Steven Helmer Publications

I skipped a couple nights but decided to put one of my trail cameras in the yard last night just to see if there was still as much activity (the cats haven't been as interested in looking out the window at night). As it turns out, there was quite a bit happening during the night and early morning hours with visits that included everything from opossums to stray cats.  Here are some of the photos: _________________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous trail camera photos and videos: Trail Camera Videos (1/3/2026-1/4/2026) Trail Camera Photos (11/10/2024-11/12/2024) Trail Camera Videos (10/13/2024-10/14/2024) Trail Camera Photos (4/7/2025-4/8/2025)

Synopsis: After using the device to transport themselves to another universe, Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ), Bert ( Brian Posehn ) and Barry ( John Ross Bowie ) discover they are in a world dominated by an AI overlord that punishes anyone who shows any sort of aggression. While Bert and Barry go to Caltech in search of answers, Stuart goes in search of Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ). My Thoughts: What happens to the other versions of Stuart and company? Since they didn't run into other versions of themselves, I can only assume they replaced their alternate versions. Do those versions get transported to the universe they traveled from? Are they also using their own version of the device? Are they confused about what is happening? Along those lines, why didn't anyone recognize Bert and Barry? Stuart apparently owns a comic store in every universe (or at least the ones we've seen). Shouldn't the same standard apply to his friends? Barry and Bert worked at Caltech and yet Ramona No...

It was a little warm out there, making the steeper parts of my walk a bit more difficult, but I managed to get one in today just the same. There was surprisingly not a whole lot in terms of wildlife today, though I am certain I heard a deer walking just beyond my sightline. As a result, I once again focused primarily on the dragonflies and butterflies, not counting the frog I saw along the way. Here are some of my photos:   ___________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous nature photos: Morning Walk Photos (6/15/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (5/8/2026) Morning Walk Photos 7/6/2017 Lunchtime Walk Photos 9/15/2017

Synopsis: When Muggs and the rest of the East Side Kids stop a mugging and recover a wallet full of cash, the wealthy victim, John Cortland, rewards them by giving them 24/7 access to the gymnasium in his mansion. The help from Muggs and company doesn't stop there. They also save a dinner party, stop Courtland's daughter from marrying a conman and, after learning Courtland's son, Roy, was one of the muggers, work to turn him away from a life of crime. Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey , Huntz Hall, Louise Currie, Johnny Duncan and Herbert Heyes. Review: I couldn't make up my mind between a choice of three movies this morning, so I called an audible and looked for another East Side Kids/Bowery Boy film instead. Million Dollar Kid has been in my library for a while, and I finally gave it a try. It ended up being a good choice. I think the thing I liked best about this movie is how the film does a good job showing why Muggs (Gorcey) is the leader of his gang....

I needed a bit of background noise while working on something in my office today, so I booted up my spare laptop and, because it was readily available, put on the very first episode of The Andy Griffith Show , "The New Housekeeper." As I watched this episode, which introduced Andy ( Andy Griffith ), his son Opie ( Ron Howard ) and Aunt Bee ( Frances Bavier ), something hit me - Andy grew up in Mayberry (evidence of which is provided in later episodes). So why does he seem to have zero relatives who live there? OK, so obviously, there is Bee. However, based on the first episode, she didn't live in Mayberry prior to the start of the series and instead relocated there to help Andy out. She was also his first choice, despite the distance, after his housekeeper got married, presumably because he had no other family around who were willing to help. The only other potential relative is Barney ( Don Knotts ), who is described as his cousin in early episodes. By the time we reach ...

I am still getting used to the macro setting on my new camera. It works, just in a different way than my previous camera, and there are some nuances I'm still figuring out. I did manage to practice a bit with that on my walk today though, mostly trying to capture images of dragonflies near one of the ponds. Here are some of the photos I got: ______________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my other insect photos: Just a Butterfly Picture Butterfly Photo Dragonfly Another Dragonfly Photo

Synopsis: A once-promising boxer, Davey Gordon, loses yet another fight and decides he should move back to Seattle to work on his uncle's ranch. That same night, he saves his next-door neighbor, Gloria Price, from an attempted rape by her boss, Vinnie Rappalo. The two fall in love and Gloria decides to go with Davey to Seattle. However, when they attempt to collect their final paychecks, a series of events lead to Gloria being kidnapped and Davey being accused of murdering his manager. Who's in it? The movie stars Jamie Smith, Irene Kane, Frank Silvera, Jerry Jarrett and Felice Orlandi. Review: I came across Killer's Kiss on Screenpix's 25 movies to watch before you die list last night and, while I wasn't sure if I'd be interested in watching it at first, decided to do so after seeing it was written and directed by Stanley Kubrick. I watched it this morning and, while I could clearly tell it was a Kubrick movie and understand why it made that list, my opinion...

Synopsis: In this series debut, the Manhattan Criminal Court receives a brand-new judge, Harry Stone ( Harry Anderson ). His quirky nature quickly results questions about his competence, especially when he orders an attempted murder suspect (Peggy McCay) to try to work things out with her victim/husband (Joseph V. Perry) over lunch. My Thoughts - The lack of diversity in the original cast is noticeable . I suspect one of the main reasons why the show pivoted from Sheila Gardiner (Gail Strickland) to Liz Williams (Paula Kelly) at public defender after just one episode was to address this. Though, to be fair, I think it was a good change regardless of the reason. Obviously, one 30-minute episode isn't a big sample size, especially since Harry Stone was the focus. However, I could say the same about everyone else in the courtroom and they all managed to establish their characters to some degree while Sheila was mostly just there. On that note, I need to just take a moment to pay my r...

Synopsis: A forgotten-about cistern located in the roof of Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison causes a flood and reveals the skeleton of a long-hidden body and a visiting art professor, Nora Barnes, finds herself helping with the investigation, even after her own life is threatened. Her husband, Toby Sandler, also takes an interest in the case but is more interested in finding lost architectural plans drafted by Frank Lloyd Wright. Review: I didn't plan ahead when I went to the library last week and, with nothing on hold and no books on top of my list, I wandered the stacks looking for anything that caught my eye. The Bones of Bascom Hall wound up being one of the books I checked out, primarily because it takes place in a city I frequently visit and I liked the idea of a murder mystery in a familiar setting. I finished the book this morning and would describe it as OK. I liked the mystery surrounding the discovered body because it added some challenges that were u...

Synopsis: After his gang stops another shipment of vital supplies to a remote wild west town, Malgrove believes he'll be able to buy the local ranches for pennies on the dollar and mine them for gold. However, his plan has one sudden and unexpected obstacle, a stranger, John Carruthers, who has ridden into town and is helping the local sheriff investigate. Who's in it? The movie stars John Wayne , George 'Gabby' Hayes , Eleanor Hunt, Edward Peil, Sr. and Yakima Canutt . Review: I had time to scroll through movies while waiting for my daughter to get done with work last night and ultimately decided on Blue Steel . I watched it this morning and thought it was a good choice. One of the first things I noticed about this movie is it had a bit of a silent film-feel to it. There's not a ton of dialog and a lot of the story is told through body language and a whole lot of horse riding. This works in the movie's favor, I think. The plot isn't anything overly compl...

Synopsis: When Jerry Duncan is murdered after a dinner party, the police arrest Diana Amberson, who was seen entering his room right around the time he was killed and refuses to say why she was there. Mystery writer Harry Forrest, who is in love with Diana, believes her innocence, which is later proven when another guest is killed, and helps the police find the person who is responsible and why. Who's in it? The movie stars Jameson Thomas , Florence Britton, Lillian Rich, Lew Kelly , George 'Gabby' Hayes and Edmund Burns . Review: Some late morning/early afternoon storms are brought some much-needed rain today but also meant I couldn't go for a walk at lunch. Since I was stranded indoors, I finally decided to watch The Devil Plays , which had been in my library for a few weeks.  It was an OK movie but also seemed to lack something. The mystery itself was reasonably decent. The victim (Jack Trent) doesn't get a lot of screen time, but the movie gives just enough ...

Synopsis: After realizing he isn't serious about their relationship, fashion designer Geraldine "Gerry" Trent breaks up with her lover, Jim Woodward, on New Year's Eve. Sometime after, she falls in love again, with novelist Tony Blake, who wants to marry her even after finding out she's no longer a virgin. Her happiness is soon put to the test, however, when her sister, Joan, returns from Paris and Gerry learns Jim has stolen her sister's heart. Determined to protect Joan, Gerry works to break up their relationship and puts her engagement to Tony at risk in the process. Who's in it? The movie stars Gloria Swanson, Ben Lyon, Monroe Owsley, Barbara Kent, Arthur Lake and Maude Eburne.  Review: My original choice for a movie this morning turned out to be pretty bad, bad enough for me to turn it off after only about 10 minutes. Indiscreet was readily available as an alternative so I gave it a try. It ended up being an OK choice. Gloria Swanson was an incred...

As I mentioned, I recently watched the debut episode of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe . As might be expected, leading into and shortly after, I binge watched several episodes of The Big Bang Theory, mostly to get me in the mood for the spin-off series. In the past, I mentioned three storylines from TBBT I felt were left unresolved, including which genius got tenure and if Sheldon ( Jim Parsons ) ever addressed his hoarding issue. While in the middle of my re-watch of episodes I've seen dozens of times, I realized there where three more unanswered questions that, while not anything too big, did give me reason to pause. Did Leonard ( Johnny Galecki ) ever get his stolen car back? I am, of course, referring to the car theft that occurred in season 6's "The Bakersfield Expedition," while Leonard and friends were doing their Star Trek-themed photoshoot in the desert while on the way to a comic book convention. The last we see of his car in that episode is the thieves (...

I got quite a bit accomplished yesterday thanks to the internet being down for roughly 15 or 16 hours and with nothing on TV last night (because we needed the internet to watch it), I made sure to get my trail cameras in the back yard. It turned out to be a busy night (maybe the animals were without internet too) with quite a few critters walking in front of the cameras. Here are some of the photos: __________________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous trail camera photos: Trail Camera Photo (5/5/2025-5/6/2025) Trail Camera Photos (9/30/2025-10/1/2025) Trail Camera Photos (9/8/2024-9/9/2024) A Couple Trail Camera Photos

Synopsis: Married with three kids, Sidney is trying to live a quiet life despite being a celebrity from the various attempts on her life. However, a new Ghostface soon begins to terrorize both her and her teenage daughter, Tatum. This time, there's a new twist, he claims to be Stu Macher, one of the original Ghostface killers who everyone believes is dead. Who's in it? The movie stars Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , Isabel May, Joel McHale , Anna Camp and Matthew Lillard . Review: I meant to see Scream 7 when it came out in theaters. However, things came up, I couldn't make it happen and instead had to wait until it both became available to stream and I had an evening when I could watch it. The stars finally aligned this evening and after seeing it, I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than expected. There were a couple things I really liked about this movie. The first is how the action starts almost from the beginning and the new Ghostface doesn't stop coming. Be...

