A lot happened to my two-bit NPO in the past month and a half.
I applied for more money, even though we have "enough". We hired a new person for program management and we are hiring someone to do some coordinating in our region of California (we have two other offices covering a Central Valley region and Central ans Southern Coast Region). We also got new computers.
My grant applications were nothing new, but the other two items were less than ignorable. Firstly, our program manager needed to be brought up to speed with the whole spiel of the organization, including me explaining our CRM, CMS, RPCs, and the sheet that explains all those acronyms. Secondly, our computer upgrade was a handful.
We hired someone to work with our computers off of a recommendation from someone else. He ended up having his own vision for the office that conflicted with ours. As a result, he spent more time in the office than needed (over a month!), charged us far more, and left in fumes telling us that our new machines sucked and that we were practically doomed. Then we found someone else who was much more patient and fixed all our problems in one afternoon. Sigh.
Organizational growth is like constant puberty. It's painful and at times blemishes show up. In fact, growing organizations do not escape from problems they had as smaller organizations. They just end up trading in an earlier set of problems in exchange for a newer set of problems. We now offer more loans, have a growing networks of professional consultants, are wrestling with new technology and end up suffering more in the name of efficiency.
But, the advantage of being a VISTA is that I'll be out of there in a handful of weeks and, since THEY weren't paying me, whatever storms I helped create can be left behind. I am trying to see what I will do for the seven months I have between the end of this gig and grad school. Hopefully something that pays...
Friday, December 12, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Change I Need
Okay, I think as long as I do not mention names, then I can get away with writing about politics from an unbiased point of view as a service member. No new blog required. Besides, finding the time to follow one blog let alone write one is difficult enough.
But first, I would like to mention I took my trip to Yosemite, which was definitely necessary. It was a nice change from my usual week in, week out routine with work. I took the Green Tortoise travel bus, which is one of those typical, intentional community travel coaches that force strangers to meet each other. I got the hang of it. Each traveler helps out in preparing meals and cleaning up. The seating on the bus converts to beds for sleeping.
I hiked down Glacier Point, up and down Lembhert Dome, saw Mono Lake and broke my "no liquor ever again" rule. There were travelers from England, Ireland, Israel, Australia, Siberia. I proposed we sit around the campfire and play several rounds of telephone. The results were hilarious.
So a vacation was definitely the change I needed.
But I am now back at work. So maybe it was not the change I needed. Of course, I joined AmeriCorps* VISTA and moved to California because there was not much happening for me in Michigan. Plus, my high school friends in New York have their own thing going for them, and the places I'd like to live and work are either impossibly affordable or in Denmark. Why Denmark? Because it's BORING. I like boring. Especially during this election year, with all the punditry and masturb-oratory out there, I feel I could live in a Lackluster Democracy rather than a Blockbuster Democracy.
So now on to the letters on politics. In previous posts I have talked about taxes, environmentalism, activism, national service and other nuggets of pleasurable annoyance. Since I may not get a chance to post something else before November 4th, This could be my last chance to put in my timely two cents. This is the Epistle about Change I was forecasting in past posts.
The most important issue I feel is the one that is most ignored or not realized. The generational issue. From what I learned in High School, my parents' generation, the Baby Boomers, were in the middle of the supposed change that took place in the 1960's and 1970's. Generationally speaking, for the Baby Boomers, this change pitted themselves against the older established institutions. Therefore their situation was a case of young people against old people.
This is not what I see today with the issues that are on the table. Instead of the case of young people against old people, I see a battle of old people against old people - at the EXPENSE of young people. The Baby Boomers are now the old, but still believe they are the young, which explains why my generation is not center stage on the issues that effect the country as a whole. It explains why so many young people are either wholly dependent upon the Boomers for their sustenance, or wholly destitute, being abandoned by Boomers for selfish reasons.
I believe, though the Boomers think they are still young, they are aware of their own mortality. They are no longer ignorant of the burdens that they will leave their children. Which is why they cling to the idea of change differently than younger Americans.
Eric Hoffer makes a distinction between a Mass Movement and a Practical Organization. The Mass Movement appeals to people who feel they have something to atone for, while a Practical Organization appeals to people who are interested in "self advancement". Considering this current Presidential and Federal election, young Americans should be seeking self advancement collaboratively, but instead they are overshadowed by their parents' desire for a Mass Movement. The Boomers want a Mass Movement because they are aware of the burdens they are leaving their children, and will be voting for the candidate that promises "Change" because they want to quickly mitigate any feelings of remorse or guilt for what they have done over the past forty years.
"There is a fundamental difference between the appeal of a mass movement and the appeal of a practical organization. The practical organization offers opportunities for self advancement, and its appeal is mainly to self-interest. On the other hand, a mass movement, particularly in its active, revivalist phase, appeals not to those intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but to those who crave to be rid of an unwanted self. A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion for self-renunciation." (Hoffer, The True Believer pg. 12)
The presidential candidate who wins will win because voters were seeking self renunciation. The past two presidents were Baby Boomers themselves, and both of them demonstrated the kind of unwanted self that that generation has only now just come to sense. The excesses of the Boomers from both ends of the political spectrum, from liberal to conservative, from sex to war, have been demonstrated from the national pulpit. The Change they need is an object, an indulgence that will purify them from everything they have done over the last 40 years.
As a young American, I feel that this country will change when other young Americans realize that there are very few opportunities for self advancement. Our educations fail to empower us, and our teachers come from the very group of people who are leading the darker side of this push towards "change", a mass movement that they only pursue for forgiveness. Wait until late next week, and I am sure young Americans will still not be credited for whatever happens.
