WHEN I returned home to Canada after living abroad for a year and a half, I opened up my storage locker and reacquainted myself with my belongings - including my sadly outdated television. True, my television is at least 30 years old and was outdated by the time I was born, but it still made me reflect on how quickly things advance these days. My failure to keep up with these advancements will be saved for another column.

Everyone knows it's impossible to have a "new" computer these days - most are close to obsolete by the time you crack open the box. But this progression I speak of is not bound by any brand of technology, item, or even concept. When things advance, they advance across the board.

The proliferation of the internet only makes this all the more apparent, but it also does its part to remedy the problem.

The next time you're baffled by the little things around you, have a look at www.howstuffworks.com, a site which just might make you a little smarter, if you give it a chance. You'll find a wide assortment of the things you encounter on a day-to-day basis, but never really understood. Ever wondered how your digital camera works? No? What about your mobile phone? No? OK, already, don't go to the site then. For those of you who aren't being difficult, you'll easily find the science behind those products here, in addition to more complicated things such as nuclear bombs and my personal nemesis - the car engine.

Over in the site's entertainment section, quench your thirst with long awaited explanations regarding MP3 files, cable television, and, of course, the yo-yo.

And, strictly for entertainment sake, you can participate in the site's poll of the day, as well as view past poll questions such as: "Judging from Bush's state of the union address, what is the state of the union?" Twenty-eight per cent believed that the US is on the right track, while an equally confused 27 per cent believed the US is in big trouble. Thirty per cent didn't even care to watch.

Getting back on topic, you can also surf on over to http://howthings-work.virginia.edu/topics.html for another listing of questions you never knew you wanted answered - such as: If a microwave oven door were to open while it was still on, would it hurt you?" (the answer is yes - very much so). You'll find a limitless amount of information here, from how elevators, bikes and CD players work to centrifuges, Xerox copiers and, yes, even seesaws.

And, finally, as you grow tired of concepts that were perhaps meant to remain unknown and mysterious, you can find some practical knowledge by checking out www.soyouwanna.com. So You Wanna is your guide to all those things you've always wondered about but never knew who to ask. You wanna run a marathon? You'll find out how here. Same goes for getting a sex change, backpacking through Europe, and donating sperm.

Recognising that many people want to learn how to do things but are too lazy to read how, the site also has a section called "mini wannas." Included are quick guides to integral things such as: Hiring a stripper for a bachelor party, Asking your cheap boss for a raise, Faking an Irish accent, and Figuring out the guest list once you've decided to throw a seance.

Did you know you should never throw a seance by yourself? Unless you want to go insane, of course. Kids shouldn't be there either - they're easily traumatised and tend to wet their pants. And make sure to only invite the open-minded - ghosts have some sort of ethical issue with appearing before non-believers. I think it's a union agreement of some sort.

Actually, if I were you, I'd just hire a stripper instead - it sounds a heck of a lot easier.