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November 24, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! Fireworks, Movies, Manners, and a Cheap Dude.

The Dude on the Right is almost ready to toss his new MacBook Pro out of the window while he and Stu Gotz were recording this "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast, especially as Stu brags about how The Dude could probably take one quick class at his local Apple store to solve his problems, but The Dude is a stubborn pollack, so the two of them just hunker down to talk about The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in Chicago over the weekend, and Stu seeing "Quantum of Solace" instead of "Twilight" at the theaters.  There is some Netflix catching up to do for The Dude, Stu might have a way to save the environment thanks to his thinking while he was taking a poop, and Stu has some hostility for the YMCA Scuba program, which he might want to see a psychiatrist for.

They both discuss this Thanksgiving weekend's movie schedule, and Stu revisits the brilliance that is "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."  So much to talk about in so little time, yet they figure out a way to pull it off, and even mention the fact that Stu Gotz is also a member of Twitter Nation.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:21 PM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Here Comes Britney Spears' Circus, Here Comes "Twilight," and Here Are "Jillian Michaels' Clips of the Week!"

The Dude on the Right is a little melancholy for this podcast, what with Thanksgiving coming up and his not traveling to the Old Country this year (and it's not even because he's a Radio Shack Manager anymore), but at least he'll be spending time with his BFF, which is nice.  It's also nice for him that he'll be thinking about seeing "Twilight" and "Bolt," rather than actually seeing the movies "Twilight" and "Bolt," but nothing beats his anticipation like getting the initial word that Britney Spears might be showing up on her "Circus" tour in the Chicago area, in March of 2009.

Thankfully he still watches "The Biggest Loser" giving him a new batch of inspiration thanks to "Jillian Michaels' Clips of the Week!"  The Dude is now inspired to fight another day!

Posted by Rightdude at 7:43 PM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2008

>What's New? A Movie Review of: Quantum of Solace

The Dude on the Right liked the fact that "Casino Royale" became a little more like "The Bourne Identity" franchise, but now he thinks the James Bond folks took "Quantum of Solace" to an action level even the "Bourne" franchise doesn't try to achieve. In any case he gives his movie review, likes Daniel Craig as James Bond, thinks Olga Kurylenko is hot as Camille, but in his mind, the hottie factor is kind of like the debate about Ginger or Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island, because in "Quantum...", well, Gemma Arterton is the "normal" girl, and she is Strawberry Fields, and she actually gets to sleep with James Bond.  Sure, it leads to her striking oil, but that's another story for the movie.

The Dude will let this James Bond movie go, just hoping the next installment starts to develop James into the smooth, deboner, and if he has to kill a few people along the way, well, he's up for that, kind of secret agent.  In the opposite of the words of Elvis, for The Dude on the Right, James Bond needs a little less action and a little more conversation.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:28 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! "Quantum of Solace," The Chicago Bears Suck, A Crabman, and More!

The Dude on the Right and Stu Gotz got together for another wrap-up about their weekend, and they discuss it for their podcast.  Stu kept things with the family, watching "27 Dresses," wondering about TV shows like "Entourage" and "My Own Worst Enemy," and wasn't allowed to upload copyrighted music to YouTube, whereas The Dude on the Right saw, with his BFF, "Quantum of Solace," the NBC Travel Expo at Navy Pier in Chicago (complete with Crabman  and Catalina from "My Name is Earl" and Mike Adamle eating popcorn), and cleaned his garage.  Okay, The Dude's BFF didn't help The Dude clean his garage, but that's okay, because at least neither Stu nor The Dude, nor The Dude's BFF, watched enough of the Chicago Bears getting trampled by the Green Bay Packers to really care about football over the weekend.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:26 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Werewolves, Bears, Turkeys, and Jillian Michaels.

The Dude on the Right flies solo for this podcast, and he keeps it kind of short, with some quick warnings about werewolves, some cheering on the Chicago Bears, not comprehending that Turkey Day and Christmas are right around the corner, and still being a fan of "Survivor: Gabon."  The Dude, however, is not a fan of "The Biggest Loser" still being two hours long, actually feels hatred for a contestant on the show named Vicky, and was so happy Amy flipped and sent Vicky's husband, Brady, packing.  The Dude is happy, though, that he remembered to play his "Jillian Michaels' Clips of the Week" segment, whereas inspiration is normally the name of the game, but he loves her "One of them has immunity" line.

Posted by Rightdude at 6:25 PM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2008

What's New? A DVD Review of: Like Water for Chocolate

The Dude on the Right let his BFF recommend some DVD viewing, so he watched (and read), and reviews, the movie "Like Water for Chocolate," complete with subtitles.  He realizes it is really a dudette-flick, but he enjoyed it anyway, because even though things get kind of strange, like a spontaneously combusting outhouse and a vindictive ghost, the story is nice, it made him dream about Mexican food, and sometimes he can appreciate a well-made foreign film.

Posted by Rightdude at 8:31 PM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up! Bubble Tea, Families, Movies, and an Injury. And a Full Review of "Role Models."

In the immortal works of Harry Caray, "Holy Cow!"  Yup, Stu Gotz and The Dude on the Right got together to for a new podcast of "Stu & The Dude's Weekend Wrap-Up!," and they talk about so many things in about twenty minutes, well, it's almost scary to write about them all.  In any case, there is talk about bubble tea, The Dude's BFF, a family gathering, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," "Role Models," and some heart-shaped pubes in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno."  They don't forget to talk about the Chicago Bears, the upcoming James Bond flick "Quantum of Solace," and Stu injuring himself playing Wii, and not playing with his Wii.

In conjunction, The Dude on the Right did see "Role Models," and liked it, in the R-Rated kind of way some movies are being made nowadays.  If you don't like swear words and boobies, you probably won't like it, but The Dude does like swear words and boobies, and well-written comedies, so he liked it, liking it.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:42 PM | Comments (0)

November 6, 2008

What's New? A Podcast of: Another Reason to Avoid Lorain, OH, eBay Stupidity, Oprah, and South Park.

The Dude on the Right is flying solo for this Thursday podcast, and he ponders life in his home town, Lorain, OH, where the folks there decided $15 a year, for those who own cars, was too much money to fix the roads, which really need it, because it's almost worse than driving on the moon when you visit.  He also explains why sometimes people are standing around on a work crew.  The Dude is also impressed at the boys who make South Park, what with their having an episode instantly timely with the election results, sort of, of is happy he didn't waste a couple of hundred bucks buying copies of the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune, hoping to make money with them on eBay.  Then again, there would probably be one sucker who might pay $500 for his copy.

Posted by Rightdude at 7:28 PM | Comments (0)

November 5, 2008

The Only Change We Can Truly Believe In is The Change of Seasons

By: The Dude on the Right
Congratulations to Barack Obama on winning the nomination for President of the United States, and kudos to John McCain for giving what might be the most gracious concession speech ever.  In an election season that has gone on way too long, where I thank God I live in the Chicago area which limited the amount of campaign adds on my TV (I visited Ohio, and TV really sucked without TiVo to fast-forward you through the crap), now we move on, and wonder what "change" can really be accomplished.

I found the "change" concept sort of inspiring when Barack originally adopted it at the beginning of his candidacy, but then, wouldn't you know, as other candidates realized "change" became a buzz-word, suddenly Hillary Clinton adopted the word as her own, and then, low and behold, John McCain did the same.  It didn't matter that Barack adopted the word first, all that mattered was that now everyone was about change. The thing is, as much as change is professed, it's easier to talk about doing it than actually accomplishing it.

And so, whether or not Barack Obama can really bring about change we can believe in, after three days of 70 degree days in November, here in Chicago, when back in college some of us would have blown off three days of classes to catch the last sunny rays of the year by hanging out on the roof, I at least took a couple of walks near the dude-pad and realized there is only one aspect of change you can always believe in, and that is the change of seasons, maybe a little more pronounced in a place like Chicago.

