Scratch

The website review for today .

If you would like to animate your own cartoons, write your own video games or even create interactive artworks, but cannot be bothered with all of that complicated coding business this next site could be for you. Check out www.scratch.mit.edu

Scratch is the brainchild of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) media lab. It is a set of tools designed to be used by people without computer programming skills - that is most of us then.

It makes use of a graphical interface which allows the user to build a sequence with building blocks. These are dragged, dropped then linked together, a little bit like multimedia Lego. Images can be selected from an existing library or imported from your hard drive.

Once imported, a number of action blocks can be assigned to the image. These blocks are assigned commands like "move" or "play drum", and the blocks can then simply be stacked together to create an animation.

Once your masterpiece is complete it can be uploaded to the Scratch site for other users to check out. Scratch's inspiration comes from Hip-Hop DJs, who take a bit of this and a bit of that to create something new.

While the site is primarily aimed at younger users, it is still a lot of fun for grown-ups with a creative streak.

Great Garden

Now that summer is here, you’re probably spending more time in the garden enjoying barbecues and a spot of al fresco dining. Problem is, you may also have noticed how untidy the garden has become.

Fear not though as www.gardenadvice.co.uk has plenty of expert advice to help you achieve a green space to be proud of.

Thank Goodness For That

You can’t help but mock some of the ridiculous safety signs put up in offices and out on the streets. But when it comes to terrorism, safety warnings become even more laughable so at www.safenow.org you can have a good laugh at the witty captions accompanying genuine safety images used by the US government

Football Blogging

It’s easy enough to get into your favorite football team online these days but what about a good old sporting blog? www.caughtoffside.com recently won a newspapers award for the best blog in the sport category, so go online and see for yourself if you think it deserves the honor.

Top Up Your Glass

One of the most important elements of a good meal is having the right wine to go with it and at www.wineanorak.com even complete novices can pick up lots of expert advice on pairing wines with food and what to look for in a good tipple.

Silver Screen

Cinema buffs will love www.myfilms.co.uk – a simple to use search engine that allows you to access the film trailers and reviews you’re after. There are links to interviews with the stars about their movies, and there are sections dedicated to upcoming releases, film festivals and the latest movie news.

Fingers On The Buzzer

Monday nights website review of the day is all about TV Game shows.

If you love TV Game shows then you might want to save this site til you get home. Because www.wedigtv.com is ! Whether you want to beat bully in Bullseye, have a ‘p’ please Bob in Blockbusters or another consonant from Carol, these online game shows will keep you occupied – or unpopular with your boss – for hours

Good Game

If you spend ages glued to a screen of some sort playing games then you’ll love www.pogo.co.uk . Based on an American website, you’ll find all you need here to satisfy your gaming desires. From puzzle and word games to board and arcade games, you’ll find just about any type of game you can think of.

Close To Nature

Wondering how to keep the kids entertained then check out www.naturedetectives.org.uk where the kids can explore their local habitat through lots of fun, games and activities. There are various downloads to help you create nature diaries and logs and guides for identifying wildlife in your back garden. Once they’ve had their fill of detective work they can play on line nature games or download activity sheets,

Know Your Body

June is Male Cancer awareness Month and its not just women who should be paying attention to any changes in their bodies. With almost 32,000 men being diagnosed with prostate cancer every year its now overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men.

And don’t forget about testicular cancer which is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 45

Log onto www.everyman-campaign.org to make sure you know what to look out for.

Web Finder

Ever wanted to find someone on the web? Maybe someone you know or maybe someone who shares your interests? Wink is one of the most straightforward ways to search for others on the 'net then try www.wink.com

There are just three boxes to refine a basic search, using a name, interest or hobby, and location. The site searches all of the profiles on several of the most popular social networking sites like Bebo and MySpace as well as general pages from the web, which is a lot of people.

If your initial search needs refining the "more search options" link allows you to specify a gender, whether the person is single or not, and widen or tighten the geographical net around the location.

Girly Gadgets

Everybody loves a shiny new gadget. And the fellas may be surprised to hear that ‘everybody’ includes girls. The trouble is, a lot of technology review sites are tailored to blokes, leaving the ladies feeling a bit lost.

Fortunately www.shinyshiny.tv has set out to rectify the imbalance, providing a gadget guide just for girls. But don’t be put off by the pretty pink pages, because the site has a comprehensive range of advice on all kinds of gadgets including reviews sent in by other women.

Protect Your Passwords

Getting your browser to remember login details for you means that if someone was to steal your computer, they would have immediate access to your passwords. ROBOFORM provides a secure way of storing all your login details. It will log you into your favorite websites automatically, but anyone who uses it without knowing your master password will get nowhere. Check it out at www.roboform.com

Weebly

Creating a website from scratch has never been easier. www.weebly.com presents you with a choice of templates and a collection of elements you can drag and drop to the page and arrange how you like. These include text columns, pictures, Google maps and You tube video clips. You can customize anything just by double clicking on it. Your finished site can be hosted free by Weebly or on a domain you’ve registered yourself

Net Doctor

This site breaks down the "medical language barrier" between the doctor and the patient. Critical medical information must be presented in a clear and understandable language so that the patient fully understands his or her choices and decisions. Ultimately, it is the patient who must make the critical health choices.

www.NetDoctor.co.uk is a collaboration between committed doctors, health care professionals, information specialists and patients who believe that medical practice should be based on quality-assessed information and, wherever possible, on the basis of the principles of evidence-based medicine.

