MAPEI's Ultrabond ECO 885, which will be unveiled at Surfaces 2011, has been specifically designed to provide both permanent and releasable bonds for non-PVC, polyolefin and most “eco-type” backed carpet and carpet tile.

Everybody wants a good knife.
Here’s where to find the best in the land. by Andrea Damewood

For your favorite home chef or local line cook, a new knife is a thing of glory—and it’s even better when someone else pays for it. 

We’re here to assure you that—for the right person—the idea of giving someone 12 inches of highly sharpened carbon steel in a wrapped box isn’t a threat. It’s one of the best Christmas presents ever.

“I think a knife is a great gift,” Eytan Zias, who owns Portland Knife House on Southeast Belmont and is a co-founder of Portland’s Steelport Knife Company, which handcrafts its work in Northeast. “There are not many things you can gift to somebody that we all use every day. I don’t know anybody that goes a day without a kitchen knife. Even if someone is a knife collector, they always want another knife.”

But choosing the right knife for the right chef is a bit of an alchemy, which Zias says people often liken to how Harry Potter picks his wand. “I consider it a compliment,” he says, laughing. “We’ll filter 700 knives down to seven, and those are the ones you’ll put your hands on.”

With so many options out there, we asked the experts for their advice, honed over many years in the industry, on how to pick the best knife for yourself or a lucky recipient.

“Most people have Henckels, or worse, Ikea or Pampered Chef knives,” Zias says. “They’ve spent a lot of money, but they’re not actually good knives.” 

He believes you can find an inexpensive knife that outperforms those big names.

The key? Focus on function over flash, at least to start. Here’s what Zias says he asks shoppers to consider:

What kind of blade: Prioritize carbon steel for performance. It sharpens easily and holds an edge longer. If low-maintenance is a must, stainless steel is a good fallback. Zias says if the first question someone asks him is if they can put their knife in the dishwasher (the answer is NO), he quietly guides them to stainless steel.

Are you a righty or lefty?: Fun fact: there are knives that famous southpaw Ned Flanders could sell in his lefty shop. So try and peep which hand your beloved uses to chop. But if you don’t know, there are ambidextrous knives, Zias says.

Balance: The two dominant styles are Japanese and Western style. These days, Japanese knives are more popular, Zias says, but it really comes down to preference. “Two people will pick up the same knife and have completely different reactions,” Zias notes. The right balance reduces fatigue and feels like an extension of your hand.

Construction: Look for forged blades and full tang construction (the steel extends through the handle). These features increase durability and longevity.

For some people, there is no such thing as too many knives. But in case you’re not trying to go for the whole “guy who fills his house with lizards and blades” vibe, there are three basics to start any aspiring home cook off with, Zias says. 

First is an 8-inch chef knife, which he describes as the workhorse for 99 percent of tasks, from mincing herbs to slicing vegetables. Next is a paring knife, for intricate work like coring and peeling.

Finally, there’s a bread knife, which Zias says should only be used on bread, never tomatoes. Zias says the one Steelport makes is his personal fave. Ron Khormaei, the CEO and founder of Steelport Knife Co, unsurprisingly, says the same.

“Everybody else makes a serrated knife that’s terrible,” Khormaei says. “Our bread knife is the best bread knife in the world. You can’t describe it, you have to experience it.”

Khormaei says he even had a chance to put his engineering degree to work as they designed the serrated edge, landing on a 7 mm sine wave to optimize how it cuts through first crust, then a soft interior. (Brisket obsessives like to use bread knives for the same reason.)

This writer fell in love with the Steelport bread knife at the showroom recently. I hunkered down with a friend and sliced as many pieces of baguette as I could before it got weird. Steelport’s knives are expensive—the bread knife is $450—but it’s hand forged in Portland, given a gorgeous handle made from the burl of Oregon bigleaf maple and a tang that goes all the way through the handle. It has a coffee patina made with Coava beans. You can also get it sharpened for free, forever. It is truly the fancy-assest of presents.

“A knife is an amazing gift if it’s given to someone who truly shows caring about food,” Khormaei says. “It’s for people who don’t cook because they’re hungry, but because they show love to friends and family. You’re saying you value their passion and value their interest.”

