Steven Helmer Publications

I had all three of my trail cameras going throughout the day yesterday and last night. I brought them in this morning because of the weather (I know they are designed to withstand the elements but why take chances) but had more than 1600 photos combined, most of them from the camera near the bird feeder, which kept tripping it whenever the wind blew. After reviewing all of them, here is a good selection of those.

Synopsis: A group of scientists smuggle a woman infected with a reanimating virus onboard a plane from Los Angeles to Paris. Strong turbulence results in her being freed and she soon begins spreading the virus, turning passengers and crew into zombies.  Who's in it? The movie stars David Chisum , Kristen Kerr , Richard Tyson , Kevin J. O'Connor and Erick Avari. Review: I was in the mood for a movie last night and after some searching, came across Flight of the Living Dead on Amazon Prime Video. It had been a while since my wife and I watched a zombie movie so; after scrolling through a few more options, we decided to give it a try. I didn't have a whole lot of expectations for this film. This was both because of the plot and because I didn't recognize any of the actors or actresses. However, after seeing the movie, I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The plot itself requires some suspension of disbelief and not asking too many questions. For example, I foun...

Synopsis: This non-fiction book covers documented ghost stories from the 19th century United States, including a number of stories never shared before. Review: I checked out another book from the library but lost interest in it after only about a chapter. Fortunately, my wife gave me a couple alternatives as Christmas presents, including 50 Real American Ghost Stories . I ended up reading this book instead as a result and, overall, thought it was a good choice. The book provides a solid selection of stories that, while all from the same century and, of course, the same country, offer quite a bit of variety. There are ghost stories that feature just one person seeing the spirit, ghost stories that were witnessed by multiple people and even a few hoaxes mixed in. As promised, the stories tell us about as much about American history and culture as anything else. I also liked how the author used first-hand accounts and articles of the events, adding some legitimacy to the stories that is...

I received a pair of new trail cameras as a Christmas present this year (thanks, Mom) and have been playing around with them the past couple of days. My first placement attempt didn't work out so well, but I repositioned one of the cameras near the bird feeder and had almost instant results. I'm not sure about the species of bird that is the subject of most of the photos but it sure did like getting its picture taken.

Here are some of my thoughts from today's 27-25 Green Bay Packers ' loss at the Minnesota Vikings : If Green Bay wants to have a chance in the playoffs, they need to stop beating themselves. Some mistakes, like the first-half Josh Jacobs' fumble and the pass interference against Keisan Nixon are unfortunate but forgivable. Others, like giving your opponent a second chance on a missed field goal by being offsides or not lining up properly when trying to convert on third and one, aren't. I am going to include Head Coach Matt LaFleur in the above comment as well. Yes, hindsight is 20/20 and I would have a different opinion if they picked up the 1st down. However, had Green Bay kicked the field goal rather than going for it on fourth early in the game, the game's outcome might have been different. All things considered; the defense played pretty well tonight. The secondary is beaten up and other key players, like Quay Walker, were out while facing a loaded offense. T...

  Image courtesy of Pixabay If you aren’t paying my bills Please don’t tell me your opinion Of how I’m living my life. You don’t have a say in it. I’m not your minion. If you aren’t paying my mortgage Then I don’t care if you think my house is a mess. It’s not here for display or for your approval. It’s a home that is lived in and therefore is blessed. If you aren’t contributing to my bank account Then you have no say in how I spend my money. I can go out to eat, give it to charity Or use it to spoil my kids or my honey. If you aren’t paying my bills I don’t need you to contradict my decisions by saying “but.” Just learn to mind your own business And keep your mouth shut. _____________________________________________________________________________ If you liked this poem, here are some others: In the Way (A Poem) Dishes (A Poem) Still One More Week Until Payday (A Poem)

With a number of television series, ranging from Doctor Who to The Boys set to have some new spin-offs in the near future, and other series, like The Big Bang Theory recently launching its second spin-off and maybe a third, it got me thinking about previous popular shows and missed opportunities to build on them. In some cases, the television networks simply chose to let the series end without attempting to take advantage of interesting characters. Other times, the networks made the attempt but maybe could have done better. Either way, here are some characters I thought could have had successful spin-offs centered around them. Christine Sullivan - Night Court The series ended with Christine ( Markie Post ) being elected to Congress. A spinoff focusing on that next step in her life, adjusting to her new career and life in Washington while taking care of her child as a single mom, would have been an intriguing series. Would she remain the same idealistic/optimistic person she was as a...

