Announcing CarBlabber. It's car reviews for women by women like you! Is your car sexy? What does your car mean to you? Do you love or hate your car? Is your car a fashion statement or a pile of junk? Ask Patty has just launched CarBlabber, where you can read and write reviews about your car.
So what can you do at CarBlabber? *Create a personal car profile *Write car reviews of any car you’ve ever owned or driven or heck, even seen! * Connect with other women who love or hate the same cars as you *Read reviews of cars written by women JUST like you before you buy your next car *Join car clubs online and find other car friends! *Create your own social network by founding a car club of your very own *Rate your cars and comment on others reviews
Learn from other women like you what turns them on and turns them off about their cars. And share your own story.
Oh, and here's the best part! We are giving away some amazing prizes just for reviewing your car. To qualify to win, you need to add a profile and one review of your car with a photo.
Here's the breakdown: *Grand prize is the tan Harvey's seat belt bag you see to the left (worth over $200!!) *12 other lucky random winners will receive a CarMD tool!
*The first 200 profiles with car reviews get an official Car Care Council 53-page car care guide!
Why wouldn't you do it?! Ladies, we're talking about a free purse here! Wow!
Go to: www.askpatty.com/carblabber and register now! (It’s 100% free) … go on, do it now…we you know you want to blab about your car!
I had the great privilege in my role as President of the Women's Automotive Association International to present the Deborah Renshaw Women in Motorsports Scholarship last week at the Lyn St James annual Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation event. This annual event is held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the eve of the Brickyard 400 where Tony Stewart drove his Chevrolet to victory lane last weekend; he is a two-time Cup champion racing for Joe Gibbs Racing and led a race-high 65 of the 160 laps.
Attendees of the event pictured here are Lorraine Schultz, CEO and Lyn Wilhelm, Executive Director of the Women's Automotive Association International, (www.waai.com), Janet Guthrie, (first woman ever to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and in the Daytona 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race, Yolanda Jackson, Director of Athlete Marketing and Promotions for the Women's Sports Foundation founded by Billie Jean King, and Nancy Lieberman, Basketball Hall of Fame Broadcaster and MC of the event.
Did you see any female race car drivers during the Brickyard 400? NOT! Do you know of a female race car driver who has won a NASCAR Cup series race? How about a Busch series race? Craftsman Truck Series race? Hmmmmmmmmm?
AskPatty.com is a 2007 proud sponsor of the NASCAR No. 112 AskPatty.com Chevrolet driven by the highest ranked professional female race car driver Deborah Renshaw and supports all female race car drivers in all series and Lyn St James in the great work she is doing through her foundation on behalf of women race car drivers. Our support is year round with sponsorship, marketing support and in 2007 made a larger commitment to female race car drivers with our AskPatty.com sponsorship of Deborah Renshaw in the NO# 112 Chevrolet in the late model racing series. I WANT to see a female race car driver like Deborah Renshaw win a major NASCAR series race and race series championship in my lifetime!
Reporter for NASCAR.com Raygan Swan wrote a great article highlighting the lack of support of lower level race series and how it hurts female drivers.
Despite campaigns to increase female presence on the racetrack, some industry authorities still believe it may be several years before NASCAR will see a woman compete in the sport's premier Cup Series.
Lack of funding, but more so the lack of grass-root support, continues to be an obstacle for aspiring female NASCAR drivers, according to Lyn St. James, racecar driver and pioneer for women in motorsports who on Thursday hosted an awareness luncheon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway honoring 40 female drivers looking to rise in their respective fields. Raygan Swan
When asked why NASCAR, the country's most popular form of motorsports, has yet to produce a competitive female, St. James pointed the finger to the smaller series teams in the industry who are failing to lay the foundation and provide the level of experience necessary for female drivers to become attractive to high-level NASCAR Cup teams.
"They're not getting the best equipment or with the best programs and they need funding behind them," said St. James, 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year.
To combat the problem, St. James at the luncheon unveiled Project Podium, a program geared to provide grants on a match-fund basis to female drivers who look to succeed in the highly competitive motorsports industry.
As part of the Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation, the program will rely on sponsors like NASCAR, USAC and the Indy Racing League for support, in addition to corporate contributions.
