"You get what you settle for."
Thelma and Louise 1991 movie
I missed this movie when it first came out. Finally making the time for this "girlfriend" classic, I looked forward to wild adventures and renegade women. Instead I found women who managed to escape from one prison only to securely lock themselves in another.
The movie unfolds into one shackle after another as each woman makes a choice to leave behind a world that either bores or pains them only to plunge into a lawless, lifeless abyss.
I was so disappointed in the courageous attitude of these women who seemed to spend more time reacting to events than to planning and creating them. Still, I do love the quote "You get what you settle for." It helps keep me in check when I am grumbling about my place in life. - I have what I've settled for. So the question each of us should ask is are we happy with what we have?
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Girlfriends Hit the Road: a 1920s Road Trip Book Review of Eight Women, Two Model Ts, and the American West (2007)
Book Review of Eight Women, Two Model Ts, and the American West (2007) by Joanne Wilke
Author Joanne Wilke is a wonderful storyteller whose childhood memories waffle into the readers’ nostrils like homemade apple pie. She beautifully captures the story of her grandmother’s trip to California from Iowa in 1924.
Eight young women loaded their belongings into two Model T cars and headed to California. Wilke tries to answer the question why did these girls do this? How did they find the courage and convince their parents to let them go? Even though Wilke worked from living testimonies of some of the women who made the journey, read their journals and letters back home, this adventure had many gaps and conflicting accounts. Wilke supplements the story with her own childhood memories of spending the summers in Iowa with her grandmother. These added stories really make her grandmother come alive to the reader.
This is a fun, relatively short tale of a cross country adventure before there were real roads, reliable maps, or even enclosed cars. This grand scale of this journey makes me wonder if the women were able to return to their lives and be happy for the memories or if it woke a restlessness in them that was difficult to quench.
Looking for more? Please visit FaMiss - Women's Success History & Literature, including books & movie reviews highlighting historical and modern women experiences.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Author Joanne Wilke is a wonderful storyteller whose childhood memories waffle into the readers’ nostrils like homemade apple pie. She beautifully captures the story of her grandmother’s trip to California from Iowa in 1924.
Eight young women loaded their belongings into two Model T cars and headed to California. Wilke tries to answer the question why did these girls do this? How did they find the courage and convince their parents to let them go? Even though Wilke worked from living testimonies of some of the women who made the journey, read their journals and letters back home, this adventure had many gaps and conflicting accounts. Wilke supplements the story with her own childhood memories of spending the summers in Iowa with her grandmother. These added stories really make her grandmother come alive to the reader.
This is a fun, relatively short tale of a cross country adventure before there were real roads, reliable maps, or even enclosed cars. This grand scale of this journey makes me wonder if the women were able to return to their lives and be happy for the memories or if it woke a restlessness in them that was difficult to quench.
Looking for more? Please visit FaMiss - Women's Success History & Literature, including books & movie reviews highlighting historical and modern women experiences.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Volver: Movie Review - A Woman's Interior World
The world revolves around the lives of women in Spanish director Pedro Almodόvar’s latest film, Volver (2006). It is a wonderful depiction of survival, loyalty, and integrity yet the action on the screen bears little resemblance to what is really going on in the lives, hearts, and heads of the women.
Almodόvar demonstrates once again (as he did in the film All About My Mother) that he truly understands the dual nature of women. He understands that women often have their external life, one that is busy and complex, but it is in their interior life (often very different than what is seen by others) where the core of her being dwells. His female characters are smart, fallible, sophisticated, genuine, and complex, perhaps some of the most complex female characters ever represented in film.
Volver is a relational film though perhaps few women can relate to the circumstances Penélope Cruz finds herself in but it isn’t to the situation that we can relate but rather who her character, Raimunda, is.
A beautiful, fun (in a strange way) film, one to share with your girlfriends.
