Justin Germino Ramblings

So I had been using the BreakingNews WordPress Theme from ThemeWarrior.com since October of 2010 on DragonBlogger.com, they allow you to download and use the theme for free but now I am looking for some help so I purchased the theme so that I can take advantage of the Theme support and have access to the Theme upgrades.  The theme was upgraded several times but none of the read me notes show that it fixes my issue in that when you load DragonBlogger.com for the first seconds or so my menu bar shows expanded before it finally contracts into sub menus.  This is a minor cosmetic glitch but it is still a noticeable one and I don’t like it, I am hoping to find support from the developers on how to resolve it.

I do think ThemeWarrior provides some quality themes and I have been extremely happy with how customizable the BreakingNewz theme is, other than this one cosmetic issue the theme was the best decision I have made.  I probably would have used Thesis or Genesis if I didn’t find BreakingNewz, but I am using the All in One SEO Pack for my site’s SEO since ThemeWarrior doesn’t have SEO built in like Thesis does.    This was my 2nd theme for DragonBlogger.com in over 2 years and I typically don’t change themes unless it just doesn’t work for what I need, I had always wanted a “magazine” style theme and BreakingNewz offered exactly the features I was looking for and it was free.

Still, for $29.99 the Theme even at cost was a fraction of the cost of Thesis and is a great value for me.

-Justin Germino

Despite the fears and concerns growing about genetically modified food including vegetables, fish, meat and every other consumable material that is sold in grocery stores and restaurants we continue to see more modified food hit our stores and tables.

The simple fact is that humanity is facing a problem of epic proportion which is that food sources currently taken for granted cannot be sustained in the decades to come.  The human population is expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050 and there simply will not be enough land to raise enough cattle to supply meat, there won’t be enough fish in the ocean left to catch to use as feed.  Even planting and farming is not sustainable without doing something drastic like multi-leveled agriculture where literally you build farms vertically stacking them on top of each other into the sky rather than spread out on a flat horizontal field.

Genetic modification of food is a necessity not an option in order to make sure we can grow plants, fish and other food sources that are faster, more resistant to pests and illness and require less resources.  It is genetic modification of corn, wheat and rice that will end world hunger some day.

It is true that planted food (including farming) wastes less resources and takes up less "space" than raising livestock.  Human beings however are omnivores by genetic design, I don’t think you can exist from baby to adulthood without having some degree of meat in your diet.  Though I think fish will suffice and you don’t have to have beef, pork or chicken.

Companies are trying out genetic modification of foods as quickly as they can figure out the methods because they are trying to one up each other in solving these needs and problems.  I think the science is being applied without safety guidelines or even appropriate tests developed to ensure that there are no harmful side effects.  There just simply isn’t enough funding put into the FDA and not enough independent testing to ensure all of the food hitting the market is safe anymore.  The fact that it takes decades of consuming or drinking food to show "trends" in the masses that may indicate problems makes it even more difficult to rule out what shouldn’t be eaten.

It doesn’t take much to realize that people are wrong too, I mean when I was a kid all I read about was how unhealthy eggs were for you.  My parents would hardly ever let my brother and I eat eggs for breakfast, we were told to eat cereal (ironically we had Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Life, and other cereals occasionally) and this was thought to be healthier than eggs cooked on a pan.  Now decades later there are studies showing that eggs are good for you, that the cholesterol in eggs does not translate to higher cholesterol in people and that eggs contain good fat and quality protein.

Like it or not, modified food is a necessity for the future but how can the proper measures be put in place to ensure it is safe and doesn’t cause tremendous health risks later on?

-Justin Germino

Timber doors are some of the most aesthetically pleasing doors you can have in your home. It is for this reason that a lot of people would rather repair their timber doors than replace them. In this article, we will help you understand the basics when it comes to fixing your timber doors. Since the humidity or heat can adversely affect the wood, there can often be a few problems with a sticking timber door.

How to fix loose screws

If the screws are loose on the timber door (therefore causing it to stick), then there is a method to check if the screws are the culprit. Open the door to about 100mm. Pull and push the door, using your arms, towards the door hinges. If there is any movement on the hinges, then the screws are loose. The usual way to tell if there is a problem is to see  if the paint is cracked. You should fix and tighten the screws to help fix the door. If this becomes an on going problem then you might need to replace the hinges.

How to reverse a swollen door

A swelling door is often found when there is a lot of humidity and heat. This is one of the reasons that moisture is being exposed to the timber. If there are any unpainted parts or joints, then the moisture can seep through into those. You will need to take off a small area of the affected swollen area. If there are any bare parts on the door, then they need to be primed and then painted. Since you will need to remove the door, to actually work on it, also check that the hinges are working properly.

How to fix paint build up

If your door is sticking because of paint build up, you normally have to remove the door to fix it. Work out how big the build up of the paint is and how extensive the area of contact is between the door and the jamb. If the area is small you just need to use a screwdriver and some sanding block to get rid of the area. If the area is larger and you do not have the right tools, consult a carpentry professional. If you can do it yourself, you need to sand the door, apply primer and then paint it.

