How widespread is the flu? Google it.

The flu is making its rounds here in coastal South Carolina, and it's not pretty. The good news, for me anyway, is that with the exception of an occasional sniffle, I've dodged that bullet so far. And this is while working in a place where I'm in contact with a lot of diseased people.

But I'm taking precautions. Lots of rest. Eating reasonably healthy. Loading up on the Vitamin C.

Every few years there's talk about how the annual flu outbreak will be the Next Big One, extinguishing millions of lives, all that dramatic stuff. It's old business, really. In my own lifetime we've had the Hong Kong Flu, Swine Flu, and a handful of others that have fallen pitifully short of the post-World War I outbreak that occurred long before there were halfway decent drugs.

But the merely curious -- and the totally paranoid -- may want to check Google's offering on flu trends. It's interesting, though certainly not the most scientific in the world. No numbers from the Center for Disease Control here; Google's stats are based on search engine inquiries.

Which makes some sense, actually. The rationale is that someone is more likely to do a Google search for influenza when his throat hurts, his body aches, he's carrying a pound of snot, and and it feels like the Minnesota Vikings are pounding on his skull -- from the inside.

Anyway, enjoy. And don't forget the Vitamin C.