporting on simple nudity. Second, the entire sample was women who had been physically or sexually assaulted by their male partner within the previous 1 months (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 07). Bottom line, according to Cramer and her associates, sex coupled with porn can lead to increased violence and trauma for a woman.

Now for the other side. Law Professor Nadine Strossen claims, the perils of pornophobia…is the notion that that sex is inherently degrading to women. (Francoeur & Tavener, 000, p. 00). Her theory, based on thoughts from writers Germaine Greer, Betty Friedan, and Betty Dodson, is …women should not be seen as victims in their sexual relations with men but as equally assertive partners, just as capable of experiencing sexual pleasure…the condemnation of pornography can be carried too far and universal censorship is not the solution to end violence against women (Francoeur & Tavener, 000, p. 0). Strossen suggests that censorship in any form derails feminism, and credits law professor Catherine McKinnon and writer Andrea Dworkin with the idea that …sexist concepts of marriage and family, or pent-up rage - is the preeminent cause of discrimination and violence against women. Their solution is seemingly simple suppress all pornography. (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 0). Strossen disagrees with the pornophobic feminists who believe sex � even consensual and non-violent � is an evil from which women must be protected. In other words, she is asking that we dispute the Victorian idea that woman are sexual victims and that men are ravenous fiends.

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Strossen rallies against pro-censorship feminists and distances herself from the old school family values champions like Jesse Helms and Phyllis Schlafly, saying they are less interested in protecting women than in preserving male dominance, a common hatred of sexual expression and fondness for censorship unite the two camps. (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 10). The pro-censorship feminists base their efforts on the assumption that ridding society of porn would reduce sexism and violence towards women; according to Strossen, the opposite goal will result, and states, This mutually reinforcing relationship does a serious disservice to the fight for womens equality. It lends credibility to and strengthens the right wing and its anti-feminist, anti-choice, homophobic agenda…there are no consistent correlations between the availability of pornography in various communities, states, countries and their rates of sexual offenses. If anything, studies suggest an inverse relationship a greater availability of sexually explicit material seems to correlate not with higher rates of sexual violence, but with higher indices of gender equality. (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 10). Note that Singapore has tight restrictions on pornography yet a higher increase in rapes than does Sweden, a country with relatively liberal obscenity laws (Francoeur & Taverner, 000). Is it simply about exposure � no pun intended?

This is a tough call for me to make � I am a firm believer in the First Amendment providing freedom of speech, and I appreciate the fact that I can listen to, read, write, or pretty much engage in any activity that I choose. In my opinion, pornography is subjective � I couldnt say it any better than former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when he said, I shall not today attempt further to define obscenity and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it (Francoeur & Taverner, 000, p. 0). Like beauty, pornography is in the eye of the beholder, and these days, is not just contained in plastic behind the counter at your local 7-11. All I need to do is click my remote and I am deluged with images of chicks with little clothing, song lyrics all about f-ing, and the idea that hot is cool and less is more. Porn? Yes. Connected to violence? Sure � just because you look like you want it doesnt mean you do � the old adage that no means no still rings true.

Some questions for debate

Is porn a tool � like any other tangible weapon � for violence during sex?

How does the media � dont get me started � encourage sex and violence?

Is it simply a case of the First Amendment and the notion that porn doesnt hurt � people do?

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"Shopping is no longer just the mundane act of going out and buying a product…retailing has been imbued with a whole new ethos, a new significance, a new cultural meaning � and commodities themselves seem to have taken on a new central role in peoples lives'.

(Gardener & Sheppard, 18 4)

We all shop! It's a simple fact of life that we all shop or consume (in Western society at least), but what does this say about us? Are we looking for that special something that personifies what we are? Are we in fact personified by what we buy and not the other way around? Is shopping and therefore consumerism merely a necessity or do we even acknowledge it's existence at all? These are some of the areas into which I will be looking at through the course of this essay.

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According to Bauman (188,1) the "consumer ethic' has replaced the long established " work ethic'. He postulates that whereas previous generations identified themselves by their jobs the more recent generations have defined their identities with possessions and image. " If in a life normatively motivated by the work ethic, material gains were deemed secondary and instrumental in relation to work itself (their importance consisting primarily of confirming the adequacy of the work effort), it is the other way round in a life guided by the "consumer ethic'. Here work is (at best) instrumental; it is in the material emoluments that one seeks, and finds, fulfilment, autonomy and freedom.'

