July 22, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! Nakedness, Lottery, Movies, and a Noid.

The Dude on the Right couldn't believe that he actually got naked on a Saturday, well, sort of, and for this episode of Stu & The Dude's "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast, he explains his nakedness.  Both The Dude and Stu Gotz do their normal weekend wrap-up about the movies they have seen, including "Mamma Mia!," "The Dark Knight," and "Space Chimps," The Dude tells Stu about what he and his BFF have been up to, and The Dude also tries to influence the attitude of Stu as to why he still has a figurine of "The Noid."

Netlix rentals are topics of discussions, as is Stu getting a Mac, as is winning the lottery, and as is, well, a wedding.

Sometimes the days of Stu and The Dude are very complicated.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Technology Sucks, No WGN, iPhone Schematic Requests, and a Cowbell.

The Dude on the Right has internet issues so he told The WGN to be patient and wait until next week to do a podcast.  But internet issues won't keep a good Dude down, so he recorded a quick podcast about "Batman: The Dark Knight," with Heath Ledger, his need for some iPhone schematics, and how having a cowbell on his iPhone just makes him smile.  Do you have a "cowbell" on your cell phone?  Good luck with that!

Posted by Rightdude at 9:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! The BFF Meets the Family, Lots of TV Talk, and an iPhone Update.

The Dude on the Right took his BFF to visit some of his family in the old country, while Stu Gotz missed a Cubs' game, and those are just some of the topics they both cover in this podcast of "Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up!"

Sure, they also talk about miniature golf, give a shout for The Dude's mom to "Get well soon," the uber-coolness of the iPhone update, and The Dude is psyched to see "The Dark Knight," but let's not forget Stu's love of "Burn Notice," SCUBA, and the younger Gotz's love of "Mr. Men."  Now if only The Dude would have talked about his and his BFF's lottery winnings, well, this podcast might be complete, but that might just have to wait for The Dude chatting with The WGN, and explaining to said The WGN why opening car doors for girls could be fixed by more-advanced, door-unlocker key fobs.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:31 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2008

The Old Country With my BFF, Back to Normal Programming, Spock Philosophy, and an iPhone Update.

By: The Dude on the Right
As you may have noticed there haven’t been any new posting since nearly a week ago, and I have to admit that part of it was some laziness, part of it was being a busybody, and part of it was caused by a quick trip to the old country, where my BFF got to meet some of the members of my family. Yup, you can guess it, they all like her more than they like me! Oh well. I’ll talk more about that trip when I talk to Stu Gotz for our "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll have my nephew along for this Thursday’s podcast so I can explain to him why car doors do not need to be opened for dudettes anymore.

For some quick notes about the trip home, though, some of it was tad melancholy as my mom isn’t feeling too well, and I would have preferred my BFF’s first visit being under a different light, but on the other hand, mom’s meeting my BFF seemed to lift mom's spirits, especially when she could give my BFF her two word, blunt, synopsis, of the old country. The trip was also a great time for family members to pummel me about my lack of chivalrousness, when I was just trying to do some recon to assess the threat assessment of our group and make sure the coast was clear on the treacherous path from the safety of the craft store to the safety of the dude-mobile. I risk my life for the safety of the group, just like Spock philosophied in "The Wrath of Kahn," that "The needs of the many outweigh," responded by Kirk "The needs of the few," with Spock coming back, "Or the one.," and what happens, I get chastised for it! Some people are so ungrateful, but I’m sorry, I digress.

The trip home also had the tech nerd in me in total withdrawal because, while I was gone, Apple came out with their giant update for the iPhone, and although I’m waiting for a 3g version of the phone that will hold all of my music before I buy a new one (and from the news reports of the activation meltdowns that occurred last Friday I’m kinda glad for that), I kept looking at my iPhone, with its old, crappy, obsolete version of firmware, knowing it would be days before I could have a lightsaber duel with another iPhone user, be able to "scratch my records" like a DJ, or have a better way to organize my grocery store list. As I’m typing this blog, though, my iPhone is doing all of its updating, and hopefully, as opposed to those poor schlubs who had problems on Friday, maybe my utmost patience (it is a virtue, don’t ya know?) in not pulling out my laptop while I was at the old country, on Friday, to spend the time to upgrade it the minute I could and ignore my BFF, will pay off. See, who says chivalry is dead?

Well, my iPhone is almost done upgrading, it’s time to get back to work, so normal programming of Entertainment Ave! is ready to be back on track tomorrow, with a fantastic, phenomenal, enlightening, and exciting new podcast of "Stu & The Dude’s Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast. I hope.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 6:43 PM | Comments (0)

July 7, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! "Hancock," Fireworks, Cars, Church, and More!

The Dude on the Right and Stu Gotz survived the 4th of July weekend with all of their appendages attached, but more surprising was the fact that The Dude didn't get struck down by lightning as he entered a church with his BFF, especially since The Dude, at times, wondered more about what the sensors were at the top of the ceiling and why parents let their kids wear street clothes to mass, as opposed to focusing on what was really a nice homily, about an "e-mail" from God. This podcast, though, of "Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up!" isn't all about fire and brimstone, or at least fireworks and religion, the boys also talk about cars, "Hancock," "Nancy Drew," Pringles, and some upcoming nuptials. The Dude also sends "Get Well Soon" wishes to his Mom.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:12 PM | Comments (0)

July 3, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Apologies to The WGN&N, Bro-i-l, Sis, and Night Ranger. That Said, Happy 4th of July!

The Dude on the Right is in the doghouse for many too many reasons, so for this podcast he tries to apologize to The WGN&N, his Bro-i-l, and his Sis (but maybe not that much to his Sis), for previous comments done wrong, and he's also doing some apologizing to Night Ranger because The Dude always wanted to be a weather forecaster, but sucks at it, thus causing him to miss their concert.

The Dude also hopes people play things safe this 4th of July holiday weekend.  Hopefully he won't try the firecracker experiment mentioned in the movie "Armageddon," and you shouldn't try that science experiment, either.  You should, however, super-supervise any kids in your sight playing with sparklers, because, as an adult, that's your job.  1800 degrees F is a sparkler temperature (that's the bright, glowing part on the rod of a sparkler), and also close to the burning temperature of cremation.  Do your best to not let your kids, or the neighbor kids, know what it might feel like if they get cremated.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:16 PM | Comments (0)

July 1, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! RV-ing, Penn & Teller, Movie Talk, Toilet Paper, and More!

Some travel issues delayed Stu Gotz getting back in town so the podcast of "Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up!" was a day late, and even with some extra time, well, The Dude on the Right screwed up the opening.  But that's okay because they have lots to talk about, including some movie talk about "Wanted," "Wall-E," "Presto," and "Letters from Iwo Jima."  The Dude relates to Stu that he really should get Showtime so he could see "Penn & Teller: Bullshit," and Stu should also get Sirius Satellite Radio so he could hear ABBA, 24/7, for a couple of weeks.  Stu, on the other hand, relates his woes of toilet paper at airports.  They both talk about a fight at the Cubs/White Sox Crosstown Classic, they talk about tattoos, and with the 4th of July weekend coming up, they talk about how it looks like The Dude's BFF still won't get to meet any of The Dude's friends, even with the lure of REO Speedwagon.

Posted by Rightdude at 5:54 PM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: A Special Guest Podcaster, The WGN, Joins for TV, Comedian, Gun, and Socially Inept Talk!

The Dude on the Right was joined by The WGN for this Thursday podcast, and they talk about a lot of things. The Dude introduces The WGN to "America's Got Talent," the both talk about George Carlin, and The Dude learns that The WGN is making contacts for his future. They both talk about guns (how topical, what, with the Supreme Court decision today), family gatherings, and if The Dude's family is socially inept. The Dude is also happy to hear The WGN knows who Night Ranger is, hopes the two of them might be able to see Radiohead at Lollapalooza, and fears he might get sucked in to "Dolphin Olympics 2." Maybe The WGN is a worse influence on The Dude as apposed to The Dude being a worse influence on The WGN?

Posted by Rightdude at 7:24 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! Computer Issues, Movie Talk, The Rest of the Family, and Remembering George Carlin

The Dude on the Right and Stu Gotz both had computer issues for this podcast, which they, sadly, reiterate in way too much detail, before they get to the fun stuff like Mama Gotz being pissed at The Dude for recommending "No Country For Old Men" to Stu, Stu wondering if there is any way he can now get free stuff from Apple since his shipment is late, The Dude meeting the rest of the family of his BFF, and both of them remembering George Carlin, with his "Seven Dirty Words" historical rant and "The Buddy Christ." In the end, George Carlin, R.I.P., or the hell with that, The Dude just hopes Mr. Carlin can make everyone laugh in the afterlife because it is what he does, did, and should be doing for ever, more.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:50 PM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2008

I'm Boycotting "The Love Guru," but Who is Rajan Zed, and Why am I Getting So Many E-Mails, Maybe From Him?

