Kalen Delaney's Inside SQL Server 2000 is a good one.

I don't think there is any particular problem with what you have written unless the tables are huge.

I may have this wrong but I'm pretty sure that SQL joins the...

I also dropped all indices before importing data.

The difference in performance is very noticeable. If time allowed I also used to stop MSSQLSERVER and SQLSERVERAGENT and run a disk...

This one caught me out a few times.

When I first switched from SQL 6.5 to 7/2000 I kept on using the sp_addalias procedure to get around this.

However, best practice is...

Well no matter how much I would like to look like Aragorn from Lord of the Rings I just know that I will end up looking like Yoda eventually.

I'm just...

See SQL Server Central's most popular article http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/jtravis/understandingthedifferencebetweenisnull.asp

Try IS NULL rather than = NULL unless you want to SET ANSI_NULLS OFF

I have a mental image of Chewbacca in a bikini

CROSS JOINING? 

Mummy, what's a werewolf?

Shut up and comb your face!

SELECT SUM(Hair)

FROM dbo.AspiringDBA

Produces the same results that it did 15 years ago.  The difference comes when you do

SELECT Location,SUM(HAIR)

FROM dbo.AspiringDBA

GROUP BY Location WITH ROLLUP

..and see NULL against head.

Actually I'm doing...

Do you ever get the feeling that the law is to enrich lawyers and tax law is to enrich accountants?

Someone once wrote that the upper classes make illegal those pleasures...

CHECKPOINT

GO

BACKUP LOG YourDatabase WITH TRUNCATE_ONLY

CHECKPOINT

GO

USE YourDatabase

GO

EXEC sp_helpfile

One you have run the above you should be able to use your DBCC SHRINKFILE on the files listed.

Its a bit off topic but a similar problem exists if you are trying to sell open-source solutions.

Firstly, open-source is mistakenly seens as "free" software.

Secondly, if the software is cheap...

Look on the bright side Frank.  Germans have been voted the most desirable tourists in Europe and British the least!  This means an extra £1,000 on the cost of a holiday...

If you can identify a particular column that will cause a negative result then simply multiply your entire formula by

sign(sign(MyNegativeColumn)+1)

The sign function returns

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