We spent Christmas with family and after driving home for three hours in a thick fog yesterday, I ended up keeping dinner simple and just picked up a couple frozen pizzas when I went to the store to get cat food. After reviewing a couple choices, I decided to give Lippers Deluxe Pizza a try, both because it was on sale for $5.99 each and because it was made in Wisconsin. I didn't regret the decision. I won't say it is the best frozen pizza I've ever purchased but for a lower-priced brand, it turned out to be pretty good. There were a reasonable number of toppings and plenty of cheese. While I'm not normally a thin crust fan, I did like how the crust on this pizza came out crispy without being hard to the point I was afraid of breaking my teeth. The sauce on this pizza was also decent as well. It had plenty of seasoning and, just as important, there was the right quantity. The pizza wasn't dry, but it also wasn't overflowing with it (something that can make pizza...

Here are some of my thoughts from the Green Bay Packers ' 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field last night: Green Bay Packers fans received an early Christmas gift. The Packers are in the playoffs with two games to go. While the division title is off the table, they still have an opportunity to improve their seeding spot or, depending on the outcome of their upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings, may be able to rest players in the final week of the regular season. This was as dominating of a performance as you could ask for. Yes, the Saints have been plagued by injuries and are a shell of the team they were at the start of the season. However, pitching the NFL's first shutout of the season isn't something that should be overlooked, especially against a team that took the Washington Commanders down to the wire just a week ago. Green Bay's defense, after all, was missing key personnel too. And the best part of that (for Packers fans at least)...

  Since some say cardinals are supposed to be a way for lost loved ones to come visit you, my wife and I debated if it was my father or hers in our front yard this morning. However, regardless of which, I was able to get a photo of our visitor underneath our bird feeder right as the snow started to fall.

Synopsis: After failing to be accepted to the Los Angeles Police Academy, TSA agent Ethan Kopek's life has fallen into a rut, and he seems to lack ambition even after finding out he's going to be a father. After his pregnant girlfriend, Nora, points this out to him, he attempts to take some initiative and seek a promotion. He is shot down at first but then given a trial run at a baggage-scanning lane during the busy travel rush on Christmas Eve at Los Angeles International Airport. A short time into his shift, a terrorist makes contact with Ethan via an earbud and tells the agent he needs to allow a carry-on bag containing a chemical bomb through his lane or Nora will be killed.  Who's in it? The movie stars Taron Egerton , Jason Bateman , Sofia Carson , Theo Rossi and Danielle Deadwyler. Review: After scrolling through quite a few holiday movies last night, I decided to change things up a bit and go with the action/drama, Carry-on , which I found on Netflix. At first, ...

  Image Courtesy of Pixabay You have got to be kidding me. I took 10 steps and now can’t remember why I came into the kitchen. Was I hungry? Did I need a drink? Are there chores and I was I supposed to pitch in? I want to believe I’m too young for senior moments But these memory lapses seem to prove that untrue. It doesn’t even help if I write it down Because I’d forget and would leave that note behind too. Grocery shopping can be such a chore sometimes as well. It doesn’t matter if I brought a list. All it takes is one momentary distraction And you can be sure there will be something I missed. Some days, I realize how lucky I am to have a roof over my head And still functional enough to pay the bills. Because lord knows I’ve lost track of all the times I couldn’t remember if I took my pills. If I am doomed to have these senior moments I guess I can live with them but do have one simple request. With all the hatred and violence in the world Cou...

  Image courtesy of Pixabay I never made it as a professional musician My voice never got me all that far. Fortunately for me, there are plenty of places. That let me be a karaoke star. Some nights it’s Poison. Other nights, maybe a little Elvis. Occasionally I get cheers, or at least moderate applause. Most of the time though, the crowd is oblivious. I can’t dance and don’t try to. Heck, most of the time, I’m just happy the mic is working right. I’m just happy to be on stage During karaoke night. You won’t find my name on a T-shirt. If you’re waiting for that album to come out, it’ll be a while. But when I am singing I can assure you it is songs that haven’t gone out of style. Don’t worry, I gave up on becoming famous a long time ago. I won’t be selling out stadiums and can’t even say I’m the reason the people are at the bar. All I can claim to be is A karaoke star. ________________________________________________________________________ If yo...

Synopsis: A financially strapped St. Louis Cardinals baseball team hopes to win the pennant after signing star pitcher Larry Kelly. However, a crime boss hoping to make a lot of gambling money tries to prevent that from happening, first by attempting to bribe Kelly then through violence. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Young , Madge Evans , Ted Healy , David Landau and C. Henry Gordon. Review: I came across Death on the Diamond several days ago and thought it sounded interesting enough to add to my library. I wound up watching it this morning and it ended up being a good choice. The overall plot of the movie isn't too bad. If anything, it does a good job of portraying a very real problem professional sports faced during a time when ballplayers weren't making millions of dollars and clubs weren't always profitable. While some of that might have been taking to the extreme, such as shooting a player during a game, it still felt mostly realistic and that added to t...