Sidebar of Knives (MUAHAHAHAH)

There are a lot of damn knives out there. In order to avoid decision paralysis, here are a few options that Eytan Zias, owner of Portland Knife House and cofounder of Steelport Knife Company, recommends for holiday shoppers.

BEST BUDGET KNIFE

Tojiro Basic 8” chef knife

Price: $47

Blade: VG10 stainless steel. Made in Niigata, Japan. 

What makes it great: “I cannot think of a better value in the kitchen knife world. It’s very rare to find a Japanese-made professional quality knife under $50.”

THE KNIFE THE KNIFE
GUY WOULD GIFT

Sakai Takayuki 33 Layer Hammered-
Damascus 7” santoku

Price: $150

Blade: VG10 stainless steel. Made in Seki, Japan. 

What makes it great: “A little flashy looking for some, but it looks unique, performs well, and is user friendly. It’s a favorite for both professional and home cooks alike.”

FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE EVERYTHING

STEELPORT Knife Co 10” serrated bread knife 

Price: $450

Blade: Drop-forged 52100 carbon steel with a bigleaf maple burl handle. Made in Portland.

What makes it great: “It’s rare to find a bread knife with this steel quality and level of detail, and is a favorite among serious bread bakers and BBQ guys. (It also got a shout out from The New York Times food section.) It’s also Portland-made, using all US-sourced materials.”

BEST SPLURGE

Nigara Hamono 9.5” Ginsan Damascus ebony handle chef knife

Price: $525

Blade: Ginsan Damascus. Made in Hirosaki, Japan. 

What makes it great: “It’s my favorite example of a Japanese forged handmade knife that we have in the shop.”

[Politics] :
Four candidates have been shortlisted to succeed Supreme Court Justice Kim Sang-hwan who will retire on December 27. The top court’s committee on recommending candidates held a meeting on Thursday and decided to put forth four candidates out of a total 37 to Chief Justice Jo Hee-de.  The four ...

[more...]

His expression said it all.  KPCC Director of On-Air Fundraising Rob Risko walked into my studio about 10:45 a.m. to update me on where we stood with our Fall member drive.  I knew we had a $10,000 challenge that had started first thing in the morning, but didn't have any idea how far behind we had fallen in reaching the required 1,000 member threshold.

 Rob gave it to me straight -- we had to attract well over 500 members during "AirTalk" to meet the challenge.  I knew that was nearly impossible during a full two-hour show, let alone one that would be significantly pre-empted by the President's news conference.  Regardless, I knew we had to do our best and hope our listeners would contribute in a record-setting way.  Boy, did they.

We didn't start our show until 11:25 a.m., following the news conference.  Right off the bat the phones started ringing and the KPCC website starting humming.  The volume of member contributions stayed high with only a few exceptions.  There were times we could barely keep track of how many members were coming in.  It was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences I've had in all my years hosting "AirTalk."

I've been on a high all afternoon thinking about how commited our listeners are to the mission of KPCC.  You've made me very happy, and very proud of our audience.  Thank you for a wonderful show of support.  I will long remember this day.

By the way, we set a fundraising record for "AirTalk" with today's show.  We're still tallying it all up.  I'll have the totals for you tomorrow morning at 11.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

After 30 years, it was time for a solar refresh.

 At a recent seminar, three contractors invited me to have lunch. Two of them had used my consulting services more than 10 years ago and they were trying to convince the third to call me.  

The Atlanta auto repair shop, Express Oil, reminds customers that they provide fleet services to businesses that own and operate multiple vehicles.

The accident lawyers in Atlanta would like to remind motorcyclists to drive safely this winter. These vehicles are not meant for driving on slick roads, and they are much more difficult to control than cars or trucks when sliding does occur.

While it's a necessity for much of modern life, driving can also be a uniquely dangerous task.

For those of us who can't afford to fly Business Class, design studio JPA has designed a better Premium Economy seat.

The new design takes cues from a wingback chair, providing greater privacy on either side of your head.

A nice, unexpectedly elegant design touch is this reading light integrated into the headrest.

Thigh support is offered when the seats recline.

There's also a footrest you can fold down.

The seatback monitors are gigantic, and the seatback tray has been replaced with a phone/tablet tray, in case you want to supplant the onboard programming with your own.

The trays are now located in the armrests.

The non-tray armrests of each seat feature a storage compartment with a light and a USB-C port.

Between the seats, on the center console are conventional power outlets.

