A collection of NijiMosquitos

I'm yours

prompt used - falling asleep on other’s shoulder | fluff| Day 21

“ potter “ draco nodded as harry walked with notebooks in his hands to the staff room, being morning it was pretty empty 

“ malfoy “ harry nodded at draco and sat down in front of him  

“ how’s the morning coming along ?” he asked with a warm smile occasionally drinking his coffee after having it miss this morning due to an eventful morning.

“ well there was a mass murder in the bathroom this morning but other than that really pleasant" harry gave him a little head tilt with a little smile.

“ really ? what was the mass murder of ?” draco chuckled leaning back in his chair to listen to harry’s interesting morning story 

“ mosquitoes. apparently my very attractive irresponsible husband left the window open and it welcomed the entire narnia of mosquitoes “ harry answered 

“ oh well, i’m sure he did it by mistake but rest in peace to all those mosquitoes” draco chuckled 

“ how was yours ?” harry asked smirking 

“hm, well eventful. It’s our anniversary so breakfast in bed before work and well you know the rest. Love these anniversaries “ draco bit his lip before giving harry a wide grin 

“ ooh anniversary, what have you planned ?” harry narrowed his eyes in a sneakish way 

“ oh just a bit of this, a bit of that. surprises you know. Don’t want to go about spilling the beans. Its a secret between me and me” draco smirked and finished the rest of his coffee 

“ potter, malfoy, to classes “ Ms. Mcgonagall walked by announcing them to cut their chatter and they did so. The rest of the day harry and draco Passed by each other a lot offering each other small smiles.

" sir is it true that it's your 6th anniversary?" A student asked in Draco's class abruptly.

" well I don't see how it's in the reference to whatever I've given you to write about " Draco answered searching for the voice

" cut them a slack Mr. Malfoy, they're merely being curious like everyone else including me " Harry walked in from the back door Grinning

" well If that is the case- yes it is true. It will be my 6th anniversary as of now " Draco raised an eyebrow at harry

"professor forgive me but if it's your 6th anniversary then you must be giving them something really special right ?" Asked the same voice but it was no lie that the entire class was curious.

" yes but I think it will be about time you focus on your work while I give Mr. Potter a word about interrupting my classes " Draco raised from his chair, Harry following him outside.

" how may I help you Mr. Potter ?" Draco asked in a professional way.

" well- I just came by to inform that today's meeting have been moved forward " Harry told him.

" well that works in my favour " Draco tilted his head in surprise but not entirely surprised , he expected It if anything.

" I must say your lover sure is a Lucky person " Harry smiled

" I think your husband is as equally lucky " Draco smiled. Lingering in the moment for a smile, Harry walked back off to his office with a little grin.

When the day came to an end, harry was busy stacking things up over his desk and drawers when he heard a little knock on the door and saw Draco leaning over the door.

" 2 minutes " he smiled. Harry looked up at the watch on the wall before he walked towards Draco and dragged him inside.

" 1 minute "

" 10 seconds "

" 2 seconds "

And then Harry pulled him closer, closing the door behind him and kissing him over the lips.

" I missed you " Harry mumbled against his lips

" you saw me an unusually lot Harry" Draco smiled not moving an inch apart

" well I missed my husband " Harry said as he gave him a chaste kiss again to show how true his words were

" in that case, I missed my husband too but I think I like professor potter better, he's got a- well nice ass " Draco chuckled creating a little space to grab Harry's ass just a little

" lucky for you, we're both the same people or you would've been a dead man " Harry chuckled intertwining their finger's together

" like the mass murder in the bathroom this morning ?" Draco laughed . Joining along in the laughter, Harry nodded.

" come home after 15 minutes, get dressed and follow little white notes okay. See you soon babe " he spoke so fast that Harry barely understood a word but he left faster than he had spoken leaving Harry excited and confused.

Just like Draco had said, Harry returned home 15 minutes later, freshened up, got dressed and finally started finding little white notes. The first one he found quite easily right over the mirror.

" find me where you know I hate those little rings "

Harry thought for a moment, wondering about wherever he hated the rings but Draco loved them. And suddenly just then his eyes fell upon the glass of water, a coaster beneath it. The ring Draco hated, water rings. He immediately ran out to the living room and looking over the coffee table.

" found it " Harry Whispered to himself picking the little white note from beneath the coaster. He went one after another notes, taking his time to solve the riddle and swearing Draco for the most part for doing something like that.

He finally reached the last note reading it only one and figuring it immediately

" meet me where the green had never looked so good and the storm had never raged "

Painting Harry reached the Richmond hill, London, a patronus waiting for him right there. He followed the little light, leading to Draco who was staring over the hill enjoying the view. He must've crushed a stick Because immediately turned around

" damn you're slow" Draco chuckled as he saw Harry

" hey I got confused with the 2nd and 3rd one, I figured the last one pretty easily, also 6 years into relationship you should know that I'm shit at riddles " Harry told

Shaking his head with a little smile Draco continued " you remembered ?"

Harry furrowed his brows with a little surprised smile " what? You thought if it were the 4th date, I wouldn't remember it! The green never looked so good and the storm had never raged? It was the easiest one, I remember everything draco. You told me that night that green-"

" is your favourite colour because of my eyes-"

" is my favourite colour because of your eyes" they said simultaneously. Smiling at the verbal connection Harry enclosed the distance between them.

" your eyes still just as beautiful as they were that day " Harry Whispered smiling.

" they still vary colour everyday " Harry added

" well If you could only see you from my eyes. You'd understand why it does it everyday " Draco smiled putting his arms Around Harry's waist, fondly looking in Harry's eyes which glowed with little yellow freckles because of the reflection of the lights Draco had decorated the place with.

" thought you said it's a pureblood thing ?" Harry frowned putting his arms around Draco's neck

" it is. But it varies colours because each day I look at you in a different way than I have before. One for each day I have loved you so long " Draco smiled. With a flick of his wrist, Draco turned on the slow music, I'm yours by Jason marz playing slowly over the radio.

Harry was left speechless, finding it hard to describe in words how much more he loved Draco but he suspected that even if Harry's eyes didn't change colour each day, Draco knew that Harry loved him in ways he'd never loved anyone else and probably would never love anyone else more. Smiling Harry put his head over his shoulders and started swaying. lightly to the music.

" I remember this song playing from the car parked not far from here " Harry Whispered

" I think it suits well for both of us" Draco mumbled tightening his grip around Harry's waist.

Harry smiled knowing Draco was smiling just like he was. 6 years of being together yet they loved each other just like they had loved one another when they first confessed their I love you's, the same way when Harry was away for the first Christmas, the same way when Draco was banished from malfoy family, the same way when Harry was away for a mission for 2 months, the same way when they loved each other during and after the first fight, the same way they had felt on the day of marriage and had promised to love everyday till death part them. In a way just like million others this song was also Just their own and they found it quite nice to having been a part of something they chose to belong to even if it also belonged to the rest of the world. In trillions of moments, the song by Fate had played in that moment but they were 2 simple boys having no choice bought together by fate, and had they never regretted it.

And for the second time in the entire life they spent together, in the moments of revelation, the song played for the second time

" and the world said we'd never make it through " Draco smiled staring up at the sky at the stars, Harry's head over his shoulders, his face nuzzled in Draco's neck, cuddling comfortably.

Harry hummed in response, his arms hung loosely around Draco's body. It was not long after when Draco heard Harry's light snoring. Smiling to himself, Draco retrieved the blanket, covered both of them us and slept peacefully, just like he did for the rest of his life for he never loved anyone like he did Harry, he didn't had to. He was enough; more than enough if so.

Requests open

Day 21- little jars of love | Day 23- ten times Harry fell for Draco

"You Never Stopped Being My Kid."

This is a TICKLE fic.

Irondad. Which ALWAYS means PLATONIC. 

Warnings: Pretty emotional.

Summary: In this non-canon fic, Peter goes to stay with the Stark's over Spring Break after Tony has recovered from his injuries from defeating Thanos. Peter struggles with this new normal while Tony tries to help him understand that he's a part of the family.

A/n: This fic is very emotional and unlike anything I have done before. I hope you all enjoy it. It took me a long time, but I wanted to bring you some Irondad happiness during this time... I love you 3,000.

Several months had passed since Tony saved the universe. Peter was sure he wasn’t going to make it, but by a miracle, Tony came out alive. His recovery had taken a while, but things were just now starting to go back to normal. Peter was so thankful every second of every day that he still had Tony as a mentor and friend. He always saw Tony as a father-figure, and he couldn't bear to lose that a third time.

 Tony had invited Peter to stay with them while he was on Spring Break. He thought it would be nice for the kid to get away from the city, and spend some real time with him without schedules or interruptions. 

  “Yes, May. I promise I’ll drive safe.” Peter smiled at his aunt, before she pulled him into a hug. 

  “Aww I love you, honey. You deserve a break.” She said, kissing his cheek.

   “I love you too, May.” Peter said with a smile.

Peter headed out the door and made his way to his car. He had been ecstatic to go spend some time with Tony and Pepper. Morgan as well, though they were still warming up to each other. She seemed to like him a lot, and he adored her, but he didn’t know if she really understood what had happened yet.

  Thoughts flooded Peter’s head as he drove on the highway toward Upstate. Peter felt a little awkward, but he didn’t know why. Things were a lot different before he died. Died. He still can’t comprehend that that’s what happened to him. He knew it would be different than going and working in the lab at the Avengers facility. 

  Tony was different now. A bit older and softer spoken, but he was still Tony. The events of Thanos snapping and wiping out half the population of the whole universe had a major effect on Tony, as it did everyone. Yet he, who is “Earth’s Best Defender,” lost to Thanos. He had no other choice but to try and move on. When he and Pepper welcomed their daughter into the world, life got better for Tony. The problem was, he drew all of his happiness from Morgan and Pepper, and bottled up the failure of what he felt was his responsibility, to protect the world. On top of that, he couldn’t protect his son from dying in his arms. He woke many nights in a cold sweat from his dreams of Peter begging “save me” before turning into ash as he held him. Tony became more sensitive from the events, and from raising his little girl. He had more patience and understanding. 

 Peter didn’t know what it’d be like visiting, since Tony was no longer in the hospital and was mobile, enjoying his retirement. Peter didn’t understand the weight of what Tony had done and how big of a part he played in Tony’s decision to look into time travel. All he knew is that his mentor, who wrapped him up in a hug as soon as he saw him, and even kissed his cheek, truly loved him like a son, even before the snap. 

  Peter arrived at Tony’s house in the late afternoon, the sun sparkling on the lake was beautiful, and he could smell the pine trees that towered all over the land. Peter felt a warm feeling in his chest. He turned his car off and pulled the key out, when suddenly he saw Tony step out on the porch holding Morgan, soon followed by Pepper. Peter got out of his car, smiling, as they made their way over to him. 

  “Hey Pete! Morgan say hi!” Tony said, walking over to Peter and wrapping him in a hug, still holding Morgan. 

  “Hi Peter! Can you do a flip like you did in the hospital?” Morgan asked, hugging Peter’s neck. 

  “Let’s let him get settled first-” Pepper began, but was cut off by Peter doing a backflip on the grass. 

Morgan cheered happily as Tony and Pepper chuckled. Peter smiled proudly. He loved how happy it made her. 

  “Be prepared to do a million more tricks, Pete, because she’s gonna ask you OVER AND OVER again!” Tony exclaimed sarcastically, tickling Morgan’s tummy, making her giggle and squirm. 

Peter blushed with a small smile before quickly turning away. 

  “It’s okay I don’t mind.” Peter said softly as he reached in the backseat to get his bags. 

Tony noticed Peter’s odd reaction and stopped tickling Morgan, setting her down to help Peter with his things. 

  Tony and Peter stood in the guest room where Peter would be staying. 

   “Here is the bathroom. It's got a shower, bath, and all the essentials, so just help yourself with anything you want and don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.” Tony rambled as Peter stood, playing with his hands, nodding. 

  “You seem a bit on edge, kid. What’s up?” Tony asked, putting his arm around Peter’s shoulder, knowing that comforts him. 

  “Oh. You know, I’m just awkward.”

  “Yeah and?” Tony teased, squeezing him closer. 

  “It’s just.. It’s different, you know? You’re.. I’m mean. No, it’s great, Mr. Stark. I’m really happy to be here.” Peter assured. He didn’t want to be rude or upset Tony. 

 “Look.. I know things are different now, and I know I’m different. Everything changed for you in what felt like a second, while five years passed, but… Peter. I don’t mean to get all sappy on you. I just.” Tony froze and thought for a moment. 

Peter tilted his head, waiting for Tony to continue.

  “You never stopped being my kid. Not for a second.” expressed Tony, holding back tears. He really didn’t care if he was getting emotional. Five years without Peter was terrible. It’s crazy how the best five years of his life were also the worst. 

Peter nodded, and smiled at Tony. 

 “Thank you, Mr. Stark. I’m really happy for you. For retirement, and Pepper. And Morgan. She is absolutely adorable, you know!”

  “Thank you, Pete. And yeah, I know.” Tony smirked. 

Suddenly, Morgan came skipping into the room. 

  “Mommy said to tell you that dinner’s ready!” 

    The four of them had a nice dinner, laughing and conversing. Peter was starting to feel more at home and knew that it was going to be a fun week. After dinner, it was still light outside so Peter and Tony took a walk out to the dock. 

  “You know, you can call me Tony.” Tony said, sitting next to Peter on the edge of the dock. 

  “Yeah.. I guess “Mr. Stark” is just a habit.” Peter answered. He could never admit that “Mr. Stark” was his own way of saying “Dad.” He’d be mortified if he ever accidentally called him that. He liked how he had his own name for Tony. Occasionally he’d call him “Tony,” but something always felt off about it. 

  Peter and Tony stayed out of the dock talking and reminiscing until the sun went down. The wind blowing gently, the crickets chirping, and the water below them sloshing, were all wonderful sounds that Peter rarely ever got to hear growing up in the big city. He really enjoyed being out there with Tony. He was finally able to talk to Tony about everything he wanted to for the past several months. He always had interruptions or limited time with Tony in the hospital. Now, he had all the time, and he cherished it so immensely, especially because he knew how lucky he was that Tony was still here. 

