Just heard a rumor yesterday about another round of layoffs for The Morning Call. The alleged plan is a ten percent cut across-the-board from all Tribune properties including the Call. One wonders where cuts to an already-meagre skeleton crew will come from. Stay tuned for more info.

And don't forget the hearing to confirm the company's reorganization plan under Chapter 11 is set for August 30. Creditors (including myself with over $2,000 in unclaimed ESOP funds) were asked to vote on the reorganization last month. If the plan is approved, those (like myself) with General Unsecured Claims will supposedly receive 100 percent of the money owed. Sure hope so—I still have a morgage to pay each month and no job on the horizon...

Source: OpenCongress

I've been anxiously watching the debate in Congress over extending unemployment benefit date until November 30. This is not another benefit extension; it is merely an extension of the date that benefits already in place can be collected. The bill, H.R. 5618, recently passed the House but has been blocked by Senate Republicans for months. Apparently, they think that those of us who have been unemployed for over one year have been sitting around on our fat duffs doing drugs and collecting large sums of the public's money while causing the deficit to spiral out of control. One wonders what planet they are living on.

I am not yet a "99er," the term used by the Washington Post's Michael A. Fletcher to describe the unemployed who have reached the end of their 99-week extended unemployment benefit period. I still have one more six-week extension that I can't collect because of Congress' inaction. When that is gone, I will be living on my meagre retirement savings until I find work. At least I have that advantage; thousands of unemployed Americans with families to support have no savings to speak of and no other safety net in place beyond unemployment insurance. The 99ers, Fletcher tells us, are the 1.4 million people who who have been out of work "for at least 99 weeks" and that number increases with each passing week. According to the Department of Labor, there are "five unemployed people for every job opening" and the total number of folks who are unemployed is estimated to be 14.6 million, not counting the millions more who are under the radar. That's a lot of Americans without jobs.

I've spent the last two years, not on my duff, but in graduate school earning my master's degree and a tidy $12,000 student loan debt to boot. With an M.A. in hand, I hoped I could find steady work at a pay rate at or above what I was making as a photojournalist. But so far I'm fishing in an empty pond. I'm fighting not only against a "jobs deficit" but also against my age (55). Employers are wary of hiring older workers who will only stay a few years and then retire, or worse yet, who have been out of work for an extended period of time and are therefore perceived to be not as sharp in their skillsets. I've already resigned myself to taking part time work in lieu of a job with benefits like healthcare and a 401k but even part time jobs are hard to come by these days. I'm over-qualified for low-paying production jobs and under-qualified for tenure-track teaching positions. I've approached dozens of companies to offer my services as a freelance photographer only to hear "we already have someone who does that" or "that's taken care of by the corporate office." I've attended numerous job fairs, passed out dozens of resumes and placed my business card in countless stores and waiting rooms across the Lehigh Valley but have not received one phone call.

Today, the Washington Post announces that "Corporate America is hoarding a massive pile of cash" but "just doesn't want to spend it to hire anyone." In other words, profits are way up but as long as we have employees who have been shouldering the workload of their laid-off counterparts for the last two years, we ain't gonna hire anyone new. And so the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round.

The Republicans scoff at long-term unemployment insurance, saying it breeds laziness. I've been ashamed of being a Republican ever since the fiasco of the 2008 presidential race but this is the proverbial straw that will make me switch parties. I've had enough. Their corporate interests (does the name Halliburton ring any bells?) by far negate any alleged concern for the burgeoning deficit. Shame on them.

The current bill in Congress won't help the 99ers. Even House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D, CA-8] has said "no" to any further extensions of benefits beyond the 99 weeks. Even if H.R. 5618 passes in the Senate it means only a four-month stay of execution for the many millions of unemployed Americans. After that, thanks to Congressional Republicans, we are completely on our own. Sounds to me like it's time to vote the bums out.

My urban backyard has always amazed me with the many different species of wildlife that take refuge there. Despite the rush of traffic on always-busy Tilghman Street, my neighbor's bird feeder regularly attracts cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, catbirds and mourning doves for their daily meals. But the other day I heard the unmistakeable cries of blue jays outside my window. At first I welcomed the arrival of these colorful flyers until I found out what they had come for—my blackberries. The berries are just beginning to ripen and although I expect I will have to share some of the bounty with my feathered friends, these greedy little beggars are decimating my harvest. It looks like I will have to cover the bushes with netting if I expect to get enough berries for a pie this summer.

Today I managed to catch the thieves in the act and thought I'd share the photos.

    Scoping out the joint

    Hmmmm, that one looks tasty!

    Caught in the act

    Leaving with the evidence

    Coming back for more

I found the following advertisement on Facebook and had to respond. There were rumors that the new owner Richard Chakejian planned to turn the Pennhurst administration building into a "haunted attraction" but now it is official. It seems there is no end to the exploitation of the disabled.

If you want to be a scary psyco at this new haunted house, contact us!!!!

Actor Auditions for the newest haunted attraction in Pennsylvania!!!

