Friday, August 12, 2011

The Friday Forum - August 12

Every morning, when I head outside to feed the foxes, I think about their wary existence. Always on the run and fearful, even of the hand that feeds them, they wait for me to come out with dog food (or the occasional takeout treat). They are so beautiful, I wonder where they normally hide during the day. I know that occasionally they hide in my "jungle," but I've also seen them headed for a secluded area of woods nearby. I have a silly fox with dark legs like this one who prefers peanuts to dog food. Almost every morning, he waits for "round 2," when I throw peanuts on the ground for the squirrels and birds. I come inside, look out the window, and there he is, eating the peanuts.

This was quite a week! I feel like I spent the whole week fighting copyright infringement. There are Web sites that steal all of their content (photos and the text of complete features) from other sites. I've been a frequent target this year (only found one consistent thief last year). It's very frustrating to see your work - your cat, your arm, your thoughts - turn up on another site a few short hours after you publish. You must hunt them down, which isn't always easy, and send a legal notice. It's most effective to send the notice to the thief's Internet Service Provider. Some hosts require that you send the URL of your own work and of every single infringing post, which requires hours (or days) of work (and is rather ludicrous since one look at the violator's site provides proof of theft). Others simply require a cogent explanation of your claim under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (or their country's equivalent), along with some representations.

This week I went after two sites that were republishing every single one of my features as their own. It was gratifying to see that one had been taken down overnight. That site had been cleverly disguised, and I had not been able to identify the host. My friends and fellow bloggers helped, and I'm grateful. By the way, if you are reading this feature in its entirety anywhere other than Best Things in Beauty, it has been stolen.

Turning to a more pleasant subject, a few weeks ago, London Makeup Girl wrote on Twitter that she would be going on vacation for a couple of weeks and asked for help with guest posts. I wanted to help - everyone deserves a vacation - so I offered to write a feature about beauty in a rush. You can read it at London Makeup Girl.

It's time for The Friday Forum, our open chat. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist this week? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers have moved on.

Don't forget the giveaway contest for Philosophy's Divine Illumination Blushing Bronzer. The deadline for entries is tomorrow, August 13, at midnight. If you don't enter, you can't win!

Update 8:39 am: This feature has now been published on another site. You can only imagine my rage.

35 comments:

Sophia1105 said...

Oh my word, I am speechless. I cannot believe someone would so blatantly (just at all) rip off your work. Best of luck in getting it all under control. I give you much credit for having a blog in the first place (I'm not that good with follow through), posting all the swatches you do, adding your thoughts and putting yourself out there. My thoughts are with you as you bring this (hopefully, fingers crossed) to a close.

Your foxes are so cute and I am happy to hear of a fox eating peanuts in the midst of peanut-munching squirrel (and not the fox chasing the squirrel).

As far as beauty products go, I have been pulling a series of nights so the only beauty product I'm seeking, ravenously, right now is (beauty)sleep. Aside from that, the new LM Smokey Eye Palette is seeing some love and I am rediscovering my BB gels for their long-wear potential (i had all but given up on them for looking a bit harsh).

Have a wonderful weekend, hope it brings some tranquility as much as pleasure.

Unknown said...

UGH!! What is wrong with people??!!! Why the heck would someone post this post of all posts on their site. LUDICROUS!! I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. I hope it never happens to me. I don't even have the time to get out the posts I do let alone hunt down thieves!

Bunny Masseuse said...

A fun fox-related Youtube for you to enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY&feature=related

michelle said...

Such a pretty picture of the fox!

We have all kinds of critters at our home also: squirrels, jack rabbits, deer, they're so beautiful that I am rather protective of them! After all, they were here before we showed up!

Hope all the web copying phonies get what's coming to them!

fgirl said...

I'm glad you got the theives! There really ought to more stringent punishment than them merely having to take down the content. It is stealing after all.
I am anxiously awaiting my Chanel order from the new collection. It is supposed to arrive in my office this afternoon!
Happy Friday!

Unknown said...

some of the thieves don't even bother to cover their tracks. One published stolen photos that contained a photo of the original blogger and the original watermarks, which happened to be the name of the blog! I guess it's free advertising of a sort, but not the kind you want and it wasn't intentional. It's awfully discouraging. It sounds like it takes more time to report these people than it takes to blog!

I'm not moved by any of the current collections. I'm just waiting for Chanel Holiday to come out, which looks much more promising.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Soophia!

