You can help contribute to this effort and save money, too, by taking advantage of a benefit for GEICO policyholders and National Geographic subscribers. As a GEICO policyholder, you could receive special discounts on many National Geographic products and magazine subscriptions. If you are a National Geographic Society member or magazine subscriber, you may be eligible to receive additional discounts on GEICO auto insurance. Go to geico.com/natgeo for more information about products, and call 1-800-841-3000 to tell a GEICO agent you are a member and see how much more you could save!

If you get into an accident — big or small — there are things you can do to minimize the chance of anyone taking advantage of the situation. To learn how to avoid auto-accident schemers, GEICO Now chatted with Steven Rutzebeck, director of GEICO’s Special Investigations Unit. Visit geiconow.com to read Steve’s expert tips.

In the first spot from the new series, our hero, Ronald, sits interview-style on a couch and hints at a new way to avoid the high costs of online dating. His brilliant idea? Change the lyrics in popular songs to his own personal karaoke dating profile. Other crazy ideas from this series: using a rescue panther as a home security system and hiring middle schoolers as a replacement for a dieting program.

Not enough for you? Rest assured that the craziest is yet to come. In the face of all this, just remember one simple rule: there’s an easier way to save.

We know car insurance isn’t the simplest topic, and choosing appropriate coverage limits is an important decision you want to make sure you get right. That’s why we made it simple, and hopefully more fun than studying a list of insurance terms – which you’re still welcome to do if you have trouble falling asleep at night.

So how does it work?

Our interactive tool asks you some easy (and not too personal) questions about you, your home and your vehicle. In just a couple of minutes, you’ll have personalized recommendations for car insurance limits and deductibles.

Ready to hit the field?

Try our Coverage Coach now!

We’d love to know what you think. Just click the “Feedback” button in Coverage Coach anytime and your ratings and comments will come directly to my team.

Sure, it may be more about tradition than actually finding out if spring is around the corner – or if we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter. But at 6 a.m. in February, you’ll cling to any hope of warmer weather.

• Crowds of up to 30,000 have visited Gobbler’s Knob, a small hill in Punxsutawney where the ceremony takes place.
• Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only famous groundhog in the world. There’s Staten Island Chuck, Sir Walter Wally, Buckeye Chuck and many more.
• In Alaska, Feb. 2 is observed as Marmot Day rather than Groundhog Day because very few groundhogs exist there.
• The National Climatic Data Center has stated that the overall prediction accuracy rate of the rodents is around 39%. But Phil’s Club suggests he’s right 100% of the time.

Want more groundhog? Today you can earn an exclusive Groundhog Day badge on Foursquare. Just follow VisitPA on Foursquare, and check in today. And be sure to check out geico.com, where we’ve added a groundhog of our own for the day.

Each month, we share an image from GEICO’s past and invite you to exercise your caption-writing skills.

We had such a good time with these photos from GEICO’s past during our 75^th anniversary year, we’ve decided to keep this feature going. Here’s a summer-fun photo to brighten a late-January day!

Today, GEICO employs more than 26,000 people nationwide, but back in the 1950s, GEICO was small enough for all the employees to get together in one place for an annual picnic. They’d gather in what used to be a major resort town: Chesapeake Beach on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, for a day in the sun, grilled burgers and hot dogs, cold drinks and some good old wholesome family fun.

Apparently, those good times included balloon animals at least once. What do you suppose these gents are creating for the eager kiddies?

Sadly, the Gecko can’t visit everyone on his journey across America, so he’s doing the next best thing: teaching everyone to do his famous Texas two-step on YouTube. Beginning with an instructional video breaking down every vital step in the dance, the dance party gives dance and gecko fans alike the perfect opportunity to connect with the gecko and make themselves a part of the journey.

To participate, friends of the Gecko should learn the dance using the instructional video (they can even download the song to dance along) and then record themselves performing. Then, they can simply upload it to YouTube, put “Gecko Dance” in the title, and alert the Gecko at geckoassistant@geico.com. The Gecko might even put it in his special Gecko’s Texas Dance Party playlist!