By: The Dude on the Right
As I have fallen behind on a couple of things, well, the last thing I wanted to do was to waste a couple of hours at a movie that degrades a religion.  Yup, for the last bunch of months I've been getting e-mails from, well, I'm not really sure who, although there is an e-mail address yet I'm not really sure if it is valid or a spoof, mostly because I'm too lazy to actually reply to the e-mail and figure out exactly who is e-mailing me.  In any case, though, they have been promoting that Rajan Zed (maybe not so surprisingly the e-mail prefix is "rajanz"), who is a prominent Hindu leader (at least so says the e-mail), states that I should boycott the latest Mike Myers' film, "The Love Guru," because, at least with today's e-mail (it's the only one I didn't delete), "it lampoons Hinduism and Hindu concepts and uses Hindu terms frivolously."  With that line, especially since this e-mail was sent after Rajan supposedly saw the film, I knew it was my civic duty to skip the film and save two hours of my life.

The e-mail continues in its lambasting the movie, saying "the antics of Guru Pitka (Mike Myers' character in the movie) are a mockery of the esteemed institution of guru," also stating "This is pure and blatant ridiculing and Paramount and its parent Viacom should immediately issue a general public apology for denigration of Hinduism and Hindu concepts, utter disregard of the protesters, backtracking on promise to pre-screen the movie for Rajan Zed and other Hindu leaders, making no efforts to have an open civilized dialogue with protesters to arrive at an mutually acceptable solution, Zed said."

As the e-mail begins to wrap up, we get:  "Rajan Zed further said that comedy should make everybody smile and should not come at the expense of ridiculing others faith and spreading misinformation.  Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion followers and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. No faith, larger or smaller, should be ridiculed at."

Hear, hear, Rajan, I'm down with you brother!  Oh, wait, don't most comedies ridicule others, if not their faith, and spread misinformation?  Never mind, hear, hear Rajan!

But do you want to know the most bizarre part of the e-mail, calling for my boycotting of "The Love Guru?"  Well, I'll tell you.  It's the last paragraph that states, not something like "This is why we are calling for a boycott of "The Love Guru," or "until Paramount and Viacom recognize the dignity of Hinduism...," we get this:  "'The Love Guru' (88 minutes), a comedy starring Mike Myers (of Austin Powers fame), opened today nationwide and will be released in different parts of the world in the near future.  Viacom's family of brands includes MTV, Paramount, DreamWorks, etc.  Paramount Pictures Corporation is a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment."  What the hell kind of ending to an e-mail calling for a boycott is that?  No "So maybe you might want to boycott those entities as well," nor "You should also be boycotting "Kung Fu Panda," instead just a vague "legal" disclaimer about the movie, complete with the movies running time.

Suddenly, all this e-mail seems to scream is "I'm Rajan Zed.  How can I get loads of publicity?  I know, Spam!", or a viral campaign on the part of someone to make people go and watch "The Love Guru" to see if it actually "lampoons" Hinduism, because some news outlet are bound to reference the e-mail, or if this e-mail was really from Mr. Zed, maybe his press release should have been written in first person, starting out simply as "I am Rajan Zed, a Hindu leader, and after seeing 'The Love Guru' I urge you to boycott the movie, and here's why..."

Now that I think about it, I'm not boycotting "The Love Guru" because of this series of e-mails I received saying the movie makes fun of Hinduism, because, you know what, I'm all for making a mockery of all kinds of governments, ethnicities, freaks, geeks, jocks, horror movies, religion, and any other stuff that is open to be made fun of, especially if it's done in a funny way.  I'm boycotting "The Love Guru" because, from the trailers, it looks like a load of crap, and from the early reviews most of them say it is a load of crap, and you know what, I've got more important things to do right now than invest in a potential load of crap.  This movie will wait for Netflix, or cable, or a number of stints on the shitter, watching it in phases on my iPhone, unless, of course, Richard Roeper tells me to see it when I watch him over the weekend.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 6:52 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: A "The Swell Season" Preview, Meeting Family, The Bachelorette, and Missing "Nessun Dorma" on "America's Got Talent."

The Dude on the Right could really use a nap before this podcast about, mainly, going to see "The Swell Season," especially since getting back home was past his normal bedtime, but that's not important because this podcast isn't a full review of the show, just a quick blip at his still liking the folks from the movie "Once." The Dude also talks about some BFF family stuff, he's still watching "The Bachelorette," and is bummed he missed the premier of "America's Got Talent" where some dude did a great version of "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot, complete with Jerry Springer interrupting it, because, well, it's on TV.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:52 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! Meeting the Parents, Minor League Baseball, Movie Talk, and a Dirty Health Scare.

Suddenly both Stu Gotz and The Dude on the Right have a lot to talk about for their "Weekend Wrap-Up" podcast, complete with an exciting topic like doing some painting in the garage for The Gotz family.  The Dude gives Stu his movie recommendations, and there is also talk of a skin blotch scare.  Stu blew out another hard drive on a computer, Stu also re-remembered how much fun a minor league baseball game could be, and The Dude tells Stu the tales of his meeting some of the family of his BFF, and how a Father's Day gathering for his BFF family is way-different than any family gathering at The Dude's family household, both being good in their own kind of way.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:17 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: I'm Done with Digital, Dr. Drew v. Tom Cruise, Golfing Where Tiger Wood's Golfed, No New iPhone for The Dude, and Movies Galore!

For this podcast The Dude on the Right is upset because he might have deleted his only proof that he played golf, or at least hit a little, white ball, or at least was at a course that Tiger Woods plays at, because he can't find his picture of the 3rd hole at Torrey Pines anywhere on any of his hard drives. He knows that if he had that picture on film, well, he could put his hands on it instantly. His hating technology is now filtering from digital cameras to the latest 3G iPhone, because, go figure, the new phone won't have enough memory to hold his 6400+ songs, and he wonders who would win the boxing match of Dr. Drew Pinsky v Tom Cruise (or, most likely, one of Tom's lawyers). And in other boxing news, June 20th brings the match of Steve Carell v Mike Myers, with their movies, "Get Smart" and "The Love Guru." The Dude isn't really a fan of boxing, but he is a fan of big, green dudes, so he hopes to see "The Incredible Hulk" sometime, this weekend.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:58 PM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! "Echoes," Movies, T-Ball, an Attic, and a Tornado!

They may do their podcast a day late, but The Dude on the Right and Stu Gotz are back for a "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast since The Dude got home from his visit to the old country late on Monday, so what better day than to do it than on a Tuesday! They talk about "Kung Fu Panda," "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," kids playing T-Ball, a tornado, a hot attic, Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel, and Mama Gotz hating The Dude. Underneath it all is "Echoes" from Pink Floyd, they also talk about Lake Delton not being a lake anymore, and a dog that got transported a couple of blocks thanks to the same tornado that Jim Cantore warned Stu about.

Posted by Rightdude at 8:12 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Our Normal Programming, Almost.

By: The Dude on the Right
Normally there would be a new “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast posted, with me and Stu Gotz, but as I am now just settling back into the dude-pad, and sure, the both of us could have done a podcast across the magical land of the internet had I really wanted to, I just wanted to acknowledge that maybe you noticed a subtle lack of postings since last Wednesday, with only our review of “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” getting reviewed. With that, I’m not blaming taking a visit to the old country to visit my Mom as an excuse, but, in a good way, to be detailed in later conversations with Stu and some blogs, I’m blaming a visit to the old country, okay, it’s just Lorain, o HI o, to visit my Mom, for those lack of postings. But you know what? - Chicken butt! The thing is that visiting Mom is always much more important than posting stuff on my web site, and the weird part is, even though I am 41 years old, I still asked Mom for permission to go and see said “Zohan” movie when I was at home. She told me to go and see the movie, but “Don’t be late for supper.”  I wasn't.

My weekend, though, was kind of weird, but leaving Illinois towards Ohio always goes through Indiana, sometimes leads to meeting up with some old friends from Lorain (but not this time), and even though I wasn’t the prepared Boy Scout that, well, I am not, when I went home, namely not bringing my camera gear, Lorain almost has some sparks of niceness getting back to it (I like the pavement of downtown Broadway), but if they end up defeating the “Oh my God, how am I going to afford the extra $15 for my license plate so that our roads are better” issue, I will then know that there really isn’t any hope for my hometown, and I will be sad (and more might be written about that later).

I did take some crappy photos of my lilac bush, tree, or whatever the thing has grown to be, but sadly, my lilac bush, tree, etc, lost most of its blooming with the oppressive heat Lorain was getting, just before my arrival.

Last night, though, I got back in the Chi-Town area, missing the numerous storms that have rumbled through over the weekend, with a slight power outage impacting me while I was gone, as far as I can tell, but a summer of discovery is ahead of me, and don't let me even get into how I'm trying to transplant a rose bush!  That is definitely a story for another day!

Normal Internet programming should be returning this week!

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 8:57 AM | Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

Hannah Montana. Who Knew?

