tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932442600665675302024-03-19T14:16:35.781-07:00LGOMG!Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-69302238448534067372012-10-11T14:13:00.001-07:002012-10-11T14:13:24.010-07:00Home, Sweet HomeThe way I see it, the fact that I haven't written a blog post in six months can be taken one of two ways: <br />
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1.) My original assessment that the biggest risk to my starting a blog was my proceeding to neglect the blog was spot on.<br />
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-or-<br />
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2.) Things have been so busy/exciting/crazy over the last half year that the blog had to take a back seat.<br />
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Maybe it's a little bit of both?<br />
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Either way, I've made my way back to Cambridge at the conclusion of my internship at Nike and have a full load of MBA classes keeping me busy for the Fall! I had a fantastic time in Portland, but there's nothing quite like the comfort of home. Hanging out with my wife, Karen, wrestling around with Gus, and settling back into the student way of living again has been more than wonderful.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IavRuHfuiDf-6GJ5uL8iNAAf32_3JgaGF7Za7UwelfyaNB7t-7JZSUieDziHRaRGXY2yu1p_Pr8kxbyEAsWWWFmTpX_15IEcHfLI6hROehD7HAVvuD-NWM6Vo7HCbWW-Jzbokbm5EilD/s1600/FzKVv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IavRuHfuiDf-6GJ5uL8iNAAf32_3JgaGF7Za7UwelfyaNB7t-7JZSUieDziHRaRGXY2yu1p_Pr8kxbyEAsWWWFmTpX_15IEcHfLI6hROehD7HAVvuD-NWM6Vo7HCbWW-Jzbokbm5EilD/s320/FzKVv.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory Gus Picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I made the decision to load up my Fall semester with Sloan classes, because there are a few terrific MBA courses which are only offered during the Fall. Industrial Economics with Professor Robert Pindyck (the author of the core Microeconomics book!), for example, is a fantastic, entertaining, fascinating class.</div>
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The downside of going heavy in Sloan, of course, is that I've got two nasty Course 2 (Mechanical Engineering) classes teed up for next Spring. As a graduating LGO who a.) Will have already signed a job offer, and B.) Might possibly be too captivated thinking about starting a real, grown-up life to devote much time to monkeying around with Laplace transforms, that might present a bit of a problem. C'est la vie. </div>
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As busy as things are around here, though, with the Fall semester workload, getting to know the awesome new LGO Class of 2014, full-time job recruiting, and trying to maximize what time we have left in Boston/Cambridge, there's always time to look forward to the future of the LGO program!</div>
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So if you've made it this far into my post, you're still moderately interested, and you're not my mom (Hi, mom.), there's a good chance you're thinking LGO might be the right graduate program for you! If that's the case, you definitely need to check out our LGO Ambassador Day program here at MIT coming up soon on 11/5/12.</div>
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Check out this <a href="http://lgo.mit.edu/news/articles/ambassador_day_2012/ambassador_day_2012.html" target="_blank">link</a> for more details!</div>
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Cheer!</div>
Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-61675278703225976522012-04-04T20:19:00.000-07:002012-04-04T20:19:24.612-07:00International Trekkin'One of the most enjoyable, enriching experiences of the LGO program thus far has been the International Plant Trek from which we just returned this past weekend. In China, we were fortunate to spend a few days visiting our friends in CLGO at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, a Cisco PCBA facility, and the Nike China Logistics Center. The hospitality we received from the CLGOs was absolutely unbelievable, and I feel that because of them, we all had a tremendous Shanghai experience, culminating with a fantastic dinner in the swanky restaurant 900' in the air atop the Pearl Tower.<br />
<br />
Japan was just as enjoyable, as we toured all over the city of Tokyo and visited Sony's world headquarters, as well as the Nissan Leaf assembly line. It was extremely interesting to observe firsthand the similarities and (more importantly) the differences between American and Japanese automobile manufacturing, but that's a conversation for another day!<br />
<br />
I got a new DSLR camera before we left for the trip, and I think I went a little bit trigger happy as a result. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll shut up now and defer to about a half-million words worth of photographs!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/75734612@N07/collections/72157629367833778/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/75734612@N07/collections/72157629367833778/</a><br />
<br />