Over 250 of the UK's and Europe's leading doctors and health professionals write, edit and update the contents of NetDoctor.co.uk. In addition to creating written content for the patient these same health professionals respond to users questions and concerns regarding general health concerns.

Well worth a visit and its absolutely free.

The DISCLAIMER: This website is in no way a substitute for you talking to your own Doctor as each patient may have different symptoms and it is in no way a substitute for the 999 emergency service.

Fine for wine

If you are a bit of a wine buff in search of a more comprehensive site to develop your taste buds with then www.thewinedoctor.com could be just the place for you.

Here you will find extensive wine notes, producer profiles and lots of guides and advice. And if you have a burning question about wine, then the wine doctor is on hand to help you resolve your issues.

Diabetes Awareness

Did you know that there are up to 750,000 people in the UK living with Diabetes but don’t know it? That number adds up to around two million people who have been diagnosed with the condition in the UK. www.diabetesawareness.org.uk has info on symptoms and managing the condition. So if in doubt, check it out.

Eye Eye

June 11^th is when National Glaucoma action week gets underway but if you thought this condition only affected people with existing eye conditions then you’d be wrong.

Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye conditions in which the optic nerve is damaged where it leaves the eye. This means that the condition can lead to blindness, so its vital to take care of your eyes.

Regular eye tests are the best way of monitoring your eye health but to find out more about glaucoma then visit www.glaucoma-association.com

Barrow Transport Group

This Website has been designed to inform young and old of past public transport in Barrow-in-Furness. This site will constantly improve and anyone wishing to contribute pictures, information, stories and news reports are welcome to do so.

Hopefully it will jog a few memories of the buses that were in Barrow with the drivers sat at the front smoke drifting from the cab meeting with the smoke drifting from the back of the bus into the "no smoking section".

How things have changed the old blue and cream Corporation Vehicles, the great battle of Barrow Buses, Ribble Mini Link everywhere, free buses, blocking in of buses at stops then The Transport Giant Stagecoach taking over and peace reigned whether it be for better or worse you all have your views.

Hopefully people will be able to come forward with the history of the Trams and buses in Barrow, routes, fleet lists etc so please take a look at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/barrowtg

Nostalgic Television Shows

Everyone feels some nostalgia for the TV programmes that they watched when they were young so at this site they bring back to you what TV was like in the 1950s. Check it out at www.whirligig-tv.co.uk

Its an introduction to British TV in the 1950s featuring not only early balack and white programmes but text cards, the BBC clock and major milestones in the ay TV has affected our lives. You can read about and even view snippets of old nostalgic TV. I checked the site out and within 5 minutes I was addicted to it.

Russell - Barrows Dog Walking Legend

Russell Thomson is one of Barrows Characters and is known by most of the locals as a legend in the town as he is seem all over the place at various times of day and night and is always walking someones dog. He now has a website up at www.myspace.com/russ_dog_walker which was put together by someone for him.

The website mentions the dogs that he walks and mentions the recent photo shoot that he did for charity as well as a whole host of things to do with dogs.

Guitar Lessons

www.guitarshredshow.com is the home of Mr Fastfinger, a mystical master axeman and magic carpet owner who likes to share his guitar techniques with anyone who visits the site.

On the home page, clicking the plectrum by "Exploding Guitar" will launch an introduction and a blinding solo, but the real fun is to be had behind the Mountain of Tapping Dwarf.

Each letter of the keyboard is mapped to a guitar riff and you can string them together by pressing one key after another. The result can be really rather fun.

And if you want to play the riffs yourself you can print out the tablature and have a go at learning them yourself.

Cumbria Coastal Way

www.cumbriacoastalway.co.uk Was created to give walkers and visitors alike a pictorial description of the Cumbria Coastal Way including many other walks, especially in the English Lake District.

The Cumbria Coastal Way, is a long distance "Right of Way" from Arnside in the South of the County to Gretna just over the Scottish Border. The distance of this walk is roughly 150 miles or 241 km and follows some of the most beautiful coastline in England.

You can also find some other miscellaneous local walks on this website as well as the Barrow Ramblers Walks. ThE website is constantly being updated with new walks. You can send your comments or suggestions to the Webmaster

Launchy

I stumbled across a program called LAUNCHY which may mean you never have to touch your start menu again. Check it out at www.launchy.net, In a nutshell, you just assign words or keystrokes to programes instead – Type these in and your applications launch and its much quicker than scrolling through menus

Website of the Day

I am on the lokout for some really good websites to review. What you need to do is send me the website address and a bit of info about the site and I will look at it and may use it on the radio show. If your site is reviewed on "Bills website of the day" then you will have it mentioned on the radio and a bit of free publicity for you.

