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.

A Life With Jazz

Exceptionally cool -- a collection of photos taken by Herman Leonard, a photographer who's work appeared on more than 200 album covers. From portraits to candids, these exceptional images take you into the world of some of the most iconic artists in Jazz history.

Enjoy!

The Virgin Dog

The Virgin Dog is a studio project by the proposterously talented and prolific Ian Roure and Ross Bonnadonna.

Full album online, gratis.

Self-shifting digital paintings

Something about this struck me as extremely nifty... when artist San Base began morphing his older paintings to save on art supplies (after the economic collapse in Russia), he liked the effect. Realizing that a digital medium was most suited for this idea, he designed an algorithm that would automatically morph his paintings over time. The result is another case of apparent "choices" made by a computer (which in reality just illustrates how much like programmable logic our own brain operates), and some really nifty images.

The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks

The quotation mark. Punctuation so nice you get to use it twice.

..Too bad no one seems to know what the hell it's for.

Yet Another Sign of the Apocalypse

Crocs are evil. Uggs are evil. The only thing that could possibly be worse?

Cruggs.

Such As and What Not, Et Cetera Et Cetera

You know, there was a time when being a vapid, clueless beauty queen was okay. There was even a time when it was okay to ramble when you were asked a question that caught you off-guard, hoping you were able to make some sense of it. Seriously, these kinds of things are expected, and though they aren't shining moments in beauty pageants, they happen, we get it, we'll move on.

Then along comes the Internet, where context is the most valuable commodity. There's part of me that feels really bad for Miss Teen South Carolina... but on the other hand, this is hilarious.



Special programming note: Check out the look of horrified amusement on the face of Mario Lopez. Yes sweetie, Mario Lopez feels sorry for YOU.

The World Clock

I don't think this interesting little app is meant to be such a downer, but the numbers presented do seem kinda staggering. And that was all before I clicked on the button showing what was happening right now -- and then watched the tolls rack up right before my eyes.

Still fascinating -- just a little dark, you know?

Awful Tattoos

At the bottom of each page in this blog-housed photo collection are navigation controls that enable you to delve deeper and deeper into what can only be described as a house of tattoo horrors.

From the gaudy and garish to the out and out inexplicable, the dark side of the body art boom is on display for all to see. I could drink up all of our sites bandwidth re-posting the ones that made me laugh the most, but I think this particular one sums it all up in one colorful, patriotic, intergalactic, family-values inspired shot.

Moan My IP.com

This woman knows what your external IP address, and she reads it back to you in a totally convincing way.

Not really unsafe for work per se, but you might do yourself a favor and turn your speakers down before your boss has the chance to find out just how sexy funny the word "dot" can be.

Rocco DeLuca & The Burden

Right now you're asking yourself "Rocco DeLuca... where do I know that name from?"

The answer is that 24 star and music fan Keifer Sutherland made a documentary about the group called I Trust You To Kill Me that was released about the same time as the album of the same name (which was released on a record label Sutherland co-owns with Jude Cole) - additionally, Sutherland spend a little while acting as the band's tour manager (he was apparently so bad at it they fired him) - providing the band with a lot of initial publicity and buzz when they first hit the scene.

It would be easy to dismiss a band with this kind of history as just some vanity project for an actor who wanted to be a rock star for a while, but that would be a terrible mistake -- especially if you haven't had a chance to see these guys live.

From soulful to delicate, controlled to chaotic -- DeLuca and the Burden's live set is dynamic, powerful, and guaranteed to open your eyes about the possibilities of slide-guitar when taken beyond the blues.

Enjoy!

Jurassic Park IV, Worse than Rocky Balboa.

In Jurassic Park IV, the dinosaurs will have guns.

That noise you just heard was Michael Crichton, executing the first ever combination scream-in-abject-horror and retch-in-total-disgust.

This or That?

Pretty much what it says. Given two choices, can you pick the right one?

Aside from some racy language and a few mental images I'd rather not have pondered, it's a great little time waster.

Enjoy!

120 Minutes

This one's pretty cool -- a blog featuring a huge volume of YouTube videos of songs once played on MTV's 120 Minutes during it's original run from 1986 to 2000.

All that's missing is Dave Kendall.

