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The Voice of the DBA

The Oddest Thing

My desk is a mess, at least, it's a mess compared to many people's workspaces. Not as bad as some, but certainly worse than others. I sometimes care and will clean clear things away, maybe even get rid of some items, but for the most part I have an idea where things are and they can stay there. I'm not sure that a neat, ordered space has ever mattered to me. Some of you may feel differently, and I'm sure a few of you can't work unless the clutter is clear. If you want to share a picture of your space, home or work, it might be a fun distraction today for others to see how you work.

When I posted the picture of my desk, someone right away noticed that I had a hose clamp on my desk. I didn't even realize it was there, and likely it got dropped there after making some repair outside and coming back in with an extra one in my hand. I probably dropped it on the desk as I was going to wash up, since my desk is on the way. It never got moved, and it's actually still there today.

Most of us use our desks for work, and I certainly do, but I also end up doing research and learning for home or ranch projects. I've been known to sit and watch a video on YouTube or read a manual with a tool or piece of equipment in front of me. As a result, I end up with some strange things on my desk, though most are too large to stay for long. After all, I do need to get technical work done.

Today I wanted to see what you're collecting. Is it swag from some event, a random item from your life, or even a strange momento you're proud of. What's the oddest thing on your desk?

For me, right now, I think that since I'm a data professional, the hose clamp is certainly an odd item. There are various bits of electronics and parts, all of which make sense, as do the Aleve and souvenir baseball bat from SQL Saturday Louisville. There's also a chainsaw clutch tool, waiting for me to get a spare hour to take a tooll apart. Maybe the strangest item is a jar of earplugs sitting to one side. Since I coach volleyball, I keep some around, and for some reason the spares ended up on my desk. Since they're behind a monitor, I think I'll leave them be.

Take a look around your space today, post a picture if you like, and let us know what oddities abound for you.

Steve Jones from SQLServerCentral.com

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Question of the Day

Today's Question (by Steve Jones):

I have an Azure SQL Database server where I have a single database. I have enabled Automatic tuning on this database and it has worked well. I want to ensure that any of the new databases created on this server have automatic tuning enabled for the CREATE INDEX and DROP INDEX statements, but not the FORCE PLAN option. What should I do?

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Yesterday's Question of the Day

Yesterday's Question (by Steve Jones):

Which languages can be used with Machine Learning Services in SQL Server 2017?

Answer: R and Python

Explanation:

In SQL Server 2017, only R and Python can be used as languages.

Ref: Installing Machine Learning Services – Level 1 of the Stairway to ML Services - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Machine+Learning+Services+(MLS)/171758/

What is Machine Learning Services? - click here


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