• SQL

    Us the ORDER BY Keyword With Your SQL SELECT Statements

    The ORDER BY keyword in a SQL SELECT statement is used to sort a given result-set based on the contents of one or more columns of data. By default, results are in ascending order, but you can use either ASC or DESC to indicate that you’d like results sorted in ascending or descending order, respectively. Below is a selection from the “Customers” table that we will use to run some SQL sorting statements using the ORDER BY keyword: ID Site Contact Address City Zip Country 1 Krypted Charles Edge my house Minneapolis 55418 US 2 Apple Tim Cook spaceship Cupertino 95014 US 3 Microsoft Satya Nadella campus Redmond 98053 US…

  • SQL

    The SQL SELECT Statement

    Most tasks you will execute against a database are done with SQL statements. Think of statements as a query, an insert, a change, or a delete operating. For example, to see all of your data, you would select all of the records from a database using the SELECT statement. Then we’ll ask for all, or *, and tell the command to show us where the data is coming from, which is the Customers table. Finally, we’ll be nice and tidy and put a semi-colon at the end; although if you forget, you can always do so after you hit return: SELECT * FROM Customers; As can be seen above, the…

  • Business

    20 Lessons About Business I Learned From Dungeons & Dragons

    I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in about the 5th or 6th grade. I didn’t get good at it for awhile. And once I got good at it, I didn’t play much longer (insert reference to “The Best Days of My Life” here). Along the way, I learned a few lessons that until I got older, I didn’t realize were great life lessons. I also learned a lot that helped me later in life in the business world. Here’s a few you may or may not agree with (and yes, the image is of a box sitting on my table at home:). Build a great campaign and then if the…

  • SQL

    Your First SQL Statement

    Databases and Tables A SQL database is an organized collection of data. Or at least that’s what they taught me in college. In real life, it’s only as organized as the people putting data into the database. Databases contain schemas, tables, stored procedures, reports, views and other objects. Most databases will contain multiple tables. Tables contain rows that have data in them. I like to think of a database kinda’ like an Excel spreadsheet. Each tab on a spreadsheet is similar to a table; each row is similar to a row in a database and each column in the spreadsheet is somewhat similar to a column, or attribute. The headers…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment

    My 16 Mac Security Advances Article On TechCrunch

    Ever since the kids from Silicon Valley went to TechCrunch, I’ve been thinking that at some point I’d want to put a piece there. Luckily, I recently got the chance. Today, 16 Apple Security Advances To Take Note Of In 2016 went up on TechCrunch. You can access the article here. The original article actually listed the year that each was introduced in order. It was a lot of work to go back in time and piece the timeline together, so since the years didn’t make it through editorial, I list them here (not that anyone actually cares): 2002: Managed Preferences 2003: FileVault 2004: Require all software installers that need system resources…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment

    IT Administrator’s Guide For OS X Now Available On Lynda.com

    It can be tough to get information about larger Mac deployments. I’ve written a few books on it. Apple has built some pages on it. But many prefer to consume their content through video. As such, Sean Collins has teamed up with Lynda.com to put together an IT Administrator’s Guide for El Capitan. With topics ranging from SIP to DEP, and all the acronyms in the middle, Sean’s soothing voice will guide you through what you need to get started with a new Mac deployment. Many a job can seem daunting, but with this latest addition to our arsenal, you’ll instantly feel less intimidated. It’s like the Sun A of…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    My El Capitan Enterprise Mac Security Book Now Shipping

    If you’re interested in Mac Security, the next edition of my Enterprise Mac Security book is now shipping. You can get it here http://www.amazon.com/Enterprise-Mac-Security-OS/dp/148421711X. The book is shipping from 3rd party sellers, but should ship directly from Amazon soon at the regular price. I don’t usually know exactly when, but it should also appear for Kindle and on the Apple Books store as well. Hope you enjoy!

  • personal

    CBGB

    We really just stopped for chips and a Coke (everything carbonated was a Coke to me back then, being from the South). At the cash register, we thought that a cassette by a band called The Sex Pistols was about the funniest thing you could buy. I think we were 13 or 14 years old at the time. It was Nevermind the Bollocks. We started a band that week. Eventually, we all kinda’ lost interest (there wasn’t a Jody, but if there was he would have quit and got married). I now have drums in the basement again. But it has been a very long time since I played with an actual band, and…