The Friday before I left for PASS Summit, I was shocked and surprised to find out that I had been presented the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for Data Platform. My shock was genuine, as this was just about the last thing I was expecting. And then the congratulations and other kind words started …

The Call for Speakers for PASS Summit 2019 has just closed, and now the Program Committee will begin the task of evaluating speakers and sessions and using those results to build a schedule. It's not easy. Really, it's not. I've served on the Program Committee numerous times and there's a lot of effort that goes into …

I had a beyond amazing week at SQL Saturday Portland and PASS Summit, but now it's back to reality. Time to catch up on sleep, return to the daily grind of work, and enjoy the comforts of home. Gotta sort through all those photos, start counting down the 51 weeks until the next Summit (PASS has a countdown clock up on …

It's nearly upon us! Next week, data professionals from around the world will gather in Seattle for the spectacle that is PASS Summit. A conference (and family reunion) like no other, we'll share knowledge, war stories, fellowship, and also germs (because I'm pretty sure I've come home with some strain of the nerd flu …

It's getting to be about that time of year again. Bees are buzzing, Summer's nearly here (at least in the northern hemisphere), and PASS Summit 2015 session selections will probably be announced soon. I don't know this for sure; I'm not part of the speaker selection process this year, but based on the dates the …

Two weeks ago I decided to kick off the holiday season by asking people to write about what they were thankful for. I was very fortunate to get three great responses, which I am happy to share in no particular order (which just so happens to be the order I received them in). Chris Yates (@YatesSQL) says that after …

I'm also grateful for my grandma's homemade gravy Back in the early days of this blog, I wrote about what I was thankful for in response to Jason Strate's post asking about it. Now, 4 years later, I am hosting a redux, and your contributions are very welcome! In looking back on the past year, I feel like I have an …

It's almost Thanksgiving time here in the United States – that wonderful holiday where families and friends gather to share a meal and give thanks for all our many immaterial blessings. (And then for maximum irony, we head out the following day to battle each other in stores for heavily-discounted electronics while …

Pro Tip: If you're a recruiter and sending out mass emails about positions you're trying to fill, do yourself a favor and make sure you're not accidentally including other things, like a letter of reprimand from your boss. The names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, but here's the email I received …