(188 75)

What this suggests is that no longer is the job you do or the money you earn definitive of identity. It is now the clothes you wear and the things you own which define your identification. "…Consumerism stands for production, distribution, desiring, obtaining and using, of symbolic goods.' (Bauman, 1 ). This in itself is a simplistic view, which "…would suggest that individuals can buy identities off the peg just as corporations can buy themselves new images…' (Gabriel & Lang, 15 87)

The idea of shopping for identity is not as absurd as the average citizen may at first consider it to be. There are few who could argue against Western society being a capitalistic one and the shop for identity is a natural by-product of this. We are constantly given the impression that wealth equals success; this wealth/success is manifested in what the outside world perceives us to possess. Marx suggests

"That which is for me through the medium of money � that for which I can pay (i.e. which money can buy) � that am I, the possessor of money. The extent of the power of money is the extent of my power. Money's properties are my properties and essential powers � the properties and powers of its possessor. Thus, what I am and am capable of is by no means determined by my individuality. I am ugly, but I can buy for myself the most beautiful of women. Therefore I am not ugly, for the effect of ugliness � its deterrent power � is nullified by money…' (Marx 17 81)

What Marx suggests is that money (and therefore possessions) can alter societies perception of an individual or a group as a whole. There are many examples of (arguably) unattractive men with a great deal of money and/or power forming intimate relations with young attractive women (or indeed men). Prime examples of this would be men such as Peter Stringfellow or Mick Jagger. What this demonstrates is that with increasing regularity your projected image and your possessions are far more important than your personal attributes.

These are examples of men with �many would consider- copious amounts of money, this does not however make them irrelevant to this discussion. The pervading theme throughout the study of consumerism and identity is that although money and possessions are of pivotal importance, their importance lies in relativity.

(Gabriel and Lang 15 4-5). For example another group may well consider a student who is considered to be well off and blessed with many possessions within his or her social groups quite the reverse.

So the projection of image is (arguably) relative to our social setting. This ties in with the idea that identity is not "fixed' but a malleable and ever changing thing. This is - to quote Prince - a "Sign "o' the times'. As Berger and Luckmann point out

" A knight is a knight and a peasant is a peasant. There is, therefore no problem of identity. The question "Who am I?' is unlikely to arise in consciousness, since the socially predefined answer is massively real subjectively and consistently confirmed in all significant social interaction. (167 184)

What this is suggesting is that in "pre-modern times' a persons identity was laid out before them and was not open to interpretation or change. There was no concern of "Who am I?' as there were no other options but what you already were. In today's

"Post-modern' society this is far from the case. A person may belong to several different groups, all of whom may have their own beliefs and lifestyles. This presents the individual with the problem of "fitting in' to all of these groups. What is a suitable projected image for one group may be highly detrimental to another. It is this occurrence, which causes the individual to ask "Who am I?' and leads to identity "fragmentation'.

For theorists who feel there is a large discontinuity between the modern and the post-modern there is a loss of the "Sovereign self', the self which reasons, reflects, decides and takes responsibility. (Gabriel & Lang, 15 1) Firat felt that

"the consumers of post-modernity seem to be transcending these narratives, no longer seeking centred, unified characters, but increasingly seeking to "feel good' in separate, different moments by acquiring self images that make them marketable, likeable and/or desirable in each moment. . . .Thus occurs the fragmentation of the self. In post-modern culture, the self is not consistent, authentic, or centred.' (1 04)

What this seems to suggest is that the self is not constant, that identity can be changed to suit certain circumstances. The post-modern citizen is in a constantly shifting state and their identity is set adrift upon a sea of self-doubt. The producers of the commodities, which we buy are aware of this current human state and tailor their products accordingly. In today's markets there is almost nothing that you cannot buy to say "This is who I am' and to give yourself some form of identity at least in the eyes of others. Bauman felt that

"In the game of consumer freedom all customers may be winners at the same time. Identities are not scarce goods. If anything their supply tends to be excessive, as the overabundance of any image is bound to detract from its value as a symbol of individual uniqueness.' (188 6)

So the individual as a consumer is seeking out the perfect identity for him/herself. If as Bauman suggests there is an abundance of these identities out there to buy then what is this "identity � crisis'? In the words of Gabriel & Lang

"If uniqueness is so highly prized as a prerequisite for esteem and self-esteem, the notion that any image can be the basis of identity begins to sound like a cruel joke.' (15 )

This is of course the post-modern problem. In order to achieve an identity within which we are comfortable we must find an identity that is acceptable to us and to others. To make this situation even more exacerbating we as consumers are compelled to seek both individuality and authenticity. This is not easily possible in today's mass-produced society where the choices for distinctiveness are limited to what companies offer us.

