Josh Budich's Star Wars Collection

Speaking of people who apparently have some free time on their hands, check out this guy -- who took his extensive (and admittedly impressive) collection of Star Wars action figures, photographed them all, and then created this interactive flash site that enables you not only to view each one individually in their original box -- but cross-reference them with a mouse click to see them listed by movie, year, series ..jeez.

Dude, I love the movies too -- but I'm not "in love" with them, you know?

Simpsons Movie References Index

Needed? I don't know -- But you've got to give the guy props for putting in the time. Plus it makes me want to watch a couple of these episodes, which probably isn't a bad thing either.

Forbidden Lego Projects

You've got to love the guys over at ThinkGeek.

One of this week's new products is a book that shows you how to build lego projects that are just flat out dangerous.

I think this is awesome, but nobody tell my seven-year-old.

Woven

Certainly more of a live experience than recorded, these guys bring the atmospherics, and have more effects pedals than you. For that matter, they probably have more pedals than The Edge.

Across the Universe

Oprah and I are on the same page here. As always, Julie Taymor brings the fantastic visuals. If this is playing in your neighborhood, go immediately.

Faces in Places

I thought I was the only one who still did this anymore.

Fun little photoblog where faces are found in ordinary things. Scrolling through it feels kinda like watching Sesame Street with the sound turned down.

TV Bigshot

Fantasy Football isn't for everyone.

But the concept behind it -- that whole "So you think you could do this better than the pros? OK, smartguy -- Prove it." theory is one that offers all sorts of cool possibilities.

Case in point -- TV Bigshot: a site that enables you to start your own fantasy television network. You get a virtual budget of $300 Million to help you buy and sell shows to broadcast, chosen from the roster of programs that are currently on TV right now (Uber-hyped reality fest Kid Nation will set you back $64M, while perpetual ratings giant American Idol costs a budget-crippling $170 M).

The goal here is to setup a programming lineup that delivers more ratings points than anyone else -- with the prize at the end being a very real $100 grand.

If you're into TV drama much more than you're into touchdowns, yardage, and kicks -- this might just be for you.

lolsecretz

Continuing today's theme of Internet fads crashing into each other -- someones taken the brilliance that is Post Secret and mashed it up Q-Unit style with those love 'em or hate 'em lolcats.

It's an idea that makes you chuckle to think about -- but then when you actually see it in practice you find that the irreverence of the grammatically challenged felines cannot create the proper escape velocity to outrun the somber tone of most Post Secret statements. If anything, putting a face (even if it is a cat's) on some of these statements actually makes them seem heavier than they were originally when they were just on postcards.

That being said, there's still one or two zingers in there that are worth a smile.

Enjoy!

The Walker Texas Ranger Button

The ever popular "Will it Blend?" series decides to take on something really tough -- Chuck Norris.

How do you think it will turn out?

Answer quick, before Chuck kicks you in the soul.

Founditemclothing.com

It probably makes me sound like a dork -- but when it comes to the kinds of movies that I have watched millions of time over again, I sometimes find myself focusing on things outside of the plots and dialogue.

I could take the high road and say that I love the art of cinema and am fascinated by the choices that production designers make to help create the stories that they're putting on the screen.

But the truth of the matter is that there have been many occasions where I'm watching The Big Lebowski where I thought to myself "That's a really cool t-shirt Jeff Bridges is wearing -- wonder if I could find one of those."

And, after many months of searching -- score.

But then as I'm looking around the rest of the site I discover that the goal of the company involved is to make and sell replicas of t-shirts and stuff worn in various movies over the years. And when I say make, I'm not lying. Apparently they have a staff watching these films studying fonts and color matching and everything -- with impressive results. (which is why I'm happy to give them a pass on the typo on the front page that refers to Rob Reiners seminal rockumentary as "This is Spinbal Tap.")

And While I can't personally say that I've really been pining for a chance to buy Stile's "What Are You Looking At Dicknose" shirt from Teen Wolf -- how cool is it that someone out there is taking the time and effort to make one for me just in case I change my mind.

Enjoy!

Lil' Rush

I'm an unabashed Rush fan (is there any other kind?). I'm pretty happy right now 'cause I scored a ticket for their last show this tour in Madison Square Garden without selling an organ. All hail Craig's list.

Anyway, Rush appreciates its fans, and they always play their biggest hit "Tom Sawyer" at live shows.

However, like any hit song, after several hundred times of playing the thing, it can get to be the same-old same-old. So a while back they started adding video intros to liven things up.

First the young girl from the Moving Pictures album was animated into a babe, who counted down the song. During the 30th anniversary tour, bobblehead figures of the band were headbanging on giant screens during the song.

Now, there's this.

Chocolate Pain

It's a little scary to see just how quickly the web is moving these days.

Case in point -- despite the fact that he's been doing his thing for a while on YouTube, it's only been recently that this guy went viral, and he's already made it to this stage.



Tune in next week when he's in a house on VH1 trying to find true love.

ps - not that he needs the pub, but Perez' take is priceless.

PARK(ing) Day

Turning public spaces into temporary parks.

Bryson, Fields, & Anderson

They're capabilized.

Internet People

Here at Highly Recommended Thing of the Moment, we do our best to point out things of all varieties that we think are worth pointing out. Sometimes it's music, sometimes it's gadgets, sometimes it's just funny or weird stuff we see out on the web. Of course as you well know in that last category, there's always plenty to choose from -- some good, some not so great.

Looking for examples? -- Here's basically all of them in 3 minutes.

"nestd egg dolls"

What is it about nesting dolls? Joey Polanski knows.

Worst. Movie. Ever.

Let's be crystal clear here. What we're recommending is avoiding this movie.

Says Hex:

This is the domestic re-release of an asian film called D-War, a film which my brother-in-law (currently living in Korea) -- whose tolerance for cheese is legendary (he's one of those people who loves truly great and rare things like Ralph Ellison, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller yet also has a high tolerance for things like the last album Metallica put out, movies starring the Rock, and the like).

This person, who can argue to the cows come home about the subtext of Frederick Douglass while listening to ACDC dubbed D-War THE WORST MOVIE HE'S EVER SEEN.

And I watched Wishmaster 1 and 2 with this guy.

You have been warned.

Everything Except Compromise

This is cool -- a message generator using one of my all-time favorite Dylan tunes --Subterranean Homesick Blues in the setting so many of us know it best from, D. A. Pennebaker's 1967 documentary Don't Look Back.

All you have to do to send a message is type in your text and let the system put it all together -- but before you do, take a look at what Bob's saying in the demo .. it might seem familiar.

Hey, at least it wasn't 'Soy Bomb'


Satorical sez: Here's how Maynard would have handled it.