Our Stolen Photo Story Makes Yahoo!

November 7, 2012 by 10 Comments

Screenshot from Yahoo! Who Knew Video

It has been almost four years since our family photo was stolen from one of my sites and used in an ad in the Czech Republic to advertise for a grocery store. And yet, the story still pops up.

Sometimes, it is in a request to be used in a text book teaching about copyright. Sometimes another photo somewhere on the world wide web is snatched and used without permission and our story will pop up in a search and we will be used as a reference.

But this time, we are on Yahoo! in one of their ‘Who Knew’ videos…. along with Russell Christoff, the guy who discovered his face on Folger’s Coffee and Geraldine Doyle, the inspiration for Rosie the Riveter. Their version isn’t 100% accurate, but it is close.  And it would have been nice if they had used my name, yes?

The title of the video: “How did I get Famous? Unwitting Photo Postings that were used to sell Products”.

Take a look:

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Featured Content, Featured Videos, In the News, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Photo Stolen Again – Famous Faces Still?

June 17, 2011 by 59 Comments

JUNE 28, 2011 UPDATE: Last night, I managed to get a hold of the man listed by GoDaddy as the owner of LowerMyPowerBill.com – you know the site with our family picture on it?

Well not anymore.

A) This very nice gentleman says it is acutally his SON who is the owner

B) Apparently they hired a web designer to do the website and it is the DESIGNER who decided to use our picture – I’m waiting on the dsigner’s info

C) He also suggested the web designer may have used a pre-set template that INCLUDED our picture (the HORROR) GO Daddy experts feel free to weigh in on this as I cannot get anyone to confirm that this is even an option – and I can’t find anything that tells me this is the case.

D) Either way – our picture is DOWN.

E) I am grateful

Welcome to the new Family endorsing LowerMyPowerBill as of today!

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For the record, when this link was first sent to me by one of my dear friends, I thought it was a virus and I ignored it.  Sorry about that, Pablo.

But, let’s be honest…  The title of the article is “Six People Who Had No Clue their Faces Were World Famous”….  and it was sent on my Facebook wall.  So, I didn’t click on it.  Because really?  Famous faces?  Clearly not me.

But then it came again via Twitter DM from my friend, Andrew.  So I messaged him to ask if it was a virus…. nope.  An actual article.  With my face. *cough* *snort* Mine and my family’s famous faces. From two years ago.

Maybe you know the story.  Maybe not.

So, here’s the Cliff Note version:  A family photo of mine was taken from one of my websites -NOT FACEBOOK – and used by a store in Prague. I found out VIA FACEBOOK, when a friend from college, who lives in Prague, was driving down the street and saw the picture – life sized – in a store window.  He messaged me – through FACEBOOK to tell me about it and then emailed me pictures – the ones you see in this story – the ones I originally posted on this site when I first wrote about it.

Because I often see the details of the story a) misinterpreted or b) flat out wrong AND because ‘stolen photo’ is still one of the top phrases bringing people here, I figure it is worth revisiting how this happened and how to limit the possibility of it happening to you.

Do note I didn’t say prevent it from happening.

If you would like it to be impossible for someone to steal your photos:

A) Don’t post any online

B) Purchase software that disables right clicking

Moving on…. I will break our Stolen Photo situation down in terms of ‘what not to do’…..

In my situation…. for that particular picture… in addition to it being posted on this site, I posted it on another social networking site – a Ning site (a site that allows a group of like minded people to gather, connect, and exchange ideas).

What I didn’t realize was that the site was not secure.  I should have known.  it was in the fine print. We will call that Mistake  #1.

Mistake #2 comes in the form of posting the picture in its original resolution.

The picture was taken by a professional photographer, Gina Kelly.  Gina is a friend of mine… she DID give me permission to post the pictures.  She DID NOT sell the pictures to anyone.  (There is another photographer by the name of Gina Kelly who does, in fact, sell some of her professional work, but MY friend doesn’t) When she gave the pictures to me, she did so in a high resolution format.  Me being a true non-professional-photographer, simply posted the picture.  This made blowing the picture up into a life-sized ad possible.

Mistake #3 – I labeled the picture, ‘This is my happy family’.


