There's a new website called The Shorty List that helps parents find the best daycares and schools for their kids.

The site collects parent comments and reviews of daycares and schools from all over Metro Vancouver.

Karen Young Chester, creator of The Shorty List, is a stay-at-home mom with two preschool-aged children.

"This is something definitely relevant for Burnaby parents," she said.

The site is up already but is only accepting comments and reviews. The site's final launch will be in the fall.

Young Chester said she already had some information submitted on places in Burnaby. She also plans to post up-to-date government statistics including school test scores, demographics, satisfaction survey results and daycare sizes.

The check out The Shorty List, go to www.theshortylist.ca.

THE HOURGLASS SYNDROME

Tell us something we don't know. An Angus Reid Public Opinion survey of more than 1,000 Canadian students found that the majority of high school and post-secondary students experience frustration and anxiety because their computers are too slow.

Intel, which released the survey, is calling it the hourglass syndrome in reference to the spinning hourglass that appears while sluggish computers are processing information.

The NOW's parenting columnist Kathy Lynn said pressures from school combined with not having the right technology can be quite stressful.

And what would the survey respondents prefer to be doing when the hourglass isn't spinning? Post-secondary students would rather be relaxing, while high school students like downloading or listening to music. The survey also noted post-secondary students used their computer mostly for homework, while high school students used it for social networking.

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

The South Burnaby Neighbourhood House is holding an annual open house and street party on Thursday, Aug. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It's a family-friendly event that draws the whole community. There will be lots of activities and displays for children, including face painting, crafts and games. There is a barbecue lunch, where $1 will cover a hot dog, chips and a drink. The neighbourhood house is at 4845 Imperial St. For more information, visit www.sbnh.ca.

GLOBETROTTERS

The Confederation Walkers have circled the globe for the fifth time. The seniors' walking group is based out of Confederation Centre, and the members started going on weekly hikes in 1987. They only started recording their mileage in 1992 but have cleared the 200,000 kilometre mark. (The earth's circumference is about 40,000 km.)

The group's numbers have fluctuated over the years, from anywhere between 10 to 80 people. Now, there are 49 members, and they've covered 5,918 km this year and counting. They usually walk on trails throughout the region but also venture off the Mainland and into the Fraser Valley.