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.

Occasionally you find something online that is simply amazing to see. First of all I found that Google has a video search facility now, and that it also lists the top 100 video clips that people have sent in. On there I found one titled Amazing Juggling Finale - Google Video which is a video of a fellow in the USA named Chris Bliss. Chris is/was a comedian doing standup comedy. As his career progressed he branched out into the art of juggling. All I can say is turn up your speakers and watch this amazing video. Personally I like to stop it playing and let it download first (by hitting the play arrow which should stop it - hit it again and it will start it). That way there are no hesitations in the performance when you watch it, and believe me, it's worth the wait. You'll also note the video links on top of the page. Google says of its video service "Google Video does not allow videos that include pornography or obscenity". That is true, but there are a few things in the list that one might not wish to share with the whole family. Still, this particular video is fantastic and is safe to be viewed by everyone. Enjoy.

If you're a frequent visitor to my little site, you'll have surmised that I run a Windows based PC, not a Mac. However I am very aware that there is a large Apple community out there who wouldn't swap for anything. Though I know I usually aim things at PC users, I thought that those Mac users among us should have a look at the Apple - Software site. It has all manner of programs to help you get the best from your Mac. This site is worth a bookmark if you're a Apple-Mac user.

I love good food. By good I mean not only things that are nutritionally on the wave length I wish to be on, but also taste good. I have found the Cooking Italian Food Recipes & Cookbooks site is a great place to find honest tasty recipes to try. I hope you feel the same.

Speaking of eating good food, you also know that I'm a fan of blogs. The co-authors of the What We're Eating - A Food & Recipe Blog recently sent me an email suggesting I have a look at their efforts, and I now pass it on to you to see your thoughts. It certainly is an interesting way to blog. In effect they have a two sided conversation about a subject that is dear to my heart (and I hope to yours). Have a look. I think this is a blog you should check regularly. Happy Eating.

One of the nice things about having broadband is that the radio stations online sound so much better, in that they don't get broken up by the necessity to "buffer" the music they are downloading. If you have a penchant for listening to online radio as I do, have a listen to SKY.fm - net radio to the power of sky . It doesn't just have jazz, it also has many other broadcasts as well. Turn up your speakers and have a listen.

One of the things that families try to do, or at least should try to do, is play together. Thus the FamilyFun FamilyFun.com's 2005 Video Game of the Year Winners' Page site might just steer you and your family in the direction of a lot of fun. Give it a try. You might enjoy it.

I'm a big fan of digital photography and own a lovely digital camera made by Panasonic. However, no matter how much of a camera buff you think you are, you'll find the Subscribe to Digital Photography School Digital Photography School site a wonderful resource on using the properties of your camera to best advantage, and they do it for free. Why not sign up for their newsletter. I have and yes, I'm still learning.

Many young folk who enter university (or high school for that matter) have research papers that they need to write. The problem was, at least in my generation, that we never were really taught HOW to study or how to write that assignment to pass in for grading. Luckily the folk at Princeton University have taken it under their wing, and the Writing Resources site will teach you how to put that assignment together so that you get the highest marks for your effort. Wish this had been around when I was that age.

It has often been said that an encyclopedia is out of date the day it's written. That may well be so, which is why I simply love the Wikipedia site. The name is really a combination of the term Wiki, which in Internet terms means something that is editable on a daily, or in this case, each minute basis, and encyclopedia, which is a repository of information on a wide range subjects. Have a look, and even join it. You might have some valuable information for the folk who visit this site.

If you are resident in the UK, or New Zealand, or even Australia you'll know all about the great comedy team from the UK called Monty Pythons Flying Circus. It was one of the first irreverent comedic teams and produced some of the finest comedy known at that time. Imagine the Python fans reaction when someone found The Sound of Young America Unearthed Monty Python Footage From 1975 and then published it online? Well, have a look and then you'll see what I mean. Just remember, some of their comments might be not suitable for all the family. Great stuff though and I still chuckle at the main characters.

How much spyware is on your system? One would think, none, and indeed if you download and run Spybot-Search and Destroy, plus AdAware, plus the Microsoft free anti-spyware program called Windows Defender, then you probably don't have much on your system. But, it doesn't hurt to know what programs they know are riddled with spyware as well. The SpywareInfo · Clean and Infected File Sharing Programs site points out in its lists, programs that you might download and install on your system that contain spyware. That way you can protect your system by not installing any of the baddies on this list, and removing any of them from your computer that you might find you have installed. Have a look. It's interesting stuff and you'll keep ahead of the game.

If you've ever heard me speak, either in University or in public gatherings, you'll know that math is a major part of computing, at least in the background. I love showing folk how much fun math can actually be, and the Fido Puzzle is a great math trick. Have a look then click on the little guy in the right corner and do what he says. You'll find its pure magic. Who says math isn't fun??? *chuckles*

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. ;-)