A European medical society has expressed alarm at the widespread opposition in Europe against the swine flu vaccine. Meanwhile, experts say the number of deaths in Europe from the H1N1 virus are doubling every two weeks…. From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: virus. For a different topic see great peach recipes. The blog is also related to: virus.

This relates back to a previous post: The Challenge.  The sermon was about Jesus being the light and the call for Christians to reflect it.  The Sunday School was discussion-based on the Truth Project that we finished last Sunday.  We talked about the need to step into the political realm and other realms to bring light to non-Christians.  It’s funny that the sermon and the Sunday School always compliment each other in message.The pastor brought up a quote by Rick Warren, the author of “The Purpose Driven Life”:  ”there are two reasons why a person does not know Christ: 1, they haven’t met a Christian and 2, they met a Christian.” (This may not be exact wording.)  There was a lot of discussion about this and Flash, the tattooist in the series who gave his life story.  Flash tried to go to church and was called a “pagan.”  This Christian did not embody the love of Christ.

We talked about the fact that “God weeps for the outcast.”  Obvious sins like being gay, stealing, murdering, and adultery are evaluated ahead of internal sins like lust, greed, envy, and pride.  We shun the gay when we should love all people including the gays.  There were antidotes of people continue to befriend the gays that they knew and other Christians telling them to stop associating with them!  At the same time, Christians need to speak out against things that are wrong.  This is the truth in love principle that is hard to do (but easy to do one without the other).

Finally, part of the message was to shine the light on the darkness inside.  This is to examine what you are doing wrong.  One of my problem areas is unwillingness to serve Christ.  I have never consistently been involved with a ministry and have only gone a few short-term mission trips.  I also have had a problem with lust but I have had Christ shine the light on this.  I haven’t done these things in a while but that doesn’t mean that they went away.  Additionally, I have a lack of generosity.  God has been working on me with this fault but I have a long ways to go.

In Sunday School, a person had the courage to say that things weren’t going so great for her.  This stuck me a lot.  I don’t have the courage to confide my problems to a group of people.  This brings me back to the light analogy.  If we are more transparent with others, then others can hold us accountable.  I was speaking with someone in the new fellowship hall about “fine” or “good” being a quick response so you don’t actually have to answer the question “how are you doing?”  (I say “a person” and “someone” to protect identity.)

2 Timothy 2:16

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

There are those who will teach things of no profit and these are people we need to avoid.  As I listen to Christian radio and some of the radio preachers I think of this verse.  I have listened to men preach for thirty minutes on the radio and they will read one verse and then talk for twenty eight minutes telling stories that make you laugh or cry.  Either way they never read another scripture and the reason this is important is that 2 Timothy 2:16 tells us to “study” by “rightly dividing the word of truth”.  We cannot study a man’s story but only the word of God but yet so many teach their own personal experiences rather than the word of God.  When it comes to what God is doing today we have two ways to go– we can listen, believe and follow man or we can by faith follow the word of God.  I choose to follow the scriptures and avoid wicked and empty instructions so that I will not be involved in ungodliness but that I may live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

The best kitchen investment I ever made were my knives. I purchased the Shun Classic Series

8″ chefs knife  http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=253&brand=shun

3 1/2 in. Paring kife  http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=244&brand=shun

honing steel   http://www.cheftools.com/Shun-Classic-Honing-Steel-9-inch/productinfo/12-0884/

I really dont have a need for anything else, actually I could do just fine with only my chef’s and steel, the steel is a must I use it all the time.

I’ve used my chef knife almost daily for the last 2 years without a sharpening and the blade is still sharp, although I’m feeling like it might be ready for one soon.  Im not good with a stone (the only way I’ll have it sharpened) so I need to find me someone who is a badass with one.

The feel of these knives are amazing but what actually sold me on them, well at least for the chefs knife is their “D” shaped handle.  While I am left handed and these knives are designed for the right handed  the unique design molds to my hand perfectly how I hold it, if you are in the market and especially left handed you should check these out.

“Don’t touch my dick, don’t touch my knife.”
— Anthony Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly)

So in the effort to make a quick post, I wanted to jot a few notes down on the importance of quality cutlery. There are thousands of knives out there, and I will freely admit that it can be difficult to decide which ones you can’t live with out, and which ones are simply luxuries in the dream kitchen of grandeur.