Sounds benign, yes? Because normally, labeling pictures is IDEAL for SEO,  but this is how the shop in Prague found me.  They googled ‘happy family’ and guess who popped up…. right from that non-secure Ning site?  You got it. Us.

Now… in theory – Googling ‘happy family’ images should get you some stock photos – (just look at your current options) but each picture takes you to the site where the picture is housed AND lets you know the image may be subject to copyright. (JUST LIKE OURS IS)

The truth is, the store KNEW the picture was a true family simply by following the link, despite claiming to the Associated Press they had ‘no idea we were a real family’ when the story made international news.

Now, when I first learned about the picture, I posted the story for two reasons – 1) I know A LOT of people who post pictures online and figured we could all stand to be a bit smarter about the WAY we are doing it (watermarking pictures is also an option – and you can do it for free through sites like Picnik) and 2) WHAT A SMALL WORLD!  What are the chances that a picture of my family would be taken offline, used half a world away in a store window and I would just so happen to have a friend who LIVES THERE to report back to me?

The amazing world of social media makes this possible.  While I imagine the company who made the decision to use the picture – counting on the premise of ‘they’ll never know’ TRULY believed we would never, ever find out, now understands the likes of twitter and facebook make the world a mighty small place.

In a matter of two weeks, the story caught the attention of first social media and then the traditional media – becoming international news and prompting friends of mine to send me joking messages asking WHY we were on their Yahoo homepage when they logged in.

And, you would think, after ALL the attention surround THIS picture that it would be off limits, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case…  you do still have to be vigilant. It was a full year AFTER this situation in Prague that ANOTHER friend stumbled upon this site.

The person who answered the phone at this company initially told me husband they were fully authorized to use this picture as they have a legal team who checks ahead of time, however, after being pointed to one of the many articles ABOUT this story, said she would have the CEO return our call.  As you can imagine that didn’t happen, but the picture was taken down that day.

And now TODAY, June 17th, there is THIS:

How did I find this, you ask?

TinEye.com.

They are a reverse photo search website and periodically I hop on to take a look – checking to see if anyone is using our pictures – SPECIFICALLY this one.  And JUST NOW, as I searched while I was writing this story…. lo and behold….

All of the other ‘finds’ on TinEye were related to the original story – news articles and blog posts.

So…. I guess it is safe to say you know who I’ll be calling as soon as I hit ‘post’ on this, yes?

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Featured Content, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

That time my buddy screamed and NO ONE cared….

April 9, 2011 by 27 Comments

It started softly….  the way an ambulance approaches from behind.

You hear the whining as it increases, piercing the part of your heart that knows someone, somewhere is suffering.

And in a split second a warning goes off in your brain that looks a little like this:

You-are-inside-that-isn’t-a-siren-that-is-a-CHILD-WHERE-IS-YOUR-COOPER-he-went-to-the-bathroom-OH-MY-GOD-THAT-IS-MY-CHILD-SCREAMING!

COOPER! I yell…..

And just like that Jeff and I trip over each other in a race to get out of the booth….  We have been sitting in a restaurant – not a fancy one – Penn Station – basically eat-in sandwiches.  We are at the front.  My sweet, desperate, screaming boy?  Well, he is in the BACK.

And he is stuck in the bathroom. In the dark. And he is four. Only four.  And I can hear how scared he is. Jeff is talking to him through the door.  We are waiting for a manager to unlock the door for us.  My buddy is crying. The manager can’t find the right key.

The light in the bathroom has a motion sensor.  It turned on when the door opened.  Coop locked the door and used the bathroom.  But I guess he was a) too little to register or b) took too long…. because the light went off before he was done.  And he couldn’t see to unlock the door.

And he’s four.

And he is petrified.

And I am feeling stabby. I’m swallowing the urge to panic. And debating throwing my self against the door in an effort to knock it down.

While we wait….while we keep our faces pressed against the door doing everything we can to keep him calm…. I register how the last few minutes unfolded.

And I’m horrified by a few things.

Definitely by the fact that he is stuck.

But also?

There are probably 10-12 other customers in the restaurant with us.

How many of them reacted when Coop started to scream? Just guess…..