By: The Dude on the Right
I hate to sound like Andy Rooney, but did you ever get to the end of the night, tired and ready for bed, but then decide that you should send an e-mail?  And did you ever type that e-mail, attempting to be creative, sure, maybe addressing something on your mind, but missing a larger point?  And then, did you click on the "Send" button, groggily think to yourself "Did I just write that?", so you check your "Sent" folder, re-read the e-mail transporting through cyberspace, and say "Oh, that probably just comes off so wrong."?  Yup, I did that last night, and now you are probably wondering "Dude, what the hell does this have to do with Hannah Montana, and you do know that she's a fictional character played by Miley Cyrus, don't you?"  My answer is that "Yes, I do know Hannah Montana is a fictional character," but be patient, because how "she" equates to a late night e-mail will be fully explained.

So, yea, last night I sent off an e-mail that, after re-reading it, after I had already sent it, I pretty much figured there was only one way to interpret a portion of it, and really wished someone would invent, you know what, never mind the invention thing, I think I'll keep that to myself, but my options were to attempt, still being tired, sending off an e-mail saying "Please don't read my previous e-mail," that, of course, the person will, faster than the speed of light, open the other e-mail and read it, or try to send an "Okay, let me explain the comment in my previous e-mail better," but being tired, needing sleep, and with the e-mail already on its way, my last option was to just head to bed, going to sleep saying "You know better than to send an e-mail, and try to be creative with it, when you are tired."  And eventually I fell asleep.

Then, of course, morning had broken, or rather my alarm went off, I woke up, instantly remembering the e-mail from the night before, and then kept kicking myself in the ass for sending said e-mail, much as I was kicking myself in the ass before I went to bed the night before (I so over-analyze things a lot).  But it was time for exercising, hoping that maybe it would take my mind off the e-mail for a bit before I might get a reply, so I'm into my shorts and t-shirt, the heart-rate monitor is fired up, the earphones are plugged into my iPhone, I select my "exercise" mix, and then, because I think Apple has put a cyber-brain into their products at times, giving them a life of their own, my iPhone "exercise" mix started to hit me with every song on it that screams "What the hell did you do?"  An Offspring "Why Don't You Get a Job,"  Evenescence's "Going Under," "3 AM" from matchbox 20, "Folsom Prison Blues" from Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond's "I Am... I Said," and "My Last Yeehaw" from Cowboy Troy kept infiltrating my music mix, which on any other morning would just keep my exercise-bicycling fired up, but this morning, just kept me thinking about the e-mail I sent the night before.

So I was about 20 minutes into my planned 45 minute exercise biking when I was close to bailing on the exercising, especially since my iPhone seemed to just want to torture me, and just getting on with my day seemed just a challenge enough.  But then, low and behold, came bouncy girl-pop music, "Don't let no small frustration, ever bring you down," and yes, as I am comfortable enough to say I liked the "Sex and the City" movie, yes, I have Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus on my iPhone.  There it was, singing through my earphones, the song "Life's What You Make It," and as I turned my focus to the lyrics, I started to realize that fine, my e-mail might not have been exactly how I wanted to word things, but I couldn't let it ruin my day, because life is hard or it's a party, the choice is up to me!

My exercising done, and Hannah Montana (yes, I know it's Miley Cyrus) singing in my head, there it was, an e-mail for me, pretty much stating exactly how I figured she would have interpreted the e-mail from the night before.  I still have to reply, but I suppose I won't try to get make it all "creative" and stuff, and not send the e-mail when I'm tired and groggy.

My day had a lot of potential to be crabby, at least in my head, but a fictional star snapped me back to reality.

"Life's what you make it, so let's make it rock!"  Hannah Montana.  Who knew?

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 7:18 PM | Comments (0)

June 2, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! A MySpace Page Change, Catch and Release, and "Sex and the City."

The fallout from The Dude on the Right changing his MySpace page began after recording this episode of "Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast, but Stu Gotz kind of preambles it by setting up The Dude with a music clip, only so that Stu won't have to ask a question he has repeatedly tried to get an answer to.  Stu's weekend was filled with family time and how snagging some "canal-chats" can be fun, complete with showing the kids that you can throw wounded fish back in the water, while The Dude saw "Sex and the City" with his BFF, expanded his culinary horizons, and heard opera at a gospel fest.  There is also some talk of wondering how some people don't get sued, and Stu ditched The Dude during part of the podcast in search of some nip-slips from the 2008 MTV Movie Awards Gold-Carpet broadcast.  Such can be Stu Gotz.

Posted by Rightdude at 5:51 PM | Comments (0)

May 29, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: The World's Greatest Nephew Needs a Nickname, Some Politics, Some Eddie Murphy, and Some Toilet Talk!

The World's Greatest Nephew is still in college, so The Dude on the Right might have to send him a few bucks to get a new headset, but even though the audio quality isn't the greatest, The Dude is happy to be able to do a podcast, through the magic of the internet, with his nephew. The WGN is pretty much tired of politics, but that doesn't stop The Dude from playing a clip of Father Michael Pfleger, but then they nicely settle into some banter about college, summer, movies, sex, and toilets. What better things are there for an Uncle and his nephew to discuss?

Posted by Rightdude at 8:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2008

Screw TV, except for, of course, "The Bachelorette," but I'm looking forward to the summer!

By: The Dude on the Right
Tomorrow night is the season finale of "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica" is slowly fading away, but it was tonight that I realized my TV viewing season is over, at least for now, especially since I don't have "American Idol" to blog about anymore, and other than, well, "The Bachelorette," which I now find myself fascinated watching because as much as I love seeing dudettes get uber-emotional about a dude they have only met for a couple of days, seeing dudes be uber-dorks in trying to get the hot girl is almost as fun.

But with the TV season done I realized this summer just might be a time for getting stuff done, just like when the "Writer's Strike," well, struck, and suddenly I found myself productive.  I have DVD's to review, I am doing my best to get back into the concert reviewing scene, and damn it, I will finally finish our "Stu & The Dude Reviewin' the Movies for You!" episode of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of umm, a street, somewhere, in London, with a meat pie shop, whatever the hell that is," even if that movie did come out, like, last year.  Maybe Stu and I will even do another animated review, and I just had a brain infusion of what it might be, and oh my God, it might actually have to be about a, well, something both of us are familiar with, and if he doesn't remember, for some messed up reason I remember him and Mama Gotz eating sushi from Dominicks (a grocery chain here in Chicago), which would bring up another topic about sushi but I'm not going there, yet, this summer, although I might actually try sushi, this summer.

Oh man, this summer is looking to be confusing, this summer is looking to be fun, and if luck has it, I'll get to see Neil Diamond again!

Screw TV, except for, of course, "The Bachelorette," but I'm looking forward to the summer!

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 8:04 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2008

What's New? The Dude sees "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and Fireworks, Stu Wonders if He Can Get "Wii Fit."

The Dude on the Right saw "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" with someone who doesn't really like bugs, which, because The Dude is weird, actually made the movie experience bring a bigger smile to his face, but in the end it's all about the review, and The Dude does what he does.  Stu Gotz, though, is back doing some typographical reviewing, maybe because his kids might be a little too young to see the "Crystal Skull" movie, but that doesn't mean his family, or at least just him, can't get in shape thanks to the Nintendo "Wii Fit."  Hopefully Mama Gotz won't let Stu shove the thing under the couch to collect dust bunnies.  The Dude saw movies and fireworks, Stu is probably trying to figure out how to dry a sweater on a "Wii Fit."  Such are different weekends.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:31 PM | Comments (0)

"Wii Fit" Probably Won't Help Me Lose Weight, but Thank God for those McDonald's Trans-Fat-Free Fries!

By: Stu Gotz
I always knew the Wii had exercise potential…
Well over a year ago, when I woke up at 4:30am to be in line by 5am to try a purchase one of a promised 12 available Wii units at my local Target, I never thought the Wii could be anything more than the next generation, cool, video game console. That notion quickly changed the day I brought the console home and became out of breath after loosing 3 rounds of boxing to my 5 year old. I joked to the wife that day that Wii Boxing was a great workout, and I should start a regimen. Did I?  No, and I’m still a lard-butt over a year later, but all that's gonna change!!!

Reading the Sunday sale's ads in bed on a Saturday night…
While checking out the weekend sales ads I stumbled across the newest, must have, Wii accessory - Yup, there it was, the new Wii Fit, along with the optional Wii Fit Yoga Mat, available exclusively at Target, and they were going to be available on Wednesday. Perhaps now I could realize my fitness goals by playing Wii games? Figuring that there would be a rush to get the new Wii Fit, I planned my workweek to get me close to a retail outlet when the doors opened.

Would my Wii Fit dreams be dashed???
Wednesday came and I was running late. My Target store opened at 8am, and I was pulling into the parking lot at 8:12am. That’s ok… In a worst case there was a Best Buy across the parking lot, and they opened at 10am. I was feeling good about my potential of getting a Wii Fit as I strolled past the automatically opening doors of my Target, and I was faced by no less that 8 people checking out with Wii Fits. As I walked the aisle to the game area I was passed by 3 more people with Wii Fits tucked into their shopping carts. Then I saw the end cap... There were only 4 left! I rushed to grab one and felt a sense of accomplishment as I checked out with my new Wii Fit complete with Wii Fit Yoga Mat.