Email me your website to bill @ abbeyfm.co.uk

Monitor your Wireless Network

If you want to keep a close eye on who is and isn’t allowed to use your network then try www.mywifizone.com. It warns you every time a computer tries to gain access to your network and lets you permanently ban or allow their IP and or MAC address. The software at this site can also be used to turn your wireless network into a hotspot that people can pay to use

Time and Date

Ever wondered what time it is in another part of the world or needed to know in case you need to contact someone then try www.timeanddate.com It not only tells the time but can do a host of other things connected with dates, calendars and time. Go check it out and see what I mean

ALL IN ONE SEARCH.

You can now search for online content using Google, Yahoo, MSN live search and Ask.com all at the same time.

A new search engine called Webfetch works by combining the results from several popular search engines as well as more specialist ones such as Kelkoo. Check it out at www.webfetch.co.uk

You can also personalize the Webfetch interface and search through video, audio, images and news.

On the subject of search engines you may want to search yahoo and google at the same time. Check out www.gahooyoogle.com . It’s a great idea and seems to work well.

There are also other search engines that search other engines if you get what I mean. One I`ve been using for years is www.dogpile.com

Food and Wine

Which drink would you have with which food? Easy…. Check out www.matchingfoodandwine.com as it helps you pair meals with wine, beer, cocktails and soft drinks.

Do It Yourself - [D.I.Y]

www.doityourself.com examines every aspect of DIY and is a “must-visit” for everyone who struggles to tell a hammer from a screwdriver. No job is too big, too small or too tedious for this site and all of them are illustrated with photos, diagrams, animation and videos. If you still can’t find an answer to your problem, there’s a busy message board to help you out

Thunderbird

Its not that I don’t like outlook express or other email applications but I am always on the lookout for more secure email readers that have built in spam and phishing filters. I`ve found this in “Thunderbird” and it’s a free download at www.getthunderbird.com it’s a great alternative to Outlook Express as it has anti spam and phishing filters as well as improved security. You need to teach the spam filter to recognize which messages are junk and which aren’t, but this is easy to do and the software improves with the more spam you feed it.

Household Hints

Keeping your home clean and tidy can be a full time job, but www.hintsandthings.co.uk could help reduce your workload.

Head straight for the utility room, where you can read tips like , How to keep your shower cubicle sparkling by using car wax. The site offers the kind of advice you might have got from your grandma. There are lists of practical tips from visitors to the site plus an A-Z of quick, simple solutions

Beat The Computer

Pit your brains against www.20q.net, the artificial intelligence 20 questions game, for a little light relief. Everything the computer programme knows was entered by other people who have played the game – and the more it is played, the smarter it gets. So go on, give the computer a run for its money.

VIRTUAL SAFARI

Fancy going on Safari but can’t be bothered to go all the way to Africa? Well, you’re in look, log onto www.africam.com

The National Parks in Africa has set up numerous live webcams around the parks and you can often see animals like Zebras and Lions to name but a few. There are also webcams attached to trucks that drive round the parks capturing amazing pictures.

OLD SUPERSTITIONS

Do you avoid stepping on cracks in the pavement or never walk under ladders? Well don’t worry, you’re not that strange! If you want to check out some really ridiculous superstitions that have been passed down through the generations then pay a visit to www.oldsuperstitions.com

WACKY WORLD

If you fancy seeing wacky gadgets that even wackier people have invented then take a look at www.tinyurl.com/yt5vu8

From loo roll dispensers with built in iPods to the USB bottom cooler, it’s all on here. The site lists the top 10 funniest gadgets with some very surprising entries

Voice by email

Send voice messages in outlook or outlook express. This is a free plugin available at www.waxmail.biz that lets you attach voice recordings to your emails. Install the software, then click on NEW to begin a new email. Record what you want to say then send the message as normal. The attached audio can be played using any media player.

FREE Directory Enquires

Why pay extortionate rates to call Directory Inquires when you can get the number you want for free. Just visit www.192.com and enter some details and you can get the number you require for free.

Enviropedia

Enviropedia is a good place for those of you that are interested in climate change but are a bit weak on the science. Take a look at www.enviropedia.org.uk

The site itself looks a bit worthy, which I suppose it is, but this is important stuff we are talking about, so it is allowed to look worthy.

Clicking on Contents does exactly what you would expect and introduces you to a world of well written essays on subjects from acid rain to Ozone depletion. As you would expect each essay has links within it explaining words and concepts.

Each subject has a page explaining its subject and is refreshingly clear of the hectoring tone that so many of these kinds of sites have.

Across the top of the page are more headings giving further information on related subjects, including the ubiquitous kids section. Aimed at four to 11-year-olds it has downloadable information sheets for teachers or anyone interested.

