The Week in Awesome

awesomeThis week in awesome:

Pick up a copy of PowerShell Deep Dives and support Save the Children, “an international non-governmental organization that promotes children’s rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries” (quote source: Wikipedia). PowerShell Deep Dives “is a compilation of PowerShell nuggets you won’t find anywhere else. Chapters were contributed by MVPs, leaders in the PowerShell community as well as Microsoft specialists.” Thanks for the heads up, Jeff! (As long as you’re feeling educational and charitable, pick up a copy of TribalSQL, which benefits Computers 4 Africa.)

A Smithsonian article, The Accidental History of the @ Symbol, covers the @ symbol’s wine-related origins, and rise from obscurity in 1971, due entirely to the invention of email. A big thanks to Arpanet’s Ray Tomlinson for the very best in shift-2 technology. (Via Grant Fritchey)

InfoWorld published a slideshow by Sean, “10 great new features in SQL Server 2014“, to accompany his great article on SQL Server 2014.

It’s possible that lightening comes from space, sort of. We know a lot about lightening, but “scientists have yet to find a way to explain how storm clouds build up enough extra charge to electrically illuminate the sky,” according to PhysicsCentral.com.  Thanks to the site for a good article on the question and the experiment.  (But, fie on them for their stupid electricity pun in the title.) (Via BoingBoing.)

I’m just a teensy bit behind the curve: it turns out that SQL Server 2012 introduced easy zoom functionality in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). Is this why there’s been slightly less screaming about Zoomit at events lately?

I tend to like people who play with language (better, if they’re doing it intentionally). And so I very much like Jenny “the Bloggess” Lawson. Here’s a recent post: Because if there’s one thing we need more of in my neighborhood, it’s fire.

For a good time, run #Powershell and enter
get-help about_*
Then explore.
-me

Sinfest is a favorite web comic. This week had an especially good strip: Bondage Puppet.

For LOLz: Pleash shtate your bishnesh.

Grant Fritchey is trying out a new Microsoft, er, venture/idea/thingy called “Curah!“* It’s apparently a focused bloglike arena for “curating” groups of links. He explains it better than I’m willing to, but I mostly find this interesting because Grant (and the people who commented on his blog) find it interesting. Awesomely interesting, if you will.

Led Zepplin got a LOUSY review of their first album from Rolling Stone Magazine in 1969. Out of this, I will take the moral: never read the comments. Highlights:

  • “…a writer of weak, unimaginative songs”
  • “…might have been ideal for a Yardbirds’ B-side”
  • “…prissy Robert Plant’s howled vocals”
  • “…strained and unconvincing shouting (he mauy be as foppish as Rod Stewart, but he’s nowhere near so exciting, especially in the higher registers)”

“Get me a secure line,” he barked. Then he waited 2 days for an appointment.

Dear new Tweeters: If you want something from others, make sure your account profile is filled out.  Avatar, too.  Don’t look like a spammer
@datachick

PluralSight has purchased a media software training company. So, now Pluralsight has media training, which is kind of awesome for those with a subscription.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
-Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena (of the Citizenship in a Republic speech, 1910)

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Happy days,
Jen

 

*Soon to be rebranded CloudCurate, I’m sure.