Another Copy Cat!

**update: Yippeeeee! They were shut down!**

Wow, I am really beginning to hate ETSY, and other forms of handmade selling which allow anonymous rip-offs to feel free to sell their stolen goods. Another person who I have been following in blogland, and whose patterns I LOVE, is being completely ripped off on ETSY (to see the first incident I came across, here is an old post).

Please, avoid JustPatternsForYou! They are selling patterns made by other obviously more creative folk who originally created these patterns either for free, or were designed to be used, and not re-sold by someone else! This is what is so sad about the internet and copyright issues. I'm so completely appalled that people will even do this. I can't imagine being so completely uncreative, and just wanting to jump onto the handmade bandwagon to make a quick buck. It's the antithesis of creativity.

I have never understood copy-cats. I remember the first time I really came across one. I was in grade 4, and this one girl copied everything her best friend did. Even then I thought it was weird. Well, she continued to do this, even as her friends changed all the way through to highschool. I couldn't stand to be near her. She screamed of needing approval. The desperation was sickening, and this is the same thing, but worse, since they are outright lying, and it's hard to see their try-hardness since you don't have their best friend to compare them to.

It makes me angry, as you might be able to tell ;P

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Sickness

My computer is sick again...so probably no posts until it gets back. I'm on borrowed time right now; Hubby is out helping Father-in-law, so I can use his computer while he's gone...but I had a few things to post, and now they will wait in the queue until I can get back to them.

In the meantime, I was very saddened to see that a copycat shop has opened up online, stealing business because of brand confusion, from my favorite shop. I have been raving about Bake It Pretty for months now, on this blog, and to anyone who will listen, or anyone who has paid a compliment to my cupcakes. I searched all over the internet for a cute, quirky, baking supply shop that wasn't a mega company, like Wilton, or something. All of the other baking supply online stores were a major rip off, didn't have everything I wanted (even though they had thousands of products), or made another killing off the shipping prices. Even shops here in Australia don't compare (none that I have found). Australia is TRULY lacking in any sort of niche market supplies. You should see the "craft and sewing" store which is meant to service the entire Sunshine Coast. It's a joke. Though Bake It Pretty is based in the US, it was way cheaper for me to go through her, than even the larger supply companies in Australia, and they didn't even have the supplies I was after anyhow.

When I found Bake It Pretty, I was the most excited I had been in a long time (this was during my bed ridden days). I ordered myself some supplies, and then ordered another package to be sent to my sister for her birthday. Dealing with Bake It Pretty was easy and she always answered my questions almost immediately (despite me not knowing this little business is keeping her, her husband and her sister employed full time). Great customer service! It was so nice to deal with a mom&pop shop, actually be able to email someone when I had a question, and actually have them email me back! Not to mention paying for two orders which needed to be shipped to two different countries. No problems at all (a lot of online companies won't ship to an alternate address than your credit card billing address).

I came across this message board from reading the Bake It Pretty owner, Amanda's, personal blog. Turns out someone has opened an online shop almost exactly the same as her's. It's so sickening, and I can't believe people do this. What blows my mind is hearing about all this copycatting in CREATIVE FIELDS! Isn't that an oxymoron? I am so appalled, I thought I would blog about it, and try to get others to see what is going on, even if it is only a few people. Have a look at the Bake It Pretty shop, and consider supporting the hard working individuals who have invested years in research and development, who are trying to make it work by themselves, and who only supply the best products (at very reasonable prices too!).

Shop Bake It Pretty! They are the Original!

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Verizon Math

Wow. This should be a lesson for all. Have a read, or listen, to this phone call (this link has a transcript, which has more info than the youtube file). Hilarious, but so sad at the same time. Here is another example, from someone else! Here is a blog dedicated to "Verizon Math".

I use math all the time for my job, and I learned to believe my teachers when they said that math is important, and YES, you do use it every day, for almost every job. I've even used it to help with making birthday invitations!


On another level, I've had a similar experience with Apple. I've had a problem with my lap top, since about 2-3 months in, where the screen goes black, but the machine is still on. I have to force-quit, and restart to get my screen to come back on. This means losing unsaved data, etc. Very annoying.

I had taken my computer in 3 times (at least), before the 1 year warranty expired, and tried to get it fixed. I researched the problem, took in relevant articles from online, and made a case for what had been going on with the lap top. The local repair shop hasn't, in 3 or 4 separate occasions, been able to fix, let alone, diagnose the problem. I was then coming up to my warranty expiring, so I called Apple themselves.

The tech said I need to purchase the extended warranty to get my problem fixed. I COULD NOT explain to her that I have a lap top that hasn't worked properly to BEGIN WITH, and why should I have to purchase an extended warranty for a machine that had problems, since almost day one? I was absolutely flabbergasted that she couldn't understand why I was angry with being forced to purchase an extended warranty. I ended up buying the extended warranty just to be safe, and, yes, I am still having problems! Apple supposedly have a lemon policy, but first the problem has to be diagnosed!!! I still plan to try to get my money back, but who knows...

(My time spent in bed has not all been in vain - I have found so many funny blogs!)

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