Justin Germino Ramblings

As more companies start putting policies in place that they will not hire smokers as an Ohio Hospital did we will start to see a shift and dynamic where people will be forced to quit smoking just to remain employed or be employable in the future. We all know that smoking is bad for ones health, but should an employer have the right to deny employment if you are a smoker?

The answer is really yes from a business perspective.  Smokers typically take more breaks than non-smokers which cuts into productivity time.  Smokers have higher rates of health problems which only aggravates the health care costs and employers have to fit their health care bills in many cases.  If a company employees only non-smoking people it likely will get cost savings from health insurance providers which in turns means lower costs to employee’s for group insurance.  This is in theory, I don’t know if this is actually being done or employed yet but this technically should lead to lower health costs for both employers and employee’s I would think.

The question though remains is that what is next?  Will employers not hire people because they are 50 or more pounds overweight?  (You already see this type of bias in certain industries where image and physical appearance is key).  Will employers not employ people who have questionable lifestyles?  (Again, the more we see social media as a way to connect employees with a company, the more a company must care about how an employee represents himself since you are a representative for your company whether you like it or not).

Bottom line:

Companies and employers will start dictating and adjusting their policies to make sure their employees have the highest chance of not only being productive, but also represent the company in a good way.  There is bias, and there is “discrimination” and the list of items measured and discriminated against will only grow over time.

-Justin Germino

We had a fabulous time staying at The M Resort in Las Vegas and it was nice to be able to stay at a hotel that had the luxury of a strip hotel, but without the crowds and mobs that you typically see on the strip.  The M is a very classy resort and caters to the local residents.  It is located actually in Henderson but is on Las Vegas Blvd about 20 minutes from the actual strip.  The hotel itself is as glamorous as any strip hotel and is just fun to stroll around and take in all the decorations, sights and architecture.

The dining was fantastic, we ate at Marinelli’s italian restaurant on Valentines day where the food was fantastic.  I had a mushroom stuffed ravioli, while my wife had the linguine with clams and white whine sauce, both of us were very pleased with the appetizer, entree though my wife thought the “souffle” was a little average for dessert.

The second evening we dined at Terzetto Steakhouse and here is where the food shined, I decided to try the farm raised Filet Mignon which is actually grown and raised at the Marnell Ranch (this is the family that owns the M Resort) the beef was the most tender I have ever eaten.  I have eaten beef at Flemings, Cork and Cleaver, Ruth’s Chris, Mastro’s among dozens of other steakhouses and let me tell you, the filet mignon was so tender you literally can just tear peaces from it with your fork, it almost didn’t require a knife at all.   I ordered it with a peppercorn sauce, but I wound up liking the meat just the way it was, I opted not to use any sauce at all the flavor was just that good.  My wife enjoyed a twin lobster tail dinner, and we had scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach and sauteed wild mushrooms on the side.  Everything was superb without a single fault or flaw in the meal.  My wife who is a chef was also very impressed with the chocolate souffle (I myself don’t like the light airy texture of souffle).

The staff at the hotel are all very friendly and we had a great time, if I had one complaint about the establishment it would be that I though their pillows were very uncomfortable and very plastic feeling.  They just weren’t soft, too stiff and didn’t conform right when you lay your head on them.  The comforter as well was dense but rather uncomfortable and made so much noise when you manipulated it to get comfortable.  But overall this was a fantastic place to stay and we will be staying at The M Resort in Las Vegas again sometime in the near future.

-Justin Germino

I saw the Iron Man 2 trailer on the weekend and was just totally tripping out on how cool the movie looks. Mickey Rourke looks like a perfect casting for Whiplash and the scene near the end of the trailer where Iron Man is paired with someone in a 2nd suit has me drooling over what is to come.

The incredibly cocky Tony Stark is back!

-Justin Germino

It doesn’t seem like it has been thirteen years since I first took my wife out on Valentines day. I took her to a seafood restaurant called Steamers in Phoenix and I remember back then when we were both so young and had only been together for about eight months the feeling we felt about each other. I had already proposed to her, since I knew she would be the one I would spend the rest of my life with. We had met in 1996 and I proposed in December that same year. On July 4th 2009 we were married and each year I enjoy the little “celebrations” and Valentines Day is no exception.