Cheers!Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-22633330769285133912012-03-21T21:10:00.000-07:002012-03-21T21:10:12.038-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The city of Portland and I have a love/hate relationship.</div><br />
Let's start with the hate.<br />
<br />
Portland is the meteorological equivalent of Mordor.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXSuaV5LSUhRpcIdaiSlXCFeEHU1qrhZ8ecs5AOPWFxaoo0R8QIPrGe7oMWHOWKJo3V5R6_5SvMwFgo-PDQlgiTDDRvPo-4O0YPXWeqDn8NCUBPnYDbv2Ypbph-o-W8HKwY-iylCSIKM6/s1600/Mordor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXSuaV5LSUhRpcIdaiSlXCFeEHU1qrhZ8ecs5AOPWFxaoo0R8QIPrGe7oMWHOWKJo3V5R6_5SvMwFgo-PDQlgiTDDRvPo-4O0YPXWeqDn8NCUBPnYDbv2Ypbph-o-W8HKwY-iylCSIKM6/s320/Mordor1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty nice Portland afternoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It never stops raining. Ever. Which is a real issue when your primary (read: only) mode of transportation is a road bike. As I write this, it's been raining for 96 consecutive hours. To my knowledge, it's only stopped raining this week for about 10 minutes, which conveniently was enough time for it to hail for about 10 minutes.<br />
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Despite my recent investments in some pretty rocking wet weather gear (which includes but is not limited to bike fenders, two rain coats of different thicknesses, neoprene shoe cover booties, and two pairs of gorton's-fisherman-yellow waterproof pants), I show up for work looking somewhere between a drowned rat on a good day and Captain Jack Sparrow on a bad day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ4xMqWH2D0NcovgAcQ5NBoIzBKYcZbwOt0oZnMHnO8Gk2lfMFarG10oXY5TufcqOC_OxodSiWcvqQ1rXe-nFdSPCoP4zIBNMOyRjqSV1wmlfpDYE3upITzT6OKKI9CjD-5cCCAcwuMag/s1600/captain-jack-sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ4xMqWH2D0NcovgAcQ5NBoIzBKYcZbwOt0oZnMHnO8Gk2lfMFarG10oXY5TufcqOC_OxodSiWcvqQ1rXe-nFdSPCoP4zIBNMOyRjqSV1wmlfpDYE3upITzT6OKKI9CjD-5cCCAcwuMag/s320/captain-jack-sparrow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mornin', boss.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArSNIX_00R6Jj3kEphrfu55PSkC7F1_eKOjVLbIxgB7gSp5d1RY90G5dI_FifAPOWHJf9tta7itd_eEFc1I3lYhJ63QCIfsL_q3cI5Lkdt5hB62_oSVukpOVdVHDIafIrqlgGQlO_SgxA/s1600/429737_684188473681_3001563_34064419_180190279_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArSNIX_00R6Jj3kEphrfu55PSkC7F1_eKOjVLbIxgB7gSp5d1RY90G5dI_FifAPOWHJf9tta7itd_eEFc1I3lYhJ63QCIfsL_q3cI5Lkdt5hB62_oSVukpOVdVHDIafIrqlgGQlO_SgxA/s400/429737_684188473681_3001563_34064419_180190279_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wasn't kidding about the Gorton's Fisherman thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The locals - Portlandites, if you will - assure me that the summers here are beautiful, but I just can't be sure if it's beautiful on an <i>absolute</i> scale, or beautiful relative to what they're used to. I figure that when you're used to getting your ass kicked every day, somebody stealing your lunch money three times a week probably seems like a pretty good deal. We'll just have to wait and see. <br />
<br />
But for as sadistic as the weather can be, the people, culture, and geographical beauty of the Portland area make it an awfully enjoyable place to live, albeit wetly. <br />
<br />
The folks here have created a funky, artistic, laid-back environment in which the only thing they love more than brewing delicious hand-crafted beers is drinking their delicious hand-crafted beers. Carlo and I have been checking out some really awesome Portland activities during our time off from Nike - hiking, Trail Blazers NBA games, and drinking delicious hand-crafted beers to name only a few - and there's a seemingly infinite amount out there left to do. <br />
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My wife, Karen, was also in town this past weekend, and we got to indulge in another of the Pacific Northwest's outdoor wonders - skiing on Mt. Hood. For all the trouble the rest of the country's ski resorts are having keeping their mountains under snow, Mt. Hood could maybe even stand to get rid of some. There are feet upon feet upon feet of fresh powder, and another 20" has fallen since Sunday. <br />
<br />
We also explored Hood River, a very cute, very sleepy little town at the base of Hood which boasts (surprise!) some awesome breweries. We had a terrific time and are very much looking forward to her next visit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl4KoV40haSjmaw7RiypcpcV7me2VCi_DWXEiN-lbLNQzCB-HL6U5MZkbTLchbabSOzp6ti8vqAW6BlB7GJxt8n7cm2tUVtDCJgB4-Syas-3Adgvk8bzURT0POrcTsYKdVrMbKsQL9cyD/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl4KoV40haSjmaw7RiypcpcV7me2VCi_DWXEiN-lbLNQzCB-HL6U5MZkbTLchbabSOzp6ti8vqAW6BlB7GJxt8n7cm2tUVtDCJgB4-Syas-3Adgvk8bzURT0POrcTsYKdVrMbKsQL9cyD/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's at least 3,000' of vertical climb behind that cloud!<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zBDw-P2xwFCOMN0h2s7SkRHvIYE4SLBpaU0GbAAFYloRUc8aRYEX3phg9LdQz-35uy4RFH_waju4EFNfeFthXIQmju62n0WZXy9mOvEfFWuReopdaL1xnCe6noAB6M_kAs24J-Remy1y/s1600/karen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zBDw-P2xwFCOMN0h2s7SkRHvIYE4SLBpaU0GbAAFYloRUc8aRYEX3phg9LdQz-35uy4RFH_waju4EFNfeFthXIQmju62n0WZXy9mOvEfFWuReopdaL1xnCe6noAB6M_kAs24J-Remy1y/s320/karen.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen is a ridiculously good skier, which means she spends<br />