This film reminded me of a quote by Edith Wharton:
"But I have sometimes thought that a woman's nature is like a great house full of rooms: there is the hall, through which everyone passes in going in and out; the drawing- room, where one receives formal visits; the sitting-room, where the members of the family come and go as they list; but beyond that, far beyond, are other rooms, the handles of whose doors perhaps are never turned; no one knows the way to them, no one knows whither they lead; and in the innermost room, the holy of holies, the soul sits alone and waits for a footstep that never comes."*
*The Fullness of Life, part II (1893) Early Stories of Edith Wharton, vol. 2.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Almodόvar demonstrates once again (as he did in the film All About My Mother) that he truly understands the dual nature of women. He understands that women often have their external life, one that is busy and complex, but it is in their interior life (often very different than what is seen by others) where the core of her being dwells. His female characters are smart, fallible, sophisticated, genuine, and complex, perhaps some of the most complex female characters ever represented in film.
Volver is a relational film though perhaps few women can relate to the circumstances Penélope Cruz finds herself in but it isn’t to the situation that we can relate but rather who her character, Raimunda, is.
A beautiful, fun (in a strange way) film, one to share with your girlfriends.
This film reminded me of a quote by Edith Wharton:
"But I have sometimes thought that a woman's nature is like a great house full of rooms: there is the hall, through which everyone passes in going in and out; the drawing- room, where one receives formal visits; the sitting-room, where the members of the family come and go as they list; but beyond that, far beyond, are other rooms, the handles of whose doors perhaps are never turned; no one knows the way to them, no one knows whither they lead; and in the innermost room, the holy of holies, the soul sits alone and waits for a footstep that never comes."*
*The Fullness of Life, part II (1893) Early Stories of Edith Wharton, vol. 2.
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Namesake Review: Time is Our Destiny
The characters in the Indian film, The Namesake (2006), unfold in front of us as life unfolds. A young Bengali woman finds herself on a journey to New York City in 1979 when her family arranges for her marriage. Her husband, an Indian PhD student studying in New York, is unknown to her, a stranger, but he is kind and together they develop a warm, supportive marriage. Ashima, meaning no boundaries or without limits, seems to play a relatively passive role as she raises her children, their personalities overcoming her own like waves, but she never bows to their own strength. Instead, she bends with it like grass along a river or a reed in the wind.
The film explores the theme common seen in Indian films released in America, the struggle between Indian tradition and American values, old and new, adjustment and preservation but there was more to this storyline by famous female author, Jhumpa Lahiri, than cultural adjustments. The movie was about the inevitable passage of time. Ashima was young at the beginning of the movie. She was at the peak of her youth, instead of coming into her own, however, her traditional society dictated that she marry and become a wife and mother first. They raise their two children, who we see being born, wrestling in the mires of the teenage years, and becoming adults themselves. Ashima’s life completes the circle when she returns to her own self, or as Joseph Campbell puts it, her Bliss.
The silent character in this film is Time. He is with us constantly, changing the dynamics of each scene. Just as I get used to certain characters and scenarios, Time steps in and mixes up the plot. I realized how much I wanted to fight Time, to keep things the same for a while but the characters had more grace about time and change than I did. They flowed admirably with what happened. I realize now that time passage is the only destiny for each of us. Though time passage was the destiny of Ashima, it didn’t reign her in or prevent her from being who she was meant to be.
****
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
The film explores the theme common seen in Indian films released in America, the struggle between Indian tradition and American values, old and new, adjustment and preservation but there was more to this storyline by famous female author, Jhumpa Lahiri, than cultural adjustments. The movie was about the inevitable passage of time. Ashima was young at the beginning of the movie. She was at the peak of her youth, instead of coming into her own, however, her traditional society dictated that she marry and become a wife and mother first. They raise their two children, who we see being born, wrestling in the mires of the teenage years, and becoming adults themselves. Ashima’s life completes the circle when she returns to her own self, or as Joseph Campbell puts it, her Bliss.
The silent character in this film is Time. He is with us constantly, changing the dynamics of each scene. Just as I get used to certain characters and scenarios, Time steps in and mixes up the plot. I realized how much I wanted to fight Time, to keep things the same for a while but the characters had more grace about time and change than I did. They flowed admirably with what happened. I realize now that time passage is the only destiny for each of us. Though time passage was the destiny of Ashima, it didn’t reign her in or prevent her from being who she was meant to be.
