Hello and welcome to Mac's Picks of the Week. If you are interested in why this site exists, how it operates, and a little about Mac, then click on the Why and How Info link and see what is there. When you have finished please return to this Home page and see what sites I have chosen this week to receive a Mac's Picks of the Week award. Thank you for visiting and please share this site with friends, family, and colleagues who you feel will enjoy it.

This page is updated on a weekly basis, each Monday Australian (Queensland) time (GMT + 10 hours according to the world clock). Please come back and visit often.

If you are a frequent visitor you will know that my family and I live in Australia. You may also be aware that the continent of Australia is facing the worst drought it has seen in many a year. One Australian government weather site states that "Decreases (in rainfall) since 1950, intensifying since 1970, have occurred in all the eastern states, South Australia and much of the Northern Territory." This means that we are in dire straits and we now even have a National Rain Day - What Is National Rain Day which shows we're willing to try anything to get rain. Who knows? Maybe this will work. Nothing else has so far.

If you haven't started your own blog yet, what's stopping you? Why not have a look at the website called Vox which in effect is a new blogging tool that is really picking up and making it easier to blog as well. Have a look and let us know your thoughts.

One of the things one can do around the home to save a little money and time is occasionally do some of your own Car Maintenance. No you don't have to be a mechanic to do these things, indeed some of them can be done with no real effort at all, but they sure will help keep that beast, ahem, car running smoothly. Have a look. This might save you money as well.

And speaking of things around the home, the Household Cleaning Tip DIY Network site is something all of us should visit regularly. Most of us have something around the home that needs cleaning. This site shows you how. Enjoy.

Friends and I joke about my love of coffee. I say that I need it to kick-start my heart each day. Indeed, the INeedCoffee - Recipes website might even help to make it an even more delicious way of having my favourite beverage. Starbucks, you may have competition. *smile*.

When I was in school (well, ok, in "cave" when I was that age - lol) one of the most difficult subjects I had was math. Fortunately my oldest daughter didn't take after her father and has always enjoyed the subject. Anyway, if you find it difficult, or a young member of your household does, show them the AAA Math site as it contains a varied and interesting mix of things to help you learn this subject. Slide Rule? What's that Grandpa? lol

If you have something that you are passionate about, possibly a charity or worthy cause you know of, have a look at what ActNow - Home might be able to do to help you get the word out to others. Very interesting site and well worth a look.

Along similar lines, if you could change things in the world to make it a better place, what would they be? Indeed, how would you go about trying to implement that change? The site called Change.org asks what you would like to change and then tries to find ways to help you do just that. Have a look. It might help you in your quest for justice.

When our young folk go online there is always that nagging doubt that they might not be safe and might stumble into areas of the net best not visited, especially by children. Thus, the Internet Safety Australia NETALERT. Child protection online. Free programs, education, advice site goes a long way toward protecting Australian children and indeed, children around the world. If you have young Internetters in your midst, have a look and see what tools might help you and yours as well.

I am proud to say that the Australian Government has just started implementing the Do Not Call Register for all Australians to use. This is a site where you enter the Australian telephone numbers you control (including mobile phone numbers), and once done, telemarketers are informed that if they call you to sell you something, they can be prosecuted and fined big money for their indiscretion. Have a look, and if you're in Australia, join this list today. This is the first legitimate list I've ever seen, and I've just joined it myself.

Who looks over your shoulder while you're online? Not that there is any reason you wouldn't want people knowing what you do online, but at least you are the one who should grant such permission, no? I think so, and thus have been fighting spyware planted on my machine for years in many ways. Now you can get help for free by downloading, installing, and running the free X-RayPc Spyware Remover. Let's face it, sending that same information to advertisers so that they can aim ads at us without our permission is not quite cricket. So have a look at using this free software. It might be just what you need.

And finally for this week, you would agree that many folk collect some interesting and possibly even silly items over time. But how many do you know who collect what the folk on the grocerylists.org The Grocery List Collection (+ shopping blog, free books, downloadable grocery lists} site? Yup, they collect grocery lists, as well as those ticker tapes that show what you bought. They have indeed written a book titled by one of the lists they found. It's pretty sad, but go and have a look for yourself. I hope your list is much more health oriented.

Rebecca Game of "Digital Women - Women with their modems running...", is my web designer and a graphic designer who is superb to say the least. 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. ;-)