a lot of time at the bottom of mountains waiting for me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All things considered, Portland and I are getting along. But just barely. The internship at Nike is going very well, though. With any luck I'll be back soon with more fun stuff to share!<br />
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Cheers.Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-6706346076281026992012-03-06T21:28:00.000-08:002012-03-06T21:28:38.098-08:00Welcome Class of 2014 & Internship NewsWhen I started this blog, I knew I'd have a tough time getting myself to post regularly, but I pledged to do my best to write something every week or two.<br />
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So much for that, huh?<br />
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Alas, here we are - well into March with Spring fast approaching, and there are two big pieces of news in the LGO world:<br />
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1.) Off-cycle internships are underway for the Class of 2013!<br />
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But even more exciting,<br />
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2.) The incoming Class of 2014 should be hearing of their acceptances very soon!<br />
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The Classes of 2012 & 2013 are definitely very excited to welcome the newcomers to the LGO family. I can't believe it's been an entire year since I got the news myself. Man, time flies.<br />
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Since I know far more about my own off-cycle internship situation than any of us know about the Class of 2014 (save maybe the Admissions Committee!), I suppose it makes more sense to discuss that. Carlo Quinonez and I have embarked on the maiden LGO voyages with brand-new partner company Nike. We're both located at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, just a few miles west of Portland.<br />
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I feel insanely fortunate to have been matched with Nike in my particular role, as it's almost like the internship was created just for me. Nike won the licensed apparel contract for the National Football League, and they're launching the full NFL product line this Spring. But here's where it gets awesome from the perspective of a supply chain geek + football nut like me:<br />
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Nike is developing a rapid response supply chain model intended to be capable of fulfilling customer orders for NFL replica jerseys and other apparel in less than a week. The technical and logistical challenges with accomplishing such a feat are immense, when one considers that the traditional model for ordering clothing/apparel goes something like "order what you want six months in advance, get what you ordered six months later shipped via ocean from southeast Asia."<br />
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The NFL doesn't work that way. <br />
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For example, if you had to place orders for the 2011 season six months in advance, you'd probably have gone heavy on Peyton Manning jerseys, right? Makes sense, considering he's been in the Top 5 of jersey sales for about the last hundred years. And just about the time your #18 Manning jerseys were set to arrive, the news on ESPN would have been breaking that Peyton was out for the season with a neck injury. In the blink of an eye, you're sitting on a mountain of inventory that nobody wants.<br />
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On the other side of the coin, you also probably didn't predict that Tim Tebow would become the sensation he did, and you'd be trying to rush expedited orders of #15 Tebow jerseys back to North America, and spending fortunes on airfreight in the process.<br />
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Nike's NFL supply chain will be different from the status quo in a lot of exciting ways; not the least of which being able to receive big NFL news on Sunday and react by having the right products in the stores the following week.<br />
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To avoid droning on even further, I'll stop this post here and resolve to write more soon. I've got a lot of fun things to share about living in Portland and the Pacific northwest. As a teaser, I'll leave you with a photo I took on a hike through a gorge 30 minutes from the city. Gorgeous stuff out here:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7BZiWPtvuA9ocOCnCJFtEqpUYxdafw4tRNKhSy5oUlGUklHx_gzdutUty9KHqNmdrAJ-vEwzmOG8KGgZSo0EpTyLugbw23wf3atK6Cr_dacLN_cqvy4l4Y77RUxW9KQHYUZ90UqCZVDC/s1600/429579_684188633361_3001563_34064422_719104908_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7BZiWPtvuA9ocOCnCJFtEqpUYxdafw4tRNKhSy5oUlGUklHx_gzdutUty9KHqNmdrAJ-vEwzmOG8KGgZSo0EpTyLugbw23wf3atK6Cr_dacLN_cqvy4l4Y77RUxW9KQHYUZ90UqCZVDC/s640/429579_684188633361_3001563_34064422_719104908_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And welcome Class of 2014!Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-10201356451348003412011-11-01T15:12:00.000-07:002011-11-01T15:12:55.584-07:00CMU Operations Case CompetitionAnother fantastic opportunity available to MIT Sloan & LGO students is participating in case competitions. Of specific interest to those of us supply chain/ops-minded folks out there is the annual International Operations Case Competition hosted by my undergrad alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTlfbG6K9a2S3MosnsPnyZZXLrWXGYVdlLoowlhcgLNMqLU06qnvA_8jX4qM86rlJudy2a8FICfRGIVzcZmEf5LlmzmFQG0R39Dah42gmWpRmH4ZBiCclLoGEYhcUxe33FpLEataq6rqD/s1600/case+competition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTlfbG6K9a2S3MosnsPnyZZXLrWXGYVdlLoowlhcgLNMqLU06qnvA_8jX4qM86rlJudy2a8FICfRGIVzcZmEf5LlmzmFQG0R39Dah42gmWpRmH4ZBiCclLoGEYhcUxe33FpLEataq6rqD/s320/case+competition.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The Sloan Operations Club coordinates MIT's participation in the event and recently held open tryouts to select this year's team. About 35 or so students attended, and the field was a nice mix of Sloanies and LGOs. During tryouts, we were all randomly assigned to teams of five, and got three hours to read a case, craft a solution, and develop a slideshow selling our team's ideas. All of the tryout teams did extremely well, and the judges, last year's (winning) MIT team, selected five students to move forward in representing Sloan at the competition this year. Myself as well as FOUR (4!) other LGO's were lucky enough to make the cut!<br />
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We've since been holding weekly practice sessions where we've had additional opportunities to solve cases and develop presentations to hone our skills, and we're very excited to try to bring home the trophy again! We've got big shoes to fill, too - MIT has been victorious in three of the past four years!<br />
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Wish us luck!<br />
Bob<br />
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You can read more about the Carnegie Mellon Case Competition on their <a href="http://tepper.cmu.edu/current-students/current-graduate-students/student-clubs/operations-club/international-case-competition-2010/index.aspx">website.</a>Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-7500036141081684212011-10-21T09:29:00.000-07:002011-10-21T09:29:03.805-07:00Long Time No BlogSo, I admit it. I've been a terrible blogger. For this, I apologize and offer a <strike>pathetic</strike> heartfelt excuse. The last couple of months, both in my personal life and at MIT/Sloan, have been amazingly busy!<br />
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The only decision I think I've ever made that's been better than coming to LGO happened on 8/20/11 when I married my wonderful wife. We had a fantastic celebration with family & friends in the Finger Lakes region of New York, which is absolutely beautiful. We set the date a long time before even knowing where we'd be living at this time of year, so it's amazing how the stars aligned with the wedding falling right into the break between summer and fall semesters!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87Iz966X_56YY8TlAkjylKp_TxeCTUwkZtMlVKuRpn3EPwJtnYRRxyp89-kO-4IfcaPBZJHQEQ54Rzhu-4B2RVBBSYH4HiP7gohAj0fBBH4OKhy099EBVTnp30a1eiKCfA5FCy0k-psjM/s1600/wedding+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87Iz966X_56YY8TlAkjylKp_TxeCTUwkZtMlVKuRpn3EPwJtnYRRxyp89-kO-4IfcaPBZJHQEQ54Rzhu-4B2RVBBSYH4HiP7gohAj0fBBH4OKhy099EBVTnp30a1eiKCfA5FCy0k-psjM/s400/wedding+pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An appropriate summary photograph</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>In what felt like little more than a hot minute after getting back from NY, Sloan Orientation started, and I got to meet my new Class of 2013 MBA classmates - all 400 of them! Orientation week set up some great opportunities to get to know the new recruits, meet and greet with our new Ocean mates, and settle into our core teams. All pretty awesome stuff. Sloan divides the MBA class up into (I think) 7 "Oceans" with which students take all of the core classes. Each Ocean is divided into "core teams," which are smaller groups within the Oceans directly analogous to our summer LGO teams (<3 Bearpack). I happen to be a member of the Caribbean <strike>Sea</strike> Ocean Cranes, as a matter of fact. My new teammates, though very different from the Bearpack, are awesomely diverse (aircraft carrier sailor, anesthesiologist, and Spanish consultant, to name a few) and are super excited to be studying at MIT. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5OmLmFXd9W1t2dp50GNYHhC1n5ppysIbpLi8hoIzHvdZTQlyDsiNXQXgKcIoZVtiNinFX67uA_fQvkh7FkR4OJ9tah2zlnhe6tViVaJHRz1DLepAM3NCaVP2h7M7jBrOYt8fNh2bdYB6/s1600/caribbean_sea_map-11987.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5OmLmFXd9W1t2dp50GNYHhC1n5ppysIbpLi8hoIzHvdZTQlyDsiNXQXgKcIoZVtiNinFX67uA_fQvkh7FkR4OJ9tah2zlnhe6tViVaJHRz1DLepAM3NCaVP2h7M7jBrOYt8fNh2bdYB6/s320/caribbean_sea_map-11987.