I remember back in 2001 I was working at military contract firm with Josh Mondragon. Back then, I got all my news and did all my web searches from my.yahoo.com. One day, looking over Josh’s shoulder I saw Google.com for the first time.

What value could that site possibly be? There’s nothing on it! There’s no information, no news, no weather, no cute customizable layout. Just a dorky logo and a search form. How worthless is that?!

Then, I started using Google when my searches on Yahoo didn’t find what I was looking for. Then I noticed how remarkablly fast Google was. Within a week, “google” had become a new verb in my lexicon. Within a month, Google was my new default home page.

There’s more to Google than fast searches. There’s something that draws people to simple design. I found an article a while back that compared Yahoo and Google over time, as Google moved from a garage company to the internet powerhouse. There’s a great image of the screen shot progression over the years. (Click here to see it.)

Now, given that simple, boring layout, and given the fact that Google’s profits are now bigger than the GNP of most 3rd world countries, which layout would you prefer on your web site?

Yeah, me too. (But blogs don’t count. I’m sticking with the silly 50’s theme, thank you very much.)

Read the complete article here.

I find myself once again in Microsoft trainging all week… or as I like to call it Gates Brain Washing. This week I’m learning why only a total waste of human plasma would dare use anything other than Microsoft SQL server. In fact, even if you don’t need a database server, you should probably mortgage your children so that you can buy Microsoft SQL server just in case you might someday need an Enterprise Level Relational Data Base Server to store your Christmas card mailing list.

Oh, and Oracle is the spawn of Satan.

For a while, I’ve been bothered by the fact that “Surely You’re Not Serious” lives on my Light-Spark.com domain. It seemed like the blog really needed it’s own named domain. Well, guess what… Yep! (How’d you guess? Are you psychedelic?!)

Yahoo Small Business is offering domain registration at retardedly cheap prices. For just $3 you can register your own domain. Now, for the price of a Double Whopper, you can register all those crazy domains you’ve been dreaming of. You know, like LeatherCouchFart.com or BatmanIsBetterThanSuperman.com. (Sorry, MyBrotherIsADork.com is already taken.)

Anyway, go ahead and update your bookmarks! We are now broadcasting loud and proud on http://SurelyYoureNotSerious.com!!

Yaaay.

(Updated Technorati Profile)

Did you ever have one of those dreams where you’re falling?

You know, the one where you’re falling through big white clouds…

In a skimpy bathing suit…

And bouncing off the clouds…

And when you get stuck, someone uses their mouse to lift you up and drop you again…

Ever?

No. Me neither, but if you ever wondered what it would be like, check this out.

Falling chick.

This just in…

Madonna (the “entertainer”, not the mother of our Lord and Savior) has declared that, “Most priests are gay.”

In other news…

Most “entertainers” are stupid.

We now return you to your regular programming.

(via Drudge)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s Wednesday. So this quip only gets half a week. It’s not a very good quip anyway.

(Man, I sound so angry today. *Thinks happy thoughts* Mmmm peach cobbler… Okay. I’m better now.)

Here is yet another quip from the movie French Kiss.

I get around as nature intended… in a car.

Yes, yes, I know. I need to post more. Good grief. No sooner than your blog actually draws a healthy following, they start taking up torches and pitch forks! Let them eat cake!!

I’m just kidding. I’m glad I have any following at all and I’m thankful that they gently remind me that they are starving for my brilliant wit and biting satire. Thank you, my people. You may kiss the hem of my robe now as I warm up my keyboard and give you some internet manna.

You may recall that before all the brouhaha of moving to a new office, the WBQotW was a quote from the movie French Kiss. This week I offer another such quote.

“I don’t know what they taught you in France, but rude and interesting are not the same things.”

I ran across this on Annika’s Journal. I’m Kip.

I know, I know. Why can’t we all be Kip? Well, sorry. You’re just jealous ‘cuz I’ve been chatting with hot babes on line all day.

Discover your inner Dynamite. Brought to you by Quizilla.

Sweet!

Believe it or not, my lack of posts over the last week has had very little to do with me being lazy. This time there’s a real reason.

I currently work at a small tech company called GIS2 Ltd. It’s a long and unnecessary story, but suffice to say, GIS2 is an off-shoot of Alt-N, the company that produces MDaemon (a way cool email server). At the end of this month, I will no longer work for GIS2. In fact, no one will. It is being reabsorbed into Alt-N. (Saying it that way gives it such a cool alien invasion vibe. Don’cha think?)

The merger is a really big deal. The biggest impact on us, the employees, is that we have a new, larger office space in Grapevine, Texas. This week was GIS2’s first week at the new office.

Moving always leaves me with mixed emotions. Of course the physical aspects of moving are a huge pain in the chair facing flesh. But the emotional aspects are great! The newness, the excitement, the potential. I really dig that.

And now, for the biggest aspect (by Geek standards) I have left the realm of the cubicle monkey! I have a real office! With a DOOR and EVERYTHING!! I can’t begin to tell you how exciting that is for me. I have a hugimungous white board mounted on an actual, solid, permanent wall.

Today, Alt-N is beginning their move-in. So there are loud people moving all around the office, learning their way around, moving furniture, etc. And I am contentedly sitting in my OFFICE with the DOOR closed, jamming out to The O.C. Supertones on SPEAKERS (No more headphones of me, baby!), and plotting out where to place next week’s White Board Quip on my colossal white board. I am just flat out giddy.

You may be thinking that the title of this post implies a sequel. Way to go, Einstein. You’re right! I’ve been pitifully spoiled the last two and half years to live two miles from the GIS2 office. I’ve ridden my bike to work almost every day for the last three months. (Take that, OPEC!!) But the new digs are thirteen miles from home. Granted, I’ve ridden more than twice that far in a single day, but it’s not something I really want to do before I sit for eight hours stinking up my new and wonderful office. Nor am I real keen on tripling our current gas budget. So, Tammy and I have been shopping for an apartment in a location that would ease our logistic expenses. We found a grrrreat new place that’s almost directly between my new office and our church (where we spend almost as much time as we do at home). We won’t be moving until our current lease expires at the end of November. You can expect Part Duex then.

The new place is cheaper than our current digs and it has loads of perks: bikeable distance to work (eight miles) and to church (five miles), nicer community with tennis courts and a real hot tub (not just a warmer, smaller pool), 2nd floor instead of 3rd, the stairs are inside the apartment (read ‘climate controlled, baby!’), and … brace yourself … it has a real live GARAGE! *GLEEEE*

Life just keeps getting better and better. This, of course, makes me extremely leery as I know (from experience) that the more God blesses you, the more He expects of you. Seems like Satan enjoys taking pot-shots at folks who are gleefully sunning themselves on the mountain tops of life. But hey, I have a door AND a garage! I’m ready to take on the WORLD!