Happy New Year, 2012!

It's hard to believe it's 2012 already. With the exception of my wedding in August (which was amazing!) and the Packers winning the Super Bowl (hooray!), 2011 was a complete and utter waste of time for me. Let's not kid ourselves...it was a Goddamned horror show.

Pi Studios imploded back in February and I've been out of work and looking (with very little success) ever since. Money has been a problem. The housing market in Houston tanked big time. I had unemployment issues. I failed to start a business. The Badgers lost the Rose Bowl. Yes, 2011 was truly an awful year in every sense of the word. Good riddance.

I guess there was one other bright spot: I still have my health (*knock on wood*). I managed to lose 20 lbs over the course of the year. Back in January, I was sitting at an all time high of 252 lbs, but as of this morning I was down to 232. It's still a long way to go to get to my goal weight of 210, but I'm hoping to do that this year.

That brings me to the point of this blog, actually. Goals. Resolutions, if you will. I have big plans for 2012 and even though you probably don't care much, I thought I would share them with you anyway. So here goes...

My 2012 New Year's resolutions!

• First and foremost, get a job that doesn't make me want to jump off a cliff and get back to being a productive member of society.
• Finish the long overdue repairs to the house (I may have to sell it soon!)
• Cross off a bunch of movies from the AFI Greatest Movies Of All Time list that I haven't seen, including Citizen Kane, Lawrence of Arabia, Singin' In The Rain, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, All About Eve, The African Queen, Dr. Strangelove, Bonnie & Clyde, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Annie Hall and To Kill A Mockingbird.
• Read more of the classic literature I failed to read in school growing up, including, The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, Lord of the Flies, The Prince, The Catcher in the Rye, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Brave New World, East of Eden and The Red Badge of Courage.
• Get my weight down from 232 lbs to 210 lbs.
• Play a game of Chess at least 3 times a week
• Write something in my journal every day (the first time I've ever kept a journal in my life)
• Blog more regularly (minimum of twice a month)
• Assemble a polish a diverse writing portfolio I can be proud to show people
• Re-design and re-launch Thundarr.com (or pay someone else to do it)
• Become more proficient in Microsoft Project and Microsoft Visio (building my job skills)
• Write and publish at least one sports article per month for PocketDoppler.com.
• Finish writing at least one feature length screenplay
• De-clutter my life by throwing away, giving away, selling or donating all of the extraneous crap I've assembled and have been carting around with me over the last 38+ years.
  

There are probably other things I should be doing, but I think this is a good start. I really do have high hopes for 2012 and I hope you do, too! Cheers to bigger and better things for all of us in the New Year!

Oh, and let's hope those pesky Mayans didn't really know something about 2012 that we don't... ;)

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.