Valete
But first, I would like to mention I took my trip to Yosemite, which was definitely necessary. It was a nice change from my usual week in, week out routine with work. I took the Green Tortoise travel bus, which is one of those typical, intentional community travel coaches that force strangers to meet each other. I got the hang of it. Each traveler helps out in preparing meals and cleaning up. The seating on the bus converts to beds for sleeping.
I hiked down Glacier Point, up and down Lembhert Dome, saw Mono Lake and broke my "no liquor ever again" rule. There were travelers from England, Ireland, Israel, Australia, Siberia. I proposed we sit around the campfire and play several rounds of telephone. The results were hilarious.
So a vacation was definitely the change I needed.
But I am now back at work. So maybe it was not the change I needed. Of course, I joined AmeriCorps* VISTA and moved to California because there was not much happening for me in Michigan. Plus, my high school friends in New York have their own thing going for them, and the places I'd like to live and work are either impossibly affordable or in Denmark. Why Denmark? Because it's BORING. I like boring. Especially during this election year, with all the punditry and masturb-oratory out there, I feel I could live in a Lackluster Democracy rather than a Blockbuster Democracy.
So now on to the letters on politics. In previous posts I have talked about taxes, environmentalism, activism, national service and other nuggets of pleasurable annoyance. Since I may not get a chance to post something else before November 4th, This could be my last chance to put in my timely two cents. This is the Epistle about Change I was forecasting in past posts.
The most important issue I feel is the one that is most ignored or not realized. The generational issue. From what I learned in High School, my parents' generation, the Baby Boomers, were in the middle of the supposed change that took place in the 1960's and 1970's. Generationally speaking, for the Baby Boomers, this change pitted themselves against the older established institutions. Therefore their situation was a case of young people against old people.
This is not what I see today with the issues that are on the table. Instead of the case of young people against old people, I see a battle of old people against old people - at the EXPENSE of young people. The Baby Boomers are now the old, but still believe they are the young, which explains why my generation is not center stage on the issues that effect the country as a whole. It explains why so many young people are either wholly dependent upon the Boomers for their sustenance, or wholly destitute, being abandoned by Boomers for selfish reasons.
I believe, though the Boomers think they are still young, they are aware of their own mortality. They are no longer ignorant of the burdens that they will leave their children. Which is why they cling to the idea of change differently than younger Americans.
Eric Hoffer makes a distinction between a Mass Movement and a Practical Organization. The Mass Movement appeals to people who feel they have something to atone for, while a Practical Organization appeals to people who are interested in "self advancement". Considering this current Presidential and Federal election, young Americans should be seeking self advancement collaboratively, but instead they are overshadowed by their parents' desire for a Mass Movement. The Boomers want a Mass Movement because they are aware of the burdens they are leaving their children, and will be voting for the candidate that promises "Change" because they want to quickly mitigate any feelings of remorse or guilt for what they have done over the past forty years.
"There is a fundamental difference between the appeal of a mass movement and the appeal of a practical organization. The practical organization offers opportunities for self advancement, and its appeal is mainly to self-interest. On the other hand, a mass movement, particularly in its active, revivalist phase, appeals not to those intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but to those who crave to be rid of an unwanted self. A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion for self-renunciation." (Hoffer, The True Believer pg. 12)
The presidential candidate who wins will win because voters were seeking self renunciation. The past two presidents were Baby Boomers themselves, and both of them demonstrated the kind of unwanted self that that generation has only now just come to sense. The excesses of the Boomers from both ends of the political spectrum, from liberal to conservative, from sex to war, have been demonstrated from the national pulpit. The Change they need is an object, an indulgence that will purify them from everything they have done over the last 40 years.
As a young American, I feel that this country will change when other young Americans realize that there are very few opportunities for self advancement. Our educations fail to empower us, and our teachers come from the very group of people who are leading the darker side of this push towards "change", a mass movement that they only pursue for forgiveness. Wait until late next week, and I am sure young Americans will still not be credited for whatever happens.
Valete
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Fall approaches
The Summer is almost over and I have still not taken my official vacation. But do not worry. I have a plan. I'm going to visit Yosemite for the first time. The bus reservation is settled. All I need now are a good pair of hiking boots and some cargo pants that communicate the young, hip, endorphin-driven approach to outdoorsmanship.
I'm definitely an accomplished indoorsman. I sit. I eat. I read. But I'm not driving, nor am I consuming other perishable resources in doing most indoor activities. So why are environmentalists all outside polluting the earth with their constant presence when they could be doing a much better job just sitting at home?
"All the world's a stage", and the environmentalists are some of the biggest practitioners of public masturb-oratory activities. Do your yodeling at home, please.
Though I have not yet taken my vacation I did recently come back from Toronto. I spent the weekend watching two people I admire get married and enjoyed the whole thing immensely. The bus station, two airports and hours of layover time were mere pennies compared to what I was getting in return.
My organization got more funding from the grant applications I prepared. So far I have raised as much as my incumbent VISTA, so I must be doing something right...
On top of grants, I helped with a workshop for farmers in the Sacramento area. For anyone whose interested, berries and olives are the new thing for California's Central Valley. There are plenty of growers who produce strawberries, blueberries and olives along the Central Coast from Oxnard to Santa Cruz, but with rising petrol prices there is definite attention to be paid to producers closer to you.
I am also beginning a system through which we can ask farmers and ranchers to evaluate our programming, especially regarding how well these workshops are helping, on top of individualized technical assistance.
So commentary and shop talk are fine for now. I need to write about politics, but will reserve that for a separate blog. Ethics suck...
I'm definitely an accomplished indoorsman. I sit. I eat. I read. But I'm not driving, nor am I consuming other perishable resources in doing most indoor activities. So why are environmentalists all outside polluting the earth with their constant presence when they could be doing a much better job just sitting at home?
