Fast ways to rid yourself of the February blahs

Surf's up - The snowstorm last Sunday was just the reminder I needed that February can really bring you down. The month was barely a few hours old and I was already cursing it.

Sure, we can look forward to winter fun whenever a storm is over, but when you're shovelling snow, it's easy to want to be somewhere else.

That's what this week's column is about: a list of sites to cheer you up and boost your spirits, in ways big and small.

Wolfgang's Vault

www.wolfgangsvault.com/

After shovelling all that snow on Sunday, I changed into dry clothes, made a hot cup of coffee and cranked up a Bruce Springsteen concert from 1978, a performance that used to be the stuff of a hero's quest among bootleg fans. It's available for free to stream over Wolfgang's Vault, which has collected more than 2,000 concerts in one place. There are downloads available, sometimes for free, sometimes for a modest price. (The site also makes some bucks by selling vintage memorabilia, from Charlie Parker posters to Who T-shirts). It's heavy on a classic-rock feel, which makes sense, as many of the concerts come from the King Biscuit Flower Hour. There's plenty of newer material, though, so poke around.

Poladroid

www.poladroid.net/

Polaroid has developed PoGo, which marries the digital camera with old-school-style prints. If you want that look, with the white borders, try Poladroid, a free app that works on PCs and Macs alike. Even your most mundane shots will seem like timepieces! (That is, until they seem wildly contemporary again, I guess.)

De-Animator

tinyurl.com/bkwuat

Shooting games may be a bit antisocial, but hey, these are zombies coming after you.

Choose wisely when it comes to using your bullets; these zombies don't play nice when they get to you.

Bash the Computer

tinyurl.com/dcbs4w

If you're computer is giving you troubles, don't take out your frustrations on it directly; vent instead at this online game. You start with that crashing noise that will be all-too-familiar to many Windows users, and then just start banging away. Nasty, but deliciously therapeutic.

Relaxation soundboard

www.soundsleeping.com/drums_small.html

After all that noise and nastiness, something to bring the calm and peace to your life. From the Soundsleeping site, this is a soundboard that you can fine-tune to get just the right blend of relaxing, ambient noise for your room. Choose between options that include rainfall, songbirds, ocean waves and so on, with a mild drumbeat you can add to the mix.

Museum of Neon Art

www.neonmona.org

I would have guessed the Museum of Neon Art would be in Las Vegas, but it's actually in Los Angeles. You don't have to visit to get a charge out of the online exhibits, including spectacular photos.

Random Useless Facts

www.pritolearn.com/

Careful: you might learn something with this inventive site, which serves up factoids by the each. Click to get a new one, and so on.

Brickshelf

www.brickshelf.com/

"Bricks," as in Lego pieces, with Brickshelf meaning a place where creators can post pictures of what they've done with various kits and such. A great spot for Lego fans, of all ages.

International Hangman

www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=hangman

The familiar children's game of Hangman gets an update from London's Guardian newspaper, with the answers always about cities of the world.

Fun, and a bit of a geographic brainteaser along the way!

Dial-up Kid

www.sonnyradio.com/dialupkid.htm

For most Internet users, dialup is something happily put in the past. In case you forgot those eerie sounds that modems used to make, here's a reminder - with the animated face of a frustrated kid playing along.

Nuthin'

www.nuthin.com/

Finally, we leave with a chuckle, and a site that is what it says.

John Gushue is a news writer for CBCNews.ca in St. John's. E-mail: surf@thetelegram.com. Read past Surf's Up columns and daily updates at his blog: johngushue.typepad.com.