Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After a successful newspaper publisher dies unexpectedly, his slacker son, Britt Reid, partners with his father's former mechanic (a genius inventor and martial arts expert) to form a crime fighting duel.
Who's in it? The movie stars Seth Rogan, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz and Jamie Harris.

Review: We were under a heat advisory yesterday afternoon and, since I was pretty much wiped out from mowing our lawn earlier, I decided to sit down on the couch and watch a movie. After some consideration, this is the one I wound up picking out.
Overall, my opinion of this movie was mixed. It wound up being better than I was expecting but, at the same time, there was definitely room for improvement.
I think my biggest problem with this movie is it never really gave me a reason to root for Britt (Rogan). To start, his motivation for becoming a crime fighter was a bit unclear. In fact, the movie almost makes it seem like he just did it out of boredom.
Then, once he did get s…

Synopsis: In 1987, The Princess Bride received a tepid response at theaters. However, thanks to a new technology, VHS, the movie, which combines action, comedy and romance, became an all-time favorite spanning multiple generations. Actor Cary Elwes tells the behind-the-scenes stories that took place over the months the movie was being filmed.


Review: I was reminded of this book a few days ago, when I saw it referenced in an article I was reading. Realizing I had never taking the time to read it despite the fact it was about one of my all-time favorite films (if not THE favorite), I decided to correct it. Fortunately for me, it was at our local library. 
I finished the book a little while ago and have to say I will never look at the movie the same way again (and I mean that in a good way).
Elwes does a great job of telling the movie's story scene-by-scene and the challenges director Rob Reiner faced getting it off the ground, whether it was dealing with an over-protective writer, acto…

This isn't my first time trying this product and, to be honest, the first time I did try it, I wasn't overly impressed with it. However, I happened to find it on sale when doing some grocery shopping last weekend and, since my wife was at kickboxing last night, I figured it would be a simple meal choice.
My stance on the actual product itself really hasn't changed much. It's not bad. But, it's nothing special. However, I did manage to remedy that with the help of my garden.
I decided to chop up and add one of the "Beaver Dam Special" Hungarian peppers I have growing in the box garden behind my house. That, along with the crushed tortilla chips I also added, did give this a little extra something. It wasn't too spicy but, at the same time, there was still a little kick to it that just wouldn't be there normally (even with the salsa they have you add).
In fact, I have another one of these (only in Philly Cheesesteak flavor) that I might try to experime…

Synopsis: Jack Hardisty is suspected of embezzling money from a bank owned by his father-in-law Vincent Blane. When Jack is found murdered at Blane's cabin, his widow, Milicent, who was seen near the cabin disposing of a gun, becomes the primary suspect and attorney Perry Mason is hired to defend her. Adding some mystery to the case is an alarm clock that was found buried near the cabin but was then moved shortly before Jack's body was found.


Review: I've had more time to read recently, thanks mostly to this COVID pandemic messing up my normal routine, and was able to get through this book relatively quickly as a result. At first, I wasn't really sure what to think of it (other than be afraid this very old copy would fall apart) but, after finishing it last night, I do think it ended up being a decent mystery.
The best part about this book, in my opinion, had to be the clock. It was discovered in the very first chapter and, based both on that and the book's title, ev…

Please forgive me And pardon my potty mouth. I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Then things just kept going south. I normally have a filter And am careful about what I say. But, for right now, You might want to keep sensitive ears away.



Image courtesy of Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay


I'm not proud of myself Or of my profanity. It's just this language spewing out of my mouth Is the only way I can keep my sanity. This is probably just temporary and this frustration will eventually go away. Today, however,  Is just a swear word kind of day.

Synopsis: In 1917, 18-year-old Ruth Cruger disappeared shortly after picking up her newly-sharpened ice skates at a New York City motorcycle shop. The police investigate but, mostly because they believe Ruth has eloped with a secret boyfriend, are unable to find her. Months later, Ruth's father solicits help from attorney/detective Grace Humiston, who has made a name for herself helping immigrants and defending innocent death row inmates during an era when women still didn't even have the right to vote.
Review: I wanted to take a short break from Perry Mason mysteries and was in the mood for something educational. As a result, I wound up visiting the biography section the last time I was at our local library. This book caught my eye, partly because it was about a real-life mystery, and I decided to check it out. It turned out to be a very interesting book.
I thought the author did a solid job of telling his readers about a woman that, for reasons he describes in the epilogue, ha…