Seatbelts on, a mindless vent is about to be written.
I'm sick to death of managing volunteers. I'm sick of it. Unpaid slaving away trying to herd a group of sheep, most of whom don't even want to be good sheep.
I'm sick of trying to start something meaningful, trying to build on something and reach a standard of quality, only to have it crashing down because people jump ship and leave and get jobs and disappear. And then starting all over again with new sheep that don't even have any wool.
I'm sick of having people involved that I just want to slap in the face. People that mill about around the edges but aren't actually interested in rolling up their goddamn sleeves (sheep sleeves? I don't know) and doing some work. I don't have a problem if they can't commit or if things change. But I can't stand lukewarm, tepid involvement. Either be a sheep or leave the paddock.
I simply have had enough. And now, when I'm trying to jump out of this fetid, manure-strewn paddock this has become I just feel like I'm dragged back. I see a handful of strong sheep that want to make the paddock green again, but I've let them down. Because I can't even give them some budding sheep to work with.
It's exhausting. It's unrewarding. It shits me to tears. I just can't stand it. And the worst part? All the sheep in the green paddocks around me, the paid, delicious paddocks. They look down on the muddy, shitty paddock I'm trying to clamber over from and they probably think "...eww...gross...no we don't want this sheep."
I just want the greener pastures. I want to go to work with a solid, continuous group of sheep that all want to make star formations and ride motorcycles like no other sheep can. I want to be the small fish striving for something better, instead of some kind of grotesque, muddied cod attempting to improve itself while managing incompetent sheep.
This is why I have to fight for those greener pastures.
And I want them now.
04 December, 2012
21 October, 2012
Ambition Bug Strikes Again
It's pretty inappropriate timing in one sense but spot on by and large.
I've been hit tonight by an energising wave of ambitiousness. That's the simplest way of describing it, but instead it's like my brain is buzzing and alight with a burning urge to get out into the world and carve out a name and reputation and connections of power and do it now.
It's bad timing because I'm meant to be writing an essay on superannuation (shout out to the one (?) possible reader who has been following that particular sub-plot). But I'm hoping it will tide over and power me through what I need to get done tonight.
But back to this ambition business. I've started coming back to this blog to spill these surges of mental excitement and I guess that's why I'm back here today.
It was YouTube that sparked it on this occasion: I've got some friends who are more savvy with the politics of YouTube, but I was basically looking at the extraordinary influence and power wielded by people my age who had started a YouTube channel: later invited to become YouTube Partners ($$) and still commanding impressive audiences.
Having neither the face nor the inspiration for broad spectrum appeal videos I'm not intending to start a YouTube Channel any time soon. Or will I?...
Either way, the gist is I've got to get my website together once I've got all this uni work done by Tuesday. Then I'll pull together my online self and start to chisel away until I attract an audience.
I think it's incredibly important that I start with my own online identity outside of an organisation, because I reckon that's what I'll need to fall back on, and if I've built it myself then I know I can count on it.
I've been hit tonight by an energising wave of ambitiousness. That's the simplest way of describing it, but instead it's like my brain is buzzing and alight with a burning urge to get out into the world and carve out a name and reputation and connections of power and do it now.
It's bad timing because I'm meant to be writing an essay on superannuation (shout out to the one (?) possible reader who has been following that particular sub-plot). But I'm hoping it will tide over and power me through what I need to get done tonight.
But back to this ambition business. I've started coming back to this blog to spill these surges of mental excitement and I guess that's why I'm back here today.
It was YouTube that sparked it on this occasion: I've got some friends who are more savvy with the politics of YouTube, but I was basically looking at the extraordinary influence and power wielded by people my age who had started a YouTube channel: later invited to become YouTube Partners ($$) and still commanding impressive audiences.
Having neither the face nor the inspiration for broad spectrum appeal videos I'm not intending to start a YouTube Channel any time soon. Or will I?...
Either way, the gist is I've got to get my website together once I've got all this uni work done by Tuesday. Then I'll pull together my online self and start to chisel away until I attract an audience.
I think it's incredibly important that I start with my own online identity outside of an organisation, because I reckon that's what I'll need to fall back on, and if I've built it myself then I know I can count on it.
16 October, 2012
Don't Read! Super Musing #1
Okie doke, I'm writing an essay and am at that point where I'm about to get stuck into it. I am, I swear.
This isn't procrastination, it's just I need to write without thinking or stressing or citing or stopping myself. I need to do this or I will probably not get the essay done. In fact, I should have been blogging this whole time. It would have made this a lot easier. As things are, I've been doing a reasonable amount of reading this Semester to prepare for this 5, 000 word essay, but not much writing. Which has become a problem now, as I go to write about something I'm not completely unfamiliar with, but which does not flow naturally.
Ok, it's about super reform. Yep, there we go, lost 95% of the audience. If you're still reading then...ok. You may read on.
OR MAY YOU??!
Yes, you may.
Specifically, it's an essay that's not evaluating the various policies and aspects of superannuation that are being debated in Australian politics today. No. That would be a job for an economic student or something like that. I'm a communication student, so naturally my essay question is:
"What are the ways in which superannuation reform is being made about superannuation policy in Australia, by whom, how and to what end? And how do these arguments fit within economic debate in contemporary Australian politics?"
Whoo!
So, my plan runs thusly:
1. Let's define some kind of 'language of super': this is all about establishing the historical origins of superannuation debate. To a large extent it's about outlining the history of superannuation. It began as a policy only offered to wealthy businessmen by financial institutions. From there, the unions decided it should be something every worker in Australia can access: something to retire on so it's not straight onto the age pension once they retire. A series of battles marked by bi-partisan moments, an unusual kind of capitalist ideology driven welfare system, not-for-profit union funds, consumer choice/neolib free market conflicts with govt regulation and preference towards union funds, and more. To assist in this:
- A Super History (great read, I'll lend it to you if you're keen)
- CanStar
- A series of uni readings on neo-liberalism etc.