****
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
Strong Women: Strong Fathers – Lara Croft, Jessie Fremont, Condoleezza Rice
Happy Birthday Jessie Ann Benton Fremont
Jessie was born on May 31, 1824 in near Lexington, Virginia. She was the daughter of a famous and powerful U.S. Senator who not only doted on his daughter but included her in meetings with Washington officials and trained her to assist him in his work. Jessie's attention from her father falls under the Zeus-Athena category where the father is the one who helps his weaker-sex daughter gain power and prestige in society. It is because of the father's influence and power that the young woman is tolerated by society instead of ostracized, ignored or even in some cases burned at the stake as a witch.
Many movies and storylines today still feature women who owe their strength to their father. This archetypal thread is seen in Angelina Jolie's character, Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movies. In these storylines, the mother is either dead or negligible because of a weakness in character. It is amazing how many times a strong female character is attributed to a powerful father instead of a powerful mother. It is almost as if we see a woman who is successful and then discover that her relationship with her father was like an internship and we say "Oh, that explains it…" I am looking forward to a shift in society when a woman attributes her success to her mother's strength and abilities.
A couple of years ago, Forbes Magazine dubbed Condoleezza Rice "The Most Powerful Woman in the World." I wanted to learn more about her because I am amazed at how well she handles herself in front of the press. How did she manage to always present herself with poise? She is always articulate even when others try desperately to ruffle her feathers. It didn't take long for me to figure out how she became such a powerhouse. I believe Condoleezza is so successful because her parents already knew their daughter was the most powerful girl (woman) in the world. It just took Forbes Magazine decades to catch on.
I've studied what little information I could find about how Condolezza Rice grew up. She had an incredibly supportive mother and father but I felt that the biographical information emphasized her father's role in her upbringing more than her mother's role.
Condoleezza was the only child of John and Angelena Rice. Angelena named her daughter after an Italian musical reference to play music "with sweetness". With foresight, her mother aptly named her as Condoleezza's persona has been like honey in drawing a varied collection of friends into her life. Her ex-students, professional football players, Vladimir Putin, the Bush Family, and the children of the New Generation (an after-school program Condoleezza co-founded for disadvantaged youth in East Palo Alto) are just a few examples.
Condoleezza was born on November 14, 1954. Her father referred to her from that time forward as his "Little Star". From birth, Condoleezza was raised within a strong community and family life. Her father was the reverend of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, a high school coach, and a high school guidance counselor. Her mother was a high school music teacher and played the organ at the church. Her parents commitment to the members of their community gave Condoleezza a first-hand glance at the power that comes from making a difference in your community, giving her a place within the community as a star within the constellation – creating a whole picture with those around her.
"The multiethnic part [of American society] does not work without another important value: belief in upward mobility. The core of that has always been the ability to level the playing field through education. Unless education is provided to all…that part of the dream will be lost."[i]
Condoleezza summarizes her family's legacy in that statement. For generations, Condoleezza's family created opportunities for themselves and their children by committing themselves to education. Self-teaching and making sure they attended university was a tradition with her family. Her parents had very high expectations of Condoleezza. They exposed her to ballet, French, music, current events, football and other athletics. They felt as if her survival depended on a comprehensive education.
Condoleezza's father worked with many children in the community that didn't have the same home opportunities as she did. He was always encouraging someone to make the most of themselves. Condoleezza followed in his footsteps with several civic commitments, including, as I mentioned before, co-founding an after-school program in Northern California while she was a professor at Stanford University.
Looking for more?
Legend of Lara Croft – Tomb Raider
Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story by Antonia Felix
"Passion and Principle" Life of Jessie Fremont
Find female role models
[i] Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story by Antonia Felix. p.23
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Jessie was born on May 31, 1824 in near Lexington, Virginia. She was the daughter of a famous and powerful U.S. Senator who not only doted on his daughter but included her in meetings with Washington officials and trained her to assist him in his work. Jessie's attention from her father falls under the Zeus-Athena category where the father is the one who helps his weaker-sex daughter gain power and prestige in society. It is because of the father's influence and power that the young woman is tolerated by society instead of ostracized, ignored or even in some cases burned at the stake as a witch.
Many movies and storylines today still feature women who owe their strength to their father. This archetypal thread is seen in Angelina Jolie's character, Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movies. In these storylines, the mother is either dead or negligible because of a weakness in character. It is amazing how many times a strong female character is attributed to a powerful father instead of a powerful mother. It is almost as if we see a woman who is successful and then discover that her relationship with her father was like an internship and we say "Oh, that explains it…" I am looking forward to a shift in society when a woman attributes her success to her mother's strength and abilities.
A couple of years ago, Forbes Magazine dubbed Condoleezza Rice "The Most Powerful Woman in the World." I wanted to learn more about her because I am amazed at how well she handles herself in front of the press. How did she manage to always present herself with poise? She is always articulate even when others try desperately to ruffle her feathers. It didn't take long for me to figure out how she became such a powerhouse. I believe Condoleezza is so successful because her parents already knew their daughter was the most powerful girl (woman) in the world. It just took Forbes Magazine decades to catch on.
I've studied what little information I could find about how Condolezza Rice grew up. She had an incredibly supportive mother and father but I felt that the biographical information emphasized her father's role in her upbringing more than her mother's role.
Condoleezza was the only child of John and Angelena Rice. Angelena named her daughter after an Italian musical reference to play music "with sweetness". With foresight, her mother aptly named her as Condoleezza's persona has been like honey in drawing a varied collection of friends into her life. Her ex-students, professional football players, Vladimir Putin, the Bush Family, and the children of the New Generation (an after-school program Condoleezza co-founded for disadvantaged youth in East Palo Alto) are just a few examples.
Condoleezza was born on November 14, 1954. Her father referred to her from that time forward as his "Little Star". From birth, Condoleezza was raised within a strong community and family life. Her father was the reverend of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, a high school coach, and a high school guidance counselor. Her mother was a high school music teacher and played the organ at the church. Her parents commitment to the members of their community gave Condoleezza a first-hand glance at the power that comes from making a difference in your community, giving her a place within the community as a star within the constellation – creating a whole picture with those around her.
"The multiethnic part [of American society] does not work without another important value: belief in upward mobility. The core of that has always been the ability to level the playing field through education. Unless education is provided to all…that part of the dream will be lost."[i]
Condoleezza summarizes her family's legacy in that statement. For generations, Condoleezza's family created opportunities for themselves and their children by committing themselves to education. Self-teaching and making sure they attended university was a tradition with her family. Her parents had very high expectations of Condoleezza. They exposed her to ballet, French, music, current events, football and other athletics. They felt as if her survival depended on a comprehensive education.
Condoleezza's father worked with many children in the community that didn't have the same home opportunities as she did. He was always encouraging someone to make the most of themselves. Condoleezza followed in his footsteps with several civic commitments, including, as I mentioned before, co-founding an after-school program in Northern California while she was a professor at Stanford University.
Looking for more?
Legend of Lara Croft – Tomb Raider
Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story by Antonia Felix
"Passion and Principle" Life of Jessie Fremont
Find female role models
[i] Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story by Antonia Felix. p.23
About the author: Allison Frederick is a writer and online marketing educator for other creative women. www.FaMissWomen.com offers free Web 2.0 resources. She is also the author of an upcoming novel, A Portrait of Josephine, an academic-lite thriller. Find out how to receive a free copy of the novel by visiting www.portraitofjosephine.com
Friday, March 28, 2008
Privacy Policy
COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY
FaMiss site/blog is owned and operated by Sophia Management, LLC. Your privacy on the Internet is of the utmost importance to us. At Sophia Management, LLC, we want to make your experience online satisfying and safe.
Because we gather certain types of information about our users, we feel you should fully
understand our policy and the terms and conditions surrounding the capture and use of that
information. This privacy statement discloses what information we gather and how we use
it.