Fixing your timber doors should not be difficult if you know what the reason is for the break. Make you know what the problem is before you implement the solution.

Earlier this week I wrote two articles in a series on how to build an Amazon store in WordPress on my technology blog.  This 2 part post series talks about using the Affiliate Easel for Amazon plugin which allows you to insert Amazon Affiliate products in pages, posts or even add entire articles based on Amazon products with simply 1 line of shortcode.

You can add search and default results pages which also all display on your site, so a user will actually search for amazon products yet all the results will always be on your site.  They will only be taken to Amazon.com directly when they actually click to go to purchase the item itself.

For anyone who has ever wanted to know how to incorporate and leverage their Amazon affiliate offering with their WordPress blog I encourage you to read the two part series below:

Build an Amazon Store in WordPress Part 1

Build an Amazon Store in WordPress Part 2

Feedback is always welcome and let me know if you have specific questions or need help.

-Justin Germino

So after watching Nova: Dogs Decoded I admit that I am amazed and much more impressed with the biological and apparently evolutionary connection between humans and canines. In Nova: Dogs Decoded
scientists around the world show how dogs have evolved the ability to read human emotions from visual cues that rival the intelligence level of chimpanzees. Dogs instinctively know to read a human’s face looking at the left side of the face first to determine emotion (apparently only other humans do this). Dogs are also the only animal that almost instinctively understands pointing at an object that a human is conveying for them to look or get that object.

In no other symbiotic relationship in nature dose “pointing” exist and they tried repeatedly to get chimpanzees to understand when humans pointed at something but they were not able to grasp the concept.

One segment of the show was showing when dogs were “domesticated” and how domestication might have occured, and DNA evidence shows domestication starting around 100,000 years ago which conflicts with archaeological research showing domestication starting at only 10-12 thousand years ago. They show amazingly how wild wolves cannot domesticate just by raising pups from 5 days old and that domestication is something that has to be bred into the species.

In the example, they had wild wolves that were raised from cubs alongside dogs, cats and humans and hand feed. At every stage of the wolves life it was simply not even close to being domesticated, it did not ever look at humans faces or eyes for visual cues, had no ability to understand or care for anything other than its own concern for feed and shelter. When the wolf grew big enough that it was becoming a danger to the family and other pets they had to bring it back to the preserve and return it to its pack where it immediately integrated as if it was never raised elsewhere.

The most interesting study was on how over 50 years foxes were bred to be domesticated and it took only about 7 generations of foxes to breed out the aggressive trait and for foxes to become domesticated. Domesticated foxes even changed physical characteristics as part of the selective breeding for domestication. The lead researcher mentioned that a domesticated fox can make an ideal pet having all the individuality and self sufficiency of a cat with the undying loyalty of a dog. I might want one if they become available for the general public!

The science behind why humans and dogs bond so well was analyzed at a hormonal level and the same hormones that a mother releases when breast feeding a baby are released when petting a dog, the same type of hormone releases for the dog while it is being pet as well. This creates strong bonds at a much more familial level which explains why people consider dogs like family members.

If you are a dog lover or have a fascination about dogs and human interaction, I highly recommend you pick up Nova: Dogs Decoded
. I was utterly fascinated and you can also watch it live on Netflix right now where it is streaming.

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-Justin Germino

I often promote that IZEA is among my top companies that pay bloggers to earn money from their blogs and Twitter accounts and I like to backup my claim with some hard proof.  Here is my 2010 1099-MISC from IZEA showing my earnings from SocialSpark, InPostLinks, PayPerPost and SponsoredTweets combined since they are all from the same parent company you get one 1099-MISC which makes it easier when filing your taxes.

$1266.77 for one year from one company may not seem all that much but remember this is but one of more than twenty online companies that I use to make money online and you can read more about them.  If you use say 10 companies and each one gives you an annual 1099 like this then you can easily be making some 12k+ per year from your blogging efforts.  This isn’t bad from a blogging hobby that I spend about 20 hours per week on and this doesn’t even include that I earn at least as much from AdSense and selling advertising space on my blog. 

SocialSpark by far earned me the most for my blogs in both 2009 and 2010 and the average of $15 – $25 payment for a review with a couple of reviews per month kept my income steady and spread out.  The highest quality and biggest name brand advertisers can be found on SocialSpark as well.

So while I don’t make enough money to quit my day job, I have no intention to.  I blog because it brings some extra income to help with bills and to help treat the family and myself to some fun stuff.  I always enjoy taking the kids to the movies and paying for it with blog earnings, or buying a new DVD or video game with my blog earnings.  I have even used my blog earnings for taking my wife out on a date or paying for part of our Las Vegas getaway.

In just over two years I have pretty much reached a point where I earn no less than $200-250 per month blogging and it can only go up from here, this is something I can be proud of.  The best thing is that if I was able to reach this than anybody can, I really don’t consider myself doing anything in the blogosphere that anybody else can’t do.