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not an ocean, unless you're at Sloan. Also, I still can't spell "Caribbean" 99% of the time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>In addition to rocking packed schedules of MBA core, business, and engineering courses this semester, the LGOs have definitely been making time for fun, though. We embarked a few weeks ago on a pretty epic camping trip whose success faced some awfully long odds. We left Cambridge en route to the White Mountains area of New Hampshire after Sloan Team Day on Friday afternoon. If you've never indulged in Boston rush hour, it looks exactly like this:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi5T5pkHi6yOUg6SDjrh4WOyXUpi7evEvU0vnt7H1CXzW6pttz4RpNxEVxKxRQHasRspsnYfWL-gv6haYPlZtg0SWWlPZlRWWzn3l06uoF6y7xwD4A8xzxHNk3kI5vrDiaoplj9cdoAvB/s1600/traffic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi5T5pkHi6yOUg6SDjrh4WOyXUpi7evEvU0vnt7H1CXzW6pttz4RpNxEVxKxRQHasRspsnYfWL-gv6haYPlZtg0SWWlPZlRWWzn3l06uoF6y7xwD4A8xzxHNk3kI5vrDiaoplj9cdoAvB/s320/traffic.png" width="302" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Also, it was pouring rain. And cold. After 3 hours of driving (to go 45 miles), we finally arrived at the park (in the dark) and started to set up camp. For a few minutes, it looked grim. There was mud. There was incessant rain. There was adversity. But LGOs persevere. Within an hour, we had engineered ourselves an awesome shelter, got a roaring fire started, and were set to enjoy a fantastic weekend in the woods, weather be damned.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuxaIyLAf2EK99khNbT2bD3kRm9ogDNd6xAsyCq7AGo00hXrP5Y-La1axVqBAJWI22DKTYjpHsV0L9tJ4Y3bxoPSYANsSClclB-kFvRuRnoEWkNT4seKBQjknUOuSwSBa5MatZnf_737e/s1600/shelter+setup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuxaIyLAf2EK99khNbT2bD3kRm9ogDNd6xAsyCq7AGo00hXrP5Y-La1axVqBAJWI22DKTYjpHsV0L9tJ4Y3bxoPSYANsSClclB-kFvRuRnoEWkNT4seKBQjknUOuSwSBa5MatZnf_737e/s400/shelter+setup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on our shelter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who wants cheese on their burger?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikccQNEEJKDeY_aXE18inRxG9i3VWyKh4s-YFhIJWNwh8boKTzw-ockshTHENaWaGiMETncHVp3s2pEJe9roc58VC871hgnKQeS2DleJAa5Zia5IDkfT35MKkENdFgc4udePOIA7cA3bSq/s1600/rain+or+shine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikccQNEEJKDeY_aXE18inRxG9i3VWyKh4s-YFhIJWNwh8boKTzw-ockshTHENaWaGiMETncHVp3s2pEJe9roc58VC871hgnKQeS2DleJAa5Zia5IDkfT35MKkENdFgc4udePOIA7cA3bSq/s400/rain+or+shine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LGOs Persevere</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZkSi_cO04daDXsjpWqovgablNq5DnBYCaLrtTztIX6R40e2EqTXHAl0WsLZ73racRy9C8CyPHa4rpJiKZyYlvZBE5t-O33zOHCUNm0S4yk6cmVq9PAB5ju-6_gabPQhAd6BU1cCSQ1zu/s1600/camping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZkSi_cO04daDXsjpWqovgablNq5DnBYCaLrtTztIX6R40e2EqTXHAl0WsLZ73racRy9C8CyPHa4rpJiKZyYlvZBE5t-O33zOHCUNm0S4yk6cmVq9PAB5ju-6_gabPQhAd6BU1cCSQ1zu/s400/camping.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much better Saturday weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Finally, we're also busy working on planning the 2011 LGO Ambassador Day & Information Evening. This was the single best MBA/grad-school recruiting event I attended during my application process last year, so we're trying to put on a great event again for this prospectives. If you're considering LGO, this is your best opportunity to see the program, meet faculty/staff/students/alumni, and explore the Boston/Cambridge area. I highly, highly recommend it. (More information can be found <a href="http://lgo-blog.mit.edu/2011/09/lgo-ambassador-day-and-information.html">here</a>.) Hope to see you there!</div><div><br />
</div><div>That's about all for now, though I'll do my best to be back soon.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
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</div>Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-86354003316393833002011-07-26T15:42:00.000-07:002011-07-26T15:42:29.335-07:00Summer learnin', happened so fast.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As we are speeding toward having closed out two full months of our first Summer term, I thought it was high time to get a post out there that actually addresses just how fantastic the LGO experience has been thus far.</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My very last first day of school officially went in the books on 6/1/11. That morning unfolded a lot like how I remember starting a new grade in elementary school felt, right down to my brand new shoes, backpack, and Spiderman lunch box. Actually being at MIT - just physically standing there - felt very surreal, but <i style="font-weight: bold;">very</i> exciting. The ice was quickly broken, and before lunch, it was like 50 strangers had known each other for years. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Around 75% of the summer work at LGO is done in predetermined summer teams. Our first challenge was selecting a team name. We decided to name ourselves after the fiercest possible combination of our undergraduate schools' mascots. We learned that one teammate was a "Bear," and another was from the "Wolf Pack," and so the <b>BearPack</b> was born. Pretty fierce stuff!