Yes! It is out! Yay! I went with my father to check out the restarting of the Star Trek series. For those who do not want to see any of the spoiler information, it is safe to say that it is worth the watch! The special effects were excellent, and (for the most part) the acting was good.
:::::::::::::::::::::SPOILER ALERT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
First of all, I went to see this movie during the afternoon. I was amazed that this cinema was 3/4 full and mostly of elderly people! I was thinking... wow, this series really made an impact on several generations. I suspect that this movie will continue to gain a crowd as the years continue. I also thought--wouldn't it be cool to be around to my elderly years and see this series born again!
Anyhow, to the movie at hand. First-- yes the special effects were excellent. The story as interesting, but how it played out kind of bothered me. Let it be known, that even though I am no Trekkie, I have seen every movie and episode of every series relating to Star Trek. You can thank the invention of the iPod for that!
The actors chosen for the key parts in the movie were excellent, with minor exceptions. First, did you notice that James T. Kirk's mother was the lady from House? I thought that was interesting. Next, James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine was an excellent choice! He had the suave-brilliant-arrogance you need to pull off a role like that. William Shatner would be proud (hehe). Also, early in the movie, he is making out with a GREEN WOMAN!!! Sigh, though I must admit that I did laugh at it! It was like the director/writer giving a little "love" to those who watched the original series. The same series that had Klingons with borwn skin and just big eye brows!
Next we have Spock. Okay-- had I not seen this guy in Heroes I really think that I would have enjoyed his acting more. Also, Uhura and Spock? REALLY!!!>>>??? I do realize that many people say that the relationship was always implied, but to be honest, I did not catch it. I was considering watching the entire series all over again, just to see what I was missing. I just found it as a surprise.
Doctor McCoy, played by one of the soldiers in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The guy had the right look, but was too large of a man. But, being that he is younger and more svelte... I can deal with it.
Let's be honest... who did NOT laugh at Scotty? Simon Pegg's protrayal of Scotty was absolutely hilarious! One of my favorite quotes, "You bet cha ass capt'n!" Oh boy, did I laugh at that. I really enjoy his acting style and look forward to see him in a Shaun of the Dead 2 (if they ever make one).
Chekov and Sulu were casted excellently as well. Poor Chekov... at least we can say that the "earlier movies" allowed Chekov to acutally pronounce english words! hah! But this movie did show why the both of them were on this ship--skills!
Over all, even with Leonard Nimoy's appearance, this movie was well done. I thought that the situation that brought them together was "Logical" and reasonable. I can not wait to see another movie with these actors. With one exception: Wynona Rider.
Hah!
~The Happy Camper
Friday, May 15, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
New Review PTC Website
Hi again all! Just wanted to update those people who are still actively perusing the Paid-to-click world. I have put together a spiffy website for you to check out. It has a lot of information and is updated at least 2 times a week. One of the neatest features is that of a TOOLBAR! Yea, another toolbar?! Well, this one actually has no spam in it. I have removed as much as I possibly can from it. The only items of note are BUX SITES, PTC FORUM SITES, PTC REVIEWERS, AND BUX CHAT. There is a search bar, but I haven't figured out how to remove that yet!
The website link is HTTP://BUXPROOF.SYNTHASITE.COM
Feel Free to let me know what you think!
~The Average Brain!
The website link is HTTP://BUXPROOF.SYNTHASITE.COM
Feel Free to let me know what you think!
~The Average Brain!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Yes, I went to see this movie. Yes, I really wanted to see this movie. NO, I was not impressed by the movie, but I did not ask for my money back.
When I first saw the preview for this movie, I did get goosebumps. My goosebumps are typically a good indicator that I am willing to pay the almost $10 per ticket to sit my butt in front of a screen. Well, this was one of those movies.
Like many people, I enjoy the movies that are coming out, that have derived from the comic book genre. The X-Men are one of my favorites. With the advancement in CGI, the eye-candy spewing across the screen was quite enjoyable. I even went back and watched some of the older movies and realized how far along this genre has advanced (and sci-fi in general).
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Now we get to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. WARNING ::SPOILERS::
Starting out we have a couple of young brothers, though they did not know it yet, sitting in a room. Without giving too many details, they end up discovering their shared lineage and run off into the wilderness to begin their lives. They protect each other through many, many and more of many wars... in fact they are the reason we won the landing on the beaches of Normandy! **DID NOT KNOW THAT** haha! After some time, and a failed execution, they become a part of this "special force" and fight as a part of a team.
