Here is their twitter bio:

Great Fusion Foods! Best Bulgogi Gyro in the world!! We dare anyone to try our Suicide Jumbo Wings!!Don’t miss out on one of life’s great pleasures.

Since the bio said they had the “Best Bulgogi Gyro” and then they dared us to try the suicide wings, we did just that.

The Bulgogi Gyro

This gyro was simply delicious. It looked so good that we forgot to take a picture, but thanks to Brian we have one here to share.

The Suicide Wings

These wings are not for the faint of heart. If you cannot handle hot (and I mean HOT), do NOT order these wings. To me, they are delicious. I cannot wait to have them again.

The suicide wings are on the left and spicy garlic on the right.

Spicy Pad Thai

In addition to the other items, we also had the Spicy Pad Thai. Unlike other places, Foodies actually makes food spicy (which I love).

Foodies does not have a website yet, but you can find out more about this place on UrbanSpoon. I highly recommend this place and I hope you enjoy!

Have you ever created a parent page simply to organize data? I am sure most of us have. For those of you that have not, here is an example. You manage a baseball team and you have a parent page named ‘Team Members’ with positions as the child pages. You then go a step further and organize the players by position; thus, creating grand-child pages. This is obviously an effective method of organizing players.

Remember that parent page? What information goes on it? Why not a list of all the team members? As a good idea as this sounds, most individuals would simply hardcode the team members onto the page. This poses an obvious problem. Each time the player list or position changes, you have to update the page.

A much better solution is to have the pages populate when changes are made. This can easily be achieved with php, but requires either a modification of a template file or a shortcode. As hard as it is for me to say this, the latter is the better choice.

The Shortcode

Now that the decision is made, let’s create the shortcode.

//Add a shortcode for listing child pages of a parent page
function list_pages_shortcode( $atts ) {
	// Basic shortcode markup
	extract( shortcode_atts( array(
		'post_parent' => false,
		'title' => '',
	), $atts ) );

	//If the post parent attribute isn't specified, use the current post's ID
	if ( ! $post_parent ) {
	global $post;
		if ( is_object( $post ) ) {
			$post_parent = $post->ID;
		} else {
			return false;
		}
	}

	//Build the arguments - we want the child of the post_parent
	$args = array(
		'depth'		   => 3,
		'child_of'     => $post_parent,
		'title_li'     => $title,
		'echo'         => 0,
		'sort_column'  => 'menu_order, post_title'
		);

	// if there is no title lets barf up the wordpress pages instead
	if ( empty( $title ) ) {
		return "<ul>" . wp_list_pages( $args ) . "</ul>";
	} else {
		return wp_list_pages( $args );
	}
}
add_shortcode( 'list_subpages', 'list_pages_shortcode' );

Once you have added this to your theme, simply add the following shortcode to the page where you want to list its subpages.

[list_subpages]

Code Explained

Well actually, I am not going to get into detail over the actual code; however, there is a parameter you can pass within the shortcode itself.

Let’s say you want to list subpages of a particular page that is not the parent page. You can do this like so by adding that page’s ID to the shortcode. Here is an example.

[list_subpages post_parent="3"]

This allows you to list a page and its subpages on any page or post.

I hope you find this shortcode useful. Fell free to expand as needed.

This will only work with post-types with a hierarchal structure

I did all the normal things: rest, medicate, rest, sweat, bathe, et cetera. However, these things did little to restore my energy. It was energy that I lacked the most during this illness. Often times I would stand for a mere half hour and suddenly feel as if I was going to faint. I spent most of my days laying in bed. Too tired to type, yet too rustled to sleep.

Good thing I had Netflix and Hulu.

What is even more important is the food I ate. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats (pretty much the normal meal for me). In addition to all of this, there is a special remedy that my wife introduced to me when we first met: Ginger Tea.

No, not that powder stuff you buy at the store. Real ginger tea. Freshly chopped ginger slowly simmered over low heat with just a tiny bit of honey soothes all the woes of sickness.

If you do not know how to make fresh ginger tea, the recipe is quite simple.