"All the world's a stage", and the environmentalists are some of the biggest practitioners of public masturb-oratory activities. Do your yodeling at home, please.
Though I have not yet taken my vacation I did recently come back from Toronto. I spent the weekend watching two people I admire get married and enjoyed the whole thing immensely. The bus station, two airports and hours of layover time were mere pennies compared to what I was getting in return.
My organization got more funding from the grant applications I prepared. So far I have raised as much as my incumbent VISTA, so I must be doing something right...
On top of grants, I helped with a workshop for farmers in the Sacramento area. For anyone whose interested, berries and olives are the new thing for California's Central Valley. There are plenty of growers who produce strawberries, blueberries and olives along the Central Coast from Oxnard to Santa Cruz, but with rising petrol prices there is definite attention to be paid to producers closer to you.
I am also beginning a system through which we can ask farmers and ranchers to evaluate our programming, especially regarding how well these workshops are helping, on top of individualized technical assistance.
So commentary and shop talk are fine for now. I need to write about politics, but will reserve that for a separate blog. Ethics suck...
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Again, it's been a while...
Alright, so maybe nothing much has been happening. And maybe that's a good thing. I hate a message machine that's full.
But perhaps I should take a trip somewhere. Though my NorCal town is abundant for its size, and surrounded by jaw dropping views, I am getting tired of it. My boss thinks I'm a closet case. Every Monday he asks me what I did over the weekend (I do very little). Apparently, you're supposed to GO PLACES and DO THINGS on your days off. Weird.
To get him to shut up I'm planning to do something before the summer is over. Maybe Yosemite or Humboldt. No Beaches.
I submitted a good handful of proposals over the past two months. Along with some preliminary applications for some long term opportunities. Also, my organization got it's anticipated core grant, which means we continue to survive.
I am also personally researching the relationships that exist between sustainable agriculture and information and communications technology. These are California's two pillars of strength and yet they are not working together. "Well there's no money in small farms and beginning farmers" is the general answer. Congress agrees.
The amount of small-scale and beginning farmers in California are less than ten thousand (I think). And that is understandable, because who would ever want to be a farmer or rancher? You get up before dawn. You work beyond 5pm. Comparatively little money. The day you retire is the day you collapse off the tractor at age 93. And every year you have fill out not only a Federal 1040 tax return, but also a Schedule F (Farm Income) form AND, if you plan on selling what you grow directly to consumers, a Schedule C (Business Proprietorship) form. And do not forget the audits...
But, you do get to work outside. And you will not become industrially obese. Ruggedly unhealthy, maybe. But not grotesque.
I'm trying to help California's next generation of farmers and ranchers and build entrepreneurial economies that secure local food systems to prevent poverty among both growers and eaters. And still every week some hippie douche asks me whether or not I'm involved in "Farms not Arms", or some pseudo political thing.
I am NOT an activist. Please understand this. I actually detest self-described activists. I think activists undermine the concern for public life just as much as the consumers. I will talk with leaders, organizers, organizations registered with the IRS and public officials. But when someone immediately tells me that they're an activist they are telling me one thing: "I'm better than you." And no offense, but they're usually girls in their 50's.
Right now I am composing an essay, on "change". Hopefully I'll finish it in time before that word becomes a memory. I'll post it on the blog, since I have sketchy relationships with the New Yorker and The Weekly Standard (I do read both, the "Standard" a bit less).
But perhaps I should take a trip somewhere. Though my NorCal town is abundant for its size, and surrounded by jaw dropping views, I am getting tired of it. My boss thinks I'm a closet case. Every Monday he asks me what I did over the weekend (I do very little). Apparently, you're supposed to GO PLACES and DO THINGS on your days off. Weird.
To get him to shut up I'm planning to do something before the summer is over. Maybe Yosemite or Humboldt. No Beaches.
I submitted a good handful of proposals over the past two months. Along with some preliminary applications for some long term opportunities. Also, my organization got it's anticipated core grant, which means we continue to survive.
I am also personally researching the relationships that exist between sustainable agriculture and information and communications technology. These are California's two pillars of strength and yet they are not working together. "Well there's no money in small farms and beginning farmers" is the general answer. Congress agrees.
The amount of small-scale and beginning farmers in California are less than ten thousand (I think). And that is understandable, because who would ever want to be a farmer or rancher? You get up before dawn. You work beyond 5pm. Comparatively little money. The day you retire is the day you collapse off the tractor at age 93. And every year you have fill out not only a Federal 1040 tax return, but also a Schedule F (Farm Income) form AND, if you plan on selling what you grow directly to consumers, a Schedule C (Business Proprietorship) form. And do not forget the audits...
But, you do get to work outside. And you will not become industrially obese. Ruggedly unhealthy, maybe. But not grotesque.
I'm trying to help California's next generation of farmers and ranchers and build entrepreneurial economies that secure local food systems to prevent poverty among both growers and eaters. And still every week some hippie douche asks me whether or not I'm involved in "Farms not Arms", or some pseudo political thing.
I am NOT an activist. Please understand this. I actually detest self-described activists. I think activists undermine the concern for public life just as much as the consumers. I will talk with leaders, organizers, organizations registered with the IRS and public officials. But when someone immediately tells me that they're an activist they are telling me one thing: "I'm better than you." And no offense, but they're usually girls in their 50's.
Right now I am composing an essay, on "change". Hopefully I'll finish it in time before that word becomes a memory. I'll post it on the blog, since I have sketchy relationships with the New Yorker and The Weekly Standard (I do read both, the "Standard" a bit less).
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Been a while
Okay, so I got a little sidetracked these past two months. Work has become more and more part of my life, and I'm finally meeting people in this small NorCal hamlet. Trying to find people who do not sport crocs, birckenstocks, and yin-yang/eightfold path/om tattoos is difficult.
