From the article –

“Jim Gray, 63, founder and manager of Microsoft’s Bay Area Research Center, had left early Sunday in his 40-foot C&C yacht, Tenacious, from a marina near San Francisco’s Fort Mason.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said Gray called a family member on his cell phone about 10:30 a.m. to say he was sailing out of cell-phone range and would call when he returned in range. His wife reported him missing shortly after 8:30 p.m. Sunday when he did not show up and calls to his cell phone went unanswered.”

He’s a brilliant man striving for wonderful things. Let’s hope he makes it home safe and sound.

There is a text interview up at The Register with database multi-genarian Jim Gray.
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“Most companies have a tame “guru” – someone presented as a world authority on the subject in question and so amazingly intelligent that they are above the tacky world of commercialism.

Sadly, many such “gurus” merely debase the term and turn out to be exactly what you expect – mouthpieces for the marketing department.

One of the great exceptions to this rule is Jim Gray, who has managed to combine an outstanding academic career (you don’t win an ACM Turing Award for your attendance record) with a very practical one.—

I’ve always enjoyed Jim Gray’s progressive approaches to database design. Here are some Channel-9 videos of the man in action (Jim Gray – A talk with THE SQL Guru and Architect , Jim Gray – Part II of talking about Database Design). If you are not into watching videos, there is a quick synopsis at Spatially Enabled.

Let me note that I can’t always discern MySQL’s competitive strategy. I understand they want to leverage their Windows user base by creating a VS compatible IDE, and I actually think it is a solid move.

I can’t shake the thought that this news comes right on the coat-tails of MySQL criticizing “crippled” closed source database freeware offerings. Now they are announcing that they are partnering with yet another head of the very same hydra. Will the partnership have an adverse effect on their bottom line as a support service provider when part of their software is externally dependant on a closed source competitor as historically anti-competitive as Microsoft?

MySQL gets cosy with Microsoft | The Register:

MySQL, the open source database firm, is to receive Microsoft marketing support along with Visual Studio technical integration. The company has paid $3,000 to become a member of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Industry Partner (VSIP) program in a move that will help cement the database’s use on Windows. MySQL joins more than 240 other ISVs also working with Microsoft.