the Luck of Seven

contact noel a hidalgo (aka noneck) global explorer Phone: +1.917.657.6999 (till 7 july) http://luckofseven.com press@noneck.org

on 07 july 2007, noneck noel (aka noel a hidalgo) will depart new york city for a journey around the world to learn from you. affably named "on the luck of seven" or "luck of seven." this is an open-source journey documenting free culture, social innovators and global change.

for seven months, i will stand on the seven contents, dive into the seven oceans, and contemplate seven topics of freedom. while on the way, i will document the journey through stories, photos and videos. this is not my story, this is our story. though your hospitably, donations, projects, connections and friends, our stories will merge into one.

as i wander the earth, my broad shoulders will bear seven topics of freedom: free culture; free and open-source software communities; couchsurfers, bloggers, fellow travelers and vloggers; agents of progressive social change; barcamp, coworking and meetups; happenstance, and climate change. all work will be produced under a creative commons license. all-in-all, this 21st century anthropological view of the personalities in physical / digital world we cohabit will always be freely available.

before departure, i am seeking 700 people to donate USD $11.11 for a total of USD $7,777. in exchange for providing my travel budget, each donor will receive a copy of my self-published book. with a less than, five weeks to go, i am well on my way to meeting my goal. as of 4 june, 2007, 141 generous donors have contributed over $3,000.

along the way, i am looking forward to partnerships with organizations to share good practices. as the clock ticks, i am constantly seeking out partnerships in promotion, equipment, research but most importantly teaching. for example, at home in new york city, michael david vineyards, a family owned vineyard and market located in lodi, california, is sending a few bottles of their award winning seven deadly zins and seven heavenly chards for me to taste. the wine will also be featured at the last few events i have in new york city. while in prague, transitions online, a czech non-profit who works with young, up and coming eastern European journalists, has asked me to help teach a week long session on new media journalism. while on the road, mobileactive and i will work together to report on the use of mobile phones for activism, campaigns, and civic engagement.

this trip will germinate many projects. first, through the blog <> i document the journey though text, audio, photos and high-definition video. second, i will self-publish at least one book, detailing more intimate parts of my path. third, will be a documentary movie. filmed in a first person perspective and shot in high definition, my goal is to have the movie ready for distribution before the end of 2008.

as for fundraising, once i reach my travel budget of USD $7,777, i will donate 75% of profits to non-profit communities that exemplify the luck of seven.

not an alternative - brooklyn coworking & community organizing - a little over a year ago, i was exposed to a wonderful community of artists, political organizers, freelance workers and free thinkers. not an alternative & the change you want to see gallery calls a modest williamsburg store front home. daily you can come joining us for coworking brooklyn or for monthly salons and performances. as not an alternative looks to expand their offering, i am donating 25% of this projects profits.

couchsurfing.com - open source communication & karma economy - imagine a world where you can travel the globe and have a buddy in every town. imagine, a traveler coming into your home and together you learn from each other. now imagine, these connections stemming from a social networking site. in spite of what most read or watch on television, there is a vast network of free spirits who have no problem opening their doors and allowing fellow travelers to share their home. as an avid host and supporter of couchsurfing, i am donating 25% of profits.

drupal association - open source technology & tools for change - since 2004, i have found myself immersed within a socially astute and technology savvy community who understand the importance of peer to peer communication and dialogue. world renown as one of the best content management systems, late last year, the drupal community established a non-profit to help guide and oversee the drupal project. as one of the new york city organizers and evangelists, i am donating 25% of profits.

using the website, book and film to provide a look at where our early 21st century stands. the remaining 25% of income will be used to establish a not for profit organization that promotes the ideals of this project.

for information: luckofseven.com or contact: press@noneck.org phone: +1.917.657.6999 (until 7 july 2007)

NONECKNOEL