text:
Archive for the 'Not Deaf-Related Issues' Category
Walter Payton's daughter tries out for Chicago Force
By JFLMad
Brittney Payton, the daughter of famous running back of Chicago Bears Walter Payton, tried out for Chicago Force. Chicago Force is Women's Professional Tackle Football under IWFL (Independent Women Football League). They were 2008 Eastern Conference Champions but lost in the championship game to Dallas Diamonds. You can view the video of her trying out below.
My opinion of her trying out is a joke! She just does that for the publicity reason as she worked for Mouthpiecesports.com. As you can see her movements are not that excellent and I think it really wastes her time of participate and waste Chicago Force's time too. I am not going to elaborate it because her actions speak louder than anything else. If you disagree with me, that's fine with me as it is your opinion 🙂
http://www.chicagoforcefootball.com/news.asp?ID=73
Categories: Not Deaf-Related Issues, Sports, Uncategorized
The Seven Black Presidents Before Barack Obama
December 1, 2008 221 comments
Were There Black US Presidents before? The people thought that Barack Obama is the first black President of the United States. Wrong.
1. John Hanson (a Moor) was actually the 1st President of the United States, he served from 1781 – 1782 and he was black. The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land).
Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.
As President, Hanson ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as removal of all foreign flags. He established the Great Seal of the United States, which all Presidents since have been required to use on all Official Documents. He declared that the 4th Thursday of every November to be Thanksgiving Day, which is still true today. Even though elected, one variable that was never thought through was that America was not going to accept a Black President during the heart of the enslavement period. Enter George Washington.
2. Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd President of the United States, he served from 1801 – 1809 and he was black. His mother a half-breed Indian squaw and his father a mulatto (half white and half black) from Virginia. He fathered numerous children with Sally Hemmings, a mulatto slave with whom he lived with in Europe.
3. Andrew Jackson was the 7th President of the United States. He served from 1829 – 1837 and he was black. His mother was a white woman from Ireland who had Andrew Jackson with a black man. His father's other children (Andrew Jackson's stepbrother) was sold into slavery.
4. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, he served from 1861 – 1865 and he was black. His mother was from an Ethiopian Tribe and his father was an African American. It was told that his father was Thomas Lincoln, a man to cover the truth, but he was sterile from childhood mumps and was later castrated, making it impossible for him to have been his father. Lincoln's nickname "Abraham Africa-nus the First."
5. Warren Harding was the 28th President of the United States, he served from 1921 – 1923 and he was black. Harding never denied his ancestry. When Republican leaders called on Harding to deny his "Negro" history, he said, "How should I know whether or not one of my ancestors might have jumped the fence?"
6. Calvin Coolidge was the 29th President of the United States, he served from 1923 – 1929 and he was black. He proudly admitted that his mother was dark but claimed it was because of a mixed Indian ancestry. His mother's maiden name was "Moor." In Europe the name "Moor" was given to all Black people just as in America the name "Negro" was used.
7. Dwight E. Eisenhower was the 33rd President of the United States, he served from 1953 – 1961 and he was black. His mother, Ida Elizabeth Stover Eisenhower, an anti-war advocate, was half black.
So, America has survived and thrived through our first Seven Black Presidents and we will survive and THRIVE through the election of this one!
Categories: Not Deaf-Related Issues
Translator for you
Don't waste time trying to translate that important document yourself, let us do the hard work for you.
English to Chinese
Nike to release 23rd Air Jordan
Nike to release 23rd Air Jordan shoes. Click here to read the article.
Michael Jordan was my childhood icon. He is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. He is a legend of Chicago sport figures beside Mike Ditka, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus of Chicago Bears; Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Harry Caray of Chicago Cubs.
I have owned 2 pairs of Air Jordan shoes in my entire life. The first one was black Air Jordan V ('89-'90). The second one is what I am wearing right now when I play basketball. It is other line of Jordan shoes that is not in the picture below. I am a Nike man in my whole life and have never wear any other brands than Nike! I have only wore K-Swiss brand once when I was in high school and I hate it very much and I decide to stick to Nike brand no matter what! Tell you the truth, Air Jordan shoes are the best and the most comfortable to wear even though it is very expensive; the average price of a pair shoes cost about $120 dollars.
Here is the history of how the marketing of Nike skyrocketed when they endorsed Michael Jordan.
Early in 1984, Nike was a struggling shoe company. The running shoe phenomenon that has fueled their sales in previous years was slowly dying and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in order to appeal to another segment of the market. At the same time, rookie player Michael Jordan was already endorsing several products, but Nike hoped that his appeal would generate sales. Jordan, though, had other ideas. He had always preferred Adidas or the Converse shoes endorsed by North Carolina Coach, Dean Smith, and hoped to sign on with either company. Converse, with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on board as spokesmen, were not interested in offering a better deal than Nike, and Adidas wasn't interested at all at the time; perhaps due to Kathe Dassler's death the same year. While Jordan, himself, did not initially see the significance of Nike's offer, his agent, David Falk, saw a golden opportunity in Nike's offer to create a new line of shoes called "Air Jordans." and urged him to give Nike a chance.
Really Not That Interested..
At that time, there was not a tremendous impact from a shoe endorsement, and few companies were willing to risk so much of their marketing budget to bet on one athlete to promote their products. An athlete as paid for wearing the products but little else resulted from an endorsement. It's possible that Jordan's reluctant attitude stemmed from this fact as much as his allegiance to Converse and Adidas products.
Nike saw something special in Michael Jordan, though. They saw a chance, an opportunity. He was a champion with personality, charisma, and heart, and they were willing to put the company on the line. They knew from the beginning that he would be a star and wanted to help him get there. Finally, after much persuasion from his manager and parents, the reluctant rookie agreed to fly to the Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon to view a special video presentation and proposal though he later stated in retrospect that he went with no intention of signing with Nike.
The video presentation featured slow-motion clips of Jordan's college career and some of his high-flying Olympic moves with a background of then hit music "Jump" by the Pointer Sisters. Nike Head Designer, Peter Moore presented sketches of AJ1 shoes, jumpsuits, and sports apparel, all in black and red. Michael's remarks upon seeing the designs were less than enthusiastic. He is reported to have said,
"I can't wear that shoe, those are Devil colors"
Throughout the entire meeting Jordan was reported to seem disinterested and bored, but as he and Falk left the meeting, Jordan said to his agent, "Let's make the deal."
A Legacy (and a Controversy) is Born
With those four words, the Air Jordan legacy was born. Nike signed Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits. Peter Moore created the first AJ Logo with a basketball with wings lifting it. The introduction of the Air Jordan I turned the athletic shoe industry upside down. Before the AJ I, most basketball shoes were white, but the bold black and red styling of the Jordan I flouted this convention. The NBA banned the shoe from the league in response, but Jordan wore them anyway, racking up serious fines of up to $5000 a game. Nike, of course, was more than happy to pay these to keep the shoes on Jordan's feet and in the public eye. All this controversy and Jordan's spectacular numbers that year served to put the Air Jordan line on the road to becoming a household name.
After winning 1986-87 Slam Dunk competition at Seattle Coliseum, the Jordan logo changed to the familiar Jumpman logo of today, but when it came time to talk about the Air Jordan III, Michael was ready to bolt. Reaction to the Air Jordan II, due in part to the high retail price, hadn't been stellar and designers Peter Moore and Rob Strasser had left Nike to start their own company. They began to court Jordan, hoping to develop the business around him This was a turning point for the line; a make-it-or-break-it moment. It was at this time that Tinker Hatfield stepped in to help the struggling shoe line. Immediately, Hatfield did something completely new and unheard of. His first instinct was to sit down and talk with Michael one on one and ask for his input about the design. Hatfield has stated that this was a very tense time. No one had ever approached the business of designing a shoe like this and Jordan had never had anyone ask his opinion until that time. Ultimately, though, it was the good advice of Michael's father that saw it through. It's reported that he advised his son to stay with the people who had done a good job for him. Eventually the process of designing the shoes and matching apparel drew Jordan in and helped reinforce his commitment to Nike. At Jordan's request, the Air Jordan III was a three-quarter cut basketball shoe made of high quality, lighter than average materials. This non-standard approach to the process of designing basketball shoes led the Air Jordan III to rocket off the charts with its popularity, and Tinker went on to design all the Jordan models up to the Jordan XV. With the release of the Air Jordan XV and Jordan's second retirement, both Hatfield and Jordan stepped back from the Jordan line and other designers took the reigns to continue to the legacy.
