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.

We all are, or should be, concerned about the environment and different ways of creating energy for us all to use. The Geothermal Energy Blog covers that subject rather well, and having lived in New Zealand for 30 years, where geothermal energy is being studied around the Taupo area and others, it is a method of energy creation that many nations should look at more closely. Have a look and keep up with the latest.

Most of us need a program to do some small task from time to time, and you would be surprised how many programs there are out there that cost nothing, but work very well indeed. Sites like the FreewareWeb - Your Source For The Best Freeware! site are invaluable when you have that single task that needs doing. I'd bookmark this site for future use.

You no doubt know that in some instances, you can learn as you are playing games. Apparently the folk at Google know that as well for they now have The Gwigle Game which is an education game to help you use Google. Now that has to be worth a look doesn't it? See what you think.

Most students around the world could use some help doing that dreaded homework. And happily, more and more cities are recognising this and doing something about it. For instance the city of Canterbury in New South Wales here in Australia has put up a site called the City of Canterbury - Homework Helpers site. Now that has to be good for their students. Your own young folk could benefit from the same. Pass it on to them.

Learning about animals from different places in the world not only is educational but also helps with conservation. Therefore the site called Kratts' Creatures is really a children's learning site about animals around the world. It may take a moment to load but it's an interesting site and worth taking your young folk to. Have a look.

Friday, the 16th of May in 2008 is known as Loud Shirt Day. It is there to help raise money to help to get deaf kids talking. Have a look at the Do it YOUR way on Loud Shirt Day and Help Get Deaf Kids Talking site and you'll see what I mean. Remember, Friday May 16 2008 is your day to wear that shirt aunt Nancy brought you from Hawaii. And you thought it was a silly gift indeed? *smiles* Join in the fun and help these kids to start talking.

There are many shopping sites online, and a few that offer one product per day, but only one that I know of geared primarily to the young women of the world. The site called Miss ZOE is just such a site. It has products geared to the young women and only one a day so you have to be in quick to snap up the bargains. Have a look and enjoy. .

Many years ago I found a site that allowed you to listen to two different police scanners while online. It was reasonably mundane but it did occasionally, for those who had the patience to sit and wait, have some interesting things that the police were involved in. That site has now grown out of all proportion. If you hop over to the Police scanner Internet and Radio Police Scanners site you can tune into police scanners, fire department scanners, and even a few ambulance scanners as well. Bored? Not any longer. And you thought "Cops" was exciting. *smiles*

Have you ever thought of putting up a site or contributing to a site that shows others how to do some particular task? You might find the wikiHow - The How-To Manual That Anyone Can Write or Edit site to be something of interest and of use to you in pursuing that endeavour. Have a look. It could be fun.

If you feel passionately about something you might want to include others in your passion or outrage or whatever is spurring you to take action. Thus the www.PetitionOnline.com - Free Online Petition Hosting site allows you to make your own petition online, for free, and invite the rest of the world to sign your petition as well. How wide a population base is that? Have a look and write that petition now.

Young folk look at wonder at the night sky. All those stars, planets, comets all whizzing around are fascinating things. The StarChild Space Travel site does a wonderful job of helping the young folk understand our solar system and our galaxy. Have a look and bring them along with you. If you entice their quest for knowledge now, they will hopefully keep that as a goal as they grow older. Have a look and see what you think.

I am one of those who love optical illusions. Surprisingly there are a number of sites online that specialise in those. For instance, the Optical Illusion - Optical Illusions Etc free, scary, word & picture optical illusions site has some strange ones but some interesting ones as well. Have a look and enjoy.

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. ;-)