It seems that if your need is outrageous enough you are able to get sympathetic press for your begging. I read a front page article in our local paper on the weekend where a woman wanted people to send her money to pay her considerable student loans that she racked up getting two degrees. Apparently, I am supposed to care. Ironically, the same paper often rails against the inconvenience of homeless panhandlers asking for spare change. What made her begging even more pathetic was that the rest of the front page was dedicated to covering the crisis in Haiti. That IS a cause that I'll support. I suppose there will always be some support for these folks that ask you to pay for them to live out their self indulgent dreams but I find it exceedly tiresome.
BTW Jon, if you are planning to tap the gay sailor for support perhaps you should consider changing your boat's name to "Chauncy"