I’m excited to step into a new role at Microsoft as the Worldwide Solution Lead for the Data and Apps portfolio. I will get to work with teams from around the world to drive more consistent, high-quality workshops and help accelerate readiness for data, cloud, and AI solutions.

A photographer was tragically crushed when a massive block of cheddar fell on him. In fairness, the people he was photographing tried to warn him.

Earlier today I discovered that not everybody, was in fact, kung fu fighting!

That was a well-deserved nap. You are welcome, me.

What's New in SSMS 22.7: T-SQL formatting, GitHub Copilot in Agent mode, Copilot execution context, Schema Compare, and more... techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserv...

I'm starting a new role on July 1st but can't tell anyone yet. Figure I'm safe posting on Bluesky.

I earned my "Explore SQL Server 2025 capabilities" trophy! I’m so proud to be celebrating this achievement and hope this inspires you to start your own @MicrosoftLearn journey! learn.microsoft.com/en-us/users/...

Indiana has now stolen two teams from other NFL cities. Other NFL teams should be worried... Don't worry Cleveland, your team is safe.

Microsoft is introducing a consistent pricing model for Extended Security Updates (ESUs) across Azure, on-premises environments, and other public clouds. This change directly impacts organizations running SQL Server 2016 end of support. sqlmct.com/sql-server-2...

SQL Server evolved from blocking locks to row-versioning. Find out how #SQLServer2025 using Optimized Locking allows for higher concurrency and better scalability. sqlmct.com/understandin...

DP-800 - SQL + AI, hands-on: Join a free workshop near you related blog, if you want to learn more: devblogs.microsoft.com/azure-sql/sq...

A search condition is considered SARGable (Search ARGument ABLE) when SQL Server can use an index to efficiently locate rows. So, ask not what an index can do for you, but what you can do for your index. #SQLServer #SQL #Sargable sqlmct.com/writing-sarg...

SQL Server migrations have become significantly easier with the introduction of the new “Migrate SQL Server” experience in SSMS 22.5 or later. This unified, guided, end-to-end flow combines assessment, migration, and modernization into one streamlined process. sqlmct.com/simplify-sql...

Europe released their third album on May 26th, 1986. That's right, "The Final Countdown" is 40 years old!

Data rarely arrives in perfect condition. Typos, regional spelling differences, and inconsistent formats make exact matching unreliable in real-world scenarios. #SQLServer2025 introduces powerful built-in functions to handle it directly in T-SQL. sqlmct.com/fuzzy-matchi...

Fun little prompt I borrowed, "Use everything you know about me, INSERT NAME, from our conversations, including my personality, habits, strengths, profession, and overall vibe, to turn my photo into a hand-drawn sketchbook character sheet."

SQL Server security updates for May 2026. Reminder: #SQLServer2016 reaches End of Support (EOS) on July 14, 2026. sqlmct.com/sql-server-s...

We're #1! realestate.usnews.com/places/ranki...

Have you’ve ever run into unexplained CPU spikes caused by dynamic SQL? Introducing OPTIMIZED_SP_EXECUTESQL in #SQLServer2025, which reduces compile storms by allowing one session to compile while others can reuse the plan. sqlmct.com/optimized_sp...

VSAT Acceleration Customer Champion! www.credly.com/badges/97369...

AI in the data platform is evolving fast, but what’s often missing in conversations is context. Not just data, but how work happens, what data means, and where knowledge lives. That’s where Microsoft IQ comes in for the #SQLServer DBA. sqlmct.com/microsoft-iq...

Microsoft Certification #66

I approve this message!

The AI_GENERATE_EMBEDDINGS function and CREATE EXTERNAL MODEL are now Generally Available in #AzureSQL! devblogs.microsoft.com/azure-sql/ge...

Book 21 of yearly @GoodReads goal of 30: "Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and a Reckoning in Tombstone" by Mark Lee Gardner www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Explore optimized locking in #SQLServer2025, enhancing concurrency without compromising consistency for modern workloads. sqlmct.com/understandin...

Happy Murderbot day to all who celebrate. 🤖

Encryption for SQL Server is no longer a best practice; it’s a baseline requirement. Let’s walk through what’s changing, why it matters, and how you should adjust your environments. #SQLServer #AzureSQL sqlmct.com/modern-encry...

Book 19 of the Year: "Dungeon Crawler Carl" by @mattdinniman. Aliens turn Earth into a dungeon-crawling reality show, and Carl (plus his very opinionated cat, Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk) has to survive it… www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I took the beta and I will say that if you work with SQL Server, this is the next certification for you. @microsoftlearn.bsky.social

If I had ordered dinner when I started thinking about ordering dinner, I would have received and eaten dinner by now.

Some weeks I'm not sure if I am working from home or just sleeping at the office. 🤷‍♂️

Prepare for the end of SQL Server 2016 support by modernizing with Azure Arc and Power BI to enhance your compliance and security efforts. #SQLServer #AzureSQL #AzureArc sqlmct.com/modernizing-...

When users say, “SQL Server is slow”, they’re not talking about wait stats, memory grants, or disk latency. They’re talking about the symptoms of what is causing the server to run slow. sqlmct.com/choosing-the...

Building AI skills shouldn’t feel complicated. Here’s what’s new in #AI Skills Navigator, based on what learners and team leaders asked for most: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/skills-...

Book 18 of @goodreads yearly goal. The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg. www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Simplify SQL Server Migration with SSMS 22.5 #SQLServer #SSMS #AzureSQL sqlmct.com/simplify-sql...

Check out the April 2026 SQL Server security updates spanning SQL Server 2016 through SQL Server 2025. #SQLServer #Security sqlmct.com/sql-server-s...

Happy Easter to all who celebrate... one week later so you can get the chocolate bunnies on sale. 🐰

This post will describe how SQL Server will PROCESS a query for optimization the first time running an Ad Hoc query or Stored Procedure. sqlmct.com/sql-query-pr...

Book 17 of the year: "My First Trip to the Bleachers" by @Michael_Cerami www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

In this edition of #TheSpark, take a closer look at how organizations are building the right AI skills across different roles, and how that approach is helping #AI adoption move faster. www.linkedin.com/pulse/april-...

We usually add indexes to speed up retrieving data, but can you have too many indexes? Find out how maintaining indexes could slow down your write operations. #SQLServer #AzureSQL #Indexing sqlmct.com/the-operatio...

I just sat down and took the DP-800 beta exam: Developing AI-Enabled Database Solutions for the New SQL AI Developer Associate Certification. Overall, it was a great test of knowledge. #AI #AzureSQL #Fabric sqlmct.com/new-sql-ai-d...

The second time I've had my picture taken from space. Two photographs taken by one of us, of all of us, over half a century apart. Left - Apollo 17, 1972 Right - Artemis II, 2026

Just finished the DP-800 SQL AI Developer beta exam. I did really well on the stuff I knew but did bad on the stuff I didn't know. 🌞 #DP800 learn.microsoft.com/en-us/plans/...

Book 16 of my @Goodreads yearly goal. We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O'Donnell www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

Book 14 of my yearly Goodreads goal of 25: Moses and the Doctor by Luke Epplin. www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

Book 13 of the year. As a Terre Haute kid in the 70's, this one really hit home! Shout out to the narrator of the audiobook, @ellen_adair, as it was very pleasant to listen to a real person. www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

Explore practical demos and key features for building modern applications in Visual Studio Code using the MSSQL extension. #SQLServer #AzureSQL #MSSQL #VSCode #GitHubCopilot #ModernData #DevTools www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...