PASS Summit Day 1: Travel

I woke up this morning around 2:45 AM.  Having packed the day before I just had to get ready to take go and I was out the door.  The drive in was a rainy one, but the nice thing about an early morning drive is that the roads were pretty empty so no traffic jams.  So a nice smooth ride into the city, and other than getting a little SQL Karaoke practice in completely uneventful. 

So now  I'm in Tampa and about to board, so this will expand as the day goes along.  But here is an early morning picture of beautiful Tampa from the airport!  As you can see it is dark and just starting to come to life.  The early morning work force is out, people heading home from vacations, and those of us bleary eyed travelers heading for many other destinations.   So I'm going dark for the flight, I've got some compression topics to write on for SQL U next week.

A quick picture from the clouds (34,000 feet) and I'm all back to being quite again. 

DALLAS FT. WORTH

I'll be less than half way through with the travel portion of the day by now.  The big flight will be the almost 6 hours from Dallas to Seattle.  I'm looking forward to landing already, I'm not sure how much adrenalin will continue to keep me going but I'm pretty sure I'll need a nap at some point today.

I love walking through airports, there is always something that is there to impress and there is always something cliché as well.   I found both.

A quick coffee and bagel and I was off to the Concourse.  I met up with some folks that are heading to the Summit as well.  One is from the Tampa area and the other is Ed from Arkansas.  We hit it off talking about the Pre-Con’s we would be attending and I found a friend to share a cab to the Westin. 

 Before you know it we were boarding again.  The flight is pretty packed this time and I’m in the Isle so I would have thought no pictures from the plane window.  However there was a very nice lady from Alaska sitting against the window and when I asked she was polite enough to take a picture as we were passing over the Rockies. 

SEATTLE

 

Finally on the ground.  Ed and I shared a cab ride over to the Westin, as they did not have a shuttle at the airport.  The Summit is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, as we come together to learn about SQL Server with one another, and it was fantastic to meet Ed.   We agreed to meet up at the lobby and find some food, I was going on a bagel and some yogurt for the day, Ed was hard core and hadn’t had a thing.

While in the lobby I Tweeted the plan that we had, and quickly heard back from the SQL Dynamic Duo of Karla (@KarlaKay22 | Blog ) and Rodney Landrum (@SQLBeat | Blog).  They were at the Tap House, which had some of the best jumbilia I’ve ever had.

From here I had a great time with new, old, and current friends.  It is amazing how far you can travel in a day, to remember the things that you’ve already known.  Several games of pool later, I still can’t play worth a damn.  I have the occasional flashes of brilliance that peter out after a max of three good shots.  But playing lousy pool is a lot of fun when you’ve got friends to play it with.

From there we did a walk about the city and looked at several different destinations.  We headed over to the Convention Center and Registered for the reason we are all here.   It was amazing to see all of the people that came to register early.  A lot of them were people I had met before, and a couple whom I had been wanting to meet.  I got to met Brent Ozar (@BrentO | Blog) who is taller and younger than I imagined.  And I mean taller folks.  I’m not a short guy, but I’m right on the 6 foot mark, so when people are taller than me I notice.   And did I mention he looked younger than I expected J.

With that Rodney, Karla, and myself set off for a hole in the wall noodle shop for a quick fix of our favorite delicacies, I can never resist a good Pad-Thai.  And with that I’m heading back to finish up some work on Compression.  Time to get a good nights rest.  Tomorrow starts the Pre-con’s.

Thanks,

Brad

Top 4 Reasons Next Week is a Big Week

Hello Dear Reader, next week is a very big week for me SQL wise.  Family wise I will be missing the heck out of my wife and my kiddos while I’m half a continent away.   Just this last week my Bug lost another tooth, the baby got even cuter (don’t ask me how she does it constantly), my Big Guy got even bigger (seriously my 7 year old has pec’s), and my wife continues to be AWESOME, (the Bug and I had a conference and deliberated on this earlier in the week).  So while I’m missing all the other Balls, I’ll be busy out of my mind. 

“So Balls,” you say, “What’s keeping you so busy?”

No good way to say it other than list it.