The town I live in is beyond liberal. It really is just a boomer haven for smug hippies who can't function, so they act self righteous in front of younger people. These boomers think that I owe them my appreciation and interest. They assume I am interested in the 1960's, The Beatles, and metaphysical approaches to medication. My response:
Boomers did not accomplish enough in the 1960's to call it a revolution
FUCK The Beatles
Taking drugs beyond your teenage years is pathetic.
I am quickly turning into an Eisenhower/Goldwater Republican. Culturally more than economically. I believe in individual liberty, but also believe that liberty is something that must be earned through service. I am currently doing a national service gig as a VISTA volunteer.
"You mean AmeriCorps?" Is what other people ask. I say NO! VISTA existed long before the Clinton Administration. VISTA is our poverty program, established by president Johnson as part of the Great Society. Of course, the Great Society was a bit too socialist for the Eisenhower/Goldwater crowd, but it's definitely not a counterculture monstrosity, which entails shallow aesthetic approaches to spirituality and as little reading as possible.
Anyway, back to work. Over the past two months I helped out with our newsletter, getting information to farmers without the internet, composing a grant for a bank and drafting a letter of intent for a foundation. June will not be a dry month for funding opportunities. First, we have several other banks to get grant applications of towards. Second, the Farm Bill has finally passed, and though it still warrants the same criticisms, there is finally some programming in the Federal bill aimed at beginning and small scale farmers.
So on top of grant applications I will be helping to organize a post Farm Bill event/fundraiser.
Pressing on...
The town I live in is beyond liberal. It really is just a boomer haven for smug hippies who can't function, so they act self righteous in front of younger people. These boomers think that I owe them my appreciation and interest. They assume I am interested in the 1960's, The Beatles, and metaphysical approaches to medication. My response:
Boomers did not accomplish enough in the 1960's to call it a revolution
FUCK The Beatles
Taking drugs beyond your teenage years is pathetic.
I am quickly turning into an Eisenhower/Goldwater Republican. Culturally more than economically. I believe in individual liberty, but also believe that liberty is something that must be earned through service. I am currently doing a national service gig as a VISTA volunteer.
"You mean AmeriCorps?" Is what other people ask. I say NO! VISTA existed long before the Clinton Administration. VISTA is our poverty program, established by president Johnson as part of the Great Society. Of course, the Great Society was a bit too socialist for the Eisenhower/Goldwater crowd, but it's definitely not a counterculture monstrosity, which entails shallow aesthetic approaches to spirituality and as little reading as possible.
Anyway, back to work. Over the past two months I helped out with our newsletter, getting information to farmers without the internet, composing a grant for a bank and drafting a letter of intent for a foundation. June will not be a dry month for funding opportunities. First, we have several other banks to get grant applications of towards. Second, the Farm Bill has finally passed, and though it still warrants the same criticisms, there is finally some programming in the Federal bill aimed at beginning and small scale farmers.
So on top of grant applications I will be helping to organize a post Farm Bill event/fundraiser.
Pressing on...
Saturday, April 5, 2008
New Place...Still Do Not Need a Car!
So my house mate decided it would be better if I found another place to live. Whatever.
So I found a new place to live. The rent is slightly higher, but the room is bigger and even closer to work than the last one.
So there.
It's month three now and I still have not bothered to get a car. I remind you I live in Northern California.
I do not have a car for several reasons. First, I hate them. Second, I have no money to spend on one. Third, the need to ask for a ride from perfect strangers will force me to be the more outgoing, sensitive bachelor everyone wants me to be. Then I can shoot myself.
So maybe getting a car might not be a bad idea. It is still not a GOOD idea.
Trains are more American than people think. I would not mind forking over a little extra on my 1040 if it meant AmTrak could be refurbished.
I do not appreciate it when certain citizens get idealistic over taxes. Cough up a buck you cheap bastard!
Sorry. I was raised by two Democrats from Baltimore, Maryland. So when taxes go up, we cheer. Again, politics is poison.
So I found a new place to live. The rent is slightly higher, but the room is bigger and even closer to work than the last one.
So there.
It's month three now and I still have not bothered to get a car. I remind you I live in Northern California.
I do not have a car for several reasons. First, I hate them. Second, I have no money to spend on one. Third, the need to ask for a ride from perfect strangers will force me to be the more outgoing, sensitive bachelor everyone wants me to be. Then I can shoot myself.
So maybe getting a car might not be a bad idea. It is still not a GOOD idea.
Trains are more American than people think. I would not mind forking over a little extra on my 1040 if it meant AmTrak could be refurbished.
I do not appreciate it when certain citizens get idealistic over taxes. Cough up a buck you cheap bastard!
Sorry. I was raised by two Democrats from Baltimore, Maryland. So when taxes go up, we cheer. Again, politics is poison.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
At the movies.
I have never liked being in a movie theater. I appreciate them, because I like film. But in general I think that going to the movies is childish.
In fact, now I know why so many kids do drugs. Movies cost between 8 and 12 dollars. Add the peer pressures of popcorn and driving (since most theaters are in the middle of nowhere) and you're looking at around 20 dollars. Most movies also involve some type of before or after gathering that will involve more food. By the end of the weekend the average thirteen year old has spent between 5o and 100 dollars.
Drugs on the other hand, though expensive, promise a more economic good time.
But anyway, I went to a good movie last week and a flop this week. The Sunday afternoon rate is 6 dollars, so I don't mind the extra cost of chocolate raisins (which are just as cinematic as popcorn).
