Tag Archives: YouTube

Life After World Of Warcraft

World of Warcraft Cosplay Girls
World of Warcraft Cosplay Girls (Photo credit: swanky)

Four years ago I started a journey I had put off for quite some time. A few months before Cataclysm shipped, I bought and downloaded World of Warcraft and rolled my first toon. I had played Warcraft II back in the day and had at least some familiarity with the story. As Brainmuffin is my main nickname, I called the Orc Hunter I rolled the same. I joined through an invite from a co-worker (my boss’s boss) and became a member of his guild.

It wasn’t long before my OCD fears took over and I played way, way too much. Not long after buying, I had reached the level cap of the Vanilla content that was still there and bought the Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King expansions. I was at least committed to going that far, though I still wasn’t sure if I would continue into Cataclysm when it came out.

I downloaded various add-ons and used Zygor guides to level quicker. Along the way, I did various reputation challenges to get mounts and other items. When I was in Lich King content, I rolled some alts using other races to learn other parts of the game. An Undead Shadow Priest (Kleftogna) and Blood Elf Paladin (Zarania). Once I reached the required level on my main, I also rolled a Blood Elf Death Knight (Blutfleck). My obsession had moved into alt land.

In the beginning, things were great. Several other co-workers joined and rolled and we would run instances together. One by one, they dropped out and I had to run more PUGs.  The guild was small, but it was nice and we played on Runetotem. One day, the co-worker who got me started on this journey quit over things Blizzard changed that he didn’t like. The last co-worker went back to running toons in her main guild. I was mostly on my own and played that way for many months.

Eventually, I switched from the guild “For the Horde” to “Cryptic Blessings” as I knew a player there. I was well into Catalcysm content and had level capped a few toons. They ran raids and I had time to do some. Soon came purple gear for my Hunter Brainmuffin and grinding for mats became easier.

Some people I knew returned before Mists of Pandaria came out. I moved a few toons back to “For the Horde”, but it wouldn’t last long and I’d soon be back in “Cryptic Blessings” full time. I went through the MoP content, did pet battles, leveled archeology, and was having fun leveling by various methods. Scenarios and LFR gave new experiences and loot.

Over the last few months though, it slowly became boring. I couldn’t make guild raid night and was on my own most of the time. I still did pet battles and archeology. As new content for MoP came out, I ran it. I leveled 5 toons to 90 by various methods and LFR-ed with each. I went a week without WOW and had some withdrawal symptoms. This was not good.

I also grew tired of the cost each month. Spending $70 every 6 months to play a game that was becoming a chore was no longer in the cards. By mid-May, I had made my decision and turned off auto resubscribe on my account with Blizzard. The morning of May 31st it became final. My paid time had run out.

It has been less than a week since I last logged into and played WOW. I must say I really don’t miss World of Warcraft that much. I’ve turned my attention to other pursuits, mostly getting back to filming beer reviews and other videos for my YouTube channel. I’ve also pulled up old photos and have started making adjustments in Lightroom. My daughter and I even finally did a small photo shoot in Harbin Park. I have much to learn when it comes to photographing people and I am looking forward to the journey.

Each passing day brings me further from World of Warcraft. When the new expansion drops later this year, I have no idea if I will buy it or not. I am quite tired of all the continuous grinding. Perhaps by then I’ll have a clearer purpose.

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Journey Into Lightroom

English: Adobe Lightroom Icon Deutsch: Adobe L...
English: Adobe Lightroom Icon Deutsch: Adobe Lightroom Icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the month of March, Adobe is running a good discount on Photoshop and Lightroom Creative Cloud. Normally quite cost prohibitive for the non-professional, the cost of $10 a month was too much to pass up. My daughter wants Photoshop for her artwork and I’ve been wondering how Lightroom can change my photography. As WOW is becoming quite boring for me, it was an easy switch.

Once purchased, downloaded and installed, the search for tutorials started. On YouTube, I came across Anthony Morganti and his Quickstart training tutorials. After going through part 1, it was time to import some pictures to do some postwork. I went through some old photos and came across some from our vacation in Utah. When we visited Antelope Island on Salt Lake, it was overcast and rainy.  The rocks had more color and beauty than the lack of light allowed. How well could Lightroom open up these pictures?

Shooting in RAW mode on the Nikon D7000 has several advantages. RAW saves far more data about the image than JPEG and Lightroom takes full advantage of it. Once imported, it was time to see the adjustments Anthony suggests in his first video.

The first changes Anthony suggests is in the Basic area, setting Highlights to +100 and Shadows -100. The first will flatten the picture and the second will open it up. After performing this on several photos, I am not sure it is always necessary. It does seem a good place to start. It will be interesting to play with these settings as I learn.

Finishing the Basic section is adjusting the Whites and Blacks by holding the Option key down while moving the slider. Anthony’s suggestion is to just allow the Whites in and deepen the Blacks quite a bit. It will depend on the photo, of course. This is also to the taste of the photographer and what is wanted with the post-processing. Here too is another place to learn. Clarity, vibrance, and saturation are adjusted to preference.

Lens correction is another section visited. On some photos, it makes little difference, but on wide angle shots it helps to straighten them out. As the Nikon D7000 will save lens information in the EXIF data, Lightroom will compare against its database and adjust as required. The photos loaded so far used a Nikkor lens. I do have some using my Tamron and it be interesting to see what changes are required for it.

Sharpening and Luminance under Noise Reduction are the next standard place to use a standard setting: 70 and 40, respectively. Adjusting the various colors and details is all according to the needs of the photograph and what the photographer is trying to do. I have learned that push the various colors dials too much can give the picture an other-worldly look. This is good to know, though, as there are times when such results will be wanted.

Here are a few pictures I’ve placed in my Flickr photostream:

Salt Lake Rocks - V 2 - 2012
Salt Lake Rocks – V 2 – 2012 (Photo credit: BrainMuffin)
Salt Lake Rocks - #2
Salt Lake Rocks – #2 (Photo credit: BrainMuffin)

 

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Who Is Hayden Hawke?

A treant from World of Warcraft
A treant from World of Warcraft (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

You see her image on nearly every site dealing with World of Warcraft. There are many videos on YouTube with her voice over. They are all to sell the same thing: Hayden Hawke’s gold guide for WOW.

 

Who is Hayden Hawke?

 

Sure, there is an image of a cute, young woman. Her blonde and silvery blue eyes. But is she a real person? After all, the name choice is interesting in that she hawks her guide. Hayden is also a name that could be either a man or a woman. Looking at slightly older images used in the adverts shows she has either bloomed well or is making some much real money with her guide she could afford an upgrade.

 

Is she real?

 

I’ve seen it speculated that she is a Photoshop creation. Her voice is someone’s girlfriend and that there real isn’t a Hayden Hawke. She has the correct amount of gamer nerd appeal, without being ridiculously hot that people ignore her. Yet, she is easy to ignore. Just like Zygor Guides, Hayden Hawke is now a synonym for site WOW spam. It’s all just noise anyway.

 

And what’s the secret guide have? Ways to use some addons to turn the AH into a commodities exchange. Buy low, sell high. That’s the ticket to more gold in WOW. Oh sorry, Hayden.

 

 

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A Return To Harbin Park

Path in Harbin Park
Path in Harbin Park (Photo credit: BrainMuffin)

Harbin Park in Fairfield, Ohio is an interesting place. It is a city park, yet doesn’t feel like one as it is bigger than most. While it contains the typical basket ball and volleyball courts and covered picnic pavilions, it is also a target rich environment for Geocaches. It was this outdoor past-time that first lead me to Harbin Park on a regular basis. It is photography that brings me back.

