Comments on: Failed Carolina gay news merger reveals serious allegations

By: Bryan Lunsford

Bryan Lunsford — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:02:42 +0000

Well well well! I agree with people’s opposition about “slashing” Mr. Seabolt or anyone in poor business practice’s. However, I personally “worked” for OnQ Carolina for a VERY short time. Having caught onto Jamie’s EXTREMELY poor and anything less than viable business practices. I have been involved in conversations that he has had with advertisers as to why issues and ads that they had paid for in advance were not printed. I have been at the banking institutions and in the midst of his “trying” times with the lack of funds. Not necessarily his fault, but a lot of the troubles could have been limited had he practiced better business skills. I was present at the dinner table when he signed the contract with SC Pride and Ryan Wilson. I was at the luncheon with Jamie and Mr. Shultz when the idea of a merger was discussed in Asheville. I was a “red headed step child” at Pride Charlotte. I was truly involved in his crisis. I however had an insightful experience with Mr. Seabolt at Pride Charlotte, and left him high and dry without a way back to Myrtle Beach AFTER he proceeded to talk to me less than human! I AM an adult and so I deserve to be treated! That having been said, it is a VERY tough economy for EVERYONE, and businesses and advertisers should all be cautious of one another. A very sad but beneficial

By: PI

PI — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:20:33 +0000

Good job on this article and thanks to Q Notes for bringing out into the open.

By: Christoper L. Jonigan

Christoper L. Jonigan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:04:17 +0000

After dating Mr. Seabolt for the last month. Personally assisting with both the SC and NC events and losing nearly one thousand of my own personal money trying to help him with everything this is the actual statement I must make. It is not that he is a con-artist or a fraud or a thief. He is just a failure to put it simply. he shoots a mile higher then he is ever going to be capable of reaching. Then the aftermath is what everyone is fussing about. He is never going to be successful in the entertainment and media world. As long as he tried and people support his efforts there is going to be disaster in his wake. There should not at this point be one person that does not know this that should. So if you get affected it’s your own damn fault!

[Ed. Note -- Comment edited to remove unsubstantiated claims, per Q-Notes community discussion and website http://www.q-notes.com/cdterms.html');" rel="nofollow">terms and conditions.]

By: Phoenix Aquua

Phoenix Aquua — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:38:10 +0000

gay drama….is just drama.

boycott the paper…it’s useless trash.

By: Phoenix Aquua

Phoenix Aquua — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:35:58 +0000

The old appeals to racial, sexual and religious chauvinism, to rabid nationalist fervor, are beginning not to work.” ” …this business of who I am and weather I`m good or bad, or achieving or not, all of that`s learned along the way.” “It`s just a ride…and we can change it any time we want. It`s only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money…” “…to realize that I had the game wrong, that the game was to find out what I already was.” “We were saying how very important it is to bring about in the human mind the radical revolution. The crisis is a crisis in consciousness. The crisis that cannot anymore accept the old norms, the old patterns, the ancient traditions. And, considering what the world is now, with all the misery, conflict, destructive brutality, aggression, and so on, man is still as he was. He is still brutal, violent, aggressive, acquisitive, competitive-and he has built a society along these lines.

By: kurt

kurt — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:12:36 +0000

Disappointing. The degree to which Q-Notes used this article to irresponsibly color in the eyes of the public the misfortunes of a well-intentioned business agreement surprises our community. This story was unnecessary, long, drawn-out and meddlesome. While factual reporting on such issues is very important, Q-Notes must be a responsible, unbiased source, practicing better discretion and civility. Couldn’t this article have been written in better taste, in much fewer words? I agree with Janice . . . remove the current article in its entirety.

By: Jaybee Marshal

Jaybee Marshal — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:11:27 +0000