"I think the top is interested in having [females in NASCAR] happen but not necessarily making it happen," St. James said. "I'm not sure there's a strategy in place, other than the Drive for Diversity program, but that's a pretty small niche for a big issue like this one. They need to have enough experience at a grass-root level first."
By creating a pool of money and scholarships to place behind talented female drivers through Project Podium, St. James hopes team owners in series such as ARCA RE/MAX and Late Models will take notice.
As a member on NASCAR Diversity Council, St. James said she will continue to be a voice and champion rights for female drivers in the sport.
"Today's racing world is more encouraging for female drivers than when we first held this event in 2003," she said. "More and more women are receiving opportunities to prove themselves on the track. And increasingly women are rising to higher levels of racing and earning their place on the podium."
Lyn St. James completed her first Indy 500 at the age of 45, she was just the second woman in history to race in the event. Some doubted that a woman could keep up with male drivers, and Lyn struggled to get the sponsorship she needed to race. She took eleventh place, and became the first woman to be selected Indy 500 Rookie of the Year.
Fueled by inspiration and limitless motivation, Lyn St. James managed to rise through the ranks and eventually become known as the American Woman Racing Icon of the Century. She is undoubtedly a testament to the power of determination and positive thinking.
Mike Helton President of NASCAR was quoted in the article saying: "Events like this help us figure out what we might need to do to adjust our ongoing efforts, because many female athletes want to be a player in our sport and it reminds us of our responsibility to make that happen," Helton said. "Seeing a female in Victory Lane is something NASCAR looks forward to."
Pictured here: Jody DeVere president of AskPatty.com with Mike Helton President of NASCAR during the Women in the Winner's Circle event!
Major sponsorships for female drivers like Deborah Renshaw that evaporate after one race season or a few bad race results are not enough to carry a female driver into victory lane in a major NASCAR series. Getting the best equipment, enough wheel time, the 100% support of the entire NASCAR organization, support from other drivers on the track, (yes you guys out there!), and generous marketing and support to take a female driver like Deborah Renshaw to the checked flag and keep her competitive in a NASCAR series takes a multi year sponsorship commitment to her through all the ups and downs of racing.
Who will take on the challenge and join me and AskPatty.com to support female race car drivers like Deborah Renshaw and get them to the checked flag in a major NASCAR series?
Go here to learn more about Deborah Renshaw and her racing career : www.deborahrenshaw.com
Summer is the season of road trips. With millions of drivers expected to travel on Texas highways in the upcoming weeks, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is launching a new campaign to remind motorists to drive at safe speeds and pay particular attention to motorcyclists. While the campaign features a series of radio and television commercials that will be broadcast in the state of Texas, the wisdom they are sharing no matter where you live. Our very own Jody DeVere rides a Harley, so this information strikes home here at AskPatty.com as well.
Safety advocates report that speeding continues to be the leading cause of crashes in Texas, accounting for four in ten crashes. In fact, 360 motorcyclists were killed on Texas roads in 2006. With the growing popularity of motorcycling, they also remind drivers that riders are especially vulnerable when vehicles and motorcycles collide.
"More than 90 percent of crashes involving motorcycles result in the motorcyclist's death or some level of injury to the motorcyclist," said Carlos Lopez, TxDOT's traffic operations director. "We're reminding drivers to be on the lookout for motorcyclists, especially at intersections where many crashes occur."
United
Spinal Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization.
Our mission is to provide expertise, create access to resources and
strengthen hope thereby enabling people with spinal cord injuries and
disorders (SCI/D) to fulfill their potential as active members of their
communities. We accomplish our mission by:
Ensuring quality health care
Promoting research
Advocating for civil rights and independence
Educating the public and enlisting its help
Expanding opportunities for all paralyzed Americans
Some of Our Accomplishments
United Spinal advocated for and drafted significant provisions of landmark federal legislation including:
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Fair Housing Amendments Act
The Air Carrier Access Act
VA benefits for veterans with spinal cord disabilities, and veteran dependents with spina bifida
VA disability benefits for injured veterans returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
How We Achieve Our Goals
United Spinal enhances the lives of its members through its service and program offerings in:
Counseling
Referrals and service identification and location
Wheelchair and assistive technology consultation
Veterans Services
Sports and recreational opportunities
Peer coaching
Health and benefits information
Self-advocacy coaching and support
Disaster assistance
United Spinal supports vital research and education by:
Providing over $52 million for cutting-edge spinal cord research
Launching and supporting two of the most prominent research facilities in the nation
Sponsoring the nation’s premiere Spinal Cord Medicine and Health Conference
Supporting three national organizations for SCI healthcare professionals
Offering lectures, training programs, and seminars
Publishing high impact, informative journals and publications
United Spinal facilitates social and regulatory change by:
Advocating at the national, state and local levels
Participating in action coalitions and groups
Educating the public through outreach, campaigns, and publications
Giving expert testimony at governmental hearings and inquiries
Providing our 60 years of experience to numerous advocacy endeavors
Supporting the goals, ambitions, and desires of our members and the disability community.