The new seat designs are slated for Cathay-Pacific's 777-300ER wide-body planes.

West Virginia’s Supreme Court upheld a finding of compensability for a worker with a knee injury. Case: P&G Tabler Station v. Hiett, No. 23-703, 10/30/2024, published. Facts: David Hiett worked for P&G Tabler…

Jeremy Speller has been involved with the UCL Web presence since 1995 and is now Head of Web Services. He is currently working on the migration of UCL's central materials to a Zope/Silva-based CMS and is taking forward development of an enterprise portal. Jeremy is also involved with development of services to provide the student experience of the future and has particular interest in the use of handheld and mobile devices. Prior to becoming a full-time Web "operative", Jeremy's background was in planning and statistics at UCL and previously at the University of Birmingham. Way back when he ran the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme at what was then CVCP. Jeremy chaired the second morning session on Tuesday 17 July: Getting Technical.

A reminder of the "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the web-support JISCMail list. [21 Feb 2008]

A reminder of the "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the website-info-mgt JISCMail list. [21 Feb 2008]

Jeremy Speller has been involved with the UCL Web presence since 1995 and is now Head of Web Services. He is currently working on the migration of UCL's central materials to a Zope/Silva-based CMS and is taking forward development of an enterprise portal. Jeremy is also involved with development of services to provide the student experience of the future and has particular interest in the use of handheld and mobile devices. Prior to becoming a full-time Web "operative", Jeremy's background was in planning and statistics at UCL and previously at the University of Birmingham. Way back when he ran the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme at what was then CVCP. Jeremy and his colleague Ian Bartlett gave a plenary talk on "Publish and Be Damned: Re-purposing in the Real World". Jeremy can be contacted at j.speller AT ucl.ac.uk

Jeremy Speller has been involved with the UCL Web presence since 1995. Having headed UCL Web Services for a number of years, Jeremy is now Director of Learning & Media Services which, along with the Web, covers AV, design, learning technology, multimedia and photography. Prior to becoming a full-time Web "operative", Jeremy's background was in planning and statistics at UCL and previously at the University of Birmingham. Way back when he ran the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme at what was then CVCP. Jeremy will be giving a plenary talk entitled "It's all gone horribly wrong: disaster communication in a crisis".

Jeremy Speller has been involved with the UCL Web presence since 1995. Having headed UCL Web Services for a number of years, Jeremy is now Head of Media Services which, along with the Web, covers AV, illustration, multimedia and photography. He is currently working integrating the new department to provide rich media services for UCL customers. Jeremy is at present directing a major project to deliver podcasting production and delivery at the institutional level. Prior to becoming a full-time Web "operative", Jeremy's background was in planning and statistics at UCL and previously at the University of Birmingham. Way back when he ran the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme at what was then CVCP. Jeremy facilitated a workshop on "Top-down Bottom-up Podcasting: Institutional Approaches to Scaleable Service" with Nicholas Watson.

The U.S. Air Force plans to refine its concept for the future Increment 2 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). “Increment 2–we are ‘danger’ close to getting started in earnest […]

The work-from-home trend, a shortage of new housing and other factors are leading people to expand their homes and remodel existing spaces. They’re often turning to single-zone ductless products to heat and cool those new living spaces.

EagleView Technologies, the leader in 3D aerial roof measurements, offers a mobile app optimized for your iPad or Tablet.

• Rate cuts to date are an acknowledgement of growing confidence that inflation is on the path to 2% goal
• Hope productivity growth can outrun the effects of slowing population growth
• Won't let enthusiasm over rising productivity get ahead of data or commitment to reaching Fed goals

There isn't much of a hint on anything here.

The data is here from earlier:

• Australian October unemployment rate 4.1% (vs. 4.1% expected)
• AUD/USD little changed after the October employment report showed a steady jobless rate
  • (ps. AUD/USD has slid a little since this post, broadly stronger USD the culprit)

Westpac with the recap, in brief:

Australian labour market remains in relatively solid health

• employment growth slowing broadly in line with population growth
• average hours holding steady
• few signs that labour demand is capitulating to an extent that warrants concern
• labour market conditions remain somewhat tight ... this is not translating to stronger wage inflation pressures
• On balance, today’s update will see the RBA continue to remain focused on the dynamics around underlying inflation.