Los Disneys

Video game about a possible future in which Disney has purchased Florida and rigged the surrounding waters with defensive nukes. You are a commando sent to save the world from the Mouse. Free download.

Bonus points if you wear your felt and plastic Mickey ears while playing.

"M-I-C..."
"See you real soon, motherf..."

What if Business Meetings Were Like the Web?

ps - I can only imagine what the first comment on this will be..

NSFW Sunday -- Or is It?

In this video, all of the following things happen:

* Porn star Jenna Jameson does Chewbacca.
* Or actually tries to and discovers that she can't handle it.
* The other girl giggles and suggests that Jenna open her mouth wider.

..Totally safe for work.

Best. Craigslist. Post. Ever.

That's right ladies.. he's single.

Phil Hansen and his Gallery of Wonders!

There's a lot I could say about how neat Phil's artwork is, but here's a video of him creating a portrait of Bruce Lee by dipping his hands in paint and karate-chopping the canvas.

KARATE CHOPPING THE CANVAS!

The Hillary Clinton Nutcracker

As election season continues to pre-heat in the blogosphere, things like this will continue to pop up (I'm envisioning a Barack Obama dustbuster, a Rudi Guliani cereal bowl caddy, et. al) but considering who we're dealing with here isn't this a bit overdue?

If nothing else, three cheers for session musicians, eh?

Code of #$(@)!! Conduct

I can't help but think that this would be a standard if Hex owned a movie theatre (NSFW - language).

Also, it seemed appropriate, since the last post was post number 666! Hooray for arguably notable counter culture evil milestones!

How Do You Like Them Apples?

It's not a cookie, it's a math joke.

Lets Go Surfin' Now, Ev'rybody's Learnin' How

The heat outside lately is BRUTAL. We should all go out to the pool and cool off (as long as the crowds aren't too bad).

..Nevermind.

Theoreticians Working for YOU

Ever wonder why there are so many dickwads on the Internet? Well,

Great New Imaging Software, Minus the Newness

In my line of work, it's really important to control every aspect of a design from start to finish.

Finally, I've always had the answer.

Demographic Shifts

My good friend Alexis said that the second band was her definition of Hell, yet the audience of NYU kids were dancing their asses off to it all.

Still, IMO, bad for us.

Or, as Matt Groening put it 25 years ago,

Q: Is today's music as lame as it sounds?

A: Yes.

PartiallyClips - The Cliche Monster

Not sure whether the boys over at PClips are referring to our Monster or not, but it's just too singular a reference to pass up.

Mad love to Bill for the link.

Etchy.org

To be honest, I've never really been much good at this, even in the real world version. I know there are people out there who can draw any and everything on these and do really fancy things, but I'm lucky if I can create boxy versions of dirty words on it.

Still, lots of fun to mess around with.

Enjoy!

Instrument Fetishism

I've never known a musician who didn't enjoy just looking at instruments, talking about them, and the like. It's like sports talk, but as a means to expressing passion--or at least getting the nervous tics out.

Personally, I can't play shit, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the amount of love that went into making these beauties. Some of them aren't so sightly, but none lacked for effort.

Know of better galleries? Post 'em in Comments.

Bore Worms for Sale

While looking for information to help me drive home a point about a recent story I was working on, I came across this handy-dandy advertisement.

To be honest, as many times as I've watched Flash Gordon I'd never really thought about how much a Bore Worm might cost. I guess I just assumed they were homegrown in a fishbowl like those earworm things from The Wrath of Khan.

Still, even if $199 per worm is a good deal -- if you're in the business of getting confessions your primary concern should be quality. Which is why the folks over at boreworms.com have been gracious enough provide this list of features that you might find helpful in making your bore worm purchase decision:

Really hurts

No unsightly scarring

Single Bore Worm for as little as $199

Ten Bore Worms $999

Rental terms available

The celebrity endorsement from Klytus is a nice touch too.

Enjoy!

The Day Clock

It's a clock -- except that it dispenses with all the annoying intricacies of things like what time it is in favor of simply letting you know what day you're currently awake during.

I know the website says this is the perfect gift for retirees or kids or whatever, but what I truly love the most about this advertisement is the unwritten sentiment that says "do you drink a lot, or know someone who does?"