Lord Help Us as a Community when a Icon of our community turns on a struggling competitor. It saddens me to see that a community leader such as Q-Notes takes on another community leader in trying to trash them for trying to do great things. I have seen both Q-Notes in the community in the past but less and less in the present If you want to talk about Jamie when YOU Matt live in a Glass House and you should clean up your own back door before going after other people. I have seen Jamie in a lot of locations building relationships and trying bring the community together. Not like you running from location to location to gossip on negative issues. I have seen Jamie struggle in a hard economic times to produce a great much needed quality publication. I have seen business owners come up to him and produce every excuse in the world why they could not pay their bill or why their payment was returned for none payment, yet he took it on good faith that they would follow thru with payment. I am sure that all publications have the same issues…. as a growing business, you spend a lot of times in the ditches building a grass roots business if your going to one day make a difference. I have seen a lot of big corporate sponsorships come into the area that have NEVER graced the Carolinas before because of Jamie and his tireless and thankfulness efforts. The other community leaders that you have enlisted in this vindictive agenda have their own issues and have their own agenda and they got you to do their dirty work and you fell for it? If there was ever a story with two sides this is one. I have seen Jamie run ads for people in trade for sponsorship instead of pay. I know that Q-Notes has done the same thing, I have seen him personally get out and help raise money for a lot of important organizations to the GLBT community and I have seen them thank him for his help….I have seen him spend hours on the phone getting sponsors to give merchandise and other items to be sold to help raise money and I have seen them receive the funds. I know for a fact that you did a survey of business owners and non profits and did a pick and choose as to who you wanted to report. I know for a fact that you did not allow many of those you call a chance to tell both sides of the story, Where are the stories of how Jamie got Huge sponsorships and big names to appear in this state in multi locations and the business owners and patrons benefited from those events?? Where is the praise of Jamie getting the states Noticed by big Corporate Sponsorships thru his networkings….Why would the Icon Q-Notes get involved in a person business matter and not be objectionable and on a non bias coverage, rather than getting sucked in to taking sides….. is sounds like kids in the sand box who invited other kids to play with their toys and did not like the way the played so they wanted to throw them out of the sand box…..Why did Q-Notes takes sides in this issue?? It is clear…their is a personal issue MATT and you have put Q-NOTES in the middle of it…..it appears all you are doing is spreading gossip? Where is the required documents from the other side…… You wrote it was Jamie’s idea to put the money in their account ??? Good for you Jamie…. Money is missing from that account where Jamie had NO access ??? why would you bring this comment into the conversation or the article if Your Not Personally involved in trying to discredit a competitor….SHAME ON YOU MATT you are too smart to professionally drop the ball and put your ICON in Drama…………if your suffering in sales ……..speading drama and not reporting the whole story only discredits you and your Brand….Way more than Jamie……get out of the fish bowl and look at this objectively ..Shame Shame Shame…..Be Professional the gay community deserve a real story not drama…..there are a lot more important issues that violate our very quality of life and rights to be caught in DRAMA

By: Janice Covington

Janice Covington — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:36:48 +0000

Drama Drama….. I am somewhat surprised to see this kind of trash in print on Q-Notes. Matt this is beneath you; you lost some points my friend. I would expect you as an editor would put more enfaces on the Employment Non Discrimination Act [ENDA] hearings that are scheduled in Washington DC for tomorrow, Information to our community about the most important legislation in the history of our community is not even mentioned in Q-Notes. Please remove the entire article shading your competitors and focus more on what is pertinent to our community.

Janice Covington

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:27:00 +0000

I think it is quite one-sided to point fingers to only one publication. Other gay publications that “serve” the Carolina’s are far from perfect. Why single him out? I agree, Mr. Seabolt is a very easy target. At least he can be seen out in the community trying to spread goodwill and be a positive gay face. Where is Q-Notes at all of these events? What about Out in Asheville/Stereotypd? Those publications are only seen at pride at best. If Mr. Seabolt we’re not well known for all he does it wouldn’t even make this article juicy enough for you to print. I think he has succeeded in building a good reputation during a rough time. Not only is he battling an economy but he is battling all of this hate from publications that are not able to hold their own. Remember when Q-Notes was 80 pages? As we all can see, it is no longer. People aren’t perfect and I am sure Mr. Seabolt is no exception. My point is, you are highlighting his poor execution and the faults he is facing during a poor economy… both of which are hardly criminal. My question is, why haven’t you ever pointed out any of the achievements or his positive moments? You point out in this article that he is a national gay.com winner – but did you ever run a story to announce his achievement when he won it? Again, run the whole story, please don’t waste your journalistic talents to simply try and run your competitor’s name through the mud.

By: Stephanie Blas

Stephanie Blas — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:42:13 +0000

Just wanted to say it seems less than productive that one GLBT resource would attack another. Aren’t we all supposed too support each other? I have personally meet Mr. Seabolt, he seemed to be a genuine and hard working. I have also seen OnQ magazines around Greensboro all the time. However I have also meet Mr. Comer and being an UNCG student I am shocked he has the nerve to bash anyone. Perhaps Q Notes should have Mr. Comer write an article about how his underage drinking stunt destroyed the respect of UNCG’s Pride organization!

By: David R. Gillespie

David R. Gillespie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:16:09 +0000

An example of good, solid reporting on Matt Comer’s part and while I’m saddened by the current of the story, having at one time been involved in regional gay journalism, I’m not at all surprised by any of it.

By: JDBrown

JDBrown — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:32:36 +0000

I have read your article, I see a hidden agenda by Q-Notes and vendetta to produce a story. They meaning the 3 companies may have had creative differences, there may be different business practices and I see the same issues on both sides of the street with the 2 main businesses. They both have missed issues and they both have missed advertising. I personally have exprerienced the same kind of problems with Q-Notes / Front Page over the last 12 years. Since I currently no longer need to advertise I do not have those issues but it has be more than clear over the years that this type of business is a major economic challange. I Wish all of them well and well know how challanging it is now more than ever. Good Luck to you all.

By: jc

jc — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:28:34 +0000

Good job on this article and thanks to Q Notes for bringing out into the open.