Air Jordan Shoes were a part of the Nike, Inc. family until late in 1997 Nike unveiled a new marketing plan and Jordan became its own sub-brand of Nike. To mark this change, the new Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan XIII, Air Jordan Team, and Air Jordan Trainers. From this point on, Jordan Brand products no longer featured the Nike name or Nike Swoosh, and their only connection to Nike,Inc is a fine print address for Nike headquarters to be used for insurance purposes.
The Shoes Changed the World
Air Jordan shoes have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The Jordan brand is a household name and people of all ages and social strata line up eagerly for the release of the latest model. Some of this success can be attributed to the fact that the shoes, from the Jordan III to the most recent model, have always started with their namesake, Michael Jordan. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account and incorporate these feelings into the shoes. A number of Jordans have been designed after Jordan's cars and some of the more recent models, like the Jordan XXI (Jordan 21) on the way, some wonder when the Air Jordan line will be retired while others speculate that, in honor of the man, the last Air Jordan will be the Jordan XXIII (Jordan 23). No matter what happens to the signature Air Jordan line, it's a good bet that the brand and its tradition of quality, high-fashion basketball and athletic shoes will continue long after Air Jordans have retired.
The Air Jordan I (1984-85)
The Air Jordan II (1986-87)
The Air Jordan III (1987-88)
The Air Jordan IV (1988-89)
The Air Jordan V (1989-90)
The Air Jordan VI (1990-91)
The Air Jordan VII (1991-92)
The Air Jordan VIII (1992-93)
The Air Jordan IX (1993-94)
The Air Jordan X (1994-95)
The Air Jordan XI (1995-96)
The Air Jordan XII (1996-97)
The Air Jordan XIII (1997-98)
The Air Jordan XIV (1998-99)
The Air Jordan XV (1999-2000)
The Air Jordan XVI (2000-01)
The Air Jordan XVII (2001-02)
The Air Jordan XVIII (2002-03)
The Air Jordan XIX (2003-04)
The Air Jordan XX1 (2005-06)
The Air Jordan XX3 will be coming in January to February 2008
Michael Jordan holds the latest to his basketball shoe line — Air Jordan XX3.
Categories: Not Deaf-Related Issues, Sports
Logic and the English language
Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English Language?
English is a stupid language.
There is no egg in the eggplant
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England.
French fries were not invented in France.
We sometimes take English for granted
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from
Guinea nor is it a pig
If writers write, how come fingers don't fing.
If the plural of tooth is teeth
Shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth
If the teacher taught,
Why didn't the preacher praught.
If a vegetarian eats vegetables
What the heck does a humanitarian eat!?
Why do people recite at a play
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy
Of a language where a house can burn up as
It burns down
And in which you fill in a form
By filling it out
And a bell is only heard once it goes!
English was invented by people, not computers
And it reflects the creativity of the human race
(Which of course isn't a race at all)
That is why
When the stars are out they are visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible
And why it is that when I wind up my watch
But when I wind up this observation
It ends.
-unknown


text:
Publish Date : 2015-12-31
Biodiversity studies on bioeroding sponges infesting brown mussel of the south west coast of India
P. Sunil kumar*, P.A. Thomas
*Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Kochi, India
P. Sunil kumar. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, India. E-mail: sukkuedavetty2012@gmail.com
Sunil Kumar, p., et al. Biodiversity Studies on Bioeroding Sponges Infesting Brown Mussel of the South West Coast of India. (2015) J Marine Biol Aquacult 1(2): 1- 3.
© 2015 Sunil Kumar, P. This is an Open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Brown mussel; Biodiversity indices; Southwest coast; India
A study on the biodiversity indices of boring sponges infesting the brown mussel population of the southwest coast of India was attempted in this paper. Four species, Cliona lobata, Cliona vastifica, Cliona celata and Cliona margaritifera were identified from Station 1, Vizhinjam. From Station II maximum number of species were identified and they are in the order of abundance; Cliona lobata, Cliona vastifica, Cliona celata, Cliona margaritifera, Cliona carpenteri, Thoosa armata, Thoosa hancocki, Aka minuta and Alectona millari. Cliona lobata, Cliona vastifica, Cliona celata and Cliona margaritifera were identified from station III, Colachel and Cliona lobata, Cliona vastifica, Cliona celata, Cliona margaritifera and Cliona carpenteri from Station IV, Kadiyapatnam. Pielou's[1] index (D) was the highest at Station I (1.17) and the lowest at station 2 (0 .89). Shannon Weaver function[2], H (S), was the highest at Station II (1 .85), showing maximum number of species (s = 8), while it was lowest at Station 1 (1 .62) with the least number of species (s = 4).
The Porifera is one among the rare groups of animals on which the biodiversity data have already been documented. In the case of this group, species information and related data are scanty. Therefore universal documentation tools and active communication among taxonomists working in related areas are highly imperative. Computer based biodiversity system has been developed as a universal tool for the documentation of biodiversity data. Linnaeus II software developed by Expert centre for taxonomic identification provides a helping hand for the documentation of biodiversity data on sponges[3].
Biodiversity data have hardly been documented in the case of bioeroding sponges. In the case of this group, species Information and related data are scanty. Therefore universal documentation tools and active communication among taxonomists working in different areas and related fields are highly imperative. Taxonomic and distributional data are essential for the study of sponge biodiversity. Modern multimedia techniques can be applied for biodiversity studies. Computer- based Biodiversity information system has been developed as a universal tool for biodiversity documentation. The Linneaus II software developed by ETI (Expert Centre for Taxonomic Identification) provides a helping hand for the documentation of biodiversity data on sponges[3].
As per the reports of the Zoological survey of India the Indian invertebrate fauna comprises 89,451 species. Some groups of invertebrates have been well documented in the past while others are not. Only very few studies have been made on the taxonomy and biodiversity of rare groups especially the marine sponges. As India is a Signatory to the GATT and Biodiversity Convention (BDC), it is mandatory on our part to study, document and utilize our biodiversity wealth for the betterment of humanity.
Four major landing centres were selected during the present study and these were, from north to south, Vizhinjam (Stn. 1), Enayam (Stn.2), Colachel (stn.3) and Kadiyapatnam (Stn. 4) (Map 1). A sample of 100 mussels was collected at random from each centre from different units once or twice every month for a period of one year. The methods suggested by Old[4], Thomas[5], Thomas, et al.[6] Schonberg[7,8] were followed for preparing spicules and for biodiversity studies. The following statistical methods were used in the present study:
1. Species richness index[9]
2. Simpson's Index or species concentration factor[10]
3. Shannon Weaver diversity index[2] 4. Heips evenness index[11]
5. Species dominance index[1]
Figure 1:
The sponge fauna of India is dominated by species of Demospongiae followed by those of hyalospongiae and Calicospongiae. Also 34 species of coral boring sponges have been recorded. The Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay region has the highest diversity. 319 species followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands 95 species, Lakshadweep 82 species and Gulf of Kutch 25 species[12]. Values of five diversity indices calculated for each sample are given in Table 1 A & B. Number of species (S) is defined as the total number of species encountered at the station. The number of species at the stations covered ranges from 4 (Station I) to 9 (Station II).
Pielou's[1] index (0) is concerned with the dominance of species. At the stations covered, it is the highest at Station I (1.17) and the lowest at station 2 (0 .89). Species dominance is inversely related to the number of species. The mean (x), standard deviation (Cr) and the coefficient of variation (%) of this index in this study being 1.05, 0.11 and 10.4 correspondingly.
Simpson's[10] index (Sp) of the degree of concentration or diversity is almost uniform for the Stations I, II and IV (0.999) covered, but it is relatively low at Station III (Sp = 0.996). Mean of this index is 0.998, standard deviation and coefficient of variation being 0.001 and 0.14 respectively.
Margalef's[9] index (d varies from 0.63 (Station 1) to 1.12 (Station 2), mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation being 0.88, 0.1 8 and 19.97 respectively.
Table 1A: Biodiversity Indices
Margalef index (d)
Simpsons index (Sp)
Shannon index H(S)
Pielou's index (D)
Heip's index (E)
No. of species (S)
0.6346 0.9990 1.6191 1.680 1.349 4
1.1238 0.9997 1.8537 0.8914 0.769 9
Table 1B: Mean (x), Standard deviation (0) and Coefficient of variation (CV) of Biodiversity Indices
19.972 0.139 6.299 10.400 21.050
Shannon Weaver function[2], H (S), is the highest at Station II (1 .85), showing maximum number of species (s = 8), while it is lowest at Station 1 (1 .62) with the least number of species (s = 4). Mean (x), standard deviation and coefficient of variation for this index are 1.73, 0.11 and 6.30 respectively.
Heip's[11] index measures evenness of occurrence of species in a population. In the present study, it varies from 0.77 to 1.35. Low equitability indicates dominance of a few species, while high equitability reflects uniform distribution of species. Mean of this is 1.11, standard deviation and coefficient of variation being 0.23 and 21 .05 respectively.
519 species of sponges are known to occur in the Indian seas. Out of that 34 are coral boring have been reported from the Gulf of Mannar[13]. In the present study a total of nine species were identified from five stations along the south west coast of India. In conclusion, this study suggests that species number (s),Shannon- Weaver function, H(S) and Margalef's index (d) are the lowest at Station 1 (S = 4, H (S)200 = 1.62 and d = 0.63) and the highest number of species and the greatest diversity at Station II (s = 8, H(S) = 1.85 and d = 1.12).
1. Pielou, E.C. Measurement of structure in animal communities. In: Ecosystem structure and function" (J. A. Wiens, Ed.) (1971) Proc. 31st Annual Biology Colloquim. Oregon State U. P., Portland. 415 pp.
2. Shannon, C.E., Weaver, W. The mathematical theory of communication, (1963) University of Illinois Pvers, Urbana 117 pp.
3. Rob, W.M., Van, Soest., Petrer, H.Schalk., et al., Por-Linneaus: The application of interactive multimedia software for species data storage and computer assisted identification of Porifera. (1996) BIOLOGIE 66 Suppl: 63-72.
4. Old, M.C. The Taxonomy and Distribution of the Boring Sponges (Clionidae) Along The Atlantic Coast Of North America. (1941) Chesapeake Biological Laboratory 44: 1-30.
5. Thomas, P.A. Boring Sponges of the Reefs of Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. (1972) Symp corals and coral reefs 333-362.
6. Thomas, P.A. Boring Sponges Destructive to Economically Important Molluscan Beds and Coral Reefs in Indian Seas. (1979) Indian J Fish 26(1-2): 163-200.
7. Schonberg, C.H.L. An Improved Method of Tissue Digestion for Spicule Mounts in Sponge Taxonomy. (1999) Mem Queensland Mus 44: 533-539.
8. Schonberg, C.H.L. Bioeroding sponges common to the Central Australian Great Barrier Reef: Descriptions of three new species, two new records and additions to two previously described species. (2000) Senckenbergiana maritima 30(3): 161-221.
9. Margalef, R. La teoria de la informacion en ecologia. (1957) Mem R Acad Barcelona 32 (3): 373-449.
10. Simpson, E.H. Measurement of diversity. (1949) Nature 163: 688.
11. Heip, C. A New Index Measuring Evenness. (1974) J mar boil Ass UK 54(3): 555-557.
12. Venketaraman, k. Coastal and marine biodiversity of India. (2005) Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 34(1): 57-75.
13. Thomas, P.A. An Appraisal of the Biological and Biochemical Diversity in the Sponges. (1996 a) Mar Fish Infor Ser 142: 1-5.
Download PDF CITATION XML
Share this page to
About Ommega

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


a) Chambers' equality and diversity policy covers all aspects of its operations including barristers,pupils, staff and relationships with clients.
b) Chambers is committed to ensuring that no forms of discrimination are practised by Chambers or any organisations or individuals with which it is associated in any way.
c) Chambers is similarly committed to ensuring that clients and organisations shall be entitled to equality of opportunity irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
d) Chambers will not tolerate any form of harassment and will take all necessary steps to ensure that its members, pupils and employees are not subject to harassment.
e) Chambers is committed to observance of good practice in respect of granting maternity and paternity leave.
At 1 High Pavement we strive to provide an excellent service but in the event that our service falls short of expectations all complaints must be lodged with the Senior Clerk at 1 High Pavement. Chambers recognises that it is important to deal with any complaints in a professional and sensitive manner.
Complaints will be acknowledged within 72 hours of their receipt and will be dealt with according to Chambers' Policies and Procedures.


Other Ships within the Fleet: Regent has three further ships in its fleet. Oceania sweetens the suite pot by providing extra facilities together with priority 11 a.m. verify-in, precedence baggage delivery, 24-hour butler service, priority on-line specialty restaurant reservations, unlimited access to the Canyon Ranch SpaClub's private Spa Terrace and way more.
All luxury suites are totally furnished and feature flat display TELEVISION's, Balcony Stage VIP Lounge entry, entry to a full cash-bar on the second flooring mezzanine stage all through the event and personal restrooms on the second stage. Now, along with an expansive spa, Seabourn Encore features The Retreat, a personal, VIP-entry-solely out of doors lounge area on Deck 12. A daisy-formed canopy stretches over The Retreat so you'll discover each sun and shade.
Restaurants, together with all specialty options except The Kitchen Table, are included in the cruise fare. It is a self-contained cooking faculty at sea that gives a fingers-on expertise at 12 particular person cooking stations (two folks per station). So the following time you're searching for low cost inns or spa resorts, we're here to help. Different Ships in the Fleet: Along with Viking Star, the nearly identical Viking Sea set sail in April 2016.
This also opens up a world of exclusive insider-access alternatives, from personal museum openings to visits with native folks in their very own properties, whereas affording you time to get to know your fellow company and work together together with your Resident Tour Director. We now have a number of locations, products and services which were created solely for Luxury Action guests.


text:
home » JIS News » National Security
Jamaicans Encouraged to Seek Positive Conflict Resolution Methods
Written by: Ainsworth Morris
Photo: Michael Sloley
State Minister, Ministry of National Security, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (second left), along with (from left) Acting Corporal, Cariann Smikle; Assistant Commissioner, Department of Correctional Services, Joyce Stone; and Superintendent M. Smith participate in worship during the 'Morning of Prayer and Praise' for staff at the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre, on Monday, January 8.
NCU President Calls for Greater Public Support for JCF
Security Minister Wants More Persons to Use Stay Alert App
Members of JCF Commended for Service to the Nation
State Minister for National Security, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., has reiterated the call for Jamaicans to seek positive conflict-resolution methods and not turn to violence to resolve their issues.
Speaking at 'A Morning of Prayer and Praise' on January 8 for the staff of Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre on South Camp Road in Kingston, Senator Charles Jr. said the responsibility of reducing crime is not solely that of the Ministry of National Security but that of every Jamaican.
The State Minister called on persons engaged in illegal activities to change their negative thoughts and behaviours in 2018.
"If we continue to think of it as the Minister of National Security's responsibility, we're going to continue to have a runaway train," he said.
"This year must be one when we do something different. If we continue along the same path doing the same things, we're going to get the same results," he said.
Senator Charles Jr. encouraged Jamaicans to value themselves more and practise good morals among persons in their households.
"If you value yourself, you're more likely to value another person, and you're more likely to make a decision that shows and demonstrates that you value your community. This is something we have to do in 2018, every day and every month," he emphasised.
Senator Charles Jr. argued that weapons are not the foundation of the crime issues, but the human brains of Jamaicans which are not positively engaged in productive activities.
"The only thing that I believe can stop the brain sometimes is the heart. The heart must be wrapped up and must be filled with the right kinds of elements, and that comes from understanding. If you are not guided by the right spirit, then you are guided by the wrong," he said.


text:
... All countries
Top stats
Cost of Living 2019
Gun murder rate
Suicide rate
Education duration
Land (comparative)
Fertility rate
Cancer death rate
Obesity rates
Catholic countries
Christian countries
Cold countries
Densely populated countries
Former British colonies
Former French colonies
Former Spanish colonies
Former Yugoslavian countries
Group of 7 countries (G7)
Heavily indebted countries
High income OECD countries
Hot countries
Landlocked countries
Least Developed Countries
Middle Eastern and North Africa
Military base
Muslim countries
NATO countries
Non-religious countries
OPEC countries
Potential Future EU Members
Religious countries
Sparsely populated countries
UK and its territories
Uninhabited areas
... All groups
Crime Stats: compare key data on Iran & United States
Iran vs. United States
Age of criminal responsibility: The age at which a person is no longer excluded from criminal liability. The lowest age is indicated for countries where there isn't a single age limit, for example where different states have different regulations (such as the USA) or there is different limits for boy and girls (such as in Iran). The spectrum is specifically wide for the USA and Mexico (both 6-12 years). Several US states do not stipulate any minimal age for criminal responsibility at all. For further qualifications, exceptions and other notes, please refer to notes.