The NSFW Sunday True Hollywood Story

Tinseltown's a tough place. One minute you're the star of one of the biggest movies of the 1980's -- selling millions at the box office, making superstars out of your supporting cast, and spawning a franchise that raked in fans again, again and again.

But fame only lasts so long, doesn't it?

What do you do when your agent stops calling? What do you do when you've become a cliche, and even the people who's careers you've helped create have moved on to other, supposedly more legitimate careers (like politics)?

There are lots of choices you could make -- some better than others.

..Or at least that the lesson one of Hollywood's former greats learned the hard way when times got tough and he needed to make some quick cash.

Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be Skynet.

The Internet is a Creepy, Creepy Place

Move your mouse, it makes him happy.Do it now -- before he eats us all.

The Friday Smile: Slackin Edition

You can always tell when things get busy in our lives by the amount of posts that show up in a given week here at HRToTM. Family, Jobs, Ungodly hot weather everywhere you turn, the reasons are all around, and sometimes it just gets to be too much.

But that still doesn't mean there's nothing at all to look at. So check out the week that was:

First off, we featured two flash games based off the lesser known Snow White dwarfs Slappy and Poopy

Staying in the enchanted forest, we got baked with the Muff Mob

Here's the worst timed post of all time -- a new blanket (which is just what everyone needs in a heat wave)

Followed by instructions for floating, courtesy of the Monster

We mourned the passing of a supermarket favorite

Gave the dog a bone

And then found out about something that would have made a perfect article for that magazine -- the Ivy-league posture photo scandal.

Hopefully next week we'll get back on track, but until then -- thanks for continuing to check in and see what we have to offer.

The Great Ivy League Nude Posture Photo Scrapbook

Yes, the article was originally printed in 1995.


No, there aren't any pictures.



Yes, it's extremely interesting anyway, if you like antiquated ivy-league rituals, pseudoscience, and creepy Nazi-style mad scientists, that is.

The Michael Vick Chew Toy

It's not as funny as it would be if dogs were actually allowed to chew and maul Mike himself, but until they lock him up and throw away the key -- I have no problem piling on.

Moment of Silence

A moment of silence, please. The Weekly World News is folding.

For years, Hex wanted to write for this fine, fine publication. I remember when my tabloid-addicted mom finally stopped buying it, for not being up to her celebrity gossip standards. Meanwhile, it got weirder and weirder.

Click the link for the full history and some great laughs. Here's a snippet:

"One day -- Lind swears this is true -- Eddie Clontz got a call from an irate FBI agent complaining that the bureau's switchboard was swamped with calls demanding that they free Bat Boy."

That's Levitation, Holmes

The article at Breitbart talks about a possible scientific basis for the phenomenon of levitation. That's pretty impressive, but since it contradicts certain other theories, we'll see how it holds up in the court of public superstition, er, opinion.

The Slanket

It's a blanket with sleeves. Or perhaps it's a shirt without buttons. Or maybe it's a really, really fluffy hospital gown. Or maybe it's more like a backwards jacket. Basically it's a huge bib.

The real key here is that you don't have lose precious warmth while checking your MySpace page for memes to forward to everyone.

All kidding aside, it does look comfortable - but
geez, cut the laptop extension umbilical cord much?

Someones in the Kitchen with NSFW Sunday

C'mon girls -- Lets BAKE!

Just Imagine What the Wii Versions are Like

I'm having a dilemma, and I'm hoping you can help me out --

Which game is the most fucked up?

This one (takes a little getting used to -- it's best to read the instructions first)?

- or -

This one?

The Friday Smile: Extreme(ly painful) Sports Edition

Hey again gang, it's Friday again -- time to shake off those Bobby Brooks and do what you please.

Especially if what you please involves checking out the week that was here at HRTotM!

But instead of flipping a coin to start regulation time with a kickoff and some tackling, lets shake things up a little bit and shred like those kids who are all jacked up on Mountain Dew and self-importance.

How about crankin' a bitchin' snowboard body shot off Mrs. Garrett? --Not your thing? Well how about sky surfing with NASA's finest, um.. Right Stuff.

Not into that either, eh? Hmmmm..

Fine, tell you what -- send me an email and let me know what your tastes are. But be specific, don't fake the funk on this assignment, less you end up cursed with some kind of antique sporting event that makes you feel like you're stuck back in the days of black and white film.