The event is going to take place on August 4th, 12pm at Fairgrounds Speedwayrace in Second Life on Motorati island. Please come on out and say hello, get your on and support a fantastic cause. See ya there!
Ask Patty is back again, recovering from BloghHer07 and bringing you our carnival for this week. We have scoured the internet for mentions of women and their cars. We pulled stories and posts that concern women’s cars in order to celebrate the launch of Ask Patty’s new feature: CarBlabber! Read on!
Edmunds Driving Woman blog has a funny story about driving her Lexus SUV: “The first time I drove a Lexus SUV, I was so excited that I decided to put on red lipstick at a stoplight. A mistake, for sure. The light changed and I got the lipstick smudged on the visor. At that point I decided to calm down…after all it was just an SUV.” And by the looks of her post, she had a co-pilot!
At Club Crafty, Crafty Lil Momma says that women are much more satisfied than their male partners...when it comes to their vehicles, according to the 2004 "What Women Want" Automotive Satisfaction Study, conducted for the sixth consecutive year by the Good Housekeeping Institute and J.D. Power and Associates. She lists the top things women want when car shopping, which includes safety, performance, substance, and fuel economy, among others. Check out the post to read the rest.
AutoBlogGreen is touching on the issue of women and their cars this week as well. They are spouting off about an article seen in the Des Moines Register that states, “Women make more than 85 percent of the purchasing decisions for their families, ... so increasing ethanol sales will depend on making the corn-based fuel more attractive to female consumers.” Well duh! So check out the reactions of the little bloggers over at AutoBlogGreen.
And just because we love talking about women and their stories about car buying and car shopping, we thought we’d share this post from Wild Women Stories. She talks about her experiences shopping for a car at dealerships and how the experience was less than appealing (shocker!). Her husband doesn’t like it either! Take that dealers!
And speaking of chauvinists, check this out. You just absolutely have to.
Baby Boomer Woman’s Countdown blogged about meeting Patty format BlogHer07. She mentions that AskPatty.com features automotive advice for women and that Jody (aka Patty) was a fellow baby boomer! She says she’ll have to check out our blog if she ever decides to buy that Acura that she likes...or that sports car when she turns 50! She talks about how she loved Patty so much! Check out the rest of her update!
Speaking of CarBlabber, Yvonne at Lipsticking has posted about it! She says, “Let's face it - women like to talk. Talking is what we do best. Some women can talk through 19 hours of hard labor! Some women can talk through a wedding, in between sobs, of course. A lot of women talk in their sleep, so I've heard. Hop on over the Car Blabber and post a review... for heaven's sake, what are you waiting for?” THANK YOU YVONNE!
And so now, should we talk about CarBlabber? Oh okay, you twisted my arm! Is your car sexy? What does your car
mean to you? Do you love or hate your car? Is your car a fashion
statement or a pile of junk? Ask Patty has just launched our new beta
version social network for women to blog about their cars. That’s
right. We want you to tell us all about your car and any car you’ve
ever owned. You can tell us all the good, bad, and the ugly – we want
to hear it all on CarBlabber.
That’s it for this week! Thank
you for all of your submissions! Make sure to submit next week! Please
remember to submit your article using the online form or by emailing
Breanne at Breanne@askpatty.com.
Ask Patty staff hit up BlogHer07 this year and it was a blast! Jody and Breanne were on hand at the event to learn and educate as well. Jody sat on a panel on Business Blogging to help other women bloggers turn their awesome blogs into a way to make money for them and their families. It was incredible to see all these inspiring women with strong voices and Jody was incredibly delighted to share some wisdom with them.
