Mac's Picks is a collection of family friendly interesting and useful sites, updated weekly. These sites may be search engines, medical resources, household hints, educational resources, recipe sites, sites I call "head scratchers", and/or new sites dealing with all kinds of things of use to the general internet community. To find the criteria I use, simply click on the "Why and How Info" link on the right side of this page.

This page is updated on a weekly basis, each Tuesday evening Australian (Queensland) time (GMT + 9 hours according to the world clock). Please come back and visit us often.

Important Note: If you are returning to my page, welcome back! Please click your "Refresh" or "Reload" button on the top of your Internet browser to ensure you are seeing the current week's page of my "Picks of the Week". Also, I would love for you to make my site your home page. Simply click on Tools - Options in Explorer, or Edit - Preferences in Netscape, and click Use Current and it's done.

Note: On the right side of my page you will see a new icon called "The Internet Traffic Report". It is there to show you worldwide trends in how the Internet itself is running at any given time. You will see the numbers change and the grapf go up and down, showing you the reposnse time taken to load a page or site from the net. The higher the number, the slower the net itself is running. This little tool may indeed show you that it isn't your computer that's at fault, but the net itself that is slowing down. You can also click this icon and download their freeware application that will show you much more data about how the net is running. I have, and it's well worth the download. Enjoy.

How many different categories of food can you name? It may sound like a silly question, but when you see a site like Just Recipes that says it has 25,782 unique recipes in 91 categories for you to browse, you have to rethink the different types of food you know about. Go have a look. Getting hungry yet?

I love having a look at various sites that show where to get good useful software. The magazine called PCNet Online has a site that not only shows you this week's pick but also shows you PCNet Online download picks of the week archive. Now, where have I heard that term "picks of the week" before? *chuckles*. Great site with lots of useful software downloads.

Doing that homework assignment and need to really be in a library but it's 10:00pm and the library is closed? Not a problem. Just hop over to the Multnomah County Library - Homework Center Homework Help site and research what you need to find out about. The point I make in putting this site up is that help is available, and that if your local library doesn't have a searchable website online, it should. Why not ask next time you're there? Maybe they do.

Heard any good movie lines lately that could spruce up your computer? I have a few that make my computing more fun, and the Funwavs.com - Movie Sounds, Movie Wavs, Movie Quotes site has heaps of them for you to use. Go on - have a look. Maybe when you open My Documents on your machine your computer might say "Here's looking at you, kid" as well. Enjoy.

One of the problems on the net are hoaxes that proliferate around the world. To find out what is a hoax and what isn't, hop over to the HOAXBUSTERS Home Page site and have a browse around. This site is put up by CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capabilityl) so you can rely on the validity of what they say. Good site to bookmark for future use.

Around the world, there are children who simply go missing. It is, unfortunately, not new but a tragic condemnation of our society that things like this happn to innocent children (and yes, it happens as much in the eastern countries as it does in the western ones). It has happened here in Australia and the Daniel Morcombe is missing,please help us find him site is there to try and help police and his parents find out what has happened to him. If you are in Australia and have any information please pass it on to the police in your area. If you have young children, guard them with your life.

If you are a TechTV fan you'll know the name Kevin Rose. As a presenter on this helpful channel, Kevin is still there and recently moved to LA to continue working on the new channel. Why not keep up with the man himself? Hop over to kevin rose dot com, have a look around, and sign up for his newsletter. It's a good read with useful info for you to use.

Spyware, that software that companies or hackers drop on your system without your knowledge, is a terrible thing. How do you ensure your professional site does not have any and cleans out any that is there? There is a piece of software that system admins might like to have a look at, at the site called Professional anti-keylogging software. Why not pass this one on to the system administrator at your workplace? It is something they should have on their system. Protect your information.

One of the hardest things in a family situation is the protection of your children, and yourself as well, while online. The folk at ABA Internet - Aus Broadcasting Authority take their job of "keeping kids and adults safe online" seriously. You should as well. Have a look and be informed.

If your computer has spyware loaded on it from websites, you'd most likely never know. Thus, software like the hijackthis download and instruction site is a must see for anyone connected to the net. It will show you how to use its free software tool to stop things loading in windows that might be spyware. It is so easy to use. Give it a try.

A friend who I recently met has a new hobby, that of creating mosiacs. With her it is a passion, so much so that she has a website called MUST BE MOSIACS that shows the concept and her own artistry as well. Colleen is an amateur mosaic artist who, I think, has done reasonably well so far. Have a look. You might catch the same bug and start creating things your self. As one of the quotes on the site says, "Don't just stand there. Break something!"

"It was a dark and stormy night..." Would you believe someone actually used that to start their novel? It's true. I wouldn' t make up things like this. I don't need to, and if you go to The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest site you will not only see this line, but others as well. The site is a collection of the worst opening lines in history. Great site for a chuckle.

Rebecca Game of "Digital Women - Women with their modems running...", is a graphic designer who is superb to say the least. Rebecca designed this "new look" web site specifically for me, and I can't praise her work enough. Her site, dedicated to women on the net, is worth seeing and bookmarking for future reference. If you are looking for links of interest to women, please visit her site. And if you need the best graphic designer on the planet, I seriously can't recommend her more highly. Oh yes, and when you visit her site, tell her Mac sent you. Thank you Rebecca. I am eternally grateful for your assistance and expertise. ;-)