Take a risk, get in a little trouble -- get rid of that bat and ball, strap on some skates and then sprint all the way to the finish line so you can taste all the glory for yourself.

Just as long as you don't do this, you should be ok:

Wikipedia Knows Too Much

For the record, I loves the wiki. It's one of my main go-to web resources for information about things. At the same time I occasionally find myself a little befuddled by just how expansive it has gotten.

I mean, it is nice to have somewhere to go that knows just about anything you ask it -- but do we really need an encylopedia that has an entire division dedicated to this?

Soda Selling Saaviness

As the eternal cycle goes, what was once really innovative is starting to become normal and expected. It's why every ad agency in the book is cooking up some sort of viral campaign, in the hopes that you'll be so enthralled with the gritty cleverness that you'll adopt the exclusive use of their product due to a sense of shrewd loyalty.

All of that said, the newest online campaign by Pepsi's UK group has a lot going for it. I'd say that it's more than the sum of its parts, but when you add an internet prank to some really killer variable video technology AND a super hot girl, the sum of your parts is actually pretty nifty.

Awesome slash Horrible slash Awesome again

National Archives Films

It's not that any one of these films is so great (check the bizarro experimental symphonic soundtrack under this one), but more that the films in the National Archives are being made available for people who can't get to Washington, D.C.

Old Spider-Man

Can he swing from a thread?
..No.



If nothing else, this clip serves as proof of web animation law #5:

"If you sense the joke wearing thin, go for the chipmunk voice."

King Midas in Tantalizing Fruit Flavors

Skittles commercials rule. Haters can meet me outside.

Spot the Knockoff

Can you look at two products reportedly made by high priced designer brands and pick out which one is the fake? Probably more a useful skill to have in cities where street vendor traffic is more prevalent, but still an interesting little quiz to take.

For the record, I failed miserably -- but to be fair, I only gave it a minute of my time (or at least that's what it said on the dial of my Folex).

How Does Gmail Work?

Great little project where you have the chance to submit videos that help explain how an email message travels around the world. All it takes is a video camera, the Gmail M-velope (available to download and print), and some creativity.

Further proof that while Google will one day own all our souls, they'll do their best to make us smile along the way.

Twinkle Twinkle Little What?

In space, no one can hear you reading the newspaper.

Another NSFW Sunday

While there continues to be plenty of stuff on the web that's not appropriate for the workplace, this week was surprisingly shy of things that weren't just out and out pr0n (not that there's anything wrong with that).

I feel a little like John Lovitz in that old SNL sketch here, but there's NSFW and then there's NSFW -- and as overqualified as I might be for the position, it ain't my job to find your naughty pictures for you.

At the same time, what would your sunday morning be without a little hanky panky, eh? So without any further ado -- here's a couple of goodies for you to check out now that you're on the fun side of the firewall.

On my planet, this courtesy announcemnt would play before every movie.

On a lot of people's planets, Sex in the City would have never gone away (regardless of the consequences)

Now get out there and enjoy the rest of your weekend -- but make sure you clean up before you go, lest you catch some sort of disease, you pervs.

The Friday Smile: One Flew Over the Monster's Nest edition

Hi Satorical & Hex!

I thought you'd like a quick update on the treatment of my Shuffle addiction. I'm sorry that all I could do was email, my therapist found out I had ShuffleMobile on my phone, and they took it away. Otherwise, things aren't too bad here at the institution... though the food isn't very exciting, and they never show any good movies in the common room.

Still, I barely think about Shuffle anymore. I've been reading some great real-crime novels and they've even suggested other educational games to fill the void.

Plus, I've had time to work on all of those projects I've been talking about. I've finished my line of dog costumes, recorded a few songs, and nearly completed a screenplay that will be a real tear-jerker, if we can cast the right star.

The medicine is helping, too... last night I didn't dream about little marbles at all (instead, I was a limo driver in San Francisco. What a nightmare!). I'm sure I'll get plenty of good rest now, as long as that cat doesn't come around.

So overall I'm doing really well. Unless they shuffle things around, I should be able to shuffle out of here in a shuffle of weeks. And who knows? Maybe I'll be able to shuffle this energy into a new talent.



Shuffly Yours,

Monster

Chocolate Rain by Tay Zonday

Raise your neighborhood insurance rates.

