Now this is a blog I thought I'd never have to type, but apparently someone has a fake Twitter account for me. I got an add request today on Twitter for someone using my first name, but the Twitter username is @BHMratclick. There's only one Shamontiel, and the only other names I go by are Maroontimes81 on YouTube, my own name and my decade-old alias Maroonsista. If you ever get an email or see an account that just doesn't look like it's from me, PLEASE get at me to let me know too.

Isn't this weird stuff supposed to only happen to celebrities? I'm caught all off-guard by this one, but then again I got some cryptic SpringForm question asking me about some guy I used to network with years ago. Anonymous SpringForm question. Anonymous email. Folks have way too much time on their hands these days. Go watch the news. Volunteer. Go to work. Do something constructive.
 
 
Some of you are writers and some of you are not, but I'm sending this message to all of you because the Internet is a gift and a curse.

For those who aren't writers, authors, musicians and photographers, I'd strongly suggest you set up a Google alert to make sure nobody is using your name or information without your permission. (If you're already using Google alerts, disregard this note.) Feel free to scroll past the information in stars and go directly to the directions. For those of you who are artists, please read all info below.


* * * *

For freelance writers and full-time reporters, it's not uncommon to find our work copied and pasted in its entirety on someone else's site. Recently I've had to contact two companies to either tell them they're going to have to pay me for reprinting my work or if it was the interviewee's Web site, take down the whole article and only print an excerpt.

If you have NOT given a Web site permission to reprint your material, they do NOT have the right to do it. I've had two Message from Montie blogs copied without my name or my alias and an interview with Associated Content. All of the sites either gave me proper credit or removed them, but what bothered me was had I not done some research, I wouldn't have known they were even there. But one site in particular had an angry moderator who was pissed that I pointed out an article that legally belonged to a newspaper that had been copied and pasted on the site for nine months. I found it by accident, and the response was about how long it had been there and to "chill out." Folks, when there's a footer at the bottom of the page about reproduction rights, no matter how long it's there, as a moderator, it's your job to make sure the posts are not legally wrong. Got that, Prince.org?

Don't get me wrong. I'm flattered that people may want to use my work, but seriously, at least ask for permission for reprint rights. Just copying and pasting someone else's work without their name, alias or even asking them if you can do it is equal to bootlegging movies. Some of it is just flat-out plagiarism if they don't even use your name at all. Some people just don't realize that what they're doing is legally wrong. But others just flat out don't care. No one can protect your content the way you can. My advice? Be your own lawyer.

And beware of sites like TheBlackUrbanTimes.com, which will copy and paste your entire work and then got hostile when you explain to them that the content is exclusive. Instead they will insult your "journalistic integrity" instead of apologizing for not respecting reprint rights. Amazing!

* * * *


How to set up a Google alert:

Visit this site http://www.google.com/alerts

Type in the keywords you want to use to find yourself (i.e., name, alias)
Set up how often you want the alerts to come
Give a valid email address
You're done!
 
 
For those who comment and read my Examiner.com work, I've bowed out as the Chicago Black Hair and Health Examiner. I like the topic, but I don't like it enough to want to write about it nonstop. The health topics I like to write have nothing to do with Fashion & Style so instead of writing off topic, I gave up that position.
Picture
I'm still the Chicago Relationships Examiner and the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. I thoroughly enjoy those topics. I don't think I could ever get enough of trying out new fragrances. And there are so many relationship topics to take on. It's fascinating to hear conversations about different types of relationships and interview people on the topics. I'm not going anywhere there.

However, my fourth title (as of today) has changed from Chicago Culture & Events Examiner to Chicago News & Events Examiner due to duplicate Examiner titles. I actually like this title better considering I cover news reports more than I do "cultural" topics. I'm still going to events when I'm not hibernating from the snow.