This situation does not however mean that consumers will embrace any image that is thrown at us. Far from it in fact, we are selective in our decisions and therefore our buying habits. The presentation of images is just simply not enough, we must feel that this image appeals to our self perceptions and appeals to what we feel we stand for.

"While today's consumers may be willing to adopt multiple personas in different circumstances…lifestyles, are "more or less integrated' sets of practises, through which self-identities are constituted.' (Giddens, 11 81)

So where do these consumerist habits come from? When do we start striving to find our identities through the medium of consumerism? Also why do we do this? According to Baumeister (186 1)

"Children spontaneously like certain things and dislike others; they do not construct identities around them.'

What this suggests is that children do not distinguish possessions as status symbols. If a young child likes something (or someone) then that is all that matters. As the child grows however this "innocence' begins to be tainted and lost. Image consciousness becomes the ruler supreme and dictates much of the child's habits. Early friends are no longer popular enough to be associated with, your favourite shoes are no longer the right brand and the need to fit in becomes ever more pronounced. This becomes ever more prevalent the older the child becomes as s/he strive to be accepted as adults.

"For young people today, consumption appears as the key to entering adulthood' (Gabriel & Lang, 15 8)

"young people will experiment with different identities, by ignoring the way in which class, gender and race construct the boundaries of identity' (Abercrombie, 14 51).

The child or adolescent therefore needs to build a convincing projected image, one, which is believable and commands respect. For example a child born into a white "upper-class' family in England is not going to convincingly become an African-American "Gangsta-rapper'. This does not mean that they would not try but that they will eventually realise that this image does not necessarily reflect them in the most appropriate way.

There are many theories, which suggest why children follow these patterns; Langman (1 58) feels that television is one of the more obvious contributions to this particular behaviour.

"…This is all the more the case as television, having hurried if not destroyed childhood, has created the grown-up child and immature adult as the whole of a life course is sandwiched between infancy and senility.' (Ibid)

This suggests that children have consumerism "rammed down their throats', by the mass media. The constant advertising of every product imaginable takes its toll on the young and impressionable. They are presented constantly with images, which they find fascinating. Prominent television stars, sportspersons, movie stars and other familiar faces advertise certain brands and the child �and indeed the adult � associate these brands with the success that these people possess. We throughout all stages of our lives want to buy into that success.

For me it was the "Air-Jordan' campaign by "Nike', I wanted to be part of that success in basketball, I wanted to be Michael Jordan. For others it was football or certain films that they wanted to be associated with, the common ground was that we all felt that we could buy into these identities. However at fourteen I was not a 6"+ African-American basketball star, I'm still not (but I am now over 6"), however at the time that is who I aspired to be.

"What man projects before him as his ideal is the substitute for the lost narcissism of his childhood in which he was his own ideal…To this ideal ego is now directed the self-love which the real ego enjoyed in childhood. The narcissism seems to be now displaced on to this new ideal ego, which, like the infantile ego, deems itself the possessor of all perfections.' (Freud, 114 4)

What I feel Freud is saying here is that as children we are thoroughly content with ourselves (I believe he is talking about pre-school children). As we age we lose this contentment and try to "love' an idealised version of ourselves, which we view as perfect.

Lasch however argues that today's narcissistic subject is not lost in self-admiration, but is never happy with what s/he finds.

"He is not happy with what he sees. He worries about growing old and ugly. He sets about busily constructing an ego- ideal around idealised qualities of commodities, aided and abetted by the propaganda of the makers of dreams…Although blemished, the narcissist always finds something to admire in himself; his life- story may not have been crowned with glory yet, but the happy end is within site- if only he tries a little harder, gets a lucky break, or, above all, finds a bit more money.' (Gabriel & Lang, 15 5)

What Lasch, Gabriel & Lang all seem to be saying is-I feel- the crux of the matter. It seems that no matter what the consumerist subject does-no matter what identity they assume-, they find it near impossible to achieve the contentment and sense of belonging that they are striving towards.

