One of the most positive experiences I can have, as a former leader of the PASS organization, is when I see a neophyte become a passionate support and champion for the community. On my first day in Seattle, before the event had even begun, I was stopped several by people who'd attended their first PASS Summit last year. But this year, they were ...

The week of the 4th of July is a happy week for Americans.  Most families get out for a parade, a fireworks display, a picnic in the park, a movie where Will Smith puts the beat down on a bunch of aliens, or an afternoon at the pool or lake.  We celebrate the contributions of our service men and women. We honor veterans. We ...

A bit of background:  Those aren't grand daughters of the Clampetts in the picture at right.  Those are my three daughters and three stepdaughters, all of whom I want to inherit the world - as little or as much as they want to take hold of.  (I already talked a bit about this in a post on my personal, family blog.  ...

Transparency - A Great Leadership Quality I've always appreciated how Andy Warren (blog| twitter) operates in the most transparent manner, especially as it relates to his role as a director for the Professional Association for SQL Server. For example, Andy's latest blog post about prepping for the SQLRally, to kick off in less than 30 days, is ...

The topic that never seems to lie low for long - the selection and election process for PASS governing directors.  (I also wrote extensively on the qualities of a good director-level candidate in this blog post).  I decided to create a spoke on my blog specifically for discussions around PASS governance and related issues called ...

Pardon me, sir. Do I have a dog in this fight? Do I have a dog in this Fight? If I did, it'd be the Warner Brothers Barnyard Dog. After my term of service on the PASS board of directors ended in December of 2009, I fully intended to stay far, far out of the way.  It's an intention that I've largely been able to fulfill,excluding the ...

Notice the bluetooth ear piece fashion faux pas? Yes, she's truly a geek. I'm happy to report that Barbie is now a cognizeti, a digerati, ... yes even an IT Professional! This year's new Barbie is Computer Engineer Barbie. Several months back, I encouraged all my friends and followers on Twitter to vote for the IT job for Barbie in Mattel's ...

Whiners and Whingers Get Wedgies Yes, I deserve a Wedgie 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 ...

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss   Dr Seuss makes a great point.  Only you can determine where you go in life and where those you lead in life (your significant other, your kids, your family, your business associates) will ...

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.  ...