Yes, I’m still alive

I haven't done much writing in this 'blog since 2022 started. Quite frankly, I've been preoccupied with a number of things, including work and personal happenings. This isn't to say I don't have article ideas. In fact, I've started a few articles, but haven't gotten around to finishing them. Hopefully, I'll get back to them …

Heading graphics: it’s not just about good looks

I've been building Confluence pages as my initial projects for my (still-relatively) new employer. I've been building landing pages, coming up with designs and layouts as I go along. For a couple of these pages, I wanted to come up with graphics -- not just to be aesthetically pleasing, but also to give each page …

#PASSSummit2020 part 4: The final day #PASSSummit #PASSVirtualSummit

Well, it's Friday. Today is my third -- and last -- day of PASS Summit 2020. I'll start right off the bat with why this day is important for me, personally: today is my day to present. The funny thing is, I'm not really presenting. PASS is using my prerecorded session that I put together …

#PASSSummit2020 part 1: Planning out the week #PASSSummit #PASSVirtualSummit

I decided that I would do what I had intended to do last year, but didn't: live 'blog my PASS Summit experience. So this is my first "official" article in which I write about my activities for PASS Summit 2020. These articles will be tagged in my categories as #PASSSummit2020. When I went to PASS …

A busy week of #PASS events #PASSSummit #PASSVirtualSummit #PASSSummit2020

This will be a busy week for me. Tonight at 6:00 pm (EST), my local SQL user group is hosting our monthly meeting. Use the Meetup link to RSVP (note: you must RSVP for the Zoom meeting link to be viewable). If you need the Zoom password, please send us a message. The rest of …

“Your opinion matters…” Helping people by sharing your experiences

My wife and I have an anniversary coming up, so I started planning a getaway trip to celebrate. (Because of the pandemic, we decided to keep the trip short -- only one night, and we're not venturing very far -- only about an hour's drive from our home.) While I was making my travel plans, …

Social media: should I stay or should I go?

I don't think I have to mention just how prevalent social media is these days. If you're reading this 'blog, most likely you're engaged in some form of social media. Terms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are a regular part of daily life these days. It's gotten to the point that these terms have …

#PASSSummit 2020 — I’m speaking after all!!! #SQLFamily

This evening, I received a very pleasant surprise! After not making the cut for the initial list of speakers, and with the state of my finances being directly related to my current employment situation (or lack of), I had resigned myself to the fact that attending PASS Summit 2020 was likely not in my cards …

Ghostwriting — the art of writing for someone else

One of the new projects I've taken on is ghostwriting 'blog articles for one of my clients. While I have plenty of technical writing experience -- where I take a topic or application that isn't mine and try to write about it -- ghostwriting is an entirely new experience for me. Not only is it …

The power of a single, simple presentation — oh, the places you can go!

This morning, my Facebook memories feed told me that I did a presentation at my local user group five years ago today (this isn't the first time I've written about this). I did a presentation about how to speak the language of technology to those who don't understand it. Little did I know at the …