In conclusion I feel that consumerist society offers us the consumer, many varied ways to alter the outside worlds perception of ourselves. In many respects this gives the consumer an almost limitless freedom of choice, we can be whatever (within social reason) we choose to be. However Giddens (11) feels that there are also dangers within this too.

"The modern condition entails both opportunities and dangers for the individual. The material conditions within which and in response to which we form our identities are not benign. They both afford possibilities for personal development and they threaten that development- increased freedoms go hand in hand with increased responsibilities.' (Lunt & Livingstone, 1 4)

What this means is that there are two-sides to the proverbial coin, on the one side this buying of identity can be extremely beneficial, and on the other highly detrimental. Consumerism can offer identities, which we may not always be aware of; it can help us to explore ourselves (Lasch, 180, 184, 11). It can help us to see "inner-worlds'

(Gabriel & Lang, 15 0), which we may otherwise be unaware of, or choose to ignore completely.

However it may also immerse the consumer so heavily that they forget entirely who they are and become whatever is on offer at the time. This can cause a person to completely alter their fashions, beliefs and tastes as and when a more desirable alternative is offered.

"Identity, self, image, self-image and subjectivity threaten to become free-floating signifiers, easily substituting each other, merging and dividing up, losing their moorings and distinctiveness.' (Gabriel & Lang, 15 )

In short consumerism is both a friend and a foe, its ability to create and destroy identities is only so because of the post-modern citizens constant battle for acceptance both from society as a whole and-perhaps more importantly- themselves.

"I never had, and still do not have, the perception of feeling my personal identity. I appear to myself as the place where something is going on, but there is no "I', no "me'. Each of us is a kind of crossroads where things happen. The crossroads is purely passive; something happens there. A different kind of thing, equally valid, happens elsewhere. There is no choice, it is just a matter of chance.' (Levi-Strauss, 178 -4)

Bibliography

· Gabriel and Lunt; The Unmanageable consumer, 15; Sage publications

· Abercrombie; Authority and consumer society, 14; Routledge

· Bauman; Freedom, 188; Open University Press

· Bauman; Intimations of Postmodernity, 1; Routledge

· Baumeister; Identity Cultural change and the Struggle for Self, 186; Oxford university press

· Berger & Luckmann; The Social Construction of Reality, 167; Penguin

· Clammer; Aesthetics of the Self, 1; Routledge

· Davidson.M.; The Consumerist Manifesto, 1; Routledge

· Firat; Fragmentations in the Postmodern, 1;

· Freud.S. On Narcissism, 114; Hogarth

· Giddens; Modernity and Self-Identity, 11; Polity Press

· Langman; Neon cages shopping for subjectivity, 1; Routledge

· Levi-Strauss; Myth and Meaning, 178; Routledge

· Lunt & Livingstone; Mass Consumption and Personal Identity,1; Open University Press

· Marx; Economic and philosophic manuscripts of 1844, 17; Norton

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Ghosts

Over the centuries there have been very many tales that tell of ghosts but the question still remains, do they really exist or is it all in the mind?

Types of ghosts.

I have found through my research that there are many different types of ghosts. For example

Poltergeists many people think these are ghosts but they do not behave like normal ghosts do. Poltergeists can move objects such as chairs, tables, mirrors, beds, televisions etc. Poltergeists have never been seen but objects have been seen flying through mid air and also just suddenly appearing out of nowhere, they can also make objects fit through openings which are too small for them to fit and often after the object has stopped moving they are too hot to touch. Poltergeist activity most commonly occurs when there are children present between the ages of 1-16. Some researchers believe that these activities could also be the result of psychokinesis, this is the ability to move objects using only the mind. They also believe that this energy can only be produced by children of this age.

Ghosts of the living these ghosts appear as people that are still living but in great danger or pain. Such ghosts normally appear only once

Spirits these ghosts are just there to give you a sign that lets you know that they're okay in the afterlife. These signs are usually things that will let you know it's them. For example, if the ghost liked flowers while it was living, it might leave you a long stemmed rose or carnation to let you know that they're okay

Ghosts with a purpose these ghosts appear for a special reason, they are phantoms of the dead that come in order to give warnings or messages to their family or to their close friends. These ghosts rarely speak but they point and give signs to deliver their messages.

