Google & the Mark of the Beast?

SEE UPDATE AT THE VERY BOTTOM

So, I have joked for a long time that Google could be the anti-Christ (well, them or Apple). But today my greatest fear, the fear instilled in me by my Great Uncle Bob a fire and brimstone preacher, was confirmed when I opened Chrome. Google's logo was replaced with a bar code. People have long thought that the mark of the beast was going to be in the form of a bar code. The bar code was introduced to the mainstream in the mid-seventies during the height of the Jesus movement. The Jesus Freaks got scared and paranoia was born (wonder if the pot they were smoking could have caused some of that paranoia?).

Now this post is not a ploy to generate hits to my blog in a "talk-about-Google-and people-will-click-through sort of fashion. My Twitter buddy, Dennis, already warned about the impact of name dropping on a blog. His recent Intel post caused an amazing spike, but was not intentional. Hey, us bloggers love Google Analytics, right?

I want my posts to add some value or at least be thought provoking.

So think about this: How strong does a brand need to be to remove its logo?

This post is more about the power of the Google brand. Raise your hand (figuratively) if you have sipped the Google Kool-Aid? You know who you are...you have a gmail account or use Google Chat or are hoping to be picked to play with Google Wave or carry an Android or...or...or. What was once a cool little search engine has quickly risen to rule the Internets. People are clamoring to join the Google cult and then the "chosen" feel blessed and immediately start to share the good news--the Google Gospel, if you will. The brand is so strong that they can afford to replace their logo, their brandmark, with whatever they please. You know a brand is strong when they can take away the iconic image and actually increase the equity.

This level of brand power is not of this world. It is obvious that Google is Satan incarnate. The end times are among us.

I jest, but I want you to consider this...Since most brands want to achieve success in Googlepic proportions, what are they doing to strengthen their brand without selling their soul to the devil?

Damn, Google is hella strong. They can be completely open about their relationship with Beelzebub.

UPDATE: Further evidence of Google's evil intentions can be seen in its palindrome stock symbol: GOOG. Any good cult seeks to control your thoughts and actions. Look closely at the stock symbol. Google is telling you to GO this way --> and that way <-- OG. It's as if the word "GO" is admiring itself in the mirror (vanity and conceit are other traits of the anti-Christ). We find our way around the internet because Google controls where we GO...That is probably why they launched Chrome (control your browsing) and will soon release a full operating system (control how we operate).