AthletesDirect: This site, "where athletes and fans interact", is just the place to head for if you want to link up with your favorite sports heros. The word "athletes" is loosely applied, hence the inclusion of stars in almost every popular sport, from soccer and basketball to auto racing and tennis. Most of the 200 or so personalities with whom you can interact are news-makers, though not all the names will be immediately recognizable. The main page offers a regularly updated bunch of features -- to give you an idea of what you can expect, the most recent edition spotlights Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter, along with interviews with coaches and product reviews. There's also a menu of featured athletes and a search box. You can also get the latest sports news, though that doesn't seem to be a priority at this cleanly designed site.

Bedtime-Story: Put together for "the busy business-parent", this is an excellent database of "whimsical stories for children of all ages". The tales are chosen on the criterion that they "must be as pleasant for an adult to read it as (they are) for a child to hear". The stories come with great illustrations and range from the familiar ('Alice In Wonderland', 'The Owl And The Pussycat', 'The Little Lame Prince' etc) to the unusual ('It Soo Cold', 'Dad Didn't Get It', 'The Goggle-Eyed Green Hairy Monster And Me'...). They're categorized by subject on the deep-scrolling home page -- 'Stories About Kids And Their Bears', 'Giggley Poopy Stories' and so on. Each of the tales comes with a short review and recommended age group and reading time so parents can choose stories based on mood, time or occasion. The design is a bit amateurish and the language could do with some tidying up but the site is still worth bookmarking.

DoItYourself.com: Just the hangout for hobbyists who love building their own toys and tinkerers who never pass up on a chance for a good fix. The home page is a bit messy -- there's text all over the place -- but once you get started on whatever turns you on, you wouldn't want to stop. There's a search box that takes you directly to the topic you're interested in, but if you just want to wander about, you might want to start with 'How To's' where you get all kinds of repair tips. Five pull-down menus -- 'Build/Remodel', 'Repair/Fix-It', 'Decorate', 'Outdoors' and 'Living/Finance' -- at the top also take you to specific areas of work (bathroom, garage, garden, home security etc). You can also visit "over 100 info pages... enhanced with multimedia animations and videos" for ideas, though you should be prepared for slow downloads.

Getting Real: Yet another "teen talk" site that offers young people from all parts of the world a chance to discuss everything from sex to studies. After you've signed up as a member, you can check out the features on various topics -- getting a new car, trying to balance studies and romance in college etc -- on the main page or pick a category ('The Arts, 'Music', 'Sports', 'Fun & Games' etc) for fast links. You can also plan your day according to your daily horoscope ('Horoscopes') or play games like 'S/he Loves Me (Not!)' and 'The Compatabilitator'. There are message boards and chat channels which are full of tips and advice on everything from preparing for a first date to swotting up for an exam. There's blinking stuff all over the home page but thankfully it's not too distracting.

Parent Soup: All the important aspects of raising a child are covered at this fine US site that is filled with advice from experts. The topics are of universal interest hence articles that offer views on breastfeeding, parent-teacher communication, bullying, family psychology and a host of other matters will be helpful to parents in almost any country. The home page is updated daily and, such regular features as 'Dilemma of the Week' and 'Sound Advice' (audio advice by experts like paediatrician Alan Green who talks about "treating and preventing ear infections in children") focus on problems that will be familiar to most fathers and mothers. There's also a neat 'Tools' section which lists a whole series of guides, including 'Baby Name Finder', 'Child Costs Calculator', 'Family Pet Selector', 'Horoscopes', 'Period Predictor', 'Sleep Deprivation Quiz' and 'Pregnancy Calender',

PortalCare.com: As far as health sites go, this is a pretty dull and uninspiringly designed. But there're some really useful features here that contain great tips on dealing with aging, obesity, hypertension, insomnia, impotence and other health problems. The 'Week By Week Review' on what pregnant women should expect, urinalysis section and list of "31 ways of outsmarting the clock" are packed with information that your physician usually doesn't have the time to share with you. There's even an interactive section that offers doctors a chance to provide "online consults with patients in your area". And don't forget to check out the nifty lifespan calculator which, based on the personal data you input, gives you an idea of how long you might live. If the calculation game turns you on, then you should go a step further and try the AgeLess Medink Calculators which include a Diagnosis Finder, a Cardiac Risk Assessment Form and an Ideal Weight Calculator.

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