***

Speaking of the RBA, we heard from Bullock earlier, not dovish:

• RBA Bullock says rates are restrictive enough, staying there until confident on inflation

***

AUD/USD update:

Holocaust education and remembrance are the main topics of a five-day study visit of Azerbaijani officials to the Netherlands, organized by OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku, in co-operation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, which will take place from 15 to 20 December 2014.

The Azerbaijani delegation consists of eight representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre.

Thedelegation will meet representatives of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands, the Institute for Curriculum Development and HAN University of Applied Science - College of Education for Secondary School Teachers. They will also visit the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Dutch Holocaust Memorial.

The main topics of discussions will include a review of the Dutch government policy regarding primary and secondary education and Holocaust education, as well as experience on improving skills of secondary school teachers in this field. Azerbaijani and Dutch experts will also exchange views on current practices regarding Holocaust remembrance activities.

This visit is part of a wider project agreed between the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku and the Azerbaijani government aimed at strengthening tolerance and non-discrimination in Azerbaijan. As a first component of this project, an international conference on “Strengthening religious tolerance -Azerbaijan’s model, challenges in the OSCE area and beyond” took place in Baku on 17-18 November 2014. The PCiB will organize other events under this project during 2015. 

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VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – OSCE media freedom representative Dunja Mijatović today condemned the murder of journalist Pavel Sheremet in Kyiv, Ukraine.

This morning, Sheremet, a journalist with Radio Vesti and the Ukrainskaya Pravda online media outlet, was killed in a car explosion.

“This killing and its circumstances must be swiftly and thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrators brought to justice,” Mijatović said, noting President Petro Poroshenko’s strong condemnation of the act and immediate action to investigate. “We have lost a prominent and dedicated journalist and my sincere condolences go out to Sheremet’s family, friends and colleagues.”

Sheremet, originally of Belarus and recipient of the 2002 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Prize for Journalism and Democracy (www.osce.org/pa/54293), worked as a journalist in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia during his career.

“This morning’s gruesome incident reminds us all that the safety situation for journalists in Ukraine must be addressed effectively and timely,” Mijatović said.  

The Representative recalled the murder of the prominent Ukrainian journalist Georgyi Gongadze in 2001, the founder of Ukrainskaya Pravda, and reiterated her call on the authorities to fully investigate that crime.                                              

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more atwww.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom. 

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• OSCE Representative condemns incidents directed at journalists and independent voices in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 27 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission together with the Kosovo Police will hold a two-day conference on preventing violent extremism and radicalization, starting tomorrow in Prishtinë/Priština. 

The conference will gather representatives of law enforcement agencies, religious communities, civil society, academia and media, and will explore a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing the threats of violent extremism and radicalization in Kosovo.

Participants will also elaborate on measures taken so far to prevent violent extremism and radicalization, as well as the challenges they face.

Major Fatos Makolli, Director of the Directorate against Terrorism of the Kosovo Police, and Naim Hoxha, Organized Crime Advisor at the OSCE Mission, will deliver opening remarks.

Media representatives are invited to attend the opening of the conference on Tuesday, 28 June 2016, at the Hotel Sirius in Prishtinë/Priština, starting at 09:30 hrs. 

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission assesses implementation of new Criminal Procedure Code of Kosovo
• Mini-Olympic Games 2016
• OSCE Mission-organized Junior Basketball Tournament

The producers behind the James Bond franchise have a few specific requirements for whoever ends up replacing Daniel Craig as 007.

Maingear ML-16 Gaming Laptop: Starting $1,699 (w/ 4060), $1,977 (w/ 4070) The Maingear ML-16 is a powerful, portable gaming laptop with a super-fast 240Hz display and premium build quality. Premium Build Quality Vibrant 16-inch QHD 240Hz Display No Bloatware Excellent Customer Service Laptop Lid Can Be Customized With Custom Graphics...

Talent New Energy and Changan Automotive Released the World Premiere Separator-Free Solid-State Battery Technology  Business Wire

Get interactive piano lessons with a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium on sale for $119.99 (reg. $299) for four more days.

Directed by Saturday Night Live's Kyle Mooney, "Y2K" envisions an actual millennium bug on the rampage. Trailer.