  Tony just listened. He smiled at the kid in front of him, taking in everything he was saying. The excited tones in his voice, his precious facial expressions, and his silly sound effects. He had him home. He just listened to the kid ramble on, just as he remembered him. He did notice how he was growing and maturing. Post-blip had an effect on everyone and everything, yet Peter was still Peter. Strong, dorky, funny, extremely intelligent, and eager to please. 

    “Pete?”

   “Yes, Mr. Stark?”

   “Do you want to see the garage? It’s my workshop.” Tony asked. 

   “Oh yes! Definitely!” Peter said, hopping to his feet and extending his hands to Tony to help him up. 

   “Okay.” Tony said, taking Peter’s hand and getting to his feet. “It’s about time we go in anyway, before you get bit by a radioactive mosquito.” 

Tony ruffled Peter’s hair as they both giggled. 

“‘Guna! I’m going to show Peter the garage. Want to come with?” Tony asked Morgan who was playing on the living room floor with her “babies.” 

She put her dolls down and scrambled to her feet. 

 “Of course you do!” Tony chuckled before scooping her up and tickling her tummy like he often did, earning her precious giggles. 

Peter smiled at the scene, but also blushed profusely. It reminded him of all the times his parents, Ben and May, and more recently, Tony, had tickled him. It also reminded him of how ticklish he was. He wondered if Tony even remembered that he would sometimes tickle him. He wondered if he’d playfully attack him like that ever again. He secretly hoped so, as he loves affection, but the very thought of it happening again made him a bit nervous and flustered. However, he doubted that Tony would. He even convinced himself that he wouldn’t. That happened almost six years ago, and he probably thought it would be too childish now. All these thoughts swarmed Peter’s head until he was pulled out of them by Tony’s voice. 

  “Kid? Uhh you good?” Tony asked, ceasing to tickle Morgan. He was reminded of Peter acting this way when he first arrived today. He noticed Peter’s red face and awkwardness. 

  “Y-Yeah? I’m-I’m just excited t-to see the old equipment! Yeah, that’s all.” Peter stuttered.

Tony gave him a look, like an “I know something’s up with you” look, but ultimately pushed it to the back of his mind.

  “Here we are.” Tony said flicking on the lights, revealing his garage/workshop. 

  “This is AWESOME, Mr. Stark!” Peter exclaimed as he walked around looking at the whole set up, all while Morgan was on his shoulders. “It reminds me of the compound.”

  “Yeah, me too, Pete.” Tony agreed. 

He had moved a lot of the equipment he and Peter used before… the war. When Peter would come to the compound on the weekends, they’d build things and work on suit advancements. After the snap, and he and Pepper started their family, Tony wanted to bring home some of his favorite equipment. It wasn’t a coincidence that almost all of it was what he and Peter used frequently. They reminded him of Peter. 

 More time in the garage had passed, when Pepper came in. 

  “Madam Secretary, it’s your bedtime!” Pepper announced. “Who do you want to put you to bed tonight?”

  “Daddy and Peter!” Morgan answered.

  “Okay, well I’m going to take a bath and head to bed.” Pepper said as she walked over to Peter and Morgan. “Goodnight, sweet girl. I love you.”

Peter knelt down to let Morgan kiss Pepper. 

Pepper smiled at Peter and fondly ruffled his curls. “I’ll see you in the morning, Peter. I love you as well!” She gave him a kiss on the head, making Peter feel very loved and appreciative. 

Tony smiled at the scene, like he was looking at his completed jigsaw. 

  “Daddy, I want my bunny.” Morgan pouted slightly, as she laid tucked into her bed. 

Peter had just finished reading her a story, as Tony laid across the end of the bed, watching the two’s adorable interactions. 

  “Well where is he, hon?” Tony asked his daughter. 

  “I left him downstairs with my babies.” Morgan explained. 

  “I’ll go get him for you!” Peter said, jumping to his feet in pursuit of the gray stuffed bunny that Morgan had since she was a baby. 

 Peter entered the living room and grabbed the bunny, happily making his way upstairs. By the time he made it back to the room, Tony was tickling Morgan again all over her sides, tummy, and ribs as she howled with adorable laughter. Peter froze and felt out of place, almost like he was intruding. He didn’t know what to do or say, and he wanted to just walk out, but Morgan had already spotted him, and her bunny, while Tony was tickling her to pieces.

Peter walked briskly over to the edge of her bed and set the bunny down. 

  “Uuuuh h-here Morgan! Haha ok! G-Goodnight!” Peter spluttered as he awkwardly made his way out of the room, mentally cursing himself for being so obvious and weird. 

  “Where ya going?” Tony grinned as he observed Peter and stopped tickling Morgan. He definitely put two and two together as to why Peter kept doing this, and honestly? It melted his heart. It was too cute. 

  “Downstairs!” Peter called as he made his way down the stairs to the living room couch. He immediately started thinking of something convincing to tell Tony when he inevitably asked him what THAT was. Telling the truth wasn’t an option. It was too embarrassing. 

   A few minutes later, Tony walked down the stairs and plopped on the other side of the couch, facing Peter and resting his cheek on his fist. 

Peter looked at him with wide eyes, waiting for what Tony was going to say.  

  “Sooo, what was that? Tony asked with a sly smirk. He knew. 

  “What was what?” Peter replied. 

  “You kinda ran off.”

Peter sighed and looked down at his hands. “I uhm.” Well, maybe he could be mostly honest. “I just didn’t want to intrude.”

  “Intrude? You were supposed to be there… You're supposed to be here.” Tony reassured him.

  “Yeah, I just know that I was gone for a really long time, and she’s your child.” Peter said. 

Tony shifted in his spot and thought for a moment. “Look kid, I’m not your dad. I was never trying to be. I’m not trying to be now. But you are my kid. I know, doesn’t really make sense. You mean more to me than a mentee, apprentice, ward, whatever people assume. I meant what I said earlier.”

Peter didn’t know what to say. He just smiled and launched forward, hugging Tony. 

Tony chuckled and didn’t hesitate to hug the kid back. A minute or two passed as Peter cuddled him, his eyes closed and ear pressed to Tony’s chest. 

Tony decided to drop the bomb on him, you know, to make sure the kid knew how well he still knew him. 

  “Also, Pete, I know that you acted weirdly because tickling makes you blush.”

Peter’s eye shot open and he pulled away to face Tony. His heart started to pound and his cheeks flushed from embarrassment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh really? You’re gonna try to lie to me? I think you’d be surprised to know how much I remember.” Tony beamed. 

  “R-Remember what? I-I uh. Remember?” Peter stuttered nervously. He started to think that Tony might be about to, maybe, tickle him again. It was so embarrassing that Tony caught on, but also kind of relieving. 

  “Well, I remember that you’re super…” Tony trailed off, putting on a serious face to mess with the kid. “TICKLISH!” And with that, Tony pounced on Peter, kneading his sides. 

Peter let out a surprised shriek, and fell into adorable, bubbly giggles. Tony’s heart melted. This was just like he remembered, but he wasn’t going to hold back this time. This kid needed a good wrecking. 

 “Mr. Stahahahaarrk! Noohohohoho hahahaha!” Peter cackled. He tried to toss around but Tony had him pinned.

  “No? Aww come on, kid! You’ve been waiting for me to tickle you all day! Just like you used to.” Tony teased ruthlessly. He began to scribble his fingertips into Peter’s tummy, a particular death spot of his. 

Tony’s comment made Peter’s ears burn and the tummy tickles definitely made his belly laugh come out. He couldn’t believe that Tony knew, like he could read his mind. Yet, he was loving this. 

Tony gave Peter a break so the kid wouldn’t pass out. Peter caught his breath for a moment. 

  “...How did you know? Peter mumbled, unable to even look him in the eye. He couldn’t keep the silly smile off his face. 

 “Because you make it so obvious!” Tony answered, before vibrating his fingertips into Peter’s ribs, sending him back into hysterics. 

 “Thahahahat tihihihickles!!” Peter burst through his laughter. 

 “Does it? I couldn’t tell!” Tony replied sarcastically. 

Peter laughed and squirmed trying, but failing, to escape the tickling. It took him back to when Tony used to tickle him, but somehow he was even better at it now, and was tickling him for a long time. 

Tony stopped tickling Peter’s ribs after a few minutes and Peter just laid there giggling. 

  “You know what else I remember, Pete?

  “Thahahat you’re evihihil?” 

  “Nope. I remember that your armpits are your most ticklish spot!” Tony said and shot his hands under Peter’s arms, tickling as best as he could. 

Peter trapped Tony’s hands under his arms and he absolutely lost it, howling with hilarious laughter, before silent laughing to the point where he gasped for air. 

  “Tickletickletickletickletickle!” Tony taunted, still digging into poor Peter’s armpits. 

Peter fell in and out of silent laughter and got to the point where he just laid there, taking the ruthless tickles, instead of trying to fight it. 

Tony was laughing fondly at his adorable reactions, and finally stopped, but couldn’t slip his hands out. 

  “Pete, you’ve trapped my hands! Lift your arms up!” Tony laughed.

  “Ihihihihi cahahahan’t!” Peter giggled, ticklish sensations still running through his hyper-sensative nervous system. 

  “You have to!” Tony chuckled. This was too good. 

  “It’s gonna tickle!” Peter squeaked. 

  “It won’t! Just do it really quickly!” 

It took Peter a while, but he finally lifted his arms up and let Tony’s hands free with a squeal, only to have Tony drill into his hips. 

  “NOHOHOHOT THEHEHERE! PLEHEHEHEASE!” Peter cried with laughter. This was another bad spot.

  “Aww why not? Too ticklish?” Tony teased. 

  “YEHEHEHEESS! STOHOHOP!” 

Tony finally let up after a while, and Peter rolled to his side, catching his breathing and giggling from the remaining tickly feeling. Tony just sat back and watched the kid recover. 

    “You good?” Tony asked. 

   “Yeahaha, Dad.” 

Peter and Tony both froze. 

Peter’s heart dropped. If he wasn’t flustered before, he definitely was now. He couldn’t believe he just said that. 

Tony had the biggest smile on his face. 

  “I’m sorry.” Peter said. 

  “Do NOT apologize.” 

  “I didn’t mean to.” 

  “Don’t be sorry! You can call me whatever you want. Doesn’t bother me one bit.” Tony attempted to reassure him, but Peter was obviously going to fret. 

Tony rubbed Peter’s back and looked over toward the kitchen. 

  “Come with me.” Tony said, getting up and walking toward the kitchen.

Peter slowly trailed behind. 

Tony grabbed a black picture frame off the shelf and placed it in Peter’s hands. Peter looked down at it fondly. 

  “How long have you had this in here?” Peter asked.

  “A really long time.”

  “Why are you showing me this?” Peter asked again. 

  “Because you're upset that you called me “Dad.”

 Peter looked up at him with confusion.

“I never told anyone this..” Tony trailed off, before proceeding to explain the significance of the picture, how it motivated him to discover time travel, and how it ultimately saved the universe.

Peter cried.  

The croupier Irina reveals 3 insidious traps of the casinos

Gaming halls use a series of tricks to encourage players to lose more and more money. "It's not just the buffet and the free alcohol that keep customers in the game," Irina, a croupier with 12 years of experience, was quoted as saying by Standart. In their desire to win, everyone relies on the chance to be on their side, but unfortunately the odds do not depend even on the croupier. Games have their own world. They are well-calculated math problems in favor of the casino. So play in 우리카지노