As an added bonus, The Gecko sat in on a live recording of Wrinkle Neck Mules playing Central Daylight Time, the song from the Texas commercial, and couldn’t resist dancing even then. And who could blame him?

 

Back for 2012 is our #MusicMonday blog series highlighting some of the biggest music festivals in America. First on our list is the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.

The three-day festival will take place on consecutive weekends (April 13-15 and April 20-22) for the first time this year to meet demand. According to Coachella’s website, “In an effort to try and accommodate everyone who wants to experience the festival, COACHELLA 2012 will be two separate events, held over two consecutive weekends. Same lineup … same art … same place … different people.”

Yet tickets for both weekends sold out in just a few hours. Sounds like three days battling the heat and dust is worth it.

This year’s lineup features headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg along with an impressive undercard with some of my favorites including Explosions in the Sky, M83, Neon Indian, Bon Iver, Miike Snow, The Head and the Heart, Florence + the Machine and many more.

Planning to make the trip, or just want to learn a little more about the festival? Here’s a collection of some of the best articles, previews and tips I’ve found.

• Rolling Stone brings you “Ten Things That Need to Happen at Coachella 2012,” and I agree.
• The Washington Post’s Click Track blog helps you dig in and learn more about this year’s artists.
• The LA Times Daily Dish blog gives you a preview of the food options at Coachella. Food trucks, local restaurants and even a farmers market give you plenty of eating options.
• Coachella is known for band reunions – this year, check out At the Drive-In and Refused. And imagine the possibilities in Wired.com’s “10 reunions we’d like to see.”
• The International Business Times gives you some tips on what to wear to the festival this year.

Have some music festival or camping tips? Who’s your favorite act at Coachella, past or present? Share your thoughts in the comments! And if you’re driving to Coachella, by all means buckle up and mind those speed limits!

Guest Blogger: Alex Danoff, Public Relations

As a member of GEICO’s public relations staff, I hear about our company’s name being used in some pretty interesting and creative ways. The other day, though, a story like I had never seen came across my desk.

Captain Justin Carlson, a fighter pilot in the United States military, is known by his colleagues as “GEICO.” It’s his nickname, or as aviators call it, his “call sign.” These have a long history in the armed forces and are given to an aviator by a member of his or her squadron or training class, or by some other colleague.

Here’s the story behind Captain Carlson taking on GEICO as his call sign. Early in his career as a pilot, Carlson experienced some minor mechanical mishaps with his plane and was also prone to leaving his helmet in maintenance spaces.

The mechanics who maintained his jet were none too happy about the mishaps, and they figured that if Captain Carlson could be a fighter pilot, it must be so easy a caveman can do it. Soon thereafter, images of the GEICO caveman circulated around the squadron and made their way onto Carlson’s locker and on the squadron’s picture board in place of his face, and GEICO became his call sign.

Captain Carlson has embraced his call sign. He holds the company in high regard and has a strong appreciation for its storied history. “My opinion of GEICO is very high,” Captain Carlson said. “I’ve read a lot about the company’s history in the course of reading about Warren Buffett and Ben Graham. I respect how it’s grown to be the cornerstone of Berkshire Hathaway, which I regard as the most sound and dependable company in the world.”

He dishes about the Gecko’s origins, how one GEICO character got his own ABC sitcom, favorite moments on set, and more.

Read about it at geiconow.com.

In honor of GEICO’s 75^th anniversary, we’re sharing an image from GEICO’s past each month this year and inviting you to exercise your caption-writing skills.

In this mid-1970s photo, there are clearly some Deep Thoughts going on in this group. But are they all on the same page? Maybe not.

The fellow in the middle, for example, with his arms crossed – he looks like he has spotted something troublesome off to his right that nobody else in the group has seen. What could it be?

The fellow at the right, making the Dramatic Hand Gesture, seems to be leading the discussion; what is he talking about? And what’s in the envelope the gentleman to his left is holding? We await your speculations in the comments.