What you need:

• A couple large pieces of ginger.
• Honey

What to do:

1. Peel the ginger as if it were a potato.
2. Chop the ginger into thin slices.
3. Put the slices into a medium size pot (depending on the amount of ginger).
4. Fill the pot with water (leave about an inch of room).
5. Let the water simmer on low to medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and spoon into a mug
7. Add honey to taste and enjoy!

That’s pretty much it. Hope you enjoy your ginger tea!

Should Gravity Forms rename it's Add-Ons to Extensions? Which term do you prefer?

— Carl Hancock (@carlhancock) January 24, 2012

Although my first thought was whether or not he was charging for the item, I started to think more about what it meant then names extension and add-on mean to me. As a marketer, my thoughts quickly shifted to an actual physical product and how it relates extensions and add-ons.

Physical Product Comparison

For our example, let’s use the various models of a Honda Civic Coupe. The Civic starts at its very base as the DX model. This model includes all the basic feature of a modern automobile (air bags, ABS, tire pressure monitors, et cetera). A step up from the DX model is the LX model which extends upon the features of the DX model by providing extra options (USB Audio Interface, Air Conditioning with Air-Filtration System, et cetera) included within the core features of that model.

The Civic goes even further to provide two more models (EX & EX-L) which extend more upon the base model (DX) by providing even more options within its core. So, in my opinion, extensions are found within the core product and add value that most customers are willing to pay extra for if they desire those feature.

In contrast, add-ons are features not included within the core product. Expanding on our above example, one can easily find add-ons for the Honda Civic. These add-ons can be provided by the core company (Honda), or by external companies. For example, just think of all the accessories (body kits, stylish hoods, nitrous, et cetera) that one can purchase and add-on to the Civic. These add-ons not only change the value of the car, but can also give it better performance and style.

Relation to Digital Products

How does all this relate to digital products like WordPress themes or plugins? After all, physical and digital products are not one and the same. However, the promotion and features of physical and digital products can be comparable. Expanding on out above example of the Civic, let’s say we have a digital product and included in the product are various features that not every customer will find useful. Features that could possibly be considered extensions, as long as they are included within the core product.

If something is not going to be included within the core product, it should be considered an add-on. Why? Because it requires some extra work or activation by the consumer. In essence, the user is required to make and additional (add-on) effort to use the product.

Conclusion

To sum up, an extension is something within the core product (even if there are several models of the product) and an add-on is something that requires and additional effort from the customer in order to use. Although these thoughts are merely opinions, this is how I view the use of extensions and add-ons work in the digital realm. I am sure that everyone has a different opinion and I am anxious to hear yours.

Finding Related Posts

There are a few different ways to compare and relate posts within WordPress. The most efficient way is to use tags or custom taxonomies for custom post types (if you are using them correctly). We do this by finding the tags in the current post, comparing those with posts that using the same tags and listing those posts.

Enough with the small talk, let’s get started.

Where to add the code

We are going to add this code within the footer of the article for single posts. If you are using the twentyeleven theme, the file is content-single.php and the syntax should look like this:

<article class="post hentry">
	<header class="entry-header">
		<!-- your header -->
	</header>
	<div class="entry-content">
		<!-- your content -->
	</div>
	<footer class="entry-meta">
		<!-- ADD THE CODE HERE -->
	</footer>
</article>

Once you’ve decided on the location for your related posts, we need to open up the code first by checking to see if we are on the an actual posts page. We do so by checking the post type.

if ( 'post' == get_post_type() ) {

}

You don’t necessarily need to do this, but I use my content-single.php for different post types, so I like to check. Now we are ready to start with the fun stuff.

Finding the Tags or Taxonomies

For for post tags, we are going to use the standard wp_get_post_tags() function in conjunction with the post ID. For custom post types and taxonomies, you will need to use the wp_get_post_terms() function, but more on that later.

if ( 'post' == get_post_type() ) {
	$taxs = wp_get_post_tags( $post->ID );
}

Checking if Tags Exist and Listing those Tags in an Array

Once we have some tags, we need to first check if they exist and then break them out in an array. We do this by opening an if statement and then an empty array. Once we have the empty array, we will find each individual term and list it within the array. The addition to this code does just that:

if ( 'post' == get_post_type() ) {
	$taxs = wp_get_post_tags( $post->ID );
	if ( $taxs ) {
		$tax_ids = array();
		foreach( $taxs as $individual_tax ) $tax_ids[] = $individual_tax->term_id;
	}
}

