Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: On August 5, 1962, Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe is found unresponsive in her bed and is later determined to have died of a drug overdose raising questions about if it was an accidental overdose, suicide or something else. This true crime book explores Marilyn's life, career and tragic death at the age of 36. Review: I wasn't sure what I was getting when I checked out The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe from my library. I'm always interested in a good biography, even one with a "true crime" twist to it, but the library had this listed as fiction, so I didn't know if it would be educational or just a book taking advantage of a tragic life/death. In the end, I think it fell somewhere in between but more toward the former than the latter. I think the thing I liked best about this book is how it manages to bring her back to life in the pages and humanizes her. She was an actress that died 13 years before I was born and my only familiarity with her was th...

After getting rain yesterday, I decided to get out with my camera today while the weather was much more cooperative.  Unfortunately, there were quite a few more people there than usual and the foot traffic ultimately resulted in me cutting the walk short. I did, however, still end up with some photos. Here are a few of them: _____________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/4/2026) Morning Walk Photos (6/3/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/6/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos 9/18/2020

One of the reasons I have a habit of watching The Big Bang Theory  reruns whenever I can't find anything else is, in addition to still getting laughs despite seeing the jokes dozens of times, it is one of the few shows that I legitimately cared about the characters. However, I am also one of the first to admit the six main characters also weren't always the best people, both to themselves and others. Here are what I feel were the worst moments for each of them: Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) betrays his friends/business partners. Sheldon had a "condition" that gave him plenty of awful moments, but I think this was the biggest one.   The guidance system Sheldon built with Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Howard (Simon Helberg) wouldn't have happened without all three of them working as equal partners. So, when Sheldon went behind their backs to redesign the system for the military by himself, it was a pretty big betrayal that frankly probably should have ended their frie...

Synopsis: In an alternate reality, 1970s America is run by a totalitarian government and most of the population lives in extreme poverty. Each year, young men representing all 50 states are given the opportunity to receive a large cash prize and one wish by participating in the Long Walk, a grueling event that has the men walking non-stop until only one remains. The catch - if a walker's pace falls below 3 miles per hour or they attempt to quit, they will be executed by the armed guards escorting them. Who's in it? The movie stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill , Judy Greer , Charlie Plummer and Garrett Wareing. Review: When I first saw the trailer for The Long Walk , I had a lot of doubts about the movie. For one, a lot of films developed from Stephen King books tend to fall flat and a dystopian movie featuring a bunch of people walking and talking for nearly two hours did seem like it would get dull quickly. As a result of that, I didn't bother watching th...

Synopsis: After more than two years at the front lines of the American Civil War, Union Captain John Harling is looking forward to being discharged and allowed to go home. However, his discharge is put on hold, and he is instead ordered to track a group of Confederate soldiers that were believed to be dead but are now causing death and destruction. Harling enlists the help of the soldiers' former commander, Col. Nehemiah Strayn, now a prisoner of war and learn, with the assistance of a mute but clairvoyant runaway slave, the men they are chasing have been brought back from the dead by an evil African entity brought to the United States by a slave trader. The movie also goes by the names Ghost Brigade , The Lost Brigade and Grey Knight . Who's in it? The movie stars Corbin Bernsen , Adrian Pasdar, Ray Wise , Cynda Williams, Martin Sheen and Billy Bob Thornton. Review: The Killing Box had been in my library for some time and, after canceling previous plans to watch it, I fin...

 Here are my thoughts from today's 39-22 Green Bay Packers loss at the Minnesota Vikings: That first Christian Watson catch was a thing of beauty. After Jordan Love had his career-long touchdown pass, Packers' fans should be salivating about the potential that pairing offers if Watson can stay healthy. Based solely on this game, I think Love finally has a number one receiver in Watson as well. They haven't had a true go-to guy since Davante Adams was traded Watson's rookie year.  At minimum, I like Love's weapons. Less was more this season, reducing the number of receivers on the roster but giving him players who can make plays. Even Matthew Golden, who unfairly was criticized for not being a big enough part of the offense last year, was earning his draft status. The PAT miss by Trey Smack brought back some bad memories of Green Bay's recent history of kicking problems.  He's young so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt though, especially aft...