I was speechless the first time I found all my work being re-published, with someone else taking the credit. Now, I find my voice and start tracking down the creeps.

I have seen the fox chase a squirrel, half-heartedly, but I think it was because he wanted the peanuts all to himself. :)

That new LM palette is gorgeous! If I didn't have so many like it, I would have purchased it. Hope you can get some rest so that you'll enjoy it!

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Bunny!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Michelle,

That's how I feel. It's their land, we are just caretakers or "settlers." As you know, I try to take good care of all of my outdoor friends.

I'll keep after the bad guys on the Internet. As soon as I leave here, I'm going to check out one I expect to depart the Web today.

Charlestongirl said...

Oh, fgirl, have fun with the Chanel!

You're right, I think, that penalties should hit their pocketbooks, but who has the time or money to sue them?

Charlestongirl said...

Hey there, Ava,

I got swatch photos of the Chanel photos (came from Chanel training), and I think you'll find they are worth the wait!

Unknown said...

Chanel training! Oh how I would have liked that!

Charlestongirl said...

Now, Periously Pale,

If you write long enough, you will find yourself a victim of these unethical people who believe your work is theirs. The Internet is the Wild West. It's so easy to steal content, many get away with it forever. The few dollars they get from advertising must make it worth the risk to them.

The one blog I "put out of business" overnight had also stolen from two other beauty bloggers who have enormous reader counts. I notified one, but never heard back from her. They may not care, but I sure do!

Charlestongirl said...

Me too, Ava. I didn't get it, though. The Chanel reps did. :)

Clarisse said...

Hi Charlestongirl! I love your cute little fox and I just adore squirrels (are yours brown as they are here or grey like the ones I saw in San Francisco? 1rst time I saw grey squirrels)It must be a lovely treat to see all of them "having breakfast" on your lawn:-)
Your thieves are less appealling: how can they dare????Anybody can see they are cheating, what's the point of blogging if they have nothing personnal to write about? Can't get it...anyway you are write to fight back as hard as you can, good for you!you have my full support§
Here the new collection will be out by August 22nd and Chanel is launching its new N°19 POudré on the 19th (Mademoiselle Chanel's birthday)! I'm impatient to smell it as the 1rst one didn't agree with my skin...
P.S: Prague is a very beautiful city: I loved the Art Nouveau and Art Déco architecture, so much to see...great long week-end:-)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Clarisse,

We have grey squirrels in all hues, including black. I adore them. People think I'm crazy, but some of them became lifetime friends. Those guys have all died. I cried. The ones I could find are buried in my garden, along with assorted other pets.

I am picking up my pre-ordered No. 19 Poudre at Saks on the 19th. I like it. I sprayed the tester on myself about two weeks ago.

Have fun in Prague! I'm envious. :)

Clarisse said...

I do believe you about the squirrels: in my grandmother's garden they used to know her habits and even came near her when she was on her own!
And Prague, alas, was last week-end and this Monday and Tuesday: but I'll have to go back, impossible to see everything on one trip!
Lucky you, you tested N°19, I can't wait, I'm sure I'll love it though I can't tell why!:-)

Charlestongirl said...

Clarisse, because it's Chanel? :)

I wish I had taken notes when I tried it. Instead I kept inhaling. It was like a narcotic for my nose. What I can't remember is the dry-down. I must have been sidetracked.

Clarisse said...

Hmmm, a narcotic... one I'm longing to indulge in:-)

Unknown said...

Bergdorf's plans to discontinue their Tom Ford lippies when they introduce his new line in October. Wonder if Neimnan's will carry it too?

Charlestongirl said...

Ava, yes, NM is getting the new cosmetics and the new fragrances. The gals have already been trained on the lip colors. I have a photo somewhere, but I was waiting for them to show up to take my own.

Soni said...

Oh goodness, that fox is ADORABLE! The one thing I don't like about living in the city is not seeing/being around wildlife. Imagine my surprise & pleasure when squirrels started showing up about 5 years ago. We live down the street from a park & the neighbor across the street has a HUGE pine tree. I think they've made themselves at home. I started buying unsalted organic peanuts and now most of them will eat right out of my hand. I love it!!! I'm especially tickled that my favorite "mama" squirrel had a litter this year. The babies are SOOOO cute!