I'm in Your Nursing Home, Killing Your Old People

Keep this cat the hell away from me.

Worst Prom Night Ever

I don't know if kids these days see things the same way, but when I was younger the one thing that I believed would mark my arrival as a "rich person" would be to have the luxury to ride around in a limousine. I'm not sure why this took precedence over things like ..say, having tons of money or whathaveyou -- but the mystique of the limo is something that I still secretly keep in the back of my mind.

These days limos seem more of a rental thing for everyone. With story after story of millionare Hollywood starlets and pro atheletes who are getting busted for speeding, DUI, or getting in crashes I guess the idea of having someone drive you around in your huge stretch caddy is something that's past it's prime.

Still, it's hard not to get a little chuckle out of these photos of what happens when you rent a limo to drive you around the impossibly hilly landscapes of San Francisco.

Statetris

Just what it sounds like -- 48 game pieces and a familiar-looking gameboard. It's not quite as easy as it looks, as things have to be placed exactly right on the board to get points, which means even if you know where Michigan goes, you might have to try a few times to put it there.

Use the early levels to get used to the controls and gameplay, because the advanced ones get to be a mindbender.

Still, if this had been the format of my Geography tests back in the day, I bet I would have done a lot better.

Enjoy!

Thinking of the Future

Should the current scandal surrounding Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick cost him his future as an NFL player, there's no need to worry.

According to the guys over at Shoutfan, he can just fall back on his um ..acting career.


(man, check out that ace Photoshop job. Nice neck, Mike).

Not Recommended: Selling Pot to Third Graders

But don't take my word for it... ask the Ninja Turtles!

6 Movie Formulas That Must Be Stopped

Shuffle

Great little point-and-click flash game. Easy to play, hard to stop playing despite the real need to get other things done during the workday.

You have been warned.

Real News or Scooby Doo Plot?

Great quiz from Mentalfloss that offers readers 10 scenarios that are either real news stories or mysteries that were solved by Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby Doo.

Trickier than it might originally seem -- and a perfect time-waster for cartoon jinkies er, junkies like me.

Enjoy!

I Knew It!

Ever wonder why Darth Vader's breath sounds so laboured and loud?

NSFW Sunday

You're not at work, no one's watching, it's time to get dirty!

Well actually it's more like there are a couple things I've come across recently that are worth a peek, but probably aren't the sort of thing you should probably watch over and over at work (even though you'll probably do it anyways).

Read a Book

Superjail

The iPhone is a piece of s#@t, and so is your face

Pot Noodle - The Slag of All Snacks

Of course the easiest way to post a list of NSFW sites would just be to say "The Internet" - but you already knew that, didn't you ;)

Enjoy!

The Friday Smile -- Hot Hot Hot Edition

Consider for a moment the plight of Buster Poindexter. The late 80's "everybody mambo" incarnation of former New York Dolls frontman David Johansen.

It's the mid-1980's. Madonna is everywhere, David Bowie is making millions off songs like "Let's Dance" and "Modern Love." Re-invention is the order of the day, and David Johansen wanted in.

And so after what surely were many late night sessions of crumpled paper, cigarettes, and half-finished coffee an idea was born -- What if I was like a big-haired lounge lizard guy who's always ready to party?

And so for the next few years Buster assaulted us with pseudo-mambo smart bombs aimed directly at that part of our souls whose emptiness could only be filled by a raspy voiced maitre'd who always seemed to have a martini in his hands.

Then this guy showed up.

There you are hanging out in your apartment, shaping your big hair and getting ready to put on the tux when all of the sudden a dog with a beer comes on TV and drains away every remaining seconds of your 15 minutes just like that.

Don't let this happen to you.

Don't rest on your laurels to the point where you don't see the new guy coming to knock you off the block -- get out there and stay on top of things!

For example, did you know that this week at Highly Recommended we:

Discovered the secret to fear

Laughed at Cary Elwes' inconceivable weight gain

Gave ourselves jaundice

Checked out six-degrees of Dylan separation

Played one note

Drank a lot and then complained about a dog

Watched animation

Voted for Ralph

Had a beer

Created a budgetary goal for our ass pennies

That's a pretty good list. Certainly worthy of celebration.

Somebody fire up the mambo band, I feel a song comin on!!!!

