How to Study

We're very proud to bring you our first DBAs@Midnight video.  Here we talk about how to study SQL books and be effective at learning what you want. We have a great deal of fun here and hopefully give you some good tips on how to stay on track with your studies.

Who Should Manage Backups

SORRY GUYS!!! This was about a 45min video and a glitch with the computer lost the first part of it so you only get the last 19mins. We thought about recording it again, but we honestly don't remember what we said so I made the command decision to just post it as-is.

Good Interview Still Don't Get the Job: Part 1

Hey guys... here we kick off a discussion about some reasons why you may still not get the job even though you had an excellent interview.

Good Interview Still Don't Get the Job: Part 2

OK, we're just continuing our discussion of having an excellent interview.

Keeping your Sanity when out of Work: Part 1

Here we're discussing some ways of keeping your sanity and your confidence when you're out of a job so you can ensure you get that next gig that comes along.

Keeping your Sanity when out of Work: Part 2

We're continuing the discussion of keeping your sanity while out of work.

Midnight: No Moving Schema

OK guys, here we're talking about no moving schema. If you don't know what that is, then watch this and see not only what it is, but what problems it can cause. We also discuss SQL Saturday a bit.

Midnight: Managing Tasks 1 of 2

This one was rather fun because it was another one of those nights when were were both rather punchy. HOwever, amidst all the messing around and
backtracking we did manage to talk about something. We talked about managing tasks, moving schema, and give a brief intro to project Madison.
I'm sure there's some other stuff in there too but I can't remember everything. Oh yeah, we even touch on SQL upgrade too.

Midnight: Managing Tasks 2 of 2

Here's the exciting conclusion to the 1st one.

Working from Home: Part 3

Part 3 of "Working from Home"

Working from Home: Part 2

Part 2 of "Working from Home"

Working from Home: Part 1

ALERT!!!! We had a lot of fun making this video but we covered some topics we're passionate about so in a couple patches the language gets a little rough. There's a normal amount of cursing but I do manage to slip up and drop an F-bomb once. So if you're offended easily then perhaps you should skip this one. I try not to do that, but sometimes it happens. Anyway, this one is a great time where we talk about the use of DBs in various customer service companies and how nobody uses them to their fullest. As well we also talk about office dress codes, hot chicks, and other stuff. Our daughter makes an appearance as well. So yeah, big fun.

PASS Summit 09 Interview: Itzik Ben-Gan, 1of2

We found Itzik at PASS 2009 and decided to keep him. This is a very informative interview on a number of topics.

PASS Summit 09 Interview: Itzik Ben-Gan, 2 of 2

Part 2 of Itzik.

Get Jiggy with Allen White: 1 of 2

We're here at PASS 2009 in Seattle and we caught up with my friend Allen White. We talked about SQL, and Oracle, and even some of the mistakes we've made while on the job. It was a great time had by all.

Get Jiggy with Allen White: 2 of 2

Finishing up with Allen White... good times.

Paul and Kim Tripp: 1 of 2

The Tripps are here and one of them is the apple of our eye. Can you guess which one? I think these 2 are the best interview ever. They're constantly laughing, and why not... they get to travel the world together and teach losers like us how to spell DBCC and index. These guys are some of our best friends in the industry and after all this time, I still learn so much from them. So let's give it up for Kim and her man-servant Paul!

Paul and Kim Tripp: 2 of 2

The Tripps are here and one of them is the apple of our eye. Can you guess which one? I think these 2 are the best interview ever. They're constantly laughing, and why not... they get to travel the world together and teach losers like us how to spell DBCC and index. These guys are some of our best friends in the industry and after all this time, I still learn so much from them. So let's give it up for Kim and her man-servant Paul!

The Early Bird Gets Brian Knight: 1 of 2

What can I say, Brian is just the bomb. He has more SSIS knowledge under his fingernails than the rest of us do all over.

The Early Bird Gets Brian Knight: 2 of 2

Brian's cute, and brilliant, and he's here for another round.

Bill Ramos Talks Tools: 1 of 2

If you don't know Bill, he's on the tools team, so he's the one you talk to when there's something you don't like in SSMS.

Bill Ramos Talks Tools: 2 of 2

Part 2 with Bill Ramos.

Grant is quite Fritchey: 1 of 3

We found Grant wearing a dress so of course we had to put him in our sandwich.

Grant is quite Fritchey: 2 of 3

Here's the 2nd part of our talk with Grant.

Grant is quite Fritchey: 3 of 3

Here's the 3rd part of our talk with Grant.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 1 of 7

RATED R for language content. Whenever you get Sean and Joe in the same room the language goes out the window. It's very entertaining though. There's a story behind this video. We had a scheduling mishap with Joe the day before, and when we were setting up for Paul he told us that Joe was in the speaker room with Louis. So he called and got them down there and we just turned it into a group interview.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 2 of 7

Here's part 2 of the big group interview.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 3 of 7

Here's part 3 of the big group interview.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 4 of 7

Here's part 4 of the big group interview.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 5 of 7

Here's part 5 of the big group interview.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 6 of 7

Here's part 6 of the big group interview.