1. I will finally change the ringtone on my cell phone to something other than the “vintage 1950s ring” setting.
2. I will stop handwriting memos in the office. Lesson learned: most people do not keep magnifying glasses at their desks.
3. I will finally submit to the patent office my design for “Gecko noise-canceling earbuds.”
4. I will stop trying so hard to try to be better organized. It only makes things worse.
5. I will not bedazzle a single thing.
6. I will resist the urge to dance every time I hear country music.
7. I will make sure that everyone I meet on my journey knows how much they could save with GEICO.

Well, that’s the Gecko’s list. We’ll see how long he can resist bedazzling. What’s on your list?

It wouldn’t be the holidays without the desserts. The challenge is to enjoy the sweet treats without packing on the pounds. Rather than being a scrooge where desserts are concerned, I plan to keep it “low-calorie” and indulge in a few delicious goodies while maintaining my weight this holiday season.

Here are a few of my favorite low-calorie desserts that are perfect for family dinners and holiday parties:

Squash Pie – Substitute squash for the pumpkin and bake a sweet, orange-fleshed butternut squash pie that will leave your guests wanting more.

Angel Food Cake – Rather than having a high-calorie chocolate-fudge cake, try a slice of angel food cake topped with fat-free whipped topping and fresh strawberries.  That way you can have your cake, and eat it, too – without too much guilt.

Pumpkin spice cookies – If you try the squash pie but you still want to “get your pumpkin on,” these pumpkin spice cookies will fill you up like traditional cookies without the extra calories.

What are some of your favorite low-calorie desserts? Share your holiday goodies in the comments – along with recipes! And as you travel to visit friends and relatives and share these yummy desserts this holiday season, remember to drive carefully and buckle up.

This month, The Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts gallery will feature a portrait of the Gecko created during his visit to The Big Apple. The color caricature-style portrait, made by an anonymous street artist, will be available for viewing until Dec. 24 and then for the entire month of January. Locals can find the gallery at 526 W. 26th Street #605 New York, NY 10001, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

You can find more about the portrait’s creation and the rest of the Gecko’s journey at the Gecko’s Facebook page or by accessing the Gecko Tracker. How will the Gecko top this?

While you can still find a nice day, prepare for the rest of the season by winterizing your vehicle. Then, follow these 10 steps to ensure a safe commute … or trip to the grocery store for the last gallon of milk.

1. First things first … you want the snow off your car but you probably want to save the paint. Opt for brushes designed for auto snow removal and leave the shovel in the shed. Whatever you do, don’t forget the roof! In fact, failing to clean off your car can be illegal. You don’t want a block of ice the size of a mattress flying off your car into traffic.
2. You can prepare for winter driving by practicing. Go to an open parking lot and practice braking on icy or snowy surfaces. (Yes, you are allowed to think this is fun.)
3. When you are ready to hit the road, shovel around your wheels and under the front and rear bumpers to clear away any snow. Spinning your wheels can dig the hole deeper, build up ice and wear out your tires.
4. Slow down. In normal conditions, you should maintain a following distance of three seconds between you and another car. On winter roads, increase that to a full 8 to 10 seconds.
5. If you do get stuck, keep in mind that the sharper your front wheels are turned, the more resistance to movement in either direction you create, so try to keep the front tires as straight as possible. You can also keep sand or kitty litter in your trunk to spread around the tires for traction.
6. If your car skids, follow these steps:

• Don’t panic.
• Don’t slam on the brakes.
• Take your foot off the gas.
• Steer your car in the direction you want to go.
• Wait for the car to slow down so you can regain control.

7. Remember: do not use your cruise control on any slippery surface — even if the roads are just wet.
8. When going up a hill, try to build some inertia by increasing your speed as you approach the hill and let it carry you up. Increasing your speed while on the hill will just make your wheels spin.
9. Know your brakes. Apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal and avoid sudden stops.
10. Once you’ve mastered it, teach your teen driver how to drive in winter weather.

And finally, our “bonus tip” would be to just stay home. Even if you know how to drive in the snow, that doesn’t mean everyone else on the road does. What are your favorite tips for winter driving?