The Wii Fit family unpacking event…
After dinner I assembled the family together to unveil our new "game" to them. At first the kids didn’t seem too excited about the whole thing until their mom informed them that we could get a snow boarding game to play with the Wii Fit, and suddenly they were onboard, so to speak. Setting up the Wii Fit is simple, strait-forward, but does take a bit of time. One aspect of the set-up is that the Wii Fit assigns you a "Wii Fit Age" based upon your height, weight, age, and balance test. I faired better than the wife as I was assigned a "Wii Fit Age" of 45 and she was assigned an age of 49. We’re both 40. The Wii also took the customized Wii characters the wife and I had created, and in my case porked "me" out while slimming up Mama Gotz.

What’s this thing gonna do???
The Wii Fit is set up to be a fitness partner in 4 training areas: Yoga, Balance, Strength, and Aerobics. The family and I spent several hours familiarizing ourselves with all the areas, and the first thing we have come to find out is that we all lack balance, at least according to the Wii Fit.  Mama Gotz was the first to advance in the Balance Games and open the first bonus game, "Tightrope," although now she seems to be stuck there, because, like many other Wii games, the Wii Fit is set up to train the user and reward them upon mastery of a particular skill.

Bottom line, is this thing really gonna work???
Yes and no. The Wii Fit definitely has the potential to add an additional element to an exercise regimen, but if you don’t have a regimen already then I really don’t see this thing being a motivational source for someone to start one. Actually, I take that back, you’ll start one, but see my final paragraph, "The real bottom line…," below.  That being said, though, if the Wii Fit is shared by people with a friendly sense of fun and competition, you might just get motivated, but it just won’t be as much about reaching a fitness goal, rather one of who can take 1^st place in an area, or who can go on to the next level, therefore opening a new game or exercise.

The real bottom line…
Go look in the mirror - Are you either fat or just in need of some muscle toning? Now go look around the house - Do you have unused exercise equipment (drying your sweater on the treadmill does not constitute use)? Now search your mind – You can’t remember the last time you hit the gym or went for a jog, correct? If you answered, "Yes" to 2 or more of the previous 3 questions, then I have a feeling your new Wii Fit will be destined to collect dust bunnies under your sofa. Prove me wrong!!!

I'm Stu Gotz!  ‘nuff said!

Posted by Rightdude at 5:53 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: The Best Singer on the "American Idol" Finale Didn't Win, and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

The Dude on the Right is still flustered about yesterday's "American Idol" finale during this podcast, and it's not because David Cook beat David Archuleta. Nope, the The Dude is flustered at wasting 2 hours and 5 minutes watching a 2 hour and 2 minute commercial for Fox related programming, or singers we don't care about. Luckily Ryan Seacrest was able to announce the winner before the TiVo programming ran out, but more luckily was that Renaldo Lapuz was given the chance to regale us all with his version of "We're Brothers Forever," or "I Am Your Brother," or who cares, he was great. Other than "Lost," the Spring TV season is now over. Hooray?

Posted by Rightdude at 7:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2008

David Cook: This is your American Idol!

By: The Dude on the Right
For you west coasters, wondering who won "American Idol" this year, I would like to apologize for spoiling it for you, but for the love of any God, space alien, or cosmos wondering about how we are here on this planet, PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WATCHING THIS FINALE!!!!! (Although, if you TiVo it, head straight for the one hour and eleven minute mark to hear the greatest Idol singer ever).  I watched (some) of it, and here's how it went.

Yes, Ryan Seacrest bragged about how many votes were cast (something like 97.5 gabajillion, or at least 97.5 million votes), split between 56% for David, and 44% for the other David, they did a "here's what's happening in their hometown" clip, and then another lame sing-a-long.  Then David and David did a bad duet of Chad Kroeger's (he's the lead singer dude from Nickelback) version of "Hero," and then a bizarre, crappy, piece of shit, plug for the next Mike Myers film "The Love Guru,", trying to say that Guru Pitka is actually a real person, influencing our two finalists.  Oh my f-ing God!  What in the hell is this total crap? Mike Myers, you are no Sasha Baron Cohen.

The Idol folks then let Syesha come out to show she probably should be the winner, doing a duet with Seal of "Waiting for You," with, of course, Paula Abdul dancing her butt off.  And after about about a 4 minute commercial break we got Jason Castro back, singing "Hallelujah," again.  Yippee, although most of us probably already bought the Jeff Buckley version on iTunes.  And here we go, it's just want we want to see after another song, a product placement commercial for some Ford cars!  Another "Yippee" is in order!

Now we get the girl contestants singing Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money," in group fashion, only letting us remember how hot some of these dudettes were before they got booted from our memories because they couldn't really sing that great, and then, for more lameness, having Donna Summer come out looking almost dazed and confused singing what is going to be her new single.  Do we really want Disco back?  Out of the groove of her latest "hit," Donna's now into "Last Dance," with her having the excitement of, well, I'm sorry for being mean, but having none, letting Syesha show that yes, she is actually a singer.  And now, with the Donna Summer debacle done we get a Diet Coke commercial from like what, 3 summers ago?

Uggghhh!!!  (Can you tell I'm really flustered watching this show?)

At least we got a T-Mobile commercial from like a year or two ago where Dad says to his daughter "Maybe you should have uglier friends."  And then with another commercial break I TiVo'd through, we get Carly Smithson and Michael John singing an overproduced and "why the hell is this being done as a duet" version Joe Cocker/The Box Tops "The Letter."

And at the 43 minute mark, thank the Lord for Jimmy Kimmel!  Oh, my God, it's only the 43 minute mark!  That means there is probably another hourish left before we actually get to find out who is the next American Idol.

Now the guys get to sing Bryan Adam's "Summer of '69."  What the hell is it with having Ameircan Idol people sing songs released when they weren't even born yet, and now, yes, we actually get Bryan Adams to sing something new from him, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything."  Don't get me wrong, I like Bryan Adams, but Bryan Adams?

Yay, now David Cook gets to sing with ZZ Top, doing "Sharp Dressed Man."  For some reason, I don't think I can actually hear David's guitar.

Oh my God, I just can't take it anymore, now I'm getting Graham Nash singing "Teach Your Children" with Brooke White.  Actually, I almost like this performance, but I still can't take it anymore, can't blog about this anymore.  I'm going to watch some baseball now to see if the Cubs, White Sox, or Indians win, and will be back later to just announce who won.

Thank God for TiVo!

Okay, yes, I couldn't resist, I checked back, seeing that the Cubs were losing, and I'm torn between the White Sox and the Indians winning their game, and what do I see back on American Idol, but the greatest singer of all time, the "I Am Your Brother" dude, Renaldo Lapuz.  I actually have him as ringtones for some of my friends!  Screw Fleetwood Mac, Renaldo singing "I Am Your Brother" with the USC Marching Band is a hell of lot better than "Tusk."

It's back to baseball....

Okay, the baseball is boring, it's back to Idol.  Oh crap, it's Jordin Sparks showing, and damn, I hate to be mean again, but why can't she lose a couple of pounds to make herself a totally hot singer?  There's that, and I'm no fashion guru, but what's up with the outfit that explodes her hips?

Oh, thank God, another "product placement" commercial filtered in to the American Idol broadcast.  Yup, there's a movie coming out called "Tropic Thunder," and you might know it now.

Okay, never mind, Carrie Underwood is now on the show, showing why I might want to convert to vegetarianism, with a skirt that, well, umm, I'm going to pause this really quick.  Did I say I love my Tivo yet?

Okay, I'm back, that was quick....

Another group song - it's back to baseball...

The Cubs are still losing, the White Sox are now beating my Cleveland Indians with a home run, I guess I'm back to Idol...

Ughhhh!  Just give me the winner already!  It's been an hour and 47 minutes already!  This is really why I'm starting to hate this show.  And oh my God, they just brought out George Michael, who, surprisingly enough, has a tour to promote, and he's singing "Praying For Time."  Okay, he did a nice job with that.  But, of course, we have to promote his tour!

Finally, please, oh for the love of God, please, just tell me who in the hell is the winner!

Final thoughts from me - get back to why we actually watch the show, quit with the crap.  The result's shows should only be a half an hour long, the contestants should be able to sing full versions of the songs and be given a chance to be performers, and if you are getting mentors for these people, get actual mentors.

And so, David Cook wins "American Idol."  Good for him!  I'm tired, I have to get this posted, and I hope you didn't waste your time watching this two-hour, bloated, version of a finale, and just TiVo'd your way to the end.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2008

Who Will Be Your Next "American Idol"?

