jeepdog? What the hell is a Jeep Dog!?!?

Alright, I capitulate.  Sort of - since I know the explanation may not be quite as esoteric as some may believe.

It seems lately folks have really taken notice of this "jeepdog" business and have queried what it may mean.  This culminated recently with Andrewasking in ZnG mail.

So, here is the response to that query, for the information of all who frequent here...

Jeep Dog:  Sort of weird, this.  In the early '90s, my phreaker handle / Internet persona was >>>>Huey Dog!!<<<< .  This grew out of the fact that I am, among other things, a helicopter pilot, and was damned proud I was flying around in antique Huey helicopters.  Also, at the same time, probably due to my preference of great retrievers (I also was a bird hunter back then, which is an activity which I have ceased), friends called me "dog."  Mind you - this was before "dog" was a popular discriptor within Hip Hop culture...

In 2004, when I began geocaching (http://www.geocaching.com/) I took the handle of jeep dog since I stilled liked the dog part, and replaced "Huey" with "Jeep" for a number of reasons.

First, I am fond of the the '30s Popeye cartoon "dog" named Eugene the Jeep.  Incidentally, the "go anywhere across any dimension" magical powers of Eugene may have lead to the popular - slang - name for hardy Willys vehicles (now a brand name).  

The reason I am fond of Eugene is that he was ahead of his time, and surprisingly transcendental. 

huh?

Yeah, you read that right, transcendental.  He's flat-out cool.  Read on...

 

In a comic strip entitled "Wha's a Jeep?" published in a strip on  August 9, 1936, Popeye asks Professor Brainstine of a description of a Jeep.

He received the following response:

"A Jeep is an animal living in a three dimensional world-in this case our world- but really belonging to a fourth dimensional world.  Here's what happened.  A number of Jeep life cells were somehow forced through the dimensional barrier into our world.  They combined at a favorable time with free life cells of the African Hooey Hound.  The electrical vibrations of the Hooey Hound cell and the foreign cell were the same.  They were kindred cells.  In fact, all things are to some extent are relative, whether they be of this or some other world, now you see.  The extremely favorable conditions of germination in Africa caused a fusion of these life cells.  So the uniting of kindred cells caused a transmutation.  The result, a mysterious strange animal."

Well, crap.  Perhaps this "jeepdog" business borders the esoteric after all!


A strange enigma of an animal indeed.  There are many on Gaia that quite regularly describe me as such, so far the allusion seems proper.  No?

There's slightly more to the tale (tail?).

Second, "jeep" is a state of mind.  There's a certain Zen about Jeeps. 

For example, about a year ago, my family was out for a drive (my mom and dad were along for the ride, nicknames moonstarand Stinky), and we headed up LaBrocita Canyon (New Mexico) to find beautiful trees and explore.

Have you ever gotten on a road and just followed it until either you could not follow it any farther or perhaps stayed on that road until it played out? That is what we were doing this fine day.  As we headed up LaBrocita canyon, Stinky announced that the road would get rough, and we probably wouldn't make it, but eventually the very rough roads would connect into other roads back to Tularosa.

That was inspiration enough for me to carry on. Past bend, through puddle, straddling small rocks, and maneuvering carefully, we were Jeepin'!

There was a small problem, however. I was driving a minivan. 

This was pointed out, when moonstar wisely proclaimed "Jeep is not a vehicle. Jeep is a state of mind."

Can we hear an AMEN? Well - AMEN! Ponder that perhaps adventuring is not something that you do, but perhaps something that you are. Perhaps you have to remember the joy of life. Perhaps you have to remember that there is more than having a deliberate destination planned. Perhaps - sometimes, you have to stop, look around, and realize you just drove through 5 eco-zones, and pause to smell the Douglas Firs.

Combine this with and the fact that I steadfastly refuse to drive anything but a Jeep (well, when I don't have to worry about 5 additional passengers, um, and when I'm not typically pedaling a bike to work) - since in my mind, "jeep" is a state of mind that happpens to correlate to a vehicle, of all things. 

By the way, I now exercise the right change my mind about "jeepdog" not being esoteric.

Now, my friends, you know "the rest of the story."  Perhaps "jeepdog" makes perfect sense.  I am a bit saddened that the "mystery" and "aura" behind the moniker are displaced with this writing.

Oh well.



~