EchoStar removes going concern disclosure, but DirecTV deal in jeopardy lightreading.com
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Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its free, ad-supported streaming service launched in 2019 under the IMDb brand, and plans to move the content to Prime Video variety.com
Netflix's ad-supported tier hits 70 million users, nearly doubling from about six months earlier thehindu.com
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En la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, una edición más de los premios Poder Femenino festejó el éxito de siete mujeres que, con su trabajo y ejemplo, contribuyen "al progreso de toda la humanidad". Leer

El consejero delegado de BBVA reitera la advertencia que ya trasladó a la SEC de EEUU, mientras que el CEO de Sabadell, César González-Bueno, señala que ya se ha personado ante Competencia Leer

Pombo explica en la RAE su relación con la lengua española, la filosofía, la ironía y la idea de fragilidad que intuye en Cervantes Leer

El pasado día 30, el juez Hurtado ordenó a la UCO registrar el despacho del fiscal general con el objetivo de incautarse de sus dispositivos electrónicos Leer

Estima un recurso de la Asociación Pro-Guardia Civil que cuestionaba la legalidad del procedimiento de promoción Leer

"Sin un megadepartamento para la reconstrucción, el Consell no será creíble", asumen fuentes de la Generalitat, aunque también hay ceses sobre la mesa Leer

Vertiginoso primer videoclip del segundo disco de Triángulo de Amor Bizarro. De la monarquía a la criptocracia refleja a la perfección todo lo que puede aportar este muy particular grupo gallego: rock rápido y ruidoso, provocador y viciado, estridente y adictivo.

[The Herald] THE Government has warned against smuggling of seed, fertiliser and agrochemicals to guard against spread of pests and diseases.

This year's European elections remain under the shadow of rising populism

Miami, FL United States - Description Reports to: Senior Vice President Organizational Change Department: Finance Location: Fort Lauderdale or Miami Florida | FLL/MIA Manages the company’s supply of products and services. The Procurement Manager responsibilities include strategizing to fi... View

The long lost remains of Thomas Kent, one of the 16 men executed in 1916 following the Easter Rising, have been identified by scientific DNA analysis...

We've been in Mexico City for almost seven weeks, our longest trip yet. I came here with two big items on my to-do list, both book-related: Get the Windows 11 Field Guide updated for Windows 11 version 24H2 and publish at least a preview of the new book I'm writing with my wife, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. And I can't say I've been successful with either, despite literally working on both projects every single day.

You've at least seen the progress I've made on the Field Guide: To date, I've published 28 chapter updates to the book since we got here, which I will admit is rather incredible. But here's what you probably don't know. Every one of those chapters includes new content, and while the amount of new content isn't always profound, some of those updates are quite good from a new material perspective.

Here's one example. I'm particularly happy with the work I've done with local accounts over the past few weeks. This involved resetting several of the PCs I have here, starting over from scratch with local account-only configurations to determine whether doing this will alleviate some of the enshittification in Windows 11, most notably the forced OneDrive Folder backup behavior. Most recently--two days ago, I guess, I reset my Surface Laptop 7, too, and am now using it this way. And ... so far, so good.

But even if this work doesn't "solve" the OneDrive Folder backup problem--and it kind of doesn't, since you could easily screw it up in any number of ways, for example by running a backup with Windows Backup--this was a good experience for me. It helped me dramatically expand the Local accounts and Device encryption chapters in the book, and I now fully understand what it means when Microsoft says that it "enables" device encryption by default in 24H2: This is both a dramatic change from before and no change at all, depending on how you configure the PC. (I'm working on an update to the Windows backup chapter now as a result.)

These book updates remind me of the security rabbit hole I went down at the end of 23H2: Microsoft had added passkey "management" support in Windows 11 version 23H2 and in trying to figure out what that meant, I learned a lot. One, the passkey management capabilities in Windows 11 are a joke. Two, passkey support in the Microsoft account is even more of a joke (is, in fact, half-assed). Three, that both of these things are getting better, though both have a long way to go. Four, that Microsoft had long ago based its support for online account sign-ins and Windows Hello on the FIDO-based foundations of passkeys, and now that passkeys are "real," it is making Windows 11 fully compliant with that as passkeys get portable. And there's more, but whatever. All I wanted to do was write a short new chapter for the book and I ended up learning more than I ever wanted to about online account security. It was worth it.

And that's what this October/November was like. A lot of work. Some output that ...

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