“Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it.” –Horace Greeley
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Giving always makes me happy
As you probably guessed, I supported the “I Want My Nerd HQ 2014” campaign. Not because I adore Zachary Levi (though I really, really do). Not because I want to win a fun Indiegogo perk (none are being offered). And not because I can afford to attend Nerd HQ, an awesome — and free — gathering of nerds held each summer during Comic-Con in San Diego.
I made a donation because giving always makes me happy. Also, I believe in Nerd HQ, and I want it to continue connecting fans with the artistic and talented people who create their favorite TV shows (“Chuck,” “Dr. Who,” “Supernatural,” “Haven,” “Sherlock,” “Robot Chicken”) and passions (superheroes, games, comic books, technology).
As an extra karmic boost, Nerd HQ donates all event proceeds (collected from auctions, photos, etc.) to Operation Smile, an international medical charity that helps treat children born with a cleft. This condition not only deforms a child’s face, it can also be life-threatening. In fact, 1 in 10 children born with a cleft die before their first birthday. And those who survive are often unable to speak, eat or smile. To date, the Nerd Machine and Nerd HQ have raised over $415,000 for this worthy cause.
I want this event to exist and to thrive. At least 5,000 of my fellow nerds do so as well. If you’re a nerd (or even if you’re not), and giving makes you happy, please consider joining the Nerd HQ Army. It only costs $5.
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The beautiful music of birds
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.
Winner of the YouTube Play Guggenheim Biennial Festival.
Soundtrack available here.Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn’t the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.
I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.
Here I've posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).
Also check my live presentation of Birds on the Wires at TEDx São Paulo: http://www.tedxsaopaulo.com.br/jarbas-agnelli/
Music made with Logic.
Video made with After Effects.An interview about this and other works can be found here.
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A letterboxing adventure, part 1
Most of my adventures take place inside my house, my office, my books, my laptop or my mind. But I’m told there’s a whole wide world out there, and in order to stay healthy, I’m supposed to spend more time in it (if only to get the daily recommended dose of vitamin D). To accomplish this — and to experience another “first” — I’ve decided to try letterboxing.
What is letterboxing? This is the official definition from letterboxing community Atlas Quest:
“Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with delightful treasure-hunts in beautiful, scenic places.”
Here’s the gist: Someone places a rubber-stamp and a journal inside a box and hides it somewhere in the world. Then, they post clues/directions to that box online, either on Atlas Quest or Letterboxing North America.
Participants look up the clues and embark on a real world search for the box. Once a box is found, participants use the stamp inside to add the box owner’s mark to their journal. They also imprint their own unique stamp in the enclosed journal.
Basically it’s a way to explore the world, find treasure and share art.
Experienced letterboxers apparently create their own rubber stamps. But since I’m a newbie, I decided to purchase a few and choose one as my sigil. I ordered three that were custom-made on Etsy.
This one represents my love of books.
This one represents my love of obits.
This one represents my love of cemeteries.
Which one should I use? Vote in this poll:
[socialpoll id=”2190781″]
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The year of firsts: My list
So, if you missed this blog post, you may not know about Jade’s Daring Plan To Experiment.
Experiment with what, you may ask? Well, you could just click on that link and read the journal entry explaining the plan’s purpose and inspiration. However, if you’re one of those strange people who follow the philosophy of “2l:dr,” let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
I read a cool book and now I’m trying new things (“firsts”).
My “first” goal was to create a list of “firsts” to try. Activities must either be ones I’ve never tried, or haven’t done in more than a decade. After about a week of brainstorming, here’s what I came up with:
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Avoid saying anything negative for a whole day.
* Become a patron of the arts.
* Build a snowman.
* Block the sense of hearing with noise-canceling headphones.
* Build a sand castle.
*Buy a house.
*Buy a rubber stamp that symbolizes me.
* Create a geocache treasure box.
*Create a list of firsts.
*Figure out a way to eat brussels sprouts.
* Fly a kite.
*Get chased by zombies.
* Get free passes from the library to visit a museum.
* Get a henna tattoo.
*Get a massage.
* Go geocaching.
* Go jetskiing.
*Go letterboxing.
* Go on a picnic.
* Go on a roller coaster.
*Go vegetarian for a day.
* Go whale-watching.
* Launch a talk show.
* Learn French.
* Learn German.
* Learn Italian.
* Learn how to make fresh pasta.
* Learn how to make gnocchi.
* Learn how to play the piano.
* Learn sign language.
* Learn to drive a motorcycle.
*Make a pie in my own kitchen.
* Make chalk art.
* Make a sour dough starter.
* Move out of the country.
* Open a bookstore.
* Pay for a stranger’s toll.
* Pay for a stranger’s coffee.
* Plant and single-handedly maintain an outside garden.
* Play in a drum circle.
* Play laser tag.
* Put a quarter in 100 parking meters.
* Publish a novel.
* Read 50 books in a year.
* Read a novel that’s more than 100 years old.
* Rent a boat for the day.
* Rent a scooter.
* Ride go-karts.
*Roast marshmallows over a fire.
*Share a migraine photo.
*Share Oscar predictions.
* Sing on Broadway.
* Sound a barbaric yawp.
* Spend several hours blindfolded.
* Spent a whole day without looking in a mirror.
*Stand up for a cause I believe in.
*Take a class about the nature of terrorism.
*Take a class in astrobiology.
*Take a class to improve my social media skills.
*Take a class in archaeology.
* Take a cooking class at King Arthur Flour.
* Take a cruise of the Mediterranean.
* Take a dance class.
* Take a drum lesson.
* Take a hot air balloon ride.
* Take a sleigh ride.
*Taking care of someone after surgery.
* Throw a dinner party at midnight.
* Try a chef’s tasting menu.
*Try a fondue dinner.
*Use a Youtube video to learn a new skill.
* Visit an aquarium.
* Visit a butterfly museum.
* Walk 15,000 steps in a single day (previous record is about 13,000)
* Write a biography.Have any additional suggestions for interesting “firsts”? Feel free to share ‘em in comments.