I am preparing for a hellish week. Our biggest funder moved their deadline earlier, so we have to work fast. The growing season is also beginning, so we will be receiving a barrage of phone calls. Not to mention that its tax time as well, and farmers fill out a schedule F, which is a very complicated IRS form. Now I see why so many farmers vote republican.
Politics is poisonous. I wonder what's playing next week.
In fact, now I know why so many kids do drugs. Movies cost between 8 and 12 dollars. Add the peer pressures of popcorn and driving (since most theaters are in the middle of nowhere) and you're looking at around 20 dollars. Most movies also involve some type of before or after gathering that will involve more food. By the end of the weekend the average thirteen year old has spent between 5o and 100 dollars.
Drugs on the other hand, though expensive, promise a more economic good time.
But anyway, I went to a good movie last week and a flop this week. The Sunday afternoon rate is 6 dollars, so I don't mind the extra cost of chocolate raisins (which are just as cinematic as popcorn).
I am preparing for a hellish week. Our biggest funder moved their deadline earlier, so we have to work fast. The growing season is also beginning, so we will be receiving a barrage of phone calls. Not to mention that its tax time as well, and farmers fill out a schedule F, which is a very complicated IRS form. Now I see why so many farmers vote republican.
Politics is poisonous. I wonder what's playing next week.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
2 Grants and a Conference later...
Whew!
So doing this on a weekly basis got shot. So did my ambition to deprive myself of the Pacific Ocean until I could bike there. Took a holiday with my Dad (who happened to be in California and decided to visit) and in his rented Honda we explored Highway 1, with the Pacific Ocean to our left.
I finished two grant applications, one to a bank and another to a semi-public organization.
The grant for the bank took some patience. I had to accumulate some data from previous reports that either did not exist or were very unclear. Numbered data was written by letter here and there, which should be punishable by death. Numbers of attendees to our workshops on finance and property law were recorded in certain percentages, along with the number of professional sessions offered, but often not including the total number of actual people. One thing is very certain in non-profit organizations. What could normally take 30 minutes could take all afternoon if there is not an efficient foundation to work from.
When numbered data is written in words, when paper files are disintegrating, or when electronic files are dated with abbreviations, slashes or decimals, work cannot get done on time. I am now working on a universal system for organizing our data. I am also hoping to rewire the office and set plans in motion for a complete reboot of the workplace.
Universal bases are not as appreciated in America as they are in other countries. There is something too utilitarian about universal infrastructure. What limited sense of our culture we have dismisses universal solutions as too utilitarian and mechanical. Something mechanical threatens individuality and liberty. To reduce our defense of liberty to something as banal as a disorganized office suggests that we have a lot of self evaluation to do.
But enough moody shit. I also accompanied my boss to a Small Farmers Conference out of town for several days. It was very good to finally meet some farmers. Small farms are diverse in their owners. White; Hispanic; Thai; they were all there. Along with farmers I met people from the USDA, conservation groups, people from the University of California Cooperative Extension (a service that provides outreach education on agricultural and environmental subjects) and other non profit people who do more than a 40 hour work week will allow.
I helped my boss give his presentation about how to access land and credit. After which I attended several presentations of my own choosing on conservation issues and risk management.
It has been a full month and I am now getting off on office supplies and conservation easements. I promised myself I would not get obsessed.
So doing this on a weekly basis got shot. So did my ambition to deprive myself of the Pacific Ocean until I could bike there. Took a holiday with my Dad (who happened to be in California and decided to visit) and in his rented Honda we explored Highway 1, with the Pacific Ocean to our left.
I finished two grant applications, one to a bank and another to a semi-public organization.
The grant for the bank took some patience. I had to accumulate some data from previous reports that either did not exist or were very unclear. Numbered data was written by letter here and there, which should be punishable by death. Numbers of attendees to our workshops on finance and property law were recorded in certain percentages, along with the number of professional sessions offered, but often not including the total number of actual people. One thing is very certain in non-profit organizations. What could normally take 30 minutes could take all afternoon if there is not an efficient foundation to work from.
When numbered data is written in words, when paper files are disintegrating, or when electronic files are dated with abbreviations, slashes or decimals, work cannot get done on time. I am now working on a universal system for organizing our data. I am also hoping to rewire the office and set plans in motion for a complete reboot of the workplace.
Universal bases are not as appreciated in America as they are in other countries. There is something too utilitarian about universal infrastructure. What limited sense of our culture we have dismisses universal solutions as too utilitarian and mechanical. Something mechanical threatens individuality and liberty. To reduce our defense of liberty to something as banal as a disorganized office suggests that we have a lot of self evaluation to do.
But enough moody shit. I also accompanied my boss to a Small Farmers Conference out of town for several days. It was very good to finally meet some farmers. Small farms are diverse in their owners. White; Hispanic; Thai; they were all there. Along with farmers I met people from the USDA, conservation groups, people from the University of California Cooperative Extension (a service that provides outreach education on agricultural and environmental subjects) and other non profit people who do more than a 40 hour work week will allow.
I helped my boss give his presentation about how to access land and credit. After which I attended several presentations of my own choosing on conservation issues and risk management.
It has been a full month and I am now getting off on office supplies and conservation easements. I promised myself I would not get obsessed.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Biking without a helmet
I got a ride several miles out of town to the volunteer-run bike shop to get a bicycle cheap. I was promised a helmet with the purchase, but the helmet they had for me was far too small. "Just don't fall down pedaling back".
I fell down at least twice.
Fortunately, I sacrificed my left shoulder for my unprotected skull, and can now almost move it.
With my glasses, dork-hair, bruised skin and pedaling in my hush puppies, I made the conclusion that I am not an outdoorsman. Fortunately, people on the trail were nice enough to make sure I wasn't dead.