& nbsp; The European roulette algorithm is such that if we bet on one of the 37 numbers, our chance of winning is 2.7%. The payout of the profit is in the ratio of 1:35, writes <a href="https://www.standartnews.com/balgariya-obshtestvo/v_kazinoto_bezplatniyat_alkohol_e_nayskapiyat-297548.html" target="_blank"> <span style = "color: rgb (128, 0, 0); "> <strong> & quot; Standard & quot; </strong> </span> </a>. strong> <br /> It reflects the information about the fallen numbers - how many black and how many red. "The biggest illusion for the players is that something depends on them," laughs Irina. With the release of the ball, everything starts from the beginning, no matter what is written on the board.The probability of the number 10 falling is the same as before: 2.7%. The misleading information makes roulette players dream, and this is exactly what the casino wants. When it comes to dreams and money in the gambling world, things get out of hand. Other simpler strategies for the game are betting on black and red, where the probability is 48.6%. It is not 50%, as most thrill seekers believe. Zero is not placed by chance. It changes the odds in favor of the gaming hall. The payout is 1: 1. And while engineers and ordinary people are wondering how to cheat the casino, a new trap is emerging behind them. It is tall, well set and delicate. The danger is the attractive waitress who offers free alcohol. <br /> <br /> <strong> Trap: 2: The sexy ladies on the staff </strong> <br />They take care not only of the dry throats of customers in the casino. The waitresses smile at the players, create a feeling of calm in them. They guide them in choosing a game, but they do not fail to play a sexual joke. <br /> <br /> <strong> Trap ?3: Solid fuel </strong> <br /> Cup one, cup two and the player forgets about the value of the money. It never occurs to him that he has children, a wife ... <br /> <br /> <u> <em> Gambling-type rules </em> </u> <br /> Point one: Why am I going to the casino? I want to have fun and have a beer. <br /> Point two: Casinos lose money, not win. <br /> & quot; The atmosphere in the casino is designed to make you lose track of time. One enters with BGN 10 and leaves with a debt to moneylenders " ;, says the croupier. By playing, one can win an amount that is greater than the amount initially invested. He will want to win even more, but instead will lose, gradually investing a serious amount. After losing everything, the feeling of anger pushes him to turn to the moneylender. & quot; His handshake is not friendly & quot ;, Irina shares. <br /> <br /> <strong> Traps from the past </strong> <br /> An interesting practice of the casinos in 2006 was to bring people into the hall. to stock the players. One of them is an attractive lady in her 30s with straight black hair. She is tall, but with a delicate body. Her task is to glance at the players in the hall as if flirting. She flirted with them without saying a word. It was all in her posture and demeanor.The manager of the casino let her spin some 1000 leva. During this time, she enjoyed the game and the gentlemen who admired it. And they were waiting for her to come to them. They so sincerely wanted to touch her sophisticated world that they lost sight of what was happening in the game in which they were betting. The money just disappeared. <br /> <br /> <strong> The characters </strong> <br /> <br /> <em> The Eternal Gambler </em> <br /> At the beginning of her Friday night shift, Irina everyone times she came across the same character - Uncle Ivan. He is a bachelor. His salary is high enough to afford to lose BGN 500 at the end of the working week. His game hadn't been about money for a long time. It is important to feel the thrill of the rising adrenaline. "For mosquitoes, money is like newspapers," Irina said.According to the story of the experienced croupier, sworn gamblers have a special relationship with slot machines. They talk to them and & quot; seem to feed them & quot; and then wait for the big jackpot. Gambling types live to win. The time is 20. Before entering the gaming hall, Ivan withdraws BGN 200 from the ATM, which is accidentally positioned next to the casino. Then he sits down in front of his favorite slot machine, and two waitresses greet him and take his usual order - vodka with a car and ice. In this casino, players have individual cards that are placed in electronic devices and earn points according to what is played. The more points they have, the bigger bonus they get from the casino. For & quot; Hello! & Quot; Ivan receives a BGN 100 bonus. By the time he plays a hundred levs, he is already drunk. Then he starts playing with the money withdrawn from the ATM.On what principle does he play? & quot; What he said above will be given to me & quot; he does not hesitate. The only action Ivan does is push the button and drink. His eyes wander the screen, and the virtual drums of the & quot; one-armed bandit & quot; they line up instantly. After 00 o'clock Ivan drank a dozen glasses with his favorite cocktail "B and K", but his money ran out. To the delight of the player after midnight, he can withdraw more money. & quot; In an hour he will come out of the casino crawling, as always & quot ;, says Irina. <br /> <br /> <em> Young minors </em> <br /> & quot; I don't cover them at all & quot ;, laughs Irina . & quot; Being in a casino is an event for them - they expect applause & quot ;, she added. No matter who Daddy is, these kids are in the gym betting.Confused in the style of & quot; misunderstanding & quot ;, the boys measure their merits, as well as the modest knowledge of gambling seen in Hollywood movies. According to her, up to 20 years, men are small for the universe of gambling. They are still young and cannot control their emotions. They want everything to happen right away and they don't feel how fast the money is flying. "And if they teach their minds to gamble from now on, they will suffer for life," Irina warns. Playing Black Jack, they think they can count the cards, but forget that in small casinos they are confused by a machine. & quot; Keep one thing in mind when playing against a computer system & quot ;, warns the croupier. If you play this game, never sit down if there is a & quot; shuffle & quot; machine (Shuffle). You will be convincedthat in less than a minute you will lose 20 leva. In the real casinos, which in Sofia there are two, the cards are placed in plastic or metal stands - Shoe. The casino employee confuses them, and before the hand is dealt a red card with which the player can split the deck of 4 decks. To make the counting partially meaningless, the croupier deals 30 cards that are not played. This is how the game begins. Everyone is playing against the croupier. If he loses, everyone wins. If you lose one, you win the casino. If the dealer's top card is 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, then he has a better chance of losing. And the probability of winning is higher if his top card is 7, 8, 9, 10, Vale (J), Queen (Q), Pop (K) or Ace (A). The croupier must stop when he makes 17. While playing, you must make sure that you turn the rules in your favor. Let's say,that you are in the middle of the game and the deck is already halved. You know how many cards have passed from the respective honorers and numbers: 10, J, Q, K. The croupier has 4 and you have 8. You get nine (sum 17). Stop (the probability of losing is 68% because 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K or A can fall and you lose). Leave this to the croupier. He starts to draw small cards: 2, 4, 6, (sum of 16) - he can't stop. Take 7 (sum 23) and you're done, you win. An unwritten rule is that if you have an A, you have a 52% advantage over the croupier and you have to double. If you receive a Black Jack, your bet is multiplied by 2.5. But beware, the dangers of the casino continue to lurk. Don't give in to them. <br /> <br /> <em> The two friends with BGN 10 </em> <br /> They have a total of BGN 10. They drink and eat on their stomachs and have real fun.All night they spin the slot machine with a bet of ten cents and flirt with the waitresses. & quot; They are the coolest customers. At least you can joke with them & quot ;, says Irina. Recently, this type has begun to disappear. The experienced croupier says that compared to previous years, the level of players has dropped a lot. <br /> & quot; They shout, shoot and curse me and my colleagues, and we just give away! & Quot ;. Her recommendation to casino players is not to come with a desire to win. & quot; To bring 20 leva and an ID card, nothing more! & quot ;. Because of this type of entertainers, there are no more free cigarettes in the capital's casinos, and the minimum bets have been raised as follows: a slot machine 30 stotinki per spin, blackjack 5 leva per hand. <br /> The casino is not just a place to lose money. This is another world,known for a specific type of entertainment, but achieving euphoria should not be in self-forgetfulness and waste. <br /> <br /> <strong> Super Profits </strong> <br /> <br /> $ 656 million - 2012 in Illinois <br /> 648 million dollars in California <br /> 113 440 leva in Lovech <br /> 600 000 euros - Dimitar Danchev, the first <br /> poker millionaire in Bulgaria (2011) <br /> 4 345 183, 36 euros won a Dutch woman in Sofia in 2015 <br /> <br /> <strong> Curious </strong> <br /> <br /> Roulette - known in France since the XVII century <br /> < br /> Slot machine - developed in 1891 by Americans Sitman and Pete in Brooklyn <br /> <br /> Poker - Joseph Crowell first documented <br /> the game in 1829 <br /> <br />Black Jack - Known in seventeenth-century French casinos <br /> <br /> Casanova is building a hall in Venice <br /> <br /> There are no clocks in Las Vegas casinos. The goal is to make customers feel freer and more detached from reality in order to bet more money. <br /> <br /> The first casino was built in Venice in 1638. It was raised by the legendary Casanova - as a place for its various adventures. <br /> <br /> The word & quot; casino & quot; comes from the Italian & quot; cash register & quot; - a small villa for pleasure. There was dancing, music and betting. a. The goal is to protect locals from debt.They can work there, but not play. <br /> <br /> Roulette is believed to have been invented by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal. It was not for betting purposes - he wanted to assemble a machine that would stand still.

Where I’ve been. 

Alright, I’l try to not ramble too much in this post. There will be a tldr at the end but I wanna give details on how my life has been for the past month or so. I ive in Puerto Rico, and if you don’t live under a rock, you know that Hurricane Irma hit the North East part of PR at the beginning of September 2017, now it didn’t do much damage but there was. Specially affecting neighboring islands, but I’ll focus on PR’s situation only since I’ll be sharing my experience. I live in the South West of PR so, Irma didn’t do much where I live, just a bit of wind and rain, all was good. 

Two weeks later, Hurricane Marie hit PR causing massive damage. Thousands of people homeless, to my knowledge there were 15 dead on the day and the the death toll raised to 45. Puerto Rico has around 3.4 million people in which most of them have no electricity or water. Those who do have electricity were via generators. 

How have I been? Well, I am safe and so is my family. That’s what matters the most. My home is still there but is in no living conditions therefore I am forced to stay with my mother and stepfather. We had no water for the first 2 weeks of the hurricane, we do now and it’s a relief. It’s been a month since the hurricane and we still have no electricity. Communication for the first 3 weeks were nonexistent. My boyfriend lives in Tennessee and he knew nothing about me or his family back in PR for the first 2 weeks. Communication started to work but only in select areas and only for one phone company, Claro, which is what I have. I was able to get a hold of my boyfriend and let him know were were ok as well I made sure that his family was also fine, since they have a different phone company that was not in service. 

The struggle was real, it was hot, humid, mosquitoes were killing me. We made queues of over 2 and a half hours in two occasions just to get gasoline for our cars and in some gas stations they would only give you $10 - $20 dollars worth of gas per person. Queue out on the sun to be able to get money withdraw from one of the very few working ATMs 2 weeks after the catastrophic event and even so, banks weren’t letting people withdraw the amount they wanted. Some banks would only let you withdraw from $50 to maybe $100 dollars...only that small amount after spending probably 2 hours on a line, tired out in the sun. Same story goes for people trying to get ice bags...just 1 small ice bag per person. Even people at stores began taking advantage of the situation and raising their prices on their products, which btw, it is illegal to do. DACO did take action and fined those people for taking advantage of those in need in such of emergency.

Some hospital’s generators have collapsed because of how many hours and days they’ve been running, so it’s been a problem for people that need heavy medical aid. 

It has slowly started to move at a normal pace, gasoline is now more available, since there was mainly a distribution problem, lots of fast foods and stores are working in generators, but as always, lines are still pretty long of hungry people and others trying to buy things that they need. Getting drinking water in grocery stores has been a struggle for a lot of people, luckily, my family did stock up on lots of drinking water. Some areas have recently started getting electricity, specially areas where there’s a hospital near by since that is a priority. 

There’s still a lot of people in shelters, still thousands with no water or electricity and who knows when things will go back to normal for real. Communication is a lot better but still pretty bad. No phones, no internet, no tv and lots of people with families outside of PR that are worried sick, mine included but after 2 weeks, on the day that I was able to get just 1 bar of signal, me and my mother called all our relatives that live outside of PR just to let them know we were ok. 

It is worse that I’m actually making it out to be or what the news say. But we are going day by day getting better. Post offices recently started working too in some areas only. It’s also been very dangerous at night since it’s so dark as well, the first few weeks we weren’t allowed to be outside of our houses at night for safety.  

How am I writing this you ask? Well, after a long week of trying, my boyfriend was finally able to get me a plane ticket to fly out to Tennessee since 1. airports were closed and recently opened. 2. Flights were getting canceled since airports weren’t operating normally to let people leave the island cuz aid was their priority, which is understandable. 

I am now in Tennessee for 2 weeks, to rest and such. Part of me feels guilty for leaving my family behind in this situation but my mother actually pushed me to leave since I also have some business here. I hope that when I go back to PR, things are a bit better? I sure hope so. 

I missed talking to my friends, lots were dead worried about me and I did take the time since I arrive in Tennessee to fill them in with more details. Regarding my blog, I’ll still be on hiatus for a bit, since I want to enjoy my time with my boyfriend while I’m here, I’m recovering since this whole experience has been physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting for me. 

Thank you those who have sent me positive messages, they have meant a lot. I know that there are others back in PR in much worse conditions than me, so if you would like to help, google “donate to puerto rico” and you’ll get a lot of results of different charity pages where you can donate if you wish to. 

TLDR; Hurricane Maria fucked up Puerto Rico and I’ve been MIA and I’m now in Tennessee for about 2 weeks. I’ll be back eventually for reals. 

