Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Known as one of history's most influential philosophers, Plato's writings have been a cornerstone of Western governments and culture, including his  Republic, which had an influence on the United States' government. This non-fiction book explores Plato's relationship with two Syracuse monarchs, both named Dionysius, and how that relationship (and imprisonment) shaped his best-known work while also help bring down the monarchy. Review: When I came across Plato and the Tyrant at my library, I was intrigued. I knew of the philosopher and his influence on modern literature and governments but didn't know a whole lot about the relationship that helped influence his influential masterpiece. After reading the book, I was not disappointed. I think the thing that caught my attention most was the father/son duo of Dionysius the Elder and Dionysius the Younger and how that dynasty came into power as a monarchy when the rest of Ancient Greece was practicing some for...

 I was born in the 70s And who became who I am in the 80s and 90s. I'm now old enough To say I lived in six decades and two separate centuries. I'm getting too old to deal with the daily grind But not old enough to retire. Because I'm 51 And there is still a lot of responsibilities required. I outlasted rotary phones and dial-up internet. I carry scars from Challenger and 9/11. I've reached a point in my life where "sleeping in"  Is any time past 7. I was part of the last generation that had to wait until Saturday morning to watch cartoons. And one of the last that needed to go outside to play if we wanted to have fun. I don't shake my fist at clouds yet, but I don't like people being on my lawn. All because I'm 51. I always know when we're going to get rain, Thanks to knees that tell the weather. And while today's music and movies aren't necessarily bad They ones from my day were so much better. My metabolism already gave up on me; my ...

Synopsis: Ever since high school student Lauren McClain went missing, Natalie Johnston has been plagued by rumors her now-deceased husband had something to do with it. With her 15-year-old daughter, Gwen, choosing to return to school, Natalie attempts to get her life back on track and joins a book club. Soon after, a mysterious writer begins sending out letters exposing people's darkest secrets then later seemingly takes things a step further by murdering members of the book club. Natalie becomes especially concerned when Gwen receives a letter accusing her of helping her father murder Lauren.  Who's in it? The movie stars Brittany Underwood, Eva Igo, Nicole Weber, Julia Zook and Mike Bredon. Review: I've had The Book Club Murders on my watch list for several weeks and, after seeing it is about to leave Netflix, I decided to finally watch it. It ended up being an entertaining watch. The thing I liked most about this movie is, while I (correctly) had my suspicions about ...

We managed to get some more family time in today by making a trip to West Bend, WI and visiting the Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time in a while. It was quite a bit of walking, but we managed to see plenty of cool animals, including a pair of baby tigers as they were brought out for a short public viewing as zoo staff fed them. I took more than 400 photos while there. Here is a selection of those: ____________________________________________________________________________ Here are some other zoo photos: Henry Vilas Zoo 2/6/2022 Oeschner Park Zoo and River Walk in Baraboo, WI Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison, WI 7/31/2019

I haven't had my trail camera out as much as I would prefer but decided to put it out last night after finding a half-eaten rabbit and deciding to see if I could figure out what ate it. It wasn't overly active last night but I discovered our raccoons are back. I don't know if they are the rabbit-killing culprits, but they certainly seemed to like the apples under the tree, and one was eying the bird feeder I have hung from an old swing set. Here are some of the photos: _____________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous trail camera photos: Trail Camera Photos (7/23/2026-7/24/2026) A Couple Trail Camera Squirrel Photos (2/14/2026) Trail Camera Photos (11/10/2024-11/12/2024) Trail Camera Photos (7/30/2026-7/31/2026)