Help Build the SQLRally Speaker/Topic Selection Process – Part 1

Last week we announced PASS SQLRally, the new event that we’ll be holding in May 2011 in Orlando (aka the “Spring Event”). A big item is deciding how we want to pick speakers and build the schedule. We have a process we use for the Summit and we could use that, but if we’re building […]

PASS 2010 Summit on LinkedIn Event Calendar – Have You RSVP’d?

Happened to notice in my weekly LinkedIn update today that Todd McDermid had signed up for the 2010 Summit event on LinkedIn. Easy to forget LinkedIn, but it’s a really good way to see who else will be there that you know…and that you don’t know. Here is the link, or just search LI events […]

PASS Update #38 (SQLSaturday Wiki)

For the past couple years we’ve had a few different documents that covered how to run a SQLSaturday, but as you all know building and maintaining documentation is hard, and we just didn’t have a good process for capturing new lessons and folding them in. A couple months back I set up the wiki and […]

Pillbox Application

Ran across Pillbox in Government Computing News (GCN), a web app that lets you identify what a pill is based on shape, color, imprint, and more. They have an HTML version and a Flex version, the latter definitely more user friendly (more graphics), but both are useful. The article about it says Poison Control Centers […]

The Vacation Backlash

Maybe I need a better name for it, but I’m describing the pain that happens when you’re getting ready for vacation and returning from one. I bet most of you have gone through it, and it’s easy to get to the point where going on vacation seems like more trouble than it’s worth! The upfront […]

SQLRally Logo Contest

Kendal posted the announcement yesterday that we opened the design content on 99designs. I’ve used the site before and it’s a decent system, typically get a logo for around $200 – and you get to pick from a lot of options. I know most of us are data people, but probably more than a few […]

Book Review: Victorious (The Lost Fleet)

Victorious by Jack Campbell ($8 at Amazon) is the finale in the six part series about Black Jack Geary leading a space fleet back home from deep in enemy territory. I’ll try not to ruin it for you if you haven’t read them all yet! The series is good, though I’ll admit to thinking it […]

Local Library Policies

Over the past couple years our local library system has been under financial pressure, resulting in some changes, and maybe not all of them bad, but still frustrating. Hoping those of you reading today might offer some insight into your local library policies so I can decide whether to dig deeper or just live with […]

Popcorn Networking

A bit of a silly title, but an interesting story. A few weeks back I posted a note about attending TechEd and how popcorn seemed to be a big hit when it was served one afternoon. Last week following the oPASS meeting one of our regulars – Bob Blaydes – asked if I’d like to […]

Introducing Speakers

I saw this post (please do read it) about introducing speakers and it reminded me that I wanted to write about it too. At the July oPASS meeting I did the introduction for Kendal Van Dyke, and it just felt like the right thing to do. We’ve been a little lax about it, and in […]