See you in cyberspace! Stay warm.
Picture
 
The Letter Box 12/11/2009
 
This probably won't impress you, but Family Dollar has some of the most beautiful gift boxes in their Christmas selections, and I bought this one. It's 12.5 x 14 x 7.5. I have three shoeboxes that are falling apart full of letters and cards since elementary school, and I'd untaped and retaped them so many times. Now I could throw them away without replacing them for more years. This new box says "Live life passionately, Laugh until your belly hurts, Love unconditionally." 
Picture
Picture
 
 
I got a call at 10:31 a.m. on Wednesday, December 9, from my brother letting me know that my godmother passed away. After being stunned, sad, and feeling guilty that I hadn't talked to her since Mother's Day, I just stared into space. It's always difficult to put into words how you feel when someone you're very cool with is no longer there. She's known me all my life and been very active in my life, so it's not like she was just my parents' best friends who introduced the two of them. She was my ace too. 

An hour after I heard the news, I got a letter in the mail from my mother with a memo attached to a check (early Christmas gift) that said "Life is too short, enjoy every 2nd." The timing of it all was exhausting. I went to an ATM to cash the check and burst into tears. I know the folks at that bank must be thinking, "Man, she must really be broke." :-)

But after shedding a few good tears when I left the bank, I came home and sat down in my home office looking around. I'm a full-time freelance journalist, blogger and transcriptionist, and I called my contacts to let them know I needed the day off. One of the perks of working from home is that I can be by myself and work on my own time, but I also tend to get buried in work. Hence the reason I can be bad about visiting people in person instead of emails, Facebook, and Twitter. Social networking sites are wonderful. I love them and use them constantly.

But Facebook, Twitter, and email just weren't cutting it for me. I wanted more. I was trying to find a way to snap out of the daze I was in so I started digging through shoeboxes full of letters and cards I've collected since elementary school, and I lucked up on a letter I got from my godmother in college at Lincoln University. I read that letter and fell out laughing. Snail mail seems to be underrated these days, but there's nothing more precious than someone taking the time to write (with their own pen, paper, and handwriting--not typed) you a letter, put a stamp on it, and make your mailbox smile. When was the last time you wrote someone a letter? Do it. Give them those happy, personalized memories.
 
 
While attending the Chicago VeganMania event, an audience member asked an interesting question about how to get reporters' attention when it comes to vegan issues without being extreme. I immediately remembered how much I would emphasize the importance of vegan and vegetarian issues for a newspaper I worked at for a little over a year. And then I started thinking of what it was I did to get them to start covering these issues and what I did with other publications to get them on the vegan/vegetarian bandwagon as well.

If you're interested, click here.
 
 
I've been a vegetarian for four years and I was a pescatarian for one year, but it still boggles my mind when I go to vegetarian or vegan events and see massive amounts of people who eat like me, maybe because we're only about 2.5 percent of the population. It's not like I think I'm the only one who's a vegetarian, but when you hang out with omnivores all the time who have no interest in vegan food, a food connection is a relief. However, when I arrived at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse at 9:45 a.m., and saw a line around the corner and past 1419 W. Blackhawk, I was shocked.

Click here to read more.
 
 
I didn't used to understand the hype about Examiner.com. I would see the job listings, but initially I wasn't as committed to writing for them. However, now that I'm a full-time freelance writer, I took the time to see what works and what doesn't on that site, and I absolutely love writing on Examiner.com as the Chicago Relationships Examiner. I love it so much that I took on a second title as Chicago's Fragrance Examiner.
 
For those who know me well, this won't come as a surprise to you. I have zero problems with stopping what I'm doing or where I'm going if someone has on a nice scent, and I'll just ask them, "What are you wearing?" If I like it, I buy it. If it's not meant for me, I try to find somebody else I can sucker into wearing it so I can sniff 'em. *laughing* But seriously, I am a big fan of nice aromas, whether it's candles (I got that from my maternal grandmother who always lit candles as soon as she walked in the door), air freshener, cologne, perfume, mist, and even laundry or dish detergent. I think the power of aroma is therapeutic and sometimes an aphrodisiac (watch out now!).