I consider myself an amateur cook, one who enjoys cooking for friends and family in the comfort of my own home. This being said, I still relish the opportunity to use the highest quality products when I can. I currently own three knives for my everyday use. That’s right, three. Not a block full of random knives with names like ‘ultra paring’, or ‘double-edged serrated vegetable peeler’. Okay, I made those up, but hopefully you know what I mean. In my knife block proudly resides a 7-inch Santoku chef’s knive, a 4 1/2-inch paring knife and a 6-inch vegetable knife. While I admit that I would one day love to own an entire block of knives, these easily get me by for everyday use.

As for quality of cutlery, there are tons of options out there. Personally, all three of my kitchen knives are produced by Kershaw-Shun. They are Japanese knives and are absolutely wonderful. I have owned my 7-inch santoku since my senior year of college and have yet to send it out for sharpening. An occasional run down the honing steel, and its nearly good as new. I actually sliced off part of my index finger the first time I used it, slicing an onion. I had never experienced a knife that so easily melted through an onion, and with so little effort. I figured, I had bled at the blade of the knife, it was truly mine forever.

I realize that this is somewhat of a dark way to go, and do not endorse the shedding of one’s own blood to feel a connection to the knife, but I will admit that I feel that strongly about what I have chosen to purchase.

In all reality, I could easily survive with only my Santoku chef’s knife. I use it the most, and use it nearly every day. The paring knife is great for small jobs, especially peeling and with smaller vegetables. The vegetable knife is terrific, and makes quick task out of a host of other small items.

Is it necessary to spend $100.00 or more for one quality knife? I will say, yes, it is. If you’re going to spend money, spend it on the best you can find. One, high quality, life-time piece of equipment will pay for itself in usage and longevity long before you every tire of it.

I am not saying that Shun is the only knife make you should consider, but simply the one I prefer and endorse. Global, Wusthof and even Kitchen-Aid make very good products. It just so happens that my favorite Food Networker also uses and endorses my knife of choice, being fortunate enough to have one with his name on it. If only…

For many of you out there, I’m sure one big thing keeping you from cooking more often is having to chop, cut, slice, dice and prepare all of those damn annoying vegetables. Believe me when I say, get yourself one quality blade and prepping vegetables will become on of your favorite tasks in the kitchen.

Shun is one of my favorite artists and the crown jewel of the random stuff I find in my many hours searching image sites. I’ve used several of his images as desktop backgrounds (including the one above) and hugely enjoy his style. It was a lot easier to find his pixiv account than it has been, however, he has his own personal gallery which has a bit more content as well as links to his blog (useless for most of you I’m sure) and other many great artist sites (which I may browse later.) Once again, for those of you who aren’t about to go looking at Japanese sites, here is another link.

I believe the above was the first shun picture I saw which immediately elicited a good, solid, “what the fuck?!” I knew I had to see more, and I fell in love instantly. Shun draws some really weird shit. Even when he draws more normal things, they have a bit of a bizarre or fantastic element to them. He might draw a simple person with a weapon, but they will be wearing zany clothes or striking a strange pose. My favorites are the many pictures of things that just feel out of place or seem to tell an entire story all on their own. Many of his pictures make me wonder “how did things end up this way?” Also immediately noticeable is the way he draws faces with very wide eyes and broad mouths that are all incredibly ovular in a way that makes me think of Maijo Otaro or Q-ko-chan (both of which are insanely bizarre), as well as the way he draws very ‘big’ hair.

The images in shun’s gallery seem to suggest that he did artwork for several cards in the Square-Enix card-based PSi game The Eye of Judgement. The game seems confusing as hell, but it’s cool to know that he provided some artwork (easily recognizable by the Square Enix trademarks on them.) So anyway, here are some of my favorite images from him.

Yo!

Bom, nem sei como começar a falar de Saint Seiya… Pois aposto que a maioria das pessoas que passarem por aqui já assistiram pelo menos uma vez, um pedacinho que seja de CDZ; principalmente os meninos, né? Mas vamos lá!

Bom, como o nome do post diz, Saint Seiya é conhecido como Os Cavaleiros do Zodíaco no Brasil e em Portugal.