As part of this team, you do get to see the mutants display their talents in-kind. It is really neat to see how they setup the scenarios in which they overcome. Also, Logan is just Logan, with BONE claws, not the metal ones that he acquires later.
For reasons that are pseudonically (is that even a word?! lol) obvious, Logan leaves the group and tries to start his life anew. Keep in mind, this is 6 years or so BEFORE the first X-Men movie. He meets a woman and lives out in the middle of no-where-land Canada. It is understood that she knows about his situation, as you find out in conversations. She is basically the love interest. I have to admit, it was at this point I was thinking to myself: self-I sincerely hope that his movie is not going to be this predictable.
Sure enough, the predictability brigade was in full force. The girl dies, Logan seeks revenge, and eventually ends up agreeing to get his bones coated with the Adamantium. Thus, we get the modern Wolervine!!! His name changes, I will spare you the short story that leads to that, since you would probably only need one guess. Now Wolverine seeks revenge and is searching for his brother. I did not think it was necessary to mention that his brother killed his woman. By now you, like I, are probably thinking why keep watching if the story is so bothersome. Well, again--CGI eye-candy.
After seeking information and getting a little help, Wolverine ends up on 3-Mile Island. This is where the climax occurs, and the final battle takes place. Wolverine faces off against his brother and another mutant. I am not going to say much about the other mutant, save that is was done really well. Yes, another CGI eye-candy parade happens!
After this resolution, as Wolverine clearly wins, he quickly loses his memory. This was necessary to explain his state of mind in the earlier movies. The way that they affected his memory was believable, considering that this is a sci-fi movie.
For the record, if you have a significant other that really likes Hugh Jackman, but does not like sci-fi movies, they may actually enjoy this movie. I say that because Wolverine/Logan/Hugh Jackman has a scene where he is running naked through the wilderness. So, there is a little something for everyone.
Overall I would give this movie a B rating. The story was okay, some of the scenes were very cheesy, but the fighting and CGI kept me watching. I am really feeling luke warm about this one, but I did really want to see it, so perhaps a little buyers remorse is kicking in!
When I first saw the preview for this movie, I did get goosebumps. My goosebumps are typically a good indicator that I am willing to pay the almost $10 per ticket to sit my butt in front of a screen. Well, this was one of those movies.
Like many people, I enjoy the movies that are coming out, that have derived from the comic book genre. The X-Men are one of my favorites. With the advancement in CGI, the eye-candy spewing across the screen was quite enjoyable. I even went back and watched some of the older movies and realized how far along this genre has advanced (and sci-fi in general).
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Now we get to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. WARNING ::SPOILERS::
Starting out we have a couple of young brothers, though they did not know it yet, sitting in a room. Without giving too many details, they end up discovering their shared lineage and run off into the wilderness to begin their lives. They protect each other through many, many and more of many wars... in fact they are the reason we won the landing on the beaches of Normandy! **DID NOT KNOW THAT** haha! After some time, and a failed execution, they become a part of this "special force" and fight as a part of a team.
As part of this team, you do get to see the mutants display their talents in-kind. It is really neat to see how they setup the scenarios in which they overcome. Also, Logan is just Logan, with BONE claws, not the metal ones that he acquires later.
For reasons that are pseudonically (is that even a word?! lol) obvious, Logan leaves the group and tries to start his life anew. Keep in mind, this is 6 years or so BEFORE the first X-Men movie. He meets a woman and lives out in the middle of no-where-land Canada. It is understood that she knows about his situation, as you find out in conversations. She is basically the love interest. I have to admit, it was at this point I was thinking to myself: self-I sincerely hope that his movie is not going to be this predictable.
Sure enough, the predictability brigade was in full force. The girl dies, Logan seeks revenge, and eventually ends up agreeing to get his bones coated with the Adamantium. Thus, we get the modern Wolervine!!! His name changes, I will spare you the short story that leads to that, since you would probably only need one guess. Now Wolverine seeks revenge and is searching for his brother. I did not think it was necessary to mention that his brother killed his woman. By now you, like I, are probably thinking why keep watching if the story is so bothersome. Well, again--CGI eye-candy.
After seeking information and getting a little help, Wolverine ends up on 3-Mile Island. This is where the climax occurs, and the final battle takes place. Wolverine faces off against his brother and another mutant. I am not going to say much about the other mutant, save that is was done really well. Yes, another CGI eye-candy parade happens!
After this resolution, as Wolverine clearly wins, he quickly loses his memory. This was necessary to explain his state of mind in the earlier movies. The way that they affected his memory was believable, considering that this is a sci-fi movie.
For the record, if you have a significant other that really likes Hugh Jackman, but does not like sci-fi movies, they may actually enjoy this movie. I say that because Wolverine/Logan/Hugh Jackman has a scene where he is running naked through the wilderness. So, there is a little something for everyone.
Overall I would give this movie a B rating. The story was okay, some of the scenes were very cheesy, but the fighting and CGI kept me watching. I am really feeling luke warm about this one, but I did really want to see it, so perhaps a little buyers remorse is kicking in!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Online Job to Supplement Income!
I actually found a real work-from-home company. Believe me when I say that I was shocked that this was actually even legit. There is no fee, no advertizing, no etc... just watch videos, train, test, then voila-- you are answering text messaged through the internet. You are your own boss, you set your own hours etc... You have to have a good internet connection, and a good understanding of how to look things up on the internet. English as a first language is a primary
You get paid per text answered, and they have a quality control process that checks (randomly) those answers. But if you are looking for something to fill in the gaps in the evenings, then I will be more than happy to help you out!
Checkout the company yourself: http://becomeaguide.chacha.com
***AS OF EARLY MAY, THEY ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW PEOPLE***
If you are really interested let me know. I can get you setup and help prepare for the test that they make you take. Only 1 out of 10 who apply actually make it.
I checked out the company and they look legit, feel free to do so yourself though. ChaCha.com
You get paid per text answered, and they have a quality control process that checks (randomly) those answers. But if you are looking for something to fill in the gaps in the evenings, then I will be more than happy to help you out!
Checkout the company yourself: http://becomeaguide.chacha.com
***AS OF EARLY MAY, THEY ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW PEOPLE***
If you are really interested let me know. I can get you setup and help prepare for the test that they make you take. Only 1 out of 10 who apply actually make it.
I checked out the company and they look legit, feel free to do so yourself though. ChaCha.com
Pay to click, pay per click websites
PPC and PTC Are websites that the member clicks on ads, waits X amount of time, verifies, and then an account is credited with X amount of funds per click. You are not going to get rich off of one or two, but if you get into 20 or 30, and have 10 or 20 friends join you... you get the point. The best part is that it is FREE. I never sign up for bonus stuff, though many websites offer them.
The following is a list of the pay-per-click/pay-to-click websites for which I am a member. I will try to give as much information about each one in the list, so you know whether or not to waste your time. If the website looks relevant to you, then click the link and sign up; If it doesn't then don't. I am just sharing what I know, so that you know.... ya know?
FYI, For the RATINGS, I use the following formula: (PPC RATE) x (Avg # of ads per day) / (minimum pay out) So, for 0.01 per click rate x 12 ads per day = 0.12 Then 0.12 /50 = .6 ***The higher the number the better as far as pure numbers register.
BestBux
The following is a list of the pay-per-click/pay-to-click websites for which I am a member. I will try to give as much information about each one in the list, so you know whether or not to waste your time. If the website looks relevant to you, then click the link and sign up; If it doesn't then don't. I am just sharing what I know, so that you know.... ya know?
FYI, For the RATINGS, I use the following formula: (PPC RATE) x (Avg # of ads per day) / (minimum pay out) So, for 0.01 per click rate x 12 ads per day = 0.12 Then 0.12 /50 = .6 ***The higher the number the better as far as pure numbers register.
BestBux
- Per Click : $0.10
- Payout : $50.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay
- Payment Schedule: issued within 5-10 business days upgraded and 30-60 business days standard members
- Rating: 0.6
- Per Click: $ 0.05
- Payout: $ 0.5
- Payment Method: Paypal
- Payment Schedule: processed and issued via PayPal within 7 business days or less.
- Rating: 1.1
- ***Have requested a payment but have not yet received it, I will keep you updated
- Per Click: $0.01
- Payout: $50.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay
- Payment schedule: within 30 business days for premium and 60 business days for standard members
- Rating: 0.01
- Per Click: $0.02
- Payout: $12.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay or Paypal
- Payment Schedule: processed and issued via PayPal within 1-10 business days.
- Rating: 0.005
- Per Click: $0.0125
- Payout: $10.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay
- Rating: 0.04
- Per Click: $0.01
- Payout: $5.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay
- Rating: 0.06
- Per Click: $0.05
- Payout: $10.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay or Paypal
- Rating: 0.04
- Per Click: $0.03
- Payout: $45.00
- Payment Method: Alertpay
- Rating: 0.04
- Per Click: $0.15
- Payout: $35.00
- Payout Method: Alertpay
- Rating: 0.13 ***I have yet to receive a payout from this one, so be cautious.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Left 4 Dead
Yes! After weeks of being pestered by my AVERAGE FRIENDS, I have finally acquired LEFT 4 DEAD, PC version.