This past week at work I barely met my first deadline, helping to get a letter of intent of to a foundation in the big city. I got that crazy pang of fear in the stomach I used to get at university, hastily editing papers that are due in five minutes. But when you hand in the paper, you feel relieved, and I got that feeling, too, this week. To celebrate, I went to the library to check out some art books, went to the grocery store to get some beer, and chilled out in my rented room watching episodes of Perfect Strangers online.
I am not an outdoorsman. This could be a problem. I do not have a car, I live in a small town, and I can barely ride a bicycle. But I have plenty of time, since the days are getting longer and warmer. I also have goals. The Pacific Ocean is fifteen miles away. I could take a bus out there, but, if my bike does not collapse on the next few trips, I will pedal out to the coast. I have not seen the Pacific Ocean up close in ten years.
I'll wait a few months. Just in case I fracture half my bones and have to go home, I can have something on my resume for all the effort.
While sitting beside the trail back to town, recuperating from one of my multiple falls, I thought about my bind. My brain likes physical work, while my body prefers a desk job. I can barely endure eight hours at my desk everyday. Then again, I was fired from my last job because I failed to bake the bread fast enough and I was actually allergic to flour. Non drousy Sudafed got rid of the sniffles, but the poor quality of Michigan tap water caused my hands to chap and crack. The yeast also turned my fingers red. But I at least felt sane.
What I really need is a job that involves labor, but also a desk to sit at time and again to keep my skin from falling off. It probably does not exist.
I made peace with myself and mounted my bike again. So I'm not a mountaineer; whatever. Neither was Kerouac. I am just a Yankee born in Massachusetts. Come to think of it, so was he.
Also, Teddy Roosevelt fell off his horse in front of everybody his first day with the Rough-Riders.
Happy Presidents Day.
I fell down at least twice.
Fortunately, I sacrificed my left shoulder for my unprotected skull, and can now almost move it.
With my glasses, dork-hair, bruised skin and pedaling in my hush puppies, I made the conclusion that I am not an outdoorsman. Fortunately, people on the trail were nice enough to make sure I wasn't dead.
This past week at work I barely met my first deadline, helping to get a letter of intent of to a foundation in the big city. I got that crazy pang of fear in the stomach I used to get at university, hastily editing papers that are due in five minutes. But when you hand in the paper, you feel relieved, and I got that feeling, too, this week. To celebrate, I went to the library to check out some art books, went to the grocery store to get some beer, and chilled out in my rented room watching episodes of Perfect Strangers online.
I am not an outdoorsman. This could be a problem. I do not have a car, I live in a small town, and I can barely ride a bicycle. But I have plenty of time, since the days are getting longer and warmer. I also have goals. The Pacific Ocean is fifteen miles away. I could take a bus out there, but, if my bike does not collapse on the next few trips, I will pedal out to the coast. I have not seen the Pacific Ocean up close in ten years.
I'll wait a few months. Just in case I fracture half my bones and have to go home, I can have something on my resume for all the effort.
While sitting beside the trail back to town, recuperating from one of my multiple falls, I thought about my bind. My brain likes physical work, while my body prefers a desk job. I can barely endure eight hours at my desk everyday. Then again, I was fired from my last job because I failed to bake the bread fast enough and I was actually allergic to flour. Non drousy Sudafed got rid of the sniffles, but the poor quality of Michigan tap water caused my hands to chap and crack. The yeast also turned my fingers red. But I at least felt sane.
What I really need is a job that involves labor, but also a desk to sit at time and again to keep my skin from falling off. It probably does not exist.
I made peace with myself and mounted my bike again. So I'm not a mountaineer; whatever. Neither was Kerouac. I am just a Yankee born in Massachusetts. Come to think of it, so was he.
Also, Teddy Roosevelt fell off his horse in front of everybody his first day with the Rough-Riders.
Happy Presidents Day.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The time has come for a new tax credit...
Just had an awesome idea. If it works politicians can use it to re-educate the country without having to do the right thing by resurrecting the public education system.
It's called the Reading Credit.
On your tax return there are a list of credits you could claim that could reduce your tax liability to zero. There are also a list of refundable credits you could claim to increase your refund.
For every book you buy at an independent or used bookstore, following the policy behind the Reading Credit you could take a certain amount off of your tax liability. Maybe it would work better at the state or city level. People usually get a refund from their federal return, but then end up owing the state something substantial.
Anyway, book purchases should be made deductible. But their deductibility should depend on what kind of book you buy. Imagine government debates over the tax benefits possible from reading Herman Melville.
If I had it my way,
Ann Coulter= $0.01
Dan Brown= $0.13
Contemporary Fiction= $0.15
Contemporary Poetry= $0.30
Anything from the New York Times Book Review that year= $0.40
Anything mentioned in the Economist= the shipping cost
Anything in a foreign language= $1
Art History from Yale University Press= $1.25
Art History from Taschen= you can afford an accountant
Science books by actual authors=$1.50
Architectural History=$2
Economics and Current events=$3
Travel books=$5 (if you actually visit the damn country)
Religious history=$6.66
European History=$6.75
Howard Zinn=$7
English Literature before 1900= $7.35
Any Literature before 1900=$7.50
Greek Comedy=$7.75
Greek Tragedy=$8
Science books by actual scientists=$8.20
French Philosophy=$8.50
German Philosophy=$9
Greek Philosophy=$11
If anyone has any suggestions or a list of their own...
It's called the Reading Credit.
On your tax return there are a list of credits you could claim that could reduce your tax liability to zero. There are also a list of refundable credits you could claim to increase your refund.
For every book you buy at an independent or used bookstore, following the policy behind the Reading Credit you could take a certain amount off of your tax liability. Maybe it would work better at the state or city level. People usually get a refund from their federal return, but then end up owing the state something substantial.