But before I go let me leave you with this -- a VERY SPECIAL Friday smile, because right here, right now I'm going to give you the link to

THE HOTTEST SITE ON THE INTERNET

Have a great weekend -- see you soon!

Finally

Long, long overdue -- The State is coming to DVD!!

Works Every Time

Have a great weekend, you scoundrels you.

Best. Simpsons Character. Ever?

As part of the continued relentless cross-promotional campaign to help promote the upcoming release of The Simpsons Movie, The Chicago Tribune has been running a bracket-style tournament (a-la Band Madness) to try to find out who everyone's favorite Simpsons character might be.

Voting has been going on for a while, and and the field has been narrowed down to the final eight. Most of the names listed are the ones you'd expect, but among the possible surprises so far is the fact that with the elimination of Lisa and Marge, there are no more women in the running --

but perhaps most bizarre of all, Ralph Wiggum is kicking butt and taking names.

Comments (if any) should be phrased as Simpsons quotes.

Folks at Pixar: Still Weird, Still Bored

Oh, and still talented.

Lifted
Uploaded by tycovka

Peanuts, by Charles Bukowski

Sounds like a C sharp

The White Stripes have been playing a series of "secret shows" across North America. Here's a video of the show to celebrate their presence in Canada:



Listen at the end for the crowd chanting, "One more note! One more note!"

I'm Not There

What you are about to watch is a clip from a biopic of Bob Dylan. I've been pretty vocal about how it doesn't take much to make a good film about an interesting person (a la Ray, Walk the Line, Hurricane, The Queen, etc)... but "I'm Not There" looks like it's trying to escape anything tired and overdone. For starters, there are six different people listed to play Dylan, each meant to "embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work".

Here, Cate Blanchett does a spot-on Dylan, and David Cross appears as Alan Ginsberg. Color me intriuged.

Simpsonize Me

Takes some time to complete -- and it's too late to get into the movie, but definitely a lot of fun. Updload a good sized photo of yourself into the interface and within a few minutes you're taken step by step through the whole de-bigulator experience, with the eyes and the skin and the subtle corporate advertising you only hardly notice every five or six seconds.

Enjoy!

The Princess Bride: 20 Years Later

Whether you realized it or not, it's been 20 years since The Princess Bride first came to screens -- and to celebrate the anniversary here's a photoset of what the main cast members look like today.

Not exactly what you'd call a box of surprises since so many of these people are still very active in movies and television (it's not like it's that hard to come across a current picture of Billy Crystal), but if I can forward an opinion -- in a collection of photos including giant-sized wrestlers and guys who played albinos

Carey Elwes got boned.

Who knows, Hollywood's a weird town, maybe someone over at ABC News has an axe to grind over his involvement with the first Saw film -- because of all the photos that could have been chosen to show how far the young Westley has come over the years, this one wasn't it.

Regardless, it's still a great film that's proven its appeal again and again over the years.

Heck, I might just go rent it tonight.

The Only Thing We Have to Fear is... Well... Nothing

Those crazy MIT scientists are at it again, this time identifying a molecular basis for fear and subverting it in mice.

They isolated a protein-changing enzyme called Cdk5, the inhibition of which "facilitates the extinction of fear learned in a particular context".

Li-Heui Tsai, resident extremely smart dude, says this of the research: "This data points to a promising therapeutic avenue to treat emotional disorders and raises hope for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or phobia."

Possibly related - an alarming number of MIT grad students ask for dates. With GIRLS.

The Friday Smile -- Better Nate than Lever Edition

Friday, Sunday -- sometimes things get so crazy at work that you can't even tell the difference. So even though it's more like Sunday outside, we'll just close our eyes and pretend it's Friday-Friday land.

Of course, no fake Friday would be complete without our recap of the week that was here at the Highly Recommended, and this one was another classic -- featuring all sorts of fun things to see and do.

We started out with dramatic pussies, bouncing balls, and big bottoms (which sounds a lot dirtier than it actually is).

That was followed up with plight of the Hello Kitty husband, the plight of the hornball wookie, and of course, the plight of office workers who only have five minutes to off themselves in any way possible.