While making this kind of information available is only good, I really wonder whether today's kids are going to be wooed by cheap and cheerful Word clip art. All the same this resource is a must for environmental demystification.

Gardening

Shoot is a good looking site that aims to help people who are reasonably new to gardening. It is UK-based but has tons of information on improving your gardening skills.

Check out www.shootgardening.co.uk
It has all the basic stuff but also shows some interesting lateral thinking in that it also has a piece on how to keep fit when you are gardening.

The inspirational gardens section makes a fascinating read even if you are not a gardener, with pictures and ideas on how to make your green space even greener.

There are regularly updated hints and tips on the site and if you register they will email you specific information on how to look after your garden.

All of this is free but if you are a UK gardener and want to pay money you can and they will send you even more information. This is a great place to go if you are interested in plants but I suggest you stay away if you only have a window box

DELETE THAT FILE

Sometimes when you try to delete a file, windows will refuse to delete it, saying it can`t because some other program is using it or because the file is locked, or some other excuse. I found a good freeware utility on the web that can delete these awkward files. Its called FILE ASSASSIN and it can be downloaded from www.malwarebytes.org I use the portable version and carry t around on a USB drive.

The Weather Pixie

www.weatherpixie.com is the best named site I have seen in ages It grabs weather data from around the world and feeds it into a little cartoon character.

You point to the part of the world where you want to see the weather from, pick a character and then the character automatically dresses according to the temperature of the place you are looking at.

A feature I love is the world weather selector. You click on a map of the world and it tells you to what the weather and time is there - perfect for just browsing the world on a rainy day.

There is code you can use to embed your weather pixie on your site if you wish and if you feel so inclined you can even have the character sitting on your desktop - you have to switch active desktop on and the instructions on how to do that are on the site. It may not be too ground breaking but it is fun!

Name That Tune

Theres nothing more frustrating than having a tune in your head and not knowing who sang it then check out www.midomi.com , you can plug a microphone into your computer and hum the tune and the site will search its database to find your elusive track.

Overheard in the UK

People say some stupid things, and none more so than the great british public. Chek out some of the bizarre or plain silly things people have said at www.overheardintheuk.com Whether its someone overhearing a daft comment or something someone else has said.

What Are You Worth

Its not unusual to feel a little undervalued from time to time, whether its because your friends didn’t bother to invite you along on a night out or you didn’t get a response you expected from a great piece of work you have created. So to potentially cheer yourself up, find out exactly how much you’re really worth at www.humanforsale.com Answer the questions honestly and hopefully you’ll get the value you were hoping for

Unable to open file!!!!

www.fileinfo.net is a site that is a little more technical but very helpful for those of you stuck with files on your computer that you cannot identify.

It is a resource that lists the last three letters of a file - known as a file extension - and explains what they are, or do.

So if someone sends you a file with an extension you do not recognise you type it into this site and it will give you a chance to find out what software you need to use or play it.

There is a very useful page explaining the different formats used by MP3 players and what software will play them.

Getting Crafty

If DIY and craft projects are your thing then www.instructables.com is the site for you. It is full of instructions on how to make and do things, from crafting a case to carry your MP3 players in to making toffee sauce. And best of all there’s a “how-to” section that you can turn into every eventuality.

LAND OF QUOTES

If you’re curious about reincarnation and wonder if you’ve been suppressing memories of previous libes, then look at www.thebigview.com/pastlife . Simply enter your date of birth and the site offers an insight to who you were before your current incarnation. You’ll get a rough date and area of birth, details of your aims in life and the kind of work you did and why you were brought back to this mortal coil.

The Movie

Now, if you are the kind of person who cannot resist shouting out "the butler did it!" at moviegoers outside a theatre, then this site will be right up your street.

www.themoviespoiler.com gives you a brief synopses for a fair few major Hollywood releases. The home page has the most recent additions, and there are dozens more to explore in the archive, which, in addition to proving useful for those with a mean streak, could be genuinely handy if you have come out of a film thinking "Eh? Didn't quite follow that!"

Top 20

Starting on 16th April at 11pm we will count down a retro top 20 and ask you to identify the year and the month and if you are very clever then maybe you know what the number one song was.

Heres where you get your chance to re-live those great years of musical memories and you are invited to email me your favorite memorable month and year and listen out at 11pm Monday-Thursdays as we count down the top 20 singles from the year you chose.

Email your chosen date together with your name and any other comments to bill@abbeyfm.co.uk
or call 01229 808 222 and leave your details on my voicebank

Webcams

If the internet is a gateway to the world, then webcams are the windows of the world - allowing you to glimpse the everyday happenings in the most remote locations, all from the comfort of your computer.

www.earthcam.com is a site that celebrates the webcam craze, gathering together links to some of the best and most interesting feeds the world over - all just a click or two away.

The site itself is relatively basic in design, laid out magazine style with various lists and sections clickable from the opening page.

But as most webcam feeds are found buried away in obscure sections of their host website, EarthCam does a great job of just placing them all within reach after just a click or two of your mouse.