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodgBIvL9X9Uww1tQ7FDmAapm6GNhNRxD3cVMXfc_aB8MOy1_uMby18vMLu24R8GiLQEXflKtI3yulvdPr_zDdKkrWNFG8QIh746p3VwxBe0p0fSuwSYOQlvl5RUQcUq-57QkbHo71rLVN/s1600/Bearpack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodgBIvL9X9Uww1tQ7FDmAapm6GNhNRxD3cVMXfc_aB8MOy1_uMby18vMLu24R8GiLQEXflKtI3yulvdPr_zDdKkrWNFG8QIh746p3VwxBe0p0fSuwSYOQlvl5RUQcUq-57QkbHo71rLVN/s320/Bearpack.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Meet the BearPack. Grrrr.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As a Carnegie Mellon alumni, I didn't even want to offer up my mascot for the discussion. CMU athletic teams are nicknamed the "Tartans." For you non-Scots out there, "tartan" is the word for the pattern of fabric from which kilts are fashioned. Intimidating, right?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPCAyVRBLVc9HZQyfM5aUCe1fi055EXS__-YxhdV_8S8PIbFcMv80OdeT41n5KchcUhda1IP9itbC6Dg2wmXsIUr0aLq3hcQDgA5ozcB8l4scpu4PZ9a7Fe7figYz9cD74fVuKVTSZouP/s1600/tartan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPCAyVRBLVc9HZQyfM5aUCe1fi055EXS__-YxhdV_8S8PIbFcMv80OdeT41n5KchcUhda1IP9itbC6Dg2wmXsIUr0aLq3hcQDgA5ozcB8l4scpu4PZ9a7Fe7figYz9cD74fVuKVTSZouP/s200/tartan.jpg" width="125" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Tartans. Be Afraid. Be <i>very</i> afraid.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The first week of class is made up of a special module known as "The Universe Within." Topics to be covered include leadership, team building, and super sweet physical challenges. On our third day of class, we participated in the Outward Bound event on Thompson Island in the Boston Harbor. The entire day is devoted to working in teams to solve puzzles and accomplish tasks that one couldn't complete alone. The day concluded with a pretty intense exercise: You suited up in full climbing gear and scaled the sort of vertical obstacle with which even a PhD of Ninja might struggle. As you made your way up the swinging, rickety wooden Everest, an LGO teammate held your life in his/her hands while belaying you from the ground. A gripping exercise in trust, to be sure!</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ewf55LgTo2x5ZISgFSbS9Gx94Kj2zOPb_jFcdtL6Zn4fESjlCJesYP7bVD7nNmNbbV6XSblpEsPm6SZIIOtry1k5CPzgKz2tW112Nlh7sW2KYJA_1eeO1rJIW_6ut43x3wUpVBuAcmGK/s1600/OutwardBoundClimbing" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ewf55LgTo2x5ZISgFSbS9Gx94Kj2zOPb_jFcdtL6Zn4fESjlCJesYP7bVD7nNmNbbV6XSblpEsPm6SZIIOtry1k5CPzgKz2tW112Nlh7sW2KYJA_1eeO1rJIW_6ut43x3wUpVBuAcmGK/s320/OutwardBoundClimbing" width="239" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What the climbing obstacle looked like.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsizYoIqn_txNh6ooKD3Qz-Mm1Cg_WL3qv14BW68cJo_KBBnWdMLYxQrAtTgZp1irBMG4Iv_LHT6SXxUSEVCtfQSa2MHxBpTOGvwSoknlQcnQF22GAXm_5CniL7YrqeNBqqJRWe8HgrkLx/s1600/tower+work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsizYoIqn_txNh6ooKD3Qz-Mm1Cg_WL3qv14BW68cJo_KBBnWdMLYxQrAtTgZp1irBMG4Iv_LHT6SXxUSEVCtfQSa2MHxBpTOGvwSoknlQcnQF22GAXm_5CniL7YrqeNBqqJRWe8HgrkLx/s320/tower+work.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What the climbing obstacle felt like.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">At the conclusion of The Universe Within, the fun really begins with the full summer course schedule. Academic classes have been intellectually demanding and chalk full of things that would have been terrifically useful in countless situations I've experienced at work. If I had a quarter for every time I've thought "Man, I wish I knew this back then," I might not need that generous LGO Fellowship to pay my tuition! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(Disclaimer: If you're reading this, Don. I'm totally kidding. I definitely need that generous LGO Fellowship.) </span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It's seriously <b>that</b> tremendous, though. From calculating production strategies for Scandinavian ski gear manufacturers to passionately debating the merits of opposing leadership models, the actual MIT/LGO/Sloan coursework, faculty, and overall academic experience has been ridiculously enriching. As we push onward, I'm really looking forward to applying the finishing touches to our first LGO summer, as well as meeting the incoming Sloanies over the next several weeks!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Party on, LGO.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-49929706246859633002011-07-18T10:07:00.000-07:002011-07-18T10:07:46.366-07:00If you're going through Hell, keep eating.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UFvxg5p4fnKeHCZEBEGMTiKORmEQK5IJHdIgNKcK44yMbo4E3KEixKabgsSziT3SGoIaKcxEJY8Zf49c3hMGA30rVqcJEIBeNmmZ3-DAK7kL81ZrqdUWQC-eUf-ALhoWKqFodmevLcoN/s1600/hellbone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UFvxg5p4fnKeHCZEBEGMTiKORmEQK5IJHdIgNKcK44yMbo4E3KEixKabgsSziT3SGoIaKcxEJY8Zf49c3hMGA30rVqcJEIBeNmmZ3-DAK7kL81ZrqdUWQC-eUf-ALhoWKqFodmevLcoN/s320/hellbone.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You have been warned.