INFORMATION Sophia Management, LLC GATHERS AND TRACKS
Sophia Management, LLC gathers two types of information about users:
· Information that users provide through optional, voluntary submissions. These are
voluntary submissions to receive our electronic newsletters, to participate in our
message boards or forums, to email a friend, and from participation in polls and
surveys:
· Information Sophia Management, LLC gathers through aggregated tracking
information derived mainly by tallying page views throughout our sites. This
information allows us to better tailor our content to readers' needs and to help our
advertisers and sponsors better understand the demographics of our audience.
Sophia Management, LLC Gathers User Information In The Following Processes:
Optional Voluntary Information
We offer the following free services, which require some type of voluntary submission of
personal information by users:
1. Electronic newsletters policy (Dispatches)
We will offer a free electronic newsletter to users. Sophia Management, LLC gathers the
email addresses of users who voluntarily subscribe. Users may remove themselves from this
mailing list by following the link provided in every newsletter that points users to the
subscription management page. Users can also subscribe to the newsletters at the time of
registration.
2. "E-mail this to a friend" policy
Our site users can choose to electronically forward a link, page, or documents to someone
else by clicking "e-mail this to a friend". The user must provide their email address, as well
as that of the recipient. This information is used only in the case of transmission errors and,
of course, to let the recipient know who sent the email. The information is not used for any
other purpose.
3. Polling
We may offer interactive polls to users so they can easily share their opinions with other
users and see what our audience thinks about important issues. Opinions or other responses
to polls are aggregated and are not identifiable to any particular user. Castle Rock Aikido
Club may use a system to "tag" users after they have voted, so they can vote only once on
a particular question. This tag is not correlated with information about individual users.
4. Surveys
Sophia Management, LLC may occasionally conduct user surveys to better target our
content to our audience. We sometimes share the aggregated demographic information in
these surveys with our sponsors, advertisers and partners. We never share any of this
information about specific individuals with any third party.
Children
Consistent with the Federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), we
will never knowingly request personally identifiable information from anyone under the age
of 13 without requesting parental consent.
Usage tracking
Sophia Management, LLC tracks user traffic patterns throughout all of our sites. However,
we do not correlate this information with data about individual users. Sophia Management, LLC does break down overall usage statistics according to a user's domain name, browser
type, and MIME type by reading this information from the browser string (information
contained in every user's browser).
Sophia Management, LLC sometimes tracks and catalogs the search terms that users enter
in our Search function, but this tracking is never associated with individual users. We use
tracking information to determine which areas of our sites users like and don't like based on
traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather how well each
page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better service for you.
Cookies
We may place a text file called a "cookie" in the browser files of your computer. The cookie
itself does not contain Personal Information although it will enable us to relate your use of
this site to information that you have specifically and knowingly provided. But the only
personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie can't
read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. Sophia Management, LLC uses cookies to track user traffic patterns (as described above). Our advertising
system delivers a one-time cookie to better track ad impressions and click rates.
You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser. If you've set your browser to
warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie.
You do not need to have cookies turned on to use this site. However, you do need cookies
to participate actively in message boards, forums, polling and surveys.
USE OF INFORMATION
Sophia Management, LLC uses any information voluntarily given by our users to enhance
their experience in our network of sites, whether to provide interactive or personalized
elements on the sites or to better prepare future content based on the interests of our
users.
As stated above, we use information that users voluntarily provide in order to send out
electronic newsletters and to enable users to participate in polls, surveys, message boards,
and forums. We send out newsletters to subscribers on a regular schedule (depending on
the newsletter), and occasionally send out special editions when we think subscribers might
be particularly interested in something we are doing. Sophia Management, LLC never
shares newsletter mailing lists with any third parties, including advertisers, sponsors or
partners.
When we use tracking information to determine which areas of our sites users like and don't
like based on traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather
how well each page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better service for
you. We track search terms entered in Search function as one of many measures of what
interests our users. But we don't track which terms a particular user enters.
