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 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.

There are many different kinds of discovery sites on the Internet, but if you have younger people in your house, you might enjoy showing them the Strange Matter site. It allows them to "discover the secrets of everyday stuff" in a safe environment. Have a look. You might find out interesting things as well.

I'm a gadget freak. I really love new gizmos and love all the blinking lights. I know it's an addiction, but not necessarily a bad one. One blog that keeps me up to date with the things that are new is the UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog - www.ubergizmo.com. It really is informative and this person knows their stuff. Have a look. It might help keep you up with the play as well.

Health is the most important subject for any household, and the health of children is even more important to most. The KidsHealth - Kids site is worth a look as it tries to explain to younger children what various bodily conditions are, what causes them, and what one might do to fix the problem. For instance when I was there it went into the problem of "stinky feet" and explained why that happened - not that I needed to know of course - nah - not me. Enjoy.

If you've been around my site for a while you'll know that I'm an ex-smoker. Now don't run away. As Sinatra supposedly said "the only thing worse than a reformed smoker is a reformed drunk". No, I'm not going to lecture on the evils of the weed, but rather point you in the direction of the site that shows you A Report of the Surgeon General's 2004 - The Health Consequences of Smoking and let you have a read yourself. If you choose not to, that's your business. I know how hard it is to quit - had to be unconscious for 5 days before I could, but you can stop - with help. The ultimate decision is in your hands.

You most likely know that the internet term phishing means an internet scam. These unscrupulous folk are getting more prolific unfortunately and also getting cleverer at what they do. Believe it or not, I've received 4 phishing scams in email this week alone. To find out what to look out for, and what to do when you get one of these in your email, hop over to the Anti-Phishing Working Group Phishing Archive site and meet the group that are committed to wiping out Internet Scams and fraud. This really is a must see site. Be aware of what you find here - and be protected.

I love sites like mine, who try to point folk in the direction of things they might like to see. One such site is the MeL Best of the Internet (Michigan eLibrary) site. The Mel (or Michigan Electronic Library) site is a categorized list of sites that can be helpful if you are looking for various things. This site is sourced and maintained by librarians, and it's good, and well worth a bookmark. Enjoy.

You will no doubt be aware of the international organization known as the WWF or World Wildlife Fund. They also are aware of climate change and what it does to the habitats of various animals. Hop over to the WWF Australia - About WWF Australia - How we work - Campaigns - Climate change - Facts site, browse around, have a read, and see what you can learn about climate change. It is changing, and yes, it is our collective fault that it is. In this case, change is not a good thing. See what you can do about halting this world wide phenomenon, and yes, you can make a difference.

There are times when you need to do some serious and even scholarly research on the net. You know that there are search capabilities out there you could use, if only you knew they actually existed. The site called Those Dark Hiding Places The Invisible Web Revealed will actually show many of those resources to you to allow you to really find what you are looking for. Interesting site and worth a bookmark.

There are many times when parents need to find out things that no one seems to teach, and to interact with other parents to either be assured or be made aware of potential problems. Though the JustForMumz! site says it is Just For Mums, it also states that "We exist so that Mumz (and Dadz!) can have a place to meet", so dads, don't feel left out. Yes it is directed towards moms, and yes, it is colored pink (I have no idea why), but it does contain good information. Have a look.

When was the last time you ate salmon? Did you know that in some places this beautiful fish is almost extinct, including parts of Alaska? No, this isn't another wildlife site, but rather a site that shows you many different ways of making salmon into a taste masterpiece. Hop over to the Salmon Recipes site and learn how to really make this wonderful fish into a fantastic taste treat.

When studying history, the subject of mythology, folklore and religion can, at times become blurred. Thus the Encyclopedia Mythica mythology, folklore, and religion. might be just what you need when it does. Hop over and maybe bookmark this one.

You know those silly things that well meaning friends pass around the net to their friends? Some of them are a riot (and no, don't send me any more - please), but the one called Numa is one you really should see. It is making such a presence on the net that even NBC has a page about it. Hop over to the MSNBC - You go, Gary! 'Numa' takes Web by storm site and while there look under the picture, click "Launch" and you'll see what I mean. *sighs* And remember, this person took this of himself, and then published it on the net. *shakes head*. Some of us really have to get out more.

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. ;-)