Star Wars and Home Brewing Day (May, 4th) beckoned many to the outdoors as it was the first warm Saturday of the year. The passing clouds and wind kept one from being too warm and many took advantage. It was time to take advantage and shoot some video. Several people had been sending questions via YouTube and it was time to answer some.

Many ideas flowed through the brain: depth of field, rear curtain flash, HDRI. Which would survive the truth of the situation? Which would be forgotten? What new ideas would arrive once there and walking around? Oh the possibilities.

The first two videos are up on YouTube: Photography in Harbin Park – Intro and Being on the Path – Harbin Park. While walking down a wide path, a new opportunity came about. It was time to get the iPhone out to discuss how to get a blue sky. This is one of the most common questions asked of me. So, here’s the demonstration.

Visit the videos and enjoy. More editing is to be done and more videos will follow. Send your questions in. It is time to learn and explore photography. It is time to explore your own Harbin Park. It is time to get out and see the world through the lens.

Have fun!

 

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A Coffee Shop Millionaire Review

English: Roasted coffee beans photographed usi...
English: Roasted coffee beans photographed using a macro technique. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the years, I’ve tried all manner of business. I’ve been in Amway. I did the iMall when it first started. I’ve tried Russ Dalbey’s real estate notes business. So naturally I had to try Coffee Shop Millionaire.

Like many people who have fallen so this scam, I came across a video narrated by Anthony Trister. Here he claims to show ClickBank accounts that he “hasn’t touched in 3-4 months” and are on “autopilot”. The numbers look impressive. A few thousands dollars in sales everyday can really add up. Wow. Tell me more.

Anthony goes how to say how this video will not be on the Internet for long and that it could be taken down at anytime. This is, of course, total bunk and is there to make you turn your purchase into an impulse buy. This is the take away maneuver.

The Coffee Shop Millionaire video continues to show sales by “ordinary people” who are using the system. The next phases being how much the program is worth. Anthony claims it is worth thousands. The truth? Simple searches using Google will show you all the Coffee Shop Millionaire program will teach you for free. Want to know about Google adwords? Search for it. Want to know how to use YouTube or FaceBook to generate leads? Search for it. The Internet has all this information for free. Why buy the Coffee Shop Millionaire to get free information?

This is why the price for the program drops the longer you watch the video. The value is given in thousands of dollars, yet the price starts in a few hundred. Then it drops to $97. Then $37. Some links will give you $10 off the price and therefore the worthless program can be had for $27. If this program was really worth thousands of dollars, do you really think it would be sold for $27? Image if this was a house and the bank claimed it was worth hundreds of thousands, but they stated it could be purchased for only $3,000. Would you wonder what is wrong with it?

Oh wait, there’s a users’ forum. Oh goody. Here people who have no idea what they are doing can exchange worthless ideas with one another. Yeah, no thanks.

In all, the Coffee Shop Millionaire is a worthless program. Want to do affiliate marketing? Spend some time searching the web for information, blend it together and find your path. Want to know SEO? Search on adwords and SEO, do it in your blogs and test the results. You surely don’t need some worthless Coffee Shop Millionaire program.

 

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Growing Up INTJ

Español: Tipo Myers-Briggs INTJ
Español: Tipo Myers-Briggs INTJ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I first posted a video on YouTube about being an INTJ, several people responded in support, others wondered. Could this guy really be an INTJ? After all. He’s on YouTube?

In that video I explained what an INTJ is and gave examples of famous ones from history. The Myers-Briggs test is a measure of someone’s personality traits. It is not a box to stuff people into, nor is it a box into which one may hide. It is a measure. It is a starting point of understanding.

Response to that video compelled me to share more of my test results. My more in-depth video was the result. Here I shared the actual test results, showing the pages. Yes, it was to show the doubters out there that I really am an INTJ. After all, these videos take a great deal of energy from me. Blog posting is much easier. Add to that, I tend to do the videos in one take, unlike say Karen Alloy (spricket24) who uses many quick cuts in her style. I’m more like say….the Snap Chick..Leigh…something….ok..moving on.

Several people sent me e-mails asking what it was like growing up. Ok…new video made. Now for the text.

My mother is an extrovert. So is my brother. My father is more introverted, but during my formative years Uncle Sam had him here, there and everywhere quite often. As a result, I was much closer to my mother. Being on opposite ends on the first letter did bring some misunderstandings. I wanted to be alone with my books and thoughts and ideas. She wanted me to get out of the house and meet people. We were both right, in our own ways.

Having social skills is important. One needs to be able to understand and communicate with others. After all, none of us are islands unto our selves. We need others to provide what we cannot ourselves acquire. But being with people drains an Introvert and eventually, there is a need to recharge. This my mother didn’t seem to understand till later in life.

Much of the time growing up, we had no television. My mind was my playground and my imagination became strong. In 1979, we moved to Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Here I could access the library on my own and I did. I read every Hardy Boys book they had. I tried the Bobbsey Twins and others. I read books as though I had a hunger, a longing. By seventh grade it was The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings series. I didn’t need television. I had my books.

And my mother said go meet people.

I was in the Boy Scouts till the younger kids annoyed me too often. I reached the rank of Star, though no further. Here I tuned my love of learning into merit badges. I had dreams, but no plans. I wanted much, but had no way to get there. After all. I had my books.

My teenage years saw me grow more introverted. I saw many of my fellow classmates as whiny children. I still see teenagers that way. Anytime I heard someone say “That’s not fair,” my only response was “Life isn’t fair.” I started to write more, sharing with no one. Who series of stories and novels danced through my head. I played Traveller. I wrote computer programs on paper. I had a few friends. We moved to Germany and I had woods to explore. Old ruins held high import to me. Moss fields became a land of mists and dragons. I created my own alphabets. I wrote. I shared none.

And my mother said to mingle and meet people.

During my senior year in high school, my interest in females grew high enough to actually talk to them. Half-way through the year I finally asked one out: Dee Dee Kreminak. We went to the movies and had pizza afterward. We talked about for hours. She was beautiful. We had a good time. A few weeks later I asked her to join my family for Ice Capades. She said she couldn’t, I’ve long forgotten why. I tried another date a bit later. No. Ugh. I was crushed.

My first attempt at being social and more than just seeing someone at church or school left me a bit crushed. Was I doomed for more introversion? On a train filled with American youth on its way to Berchtesgaden, the answer became no. Here I met Tracy Janner and a weekend friendship grew. She lived in Kaiserslautern, two hours away. I would see her twice more before leaving Germany. I learned a bit more.

Over the years I’ve had to work at being more open. I’ve also had to learn when to pull back. I tend to OCD on being extroverted when I am really pushed out of my Introvert shell. I am not really shy that much, just lending to observing people more than participating. After all, INTJs are Masterminds and Analytical.

I’ve learned when to let go of the Perfectionist tendencies and when to embrace them fully. There are times I lean on my INTJ traits and others when I abound to walk away. Growing up INTJ has been great fun and great frustration; heartache and love; sickness and health. It is who I am and I am wonderful. I seek to encourage others and know I can make a difference.

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It is time for 2013…More sharing…More Awakening…

Happy New Year 2013
Happy New Year 2013 (Photo credit: Mark Kens)

The year that was, 2012, has left me changed in more ways than I ever would have believed. I have shared of myself on this blog and on my YouTube channel in ways that I never imaged and the response has been incredible. From the questions and comments that people have been sending me, it looks like 2013 will deliver new avenues to explore and share.

I am looking forward to writing and creating videos sharing more of myself and my world. I do have requests to explore more of my INTJ-ness and what it was like growing up with that personality. Some of you want to know what it is like have Fi as a tertiary function and I look forward to sharing it with you.

Writing of the YouTube channel, I have found several videos that I shot near the end of 2011 that I neglected to publish. Many of them are about marketing: what it is, how to do it and why. These are quite informative and need to be shared. These videos were created in response to questions and answers are overdue.

