Do I have malware on my macbook?

Question

Using Firefox 13.0 and 13.01
Have a vague recollection of doing an update of Flash or Java
but am not certain.
I've been reading a lot of info around this problem
- none of it describes the exact problem I am having.
1.   Suddenly I am unable to get Google -
I click Google in the search bar (upper right in firefox window)
or type it into the address bar and it just hangs.
May connect after a very, very long time.
Also... many websites will not stop loading unless I click the X in the address bar.
Yahoo (which I had never used until now) comes up quickly. No problems.
2.   I did the security update.
The next time I used Google, it opened quickly.
Did searches. Back to normal.
Or so I thought.
3.  Within a couple of hours, was back to previous behaviour -
even if I get to the Google home page, it will not do a search.
4.  Repeated all of the above with Safari. Same story.
5.  Have checked with Activity monitor with Thomas Reed's malware list -
and can not see anything that seems to co-relate.
Does anyone have a clue about what is going on here?
Jackie

Answer 1

I may have found a fix.
I say 'may have' because this problem has spontaneously fixed itself, then promptly unfixed itself.
So far I can get Google Search in both Firefox and Safari now, even though I only worked on Firefox.
Went to:
FireFox Preferences -
Clicked Security -
Warn me when sites try to install add-ons is checked -
Clicked Exceptions -
Added Google.ca.
As of this moment, Google Search is working.