The days were spent in breakout sessions where we learned and discussed many different aspects of logging including tools and tricks, SEO, advertising ideas, and how to find your perfect voice. We met many bloggers we just love, like Coquette (super awesome fashion), The Sarcastic Journalist ('nuff said), and StarBuddies (celebs!) to name a few.
The event started out with some great cocktails and some awesome give aways from Zappos, General Motors, Kraft, and Butterball, and escalated into a great networking session, amazing speaker panels, and some more cocktails!
We even had some celebrities there! And no, I don’t mean Ask Patty (lol). Amy Sedaris of Letterman and Strangers With Candy, Elizabeth Edwards, and Chloe Dao, winner of Season Two’s Project Runway!
Most new vehicle manufacturers offer some level of reimbursement rebate to help fund a portion of mobility enhancements completed on new vehicles. We've compiled a list of programs offered by many of the leading manufacturers for modifications made to their vehicles.
Keep in mind there are many variables involved in obtaining aftermarket mobility equipment for vehicles. We suggest you request a copy of the Department of Transportation brochure "Adapting Motor Vehicles For People With Disabilities" by calling 1-888-327-4236 or by visiting www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
Most manufacturers place the responsibility of making the modifications on the owners themselves. General Motors'mobility site specifically states "You will be responsible for contacting an independent mobility equipment installer to have any aftermarket device installed in your car or truck. When selecting a mobility equipment installer, shop around and inquire about their qualifications, capabilities, experience, warranty and service practices. Ask for references. Ask if they are members of the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA), or another organization that has established vehicle conversion standards." This is good advice regardless of which make or model vehicle you own.
For assistance finding modification facilities, please contact the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (http://www.nmeda.org/) or at 800-833-0427. The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) is known internationally as an organization committed to ensuring quality and professionalism in the manufacturing and installation of safe and reliable mobility equipment in vehicles for drivers and passengers with disabilities.
Is your car sexy? What does your car mean to you? Do you love or hate your car? Is your car a fashion statement or a pile of junk? Ask Patty has just launched our new beta version social network for women to blog about their cars. That’s right. We want you to tell us all about your car and any car you’ve ever owned. You can tell us all the good, bad, and the ugly – we want to hear it all on CarBlabber.
And we are launching our CarBlabber Beta version of this ultra special, incredibly fun social network during the BlogHer conference in Chicago for all you lovely and talented blogging women. Register now to become a member of this unique social network about YOUR cars.
So what can you do at CarBlabber? *Create a personal car profile *Write car reviews of any car you’ve ever owned or driven or heck, even seen! * Connect with other women who love or hate the same cars as you *Read reviews of cars written by women JUST like you before you buy your next car *Join car clubs online and find other car friends! *Create your own social network by founding a car club of your very own *Rate your cars and comment on others reviews
Basically it’s about sharing and connecting in ways you can’t do anywhere else. Learn from other women like you what turns them on and turns them off about their cars. And share your own story.
Oh, and did we forget to mention that we will be giving away some goodies to some of you women who create profiles and reviews? Hmmm, well stay tuned to see what rewards you just might earn (check out the picture to the left). And trust us, they’re GOOD.
Go to: www.askpatty.com/carblabber and register now! (It’s 100% free) … go on, do it now…we you know you want to blab about your car!
Ask Patty was granted exclusive rights into the Shell Racing Lab to visit with Lisa Lilley, Shell's Formula One Ferrari Team Project Manager. She lets us inside what it takes to keep the Ferrari racers in top condition with Shell's high-performance fuels. At the races, Lisa is there to support the Ferrari team and to answer any questions they might have for that race. She manages the press and crazy journalists as well!
Check out the exclusive, never-before-released video footage of Lisa and her Ferrari Formula One team!
What are your thoughts on the video? Are you a Formula One fan? Who is your favorite team?
Ask Patty gals, Breanne and Jody, are still at BlogHer07 and going strong. We attended a General Motors cocktail party last night - Jody drank wine and Breanne had a Bloody Mary (it's actually a fave drink of her husband's, typically she drinks Vodka Tonics, in case anyone is buying).
Check out Day Two's video blog:
We are excited to hear Elizabeth Edwards speak tonight! Check in later!
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Here's the breakdown:
*The first 200 profiles with car reviews get an official Car Care Council 53-page car care guide!
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