So, I have a project for a client that has some huge SQL queries and I finally forked out the kilobucks to hire MySQL to optimize them.

When I teach databases, I usually take students back to an old library or doctor's office to examine how information was stored before computers. You probably remember the Title Cards, Author Cards, and Subject Cards. If you wanted to search by something else, you were screwed.

As I've watched this complex set of queries drop from 4 hours to 5 minutes 34 seconds, I'm reminded of how much the right method matters.

So, this article on organizing Lego blocks just hit home with me today.