-Justin Germino

Chipotle is one of my favorite places my wife and I go to eat as of late, and it isn’t uncommon to see us frequent the local Chipotle’s twice a week on some weeks.  Their fresh ingredients and ridiculously delicious guacamole and barbacoa keep me constantly coming back.

So I challenge myself with new burrito creations each time and I always get a barbacoa burrito while switching out and altering the fix-ins.  The fajita peppers with pinto beans and the awesome jasmine rice is a great start, from there I build further by adding pico de gallo, corn, gu0acamole, shredded lettuce and sometimes shredded cheese.  I vary the amounts of each mixture but recently with my fix-ins I reached my largest burrito combo of all time.

This behemoth was so large that the lady assembling this monster couldn’t fold the burrito closed without wrapping it in a 2nd layer of tortilla.

When it was finished we are talking about a monstrous burrito so big, so grand that it stood on its side like a tower.  It had to be eaten from the top down and couldn’t be picked up by human hands!

This my friends was a Chipotle Barbacoa Burrito that would make Adam Richman from Man vs Food proud.

-Justin Germino

For those who waited until the day of Valentines day to decide to get flowers, make a restaurant reservation or do something special I say good luck.  When I called some places weeks ago they had only a few slots open for V-day, I imagine it would be almost impossible to get in at a fancy place if you haven’t made plans weeks in advance.

For those who only do something special on Valentines day, you really are missing the whole point as well.  Waiting one day a year to show your partner how special they are doesn’t have much value if you ignore them the rest of the year.  Appreciation, respect and love should be given often and I don’t mean spending money or breaking the bank, but simple appreciations can mean the world to some people.

This is your chance to try and make up for forgetting other dates, misplacing priorities and working too much or too late and not spending the extra time cozying by a fireplace or curled up to play a board game or watch a movie.  Make a pact to treat your partner to at least 1 special night each month, and Valentines day itself won’t seem like such a momentous thing because at least every month you have a special day that means just as much.

I will be honest and say it was much easier dating my wife before we had kids, now it requires more planning to try and get a date night alone so we can coordinate Grandma to babysit.  That doesn’t mean we still don’t spend time together, and rarely a night goes by that we don’t spend at least 2-3 hours together doing something.  Typically it is watching TV curled up on the couch together which is my idea of the perfect evening…(almost)

PS.  Happy Valentines day to my lovely wife Shona who means everything to me and is the source of all that is right in my world.  This is our 15th Valentines day celebrated together and I would do all 15 years again just to still be here at her side. 

I tend to not like most pre-packaged trail mixes as they mix in candy like M&M’s or yogurt raisins and other "bits" of sugar I tend to not like in a trail mix.  So recently I decided to craft my own trail mix and I created a really good combination with the following.

• 1/2 cup Multi Grain Cheerios
• 2 oz dried cranberries
• 2 oz dried blueberries
• 1/4 cup of walnuts (halves or quarters)
• 2 oz raisins

Toss together in a bowl and eat by the handful it makes a tasty treat.

I could even jazz it up with another 1/4 cup of almonds or sub some ingredients out if you prefer one to another.

-Justin Germino

At some point everyone in their lives has to think about their death and what they want their family or loved ones to do with their remains after the pass on.  The burdening expense of burials being in the tens of thousands when you throw in a fancy coffin can financially overcome some families.  Even cremations can cost a few thousand which is cheap compared to a burial in a coffin but still could be costly.

My wife and I don’t particularly have any religious beliefs in how a body should be laid to rest, we don’t need to waste land by putting our bodies in a permanent coffin in the ground taking up space.  Nor do we feel our ashes should be kept in an urn or scattered.  This is why we made the decision to donate our bodies to science and research purposes.

Biological Resources Center is located in Arizona and Illinois currently and we both signed up for them to handle our bodies after deceased.  At no cost whatsoever should something happen to either my wife or I they will take care of our bodies and use them for scientific purposes.  This will spare my kids from having to pay any costs at all in handling our remains and hopefully the research will help benefit the medical community in some way and it can be a contribution to science as a result of my passing.

The one good thing about the Biological Resource Center in Arizona is that they cremate the bodies and will return them to the families if that is an option and selected as desired by the donor.

Some benefits of the Biological Resource Center is that it offers to their donors and their families:

• No cost for the cremation process

• No cost transportation of the body

• No cost for the completion and filing of the death certificate

• No cost for the dignified urn

• No cost for the return of the urn to the donor’s family

• Return of the donor’s cremated remains within 30 days of the donation

Note, this is isn’t a paid review or testimony, I am just informing my readers that our family has decided that it is worth not spending tens of thousands of dollars for dealing with handling our remains and have opted to donate our bodies to science instead.  This is a personal choice for any family and as someone who believes in scientific research and donation this is one way to help serve the scientific community and save your family money after your passing.

-Justin Germino