By: The Dude on the Right
Yippee!  We are down to the two David's, Mr. Archuleta and Mr. Cook, and I'm only still here because, well, it's a Tuesday, there really isn't anything on TV, and I've been doing this damn "American Idol" recap for the entire season so I might as well hang in there for the last of the singing.  Who will win, who will you vote for, will any of them trip and fall on their face (God, that would be great, wouldn't it?), and how much did they have to pay Michael Buffer to say "This... is... 'Americaaaaan Idooool...'",  so...

Let's go...

First thought, quit with the "Oh, we need a theme, let's make this like a boxing match" motif.  We don't care.  We just want to hear them sing, and why are we still going back to Andrew Lloyd Webber?  Yes, I admit, I like "Cats" and "Jesus Christ Superstar," but how many 12 year old girls do?  Just frackin' sing!  And it took them over 14 minutes to get to the ...

1st Round of Songs - Picked By Clive Davis
David Cook
 - Sings "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
 - It finally looks like he might actually want to be a performer instead of just a singer.  He sounds good enough, is working the stage, and little David might have some problems if big David keeps the night like this. 

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on My" by Elton John
 - This song so much fits into his wheelhouse, and he's trying to keep his eyes open and not squint, but he fades back and forth on the eye-squinting thing that I just can't help but notice it.  He finally worked to break out of his shell, also, actually being a performer, but you still see a little more apprehension, mostly just from lack of experience, I suppose.

Here comes the...

2nd Round of Songs - From the Song Competition
David Cook
 - Sings "Dream Big" by Emily Shacklton?
 - David gets to play guitar, to a song I actually like, in the pop-rock kind of way.  Man, this could almost be a song by Jim Peterik for a "Rocky" soundtrack.  It's kind of cheesy (in a good way), but one, with the right band, could end up on every iPod of people who exercise for inspiration.  I'm guessing Simon isn't familiar with any of the "Rocky" soundtracks.

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "In This Moment" by Ryan Gilmore?
 - Oh crap, David A. is back into his "I need to be the next Josh Groban" moment.  The song is nice enough, but we know exactly where Mr. Archuleta is looking to take his career - to an Oprah Winfrey performance hoping to supplant Sr. Groban.  He is still trying to open his eyes, but it still isn't working.

Here comes the...

3rd Round of Songs - Picked By The Singers
David Cook
 - Sings "The World I Know" by Collective Soul
 - Dude, if you win this thing it will only because you have the most loyal fan base because why in the hell do you pick a sort of obscure song for your finale?  Sure, you sang it nice enough, but do you actually think any of the viewers who would actually vote for you know a song that was popular in, what, 1995?  Let's see, the 13 year old girls weren't even born yet.  So much for converting any of them to your side.  I think Simon still realizes that David Cook, right now, has the best potential for a music career.

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Imagine" by, umm, duh.
 - Oh, hell, who cares anymore?  He still squints, he still "croons," and the 13 year olds who aren't voting for David Cook probably heard their parents actually play the original version of this song, and are voting for this David anyway.

Let's wrap this up...
I think David Cook is the better performer, David Archuleta needs to really learn how to open up his eyes (that comes with experience), but the more curious thing will be to see, in the year 2013, who might still have a career?  I'm guessing it will be Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, and Kellie Pickler.  And maybe next year's "American Idol."  One of these David's will win, but I just don't see long lasting careers in front of any of them.  Maybe they'll prove me wrong.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 8:46 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: I Could Have Won $0.40, or even Millions, I've Got Too Much Stuff, and Here Comes Indiana Jones!

The Dude on the Right realized, over this weekend, that he has too much stuff, and some of that stuff should have been thrown out years ago, like a phone book from 1995, so for this podcast he laments on seeing a movie he didn't care that much about, namely "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," how he didn't win millions, or at least $0.40, and wonders why he still has a hand-held scanner that only scans in black & white. At least he still has a film idea on a 3 1/2" floppy and his hope that "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will be good.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Shania Twain is Unattached, Starbucks Almost has Nudity, David Will Win American Idol, and a Tease for Monday.

The Dude on the Right is trying to figure out, during this podcast, how he will skirt the authorities in his trying to woo Shania Twain in either Switzerland or Canada, since he doesn't have a passport and she is breaking up with her hubby. He also steals a story from "The Roe Conn Show" about Starbucks and their naked mermaid, gets some audio he heard on "Howard Stern" as a tease for Monday's podcast, but does know that David will win "American Idol."

Posted by Rightdude at 6:41 PM | Comments (0)

May 13, 2008

A Judge's Pick, A Personal Pick, A Producer Pick, and Yes, Ryan, We know, This is "American Idol."

By: The Dude on the Right
So we've got the final three, it's David Cook, Syesha Mercado, and David Archuleta, and I'm starting to not care that much because this show really has lost the reason why we watch it. 

Let's go...
1st Round of Songs - Picked By The Judges

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel
 - So, Paula Abdul tosses David a bone for this song, because all David can sing well seems to be ballads, and David thinks it is a really pretty song.

He still can't open up his eyes if it could save the world, he's pigeonholed himself into his recording contract as a balladeer, and the underlying problem is still that he can't actually be a performer or work the crowd.  He sings nice, he squints, he just can't seem to approach the audience and get the girls to toss their underwear at him.

David, open up your f&#$ing eyes!

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "If I Ain't Got You" by Alecia Keys
 - Randy Jackson throws a song into the wheelhouse that is Syesha, and she does her hair right keeping it straight, and dresses nice, and more importantly she sings nice.  I do wish she would have "performed" a little more, but the only problem I had was she let her "glee" at being there mess up the "emotionish" of the song.

David Cook
 - Sings "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack
 - Simon actually gives someone a challenge, and David Cook took this song and almost even made me want to download it.  What the hell is wrong with Randy?  Simon actually knows how this contest works, and...

After the first round I'm going, in order, David Cook, Syesha Mercado, then David Archuleta

Here comes the...

2nd Round of Songs - Picked By The Contestants

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "With You" by Chris Brown
 - He decides for something new, and who the hell told him that this would be the song to make him a star?  He looks so damn uncomfortable now trying to be a performer/singer, and, I'm sorry, he dances like a white guy.  He sings nice enough, but damn, he needs a few more years under his belt to actually be a star.  Sorry, I know the young girls and grandmas like him, but Randy and Simon called things right for him.  He better hope the Producer people pick the perfect song for him or else he better hope his fan-base is super-strong.

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "Fever" by, Peggy Lee
 - She needs to quit smiling, although I can understand how happy she might just be to be there in the final three.  She breaks character to be happy, then flips back into serious mode, then back into happy mode.  She's flaunting her voice, flaunting her, hmm, dress and body, but can't hold the "performance" side.  Quit smiling, stay in the "serious" character, and it would have been perfect.

David Cook
 - Sings "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot
 - He still likes picking slightly obscure songs, decides he'll try to be a rocker with the guitar strapped around his neck, and does his best to rock it out, but sadly, someone has done this before on "American Idol," and they don't give him enough time to actually develop the song.  He could have been great with this song, if he could have actually done the entire song, but if the "American Idol" folks want to know why we are tired of watching the show, it's because the only get half a song to sing.  He could have been so much better.

Second Round: Syesha, David Cook, and then David Archuleta

Here comes the...

3rd Round of Songs - Picked By The Producers of the Show
And "American Idol" Producers, you have now put yourself into "We have to cram as much as possible into this one hour show so we can't actually let them sing a full song and actually develop it, so lets rush right into...

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg
 - He squints, but who cares anymore?  I'm almost wondering if he has eyes under those eyelids.  A lame song, he still can't be a performer for it, and still just sits there, on a stool, instead of hitting the end of the stage and wooing the girls.  And no, Randy, he can't sing the phone book.

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "Hit Me Up" by, Gia Farrell?
 - So, the "Idol" folks are trying to turn Syesha into a Beyonce/Rihanna?  Do you people even know what you have here?  Gosh, she tried to work it, she worked to sing it, but this is not a song you give someone who you want to be the next Beyonce/Rihanna to try to pull off in a minute and a half, nor try to rehearse in less than a week!  Ughh you "American Idol" producer people, Ughh!  Syesha tried so hard, though, unless David Cook becomes a magic man, I want Syesha to win.

David Cook
 - Sings "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith/Diane Warren
 - He's screwed by a lame arrangement with the "American Idol" band, and he is so trying to work it.  The orchestra sucks, he only has 90 seconds to work it, and as much as he tries to promote it, I thought it was kind of lame.  I guess it sounded better on the Idol stage, because in my home, well, I hated it.  I've seen Steven Tyler sing this song, and David Cook is no Steven Tyler, mostly thanks to the band.

You know what, I'm tired of trying to figure out who might win this thing...  So...

Let's wrap this up...

My advice for the "American Idol" folks is to simply quit trying to make the show complicated, quit with not letting the singers sing full versions of songs, and I want Syesha to win because if anyone has grown during this competition, has come out of her shell, and has actually worked to be a performer, it is Syesha.  If you want my opinions on how to get "American Idol" back to actually getting people to watch, I'll just say something simple - quit with the crap, let every contestant sing the full version of the song, and keep the results-show to 1/2 hour.  All we care about on the results-show is who is getting booted.

If you want someone who is a pop-idol, that person is Syesha.  I'm rooting for her!

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! "Speed Racer," The Dude Leaves his Bunker, and Baseball Nuts.

The Dude on the Right and Stu Gotz are finally reunited for a "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast, and they've got a lot to talk about. Sure, Stu saw "Speed Racer" and gives his review, The Dude has to explain that he had a great time shirking his duties and meeting up with a dudette from his school days, and Stu relates that he still can't understand sport uber-fans. The two of them talk about "Survivor," about "American Idol," and Stu tries to give a Netflix review of a movie that The Dude could care less about. Ah, such are Stu & The Dude!

Posted by Rightdude at 6:09 PM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2008

Eavesdropping in Millennium Park and Shirking My Duties!

By: The Dude on the Right
First off let me apologize for shirking my reviewer duties this weekend, but my Saturday turned out much better than I read "Speed Racer" might be, and I really didn't care about seeing "What Stays in Vegas" today, especially since today was a blustery, rainy day leaving some cleaning of The Dude-Pad actually a funner option since all of the reviews I read about the Vegas movie were mixed as well.  Stu Gotz, though, did see "Speed Racer" and promised to fill me in, and all of rest of you, during our "Weekend Wrap-Up Podcast" tomorrow, and I guess I'll have to give Stu some insight into my happily blowing off the movies for a day in the park and cleaning.

I suppose I should also fill Stu in with my latest obsession.

No, my obsession is not about my favorite sport's team, it's not about soap operas, it's not about searching for for information if Hillary has any chance in hell of beating Barack, and it's not even about internet porn.  Nope, I am slowly becoming obsessed with eavesdropping on people in public places.  It started the other day while I was hanging out in a Starbucks, with like, so, this girl who was so, like in the business world who, like, just liked to say "like" a lot, and "so" a lot, and I couldn't help if maybe the secret to advancement in the the corporate world, and maybe "The Hills" on MTV, was simply commenting about things with "like" and "so."

But then I spent some time in Millennium Park on Saturday, and I couldn't help but hear, while sitting on a bench, quips (with my initial thoughts) like, so:

• This is really a beautiful park area...
  Duh, it's Millennium Park, finished after the millennium, but you really would be shocked to see what is actually under the park!
• Maybe we should walk over to The Art Institute.  Which way is it?
  Doesn't anyone actually use a map anymore?
• Do you think those cigarettes are making us out of breath...
  Look, Mr. Skateboards, I know how you ripped your jeans, but do yourself a favor and Google "lung cancer."
• We found "The Bean!"
  Hey, that's "Cloud Gate" to you little skippy!
• Are your parents in Morocco?  Have they come to visit?
  He had a huge accent, she seemed Midwest, I'm guessing he'll never let his parents meet her.
• A baby was screeching loudly
  Actually, there were quite a few babies in their strollers crying/screeching, which is what babies do, especially when they are being strolled through a park they will never remember and just want a bottle, or their diaper changed.
• Now this I've never seen before...
  I wish I was actually looking at what this dude was seeing!
• The last time I was down here it was cold and gray and generally unpleasant.
  What in the hell are you doing visiting Millennium Park in the summertime?  Oh, I'm guessing it might have actually been winter.  :-)
• The Sound of Breaking Twigs...
  A dude with a ratty backpack, maybe looking for some inspiration, sat at the other end of the bench I was on, breaking twigs.  Bruce Springsteen has a song called "Thundercrack" on his "Tracks" compilation, but I'm thinking "Twiggycrack" won't have as much an impact.
• This is a dead end.
  There's a sort of fake sidewalk behind where I was sitting that people thought would lead them across Columbus Drive.  People, just take the "Snakey bridge"!
• Something was said in Spanish...
  My Spanish isn't what it used to be, actually it's not even close to what it used to be other than "Hola," "Dos Cervezas," "Donde el banyo," and "No hablo espanol," or something like that but with all of the appropriate accent marks, but there were some tourists speaking foreign languages.  Welcome, Bonjour, Aloha, Hola, Kon-nichiwa, and any other way we can say "Hello" to our foreign visitors!
• Daley Bicentennial Plaza
  She was tired, she just needed to sit down, and all she could read off of the sign was "Daley Bicentennial Plaza," which hopefully won't someday read "The Children's Museum that Should Have Just Stayed at Navy Pier."
• Yes, we flew than we drove back with them...
  I wonder who are "them," and were they safe drivers?
• You should see what is in his refrigerator now...
  What, human heads?  Maybe some Dijon mustard?  Is he all of the sudden a health nut stocking his refrigerator with fruits, vegetables, and vegetarian eggs, which I still wonder how eggs can ever be "vegetarian" no matter what they have been fed?

I know I shirked the fake, movie world this weekend, but sometimes reality can become so much more interesting when you have to use your imagination to finish some stories, especially when all you get is a sentence or two.  For me this weekend with "one sentence" stories to fill in, other stories about reality, and a few "No shit!" stories, was a hell of a lot interesting than anything I could have seen on a big screen.  It was a weekend where "life" was more exciting than "pretending about life," and I liked it.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 7:20 PM | Comments (0)

May 8, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: So, Like, It's Like Idol, Survivor, TV, and Like, So, Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

The Dude on the Right was mesmerized during this podcast because he was intrigued by a dudette who liked to say "like" and "so" a lot while he was eavesdropping on a conversation at Starbucks. The Dude is also a little melancholy about the end of the TV season, what with "Survivor" wrapping up on Mother's Day, and "American Idol" coming to a close soon, but thankfully the Jack Johnson wannabe, Jason Castro, is done singing.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:41 PM | Comments (0)

May 6, 2008

Umm, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame week? What the Hell is That?

By: The Dude on the Right
Ryan Seacrest says we must vote, and I'm saying I don't care how poorly Syesha might do, but vote for Syesha because do we really want a top three finish of all dudes?  It's obvious we don't always vote for the best singers, so for the love of God, don't let "American Idol" become a sausage fest!

It's "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" night, which I really don't understand, except I guess it's songs you can pick which are from the R&R HoF.  But why are the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions still held in New York City instead of Cleveland which is where the Rock Hall is located?  I guess that is a story for another time.  And Paula must be happy because the format is back to normal where she only has to do her talking one performer at a time.  Hooray!

Let's go...
1st Round of Songs

David Cook
 - Sings "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran
 - He is singing okay like he usually does, but he has all of the charisma of, well, he has none.  And why in the hell do you pick a song where the lyrics we all know are "Do do do do, do do do, do do do, do do do, do do...", or something like that.

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "Proud Mary" by, Tina Turner
 - She is so much looking better with the straight hair, has nice gams, and almost has seemed to have come into her own as a singer and performer and might now just be the person to be reckoned with if the dudes don't step things up in a big way.  VOTE FOR SYESHA!  Simon didn't like it, but the heck with him, every week is a bad interpretation of someone famous.  Let's just revel in the fact that someone seems to actually want to perform.

Jason Castro
 - Sings - "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley
 - Yea, go figure, Jason Castro thinks he can sing Bob Marley.  He's trying to finally be a performer, but he's smiling during lines like "I shot him down."  We will see if people don't give a crap about his singing because if after this performance he stays alive well, we know all of the stoners are voting in force.  Simon was dead-on with "utterly atrocious" and "the only similarity was the hair."

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
 - He's still squinting, but at least is trying to perform.  I'm not saying he should get all "crazy eyed," but dude, get used to the lights, open your eyes, and this performance would have been a hell of a lot better.  David's singing is good, but he's still got to learn to work the girls in the front row.  If he worked just one girl to show true confidence with the ladies it would have been fantastic, and his possibilities would be endless.

2nd Round of Songs

 David Cook
 - Sings "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
 - No, this song is not called "Teenage Wasteland," though many people think it is, and sadly for David he only had a short amount of time to actually sing this song.  What is really starting to piss me off about "American Idol" is they are not having the show done so the contestants can actually perform a song.  This is a song that can't be chopped into pieces for a couple of minute piece.  Ugh, the AI people are ruining this show because I almost thing David could have made this song great had he not had to chop it up.

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "A Change in Gonna Come" by, Sam Cook
 - Well, Syesha is starting to show she might actually be the person out of all of these contestants who could actually have a recording career because she was fantastic.  Screw you Randy, Paula loved her, and Simon actually agreed with Paula.  As much as I say VOTE FOR SYESHA!, it might almost be better if she gets booted so she can get out of the "winner of the "American Idol" spotlight" and develop a career like Chris Daughtry.  In any case, Syesha, if you do win, don't let them drag out your career like they did with Jordin Sparks.