ZombieTale Chapter Three - Reflections

Hey guys! Quick note here before the read. This chapter includes swearing, and torture. It gets a tad graphic, so if you're not into that, then I'm sorry to say that this fic series is not for you. I'm going to start getting more graphic as time goes on. So long story short, trigger warning. Without further ado, let us get started! _________ "C'mon Chara, we're gonna be late!" I yelled upstairs. I was already on edge since today was the day that we start the 6th grade. Over the last couple of years, the other monsters have started to find out who I really am on the inside—a wimpy little crybaby. Understandably, I didn't want to go today. Chara came sauntering down with a dull expression on her face. "There's no need to yell Asriel, I'm right here." she replied. She stared straight into my eyes for a good fifteen seconds before she shot me with a smile that made me slightly uncomfortable. "Y-you ready to go?" I asked in a futile attempt to calm my nerves. "Ooh you bet I am, fluffbutt. You have no idea." she replied slyly. "What do you mean?" I asked, slightly off-put by Chara’s mysterious demeanor. "I mean that I'm gonna make a statement. No one's gonna mess with me this year." Before I could once again ask her what she meant, she slipped past me and squeezed out the door. Our walk to school was unnaturally silent. Every now and then Chara would chuckle to herself, which was doing nothing for my nerves. We turned a corner and walked up to the school's front steps. As soon as we did, I turned to Chara. "So are you rea... Chara?!" The knife was in my gut faster than I could react. Chara was wearing a face that gave off a terrifying mixture of demonic and overjoyed. I screamed as loud as possible, but stood fast. Everyone immediately ran to us. At first I thought they were coming to help, but I soon realized that they all had knives. Similar to succumbing to a million mosquitoes, they all were on me in an instant, plunging their weapons into various spots on my body. It was a horrifying mess of blood, tears, screams, and devilish laughs. It took me a while to realize that it didn't hurt, which naturally freaked me out. I was screaming out of fear, not out of pain. When they all finished, Chara kicked me to my knees. She smiled at me with her shining blood red eyes, then stepped aside to reveal a face that brought me more pain than any amount of daggers could muster. "F-Frisk...help me..." Her eyes were cold. Her eyes were gleaming with the threat of tears. Her eyes were full of hatred. "No one can help you now," she whispered. "Your soul is hers now. And honestly," she leaned closer, her lips mere inches away from my ear. "You look pathetic, you little idiot." "B-but...I thought you loved me..." I asked. "Oh please," she responded. "That ship sailed ages ago." With that, her dagger found its way into my heart. As if that wasn't enough, Frisk proceeded to grab each knife that was affixed in my body, and turned them; it was like she was turning twenty different keys, each one unlocking more anguish from me, and betrayal from her. "I'm not sorry. And yes, my little Azzy, I do have something better to do. Anything is better than you," she concluded. Instant darkness. No feeling. No sound. No real discernable proof that I even exist at all. "Oh no...not this. Not the void. Not again," I thought. I've had this feeling before. "I-is anyone there? Didn't think so. Oh well it was worth a shot anyway." I couldn't seem to find any reason as to why I was here again. "Why am I here," I thought aloud. "Why am—wait...I remember...I remember the sun. And Frisk. Yes that's right. We were free. I was so happy. Then there was that stupid machine. The hole in my gut. The pain—oh the pain! And then...Wait a second. I'm dead. I'm dead again. But I can't be. Things were finally good again! After sixty-six damn years my life was finally fucking bearable!" I shouted, cursed, screamed, yelled, thrashed, did all I could to show my frustration and anger. All of a sudden, I was blinded by light. I try to shield my eyes from the light, but it seems to pass through my hands. Polar opposites. It's like I'm on the other side of the world. Everything was so white. I was sitting in a chair that slightly resembled one for dentist operations. That thought made me instantly nervous, but I couldn't move. There were no physical restraints, so I deduced that I was being held by magic. "Why am I here, Chara?" I asked to the seemingly empty room. At the mention of her name, Chara apparated into view. "You know why you're here, brother. You're dead, don't you remember?" She replied, a hint of hostility scratching the surface of her tone. "But why here? Why not the void? It's where I went last time," I looked down at my feet. Chara gave a full-hearted smile. "Maybe you should be asking yourself. After all, you're the one in control of you. Right?" Her smile grew wicked. "Well, until now, that is." As I saw Chara’s arm snap towards me I felt instant and colossal pain. It was like I could feel my heart taking itself apart and single-handedly destroying my sea of organs. "How does it feel, you pathetic little wretch?" I heard her ask in between my cries. "Does it feel like punishment? Madness? Maybe you're finally learning your place." She stopped and leaned in close to more intimate boundaries. "Or just maybe, I am your salvation." She left that theory hanging in the air before returning to the torturous pain. Every instant was that of a millennia. Every intake of air was fire, and every exhale, needles and knives. Speaking of fire, the next thing I noticed was the Jerry can of gasoline that Chara was toting. "Oh we'll get to that in a second. Something else to do first," she said, evidently noticing my worried glances. She then brought out her ever-present knife. Walking up to me, her grin grew more sinister, not unlike the smile of a demon. "You always did like flowers, right? Well let's make sure you always remember that shall we?" She rhetorically asked me before raising up her knife. "Wait—" I tried to beg. But my pleas fell on deaf ears. Deaf, devilish, hate-fueled ears. Faster than the blink of an eye, the knife was in my stomach and moving, carving the shape of a golden flower. "Oh," she said add she finished her drawing. "Sorry does that hurt? Here, let me fix that for you." She dropped the knife and closes her eyes, clearly focusing on something. Then, as if it were even possible, the pain mutated into something even more agonizing. I looked down and saw the formation of curves and lines morph together to make one long slanted cut across my belly. This apparently came as an opportunity for Chara. She continued to toy with me. "Now what have we got here? A nice little hand warmer? Let's try it out shall we?" I've seen some horrible things. Hell, I've done half of them. But this…this took it way too far. Chara shoved her hands through my stomach, enjoying every second of my torment. And if it wasn't enough hell to go through, she started to part the red sea that was my body. There was a visible hole all through my abdomen. She paused for a brief moment. Chara needed to chortle away her insanity, which sucks because it gave me a false sense of hope. For a moment I thought she was done. I wanted her to walk away and let me be. That's when she did what I was waiting for. Gasoline can in hand, she doused me all over in the flammable liquid, then took out a box of matches. With what little power I had left, I kicked the box out of her hand, but not before she retrieved a single match. One is all it takes. "That's only fair considering what I'm about to do to you!" She responded. ~"Asriel!”~ Striking the match, she threw it onto the ground in front of me; all in one fluid motion. It made me wonder if she'd done this a lot. ~"Can you hear me? Fight back!"~ It didn't take long for the flame to reach my fur. I tried to flinch away from the fire, but to no avail. I sat in misery is the pyre engulfed my body. It was easily the worst thing I've felt in my whole existence. "Hahaha! How does it feel Asriel? Huh? Tell me, Asriel!” "Tell me! Come on! Asriel!" ~"Asriel”~ "Asriel!" ~"ASRIEL!"~ "ASRIEL!" —————————— I need to find him. That's all that matters right now. Not the blood all over my shirt. Not the fact that my ulna is sticking out in an alarming angle. Only him. How did this even happen? We were standing in a row, watching the sunset. It was perfect; not a cloud in the sky. We told each other how much we loved the view, then Asgore asked me to be the ambassador between humans and monsters. After I agreed to it, I glanced over to Asriel to see how he was holding up. He seemed to be the kind of guy that would get overwhelmed by new sights. Then the blast came. I woke up in clearing with everyone else save Asriel. I looked around and got a check on my surroundings. I checked myself first and noticed that my arm was broken. It hurt like hell, so I tried to summon a little determination to ease the pain. But I couldn’t find it in me so I just moved on. My shirt was covered in blood, and my shorts were torn, but that was about it. Sans and Papyrus were enveloped in a translucent blue ball, and seemingly unharmed. Alphys was covered in cuts, and Undyne was wrapping a torn piece of her shirt around her calf. Toriel was hovering over Asgore, healing him from the looks of it. Everyone was alive and accounted for except for Asriel. I ran of to go find him. “ASRIEL!” I shouted for what felt like the hundredth time. If my body would allow it I'd be running right now. But I gotta work with the hand I'm dealt. All I have to do is find him and take him back to Toriel. She’ll do the rest, and will probably make me feel a tad better, physically and mentally. But finding the goat monster was proving to be a fairly taxing challenge. That didn’t make me even think about abandoning my search in the slightest, though. Asriel means way too much to me. I'm close to passing out from pain alone. Edging on the brink of consciousness, I catch glimpse of a white foot behind a bush. “Asriel!” I exclaim as I run to the foot. “I'm so glad I found yo-” I'm stopped dead in my tracks. What I was expecting to see was broken bones, maybe a gash or two. But not this… It's not even Asriel. It's a human. On another human. And at first I thought the moving one was giving CPR. But he wasn't. He was eating...something. Very loudly. I inched closer to find out what was so damn tasty that he wasn't saving the poor man. That's when my life changed for the remainder of my days. The moment that was way past the point of no return. The only point in my life I wish never happened. I ran away from the bush and continued my search for my dear friend. After shouting his name a couple more times, I heard some mumbling. I stumble towards the source of the noise and fall to my knees in relief. I've found him! Unconscious but alive. I pick him up and fireman’s carry him for a couple of yards. After I lose a bit more energy, reposition him to better suit my comfort. Now to get back to the group. Taking a different path so as to avoid my previous encounter, I carried Asriel back to the clearing we were stationed at. Toriel used her magic and healed me up and sealed the gaping hole in Asriel’s center. And then we waited in anxious, painful silence. After several minutes I grew too nervous. I broke down and clutched Asriel as tight as I could. “Asriel,” I cried. “Can you hear me? Fight back.” it was getting harder to control my sobs and outbursts. “Asriel!” I saw his foot twitch. He was coming back. “ASRIEL!” I screamed through my tears. He opened his eyes and closed them again. After coughing and shaking for a hot moment, he reopened his eyes. “Asriel, I'm here. Can you speak?” I asked. His lips parted, and alongside the blood and spit that came out, he muttered one single word...A name… “Chara…”

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

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Usually when we talk about unintended consequences here at PYMNTS, we are talking about something that has gone terribly wrong, or at least failed to perform as well as desired because of some unforeseen side effect. The goal might be noble – but pursuing a noble goal the wrong way can quickly have byproducts that make the cure worse than the disease.

Usually, an unforeseen consequence is a bad thing.

But not always.

From time to time, one comes along that is delightful.

For example, Karen Webster noted that attempts to rid the island of Borneo of malaria led to a series of terrible after-effects from messing with the local ecosystem by killing mosquitoes with DDT spray. That list included collapsing roofs, an explosion in the local rat population and a typhus outbreak.

But there was also at least one somewhat delightful outcome – and it turned out to be the solution to the cascading series of problems unleashed by the attempted malaria remedy. It was a solution that no one could have foreseen, summed up in two words:

Cat paratroopers.

And while there were no documented cases of skydiving felines in the payments and commerce news to our knowledge this week, there were a few almost equally delightful unexpected outcomes and bugs that turned out to be fabulous features.

Because, as it turns out, Venmo might just be able to help cure a broken heart (or make one worse), the big bitcoin price drop might have been a boon for cybersecurity, and Girl Scout cookies might just be the reason you see more healthy eating options advertised over the next few weeks.

Feeling confused about what connections there could possibly be? Don’t worry, it’s probably weirder than you think…

Living Well Is the Best Revenge (And Venmo Can Help You Prove It)

There are a lot of Venmo uses that devotees can rattle off if asked. Sending funds to friends, splitting up checks, paying rent, contributing to group gifts or spending in stores (particularly with their newly released line of cards) – over the last several years, Venmo has evolved from a simple P2P payments platform into a robust set of financial services tools for its users.

But Venmo, as it turns out, has an even more useful feature that, until now, has gone totally unadvertised: It can be used to make your ex miserable.

The magic that makes it happen is the social media part of the Venmo platform, which allows users to list a live feed of their transactions  in an easily digestible, scrollable, emoji-filled form. And what one sees, noted Elle Huerta, CEO and founder of popular breakup app Mend, says it is “usually just enough information out of context to drive themselves crazy with.”

“It’s one thing to think about your ex moving on, but it’s quite another to see that they had $34 of delicious sushi last night with a name you don’t recognize,” she said. “And that’s why Venmo transactions can make your heart stop: Each one is a tiny glimpse into a world where your ex is continuing to walk the earth and live their life without you. That hurts.”

It’s an experience one Women’s Health writer had directly, when an ex-boyfriend arrived at her door a year after their split demanding that she make her Venmo feed more private, as it was causing him agony. Particularly, she noted, because everything he saw was out of context.

“He could see Venmo transactions showing how much I was enjoying my life – whether it was going out to brunch, or paying someone back via little red-wine emojis for happy hour,” she continued. “He could see that I went to a concert with my sister, as I sent a Venmo for ‘Best Coast’ with music notes, that I paid a friend for drinks the night before, and that I bought someone named Joe a breakfast sandwich (which he brought up during the aforementioned Venmo outburst). But he couldn’t see that I wasn’t dating Joe – that I was actually eating with him and 10 other people after our Saturday group run, and bought him a sandwich because he forgot his credit card.”

The writer, incidentally, did not acquiesce to her ex’s request, though the whole incident did make her reconsider how much of her spending life she wanted to make public.

Psychologists recommend that people who have been through recent break-ups treat Venmo like any other social media platform and stop following their exes on them, as digital stalking remains a terrible way to get over someone.

Bitcoin’s Price Busts, So Hackers Change Tactics

The last few months have been tough for bitcoin enthusiasts, who have watched the cryptocurrency bleed value for over a year at this point. The past week has looked a bit stronger, and some think that bitcoin’s price might get back above $4,000 within the next week. But considering that its price at this time last year was just shy of $10,000, the bigger story surrounding the world’s best-known cryptocurrency has been one about loss.

Which has been rough sledding for bitcoin investors, traders and miners, but might have ended up as a blessing in disguise for everyday internet users who were somewhat less likely to find themselves pegged by a ransomware attack over the last year.

Ransomware attacks, when launched against individuals or institutions, see cyber criminals gain access and control of a user’s computer, which they essentially hold hostage until a ransom is paid out in cryptocurrency. Sometimes, if the data being held is particularly sensitive, they will threaten to release it unless they are paid.

The good news, according to Symantec, is that ransomware attacks are down 20 percent year-on-year. The reason? The attacks are difficult and time-consuming to set up – and not worth the payouts, with bitcoin trading at increasingly low price points.

But lest anyone get too excited at their newfound security, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that cybercriminals simply moved onto greener pastures, revenue wise, and have now adopted a new form of hacking called formjacking, which harvests credit card data directly from retail sites. They also persist in “cryptojacking,” an easy and accessible hack that allows cybercriminals to capture other people’s computers and task them with mining cryptocurrency.

So the fall of bitcoin’s price did have an unexpected upside – but only for as long as it took hackers to find a suitable replacement.

Raising a White Flag Over Q1 Cookie Sales

The season of the cookie is upon us: specifically, the Girl Scout cookie.

Though there is no official date range for the sale of cookies – that decision is left to local troop councils – the unofficial season runs between January and March each year, as millions of Girl Scouts start hustling boxes in workplaces, in front of grocery stores and walking door-to-door in suburban neighborhoods across the country.

And the 1.8 million Girl Scouts who are hitting the streets with their treats are insanely good at selling them. One anonymous San Diego scout sold more than 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in less than six hours. Of course, she had the good sense to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary and pretty much let the cookies sell themselves for a few hours.

We eagerly await that girl’s future as the CEO of Amazon after Jeff Bezos retires to live on the moon full time.

“The traditional way of selling Girl Scout cookies is trying to go door to door, or utilizing friends and family networks,” marketing executive Kyle Boze told MarketWatch. “This girl used creativity to find a new market that hasn’t been tapped [as much] yet.”

And while not everyone has that level of marketing genius, Girl Scout cookies are big business in the U.S. – worth about $800 million in sales. That is more than Oreo and Chips Ahoy plus Milano, in case one is wondering. Among the 10 top-selling cookie varieties in America, five of them are Girl Scout cookies. And, again, they are generally only sold once a year for six to eight weeks.

But for those six to eight weeks, the Girl Scouts have managed to achieve near-unilateral surrender from the rest of the industry. No one wants to take on the little girls in the green sashes.

“The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a force of nature at the national level,” said John Frank, a Mintel food analyst. “Big companies like Kraft know it’s coming, and they’ve learned to live with it. It’s like a storm and there’s nothing they can do but wait for it to pass, because there is no upside to marketing against the Girl Scouts.”

So what do big brands do, if they can’t counter-sell?

Some adhere to: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Keebler, a rival cookie brand, is the owner and operator of  Little Brownie Bakers, one of two licensed industrial bakeries that make Girl Scout Cookies.