Helpful ghosts these ghosts that come when they sense that they are needed to help their family through times of hardship or grief, these ghosts are often invisible but the family usually knows that they're there to help them. These ghosts usually say until things get better for the family

Duties of a ghost.

If possible certain duties must be completed before the ghost can leave this earth peacefully and join the spirit world. Here are some examples of some duties.

1. to avenge a murder and bring the criminal to justice.

. to right any wrongs they committed while living.

. to have their body receive a proper buirial.

4. to reveal a hiding place of money or valubles that need to be returned to their rightful owners.

5. To set right an injustice from which someone is still sufering

The Poltergeist and PK

As I said before the only explanation for Poltergeist activity is psychokinesis the ability to move objects with the mind so I decided to do a bit of my report on how to do it just in case you are interested, the following steps should help your ability to bend spoons or whatever grow (But don't practice with your mom's good silverware �º.)

1. What you do is have an accepting attitude. Believe it can happen. Have a POSITIVE attitude about it. you may not have believed you could do it but you may believe it is possible. Thats a start for the proper frame of mind. Next, believe YOU can!!

. Focus your attention. So many people say they are concentrating but in fact their minds are scattered and they arent really into it at all.

. Practice being still. Yes, actually, being still without thinking anything.

4. Learn to Let Go

These are some of the techniques that will help you open up to all your abilities whether you are bending spoons or not.

1. Find utensil of choice.

. Hold utensil in your hand / hands--however you are comfortable.

. Sit quietly--breathe comfortably--relax. 4. Empty mind of all extra chattering and thoughts. Remember stay focused.

5. With eyes closed--slowly rub your fingers tips over the surface of the object.

6. Feel--dont think about it--feel what the surface feels like. Get into the flow of molecules, atoms, energy.

7. This may take a few attempts but you will begin to actual feel the energy.

8. At that very moment when you feel it--you and the object as a blend of energy--just bend it! If youve done it correctly--it will bend!!!

. Remember NEVER apply force! You arent there to physically force it to bend. Thats not point of the exercise.

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I have always believed that to try to write love is to confront the muck of language, that region of hysteria where language is both too much and too little, excessive . . . and impoverished. Yet, in between this too much and too little, i venture to express myself . Though, rusty as I may be with word, what i pen here today is my prayer for myself and for you.A prayer that would bind us in the unstained sacred knot of what human has defined as love.Our brightest blazes of gladness in life are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks. In my life, I am experiencing the greatest joy of that blaze that has been sparked by your presence in my life.

If you can reason this letter, you will understand me better. If you let your heart and head in union imagine, you will be that star anew with me; if you chance to feel, you will find that my heart beats with yours. If we beams our eyes as one, it will kindle at once and mix and melt into our own. I, however do not seek your lips of motionless ice to reply to my lips quivering and burning with the heart's best blood. I am in love with you.

It is said of love that it sometimes goes, sometimes flies; runs with one, walks gravely with another; turns a third into ice, and sets a fourth in a flame it wounds one, another it kills like lightning it begins and ends in the same moment it makes that fort yield at night which it besieged but in the morning; for there is no force able to resist it.This is happening to me right now as I convey this to you. All I ask you is be mine...Almost every desire a poor man has is a punishable offence. Yet I dare to brave the the gravest of punishment....my life..if i have to give it away...

My love for u is supreme and rusticly honest, it is a motivation that gives a sublime rhythm to my life, and exalts into me with the soul's highest needs. If there's delight and divinity in love, it is when I see you. I need you in my life.This heart of mine, which others bleed for, bleed for you. If need be, i will bleed myself to death.

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I love you and love you for nought, but except for love's sake only. I cannot say that I love you for your smile . . . your look . . . your way of speaking gently . . . for a trick of thought that falls in well with mine, and, for bringing a sense of pleasant ease on such a day� for all these things,though much dear, ceases. Perhaps love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction.

Having said all these, if i had to say how i feel about you..i would have saidI LOVE YOU.

This is for you dear.

TUTU TANGO

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