Ward Pond's SQL Server blog

Ruminating on issues pertinent to the design and development of sound databases and processes under Microsoft SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2005, and SQL Server 2000 (while reserving the right to vent about anything else that's on my mind)

This Space Is Closed -- at least for now

(updated 14 October 2010 to include a pointer to my new SQL Server-related blog) Today I received...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/13/2010

More About Our Dad, Thomas Alexander Pond

We've posted Dad's obituary online at my website. Please stop by and read it. He lived a remarkable...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/04/2010

RIP Thomas Alexander Pond: 1924-2010

I’ve been down, but not like this before - Paul Barrere (Little Feat), All That You Dream...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/02/2010

Two New Corners of the InterWebs -- and They’re Mine!

A busy weekend here in central Florida, as I established two new personal domains:...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 07/19/2010

Serving the SQL Server Blogosphere for a Twentieth of a Century!

It’s been exactly five years since this blog went live with a questionable Admiral Stockdale...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 06/22/2010

Five Things About sp_.. (okay.. Four Things and a Closing Argument)

Celebrating the first day of Summer with the first technical post on the blog since mid-Winter...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 06/21/2010

Happy Birthday, Mom v78.05

Today would’ve been my mother’s 83rd birthday if we hadn’t lost her to emphysema on 4 November...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 06/17/2010

MERGE, XML Access, and a CTE: Not So Fast

A bit of old news, as I return to the blog in earnest after some time away.. Last summer, in the...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 02/06/2010

DWWTWT?: January, 2010

After spending the first three “working” days of the month enjoying the end of my sons’ holiday...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 01/31/2010

R.I.P. Robert B. Parker

Sad news today from the world of letters with the passing of Robert B. Parker, author of over 50...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 01/20/2010

DWWTWT?: December, 2009

December saw three days of driving to Tampa for a customer visit, followed by eleven days of...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 12/31/2009

Happy Birthday Dad v85.0

Today is my dad’s eighty-fifth birthday.  It was my intention to travel to Vermont to surprise...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 12/04/2009

DWWTWT?: November 9-30

The remainder of the month featured two weeks of telecommuting, one week of non-competition (for...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 11/30/2009

DWWTWT?: November 2-6

The new month began with yet another telecommuting-filled week: Commuting Options Selected since 12...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 11/06/2009

DWWTWT?: October 26-30

The month ended with another telecommuting-filled week: Commuting Options Selected since 12 June...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/30/2009

New Career Campaign From Microsoft Learning

UPDATED 27 October 2009 with the correct expiration date for the E-Learning Collections discount...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/26/2009

Pond’s Laws Home Page Now Live

Thanks to yet another kick-in-the-pants from Jimmy May (did he play soccer as a youth?) the Pond’s...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/26/2009

The Pond's Laws Home Page

This page will serve as a compendium of Pond’s Laws posts. The individual posts which promulgate the...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/26/2009

DWWTWT?: October 19-23

The week again featured a full week of telecommuting.. relatively good health is a wonderful thing:...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/23/2009

Windows 7 Now Available

You might have heard about this somewhere else.. but Windows 7 was launched today. I recently got an...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/22/2009

Pond’s Thirteenth Law: Change Won’t Be Cheaper Tomorrow

Herewith, a discussion of the emergence of Pond’s Thirteenth Law (if you need to catch up, here are...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/20/2009

Beta 2 Release for Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Available for Download

Exciting news for the developer community: yesterday Microsoft released the second beta for Visual...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/20/2009

DWWTWT?: October 12-16

The week featured a full week of telecommuting: Commuting Options Selected since 12 June 2006 Mode...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/16/2009

DWWTWT?: October 5-9

The week featured three noncompetitive days due to illness, followed by two telecommutes: Commuting...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/09/2009

DWWTWT?: October 1-2

The fourth quarter begins with a pair of telecommutes: Commuting Options Selected since 12 June 2006...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 10/02/2009

DWWTWT?: September 30

After yesterday’s milestone, the month and quarter conclude with a telecommute (green commute #501):...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/30/2009

DWWTWT?: September 28-29

The week starts out with a couple of telecommuting days: Commuting Options Selected since 12 June...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/29/2009

Mark Your Calendar: Windows 7 Readiness Webcast on October 6

The following description of a pending webcast arrived in my inbox earlier this week; I thought it...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/29/2009

A Gift From Jens and Jimmy

Two Microsoft folks frequently featured in this space, Microsoft Certified Masters Jimmy May and...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/28/2009

SQL Server 2008 R2 August CTP Available for Download

If you’re interested in the next release of SQL Server, the BI-focused SQL Server 2008 R2, you’ll be...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/28/2009

DWWTWT?: September 14-25

These last two weeks have been spent diligently telecommuting from the woods of central Florida:...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/25/2009

DWWTWT?: September 7-11

After Monday’s Labor Day holiday, the remainder of the week was spent telecommuting from the woods...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/11/2009

Pond’s Twelfth Law: In Your Pursuit of Five Nines, Don’t Practice in Front of the CIO

After a long hiatus, Pond’s Laws of System Design (or, How to Be a Competent Professional in an...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/09/2009

Database Programming: A New String Concatenation Contender for SQL Server 2008

UPDATED 11:11p 7 September 2009: Based on my latest exchange with Adam (see the comments for this...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/07/2009

DWWTWT?: September 1-4

The month begins and the week proceeds with an uninterrupted telecommuting stretch: Commuting...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/04/2009

Database Programming: Did You Know IN Can Do This?

Courtesy of Jens Suessmeyer comes this little gem purloined from an internal discussion;...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/04/2009

Download a New Browser and Help Feed the Hungry

I sure wish I’d known about this sooner.. If you haven’t yet downloaded Internet Explorer 8, here’s...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 09/02/2009

DWWTWT?: August 31

The month ends and the week begins with a telecommute: Commuting Options Selected since 12 June 2006...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/31/2009

Adam Machanic Likes MERGE, Too

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s MERGE discussion comes a complementary (and far more detailed) take...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/25/2009

Database Programming: Why I Like MERGE

In the wake of last month’s post on my new development efforts in SQL Server 2008, several of you...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/24/2009

DWWTWT?: August 17-21

I took Friday off this week to celebrate the last day of summer vacation with my family after a week...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/21/2009

DWWTWT?: August 10-14

My energy level has improved markedly through a week of telecommuting: Commuting Options Selected...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/14/2009

DWWTWT?: August 3-7

I had gallbladder surgery on Monday and was home Wednesday night. Amazingly, I was back to work from...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/07/2009

At the Onset of My Fiftieth Year

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook are aware that I’ve spent the last week and a half...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 08/06/2009

DWWTWT?: July 27-31

The planned all-driving week was postponed due to several extenuating circumstances, and will...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 07/31/2009

Database Programming: What I’ve Learned About SQL Server 2008 (with a little on SQL Server 2005 thrown in)

With SQLRAP 2.5 out the door a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been free to turn to another project, SIPA,...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 07/26/2009

One Giant Leap for an Aspiring Geek: Congratulations, Jimmy May!

Forty years ago this past Monday, I sat in rapt yet bleary-eyed amazement as a flickering...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 07/26/2009

DWWTWT?: July 20-24

Two interruptions to work this week: a trip to Ocala on Monday to a water park to celebrate my...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 07/24/2009

DWWTWT?: July 13-17

Another week, another batch of telecommutes: Commuting Options Selected since 12 June 2006 Mode of...

Author: Ward Pond Date: 07/18/2009

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