Incidentally, Keebler also makes lookalike, taste-alike cookies under its own branding in the same factories where it makes the Girl Scout Cookies. The Keebler Grasshopper is made by the exact same people who make the Girl Scouts Thin Mint. You might think this would affect the sale of Girl Scout cookies, since you can literally buy the exact same cookie baked in the exact same place for half the price year-round.

It does not make the slightest difference. The similar cookies don’t have any effect on Girl Scout cookie sales, and the original cookies vastly outsell the identical copies.

“Girl Scout consumers love our cookies, but they purchase them because they are supporting girls,” noted Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for the Girl Scouts. “That’s not happening at the supermarket.”

Other large brands – Kraft, notably – just give up the cookie ground entirely during the early part of the calendar year, and instead focus on countering programs. That includes advertising more savory snacks – macaroni and cheese, particularly – and more public service-oriented ads reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating. (Because if kids aren’t eating their cookies anyway, they may as well remind parents that they really shouldn’t be eating so many cookies.)

It might not be the best reason, but they might make a valid point. But given their sales, it seems fair to assume that Girl Scout cookies likely won’t be where people will make their first big calorie cuts.

Still, it’s unexpected to see a seasonal jump in healthy food advertising in response to scouts selling cookies.

But it is one of the more pleasant unexpected surprises, of the sort more likely to make one chuckle than cringe with concern. And given that it is not normally the way things happen in payments and commerce – where things going unexpectedly awry can be the wrong kind of explosive more often than the right kind – it is always nice when the week or season coughs up a few that are more amusing that worrisome.

——————————–

Latest Insights: 

Our data and analytics team has developed a number of creative methodologies and frameworks that measure and benchmark the innovation that’s reshaping the payments and commerce ecosystem. Check out the February 2019 PYMNTS Digital Fraud Tracker Report

Original Source https://ift.tt/2SXvhYC

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

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Usually when we talk about unintended consequences here at PYMNTS, we are talking about something that has gone terribly wrong, or at least failed to perform as well as desired because of some unforeseen side effect. The goal might be noble – but pursuing a noble goal the wrong way can quickly have byproducts that make the cure worse than the disease.

Usually, an unforeseen consequence is a bad thing.

But not always.

From time to time, one comes along that is delightful.

For example, Karen Webster noted that attempts to rid the island of Borneo of malaria led to a series of terrible after-effects from messing with the local ecosystem by killing mosquitoes with DDT spray. That list included collapsing roofs, an explosion in the local rat population and a typhus outbreak.

But there was also at least one somewhat delightful outcome – and it turned out to be the solution to the cascading series of problems unleashed by the attempted malaria remedy. It was a solution that no one could have foreseen, summed up in two words:

Cat paratroopers.

And while there were no documented cases of skydiving felines in the payments and commerce news to our knowledge this week, there were a few almost equally delightful unexpected outcomes and bugs that turned out to be fabulous features.

Because, as it turns out, Venmo might just be able to help cure a broken heart (or make one worse), the big bitcoin price drop might have been a boon for cybersecurity, and Girl Scout cookies might just be the reason you see more healthy eating options advertised over the next few weeks.

Feeling confused about what connections there could possibly be? Don’t worry, it’s probably weirder than you think…

Living Well Is the Best Revenge (And Venmo Can Help You Prove It)

There are a lot of Venmo uses that devotees can rattle off if asked. Sending funds to friends, splitting up checks, paying rent, contributing to group gifts or spending in stores (particularly with their newly released line of cards) – over the last several years, Venmo has evolved from a simple P2P payments platform into a robust set of financial services tools for its users.

But Venmo, as it turns out, has an even more useful feature that, until now, has gone totally unadvertised: It can be used to make your ex miserable.

The magic that makes it happen is the social media part of the Venmo platform, which allows users to list a live feed of their transactions  in an easily digestible, scrollable, emoji-filled form. And what one sees, noted Elle Huerta, CEO and founder of popular breakup app Mend, says it is “usually just enough information out of context to drive themselves crazy with.”

“It’s one thing to think about your ex moving on, but it’s quite another to see that they had $34 of delicious sushi last night with a name you don’t recognize,” she said. “And that’s why Venmo transactions can make your heart stop: Each one is a tiny glimpse into a world where your ex is continuing to walk the earth and live their life without you. That hurts.”

It’s an experience one Women’s Health writer had directly, when an ex-boyfriend arrived at her door a year after their split demanding that she make her Venmo feed more private, as it was causing him agony. Particularly, she noted, because everything he saw was out of context.

“He could see Venmo transactions showing how much I was enjoying my life – whether it was going out to brunch, or paying someone back via little red-wine emojis for happy hour,” she continued. “He could see that I went to a concert with my sister, as I sent a Venmo for ‘Best Coast’ with music notes, that I paid a friend for drinks the night before, and that I bought someone named Joe a breakfast sandwich (which he brought up during the aforementioned Venmo outburst). But he couldn’t see that I wasn’t dating Joe – that I was actually eating with him and 10 other people after our Saturday group run, and bought him a sandwich because he forgot his credit card.”

The writer, incidentally, did not acquiesce to her ex’s request, though the whole incident did make her reconsider how much of her spending life she wanted to make public.

Psychologists recommend that people who have been through recent break-ups treat Venmo like any other social media platform and stop following their exes on them, as digital stalking remains a terrible way to get over someone.

Bitcoin’s Price Busts, So Hackers Change Tactics

The last few months have been tough for bitcoin enthusiasts, who have watched the cryptocurrency bleed value for over a year at this point. The past week has looked a bit stronger, and some think that bitcoin’s price might get back above $4,000 within the next week. But considering that its price at this time last year was just shy of $10,000, the bigger story surrounding the world’s best-known cryptocurrency has been one about loss.

Which has been rough sledding for bitcoin investors, traders and miners, but might have ended up as a blessing in disguise for everyday internet users who were somewhat less likely to find themselves pegged by a ransomware attack over the last year.

Ransomware attacks, when launched against individuals or institutions, see cyber criminals gain access and control of a user’s computer, which they essentially hold hostage until a ransom is paid out in cryptocurrency. Sometimes, if the data being held is particularly sensitive, they will threaten to release it unless they are paid.

The good news, according to Symantec, is that ransomware attacks are down 20 percent year-on-year. The reason? The attacks are difficult and time-consuming to set up – and not worth the payouts, with bitcoin trading at increasingly low price points.

But lest anyone get too excited at their newfound security, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that cybercriminals simply moved onto greener pastures, revenue wise, and have now adopted a new form of hacking called formjacking, which harvests credit card data directly from retail sites. They also persist in “cryptojacking,” an easy and accessible hack that allows cybercriminals to capture other people’s computers and task them with mining cryptocurrency.

So the fall of bitcoin’s price did have an unexpected upside – but only for as long as it took hackers to find a suitable replacement.

Raising a White Flag Over Q1 Cookie Sales

The season of the cookie is upon us: specifically, the Girl Scout cookie.

Though there is no official date range for the sale of cookies – that decision is left to local troop councils – the unofficial season runs between January and March each year, as millions of Girl Scouts start hustling boxes in workplaces, in front of grocery stores and walking door-to-door in suburban neighborhoods across the country.

And the 1.8 million Girl Scouts who are hitting the streets with their treats are insanely good at selling them. One anonymous San Diego scout sold more than 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in less than six hours. Of course, she had the good sense to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary and pretty much let the cookies sell themselves for a few hours.

We eagerly await that girl’s future as the CEO of Amazon after Jeff Bezos retires to live on the moon full time.

“The traditional way of selling Girl Scout cookies is trying to go door to door, or utilizing friends and family networks,” marketing executive Kyle Boze told MarketWatch. “This girl used creativity to find a new market that hasn’t been tapped [as much] yet.”

And while not everyone has that level of marketing genius, Girl Scout cookies are big business in the U.S. – worth about $800 million in sales. That is more than Oreo and Chips Ahoy plus Milano, in case one is wondering. Among the 10 top-selling cookie varieties in America, five of them are Girl Scout cookies. And, again, they are generally only sold once a year for six to eight weeks.

But for those six to eight weeks, the Girl Scouts have managed to achieve near-unilateral surrender from the rest of the industry. No one wants to take on the little girls in the green sashes.

“The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a force of nature at the national level,” said John Frank, a Mintel food analyst. “Big companies like Kraft know it’s coming, and they’ve learned to live with it. It’s like a storm and there’s nothing they can do but wait for it to pass, because there is no upside to marketing against the Girl Scouts.”

So what do big brands do, if they can’t counter-sell?

Some adhere to: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Keebler, a rival cookie brand, is the owner and operator of  Little Brownie Bakers, one of two licensed industrial bakeries that make Girl Scout Cookies.

Incidentally, Keebler also makes lookalike, taste-alike cookies under its own branding in the same factories where it makes the Girl Scout Cookies. The Keebler Grasshopper is made by the exact same people who make the Girl Scouts Thin Mint. You might think this would affect the sale of Girl Scout cookies, since you can literally buy the exact same cookie baked in the exact same place for half the price year-round.

It does not make the slightest difference. The similar cookies don’t have any effect on Girl Scout cookie sales, and the original cookies vastly outsell the identical copies.

“Girl Scout consumers love our cookies, but they purchase them because they are supporting girls,” noted Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for the Girl Scouts. “That’s not happening at the supermarket.”

Other large brands – Kraft, notably – just give up the cookie ground entirely during the early part of the calendar year, and instead focus on countering programs. That includes advertising more savory snacks – macaroni and cheese, particularly – and more public service-oriented ads reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating. (Because if kids aren’t eating their cookies anyway, they may as well remind parents that they really shouldn’t be eating so many cookies.)

It might not be the best reason, but they might make a valid point. But given their sales, it seems fair to assume that Girl Scout cookies likely won’t be where people will make their first big calorie cuts.

Still, it’s unexpected to see a seasonal jump in healthy food advertising in response to scouts selling cookies.

But it is one of the more pleasant unexpected surprises, of the sort more likely to make one chuckle than cringe with concern. And given that it is not normally the way things happen in payments and commerce – where things going unexpectedly awry can be the wrong kind of explosive more often than the right kind – it is always nice when the week or season coughs up a few that are more amusing that worrisome.

——————————–

Latest Insights: 

Our data and analytics team has developed a number of creative methodologies and frameworks that measure and benchmark the innovation that’s reshaping the payments and commerce ecosystem. Check out the February 2019 PYMNTS Digital Fraud Tracker Report

Original Source https://ift.tt/2SXvhYC

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

1 Share

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

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Usually when we talk about unintended consequences here at PYMNTS, we are talking about something that has gone terribly wrong, or at least failed to perform as well as desired because of some unforeseen side effect. The goal might be noble – but pursuing a noble goal the wrong way can quickly have byproducts that make the cure worse than the disease.

Usually, an unforeseen consequence is a bad thing.

But not always.

From time to time, one comes along that is delightful.

For example, Karen Webster noted that attempts to rid the island of Borneo of malaria led to a series of terrible after-effects from messing with the local ecosystem by killing mosquitoes with DDT spray. That list included collapsing roofs, an explosion in the local rat population and a typhus outbreak.

But there was also at least one somewhat delightful outcome – and it turned out to be the solution to the cascading series of problems unleashed by the attempted malaria remedy. It was a solution that no one could have foreseen, summed up in two words:

Cat paratroopers.

And while there were no documented cases of skydiving felines in the payments and commerce news to our knowledge this week, there were a few almost equally delightful unexpected outcomes and bugs that turned out to be fabulous features.

Because, as it turns out, Venmo might just be able to help cure a broken heart (or make one worse), the big bitcoin price drop might have been a boon for cybersecurity, and Girl Scout cookies might just be the reason you see more healthy eating options advertised over the next few weeks.

Feeling confused about what connections there could possibly be? Don’t worry, it’s probably weirder than you think…

Living Well Is the Best Revenge (And Venmo Can Help You Prove It)

There are a lot of Venmo uses that devotees can rattle off if asked. Sending funds to friends, splitting up checks, paying rent, contributing to group gifts or spending in stores (particularly with their newly released line of cards) – over the last several years, Venmo has evolved from a simple P2P payments platform into a robust set of financial services tools for its users.

But Venmo, as it turns out, has an even more useful feature that, until now, has gone totally unadvertised: It can be used to make your ex miserable.

The magic that makes it happen is the social media part of the Venmo platform, which allows users to list a live feed of their transactions  in an easily digestible, scrollable, emoji-filled form. And what one sees, noted Elle Huerta, CEO and founder of popular breakup app Mend, says it is “usually just enough information out of context to drive themselves crazy with.”

“It’s one thing to think about your ex moving on, but it’s quite another to see that they had $34 of delicious sushi last night with a name you don’t recognize,” she said. “And that’s why Venmo transactions can make your heart stop: Each one is a tiny glimpse into a world where your ex is continuing to walk the earth and live their life without you. That hurts.”

It’s an experience one Women’s Health writer had directly, when an ex-boyfriend arrived at her door a year after their split demanding that she make her Venmo feed more private, as it was causing him agony. Particularly, she noted, because everything he saw was out of context.

“He could see Venmo transactions showing how much I was enjoying my life – whether it was going out to brunch, or paying someone back via little red-wine emojis for happy hour,” she continued. “He could see that I went to a concert with my sister, as I sent a Venmo for ‘Best Coast’ with music notes, that I paid a friend for drinks the night before, and that I bought someone named Joe a breakfast sandwich (which he brought up during the aforementioned Venmo outburst). But he couldn’t see that I wasn’t dating Joe – that I was actually eating with him and 10 other people after our Saturday group run, and bought him a sandwich because he forgot his credit card.”

The writer, incidentally, did not acquiesce to her ex’s request, though the whole incident did make her reconsider how much of her spending life she wanted to make public.

Psychologists recommend that people who have been through recent break-ups treat Venmo like any other social media platform and stop following their exes on them, as digital stalking remains a terrible way to get over someone.

