Today is the 6 year anniversary of my marriage. I thank God every day for my wife, and all the ways she blesses and love me.
John Schultz: May 2005 Archives
As some of you know, I've spent close to the last two years on an MBA program at UMUC.
Our last seminar is management strategy, and our capstone project is to develop a business plan for a civil engineering company (the Louis Berger Group) to expand to Libya.
We complete the program on June 18th, with a presention of a capstone project to the faculty and corporate sponsors.
I haven't written about the program much because I spend so much time doing school work I have no interest in blogging about it. Until today.
One of our professors gave us a little nugget I thought of today. He said that strategy decisions should be made to give a company a sustainable competitive advantage. If Beer Company A thinks they can spank Beer Company B by dropping their price, they are wrong. Beer Company B can drop their price and both companies can live with lower profits. The price drop doesn't provide a competitive advantage - it's actually a pretty boneheaded move.
I saw a Subway commercial today - they are now offering to toast your sub. Toasted or untoasted, just let them know.
So what will Quizno's do? No more "Mmmm, toasty!" commercials. Because there's no longer a competitive advantage with the "toasty" line. They might have to try tasty. Or more nutritious. But toasty is won't fly anymore.
I'm reminded by my business partner at our Web development and search engine marketing company that as of tomorow, there are only 100 days until Ohio State starts playing football again.
Maestro hopes to tap musical treasures at Vatican Library
PORTLAND, Maine — Toshiyuki Shimada wanted something exciting to do when he leaves his job as conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He thinks he has found it in the role of a real-life Indiana Jones searching for musical treasures.A licensing deal gives the mild-mannered maestro and newly minted Yale University professor access to the Roman Catholic Church´s Vatican Library, allowing him to produce musical CDs based on its treasure trove of manuscripts and prints.
How much you want to bet someone from OCP tries to sneak a yellowed, coffee-stained "On Eagles Wings" into the Vatican Library. "It says it was written by Michaelus Joncasus! It must be authentic!"
The more I hear about B16, the happier I am.
Pope Benedict Without His Beloved Piano as Movers Struggle to Fit It Into His New Quarters
"ROME — Pope Benedict XVI, a fan of Mozart and Bach, is still without his piano as movers have been unable to fit it through the windows of his papal apartment, it was reported Wednesday...
Ratzinger, who apparently uses the piano to relax at times of stress, reportedly used to irk his neighbours by playing Mozart, Bach and Palestrina a little too loudly, according to German weekly Der Spiegel."
That's what we need: a Pope who plays Palestrina a little too loudly.
Limits on sales of wine rejected
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday made it easier for consumers to buy wine directly from out-of-state wineries with a ruling that struck down state restrictions on the sales.
What's exciting about the final Star Wars movie?
If you ask my wife, it's the dark chocolate M&Ms.
People think Death Stars are scary... how about this deconstruction by Dale Peck in the NY Post. Just rearrange some letters in "SITH" and you'll know what he thinks of it.
Come, Holy Spirit, and send down from heaven the ray of your light.
Come, father of the poor, come, giver of gifts, come, light of the hearts.
Best consoler, sweet host of the soul, sweet refresher.
Rest in work, cooling in heat, comfort in crying.
Oh most blessed light, fill the innermost hearts of your faithful.
Without your power nothing is in man, nothing innocent.
Clean what is dirty, water what is dry, heal what is wounded.
Bend what is rigid, heat what is cold, lead what has gone astray.
Grant to your faithful who trust in you, your sevenfold holy gift.
Grant us the reward of virtue, grant us final salvation, grant us eternal joy.
The title is no joke, but you might laugh at the connection: I'm looking for a book on doing business in Libya for my final MBA class.
Title: Libya Customs, Trade Regulations And Procedures Handbook
Publisher: Intl Business Pubns USA
ISBN: 0739755471
Amazon says it can't ship until July. If I can't get it in the next week or so, I won't be able to use it.
Who feels lucky and can try to find me a copy, either at a DC-area library or online for quick sale? Don't say Library of Congress, as I'll have to take a day off to go down there...
Jesus Christ Can't Get Driver's License
But he has an attorney so everything should work out ok.
...when a big corporation starts talking about its legislative agenda.
Can you guess which exec said this?
"After looking at the question from a diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda"
Not, it wasn't Ben or Jerry from Ben-n-Jerry's.
It was Steve Ballmer from Microsoft.
He announced some Windows XP upgrades as well:
Microsoft's Desktop Enhancer - takes all your unused shortcuts on your desktop to Nordstrom for a makeover and a couple of new outfits.
MS Disco - Combination disk utility and dance music organizer.
Microsoft Bob - He's back. And this time he redecorated. It's kind of retro...
Has this got some Sox fans happy?
Last night we had a tough rehearsal. We were polishing up the Palestrina "O Rex Gloriae" for this Sunday and working on the Victoria "Veni Sancte Spiritus" for double choir.
I was missing 6 out of the 7 basses I had so I moved the lone bass up to the front row where I could sing his part along with him. A straggler from the bass section finally arrived 45 minutes into rehearsal, and I said, "Come on down! You're the next contestant on 'The Notes are Wrong!'"
You'd think the NYT was slamming the US Military in Iraq.
But it turns out, it's arch-terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi complaining about Al Qaeda.
I bet the food is terrible, too.
