Kevin E. Kline

I've been to Amsterdam a couple times now and I have to say that it's one of my favorite cities in Europe. The weather isn't particularly cooperative much of the time. But both times I've been, the weather has been really nice.The city is surprisingly small and navigable by foot without any problems. The famous canals were mostly just landmarks for me, but many people in Amsterdam use water taxis and even own boats.The city is full of beautiful old churches. However, it's ironic that in a city full of churches AND where there is a national, sanctioned church that very few people actually go to … [Read more...]

Unlike some of my techie book writing friends (e.g. Kalen Delaney, Itzik Ben Gan, or Brian Knight), I do NOT have groupies.I admit I'm a little bit jealous. Doesn't everyone want to have groupies - at least one or two - even if it's just your spouse and kids? But while I have no groupies, I do have a lot of fans and that is really gratifying. I didn't realize how many fans I had until Quest Software held a book signing for me at the PASS Summit two weeks ago.We were giving away my most recent book, "Database Benchmarking" published by Rampant Press. I was really impressed with how long the … [Read more...]

You Are 50% WeirdNormal enough to know that you're weird...But too damn weird to do anything about it!How Weird Are You? … [Read more...]

OK, I confess. I was intimidated as could be to know that I was meeting Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft. The previous day, I'd delivered the kickoff address to 2500 people without a flinch. But meeting Ballmer had me quite unnerved. I mean, this is a guy who speaks to kings and presidents of countries all the time. But, when the moment finally came, I found him to be both really nice and really down to earth.Ballmer wowed the socks of our audience and, I think, made a very positive impression on the attendees. He's also got a lot of guts. After his address, he actually took questions from … [Read more...]

One of the few benefits I get as the president of PASS is a great suite at the hotel where we host our conference. Since we bring in a couple million dollars worth of business, you'd think it was the least they could do, right? In case you were wondering what the Presidential Suite looks like at a major hotel, just think of a very nicely furnished full size apartment. This one happened to have a baby grand piano and huge entertainment system along with really nice Broyhill furniture. The suite had a full dining room, a small kitchenette (no appliances besides a small fridge), and a full … [Read more...]

The PASS Board, hard at work - from left to right, Randy Dyess, Christoph Stotz, Joe Webb, Rushabh Mehta, Wayne Snyder, and Neil Buchwalter. It's been my honor to serve on the board of directors for the Professional Association for SQL Server (www.sqlpass.org) since its inception in 1999. Back then, I was a mid-level technology manager at Deloitte focusing on database administration for SQL Server databases. Try to explain that one to your grandma. Trust me, you'll only get a blank stare.Me and John Stoiber, PASS Executive DirectorOver the years, I rose through the ranks of PASS starting with … [Read more...]

So here I am in Seattle for the annual PASS Conference. It's cold and rainy. And there are a lot of panhandlers everywhere. But Seattle's brand of panhandler is unique - they are, indeed, very creative. The panhandler in the photo above held a sign that read:My father was Killed by NINJASNeed moneyFor Karate Lessons! When I passed that guy on the street, I figured "Heck, that's funny enough to be worth a buck." and gave it to him. Vive la poet!-Kev … [Read more...]

It's official. I'm now over the hill. Or, using the new nomenclature, I'm the "new 30". Either way, it ain't too bad. I feel as healthy as I've ever been and a lot healthier than at certain times in my life like when my back was at its worst in my late twenties to mid-thirties.The kids and I had a low-key evening out on the town. We enjoyed a dinner together at Longhorn and hung out for a while afterwards. They got me some fantastic and fun gifts. I also want to say thanks to my friends and family who sent cards and gifts.I also want to send a special thank you to Dr Pineapple and his … [Read more...]

Yes, I can finally park the minivan in the garage. And there's still room to maneuver. Heck, I could probably fit another car, albiet a Mini Cooper, in there to boot. It may not seem like much. But it was a chore that took me the better part of the weekend to complete. The good news is that now I can park the car in the garage. And the even better news is that we can get off to school in the morning without having to scrape ice off of the windows or sit in a chilly car. Yippee!-Kev … [Read more...]

What can I say? They take my breath away. I bought these dresses for them when I was in Munich in May of 2005. They look prettier than the edelweiss. … [Read more...]