Pennhurst Haunted House located in Spring City, PA will hold auditions for new actor positions for its opening 2010 October season. Auditions will take place at Arasapha Farm 1835 Middletown Road Glen Mills, PA 19342 on Sunday, June 27th and Sunday, July 25th. We are looking for actors who are 18 and older with a clean criminal record, reliable transportation, available from 5pm-11pm every weekend in October. No experience necessary. All you need is the energy and determination to scare, good work ethic, and an open mind. If you are available and interested in being a paid actor for this new haunted attraction, please contact Angela Bates Majewski to schedule an audition/interview appointment and visit our website at www.thebatesmotel.com to fill out an application. Any questions please call 302-363-4724 or email pennhursthauntedhouse@gmail.com.

We are going to be your worst nightmare....

There is also an ad on Craigslist. I hope you will all join me in protesting this asinine endeavor. Use the contact info above as well as emailing promoter Randy Bates at: rbateshh@comcast.net or writing to him at the Glen Mills address above. I hope that the voices raised in protest will become Randy Bates' "worst nightmare." Let me offer a disclaimer that I have no objection to "haunted attractions." But this one is incredibly offensive to people with disabilities. This was my response:

After viewing your Facebook audition page for the “Pennhurst Haunted House” I felt compelled to contact you. As the relative of someone who spent years in Pennhurst I find the idea of a “haunted attraction” featuring “scary psycos” [sic] incredibly repugnant, to say the least. You obviously know nothing of the history of Pennhurst or you would not even make such an asinine statement. I invite you to visit my Web site http://pennhurstproject.com to listen and read about some of the people connected to this institution. Their stories are not “scary” nor are any of them “psyco.” The tragic history of Pennhurst is not public fodder for exploitation by you or anyone else. The fact that you are doing so, and with such extreme bad taste, is an affront to the many thousands of Pennhurst residents and their families as well as to all those who fought on the front lines to gain equal rights for people with developmental and physical disabilities. They deserve our deepest respect, not your impudent ridicule. You mirror the ignorance and exclusionary mindset of the mid-20^th century which led to the abuse and forced confinement of so many helpless individuals. Shame on you.

I urge you to rethink this offensive and disrespectful endeavor. As for myself, I will use every platform and social media outlet available to alert others and voice my objections to your plans.

Sincerely,

Betty E. Cauler

Photog/videographer Marc Reed offered his version of the Pennhurst Haunted Attraction poster:

Top 3 contenders for Pennhurst Poster

I found these photos of my maternal grandmother Katie Frank and her family while going through old family documents. They were probably taken between 1910 and 1925 judging from the clothes and the car (a Model "T," I presume). Some have the names marked on the back but some do not, like this photo of a cute little girl to the right, so I'm hoping someone in the family (Pearl?) can identify them for me.

As you can see, the photos are deteriorating with time so I thought it best to get them scanned into the computer for posterity. Hope you enjoy this look back in time!

This is my grandmother Katie Frank on the left and her mother, Mary Annetta (Hicks) Frank.

That's Katie Frank on the right and her sister Ella on the left holding an unidentified baby.

That's Louise and Katie Frank in the back seat with George Frank at the wheel.

This one is not identified. It looks like Uncle George Frank but can't be sure.

A cute but unidentified baby.

Again, this looks like Uncle George Frank or maybe Uncle Earl standing next to the house on Diamond Rock Hill.

The firefly's flame
Is something for which science has no name
I can think of nothing eerier
Than flying around with an unidentified glow on a person's posteerier.
- from The Firefly by Ogden Nash

From The Grave of the Fireflies, 1988

I saw the first fireflies of summer the other evening, their bodies lit from within by the eerie-sounding process of "bioluminescence." I remember catching "lightning bugs" as a child, making a comfy home for them in a mayonnaise jar so that I could use them to read at night under the covers. (Of course, it was never enough light to read by, but that's beside the point). My father would poke holes in the jar's lid for air (do lightning bugs breathe?) and I'd give them a nice cushy layer of grass so they'd feel right at home. They had everything they needed, I thought, yet I was devastated to wake the next morning and find them all dead. I learned a valuable lesson about taking creatures out of their natural habitat, trying to fit nature into something comfortable and harmless that I could keep caged up for my own pleasure. Nature doesn't work that way. Beauty needs to be free in its own space.

Fireflies have always fascinated me. They are the most innocuous and ethereal of bugs. The sight of a meadow at dusk lit by the fires of thousands of graceful flyers is one of those indelible memories of my childhood. Interestingly, the male firefly flashes while in flight, sending out a visual signal to attract a female. If she likes what she sees, she'll flash from a stationary perch in response, the two will get together and, well, you know the rest of the story. How does she know which male to respond to? It's like in everything to do with courtship: he who has the biggest, brightest light wins. If the female is not interested in a certain male, she'll keep her light to herself and the male will never even know she's there. Pretty good system, I'd say.

Unfortunately, the firefly population is dwindling. Read more in this 2008 article by Michael Casey: "Thailand's Firefly Populations Fading Out".