Bitcoin’s Price Busts, So Hackers Change Tactics

The last few months have been tough for bitcoin enthusiasts, who have watched the cryptocurrency bleed value for over a year at this point. The past week has looked a bit stronger, and some think that bitcoin’s price might get back above $4,000 within the next week. But considering that its price at this time last year was just shy of $10,000, the bigger story surrounding the world’s best-known cryptocurrency has been one about loss.

Which has been rough sledding for bitcoin investors, traders and miners, but might have ended up as a blessing in disguise for everyday internet users who were somewhat less likely to find themselves pegged by a ransomware attack over the last year.

Ransomware attacks, when launched against individuals or institutions, see cyber criminals gain access and control of a user’s computer, which they essentially hold hostage until a ransom is paid out in cryptocurrency. Sometimes, if the data being held is particularly sensitive, they will threaten to release it unless they are paid.

The good news, according to Symantec, is that ransomware attacks are down 20 percent year-on-year. The reason? The attacks are difficult and time-consuming to set up – and not worth the payouts, with bitcoin trading at increasingly low price points.

But lest anyone get too excited at their newfound security, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that cybercriminals simply moved onto greener pastures, revenue wise, and have now adopted a new form of hacking called formjacking, which harvests credit card data directly from retail sites. They also persist in “cryptojacking,” an easy and accessible hack that allows cybercriminals to capture other people’s computers and task them with mining cryptocurrency.

So the fall of bitcoin’s price did have an unexpected upside – but only for as long as it took hackers to find a suitable replacement.

Raising a White Flag Over Q1 Cookie Sales

The season of the cookie is upon us: specifically, the Girl Scout cookie.

Though there is no official date range for the sale of cookies – that decision is left to local troop councils – the unofficial season runs between January and March each year, as millions of Girl Scouts start hustling boxes in workplaces, in front of grocery stores and walking door-to-door in suburban neighborhoods across the country.

And the 1.8 million Girl Scouts who are hitting the streets with their treats are insanely good at selling them. One anonymous San Diego scout sold more than 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in less than six hours. Of course, she had the good sense to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary and pretty much let the cookies sell themselves for a few hours.

We eagerly await that girl’s future as the CEO of Amazon after Jeff Bezos retires to live on the moon full time.

“The traditional way of selling Girl Scout cookies is trying to go door to door, or utilizing friends and family networks,” marketing executive Kyle Boze told MarketWatch. “This girl used creativity to find a new market that hasn’t been tapped [as much] yet.”

And while not everyone has that level of marketing genius, Girl Scout cookies are big business in the U.S. – worth about $800 million in sales. That is more than Oreo and Chips Ahoy plus Milano, in case one is wondering. Among the 10 top-selling cookie varieties in America, five of them are Girl Scout cookies. And, again, they are generally only sold once a year for six to eight weeks.

But for those six to eight weeks, the Girl Scouts have managed to achieve near-unilateral surrender from the rest of the industry. No one wants to take on the little girls in the green sashes.

“The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a force of nature at the national level,” said John Frank, a Mintel food analyst. “Big companies like Kraft know it’s coming, and they’ve learned to live with it. It’s like a storm and there’s nothing they can do but wait for it to pass, because there is no upside to marketing against the Girl Scouts.”

So what do big brands do, if they can’t counter-sell?

Some adhere to: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Keebler, a rival cookie brand, is the owner and operator of  Little Brownie Bakers, one of two licensed industrial bakeries that make Girl Scout Cookies.

Incidentally, Keebler also makes lookalike, taste-alike cookies under its own branding in the same factories where it makes the Girl Scout Cookies. The Keebler Grasshopper is made by the exact same people who make the Girl Scouts Thin Mint. You might think this would affect the sale of Girl Scout cookies, since you can literally buy the exact same cookie baked in the exact same place for half the price year-round.

It does not make the slightest difference. The similar cookies don’t have any effect on Girl Scout cookie sales, and the original cookies vastly outsell the identical copies.

“Girl Scout consumers love our cookies, but they purchase them because they are supporting girls,” noted Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for the Girl Scouts. “That’s not happening at the supermarket.”

Other large brands – Kraft, notably – just give up the cookie ground entirely during the early part of the calendar year, and instead focus on countering programs. That includes advertising more savory snacks – macaroni and cheese, particularly – and more public service-oriented ads reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating. (Because if kids aren’t eating their cookies anyway, they may as well remind parents that they really shouldn’t be eating so many cookies.)

It might not be the best reason, but they might make a valid point. But given their sales, it seems fair to assume that Girl Scout cookies likely won’t be where people will make their first big calorie cuts.

Still, it’s unexpected to see a seasonal jump in healthy food advertising in response to scouts selling cookies.

But it is one of the more pleasant unexpected surprises, of the sort more likely to make one chuckle than cringe with concern. And given that it is not normally the way things happen in payments and commerce – where things going unexpectedly awry can be the wrong kind of explosive more often than the right kind – it is always nice when the week or season coughs up a few that are more amusing that worrisome.

——————————–

Latest Insights: 

Our data and analytics team has developed a number of creative methodologies and frameworks that measure and benchmark the innovation that’s reshaping the payments and commerce ecosystem. Check out the February 2019 PYMNTS Digital Fraud Tracker Report

Original Source https://ift.tt/2SXvhYC

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

1 Share

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Share

Print

Email

Usually when we talk about unintended consequences here at PYMNTS, we are talking about something that has gone terribly wrong, or at least failed to perform as well as desired because of some unforeseen side effect. The goal might be noble – but pursuing a noble goal the wrong way can quickly have byproducts that make the cure worse than the disease.

Usually, an unforeseen consequence is a bad thing.

But not always.

From time to time, one comes along that is delightful.

For example, Karen Webster noted that attempts to rid the island of Borneo of malaria led to a series of terrible after-effects from messing with the local ecosystem by killing mosquitoes with DDT spray. That list included collapsing roofs, an explosion in the local rat population and a typhus outbreak.

But there was also at least one somewhat delightful outcome – and it turned out to be the solution to the cascading series of problems unleashed by the attempted malaria remedy. It was a solution that no one could have foreseen, summed up in two words:

Cat paratroopers.

And while there were no documented cases of skydiving felines in the payments and commerce news to our knowledge this week, there were a few almost equally delightful unexpected outcomes and bugs that turned out to be fabulous features.

Because, as it turns out, Venmo might just be able to help cure a broken heart (or make one worse), the big bitcoin price drop might have been a boon for cybersecurity, and Girl Scout cookies might just be the reason you see more healthy eating options advertised over the next few weeks.

Feeling confused about what connections there could possibly be? Don’t worry, it’s probably weirder than you think…

Living Well Is the Best Revenge (And Venmo Can Help You Prove It)

There are a lot of Venmo uses that devotees can rattle off if asked. Sending funds to friends, splitting up checks, paying rent, contributing to group gifts or spending in stores (particularly with their newly released line of cards) – over the last several years, Venmo has evolved from a simple P2P payments platform into a robust set of financial services tools for its users.

But Venmo, as it turns out, has an even more useful feature that, until now, has gone totally unadvertised: It can be used to make your ex miserable.

The magic that makes it happen is the social media part of the Venmo platform, which allows users to list a live feed of their transactions  in an easily digestible, scrollable, emoji-filled form. And what one sees, noted Elle Huerta, CEO and founder of popular breakup app Mend, says it is “usually just enough information out of context to drive themselves crazy with.”

“It’s one thing to think about your ex moving on, but it’s quite another to see that they had $34 of delicious sushi last night with a name you don’t recognize,” she said. “And that’s why Venmo transactions can make your heart stop: Each one is a tiny glimpse into a world where your ex is continuing to walk the earth and live their life without you. That hurts.”

It’s an experience one Women’s Health writer had directly, when an ex-boyfriend arrived at her door a year after their split demanding that she make her Venmo feed more private, as it was causing him agony. Particularly, she noted, because everything he saw was out of context.

“He could see Venmo transactions showing how much I was enjoying my life – whether it was going out to brunch, or paying someone back via little red-wine emojis for happy hour,” she continued. “He could see that I went to a concert with my sister, as I sent a Venmo for ‘Best Coast’ with music notes, that I paid a friend for drinks the night before, and that I bought someone named Joe a breakfast sandwich (which he brought up during the aforementioned Venmo outburst). But he couldn’t see that I wasn’t dating Joe – that I was actually eating with him and 10 other people after our Saturday group run, and bought him a sandwich because he forgot his credit card.”

The writer, incidentally, did not acquiesce to her ex’s request, though the whole incident did make her reconsider how much of her spending life she wanted to make public.

Psychologists recommend that people who have been through recent break-ups treat Venmo like any other social media platform and stop following their exes on them, as digital stalking remains a terrible way to get over someone.

Bitcoin’s Price Busts, So Hackers Change Tactics

The last few months have been tough for bitcoin enthusiasts, who have watched the cryptocurrency bleed value for over a year at this point. The past week has looked a bit stronger, and some think that bitcoin’s price might get back above $4,000 within the next week. But considering that its price at this time last year was just shy of $10,000, the bigger story surrounding the world’s best-known cryptocurrency has been one about loss.

Which has been rough sledding for bitcoin investors, traders and miners, but might have ended up as a blessing in disguise for everyday internet users who were somewhat less likely to find themselves pegged by a ransomware attack over the last year.

Ransomware attacks, when launched against individuals or institutions, see cyber criminals gain access and control of a user’s computer, which they essentially hold hostage until a ransom is paid out in cryptocurrency. Sometimes, if the data being held is particularly sensitive, they will threaten to release it unless they are paid.

The good news, according to Symantec, is that ransomware attacks are down 20 percent year-on-year. The reason? The attacks are difficult and time-consuming to set up – and not worth the payouts, with bitcoin trading at increasingly low price points.

But lest anyone get too excited at their newfound security, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that cybercriminals simply moved onto greener pastures, revenue wise, and have now adopted a new form of hacking called formjacking, which harvests credit card data directly from retail sites. They also persist in “cryptojacking,” an easy and accessible hack that allows cybercriminals to capture other people’s computers and task them with mining cryptocurrency.

So the fall of bitcoin’s price did have an unexpected upside – but only for as long as it took hackers to find a suitable replacement.

Raising a White Flag Over Q1 Cookie Sales

The season of the cookie is upon us: specifically, the Girl Scout cookie.

Though there is no official date range for the sale of cookies – that decision is left to local troop councils – the unofficial season runs between January and March each year, as millions of Girl Scouts start hustling boxes in workplaces, in front of grocery stores and walking door-to-door in suburban neighborhoods across the country.

And the 1.8 million Girl Scouts who are hitting the streets with their treats are insanely good at selling them. One anonymous San Diego scout sold more than 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in less than six hours. Of course, she had the good sense to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary and pretty much let the cookies sell themselves for a few hours.

We eagerly await that girl’s future as the CEO of Amazon after Jeff Bezos retires to live on the moon full time.

“The traditional way of selling Girl Scout cookies is trying to go door to door, or utilizing friends and family networks,” marketing executive Kyle Boze told MarketWatch. “This girl used creativity to find a new market that hasn’t been tapped [as much] yet.”

And while not everyone has that level of marketing genius, Girl Scout cookies are big business in the U.S. – worth about $800 million in sales. That is more than Oreo and Chips Ahoy plus Milano, in case one is wondering. Among the 10 top-selling cookie varieties in America, five of them are Girl Scout cookies. And, again, they are generally only sold once a year for six to eight weeks.

But for those six to eight weeks, the Girl Scouts have managed to achieve near-unilateral surrender from the rest of the industry. No one wants to take on the little girls in the green sashes.

“The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a force of nature at the national level,” said John Frank, a Mintel food analyst. “Big companies like Kraft know it’s coming, and they’ve learned to live with it. It’s like a storm and there’s nothing they can do but wait for it to pass, because there is no upside to marketing against the Girl Scouts.”

So what do big brands do, if they can’t counter-sell?

Some adhere to: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Keebler, a rival cookie brand, is the owner and operator of  Little Brownie Bakers, one of two licensed industrial bakeries that make Girl Scout Cookies.

Incidentally, Keebler also makes lookalike, taste-alike cookies under its own branding in the same factories where it makes the Girl Scout Cookies. The Keebler Grasshopper is made by the exact same people who make the Girl Scouts Thin Mint. You might think this would affect the sale of Girl Scout cookies, since you can literally buy the exact same cookie baked in the exact same place for half the price year-round.

It does not make the slightest difference. The similar cookies don’t have any effect on Girl Scout cookie sales, and the original cookies vastly outsell the identical copies.

“Girl Scout consumers love our cookies, but they purchase them because they are supporting girls,” noted Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for the Girl Scouts. “That’s not happening at the supermarket.”

Other large brands – Kraft, notably – just give up the cookie ground entirely during the early part of the calendar year, and instead focus on countering programs. That includes advertising more savory snacks – macaroni and cheese, particularly – and more public service-oriented ads reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating. (Because if kids aren’t eating their cookies anyway, they may as well remind parents that they really shouldn’t be eating so many cookies.)

It might not be the best reason, but they might make a valid point. But given their sales, it seems fair to assume that Girl Scout cookies likely won’t be where people will make their first big calorie cuts.

Still, it’s unexpected to see a seasonal jump in healthy food advertising in response to scouts selling cookies.

But it is one of the more pleasant unexpected surprises, of the sort more likely to make one chuckle than cringe with concern. And given that it is not normally the way things happen in payments and commerce – where things going unexpectedly awry can be the wrong kind of explosive more often than the right kind – it is always nice when the week or season coughs up a few that are more amusing that worrisome.

——————————–

Latest Insights: 

Our data and analytics team has developed a number of creative methodologies and frameworks that measure and benchmark the innovation that’s reshaping the payments and commerce ecosystem. Check out the February 2019 PYMNTS Digital Fraud Tracker Report

Original Source https://ift.tt/2SXvhYC

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

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Usually when we talk about unintended consequences here at PYMNTS, we are talking about something that has gone terribly wrong, or at least failed to perform as well as desired because of some unforeseen side effect. The goal might be noble – but pursuing a noble goal the wrong way can quickly have byproducts that make the cure worse than the disease.