Check out the Top 10 section, which apparently changes quite often. You will find street scenes and beach scenes, and even some small furry animals.

Love of Food

Wet your appetite with this revamped website whos upgraded search engine lets you find recipes, places to eat and Britains best local and regional food shops. Take a look at www.foodloversbritain.com. The recipe search is very clever letting you narrow your hunt for tasty dishes by ingredients. The site also contains a wide range of eateries ranging from greasy spoon cafes to swanky restaurants.

Remember The Milk

Wednesdays website of the day is called "REMEMBER THE MILK" and is a website that remembers things for you. www.rememberthemilk.com is a personal organizer service that will send you reminders via text or instant message

Seeking Picasso

www.seekingpicasso.com "A Pop Idol site for artists now." Seeking Picasso is a place where artists can show off their work to the public, who become the judges, voting who should stay and who should go until an ultimate winner is found.

Each week presents a different theme on which the 12 artists chosen to enter the competition have to deliver an artwork based upon. The works can be viewed using the gallery link from the main page.

The first week's theme was Excess and there were some thought-provoking, colourful and funny takes on the same subject. The artworks are available to buy and it is this money which in part then helps fund the prize for the winner.

It is a lovely idea to get people talking about art and one that could be set up anywhere.

New Music

If you like discovering new music Pitchfork is a real gem.

Check out www.pitchforkmedia.com where you will find brand new videos and downloads abound on this picture-rich Flash-enabled website, so if you do not have Flash running on your computer you need to get it.

The busy homepage is in the style of a magazine, with columns of news, reviews, features and free tracks to stream from the latest releases. The search bar in the top left lets you seek out specific bands, with links beneath it to specific areas of the site. But while it is a virtual site of media content, navigation on this site can be a little annoying. The pages are typically quite long, with each feature or write-up presented in full so there is lots of scrolling down when browsing. However, the reviews are witty and incisive and peppered with MP3 tracks, with the occasional music video thrown in for good measure.

Pet Club

Pet Club is a great website for animal lovers as it provides loads of information on all types of pets from tiny chiwawas to strapping stallions. There are plenty of animal tips and facts and the website can be found at www.petclubuk.com and includes health advice and a news section.

8 - Ball

If you want to check it out then visit www.8baller.co.uk and you’d best have a good excuse for getting no work done as this site is very addictive. It is a Pool simulation in which you can play against the computer or other online participants. Choose from 8 Ball, 9 Ball and straight pool> Once you’ve mastered potting the balls you might get a bit frustrated by the lack of opportunity to work on your game but its still very addictive

Bored

Wednesday nights website review is all about being bored and wanting to pass some time and this website has just about anything to amuse you. Take a look at www.bored.com Theres a variety of ways to keep you occupied including testing your reflexes and loads of other great ideas to relieve the boredom

Vintage Sixties

Tonights website review is available for download at www.billclarkontheradio.co.uk Check it out and see what you think.

Its all about local bands of the 1960s. Where are they now. There are a few websites around dedicated to the old nostalgic days about local bands all over the UK.

The one that impressed me is based in the North East and I found it very informative. I managed to catch up with the Webmaster, Alan Prodhue and requested some information.

You can download the website from http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk and listen to what it has to offer.

The website can be found at www.vintagesixtieslive.co.uk and be warned, its very addictive, you could be there for some time.

Hold the Front Page

Take a look at www.fodey.com and you can create your very own newspaper clipping. Just enter the name of your publication together with your headline and news story and the site will generate a realistic image of a paper that’s available for you to download.

St Patricks Day.

Whether you’re Irish or not, You’re unlikely to need reminding that today is St Patricks Day. The day when everyone sups Guinness and celebrates but who was St. Patrick? Log onto www.st-patricks-day.com where you can find out all about the man himself and there are lots of ideas on how you can celebrate whether you’re in Ireland or not.

Photo the whole of the British Isles

Wednesdays website review is about a website that has set itself the mammoth task of displaying a photograph of every square mile of the British Isles. Check out www.geograph.org.uk . You can browse for images of anywhere in the UK and upload your own images of your local area.

Keeping kids safe on the Internet

There is so much great stuff on the internet that it is understandable your children are going to want to join in the fun. But you also need to know how to stay safe in virtual space, and that is where www.netsmartzkids.org website can help.

NetSmartzKids is the home of Nettie and Webster, two colourful characters who live inside your PC and are on hand with help and advice for the younger generation of surfers. This bright and colourful site is perhaps a little too over the top visually for me, but friends children love it and it talks to them in a style and language they engage with.

With a broad selection of games, activities and movies, all designed to lead children towards safe and sensible surfing, your little ones will find plenty to amuse them here. Use the tabs across the top to jump to the various sections, then just dive straight in and enjoy the action.

Songtapper

On Thursday I was trying to find out what a song was called by humming it to myself and then I discovered www.songtapper.com . Use your computer keyboard to tap the rhythm of the song. SongTapper.com will help you find the name of the song. Its fun, its easy, and thousands of daily visitors find it very helpful.