O Mangá de Saint Seiya começou a ser produzido por Kuramada Masami em 1985, pela Shonen Jump. Em 1986, a série ganhou um Anime, que durou até 1989. Bom, não é de se espantar que CDZ seja tão antigo, dá pra perceber no anime (pra quem já assistiu), que há uma diferença do “desenho” e movimento em relação aos atuais. Mas quando eu fui me informar melhor sobre as datas pensei: Nossa, eu nem sonhava em nascer ainda, em 86.
Como todo mundo sabe, CDZ foi um dos responsáveis pela divulgação do anime pelo Brasil, e pelo mundo. A primeira temporada de CDZ foi exibida aqui no Brasil de 1994 a 1997, pela extinta TV MANCHETE, e depois por várias outras, inclusive pelo Cartoon Network. Em Portugal, começou a ser exibido em 1992 pela RTP, mas parou no capitulo 36, a pedido de pais que reclamaram do “excesso de violencia” no anime. Mas voltou a ser exibido pela SIC, em 1999. E depois pelo Animax.

Abertura brasileira/ Pegasus Fantasy (Fala sério, quem nunca ouviu Pegasus Fantasy?)

Abertura japonesa (A mesma coisa, só que em japonês, pra quem gosta de ouvi-los dizer: Pegasasu Fantaji [Pegasus  Fantasy])

Resumindo o começo do anime, podemos dizer que é assim: De 200 em 200 anos, a Deusa Atena vem a terra para impedir que outros Deuses dominem o mundo e os humanos. E para isso, ela conta com jovens cavaleiros que vestem armaduras sagradas. E juntos lutam contra as forças malignas. Na, história, Atena (Saori Kido) tem 5 cavaleiros, Seiya de Pégaso, Shiryu de Dragão, Hyoga de Cisne, Shun de Andrômeda e Ikki de Fênix.

A série de Anime de CDZ, teve 114 capítulos divididos em 3 sagas: Santuário, Asgard e Poseidon. O Mangá, de 28 volumes (no Japão) só rendeu 114 capitulos porque como o Anime foi lançado praticamente junto com o Mangá, a TOEI ANIMATION teve que inventar personagens, prolongar cenas de luta, dentre outras coisas, para render mais episódios; além da saga que não existia no mangá.

Volume 1 de Saint Seiya

O Mangá também foi dividido em sagas: Santuário, Blue Warriors, Poseidon e Hades. A saga Hades, é considerada a melhor saga pelos fãs. Porém, ela não recebeu uma versão em anime, o que deixou fãs infelizes pelo mundo todo por algum tempo. Então em 2002 a TOEI ANIMATION lançou a primeira OVA da saga Hades para DvD. A partir disso, Saint Seiya voltou a ser uma febre no Japão, e inúmeras OVAs foram produzidas até 2008, terminando a Saga Hades. Entretanto, o Mangá não parou por aí, e hoveram várias Sagas paralelas, como a Saga Episódio G, que contou com o roteiro de Kuramada Masami, e com os traços de Megumu Okada (o que causou grande interesse em fãs e em pessoas que não gostavam antes).

5 Filmes foram produzidos pela TOEI ANIMATION e pela BANDAI, sendo que o ultimo, Prólogo do Céu, foi o único com o roteiro escrito por Kuramada Masami (fazendo parte da cronologia da história). Além de vários jogos para videogames e PC, produzidos até hoje. Também existem os outros inumeros produtos com a marca Saint Seiya.
Para concluir, parece que Saint Seiya ainda vai surpreender a todos, com uma nova saga, ou uma nova fase, já que ainda existe uma legião enorme de fãs pelo mundo inteiro (diferentemente de mangás como Sailor Moon, que acabou de vez, CDZ continuou até o ano passado, e esse ano, quem sabe?).

Então é isso!
Ja Ne!
Patrício.

The sanguine sunset fades into the dusk.

A crimson glow bathes my countenance,

Saturating it with the flame of agony.

And in this moment, I reflect upon the day.

The Heavens throw me a cursory glance.

And the Underworld gives me a fleeting look.

For my existence surpasses their boundaries.

Ah ! I curse the transience of this sycophantic world.

I watch the ever changing world and acknowledge,

That pride consumes even the paradigms of honour,

For malice and over confidence clouds their wisdom.

My world is doomed to asphyxiate in irrelavence,

Where skill is shuffled into redundancy,

And I am a part of the scenery.

Affluence and not ability,

Is the path to success.

And the path less travelled by,

Is a common thoroughfare.