As a parent of two kids one thing I can tell you for certain is that celebrations and alone time is much more valuable with your partner now that it is so much harder to get. You treasure the alone time much more, as now you are almost constantly battered by the everyday demands that come with having children. So my wife and I will have some alone time together and we actually haven’t been alone on a trip since our cruise in June of 2009, so has been about 3/4 of a year.

Here’s to celebrating my 13th Valentines Day with my wife, and I know she will always be my Valentine.

-Justin Germino

My wife and I had made plans to spend Valentines Day in Las Vegas and we will be staying at The M resort and casino. This really nice resort is off the strip (it is located on Las Vegas Blvd, but further down than the strip) and is much more calm, relaxing and quiet than the strip casino’s. We had visited last time we stayed in Vegas and were very impressed by the whole appearance and feel of the place and decided to book a few days there and spend some alone time without the kids.

I booked a reservation at one of the restaurants which is a surprise to my wife, I won’t tell her which one. We look forward to a weekend of relaxation, gambling and just spending some quality time together. I did have to take a few days off of work since we are leaving on a Sunday and I am returning on Tuesday. My wife had business in Las Vegas and will be staying on until Friday the 19th.

-Justin Germino

Rock Along Productions is hosting a Battle of the Bands show on Saturday March 20th at the Goat Head Saloon in Mesa Arizona.  Local AZ bands will compete to win a grand prize worth over $1200 dollars that includes cash, studio time, a website design, free custom merchandise for the band, free gear from System Custom Drums and more.  If you know someone who is in an Arizona band in any genre of music that is looking to get noticed and win some free stuff that can help their band get promoted and recorded you should encourage them to sign up for Rock Along Productions Battle of the Bands.

The show itself is on Saturday March 20th, but bands need to sign up and register before March 1st which is the deadline.  Registration is only $25 and the bands registration is what is pooled and helps fuel the cash part of the 1st place Prize.  This show will have six judges who are all in the local music community and will judge bands not only on the music performance, but stage presence as well as several other criteria.  You can read about the Contest Rules for the Battle of The Bands contest on Rock Along Productions for more information.

Bands can sign up to enter the Battle of the Bands by using the registration link below and you can contact Rock Along Productions for more information.

Click on poster to enter your band in “Battle of the Bands” show.

Good luck to all the local Arizona bands who enter, only 15 entries are available and there is only 2 1/2 weeks left to register.

-Justin Germino

I am officially going to be a presenter at CAWorld 2010 in May and this will be my 2nd time giving a presentation about the CA SiteMinder product and ways to leverage, implement and configure it in large scale environments. I normally don’t post about my day job on my blogs, but since I am presenting publicly I am inviting anyone who works with CA SiteMinder or attending CA World this May 16th – 20th 2010 to come out and see my presentation titled:

Security & M&A: How to Leverage CA SiteMinder When Merging Large Existing Web Infrastructures

I will be discussing the options and ways to merge IT infrastructures behind a single SiteMinder environment.

You can read about my session track here:
http://www.ca.com/caworld/agendas/SessionDetails.aspx?SessionId=1902

For those who are fans of my personal blog, know that I am still terrified of public speaking and wrote my article about when I was a speaker at CA World back in 2008. I am not as terrified the 2nd time around, and hope to not be as jittery and as much a nervous wreck the weeks before like I eighteen months ago.

-Justin Germino

Popular Science is one of my favorite magazines and I never fail to learn something new in every issue that comes to my house. I learned that in 1952 a woman by the name of Henrietta Lacks contributed some cells taken during a cervical cancer biopsy. These cells reproduce infinitely in a lab and is the first immortal human cell line. The “HeLa” cells as they are called have been used so often that if you combined them they would weigh as much as 100 Empire State buildings and circle the equator three times.

HeLa cells were used to test countless vaccines including the Polio vaccine in 1952, also did you know that a scientist spilled a chemical on a HeLa cell in a lab completely by accident which caused the chromosomes to detangle and spread out. This later led to the discover that humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes not forty eight which was first thought.

