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 Tuesday evening Australian (Queensland) time (GMT + 9 hours according to the world clock). Please come back and visit us 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, like me, get spam in your email (unsolicited commercial email) then have a look at the Spam Fighter page on the right side of this page. I finally updated this information resource with some hopefully useful links for you to use in fighting this Internet intrusion. Have a look and join the fight to free your inbox from junk email.

You will note a new page listed on the right side of my site this week, titled Religions of the World. I firmly believe that religion should be a unifying force in our world, not a force that causes separation of the diverse peoples of our planet. This page simply lists sites that will explain to you what the various world encircling religions stand for. Having studied most at one time or another, I have never found ONE that imposes enmity, hatred, intolerance, or destruction on the creatures of this planet. Mankind may, but religion should not. I commend it to your reading and investigation of the various beliefs that surround us all.

Gardening is something that allows many to simply get to know to manage their immediate world. To others it is a past time that involves meditation with nature and one's surroundings. The Zen Gardens site is certainly interesting in that it brings us closer to understanding the latter type of gardener's and their passion for being more closely aligned with nature. Have a look. It might be a way for you to relax as well.

One of the foods that I really like is Italian Piizza. I must admit to being more a traditionalist however, but I do recognise that there are many ways to make this wonderful treat. I also thought I knew a fair amount about making it, or the types of pizza there were. That was until I found the Slice site. Yes, they are a commercial company that started in New York but the information that they share about pizza will amaze even the most ardent fan. Have a look and fire up that wood oven.

You'll know that I'm a fan of blogs, and that I keep aluding to the fact that there is a blog on almost every subject there is. Well, the LibraryLaw Blog is a blog dealing with issues concerning libraries and the law. That doesn't necessarily mean law libraries, but rather library commitments to the rule of law. Interesting read and I must admit, a subject I wouldn't have thought of. Have you started your blog yet?

There are issues concerning our planet and the way we manage it (or don't) that the folk at National Geographic feel should be brought to the attention of the younger members of our society. Take your younger family members to the National Geographic Kids News Top Stories site. It will encourage them to look after this fragile little green orb we live on, hopefully better than we collectively do. I know I want my grandson to see this and maybe become more "planet aware" than his PomPom ever was. And, maybe if he, and your children and/or grandchildren do, this place might survive after all.

Along that same line is the site called UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre which also deals with monitoring the resources of our little green planet and how they are used and unfortunately, abused as well. Have a look and, by being informed, join in keeping our little home the way we want it.

I've had a really strange thing happen with my computer during the last week and at first thought I might have a virus. I ran both the Norton Anti-Virus software and the AVG Anti-Virus software just to make sure, and no, it appears there may be a physical fault that needs to be looked at. I then wondered if you had a good knowledge about what a computer virus is, how it gets there, what it can do, etc. and thought that if I brought your attention to the Virus Tutorial site you might just get the information you should have. Folk, it is really a problem on the net, and one that you must adequately protect yourself from. If you don't you run the risk of losing all of your computer data, and the data of family and friend's as well. Please do have a read of this site. It's worth the time.

You'll also have heard people talk about spyware, and suggesting the various means of protecting your system against it. The PCWorld.com - Striking Back at Spyware site shows a lot of good info about this fight and it's about time legislators and governments around the world got busy fighting against those who use this type of system to spy on what we, the internet community, do on the net. I say it's about time someone took a stand against spyware and the perpetrators of this sneaky underhanded method of gathering information on your surfing habits and I applaud PCWorld for taking a stand. Someone has to.

I love finding innovative sites online. One I recently became aware of is the NowLoading.com Reloaded site which is a site much like mine, but which has a daily pick for you to see. Nice site and well worth a look.

I grew up in an era when the Panama Canal was new and exciting news. This canal made travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans much safer and much more enjoyable, as well as being faster. One of the things that has recently come to light is a site which has Live Cameras - PanCanal.com on its pages. Now, looking at a canal may not be your cup of tea, but if you are studying wonders of the world, this is one you should see, particularly as it is entirely man-made. Fast? Exciting? Not really, but interesting? At times, yes.

I have a friend in the US who recently wrote a book dealing with a subject that is difficult for some to understand, and yet for others is a natural part of the human existence. It also points to one of the reasons for unrest in much of the planet, but this particular book inspires you to look beyond stereotypes and simply understand that love has no boundaries, nor should it. The book is called Marriage Beyond Black & White Home Page and deals with the subject of interracial marriage. IT is the story of the authors parents. It is a book that shows the natural laws of nature but also points out the difficulties that society puts on those who live with racial bias. Yes, this time I broke my own rule about commercial sites, but I also think the subject, and this book in particular, is something everyone should see and read. Have a look and make up your own mind.

Last week saw a ferocious storm pass over part of the lower east coast of North America, very very close to dear friends of mine who live there. I thus thought it would be a good idea to put up a site (for bookmark purposes) that might help those who live in that area of the world keep an eye on such phenomenon in future. The National Hurricane Center - Tropical Prediction Center site seems to do that with about as accurate information as you will find. I suggest bookmarking this one for possible future use.

I do love finding silly things, or things that I chuckle about. I know everyone is entitled to their own taste and to whatever hobby they may find interesting, but I did chuckle at The Traffic Cone Preservation Society website. Almost brings back the scene from the old film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" where Richard Dryfus built a mashed potato table-top mountain. Like I said, every to their own taste. Who knows? This could be the latest craze. :-)

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. ;-)