As I took those walks, looking at a retention pond that is changing to hibernation mode for an upcoming winter, I thought about things earlier this year, when that pond was barren, and I would walk past it, reflecting on the passing of Dad on the Right last January, and 2008 was looking like a strange year.  Then spring and summer came, the pond blossomed with new life, and suddenly I reconnected with a friend from my past who has now become my BFF.  Fall came, Mom on the Right passed away, and as I looked at the pond the other day, and took the picture accompanying this blog, it didn't make me sad that things were dying, it made me smile that as some things that have changed have made me sad, other things that have changed just make me smile.

Mother Nature knows how to do change right, so that every season is beautiful.  I wonder if there is any way politicians can learn from Mom.

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

Posted by Rightdude at 7:29 PM | Comments (0)

November 4, 2008

Does Your Vote Really Count? Maybe Not for Obama or McCain, but Maybe So for Jim Shoe or Jane Ishlacosky.

By: The Dude on the Right
I voted today.

That shouldn't seem that strange, but for the longest time, up until about five or ten years ago, I didn't vote, pretty much with the attitude of "What's the point?"  You see, I live in Illinois, and for the most part, especially in national elections, the outcome is set long before I cast my vote with the state being hugely on the Democrat side, or at least so because of Chicago.  I voted when I was younger, when I could for the first time in high school because it just seemed so "adult," and I think I voted a couple of times when I was in college because the voting place was across the street, but then it just seemed like a pain in the butt to go somewhere on a Tuesday that I never visit when I had better things to do.  And also, for Presidential elections, in Illinois, and with the dumb-ass electoral college process we have, most of the time it just seemed like as much as my vote might count for the "democrat" guy, if I voted for the "republican" guy, it really didn't matter because "21" votes, none of which were mine, were going for one candidate, the democrat.  And fine those of you who are in states with only a few electoral votes might like this process because then a candidate has to visit you for a couple of electoral college votes, but really, in this day and age of computers, and the ability to instantly count every vote, is it really fair, if I'm a John McCain supporter (and I'll admit that I'm not), to even vote in a state like Illinois, knowing that my vote is useless because even if Illinois had a 60% Obama, 38% McCain, and 2% for the other folks on the ballot split, the electoral votes aren't split by the percentage, like maybe it should be, meaning Barack would get 12ish votes, John getting nearly 8 votes, and 1 vote spread across the people who when you went to vote, looked at the ballot, and saw peoples names you had never seen before who were running for President, well, it doesn't matter because no matter the percentage split, Obama will get 21 "votes" from Illinois to become President of The United States.

Yes, there are the battleground states they always talk about, like Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Florida, where the race is tight, and your vote sort of counts, but even then, it's all or nothing, which, now, in the 2000's, seems just plain stupid.  Polls are taken everyday, by some very reputable poll takers, but in the end it doesn't matter who is getting the most votes, all that really matters is who "wins" what state.

And that just is wrong.

What should be is who actually wins, by people, who vote.  It is 2008.  I would like to think that we have finally learned how to count, up to at least 150 million.

The polls are closing, the news channels are working to make their mark as the first to "project" the winner, but in the end, in your state, the only place your vote really counts is in your local election, where Jim Shoe will beat Jane Ishlacosky, because you voted. Individual votes are what hopefully matter, and not some old process of "winner takes it all."

See, your vote does count, in the way it should, but sadly, not always for our President.

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

Posted by Rightdude at 7:03 PM | Comments (1)

What's New? A "Stu & The Dude Weekend Wrap-Up!" Podcast and a Movie Review of "Zack and Miri Make a Porno."

After a few weeks of being apart, Stu Gotz and The Dude on the Right get reunited for a "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast.  They talk a little about the death of Mom on the Right, Stu's weekend turned out to be mostly about his kids as they ended up at a jumpy place for youngins and at another place called "Space Golf," while The Dude is still trying to learn how to use his new MacBook. And even though The Dude tells Stu about the movie during the podcast, there's also a full written review of  "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" that got posted.

Stu did get to tell The Dude that he was spot on about his earlier review of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," even with the excess wiener footage, and TV is always a topic for these guys, since they don't really like to read, which leads to some Studs Terkel talk.

Posted by Rightdude at 5:48 PM | Comments (0)