Zach at the Pentagames

I had the honor today of watching 9 students from Mountain View Middle School compete in the 25th annual Pentagames. Pentagames are sort of Math Olympics where students compete in a number of games that center around various math skills.


Zach was one of the competitors and did VERY well. I lost track of his winnings, but at the end of the day he had a half dozen or so ribbons pinned to his chest along with a couple of medals. Not only did he do well, but his 8th Grade team took best of the day for their division. And the school won for highest school score.

FaceBook Fun

Hi, my name is Dave and I'm a FaceBook addict.

Actualy, this social networking site has a lot of real fun ways to stay connected with friends and family that are scattered all around the world. One of the games on FB is called Friends For Sale. Using virtual dollars, you buy your friends which increases their value. Other friends are also trying to buy your friends, so you can see how the value circle can go.

I started this game after my daughter Kara was playing for awhile and her value had sky-rocketed. I made it my goal to raise enough funds through the Friends trade to buy my daughter. I made strategic alliances to help increase my funds, and finally at 6:30 AM on 6-Apr-08 I clicked the "Buy Kara for $117,241" button! Bet I won't keep her long as she is quite popular, but it is fun to have achieved my goal.

Customer Service at Chapters

One of my intents of maintaining this blog was to discuss business issues. I really am a fan of small business and love to read and learn about individuals who have the tenacity to start their own companies. I also enjoy hearing about good (and bad) business practices and their effect on customers, industries, and communities. So here is my first business blog entry.

A common theme that will run throughout this section is Customer Service. I am a huge believer in providing quality goods and services in a friendly and fair manner. I think that customer service is an art that many people take for granted, but only a few truly master. I try to reward positive service by telling not only the person who gave it to me, but also their supervisor or business owner (and now the blog world).

One place I consistently receive good customer service is at Chapters in Newberg. I go to this bookstore / coffee shop twice a week to meet with friends and family. On Thursdays, the barista is Kat. The other day she had a sample of my favorite drink ready for me when I walked in the door. They were trying out a new blend of Chai Tea and she wanted my opinion. Before I could finish the small tasting, she had my drink ready for me. I hadn’t ordered it, but she knows my regular cup of choice and had it prepared. With all the people that come in to the store each morning, I’m impressed that she knows me, my drink preferences, and my routine well enough to have my Chai ready for me when I walk in. This has become consistent behavior. This is above and beyond the call of duty. This goes beyond a pleasant demeanor. This is true customer service.

Thanks, Kat!

American Idol - Season 7 Picks

I am a fan of American Idol. I think the show represents a great mini-lesson in how the popular music system works. Jen and I faithfully TiVo every show and haven’t missed an episode in four or five seasons.

This year has been touted as the “best ever talent” and while I will agree that there are some amazing singers, I’ve been hard-pressed to find “my” singer. Last year I picked Melinda Doolittle in the early stages (she made it to #3). In season five I chose Taylor Hicks when I saw his audition tape (and he won the whole shebang). But I haven’t been able to latch on to one performer as “the one” … until last night.

Last night was the second week in a row that the contestants sang songs from the Beatles. And while the second show in the top-12 portion of the competition was filled with lackluster performances, I was able to finally flesh out my favorite competitors.

Guys – David Cook. This guy is consistent, rocks hard, has fun performing, and seems to have healthy attitude about the hype surrounding this show. I like him to win it all as the truly most talented competitor, except the teen vote will probably push through David Archuleta.

Gals – Carly Smithson. This tattooed, Irish lass can really sing. She is consistent in her performances and really knows how to choose a great song. This girl has great talent and she’ll go far in this competition. I think Carly has the best chance as a "rocker" to make the final cut because she has the softer pop side as well.

Honorable Mention
Amanda Overmyer: I love this rocker chick. She is the total package of looks, attitude, talent and presentation. Unfortunately I don’t think she’s consistent enough to make the final cut

Brooke White: While I’m not a huge fan of her style or the songs she sings, I like her attitude and song choices. Plus she is always on the mark. Now if she would just quit talking so much.

So there you have it. My picks for Season 7 of American Idol.