Oh my! Well, I can assure you all that we never meant it to quite end up like this. We actually wrote this up at 11:00PM a few nights back as a creative way of expressing our excitement for the trip we’re taking out to California. Of course, both being interested in politics and causes, we thought it’d be neat to make it into our own little campaign of sorts. It’s embarrassingly unprofessional and even a tad lame though I will readily admit.

Thanks though, Mr. Turkette. It’s an honor.

[And it’s true. We are bringing him back a rock.]

I’ll give them $20 to come mow my yard.

Carol P. is right on. In the old days we were rewarded for hard work …not for hardly working. If our vagabond teens never get to California, the world will not end.

Dan, giving them 10 bucks without benefit and publicizing their “excellent adventure” on your blog is not a recommended life’s lesson for the Instant Gratification Generation.

Um, we’d actually love to work for any extra money. As a matter of fact, I’ve been saving for the last several years to make this one trip possible before college starts for me in the fall. I hope Mr. Turkette can vouch for Daniel and I both that we try to understand the value of hard work and volunteerism. I’m sorry if we gave both of you the wrong impression. It was not intended that way.

Again, this was simply another fun way of getting the word out.

They take a better picture than Jimmy Carter. I’ll give them $20 if they put up some of my yard signs! (and not in California).

For you Mr. Howard, we will do that one for free.

By the way folks, apparently my previous two comments are waiting to be moderated. Please come back and check those out.

Are you kidding me? If these two are asking for handouts from strangers, shouldn’t they at least be a little bit more forthcoming with their information. What are you going to do in California? Is this just a vacation you are asking your friends and neighbors to fund? Don’t these two have jobs? I am going on vacation in July to South Carolina. I am able to go on this vacation because I WORKED for it and I have SAVED the money needed to go. Maybe I should have just asked everyone for the money instead. Geez.

Give me a break. These guys are doing a realllly cool thing. It’s about an adventure. I remember being in college, $20 to my name and 5 of us going on a road trip one summer to the middlle-of-no-where New York. Best time and I remember it 20 years later. We should be priviliged to be a part of it. We should all enjoy taking part in it. They have invited us. They have a great creative thought.

There are so many things people miss by NOT going to do something adventureous. They always end up regretting not doing things like this. You are all just jealous they have the zeal and wherewithall to take off.

You go. Have a great time. Send pictures. I’ll contribute if you bring back a pic of a Berkeley yahoo protesting!

For those that don’t know…Daniel and Kyle volunteer heavily in the community, worked tirelessly on Matt’s campaign and hardly ever ask for anything in return. So for those of thus that saw this committment, a $1 or $10 is nothing…but since I know how Kyle and Dan both think…I will make them work for their yet to be determined donation.

Should I give it to you for your trip or Matt for the defense fund? Sorry Kyle, had to make this interesting for the readers.

I sincerely wish that I had that adventurous spirit in my younger days. Or even now! Actually, I am rather impressed with their idea for funds - why not?

How many times have we all been scammed one way or another? How many times have we made contributions here or there that have been “misleading” to say the least? For example the “church” people who stand on street corners in their Sunday best with their little white buckets collecting funds to help people who endured the latest disaster? I called on a group claiming to represent a local church who said they were collecting for Hurricane Katrina victims, only to find out they were affiliated with no one and were most likely pocketing the funds… I did not contribute anyhow, I hate that kind of invasive begging, where they stare you down at a stoplight and make you feel uncomfortable until the light changes and you can get past them.

This adventure of the young men is non-evasive and you don’t have to contribute if you don’t want to. Not a big deal. But if you happen to admire their sense of adventure and enterprising ideas….why not?

Thanks for the understanding. I *really* appreciate it.

Sorry once again for the misunderstanding, I understand that it was difficult with those that commented earlier bacause they didn’t have all the facts…but I’m grateful for everyone’s support as we tried to create a little excitiment with this fun post.

Just remember, this came after all our work.

Oh, and thanks Derry’s for the donation!

i just couldn’t resist to comment!
thanks dan for posting this! not that you really needed too, but hey i’m not complaining.

ok for all the people out there who think we’re lazy teens… well then buzz off and don’t contribute, ya don’t need to get all negative. that’s my opinion.

i will have you know though, that kyle and i both paid for our tickets ourselves with money we earned! we’re even paying for the gas for my dad to drive us to indy. i know how to work better than most adults do, and i know the value of a dollar.

shoeginmachine: your proposition of us or matt… give it to matt for gosh sakes!!!!

one more thing, i was telling my dad yesterday that if we can raise $40 some dollars in 3 days for basically no reason at all, if we can do that think what we could do if if we had a cause people could believe in. pretty neat the skills we are learning even in this offhand adventure.

Gadfly,

You should really know the facts before you spout-off. Both Kyle and Daniel have worked their asses off for candidates and the Republican party contributing more than some of the precinct committeemen. My secretary read your comments and said “bullshit, I want to give them $20 but I don’t have a PayPal account”. She gave me $20 and I’m putting in into their account in a few minutes. She also said, “what the hell, it’s about the cost of a box of ammo”.

Have a great trip boys!

FYI – They have passed $70.00 in donations.

Dan …

You need to take responsibility for publicizing the trip without providing sufficient detail for anyone to decide whether or not that a donation is worthwhile. I am but one of many readers who have no idea who these kids are.

My comment was broad-based commentary on my observations of the young people in general that I run into in social gatherings and in my workplace. I am especially appalled with the behavior and dress of our youth at the mall.

I will say that I am happy that they are dyed-in-the-wool Republicans. I will visit their Facebook page and make a PayPal contribution. BTW, Dan Gerber needs to be a little less aggressive in his comments about us doubters. It is an attribute known as “respect of elders.”

Gadfly makes a couple of points that I agree with. hmmm. I have two teenagers of my own who so far I have been fortunate and can say they are good kids. Some of their friends, and the behavior and lack of respect they exhibit is unsettling.

I was a little put out with Daniel’s comment also. His wording could have been much more eloquent and not so harsh, but I will attribute it to youth and still wish them well on their venture and be glad that I contributed.

::Goes and talks to Daniel::

Gadfly and Lucy,

I am sorry that you were offended by my comments, it seems that both of us made hasty generalizations about the other’s age group. My harshness came from an annoyance with some of the negativity we have gotten from some people. I apologize if my comments were not it good taste.

As far as not giving enough information, the truth is this whole thing was never intended to get this big therefore we didn’t make it terribly professional. The whole thing was meant as more of a gag for our friends. But when an idea takes off you run with it. Seriously nobody wants to hear both of our life stories to know whether or not to contribute a $1.

Besides it’s a $1, I mean I lost a dollar in the pop machine the other day… it’s not like we’re asking for Euro’s or anything

Daniel,

I admire your gumption to make a public apology. Very admirable. I know what its like to get an apology out of one of my teenagers, even though they are good kids.

Yes, there were a lot of conclusions jumped to, but I still think the sense of enterprising adventure is something to be very proud of and I am happy to see that it is taking off for you.

I wish you two a wonderful trip with memories that will last a lifetime!