I recently stumbled across a couple articles about tithing that got my mental gears turning. First, on Slate, I encountered this article in an advice column where a reader asked whether it was ok to suspend their tithing while they paid off a credit card. Then I further read about tithing on a more global and historical basis in an article on CBS Sunday.This whole discussion got me thinking about, despite the protest of our most conservative citizens, that our Christian history and ethos informs and colors so much of what the US government does. For example, governments have never paid to … [Read more...]
Ozymandias
August 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Percy Bysshe Shelley I met a traveler from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;And on the pedestal these words appear:"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, … [Read more...]
Bitemporal Data
August 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Any IT pro with more than a year or two of experience will have faced the challenges of version control for an application, but what if you have to implement version control for data? The most common way to tackle this problem is implementing something called "bitemporal data". Under this method, each row in a table includes the current valid time and the transaction time. Since two distinct time values are stored, we get the term bitemporal. A great place to start is Adam Machanic's excellent article at … [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...]
Mighty Kid Katie Conquers the World!
July 26, 2009 by 1 Comment
This day in history is taken from a newspaper report delivered in July 2001.Brushy-headed Baby Steals Hearts, Drools a LotReporting from Nashville, TN - July 26, 2001This adorable little baby might look like she's content to merely chew on Biter Biscuits and laze around the house all day, but you'd be mistaken. While Biter Biscuits are definitely on the menu for this rambunctious tot, so are the fingers of her brother, sisters, and parents."No, Daddy! YOU NOT EAT MY IFECWEAM!", ordered the young dictator at a recent family gathering.After being mentored by her older sister, Emmy Tay Fwine, … [Read more...]
Great Blogs from Microsoft SQL Server Teams
July 24, 2009 by 1 Comment
You might remember my Best of the Blogs post back in February of this year. The blog post provided a link to all of the SQL Server MVP blogs that I was aware of at the time and, through the comments, many more were added. I'm fairly sure that you can find almost any good SQL Server MVP on that roll. However, this got me wondering if there was anything similar on the Microsoft side of the community. Most of us, by now, know about the fantastic resources available from the SQLCAT team. And if you care at all about SQL Server, then you're probably also reading the SQL Server PSS Escalation … [Read more...]
Updates to Ola Hallengren’s Database Maintenance Scripts
July 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I've noted some new features in Ola Hallengren's very fine database maintenance scripts on my Tool Time blog at SQL Server Magazine on-line. Read all about it at http://www.sqlmag.com/Article/ArticleID/102521/sql_server_102521.html. Cheers, -Kev Twitter @ kekline … [Read more...]
Come to the Best Practices Conference!
July 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I hope, by now, you've seen and heard about the upcoming Best Practices Conference in Washington, DC from August 24-26. I'm presenting a couple sessions there as are many of my favorite speakers in the SQL Server and Sharepoint world. That is why I wanted to let you know about the Free Seat Giveaway that the Best Practices Conference is doing. All you have to do it get a bunch of friends to sign up for the conference eNewsletter and put your name down as the referral source. The top ten referrals will receive a free conference pass for the conference as a thank you. Here is what the … [Read more...]
New Post on My SQL Server Magazine Blog
July 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Just put up a new post detailing a new block discovery and alerting script from Yaniv Etrogi. Read my SQLMag blog describing free tools and scripts for SQL Server at: http://www.sqlmag.com/blog/index.cfm?action=blogindex&DepartmentID=965. Enjoy! -Kev Twitter @ kekline … [Read more...]