And by scream…  I mean…

SCREAM!!!

It was a sound that scratched at my soul… and not just because he is mine, but because you could hear that he was terrified.

Not one. Not one of them even flinched.  Not a flicker of concern.  Not a moment of ‘wow, what’s that?’. Nope. Nothing. So, you mean to tell me, that every single person in that restaurant would have let him cry like that? For how long?

That hurts my heart more than I can begin to express.  Not just because no one wanted to help my innocent little guy (that actually triggers the Mama Bear in me – in a way that made me want to bark at everyone as I walked out the door) but because I cannot believe this is where we are now as a society.  I live in a SUBURB for God’s sake – and in this small community outside a big Midwest city – you know the kind of place people are always yapping about being a ‘great place to raise a family’…. even HERE they don’t care.  And what is worse….  it struck me as a subconcious thing – since they didn’t even REACT to his screams.

How many times have we heard stories about people’s unwillingness to ‘get involved’?  And now? I bear witness.  And I am furious.

There is NO WAY they didn’t hear him and recognize is cries for what they were – a terrified plea from a child. (I’m looking at you – table of four sitting RIGHT NEXT TO THE BATHROOM IN THE BACK OF THE RESTAURANT)

When the Manager finally came back with the right key, my sweet small dude walked out of the dark and into my arms, burying his tear stained face in my neck.  And it was all I could do to keep myself from kicking each and every person I passed on the way back to the front of the restaurant.

Coop kept whispering, “I thought I was going to be stuck in there forever.”

I promise, buddy, I would never let that happen….  not if I had to pry the door open with my fingers.

And I also promise, dear friends and strangers,  if it is YOUR child screaming?  I will be one of the first people out of my seat.

Because that is how I roll.

After we got home, and I had time to reflect, I realized I was disappointed not only in the customers, but in what I perceived to be a lax-I’ll-get-there-when-I-can attitude from the restaurant manager.

My baby is screaming and scared… I’m looking for URGENCY.

But rather than stew about it.  I called them.  I talked to the same guy who let Coop out.  And he apologized for appearing nonchalant, but wanted me to know he was anything but….  He heard Coop right away but saw Jeff get back there so took a second to wash the food from his hands.  He’s only been the manager for 3 weeks, so he had to call the owner to find the right keys.  He was extremely nice.  I felt better after talking to him.

Now….  if only I could call everyone else who was in there….

 

 

 

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Don't mess with Mommy, Recent Posts, Uncategorized

Big News I’ve been waiting to share!

January 21, 2011 by 45 Comments

So… here it is, my BIG NEWS: I am thrilled, but clearly will be missing many of you!

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Extraordinary, Featured Videos, Give Good Get Good, Video and Vlog-It! Tagged With: , , , , ,

That time I said SHUT UP to my child…. No, I’m not sorry.

November 12, 2010 by 36 Comments

Shut up.

SHUT UP!

JUST. SHUT. UP.

Yes. I said it. I SWORE I would never tell my kids to shut up. But today I did. My husband’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He whispered, “You’ve never said that before”.

And he’s right.

I think I should feel bad.  But, I actually don’t.

I *almost* felt guilty. And then I remembered WHY I finally hit the JUST SHUT UP wall. And then I felt just fine with it. While not my favorite parenting tactic… I DID, in fact, feel a little better.

You see….  there is this sentence that keeps running around my brain like a hamster in a wheel.  It started as a whisper, but it is now a full blown yell: “I would NEVER have talked to my parents like that!”  The same sentence has also taken this form, “If I did that as a kid, I might not have made it to my teenage years.” (This includes eye-rolling, foot-stomping, constant back-talking and my current favorite: deep-sighing)

Don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t a perfect kid and I’m sure I talked back.  But this?  This complete lack of respect?

It is driving me insane.

I talk, they talk back.  I instruct, they argue.  I correct, they sass.  I ask them to clean up, they ‘forget’ or even better, they ‘didn’t hear me’.

And while they certainly have their darling moments – for the most part, I’m fed up.

So, circling back to the ‘shut up’ incident.