Holy sinners and ignorant aficionados

Are worshiped. While, foolish leaders

And arrogant villains, are obeyed.

Values have been ground into the dust,

Faith ripped to shreds.

While, lies and fallacy engulf truth,

And sincerity is no more.

Alas ! I have tasted this bitter fruit.

I have drunk this vial of poison,

But I still live.

I live for truth.

I live for change.

But friends, let me ask you,

Do you have faith in righteousness ?

Do you trust your fellow man ?

Do you speak nothing but the truth ?

Do you eschew sin ?

I beg you, stop this foolishness.

As I strive to live, I discover that,

Survival of the fittest is an age old motto,

And survival of the devious bears more weight.

I am incapable of expressing my poignance,

For i have been shunned by elite mediocrity.

Skilled but insignificant,

I am committed, with nothing to commit to.

I am industrious, with nothing to work for.

Yes, the limelight of darkness is a lonely place.

But listen ! Listen closely !

Stop ! Stand your ground !

Look ! Do you see something ?

Amidst the gloom, I see a shimmer.

An oplaescence dances before my feeble eyes,

And a ghostly apparition appears,

He approaches me, bathed in a pearly glow.

Is he another deceiver ? Staring at him,

I see a likeness to someone. Although I

Cannot remember, I gaze in wonderment.

And as the shining orb rises from its ashen grave,

The blinding light of realization fills my eyes.

And in this moment, I recognize that mystic spectre.

Faith enlightens my mind and wisdom nurtures,

My character. I look into him and see but a reflection.

He shows me my face, his face, your face…

Our face…

I can make amends,

For, it is me who can rise for honour.

I can make a difference,

I am the change.

Factories in the Mekong Delta face an unprecedented labor shortage, especially at a time when they are trying to expand production for exports, with more and more workers preferring to be self-employed or work under less restrictive regimens.

A garment factory in the Mekong Delta. Industries in the region are facing an unprecedented shortage of workers who prefer vocations that involve less regimentation (Photo: SGGP)

Nguyen Duy Nhut, deputy general director of Nam Viet Seafood Join Stock Company, said, the fourth quarter is usually a time when seafood companies expand production to meet increasing overseas demand, but the current shortage of workers is putting companies into a stressful situation.
 
Nam Viet is seeking to immediately hire 200 workers but has received only a few applications.
 
Ching Luh Shoes Company based in Long An Province is looking for 3,000 workers and has offered high salaries and good working conditions, but has found few takers.
 
Ly Van Thuan, general secretary of the Ca Mau Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said the labor shortage is likely to worsen.
 
It is a result of the mushrooming of industrial parks and people’s reluctance to work in factories, he said.
 
At clothing, footwear, and seafood factories, the working hours are long and the environment stressful but the average salary is only VND1.1-1.5 million, he added.
 
Huynh Ngoc Mai of Dong Thap Province, who recently quit her job after working for over two years at a footwear company in Long An Province, said she had to work for over eight hours a day in a noisy, dusty, small, and stressful environment and eat poor meals.
 
Le Van Ne of Can Tho said for a salary of barely VND1.5 million at seafood companies, people have to work in cold plants from early morning to evening and sometimes on night shifts.
 
Phan Thanh Phi, head of Long An Province’s industrial parks, said: “Firms and workers have yet to sympathize or share their interests with each other.”
 
Most delta workers are farmers and have not got used to industrial work, he said, adding many are not comfortable with their strict time schedules and would rather go to work whenever they like.
 
An industrial park official, who wished to remain unnamed, said people prefer to work as masons, carpenters, and sales or marketing people for VND80,000-140,000 a day. Not only is the salary higher than workers’ but also the schedule is highly flexible.
 
According to a preliminary survey by industrial parks in Tien Giang Province, seafood, clothing, and footwear factories now face a shortage of 3,000-3,500 unskilled workers.
 
They are working with vocational-training centers and local administrations to scout for workers; some firms are willing to pay other expenses in addition to salaries and pick up the workers at home, but are still unable to find enough candidates.
 
Mr. Thuan said: “This year, importers are interested in small tiger shrimps and white-leg shrimps. Shrimp processors need over 5,000 workers, and have looked for long but have not found enough workers.”
 
Mr. Phi said Long An faces a serious shortage of workers when it just needs 40,000 workers. In future, when another 20 industrial parks come into operation, it would need 200,000, he said. 

WOLVERINE

KIRBY

POR QUE ESSE CARA TÁ USANDO ESSA MASCARA?

PRINCESA LEIA E DARTH MAUL (LEGO)

Potz, eu não sei se bato palma ou se jogo uma pedra * RISOS *

CAPITÃO PLANETA.

VAIIII PLANEEEETAAAAAA, PRA PQP COM COSPLAY DE M&#*D@!!!!

MEGAMAN

ELE É PURO OTÁRIO, MEGAMAN. FAIL.

MAGNETO

BOMBERMAN

SE FOSSE UM ANÃO NESSA ROUPA FICARIA MUITO MAIS VERIDICO. FATO

LEONIDAS

THIIIIIIISSS ISSS FAAAAAAAAAIIIILLLL!!!!!!!!!

FLASH

CAMISA DE MANGA CUMPRIDA DO SEU IRMÃO MAIS CAÇULA, CALÇA DE LAYCRA DA SUA VÓ, MARCARA MAL PRODUZIDA + F A I L !

SHUN.

PQP ONDE ESSES CARA COMPRAM ESSAS FANTÁSIAS HEIM?

BATMAN

BATMAN, ESSA CARA TÁ MAIS PARA BATDRUNK

INUYASHA

MIIIIIAAAUUUUUU!!!

CELL

ESSA ME DÁ MUITO MEDO. oO

SONIC

O PROPRIO SONIC JÁ DIZ "NEGATIVO"

HULK

* RISOS * NADA A DECLARAR, ISSO JÁ FICA AO CRITÉRIO DE VOCÊS

CORUJA II

NOS DEVERIAMOS FAZERDO MUNDO UM LUGAR SEM COSPLAYS INÚTEIS.

JESSE

TENTAIVA FRUSTRADA DE FAZER COSPLAY DE UMA POKEBOLA...DIGO...JESSE

SURFISTA PRATEADO ( OU QUASE ISSO )

TABUA DE PASSAR ROUPAS DA MÃE, 3 TUBOS DE PAPEL ALUMINIO E MUITA FALTA DE BOM SENSO = F A I L.

DOC. OCTOPUS ( VERSÃO SKIN HEAD )

IRON MAN  (PAPER MAN)

MASTER FAIL.

CHAVES

BEM GALERA ESPERO QUE TODOS TENHAM GOSTADO DESSE GENOCIDIOS. ISSO É TUDO.

ATÉ OS PRÓXIMA POSTAGEM! ^^

Amata and Bien Hoa 2 IZs had just 26,000 passengers in 2 months.

Free bus services in the Amata and Bien Hoa 2 industrial zones in southern Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa City have failed to attract workers after two-month pilot operations. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Phan

DONG NAI — Free bus services in the Amata and Bien Hoa 2 industrial zones in southern Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa City have attracted only 26,000 passengers in the first two months of the pilot operation, according to the provincial Department of Transport.

The department said it was a modest amount compared to the estimated 100,000 workers operating in the province’s two biggest industrial zones.

After two months into the pilot operation, the department said its 12 11-seat coaches running 4km from the industrial parks’ gates to their inner factories and companies had never been full.

Nguyen Van Vui, a worker at the Namyang Company in Amata Industrial Zone, said he preferred using his own motorbike because his rented room was quite far from work with no bus route between the two places.

“We don’t even mind paying for the services, but it should be expanded to connect the industrial zones with other areas that have large numbers of workers,” he said.

A worker at the Teawangvina Company in Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Zone, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, said: “I was pleased to hear about the free bus services, but they are not helpful at all due to their short routes.”

A driver of the route within the industrial zone said almost all workers found the services’ management procedures complicated and had not received accurate information about the services.

“We are required to note down passengers’ IDs,” he said. “But right after being asked for IDs, they get off the bus because they are afraid that their wages will be deducted, even though the services are totally free of charge.”

The provincial Transport Department director, Nguyen Van Diep, said the services had been operating for only two months, which explained the shortcomings.

“We are making efforts to encourage workers to use the free bus services because they help workers save time and money, and it also reduces transport costs and prevents traffic jams within the industrial zones during rush hours.”

“Besides providing workers with more information on the services, we will adjust the routes after three months of the pilot operation,” Diep said. “Formalities to use the services will also be simplified.”