Jason Castro
 - Sings - "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan
 - He forgot lyrics, he just doesn't seem to give a damn about being in this competition anymore, and how in the hell did he even think he could pull off Bob Dylan and Bob Marley, so if he is not the one getting booted tomorrow we have found out that this show doesn't really matter anymore because the public just likes a pretty boy, or a stoner-looking boy.

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Love Me Tender" by Elvis "and do we even need to end that with Presley?" Presley
 - Wait a minute, did he just say, or was he mocking me, that "I haven't really sung a romantic love song on the stage before?"  He's still squinting, the little girls and old ladies still probably love him and will text their hearts out for him, and I'll give him a few props for changing the arrangement a tad, or give credit to whomever might have changed his arrangement.  Whoever did the changes knew David would only have a short time to put this song out and hopefully made it work.  David, dude, you still need to learn how to open up your eyes.

Let's wrap this up...

All I can say is that the "American Idol" producer/director/whoever the hell is in charge of this monster is really screwing this up.  I say that because between last week and this week our contestants don't actually get to sing, nope, they get to sing a bitty-small portion of a song instead of actually getting a chance to perform a song.  The culmination of this was David Cook singing the worst, chopped version of "Baba O'Riley" ever.  Idol people, please, stop.  Get this show back to how we loved it in year one and two, because if next season is like this, well, I don't know if I can stick with it.  "Dancing With the Stars" lost my viewership, my Mom has already ditched "American Idol," but if you don't get back to actually letting the contestants learn to be performers, or at least sing an entire song, I might be done with it next year.

In any case, VOTE FOR SYESHA!  And other than being a dudette, she actually deserves it.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 8:17 PM | Comments (0)

May 5, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: "Iron Man," I'm Sad, I am Tired of Politics, and My BFF is Getting Demoted.

The Dude on the Right is happy for this podcast because he had a nice birthday weekend and saw "Iron Man"; The Dude on the Right is sad for this podcast because Van Wilder is marrying his dream girl, he had to demote his BFF, and he saw "Made of Honor"; And The Dude on the Right wonders if you know how to pronounce "Yahoo!"?

Posted by Rightdude at 6:49 PM | Comments (0)

May 1, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Happy Birthday to Me!, Vote for Syesha, Jason was Dumber, and Here Comes "Iron Man!"

For this podcast The Dude on the Right talks about getting a haircut, in anticipation of his birthday and having to renew his driver's license, by a dudette who blamed her sounding like she was stoned on a cold rather than, well, being stoned. He is also throwing all of his support to Syesha on "American Idol," thinks Jason might be the dumbest "Survivor" contestant ever, and wonders who he would beckon to visit him during "family reunion day" had he been a "Survivor" contestant. But as his birthday looms, and he gets out of his 40's, The Dude knows it is now movie season, and he can't wait to see "Iron Man" over the weekend.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:22 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2008

Neil Diamond is In the American Idol House! But Why?

By: The Dude on the Right
I love Neil Diamond.  I've seen him in 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2005. I've taken some nice photos of the man, I've done some cartoon drawings of the man (scroll down for it), and I have even taken my Mom to his concert back in 2001 which would have been a better experience for her (but maybe not so much of a story), had I splurged on a limo.  He is a singer, he is a songwriter, but hopefully for our last five folks in this contest it will be his performing skills that he can impress on them.  We'll have to see how that goes as the show goes on, so let's just get to it, and here's how I thought the five folks did...

ROUND 1
Jason Castro
 - Sings - "Forever in Blue Jeans"
 - Good choice for him.  It's bouncy, light-hearted, and works with him playing guitar, but he still isn't being much of a performer. 

David Cook
 - Sings "I'm Alive"
 - Good, pick obscure Neil Diamond songs people don't know by a performer who most people know all of his hits.  David did good with the "I'm Alive" song, but most people probably don't want to hear Neil Diamond songs they don't know.  Quit trying to be so "original."

Brook White
 - Sings - "I'm a Believer"
 - "I'm a Believer" is just so wrong for a song for her to sing.  She couldn't hit the low notes, it might have been in the wrong key, and these people playing their own instruments limit themselves because they are stuck behind the mike and can't actually work the crowd.  So far the performing side of anything isn't coming out.

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Sweet Caroline"
 - So David tried to bust out of his melodic groove with maybe the biggest karaoke song in existence, and he didn't even fill in the "So Good, So Good, So Good" part.  He almost wanted to work the crowd for this song, but then hunkered back to just singing, almost seeming to hope he wouldn't forget the words.

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "Hello Again"
 - It's nice enough, but just seems to be lacking some kind of punch that Neil puts into it even though it's a ballad.

On a side note, Paula Abdul has finally hit an all-time high for being clueless.

ROUND 2
Jason Castro
 - Sings - "September Morn"
 - Yea, we get the performer you want to be - the laid-back, hippie dude.  We get it, the dudettes probably like your laid-back attitude, and you picked good songs this week even though I found you lame.  You're lucky the chicks probably dig you.

David Cook
 - Sings "All I Need is You"
 - Yup, another obscure Neil Diamond song, what the hell are you thinking?  Sure, you might be trying to separate yourself and be original, but in a week you had two songs to pick maybe you should choose an obscure one for the first song (good choice though), and then bring reality back with a Neil Diamond classic so everyone could remember that.  You're probably lucky that you are a pretty-boy, rocker-dude, because that is the only thing you bring.

Brook White
 - Sings - "I Am, I Said"
 - You know what, I hate the fact that the band actually joined in because for her, doing this solo, on the piano, was really working for me.  The back-up band ruined it, because as a solo song this was actually a song I liked.  I still hate that she won't shut up when the judges give her their critiques, and I only wish I could see her do this song in a smoky bar, all alone on a piano, just being herself.

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "America"
 - I know you are young, but who in the hell is coaching you on the songs for you to sing?  Of all of the Neil Diamond songs this is probably the worst choice in my head for you.  I guess it sounded better for his live performance because on my TV I didn't like it at all.  Am I hearing something different?

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "Thank the Lord for the Night Time"
 - She's at least coming out of her shell and trying to also be a performer, but I think it might be a little too late because, as I'm listening to her, Syesha could have probably turned "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" into a fabulous number, but the problem is the American Idol folks forced these people to do two songs in an hour.

Let's wrap this up...
As much as I love Neil Diamond I still have absolutely no idea why he was involved in this show.  The crappy part is that our contestants didn't need to try and fit two songs each into an hour, they really needed just one song each to fill in this hour - and perform the hell out of that song.  I hate to say this but the "American Idol" folks haven't seemed to realize why we love this show, and it's not for seeing people sing a verse and then a chorus and then being judged by Randy, Paula, and Simon, clipped because of time constraints.  Our time is precious, don't let us feel cheated.

I've pretty much given up on "Dancing with The Stars," and now I'm almost not caring about "American Idol."  Idol Producers, at least let these people try to sing.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)

April 28, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Miley Cyrus and Mindy McCready being 15 Years Old, Roger Waters has a Pig, and Happy Birthday Theta Xi!

The Dude on the Right doesn't really relate how joining Theta Xi in college actually led to this podcast, during, well, this podcast, but he does so in his summary, and part of it was that something in 1864 led him to meeting The Dude on the Left in 1985, which eventually led him to having this podcast. Wow, how is that for confusing? The Dude on the Right at least keeps things simple for most of the rest of it, talking about 15 year old confusion, at least for maybe Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana), and Mindy McCready who was 15 many years ago, but a story about the death of Cheri Oteri's father also fascinated him, especially since it seemed both sad yet bizarre.  He still wonders why Roger Waters' letting an inflatable pig fly free during Coechella is news, especially since Roger has been doing this since at least sometime in 2006, but maybe The Dude on the Right will be back to normal after seeing "Iron Man" this weekend, hopefully, the day before his birthday.

The Dude on the Right is fascinated by some of the strangest things sometimes.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:48 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2008

I Should Have Just Stayed in Bed.

By: The Dude on the Right
With my weekend movie reviewing completed a day early after seeing "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" on Friday and "Baby Mama" yesterday, I was looking forward to a day to get things some things done around The Dude-Pad, and as Sunday's are my laundry day, what a great way to start!  That sounds simple enough only that for the first time in I can't even remember, I was in my bathroom, dressed, yet felt naked.  And then it occurred to me and I yelled, "Crap," only I didn't yell "Crap," I yelled the word even my Mom would be washing my mouth out with soap had she heard me say it.  And the word came out knowing that yesterday's jeans were the first article of clothing in the washer, therefore as the washing machine was still filling up, my wallet was toast, being soaked in a combination of warm water, floating dirt, and laundry detergent.  So I'm digging through my washing machine, looking for the jeans at the bottom, and sure enough, there it was, my wallet, soaked, and then the fun part came, actually reminding myself of all of the things in my wallet.  The simple things were there - driver's license, credit and bank cards, health insurance card, an expired Extended Warranty card for my car, and some grocery store cards.  Then I remembered some of the other stuff I knew might disintegrate, namely an old card to the lady who used to cute my hair, old pictures of my niece and nephew, and some receipts I didn't yank out of my wallet for expense purposes.  Luckily, happily, the disintegration didn't occur, most everything was saved, and the pictures of my niece when she was in Kindergarten and my nephew in 4th grade survived (sure, these pictures are from 1996, but they are both so much cuter back then)!  The only thing washing my wallet did do was remind me that I need a new wallet, as it has been slowly falling apart over the last six months, but damn, I love that wallet!