I did get out for a walk today but didn't see nearly as much as I did yesterday in terms of things I could photograph. However, since there were still a pair of sandhill cranes hanging out by the pond, I decided to get some more photos of them. Here are a couple of them: _______________________________________________________________________ Here are some other bird photos: In Flight Some Heron Photos Bird Feeder Photos 11/10/2018 Some Bird Photos from Around the Yard

It's been a while since I've had the trail cameras outside because I just never got around to buying new batteries for them. However, my cat, Stormcloud, saw something a couple nights ago that got her agitated to the point she clawed her way through my daughter's bedroom window screen in the middle of the night to go after it. We fortunately found her unharmed a couple minutes later because she apparently changed her mind and didn't go past the windowsill and since I was curious about what she saw, I decided to get the batteries and re-deploy the trail cameras. I'm still not sure what got her so worked up, she's brave but not brave enough to tangle with a raccoon twice her size, but I did get some photos. Here they are: ___________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous trail camera photos: A Couple Trail Camera Squirrel Photos (2/14/2026) Trail Camera Photos (11/10/2024-11/12/2024) Trail Camera Photos (10/3/2024 - 1...

Synopsis: In a dystopian Pasadena ruled by Barry Kripke ( John Ross Bowie ), comic bookstore owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) is visited by an alternate version of himself and learns an accident with a device invented by his friends has caused an alternate reality. He, along with geologist Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn) search for the device and with help from his former girlfriend, Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ), try to bring the world back to its normal state. My Thoughts: This should have been a movie. Not necessarily a feature-length Hollywood-budgeted film but maybe a 60-to-90-minute pilot that deep dives into the main plot and sets up the story for the rest of the series. There was an awful lot being crammed into the 30-minute episode, making it seem rushed and making it difficult to become invested. I have so many questions about dystopian Pasadena. For one, when did society collapse? The episode suggested it happened during Stewart's lifetime but at the same time, everyone seemed...

After some uncomfortably hot weather the past several days, we are back to some cooler temps. This made my walk at lunch a bit more enjoyable because I didn't end up drenched in sweat.  The city recently did some landscape work at the park, opening up some areas that were previously difficult to get to because of high grass. This did lead to me getting some photos, like the one of the sandhill cranes below that I probably wouldn't have gotten.  Here are some of the photos I took: _____________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/6/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/21/2026) Morning Walk Photos 4/27/2018 Some Heron Photos

One thing I've always found interesting is how easily it is to become emotionally invested in characters on a television series. You know they aren't real, but when that show goes off the air, you still feel as though you've lost friends. I think this is a big part of the reason spin-offs are so popular. I feel that way about The Big Bang Theory which, with the debut of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe tonight, will have its third spin-off series (though one is technically a spin-off of a prequel) and will emphasize some of the secondary characters that helped make that show great.  As I think about the original series while debating if I'll watch the new spin-off tonight or tomorrow morning, I find myself contemplating each of the seven main characters and how they all changed at some point during the show, some more than others. While those changes were over the course of the full series, I was able to pinpoint the moments I think had the biggest impact for each of...

I ended up cutting my walk a bit shorter today, both because I had a lot of work to do at the office and because I didn't want to scare a heron (last photo) that was fishing near one of the trails. I did still manage to get some photographs though. Here are some of them: _______________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (7/6/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/3/2026) Morning Walk Photos 7/26/2017 Some More Walk Photos

Synopsis: While on an African safari with her parents and fiancé, Eleanor Reed is rescued from the mud by a loin-cloth-wearing man who calls himself Tarzan and eventually spends a day together with the jungle man. Tarzan soon needs to come to the rescue again when a chieftain, Ben Alleu Bey, kidnaps Eleanor so he can make her part of his harem. Who's in it? The movie stars Glenn Morris, Eleanor Holm, Hedda Hopper , C. Henry Gordon, George Meeker and George Barbier. Review: I've had Tarzan's Revenge in my movie library for months and just never got around to watching it. I decided to finally do that this morning and, while it wasn't a terrible movie, it also wasn't as good as I was hoping. I'll start out with the positives. Glenn Morris makes a halfway decent Tarzan. He had the yell down, looked the part and has decent chemistry with his love interest, Eleanor (Holm). The movie also has some solid supporting characters. Eleanor's mother, Penny (Hopper), ...