I am very excited to be part of a new SQL Server Training Group, which was organized in the UK by 4 SQL Server MVPs (current and former).  I know this is a shameless plug, but I am not apologizing. I am actually going to the UK for the benefit of the SQLKnowHow guys, and I'm just trying to help them out even more by telling you all about ...

If you check my schedule, you'll see my summer and early Fall are spent mostly close to home. This is a good thing, because I have a book to write! But starting in October, I'll be gone at least every other week, with two trips to Europe and one to the East Coast of the US. In early October, I'll be presenting at a multi-city Summit for the ...

I just started working on a LiveLesson DVD for Addison-Wesley tentatively titled "SQL Server Fundamentals for the Accidental DBA". The DVD will focus on the essential skills required to work with SQL Server for people that are not full-time DBAs. I will keep you posted as I have more details. For more information about the LiveLesson ...

I admit it. I love all Canada: maple sugar candy, loonies and toonies, Mounties, old town Montreal with its French history, the CN tower in Toronto, Stanley Park in Vancouver, and high tea at the Fairmont Empress Victoria.   Canada is pure Jazz. Is there a more talented voice in Jazz today than Diana Krall? (I have every CD, DVD-Audio, ...

  Last December, I announced that my SQL Server Internals course was being made into a DVD series, and I then had several follow up posts over the next few months. I flew to NY 3 times, and have filmed 3 lessons. I was waiting to film the 4th, for which I already have the slides and the scripts, until the 2nd one was released, or at least ...

I taught a private class last week near Portland (Oregon) and although the company has a lot of SQL Servers, there was not much excitement at all about SQL Server 2008. They still have many SQL Server 2000 installations, and are debating whether to upgrade those to 2005. Most of the interest was in the real value of the new 2005 features, like ...

Thank you so much for all the responses to the DBA Blunders post! As I mentioned, however, that question was asked on behalf of a friend of mine. Now I have a question of my own. I am currently training a group of new junior DBAs. One of them has already started assisting with some client operations, but is still closely supervised. For those ...

I almost titled this one with OT, but then I realized that this MY BLOG, and nothing is really off-topic, right? It's my blog and I can say whatever I want. :-) I get a real big kick out of seeing places in movies where I have actually been. I took my husband to NYC for his birthday in early March, and the first night, in our hotel room, the ...

I gave my first SQL Server 2008 presentation yesterday, and also spoke at a Launch Event for the first time. It was a terrific experience, primarily because it forced me to really start digging into SQL Server 2008. I had been doing so much 2005 training recently, I just really hadn't had a chance to really USE 2008, although I have dutifully ...

I just got back from New York, where I filmed Lesson 3 in my DVD series. This one was on the Logging and Recovery. I am finally getting the hang of this whole filming thing, and we finally finished one before it got too dark outside. So Chuck and I went outside and filmed a commercial. It was great fun! Maybe I'll do more of those, and forget all ...