Setting up an alternate universe -- or at least a separate domain for a new organization

 Using domainsatcost.ca as a registrar (because even though I don't go there, or even actually call very often, they're right down the street and really do provide good service for a reasonable price, and I always feel like they know I'm right close by so they better not mess me around).

I was using a cool DNS service called zonomi.com because domainsatcost did not include DNS hosting with their registration, but now they do :)

So for when I have to do this again (like, right after Christmas):

Buy the domain (pay money) and set up the domain in google apps (to do email at least)

Select "park the domain" as the DNS choice

Under Advanced DNS records, enter the A records for the website (don't forget to add a www.domain for the people who pathologically type www even though you've never told them to go there).

Under MX records, add the google mail servers, using just the domain name as the host (the default host is shown as *.domain.ca but to make it work, it has to be just domain.ca) and Goes To as the google mail servers (five of them).

Under name server, you should have domain.ca Goes to dns.domainsatcost.ca and dns2.domainsatcost.ca

To complete the google setup, add a txt record that has the domain.ca as the host and the record as "v=spf1 include:aspmx.googlemail.com ~all"

To test the configuration, wait at least ten minutes to let the TTL to click over, then go to kloth.net, and do a lookup of all records using dns.domainsatcost.ca as the server to look up.

It will still take some number of hours for DNS to propagate around the world so everyone can send email to you, but you should be able to send out immediately.