Google News is a search algorithm that combs the net for headlines and news stories - and then groups them based upon subject and apparent importance of a story. The system is fully computer automated - which keeps the system free of bias, but sometimes has humorous results.

Take the story which led at the beginning of the month 'Canadians Authorities Arrest U.S. President Bush On War Charges'.

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Man oh man oh man. Could you see the proverbial excrement hitting the equally proverbial fan if that ever happened. I guess the reason I didn't see tanks rolling down the QEW is that the story originated from a political satire site. Bush is still walking about, a free man (although Rumsfeld may have to avoid Germany for a while). Google News, however, didn't quite get the satire.

Now there's a few editorials and articles flying about how Google's dropped the ball and how this is just plain sloppy, etc. etc. But you know, if I'm still getting emails about the Neiman Marcus Cookie from people who should have sense enough to check their facts, then I think I can forgive Google's computer the occasional flub in distinguishing satire from news.