Retailers Slammed For Stealing Business From the Girl Scouts

Girl Scout Cookies roll in every year for a sweet cause — proving that doing good and indulging your cravings can come in the same box. From January through April, girls ages 5-18 dressed in their signature uniforms set up outside grocery stores and make the rounds to neighborhood houses selling boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs to raise money for their troop. Now, major retailers are being slammed for trying to undercut the charitable tradition by launching their own versions of the tasty treats for a fraction of the price. One such retailer is Aldi’s, selling their version of the top-selling Girl Scout Cookie Samoas for $2.55 a pack, which contains 18 cookies, while the Girl Scouts are selling them for $6 a pack of 14 cookies per box. Unfortunately, Aldi’s version is almost identical in taste, leaving customers with no option but to go for the cheaper box at Aldi’s. Retailers are leveraging their brand equity and consumer recognition just as it does with every other national brand it copies. As you might expect, the news of the knockoffs hit the social media platforms almost immediately, with people voicing their opinions on the matter. One commenter wrote, “I agree Girl Scout cookies are overpriced, but you don’t buy them for the cookie — you guy a few boxes for support.” Retail experts say customers shop at Aldi because they understand that nearly everything in the store is a private label knockoff, including Benton’s Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookies — the Girl Scout Samoas knockoff. Aldi’s is clearly sticking to the belief that it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, though at this point they’re looking pretty unrepentant. Other retailers following suit include Lidl, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Walmart.

 

Girl Scouts Samoas

Benton's Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookies — the knockoff

 

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We’re Born Wet — Then Comes the Drying

There are many things that might surprise you about human beings, but one of the least known facts is that a brand new human is about 75% water. That’s right, we’re born as wet as a juicy watermelon. We begin our lives as noisy dewdrops that will one day learn to crawl, then walk. With every step we take, we begin to dry, and the longer we live, the drier we get. A year after birth, a baby is only 65% water, but by the time we reach adulthood, men are about 60% water and women are 55% water. Elderly people……they’re roughly half water. There are, of course, variations. The more buff you are, the wetter you are, because muscle tissue stores more water. Because women have more fat cells, they tend to be a bit drier because fat cells aren’t as moist. The water that lubricates your joints, flushes your waste, and absorbs shocks to your bones slowly dwindles as you age. The odd thing is, our wet parts aren’t where you would think. Our brains, lungs, heart, liver and kidneys contain the wettest tissue — between 65% and 85% water. Bones, of course, are drier, but still 31% water. Although you would think most of the water inside us is stored in our veins, it’s actually in our 100 trillion tiny cells. We’re an assemblage of water packets. On the day we’re born, we’re at high tide. After that — very quietly — the sea within us ebbs and ebbs, and as it goes……so do we.

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The Masters Green Jacket: Why Golfers Don’t Get to Take it Home

The green jacket is the ultimate symbol of success in golf. A golfer wearing the single-breasted, single-vent garment has achieved something special: a victory at the Masters Tournament. Augusta National Golf Club members began wearing jackets in 1937. The idea was to have them be easily identifiable so they could answer questions from patrons. Brooks Uniform Company in New York made the original jackets, which featured heavy wool material. Those soon gave way to a lightweight version that could be custom-ordered from the club’s pro shop. What might surprise you is that the jackets are kept on club grounds, and taking them off the premises is forbidden. The exception is for the winner, who can take it home and return it to the club the following year. Gary Player reportedly got into a heated exchange in 1962 with Cliff Roberts after he mistakenly took his jacket home to South Africa. The ultimate taking-it-with-you story, however, belongs to the 1970 Masters champion, Billy Casper. That’s because he was buried in his green jacket.

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All You Ever Wanted to Know About Daylight Saving Time

On the second Sunday of March each year — which this year will be tomorrow — shortly before the spring equinox, clocks are set forward one hour at 2 a.m. This kicks off daylight saving time, which aims to give people an opportunity to make better use of daylight while they're awake. By contrast, clocks go back an hour on the first Sunday of November every year. These rules have led to the popular and easy-to-remember saying “spring forward, fall back.” One important note: It’s daylight saving time, not — as is commonly but mistakenly said — daylight savings time. Now you know! So, why does daylight time start at 2 a.m.? The 2 a.m. time change isn’t random. Back when it was first introduced during World War I, 2 a.m. was one of the few times when trains weren’t running. There was a major concern about potential collisions of trains if one train adjusted for the time change and a crossing train didn't, so Sunday at 2 a.m. was the quietest hour of the week, making it the safest choice. Now you’re probably wondering why March. That’s because in March the sun sits higher in the sky and days begin to grow significantly longer. Now you know all you need to know about the time change.

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