Buck, Paul, Joe, and Louis: 7 of 7

Here's part 7 of the big group interview.

Certs, Tshooting, and Backups

This is our first filming since PASS and it's a little late at night. We still manage to talk about cert exams, troubleshooting, and why companies don't take backups. See the full show notes and links here.

Companies don't Care

We're back with another DBAs@Midnight. This week we're talking about how companies don't really care enough about their employees to keep them. We also discuss SQL Saturday 35 here in Dallas, and some other stuff.

Resumes: 1 of 3

This is a fun vid. Here we talk about resumes. How long should they be? What should you put in them? Should you have it professionally done? We also give away a webcam in this series. In all, I think this is the best one we've done in a while.

Resumes: 2 of 3

Part 2 of Resumes.

Resumes: 3 of 3

Part 3 of Resumes.

Breaking up with your Boss: 1 of 4

This is another one that I just love. We ramble on a bit I think, but overall I think we give some good info on a topic that's often times overlooked. In part 1:

• Worst secret handshake EVAR
  
• When Good IPs go Bad: Sean rants
  
• Another rant

Breaking up with your Boss: 2 of 4

In part 2:

• Forms, puns, my new job...
  
• 5:30 We get on How To Break Up With Your Boss
  
• Feeling bad for your boss, the company, the project: Feelings fade quickly!
  
• 13:20 So how do you break up, then?
  

Breaking up with your Boss: 3 of 4

In part 3:

• Why I got nervous the day I quit.
  
• I mention The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker
  
• Sean tells a big secret about his past
  
• We learn THE wording to use when leaving a job.
  
• We discuss various responses to "Why are you leaving?"
  
• Sean's Blue Cross story

Breaking up with your Boss: 4 of 4

In part 4:

• Conclusion of Blue Cross story.
  
• Exit interviews.
  
• Celebrity status.
  
• Different ways of leaving a job - the nice breakup, and THE BAD ONE (Jen's story).
  
• Things you can do to mitigate a bad breakup
  
• Sean's Arcserve story

Stuff Auction: 1 of 3

This is another fun one for us. Frankly, I really had a good time doing this one. We start with a quick recap of our week (MVP summit, vacation, Jen's new job). The main topic in part 1 is sharking someone's stuff. We cover the best ways to scope out the soon-to-be-available stuff. And there are some things that it's NEVER okay to do.

Stuff Auction: 2 of 3

Part 2 of Stuff Auction. Things to focus on at a new job. Jen's answer, Sean's answer...

Stuff Auction: 3 of 3

Part 3 of Stuff Auction. Priorities and important questions on the first day of your job, a quick recap, we wander for a bit after 15:00, and then Sean actually [redacted] [redacted] Denali [redacted] Dan Jones.

Evangelizing SQL Part: 1 of 3

This is a fun vid where we talk about evangelizing SQL in your company, getting devs to take part in code reviews, and much more. Good times.

Evangelizing SQL Part: 2 of 3

Part 2 of Evangelizing SQL

Evangelizing SQL Part: 3 of 3

Part 3 of Evangelizing SQL

How to Spin a Firing: 1 of 3

This was kind of a fun vid for me even though I was really tired and I think it shows. Here we talk about how to spin it in an interview when you've been fired for cause from your last gig.

How to Spin a Firing: 2 of 3

Part 2 of How to Spin a Firing.

How to Spin a Firing: 3 of 3

Part 3 of How to Spin a Firing.

No Religion at Work: 1 of 4

This is a nice film with a few good laughs and we also get in our first on-film fight. However, come with us to discuss religion at work and how you should handle someone who insists on trying to discuss it.

No Religion at Work: 2 of 4

Part 2 of No Religion at Work.

No Religion at Work: 3 of 4

Part 3 of No Religion at Work.

No Religion at Work: 4 of 4

Part 4 of No Religion at Work.

Plagiarism: 1 of 4

This is a fun one we did in Redmond while waiting for the SQL Server R2 TweetUp event at MS. We're here with Denny Cherry and Jorge Segarra to discuss the plagiarist John Dunleavy who has insisted on stealing material from real writers and authors and passing it off as his own. Come support us in our fight against smarmy little thieves like this.

Plagiarism: 2 of 4

Part 2 of Plagiarism.

Plagiarism: 3 of 4

Part 3 of Plagiarism.

Plagiarism: 4 of 4

Part 4 of Plagiarism.

Adopting New Features: 1 of 4

While playing with our SQLChickens, we're trying to top the plagiarism video from last week in Redmond. So after messing around a little bit, our main topic this week is when to adopt new features and whether it's more hassle to support them in conjunction with old code or not.

Adopting New Features: 2 of 4

Part 2 of Adopting New Features.

Adopting New Features: 3 of 4

Part 3 of Adopting New Features.

Adopting New Features: 4 of 4

Part 4 of Adopting New Features.

Firing DBAs: Part 1

This week we have a nice talk about how to handle a DBA who isn't performing like he should (No, not like that!!). We also talk about bad GPSs and other stuff.

Firing DBAs: Part 2

Part 2 of Firing DBAs.

Firing DBAs: Part 3

Part 3 of Firing DBAs.

