Author Archives: Ryan

The Radio Shack Battery Scam

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I made the mistake the other day to walk into Radio Shack. I needed a specialty battery and wasn’t really thinking. Almost every single battery was $4.99 or $5.99. Each.

Ok, well they’re specialty batteries, I thought. Really, they’re not so special. I needed 2. My options were $4.99 x2 ($9.98) or $11.99 for a 3 pack. That seemed like a deal  even though I only needed 2 batteries. Its actually a common marketing ploy, but I digress.

I got my batteries and walked out, grumpy about the whole situation.

When I arrived home, I decided to research the price of these batteries online. I went to Amazon and did a quick search. A 2 pack of the same batteries cost only $2.49 and a 5 pack cost only $8.50!!! Wait, I just paid $11.99 for 3! In some cases I was even finding 50 packs of batteries for around $10.

This left a bitter taste in my mouth and reminded me that certain “disposable” items were much cheaper online than in any store. Radio Shack has you cornered if you need specialty batteries right away just like Best Buy has you cornered when you need some sort of cable or part for your entertainment system.

The high markup on these types of items is probably the only thing keeping these brick and mortars in business at this point. They’re a dying breed and if they can’t adapt they’ll soon be extinct.

Removing Standard Image Sizes from WordPress

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I ran across an issue today where I needed to specify which image sizes were generated within WordPress. I didn’t need the stock sizes (thumbnail, medium, large) but I did need a few custom sizes. Adding custom sizes is the easy part but removing others threw me for a loop.

The quick and dirty solution would be to set the sizes in Settings > Media to 0 so that nothing would be generated. While this works on a single site, its not the best solution for something that would be deployed on multiple sites. After all, who wants to remember to change individual settings on each new site?

Best solution, filtering intermediate_image_sizes. Basically all you need to do is return an array of what sizes you want generated. In the example below, I had already used add_image_size() to generate 3 new sizes: theme-small, theme-medium, and theme-large.

Here’s the code:

add_filter( 'intermediate_image_sizes', 'rcd_remove_stock_image_sizes' );

function rcd_remove_stock_image_sizes( $sizes ) {
    return array( 'theme-small', 'theme-medium', 'theme-large' );
}

Basically what this does is define only our 3 new image sizes in the array eliminating the stock sizes of thumbnail, medium, and large.

Thanks to @Otto42 for the tip!

Vegetable Plants for Sale (2011)

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I always start a bunch of seeds every spring… more than I need. I transplant a fraction, but it ensures I get enough plants for my garden. I try to limit how many seedlings go to waste.

Everything I grow is 100% heirloom, non-GMO seeds. If you want plants, all I ask is $0.50 per plant which helps defer the cost of seeds I bought plus soil and other materials. Its about the price, if not cheaper, you’ll pay at a store and you get good quality non-hybrid plants.

Here’s the list of extras I have for this season. Contact me to request and get on the list. Quantities are limited. Must pick up (I’ll advise when ready).

Tomatos:

  • Beefsteak
  • Kimberly (Cherry)
  • Roma

Peppers:

  • Green Bell
  • Poblano
  • Anaheim
  • Cayenne
  • Habanero

Herbs:

  • Rosemary
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Parsley

Squash/Melons:

  • Yellow Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber
  • Watermelon
  • Pumpkin– Atlantic & Big Max (Both giant size)

The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

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So today I tried an experiment. I took two different recipes and adapted them together. The first was a brine, the second was for the roasting. Here’s what I did in case you want to try it…

Brine:

  • 2 gallons Water
  • 1 gallon Apple Juice
  • 1c Kosher Salt
  • 3/4c Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1 1/2c Maple Syrup

Combine in brining bag or unscented trash bag in 5 gallon bucket, cooler, etc. Use your imagination. Just keep the turkey refrigerated and totally covered in liquid during this process. Brine about 12 hours or overnight.