All you have to do is tap the song rhythm and SongTapper does the rest. After tapping is complete you will see a list of matching songs. If we can't identify your song, you can teach our system by entering the song name.

Mood Swings

Wednesdays web review made me realise that sometimes you know what kind of mood you are in, but you cannot think of any tunes to play. With www.musicovery.com you can use the really simple interface to start a radio broadcast of music that match your mood or the tempo you desire.

The control panel sits on the left of the screen - use the tabs labelled mood and dance to choose how you want to define your music selection.

Mood is the most interesting for me, allowing you to click to place the locator anywhere from calm to energetic and dark to positive. If you like some genres more than others then use the tick select boxes in the list below, and finally hone in on the era the pleases your ears using the date slider above.

The low-fi player is free for unregistered users - the quality is not perfect but is OK, especially if you are looking for inspiration about what artists to buy to expand your collection.

Get Healthy

Get yourself healthy with this website www.bmj.com is easy to use and packed with health information, the British Medical Journal has been relaunched to make all its articles available to read on line. Searching them is incredibly simple because in each section there are tools to help you search by date and article type. That’s impressive enough, but theres also a superb new interactive section which gathers blogs, polls, webchats and audio interviews with British doctors.

Armchair Advice

The website review for Monday 5th March I took a look at www.armchairadvice.co.uk and found it a very useful site if you are going through a rough patch in life. If you have lost your job, have relationship problems or just need some sound advice then you could do worse than look at this website. The site includes search facilities that will let you find services to help you with whatever problem you have and there are forums so you can share your experiences and read the tales posted by other people.

Crazy Girlfriends

If you think youre girlfriend is mad then check out www.crazythingsemmasaysanddoes.co.uk
Dave Williams has created this site to document the many blonde moments experienced by his Fiance Emma. And clearly Emma is a very understanding other half, as she doesn’t seem to have any problem with her mad moments being chronicled for all to read.

Misheard Lyrics

Thursdays website review was all about "misheard lyrics". Check out www.kissthisguy.com . It is nothing to do with smooching and is in fact the site gets its name from the often misheard lyric in Jimi Hendrix hit “Purple Haze” when he sings “Scuse me while I kiss the sky” – which is often misheard as “Scuse me while I kiss this guy”. You can read up on a whole host of other misheard lyrics at this site, some of which are highly amusing.

A Pictoral History

A little history now, but not the classroom type - this is a pictorial history of working life in Britain.

Workinglife.org.uk is a charming site - and although not very sophisticated, it does seem to capture what life was like in 20th Century Britain. The pictures date back to the early 1900s, but many of them are from the 60s and 70s when industrial businesses were booming.

Browsing these pages is a fascinating walk back through time into the lives of the people who built the British economy - rail workers, miners, fishermen and factory girls.

Click a link on the left and then open the thumbnails to full size by clicking them. Each section has a little blurb beside it to add to the atmosphere.

Where are they now?????

Have you ever wondered what happened to certain minor and major celebrities of a few years ago? The ones who seemed to disappear off the face of the planet, like Macauly Culkin from Home Alone, and the men from Miami Vice?

Stop wondering and get yourself along to www.thebubbleburst.co.uk. It is not a particularly sophisticated website, and many of the fallen stars are from the UK, but it is the curiosity factor that caught my interest here, and the overwhelming attraction of a nice bit of gossip.

There are certainly a few international stars that you are bound to have heard of at some point. You can browse the content by category, era, or just take a look at the latest additions and updates. Try taking a look at the cast of The Breakfast Club. A hugely successful movie - even today - but where are these fresh-faced teen stars now? Well some have been doing OK, while others vanished into obscurity, apart from appearing on this website that is.

Dogster

www.dogster.com is where you will find this virtual bone buried, a place where your dog can have its very own website, complete with profile, photos and links to all his pals. There are over 200,000 dogs already registered here so your precious pooch will never be short of friends to browse.

The site itself is incredibly easy to use. Just click the links on the left under "see the dogs" to decide how you want to browse the entries and then scroll through them in the central panel.

Reading the profiles is great fun if you are a dog lover. If you see any you particularly like you can send them a virtual bone using the "leave a bone" link at the top.

Hippy Life

Ever wished you could live the life of a hippy. Check out www.hippy-life.co.uk The site contains information and advice on how to live a natural lifestyle and tells you all about the alternative ways of life out there. There is also information on herbal remedies for everyday use

Darwin Awards

Wednesday 7th Feb 2007 web review is all about the weirdest ways in which people have either accidently or intentionally shuffled off this mortal coil. Theres also a fascinating section of urban myths and tell tales Check out www.darwinawards.com

PERFECT GIFTS

PERFECT GIFTS for Valentines Day or any occasion.

Ladies, are you looking to buy the man in your life something special. Then you need to check out www.touchofginger.com it has nothing to do with red hair and is actually a sophisticated site for finding a present for the man who has everything.

