Silicon Alley Insider estimates that Google spends $73 million a year feeding its U.S. workers. The figure is probably low, since many employees invite their families over for free meals. [SAI]

An anonymous software engineer who says he used to work on AdWords, Google's lucrative if straightforward ad-selling system, has written a blog post explaining why he's leaving the search giant. Unfortunately, his tenure at Google did not include a tutorial on the use of the "Return" key, and most of his post is one long paragraph reaching 1,422 words. Here's the 100-word version on why he split for a social-networking startup.

Google chef Eric Dela Cruz works Monday through Friday — an unusual schedule for a master of the culinary arts, most of whom never have a weekend free. From this interview he gave to food blog YumSugar, it sounds like he has the best job in the industry: low-pressure, big budget and, as long as the food is good, positive feedback from everyone he runs into.

We've been hearing that impending layoffs have DoubleClick employees fearing for their jobs after Google finishes its takeover. Why? Working there sucks. Ask any Googler. Below, four reasons why DoubleClickers should welcome their liberation from the Googleplex:

Think Google's mostly mythological 20 percent rule is an over-indulgence? Try mint vanilla and cayenne chocolate ice cream. Because Charles Siegel's unlimited chocolates in the cafeteria aren't enough, the above-pictured Google engineer used her extra time to create the new ice cream flavors for her co-workers. Sounds tasty, but will such confections survive the advent of the piggish DoubleClickers?

DoubleClick employees may technically work for Google now, but an ad in the DoubleClick Facebook network indicates that they're not real Googlers yet. "Hi DoubleClick!," the ad copy reads. "Please stop gorging on all our food. Maybe we won't fire you. Thanks!" The banner ad is below.

It's no secret Google has painfully few black employees. Why lie about it? Laszlo Bock, Google's exceedingly Caucasian vice president of people operations, assured members of Congress last June that Google, which was lobbying for more H1-B visas for immigrant workers, had plenty of black employees. "We have a very strong internal Black Googler Network," he said. "We actually view it as our obligation to reach out to underrepresented communities in our industry, particularly women in engineering, particularly African-Americans. "How many [of Google's employees] are African-American?" asked Representative Maxine Waters.

Google's Zurich office may look like a playhouse, but it certainly has its rules and regulations. "The only thing you're not allowed to do on a flypole is carry your laptop with you," our narrator tells a BBC crew on a tour of the place. "Coffee, food is absolutely fine."

Click to viewWe've run images from Google's Zurich office before. They did not do the place justice. We didn't include the bathtubs. Thumbnails from Google's official Picasa gallery, below.

Attention, New York Googlers: This cute Asian girl wants you to show her around the office. I don't get it either. Though, if anyone wants to take me on a tour, I promise not to get you fired. Probably.

Fears of a worldwide recession dominated sentiment as business leaders gathered at Davos, Switzerland today. Meanwhile, Blogoscoped reports that in nearby Zurich, Google's new offices are totally colorful and relaxing!

Hitler raus, Google has declared. A mention of the joys of learning about the late German dictator at work, spotted by Valleywag on Wednesday, has disappeared from Google India's job-recruiting page. After the jump, a screenshot of the formerly offending passage.

This just in from the tips jar: Reader Karen Waksman, visiting from Florida, asks for pointers on visitng Google's Mountain View headquarters. I've been to the Googleplex often enough, but never thought of it as a tourist attraction. Waksman is hardly alone, though. "Hugo" on Hereorthere.com got a tour.

There must be something in the air — perhaps all this Yuletide spirit — that unearths fresh adoration of little baby Hitler. Will Smith had a run-in with the Jewish Defense League over his comments about Hitler's basic goodness. That in turn raised the Internet's Führer radar, uncovering one of the overlooked perks of working for Google: unlimited Hitler talk!

... sorry, no punchline. Scott Johnston, who's been working at Google since it acquired his former employer, JotSpot, more than a year ago, Twitters:

We hear that Google has discontinued its traditional midwinter Googler ski vacation. No more mandatory trips to Squaw Valley and all-night parties with '80s cover bands. Instead? Look forward to a company trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. (No, not Tijuana.)

Your plans tonight: Talk money, social graphs, or Belgian beers. Or, crash a press-only bash at the Googleplex. All in tonight's Valleywag Calendar.

Did you get your pass to the Google Holiday Party? We understand. Email can be so unreliable. A helpful tipster saved us the trouble of digging through our Gmail spam filter to find our invitation. Don't know if we'll crash the December 12 event at the Googleplex. If it's like past parties, expect a room full of tiresomely cheery Google flacks and a drive-by appearance by Larry and Sergey. If you do get any founder face time, watch out: They'll likely bore you to tears with an explanation of why they call Web applets "gadgets" instead of "widgets." Not that you could use any of that conversation anyway, since the event is "off the record." Still want to go? After the jump, the full detail of the exclusive holiday soiree.

So this old guy brought his familiar patter to Google's Mountain View headquarters today — oh, and Tony Bennett was there, too. Bennett is just one in a series of musical entertainers brought to the Googleplex, which is a heck of a perk. It's like a free trip to Vegas without having to leave your office. No word on the set list Bennett performed. But given the proclivities of Burning Man attendee and Google CEO Eric Schmidt, might we suggest "Anything Goes"?