Sophia Management, LLC creates aggregate reports on user demographics and traffic
patterns for advertisers, sponsors and partners. This allows our advertisers to advertise
more effectively, and allows our users to receive advertisements that are pertinent to their
needs. Because we don't track the usage patterns of individual users, an advertiser or
sponsor will never know that a specific user clicked their ad. We will not disclose any
information about any individual user except to comply with applicable law or valid legal
process or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public.
SHARING OF THE INFORMATION
Sophia Management, LLC uses the above-described information to tailor our content to suit
your needs and help our advertisers better understand our audience's demographics. This is
essential to keeping our service free. We will not share information about individual users
with any third party, except to comply with applicable law or valid legal process or to
protect the personal safety of our users or the public.
SECURITY
Sophia Management, LLC operates secure data networks protected by industry standard
firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically
reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorized individuals have access to the
information provided by our customers.
OPT-OUT POLICY
We give users options wherever necessary and practical. Such choices include:
· Opting not to register to receive our electronic newsletters.
· Opting not to participate in certain interactive areas, which completely
alleviates the need to gather any personally identifiable information from
our users
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By using this site, you consent to the collection and use of this information by Sophia Management, LLC. If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this
page so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under
what circumstances we disclose it.
FaMiss site/blog is owned and operated by Sophia Management, LLC. Your privacy on the Internet is of the utmost importance to us. At Sophia Management, LLC, we want to make your experience online satisfying and safe.
Because we gather certain types of information about our users, we feel you should fully
understand our policy and the terms and conditions surrounding the capture and use of that
information. This privacy statement discloses what information we gather and how we use
it.
INFORMATION Sophia Management, LLC GATHERS AND TRACKS
Sophia Management, LLC gathers two types of information about users:
· Information that users provide through optional, voluntary submissions. These are
voluntary submissions to receive our electronic newsletters, to participate in our
message boards or forums, to email a friend, and from participation in polls and
surveys:
· Information Sophia Management, LLC gathers through aggregated tracking
information derived mainly by tallying page views throughout our sites. This
information allows us to better tailor our content to readers' needs and to help our
advertisers and sponsors better understand the demographics of our audience.
Sophia Management, LLC Gathers User Information In The Following Processes:
Optional Voluntary Information
We offer the following free services, which require some type of voluntary submission of
personal information by users:
1. Electronic newsletters policy (Dispatches)
We will offer a free electronic newsletter to users. Sophia Management, LLC gathers the
email addresses of users who voluntarily subscribe. Users may remove themselves from this
mailing list by following the link provided in every newsletter that points users to the
subscription management page. Users can also subscribe to the newsletters at the time of
registration.
2. "E-mail this to a friend" policy
Our site users can choose to electronically forward a link, page, or documents to someone
else by clicking "e-mail this to a friend". The user must provide their email address, as well
as that of the recipient. This information is used only in the case of transmission errors and,
of course, to let the recipient know who sent the email. The information is not used for any
other purpose.
3. Polling
We may offer interactive polls to users so they can easily share their opinions with other
users and see what our audience thinks about important issues. Opinions or other responses
to polls are aggregated and are not identifiable to any particular user. Castle Rock Aikido
Club may use a system to "tag" users after they have voted, so they can vote only once on
a particular question. This tag is not correlated with information about individual users.
4. Surveys
Sophia Management, LLC may occasionally conduct user surveys to better target our
content to our audience. We sometimes share the aggregated demographic information in
these surveys with our sponsors, advertisers and partners. We never share any of this
information about specific individuals with any third party.
Children
Consistent with the Federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), we
will never knowingly request personally identifiable information from anyone under the age
of 13 without requesting parental consent.
Usage tracking
Sophia Management, LLC tracks user traffic patterns throughout all of our sites. However,
we do not correlate this information with data about individual users. Sophia Management, LLC does break down overall usage statistics according to a user's domain name, browser
type, and MIME type by reading this information from the browser string (information
contained in every user's browser).