Dumb Criminals

Everyone has heard stories about the stupidity of some criminals and www.dumbcriminals.com features a plethora of prize idiots and their follish attempts at crime. The website shows stories of pathetic and ridiculous crooks and is updated daily such as the burglar who stole a television and returned later to pick up the remote control.

BLOOD

Heres your chance to do something positive.Check out www.blood.co.uk Giving blood is a great thing to do as national supplies are in constant need of topping up. But if you`re worried about fainting or the nurse taking too much blood then have a look at this website. It’s a simple but informative site and will dispel your fears and talk you through the process. There are even games to keep you entertained.

Life made simple

Wednesdays website review discussed a self help site at www.43folders.com and is described as a website about personal productivity, life hacks and simple ways to make your life that little bit better. From bad email habits that all of us should lose, to ideas for making use of the dead time between doing other things, there’s something for everyone here.

Life Hacker

www.lifehacker.com is a site which explains aspects of life outside the computer as well as inside. Lifehacker deals with making your computer use more productive. That said, it does include advice on recovering a scratched CD using polish, and other household tips. The software section is also full of excellent downloads.

Food for Thought

Tonights website review is all about ordering a "Takeaway" on line.

When its so cold outside its often too much of an effort to leave the warmth of the house which is where www.edineuk.com comes in. It’s a handy online service for ordering takeaways without leaving the sofa All you do is tap in your postcode and the site will find participating places in your area. You can also recommend any that arnt listed .Full menus with price guides are provided online so make your choice and wait in the comfort of your own home for the delivery.

Taxi Tales

On Thursday 18th Jan 2007 I managed to catch up with the man who is the anonymous Barrow taxi driver who writes a column in the Evening Mail every Friday night about his job. We recorded an interview and this was broadcast on tonights show as part of the web site review feature. Check out our anonymous taxi drivers funny stories and read about his life as a taxi driver in Barrow at www.taxistorys.blogspot.com and feel free to leave him a comment. There is even a clue to his real identity on his website.

The interview is available for download at http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk

Recipes

Wednesday 17th Jan 2007 saw me reviewing Allrecipes.com is well worth bookmarking and returning to again and again. With featured recipes and seasonal dishes displayed on the opening page, the design of this website is really welcoming, and very easy to navigate. You can search for a particular dish using the search box at the top, or browse through the collections using the "Popular" menu on the left.

One feature I really like is that you can choose to search by ingredient, either to be included, or not included. Just click ingredient search by the search box and then list the things you have in the cupboard, or do not like and do not want to use.

Low Furness

Tuesdays website review was a local website dedicated to "Low Furness".

www.explorelowfurness.co.uk is a local website about the furness area of South Cumbria and here you can discover a fascinating corner of hidden Britain.

Few places in Britain can boast as much rural variety as this; miles of wild and diverse coastline to explore from the endless sands of Bardsea beach to the raw and atmospheric reaches of Roa Island and Piel Island. Inland, rich farmland, small hamlets and woods rise to reach the limestone pavements and heights of Birkrigg Common with its panoramic views of Morecambe Bay and of the nearby Lakeland fells.

As well as providing much of interest in its own right, Low Furness also provides an ideal base for visits to a wide area of South Lakeland and its fringes by foot, bike, bus, car, boat and even by steam!

Flow Go

www.flowgo.com was the website that I reviewed on Monday 15th January 2007 so nows the time to take a break from whatever you were doing and have a look at flowgo.com .The site features an array of funny cartoons, games, quizzes and gags and is updated daily.As well as mindless entertainment the website also has ecards so you can put together your own greetings card for less than the cost of a stamp

Portable Applications

www.portableapps.com was the website review on Thursday 11th January 2007 and this was all about portable applications. Now you can carry your favorite computer programs along with all of your bookmarks, settings, email and more with you. Use them on any Windows computer. All without leaving any personal data behind.This site provides a truly open platform that works with any hardware you like (USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, etc). The Portable Apps Suite™ is free. It contains no spyware or advertisements and is a full version. There is no additional hardware or software to buy. You don't even have to give out your email address. It's 100% free to use, free to copy and free to share.

Beer in the evening

www.beerintheevening.com was the website reviewed on Monday 8th January 2007 and in my opinion a good pub isn’t always easy to find so this website is there to help you find what you are looking for in your area.All pubs are reviewed by their regulars and you can add your comments and reviews as well.

Losing Weight

Check out www.dailydiettracker.co.uk Most of us could do with shredding a few pounds but lets face it, diets are dull and doughnuts are tasty. Boost your willpower by planning out your next fast on this interactive slimming site. You set your own goals and then get a daily rundown of how you are doing and best of all, its free.

Mixing Drinks

www.drinksmixer.com is the website review for today. [Tuesday 2nd Jan 2007] Lets face it, You cant beat a good cocktail on a night out.This website shows you how to make your own at home.There are over 14,000 recipes all searchable by ingredient so you can match them up to the contents of your spirit cabinet.The website also has links that are very useful to you with reference to any cocktail.