I can't imagine stealing anyone else's hard work. Really? For a few advertising dollars? It amazes me how people throw away their integrity nowadays. So sorry that people are not respecting your property. =(

My #1 task this weekend is to call Kathy Shoreman and order some of the Chanel LE products. And maybe some Edward Bess while I'm at. Might as well make that phone call worth it. =)

Happy weekend ladies!!

Charlestongirl said...

OMG, Soni, hurry! Those LEs are selling out. Kathy told me they sold all of their allotment of Ombres Tissées Iridescent Effects Eyes in Beiges (the majority went to my readers!). Call her and see if she can option 7 it for you. Otherwise, check Chanel.com. It was there last time I looked.

My heart broke when I read about your mama squirrel. I named my first black squirrel "Mama Squirrel." She was tame for me and ate from my hand. She came to me for food twice/day. I used to buy her hazelnuts and other special treats. She always brought her babies to me as soon as they got old enough to leave the nest.

One day, when she was about eight years old, she was hit by a car on a nearby main street. I found her body and buried her in my garden, then cried for weeks. I really lost an old friend.

I used to go out and find her and protect her when the red-tailed hawks were around. I would stand near her tree (the hawk wouldn't go after her with me there) as she cried in fear and warning. I would have done anything for that animal - I would even have brought her inside if I thought she would have wanted that. I knew she didn't. She was a wild animal and had her ways.

Glad you buy the unsalted peanuts for your squirrels. That's what I feed mine. I buy them in bulk at Costco.

I also raised a crow (Kirby) who fell out of his nest. That story is for another day.

Now y'all know I'm totally nuts about animals. Always have been. Should have been a vet, but I don't think I could have dealt with all the suffering they see.

Charlestongirl said...

Soni, oh and...make sure you have a list of what you want from EB for Kathy because she has to option 7 it from another store. She orders mine from Houston or California, and it is shipped for free.

Soni said...

Oh that really is heartbreaking about your mama squirrel. She must have really trusted you to bring her babies to you. =) And how brave of you to defend her against that hawk. We had a hawk build a nest a few blocks away. It would "dive bomb" people if they walked anywhere near the tree her babies were in. She actually drew blood from people. I know what you mean about bringing the squirrels inside. I've thought that myself.
I worry about "my" squirrels getting enough to eat. Foraging in the city can't be easy. That's a great idea to give them hazelnuts though! I hesitate to get too exotic because I really don't know what their little tummies can tolerate...but I guess any unsalted nuts/seeds would probably be ok. I've thought about dried fruit too...just not sure...

I'm happy to hear that you love squirrels. My brother married an "east coaster" who abhores squirrels. She says on the east coast they're in the same category as rats. (pesky rodents)
She shudders when she sees me hand feeding them. (that's ok though, I shudder when I see her coming over) ;}
Thanks for the heads up! I will Kathy the minute I get off work today. Yikes!!! I hope there's some left...I'll check chanel.com if she's out.

Charlestongirl said...

Soni, Kathy got off at 6:00 ET today, so she's gone. She will be there early tomorrow.

I don't think almonds are good for them (for some reason I can't remember), but just about all other nuts are. They love Brazil nuts and walnuts!

Foraging in a city isn't easy. I feel so badly that we overdevelop everything, leaving no space for the animals who "got here first."

I'll tell Kathy you are looking for her. :)

Eileen said...

How I adore your foxes! We have a "fox hunt" out here every now and then but, before the protests start up, let me assure you that we don't actually hunt a fox. It's a fund raiser for our local valley's wildlife conservation efforts. It is an equestrian event and each rider pays an entrance fee which goes towards the fund. After we're all mounted, we're given the first clue which leads us to a location where a few of us then have to dismount and look around for a hidden toy fox which is holding the next clue. And so we "hunt" for fox after fox until we eventually end up at the secret location of the cook out. It's a great day of neighborly riding through our valley and hills. Of course, you can also simply pay up and get the "secret location" to begin with as the non-equestrians do. It's a fun day for a great cause.

On the beauty front, I've actually been doing more tossing than buying just lately. Last week I went though my lipsticks, glosses, and nail polishes. This week I did the same with my eye shadows, liners, blushers, and highlighters. I'm pretty good about getting rid of products that have seen better days, products that are no longer fashionable, products that no longer suit me or never suited me to begin with. I love to keep moving forward. I even edited my brush collection this week. Between worn out brushes and new cosmetic formulations I had the perfect excuse to buy some more beautiful Hakuhodo brushes. Oh, how I love those brushes! In addition to the five eye brushes I previously bought, I've added a blush brush, a highlighter brush, a powder brush, and a finishing brush. I know there are loads of MA's and beautiful ladies out there who accomplish miracles with one or two brushes--or no brushes at all--but I love the feel of a good brush on my skin. It's one of my weaknesses. Purrrrrr . . .

AilurophileNZ said...

Our cats are just like your dark legged fox - they eat the food we put out for the birds too. I am relieved but surprised at this as I thought that the cats would eat the birds, I think my cats are just lazy ;-)

As for make up I have been trying out the RBR loves that I bought after loving all your recommendations for the brand. The 'for the love of roses' is quite red for my pale skin but looks lovely with a bit of blending and I have nothing like it or seen anything like it so it is a welcome addition. How i survived without the decadent duo in rumba cubana in my purse for touch ups on the go I don't know. Zuneta's service is brilliant - I got my order in New Zealand 4,yes 4 days after placing my order, nothing ever gets here that fast so I will definitely be ordering from them again, for which you should get commission

3 cheers for your work against the thieves!!!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen,

Pfew! Glad to hear you are hunting toy foxes - the only way to do it. :) Great cause too!

I started throwing out old stuff yesterday and quickly lost heart. I am such a pack rat. I did find a few wonderful palettes for giveaways, though. Still totally new in box, they are just fine - and gorgeous.

As you know, it's a myth that makeup doesn't keep. It's only the well-worn makeup that goes bad (mostly cream formulas, like lipstick). Our tastes and the technology change, and, of course, we wonder, "Why did I buy that?"

Charlestongirl said...

Hi AilurophileNZ!

Your cats eat the bird/squirrel food? Really? That's a hoot! My cat Charlie will dive into the dog food bag (the one I use for fox food), but he's never tried to eat peanuts or bird seed (fortunately because I can see that spit up somewhere on the floor).

I just love RBR! I have a few more new things to feature. Hope to do that this weekend. Come on back and join our discussion. :)

DivaDebbi said...

If anyone has the tech and savvy to shut down content thieves, I have faith you will prevail CG

You know I am battling the same and it literally makes my blood boil! My troll also has the b*lls to tweet my posts, despite my publically calling her out on it. URRGGGHH!!!

Keep up your own great work...will be here reading!

xo
DD

reene said...

Having your work stolen like that is just awful. My blog is just a fledgling and not the greatest, but I think if someone were to rip off my stuff I'd go crazy with anger. I'm sorry you had to deal with this.

I loved your fox story. And I wanted to cry reading your "Mama Squirrel" story. You and Soni are total sweethearts. *hugs*

Eileen said...

Hi Charlestongirl,

When it comes to editing and updating my make-up, a lot of my motivation stems from the decision I made years ago to let my almost black hair go gray. As more and more gray has come in at the crown, I find my myself biding adieu to some things and a warm welcome to others. It's not that the colors I like themselves have changed, rather it's the tint, tone, or shade that needs tweaking. I know going gray isn't for everyone, but I'm an active person with a "young" heart so it doesn't bother me in the least--OK, OK, I also happen to have pretty hair that gets lots of compliments and that certainly helps, too :-)

Another big motivating factor in weeding out my make-up was my retirement two years ago. Although I seem to be busier now than ever, my needs are much different. I no longer need to be office appropriate or go to meeting groomed, so I'm not attracted to the those types of products as I used to be.

Since I'm not a blogger and don't need an archive for reference the way you ladies do, it was time to do a thorough cleaning of my make-up drawers. Now, think of all the room I have for new goodies!

Eileen said...

Hi AilurophileNZ and Charlestongirl,

I guess there's no telling what things animals will like to eat. We think we know what they should eat, but they know different: My son's Italian gray hound absolutely loves his chinchilla's food. She'll spring repeatedly into the air until he gives her a few pellets. She doesn't get that crazy over her dog treats!

Citrine said...

Wait? It still happens to you (I left you a few comments last year about a splog and now I think it's very nice that you actually wrote back! I e-mailed a "bigger" blogger a while ago and it seems that she never cared enough to even say a "Alright, thanks for telling me." ) now?

I have already shrunk my feed size (I don't have the at many subscribers and they are quite forgiving for not being able to read my posts in their feed) so it doesn't happen as often , bad grammar also helps,lol. Pictures theft is a totally different story though...

Anyway, best wishes to your blog and your furry friends!