And sure, a wallet in the laundry isn't a catastrophic moment for the day, I just thank God it wasn't my iPhone, so I continued my day.  Sunday newspaper - Check!  Breakfast - Check!  A quick TiVo through "Ebert & Roeper At the Movies" to see how they, or at least Richard Roeper, felt about the movies I saw this week - Check!  Let's keep working on the newspaper while watching "Battlestar Galactica" - No check.  It turns out my cable system didn't seem to want me watching the show even though my TiVo actually changed channels this time, leaving me with a "Searching for signal message," or something like that, for an hour on my TiVo.  Uggh!  Now I have to call Comcast this week, and that is always such a joy.

Breakfast done, Sunday paper done, laundry started, all that was left for my day was cleaning the first floor of The Dude-Pad.  The breakfast nook/storage area for my fish-tank cleaning and maintenance stuff went fine, I found a spot for an old radio in my kitchen which would work nicely when I cook my extravagant meals, and I was looking forward to rearranging some photos around my living room area, doing some much needed dusting, and it occurred to me that I had an old photo I wanted to hang up but needed a frame that I knew I could pick up when I went to either A) The hardware store where I needed to pick up a new set of blinds for my living room window, or 2) Even at the grocery store while getting sustenance supplies for the week.

I measure the blinds I would need, 51 inches wide, I have my grocery list, I head out in the Dude-Mobile to the Home Depot, buy blinds that are 51 inches wide, and they even have three-packs of air filters for my furnace!  Bonus!!  I get to the grocery store, my shopping is complete, and then I get home.  I look down and there is the picture I needed a frame for that I didn't buy.  Alright, let's move on.  I bought liquid soap for my kitchen and bathroom dispensers, only to find the bathroom one seems to have issues, necessitating an improvising for some fixing, therefore slowing down my cleaning schedule, and before I cleaned my living room I figured hanging the new blinds would be the first step.  I'm up on a stool, the old blinds are down, the new blinds are up, and then I realized I couldn't walk around naked in my living room (not like I ever do, but I like knowing I have the option), because although the blinds I bought were wide enough, sadly I didn't pay attention to the length.  Uggghhhhh!  I was finally spent, too many things wrong, let's just watch cars driving left so I watched the end of the NASCAR race to clear my mind and said to myself, "Self, the living room cleaning will wait until another day.  I've had it."

So, resting on my couch, watching cars go round and round and then crashing, I didn't think my day could get any more into "I should have just stayed in bed" mode until my bed sheets came out of the dryer, and as I went to put one of my pillows back into a pillow case, the pillow case tore in places I can't even figure out how to mend.  Uggggghhhhh, again.

So, my Sunday, which was supposed to be all about me, turned into, still, all about me, but not like I pictured.  I washed my wallet, my cable company doesn't want me watching "Battlestar Galactica," I can't walk around in my living room naked, and I was reminded I need a new wallet and bed linens.  It is, as a day progresses like this, that I sort of wish I had a girlfriend, like Jewel, who would just utter the simple line, "Come on darlin', let's go back to bed."

I will say, that today, I did at least mount the bust of a moose, or maybe a reindeer, on my wall, but tomorrow will be Monday, and oh, that looks so promising, and I mean that in a totally sarcastic way.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 7:11 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Lee Elia Rants, Carly Smithson is Booted, and RIP Kenneth Keith Kallenbach.

After hearing about the passing of Kenneth Keith Kallenback during The Howard Stern Show this morning, The Dude on the Right realized he actually has a "blowing smoke through his eyes" story, and doesn't do his best to tell the tale during this podcast. He does, though, warn you as you are listening that you might want to watch your podcast volume during his visiting of the Lee Elia tirade about Chicago Cubs' fans. The Dude is also happy TV is back in full bloom, happy that Carly Smithson is finally off "American Idol," and is looking forward to seeing Neil Diamond as the A.I. mentor next week.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:01 PM | Comments (0)

April 22, 2008

It is Andrew Lloyd Webber Week. Shouldn't We Be Paying Attention to the Pennsylvania Election Results?

By: The Dude on the Right
So as a good American I suppose I should probably be hunkered down watching the Pennsylvania Primary Results to see if Hillary Clinton somehow pulls out a chance to solidly beat Barack Obama if only to further confuse who will be the Democratic nominee for President, but, dammit, it is Tuesday night, it is "American Idol" night, and there is more important voting going on in just about an hour.  Sure, it is Andrew Lloyd Webber Week for A.I., and Andrew Lloyd Webber is fantastic, legendary, a mega-force when it comes to musicals, and fine, I'll admit it, I'm a fan of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Cats."  Hell, I even saw "Cats" on Broadway back in 1985, although part of it is blurry as we took a high school bus ride from Ohio to New York City, and since I can't sleep on moving transportation and "Cats" was the first play we saw out there the evening we arrived, let's just say I was nodding off during part of it, at least I think so.  Man, some of those memories are blurry now, and unless my mind is really messed up, we also saw "Noises Off" out there, which I can still watch today and laugh my ass off if done even close to right.  But I digress.

So as much as I do appreciate the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, maybe the "American Idol" folks realize no one there has the personality/performance quality to make it as a pop singer so they're trying to see if they can make some money with them on the Broadway stage.  Maybe Andrew Lloyd Webber will actually get these shlubs to be performers, but I'm still praying for "Bruce Springsteen Week" when he can teach this group about performing, and then Artie Lange from The Howard Stern Show, now that he reneged on his resignation, will have to answer to this equation:  Bruce Springsteen + American Idol = Ball Shocking.

Enough reminiscing, enough praying, let's see how our last six folks sing...

Syesha Mercado
 - Sings - "One Rock 'n Roll Too Many"
 - My prediction is that even though she sings nice enough, and she is trying to perform it as if she were on stage, she's the first singer of the night and only her diehard fans will stick by and vote for her.  Sadly, or maybe happily, she has shown she will be able to make it on Broadway, just not the pop/Idol scene.

Jason Castro
 - Sings - "Memory"
 - This is not a song for "laid-back"-ness, which Jason Castro is all about.  The thing is that people who know the song (like me), will probably think it sucked, but fans who have no concept of the song might actually love it.  He needed to hit the "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack and become Jesus, rather than singing anything from "Cats."  Horrible song choice.

Brook White
 - Sings - "You Must Love Me"
 - Does "forgetting the song" lend her to the bottom of the pack?  Does singing a Madonna song save her?  Once she got over forgetting the lyrics she did okay, but the performance aspect waivered.  Paula seemed crushed, Simon was correct about the stopping thing, and now we will see how strong her fan base really is.

David Archuleta
 - Sings - "Think of Me", I think.
 - So Andrew Lloyd Webber gave David the best bit of advice ever - to open his eyes, and yet he can't.  I guess he's a squinty dude who can sing well, but still lacks the performance skills because if the dude just approached the front of the stage, worked the girls in the front row, he would have shown everyone that he is better than just a good singer.  Simon again is correct.  David has to break out his shell and be a performer - quit standing in the center of the stage.

Carly Smithson
- Sings - "Superstar"
- This song fits in her wheelhouse, but there is still something about her that makes her "over-the-top" for the show.  She still shouts too much, she still seems to have this attitude of "I deserve to win this," and this song was probably a better choice for her, even though I still didn't like it that much.

David Cook
 - Sings "Music of the Night"
 - Yea, fine, you could be on Broadway, too.  You will probably stick around for another week, and at least you seem to try and work the crowd a bit, but you have shown that there isn't a pop-idol in this group.

Let's wrap this up...

Great, this week has shown that we've got six people who could probably be on Broadway, but not one of them has shown that they have the star power to be a pop singer.  Sorry, but I really don't care that much about these people anymore.  We don't need Mariah, we don't need Broadway, now we just need to see if these people can perform, and as I have been re-iterating from week to week, we really need a performing mentor for these folks.

That's it for this one!  I'm The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Posted by Rightdude at 9:15 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Movie Talk, Artie Lange Talk, End of the World Talk, "Survivor" Talk, and more Talk.

The Dude on the Right is flying solo for this "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast, mostly because of his own fault, but he still tries to blame Stu Gotz a bit even while he talks about penis and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." The Dude also talks some martial arts with the movie "The Forbidden Kingdom," how he is happy Artie Lange is back on The Howard Stern Show," that the end of the world is coming, and last week might have been the best tribal council on "Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites." The Dude also gives his tribute, sort of, to Pope Benedict coming to the United States of America.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:11 PM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2008

At First I Wondered "What Was I Thinking?" An Hourish Later My Legs Weren't Screaming "Frack!"

By: