Steven Helmer Publications

Even as I "completed the assignment" and cast my vote for Kamala Harris as President of the United States yesterday, my optimism about her becoming the first female POTUS was already beginning to fade, and I was preparing myself for another Donald Trump presidency. However, even I wasn't expecting Trump to not only win the Electoral College but also (at least at the time I am writing this) the popular vote as well. On the surface, it seems absolutely unbelievable considering Harris endorsements from key media outlets and celebrities and the number of former Republicans and Trump employees who warned the American public about the former president. Yet, with some reflection, it becomes clear Harris had some things working against her. Joe Biden.  I have all the respect in the world for anyone who has served as POTUS (even Trump) and Biden is no exception to that. However, his decision to run for re-election then drop out put Harris at a serious disadvantage from the start.

Synopsis: Partially to escape his past, Val Stevens lives on the South Pacific Island of Tankana and operates a pearl business. As he is getting married to another island occupant, Lucille Gordon, a ship crashes on a nearby reef, leaving just its captain and a passenger, Eric Blake, alive. Stevens and Blake become friends, but an undeniable chemistry grows between Blake and Lucille, who married Stevens as a promise to her mother even though she knew it meant she would never get to travel. In addition to feeling guilty about his feelings for his friend's wife, Blake is also hiding a secret. Who's in it? The movie stars Humphrey Bogart , Margaret Lindsay , Donald Woods , Paul Graetz and Gordon Hart . Review: Even though I like classic films, I admittedly haven't seen a whole lot of Humphrey Bogart movies and hadn't even heard of Isle of Fury until I came across it a few days ago. I found time to watch it this morning, before going to vote, and enjoyed it more than ex

Synopsis: An opium-addicted detective with clairvoyant tendencies is called in to investigate the gruesome Jack the Ripper murders of London prostitutes. During the course of his investigation, he learns the victims all know each other and share a scandalous secret that could bring down the British Empire. Who's in it?   The movie stars Johnny Depp , Heather Graham , Robbie Coltrane , Ian Holm , Ian Richardson and Katrin Cartlidge . You can read my review here:  Movie Review: From Hell (2001)

Synopsis: After being orphaned as a child, Philip Ashley was raised by his wealthy cousin, Ambrose. When Ambrose dies under mysterious circumstances while vacationing in Florence, a pair of letters make Philip suspicious of Rachel, the woman Ambrose married prior to his death. Philip invites Rachel to his newly inherited estate, determined to confront her and learn the truth. Only, Rachel turns out to be beautiful and charming, causing him to fall in love with her and sign over everything to her, believing she will marry him. However, when Rachel rejects his proposal, Philip once again grows suspicious of his cousin's widow. Who's in it? The movie stars Olivia de Havilland , Richard Burton , Audrey Dalton , Ronald Squire and John Sutton . Review: After scanning several possible choices, I decided to watch My Cousin Rachel this morning mostly because I'm an Olivia de Havilland fan. After I finished watching it, I was convinced I made the right choice. The thing that impr

Some thoughts from today's 24-14 Green Bay Packers ' loss to the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field: Not to take anything away from the Detroit Lions, who were near perfect, this game was as much about the Packers underperforming as the Lions overperforming. Lots of frustrating penalties and almost as many dropped passes. Love's bad throw on the pick-6 late in the first half certainly didn't help much. I would take a healthy Jordan Love over most quarterbacks in the NFL but I'm not so certain the Packers wouldn't have been better off starting Malik Willis in this game. The groin injury was clearly impacting Love's mobility and likely was a factor on some of his off-target throws. Green Bay is also lucky he didn't aggravate it more. A Willis-led offense also would have put more emphasis on the run, which would have been more suitable for that weather. I'm going to give the defense a thumbs up though. Not counting the seven points from Love's intercep

I decided to move the trail camera last night because I've seen signs of something living in my brush pile and was curious if I could get a video of it entering/exiting. That didn't happen, but I did get some videos of an opossum that may or may not be an occupant. Here are some of them: