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Author: lampallib
January 11, 2023 January 12, 2023 lampallibCollection Care, Conservation, Lining, Mould, Paper repair, Rare Books, Sion College Library, Treatment
A volume of three related pamphlets from 1723 in Sion College Library was severely mould damaged and flagged for conservation treatment. They are about the trial of Francis Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester, who was charged with treason for his involvement in a Jacobite plot [Sion Main Quarto D34.1/At8]. The paper lost sizing and fused into a block. Previous attempts to open the book had resulted in numerous tears and losses. In many places the paper was very pulpy and weak. The title page of the first pamphlet was adhered to the inside front cover and the last page was adhered to the inside back cover. The boards of the covers were so degraded that it was crumbling and falling away in chunks.
Inside of front cover showing title page adhered to front endpapers and pastedown.
The covers and pages displayed all the colours and textures of mould I have seen on books across my years as a conservator. It was pink, green, black, and grey. It was powdery, granular and imbedded in the paper fibres. During washing, some of the mould was very slimy and slippery.
Thankfully, the central pages were less severely damaged (i.e. less tears rather than no tears, slightly stronger paper rather than incredibly weak and damaged paper). This shows the protective nature of bindings to the text block. Despite the severe damage, this could, with an intense conservation treatment, be saved.
Degraded state of binding and textblock before treatment. Pages are mould damaged and fused together; cover has many large losses.
The covers were removed and the spine was cleaned with xantham gum. The text block was separated along natural breaks into front, middle and back sections. These three sections could then be treated in successive but separate treatments which would help to retain the order of the pages. Due to the damage, it was not possible to check the collation or note any printing errors before treatment, so it was more essential to be diligent about the order of steps undertaken.
The pages were washed in warm water with a small amount of propanol added to aid wetting. A small fan brush, a thin Teflon folder, and fingertips were all that was used to separate the pages. Creating waves of water around the small openings that were initially available allowed the gentle but strong power of water to do much of the work. My fingerprints were the most abrasive tool to interact with the wet pages. In many places the mould was too firmly embedded in the paper and could not be removed without causing damage. Pristine pages were not the end goal. Instead, the intended result was pages that could be turned and a document that could be issued to readers.
Conservator washing pages. Note acidity being released into the water.
After washing, the pages were resized and further treated for mould with a sizing agent in solvent. The methylcellulose size supported the weakened paper fibres and the solvent helped to mitigate any remaining mould spores. Next, the pages were lined with a 5gsm machine-made Japanese tissue adhered with cooked wheat starch paste. The condition of the pages considerably improved after lining. They could now be easily and safely handled. They were arranged into sections and infills applied as needed. Where possible, detached pieces of the original text were repositioned.
After treatment; pages have been washed, lined, repaired and bound into a simple new structure.
With the paper repairs complete, the pages were sewn on linen thread and bound into a pamphlet binding structure devised by the V&A Museum for one of their pamphlet collections. This structure is clean, modern, and non-adhesive. It is slim and lightweight allowing the three pamphlets to be stored in one box which reduces the amount of shelf space needed while still protecting the items. Additionally, this structure more closely resembles the original nature of these items as three related but distinct texts. This item is now safe to handle and can be accessed in the reading room.
Talitha Wachtelborn, Sion College Collection Conservator
December 22, 2022 December 21, 2022 lampallib19th century, Children's books, Illustrated Bindings, National Society
In a collection that boasts a wide array of works owned by prelates, prime ministers, and monarchs, it is refreshing to come across items that bear witness to the lives of ordinary people. Nowhere is this quite as charming as the collection of National Society children's books, recently added to the printed books catalogue.
The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church (known simply as the National Society) was founded in 1811 to provide popular religious instruction in line with the teachings of the Church of England. It originally aimed to teach children the Bible, Prayer Book, and Catechism, and the 3 'R's (reading, writing, and arithmetic) by providing grants to rent schoolrooms in parishes.[1] The Archbishop of Canterbury was president of the Society, with numerous other bishops as vice-presidents.
The National Society would go on to become the largest single provider of popular education in England until the late 19th century.[2] Its earliest supporters were Anglican, and the Society was founded on the principle that national education should be founded on the national religion.
In 1845, the Society opened its own 'Depository', or publishing house to provide materials for students and trainee teachers in the Society's new teacher training colleges.[3] This included a wide variety of children's stories.
All of the storybooks in the collection at Lambeth were written by women, many of whom were intimately connected to the National Society's aims to promote religious education in schools supported by the Church. One of them, Christabel Rose Coleridge, was even born in St Mark's College in Chelsea, the first teacher training college, where her father, Derwent Coleridge, was principal. (Her grandfather was the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.)
C.R. Coleridge, Reuben Everett [1888] (NS/10/8/1/13)
She wrote numerous stories for both the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the National Society, and was also responsible for editing and publishing the correspondence of her friend, distant cousin, and fellow author of religious storybooks: Charlotte Mary Yonge.[4]
Charlotte M. Yonge, The Cook and the Captive (c. 1894) (NS/10/8/1/52)
Charlotte Yonge was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction, with over 200 works to her name, and was an important lay voice in the Tractarian movement. She was a close friend of the priest and poet John Keble, who regularly edited her manuscripts and encouraged subtlety in her religious fiction, so as to avoid them becoming crude polemical texts. Even so, her stories frequently dwell on the Christian themes of self-sacrificial love, humility, and obedience. Yonge was also passionate about overseas mission, with the proceeds from her children's stories going towards missionary efforts in Oceania and South Africa.[5]
A prominent female voice in Victorian religious life she may have been, but Yonge was naturally conservative in temperament and her promotion of girls' education did not stem from modern notions of gender equality: 'That there is this inequality there is no reasonable doubt," she wrote in 1876. "A woman of the highest faculties is of course superior to a man of the lowest; but she never attains to anything like the powers of a man of the highest ability."[6]
Each story is a fable that teaches children a particular Christian value. The moral of the story was made clear in the publisher's catalogues, perhaps so that parents, Sunday School teachers, and other discerning adults could pick the book most suitable for the child. Other advertisements were wary of causing children unnecessary distress and promised that the stories had happy endings.
Many of these stories are works of historical fiction, reflecting the Society's aim to provide not just religious education, but education more broadly. The two are taken hand in hand, such as in The Slaves of Sabinus, which is based on Tacitus' account of Sabinus and Epponina's rebellion against Vespasian. Their story is interweaved with the fictional story of two of their Jewish slaves, Edras and Edna, who eventually embrace the Christian faith.
Charlotte Yonge in particular was known for her historical works. In an address at Winchester High School for Girls in 1899 celebrating the foundation of the Charlotte Yonge Scholarship, the Bishop of Winchester (and later Archbishop of Canterbury), Randall Davidson, remarked that she succeeded in making readers "live again in the past", and in so doing was "a unique blessing to the English people".[7]
Charlotte M. Yonge's The Slaves of Sabinus (c. 1890) is one of many National Society stories incorporating historical events. (NS/10/8/1/57)
The National Society also advertised special 'Prize Books' to be awarded to children for good behaviour. Not all of the books in the collection at Lambeth were from this special series, but many were still given as prizes. Decorative bookplates (many of which were specially printed by the National Society) show that many of these books were given as prizes by Sunday Schools, often for good attendance or knowledge of Scripture.
This highly decorative bookplate was printed by the National Society Depository, demonstrating their aim that their books should be given as prizes. This book was 'awarded to Fred Messenger for Regularity and Punctuality, June 1900'. (NS/10/8/1/11)
Sunday Schools had developed alongside small, endowed charity schools to cater for the significant proportion of poor children who worked, teaching them to read and write, and the basic tenets of faith along denominational lines. After 1870, when the Education Act created a national framework for education, Sunday Schools focused more exclusively on religious instruction, and continued to attract high numbers of children.[8] A poll conducted in 1957 found that 90% of participants had attended Sunday School as a child, and 73% had attended regularly.[9] Purchasing prize books was no trivial expense: when Rev. A. Lawley took over at St. John's Church, Hackney, he complained that prize books were little more than bribes, and the church was £3000 in debt from spending so much on treats and prizes for the Sunday School.[10]
In other cases, the books were given as Christmas presents. With handwritten inscriptions on their front endpapers, these two books offer small glimpses of their owners' home lives.
Faith's First Christmas, a short story anthology by Mary H. Debenham, was an ideal festive gift for a young child. Inscription reads: 'Jane, from Father, Christmas 1906'. (NS/10/8/1/27)
Inscription reads: 'Nellie Robinson. Xmas 1906. With love from Governess'. (NS/10/8/1/52)
These inscriptions also give clues about how long these books remained in circulation. This copy of Christabel Coleridge's Reuben Everett was gifted to a boy named John by his uncle in 1938, a full fifty years after it was first published.
Inscription reads: 'To my dear John, from Uncle Bill, 1938". C.R. Coleridge's Reuben Everett was gifted fifty years after it was first published in 1888. (NS/10/8/1/13)
As well as the entertainment and instruction offered by their contents, another important reason why these books made such good gifts/prizes was their highly decorative publisher's bindings. Each volume has a unique cloth binding with colourful illustrations on the front cover and spine, often with added gilt text and decoration.
Mary Bramston, The Cat and the Cake (c. 1896) (NS/10/8/1/4)
The same illustrators were also responsible for producing full-page lithographic illustrations, usually between two and five per book. Two of the most regular illustrators in the collection were Charles Joseph Staniland – a prolific painter and illustrator who also illustrated works by Hans Christian Andersen and Walter Scott – and Walter S. Stacey, who among other things produced the illustrations for The Voice of Silence, Arthur Conan-Doyle's first short story published in The Strand magazine.[11]
An engraved illustration by C.J. Staniland from Charlotte M. Yonge's The Slaves of Sabinus (NS/10/8/1/57). 'Really the book would be much better without the illustrations,' wrote one unimpressed critic. 'Such an effort as "Eponina appeals to Vespasian," is really beyond all limits of tolerance.'[12]
