Store Excel Formulas in SQL Server DB

Two of my colleagues, Sergei Gundorov and Clark Hamilton, have been busy, busy, busy. They did a three-part series of articles on Excel, and the third one is perhaps their best: Part 3: Replicating Excel 2003 Formulas to SQL Server
The basic gist is using hidden XML mapped cells via metadata to store formulas for import or export. It's a very clever idea. You'll need to read parts 1 and 2 to fully grasp the situation, but I recommend you set aside a few minutes and dig in.

Recently, Scoble blogged about disclosing any deals you have that influence your blog (Scoble: for the life of me, I can't find the post right now). The last thing I want is Scoble and the blog avatars coming down on me, so I figure I need to come clean: I genuinely believe that Sergei and Clark's articles are first rate. But, they really got my allegiance when they dropped off a T-shirt with this Napoleon Dynamite quote (after I had already blogged about their content, mind you!):

I welcome T-Shirts, for sure.

Rock Thought for the Day: I listened to Arcade Fire's 2004 release uplifitingly titled: Funeral. But, I think this is the birth of this band. They will probably deny that they are heavily, heavily influenced by Talking Heads. My consciously they are not, but it's unmistakable nonetheless. All in all, a good LP.

Rock On and Vote for Pedro