Links for the Week 2009.11.20

Bonus link dump week! Since I haven’t done one of these in several weeks, some of these links go all the way back to October 29th, enjoy.

SQL Server

Suggested Max Memory Settings for SQL Server 2005/2008 – Windows Live – Ever wonder how to set up the max memory settings for SQL Server? On our production instances we use fixed settings, but I'm going to revisit those settings now that I'm armed with this information.
How Normal(ized) Should You Be? – At what point is normalization too much normalization? Buck has an answer, in a way.
The Rambling DBA: Jonathan Kehayias : The benefits of attending PASS realized! – And this is why PASS is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Throw Your MONEY Away – The MONEY data type can cause all kinds of weirdness in the database. Maybe it's time to reconsider what we're using to store cash.

Visual Studio Color Theme Generator – This is amazing.
How We Use Kanban Board. The Real Example. – There are a lot of articles out there about using Kanban boards. This is a real world example. I love seeing people put agile practices to work AND reporting about how well they're working for them.
It’s Okay To Write Unit Tests – Unit testing is important, we all claim to know it, but why do so few people write unit tests? Justin Etheredge looks at why people aren't writing unit tests and how we can help ourselves.

An illustrated guide to seven ways to kill an idea – Hilariously true and wonderful art to boot.
oh how i love an elk – say what now?
A Softer World: 496 – The holidays are such a strange time. And by strange I mean very confusing.
A Softer World: 499 – Happiness is made out of candy.
LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY – Now you can learn something everyday accompanied by a cute illustration.
Zombie Designers « Trent Walton – Some great, humorous, design tips in here. Funny thing is, they apply to just about any profession.
Insight: UI that looked sexy in Photoshop almost always looks overdesigned – Keep it simple, kids. I try to do UI design (what little I do anymore) on nothing but a whiteboard, post-its, or with only shades of grey in HTML. No fancy Photoshop for this guy.
The Looming Collapse of FedEx – Dematerialization 2 | Quiet Babylon – Strange thoughts musing on the future of commerce, transportation, and mail.
Mac Buyer’s Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone – Apple is pretty steady, statistically speaking, on how frequently they rev their hardware.
Hecq Vs Exillion – Spheres Of Fury on Vimeo – Not 100% sure what's going on here, but I love it.
cyoa – A visual examination of the Choose Your Own Adventure books. It's notable 1) because seriously who the hell would do this? and 2) the illustrations are amazing.