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 own one of the mp3 players you might just find that the Yahoo! Podcasts - Discover and enjoy all the best podcasts and vidcasts site is of use. It lists all kinds of them by category on the right side of the page, though I suggest this might be a page you want to keep for the adults in the family. Like all search facilities online, there are some things that don't get censored all that well here, but having said that, listening to a podcast is a lot more interesting than looking at the signs inside the subway or bus on the way to and from work. Enjoy.

Indeed, learning from things you can download and play on your iPod or other mp3 player is not a bad idea either. If you hop over to the LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video site you will find free audio books, lectures, and speeches on mp3 download and streaming video as well. This should be of interest to all, especially as it costs you nothing to use.

If you have ever wondered how to do a particular thing around your place, you might want to have a look at, and bookmark, the Household Hacker site. I don't specifically mean "fix the leaky faucet" but things like quickly chill drinks, or remove scratches from a DVD, or even how to download mp3s from MySpace. They state they want to "influence the human mind to seek out things that may have a practical value to mankind and society in general". That has to be good. Have a look.

As any good gardener will know, there is always something that needs to be done in the garden. Indeed, gardening guru Brenden Moar, here in Australia, shows you weekly things that could help you change the way yours looks as well. Have a look at the The LifeStyle Channel Moar Gardening site and you'll get the idea. Nice guy, and a good sensible show as well.

If you're in the northern hemisphere it's summer time and thus time for those barbeques we all enjoy. Why not also ensure that those who attend your next BBQ also drive home safely? You can help by hoping over to the Non-Alcoholic Recipes at Bar None site and making sure that your guests have something good to take that summer thirst away without it impairing their driving ability? Good idea? I think so. Be innovative and help keep our roads and your friends and family safe as well.

And speaking of summer, the Summer Safety site will take you through a PowerPoint presentation you simply click on to learn or be reminded of things you need to be careful of. This is worth the couple of minutes it will take to do so please, gather the family around and all watch, and then discuss, this presentation. Stay safe out there.

If you've ever had a number of files, or simply a large file to send to a friend or colleague, attaching it to their email may not be the best option for getting it to them, especially if they have a rather slow connection to the net. Thus sites like DropBoks - Free online file storage. (Secure online storage for files.) which offer free online storage of up to 1GB in size is a great idea to get it to them. They simply go there and download the file(s) you want them to have by following a link you send them. Now that's helpful. I'd bookmark this one.

Our oldest grandson (aged 6) is learning to read and thus he, and others (possibly adults learning English as a second language) might benefit from a look at the Reading Practice site. It seems to have stories to read with words marked with xx1xx or xx2xx which corresponds to a list on the right side of the page, and that has you choose the correct word to use in that sentence. The idea is that you learn to read but you also learn the right words to use as well. Interesting site. Have a look.

After doing some homework and other chores, the young folk deserve a chance to kick back and relax a bit, and a site like the Paw Island Entertainment, Inc. Responsible Entertainment for Kids not only is a fun site, but it turns their natural love of animals into a love of mankind as well. Sounds like a good idea to me. How about your young folk going with you to view this one?

One of the things that scares most males to death is the thought that they have to try and do at least as good a job if not a better one than their family did, at the task of FATHERING. There are no instruction manuals here (nor of course for mothers either) but the ability of at least looking at questions all fathers will need to ask themselves (as they WILL face these questions at some point) is of paramount importance. If you are about to become a father, or, are one, no matter what age you are, this site can help you answer some pretty tricky questions in your own situation. Have a look.

There are some sites that simply need a faster connection to the net to work properly, and the Free Movies - Free Movie Downloads site is one of those as you'll quickly become addicted to downloading some old favourites here. And the nice thing about it all is that it's all free and legal as well. Happy watching.

All of us need a good laugh and a chuckle at times to brighten our day. Thus sites like the Funny Family Friendly Jokes Hilarious - Associated Content site is a good one to have handy. I usually just read one a day rather than try to read it all at once (and forget most of it in the process). Have a look and pass on the good jokes in conversation (not by forwarding them to 4000 of your closest friends). 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. ;-)