Anyway, book purchases should be made deductible. But their deductibility should depend on what kind of book you buy. Imagine government debates over the tax benefits possible from reading Herman Melville.
If I had it my way,
Ann Coulter= $0.01
Dan Brown= $0.13
Contemporary Fiction= $0.15
Contemporary Poetry= $0.30
Anything from the New York Times Book Review that year= $0.40
Anything mentioned in the Economist= the shipping cost
Anything in a foreign language= $1
Art History from Yale University Press= $1.25
Art History from Taschen= you can afford an accountant
Science books by actual authors=$1.50
Architectural History=$2
Economics and Current events=$3
Travel books=$5 (if you actually visit the damn country)
Religious history=$6.66
European History=$6.75
Howard Zinn=$7
English Literature before 1900= $7.35
Any Literature before 1900=$7.50
Greek Comedy=$7.75
Greek Tragedy=$8
Science books by actual scientists=$8.20
French Philosophy=$8.50
German Philosophy=$9
Greek Philosophy=$11
If anyone has any suggestions or a list of their own...
Saturday, February 9, 2008
On Progress
My second week of work involved a lot of information. My boss and I created a work plan. Much of the plan for this week demanded my familiarization with conventional finance and community development finance. Credit. Access to Credit. Equity.
I got bored pretty quickly.
But boredom is no excuse. I needed to learn about these things in order to review past grant applications and future funding opportunities.
Somewhere in the mix I came across the practices of credit unions. Hurray for the credit unions! I was so happy. I thought we would be working with these bastions of monetary virtue to help the agricultural community.
Then three minutes later my boss mentioned that they were gouging young farmers with attractive programs containing hidden interest rates.
O come now! These are the credit unions. The epitome of third way economics. Co-ownership. It does not get any better than the unions. They are the harbingers of progress.
Then it hit me. Progress is not the end. Progress is the means. The action, not the fruits of action. Americans need to learn how to progress, not shoot for Progress. Over a century ago, credit unions represented humans progressing from conventional banking methods to locally supported economies through member driven finance. Credit unions are not progress; they represent progress.
I believe that no matter how many benchmarks we make, there will always be reasons for progressing. Society ignores injustices until they expand to an unprecedented level.
Theoretically, I still think credit unions and cooperatives of all sorts are favorable. But I must honor progress by acting, even if it means turning a critical eye, on institutions I agree with.
Next week, I may be further researching the interest rates of credit unions. But that does not mean I am against them. It means that I am enacting my natural instinct to progress.
I got bored pretty quickly.
But boredom is no excuse. I needed to learn about these things in order to review past grant applications and future funding opportunities.
Somewhere in the mix I came across the practices of credit unions. Hurray for the credit unions! I was so happy. I thought we would be working with these bastions of monetary virtue to help the agricultural community.
Then three minutes later my boss mentioned that they were gouging young farmers with attractive programs containing hidden interest rates.
O come now! These are the credit unions. The epitome of third way economics. Co-ownership. It does not get any better than the unions. They are the harbingers of progress.
Then it hit me. Progress is not the end. Progress is the means. The action, not the fruits of action. Americans need to learn how to progress, not shoot for Progress. Over a century ago, credit unions represented humans progressing from conventional banking methods to locally supported economies through member driven finance. Credit unions are not progress; they represent progress.
I believe that no matter how many benchmarks we make, there will always be reasons for progressing. Society ignores injustices until they expand to an unprecedented level.
Theoretically, I still think credit unions and cooperatives of all sorts are favorable. But I must honor progress by acting, even if it means turning a critical eye, on institutions I agree with.
Next week, I may be further researching the interest rates of credit unions. But that does not mean I am against them. It means that I am enacting my natural instinct to progress.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Fleeting Resources
I returned yesterday from a workshop in northern California for farmers who were either planning to pass their business to their kids or other young farmers. There was also financial planning education for young farmers so they could learn how to manage their income and expenses.
I cannot say that I know enough about financial planning. I am in my early twenties and have not gotten married, bought a house or a car, and am just beginning to make a living for myself (despite the VERY modest living allowance I earn for my work). Of course, like many young people my age, we have family pipelines that help us out once in a while.
Pipelines are not a bad thing, but my demographic needs to acknowledge that there are a greater number than us of young Americans who do not have that kind of support. Acknowledging one another is the subject of a later post.
This post is about finance. Money. And Religion. The popular phrase "the religion of money" implies more than is stated. Devotion to money could be religious, but it could also be obsessive. My interpretation of "the religion of money" is the accessibility to certain spheres of information.
Centuries ago, literacy was limited for many reasons. What allowed reading and writing to rise during the renaissance was the translation of the Bible out of Latin and into the local language. Luther's German translation of the Bible made the theological sphere more accessible. Prior to Luther's Reformation, religion's governance over Europe relied upon the illiteracy of its followers. But now, religion is a component of everyday life rather than the principle.
Though people try to live according to religious principles, they cannot ignore their financial responsibilities, or at least admit that they come first. The reason why many people fail financially is because the knowledge of money is not very accessible.
Like religion, money's governance relies upon limited accessibility. Though universities offer classes in accounting, the students who take those classes have already taken out loans for tuition and opened checking accounts littered with fees for everything short of shitting.
I cannot expect everyone to know how to file their tax returns. Just as I cannot expect churchgoers to recite Luther's or Calvin's treatises on providence.
What I think all Americans should expect is a high school education that addresses how to manage money, define terms like accrual and equity, and perhaps explain the foundations behind the Federal Tax Code. The reason why so many Americans are blank when it comes to finance is because college aged brains begin to resist the reception of information.
But that would be hoping for too much I guess. If it's difficult for adults, then teenagers just wouldn't get it.
