[geeklog-users] Images as Blobs in MySQL?

[ed]

Has anyone experimented with storing images and files as BLOBS in MySQL?
I've repeated heard that both MSSQL and MySQL (rdbms in general) suffer 
big performance hits when using blobs.

Can it be done?
I'm finding that every time I want to make a copy of a site, move a 
site, or update a site, I have to deal with being very careful to either 
ignore or include a bunch of files, images, attachments, etc.

It would be so much more elegant to truly separate CONTENT from 
Structure by keeping ALL content in the DB.

Here's HOW to do it on Devx, but no idea if it's viable.
http://www.devarticles.com/c/a/MySQL/Blobbing-Data-With-PHP-and-MySQL/1/