Friday, July 31, 2009

Alli Owens - Race Car Star & Girl Scout Enthusiast


In the mid-1960s, the women’s liberation movement was just beginning and women were participating. Shirley Muldowney became one of their rallying points, because she was doing more than talking about women’s issues - she was actively participating and succeeding in an activity in which men swore she’d be a failure -- behind the wheel of a race car. Long before Danica Patrick, she was the first woman licensed by NHRA to drive a gasoline-burning dragster, capable of speeds over 150 MPH in the quarter mile. In the Nineties, I was personally introduced to, and inspired by Muldowney via legendary Riot-Grrrl band L7s song “Shirley”.

Now fast forward to present times and take a look at one of the rising stars of race car driving, Alli Owens. At twenty years old, Owens is signed with D'Hondt Motorsports and drives the #19 Toyota under the ElectrifyingCareers.com banner. A 2010 Nationwide Series hopeful, Owens got her start in the BMX Bicycle circuit, moved to a dirt track at Volusia Speedway Park in 2003, competes currently in the renowned ARCA RE/MAX Series and has her sights set on being a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Her sponsorships range from the National Electrical Contractor's Association to Nutrisystem. Owens also happens to be a Girl Scouts enthusiast, inviting girls to attend racing events and participating in the National Girls and Women In Sports Day. Read more about Alli Owens here!





Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Do You Text While Driving?

Circling back to yesterday's post about the risks of texting behind the wheel, LMK is featuring a poll asking, "If you drive, have you ever texted while driving?". While some surveys show the majority of Americans believe texting while driving should be illegal, most polls indicate a high number of individuals that do in fact text and drive.


Head on over to the LMK Texting While Driving Poll and engage in the dialogue. Let us know where you fit in the conversation!

Gold Award Goes Green

For her Gold Award Project, Sarah Jo Lambert of Lubbock TX has designed and is constructing a Green Environmental Center. With walls made of compressed earth, the facility will be powered by solar panels, and inside will be educational books and DVDs about the environment. Read about Sarah and her 850-square-foot environmental learning space in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.


What are you doing for the Earth? And for our current Girl Scout readers: what are you doing for your Gold Award?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Texting While Driving Raises Risk of Crash by 2300%! Educate Yourself Today.

A front page story, in today's The New York Times examines the dangers of texting while driving. Citing a study conducted by The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the risk of texting is estimated to increase the chance of an accident by 2300%. The article goes on point out that "about half of drivers 16 to 24 said they had texted while driving."

As early adopters to new technology, teens are particularly vulnerable to these types of risky behaviors.

In an effort to get ahead of these very important safety issues, the LMK campaign was founded in partnership with Microsoft Windows. Text-speak for "Let Me Know," LMK seeks to bridge the digital divide between parents and teens by giving teens a platform to educate parents on the web issues most important to them.

Sign up for the
LetMeKnow Online Safety Newsletter today. And while you're at it, sign up for the Online Safety Sweepstakes
for a chance to win a Dell Desktop Computer!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Taylor Swift Hearts Girl Scouts

Head on over to Taylor Swift's Twitter page and see why she's "so stoked" about The Girl Scouts!




While we're on topic, check out the Girl Scout's Twitter page and follow us to become a part of the conversation.