PHP Drupal Modules

Looks like I've got some learning to do if I want to get this site working how I envision it. I'll need to either get in on some of the open source modules already under development or I'll have to roll my own.

What I'm looking for is a type of user generated home page ability a la MySpace, Facebook, etc. I also want a sharp, shiny, Picasa module. I found a Picasa module the other day but it's kind of drab.

I also want a javascript or css menu that works. I downloaded a couple modules that claim to offer this but the ones I tried didn't seem to work.

Last, there was a module for an earlier version of drupal that turned the administration menu into a sort of dashboard with nice icons and everything. A lot like the Windows control panel. Something like that would make running the site a bit easier as well as making navigation for regular users easier and more engaging.