Hitting bottom would be nice

The climate at the WV legislature this year reminds me of the lyrics of a John Prine song:

"We're goin' down down down to the bottom of a hole in the ground/smoke em if you've got em."

At this point hitting bottom would be nice since it would mean things wouldn't get much worse.

I'm going to share several items from the Gazette-Mail that tell the story.

FIRST, there's this Statehouse Beat column of Phil Kabler that lays things out pretty well. See especially the part about the hypocrisy behind the Republican leadership's anti-labor moves and the bogus WVU study.

MEANWHILE, I just love it when well-fed and well-paid outsiders urge leaders to take food from the mouths of hungry people. I have a feeling the guy who wrote this hasn't missed too many meals. 

It's almost as good as when Koch brother-funded hacks urge the abolition of public broadcasting. My friend Scott Finn had this to say about that.

HOW DO YOU TOP ALL THAT? Maybe totally screwing up public education for good.

These are only a few more reasons behind my campaign to change the state motto to "you can't make this **** up."

Jack tales

I was at a meeting yesterday with a couple of friends and cronies whereat we cooked up various schemes to raise hell and entertain ourselves this summer. Since it was a typical West Virginia meeting, we digressed widely and shot that which is euphemistically called the bull. Digressions are often the most enjoyable and productive parts of a meeting in my experience.

In one such, I learned that the spouse of a friend was a storyteller who liked to tell Jack tales. Jack has showed up here before, but for newcomers, he is the subject of a cycle of stories that probably originated in the British Isles and were brought to the Appalachian mountains by settlers, where they are part of an oral tradition.

Most people are familiar with Jack and the Beanstalk, which is an English version. In the mountain variety, the stories morphed over time to express what I think is the best in Appalachian culture. I have spent a good many years running around the state telling about Jack. The stories enthralled me from the time I first learned about them and I've seen them work their magic on even the most jaded listeners.

I've made it a point to tell my grandkid the Jack tales I know and read him the ones I've forgotten. I think this is important not just because they are entertaining but because they teach you how you ought to act and live.

If you ever get a chance to hear one, try it. They're meant to be heard. Or you can get by with reading Richard Chase's classic collection The Jack Tales.

WHAT HE SAID. Here's Robert Reich on the right's war on workers.

KEEP IN MIND. A brain implant shows promise of improving memories for people with dementia or other brain injuries.

ANIMAL AWARENESS discussed here.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED