Google

I generally like Google's search engine. Its doodles, including yesterday's noting Charles Dickens' birthday, are clever. And it corrects my sometimes aberrant spelling, in the most polite way. But Google sure can be frustrating sometimes. Like ysterday, when I checked Google News for the latest hot topics on the web. Under the category of books, the top story was this: Las Vegas books win on Super Bowl XLVI USA TODAY (blog) - ‎3 hours ago‎. Gamblers wagered $93889840 across the state's 184 legal sports books , according to Frank Streshley of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Today's Google doodle honors Charles Dickens on his birthday. On the letters, you can see characters such as Tiny Tim of "A Christmas Carol" (one of my favorite works, in all forms, including the movie Scrooged and the Mr. Magoo cartoon). I always appreciate Google's playfulness; it's a great way to enliven a dull page. Google has been customizing its search site in earnest since 2000, and has produced more than 1,000 doodles. They vary by country, and you can browse the archive for various versions.

Baltimore's Walters Art Museum is looking for a few good doodlers. And Googlers. As part of a nationwide competition called "Doodle for Google 2012," the museum is encouraging Maryland students in kindergarten through 12th grade to redesign Googles's homepage banner around the theme "If I could travel in time, I'd visit…" The 10 best state submissions will be exhibited at the Walters from May 23 to June 24. Walters director Gary Vikan...

I just about spit out my coffee Sunday morning when I read that you are going to start charging for access to the online version of The Sun. The Sun website is the worst website I have ever tried to use. Have you ever looked at the Washington Post or the New York Times websites to see how it's done? You couldn't have or yours wouldn't be the way it is. It is very difficult to find any article when one clicks on "Print Edition. " Unless it is an article that is also available online, it is virtually impossible.

Travelers now have yet another option for finding the best flights and fares: Google Flight Search . I already think there are too many sites, including Fly.com, Kayak.com, CheapoAir.com, and of course the biggees, Orbitz and Expedia. Not to mention all of the airlines, including Southwest, which doesn't appear on any of those aggregate sites. (Google at least acknowledges Southwest and provides a link to the airline's site.) That hasn't stopped Google from entering the fray.

Google has purchased Zagat. Here's the offiical annoucement by Marissa Meyer, vice president, local, maps and location services, on the Offical Google Blog "Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering," Meyer's statement said, "...enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world. " In their own posted statement, Nina and Tim Zagat said, "We are thrilled to see our baby placed in such good hands.

Editor: Did red flags go up when you read the half page ad, paid for by the American Action Network, praising Congressman Andy Harris for protecting Maryland's seniors, and urging him to keep fighting to preserve the Medicare part D prescription drug program?  Me too!  If you Google the American Action Network, you'll find out why.   Roger L. Kegley  Abingdon

As far as I can tell (read: I searched on Google for 15 seconds), Bill Bellamy (of "Def Jam's How to Be a Player" fame) has a clean record. So did Lil B dedicate a whole song to the ex-MTV VJ because his last name kinda (OK, not really) rhymes with "felony"? I doubt anyone keeping up with the Based God's on-the-whim memes would be surprised. Still, this song jams thanks largely to its nonsensical hook, a countdown first to seven and then finished at 10 of serious crimes under the rapper's belt (doubting the validity of that as well)

Perfect for Google fanboys like myself or for those of us whose fingers sweat profusely. I know it's April 1st, but I don't think this is an April Fool's Day prank.

Google Inc. awarded an experimental, ultra-high-speed network to Kansas City, Kan., on Wednesday, bypassing more than 1,100 other communities, including Baltimore, that applied for the pilot project in a kind of high-technology lottery. Last February, Google said it would choose a community in which to design and build a new fiber-optic network that would connect thousands of homes to the Internet. But not all hope is lost for Baltimore and other cities. Google officials indicated that Kansas City could be the first of several communities to receive Google Fiber.