Stop Bullying

On Thursday 21st December 2006 we talked about bullying and reviewed www.stoptextbully.com is an accessible site advising children and their parents and teachers on how to deal with text abuse and threats. In 2005, the NCH, the children's charity, found that one in five 11 to 19 year olds had been bullied or threatened through malicious texting.

The site looks at various types of electronic bullying, either via mobile phones or email and the web. Geared towards children, it advises on the steps to take to stop this happening from the people to turn to and the importance of keeping records of incidents.

A section is for parents, linking them through to other useful resources on the internet.

Text bullying is when someone abuses or threatens you by text, and it’s just as bad as them doing it at school or in the street. And because there’s loads you can do with mobiles and PCs now – like checking emails on your mobile, picture messages and online chat – someone could also use those to text bully you through your mobile or PC. All bullying is wrong.

Stoptextbully.com is here to help you make a text bully stop. Just click on the kind of text bullying you’re worried about to get started!

Francis Frith

Wednesdays show saw me review a website showing nostalgic photos, not only of the Furness area but all over the UK. www.francisfrith.com is a website all about local nostalgia and has old photos of areas not only in Cumbria but all over the uk. Take a moment to remember places that have been important in your life and look back at photos of your chosen area. I reviewed the website and spent some time on it and found plenty of old photos including some real nostalgic pictures of Barrow, Dalton, Lindal, Ulverston, Lakeside, Leece, Lindale, Windermere, kirkby, Urswick, Greenodd, Haverigg, Millom, Newby Bridge, Grange and flookburgh plus many many more. The site also contains Historic Maps Including Historic Ordanance survey maps

Pub Explorer

Pub Explorer is the UK’s leading national internet pub guide. Started in 1998, there are now over 4000 pubs, inns and hotels in this pub guide, each with comprehensive pub details including real ales, pub food, accommodation, pub entertainment and facilities. The Pub has a leading role in British life and this pub guide allows you to quickly find the pub you are looking for. Check it out at www.pub-explorer.com

Visit Cumbria

Monday Night saw me reviewing yet another cumbrian website saying that Barrow-in-Furness is a large industrial town which grew from a tiny 19th Century hamlet to the biggest iron and steel centre in the world, and a major ship-building force, in just 40 years. The railway was introduced to carry iron-ore, slate and lime-stone to the new deep water port. Its prosperity grew with the development of the steel and ship-building industries. Find out more about the Furness peninsulas at www.visitcumbria.com/sl/barrow.htm

Also worth visit is www.visitcumbria.com and find out about other towns in cumbria

Windermere Ferry

This is a webcam showing Windermere Ferry from the hawkeshead side of the lake.View the ferry in real time, look in advance before traveling to see if the ferry is running and also see in real time what the weather is doing as well as looking at the lake and any queues of traffic waiting for the ferry. The website is a must if you are intending using the ferry but also a good site toi see what the weather is like in the lakes.. Check out www.fba.org.uk/webcam01.html

Keep Kids Out Of Trouble

www.rizer.co.uk is a web site sponsored by the government aimed at keeping kids out of trouble by providing an understanding of how the criminal justice system works. The site follows the stories of four youths and looks at the consequences of their actions in a bid to make youngsters think twice before embarking on a life of crime. There's also information on legal jargon and sentencing.

Life Is Busy

Wednesdays web site review was all about "Busy Lives". Are youforgetful or too busy to remember things then you need www.lifeisbusy.com . Its an online diary where you can enter information, birthdays, anniversarys and reminders. You can even have them emailed to you so you never forget them and if you're not that busy, there's even a games section to help you fill those empty days.

Pirate Radio

Tuesdays web site review was all about pirate radio in the 60s and 70s. Lets face it, without it then commercial radio wouldnt be here as it made the government realise there was a need for commercial radio. Check out www.piratememories.co.uk and take a look at the rebels of radio during the 60s and 70s. The site features old radio recordings and other broadcasting memorabilia

Think U Know

Monday 11th December 2006 web site review is all about on line security. Any parent whose child goes online will no doubt have worried about who they might meet and talk to in cyberspace. Do you know who you are talking to online? "Think U Know" is a site set up by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the UK, but its advice is relevant wherever you are. Check out www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Education

Sunday 10th December 2006 web review is all about Education. Check out www.skoool.com as education is important and what I like about this web site is that it recognises and caters for everyone. Everything is very self explanatory and nicely designed. There are games, study tools and plenty for the teacher and parent too.

Pronunciation

On Thursday 7th December 2006 I reviewed a website all about pronunciation of English words. Its a simple concept presented simply. You will need sound and all you do is type your word you need help with in the box and the website will speak it out to you how it should be pronounced. Check out www.howjsay.com

The Askam Herald

The web site review for Thursday is all about the village of Askam In Furness. Check out The Askam Herald at www.askamherald.co.uk The site contains a collection of news items relating to askam and currently has over 1000 visitors a month.