Creating a New Query

Now that we have the information we need in an array that we can pass through a query, we can create a query that pulls related posts based on similar tags. I assume that you are familiar with the query and this next part should make perfect sense:

if ( 'post' == get_post_type() ) {
	$taxs = wp_get_post_tags( $post->ID );
	if ( $taxs ) {
		$tax_ids = array();
		foreach( $taxs as $individual_tax ) $tax_ids[] = $individual_tax->term_id;

		$args = array(
			'tag__in'	 			=> $tax_ids,
			'post__not_in' 			=> array( $post->ID ),
			'showposts'				=> 5,
			'ignore_sticky_posts'	=> 1
		);

		$my_query = new wp_query( $args );

	}
}

Essentially we are calling for posts with certain tags, excluding current post, showing five posts and ignoring sticky posts.

Listing the Content

No that we have our new query, we can list our results quite easily.

if ( 'post' == get_post_type() ) {
	$taxs = wp_get_post_tags( $post->ID );
	if ( $taxs ) {
		$tax_ids = array();
		foreach( $taxs as $individual_tax ) $tax_ids[] = $individual_tax->term_id;

		$args = array(
			'tag__in'	 			=> $tax_ids,
			'post__not_in' 			=> array( $post->ID ),
			'showposts'				=> 5,
			'ignore_sticky_posts'	=> 1
		);

		$my_query = new wp_query( $args );

		if( $my_query->have_posts() ) {

			echo '<ul>';

			while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) :
				$my_query->the_post();

				echo '<li><a href="' . the_permalink() . '" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to ' . the_title_attribute() . '">' . the_title() . ' </a></li>';

			endwhile;

			echo '</ul>';

		}

		wp_reset_query();

	}
}

Of course we need to reset the query when we are done.

Wrap Up

Using the above example code, you should be able to create your own related posts and not have to worry about using other plugins any longer. Here is what this looks like in action (with some styles applied).

Using Custom Taxonomies

Remember when I mentioned using custom post types and custom taxonomies? You can do the same here, but you’ll need to change a few elements. For instance, you will need to check which custom post type you are using and get the proper terms. You can do this by changing 'post' == get_post_type() to 'your_post_type' == get_post_type() and wp_get_post_tags( $post->ID ) to wp_get_post_terms( $post->ID, 'your_custom_taxonomy' ). In addition, you will need to modify the $args of the query. Your new query should look something like this:

$args = array(
	'tax_query' => array(
		array(
			'taxonomy'  => 'your_custom_taxonomy',
			'terms' 	=> $tax_ids,
			'operator'  => 'IN'
		)
	),
	'post__not_in' 			=> array( $post->ID ),
	'posts_per_page' 		=> 3,
	'ignore_sticky_posts' 	=> 1
);

This will output your new results for your custom post types.

Do you use a plugin for finding related posts? Do you think there is a better method for finding related posts? I am anxious to hear your thoughts.

Based on the location and look of the restaurant, one could easily assume that the restaurant is expensive; however, some of the best items on the menu cost you less than $10. Enough talk, I’ll let the pictures do the rest.

Cheeseburger ($8)

Fresh ground tenderloin, monterey jack and cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a hosted house bun.

Mustard Crusted Pork Chop ($10)

Center cut pork chop, hardwood grilled and topped with sweet onion-apple compote. Served with redskin mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Redrock Sunday Feature – Quesadillas ($10)

Just like any other person, I enjoy spending time with friends sharing stories (and drinks). Even though we (my wife and I) may say we are leaving early, most of the time we end up staying late. This is fine for me, but my wife has a difficult time falling asleep and like to go for a walk on Sunday morning.

Nevertheless, we do get up in the morning and go for a (groggy) walk. Almost every time we end up grabbing a small bowl of noodles from a Phó restaurant near by and I would like to say that nothing beats a hot beef noodle soup after a late night of dancing.

From the small slivers of steak to the fresh cut jalapeños, every bite sends a smooth awakening through my body. I can easily say that the walk home is better than the walk to the restaurant.

I love dancing and I love early morning walks with my wife. Adding some beef noodles to the mix just makes both experiences that much better.