Mid-Life MBA: The Art of Business

Global Foot Print Network, as featured in an MSNBC news article today, predicts that the consumptive-industrial “overshoot” of the earth’s capacity to produce resources is at a critical point.

“Humanity is living off its ecological credit card,” said Mathis Wackernagel, head of the Global Footprint Network. “While this can be done for a short while, overshoot ultimately leads to liquidation of the planet’s ecological assets, and the depletion of resources, such as the forests, oceans and agricultural land upon which our economy depends.”

“On current projections, humanity will be using two planets’ worth of natural resources by 2050 — if those resources have not run out by then,” they say.  ”People are turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources.”

If this estimate is data-based and more than exageration for the sake of a point, we have a very, forward-leading indicator of coming crisis for our present economic model.  This is to say that capitalism, though not extinguished, will be increasingly pressed into the service of clean and sustainable technologies.  After IT, coul eco-business be the coming boom?

While the running of the bulls in Pamplona occurs in July, the American bulls often begin their state-side run each November. 

With the DOW up .95% at the close of today we may just be in for a terrific end of year rally.  Yahoo finance reports that over 70% of the 150 S & P 500 companies reporting end of quarter earnings have reported in the double digits.  Today’s shining star was WalMart, up 3.7% after its announcement that it will significantly trim back capital expenditures.

For a while I’d called this blog “Conservative Outpost,” and then I second guessed my audience. 

At work one day I had a discussion with some of my employees about the differences between Canadian politics (I’m a Canadian expat) and American.  The concensus was that even a highly conservative Canadian would be considered liberal in the USA.  This sort of loosey-goosiness with terms compelled me to avoid either one.

Since I’m fifty years old and just over half way through a part time MBA I decided to simply call this blog “mid-life MBA.”

I’m just past the half way point in both my current course and in the 4 year, part-time, distance, MBA program that I’ve been taking through Colorado State University.

Is it a good program?  I’d say that it’s all that I need but, then again, it’s all that I know when it comes to MBAs.  My other graduate degree is theological in nature, an M.Div that I completed at a large, Baptist school in the early 90s.  In comparison, I do miss the face to face interaction of the classroom but the tradeoff, for the sake of time and convenience, is worth it to me right now.

Colorado State’s program is based on a web client for class interaction, submission of assignments, exams, and distribution of materials as well as a textbook and a weekly DVD recording of the most recent class.  DVDs arrive within five days of the class for distance students but distance assignments are due a week later than for on campus students.

Is it credible?  While not a top 25 school, Colorado State is a major, top tier, research university and the program is AACSB accredited.  For someone seeking either personal growth or advancement within their field, it’s perfect!