Usually, an unforeseen consequence is a bad thing.

But not always.

From time to time, one comes along that is delightful.

For example, Karen Webster noted that attempts to rid the island of Borneo of malaria led to a series of terrible after-effects from messing with the local ecosystem by killing mosquitoes with DDT spray. That list included collapsing roofs, an explosion in the local rat population and a typhus outbreak.

But there was also at least one somewhat delightful outcome – and it turned out to be the solution to the cascading series of problems unleashed by the attempted malaria remedy. It was a solution that no one could have foreseen, summed up in two words:

Cat paratroopers.

And while there were no documented cases of skydiving felines in the payments and commerce news to our knowledge this week, there were a few almost equally delightful unexpected outcomes and bugs that turned out to be fabulous features.

Because, as it turns out, Venmo might just be able to help cure a broken heart (or make one worse), the big bitcoin price drop might have been a boon for cybersecurity, and Girl Scout cookies might just be the reason you see more healthy eating options advertised over the next few weeks.

Feeling confused about what connections there could possibly be? Don’t worry, it’s probably weirder than you think…

Living Well Is the Best Revenge (And Venmo Can Help You Prove It)

There are a lot of Venmo uses that devotees can rattle off if asked. Sending funds to friends, splitting up checks, paying rent, contributing to group gifts or spending in stores (particularly with their newly released line of cards) – over the last several years, Venmo has evolved from a simple P2P payments platform into a robust set of financial services tools for its users.

But Venmo, as it turns out, has an even more useful feature that, until now, has gone totally unadvertised: It can be used to make your ex miserable.

The magic that makes it happen is the social media part of the Venmo platform, which allows users to list a live feed of their transactions  in an easily digestible, scrollable, emoji-filled form. And what one sees, noted Elle Huerta, CEO and founder of popular breakup app Mend, says it is “usually just enough information out of context to drive themselves crazy with.”

“It’s one thing to think about your ex moving on, but it’s quite another to see that they had $34 of delicious sushi last night with a name you don’t recognize,” she said. “And that’s why Venmo transactions can make your heart stop: Each one is a tiny glimpse into a world where your ex is continuing to walk the earth and live their life without you. That hurts.”

It’s an experience one Women’s Health writer had directly, when an ex-boyfriend arrived at her door a year after their split demanding that she make her Venmo feed more private, as it was causing him agony. Particularly, she noted, because everything he saw was out of context.

“He could see Venmo transactions showing how much I was enjoying my life – whether it was going out to brunch, or paying someone back via little red-wine emojis for happy hour,” she continued. “He could see that I went to a concert with my sister, as I sent a Venmo for ‘Best Coast’ with music notes, that I paid a friend for drinks the night before, and that I bought someone named Joe a breakfast sandwich (which he brought up during the aforementioned Venmo outburst). But he couldn’t see that I wasn’t dating Joe – that I was actually eating with him and 10 other people after our Saturday group run, and bought him a sandwich because he forgot his credit card.”

The writer, incidentally, did not acquiesce to her ex’s request, though the whole incident did make her reconsider how much of her spending life she wanted to make public.

Psychologists recommend that people who have been through recent break-ups treat Venmo like any other social media platform and stop following their exes on them, as digital stalking remains a terrible way to get over someone.

Bitcoin’s Price Busts, So Hackers Change Tactics

The last few months have been tough for bitcoin enthusiasts, who have watched the cryptocurrency bleed value for over a year at this point. The past week has looked a bit stronger, and some think that bitcoin’s price might get back above $4,000 within the next week. But considering that its price at this time last year was just shy of $10,000, the bigger story surrounding the world’s best-known cryptocurrency has been one about loss.

Which has been rough sledding for bitcoin investors, traders and miners, but might have ended up as a blessing in disguise for everyday internet users who were somewhat less likely to find themselves pegged by a ransomware attack over the last year.

Ransomware attacks, when launched against individuals or institutions, see cyber criminals gain access and control of a user’s computer, which they essentially hold hostage until a ransom is paid out in cryptocurrency. Sometimes, if the data being held is particularly sensitive, they will threaten to release it unless they are paid.

The good news, according to Symantec, is that ransomware attacks are down 20 percent year-on-year. The reason? The attacks are difficult and time-consuming to set up – and not worth the payouts, with bitcoin trading at increasingly low price points.

But lest anyone get too excited at their newfound security, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that cybercriminals simply moved onto greener pastures, revenue wise, and have now adopted a new form of hacking called formjacking, which harvests credit card data directly from retail sites. They also persist in “cryptojacking,” an easy and accessible hack that allows cybercriminals to capture other people’s computers and task them with mining cryptocurrency.

So the fall of bitcoin’s price did have an unexpected upside – but only for as long as it took hackers to find a suitable replacement.

Raising a White Flag Over Q1 Cookie Sales

The season of the cookie is upon us: specifically, the Girl Scout cookie.

Though there is no official date range for the sale of cookies – that decision is left to local troop councils – the unofficial season runs between January and March each year, as millions of Girl Scouts start hustling boxes in workplaces, in front of grocery stores and walking door-to-door in suburban neighborhoods across the country.

And the 1.8 million Girl Scouts who are hitting the streets with their treats are insanely good at selling them. One anonymous San Diego scout sold more than 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in less than six hours. Of course, she had the good sense to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary and pretty much let the cookies sell themselves for a few hours.

We eagerly await that girl’s future as the CEO of Amazon after Jeff Bezos retires to live on the moon full time.

“The traditional way of selling Girl Scout cookies is trying to go door to door, or utilizing friends and family networks,” marketing executive Kyle Boze told MarketWatch. “This girl used creativity to find a new market that hasn’t been tapped [as much] yet.”

And while not everyone has that level of marketing genius, Girl Scout cookies are big business in the U.S. – worth about $800 million in sales. That is more than Oreo and Chips Ahoy plus Milano, in case one is wondering. Among the 10 top-selling cookie varieties in America, five of them are Girl Scout cookies. And, again, they are generally only sold once a year for six to eight weeks.

But for those six to eight weeks, the Girl Scouts have managed to achieve near-unilateral surrender from the rest of the industry. No one wants to take on the little girls in the green sashes.

“The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a force of nature at the national level,” said John Frank, a Mintel food analyst. “Big companies like Kraft know it’s coming, and they’ve learned to live with it. It’s like a storm and there’s nothing they can do but wait for it to pass, because there is no upside to marketing against the Girl Scouts.”

So what do big brands do, if they can’t counter-sell?

Some adhere to: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Keebler, a rival cookie brand, is the owner and operator of  Little Brownie Bakers, one of two licensed industrial bakeries that make Girl Scout Cookies.

Incidentally, Keebler also makes lookalike, taste-alike cookies under its own branding in the same factories where it makes the Girl Scout Cookies. The Keebler Grasshopper is made by the exact same people who make the Girl Scouts Thin Mint. You might think this would affect the sale of Girl Scout cookies, since you can literally buy the exact same cookie baked in the exact same place for half the price year-round.

It does not make the slightest difference. The similar cookies don’t have any effect on Girl Scout cookie sales, and the original cookies vastly outsell the identical copies.

“Girl Scout consumers love our cookies, but they purchase them because they are supporting girls,” noted Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for the Girl Scouts. “That’s not happening at the supermarket.”

Other large brands – Kraft, notably – just give up the cookie ground entirely during the early part of the calendar year, and instead focus on countering programs. That includes advertising more savory snacks – macaroni and cheese, particularly – and more public service-oriented ads reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating. (Because if kids aren’t eating their cookies anyway, they may as well remind parents that they really shouldn’t be eating so many cookies.)

It might not be the best reason, but they might make a valid point. But given their sales, it seems fair to assume that Girl Scout cookies likely won’t be where people will make their first big calorie cuts.

Still, it’s unexpected to see a seasonal jump in healthy food advertising in response to scouts selling cookies.

But it is one of the more pleasant unexpected surprises, of the sort more likely to make one chuckle than cringe with concern. And given that it is not normally the way things happen in payments and commerce – where things going unexpectedly awry can be the wrong kind of explosive more often than the right kind – it is always nice when the week or season coughs up a few that are more amusing that worrisome.

——————————–

Latest Insights: 

Our data and analytics team has developed a number of creative methodologies and frameworks that measure and benchmark the innovation that’s reshaping the payments and commerce ecosystem. Check out the February 2019 PYMNTS Digital Fraud Tracker Report

Original Source https://ift.tt/2SXvhYC

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

Venmo, Girl Scouts, Bitcoin: Unexpected Upsides

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Print

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Usually when we talk about unintended consequences here at PYMNTS, we are talking about something that has gone terribly wrong, or at least failed to perform as well as desired because of some unforeseen side effect. The goal might be noble – but pursuing a noble goal the wrong way can quickly have byproducts that make the cure worse than the disease.

Usually, an unforeseen consequence is a bad thing.

But not always.

From time to time, one comes along that is delightful.

For example, Karen Webster noted that attempts to rid the island of Borneo of malaria led to a series of terrible after-effects from messing with the local ecosystem by killing mosquitoes with DDT spray. That list included collapsing roofs, an explosion in the local rat population and a typhus outbreak.

But there was also at least one somewhat delightful outcome – and it turned out to be the solution to the cascading series of problems unleashed by the attempted malaria remedy. It was a solution that no one could have foreseen, summed up in two words:

Cat paratroopers.

And while there were no documented cases of skydiving felines in the payments and commerce news to our knowledge this week, there were a few almost equally delightful unexpected outcomes and bugs that turned out to be fabulous features.

Because, as it turns out, Venmo might just be able to help cure a broken heart (or make one worse), the big bitcoin price drop might have been a boon for cybersecurity, and Girl Scout cookies might just be the reason you see more healthy eating options advertised over the next few weeks.

Feeling confused about what connections there could possibly be? Don’t worry, it’s probably weirder than you think…

Living Well Is the Best Revenge (And Venmo Can Help You Prove It)

There are a lot of Venmo uses that devotees can rattle off if asked. Sending funds to friends, splitting up checks, paying rent, contributing to group gifts or spending in stores (particularly with their newly released line of cards) – over the last several years, Venmo has evolved from a simple P2P payments platform into a robust set of financial services tools for its users.

But Venmo, as it turns out, has an even more useful feature that, until now, has gone totally unadvertised: It can be used to make your ex miserable.

The magic that makes it happen is the social media part of the Venmo platform, which allows users to list a live feed of their transactions  in an easily digestible, scrollable, emoji-filled form. And what one sees, noted Elle Huerta, CEO and founder of popular breakup app Mend, says it is “usually just enough information out of context to drive themselves crazy with.”

“It’s one thing to think about your ex moving on, but it’s quite another to see that they had $34 of delicious sushi last night with a name you don’t recognize,” she said. “And that’s why Venmo transactions can make your heart stop: Each one is a tiny glimpse into a world where your ex is continuing to walk the earth and live their life without you. That hurts.”

It’s an experience one Women’s Health writer had directly, when an ex-boyfriend arrived at her door a year after their split demanding that she make her Venmo feed more private, as it was causing him agony. Particularly, she noted, because everything he saw was out of context.

“He could see Venmo transactions showing how much I was enjoying my life – whether it was going out to brunch, or paying someone back via little red-wine emojis for happy hour,” she continued. “He could see that I went to a concert with my sister, as I sent a Venmo for ‘Best Coast’ with music notes, that I paid a friend for drinks the night before, and that I bought someone named Joe a breakfast sandwich (which he brought up during the aforementioned Venmo outburst). But he couldn’t see that I wasn’t dating Joe – that I was actually eating with him and 10 other people after our Saturday group run, and bought him a sandwich because he forgot his credit card.”

The writer, incidentally, did not acquiesce to her ex’s request, though the whole incident did make her reconsider how much of her spending life she wanted to make public.

Psychologists recommend that people who have been through recent break-ups treat Venmo like any other social media platform and stop following their exes on them, as digital stalking remains a terrible way to get over someone.

Bitcoin’s Price Busts, So Hackers Change Tactics

The last few months have been tough for bitcoin enthusiasts, who have watched the cryptocurrency bleed value for over a year at this point. The past week has looked a bit stronger, and some think that bitcoin’s price might get back above $4,000 within the next week. But considering that its price at this time last year was just shy of $10,000, the bigger story surrounding the world’s best-known cryptocurrency has been one about loss.

Which has been rough sledding for bitcoin investors, traders and miners, but might have ended up as a blessing in disguise for everyday internet users who were somewhat less likely to find themselves pegged by a ransomware attack over the last year.

Ransomware attacks, when launched against individuals or institutions, see cyber criminals gain access and control of a user’s computer, which they essentially hold hostage until a ransom is paid out in cryptocurrency. Sometimes, if the data being held is particularly sensitive, they will threaten to release it unless they are paid.

The good news, according to Symantec, is that ransomware attacks are down 20 percent year-on-year. The reason? The attacks are difficult and time-consuming to set up – and not worth the payouts, with bitcoin trading at increasingly low price points.

But lest anyone get too excited at their newfound security, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that cybercriminals simply moved onto greener pastures, revenue wise, and have now adopted a new form of hacking called formjacking, which harvests credit card data directly from retail sites. They also persist in “cryptojacking,” an easy and accessible hack that allows cybercriminals to capture other people’s computers and task them with mining cryptocurrency.

So the fall of bitcoin’s price did have an unexpected upside – but only for as long as it took hackers to find a suitable replacement.

Raising a White Flag Over Q1 Cookie Sales

The season of the cookie is upon us: specifically, the Girl Scout cookie.

Though there is no official date range for the sale of cookies – that decision is left to local troop councils – the unofficial season runs between January and March each year, as millions of Girl Scouts start hustling boxes in workplaces, in front of grocery stores and walking door-to-door in suburban neighborhoods across the country.

