GMM

The GTFF had a pretty good General Membership Meeting last night. Malone saluted Chris by singing a modified, Chris-specific version of Neil Diamond's "I am." A couple of the candidates for ASUO performed a rap about the life of Che. It went on a bit long, but was pretty good for a cappella rapping. We discovered that Glenn Morris will make a fantastic replacement for Patrick, at least in the speechifying at GMMs. The union has now been on a run of Goff-Smith-Hayden and now Morris as VP-Organizer while I've been organizer. All discussions of why the GTFF kicks so much ass in every possible way begin and end right there.

I had a good night. High energy, had the kids laughing, but not in that "what the hell am I witnessing?" sort of way that I have been lately at GMMs. Got two job offers out of my performance. I did manage to piss off my colleague at AFT-OR by not being peppy enough about the prospects of changing the world via legislation in Salem, but then I don't think we can change the world via legislation in Salem. And apparently giving a brief overview of AFT's "FACE" legislation and it's shortcomings is trashing the AFT. I'd go into some sort of rant about my union brothers and sisters still operating as if there are discussions "leadership" should be having with each other and different discussions that leadership should be having with members, but we all know that's the case and I also know my colleague was right, I was being negative and I should try to be more positive. No one gets involved with something because someone tells them it sucks. Although, if I may "other hand" it for a moment, I think the fact that all those people I mentioned above also "keep it real" gives us a tremendous amount of credibility when we do ask people to do something. We don't waste your time by asking you to come to some half-assed meaningless meeting, so when we do ask you to come to meetings, you know that it is important. Yes? No? Discuss.

I could easily segue into a half-assed meeting we had with Congressman DeFazio, but then that would be negative and that's not me.