Once done brining, pat the turkey dry and continue with this roasting recipe:

  • 1c butter (room temp)
  • 2T Rosemary
  • 2T Thyme
  • 1 Onion (quartered)
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple (quartered)
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • 6 sprigs of Rosemary
  • 6 Sprigs of Thyme
  • 3c Apple Juice
  • 1c Water

Combine butter, rosemary and thyme together and rub under turkey skin. Rub any leftover butter mix all over turkey. Insert onion, apple, garlic, rosemary and thyme sprigs into turkey cavity and tie legs together. Place in roasting pan along with the apple juice and water. Roast per instructions for turkey size covering with foil once skin browns. Temperature should read 180°F in thickest part of the breast and leg. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let stand 30 minutes before carving. Enjoy!

Body Scans. Who’s The Real Terrorist?

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Months ago, Big Brother was touting their body scanners and showing us images like this:

Body Scan Image

And this:

Body Scanner Image

Now, after a PR nightmare, and public backlash over the devices (scanner or else… [pat down]) DHS releases this photo:

Body Scanner Image

DHS tells us its this blurry. They say the face is blanked out. They expect us to believe this picture is real.

On an image of that quality, would could you really find a weapon? I don’t think so. But they expect us to believe them.

TSA wants to force you through these scanners. If you refuse, you are subject to a public, humiliating full body pat down. Personally, I don’t want anybody (else) grabbing my balls. This “do what we say or else” mentality is getting out of control.

By definition, the word “terrorism” means:

the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion

By that definition, I believe the TSA and DHS just qualified themselves of terrorists. Who do we send in to round them up?

Melt in your mouth BBQ chicken (on a gas grill)

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Photo credit: VirtualErn

I had the opportunity yesterday to grill some chicken leg quarters on my gas grill and everybody raved about how moist they were and that the meat just fell off the bone. I figured I’d share a few tips so that you’ll never have to eat dry, overcooked chicken again.

The key to the whole process is temperature. Low and slow, like BBQ. Ok, not quite, but we’re not going to cook them on high either. Somewhere middle of the road, around medium temperature or about 350°F. Chicken skin tends to melt and flare up around 400° leading to black chicken that nobody wants to eat.

Once you get your grill warmed up, I like to wipe some olive oil on the grates to keep things from sticking. You can also use PAM, but only the kind made to be sprayed on a grill. Place your chicken leg quarters bone side down, with the skin up. Cook them for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye out w/ a squirt bottle of water for flare ups. If you keep your temperature around 350°F, flare ups should be rare. After the first 20 minutes, flip them over and coat the now cooked bottom with a BBQ sauce of your choice. I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s.

After the second 20 min cooking period, flip them back over so that the skin side is up, coat that in BBQ sauce. Cook them this way for 10 minutes, then flip them over for a final 10 minutes. All this does is help cook the BBQ sauce on a bit and finish cooking the chicken. The temperature is low enough that your BBQ sauce will not burn so don’t worry. Pull the leg quarters off the grill and let them rest for a few minutes on a plate then enjoy!

Total cooking time for a 10-14oz chicken leg quarter should be about 60 minutes. You should also double check w/ an instant read thermometer before you pull them off the grill. The meat thermometer should read about 165°F.

Capital “P”s, Communities, and Conspiracy Theories

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I’m sure you’ve heard about the debate with WordPress vs WordPress. There was a patch committed to WordPress 3.0 that automatically converts it to include an uppercase P and follow the WordPress branding. This was added as as an easter egg of sorts to help the WordPress brand, and while I don’t have an issue with it, I do have an issue with the way some in the community reacted to it.

The problem with easter eggs is they’re supposed to be found by those in the community and they’re supposed to be fun. Of course, there was no hiding this one. The revision was committed in the public eye, but without a ticket. I don’t think there was much need for a ticket and public discussion because this has been in play on WordPress.com for a few years now. Of course, some argue that there was no community input because there was no trac ticket.

The one legitimate issue I could find with this patch was the fact that because the way it corrects text, it can possibly break image links and directories. I’m sure this is only in a minor percentage of cases, because as most have learned, their hosting environment is case sensitive and they use all lowercase directory and file names. This has since been fixed for trunk and 3.0.1 in revisions 15377 and 15378.