Come check me out on Examiner.com as the Fragrance Examiner. Click the image below for details.

Picture
 
 
For those of you who contact me and invite me to events happening Chicago, I'm reading them. I'm checking out what's going on. And if it's something of interest to me, I'll surely come to the event, accept the product, etc. Just use the "Contact Shamontiel" link to give me information on just how we can network together.

I can tell you one thing. Going to these events and learning about these locations (especially those with noble causes) makes me love Chicago that much more.

And speaking of Chicago, feel free to visit my ChicagoNow.com blog!
Picture
 
 
I hate that I have to type this entry, but it looks like it needs to be addressed. Somebody left about six blog comments on my Web site today furious about a book review I wrote in 2007, which I found rather strange considering the "Contact Shamontiel" link is on the left-hand side. Her excuse was that she didn't have an Amazon.com page so she went through all of the trouble of going to my profile, visiting my site, and reposting an entry about a book review to blogs that had absolutely nothing to do with the book. Makes sense, right? *shaking my head* *sigh* How long does it take to create an Amazon.com page for real? Instead she chose to leave comments on my page about me "hating" on a book I reviewed two years ago.

Now initially I was just going to ignore the posts, but I really need authors and fans of authors to read this. When someone reviews a product (i.e., music, books, movies), they are not attacking the creator. They are giving an honest review of the product and the product only. You don't have to agree with the review, but the accusation that that person is "hating" is so overused. It's so easy to say someone is "hating" when in reality, it's just a difference of opinion. As lyricist Common once said, "If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean that I'm hating." Nobody likes everything and it's not even remotely realistic to expect everyone to give positive feedback on everything you enjoy. Your opinion does not rule the world.

However, I've made a concerted effort within the past couple years to only review books, movies, and music that I've listened to/read in full. I used to have a bad habit of only partially dissecting something, and if I didn't like it, I'd just stop entirely. Now that part is okay, but the part about reviewing it isn't really fair to the creator. So for that, I apologize. I thought I'd removed all of those reviews but apparently one went under the radar. It is now removed.

To be honest with you, when I review a product, I review it and I'm done with it. I don't sit around thinking about the review after it's done because I've moved on to the next product. I was completely confused when reading this blog commenter's rant on my Web site on six different blogs. I didn't get what in the world this person was so angry over, but a comment about a flashlight triggered my memory bank.

With that said, a critical review is just that...a review. That's what a reviewer does. But one thing I will say is the hardest and most useful reviews I've ever gotten from my own work (be it books, videos, blogs, or articles) are the ones where I got the honest truth. Although sometimes honest feedback is hard to hear, when the reviewer has your best interest at heart and just wants a good product, you'll learn that they're not "hating," they're trying to HELP you make your product that much better. 

When I check out my work in the past (even two years ago from today) to now, I can see the way an honest (and sometimes brutal) reviewer helped me to improve in my own craft.

These days I just don't have time to review products on sites like Amazon.com unless it was pre-arranged or something I got through my employer or a freelance project. So I've slowed down a lot on reviewing products on Amazon.com, and I definitely don't have the time (or feel the need) to rate products I can't completely get through. Again, for any review that you've seen on Amazon.com that I didn't finish in full, feel free to contact me at any time and I'll take the review down. I have hundreds of reviews on there though, and I'm not about to read through every last one of them. Hell, I can barely get through reading ONE book because I'm extremely busy freelancing. But if a review really hurt someone's feelings or they took it personal instead of helpful, contact me at any time. It's not like it's hard to find me on the Internet. I'm contracted to write for quite a few sites so you can feel free to get at me at any time. I don't hold a grudge about a review. You want it off, it comes off. 

But let's be grown-ups here, not Web site stalkers. It's not a good look.
 
And now back to business!