Rob Farley : arsenal

Improving Your T-SQL Arsenal - slides

Rob Farley — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:46:16 GMT

I've given this presentation a couple of times at user-groups now - last week in Adelaide, and this week in Melbourne. I posted the scripts to my blog recently, making them available to people who heard this talk at TechEd Australia at the start of the month, so now I've got around to uploading the slide deck as well.

I actually plan to blog about many of the tips too, so watch for that over the next month or so. I'll try to do at least one a week for a while, if not more. Obviously some will become longer articles, while some will be quite short. Much of the material gets covered my Advanced T-SQL Querying and Reporting course too - so feel free to check that out some time if you can.

My views on Arsenal comings and goings

Rob Farley — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 11:00:36 GMT

(completely non-tech)

I've had quite a few people ask me my opinions on the Arsenal transfers this summer (well, winter here in Australia, but summer for Arsenal).

The big question of course is around Thierry Henry. Our champion who left for Barcelona this year. Personally, I think it was a year too late, but if he'd left a year ago, it might've been a year too soon. This past season for him was a major let-down, and I wonder if he will ever achieve the same kind of level as the past.

As for his 'replacement', Eduardo da Silva, I think he'll be a great asset. Wenger has been chasing a 'fox-in-the-box' for a long time, and having had no luck with his attempts to sign someone like this in the past (notably Franny Jeffers), I think this guy stands a great chance of being the player able to convert possession into goals.

Whilst he's not a new signing, I think this may be the season for Theo Walcott to shine. Our defence is looking good, and although I think we will still miss Lauren and Campbell, I think Sagna will be a useful addition. But our main problem this past season was in attack, and with da Silva, Walcott, and the return to fitness of Robin van Persie, things are looking up.

I'd still like to see some big names come to the club. I'm not sure Anelka is the right person, and I think Tevez or Torres would've been good if Wenger had pursued them. He knows the kind of person he's after though, and perhaps those players don't fit the profile.

On a different note, I do feel bad for Leeds United. They're a team with great history, and it seems they may end up falling apart completely. Let's hope they can be restored in time.

An Adelaide icon waves goodbye

Rob Farley — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:28:31 GMT

The State Bank building was built in Adelaide in 1988, and remains the tallest building in Adelaide. When the bank (not the building) collapsed in the early 90s, it became Santos House, and got branded with the Santos logo. It was like this when I first got introduced to Adelaide in 1994. It's the building where Microsoft have their Adelaide office, and Level 2 hosts the user-group meetings that I run. At Christmas there are green lights in the shape of a tree, and it displays a cross at Easter time.

In the last few weeks, the word Santos has disappeared. It now shows the red W of Westpac. I suppose it makes little difference to most things. I'm happy enough to refer to it as Westpac House, or whatever its new name is supposed to be. But I'm saddened. Santos is a South Australian brand. The 'Sa' at the start of the word is "South Australia" (and interestingly, the NT is Northern Territory, like the NT in Qantas). It's very disappointing that the branding associated with this important Adelaide building no longer reflects Adelaide. Something's been lost.

I have similar emotions about the branding of the Arsenal stadium at Ashburton Grove. I appreciate that Emirates Airline have paid a fortune for the naming brand. But it's a shame that this fantastic stadium, the third largest stadium in London (after Wembley and Twickenham) should have its branding rights sold, but to a company who doesn't reflect London at all. At least Wigan Athletic's JJB Stadium is named for a shop owned by the chairman of the club, a company which is based in Wigan.