The strange light of fireflies has not only inspired me but also many poets, authors and artists throughout the ages. Just for s&g, I did a little research and found fascinating stories and illustrations about the lowly lightning bug. Here are some interesting myths about the firefly: The Mayans believed that fireflies carried light from the stars; the Japanese say fireflies are the souls of dead soldiers; in the Phillippines they are the graceful guardians of the star apple tree; in China the firefly is associated with poverty-stricken students who must study at night by their gentle light.

Photo by Jamie Medieros

This beautiful passage is from British fantasy writer Francis William Bain's The Indian Stories.

"And as he went, gradually the trees grew rarer, and at length he looked before him, and saw in a clear space a dark blue forest pool, studded with moon-lotuses, as if created to mock the expanse of heaven bespangled with its stars, a mirror formed by Wedasa [the Creator] to reproduce another world below. And all about it flitted fireflies, looking like swarms of bees that had returned with torches, unable to endure separation at night from the lotus flowers which they loved all day."

Fireflies At Ocha No-Mizu by Kobayashi Kiyochika(1847-1915) Courtesy  First Art Gallery

Although I have not watched it yet, the 1988 animated film, The Grave of the Fireflies, based on a book by Akiyuki Nosaka, sounds very reminiscent of my own childhood experience with trying to capture and keep some of the insects for my own use. The storyline follows Seita and his younger sister Setsuko after they are left to fend for themselves when their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American fire-bombing of their town during WWII. Their father is serving in the Japanese navy, but the children have not heard from him in a long time.

The film critic Roger Ebert wrote: "Grave of the Fireflies is a powerful dramatic film that happens to be animated, and I know what the critic Ernest Rister means when he compares it to Schindler's List and says, 'It is the most profoundly human animated film I've ever seen.' ...There are individual moments of great beauty. One involves a night when the children catch fireflies and use them to illuminate their cave. The next day, Seita finds his little sister carefully burying the dead insects--as she imagines her mother was buried...." Ebert concludes, "...it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made." I look forward to seeing it. Learn more at these sites: Myth*ing Links: Fireflies, Museum of Science, Boston's Firefly Watch. 

During an examination of my eyes this afternoon the optomitrist asked me if I was married or had any children. When I said no on both counts, he replied: "Then you have a pretty stress-free life." I had to admit that I do, at least at this particular point in my life. I just graduated from college with a master's degree in English and Publishing on Saturday, the extension of unemployment benefits has enabled me to complete that degree in an accelerated manner and I have enough of a cushion in savings that I don't need to panic while I step up my job search. I have most definitely been blessed. As I've said before, God is good.

I am the first in my family of seven to earn a college degree and that honor brings with it much expectation. My father left school in the eighth grade, a common thing in his day. Education was not as important as earning a living in the decade preceding WWII. My maternal grandmother only made it through the fifth grade. But what they lacked in formal education they made up for in street smarts and common sense. So I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

I know it's not the ideal situation to lose your job at age 53, but for me it was a new beginning, the start of living for my dreams. I left behind a job where I was rarely appreciated and constantly belittled. On the first day after being laid off I started this blog. With this forum I could work through being forced into early retirement and showcase my talents to my little heart's content without worrying about any negative repercussions. I don't have to please anyone but myself and that freedom is the joy of my life right now.

My sister Effie and I took these photos of the rainbow that appeared after last evening's showers. It wasn't the best of days for a yard sale with the wind gusting up to 50 mph so we quit early in time to see this spectacular natural phenomenon.

This morning it is in the upper 40s with a high reaching only 56 degrees. Tonight promises temperatures in the 30s. Looks like I'll have to cover up those early strawberries, squash and tomatoes. Fine spring weather, wouldn't you say?

Evelyn Thiele

Betty E. Cauler

Happy day has come! The Pennhurst Project Web site is launched at last! There are a couple of bugs to work out yet but the bones of the site are up and running. It's much different than I envisioned—I had to simplify things in order to meet my thesis deadline. Please feel free to check it out and give me your feedback: http://pennhurstproject.com. Let me know what you think of the video snippets as they will form the basis for the longer documentary.

The great news is that now I will graduate on time. My advisor, Rodney Whittenberg, will be showing the trailer at the indie film night at Bryn Mawr Theater on Monday May 3 at 8 p.m. I can't wait to see it on the big screen (and hopefully not be shot down by bad jump cuts or the like!). There's still a lot of work to be done. The sound, especially Roland Johnson's audio interviews, needs work and music has to be added. And we need to shoot way more b-roll. But now the editing is going much faster and things are starting to fall into place.

I am way behind on my postings to this blog as I get ready to upload the new Web site for the Pennhurst Project. But I wanted to post some photos from the Pennhurst historical marker dedication ceremony last Saturday.

Dr. James Conroy speaks at the marker dedication in Spring City.

Jean Searle, co-president of the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance.

Rep. Jim Gerlach with former Pennhurst residents Margaret Dougherty and Jerry Wheaton.

Musician Karl Williams sings "Close the Door," a song he wrote about leaving an institution.

The new marker on Route 724 in Spring City.