Sophia Management, LLC sometimes tracks and catalogs the search terms that users enter
in our Search function, but this tracking is never associated with individual users. We use
tracking information to determine which areas of our sites users like and don't like based on
traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather how well each
page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better service for you.
Cookies
We may place a text file called a "cookie" in the browser files of your computer. The cookie
itself does not contain Personal Information although it will enable us to relate your use of
this site to information that you have specifically and knowingly provided. But the only
personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie can't
read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. Sophia Management, LLC uses cookies to track user traffic patterns (as described above). Our advertising
system delivers a one-time cookie to better track ad impressions and click rates.
You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser. If you've set your browser to
warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie.
You do not need to have cookies turned on to use this site. However, you do need cookies
to participate actively in message boards, forums, polling and surveys.
USE OF INFORMATION
Sophia Management, LLC uses any information voluntarily given by our users to enhance
their experience in our network of sites, whether to provide interactive or personalized
elements on the sites or to better prepare future content based on the interests of our
users.
As stated above, we use information that users voluntarily provide in order to send out
electronic newsletters and to enable users to participate in polls, surveys, message boards,
and forums. We send out newsletters to subscribers on a regular schedule (depending on
the newsletter), and occasionally send out special editions when we think subscribers might
be particularly interested in something we are doing. Sophia Management, LLC never
shares newsletter mailing lists with any third parties, including advertisers, sponsors or
partners.
When we use tracking information to determine which areas of our sites users like and don't
like based on traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather
how well each page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better service for
you. We track search terms entered in Search function as one of many measures of what
interests our users. But we don't track which terms a particular user enters.
Sophia Management, LLC creates aggregate reports on user demographics and traffic
patterns for advertisers, sponsors and partners. This allows our advertisers to advertise
more effectively, and allows our users to receive advertisements that are pertinent to their
needs. Because we don't track the usage patterns of individual users, an advertiser or
sponsor will never know that a specific user clicked their ad. We will not disclose any
information about any individual user except to comply with applicable law or valid legal
process or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public.
SHARING OF THE INFORMATION
Sophia Management, LLC uses the above-described information to tailor our content to suit
your needs and help our advertisers better understand our audience's demographics. This is
essential to keeping our service free. We will not share information about individual users
with any third party, except to comply with applicable law or valid legal process or to
protect the personal safety of our users or the public.
SECURITY
Sophia Management, LLC operates secure data networks protected by industry standard
firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically
reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorized individuals have access to the
information provided by our customers.
OPT-OUT POLICY
We give users options wherever necessary and practical. Such choices include:
· Opting not to register to receive our electronic newsletters.
· Opting not to participate in certain interactive areas, which completely
alleviates the need to gather any personally identifiable information from
our users
YOUR CONSENT
By using this site, you consent to the collection and use of this information by Sophia Management, LLC. If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this
page so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under
what circumstances we disclose it.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Do You Have A Best Selling Book Inside You?
"Be adventurous. Try a lot of different things.
Who cares if it doesn't work out?
It is only paper."
- Mary Engelbreit, artist & business executiveWho cares if it doesn't work out?
It is only paper."
Have you dreamt of becoming the next J.K. Rowling?
Do you have a story you have been working on but you just keep letting it collect dust?
Do you write, but don't think you have the time to write an entire book?
If you said yes to any of these questions, then I encourage you to try an amazing program called
"How to Write a Book in 14 Days"
I bought and tried this program. It is great. My writer's block vanished and my writing is better now that I use Steve Manning's techniques. I am still in the middle of my 14 day program, but I already several chapters written for my first book.
How to Write a Book in 14 Days has received endorsements from many writers including one of the authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Mark Victor Hansen.
You will find the fear of writing vanish as the words fly out of your mind onto your paper. My only criticism of this program is that he does send a lot of emails to you. However, you can unsubscribe to the emails if they get to be too much.
Do you have to dedicate all day to writing? No, in fact, he encourages you to write in short segments. He says that is when you get your best writing.
We invite you to
challenge yourself - remember, "It's only paper."
Register for Write a Book in 14 Days!
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