I cannot say that I know enough about financial planning. I am in my early twenties and have not gotten married, bought a house or a car, and am just beginning to make a living for myself (despite the VERY modest living allowance I earn for my work). Of course, like many young people my age, we have family pipelines that help us out once in a while.
Pipelines are not a bad thing, but my demographic needs to acknowledge that there are a greater number than us of young Americans who do not have that kind of support. Acknowledging one another is the subject of a later post.
This post is about finance. Money. And Religion. The popular phrase "the religion of money" implies more than is stated. Devotion to money could be religious, but it could also be obsessive. My interpretation of "the religion of money" is the accessibility to certain spheres of information.
Centuries ago, literacy was limited for many reasons. What allowed reading and writing to rise during the renaissance was the translation of the Bible out of Latin and into the local language. Luther's German translation of the Bible made the theological sphere more accessible. Prior to Luther's Reformation, religion's governance over Europe relied upon the illiteracy of its followers. But now, religion is a component of everyday life rather than the principle.
Though people try to live according to religious principles, they cannot ignore their financial responsibilities, or at least admit that they come first. The reason why many people fail financially is because the knowledge of money is not very accessible.
Like religion, money's governance relies upon limited accessibility. Though universities offer classes in accounting, the students who take those classes have already taken out loans for tuition and opened checking accounts littered with fees for everything short of shitting.
I cannot expect everyone to know how to file their tax returns. Just as I cannot expect churchgoers to recite Luther's or Calvin's treatises on providence.
What I think all Americans should expect is a high school education that addresses how to manage money, define terms like accrual and equity, and perhaps explain the foundations behind the Federal Tax Code. The reason why so many Americans are blank when it comes to finance is because college aged brains begin to resist the reception of information.
But that would be hoping for too much I guess. If it's difficult for adults, then teenagers just wouldn't get it.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Starting up again
I tried setting up a blog eons ago entitled "Delusions of Blandeur", only to discover that someone else had claimed that title. Tickled with complete failure I could not think of another title and so nothing got posted.
It is now 15 months later and I am beginning a year long term of service with AmeriCorps as a VISTA (Volunteer in service to America). Though AmeriCorps was created during the Clinton Administration, many younger Americans do not know that it is just an umbrella organization sheltering half a dozen national service programs.
Some of these programs are older than others. The oldest is the NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps, which was created as an employment opportunity in Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. It gave unemployed citizens a temporary occupation, during which they would be paid a modest wage to perform direct service. This direct service supported many nationwide projects during the 1930's from building construction to repairing roadsigns. Nowadays, the NCCC places 18-24 year olds in college campuses for 6-8 weeks so they have a place to operate from while they perform many direct service tasks around their temporary community.
But I am not an NCCC. I'm a VISTA. A VISTA performs a whole year of indirect service for a non profit or community organization whose mission is to fight poverty. The VISTA builds capacity for an organization to function and grow.
VISTA is often dubbed the "domestic Peace Corps" for two reasons. First, its mission is similar to that of the Peace Corps. Both are national service programs that allow American citizens to contribute to a community. Second, both programs share the same founder.
Shortly before I left to begin my service I came across a documentary on PBS about Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. Shriver was a close friend to President Kennedy and with his help, Shriver created the Peace Corps in the early 1960's. But this was not the end. Shriver responded to the events of 1963 and in 1964 had President Johnson establish the Volunteers in Service to America to continue Kennedy's vision for the nation. The first volunteers began their year of service in 1965 and the program was given much promotion. Of course, then Vietnam happened.
But despite all of the expensive foreign policy flyovers and blowback since then, VISTA has continued to provide citizens a chance to commit a year of their life to service.
That is my reason for starting up a blog again. Unless the government cuts my job I will be serving as a VISTA until January of 2009. This will be a testament to national service as a movement, and I'll be sure to throw in some of my own opinions.
I hope it will be funny.
It is now 15 months later and I am beginning a year long term of service with AmeriCorps as a VISTA (Volunteer in service to America). Though AmeriCorps was created during the Clinton Administration, many younger Americans do not know that it is just an umbrella organization sheltering half a dozen national service programs.
Some of these programs are older than others. The oldest is the NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps, which was created as an employment opportunity in Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. It gave unemployed citizens a temporary occupation, during which they would be paid a modest wage to perform direct service. This direct service supported many nationwide projects during the 1930's from building construction to repairing roadsigns. Nowadays, the NCCC places 18-24 year olds in college campuses for 6-8 weeks so they have a place to operate from while they perform many direct service tasks around their temporary community.
But I am not an NCCC. I'm a VISTA. A VISTA performs a whole year of indirect service for a non profit or community organization whose mission is to fight poverty. The VISTA builds capacity for an organization to function and grow.
VISTA is often dubbed the "domestic Peace Corps" for two reasons. First, its mission is similar to that of the Peace Corps. Both are national service programs that allow American citizens to contribute to a community. Second, both programs share the same founder.
Shortly before I left to begin my service I came across a documentary on PBS about Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. Shriver was a close friend to President Kennedy and with his help, Shriver created the Peace Corps in the early 1960's. But this was not the end. Shriver responded to the events of 1963 and in 1964 had President Johnson establish the Volunteers in Service to America to continue Kennedy's vision for the nation. The first volunteers began their year of service in 1965 and the program was given much promotion. Of course, then Vietnam happened.
But despite all of the expensive foreign policy flyovers and blowback since then, VISTA has continued to provide citizens a chance to commit a year of their life to service.
That is my reason for starting up a blog again. Unless the government cuts my job I will be serving as a VISTA until January of 2009. This will be a testament to national service as a movement, and I'll be sure to throw in some of my own opinions.
I hope it will be funny.
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