I love this stuff. FoxPro 2.0 was revolutionary and ground-breaking in many ways. The focus on both Mac and PC, the graphic interface, the data access speed. Memo fields. Form view. Debugging. I can really see why FoxPro developers simply are not willing to let go (myself included).
It really is a shame that Microsoft didn’t keep this up. For those looking for some nostalgia, take a look (or a second look) at this marketing video from around 1990 or 91:
In line with my previous post, I wanted to share with you an instructional video I found some time ago on YouTube. Kevin Kline (author of SQL In A Nutshell) walks through several important topics and challenges in deploying and maintaining good performance for SQL Server. Although he uses SQL Server 2005, most (if not all) of this information applies to SQL Server 2008 as well.
It’s a bit long, but well worth it.
Here is a somewhat humorous example of how data quality can impact more than just your analysis or reporting. This example is good for me in particular because for so many years I have been dealing with municipal data quality, tax assessment, and billing. It alarms me how little data quality is discussed, and alarms me more when business talks about data quality because they think they need to, yet they don’t fully understand what it takes to implement and maintain good data stewardship. Anyway, perhaps a video like this can at least raise some eyebrows:
In yesterday’s post, I made a comment that SSIS expressions were difficult to get used to. Earlier today, I ran across this video on YouTube. If you’re new to SSIS, or you simply have a problem with expressions, check it out. Here is a blurb:
Expressions are new in SSIS (meaning that they were not in DTS) but they allow you to create extremely flexible packages. Expressions can be used to assign values to variables, help you determine whether to execute a task, and to assign properties. If you ever found yourself writing ActiveX code (VBScript) in DTS to determine which task to execute based on a variable’s value, then you probably can forego the scripting all together in favor of expressions! They are very powerful in SSIS and you’ll want to have a solid understanding of how to write them and how to use them.
I love the comedy around online help. I totally feel for him…
Hope you found this useful!
Wow, what a difference a week makes! I wrote last week of my displeasure with CBS canceling my favorite show, Jericho. A petition was started and fan messageboards were buzzing. But then I got busy with work and my attention drifted away from Jericho and onto other things.
A colleague at work then informed that things have really taken off. First, many of the show’s actors and actresses have joined the discussion on the discussion boards. Skeet Ulrich wrote:
A week ago our show was canceled and it feels like time has stood still ever since. We loved bringing you this story. [...] Your support is incredible and means more to all of us than you will ever know!
And from Lennie “The Hawk” James, who played my favorite character, Hawkins:
I write to you from my home in London utterly staggered by the events of the last week or so. I, along with all the cast and crew from the show, was totally gutted (UK slang for ‘very upset’) when news came down that our show was canceled.
Many others have chimed in as well. I have never seen anything like this before. The cast (and I bet even some crew members!) have stepped up and have become involved. Imagine if CBS continued the show now? Fans have had an opportunity to interact with their favorite characters. This can only create an even stronger base audience.
But perhaps the biggest and loudest development over the past week is the Nuts campaign!
As I write this, CBS has had the pleasure of getting MORE THAN 18,000 lbs of NUTS from JERICHO fans. Let me say that again: More than 18,000 POUNDS!
Check out http://www.nutsonline.com/jericho. In true capitalist spirit, this company stepped up and made ordering Jericho nuts super easy. All you have to do is go to their website, specify the amount you want to spend. And off they go.
Here are some YouTube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9UogT5AWRo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxePewKK8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g07OKqGSb0o
You might not be a fan of Jericho, but why not help Jericho fans make this statement by sending CBS your very own bag of NUTS!
Other websites:
http://www.jericholives.com/
http://www.jerichorallypoint.com/sm/index.php
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