Deputy director of the department, Tran Van Quang, said the department was considering to re-route the bus services and ask for more assistance from the provincial People’s Committee to expand the routes, enabling workers to travel more conveniently.

“We will consider the feasibility of the services then expand them in the other 27 industrial zones in the province,” he added.

The department reported that there was an average of 156 passengers in the Amata Industrial Zone and 292 in Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Zone using the free bus services daily. —

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Share prices on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on Friday had a bumpy ride before closing on a brighter note, as investors were cautious in the first session before buying sharply in the remaining period of trade.

VN-Index, the measure of 176 stocks on the bourse, treaded water in the first session as investors reacted cautiously to the US’s overnight fall.

However, the strong rally of Sacombank (STB) starting from the opening bell and rebound of blue chips, like furniture maker Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (HAG), Vietcombank (VCB) and Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI), encouraged investors to pump money into the market.

VN-Index finally wrapped up the trading day at 582.84 points, rising 8.06, 1.4 percent. Of the index members, 100 stocks gained and 47 lost grounds.

Ho Chi Minh Infrastructure Investment Co. (CII), slid for the first time in five days, falling 2.3 percent, to VND63,500. The Ho Chi Minh City-based construction and property company was given approval to list more than ten million shares, according to a statement to the exchange’s website. It did not give a timeframe.

Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Vietnam’s biggest listed insurance company and the exchange’s fifth-biggest stock, dropped 1.4 percent to VND36,600.

Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group, or Vinashin, one of the founders of Bao Viet, will “transfer” its entire 20.4 million shares in the insurer to State Capital Investment Corp., which manages shares for the Vietnamese government, Bao Viet said in a statement on the bourse’s website. It did not say why Vinashin is transferring its stake or whether it was being paid. Bao Viet has 573 million shares outstanding.

Vincom (VIC) increased 2.29 percent to VND67,000. The Hanoi-based property company said on the exchange’s website that Nguyen Hien Thu, a relative of supervisory board member Pham Thy Tho, registered to sell her entire holdings of more than 4,800 shares before December 28.

At the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index also posted a small rally, advancing 2.7 points, 1.49 percent, to close at 183.47. The UPCoM-Index of unlisted stocks extended its downward trend, losing marginally 0.01 points, 0.02 percent, to 66.2 as of 11 pm.

Shun Classic Knives- Tanto Carving Set
@ P18,900

Part Number: 240
Manufacturer: Shun

Shun Cutlery offers the sharpest knives in nearly every blade shape and size. The Tanto Carving Set has the tools needed for carving, slicing, and serving. The two piece set includes one Tanto Carving knife and one two pronged chef’s fork. In the Shun Classic Series design, the Tanto Carving Knife has a stainless steel blade and core. Both the knife and fork are held securely and comfortably by the dark Pakkawood handles with stainless steel bolsters and end caps. The distinct Shun emblem is found on both pieces of the Tanto Carving Set. Shun blades retain their edge for years, making the Tanto Carving Set suitable for use on any occasion.
Only cutlery of unparalleled appearance and uncompromising performance emblazons the mark of Shun. Kershaw/Shun has been Japan’s premier blade craftsman for over 90 years. Shun Classic Series contain knives of traditional Japanese shape and craftsmanship in modern, innovative designs. Obtained by pounding 16 layers of high carbon stainless steel, the natural pattern of Damascus steel on the blade enhances the knives’ beauty and utility, making cleaner, faster cuts that do not compromise the flavor of the food. Composed of VG-10 stainless steel core clad between SUS410 stainless steel, Shun Classic Series remain strong and sharp, requiring infrequent sharpening. Bolstered in stainless steel to each blade is a solid, ebony black Pakkawood handle in an ergonomic D-shape.
All Shun knives should be hand washed and dried.
Made in Japan.
Knife blade measures 9 inches. Fork measures 6 ½. Set includes 1 Tanto

Practice peace over petty prejudice.

The strong personality is thought so, only by the weaker; the weak, only by the stronger.

What truth is shunned not by oblivion?

Who, in defense of of himself, denies the truth by defending the fool, is so too a fool.

Anyone who’s ever known a chef–or even anyone whose ever known a man who knows where the kitchen is–knows that both chefs and men have a thing for knives. I found one of these men, a particularly blade-obsessed young chef named Gabriel who has the bright red stain of a full pair of woman’s lips on his neck that took me about three months to figure out was a tattoo–and made him My Knife Guy. Gabriel doesn’t know he’s My Knife Guy, all he knows is that he is sharpening my knife for me, an 8-inch Shun chef’s knife given to me by Sara Foster when I was writing her book several years ago. Gabriel is sharpening my knife out of pity. Not pity for me. I mean, he might have felt a little sorry for me, but I’m sure he felt really sorry for the knife. He wouldn’t touch my Wushof though; said he didn’t understand how they work or something like that, which just goes to show you how deeply into knives he is. Although I have no idea how any knife works, I do know when a knife doesn’t work, which is how mine ended up in Gabriel’s skilled hands.

The only person that could possibly be happier than I am about my knife getting sharpened, if he weren’t already dead, would be the live spot prawn that essentially drove me to Gabriel, an innocent six-inch creature that I attempted to bisect with my sad, battered Shun–but more like sawed and hacked away at–last week. Thankfully Gabriel didn’t see this, but Erik, another chef, the braise guy at Mozza, who also knows his way with a knife, did. I’d called him over to help me when I was was testing a recipe for grilled, halved spot prawns–and things, even to my barely-trained eye, clearly weren’t going well. Erik looked down at the poor little crustacean lying in shreds on my cutting board and then picked up the knife lying next to Spot. “Wow!” he said. He sounded truly amazed as he touched the blade of my knife with increasing pressure until it were as if he were touching the edge of a paper clip. But Erik’s a nice guy. Always looking on the bright side. “At least you bought a Shun,” he said, turning his gaze from my knife up to me with a big smile. Actually, it was a gift, I confessed. Five un-sharpened years ago. Gabriel might call this child abuse.

Spot Prawns

Spot prawns are a seasonal delicacy, harvested, at least if you’re getting them in California, from off the coast of Santa Barbara. You buy them live and take them home in water, like a pet, until you decide to cook them. The idea is to kill them quickly, and I’ll guess painlessly, so if you have any heart at all, before you do anything else, go sharpen your knife–or find someone to do it for you.

Now here’s the recipe. Ready? Okay: Bisect as many live spot prawns as you want to eat and/or serve. Grill them, shell side down, until they’re cooked. This will take about 2 minutes. Take them off the grill, brush them with good olive oil, sprinkle them with Maldon salt, and eat and/or serve. This couldn’t be a more delightful experience, speaking from the point of view of someone who is not a spot prawn that is…

Foi-se o tempo que o especial secreto do Akuma era secreto mesmo. Hoje muitos conhecem o Shun Goku Satsu. Executar ele, claro, é outra história. ^^

O especial do Akuma é simplesmente tão legal que acabou gerando uma série de variações ao longo dos anos, em diversos jogos com encarnações diferentes. E eu vou mostrar algumas dessas encarnações.

O video acima mostra vários Shun Goku Satsus e suas variações com outros personagens. Temos, entre eles, o especial suicida do Dan, a versão do Dark Ryu, e a versão da Vampira fazendo o especial depois de ter absorvido os poderes do Akuma. Tem a Dark Sakura, uma versão Tengu do Dan em Pocket Fighter, e a cena de apresentação do Akuma contra o Gen, no qual os dois fazem uma variação do mesmo especial, mas cada um com seu estilo. XD Ah, e tem a versão do Mech Akuma também, que é um puta apelão. xD

Esse acima é de uma das encarnações de SNK vs. Capcom, e o especial acima é especificamente executado pelo God Rugal (Que seria o Rugal depois de ter absorvido a energia malígna [Hadou Negro] do Akuma)

E acima, a versão do Akuma do mesmo jogo do video anterior. Aqui o Akuma é que absorveu a energia malígna do Rugal. Podem ver que ele se parece muito com o Yori possuído. ^^

E agora, acima, tem uma possível encarnação do especial em Kairi, um dos personagens que só existem em Street Fighter Plus. Alguns podem desconsiderar que essa é uma variação do Shun Goku Satsu, mas mesmo assim ele é da capcom, então os produtores podem muito bem ter se inspirado pelo menos no golpe do Akuma pra fazer esse aí.

E pra terminar, acima, no Okami, tem uma possível homenagem ao Shun Goku Satsu. Por favor, quem disser que não é, ou é teimoso, ou é cego. ^^

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