</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meet the Hell Bone. But don't look directly at the Hell Bone. It will melt your retinas. For $3, it can be yours at East Coast Grill in Inman Square; a fair price considering that, as best as I can tell, that yellow sauce on top is plasma specially extracted from the core of the Sun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our paths crossed when, upon hearing of my dinner plans at ECG last Friday night, my LGO '13 buddy Glenn suggested I indulge in one of these. I go through Sriracha like ketchup, so how could I resist?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I ordered it cavalierly, in the fashion of a man who loves his spice. I took the waitress' pitying laughter as a challenge. When it came to the table, I laid into it as if it were a creamsicle. Five, maybe six, seconds passed. I actually started to say, "This Hell Bone thing is no big dea..."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQjAQCCPZHgYf5BpbY44TdHUh4Kke0_T01-WSyindL1Mr19t7CVAT_TMt1fZzQshH_TIqok0szZaKAhvHqrhHWhekoaskxLQBChZMOsvnfOyJ_kCApmT2j_YgZK2HfqSmp8KeAMp9QLxz/s1600/atomic-explosion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQjAQCCPZHgYf5BpbY44TdHUh4Kke0_T01-WSyindL1Mr19t7CVAT_TMt1fZzQshH_TIqok0szZaKAhvHqrhHWhekoaskxLQBChZMOsvnfOyJ_kCApmT2j_YgZK2HfqSmp8KeAMp9QLxz/s320/atomic-explosion.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thermonuclear war.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started sweating like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I literally couldn't speak. Passing air through my mouth just stoked the fire. I sat there in perfect silence. Staring. Hallucinating from the heat. Roller skating with Jesus through the ocean of lava in my mind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was <b><u>awesome</u></b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Definitely check out East Coast Grill if you're ever in Inman Square looking for a bite to eat. It's a terrific spot, and I highly recommend it. Just don't say I didn't warn you... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-23173188903748080012011-07-17T08:10:00.000-07:002011-07-17T08:10:20.301-07:00Beantown BoundOne crisp winter afternoon, the world issued a challenge. It said, "I bet you won't get engaged, plan a wedding, uproot yourselves, move halfway across the country, take on a dual-degree graduate program at one of the most difficult schools in the universe, and get married, all at the same time."<br />
<br />
My internal monologue in response went something like this:<br />
Excitable Part of Brain: "Challenge accepted."<br />
Rational Part of Brain: "You sure about this, big fella?"<br />
Excitable Part of Brain: "Shut up, and start packing."<br />
<br />
And so we were off.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDuiGKyVcMMX5pACowWY8mprf4QDdqIeRBYeCrofO6nmLnWb-kc-LKouKKIvrTf6ZLLUEZRi0ZDRgtBYgV7pIIlTStZa2yGeMtI-v61eyctEb71XC_LDNId5z8M7JvvcqkZe-7BPzV1sc/s1600/rosenfield_donald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDuiGKyVcMMX5pACowWY8mprf4QDdqIeRBYeCrofO6nmLnWb-kc-LKouKKIvrTf6ZLLUEZRi0ZDRgtBYgV7pIIlTStZa2yGeMtI-v61eyctEb71XC_LDNId5z8M7JvvcqkZe-7BPzV1sc/s200/rosenfield_donald.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">One 2-minute phone call from this guy (Don Rosenfield, LGO Director). </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Life changed forever.</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Moving sucks. There's no way around it. However, moving is more palatable when the light at the end of the tunnel is accepting a fellowship at MIT/Sloan. Karen and I must have repeated this to ourselves at least a thousand times while we were packing up everything we owned, quitting our cushy jobs, and leaving our friends/family for a city in which we knew not a soul. It really is scary, but nothing in life worth doing is easy, right?<br />
<br />
Our moving priorities stacked up something like this: 1.) Find a place, 2.) Find Karen a job, 3.) Everything else. Honestly, it all went much more smoothly than I think we could have ever hoped. During the LGO Open House, which is an extremely helpful weekend for admitted students, we had tons of opportunities to explore the Boston/Cambridge real estate market and network for jobs for significant others (SOs in MIT parlance). <br />
<br />
Because of our dog, Gus, we ended up breaking down, venturing into the 8th circle of hell (where the Boston rental agents live), and hiring help to track down a place. When you move to Boston with a dog, you'll find that if at any given time there are 15,000 available places that you like, approximately 4 of them will allow you to have a pet. Of those, 2 will allow that pet to be in excess of 6lbs. A basic rule of thumb I'd suggest is that if you've ever accidentally sucked your dog up into your vacuum cleaner, you won't have a problem securing housing. Otherwise, give in, pay the egregious fees the agents charge, and let them do the legwork to find you an apartment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS61YOel_cmbVkYxM652ZLansDarXNM8nabEP3moQy2Xl9xEQK0uHhyt9FweaE5NQC9xTSOpTs4kuNnR2DsfcYuV7EiYzQbRY-kZbT90yT49axEjDNwsx4hFLN1Ucqf3tK7VqAczoESf94/s1600/Gus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS61YOel_cmbVkYxM652ZLansDarXNM8nabEP3moQy2Xl9xEQK0uHhyt9FweaE5NQC9xTSOpTs4kuNnR2DsfcYuV7EiYzQbRY-kZbT90yT49axEjDNwsx4hFLN1Ucqf3tK7VqAczoESf94/s200/Gus.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Uhhhh... Yeah, sure, he's small... ish."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>By the time May rolled around, we had signed a lease on a great place near Harvard Square in Cambridge, and Karen had networked/interviewed her way to 2 or 3 fantastic job offers; a feat I still find to be quite impressive, given the hiring climate out there. We were finally ready to head off to Beantown, MIT, and what I hoped would be the experience of a lifetime.<br />