I was thinking of kicking off this thrilling start to the essay with two contrasting quotes that I think capture quite neatly the two major bodies of thought on superannuation. Each one represents a part of its history, and each argument reponds to the other (bring in good old Leith and Myerson to make their point about rhetoric responding to arguments implicitly etc.).
Then going into some of that history, just enough so that the significance and history behind each side has been filled out to give full comprehension. Then, with startling speed, the reader will be plunged into the next part of the essay...estimated words spent thus far? Will probably need to be around 2, 000 which is ok!
Sites of argument/struggle today:
This will look at the issues that are being argued and fought today. They revolve around similar if not identical themes as they did during its formation (after all, only 30 years old or so). Principal among these is 'My Super', which funds are listed as default and which aren't, co-contribution/tax concessions/taxing of superannuant input (i.e. the policies that are put in place to incentivise additional super contributions or prevent tax evasion strategies at the opposite end of the pay scale), gender (links to previous, due to the fact that women's super suffers when they leave workforce to have children). These are the main fights, and they revolve around the same ideas: rational economic actors, govt support for financially illiterate population), etc.
THEN
Will look at how the super industry (in particular industry super funds vs retail super funds) have communicated themselves and communicated super to their superannuants. This includes the rise in neo-liberal attempts to financially educate people so they can make their own choices about super funds, investment options (high risk vs low risk vs clean energy etc.). This also includes educating people so that they can run their own super funds. This is something pitched at wealthier Australians, and there is a certain way that financial media attempts to form them into tax-savvy savers that can find the ways to end up with buckets of golden piggy bank super etc.
Possibly there will be a brief historical aside into the image of the piggy bank in popular culture and why it accompanies so much of the coverage and discussion of superanuation and retirement income.
But yeah.
Ok that was useful I guess, thanks blog! I'd better get stuck into it. I guess starting at the start is a good idea.
This isn't procrastination, it's just I need to write without thinking or stressing or citing or stopping myself. I need to do this or I will probably not get the essay done. In fact, I should have been blogging this whole time. It would have made this a lot easier. As things are, I've been doing a reasonable amount of reading this Semester to prepare for this 5, 000 word essay, but not much writing. Which has become a problem now, as I go to write about something I'm not completely unfamiliar with, but which does not flow naturally.
Ok, it's about super reform. Yep, there we go, lost 95% of the audience. If you're still reading then...ok. You may read on.
OR MAY YOU??!
Yes, you may.
Specifically, it's an essay that's not evaluating the various policies and aspects of superannuation that are being debated in Australian politics today. No. That would be a job for an economic student or something like that. I'm a communication student, so naturally my essay question is:
"What are the ways in which superannuation reform is being made about superannuation policy in Australia, by whom, how and to what end? And how do these arguments fit within economic debate in contemporary Australian politics?"
Whoo!
So, my plan runs thusly:
1. Let's define some kind of 'language of super': this is all about establishing the historical origins of superannuation debate. To a large extent it's about outlining the history of superannuation. It began as a policy only offered to wealthy businessmen by financial institutions. From there, the unions decided it should be something every worker in Australia can access: something to retire on so it's not straight onto the age pension once they retire. A series of battles marked by bi-partisan moments, an unusual kind of capitalist ideology driven welfare system, not-for-profit union funds, consumer choice/neolib free market conflicts with govt regulation and preference towards union funds, and more. To assist in this:
- A Super History (great read, I'll lend it to you if you're keen)
- CanStar
- A series of uni readings on neo-liberalism etc.
I was thinking of kicking off this thrilling start to the essay with two contrasting quotes that I think capture quite neatly the two major bodies of thought on superannuation. Each one represents a part of its history, and each argument reponds to the other (bring in good old Leith and Myerson to make their point about rhetoric responding to arguments implicitly etc.).
Then going into some of that history, just enough so that the significance and history behind each side has been filled out to give full comprehension. Then, with startling speed, the reader will be plunged into the next part of the essay...estimated words spent thus far? Will probably need to be around 2, 000 which is ok!
Sites of argument/struggle today:
This will look at the issues that are being argued and fought today. They revolve around similar if not identical themes as they did during its formation (after all, only 30 years old or so). Principal among these is 'My Super', which funds are listed as default and which aren't, co-contribution/tax concessions/taxing of superannuant input (i.e. the policies that are put in place to incentivise additional super contributions or prevent tax evasion strategies at the opposite end of the pay scale), gender (links to previous, due to the fact that women's super suffers when they leave workforce to have children). These are the main fights, and they revolve around the same ideas: rational economic actors, govt support for financially illiterate population), etc.
THEN
Will look at how the super industry (in particular industry super funds vs retail super funds) have communicated themselves and communicated super to their superannuants. This includes the rise in neo-liberal attempts to financially educate people so they can make their own choices about super funds, investment options (high risk vs low risk vs clean energy etc.). This also includes educating people so that they can run their own super funds. This is something pitched at wealthier Australians, and there is a certain way that financial media attempts to form them into tax-savvy savers that can find the ways to end up with buckets of golden piggy bank super etc.
Possibly there will be a brief historical aside into the image of the piggy bank in popular culture and why it accompanies so much of the coverage and discussion of superanuation and retirement income.
But yeah.
Ok that was useful I guess, thanks blog! I'd better get stuck into it. I guess starting at the start is a good idea.
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