HeLa cells were cancerous were discovered to use an enzyme called telomerase which repairs their DNA allowing them and other cancer cells to function normally when other cells would have died. This also leads to immortal cell reproduction where the cells never know when to “cease” reproduction and therefore continue to replicate forever.

Just some science fact if you wanted to know about one of the most important human cell lines in science history.

-Justin Germino

I received my first of two W2’s related to my blogging hobby and it was from Triangle Media which is the company behind PayU2Blog.  Ironically my income from PayU2Blog for 2009 was exactly $777.  Seriously three 7’s, is that some ironic lucky coincidence or what?  But this combined with my IZEA W2 and I should have cleared almost $1800 in 2009 from the two blogging companies combined.  Not enough money to live off of, but it did help me pay for some extra Christmas gifts for the family last year and I am hoping to make some more blog money for such occasions again this year.

I am actually still just amazed that I can just write about whatever I want and have reached enough of an audience and success that companies are hiring and sponsoring me to review, promote or talk about their products.  I mean with the 17+ million blogs online today, to even have your blogs reach that really makes me feel good.  I had a conversation with a friend last month who said that most hobbies drained both time and money, but I quickly corrected him that my hobby may drain time, but at least its a hobby that makes me some money.

-Justin Germino

I was reading a Top Ten list over on Mary’s Madness and decided to join her creative spark and make a top ten list of my own.

Here would be my top ten snack items to eat while watching TV (I rotate through these quite frequently)

#1 – Pepperoni, Cheese and Crackers

This is a staple of mine, and I can’t help but eat sliced pepperoni, aged Swiss with some butter crackers or toasted whole wheat ones. Yep, I am going to die of a heart attack when I am forty probably, but this is one snack I can’t deny myself every once and a while.

#2 – Pretzels

I rotate between pretzel rods, twists, sour dough, mini’s and even Goldfish pretzels which are really good and buttery. Makes you drink a lot more while eating them though.

#3 – Cheerios

Ironic that my first two items are so unhealthy and my third isn’t so bad for you. I like just eating dry handfuls of Cheerios or multi grain cheerios, both make a good snack and healthier than Chex mix.

#4 – Frozen Pizza

I won’t lie, more than a few times my wife and I will pop a frozen pizza in the oven at 9pm and eat it as a snack during a late night movie or TV show marathon.

#5 – Grapes or Raisins

I love eating red grapes, or midnight grapes and often will just pick and plop handfuls while watching TV or a show. Again this is one of the few healthy snacks on my list.

#6 – Cheez-it Party Mix

Something about this particular party mix makes it taste so good, the fact that it has Cheez-its plus those little crunchy bagel bite thingies, and the saltiness and sweet combined with the cheddar always makes me crave this one.

#7 – Kettle Corn

I love popped Kettle Corn and there are a few good brands out there that are microwavable. I like the sweet taste of kettle korn more than the buttery taste of regular popcorn. I even like the light 100 calorie packs so this makes it a not to unhealthy snack.

#8 – Bowl of Cereal

My wife is a huge fan of eating a bowl of Fiber One or another cereal sometimes during a snack. I myself am lactose intolerant but have on more than one occasion enjoyed a bowl of cereal with soy milk (which tastes great by the way). This is another not so unhealthy option if you choose a healthy cereal, a bowl of Lucky Charms not so much.

#9 – Potato Chips

Salt and Vinegar or Cracked Black Pepper, or even Mesquite BBQ. Sometimes nothing takes the place of some potato chips while watching a movie or show.

#10 – Taco Bell

Since having kids we don’t do nearly as many Taco Bell runs at night as we used to after the go to sleep. We used to just pick up a couple of burrito’s or Nachos Bellgrande at like 9pm and chow down during a movie occasionally.

Now, don’t think I go through this list every night. I only have a snack at night maybe two or three times a week and more often than not it is one of the healthier choices, but everything in moderation and you won’t do too much damage on your body and still enjoy the pleasure of eating some junk food 🙂

-Justin Germino