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 Monday 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.

If you have younger members of your household who could use a little diversion from the TV, why not take them over to the Coloring.com - free online interactive coloring pages and coloring books site, pick out a few, get out the crayons or watercolors, set them up, then go have that cuppa you've needed for the last half hour? Oh, and don't forget, coloring in one yourself along with them can be fun too. :-)

How many times have you said, even to yourself "I woulda done ..." or "I coulda done ..." or even "I shoulda ..."? Well, the author of the very interesting blog named Woulda Coulda Shoulda has obviously had the same thoughts. This is a personal blog but I find it is also yet another way to simply set things down in writing, even if they are for your own reflection, so that in future you might instead say "I did ...". I think this one is great. See what you think.

Many folk use the net to purchase all manner of things, either from auction sites like eBay or directly from a store or manufacturer. I myself have bought my last three computers online directly from Dell, as I am offered the opportunity to include or exclude various things so it is what I need, not what happens to be someone else's concept and happens to be on the shop shelf. To help you do some of the same things, you might find that the FatLens Search Engine - Search the Web for the Things You Want to Buy site, which does just as it says, helps you find the things you want to buy online. I'd bookmark this one for future use.

Many folk know about and use various conversion facilities found on the net for various reasons. However I recently had the webmaster at the Metric conversion table (FPSI French property) site write to inform me that he had indeed written a new site for that purpose and feels that it is in some ways superior to the ones you presently use. I had a look and I must admit he's right. It's a great place to convert all types of things (length, weight, volume, temperature, to name but a very few) on one convenient website, and all there for you to use free of charge. Again, I'd bookmark this one as well. You never know when you'll need a conversion facility and this is an exceptionally good one.

Much of the world still uses Microsoft software (and rightly so in many cases) as their office software is, I feel, still pretty hard to beat. However, how do you know you have the latest version? One simple way is to hop over to the Windows Software Updates and Downloads - VersionTracker site and find out if the version you use is the current one, or do you need to upgrade (and possibly up-skill at the same time) the software you use. Give it a try.

Australia, like most countries, has some wonderfully talented chefs, and some of those end up putting a few of their delicious recipes up on the net for you to try. One here in Australia is by a well known chef by the name of Jacques Raymond, and you'll find his Secret Recipes at this site. I must say it looks interesting and I hope they fill your table and imagination with some delicious things for you to consume as well.

I have a digital cam (a Panasonic 4MP model with a 12x optical zoom) and thus am always impressed by photos taken by others. I found some absolutely spectacular photos at the Portfolio Index - Liquid Sculpture site and suggest you go and have a look as well. Just remember, these are copy-written professional photos so if you are going to use them you do have a legal obligation to pay for their use. However, simply to look at them shows what wonders modern photographers can do. Great pictures.

As some of the regular visitors of my site will know, I'm a somewhat frustrated old jazz nut and at one time in my misspent youth tried to write a small amount for small combos. However, because of that and a general love of music of almost all kinds, I found the Musipedia The Open Music Encyclopedia site absolutely fascinating. To quote them, "Musipedia uses the "Melodyhound" melody search engine. You can find and identify a tune even if the melody is all you know. You can play it on a piano keyboard, whistle or sing it to the computer, or directly use the Parsons code (yes, they do explain what that is). To "name that tune", you don't need to know the key signature, exact rhythm, or intervals". Yes, you read that right. You can either play part of the tune or even whistle it to your computer (they will show you how) and you are quite likely to find the info you need right here. Now that's innovative and that is the type of thing I love sharing. Have a look, pucker up, and enjoy.

In many countries around the globe public radio is still the medium of choice for many. Thus, the PublicRadioFan.com site, which lists hundreds of online radio stations for you to go to and listen to over the net, is a great site to bookmark and use. Have a look. You might even find an old radio show you've missed for a long time.

How up to scratch is your anti-virus software? If you're not entirely sure, hop over to the Trend Micro - Free online virus Scan and let it scan your system. No, they don't steal things from you, nor do they leave spyware or adware on your computer (at least not that I could detect) but they do a good job of ensuring you are virus free. Stay safe.

Need to know some intelligent answers for that homework assignment? Maybe you need a chemistry question or a biology question answered? Well why not ask an expert in the field to help you? And before you say "I don't know any" hop over to the Ask an Expert Sources site and have a look. You'll find that the sites on this page are links to experts in K-12 curricular related topics. And what's more, they are willing to help you as well. Have a look and give it a try.

And finally for the week a site that isn't so much strange as it is different. The C.A.S. Cloud Art site is a storehouse of beautiful photos of the sky over all of us, the clouds, the light, all of it. If you've ever though "Gee that's a beautiful sky" hop over here. Someone else may have also seen it, photographed it, and placed it here for your enjoyment. So, enjoy. *smile*

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. ;-)