If that wasn't enough, there were we had headbangers pretending to be kittens, rabbits pretending to be women, unbelievably rich soccer players and their wives pretending to be horny superheroes who "bom chicka bwooam" ran out of gas in their trans-am (..or something like that)

Finally we found ourselves enjoying Clichemonster's animated dancers, learning about Satorical's magazine subscriptions and favorite musical artists (ah, who am I kidding -- we all dig K.D.).

Add one creepy monkey-lookin' thing selling peanuts, and you got yourself a pretty great week.

But before I go, here's an odd thing you might not have noticed before (I know I certainly didn't). Kind of like the way I hardly noticed it wasn't really Friday anymore until just now.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

The Peanut Vendor

"Buy a bag of peanuts now before you sleep."

BEFORE YOU SLEEP FOREVER! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

ME MONKEY! ME EAT YOUR SOUL!

Johnny Get Angry

Like Hex and his i can has addiction, I have these things that make me happy, and would occur to perhaps only two other people. This is for you two folks. I love and pity you.

I've been a giant k.d. lang fan since I heard "Trail of Broken Hearts" in high school. One of the coolest things she used to do was a cover of a song called "Johnny Get Angry," which was about as far from liberated as something could get. I finally found the original song, and playing the two back to back is just great. Lang's piece is this brilliant homage/satire that I doubt she does nowadays, having traded in bizarreness to croon with Tony Bennett. Anyway, here 't'is.

Chuck Norris Action Jeans

Because I'm that much of a geek, I was reading the archives of Chris Sim's Invicible Super Blog last night, and found this:



Holy god in heaven - aside from the amazing star power beholden unto these blue jeans - they also won't bind your legs. Did you read that? NO LEG BINDAGE!

Him

At the end of a series of what are supposed to be super-sexy pictures of David and Victoria Beckham, there is the little gem above.

Look closely. Doesn't that outfit look familiar?

What's Opera, Doc?

Highly recommended at any moment, forever and ever.



Thanks, as always, to Chuck Jones - he was the first guy to make me laugh and never ceases to do so.

What's the Matter Baby, Chewie Not Good Enough For Ya?

Note to self: Just because Han Solo says he can arrange for women to kiss a wookie doesn't really mean you should let him do it.

Five Minutes to Kill (Yourself)

Pictaps

Draw a crude bitmap style drawing, and watch it dance for a crowd of itself.

Far more amusing (and far far FAR more time-consuming than it sounds).



I ain't trying to front, I had to make two attempts at Mr. T.

I had to add another I was particularly proud of.



Let's see those links in the comments, I want to watch your crazy digital sketches dance!

lolMetal

I know I'm gonna catch all kinds of hell for this, but it's just too funny to pass up -- because really, what two things belong together more than black metal and kittens?

Of course maybe this is just me -- because not only do I happen to be the resident headbanger around here, but I'm also the one who's currently 12-stepping away from his own Caturday Night Fever issues.

     What can I say -- rehab's a bitch.

But whatever the case the photos and reader submissions cracked me up something serious.

Enjoy!

Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball

One of my absolute favorite blogs out there is Hello Kitty Hell, where one man deals with the perils of cute overload on a daily basis -- being that

1) his wife loves the stuff (he doesn't, but wants her to be happy)
2) thinking it might be a way to make extra cash, he suggested she start a business where she distributes the stuff (which of course, she did).

Of course anyone who has ever dated or been married to a HK fan knows that it doesn't take much effort at all for a cute little hobby to turn into a full-on obsession - and before he knew it his whole life became a tornado of everything from Hello Kitty toilet paper to the inexplicable mix of horror and brilliance that is the Hello Kitty Microscope.

So to deal, he put together a blog where he chronicles what it's like to have to deal with this literally every day.

Unfortunately, one simply does not walk into Mordor -- because almost from the beginning he has been tormented by emails, angry comments, and even death threats from rabid HK fans who either disapprove of his approach to the whole thing or are infuriated by his refusal to divulge where people can find and purchase these items.

Luckily he seems to have a good sense of humor about it all, but man -- it's like the Sanrio gods themselves are out to hassle the guy.

Still, it's a great read for open-minded Hello Kitty fans and haters alike. If you're ready to see what it's really like on the dark side, it's definitely worth a click

Big Bottom Sound

Spinal Tap plus every bassist they could find at Live Earth.

