OK, maybe I'm being stupid, but I cannot see why you have all those UNIONS:

You are getting MIN TimeSheetDate and TimeSheetDate is done as a 7 different date adds of 0-6...

To do things like this, I wrote a utility proc that will quickly numerically sub-sequence within a sort order.  i.e.

key1, subkey1, 0

key1, subkeyB, 0

key1, subkeyX, 0

key2, subkeyF,...

if it is stored as hex then just convert it:

select convert( varchar(3) , 0x653D0A )

But there are probably a half a dozen UDFs in the script archives on this site...

Oh, come on! Maybe he's just curious how us old fogeys used to do things in the old days when computers were still coal powered and there were no such...

Well, other than pinning, making sure indexes are appropriate, query hints, or identifying how the parameters maybe used differently, the only other option is making your own cross reference (index).

That...

I've used the hotbits website for grabbing random numbers and loading them into tables for use with the various simulations I need.  (Random numbers generated from radioactive decay.)

http://www.fourmilab.ch/hotbits/

So, if you choose to use a cursor, why are you not doing it in TSQL (i.e. in a stored proc)?  If you are using Access and some Access/client side...

Sounds to me like a management issue.  Whether incompetence or corruption of the DBA/Admin, it's ultimately the responsibility of management above him.  As for laws protecting you, it would be...

one more thing on the delimited searching using charindex:

wrap the compare words in delimiters:

restricted word list  Err_no

|DROP|                 1

|DELETE|              2

...

and once you've done the replace on the search string it might look...

First thing I look for when a query is taking too long is a live lock condition: is your SPID blocked by another?

Then I deal with performance issues.  Yes you...

Simple answer: They are, 99% of the time, used, written, designed, and implemented incorrectly, improperly, etc.

Or put another way, they are the frequent path/tool of those not properly designing an application.

I hate them...

I hate triggers... almost as much as cursors.

But you can set the date column = convert( varchar(20), getdate(), 13)

This may not help, but in the past I have written applications that needed to compress the files stored in blobs.  I had the client do it using ZIP (the...

how'd that double @ get in there?

First off, there's probably a few ways already addressed on this site of how to limit injection attacks more simply.  Do a search for "injection".

Secondly, if you have your...