1.       My First PASS Summit

2.       I’m sitting at the Bloggers Table at the PASS Summit

3.       I’m Presenting TWO times at the PASS Summit

4.       I’m the Professor of Compression Next Week For SQL University!

Any other week one of those items would keep me fully occupied.   Next week I will be utterly consumed learning, teaching, meeting, and greeting.  So let’s break it down a little.

MY FIRST PASS SUMMIT

http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2011/# PHOTO CREDIT: Deepak Puri

This needs no introduction.  If you are involved with SQL Server you know that the PASS Summit is the biggest SQL Server Conference in the World.  Not North America, not Europe, not Asia, the WORLD.  The brightest SQL Speakers in the World will be there.  People from all over the Globe, experts from many many nations will be together in one spot.   Top Microsoft Experts, the Cat Team, many Microsoft Developers for the SQL Server Team, you name it the PASS Summit has it.

I’ve wanted to go to this event since I started seeing advertisements for it on SQLSeverCentral.com, for the last 4 or 5 years.   Getting to watch the streaming keynote last year just made my desire to go grow even more, and now here it is! 

If you have never heard of the PASS Summit then go check out the current website.  As if that isn’t enough I’m attending 2 of the great pre-cons that are being offered.    I will be blogging like a mad man while I’m out there so keep checking back Dear Reader, this should be a fun week!

SITTING AT THE BLOGGERS TABLE

http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2011/SummitContent.aspx PHOTO CREDIT: Pat Wright

I’ve blogged previously on The Top 5 Reasons You Should Be On Twitter, but I could add a 6^th as well.  Opportunity.  On Twitter it was announced that PASS was accepting applications to sit at the Bloggers table.   I jumped.  Then I emailed the contact listed and WAHOO I was selected!   As a result I’ll have access to blog from a table of Blogger All-STAR’s and SQL MVP’s, and lil ol’ me J!

So not only will I be at the top event for SQL Server, I’ve got a front row seat.  I’ll do live blogging of the Keynotes, and attempt a daily re-cap.  As I snap pictures I’ll make sure to get them uploaded and attached to the blog.

PRESENTING TWICE AT THE PASS SUMMIT!

My wife’s best friend had a quote on her Facebook page that I feel describes me to a T, since she told me it I laughed and then I thought, “If I could only get that on a Family Crest”. ….  The quote “I’ve got 2 speeds; Off & M@Ther F#(king ON”.  That has been me my whole life, when I’m down I’m out.  When I’m up and running, there’s no stopping.

During this week I’m presenting a Lightning Round Talk 24-a 5 minute Horror Story, and  the Page & Row Compress Deep Dive.   I’ve been working on a lot of great Demo’s that I can bring to the table.  I presented the Deep Dive recently at SQL Saturday 85, and internally for my DBA team.  I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback, and I’m really excited to give this a 3^rd time.   The 5 minute Horror Story is a real life adventure, with appropriate details blurred, from Father’s day 2009.   Show up to the session and you hear all about the wonderful world of a 24-7 on call DBA and why backups are so important.   Not just that you take them, but if something goes wrong that you grab a fresh set.

PROFESSOR OF COMPRESSION FOR SQL UNIVERSITY

Jorge Segarra (@SQLChicken | Blog)  is the Chancellor of SQL University.  If you’ve never heard of SQL U then you should head over there and take a look.  It is a web blog that collects the input from the experts in our field and has them write on a new topic a week. 

Think college syllabus but for SQL, with different Topics, and written by MVP’s & Experts.  I’m honored beyond belief to be among them, and starting next week I’ll have a Lead Up to the Deep Dive.  I’m still writing and formulating as we speak and a lot of this will get finished up Sunday to Monday.  But I’ll have a post a day on Compression.  We’ll start up slow and work our way through a set of topics that will help you understand Compression and feel good about taking it to your work and finding ways you can apply it.

Alright Dear Reader the break from blogging is over, time to get to the grind stone and get working!  I hope your week is a good one.

Thanks,

Brad

I’m On The NomCom! What’s a NomCom?

This is a blog I’ve been wanting to write for a while, I’ve been a little backed up and with the 2011 PASS Summit starting next week, now seemed like the perfect time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/4525976964/

  Back in August PASS, the Professional Association of SQL Server, announced that they were seeking applications for the NomCom.  I like to participate in things so I started reading up on it.

I wasn’t as active at this time last year with PASS, I was on the ramp up to becoming more active, but I was still a couple weeks away from attending my first SQL Saturday.   So if you are not familiar with it there was a bit of controversy last year with the PASS elections and the NomCom.   I’m not going to go into it, but I researched it before I submitted my application and it is pretty easy for you to find on the IntraWebs if you are interested.

My participation on the NomCom is a direct result from last year.   In order to put more transparency into the process that is the NomCom, it was decided that PASS membership should have the majority of the seats.  So I’m a community representative as well as Roy Ernest (@RumblingDBA | Blog ) and ½ of my Future Law Firm of Bigun’s and Balls Newly Minted SQL MVP Jack Corbett(@unclebiguns | Blog).

After reading over what the commitment would entail and speaking with my family to make sure they were okay with it I put in an application.  

“So Balls”, you say, “What in the name of SQL Server does a NomCom Do?”

Great question Dear Reader.

WHAT’S A NOMCOM

PASS has announced that there will be a Board of Elections meeting this year, to learn more visit the PASS 2011 Election Website.  As part of the process people will fill out an application and submit to be considered for the election.  There are some pre-qualifications that they have to meet, you have to be working with SQL Server (Sorry Larry Ellison).... you get the idea.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mshahab/4935745220/

After all the applications that do not meet the pre-qualifications are taken out of the mix, the applications are then handed over to the NomCom.  We review them weigh  (fancy word for score) each based on a set of criteria that we received from the current Board of Directors.   We will interview the references  and eventually we will interview the applicants and weigh those interviews as well.

We will use these scores to form a rank, and then we will pass these candidates along to the Board, passing along the top number that the Board Requests to be considered as the slate for elections.   The board will review everything we have given to them.  If they are not satisfied with the slate of candidates we put forward.  They will push it back to us and give us new instructions.

So to make a long answer short, What does a NomCom do?  We are nothing more than a Nominating Committee, that ranks the applicants as best we can and hands that over to the current Board of Directors.   We will be doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Just a quick clarification about the criteria used to rank candidates.  We have been meeting for weeks reviewing what the Board has given us and asking for clarification where needed, and disagreeing with criteria where needed.   It has been a very civil and easy process.  Everybody wants the community to vote and decide who is best to serve on the PASS Board, and we are doing our absolute best to make sure that who the community wants they will get.

So basically, I have no power, and if people are unhappy with the results I will probably get a lot of people talking to me through the IntraWebs USING CAPS!!!!

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yorkie/188523375/

Well I do enjoy a good roller coaster.  And to be quite honest it felt like the right thing to do.  I’m not running for the Board of Directors.  Personally I don’t feel like I have the experience yet to where that would be a good fit for PASS or for me.  The election process though is a very important one, and it is one I believe deeply in for better or for worse.

America doesn’t ask much of you, but it does ask that you vote.  (okay it wants those pesky taxes too, but nobody likes them.)   You have a chance to shape the world around you every four years.  And for PASS you get that option a little more often.   I’ve gotten to meet a lot of the Board of Directors.   I like them, they are nice people, and they are very knowledgeable in SQL Server which gives us a common bond immediately.

But when I look at the SQL World around us I want to get more involved and help change things for the better.  We've done a lot of good work, but there is always more that needs some doing.

I’m not a deep insider.  I still grin like a kid with a backstage pass when I look around at the places and people that I’m going to work with.   Getting to hang out with guys like Jack and Roy still makes me grin ear to ear.  As if that isn’t enough rounding out the NomCom is Thomas Larock(@SQLRockstar | Blog) and the Immediate Past President of PASS Wayne Snyder (@SQLWayne ).

I’ll be writing more as the process moves along.  I’ve seen several people on Twitter announcing their intention to run for the board and I’m looking forward to this. 

Thanks,

Brad