Yes, 2013 does hold some scariness. The United States Congress seems hell bent on never producing no budget and Obama continues to show he has no leadership skills. Too many Americans are voting for free stuff, with no regard from where the money will come to give out so much crap. America is heading to the same place as Greece, if they do not wake up.

David Icke continues to make more sense with his presentations and connecting events. The overlords of the masses are very scared of him. More and more people are waking up, though far too many are asleep. The year 2013 is shaping to be a pivotal year. So much momentum was cared into 2012 it looked to be a breakout year. Alas, the Republican leadership scammed Romney upon the people and the overlords were able to get their fraud in-line for Obama’s re-election. None of the fraud will be investigated and no one will do jail time for breaking various election laws. Their fraud actions show how scared they are of the people. After all, the people cannot be trusted to elect the correct leaders.

So, here we come, 2013. Are you ready for us? This year, more people will wake up. More people will take control of their destiny and refuse to rely on the Government for their livelihood. More people will start a business and more people will find Freedom. And above all, more people learn the meaning of Liberty and how it was stolen from them. They will demand it back.

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It Is Coming….

OLDENBURG, GERMANY - MARCH 31:  Rabbi Alina Tr...
OLDENBURG, GERMANY – MARCH 31: Rabbi Alina Treiger uses yad, a special pointer for use with torah scroll texts, as she reads from a torah scroll in the small synagogue on March 31, 2011 in Oldenburg, Germany. Treiger is Germany’s first female rabbi to be ordained in Germany since World War II. Originally from Ukraine, she completed her rabbinical studies at the Abraham Geiger Kolleg in Potsdam and was ordained in Berlin in 2010. She has since taken up her duties to serve the Jewish communities in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, which are comprised mostly of Russian-speaking Jews from the former Soviet Union that came to Germany after 1989. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)It’s coming!

What’s coming?

It. The Chronicles!

The Chronicles?

Yes, the Chronicles. Not just any Chronicles. It is the Brainmuffin Chronicles!

What’s a Brainmuffin?

What??? What’s a Brainmuffin? A Brainmuffin is stupendous! A Brainmuffin is fantastic! A Brainmuffin is….well a Brainmuffin!

Yep, that’s right. A Direction has finally been discovered. The blog now known as “The Road to the Future” finally gets there. The future has arrived and it is The Brainmuffin Chronicles. This blog, and its companion on YouTube, are going to shape and format the future. It is here. It is now. Get on board and be left crying in your Cheeros. You have one name to remember: Brainmuffin.

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Announcing a new video challenge

Image representing YouTube as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

It is time for something different. It is time to push the boundaries of our experiences. It is time to get out of our comfort zones. It is time for a video challenge. It is time for the June 2012, Video Challenge!

There have been other challenges on YouTube. Some were to make a video a day. Others to shoot twice a week. Some were on a give topic: photography, marketing, introductions, etc. Others had none. This challenge needs to be something different. Something not yet seen. Something real.

Today I did shoot the video announcing the challenge and it will get created and posted. Here is the announcing blog post. What better place than a blog about the future? What are the rules, you ask? They are quite simple.

Rules for the challenge

  1. Have fun – above anything, before everything, have fun making your videos.
  2. Do anything – make a video about cheese, make one showing the wind, it doesn’t matter. Make what ever you want. Capture motion, computer generated, PowerPoint screen capture, it doesn’t matter.
  3. Get out of your box – do something you’ve never done before, go somewhere you’ve never been. Usually make videos inside? Go out? Like the outdoors, do one in the city. Use new techniques and ideas. Explore. Expand.
  4. Runs to the end of June, 2012

That’s it, other than the YouTube guidelines, of course. Post one a day or six. Post as much and as little as you like. It doesn’t matter. The whole point of the challenge is to get out there and go stuff.

Ready. Set. Go!

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