Turn your crappy PC speakers up to 11.

Boomshine

Such soothing, wonderful music to accompany such a motherf@#%ing, s%@#-eating, oh, no effing way, level 12, level 12, LEVEL 12! I'm gonna kill somebody if I have to listen to this song for one more goddam minute, frustrating, addictive, highly imaginitive, simple to play chain reaction game that I think you'll like very much so go try it now it's fun thank you gubye.

Catastrophe

You may remember a while back when I pledged to not post any more lolcat-type links on this site.

Well, word has finally reached the cats.

Reactions follow.

The Friday Smile -- Everyone's Having Group Sex But Me Edition

It's the end of a short 4th of July week here at the HRTOTM home office, and it appears I'm the only one working with a firewall. What's this country coming to when a man can't do a random websearch for suggestible topics while he's on the clock!?

So in retaliation, I have decided to present this week's wrap-up in the form of badly drawn innuendo and double entendres. Because everyone knows the next best thing to a bunch of ladybugs going at it on your head is the chance to wax your vampire peacock poetic all night long.

Say baby, how'd you like 15 Seconds of Pure Perfection?

Lets go to my place and fold your minivan seats down!

And of course, everybodys favorite dirty joke:

Q: What's green and smells like bacon?
    A: Kermit's Crotch.

Now keep it down in there, some of us are trying to sleep!

Partially Clips

Continuing on today's theme of group sex, here's a great strip from the long-running brilliant web comic Partially Clips. Robert T. Balder has been bringing the funny for years, based on what otherwise would be unused bloatware hidden in Word.

Thanks to n'Drew for the original link.

Bringing Sexy Way-Back

American automakers, take note: it may be time for more inference of group sex in your advertising.

I mean seriously, now I want a minivan.

The 50 Greatest Muppets (Part 2)

As promised, Progressive Boink returns with the second half of their 50 Greatest Muppets listing. Not a real surprise who's #1, but just like the first installment, plenty of great minor characters get love here.

To quell reader worries, The Swedish Chef, Grover, and Janice (as part of The Electric Mayhem) all show up in this half.

The question now is, who didn't make the cut? While he may not be considered an official Muppet, not seeing Yoda was a bit of a surprise -- especially considering that Kermit's whiny nephew made the top five (!?)

At the same time, any list that gives props to the best villains ever -- The Riverbottom Nightmare Band is worthy of a recommendation in my book.

The City Without People

Anyone who's lived in a big city has probably reached that boiling point where they wish all the people around them would just go away and leave. But what would that really be like?

That's the thought behind a new book written by University of Arizona professor Alan Weisman called "The World Without Us."

Click the link to check out an interview where Weisman discusses the fate of NYC without people to live in it, care for it, or keep it from falling apart. Pretty interesting stuff, in an Omega Man/Logans Run sort of way.

The 50 Greatest Muppets (Part 1)

The funsters over at Progressive Boink apparently have some free time on their hands, during which they've started work on a comprehensive list of the 50 Greatest Muppets of all time. So comprehensive in fact, that it's gonna take two posts to get them all listed.

Here's the first installment.

Good news -- love him or hate him, Elmo sort of has to be included in there somewhere. However, this poll already scores points in my book for having him finish almost dead last in the rankings.

Better News -- Grover's ranking will not be known until the top 25 is released, hopefully sometime this week.

15 Seconds of Pure Perfection

My day just got five million times better.

Vampire Peacocks

NEW YORK (AP) -- A peacock that roamed into the parking lot of a Burger King in New York City was beaten by a man who insisted it was a vampire.

Animal control officials in Staten Island say the bird was beaten so fiercely that most of its tail feathers fell out and it had to be euthanized.

The seven-year-old male peacock wandered into the restaurant parking lot and perched on a car hood last week. Charmed employees had been feeding it bread when the man appeared.

A restaurant worker says the man grabbed the bird by the neck, hurled it to the ground and started stomping it. She says when he was asked what he was doing, he responded, "'I'm killing a vampire!"'

Employees called police, but the man ran when he saw them.

--

First, I would imagine that this will be submitted about a thousand times to News of the Weird.

Second, it's nice to know that my adopted home state of New York is giving my native state of Florida a run for its money in the loonball category.

Third, insert sad emoticon here for the peacock.