Dear Mr. Cappa,I am an ongoing college student who is interested in taking up journalism as a profession. One of my dream jobs would be an editor for a magazine in the automobile industry (preferably one in the Primedia group), especially Jp. I've been a mechanic for a few years, built a couple of amazing Jeeps, and a sick '66 Charger. How do I pursue this career or even get an intern job with your great staff?
As always, I appreciate your style of writing and the great articles your magazine provides. As an avid Moab wheeler, maybe I'll luck out and find an in. Until then, some information from you would be greatly appreciated. Sterling JewkesSalt Lake City, Utah
First off, Mr. Cappa is my Dad. I'm just John. Nice to hear from ya, and thanks for the comments. Secondly, anyone can work here. You don't have to have a college degree in English, journalism, or photography to work at Jp Magazine. But it helps. Enthusiasm and knowledge of Jeeps, in general, is far more important to me. Even a monkey can be trained to write and shoot photos - I'm living proof of it. But I can't teach you to have enthusiasm for the subject matter. You won't get paid a lot, you'll have to live in or near Los Angles, you'll never meet movie stars, and you'll probably never sign an autograph. But if it still sounds like the job for you then send in your resume to Jp Magazine, c/o I Want Your Job, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 and include a writing and photo sample in the form of a Jp-like feature write-up and photos of your own Jeep. We don't have any openings as of right now, but maybe if the people who wrote the letters above can find a way to get my head on a stake, things will change.
My Jeep knows trail time, but has really shined in the commuter task I put it to. It's a '98 TJ with Banks headers and a Lock-Right locker on 30-inch BFG tires. I drive 72 miles across New Jersey from Pennsylvania to New York City for work. One night last winter while going west on Interstate 80 after midnight, the road surface quickly turned to ice. I found myself traveling through or past several accidents. The first one involved my driving through a loose car bumper on the road that belonged to someone that had crashed and was on the shoulder. Five minutes later, the next obstacle in the roadway revealed several cars scattered on both sides of me, including a truck that had lost its cargo of 18-inch drainage pipes, one of which was lying across all three lanes. Considering the ice, I had no choice but to apply the NASCAR principle of accident avoidance, drive through it. With a spectacular bang of both axles coming off the drainage pipe, my trusty TJ stayed the course on the icy surface and traveled straight over. I mused the expressions of the onlookers by their stranded roadside wreckage as they witnessed tried and true technology pass them by. I continued the remaining 50 miles of that evening in four-wheel drive at 45 mph, passing several more accidents along the way with plenty of time to reflect how my TJ saved my life.Jeff Aiello Pennsylvania
I was just getting into some wonderful technical reading last night, when from the kitchen I hear a tinny hip-hop beat. My wife had just opened the September '06 edition of Cosmopolitan. The sound was coming from a Jeep Compass ad, which as the ad is opened, it produces a hip-hop tune. I'm writing to suggest to you that you steal the ad from a woman's Cosmo mag and proceed to torture other staffers with its awful sounds and horrible glossy fake Jeep looks. Eric HardyDayton, Ohio
Consider it done. Only we went one step further. While Associate Editor Pete Trasborg was away on vacation, we set up his computer to play it every 38 seconds when he's logged in.
Just a word of appreciation to John Cappa for the "Hillbilly Work Truck, Part 1" in the August '06 issue. I recently bought an '84 J-10 to use as a work truck for my project involving building a log cabin in the mountains of Virginia. I was amazed to see the title of the article, which, of course, was right on the money for me, and the picture of the J-20 is "too coincidental to be coincidental," as Yogi Berra would say. It is the same color as my J-10, including the rust highlights. All I have done so far is renew the brakes all around and put on some good mud tires. I plan to follow your installments and upgrade my old J-10 as much as I can. First, I need a carb replacement for the Carter carb, which is a real failure.
Anyway, I am sure many others appreciate this series on the Hillbilly Work Truck. The photos and explanations are fine. I am signing up for a subscription so that I can follow your installments. I appreciate that you have included information for those of us who have work trucks and want to make them useful, fun trucks for the trail and work projects.Ernest LeeJefferson City, Tennessee
Apparently we've scared off all of our pen pals. How come no one writes us anymore? We'd really like some friends. Tell us we suck. Tell us Christian Hazel should wear a wig you made from tennis-ball fur. Tell us to do an all-Bree bikini issue. Tell us anything; we're desperate for attention! Write to Jp Magazine, Be John's Pen Pal, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 or e-mail john.cappa@primedia.com.