And the 1.8 million Girl Scouts who are hitting the streets with their treats are insanely good at selling them. One anonymous San Diego scout sold more than 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in less than six hours. Of course, she had the good sense to set up shop outside a marijuana dispensary and pretty much let the cookies sell themselves for a few hours.

We eagerly await that girl’s future as the CEO of Amazon after Jeff Bezos retires to live on the moon full time.

“The traditional way of selling Girl Scout cookies is trying to go door to door, or utilizing friends and family networks,” marketing executive Kyle Boze told MarketWatch. “This girl used creativity to find a new market that hasn’t been tapped [as much] yet.”

And while not everyone has that level of marketing genius, Girl Scout cookies are big business in the U.S. – worth about $800 million in sales. That is more than Oreo and Chips Ahoy plus Milano, in case one is wondering. Among the 10 top-selling cookie varieties in America, five of them are Girl Scout cookies. And, again, they are generally only sold once a year for six to eight weeks.

But for those six to eight weeks, the Girl Scouts have managed to achieve near-unilateral surrender from the rest of the industry. No one wants to take on the little girls in the green sashes.

“The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a force of nature at the national level,” said John Frank, a Mintel food analyst. “Big companies like Kraft know it’s coming, and they’ve learned to live with it. It’s like a storm and there’s nothing they can do but wait for it to pass, because there is no upside to marketing against the Girl Scouts.”

So what do big brands do, if they can’t counter-sell?

Some adhere to: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Keebler, a rival cookie brand, is the owner and operator of  Little Brownie Bakers, one of two licensed industrial bakeries that make Girl Scout Cookies.

Incidentally, Keebler also makes lookalike, taste-alike cookies under its own branding in the same factories where it makes the Girl Scout Cookies. The Keebler Grasshopper is made by the exact same people who make the Girl Scouts Thin Mint. You might think this would affect the sale of Girl Scout cookies, since you can literally buy the exact same cookie baked in the exact same place for half the price year-round.

It does not make the slightest difference. The similar cookies don’t have any effect on Girl Scout cookie sales, and the original cookies vastly outsell the identical copies.

“Girl Scout consumers love our cookies, but they purchase them because they are supporting girls,” noted Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for the Girl Scouts. “That’s not happening at the supermarket.”

Other large brands – Kraft, notably – just give up the cookie ground entirely during the early part of the calendar year, and instead focus on countering programs. That includes advertising more savory snacks – macaroni and cheese, particularly – and more public service-oriented ads reminding kids about the importance of healthy eating. (Because if kids aren’t eating their cookies anyway, they may as well remind parents that they really shouldn’t be eating so many cookies.)

It might not be the best reason, but they might make a valid point. But given their sales, it seems fair to assume that Girl Scout cookies likely won’t be where people will make their first big calorie cuts.

Still, it’s unexpected to see a seasonal jump in healthy food advertising in response to scouts selling cookies.

But it is one of the more pleasant unexpected surprises, of the sort more likely to make one chuckle than cringe with concern. And given that it is not normally the way things happen in payments and commerce – where things going unexpectedly awry can be the wrong kind of explosive more often than the right kind – it is always nice when the week or season coughs up a few that are more amusing that worrisome.

——————————–

Latest Insights: 

Our data and analytics team has developed a number of creative methodologies and frameworks that measure and benchmark the innovation that’s reshaping the payments and commerce ecosystem. Check out the February 2019 PYMNTS Digital Fraud Tracker Report

Original Source https://ift.tt/2SXvhYC

Home Improvement Is Hot Right Now, but Who’s Doing What?

Getty Images; i Stock

You can see it in Home Depot, as homeowners cruise the aisles with overflowing orange carts, and in the offices of contractors whose phones are ringing off the hook: The home improvement industry is booming. Call it the HGTV effect, which has inspired millions of U.S. viewers to knock down walls, install kitchen islands, and outfit their living room walls with shiplap so they’re Instagram-worthy. Or maybe it’s because folks have more money in their pockets thanks to a stronger economy, and want to invest in their homes.

The average homeowner is taking on more improvement projects—and dropping more dough on them, according to the 2017 True Cost Survey from the national home services marketplace HomeAdvisor.

“A few years back, when things were rougher, when home values were not as high, people tended to take on projects like a new toilet and sink,” says HomeAdvisor’s chief economist, Brad Hunter.

Now that the economy and the housing market have improved, homeowners finally have more income, as well as more equity in their abodes—and so they’re taking on nonessential renovations to turn their homes into their dream homes.

“Nowadays, it’s ‘Let’s redo the toilet, sink, tile, and vanity.’ Instead of replacing countertop in the kitchen, it’s: ‘Let’s reface cabinets,'” Hunter says.

But not all home improvement projects are equally in demand—what homeowners want varies a lot depending on their generation, income, and where they live. We teamed up with the folks at HomeAdvisor to get a picture of who’s renovating what in America.

The company scoured the 14 million service requests it received from mid-July 2016 to mid-July 2017 to find out which projects are more popular than average among a given demographic group.

So read on to find out which generation is focused on swimming pools, where glass blocks are a must-have, and what people shell out for when they move up an income bracket. Maybe you’ll get ideas for your next home improvement project!

The generation gap in most-wanted improvements

We’re all familiar with the stereotypes: Millennials aren’t in any rush to settle down; they’re delaying traditional milestones of adulthood like getting married, having babies, and buying homes (whether you blame student debt or avocado toast).

Improvements based on age of homeowner

Claire Widman

True or not, the “kids” of this generation are growing up. And now that millennials are starting to tie the knot, even die-hard urbanites are starting to leave the cities for the suburbs, as they begin raising families. Unfortunately, they’re doing so at a time of record home prices in many markets. This means they’re often forced to buy smaller, older homes that are farther from the city center and need some serious work.

These younger adults gravitate towards home projects like installing outdoor play equipment for the kiddies and childproofing their homes. In fact, they’re 2.5 times more likely to request child-related jobs on HomeAdvisor.

“As soon as they have two kids, they’re going to move to the suburbs,” says demographer Ken Gronbach of Haddam, CT, author of “The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm.” Due to the housing shortage, millennials are going to take whatever they can get, he says. “Making the home safe for children will be their priority, and then the other things will fall into place.”

Aside from kid-friendly undertakings, the eight services that the youngest homeowners (34 and under) are most likely to request are related to expanding their living space, whether it’s remodeling a basement or landscaping the exterior. These are the kind of improvements that allow you to enjoy your home more, but they’re not exactly exciting.

Orlando-based math teacher and new mother Lisa Wray, 32, hired a professional to landscape her yard after a disastrous DIY gardening experiment resulted in a field of overgrown weeds surrounding her home.

“We don’t always have extra money to spend going out, so I want to go outside in my yard and sit and relax,” Wray says, adding that after the landscaping, it’s “not like there’s a dead bush over there, or I can’t walk through the backyard because the weeds have grown up to my legs.”

What about Generation Xers? Those in their mid-30s to mid-50s, sandwiched between attention-hogging millennials and baby boomers, are also spending on their kids and optimizing living space. However, with more equity and potentially higher salaries, they’re more likely to seek out high-end upgrades like new pools, outdoor kitchens, and professional holiday lighting.

“They’re [at] the age where they’re paid more money,” Gronbach says. “They’re going to spoil their kids.”

But it’s baby boomers who top the list of big spenders, forking out the most cash on nonessential improvements when they’re not repairing what they’ve already got. The top projects for them were fixing gutters, sheds, playhouses, gazebos, and freestanding porches.

Maintenance is important for boomers, who need to keep their property values up if they plan to eventually sell their homes and retire on the proceeds, Gronbach says.

“They have savings and stock portfolios, which millennials don’t have,” says HomeAdvisor’s Hunter. “Boomers are indulging in luxury purchases, large discretionary remodels, kitchens, bathrooms, stonework, remodeling swimming pools, hiring designers to do professional landscaping jobs.” And not just reining in the weeds, we imagine.

From essential maintenance to big-ticket splurges Projects based on income level

Claire Widman

Clearly, how much you’re raking in each year determines whether you spring for a fresh coat of paint in the master bedroom, install that drool-worthy outdoor hot tub, or build a landing pad out back—for your private jet. Or whether you make any improvement at all.

For example, installing or repairing swamp coolers is popular with those making less than $75,000. The coolers are like cheaper versions of air conditioners, which lower the temperature inside homes by adding moisture to the air. Plus, they only use a fraction of the electricity of A/Cs. Building new carports is also a priority—a project most likely to be requested by those earning between $50,000 and $74,999.

Earners in the $75,000 to $100,000 bracket indulge in some less essential projects like maintaining or installing above-ground swimming pools, followed by aerating their lawns.

“An above-ground swimming pool isn’t going to be in one of the magazines, but it’s going to serve its purpose and be fun,” says Houston, TX-area remodeler Dan Bawden, who also serves as the chairman of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Remodelers group. “And it’s probably 60% less [in price] than in-ground.” Take that, infinity pools!

It’s only when you get into the $250,000-plus category that the real luxury-ticket items appear—although some are weirdly practical. Homeowners in this bracket are most concerned with fixing their central vacuum systems. With these systems, it’s as if the body of the vacuum is inside the walls of your home; you just plug the vacuum hose right into the wall, and the dirt is sucked away. That’s right, Roombas are so middle-class.

Vacuum system repairs are followed by repairing outdoor lighting, and installing or resurfacing tennis or other sports courts or putting greens. Ready to hit the court, Buffy?

From coast to coast, different priorities stand out Geographic breakdown of popular improvements

Claire Widman

You may not have much in common with your neighbors (as can be seen from your holiday light displays), except when it comes to your home improvement projects. Certain home projects are favored in certain regions because of the areas’ environmental conditions.

Just look at the South, where hurricanes and pesky mosquitoes are major issues. So it makes sense that this is the region where requests roll in to prevent and fix storm damage, and keep those blood-sucking pests at bay. Pool enclosure jobs and security- or storm-shutter repairs and installations are also twice as likely to be requested in the South than in other regions.

“You get a lot of value from storm shutters, because you get a reduction in home insurance costs” if you have them, says real estate broker Marcos Fullana of Choice One Real Estate in Cutler Bay, FL, between Miami and the Florida Keys. The shutters keep storm debris from damaging your windows, he notes.

In the earthquake-prone western swath of the country, homeowners are ready. Retrofitting their homes with earthquake protection is the top project in the region, followed by installing or replacing those ever-popular and electricity-bill-lowering swamp coolers.

While desert residents seek to cool off, Northeasterners are trying to turn up the heat. Where winter temperatures regularly dip well below freezing, heating system installations and repairs take the lead.

But while much of the Midwest is just as cold, if not colder, than the Northeast, the top service requests there are not related to heat. Midwesterners spend on basements, installing egress windows, sump pumps, and waterproofing. But the No. 1 request in the region is installation of glass blocks, which let in light without sacrificing privacy, and also lose less heat than windows.

Jeanne Ladd, 60, and her husband had glass blocks installed in the bathroom window of their 100-year-old home 10 years ago. Originally framed with metal, which expands in the heat of summer, Ladd’s glass block window cracked last year. So she had the metal framing switched out for plastic.

“In Chicagoland, glass block is everywhere,” she says, adding that it is used in windows as well as walls. “It’s like meat and potatoes.”

Your home’s age can predict what you’ll improve next Improvements based on age of home

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Because of the distinctive design trends and construction techniques of each era, a home’s age directly correlates with the kind of improvement jobs its modern owners need—and how much they can expect to shell out.

Take Realtor® Amanda Nickerson Toste, 37, and her husband, Jeremy Toste, 37. They scored a deal on their dream 1940 Craftsman-style bungalow in Little Compton, RI, which had been vacant for a year and a half before the sale. And no wonder: The home is in need of a black mold remediation and a kitchen and bathroom renovation, and the fuel tank had to go. Removing a fuel tank, which can cost a few grand, is the second most common project for residences built in the 1940s.

“We had to replace the oil tank, because it’s outside, and the legs were rusted off,” says Nickerson Toste.

Because the Tostes live in New England, which isn’t earthquake-prone, they don’t have to retrofit their home for seismic activity. That’s the No. 1 service request for properties built in the 1940s (most likely because the postwar housing boom was in the West and Southwest). They just have a few other costly problems to take care of.

For homes built before 1940, repairs of wood gutters and heating systems trend high on the list, along with abatement of toxic lead (hey, they didn’t know better!).

Jumping ahead, owners of properties built in the 1950s are most likely to request glass block installation, to go with those sleek Mid-Century accents. Meanwhile, the repair that stands out for groovy ’60s-era homes is mending or altering chain-link fences.

Owners of 1970s-era homes are fixing the solar water heaters that gained traction during the oil crisis, and repairing or removing popcorn ceilings. Those textured toppers are also a prime target of owners of homes built in the 1980s—in fact, that’s the top service request for homes built throughout that 20-year span.

The synthetic stucco, pool enclosures, and Mediterranean tile roofs favored by subdivision builders in the 1990s are now hitting life expectancy, putting those repairs at the top of the list for owners of those homes.

Newer houses tend to need fewer major fixes, of course. For houses built between 2000 and 2005, pool enclosure, repairs of prefabricated gas fireplace units and exterior shutters crown the list of service requests. Homeowners of places built after 2005 have it best in the repair department, spending the most cash on recreational improvements like pergolas, in-ground pools, and home-theatre surround-sound systems. Outdoor kitchen and garage organizer installations are nearly three times more common in homes built within the past 12 years than for older homes.

“Homes built in the last 20 years tend to need different kinds of work from homes built in the 1970s, which are different again from homes built in the 1950s,” Hunter says. “Homes that are fairly new are not yet in need of a new roof or new appliances, but we see add-ons that embrace the trend toward outdoor living, like adding an outdoor kitchen, installing a pool, and building custom outdoor décor items like arbors and pergolas. As you look at older and older homes, you still see the outdoor-living trend, but it is reflected more in repairs.”

The post Home Improvement Is Hot Right Now, but Who’s Doing What? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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