Mac's Picks is a collection of family friendly interesting and useful sites, updated weekly. These sites are family friendly, and cover subjects dealing with a focus on the family as a whole, search, internet, internet radio, news, health, medical resources, household hints, education, educational resources, recipes, food, strange, different, help pages, homework, kids, diy, 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 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.

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My eldest grandson, now 5 years old, has a mild interest in making things to eat and watches his mom and "gamma" as they prepare food. I learned how to make a few things when I was his age, and though they may not have been all that nutritious it was the sense of accomplishment that I did them at all that was important. Thus, the Easy Recipes for Kids site will help kids find things that they can make themselves (I would suggest that someone watches the process of course) and thus start that adventure into food. Have a look and see if your younger folk might like to try these.

Thankfully, one of the things that the Internet has done is put people together from different cultures and walks of life. One Internet site, that shows how to do this and do it well, is the WOW Women Online Worldwide - The Online Community for Women site. Here women from all around the globe can meet and share ideas, thoughts, and needs. To me, anything that brings our planet's inhabitants closer together gets my vote.

If you are relatively new to the net you may not have really found out how to effectively find the things you look for online. One simple way of doing that is to hop over to the Web Search 101 - Learn to Search the Web site, written by Wendy Boswell, who is a real search guru. Follow the clear directions she gives and you'll find that your internet time is spent looking over the sites you want to see, not fruitlessly searching for them. To be frank, I suggest everyone have a look at Wendy's article. It's worth your time to do so.

Many folk have given up on Internet Explorer and gone to other browsers, namely FireFox and/or Netscape. However, there is a new player on the block which you may not know about, but that I have recently downloaded and installed, and I think it's particularly good. If you hop over to the Maxthon Browser you'll find a browser built on Internet Explorer, but which already has tabbed browsing capabilities, popup blockers, and a range of other goodies you might enjoy. As I am one of the minorities who like Internet Explorer (but who wish it were a more secure and easy to use product) and this one will fill the bill nicely until something really spectacular comes along. Will it be the next version of Internet Explorer? Could be, but I'm not holding my breath. If you are considering trying a new browser, try this one out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Many have now at least looked into VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) as a means of saving money on telephone charges, and though some of the big names have taken over the market, it doesn't mean that they are the only players worth looking at. For instance, if you have a look at the SightSpeed - Plans site you will find video and audio VOIP freeware which would suit most folk. Plus, if you wish to upgrade (at reasonable pricing I might add) you will have the capability of multi-conferencing which is also available at low rates worldwide. If you just want to save money and talk PC to PC, everything is free. Have a look and make up your own mind. I think these folk are on the right track.

What an exciting age we live in. Things that seemed like science fiction only a few short years ago now are a reality. For instance, if you have any interest in the Space program, and would like to see what they do up there, you can simply hop over to the NASA - NASA TV Landing Page, click on one of the methods you wish to watch it through, and watch it stream to your computer screen. Last week I watched the deployment of the solar panels on the International Space Station while they were doing it, and then had the privilege of listening to the astronauts answer questions about space from students around the globe. Now that is nothing short of fantastic. Have a look. You never know what will pop up next.

It's amazing how many folk I talk with online who say "I've always wanted to visit Australia" but who haven't. My advice? Don't delay. One never knows what tomorrow will bring. And, to find out a bit more about this "Great Arid Land" hop over to the Australian Museum Online - September 2006 Edition and you'll find some interesting exhibits to see, and the ability to sign up for this wonderful publication. As the old television presenter on the show called ©The Price Is Right used to say "Come On Down".

You've heard me go on and on about blogging, and hopefully you've started your own so that others can keep up with what is happening in your world. If it all still baffles you, have a look at the Define Blogging Lexicon site from Whatis.com. Here you'll also see a blog lexicon, a blog glossary, many different blogging terms, and much more, all explained in clear English. Have a look and join the blogging world now.

Most young folk are fascinated by bugs. However, knowing what to do with them or what their life cycle is like can present a challenge that not many of us would have any idea about. Thus, the FUN WITH BUGS site will show you information about bugs, where to find them, how the New South Wales state government is gathering data from folks just like you to determine the quality, or lack of it, from local water supplies, and even build your own imaginary bugs from bits and pieces of other bugs. You'll need the macromedia flash player to play the game but it's worth the download. Enjoy.

Women find it difficult at times to link up with other women and discuss things of concern to us all. The All for Women - Articles, Links, Forums and more website is another that will put women in touch with other women around the globe. Have a look. I'm sure you can find things of interest here.

I am amazed at how many math help sites seem to have sprung up on the net. Obviously somewhere there is a concerted effort for us all to learn math, which I feel is a good thing. If you feel math never was your thing, or that you're a little shaky on some of the math you took in school way back when, then hop over to the MAC^3 site and browse around. They state that their goal is to "create a mathematically literate society that ensures a workforce equipped to compete in a technologically advanced global economy". Now that makes sense to me, so why not have a look as well? Knowledge is always a good thing.

One of the things that has always interested me is the phenomenon of optical illusions. It amazes me what the brain can trick itself into believing. For some great examples, hop over to the Optical Illusion - Skytopia Dynamic optical illusions site where you will find pictures, 3D and animations of all kinds to play with. This is a great collection of images. Have a look and enjoy.

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. ;-)