Visit www.jeep.com today. You gotta see this. The animation and copy is hilarious. I especially can relate to the description they wrote regarding the build-in backseat babysitter. Pretty funny.

Those Grand Cherokee Jeeps just keep getting cushier and cushier. I may have to get one in another 10 years when I want a Jeep for comfort instead of just for fun.

Today I'm blogging about something completely unrelated to my business and yet something I spend almost an hour on today. It's called http://www.wordle.net/ and basically it does in 10 seconds what my awesome graphic designer took 3 hours to do.

Last year we compiled a whole bunch of words related to the off-road world and turned them into a funky tee-shirt -- our "Off-Road Words" shirt.

Today, I popped those same words into http://www.wordle.net/ and got this:

This post is to help me keep a running list of how many of you will be showing up in LANCASTER, MA for our GO Topless Day on May 9th, 2009. Last year the weather sucked - it was cold, damp and rainy, but we had over 75 Jeeps there and over 150 people show up. We ate warm chili, admired the Jeeps, played in the mud a bit in the back fields and gave away some decent raffle prizes. Our current location can support about another 100+ Jeeps. Who's in? If it is on your schedule, let me know where you are coming from and how many of you are coming. Want to make sure we are PREpared!

It seems like Life is good Tire Covers and dogs go together these days. Do you know what I mean?

I think we'll be heading out to the Northeast based Jeep Jams this year. We are a sponsor again and we had such a great time last year on the Rubicon that we will do it again, but closer. Given that there probably won't be a Camp Jeep this year (nothing confirmed, just a prediction given the state of affairs at Chrsyler), let's support the great folks at JJUSA!

Jeep Jamboree USA - 2009 Events Calendar


1 5th Texas Spur Spring March 26-28 Llano Texas
2 10th Oak Ridge April 16-18 Nelson County Virginia
3 5th Tennessee Mountains April 16-18 Oak Ridge Tennessee
4 16th Cajun April 23-25 St. Francisville Louisiana
5 19th Arch Canyon April 23-25 San Juan County Utah
6 12th Land Between The Lakes April 30-May 2 Marshall County Kentucky
7 16th Pine Barrens May 7-9 Hammonton New Jersey
8 17th Big Bear May 14-16 Big Bear Lake California
9 21st Palo Duro May 14-16 Amarillo Texas
10 1st Nevada Heritage Tour with Mark Smith NEW! May 18-22 Reno Nevada
11 1st Cullman Alabama NEW! May 28-30 Cullman Alabama
12 18th Canyon de Chelly June 4-6 Chinle Arizona
13 1st Ultimate Adventure NEW! June 13-21 Murphy North Carolina
14 17th Drummond Island June 18-20 Drummond Island Michigan
15 12th Penn's Woods June 18-20 Bradford Pennsylvania
16 5th Snowshoe Mountain July 9-11 Snowshoe West Virginia
17 3rd Killington July 16-18 Killington Vermont
18 14th Northwoods - Mole Lake July 23-25 Crandon Wisconsin
19 13th Rubicon Trail Aug. 13-16 The Rubicon Trail California
20 1st Big Horn Mountains NEW! Aug. 20-22 Dayton Wyoming
21 4th Mark A. Smith Rubicon Trail Adventure 2 / 3-day Aug. 27-29 / 27-30 The Rubicon Trail California
22 3rd Texas Spur Fall Sept. 10-12 Llano Texas
23 22nd Ouray Sept. 17-19 Ouray Colorado
24 12th Catskill Mountains Sept. 24-26 Monticello New York
25 17th Black Hills IT'S BACK! Sept. 24-26 Deadwood South Dakota
26 20th Maine Mountains Oct. 1-3 Bethel Maine
27 20th French Lick Oct. 8-10 French Lick Indiana
28 26th Appalachian Oct. 8-10 Murphy North Carolina
29 3rd Borrego Springs Oct. 15-17 Borrego Springs California
30 16th Gateway to the Cumberlands Oct. 15-17 Williamsburg Kentucky
31 11th Moab Oct. 22-24 Moab Utah
32 20th Ouachita Oct. 22-24 Hot Springs Arkansas

More info at www.jeepjamboreeusa.com

When I posted an article in December about our "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree", our customer Ivo, in Belgium took action. He's probably never seen the Charlie Brown Christmas Special (watch my favorite scene below), but he saw our sad tree and tried to cheer it up.

SAD TREE:

Did he ever! Last week we got the nicest Christmas tree ornament we've ever seen. Check it out. He made it himself.

And now our Christmas Tree is Happy.

Na, that's not it. Actually, here it is:

Thank you Ivo and Mike for your kind well wishes.