So, did the children appreciate these gifts? The fact that this collection is in relatively good condition might suggest that these books rarely left the shelf. A few volumes do contain evidence that they were used by children, but not necessarily read. For example, NS/10/8/1/42, a copy of Frances M. Peard's The Abbot's Bridge (c. 1891), still has a flower pressed between its pages.
A flower – possibly a buttercup – pressed between the pages of The Abbot's Bridge. (NS/10/8/1/42)
National Society books could also be used to store other keepsakes. This copy of Mary H. Debenham's The Waterloo Lass contains a loose newspaper cutting from the Daily Mail from 1919 about the arrival of a baby King Penguin at Edinburgh Zoo.
Photo caption reads: "An unusual baby – The first baby King Penguin known to have been hatched in captivity taking a stroll with its mother at the Zoological Park, Edinburgh". The facing plate is an illustration by Walter S. Stacey. (NS/10/8/1/19)
Whether these books were avidly read or not, they reveal a different side to the National Society's operations away from its schools, and they offer colourful insights into late Victorian and Edwardian religious education.
[1] W.M. Jacob, Religious vitality in Victorian London (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021), p.263.
[2] Akira Iwashita, 'Politics, state and Church: forming the National Society 1805-c.1818', History of Education 47:1 (2018), p.1.
[3] Gordon Huelin, 'Innovation: the National Society 1811-1934' in Faith for the Future: essays on the Church in Education to mark 175 years of the National Society, ed. Graham Leonard and Joanna Yates (London: National Society; Church House Publishing, 1986), p.21.
[4] Cherry Durrant, 'Coleridge, Derwent (1800-1883)', ODNB (https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/5879, accessed 14/12/2022)
[5] Elisabeth Jay, 'Yonge, Charlotte, Mary (1823-1901)', ODNB (https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/37065, accessed 14/12/2022)
[6] Charlotte Mary Yonge, Womankind (New York: Macmillan, 1877), p.2.
[7] Lambeth Palace Library, Davidson 746, f.168.
[8] Jacob, Religious vitality in London, p.281.
[9] Clive Field, Secularization in the Long 1960s: numerating religion in Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017), p.86.
[10] Caitriona McCartney, 'British Sunday Schools: an educational arm of the churches' in Churches and education, ed. Morwenna Ludlow, Charlotte Methuen, and Andrew Spicer (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019), p.573.
[11] The Arthur Conan-Doyle Encyclopedia, 'The Voice of Silence' (https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/The_Voice_of_Science, accessed 20/12/2022)
[12] 'Miss Yonge's "Slaves of Sabinus", The Spectator, 15 November 1890, p.42.
November 23, 2022 November 22, 2022 lampallibCourt of Arches, Defamation, Divorce, Ecclesiastical Law, Marriage
The current project to catalogue the Act Books of the Court of Arches from 1677 to 1682 (Arches A 13-15) is well advanced and on course for completion by the end of 2022.
The diverse business of the Court during these years included suits concerning the dilapidation of parsonage houses and bishops' palaces. The deaths of successive Bishops of Worcester, for instance, led to suits concerning the state of the palace at Worcester and Hartlebury Castle. The death of John Hacket, Bishop of Lichfield, whose efforts saved Lichfield Cathedral from ruin caused by the civil war, also led to a lengthy suit; his successor Thomas Wood, complained that Hacket had not lavished equal concern on his palace. The deeds and misdeeds of the clergy were also exposed in court, as in the case of Thomas Turner, Vicar of Milton-next-Sittingbourne (now Milton Regis, Kent), whose drinking and playing at cards and dice at the Three Hats, the Red Lion, the Crown, the White Hart and the Queen's Head often ended in the gutter with the revelation 'I am damned drunk'.
Suits concerning marriage and divorce were also to the fore. Lady Elizabeth Percy, the greatest heiress of her day, widowed at the age of thirteen, secretly married Thomas Thynne, known (on account of his wealth) as 'Tom of Ten Thousand'. A suit followed, whereupon Thynne was murdered in 1682. Elizabeth then made a third marriage, at the age of 15, to the Duke of Somerset. Less fortunate was the life of Posthuma Bullocke, forced by her husband to wear a chastity belt, 'an engine commonly called an Italian padlock' for almost two years. No less remarkable were the marriages of Anne Pierrepont, daughter of the Marquess of Dorchester. Her marriage to Lord Roos, afterwards Duke of Rutland, was ended by a legal separation in the Court of Arches and then by a parliamentary divorce, the first in England. Anne went on to marry Henry Vaughan, only to return to the Arches in 1681 seeking yet another divorce on account of his cruelty. Marriage contracts were also disputed in court, as in the engagement of Donough O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan, to a daughter of Thomas Osborne, afterwards Duke of Leeds. In this instance the Dean of the Arches allowed himself a moment of candour, urging a speedy marriage to avoid 'the distast and exasperation which judicial proceedings may begett'.
Other cases ranged from the violation of churchyards, the impersonation of the Vicar General at a visitation, and penances for adultery, to more mundane disputes over tithes, rates, institutions to benefices and rights to pews. Time and again the records reveal the unexpected. The elegant white marble monument to George and Judith Ayliffe in the church at Foxley, Wiltshire, celebrates their lives and five children. Few would guess the reality revealed in court, that Judith left her husband after having been cruelly beaten.
Ayliffe memorial, Foxley Church, Wiltshire. Photo: Sheona Beaumont, 2022. shospace.co.uk.
Variations in the spelling of names in the seventeenth century present challenges to cataloguers. It was pleasing to rescue the poet John Dryden from the obscurity of 'John Draydon' and to identify 'John Eveling' as the virtuoso John Evelyn. Both were protagonists in Arches cases, as was another diarist, Samuel Pepys.
Richard Palmer
November 8, 2022 November 7, 2022 lampallibArchives, Church Assembly, General Synod
Church Assembly Session, 6 November 1962 [CIO/PHO/NEG/188, 62117/1]
Lambeth Palace Library has recently catalogued the transcripts of the reports of proceedings from the Church Assembly, and the early sessions of the General Synod. From the mid-nineteenth century the Church of England sought to achieve greater self-governance as its legislation was dependent on Parliament. The historic Convocations of Canterbury and York (made up of clergy) both added a House of Laymen by 1892, and together formed the Representative Church Council. This body, with bishops, clergy and laity all represented, became the Church Assembly in 1919 with the 'Enabling Act' empowering it to become the Church's legislative body. The transcripts cover sessions between 1920 and 1972, covering the entire lifespan of the Church Assembly, and the formation of its successor body, the General Synod, in 1970.
The transcripts are a fantastic resource that add colour to the published reports of proceedings, which tend to omit much of the actual speech. The reports of proceedings are a summary of speeches made, edited from present to past tense and often shortened. On occasion, whole passages found in the transcripts are missing from the reports. Presumably, the editor viewed these as superfluous to the argument being made. By just looking at the reports of proceedings, researchers miss most of the anecdotes and all the humour deployed by speakers, leaving a skeleton speech deprived of the original intonation.
A lively debate led by the Bishop of Ely about 'Danger on the Highways', February 1935 [CAGST/2/32]
The transcripts also give an indication as to how speeches were received by the Assembly and later the Synod. Incidences of laughter, cries of dissent and murmurs of discontent are noted, giving the reader an insight into the atmosphere of these meetings.
The period of 1920-1972 covers many tumultuous domestic and global events, and this is reflected in the topics discussed by the Assembly and Synod. Domestically, the transcripts show lengthy discussions on divorce, unemployment and racial discrimination. The passing of monarchs and the accession of new Kings and Queens are marked.
'Death of King George V, and Address to King Edward VIII', February 1936 [CAGST/2/35]
The rapidly changing geopolitical landscape of the twentieth century can be seen through the transcripts, moving from a debate on the 'League of Nations' in 1924 to the threat of 'Nuclear War' in 1963. Slightly more unusual subjects discussed include 'Danger on the Public Highways' and 'Influence of the Cinema'.
'Nuclear War', November 1963 [CAGST/2/108]
The transcripts supplement many of the other collections at Lambeth Palace Library, including the photographic collections of the Church Information Office. The photographic collections provide a comprehensive library of photographs illustrating the teachings and activities of the Church. Church Assembly sessions in the 1950s and 1960s were photographed, as well as the inauguration of the first General Synod.
Church Assembly discussing 'Horror Comics', November 1954 [CIO/5/PHO/1/1a]
Debate on 'Sordid Reading Matter', November 1954 [CAGST/2/81]
The Church Assembly and General Synod transcripts are a wonderful resource for readers wishing to gain a full and comprehensive understanding of the discussions had by Church Assembly and General Synod, and how this shaped Church policy and thought throughout the twentieth century.
Inauguration of first General Synod by the late Queen Elizabeth II, 4 November 1970 [CIO/5/PHO/2/4]
October 28, 2022 October 28, 2022 lampallibAbolition movement, Olaudah Equiano, Sion College Library
Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745 – 1797), a remarkable man whose life story was of vital importance to the campaign to abolish slavery, was born in the Kingdom of Benin (now a part of modern day Nigeria) and, as a child, was kidnapped, sold into slavery and taken to the New World. Sold to Royal Navy Captain Michael Henry Pascal, he was renamed Gustavus Vassa and was baptised as a Christian in 1759 at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey. After being sold twice more, including to a Quaker merchant who allowed him to earn a profit through trading, Equiano would eventually purchase his own freedom in 1766. He saw battle during the Seven Years' War and was trained in seamanship, going on to travel the world, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Arctic.
The Library's copy of The Interesting narrative… is a first edition and is part of Sion College Library [B79.10/V44].
Equiano's autobiography 'The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, written by himself' (London, 1789) was a huge success and went through many editions in his lifetime.
The first slave narrative to gain popularity among an English audience, Equiano's autobiography would not only precipitate a literary genre, but become a voice for the growing anti-slave movement in Great Britain. His account of his childhood in Africa and his life as a slave captivated the public, from whom Equiano's detailed and lucid writing elicited a strong emotional reaction.
An engraving from the second volume depicts the shipwreck of the Nancy, a slave vessel upon which Equiano worked in the Caribbean, and serves as an example of one of the many harrowing episodes he would survive and later write about [B79.10/V44].
Throughout his autobiography Equiano recounted several instances where he was accosted and threatened with violence, kidnapping, and re-enslavement even after becoming a free man. The bleak prospects and cruelties faced by himself and other Africans in the British Colonies, freed or otherwise, were a driving force in his decision to return to England in 1766.
Equiano would later marry a Cambridgeshire woman, Susanna Cullen, with whom he had two children. Moving in both popular and radical circles in the 1790s, he worked with Thomas Clarkson and the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and spoke at many public meetings where he described first-hand the cruelties of the trade alongside advocating for the Black community in London. As a leading member of the Sons of Africa, an early black campaign group, Equiano was a prominent voice for abolition in Britain's political sphere. Ten years after Equiano's death, the Slave Trade Act of 1807 finally made illegal the transatlantic slave trade; the practise of slavery in the British Empire would only begin to be phased out with the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833.


This mournful but pleasing collection features many of the best photographs of bicycles locked to poles ever taken. Shot using an old-fashioned 35mm Nikon, the photos here follow in the tradition of John James Audubon, Bernd and Hilla Becher, the Peterson Field Guides, and The Observer's Book of Steam Locomotives.
Bicycles Locked to Poles began in early 2001, when a magenta arrow - spray-painted on the sidewalk by a representative of the electrical utility -- pointed directly to the sadly bent, Dali-esque wheel of a bicycle on the photographer's street. Glassie passed by every day for months, until one day it was gone. He has been documenting bicycles locked to poles, bent, broken and otherwise, in and around his East Village neighborhood of New York ever since.
This volume presents a careful selection from Glassie's collection of over a thousand color photographs, as well as a graphical guide to present, damaged, and missing bicycle parts, and a quote from Marvin Minsky's The Society of Mind. Bicycles Locked to Poles is a rare treasury for anyone interested in bikes, poles, locks, or the forgotten artifacts of the urban landscape.


Measure G: YES | Establishes eleven member Independent citizens redistricting commission.
Measure H: NO | Designed by special interests FOR special interests. Major funding from California petroleum industry.
Proposition 6: NO | Stop the attack on bridge and road safety!
Proposition 12: YES | Prevents cruelty to millions of farmed animals by prohibiting unhealthy, cruel and extreme confinement.
All others on the ballot were appointed by Republicans.
Proposition 1: YES. Issues $4 billion in bonds for housing programs and veterans' home loans creating affordable housing for vets, working families, disabled, seniors, homeless WITHOUT RAISING TAXES. www.yesonprops1and2.org.
Proposition 2: YES. Authorizes the state to use revenue from millionaire's tax for $2 billion in bonds for homelessness prevention housing and will build housing with mental health services to alleviate chronic homelessness. www.yesonprops1and2.org.
Proposition 3: NO. Issues $8.877 billion in bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects. (According to the League of Women Voters this proposition will shift the cost for water from the end users to California taxpayers; reduce state money available for other critical state programs like education, affordable housing, and healthcare; fails to provide for adequate project oversight and financial accountability.) The California Democratic Party has not taken a position on Proposition 3.
Proposition 4: YES. Issues $1.5 billion in bonds for children's hospitals to provide specialized care for 2 million seriously ill or injured kids a year, regardless of family income. http://www.yesonproposition4.org.
Here is what Prop 6 WILL ELIMINATE if it passes: 39 Projects filling potholes and repaving crumbling roads, 31 Projects improving the safety of local roads, 10 Traffic congestion relief projects, 14 Safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Proposition 8: YES. Requires dialysis clinics to issue refunds for revenue above a certain amount. Despite nearly $4 billion in profits from their dialysis operations in the United States, the giant dialysis corporations don't invest enough in improving patient care. Rather than spend their money on executives and investors, Prop 8 limits the corporations' profits and encourages them to improve patient safety, staffing and conditions in the clinics. www.yeson8.com.
Proposition 9 was removed from the ballot by order of the California Supreme Court.
Proposition 10: YES. Allows local governments to regulate rent on any type of housing. Across California, people are struggling to stay in their homes, as developers, landlords and Wall Street speculators are given free reign over our cities, quickly transforming stable neighborhoods into high-priced markets at the expense of working-class communities. Teachers, nurses, long-term care workers and grocery clerks are being forced to commute far from their place of work just to live in housing they can afford. The less fortunate are forced to sleep on couches, in cars, or can be seen on our streets. This didn't just happen naturally. In 1995, the California legislature passed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Act, which puts limits on how California cities can address the housing crisis and protect residents from displacement. www.voteyesonprop10.org.


A portrait of a young Jewish woman by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt is expected to fetch up to £18m when it is auctioned in London later this month.
The sale follows the restitution of the painting to its subject's heirs.
Painted in 1902, the portrait of 19-year-old Gertrud Loew was left behind when Loew, fearing Nazi persecution, left Vienna for the US in 1939.
The portrait came to be acquired by Gustav Ucicky, a film-maker who made propaganda for the Nazis.
Ucicky, considered to be Klimt's first illegitimate son, collected a number of Klimt's works that he left to his widow when he died in 1961.
Ursula Ucicky established the Klimt Foundation in 2013, which reached an agreement with Gertrud Loew's family last year over her portrait's ownership and sale.
The painting - originally commissioned by Anton Loew, a physician who treated Klimt at his private sanatorium - will be sold at Sotheby's in London on 24 June.
In its online catalogue, the auction house describes the piece as "an extraordinarily beautiful and captivating work from a crucial period in the artist's career".
The restitution to its rightful owner of a Klimt painting that was looted by the Nazis was the subject of a recent film, Woman in Gold, starring Dame Helen Mirren.


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2016 Bursaries
This year, the Marie Dressler Foundation today handed out four bursaries at $1500 each to four students from Northumberland High Schools - this year three from Cobourg and a sturdent from Warkworth who attended Northumberland East High School in Brighton. Each winner is a student graduating from Grade 12 in 2016 and intends to pursue a further education in this field.
Here are brief resumes of the winners.
Read more: 2016 Bursaries
Dressler Museum project has started
As previously announced, the Foundation is working to completely renovate the Marie Dressler Museum. Actually, a better description would be that the museum is being completely rebuilt from scratch. Unfortunately, this means that it will be closed from late May until it reopens. There will be no access to any exhibits during that time.
But on September 24th, 2016, there will be a grand re-opening with celebrations to mark the event. Stay tuned for more news on this.
Presentation to Cameco
Marie Dressler Foundation Board Members Terry Foord and Rick Miller presenting a Vintage Film Festival poster designed by renowned artist Peter Doig, to Dale Clark, VP, Fuel Services Division, Cameco Corporation.
The poster was presented to Cameco Corp. as a token of appreciation for their ongoing generous support of the Vintage Film Festival and the upcoming Marie Dressler Exhibition project.
On February 16, 2016, Rick Miller, Chair of the Marie Dressler Foundation was interviewed on local Radio Station Northumberland 89.7 FM. He spoke about the work of the Foundation and in particular the work being done to create a new museum at Dressler House. He also talked about this year's Vintage Film Festival. You can listen below:
Read more: Radio Interview

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


China has become understandably nervous over the past few weeks. Obama's massive spending will contribute to inflation, thereby reducing the value of the more than one trillion U.S. dollars China holds in its reserves. On Tuesday (March 24), China and Russia proposed greater use of Special Drawing Rights, a unit of account comprised of a basket of world currencies including the euro, pound, yen, and dollar. This suggestion underscores China's lack of confidence in the dollar and a desire to hedge its risk by diversifying its currency portfolio. This is also a clear vote of no-confidence in Obama's recovery plan.
Later that day, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann asked Secretary Geithner if he would "categorically renounce the United States moving away from the dollar and going to a global currency as suggested this morning by China and also by Russia?" "I would, yes," he replied. She posed the same question to Ben Bernanke, who offered a similar response. The story should end here, but it doesn't.
The left castigates the "one world government conspiracy theorists" from time to time. I tend to reject conspiracies, but Geithner is giving me pause. Could it be that the Obama administration is simply using the current economic downturn to justify a quick and heavy dose of Marxism? I believe so. In this instance, I just find it hard to believe that Geithner simply misspoke or inadvertently mangled a few words.
Consider other recent developments on the economic front. The National Center for Policy Analysis projects that Obama's budget would more than double the national debt over the next decade, while even the socialists in Europe are refusing to join in his massive spending spree. Obama also seems fixated on regulating CEO pay and procuring the right to seize control of companies under certain circumstances. He's even proposed limiting the deductibility of charitable contributions for high wage earners, arguing that their current tax breaks are too high because of their higher tax bracket. Just ponder the twisted logic here.
So what's the connection among the notion of a global currency, massive government spending, regulating executive pay, taking control of private companies, and punishing charitable giving? All of these proposals would transfer power from individuals and firms to the public sector. They limit individual liberty, violate property rights, and compromise national sovereignty at the expense of the global Marxist ideal.
Perhaps you think we just need to give Obama and Geithner a chance to fix the economy. I've already seen enough. Obama's proposals must be defeated and Geithner should be dispatched before he does any more damage. Fortunately, a number of Democrats are starting to express concern about the huge deficits, cap and trade proposals, tax hikes, and even gun control. Maybe there's hope after all.
I always get two questions whenever I offer a strong defense of capitalism: How can you claim to be both a staunch defender of capitalism and a Christian? And how can you cite Ayn Rand's work so frequently when she was such a devout atheist? These are fair questions. I have good answers.
I don't read a lot of novels, but my favorite is Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The Atlas characters—from Dagny Taggert to the infamous John Galt—tell a story of an America that rejects capitalism. The movie is due in a couple of years, but the times in which we live demand that you read it now. When you do, you'll see the U.S. today in the middle of the story.
You'll also wonder how a 50-year-old novel can provide such an accurate depiction of the U.S. under Obama. The answer is simple. Contrary to his conjectures, the "change" Obama seeks is nothing new. Socialism has already been tried numerous times before and has proven unworkable. The former Soviet Union gave up the experiment 20 years ago. China's still a largely socialist nation, but its recent economic gains are directly linked to the country's shift toward capitalism. Cuba continues to adhere faithfully to a strict form of socialism and remains destitute. In essence, Rand's depiction of a U.S. shift toward socialism says less about her prophetic ability than it does about her keen understanding of history and human nature.
Some argue that mixing capitalism and socialism need not result in the crisis Rand described in the novel. They argue that our European and Canadian friends seem to be doing OK with such a blend. I tend to agree, but I want an America that's better than OK. One of the reasons the U.S. has led the free world is its ability to stay closest to the capitalist ideal.
I disagree with Rand and the adherents of her philosophy (objectivism) on one important issue, however. Because Christianity teaches individual obligations to others, Rand believed that it runs counter to the individual freedom and choice associated with capitalism. Objectivists see a conflict between the two major influences on the development of our nation, the intellectual and rational tradition of the Greeks and the morality of Christianity.
Rand is right to an extent. Forms of mysticism and religion can undermine the foundation of liberty that is necessary for capitalism to function efficiently. Indeed, some cite religion to defend redistribution economics, even suggesting that because Jesus was a socialist because He downplayed material wealth and commanded his followers to share with those less fortunate. Rand seems to have accepted this consistency between socialism and Christianity. She missed a key point, however, in part because some Christians also miss it. Neither Jesus nor any of the New Testament writers advocated any form of redistribution by a centralized government. Jesus never forced anyone to convert or follow any particular ethic. His commands were directed at individual believers who were to make allocate their individual time, energy, and resources accordingly.
This is an important distinction. Whereas Rand saw faith as an obstacle to liberty, rational thinking, and capitalism, others like Dinesh D'Souza (in his book, What's So Great About Christianity?) see it as the "glue" that holds capitalism together. I agree with D'Souza. The moral foundation of our Judeo-Christian heritage has shaped our culture by teaching that we—as individuals—should not "take advantage of the system" and should be concerned for the well-being of others. It provides a means of addressing social concerns such as poverty without involving the government, which explains why assistance to the poor was available in the U.S. long before a federal government began redistributing income.
Many liberals completely miss this point. They chalk up guys like Bernie Madoff to a crisis of capitalism when in he really reflects a crisis of ethics. The broad Christian influence that helped shape our national culture has helped minimize corruption over the years, enabling capitalism to reach its full potential and spread prosperity. By the way, the current ethics crisis is by no means limited to business. Have you taken a close look at the hall of Congress lately?
The point here is that Christianity and capitalism are quite consistent. Those who ask how Christianity can be compatible with capitalism need to explain how it can be compatible with socialism's basic denial of personal property rights. And my faith disagreement with the objectivists aside, I think their rational perspective represents a powerful way of thinking. They draw clear distinctions between liberty and socialism, as Rand depicted in her novels and essays. If you're not familiar with her work, Atlas is a great place to start.
CAP AND TRADE refers to an economic system seeks to CAP the emission of greenhouse gases by requiring that those who emit them have government permits. The system starts by granting permits on the basis of historical levels of production and/or auctioning them off to the highest bidders. Those who hold the permits are free to TRADE them. There is an upside to such an approach. If you need to reduce economic activity to a certain level, a credit or auction system like CAP AND TRADE can be a fairly efficient means of doing so. It also provides an economic incentive for companies to reduce emissions. In other words, IF there is a dire need to reduce emissions, then CAP AND TRADE might be a reasonable approach.
The downside of CAP AND TRADE is clear. First, CAP AND TRADE legitimizes government control over industrial production, and I don't just mean the U.S. government. Because the "problem" is global in nature, emissions control requires a global solution. This not only means government intervention in markets, but "world government" intervention in global business activity.
Second, CAP AND TRADE is a broad-based tax. Whenever a new cost is introduced into production, prices rise. Company profits might decline a little, but the lion's share of the increase is passed along to end users. Almost everything we buy is linked to energy consumption and emissions. Expect inflation across the board.
Third, CAP AND TRADE redistributes wealth from more developed countries to less developed ones. Ostensibly, credits are initially allocated on the basis of population. Because developed nations consume more energy per capita, their firms will need to purchase energy credits from countries that produce less. Hence, the price hikes that result from CAP AND TRADE end up in the hands of the third world.
But—you might ask—what if we are really facing a global warming crisis? Without a costly solution like CAP AND TRADE, the outcome could be a lot worse. Indeed, the global warming thesis purports that CO2 emissions cause the earth's temperature to rise. The subtext to this claim is that "unfettered capitalism" is the culprit. Presumably, production plants, vehicles, and industrialization in general are responsible for most of the emissions. Unless we cut back on industrialization, the icecaps will melt and our very survival will be at risk. Because one country's reduction in emissions can be countered by another's increase, a GLOBAL GOVERNMENT solution is necessary. CAP AND TRADE, carbon taxes, and other remedies have been proposed.
The weakness of the global warming argument is not the negative effects of CAP AND TRADE, however. If the global warming alarmists are correct in their predictions, then some form of CAP AND TRADE might be worth discussing. THE REAL WEAKNESS IS THE SCIENCE. I'll highlight a few key points here, but I recommend Horner's Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and the Great Global Warming Swindle video for a more detailed look at both the science and the politics.
For the record, I'm a social scientist. In other words, I am an active researcher who analyzes the effects of what people do in business situations. It is fair to say that measuring what people do and why is different from measuring chemical properties or reactions. I am clarifying my background here because many proponents of global warming often insist that I—as well as 99.9% of the population—am simply not qualified to evaluate the global warming research. For this reason we should "trust the experts," or at least the majority of scientists who support the global warming thesis. It is interesting that many of these same people constantly criticize free markets even though they lack any background or training in business or economics. The point here is that "trust the experts" is a smokescreen. While the research claims might be complicated at times, if it cannot be presented convincingly to an educated audience, you have every right to be suspicious. Frankly, Al Gore's theatrical attempt was an abysmal failure.
The global warming thesis rests on two assumptions, that the global is warming and that man is the cause, what scientists call "anthropogenic global warming". The first assumption was widely accepted a few years ago, but data now suggests that the globe may be entering a cooling period. Critics have focused primarily on the second assumption over the past few years, and for good reason. If industrialization emits CO2 and causes the temperatures to rise, then why haven't global temperatures risen consistently over the past couple of centuries? Why is the track record of the climate models used to predict the coming catastrophe so poor?
Could scientists be wrong? Time magazine's June 24, 1974 issue featured a fascinating article on GLOBAL COOLING. Many scientists were calling for stringent measures then to halt the coming ice age. Their folly is self-evident. Likewise, it is interesting to note that GLOBAL WARMING has been replaced with CLIMATE CHANGE in the popular press, lest we be reminded that recent data suggests that temperatures do not appear to be rising at the moment. I've studied the science and politics of global warming and I'm convinced that human activity has little or no appreciable impact on global temperature. The earth warmed and cooled long before industrialization and it will continue to do so. I could be wrong, so I support additional research to see if a stronger case for anthropogenic global warming can be made. In the mean time, destroying capitalism and thwarting economic development on a global scale is not warranted. In other words, I see CAP AND TRADE as a costly proposal that may not even solve a problem that probably doesn't exist.
The fact that CAP AND TRADE proponents are perpetual critics of business tells us a lot about the politics of global warming. Estimates suggest that CO2 permits would bring in $650-900 billion to the government coffers in 2010, about twice the revenues from corporate income taxes. Eliminating the corporate income tax while instituting CAP AND TRADE would still result in a net increase in government revenues. If proponents are primarily concerned with "saving the environment" rather than seeking greater government control of the economy, when why not REPLACE the corporate income tax with a CAP AND TRADE or CARBON TAX of some sort that generates the same revenue for Washington? The answer, of course, is that CAP AND TRADE is a train headed toward global socialism. Many on board this train seem to be more interested in the socialism than in the environment.
Historically, free and productive economies have made the most environmental progress. The greatest examples of environmental degradation over the past fifty years can be found in the former Soviet Union and China. Dissolution of the USSR is well chronicled, and China seems to be coming to grip with its environmental challenges now that a shift toward capitalism is producing real economic growth. The point here is that government control stifles the very economic development that is required to fund and foster constant environmental progress.
CAP AND TRADE will be one of the greatest legislative battles we will have to fight, but we must win. Let's hope we can convince enough moderate democrats of the folly before it's too late.
Healthcare is a complex problem. It's an emotional, literally life and death issue, and it's getting more expensive every day. I'm going to walk through the major issues in this blog. I'll also put a proposal on the table.
There are some key challenges with healthcare, however. Those who can't afford care can get it anyway. Medicaid and other government programs provide health care for the poor and Medicare provides coverage for seniors. Further, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) passed in 1986 guarantees emergency treatment to anyone regardless of citizenship, income, or legal status. The charges for those who do not pay for such care are inevitably absorbed by those who do. While arguably a humane policy, the EMTALA has made illegal immigration more attractive and has also created an incentive for some Americans to avoid purchasing health insurance. The most important part of a health care policy is that it covers you in the event of a major catastrophe. Why pay the premiums when that likelihood is fairly low and the government has provided a safety net?
What this means is that a complete free market solution will not be possible. The government will always provide coverage for a significant number of Americans. Many who can "afford" some coverage will simply opt out because of the high cost and the existence of the EMTALA safety net.
There's a sad irony here. The wealthy never have a problem getting the health care coverage they need. The poor, covered by government programs, have fewer choices but receive care at little or no cost. The middle class—too rich for government assistance—pays inflated prices for its health care to help cover those who don't pay at all.
There are two roads we should not take to solve this problem. Requiring employers to pay for coverage is NOT the solution. There is no moral reason why an employer should be required to accept financial responsibility for an employee's health just because he or she is hired to perform a task. Offering health care benefits is a good thing, but it should not be mandated. Consider how costly benefits have contributed to the demise of the U.S. auto industry.
Nationalized health care for everyone is NOT the solution either. IT WILL RESULT IN RATIONING FOR ALL OF US. Some on the left claim that this is a baseless charge designed to scare Americans. I suggest that they read the British press, where administrators of arguably one of the best socialized systems frequently use the term "rationing" when they discuss the tough choices surrounding who gets access to expensive treatment and who does not. This is why many Brits purchase private health insurance. We simply lack the doctors and medical infrastructure to provide "free" healthcare to everyone without empowering bureaucrats to decide who gets coverage.
Here's a second irony. Some in Canada and Western Europe chastise the U.S. as "the only developed nation without universal healthcare." Perhaps they should remember that the U.S. represents the primary market for the development of many new treatments and drugs because of its private system. The U.S. is also the "safety net" for the wealthy in other countries who can't get the treatment they desire or don't want to wait in line for it.
HERE'S MY PROPOSAL: Replace all low-income health insurance programs with a no-frills universal plan. Other than basic preventive care (vaccinations, etc.), those covered could not choose their own doctors, would be responsible for sizeable co-pays, and could see specialists under the plan only when absolutely necessary. Only essential medications would be covered–no Viagra. Expensive, recently developed drugs without generics would be covered only in extenuating circumstances. Patients would be responsible for a sizeable amount of hospital or ER treatment each calendar year, perhaps $2000-3000. Private insurance companies could bid for the right to administer the plan in certain geographical areas. The point here is to provide a minimum level of no-frills treatment at a rock bottom cost. The details would need to be ironed out by experts in the field.
THOSE WITH HEALTH INSURANCE WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. THOSE WITHOUT COVERAGE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PLAN THROUGH A FLAT PAYROLL TAX. Everyone in the plan would pay a flat percentage, perhaps 7.5% of gross wages. The federal government's contribution would be capped in some definable way, perhaps 50% of the total cost.
1. Everyone would have access to basic, no-frills coverage.
2. Those in the barebones universal plan would be required to pay into the system. At present, many are not paying anything and have no incentive to use the system wisely. Most conservative proposals are designed to make it easier for individuals to obtain insurance in the private market, but they don't address those who refuse to do so.
3. Financing the plan with a flat payroll tax makes it more expensive for those who earn more, encouraging them to get their own private insurance. The goal here is to get as many Americans into private insurance coverage as possible.
4. Private insurance premiums would decrease because the barebones plan would cover most of the unpaid medical bills that currently choke the system.
1. The no-frills plan would inevitably lead to some rationing. The advantage of my proposal, however, is that it would limit such rationing to those who are receiving government assistance through the no-frills plan.
2. Some conservatives and libertarians would lament the fact that those without private insurance would be required to participate. I don't like this either, but the truth is that those who "go it alone" inevitably ask society to step in when a medical emergency occurs. Given the EMTALA and America's penchant for generosity, the American taxpayer will always underwrite catastrophic coverage for the uninsured. We may as well face it.
3. Liberals would contend that such a plan would strap the poor with a hefty payroll tax. At a 7.5% rate, a family of 4 with a gross income of $25,000 would pay $1,875 a year for family coverage, a bargain even for a no-frills plan. The truth, however, is that other taxpayers would have to cover the rest of the expenses. Why is it unreasonable to require the poor to make a significant contribution toward their own coverage? How many American's who "can't afford" health insurance spend $1,875 annually for their cell phones and satellite TV? It's critical that those benefitting from the program pay as much as they can.
4. Once such a plan is instituted, socialists would constantly campaign for greater contributions from the general fund. This is a real problem. Perhaps changing the government contribution should require a supermajority.
1. MAINTAIN private access to the best system in the world and creative incentives for everyone to pursue private coverage.
2. COVER as many Americans as possible.
3. REQUIRE that recipients of federal assistance pay for as much of it as feasible.
4. MINIMIZE the role of the government in the process.
My proposal is not perfect, but I think it does a better job meeting these objectives than the current system does, and it's far superior to what we'll get if we stay on the sidelines. Its real strength is the fact that it delivers a level of care to everyone without a government takeover of the system. Conservatives must take control of this issue with a comprehensive proposal that leverages the market and garners political support from moderates. If not, we may be in for a complete government takeover that will be difficult if not impossible to undo down the road.


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Here's an idea: Spend two or three hours a day at least five days a week in front of a bookstore wearing a sandwich board with your bookcover on it while you chase and chat with anyone you can corral and who is willing to talk to you.
It's a fairly ridiculous scenario– right?
And yet that's what many authors are doing every day by investing incredibly valuable writing time on what might turn out to just be tomorrow's MySpace - Facebook and Twitter.
We're doing it because so many of our fellow writers are doing it.
And (in many cases) we're doing it only because our publishers are encouraging us to.
In fact many publishers are sending us cheat sheets on how to do it better. Some are even suggesting it's the only marketing worth doing. They are telling us this is the new way to get people to hear about our books.
And does taking on this much more of the of the marketing burden really help publishers in the long run? Wouldn't they be best served proving their power – not empowering us?
Even if Facebook and Twitter are wonder tools in the right hands – how many of us can be Neil Gaiman or Jennifer Weiner? How many of us are really clever in 140 character including spaces? How many of us are great at posting enchanting, provocative posts at Facebook? Just because we can tell a story doesn't mean we can chat.
Maybe even more important is all those people who like us or friend us or follow us are not people whose email addresses we own – not people we can be certain we can contact in the future.
For one thing the way feeds work – how many people read backwards at social media sites? How easy is it to miss a post? But even more important, Facebook and Twitter own their sites and the information on them.
How worthwhile is it for a writer to invest time in social media for marketing purposes and how much time?
Or is this a temporary fix to the problem our industry really needs to solve- the real and vital and urgent problem of discovery – of coming up with new and meaningful ways for readers to find new books.
There's no debate that social media gives fans access to us. Of course it does. When it works there's nothing like it. One Tweet can be heard 'round the world if the right people retweet it and the right people notice it on their feeds.
And there's no debate that some readers will discover us via Twitter and Facebook or whatever tomorrow's next new great social network turns out to be.
The issue each of us has to address is what is the return on the effort we are making? Or as author James Scott Bell calls it – the ROE.
HOW DO PEOPLE DISCOVER BOOKS?
Codex, one of the leaders in book audience research, has done over a quarter million book reader studies – the most recent which was based on 8,224 surveys and completed in February was recently presented to hundreds of industry professionals – and is very much worth noting.
When it comes to discovering books – the majority (81%) of book buyers said they first learned about the book they bought last from more traditional means – like browsing in bookstores, personal recommendations from people who had read the book, email announcements, reading groups, prior book information, news, interviews and reviews, advertisements and other related sources.
The remaining 19% learned about the book they bought last from online sources like eBookstores, blogs, reader reviews, author websites, advertisements and other book related websites.
Of that group only 1.2% learned about their last book bought from social networks like Facebook, or Twitter, or online video like book trailers.
Whenever this to-be-a-social-animal-or-not issue comes up with writers, someone always mentions an instance of a writer who got a huge boost via another writer posting about her at Facebook.
Or someone recalls the five fans who wrote to said they bought a book because of an excerpt posted to Facebook.
But an anecdote is not data.
Of course there are people who will find us and read us and buy us because of our online efforts. And if you ask ten writers about the value of these efforts you will get ten anecdotes.
The question isn't - does it work? Instead it's - does it work well enough for the time it takes? Are we seeing a worthwhile ROE for the time we spend on Twitter or Facebook?
Is it worth it to spend 2 hours a day to reach 2 new readers? How about 4? How about 10?
Or is it a better ROE to take those 2 hours and write your next book? Or pen a few short stories you can give away or give to your publisher to use in marketing efforts – or hell – even sell online for a buck a piece?
Many people believe the very best way to grow your career is to write your career. And to keep writing it until you write into the tipping point where you have a shelf of great books and critical mass.
No one buys a book they never heard of – but at the same time no one buys a book without picking it up and reading a few pages – on or off line – and falling in love.
Even if you have 10,000 people like your Facebook page –they still aren't going to buy the book you're shouting about unless they love that excerpt you posted, or that the online bookstore offers, or that they read standing in the aisles.
What would Charles Dickens do? Or Hemmingway? Or Agatha Christie? Or any author you admire. No one knows. That was then. This is now. And the question is - What should you do now?
Guest blog at meaningful places.
Put up excerpts and short stories as often as you can.
Hire someone to do Marketing and if warrented PR.
If you do hire someone, long term that will free up your time and you can write that next book or short story and make the money back tenfold. Or you can continue to spend time meeting readers and growing your fan base at social media sites. But without the painful live or die pressure.
I'm not suggesting there is nothing to be gained from Facebook and Twitter and other venues like them. There is.
If you want to Facebook and Tweet. Have at it and have fun.
But do it because you want to.
Do it because you believe in the ROE.
But don't feel panicked or guilty if you decide you've been hurting your career and wasting time without getting enough in return.
No matter what you do - don't let anyone – not your agent or publisher or best friend – make you feel that to grow your career engaging in social media is the end-all be-all key to success. If it was, we wouldn't need anecdotes… we'd all have data.
Very thoughtful and important piece, M.J.
Great post; I think about this a LOT as I blog-tweet-retweet-blogcomment-tweet, etc. Meanwhile my WIP suffers. Hmmmm.
I feel so liberated by this. Thank you!
Great article. Social media is definitely a tool but best used in moderation and most importantly, with a plan of action behind it. It's not enough to "tweet and they will come", there has to be a good reason for readers to come and not everyone will. Not to mention it's something that's built over time. I think many people feel like they can tweet or post every day for a month and suddenly have 1000 readers of their genius but it doesn't work that way.
MJ -- great, thought-provoking post saying things I've always believed, but better than I've said.
Writing comes first. I happen to like facebook, but I can't imagine spending two hours a day social networking! I post daily, skim through the feed, comment when I feel like it, and doubt I spend more than 30 minutes a day between FB and twitter. If I did more, I would lose my creativity. I know that about me. But while drinking coffee in the morning? No problem.
I have been hugely frustrated by some of my friends who've been told that they HAVE to do A, B, or C by their publisher, with no evidence that A, B, or C works. And because they feel if they don't they'll be dropped, they are getting hugely stressed out.
MJ, I loved this post. Like David, who commented above, I feel so liberated by your point of view. And honestly, I have sacrificed writing time for social networking (mostly on Twitter) and some of my peers think I'm crazy because I don't yet have a Facebook page--even crazier because I don't want one.
Between the pressure to be 'out there' and the energy it takes to do so, little is left for actually creating/writing.
I respect Allison, knowing herself well enough to set limits with social networking--and she keeps putting out great books.
Thanks for giving me lots to think about (and a little ammunition for the next time someone gives me grief for not having a Facebook page!).
Well said MJ. You know what makes me cringe most? When authors I know -- long-standing ones sometimes -- are out there publicly begging people to buy their books or give them reviews on Amazon or somewhere else.
Dignity aside, I can't believe this can possibly be sustainable or even work. Is this what writers are to become? Panhandlers on the sidewalk shaking their cans and shouting, 'Look my way?' and anyone who happens to be passing?
I struggle with this every day, and I post very little compared to other author friends. I guess it's great to link everything so when you tweet, it appears on facebook, and when you blog, the same. I do like to get updates from my favorite authors, but we all know the ones who advertise ad naseum. It's about finding the balance. Yet, taking even 15-30 minutes every few days to update everything is still a chore.
I joined twitter this week and am already thinking, what's the point? It's like Facebook on a racetrack.
And then there's the feeling of when I take a week (or two or three) away from all the social media, am I losing the followers or am I somehow being left behind?
Thank you so much for this liberating, useful information. I am just beginning to work with my publisher on marketing plans for my next book, and I will forward this to them, and keep these points in mind.
I am glad that I have a twitter account, as that's how I found you!
What a great, provocative, and on-point post about the quandary so many of us writers face as we tweet, blog, Facebook, etc., in a day that still has only 24 hours.
I, ironically, would not have read this if it weren't for Twitter. And hello to Priscilla, who I 'met' through Twitter.
Social networking is a juggling act. I love some aspects of it, particularly the way it can connect me to writers all around the country. And as a writer also juggling taking care of my 3-year-old, this is an easy way for me to network - when I can't leave the house.
On another note, I close down all social networking windows when I'm in serious writing mode - as I was for about two hours today. This is my least creative hour - so hence, I do a little networking.
I'm glad to meet you online, M.J. I shared your wonderful post on my Facebook writing friends group.
Thanks Linda and Pris - Twitter or Facebook aren't the devil's spawn - as I say in the article its great for networking- the issue is just decide how the return on the effort is working for you and if its not - then don't beat yourself up.
What a great piece of advice. Recently, I have been pulling out all stops in a useless attempts to get online visitors to buy my e-books, when I could have been writing. I think its about time I get back to writing.
P.S. Just read a first-person account by Paul Elwork on Guide To Literary Agents on how you helped him find an agent after he contacted you about book marketing. Just wanted to congratulate you on helping an unknown writer get a novel published. It's a wonderful story.
Speaking as a reader - authors who desperately seek readers for their books are a turn-off in any medium (sandwich boards, emails, blogs, Twitter, Facebook if I facebooked...if it's all links-to-my-books and "Read my books!" I'm bored and gone in no time). Authors (and others) who are willing to act like people and thereby lure me in to being interested in what they've written/shown/otherwise produced are fun. Most of the authors I follow on Twitter I already knew - which means their recommendations are automatically interesting. I've also read books suggested by agents and other publishing-business people, and quite a few suggested by the science and music people I follow. But I follow all of them because I'm interested in what they have to say, not because they feed me books - even good books.
Yep--this all looks pretty on-the-nose to me. Nice work, as usual, M.J.
Just when I was freaking out about not "getting" Twitter, I read this post. I do a little FB but have yet to figure out the Tweet thing. I have never seen statistics about this before and really want to THANK YOU for those. That really is helpful for me to keep all of this social media in perspective.
M.J., Really informative article! I've had the same doubts about the social media. What stood out for me the most, was if an author does use the media, it's important to just be themselves. Write things that interest them and things they think others might enjoy. Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks for this. It answers a lot of questions and comes at the right time for me. Makes me feel less of a fool when I'm staring at Facebook and Twitter trying to figure out what I should do.
Good information. I find I hang out on FB with other writers (writers are readers, too) and make myself broaden my base by commenting on other posts. It takes time, but I have gotten sales, but ROE (in time away from writing) I don't think so. I think FB, Twitter, GoodReads, etc. are valuable in building your brand, but it takes time and patience.
Exactly my sentiments, MJ! I don't tweet, and I keep my Facebook page very basic and don't spend more than five to ten minutes on it each day. Juggling a full-time day job and a writing career is hard enough without having to make time for hours of social media chit-chat.
Whew. Thank you for saying so well what I had been battling with for a while. Sometimes you just have to admit... you can't do it all, right?
Great post--and love the stats to back this up! I'd been looking for "the numbers" and had posted on this topic, at http://fpdorchak.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/just-another-tool/ .
I replied in turn, "The fake accounts on Facebook and the Twitter-bots don't buy any books, now do they?"
What a great article. I took a course on Social Media in May and have been twittering, facebooking and updating my website/blog like mad for the past 2 weeks. Yet, no matter how much I do it never seems enough. I'm worn out and unnerved by not writing and am so glad to learn I'm not the odd man out.
J.A. Konrath, who's sold a ginormous number of ebooks, doesn't do any social media, preferring to crank out books instead. I'm beginning to think I'm with him.
p.s. I'm tweeting your article.


text:
Premiering Next to a Genius
Ilona Landgraf November 6, 2016
"Balanchine / Liang / Proietto"
Vienna State Ballet
Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Ballet's new mixed bill traces an arc from a piece capturing Balanchine's pure classicism to a new, multi-art form work honoring the tradition of romantic ballets. The fascination of flying and the idea of weightlessness unites the three pieces. Edwaard Liang's "Murmuration", 2013 choreography for Houston Ballet, deals with the flight formation of flocks of birds. For "Blanc", the evening's world premiere, Argentinian choreographer Daniel Proietto took inspiration from Michael Fokine's flying sylphs. The opener, George Balanchine's "Symphony in C", doesn't involve aviation but leaves one in the most elevated of moods when it is danced well. And so it was. The company was in sunniest form on opening night.
Natascha Mair and Jakob Feyferlik led the first movement of "Symphony in C." Both were precise, swift and conveyed an infectious good mood. Í liked Liudmila Konovalova and Vladimir Shishov, the second movement's main couple. Konovalova, blessed with a refined technique, subtly nuanced between composed grief and almost playful cheerfulness. Her tender fragility was met by Shishov's caring look and fine partnering. The effervescent Nina Tonoli was the ideal cast for the third, fast paced movement. She was brisk and ebullient, marveling at the sheer pleasure every step gave her. Her teasing looks must have reached even the last rows of the auditorium. Denys Cherevychko matched her well. In the fourth movement, Alice Firenze radiated royal generosity alongside Robert Gabdullin. The corps danced with striking accuracy, speed and pizzazz. Its too bad that we couldn't really admire the spectacular finale. Next time I suggest they keep the curtain open for just a couple more seconds. It is such a great sight!
Edwaard Liang began his dancing career with New York City Ballet in 1993 and, after gaining experience on Broadway and with the Nederlands Dans Theater, ended it there in 2007. Since then he has been working as a choreographer. In 2013 he took over the reins of BalletMet/Ohio. In an introductory talk before the performance Liang paid tribute to Balanchine, saying "What is incredible about Symphony in C is that it is one of those ballets, which is beyond what I consider a masterpiece. (…) When you premiere ballets with a genius like George Balanchine, it really humbles you. And it's a little alarming that he is gonna open and we follow his" Liang laughed.
There was no need to be concerned though, his "Murmuration", the second work of the evening, was profound. Its title describes the natural phenomenon of hundreds or even thousands of starlings flying in whirling, ever-changing patterns usually at dusk. Liang was fascinated by this. He made the stage the meeting ground for this "ethereal creatures", explaining "I don't even know if they are birds. It is the place where they choose their partner (…) but what they come to when they congregate is to be connected to the universe, to see God or whatever it is they believe in.">
"Murmuration" is set to a violin concert by Ezio Bosso, which Liang had put aside for many years waiting for the right topic to use it.
I couldn't witness the experience of God or other deeply spiritual sensation, but saw interesting, telling, neo-classical choreography. Liang and Laura Lynch designed straight-cut, black pants for the men. The women wore gray-blue tricots with flowing chiffon attached to the front and back.
The piece opened with three floodlights on the front stage, creating huge, flying shadows of moving dancers on the backcloth, making it impossible to choose where to look. At the moving bodies or their magnified shades? At both, being astonished by the different visual impact of movement, by the eye-catching slow-motion lifts of the shadow images? Like a flock of birds the dancers ran in swirling patterns and soared out of the wings as if flying high. They were scattered across the sage in little groups or stood alone, here and there dancing individual solos.
Later the backcloth was lifted revealing a velvety dark night with gentle snowfall. I thought of the stage as of a rock plateau surrounded by unfathomable darkness: foreign creatures in their own, closed world. Pas de deux portrayed different male – female encounters, love relationships and a touching scene in which a male outsider won the heart of another man's woman. Shortly afterwards, the men gathered together, showcasing their strength as if they had to reassure themselves and the women clustered together in the background of their fighting spirit. But no attacker was in sight. Or was there? Why did suddenly all gaze towards the left and back away? We can't know. The curtain went down the moment, the group had built a protective cluster against an approaching threat.
"Murmuration" earned much applause. Liang's pieces are rarely performed in Europe. It would be interesting to see more by him.
"Blanc", Proietto's new choreography, is an homage to "Les Sylphides", Fokine's ballet blanc. The poet of "Les Sylphides" was the first solo Proietto learned as a young dancer. A poet is also at the heart of "Blanc". Proietto doubled his role to a speaking part, played by the Viennese actor Laurence Rupp, and his dancing counterpart (Eno Peci). Alan Lucien Øyen, artist in residence of the Norwegian National Opera, wrote the text for the actor-poet, which Rupp spoke in German. It is a monologue revealing the poet's thoughts and self-doubts, his struggling from dawn to dust. He is an artists shaken by constant crisis. The sheets of paper in front of him remained empty – "blanc". Scarcely, rays of confidence and a faint whiff of inspiration lightened his overall gloom. Depressed, driven by self-doubt, struggling with angst, he resorted to a romantic dream world of dancing sylphs on a forest glade, but soon ran about desperately between them. The muse (Ketevan Papava) he imagined to dance with didn't sparkle long-lasting inspiration in him either. In the end, the actor-poet meets her in real life and continues to blather, unable to establish any communication. No wonder that she leaves without saying a single word.
Music by Frédéric Chopin was meant to give "Blanc" a romantic atmosphere, but I cannot help, when hearing the Prelude op. 28 and the piano concert No. 1, opus 11, but think of John Neumeier's "Lady of the Camellias". Some melodies are branded. Mikael Karlsson, commissioned with additional composition, contributed darker music with a real edge. Videos by Martin Flack of, for example, sunlight reflected by tree trunks and sylphs playing with the tulle of their skirts, enabled the audience to visualize the poet's thoughts. Flack was also responsible for effective lightening. Two large projection screens marked the line between the actor-poet's world of thought and the intensely colorful, real world, where he ran into his muse at the end.
The story Prioetto took as his basis is in itself resourceful. But neither the involvement of several art forms nor the team of collaborators helped to hide some basic flaws of the result: The poet's endless monologues distracted from the simultaneously happening dance. Additionally, when silent and mingling with the dancers, his presence was disturbing. The dance, regardless if reduced to decoration or central, was only conventional fare. No choreographic surprises. And, at long last, what kind of image did Øyen give the poet? If being an artist is such a torture, wouldn't it be better to quit?
In the program book, Proietto spoke of the cathartic energy created by a great show. This goal he still has to reach.
On the conductor's podium of the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera was Fayçal Karoui. As usual, what rose from the pit aroused true pleasure.
Links: Homepage of the Vienna State Ballet
Photos: "Symphony in C" (George Balanchine)
1. Liudmila Konovalova, Vladimir Shishov and ensemble, "Symphony in C" by George Balanchine, Vienna State Ballet
2. Natascha Mair and ensemble, "Symphony in C" by George Balanchine, Vienna State Ballet
3. Liudmila Konovalova and Vladimir Shishov, "Symphony in C" by George Balanchine, Vienna State Ballet
"Murmuration" (Edwaard Liang)
4. Nina Poláková, "Murmuration" by Edwaard Liang, Vienna State Ballet
5. Nina Poláková and Jakob Feyferlik, "Murmuration" by Edwaard Liang, Vienna State Ballet
6. Nina Poláková and Roman Lazik, "Murmuration" by Edwaard Liang, Vienna State Ballet
7. Ensemble, "Murmuration" by Edwaard Liang, Vienna State Ballet
"Blanc" (Daniel Proietto)
8. Laurence Rupp (The Poet), Ketevan Papava (Sylph) and ensemble, "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
9. Laurence Rupp (The Poet), Eno Peci (The Poet's Shadow), Julia Tcacius, Nina Tonoli (Sylphs) and ensemble, "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
10. Eno Peci (The Poet's Shadow), Ketevan Papava (Sylph) and ensemble, "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
11. Laurence Rupp (The Poet) and ensemble, "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
12. Ensemble, "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
13. Eno Peci (The Poet's Shadow), "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
14. Laurence Rupp (The Poet) and Eno Peci (The Poet's Shadow), "Blanc" by Daniel Proietto, Vienna State Ballet
all photos © Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor 2016
Editing: Anna Antongiorgi


Does your organization emphasize the importance of clear and open communication (which includes listening) as much as it does being on a "team?" Probably not. And yet clarity in ideas, conversations, and interactions are sources of oxygen allowing systems to breathe properly--which is a sign of a healthy team.
Problems at the office or factory are often rooted in a lack of mutual understanding about expectations, goals, deadlines, procedures, and who the customer really is. A readily available tool of management to address this situation is the right use of feedback--or "feedforward" as our friend, Marshall Goldsmith, likes to say.
Why are associates reluctant to explain how they feel about something? It could be from past experience. Speaking up may have been taken the wrong way so employees learn to be silent. Unfortunately this means valuable information remains hidden from those who might need it most. Thus the dilemma.
According to organizational psychologist, Dr. Michael Woodward, two factors that influence how individuals communicate in group settings, such as staff meetings, are "personality and position."
Thoughts are eventually shared because employees have to talk--often with a trusted peer or spouse. Some of the more useful internal focus groups take place at lunch.
Studies also show the hesitancy to candidly convey how we feel has cultural roots as described in the Outliers chapter about air safety and the "theory of ethnicity."
Recent news stories confirm a reversal of deadly crashes in the airline industry over the past several years. The conclusion: Air travel in the U.S., at least, has never been safer. It has been a decade since passengers have died in a crash involving more than 100 people.
This is a dramatic turnaround from the 1990s when, as someone observed, "planes were falling out of the sky."
One of several reasons for this improvement in safety has to do with pilot training. The history of aviation has shown a strong, if not dictatorial role for the captain, causing co-pilots to not speak when necessary or speak but not be heard--often with deadly results. An example of this is the 1982 Air Florida crash in Washington, D. C.
Captains are now trained to solicit input from all members of the flight crew.
For their own health and safety, businesses and nonprofits could learn something about improving the free flow of information from changes in aviation practices.
How do we begin improving this essential part of our professional relationships? In addition to cultural issues, we can start by understanding the different kinds of feedback and improving the quality of our exchanges.
To encourage and improve morale. This is an expression of gratitude or approval of another's effort. It is an expression of emotion, designed to meet an emotional need.
To help individuals improve their skills. Advice consists of suggestions about particular behavior that should be repeated or changed. It focuses on the performance, rather than on judging the person.
This relates to making wise decisions about personnel and their assignments. An effective way to do this is by ranking the subject's performance in relation to that of others or against an explicit or implicit set of standards.
Think for a moment about the last time you gave or received feedback. Was it clear? Appropriate for the circumstances? Or did you get (or give) appreciation when you should have received (or given) advice?
In a future post I will share "tips" on giving feedback from the book, Helping, by Dr. Edgar Schein.
Properly used feedback has the potential to be a positive force for your organization.


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Huge Tech Companies Are Addressing The Worldwide Micro Chip Shortage In A New Way. They're Designing Their Own.
By Tom Zenner • Sep. 6, 2021 • Business & Tech, Silicon Valley
The world is in the throes of a massive shortage of semiconductors that has impacted numerous industries in a big way, including the tech and auto industry.
Instead of waiting for the the shortage to end and supply to catch up with demand, some of the biggest tech behemoths, including Amazon, Apple, Tesla, Facebook and Baidu are all saying "no thanks" to traditional firms that sell microchips, and instead they've started to develop their own.
Just last November, Apple told the world they are ditching Intel's x86 architecture to instead create their own M1 processor, and it's already being used in brand new iMacs and iPads.
You may have heard of the "Dojo" chip that Tesla is using AI to manufacture.
Google is in the game too, and reports say they are close to rolling out their own CPU's that they will be inserting into Chromebook laptops and tablets that run the Chrome operating system.
Amazon has been hard at work on their on networking chip to power hardware switches that transport data around big networks according to CNBC.
In a CNBC story, Russ Shaw at U.K. based Dialog Semiconductor said this.
"These specifically designed chips can help to reduce energy consumption for devices and products from the specific tech company, whether it relates to smartphones or cloud services."
Currently, the big tech companies are focusing on the design of the chips they will use internally, and not the manufacturing of them. Silicon Valley will still have to outsource the building of them.


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text:
package com.amazonaws.services.lightsail.model.transform;

import java.math.*;

import javax.annotation.Generated;

import com.amazonaws.services.lightsail.model.*;
import com.amazonaws.transform.SimpleTypeJsonUnmarshallers.*;
import com.amazonaws.transform.*;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonToken;
import static com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonToken.*;

/**
 * RelationalDatabase JSON Unmarshaller
 */
@Generated("com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-code-generator")
public class RelationalDatabaseJsonUnmarshaller implements Unmarshaller<RelationalDatabase, JsonUnmarshallerContext> {

    public RelationalDatabase unmarshall(JsonUnmarshallerContext context) throws Exception {
        RelationalDatabase relationalDatabase = new RelationalDatabase();

        int originalDepth = context.getCurrentDepth();
        String currentParentElement = context.getCurrentParentElement();
        int targetDepth = originalDepth + 1;

        JsonToken token = context.getCurrentToken();
        if (token == null)
            token = context.nextToken();
        if (token == VALUE_NULL) {
            return null;
        }

        while (true) {
            if (token == null)
                break;

            if (token == FIELD_NAME || token == START_OBJECT) {
                if (context.testExpression("name", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setName(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("arn", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setArn(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("supportCode", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setSupportCode(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("createdAt", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setCreatedAt(DateJsonUnmarshallerFactory.getInstance("unixTimestamp").unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("location", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setLocation(ResourceLocationJsonUnmarshaller.getInstance().unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("resourceType", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setResourceType(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("tags", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setTags(new ListUnmarshaller<Tag>(TagJsonUnmarshaller.getInstance())

                    .unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("relationalDatabaseBlueprintId", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setRelationalDatabaseBlueprintId(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("relationalDatabaseBundleId", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setRelationalDatabaseBundleId(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("masterDatabaseName", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setMasterDatabaseName(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("hardware", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setHardware(RelationalDatabaseHardwareJsonUnmarshaller.getInstance().unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("state", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setState(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("secondaryAvailabilityZone", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setSecondaryAvailabilityZone(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("backupRetentionEnabled", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setBackupRetentionEnabled(context.getUnmarshaller(Boolean.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("pendingModifiedValues", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setPendingModifiedValues(PendingModifiedRelationalDatabaseValuesJsonUnmarshaller.getInstance().unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("engine", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setEngine(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("engineVersion", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setEngineVersion(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("latestRestorableTime", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setLatestRestorableTime(DateJsonUnmarshallerFactory.getInstance("unixTimestamp").unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("masterUsername", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setMasterUsername(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("parameterApplyStatus", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setParameterApplyStatus(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("preferredBackupWindow", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setPreferredBackupWindow(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("preferredMaintenanceWindow", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setPreferredMaintenanceWindow(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("publiclyAccessible", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setPubliclyAccessible(context.getUnmarshaller(Boolean.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("masterEndpoint", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setMasterEndpoint(RelationalDatabaseEndpointJsonUnmarshaller.getInstance().unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("pendingMaintenanceActions", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setPendingMaintenanceActions(new ListUnmarshaller<PendingMaintenanceAction>(PendingMaintenanceActionJsonUnmarshaller
                            .getInstance())

                    .unmarshall(context));
                }
                if (context.testExpression("caCertificateIdentifier", targetDepth)) {
                    context.nextToken();
                    relationalDatabase.setCaCertificateIdentifier(context.getUnmarshaller(String.class).unmarshall(context));
                }
            } else if (token == END_ARRAY || token == END_OBJECT) {
                if (context.getLastParsedParentElement() == null || context.getLastParsedParentElement().equals(currentParentElement)) {
                    if (context.getCurrentDepth() <= originalDepth)
                        break;
                }
            }
            token = context.nextToken();
        }

        return relationalDatabase;
    }

    private static RelationalDatabaseJsonUnmarshaller instance;

    public static RelationalDatabaseJsonUnmarshaller getInstance() {
        if (instance == null)
            instance = new RelationalDatabaseJsonUnmarshaller();
        return instance;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub