Valerie Cowan Surfs the Net

THE Meningitis Research Foundation has launched a website which could be a lifesaver.

Meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia, the blood poisoning form of the disease, develop quickly and swift medical attention is vital.

This site aims to help people recognise the symptoms and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the disease. The site has been developed because there were more cases of meningococcal disease in 1997 than in any year since the Second World War.

It offers an easy-to-follow guide to the symptoms, and an explanation of a simple test which can be used to identify the rash associated with septicaemia. There is advice for general practitioners and research news.

There are also touching case studies of people whose lives have been affected by the illness around the UK.

WEBSITE:

http://www.meningitis.org.uk

Net for naughty nippers

PARENTS having problems handling difficult children can now turn to the Internet for advice.

The Time Out For Parents game offers a series of typical complaints heard from children, from "I'm bored" to "I don't want to go to school".

Choose a suitable response from the multiple choice answers and find out how good your parenting skills are.

It's American (of course) and probably won't tell you anything you couldn't work out for yourself but it is worth doing just to prove you are the ideal mum or dad. WEBSITE: http://www1.kaplan.com/view/games/ga_scoreqa/intro/navless

Sending the kids to Mars

ON December 3, 1999, the Mars Polar Lander will enter the Martian atmosphere.

Before the launch, NASA hopes to collect the names of one million schoolchildren from around the world, which will be put on a CD rom and sent to Mars with the mission.

Youngsters can sign up via this site and print out a certificate proving they have done so. The site also has details of the expedition.

WEBSITE:

http://spacekids.hq.

nasa.gov/mars/

Treasury of knowledge

ARGOSPHERE is a truly wonderful educational site, packed with original things to do and things to see.

It is aimed at children but it is just as much fun for the young at heart. There are pages on all sorts of subjects, from the new Millennium and the Earth to Robert Burns and llamas.

Excellent use of Javascript and a clear, easy-to-follow navigation system add to the appeal of this site.

WEBSITE:

http://www.

argosphere.net

Get to know about Lara

FANS of the game Tomb Raider might be interested to know that its heroine, Lara Croft, has her own official UK website.

It has everything you could want to know about the Wimbledon-born sharp shooter whose only fear is her auntie's corgi, which has bitten her several times. Incidentally, busty calendar girl Anna Nicole Smith is the latest star tipped to play Lara Croft in the forthcoming Tomb Raider movie. It seems that from Lara's cut-glass English accent, long brown hair and outrageous proportions, central casting have chosen the assets guaranteed to fill cinemas.

WEBSITE: www.laracroft.co.uk

Paranormal explored

PHENOMENA On-Line offers pages dedicated to "the paranormal, the unexplained and the unusual".

It sums up strange events around Britain, from a Hereford car park where "unknown forces" interfere with cars' central locking and a haunted chocolate shop in Chester.

Footballer Paul Gascoigne also gets a mention for his desire to see a UFO. Fun, even if you don't believe in the paranormal.

WEBSITE:

http://www.ndirect.co.uk/fair

/phenomena.htm

Glastonbury previewed

ANYONE with fond memories of the musical mudfest that was Glastonbury '97 can get ready for this year's event through the festival's official website. It has details of the full line-up, which this year includes Blur, Bob Dylan, Pulp and Robbie Williams.

There's a look back at last year's muddy event, ticket information and details of the causes and charities which benefit from the festival, to be help from June 26 to 28.

WEBSITE:

http://www.glastonbury98.co.

uk/

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.