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree footage:

This year there appears to be 3 "Official Go Topless Days". (one has nothing to do with Jeeps, so let's get that one out of the way first, so you guys can concentrate when I get to OUR All Things Jeep Go Topless Day! )

1. NATIONAL GOTOPLESS PROTEST DAY is Sunday, March 9th and is a nationwide event in favor of men AND women being able to be topless in public places (that allow it, of course.) http://www.gotopless.org/ is the website that talks about it. While I won't be marching at this one, I am completely in favor of it.  Why shouldn't women and men have the same tan lines when they leave the beach at the end of the day?

2. Next, the hardcore Jeepers at http://www.jeepforum.com/ wanna prove that they can have a grand time freezing their butts off, and are hosting a Go Topless Day on Feb. 3rd. (It should be about 2 degrees here that day, so I am definitely not going topless. I'll admit, I am definitely *NOT* a hardcore Jeeper. Here's the thread on this one:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=636743

Jeepforum.com is a great resource for any Jeeper. I send people there all the time when they ask me some esoteric question about the finer points of their particular vehicle. It's a great community and there's a whole range of sane and crazies over there. ;)

3. And finally, my favorite day

Worldwide Go Topless Day - May 9th (maybe it will be a little warmer) sponsored by us. Last year we had almost 5000 Jeep owners worldwide participating. There were events all over the world and locally we had an event and managed to cut the top off an XJ without bleeding.

This year will be bigger and better. We have Go Topless Day T-shirts already for sale and contests, prizes, local events and all will be posted ongoingly here and on our Go Topless Info Page.

So put it on the calendar. If you don't have one yet, I recommend these.

I used to live in Stamford so will still read the local paper there online to keep tabs on what is going on with old schoolmates, etc. To my dismay, this is what I read yesterday.

"

Theft of Jeep doors was a crushing blow

Staff Reports Posted: 12/26/2008 01:00:00 AM EST

To the editor:

To the person(s) who vandalized my Jeep on Dec. 9 where it was sitting in the Springdale train station, and stole the doors: I would like you to know some things.

First of all, I am a person, not some invisible entity. The day before you vandalized my vehicle, I was let go from my job after nearly nine years of employment. I am a single parent struggling to put my daughter through college. I am recovering from foot surgery and it is very painful to walk. I have no savings and nothing else of material value to my name but the Jeep and my condo, and I am one of many people who are struggling and behind with mortgage payments.

So now, because of what you personally did, I cannot drive the vehicle. I cannot afford to replace the doors because - guess what? - they weren't covered by my insurance; the price to replace them both is at least $1,500. So I am forced to walk in snow and slush and am in agony at the end of the day because of my foot. So I'd also like you to know that you ruined my Christmas. You've also made it 10 times harder for me to attend job interviews. But then again, job interviews are probably something you wouldn't know about.

And now, what about you? Without meeting you, I can safely say that loser, low-life and petty criminal would all be apt descriptions.

Next time you think about vandalizing a car - that is, if you think about anything at all - try to remember it is a real person you are hurting. And you have hurt me a great  deal.

Amy Lamborn

Stamford "

I'd hate to think this was a Jeep person who did this, but seriously, who else would find value in them, specifically. Ugh. In the middle of winter, no less.

I have no contacts in the "hard parts" world of Jeep doors. Anyone have any ideas on how we can help this women get some doors on her Jeep?

Like every other retailer on the planet, we are offering a free shipping promotion right about now. It's free shipping on orders over $40 and the coupon code you need to use is:

 candycane

See http://www.allthingsjeep.com/free-shipping.html

for more info.

Also, we are now in the mousepad making biz! They are all listed on our Jeep Mousepads Page (scroll to bottom of page for all of them) Keep those mices happy with a fun Jeepy mousepad.

So, what do you think? Should our government bail out the automobile manufacturers. Or should we let them deal with the consequences of bad behavior?

I teach my kids about actions and consequences. But that's small potatoes. If they don't get their laundry done, the consequence is that they can't watch the Spongebob Christmas Special. It doesn't affect anyone else and no one loses their job. But if we let the manufacturers deal with the consequences, it impacts so many more people. Thousands lose their jobs, some many businesses are at risk. But those big three automotive manufacturers have now asked for $34 billion in government loans before the House Financial Services Committee. $34 BILLION DOLLARS! Astronomical numbers I can't even get my mind around. It's simply disgraceful that it has come to this and my gut says no, don't give them the money, make 'em go to bed without watching Spongebob, but my head says yes, give them the money. I don't want to see the after effects on the people of the country. Then again, my head says no and my gut says yes. It's a tough one. What do you think?