Synopsis: A small Utah resort town is rocked when a guest, Marsha Morgan, is found murdered at a pool party. As the sheriff conducts his investigation, more people are murdered, leaving him with plenty of questions and even more suspects. Who's in it? The movie stars Lex Barker , Anne Bancroft , John Dehner , Ron Randell and Marie Windsor. Review: I came across The Girl in Black Stockings on Amazon Prime a couple nights ago and since it's been a while since I've watched a classic murder mystery, I flagged it and finally had a chance to watch it this morning. At first, I thought it was going to be a simple-to-solve (aka boring) mystery. Instead, it wound up being an entertaining film with a lot of surprises. The thing I liked most about this movie is there wasn't any clear suspect. There were multiple people connected to the original victim, Morgan, but they either had alibis, zero motive or, in the case of the lodge owner, Edmund Parry (Randell), confined to a whee...

Synopsis: While being transported to his execution, convicted serial killer Jack Frost is involved in an accident with a truck hauling an experimental chemical that causes his genetic material to become fused with the surrounding snow. Believed to have been killed, he returns as a snowman and begins a new killing spree while trying to get revenge on a smalltown sheriff, Sam, for arresting him. Who's in it? The movie stars Scott MacDonald , Christopher Allport , Stephen Mendel , Eileen Seeley and Shannon Elizabeth . Review: I was surprised to learn my wife had never seen Jack Frost and, since it had been several years since I last saw it, I decided to rectify that last night. After re-watching the movie, I can honestly say it was exactly as I remembered it. Even though it is a low-budget, straight-to-DVD film, the movie does have quite a bit going for it. For one, the practical effects aren't all that terrible for a movie that was made nearly 30 years ago. The filmmakers di...

Synopsis: Sarah used to spend the holidays with her grandmother, Mia, who was known for her Kismet cookies, a family recipe of magical cookies that would make you dream about the person you should be with if you put them under your pillow on Christmas Eve. However, after Sarah tried the magic for herself and dreamt about her long-time crush, Travis, only to find out he was getting married the next day, she tore up the recipe and her grandmother never baked them again. Years later, Sarah has a hit book loosely based on the Kismet cookie legend and is struggling to finish a sequel when a contest results in her returning to her grandmother's hometown and reconnecting with a now-divorced Travis and his daughter, Jasmine. Not long after, she begins to wonder if the cookies really were magical. Who's in it? The movie stars Sarah Ramos , Carlo Marks , Marilu Henner , Rubi Tupper and Zahf Paroo . Review: We've had A Kismet Christmas in our library for some time now, but it wasn...

  Image courtesy of Pixabay I fought back tears When I saw the news today. So many young lives taken At a place where they should have been safe to learn and play. We elect leaders Who claim to be "pro-life." Yet, they choose to do very little When the danger our kids face is so real and so rife. How do we expect our kids to feel safe When living long enough to become an adult is no longer a given? When they live in a country That seems to be fighting a war against children. We shield ourselves behind the Second Amendment. Using it as an excuse for doing nothing. "It's what our Founding Fathers would have wanted," we lie to ourselves. Even though they, themselves, probably would have done something. We'll ban books and set gender restrictions on sports All to "protect" those young ones. Anything to keep them "safe,"  Just as long as nobody is touching our guns. We say we are great nation, But the reality is, our future is uncertain. That...

My thoughts from last night's 30-13 Green Bay Packers ' win at the Seattle Seahawks : The Packers exorcised some of their Seattle demons. Green Bay has had some infamous defeats against Seattle, whether it was the Fail Mary game or the fake punt disaster that cost them a trip to the Super Bowl. Most of the current roster wasn't around the last time they lost in Seattle and the reboot seems to be working. This game was mostly about Green Bay's defense. Despite injuries in the secondary and losing linebacker Quay Walker, the defense ended the game with seven sacks and two interceptions. Just as important, that unit kept Seattle from ever getting into the game, even when the offense fizzled out a bit in the second half. Once key pieces, like cornerback Jaire Alexander, return, it theoretically could even be better. Jordan Love is growing as a passer. It's sometimes easy to forget he only has 30 career starts and probably hasn't peaked yet. However, the growth is...

  Image Courtesy of Pixabay She sat at her kitchen table Trying not to cry. Her 3-year-old daughter would see her sad And she didn’t want to try to explain why. The pile of bills in front of her keeps growing. Her credits cards are already at their max. A single mom’s income doesn’t go very far nowadays. Against her, the deck is stacked. She feels she could do so much better And give her daughter the life she deserves. But, she’s already working two jobs And yet every penny still needs to be conserved. As her tears continued to well up And her frustration filled the air She put her head down on the table Before putting her hands together in prayer. “Lord, please remove this anchor. The one that is pulling me down. I can no longer keep my head above the water. And I’m afraid I’m going to drown. God, please remove this anchor. The one that seems to be tied to every limb. I don’t need to be able to fly. I just need to be able to swim.” He sat in his one-room economy apartment Counting...