Believes crime increasing in the past 3 years: Crime increasing in the past 3 years. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "In the past three years would you say the level of crime in your community has increased, stayed about the same, or decreased?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Crime levels: Level of crime. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "How serious you feel the level of crime is?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Drugs > Annual cannabis use: Estimate of percentage of 15-64 year old population who use Cannabis.
Drugs > Opiates use: Annual prevalence.
Fear of crime > Feels safe walking alone > At night: Safety walking alone during night. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "How safe do you feel walking alone in this city during the night?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Fear of crime > Violent hate crime: Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Justice system > Punishment > Capital punishment (last execution year): Year of last use.
Murder rate: Homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants in various countries.
Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents: Number of privately owned small firearms per 100 residents.
Violent crime > Intentional homicide rate: Homicides per 100'000 residents. Homicide is the death of a person purposefully inflicted by another person (it excludes suicides) outside of a state of war. Homicide is a broader category than murder, as it also includes manslaughter. The exact legal definition varies across countries, some of which include infanticide, assisted suicide, euthanasia and deaths caused by dangerous driving.
Violent crime > Murder rate: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population.
Violent crime > Murder rate per million people: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Violent crime > Murders: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population.
Violent crime > Murders per million people: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Age of criminal responsibility (notes): Additional information, qualifications, exceptions and notes on the age of criminal responsibility stat, which indicates the age at which a person is no longer excluded from criminal liability.
Prisoners: Total persons incarcerated
Auto theft: Number of motor vehicle thefts (car thefts) recorded by police in that country per 100,000 population.
Perceived problems > Problem violent crimes including assault and armed robbery: Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How much of a problem are...) violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Fear of crime > Feels safe walking alone > During the day: Safety walking alone during daylight. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "How safe do you feel walking alone in this city during the daylight?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Prisoners > Per capita: Data for 2003. Number of prisoners held per 100,000 population.
Fear of crime > Worries about being attacked: Worries attacked. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......being physically attacked by strangers?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Perceived problems > Property crimes including vandalism and theft: Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How much of a problem are...) property crimes such as vandalism and theft?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Perceived problems > Illegal drugs: Problem people using or dealing drugs. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How much of a problem are...) people using or dealing drugs?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Perceived problems > Problem corruption and bribery: Problem corruption and bribery. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How much of a problem are...) corruption and bribery?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Fear of crime > Worries about being insulted: Worries being insulted. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......being insulted or pestered by anybody, while in the street or any other public place?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Fear of crime > Worries about being mugged or robbed: Worries being mugged or robbed. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......being mugged and robbed?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Illicit drugs: Crime statistics are often better indicators of prevalence of law enforcement and willingness to report crime, than actual prevalence.
Gun ownership > Guns per 100 residents > 2007: Number of guns owned per 100 residents in various countries. Following data relates to the year 2007.
Prisoners per 1000: Total persons incarcerated. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Fear of crime > Worries about home break and enter: Worries home broken and things stolen. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "How worried are you about....having your home broken into and something stolen?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Drugs > HIV testing amongst drug users: Estimated percentage of injecting drug users who have been tested for HIV.
Prisoners > Female: Female prisoners, expressed as a percentage share of the total prison population. Data for 2003.
Executions: Number of known executions in the country (Data is for 2007). Because these figures include only documented cases; the true figures are likely to be higher in many countries.
Fear of crime > Worries about things from car being stolen: Worries things from car stolen. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......having things stolen from your car?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Fear of crime > Worries about car being stolen: Worries car stolen. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......having your car stolen?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
Prisoners > Share of prison capacity filled: The percentage of the offical prison capacity filled. This is obtained by comparing the number of prisoners in a nation to the offical capacity of the nation's prison system. Data for 2003.
Executions per million: Number of known executions in the country (Data is for 2007). Because these figures include only documented cases; the true figures are likely to be higher in many countries. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Prisoners > Pre-trial detainees: The percentage of the prison population that is being held pre-trial / on remand. Data for 2003.
SHARE TWEET EMBED
Select year 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2014
Age of criminal responsibility 9
Ranked 46th. 50% more than United States 6
Ranked 58th.
Believes crime increasing in the past 3 years 74.67
Ranked 21st. 14% more than United States 65.22
Crime levels 54.87
Ranked 33th. 55.84
Ranked 30th. 2% more than Iran
Drugs > Annual cannabis use 4.2%
Ranked 1st. 13.7%
Ranked 1st. 3 times more than Iran
Drugs > Opiates use 2.26%
Ranked 1st. 4 times more than United States 0.57%
Ranked 3rd.
Fear of crime > Feels safe walking alone > At night 40.46
Ranked 62nd. 41.84
Fear of crime > Violent hate crime 18.15
Ranked 31st. 79% more than Iran
Justice system > Punishment > Capital punishment (last execution year) 2,014
Ranked 2nd. The same as United States 2,014
Ranked 1st.
Murder rate 2.6 5
Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents 7.3
Ranked 76th. 88.8
Ranked 1st. 12 times more than Iran
Violent crime > Intentional homicide rate 3
Ranked 51st. 4.7
Ranked 7th. 57% more than Iran
Violent crime > Murder rate 2,215
Ranked 21st. 12,996
Ranked 9th. 6 times more than Iran
Violent crime > Murder rate per million people 30.12
Ranked 61st. 42.01
Ranked 43th. 39% more than Iran
Violent crime > Murders 2,215
Violent crime > Murders per million people 30.12
Age of criminal responsibility (notes) Age 9 for girls, 15 for boys url= http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=3882 |title= Saving a generation of young people |first=Don |last=Brash |authorlink= Don Brash |publisher= New Zealand National Party |date = 21 March 2005 |accessdate= 31 October 2012}}</ref>; however, only 15 states have set minimum ages, which range from 6 to 12 years. States without statutory minimum ages rely on common law, which means that 7 is the minimum age in most states; for federal crimes the age has been set at 11.
Prisoners 163,526 prisoners
Ranked 10th. 2.02 million prisoners
Auto theft 134.9
Ranked 8th. 390.2
Perceived problems > Problem violent crimes including assault and armed robbery 38.33
Fear of crime > Feels safe walking alone > During the day 74.67
Prisoners > Per capita 226 per 100,000 people
Ranked 33th. 715 per 100,000 people
Fear of crime > Worries about being attacked 49.32
Ranked 28th. 17% more than United States 42.08
Perceived problems > Property crimes including vandalism and theft 50.67
Perceived problems > Illegal drugs 58.33
Perceived problems > Problem corruption and bribery 71.72
Fear of crime > Worries about being insulted 43.42
Fear of crime > Worries about being mugged or robbed 51.67
Illicit drugs despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center
Gun ownership > Guns per 100 residents > 2007 7.3
Prisoners per 1000 2.41 prisoners
Ranked 30th. 7.02 prisoners
Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Iran
Fear of crime > Worries about home break and enter 46
Drugs > HIV testing amongst drug users 24.78%
Ranked 41st. 46.8%
Prisoners > Female 3.5%
Ranked 82nd. 8.5%
Executions 317 executions
Ranked 2nd. 8 times more than United States 42 executions
Ranked 7th.
Fear of crime > Worries about things from car being stolen 69.86
Fear of crime > Worries about car being stolen 57.67
Prisoners > Share of prison capacity filled 243.1%
Ranked 7th. 0.0
Ranked 126th.
Executions per million 4.41 executions
Ranked 5th. 32 times more than United States 0.139 executions
Prisoners > Pre-trial detainees 24.8%
Ranked 89th. 24% more than United States 20%
SOURCES: Wikipedia: Defense of infancy (Ages of criminal responsibility by country); crime; https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2011/World_Drug_Report_2011_ebook.pdf, World Drug Report 2011, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2011, p. 217.; Wikipedia: List of countries by prevalence of opiates use ("World Drug Report 2011" . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2011. "World Drug Report 2006" . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2006. http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2009/WDR2009_eng_web.pdf); Wikipedia: Capital punishment in Europe (Abolition); Annexe I of the Small Arms Survey 2007 ; Wikipedia: List of countries by intentional homicide rate by decade; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Source tables; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Defense of infancy (Ages of criminal responsibility by country); The Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention); European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control International Statistics on Crime and Justice, 2011; International Centre for Prison Studies - World Prison Brief; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; Geneva Graduate Institute of International Studies: Small Arms Survey 2007 Part 2; The Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Source tables; Amnesty International; Amnesty International. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.
United States Philippines Canada India United Kingdom Abkhazia Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Arctic Ocean Argentina Armenia Aruba Ascension Island Ashmore and Cartier Islands Atlantic Ocean Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Baker Island Bangladesh Barbados Bassas da India Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Channel Islands Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czechoslovakia Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Germany East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europa Island European Union Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands Gabon Gambia Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Glorioso Islands Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City) Honduras Hong Kong Howland Island Hungary Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jarvis Island Jersey Johnston Atoll Jordan Juan de Nova Island Kazakhstan Kenya Kingman Reef Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Midway Islands Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Nagorno-Karabakh Namibia Nauru Navassa Island Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Ireland Northern Mariana Islands North Korea Norway Oman Other Pacific Ocean Pakistan Palau Palestine Palmyra Atoll Panama Papua New Guinea Paracel Islands Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Macedonia Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Sahrawi Saint Barthelemy Saint Helena Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Southern Ocean South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Ossetia South Sudan Soviet Union Spain Spratly Islands Sri Lanka St Helena St. Martin (French part) Sudan Suriname Svalbard Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas The Gambia Togo Tokelau Tonga Transnistria Trinidad and Tobago Tromelin Island Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuala Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wales Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara West Germany Yemen Yindiya Yugoslavia Zambia Zanzibia Zimbabwe Catholic countries Christian countries Cold countries Densely populated countries East Asia and Pacific Eastern Europe Emerging markets English speaking countries Europe European Union Eurozone failed states Former British colonies Former French colonies Former Soviet republics Former Spanish colonies Former Yugoslavian countries Group of 7 countries (G7) Heavily indebted countries High income OECD countries Hot countries Island countries Landlocked countries Latin America and Caribbean Least Developed Countries Middle Eastern and North Africa Military base Muslim countries NATO countries Non-religious countries OPEC countries Potential Future EU Members Religious countries South and Central Asia South Asia Southern Europe Sparsely populated countries Sub-Saharan Africa Tourist destinations UK and its territories Uninhabited areas Western Europe World
Philippines Canada India United Kingdom Abkhazia Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Arctic Ocean Argentina Armenia Aruba Ascension Island Ashmore and Cartier Islands Atlantic Ocean Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Baker Island Bangladesh Barbados Bassas da India Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Channel Islands Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czechoslovakia Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Germany East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europa Island European Union Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands Gabon Gambia Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Glorioso Islands Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City) Honduras Hong Kong Howland Island Hungary Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jarvis Island Jersey Johnston Atoll Jordan Juan de Nova Island Kazakhstan Kenya Kingman Reef Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Midway Islands Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Nagorno-Karabakh Namibia Nauru Navassa Island Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Ireland Northern Mariana Islands North Korea Norway Oman Other Pacific Ocean Pakistan Palau Palestine Palmyra Atoll Panama Papua New Guinea Paracel Islands Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Macedonia Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Sahrawi Saint Barthelemy Saint Helena Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Southern Ocean South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Ossetia South Sudan Soviet Union Spain Spratly Islands Sri Lanka St Helena St. Martin (French part) Sudan Suriname Svalbard Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas The Gambia Togo Tokelau Tonga Transnistria Trinidad and Tobago Tromelin Island Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuala Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wales Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara West Germany Yemen Yindiya Yugoslavia Zambia Zanzibia Zimbabwe Catholic countries Christian countries Cold countries Densely populated countries East Asia and Pacific Eastern Europe Emerging markets English speaking countries Europe European Union Eurozone failed states Former British colonies Former French colonies Former Soviet republics Former Spanish colonies Former Yugoslavian countries Group of 7 countries (G7) Heavily indebted countries High income OECD countries Hot countries Island countries Landlocked countries Latin America and Caribbean Least Developed Countries Middle Eastern and North Africa Military base Muslim countries NATO countries Non-religious countries OPEC countries Potential Future EU Members Religious countries South and Central Asia South Asia Southern Europe Sparsely populated countries Sub-Saharan Africa Tourist destinations UK and its territories Uninhabited areas Western Europe World
APA MLA MHRA CSE AMA Chicago Bluebook Bluebook/JOLT Citation
Compare Iran and United States in
Agriculture Energy Lifestyle
Background Environment Media
Conflict Geography Military
Cost of living Government People
Crime Health Religion
Culture Import Sports
Disasters Industry Terrorism
Economy Labor Transport
Education Language
Factoid #75
In 2012, the US executed more people than all other countries combined.
Agriculture Background Conflict Cost of living Crime Culture Disasters Economy Education Energy Environment Geography Government Health Industry Labor Language Lifestyle Media Military People Religion Sports Terrorism Transport Travel Weather
All Rights Reserved. Usage implies agreement with terms.
Embed content
Add NationMaster content to your website. Copy code below and paste it into your website.
Please add www.nationmaster.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software.


text:
By Julia Child and Paul Prud'homme
On November 3, 1948, Julia and Paul Child arrived in Le Havre, France, aboard the SS America. Julia — who thought of herself as "a six-foot-two-inch, thirty-six year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian" — had never been to Europe, didn't speak much French, and was not a very good cook. As she peered through the fog at the twinkling lights of the harbor, she had no idea what she was looking at. "France was a misty abstraction for me, a land I had long imagined but had no real sense of."
Paul was ten years older than Julia, a diplomat, and a gourmand who spoke fluent French. They had met in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the OSS during world War II. Paul loved France, and when he was offered a job there with the US Information Service, Julia says, "I tagged along as his extra baggage."
Driving to Paris in their Buick, they stopped to lunch in Rouen, at La Couronne, a restaurant built in 1345. They ordered portugaises oysters, Sole Meuniere, a green salad, and Pouilly Fume; for dessert, fromage blanc and café filtre. Julia, who had never had such food, was transported. "It was," she recalled, "the most exciting meal of my life."
In Paris, the Childs settled into a quirky apartment at 81 Rue de l'Universite ("Roo de Loo"), and immersed themselves in the cafes, restaurants, and marketplaces of the city. While Paul worked at the US embassy, Julia began to shop and cook and learn the language. Eventually, she graduated from the famous le Cordon Bleu cooking school, taught her own cookery classes with two "food-mad" French friends, Simone (Simca) Beck and Louisette Bertholle, and turned their recipes into Mastering the Art of French Cooking — the cookbook that would revolutionize America's ideas about food.
The first two-thirds of My Life in France are about Paul and Julia's six years in Paris and Marseille. Here Julia recalls her triumphs and failures behind the stove, how Chef Max Bugnard taught her la cuisine bourgeoise, and the nine years it took to write and rewrite Mastering before Knopf finally published it in 1961. These were what Julia called "the best years of my life," the crucial moment when she defined herself, and experienced "an awakening of the senses." The last third of the book is about the Childs's later adventures in France, their house in Provence, Julia's TV career as "The French Chef," her friendship with James Beard and Roger Verge, the dissolution of her collaboration with Louisette and Simca, and the many fine meals she and Paul enjoyed along the way.
Judith B. Jones, who edited Mastering, and worked with Julia for over forty years, was also the editor of My Life in France. She lived in Paris at roughly the same time that the Childs did (though they didn't know each other there), and so when the twice-rejected manuscript for Mastering the Art of French Cooking landed on her desk, Judith instantly understood it in a way that no one else did. She was a young editor, but her passionate advocacy for Masteringpersuaded the rather skeptical Alfred Knopf to publish it. He didn't like the title, saying, "If anyone buys a book with that title, I'll eat my hat." After forty five years, Mastering is still in print. "I like to think Alfred's eaten a lot of hats!," Judith says.
