Whiners and Whingers Get Wedgies There I was, just a couple weeks back, whining that I wasn't getting tagged by friends when a new meme comes out. Sure enough, when my friend, Paul Randal (blog | twitter), starts a new meme with me as one of the first handful of people tagged, it's taken me a full ten days to get a response out the door. Yes - I deserve a wedgie. In Paul's initial post, I saw that he'd asked for three events that were pivotal in why I'm where I am today. To be honest, I've been noodling over my response ever since Paul first tagged me. So, in a sense, I've been … [Read more...]
Starting the Travel Tips Meme
October 25, 2009 by 3 Comments
'Tis the season for travel! With the PASS Summit just around the corner and lots of other interesting events waiting in the wings, such as TechEd Europe, lots of IT people will finally be allowed to stretch their wings (and budgets) to get in some first class training. I've been a very frequent flier for a long time and seldom get surprised by much these days - exasperated, yes - but surprised, no. And I've certainly seem my share of fellow travelers doing it all wrong. The one thing they all share in common is that they're not experienced and, usually, haven't thought much about the … [Read more...]
24 Hours of PASS
August 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Join me and many other great SQL Server gurus on September 1st for a 24-hour virtual event, 24 Hours of PASS. I'll be there along with many of the great SQL community speakers (and personal friends) such as Louis Davidson, Kalen Delaney, Steve Jones, Andy Kelly, Brian Knight, Brad McGahee and many more. Each session is one hour in length with a 45 minute presentation and 15 minutes of live Q&A. Local PASS Chapters from around the world will be hosting each hourly segment. If you live in middle Tennessee, northern Alabama, or southern central Kentucky, be sure to check out our great … [Read more...]
More About Successful Directors versus Successful Technologists
August 3, 2009 by 2 Comments
If you're a SQL Server professional who hasn't been to the website of the Professional Association for SQL Server, you're doing yourself a disservice. Membership is free and, in addition to all of the technical resources that it provides, it connects you to a world of networking opportunities with other like-minded professionals. I strongly encourage you to register and then go the second step of creating a PASSport profile. Once you're registered, you can get access to many resources such as live and recorded webcasts, SIG events, and much more. Not to toot my own horn too much, but … [Read more...]
The Last PASS at Last
November 30, 2007 by 1 Comment
I've been a board member of the Professional Association for SQL Server since the organization was founded in 1999. I was invited to join the board way back then in the capacity of VP of Marketing and, in fact, knew nothing about what I was supposed to do for the organization. As the years went by, I moved into the roles of EVP of Finance for 2 years and the President for the last 4 years.All the work that we do for PASS is on a volunteer basis and, for me, it was taking between 10-20 hrs per week over and above the day job at Quest Software. With the way my day job and PASS were balanced, … [Read more...]
A couple pics of the PASS event
September 20, 2007 by 2 Comments
This is my last year as the president of PASS. I've been on the board of directors since the inception of PASS in 1999. During that time, I served for 2 years as VP of Marketing, 2 years as EVP of Finance, and 4 years now as the President. I've seen PASS grow from a very small association in start-up mode to a stable and growing international association with tens of thousands of members worldwide. It's been one of the most satisfying activities of my career, yet I'm happy to reach the zenith of my service with PASS.This year Quest once again took the place of SQL Server vendor to beat. Our … [Read more...]
Cologne
August 26, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Cologne was one of my favorite cities in Germany. Cologne has a reputation in Germany as being the place where people live it up to the fullest, laugh the loudest and longest, and generally have a greater joy for life. It's somewhat the San Francisco of Germany because it also has the country's largest and most active gay community, plus a free and legal sex trade.Cologne also has its own beer and style of drinking beer (called "kolsch") that is unique and very different from the Bavaria style that most Americans are used to. Most Americans think of Germany beer coming in the big, lidded … [Read more...]
