I admit it. I am tired and I have not blogged nearly enough. This has been a crazy year, with the book I finished writing, the pre-cons I have done (teaching is NOT my primary profession so I do a lot more prep than some others probably do), lots of training on Data Warehousing topics (from Ralph Kimball, Bob Becker, and Stacia Misner, to name ...

I will be doing my Characteristics of a Great Relational Database, which is a session that I haven’t done since last PASS. When I was asked about doing this Summit Preview version of 24 hours of PASS, I decided that I would do this session, largely because it is kind of light and fun, but also because it is either going to be the basis of the end ...

One more week until we get to SQL Saturday 122 in Louisville KY. I have a couple of sessions on the calendar this time. First, the one on Sequences: ------------------------------------ What Sequence objects are (and are not) SQL Server 2012 adds a new object to our arsenal called a sequence that can will give us the capability to implement ...

Edit: As I reread this, I felt I should clarify.. As usual refers mostly to the ''Scary'' part. I have a lot of stage fright that I have to work through. And it is always exciting to be picked.   I have been selected this year at the PASS Summit 2012 to do two sessions, and they are both going to be interesting. Pre-Con: Relational ...

Edit: Well, I didn't get elected, and at this point, seeing who won (great choices in Angela, Stephanie, and Jason) and what else I have going on between now and the end of the year (presentations, grand childen being born, etc), I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.  Usually the phrase ''maybe next year'' is cold comfort to the ...

Well, we are finally here at what is the secular version of the holiday season for Microsoft SQL Server nerd types, the week of the SQLPASS Summit. This year, I am speaking 3 times and will also be doing the Quiz Bowl at the Welcome Reception, so I am going to be busy. If you are here and are interested in database design, please do stop by and ...

In 2013, the PASS Summit will move from Seattle, which it has called home in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, to the warmer climes of Charlotte, North Carolina. (Read the official PASS announcement.) There are a lot of big benefits to this move:folks in the eastern half of the US, never mind Europe and beyond, will lose less time to ...

The keynote starts off with a tine Turner impersonator (or maybe it really was Tina?):   Rushabh Mehta (donning the Tina wig) delivers the first segment of the keynote, telling the SQL Server community that we are ''simply the best.'' He then introduces the Board of Directors and founding partners.  He tells us the Board of Directors ...

Every year at PASS, I do the same thing. I hmm and haw over which sessions I want to go to, and I end up making some tough choices at game time.  This year I believe I'll be pretty busy, so my typical pie-in-the-sky view of how much I'll be able to attend just isn't going to pan out.  Instead, I have selected 5 sessions that I really ...

I felt horrible last year when I missed the MVP Deep Dives book signing at PASS.  I took part instead in a focus group that ran a little late, and still regret it.  So this year I wanted to get a jump on where I'll be, and this will help me stick with it.  So if you'll be at PASS and want to track me down to meet me, catch up, or ...