I broke.  It is as easy as that.  I gave a simple instruction: “Delaney, head upstairs and put a long-sleeve shirt on under your soccer shirt – it is getting a bit chilly outside.”  I don’t expect a stepford-child that answers ‘yes ma’am’ every time and marches happily out of the room.

But I also don’t have to justify ever decision I make. So, when the arguing, the whining, the debating started. I Alpha-dogged her.  I yelled JUST. SHUT. UP. I’m sure I even looked mean.

And you know what she did?  She STOPPED TALKING.  She LISTENED.

I suspect she was startled by my outburst.  I also suspect she was a little scared that I was so angry.

While this next statement may solidify my candidacy for mother of the year, I’m ok admitting – that I don’t mind either.  In fact, I’ve decided it is important for my kids to know that I do have a ‘do not cross’ line.

SHUT UP may not be my phrasing of choice.  And I would like to be one of those moms that never yells, but I’m going to embrace my flaws on this one.

Now, if I start yelling ‘shut up’ 27 times each day….. THAT will be a different story.

I told you I was going to stop saying I was sorry…

Please tell me your kids are doing something similar?  I’ll settle for the occasional eye-roll.  Come on….tell me.

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , ,

Nintendo DSi (Plus GAMES) Giveaway – a $210 Value!

September 16, 2010 by

A few weeks ago my small people suckered me into buying a particular box of cereal – it wasn’t the crazy-sugar-filled-swinging-from-the-chandeliers-kind, but it was a bit sweeter than normal.  Either way, (sucker) I said yes.

The next morning, I came downstairs to find half the box on the kitchen island.  Why, you ask?  There was a picture of a DSi on the outside of the box….so the small girl was CONVINCED there was one inside.

It wasn’t the cereal she wanted at all. So now that DSi is on her Christmas list.

(P.S. She isn’t alone, now is she?)

You want one?

Normally, the Nintendo DSi is $169, but right now Gamestop is offering it for $149. Cool, yes? (Holidays on the mind?)

I have one to give away.  PLUS, BONUS – it will come with TWO Games.

screen-shot-2010-09-15-at-95145-pm

Nintendo DSi + TWO GAMES = a $210 Value.

If you are feeling particularly lucky (enter the contest here first) but then visit my friends over at TodaysMama….why, you ask?  Because they have the Mother-of-all-Nintendo-DSi-lovers-Giveaways going on right now.

5 DSis + 10 GAMES = all to one crazy-lucky-game-loving-family-time-having-family.  **dousing you with good luck spray**

To enter here, you have to jump through some serious hoops.

Just kidding…..Here’s the dealio:

To enter the Giveaway:

  • Leave a comment here telling me your FAVORITE way to indulge in ‘FAMILY TIME’
  • For an extra entry – Subscribe to ExtraordinaryMommy.com – (Top Right Corner)
  • The Contest Runs until Sunday, September 20th at 11:59pmCST

ExtraordinaryMommy.com is not responsible for prizes that are shipped from outside vendors or sponsors. All entries will be pooled together and one (1) winner will be drawn. The winner will have two calendar days to reply via email. Unclaimed prizes will be placed for availability to newly chosen winners after that time. Giveaway is open to all U.S. residents only, must be at least 18 years old to enter. One entry per person, entries accepted through September 20, 2010 ending at exactly 11:59 CDT. This contest is sponsored by Gamestop.

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Giveaways, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , ,

Capital One Mascot Challenge Blogger Contest

September 7, 2010 by 30 Comments

(EDITED: Contest has been extended by ONE WEEK until TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your submissions – we are going through them all and will announce the winners by noon on Wednesday, September 22nd!)

My four year old has more athletic ability in his left hand than I have ever hand in my whole body.

I do, in fact, live up to the throw-like-a-girl stereotype.

But you know what that makes me?  A FANTASTIC FAN.

And more than any other sport, I love Football.  Especially College Football.  There is just something about the traditions and history, the spirit, the loyalty, the pride – not just in the team – but in the school and in the players, and of course, it is just pure fun.

I am thrilled to say I am working with Capital One on an amazing College Football related project….

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Are you kidding me?, Featured Content, Featured Videos, Uncategorized, Video and Vlog-It! Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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