<br />
A few parting thoughts on moving:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Don't ever (ever) rely on Budget Truck Rental. For anything. Ever. The morning I was scheduled to leave Pittsburgh, I get a call from Budget at 8:30AM that went something like this, "Duhhh... We don't have a truck here for you. Sorry. Here's a 1-800 number for somebody that can maybe help, but they don't open until 10AM." Thanks, Budget. That's not stressful at all. They made me call three different 1-800 numbers throughout the course of the morning, sent me to a truck depot 45 minutes out of my way (where it turns out there was no truck), and ultimately informed me that there existed not a single available vehicle within 150 miles. Maybe I could just *wish* my belongings to Boston? Anyway, one quick phone call to Penske had me sitting in a big, gassed-up truck within an hour. After this experience, I'll be a Penske customer for life. In fact, after LGO, I may pursue employment at Penske if for no other reason than to utilize my newly honed MIT Sloan MBA skills to help bury Budget Truck Rental.</li>
</ul><ul><li>About a week before we left Pittsburgh for good, some of my closest friends took me on a bachelor party/golf trip to Phoenix, AZ. This was an amazing experience, afforded me one last hoorah with some of the best friends a guy could ask for, and sent me off to Boston with a nice warm/fuzzy. Thanks again, guys. See you all at the wedding this August!</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQ9qZvYiqgp4fVxlRm3IqPXQYaIb7DOuQymbUaZZZvFrd7-4llyknX3Bx80mPXNtGas-o4_Bl3OxN_dMnuo2k-6Vb2FXirQTKtk5hekIrmS6yFAN8PTSLPcLilOMfbeDtUwcZyHlVeHCh/s1600/Tom+Cactus" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQ9qZvYiqgp4fVxlRm3IqPXQYaIb7DOuQymbUaZZZvFrd7-4llyknX3Bx80mPXNtGas-o4_Bl3OxN_dMnuo2k-6Vb2FXirQTKtk5hekIrmS6yFAN8PTSLPcLilOMfbeDtUwcZyHlVeHCh/s200/Tom+Cactus" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend, Tom, and a ridiculously huge cactus.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I apologize for the length of this post. I'm going to make an effort to keep them shorter in the future. I guess I just had a lot to say about moving.<br />
<br />
Cheers!<br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793244260066567530.post-88370239912602327382011-07-15T16:10:00.000-07:002011-07-15T16:10:32.568-07:00A Quick IntroductionSalutations, friend. My name is Bob Giacomantonio, and I'm a student in the class of 2013 at the MIT Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program. A few of my classmates have decided to blog about their adventures at MIT/Boston, and I thought it might be great motivation for me to get better at two of my life's most fundamental and elusive struggles: 1.) take pictures of stuff, and 2.) write stuff down. So here goes nothing.<br />
<br />
My road to MIT/LGO has been a bit unique, as I seem to be the only one in my class of 50 that grew up milking cows for a living. (It's ok. I was shocked, too.) I'm originally from Pittsburgh, PA and did my undergrad at Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 2006 with degrees in Mechanical Engineering & Biomedical Engineering. I'm living in Harvard Square with my lovely fiancee, Karen, and our dog/maniac, Gus. It's awesome.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7_b5aKsrarHgQAtMMLTqRtsV3qad7nkxuhtl1f_xUG9Hh-vQqyRdOciOnHodpNa2lFyZldTtJAH358LRqFY1PSFBYoeZtX74ibODIPY6lLm2c7cUNnRe40E9BMXxvdYPDAVm8pL4Spak/s1600/Karen+%2526+Gus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7_b5aKsrarHgQAtMMLTqRtsV3qad7nkxuhtl1f_xUG9Hh-vQqyRdOciOnHodpNa2lFyZldTtJAH358LRqFY1PSFBYoeZtX74ibODIPY6lLm2c7cUNnRe40E9BMXxvdYPDAVm8pL4Spak/s320/Karen+%2526+Gus.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen, the Gusman, and Boston's beautiful skyline<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In my free time, I love golfing, biking, camping, fishing, and generally being outdoors. Summertime in Boston has been ridiculously accommodating! I also still love playing video games. Probably way too much. Please don't tell anybody. <div><br />
</div><div>I have several topics teed up from our experiences through the first six weeks of LGO that I can't wait to share, so stay tuned. I hope that you'll find this blog to be useful in some way, whether you're interested in MIT/Sloan, trying to learn more about LGO, or just happen to be lost in the Internet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've never blogged before, so if you've made it this far, we're embarking on this journey together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Welcome aboard. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please be gentle.</div><br />
</div>Bob Giacomantoniohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16131317858749998254noreply@blogger.com2