Justin Tadlock

Disable Post Format UI WordPress Plugin

Justin Tadlock — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:35:28 +0000

And, for the simplest plugin I’ve ever created (it’s a one-liner), I introduce Disable Post Format UI.

I love that WordPress is all about the decisions over options mantra, but that sometimes means some users get stuck with stuff they don’t want. I figured there’s probably plenty of folks who aren’t that interested in post formats, so I made a quick plugin to disable the post format UI being introduced in WordPress 3.6.

You can grab a copy from the plugin page on Theme Hybrid or from WordPress.org.

What does the plugin do, exactly?

If you haven’t been keeping up with WordPress 3.6 development, you’re in for a treat. WordPress is finally doing something about those ambiguous post formats. From now on, all WordPress installs will support all post formats out of the box. They’ve done some cool UI work on the edit post screen in the admin to make post formats much more usable for the average user.

The following is a screenshot of what this looks like.

This plugin simply disables this new UI and its functionality for people who have no need for post formats.

BP: 126/79

Justin Tadlock — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 22:12:33 +0000

At the beginning of the year, I set a few goals for myself as I do every year. One of those goals was to bring my blood pressure down via diet and exercise.

Needless to say, many people had a lot to say (both online and off) when I told them my diet would be vegan. My favorite comment was left on that post:

First of all, if you the type of person who thinks green tea can cure cancer and high blood pressure can be regulated with a vegan diet, you are practicing voodoo on yourself.

I’m not trying to call anyone out in particular. I had many comments just like that from friends, family members, and even a cashier at the supermarket (she asked why I bought so much fruit). Many people flat out told me that I was crazy.

Of course, there were many people interested in my experiment. There were even people who told me this simple change in diet would absolutely work.

Current blood pressure

As of today, my blood pressure is 126 (systolic) over 79 (diastolic). That’s 126/79.

Granted, this is not a perfect number. However, it’s a far cry from the 146/104 that I had when I started this experiment. It’s a number I’m happy with right now and something I will continue trying to improve.

Just in case you were wondering, this is not a one-off measurement. My numbers have been around that over the last few weeks. The numbers above are from today’s reading.

What changed?

I started with a vegan diet. However, I’ve since adjusted that to a vegetarian or ovo-lacto vegetarian diet. Basically, I eat a plant-strong diet with a focus on legumes, grains, potatoes, fruits and veggies. I occasionally consume dairy and eggs in moderation.

Outside of diet, I’ve changed little about my lifestyle. I’ve probably exercised less over the past few months than normal because of the crazy weather fluctuations we’ve had in south Alabama.

Conclusion

It’s entirely possible to change and manage your blood pressure through diet.

My current experiment only includes one non-randomized guinea pig, but I think the results speak for themselves. I’ll continue monitoring my blood pressure and other health-related items (I’ve got lots of data I’ll share one day). If anything changes, I’ll post an update.

For now, I think I’ll relax and eat a homemade bean and rice burrito from my vegan torture diet.

The big one oh!

Justin Tadlock — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:51:55 +0000

10 years.

Ten years of blogging.

Generally, April 15 is my least favorite day of the year (tax day in the U.S.). But, this year, I’m celebrating 10 years of running a Web site.

Ten years ago today, I stepped down a path that has changed my life in more ways than I can count. The site started out as a page on now-defunct Expage.com. I’d made a simple page with shoutouts to all my old high school friends. Little did I know that I’d eventually be earning my income from something that started out with so little substance. This blog has been with me since I was a confused teenager and continues to be an outlet for me as a somewhat less-confused adult.

I won’t bore you with all the details. You can check out the archives if you want to see my journey. You can even start with my first blog post.

I want to thank everyone who has taken this journey with me. In particular, I want to thank everyone involved in the WordPress community for giving me a platform that has allowed me to easily publish my content online for the better part of these past 10 years (it sure beats the heck out of those text files I started with).

I’m looking forward to the next 10. I hope they’re as exciting as the previous years and that you will continue reading and commenting.

I’ll leave you with some of the most popular items from my blog over the years.

Breaking ground for the garden

Justin Tadlock — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:33:57 +0000

I spent the better part of this morning plowing the garden with my new 16″ rear-tine Huskee tiller. It’s a little late in Alabama for the usual planting season to start, but we’ve had a late winter with wildly fluctuating weather. I’m excited about the months to come and the tasty homegrown food that awaits.

Graduation invitation: Round #2

Justin Tadlock — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:17:48 +0000

A few weeks ago, I showed you the first round of design ideas for my brother’s graduation invitations. We decided on the third design, which no one seemed to favor. Granted, I didn’t have a good photo to work with at the time, so it wasn’t my favorite either. The above is a view of the original versus the current draft of what I have in mind for the invitation.

Tavern-style pickled eggs

Justin Tadlock — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:57:25 +0000

If there’s one thing southerners love, it’s pickled foods. Pickled pigs feet, sausage, and eggs are staples in many homes in Alabama. Tonight, my housemate and I decided to pickle just over 100 eggs. We’ll sell most of them at a nearby auction (they easily bring $5/pint) and eat the rest.

Hybrid Base theme

Justin Tadlock — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:19:05 +0000

If you’re interested in a base/starter theme for building your own custom WordPress themes, check out Hybrid Base. It’s also useful for learning how the Hybrid Core framework works. ∞

Graduation invitation: Round #1

Justin Tadlock — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:49:21 +0000

I somehow managed to hire myself out for free to design my brother’s high school graduation invitations. Of course, he forgot to mention the deadline for getting his actual invitations through the school to anyone. So, it was either spend $100s or get someone to do it for free.

I haven’t done any print work since college, but I figured this might be a neat project. He opted for a fun, “high school” look rather than classy and elegant, so that’s what this design idea is based on.

The following are quick rough drafts of what I have in mind. Ignore the photo (I’m getting a better one) and the extremely rough spacing.

Do you like the general direction? Hate it? Ideas and feedback are welcome.

First look at Twenty Thirteen

Justin Tadlock — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:06:33 +0000

The first draft of the Twenty Thirteen theme is looking pretty awesome. Here’s the theme demo. ∞

Pizza Margherita

Justin Tadlock — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:44:26 +0000

I took a break from my vegan diet for one night and went vegetarian. I wanted to try my hand at a more traditional Pizza Margherita (well, as close as I can get with the ingredients at hand). It’s about as simple at it gets, but when it comes to pizza, the quality of the ingredients is worth much more than quantity.