30+ Horror Movies On Netflix Streaming For Halloween 2011

♫ Happy, Happy Halloween, Halloween, Halloween! Happy, Happy Halloween, Sil-ver Sham-rock! ♫



[ PSA: For the love of God, don't watch that if you are in danger of epileptic seizures! ]

That's right, boys and ghouls, Halloween is upon us! Are you looking for a horror movie to enjoy this Halloween? Do you have Netflix streaming? If you answered yes to both questions, then you're in luck!

Here are 30 great horror movies you can check out on Netflix streaming to give your 2011 Halloween some thrills and chills...

Modern Horror Classics:

The Exorcist - In my opinion, it's the scariest movie of all time...
Night of the Living Dead - George Romero's classic started it all!
The Evil Dead - Sam Raimi's original, low budget horror classic.
The Last House on the Left - Wes Craven's disturbing 1972 original.
Scream - The classic that re-invented the modern slasher genre!

John Carpenter (The Master of Horror) Films:

The Fog - Jamie Lee Curtis helps Carpenter again in a non HALLOWEEN role.
The Thing - One of the five greatest movies of all time, in my opinion.
Prince of Darkness - An underrated gem.
In the Mouth of Madness - Ditto.
Village of the Damned - Christopher Reeve, Mark Hamill and Kirstie Alley!

Bonus: Non-Horror Classics THEY LIVE and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK!

Non-Glittery Vampire Movies:

Nosferatu (1929) - The original Max Shreck silent classic.
Dracula (1931) - Bela Lugosi's finest (darkest?) hour...
From Dusk 'Til Dawn - Quentin Tarrantino's new classic!
Dracula 2000 - Wes Craven has a lot of movies on this list...
The Lost Boys (Special Edition) - If you haven't seen this one, you need to fix that.

Anthology Horror:

Trick R Treat - Fantastic modern anthology masterpiece!
Creepshow - The 80s classic still holds up today...
Waxwork - Lesser known gem. This one's a lot of fun!
Masters of Horror - There are tons of MASTERS OF HORROR episodes on streaming right now. I recommend: Cigarette Burns, Incidents on and Off a Mountain Road and Valerie on the Stairs
Black Sabbath (1963) - Three tales of terror from Horror's classic era.

Bonus: Every season of THE TWILIGHT ZONE is on Netflix streaming!

Slashers:

The Burning - One of many (and among the best) Friday the 13th inspired imitators.
Maniac - One of the greatest head explosion scenes in cinematic history!
Child's Play - The original is still the best...
Hatchet - Probably the best slasher film of the last 10 years!
Jason X - A campy, sci-fi horror classic. You'll love it!

Lesser Known Gems/Miscellaneous:

Highway To Hell - Long out of print on home video, this one's a lot of fun.
The Keep - Another long out of print gem.
The Hazing - A modern horror gem with Evil Dead type roots.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - A serial killer biopic? It's awesome!
Miner's Massacre - Straight to video slasher from make up and F/X whiz John Carl Buechler...

Honorable Mention/Bonus Tracks:

Paranormal Activity 2 and 3 - The international, modern ghost story phenomenon!
The Crazies (2009) - One of the better horror remakes in recent years!
Leprechaun: In The Hood - Oh yeah...

Return of the Living Dead - If you're not zombie'd out, this one's a ton of fun!

and finally:

Pretty much every HELLRAISER movie from part 3 through 10!

There you have it! Honestly, Netflix Streaming is a horror fan's dream. You won't believe the selection they have; this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Enjoy a good scare!

Dear Brett Favre...

Brett Favre has never been one to keep his mouth shut (or his pants zipped), but maybe...just maybe, it's time he learned. ESPN Milwaukee recently posted an open letter from Favre's teammate William Henderson to Brett himself asking the future Hall of Famer to get over himself. I happen to agree with Hendo 100%.

For the past few years, I've been wanting to write my own letter to Brett Favre. I know it won't mean as much coming from me since we've never been in the trenches together, but I've decided to write it anyway. This is my open letter to a man who has been a personal hero of mine and who's been a big part of my sports watching life.

So that said...

Dear Brett,

I've been a devoted Green Bay Packers fan for 34 of my 38 years. I grew up watching the Packers with my father and my brother and we all suffered as the franchise suffered through some pretty lean years. We watched guys like Bart Starr and Forrest Gregg coaching Quarterbacks like Lynn Dickey, Rich Whitehurst, Anthony Dilweg, Randy Wright and Don Majkowski to mediocre records and once a decade playoff appearances. But through thick and thin, we stuck by them.

Then you came into the picture.

I was a 19 year old College student when you started your first game for the Packers, Brett. I remember thinking at the time how terrible you were and I was frustrated by all of the poor decisions and interceptions in the early going, but I, like Mike Holmgren, stuck by you. For the next 15 years, Packer Nation and I got to enjoy watching the winningest team of the salary cap era and we have you to thank for being such a big part of that success.

You gave my dad a chance to see one last Packers Super Bowl win before he died, Brett. You helped put the title back in Titletown. For that, the Packers organization and fans will always owe you a debt of gratitude. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Brett, for giving us 15 great years of Packers football.

When you started your string of false retirements, I stood by you. When you asked to be traded, I stood by you. I stood by you as a New York Jet. When you went to the Minnesota Vikings and most Packers fans cried foul, I stood by you and respected the fact that you still wanted to play and go out a winner. I even stood by you through Jen Sterger-gate.

Now you're taking cheap shots at Aaron Rodgers? I can't stand by you through that.

What did Aaron Rodgers do you to? Aaron Rodgers didn't ask to come to Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers wasn't lobbying for your job. Aaron Rodgers wasn't pushing the coaches for playing time. All Aaron Rodgers did was practice hard, be respectful to you and he tried to learn from you, but you blew him off. When you left, Rodgers did what he had to do: his job. And through all of this, to this day, Aaron Rodgers has yet to say one bad thing about you. Not one. He has taken the high road.

Maybe it's time you do the same?

Would it kill you to let bygones be bygones? The NFL is a business. Ted Thompson did what he had to do to build a team for the long term. It wasn't personal. You put the team in a tough spot and they had to move on. Had you not decided to play chicken with the management, you probably would have had another 2 years under center in Green Bay. I hate to say it, but you, my friend, did this to yourself.

Would it kill you to say, "Yeah, Aaron Rodgers is doing a great job" or "I wish him the best" or "I hope the Packers win it all again this year?" That's really all you'd have to say to win back the hearts of the Packers faithful like me. Is that REALLY so hard?

I was raised to believe that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So if you CAN'T say any of those things I suggested, how about just biting your tongue and saying nothing? That should be easy, right?

You're a lucky man, Brett. You got to play in a state that worships its sport heroes. Did you watch the Packers on opening day? Bart Starr ran out on the field waving a Green Bay Packers flag to the cheers and adoration of a stadium full of 75,000+ fans and a national Television audience. He's a hero in Wisconsin. You were a hero in Wisconsin, once. If you play your cards right, you could be a hero in Wisconsin again.

Silence is (Green and) Golden, Brett. So how about it? Please? For your teammates? For your fans? For me? Be a hero again. You did it once. I know you can do it again.

With love, admiration and respect,

--Kenn

*******************************************

*Whew* There. I feel better now.

Now Writing For: Pocket Doppler

If you've followed my exploits over the past few years, you've seen me write a number of Wisconsin Sports related stories for The Bleacher Report. No more.

I'm taking my talents *cough* to Pocket Doppler, a nice, indie Wisconsin Sports blog I discovered through friends I met on Twitter. Great guys and gals!

My articles so far include:

• Will The Real Zack Greinke Please Stand Up?
• With Braun Out, Kotsay Helps Brewers Weather Storm
• John Axford Sets His Sights On Another Brewers Record
• Brewers: No Weeks? No Problem!
• NBA, Bucks Announce Full 2011-12 Schedule
• Milwaukee Bucks: New Season, New Faces - Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Packers Roster Moves - The State of the Union

Bookmark Pocket Doppler and check back often for your daily dose of great Wisconsin Sports coverage!

More soon...

15 Useful Free Android Apps and Resources For Writers

According to Google, 500,000 new Android devices are being activated daily. Android phones are amazing pieces of technology with an even more amazing selection of games, widgets and applications at their disposal.

If you're a writer with an Android device, you can put your Droid to work for you! Here are 15 great, free Android applications and resources to help you increase your productivity and achieve your writing goals.

15. Tweetdeck (Twitter) - Promoting your writing online? Manage all of your social media accounts from one convenient app. Tweetdeck features the ability to post from multiple Twitter accounts as well as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Google Buzz and Foursquare. Very convenient for the self-promoting writer on the go!

14. WikiRhymer.com - Writing poetry, rapping or songwriting? This isn't an app, per se, but it is a very nicely formatted website you should bookmark on your Android web browser. If you need a rhyming word, you'll find it here in one convenient easy to read, easy to search location.

13. Diaro (Itesta) - Writers should keep a diary or a journal for their memoirs after they become rich and famous, right? Diaro is a free, password protected journal that supports multiple languages and multiple social networks if you feel like sharing your innermost secrets with the world.

12. Fact Book (Urbian) - Fact Book puts the world at your fingertips. Thousands of facts and statistics using data from the CIA World Fact Book and from the United Nations for every country and region in the world. A great, free informational resource.

11. Stopwatch and Timer (SportsTrackLive.com) - Need to block your writing time?Need to bill a client by the hour? This free Stopwatch and Timer is simple, straightforward and elegant for all your time tracking needs.

10. Kindle (Amazon) - No Kindle required! Amazon's free Kindle app for Android devices lets you read ebooks anywhere. Everyone knows that to be a good writer, you need to be an avid reader. Kindle makes it easy!

9. Inspirational Quotes (AppFlute) - Feeling stuck? Feeling down? Don't feel like writing today? Every writer needs a little motivation at some point. Browse hundreds of inspirational, motivational sayings by famous people to help motivate you to get back on that writing horse!

8. Urban Dictionary (Tim Clark) - The best free urban dictionary for android devices (for mature audiences only). Look up urban terminology from a growing, user generated repository of modern slang. Features word of the day, random words, word sharing and the ability to star and bookmark words.

7. Quickpedia (Next Mobile Web) - Voted one of the "Top 9 Google Android Apps" by CNET, Quickpedia searches Wikipedia articles and downloads the content to your devide so you can easily do research on the go. Optimized for easy viewing on small screens. E-mail entries to yourself or others, even with a non-Gmail account.

6. Advanced English & Thesaurus (Mobile System) - Features 140,000 entries covering 1.4 million words. Possibly the most comprehensive free dictionary and thesaurus on the Android platform. Very useful.

5. Cam Scanner -Phone PDF Creator (IntSig Information Co. LTD) - Scan documents, text, images, white board writing, notes -- just about anything, convert it to a .PDF and e-mail it to yourself for later reference. James Bond would be proud!

4. Spell Checker +Voice Free (AndroidSX) - The #1, most popular spell checker for Android with over 1 million downloads. Self exp... Self expla... *looks it up* Self explanatory!

3. Tape-A-Talk Voice Recorder (Markus Drosser) - Record your ideas on the road, in your car or anywhere else that isn't a movie theater, library or monastery. Records even with the phone display off and stores the .wav files on your SD card. Make high or low quality recordings and upload them via FTP!

2. Google Docs (Google) - A must have app for writing on the go. Create, edit, upload and share your documents. Makes collaborating easy! You can even take a photo of printed text and instantly convert it to Google Docs format. Every writer should have this.

1. Evernote (Evernote) - The mother of all free writing apps, Evernote allows you to take notes anywhere, clip text and images from websites and sync the information with your PC, Mac and mobile devices. Never lose or forget anything again! Once you start using Evernote, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!

There you have it -- 15 useful, free android applications and resources for writers. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and write something great!

LaTroy Hawkins Wants The Ball: Why Won't The Brewers Give It To Him?

I was watching the Milwaukee Brewers drop another Interleague game against the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, and I was not a happy camper. It wasn't just the fact that they lost, though. It was HOW they lost.

With runs at a premium and a day off to follow Thursday, why not leave everything you have out on the field and take a legitimate shot at winning the game? That's the million dollar question -- and the focus of my latest article written for Bleacher Report:

• LaTroy Hawkins Wants The Ball: Why Aren't The Milwaukee Brewers Giving It To Him?

The Brewers bullpen is a mess right now and Takashi Saito's return isn't going to be enough to fix it. They're frustrated. I'm frustrated. All of Brewers nation is frustrated!

You can tell yourself, "It's a long season. It's just one game." Eventually, though, you reach the point where "just one game" make all the difference. Righting the ship now could be the difference between the Brewers making the post season or watching it from their living room couches.

I say "Play ball!"

Kenn's Tex Mex Casserole Bake Recipe

Check out my latest culinary creation! I was hungry for Mexican food and wanted to try to make something new, so I killed two birds with one (very tasty) stone. I've really been enjoying learning how to cook. I'm certainly no "Master Chef," but it's still been a lot of fun experimenting with new and exciting foodstuffs. It's like art...with food!

So, without further ado...

=======================

Kenn's Tasty Tex Mex Casserole Bake

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1 Lb. Ground Beef

1/3 Yellow Onion (Diced)

1 Packet McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix

2 Cups Salsa

1 Can Black Beans (Drained)

1 Can Rotel's Tomatoes and Green Chilis

1 8 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce

1 Box Rice A Roni Spanish Rice

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Butter or Margerine

1 Can Sliced Black Olives

1 Bunch Green Onions (Diced)

1 Medium Sized Bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos (crushed)

1 10 oz. Bag of Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with 1/3 of a diced yellow onion. Drain and return to skillet. Add McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix, Salsa, can of Rotel's, tomato sauce and can of black beans. Heat through, stirring occasionally, and set aside to simmer.

While first mixture is heating through and simmering, in separate pan, make Rice A Roni mix as directed (requires the butter and the can of diced tomatoes). When finished, add the diced green onions and the sliced black olives to the Rice A Roni mix.

Pre-Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Cover the bottom of a large glass baking dish with a thin layer of crushed Doritos. Pour in and spread the enchilada/beef/bean/salsa mixture over the crushed Doritos evenly. Add a thin layer of shredded cheese on top.

Pour in and spread the Rice A Roni mixture evenly over the cheese layer. Top Rice A Roni layer with the remaining shredded cheese.

Cover with tinfoil and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

Serves 6 hungry souls (My wife and I got 3 meals for two out of it)!

NOTES: You can adjust the spiciness by using Hot, Medium or Mild salsa and Hot, Medium or Mild Rotel's. This first attempt wasn't as spicy as I'd like, so next time I'm going to go with "Hot" everything and maybe add some hot sauce to it as well. I may also add steamed southwest fiesta corn next time as well.

Remembering Randy "Macho Man" Savage (1952 - 2011)

‎"Hulkamania is like a single grain of sand in the Sahara desert that is Macho Madness." ~Randy "Macho Man" Savage

I was saddened to hear the news today that one of my childhood idols, Randy Savage, had been killed in a car accident in Florida after suffering a heart attack. Crushing news to lose an idol at the young age of 58. Was I fan of Randy "Macho Man" Savage growing up? I must answer using his famous catch phrase: "Ohhhhhh Yeahhhhhh!"

Macho Madness was very much alive and well in the house of my youth. My brother and I were HUGE World Wrestling Federation (It was the WWF at the time) fans and the WWF was reaching its peak during the mid to late 1980's, in large part because of a successful toy line, a print magazine, mega events like WrestleMania and colorful wrestling greats like Hulk Hogan and the man I am paying tribute today, "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

As a kid growing up on a central Wisconsin farm, we didn't have cable Television. We had 6 total channels. We had the 3 network channels (CBS, NBC and ABC -- Fox didn't exist yet) along with two additional CBS stations (channel 3 and channel 8) and a 2nd ABC station that came in only after 11pm when our aerial antenna was turned just right (channel 11). As such, we had limited access to wrestling. When "WrestleMania" events happened, we couldn't get them on Pay Per View. We had a long, agonizing wait for their release on VHS before we could go down to "Video City" and rent them!

Each week, the TV Guide would show up in the mail (with no Internet, how else would you know what's on TV?) and my brother and I would race to the mail box, grab the TV guide and turn the page to Saturday night at 10:30pm on NBC in the hopes that Saturday Night's Main Event would be on! The show, if you didn't know, was an hour and a half of big time match ups between the WWF's biggest stars. The "Ham and Eggers" as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan called them, always had Saturday night off so the stars could come out and shine!

Among the biggest matches on Saturday Night's Main event were fought between Randy "Macho Man" Savage and opponents like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, George "The Animal" Steele, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Koko B. Ware and The Honkey Tonk Man. The other greats fought too, but Randy's matches were always among the most epic and the most entertaining.

Randy would talk to "Mean" Gene Okerlund before the matches and provide my brother and I with entertaining quotes for days...years, even! Then Randy would go down to the ring (escorted by the lovely Miss Elizabeth, the first lady of Wrestling), he would put on a spectacle and, more often than not, he would win his match with his signature "big elbow from the top rope" finishing move (a move my brother and I executed on each other on more than one occasion).

Before my brother and I would sit down to play a game of TECMO BOWL on the NES, I would adjust my imaginary "Macho Man" Randy Savage sunglasses, point at him and say, "Ohhhhh yeahhhh...Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat? Your future looks bleak..." It was always good for a few laughs.

Another famous quote my brother and I would summon frequently is, "You see I'm gonna take that hairy bozo out there...George "The Animal" Steele...and I'm gonna put him down and pin him, 1, 2, 3...then hurt him REAL BAD!" That quote was the precursor to countless home staged wrestling matches over the years.

*sigh* Good times...

So how big of an influence was Randy Savage on my life? I couldn't tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday morning, but I remember "Macho Madness" quotes from 25 years ago. And I probably always will...

Rest in Peace, Randy Savage. You may be gone, but "Macho Madness" will live forever with me and in the heart of wrestling fans everywhere! Ohhhhhh yeahhhhhh!

Going To The Movies Used To Be Fun, Right?

I just got back from seeing Scream 4 (or Scre4m if you prefer) with a friend. I enjoyed the movie itself quite a bit, but the movie going EXPERIENCE left a lot to be desired. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed going out to the movies for about ten or eleven years now. Not to sound like a grumpy old man, but this new generation of kids could find a way to take the fun out of winning the lottery.

An afternoon movie at my local theater costs about $9.00. Tack on another $11.00 for a soda and popcorn and you're looking at $20.00. That amounts to about 3 months of Netflix streaming or 20 Redbox rentals. Going out to the movies is an INVESTMENT in today's entertainment market when you can get so much entertainment these days free or extremely cheap.

So given the big investment, why does the movie going public insist on taking the experience so lightly? Why do they insist on making the experience so Goddamn terrible for people like me who actually want to enjoy going out to see a movie? Good question...

If you've been to a movie in the last ten years, you probably know what I'm talking about. Today's Scream 4 experience had most of the bullshit I expect when going to see a movie these days:

1. A loud group of six teenage girls sat in the row in front of us, talking and giggling throughout. One of them arrived early to snag the row and...

2. ...the other five teenage girls trickled in over the course of the previews displaying the wonderful tendency people have these days of not showing up before the movie starts.

3. This same group of girls spent the bulk of the movie sending text messages (probably to each other) so we got to battle the wonderfully bright light in the dark theater. It's really fun on your eyes. NOT!

4. A mother with 3 kids under the age of 10 in tow showed up. Apparently she thought that watching a slasher movie with her kids was a great way to bond as a family? (This wasn't nearly as bad as the Hispanic couple with 8 kids under the age of 13 who sat behind us during My Bloody Valentine 3D a few years back, but I digress...)

5. Several people showed up after the movie had already started.

6. 3 younger girls showed up about 20 minutes after the movie started (probably with tickets purchased for another movie) and missed the entire (awesome) opening sequence.

7. We got to witness people getting up and going to the bathroom and missing critical scenes, because apparently no one can hold it for two hours anymore.

8. The 3 young girls I mentioned earlier that snuck in left with about 20 minutes to go before the end of the movie (probably because they didn't understand what was going on from missing the intro).

9. I got to enjoy the company of the lovey dovey couple that comes in late and sits at the end of your row making out and giggling. Despite an abundance of empty rows, hey, what the hell? Welcome to mine!

10. The movie ends. We got to watch the kids who think it's funny to block the projector make shadow puppets on the screen while the credits are rolling.

The only things that were missing from this travesty were...

11. A phone actually rings and a guy answers it and has a full conversation without getting up to leave the theater (that's happened to me plenty of times).

12. The non-English speaking person getting the movie translated for them by a bilingual friend (this happened during a screening of Legally Blonde 2 years ago, successfully making an already bad movie unbearable).

13. Soda cans popping open and chip bags crumpling as the lights go down from the assholes who bring in their own food in backpacks because they can't be bothered to visit the concession stand. The theater's inability to make money on concessions is the reason it costs $20.00 to see a movie these days, people!

14. The one punk kid who buys a ticket, then lets his friends in through a side door when no one is looking so five kids get in for the price of one. Another reason movies are so expensive...

15. And the coup de grace of every movie going experience... *drumroll* The crying baby!

*Heavy Sigh*

Going out to the theater to see a movie WAS fun once, right? Or am I just delusional? Wait... No, it WAS fun once! I remember now...

It was the summer of 1989. I was 16 years old and my friends and I went out to see Batman, Star Trek V, Lethal Weapon 2, Die Hard, Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, Ghost Busters 2, License To Kill, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Darkman and Dead Poet's Society that year... And those are just the ones I remember! I think Glory and the Hunt For Red October came out that year, too!

I guess it probably helped that we didn't have smart phones (or any phones) in 1989, but I can tell you that we were brought up to not talk when we were at the movies, too. Movies in 1989 were almost always quiet, enjoyable experiences. The theater actually wouldn't let you buy a ticket if you showed up late and no one would even think of bringing a baby to a crowded cinema!

So why has the movie going experience changed so much in 22 years? Sure, we didn't have HULU or Netflix streaming or Redbox and movies weren't $9.00 or $10.00 a ticket then, but a ticket still cost at least $5.50! That was still an investment in a time when you had the option of renting movies on VHS (or Betamax) for $1.00 or $2.00 a night!

I guess the only thing that's different are the moviegoers themselves. The new generation doesn't care about other people and doesn't respect the sanctity of the movie going experience. They are growing up in a world where you can see a movie anywhere these days (even on your phone), so what's the big deal?

In a perfect world, all of these kids and all of the other rude people who ruin movies these days would just stay home. Sadly, at the end of the day, the people who end up staying home are people like me: the ones who are just trying to have a good time and enjoy something they love.

Kinda makes you want to Scre4m, doesn't it?

My Contribution To "A Man, A Can And A Plan!"

I made this delicious casserole dish up one day when I was feeling inspired and I think it turned out pretty well. I was inspired to experiment by a cook book I own called "A Man, A Can And A Plan."

I refined the recipe after my first attempt to make it and cooked it up again last night with even better results. It was great! And so easy, even a kitchen-phobic man can do it!

Men, if you want to impress your lady friend (or even your imaginary friend) with your mad skills in the kitchen, give this simple recipe a try!

Kenn Hoekstra's Zesty, Cheesy, Chicken Pasta Casserole Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. Box of Rotini (or Penne or Macaroni) Pasta Noodles
1 26 oz. Can Cream of Mushroom Soup (The big boy!)
2 10 oz. Cans Rotel's Original Tomatoes & Green Chilis (Not Drained)
2 5 oz. Cans Premium Chicken in Water (Drained)
1 Small Can Mushrooms Pieces & Stems (Drained)
1 8 oz. Bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

SPICES (To Taste):

Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Kickin' Chicken Spice (Optional, but this stuff is RAD!)

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre-Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Boil a large pot of water and cook the pasta as directed.

In a separate medium sized pot, mix together Cream of Mushroom Soup, 2 cans Rotel's, 2 cans of chicken (drained), 1 small can of mushrooms (drained), 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and spices (to taste). Mix together and stir under medium heat until warmed through.

Drain cooked pasta noodles and return to large pot. Mix in contents of medium pot with the noodles in the large pot and stir until well mixed.

Pour combined mixture into large casserole dish and spread evenly. Top with shredded cheese until covered (I used about half of an 8 oz. bag) and cover the casserole dish with tin foil.

Place covered casserole dish in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 300 degrees to heat through and melt cheese.

Serve hot and enjoy! Feeds a small army!

OPTIONAL:

- If you don't like the spicy kick to your dish, you can substitute diced tomatoes for the Rotel's. If you're hardcore and you want it extra spicy, use Rotel's HOT tomatoes and chilis!

- Substitute drained chunk tuna for chicken if you prefer a tuna based casserole. Both are great!

- Use real chicken pulled off the bones instead of canned!

That's it! Easy peasy!

If you try this recipe and you like it, shoot me an e-mail or post a comment and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

So, You Want To Make Video Games?

My old friend Pat Lipo from back in the Raven Software days posted this on his Facebook page today and I just had to snag it.

This video is one of the most hilariously depressing looks at video game development I've ever seen! Check out SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY and embrace the horror!

Remember the old U.S. Army ads that claimed it was "The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love?" Honestly, that's video game development. Is it as bad as this video implies? Yes. It may actually be worse, in some cases. But if you care enough about it to work on games despite all of the terribleness, you'll probably still love your job.

I know I still do, even 15 years later...

Treyton Kilar "Field of Dreams" Pepsi Refresh Project - Voting Ends 1/31/2011!

Please take a moment and go to: http://www.refresheverything.com/treytonkilar, sign in with your Facebook account or an e-mail address, and vote for the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams project!

You can also text 105500 to 73774 from your mobile phone!

Project Goals

• Honor the memory of late kindergarten student Treyton Kilar
• Provide a new baseball field for central Wisconsin children and families
• Educate people on the deadly nature of drunk driving

Watch this video and learn more about Treyton's story:

Voting will take you less than a minute and it would mean a lot to me and to Treyton's family! The idea has slipped into 3rd place and only the top 2 ideas in this donation range will get funding. We can do this if we all act now!

Don't delay! Go vote now! And send a text vote in, while you're at it! GO FOR IT!

Thank you for your support!

Twitter Contest - Less Ambitious Movies!

The latest Twitter hashtag trend that caught my eye was #LessAmbitiousMovies! According to one of my readers, it originated with/was inspired by this Sporcle Exercise called "Lesser Movies." Awesome!

Not surprisingly, there were some real gems in there!

[ UHF's - Conan The Librarian ]

Some of my favorites...

- Conan The Librarian

- Raiders of the Ark That's Right Over There

- The Day Before Yesterday

- True Grits

- Attack of the 5 Foot Woman

- There's Nothing About Mary

- No County For Old Men

- Lawrence of Armenia

- Scott Pilgrim vs. A Couple of Guys

- None Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

- Slumdog Thousandaire

- The Two Commandments

- Alice in Cleveland

- Conception

- Dial M For Moviefone

- Planet of the Crepes

- Glad Max

- The B Team

- Patton (Oswalt)

- Cry Hard

- Partial Recall

- The Dark Night

- The Empire Turns The Other Cheek

- Schindler's To Do List

- Ace Ventura: Pet Owner

- The 4 Year Old Virgin

- Apocalypse Soon

- The Last Bartender

- Charisma Carpenter's: The Thingy

- Harold and Kumar Go To Burger King

- Forgetting Sarah Palin

- Tween Wolf

- Demonstration Man

- 20,000 Inches Under The Sea

- There May Be Blood

And, *drumroll*, my personal favorite...

- Dude, There's My Car!

Bonus:

- It's Not Deliverance, It's DiGiorno!

So head over to Twitter and check out the hashtag #LessAmbitiousMovies! Oh, and you can follow me on Twitter as well at http://www.twitter.com/kennhoekstra!

Update: Another "Best Of Less Ambitious Movies" List I found, plus Huffington Post's List of Favorites!