Foreword by Alex Prud'homme
La Belle France
Three Hearty Eaters
Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise
French Recipes for American Cooks
Mastering the Art
Son of Mastering
The French Chef in France
From Julia Child's Kitchen
Epilogue | Fin
In August 2004, Julia Child and I sat in her small, lush garden in Montecito, California, talking about her life. She was thin and a bit stooped, but more vigorous than she'd been in weeks. We were in the midst of writing this book together. When I asked her what she remembered about Paris in the 1950s, she recalled that she had learned to cook everything from snails to wild boar at the Cordon Bleu; that marketing in France had taught her the value of "les human relations"; she lamented that in her day the American housewife had to juggle cooking the soup and boiling the diapers — adding, "if she mixed the two together, imagine what a lovely combination that would make!"
The idea for My Life in France had been gestating since 1969, when her husband, Paul, sifted through hundreds of letters that he and Julia had written his twin brother, Charles Child (my grandfather), from France in 1948-1954. Paul suggested creating a book from the letters about their favorite, formative years together. But for one reason or another, the book never got written. Paul died in 1994, aged ninety-two. Yet Julia never gave up on the idea, and would often talk about her intention to write "the France book." She saw it, in part, as a tribute to her husband, the man who had swept her off to Paris in the first place. I was a professional writer, and had long wanted to work on a collaborative project with Julia. But she was self-reliant, and for years had politely resisted the idea. In December 2003, she once again mentioned "the France book," in a wistful tone, and I again offered to assist her. She was ninety-one, and her health had been waxing and waning. This time she said, "All right, dearie, maybe we should work on it together."
My job was simply to help Julia tell her story, but it wasn't always easy. Though she was a natural performer, she was essentially a private person who didn't like to reveal herself. We started slowly, began to work in sync, and eventually built a wonderfully productive routine. For a few days every month, I'd sit in her living room asking questions, reading from family letters, and listening to her stories. At first I taped our conversations, but when she began to poke my tape recorder with her long fingers, I realized it was distracting her, and took notes instead. The longer we talked about "little old France," the more she remembered, often with vivid intensity — "Ooh, those lovely roasted, buttery French chickens, they were so good and chickeny!"
Many of our best conversations took place over a meal, on a car ride, or during a visit to a farmers' market. Something would trigger a memory, and she'd suddenly tell me about how she learned to make baguettes in Paris, or bouillabaisse in Marseille, or how to survive a French dinner party — "Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you'll have a marvelous time!"
Almost all of the words in these pages are Julia's or Paul's. But this is not a scholarly work, and at times I have blended their voices. Julia encouraged this approach, pointing out that she and Paul often signed their letters "PJ" or "Pulia," as if they were two halves of one person. I wrote some of the exposition and transitions, and in so doing tried to emulate Julia's idiosyncratic word choices — "Plop!," "Yuck!," "Woe!," "Hooray!" Once I had gathered enough material, I would write up a vignette; she would avidly read it, correct my French, and add things as they occurred to her in small, rightward-slanting handwriting. She loved this process, and was an exacting editor. "This book energizes me!" she declared.
Julia and I shared a sense of humor, and appetite, and she thought I looked like Paul, which probably helped our collaboration. As for me, I was grateful for the chance to reconnect with her and to be part of such an interesting project. Some writers find that the more they learn about their co-authors the less they like them, but I had the opposite experience: the more I learned about Julia Child, the more I came to respect her. What impressed me most was how hard she worked, how devoted she was to the "rules" of la cuisine française while keeping herself open to creative exploration, and how determined she was to persevere in the face of setbacks. Julia never lost her sense of wonder and inquisitiveness. She was, and is, a great inspiration.
Another great inspiration has been our editor, Judith Jones, who worked with Julia for more than forty years. With patience and a deep understanding of our subject, she was indispensable in helping to shape this book. Judith's assistant, Ken Schneider, was also a great help.
On August 13, 2004 — just after our conversation in her garden, and only two days before her ninety-second birthday — Julia died of kidney failure in her sleep. Over the next year, I finished My Life in France, but every day wished I could call her up and ask her to clarify a story, or to share a bit of news, or just to talk. I miss her. But through her words in these pages, Julia's voice remains as lively, wise, and encouraging as ever. As she would say, "We had such fun!"
Alex Prud'homme August 2005
This is a book about some of the things I have loved most in life: my husband, Paul Child; la belle France; and the many pleasures of cooking and eating. It is also something new for me. Rather than a collection of recipes, I've put together a series of linked autobiographical stories, mostly focused on the years 1948 through 1954, when we lived in Paris and Marseille, and also a few of our later adventures in Provence. Those early years in France were among the best of my life. They marked a crucial period of transformation in which I found my true calling, experienced an awakening of the senses, and had such fun that I hardly stopped moving long enough to catch my breath.
Before I moved to France, my life had not prepared me for what I would discover there. I was raised in a comfortable, WASPy, uppermiddle- class family in sunny and non-intellectual Pasadena, California. My father, John McWilliams, was a conservative businessman who managed family real-estate holdings; my mother, Carolyn, whom we called Caro, was a very warm and social person. But, like most of her peers, she didn't spend much time in the kitchen. She occasionally sallied forth to whip up baking-powder biscuits, or a cheese dish, or finnan haddie, but she was not a cook. Nor was I.
As a girl I had zero interest in the stove. I've always had a healthy appetite, especially for the wonderful meat and the fresh produce of California, but I was never encouraged to cook and just didn't see the point in it. Our family had a series of hired cooks, and they'd produce heaping portions of typical American fare — fat roasted chicken with buttery mashed potatoes and creamed spinach; or well-marbled porterhouse steaks; or aged leg of lamb cooked medium gray — not pinky-red rare, as the French do — and always accompanied by brown gravy and green mint sauce. It was delicious but not refined food.
Paul, on the other hand, had been raised in Boston by a rather bohemian mother who had lived in Paris and was an excellent cook. He was a cultured man, ten years older than I was, and by the time we met, during World War II, he had already traveled the world. Paul was a natty dresser and spoke French beautifully, and he adored good food and wine. He knew about dishes like moules marinières and boeuf bourguignon and canard à l'orange — things that seemed hopelessly exotic to my untrained ear and tongue. I was lucky to marry Paul. He was a great inspiration, his enthusiasm about wine and food helped to shape my tastes, and his encouragement saw me through discouraging moments. I would never have had my career without Paul Child.
We'd first met in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during the Second World War and were married in September 1946. In preparation for living with a new husband on a limited government income, I decided I'd better learn how to cook. Before our wedding, I took a bride-to-be's cooking course from two Englishwomen in Los Angeles, who taught me to make things like pancakes. But the first meal I ever cooked for Paul was a bit more ambitious: brains simmered in red wine! I'm not quite sure why I picked that particular dish, other than that it sounded exotic and would be a fun way to impress my new husband. I skimmed over the recipe, and figured it wouldn't be too hard to make. But the results, alas, were messy to look at and not very good to eat. In fact, the dinner was a disaster. Paul laughed it off, and we scrounged up something else that night. But deep down I was annoyed with myself, and I grew more determined than ever to learn how to cook well.
In our first year as young marrieds, we lived in Georgetown, in Washington, D.C., in a small white clapboard house on Olive Avenue. While Paul worked on mounting exhibits for the State Department, I worked as a file clerk. In the evening, I would approach the stove armed with lofty intentions, the Joy of Cooking or Gourmet magazine tucked under my arm, and little kitchen sense. My meals were satisfactory, but they took hours of laborious effort to produce. I'd usually plop something on the table by 10:00 p.m., have a few bites, and collapse into bed. Paul was unfailingly patient. But years later he'd admit to an interviewer: "Her first attempts were not altogether successful. … I was brave because I wanted to marry Julia. I trust I did not betray my point of view." (He did not.)
In the winter of 1948, Paul was offered a job running the Visual Presentation Department for the United States Information Service (USIS) in Paris, and I tagged along. I had never been to Europe, but once we had settled in Paris, it was clear that, out of sheer luck, I had landed in a magical city — one that is still my favorite place on earth. Starting slowly, and then with a growing enthusiasm, I devoted myself to learning the language and the customs of my new home.
In Paris and later in Marseille, I was surrounded by some of the best food in the world, and I had an enthusiastic audience in my husband, so it seemed only logical that I should learn how to cook la cuisine bourgeoise — good, traditional French home cooking. It was a revelation. I simply fell in love with that glorious food and those marvelous chefs. The longer we stayed there, the deeper my commitment became. In collaborating on this book, Alex Prud'homme and I have been fortunate indeed to have spent hours together telling stories, reminiscing, and thinking out loud. Memory is selective, and we have not attempted to be encyclopedic here, but have focused on some of the large and small moments that stuck with me for over fifty years.
Alex was born in 1961, the year that our first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which I wrote with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, was published. How appropriate, then, that he and I should work together on this volume, which recounts the making of that book.
Our research has been aided immeasurably by a thick trove of family letters and datebooks kept from those days, along with Paul's photographs, sketches, poems, and Valentine's Day cards. Paul and his twin brother, Charlie Child, a painter who lived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, wrote to each other every week or so. Paul took letter writing seriously: he'd set aside time for it, tried to document our day-to-day lives in a journalistic way, and usually wrote three to six pages a week in a beautiful flowing hand with a special fountain pen; often he included little sketches of places we'd visited, or photos (some of which we have used in these pages), or made mini-collages out of ticket stubs or newsprint. My letters were usually one or two pages, typed, and full of spelling mistakes, bad grammar, and exclamation points; I tended to focus on what I was cooking at the time, or the human dramas boiling around us. Written on thin pale-blue or white airmail paper, those hundreds of letters have survived the years in very good shape.
When I reread them now, the events those letters describe come rushing back to me with great immediacy: Paul noticing the brilliant sparkle of autumn light on the dark Seine, his daily battles with Washington bureaucrats, the smell of Montmartre at dusk, or the night we spied wild-haired Colette eating at that wonderful Old World restaurant Le Grand Véfour. In my letters, I enthuse over my first taste of a toothsome French duck roasted before an open fire, or the gossip I'd heard from the vegetable lady in the Rue de Bourgogne marketplace, or the latest mischief of our cat, Minette, or the failures and triumphs of our years of cookbook work. It is remarkable that our family had the foresight to save those letters — it's almost as if they knew Alex and I were going to sit down and write this book together one day.
We tip our hats in gratitude to the many people and institutions who have helped us with My Life in France, especially to my dear friend and lifelong editor at Knopf, Judith Jones, she of the gimlet eye and soft editorial touch. And to my beloved French "sisters," Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom I collaborated; to my sister, Dorothy, my enthusiastic niece, Phila Cousins, and her brother, Sam; to my invaluable assistant, Stephanie Hersh, and my attorney Bill Truslow. We also sing the praises of the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute, which has graciously housed the bulk of my papers and Paul's photographs; the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, which has been kind enough to display artifacts from my career, including my entire kitchen from our house in Cambridge, Massachusetts; to WGBH, Boston's public television station; to my alma mater, Smith College; also to the many family members and friends who have aided us with memories, photos, good company, and fine meals as we pieced together this volume.
What fun and good fortune I had living in France with Paul, and again in writing about our experiences with Alex. I hope that this book is as much fun for you to read as it was for us to put together — bon appétit!
Chapter 6: Mastering the Art
In late 1959, when Bill Koshland showed our manuscript to the editors at Knopf, it was Judith Jones who immediately understood what we were up to. She and Evan tried out a few of our recipes at home, subjecting our work to the operational proof. They made a boeuf bourguignon for a dinner party. They used our top-secret methods for making sauces. They learned to make and flip an omelette the way Bugnard had taught me (they practiced the omelette flip using dried beans in a frying pan, as we had suggested, on their little deck; the following spring, they discovered beanstalks sprouting from their roof). They avidly read our suggestions on cookware and wine.
"French Recipes for American Cooks is a terrible title," Judith said to her husband. "But the book itself is revolutionary. It could become a classic."
Back at the office, Judith declared to her somewhat skeptical superiors: "We've got to publish this book!"
Angus Cameron, a Knopf colleague who had helped to launch the Joy of Cooking at Bobbs-Merrill years earlier, agreed, and together they hatched up all kinds of promotional schemes.
In mid-May 1960, I received a letter from Mrs. Jones in Oslo. Once again I found myself holding an envelope from a publisher that I hardly dared to open. After all these years of soaring hopes and dashed expectations, I was prepared for the worst but was hoping, really hoping, for the best. I breathed deeply, pulled out Mrs. Jones's letter, and read:
We have spent months over [your] superb French cookbook . . . studying it, cooking from it, estimating, and so on, and we have come to the conclusion that it is a unique book that we would be very proud to have on the Knopf list. . . . I have been authorized to make you an offer. . . . We are very concerned about the matter of a title because we feel it is of utmost importance that the title say exactly what this book is which distinguishes it from all the other French cookbooks on the market. We consider it the best and only working French cookbook to date which will do for French cooking here in America what Rombauer's THE JOY OF COOKING once did for standard cooking, and we will sell it that way. . . . It is certainly a beautifully organized, clearly written, wonderfully instructive manuscript. You have already revolutionized my own efforts in the cuisine and everyone I have let sample a recipe or talked to about the book is already pledged not to buy another cookbook.
I blinked and reread the letter. The words on the page were more generous and encouraging than I ever dared dream of. I was a bit stunned.
When Avis called us transatlantic, she gave a big "Whoop!" and assured us that Knopf would do a nifty printing job and would know how to really publish the book the right way.
It turned out that Mrs. Jones had never edited a cookbook before. Yet she seemed to know exactly what she liked in our manuscript and where she found us wanting. She enjoyed our informal but informative writing style, and our deep research on esoterica, like how to avoid mistakes in a hollandaise sauce; she congratulated us on some of our innovations, such as our notes on how much of a recipe one could prepare ahead of time, and our listing of ingredients down a column on the left of the page, with the text calling for their use on the right.
But she felt that we had badly underestimated the American appetite. "With boeuf bourguignon," she noted, "two and a half pounds of meat is not enough for 6–8 people. I made the recipe the other night and it was superb, so much so that five hungry people cleaned the platter." Of course, our servings had assumed that one was making at least a three-course meal à la française. But that wasn't the American style of eating, so we had to compromise.
The title of our book caused the biggest headaches. Judith felt that French Recipes for American Cooks was "not nearly provocative nor explicit enough." I agreed completely, which set in motion a hunt for a nifty new name. As bounty, I offered friends and family a great big foie gras en bloc truffé, straight from France. Who could resist such mouth-watering temptation? All someone had to do to claim the prize, I wrote, was to "invent a short, irresistible, informative, unforgettable, catchy book title implying that ours is the book on French cooking for Americans, the only book, the book to supersede all books, the basic French cookbook."
My own suggestion was La Bonne Cuisine Française.
Judith felt this wouldn't do, as a French title would be "too forbidding" for the American reader.
Some of the other early contenders included French Cooking from the American Supermarket, The Noble Art of French Cooking, Do It Yourself French Cooking, French Magicians in the Kitchen, Method in Cuisine Madness, The Witchcraft of French Cooking, and The Passionate French Cook.
As the apple trees blossomed in Oslo, and Paul and I started to grill outdoors, we debated the merits of poetic titles versus descriptive titles. Who could have predicted that the Joy of Cooking would become just the right title for that particular book? What combination of words and associations would work for our tome? We made lists and lists— The French Chef 's Companion; The Modern American's Guide to French Cooking; How, Why, What to Cook in the French Way; Food-France-Fun—but none seemed to be le mot juste.
In New York, meanwhile, Judith was playing with a set of words like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, trying to get them to fit together. She wanted to convey our idea that cooking was an art, and fun, not drudgery; also that learning how to cook was an ongoing process. The right title would imply scope, fundamentality, cooking, and France. Judith focused on two themes: "French cooking" and "master." She began with The Master French Cookbook, then tried variations, like The French Cooking Master. For a long time, the leading contender was The Mastery of French Cooking. (Judith's tongue-incheek subtitle was: An Incomparable Book on the Fundamental Techniques and Traditional Dishes of the French Cuisine Translated into Terms of Use in American Kitchens with American Foods and American Utensils by American Cooks.) Reactions were generally enthusiastic to the title, but the Knopf sales manager worried that mastery is an accomplished thing, and that the title did not tell you how to go about mastering it. Well, then, how about How to Master French Cooking? Judith suggested.
Finally, on November 18, 1960, she wrote me to say that she'd settled on exactly the right title: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
I loved the active verb "mastering," immodest as it was, and instantly replied: "You've got it."
At the eleventh hour, Simca declared that she did not care for the title.
"It's too late to change it," I said, adding that only an American ear could catch the subtle nuances of American English. Plus, I said, Knopf knew a lot more about books than we did, and they were the ones who had to sell it. So, in effect, tant pis!
Unbeknownst to us, Alfred Knopf, the imperious head of the publishing house, who fancied himself a gourmand, was skeptical that a big woman from Smith College and her friends could write a meaningful work on la cuisine française. But he was willing to give it a chance. Then, when Judith announced that we'd decided to call the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Alfred shook his head and scoffed: "I'll eat my hat if anyone buys a book with that title!"
But then he acquiesced. "All right, let's let Mrs. Jones have a chance."
To support independent stores in your community visit IndieBound. The book is also on sale at Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
"A delight."
"What a joy!"
"Endlessly engaging."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Inspiring."
"Delightful and ebulliently written. . . . Her joy just about jumps off the books pages."
"Lively, infectious. . . . Her elegant but unfussy prose pulls the reader into her stories."
"Captivating. . . . Her marvelously distinctive voice is present on every page."
What was your original connection to Julia Child? Expand
We were related by marriage: Julia's husband, Paul, was the twin brother of my grandfather, Charles Child. So she was my great aunt. I grew up knowing her on TV and in person. The two Julias were one and the same. In other words, the personality you saw on TV was the same personality I saw at home — funny, smart, and happiest when cooking something delicious for an appreciative audience.
Paul was shorter and quieter than Julia. He'd been a diplomat, was an accomplished artist, and was an essential part of Julia's success. In fact, our book is dedicated to him. He was ten years older than she was, knew all about wine, and entertained us with unusual tricks — how to tie a bowline knot with one hand (he'd been a sailor), how to trip someone (he was a black belt), how to hold a wineglass when making a toast (by the stem). He and I shared a love of bacon and bananas, and Julia thought we looked alike — which is probably one reason she liked me.
How well did you know Julia and Paul Child growing up? Expand
Quite well. Although they lived in Cambridge Mass, and we lived in New York, they were frequently in Manhattan as Julia's career flourished. We'd often have Thanksgiving together, and we'd see each other in Maine during the summer, where Paul helped my grandfather build a log cabin.
They never had children of their own, but were close to Charlie's children (my mother, aunt, and uncle). They weren't quite another set of grandparents to us — Julia was a celebrity, and they were always flying off to exotic places like France or California — but they were very down-to-earth people, and always curious about what WE were up to.
Julia and Paul were generous, and would pass on gifts of food and cookbooks they'd been given from well-meaning friends. But their biggest gift was to live their lives in an exemplary way: they taught us the importance of passion, doggedness, creativity, and humor.
What are some of your favorite memories of Julia and Paul? Expand
Mostly about eating, of course. Julia's kitchen in Cambridge was her laboratory, and the center of the house. We'd sit around the big table there talking – about movies, politics, food – while she tinkered with some new recipe on her old Garland stove. There were all sorts of giant knives and copper pots and exotic culinary contraptions in her kitchen — like the giant mortar and pestle she bought in Paris. (Her entire kitchen is on display at the Smithsonian.) This seemed natural to me, and it was only much later that I realized how lucky I was to spend time with her.
In Maine, Julia would join us in picking strawberries, fishing for mackerel and digging for clams. She'd make chowder, bouillabaisse, lobsters, bread, and — our favorite — lace cookies, jams and berry pies.
In New York, Julia would sometimes take us along to a fundraiser she was doing, and then we'd go out to a restaurant, where they'd seat us in the middle of the room and feed us way too much food. Afterwards, Julia made a point of going into the kitchen to thank everyone from the dishwasher to the head chef. Entering a restaurant with her was an experience — I've seen near-riots break out when Julia walked into a room. Once, a woman nearly broke her ankle in front of a Howard Johnson's when she saw Julia and tripped off a curb. Another time, a woman at a fancy restaurant set her napkin on fire when she knocked a candle over in a rush to get Julia's autograph. Julia handled the crush of attention very well; Paul didn't like it much, but put up with it for her sake.
In France, we visited Paul and Julia in Provence a number of times. Shopping at the great outdoor market in Cannes, Julia spoke to every vegetable and meat purveyor, and, naturally, they loved her. In 1976, when I was 14, she took us to La Colombe d'Or, a restaurant in St. Paul de Vence, where I had my first really extraordinary, three-plus hour French lunch. On that visit I also learned how to drive a stick-shift car in their field (I ground the gears and put a dent in the bumper, but it was fun!). Then Paul set up a TV on the veranda, and we watched the Montreal Olympics while Julia grilled the most delicious chicken I've ever eaten.
Of course, one of my best memories of all is spending time with Julia at the end of her life: we were writing this book together, and getting to know each other — and our family stories — all over again. I feel very lucky.
When did you first learn that Julia was writing a book about her life? Expand
The years she lived in France, Julia said, were "among the best of my life." It was there that she figured out who she was and what she wanted to do with herself. And for almost as long as I can remember, she talked about writing a book about that time — "the France book."
In 1969, Paul suggested printing the letters that he and Julia had written to my grandparents from France. But the publishers weren't interested. Julia liked the idea, though, and kept mental notes about it. She kept files of things she had written about her experiences there — her first meal in Rouen; how to shop for partridge in Paris, or fish in Marseilles; the trials and tribulations of getting Mastering the Art of French Cooking written and published. But for some reason, "the France book" never got written.
How did you first become involved in the writing of MY LIFE IN FRANCE? Expand
I was a professional writer, and had long wanted to do something collaborative with Julia. But she was self reliant, and for years had politely resisted my offer.
By December 2003, Julia had retired to Santa Barbara, CA, and when I made my annual visit, she once again mentioned "the France book" in a wistful tone. She was 91, and growing frail, and I once again offered to assist her. This time she surprised me by saying, "All right, dearie, maybe we should work on it together." I wasn't especially prepared, but we sat down and did our first interview the next day. Our collaboration grew from there.
Talk about the process of writing this book with Julia. Expand
For a few days every month, I would sit in Julia's modest living room, asking questions, reading from a stack of family letters, looking at Paul's evocative photographs, and listening to her stories. Occasionally we'd watch a tape of one of her old TV shows, and she'd tell me about it.
It wasn't always easy, though. Julia could only work for a couple of hours at a time. She didn't like to talk about her innermost thoughts. My tape recorder distracted her, so I took notes instead. But after some fits and starts, we finally got into a good working rhythm. Many of our best conversations took place over a meal, on a car ride, or while I rolled her wheelchair through the farmer's market. Something would trigger her memory, and she'd suddenly tell me how she learned to make baguettes in a home oven, or how one had to speak very loudly in order to be heard at a French dinner party.
When I had enough material, I would write up a vignette. Julia would read it, correct it, and add new thoughts. She loved this process, and was an exacting editor. "This book energizes me!," she'd say.
We worked like this from mid-January to mid-August, 2004, when she passed away in her sleep from kidney failure. She died on August 13th, two days before her 92d birthday. I spent the next year finishing My Life in France, and wishing I could call on her to fill in the gaps.
The final product is a true collaboration, featuring the voices of Julia, Paul, and a bit of me. It is not a scholarly treatise, and in some places I have blended Paul and Julia's words. Not only was this practical, but Julia encouraged it, noting that they often signed their letters "PJ," or "Pulia," as if they were two halves of one person. I wrote some exposition and transitions, and used her funny words — "Yuck!," "Plop!," "Hooray!"
What was it like to work on this with Julia's long-time editor and friend Judith Jones? Expand
Judith is a legend in her own right, and working with her was one of the best experiences I've ever had as a writer. What is amazing is that she lived in Paris at roughly the same time that Julia did (though they didn't know each other there), and so when the twice-rejected manuscript for Mastering the Art of French Cooking landed on her desk, Judith instantly understood it in a way that no one else did. She was a young editor, but her passionate advocacy for Mastering persuaded the rather skeptical Alfred Knopf to publish it. He didn't like the title, which Judith had written, and said, "If anyone buys a book with that title, I'll eat my hat." She says: "I like to think he's eaten a lot of hats!"
Judith has a deft and sensitive editorial touch — something any writer can appreciate. Added to that, she worked with Julia for forty years, and her deep understanding of our subject helped this book immeasurably.
What are you currently working on? Expand
My new book is about the perilous state of the world's fresh water, the people and forces that are defining how we use it, and why water will be the central issue facing the planet this century.
I came to this subject in part through Julia: not only is France the place where bottled water and private water companies got their start, but her niece is married to a globe-trotting hydro-geologist who is full of amazing water stories. It should be a lot of fun. I think Julia would approve.