Firing DBAs: Part 4

Part 4 of Firing DBAs.

When to Leave your Job: 1 of 5

This week we're talking about how to have a conversation with your DBA if he's not performing like he should.

When to Leave your Job: 2 of 5

Part 2 of When to Leave your Job.

When to Leave your Job: 3 of 5

Part 3 of When to Leave your Job.

When to Leave your Job: 4 of 5

Part 4 of When to Leave your Job.

When to Leave your Job: 5 of 5

Part 5 of When to Leave your Job.

Recompiling and Parameter sniffing: 1 of 5

We talk about so many things here it's hard to nail it all down in a summary. Let's see though, we talk about companies blocking social sites like twitter, using persisted tables as temp tables, recompiling and parameter sniffing, and much more.

Recompiling and Parameter sniffing: 2 of 5

Part 2 of Recompiling and Parameter sniffing.

Recompiling and Parameter sniffing: 3 of 5

Part 3 of Recompiling and Parameter sniffing.

Recompiling and Parameter sniffing: 4 of 5

Part 4 of Recompiling and Parameter sniffing.

Recompiling and Parameter sniffing: 5 of 5

Part 5 of Recompiling and Parameter sniffing.

User Processes: 1 of 2

We're both SO PISSED OFF!! We did over an hours worth of show and only 30mins got recorded. However, in this 30mins we talked about users dictating processes, speaking the user's language, vendor support and more.

User Processes: 2 of 2

Part 2 of User Processes.

Bobble-Head Buck: 1 of 5

This is kind of a fun video. We talk about Buck's bobble head along with DNS and DR, and the joy of logon triggers.

Bobble-Head Buck: 2 of 5

Part 2 of Bobble-Head Buck.

Bobble-Head Buck: 3 of 5

Part 3 of Bobble-Head Buck.

Bobble-Head Buck: 4 of 5

Part 4 of Bobble-Head Buck.

Bobble-Head Buck: 5 of 5

Part 5 of Bobble-Head Buck.

SQLSaturday 35: 1 of 3

Come see our first LIVE taping ever. We have a good time, give away some great prizes and even manage to get a little techie.

SQLSaturday 35: 2 of 3

Part 2 of SQLSaturday 35.

SQLSaturday 35: 3 of 3

Part 3 of SQLSaturday 35.

Buck's Taint: 1 of 5

We start out this episode with a great discussion on taints. Does it actually ite into IT? You'll have to come and find out. We also announce the new Petri IT Knowledgebase SQL site and discuss server-side traces. There's much more too.

Buck's Taint: 2 of 5

Part 2 of Buck's Taint.

Buck's Taint: 3 of 5

Part 3 of Buck's Taint.

Buck's Taint: 4 of 5

Part 4 of Buck's Taint.

Buck's Taint: 5 of 5

Part 5 of Buck's Taint.

The Latin DB: 1 of 5

We start this episode with the special guest we've been talking about. Then we talk about the Latin DB, and all kinds of things.

The Latin DB: 2 of 5

Part 2 of The Latin DB.

The Latin DB: 3 of 5

Part 3 of The Latin DB.

The Latin DB: 4 of 5

Part 4 of The Latin DB.

The Latin DB: 5 of 5

Part 5 of The Latin DB.

DBAsAtMidnightLive

Placeholder for the live feed so we can get suggested vids on the page.

UFOs: 1 of 4

You'll get our abridged review of TechED 2010, enterprises that insist on buying expensive apps, and of course our discussion of UFOs. This is only the beginning because there are plenty more topics this week.

UFOs: 2 of 4

Part 2 of UFOs.

UFOs: 3 of 4

Part 3 of UFOs.

UFOs: 4 of 4

Part 4 of UFOs.

Fire the Samurai: 1 of 4

This week we talk about the death of Database Underground, Jen stealing at work, and much more.

Fire the Samurai: 2 of 4

Part 2 of Fire the Samurai.

Fire the Samurai: 3 of 4

Part 3 of Fire the Samurai.

Fire the Samurai: 4 of 4

Part 4 of Fire the Samurai.

Sean's Rub-n-Tug: 1 of 5

We talk about a few things here, one of which is parameter sniffing. I know we've covered this before, but it keeps coming up somehow.

Sean's Rub-n-Tug: 2 of 5

Part 2 of Sean's Rub-n-Tug

Sean's Rub-n-Tug: 3 of 5

Part 3 of Sean's Rub-n-Tug

Sean's Rub-n-Tug: 4 of 5

Part 4 of Sean's Rub-n-Tug

Sean's Rub-n-Tug: 5 of 5

Part 5 of Sean's Rub-n-Tug

Sean is Petri's Dish: 1 of 4

Here we talk about an extremely bad cluster install done by one of my DBAs.

Sean is Petri's Dish: 2 of 4

Part 2 of Sean is Petri's Dish.

Sean is Petri's Dish: 3 of 4

Part 3 of Sean is Petri's Dish.

Sean is Petri's Dish: 4 of 4

Part 4 of Sean is Petri's Dish.

Season 1 Finale

The finale of our 1st season. Some good discussion here.