First off, I must say, that this game is tremendously cool. Imagine all the zombie movies you have ever watched, mix in a few you haven't and WHAM you are in the middle of a zombie eye-candy explosion!
I do not know about you, but when I first played Resident Evil on my Playstation, I was enthralled. I had the lights off, the sound system running through the living room speakers, and sitting on my game chair hunched over. My leg would shake and shake as I tumbled through the various rooms and corridors looking for that next thing. I would spend HOURS playing that game and its descendants, just because of the thrill of taking out a mass amount of zombies. Aside from Doom 3, no game has pumped me up more than LEFT 4 DEAD.
Mass amounts of flesh-eating zombies, all rushing toward their deaths as you and your three companions try to survive with various weapons. The gameplay is tremendously intuitive. The standard keyboard and mouse movements, as in most first person shooters are used here as well. What differentiates this game from others, is that you do not have to be a marksman to enjoy the game. Valve has done a wonderful job making the game as playable by varying levels of skills. Do not get me wrong, if you are normally a terrific shooter, you will do well here, but the primary focus of the game is to survive and to survive with as much of your team intact as possible. TEAM WORK IS THE KEY to this game. If you think you can go "Dirty Harry" on some zombie-butt you will be sadly mistaken, and quickly OWNED.
For the record: I have a quad-core machine, with 4gb of ram, and a geForce 8800GT video card. My experience is based on this type of machine.
The game has 3 primary types of games: Single Player Campaign, Coop-Campaign, and Versus. Single player is simple, you choose from one of the (currently) 4 maps, select from the other options, such as: character (Bill, Francis, Louis or Zoey), difficulty, etc... and off you go! Co-op Campaign brings together people from the internet to play together to conquer campaigns. Versus brings together 8 players in a 4 on 4 battle for points. In this mode your team rotates turns as zombies and survivors. You each take turns working a part of the campaign, each time trying to do better as the other team. You work your way through the entire campaign to determine the highest score. I have to say that my favorite is the versus. Getting a chance to play as one of the 4 types of zombies is a lot of fun. I do not want to give away all of the information, but it is worth trying out versus.
This game is rated mature because of the massive amounts of gore you go through. Blood splatter, heads blown off, zombies tearing at flesh, are just
a few examples of the horror-fun you would get to experience. So, be advised if that type of material offends. Mostly, the game just scares the crap out of me. I contend that if you were not at least a little jumpy the first time through, you might want to have yourself checked! hah!The graphics are excellent. The details of the zombies are wonderful, and the interactions between the environment, the survivors and the zombies are all very fluid. Blood does get splattered on the wall after you blow the head off the "smoker." The same result will occur from a few elbows to the head as well. The zombies look "real" and act like I expect them too act-- how ever zombie are supposed to act?! For example take a look at a couple of my screenshots.
Overall this game is terrific. It promotes teamwork above all else, which I think is a very cool component to this game. Once they add more maps and more features this game will grow in popularity. I am glad I saved up for this, because it has been worth every penny. On the FREAKING SWEET SCALE (of 1-10, 10 being best) I have given it a 10.
Important links
http://www.l4d.com/ - the primary website of Left 4 Dead.
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / Vista64
Pentium 4 3.0GHz
1 GB
128 MB, Shader model 2.0, ATI 9600, NVIDIA 6600 or better
At least 7.5 GB of free space
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Welcome!
Welcome to the Average Brain!
Are you sick and tired of the lame (yes I said lame) reviews brought to you by your local paper, or even your national paper? Are you looking for an average perspective from an average person? If not, well, dang... If so, you are in the right place!
First off I do apologize for the average opening, but I was not sure how to start. The first question one may ask is: "What is the Average Brain and why should I give a crap?" ...a completely colorful and understandable question. Let me answer this way: Because I Said So!
The Average Brain is a collection of movie, game, website, etc... reviews, done by an average person that lives an average life. I can provide a prospective that those who review for a living may not be able to accomplish. I am the person you nudge in the ribs and say, "Hey! Heard anything good about
The point is to read something from someone who may share a similar perspective. I want to share my thoughts with all of you! Plus I love movies, games, websites... like most average people... heh!
At any rate, I am glad you have stumbled across this blog and I look forward to your responses!
Just call me... The Happy Camper
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