This begs the question, if this patch worked properly and didn’t break links, would we even be in this situation? Would the few squeaky wheels be complaining about Matt and Automattic doing their will and not respecting the community? Would this issue have been blown out of proportion? Would anything have even been said about it?

As usual, some in the community to complained. I’ve heard all sorts of excuses from editing user’s content (albeit just a spelling correction), to the capital P caused the BP oil spill. Yes, I’m not joking. Conspiracy theories breed conspiracy theories. There have even been parody sites made– capitalp.org and lowercasep.org

This brings about another point– I recently had a discussion with Aaron Brazell regarding the WordPress community and complaining. The point he made was that if it doesn’t affect your bottom line (income) stop complaining about it. All you do is waste your breath, waste your time, and don’t make as much money as you could. By directing your resources to other places, such as your business or contributing patches to WordPress, you can further better yourself and the WordPress community.

As usual though, there’s always a few that want to complain, and while I won’t mention them by name (they know who they are), I hope they take one thing away from this post– focus your time on making WordPress and the WordPress community better instead of complaining about this or that. Please  stop coming up with conspiracy theories about Matt, WordPress and Automattic; they’re rarely true. Its not an issue of principal, Matt, or Automattic; its an issue of making things better. Focus your time on creating a patch to fix the filter and fix the bug. That helps improve the community.

Is this Spam?

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I just received this email with an image attachment. Should I open it?

From: Harold Wagner <aughton@wtpsmercer.k12.nj.us>
Subject: Hello

Hello my the surprised Friend!

I understand, that you are surprised now, when this letter has arrived
to you. BUT I ASK YOU TO SPEND 5 MINUTES, your time and have read it
up to the end then probably it will change your and my life. At first
I wish to tell a little about myself. My name is Mariya. To me of 37
years. I live in a city under name Kirov, it is a small city in
northern part of Russia. I not married and never was. I also do not
have children. I have left school then has finished institute on a
trade of "economist". If it is interesting to you I will necessarily
tell about it, but now not in it the purpose dear friend.
Recently, I watched TV and saw, that in Russia there are 35000000
women who live without men, and there are such agencies of marriage
which have many electronic addresses, and such agency can help to find
for women the suitable man. I have gone to one of such agencies, and
have addressed to them with inquiry that they have found for me the
good man. They have informed at once me, that in Russia I should
search for the good and decent man very long time. Then they have
offered me acquaintance to the man from other country, on what I have
looked from a positive side. As I know, that at us in the country of
the man, do not appreciate women, is possible because women several
times more.
In general, I have agreed to strike up acquaintance to the man from
other country, and they have given me your electronic address. Having
told that you the lonely fair and decent man who searches for the
woman for creation of relations. Then I took your electronic address
and have gone to the cafe Internet to write you the letter. Here now
you can my letter see. I have written you it with hope, that you will
answer to me. I have inserted one my photo that you could see, my
appearance and to solve for you directly completely, you will like to
begin dialogue and relations with me or not. Only I ask, concern my
letter seriously, look my photo, the letter, think and solve,
precisely you would like to have the correspondence with me? I do not
wish to be the friend, it is not necessary, I am ready to serious
relations. It is very necessary to love, give my love to the MAN and
family creation. If you really wish to have serious relations with me
write to me. If you do not want to have a relationship with me, just
do not respond to my letter, I can understand everything myself. And
nevertheless, I wish to tell to you, that my photo is made not
professionally, but you see me, such what I in a life. And you can
precisely define such woman as I am necessary for you or not. Very big
inquiry as wanted if you however interested in me write to me about
your e-mail where we can speak with you and small good photos you.
Like everything, that I wished to tell you, and now I only need to
wait from you for the answer, and I hope you write to me. If I was not
pleasant to you, or serious relations are not necessary for you then
do not write me anything, I will understand!

I hope your new friend, I hope that I can become for you friend
Mariya!

You can send your letter and photo to this email address:  mashaneebet@BonBon.net

The lonely woman from Russia Mariya.