Multi-Level Marketing/Pyramiding Schemes in Manila

One ways of striking it rich easy is to join a Multi-level Marketing company and to get a lot of recruits. With current economic conditions being unfavorable to start a business, being involved in these kinds of activities is becoming more and more attractive to those who want to earn additional income.

Members of multi-level marketing companies earn money through commission on his sales and the sales of the people who were recruited by him. Members of multi-level marketing companies capitalize on their ability to speak well and convince people to join. Here in Manila, most of those who join are either very smart or just plain gullible. Those who are very smart make lots of money. While those who are gullible just lose money.

Last night, a friend’s friend dropped by in order to “present” a product. Unfortunately for him, I already have a solid opinion about MLMs. He produced a flimsy looking product that the company was selling for USD450. In the back of my mind, I put the product price at around USD30-40. A lot of the product’s value is lost in commissions to the “recruiters” of the sales agent. I have to admire the company though for being able to come up with nice marketing and semi-credible research materials.

The agent went home unsuccessful in making a sale and my opinion on MLMs still remains the same.

MLMs are able to gain recruits by appealing to their greed. The success of MLMs to gain recruits depend on their ability to make earning money look easy. The main product of MLMs is being a part of the team. Secondary products are the actual products being sold. I chose not to involve myself in these kinds of activities since I find it hard to separate MLM activities from taking advantage of the less fortunate and the gullible. This is just my opinion though, some people have different opinions regarding this and I respect them.

There is a thin line between MLMs and pyramiding. I guess that the acid test for me if they are legitimate MLMs is that if they allow you to join the network without asking for money and give you products to sell on credit.

Before you join a multi-level marketing group, please visit this link http://www.vandruff.com/mlm.html. That way, at least you won't be doing it with your eyes closed.

Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database

Wow! I can't believe that there's a site dedicated to giving hazard ratings to cosmetic products. It's a good thing that I stumbled upon Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database .

In this site, you can search companies, products and ingredients and you will see their repective hazard ratings. I tried searching for Pure Anada, Aromaleigh and other small MMU companies but they didn't come up. Their database includes Everyday Minerals and Bare Escentuals though.

Heliocare Gel

Heliocare gel is the perfect sunblock for people with sensitive oily skin. I've tried numerous brands: Neutrogena, Clinique, Shiseido and VMV but they all caused my skin to breakout. I was about to give up in looking for my perfect sun solution when my dermatologist told me to give Heliocare a try. It was quite pricey but well worth it. Since it's gel based, it's non comodegenic (doesn't block pores). However, application is not as easy as the traditional sunblock. You have to spread the product really well to get sufficient coverage. Removing Heliocare is hassle free, though. In fact, I don't use makeup remover anymore if I have only Heliocare on my face. I just wash my face with my regular facial wash and viola! my face is clean! Compared to other sunblocks, Heliocare is quite expensive- mine cost me around $48 USD but it's well worth it. It takes me months to use up a tube so I'm willing to part with some of my shopping money for sun protection. As an added bonus, it smells quite nice.

Private Sale

Great news, my friend is going to have a private sale which will be held in Palm Village Makati this weekend fro 1pm-4pm. Up for grab stuff will include shoes, bags, accessories, storage solutions and of course, mineral makeup (Lumiere and EDM). Attached is the invite for those who wish to go. The private sale will start at 1pm and end at 4pm.

Here's a link to the map
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v602/janfdez/?action=view&current=mappalm.jpg

They would appreciate it if you would text them for your attendance. Free snacks and drinks maybe?!? Hmmm :D

Must read stuff about HPV Vaccine Gardasil

My mom has been pestering me for months to get shots for HPV. Thank God for procrastination and unwillingness on my part to let go of my hard earned money. A series of HPV shots costs around PHP 18,000 or roughly USD 391.00. Think of how much stuff I could buy with that money. It turns out that HPV Vaccine has a lot of side effects that showed up only after years after the shots were taken. Below is the complete article from CNN.

Should parents worry about HPV vaccine? CNN

(CNN) -- A vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer is coming under fresh scrutiny amid thousands of complaints linking it to a range of health problems.

Gardasil has been the subject of 7,802 "adverse event" reports from the time the Food and Drug Administration approved its use two years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Girls and women have blamed the vaccine for causing ailments from nausea to paralysis -- even death. Fifteen deaths were reported to the FDA, and 10 were confirmed, but the CDC says none of the 10 were linked to the vaccine. The CDC says it continues to study the reports of illness.

Gardasil prevents the spread of human papillomavirus, known as HPV -- a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer in a relatively small number of girls and women.

The vaccine's manufacturer, Merck & Co. Inc., says it has distributed more than 26 million Gardasil vaccines worldwide, including nearly 16 million in the United States. It estimates that 8 million girls and women have received the vaccine in the United States since June 2006.

Two girls allege in court that the vaccine made them sick.
One -- Jesalee Parsons of Broken Bow, Oklahoma -- got the shot at age 13.

Jesalee's lawyer, Michael McLaren, said she got the shot on February 27, 2007 and soon developed a fever and felt pain. The next day, he said, Jesalee felt pain in her chest and abdomen.

Her mother, Laura Parsons, said Jesalee spent weeks in the hospital and underwent two surgeries after developing pancreatitis. She says the federal government should have studied the drug more before approving its use.

"I just feel let down by the government," Parsons said.

Merck says it could be a coincidence that the girls got sick after receiving the vaccine.

The company said in a statement that an adverse event report "does not mean that a causal relationship between an event and vaccination has been established -- just that the event occurred after vaccination."

Merck said it would continue to evaluate reports of adverse reactions. It said it "updates product labels with new safety information as appropriate."

Iisa Pa Lamang

I can't believe that I'm blogging about this new telenovela. I'm far from being a tv junkie. I rarely watch TV and when I do, it's often the news or the Discovery Channel.

The writers and directors of the new telenovela "Iisa Pa Lamang" must be doing something right to have caught my attention with their teasers. I've given up on Philippine telenovela after watching an episode of Dyesebel and Lobo. Both series bored me to death and the only purpose that they serve is a sleep inducers.

To my surprise and pleasure, Iisa pa lamang proved to be different. After watching an episode, I'm hooked to the series. The powerhouse cast and the storyline really engrossed me. Who would've imagined that I would even be writing about it. Below is a synopsis that I found in WIKI to give you an idea of what to expect from the series. It's a must watch show! I wouldn't be surprised if they'd have DVDs with english subtitles of the series out after the series ends.

This series is definitely worth watching!!!

(Codename Asero doesn't stand a chance)

The Synopsis (taken from Wikipedia)

This is the story of Catherine, an oppressed provincial girl who loses her one true love in the hands of a scheming woman.

Early 90s, in a prosperous hacienda in Amadesto, Batangas, lived three childhood friends namely Catherine Ramirez, Miguel Castillejos, and Raphael Torralba. Little did they know that their lives would forever be caught in a complex web of lies, deceit and obsession.

When Catherine Ramirez (Claudine Barretto) grows up into a beautiful young woman, she falls in-love with Miguel Castillejos (Diether Ocampo), the eldest son of Isadora (Cherrie Pie Picache). While Catherine’s and Miguel’s love blossoms, Raphael (Gabby Concepcion) returns after living in the US for years. He also falls for Catherine. But Raphael is 10 years older than Catherine. He also learns that Catherine and Miguel are already in a relationship so Raphael won’t declare his feelings for Catherine.

Hoping for a blissful life with the man she loves, Catherine soon finds herself trapped in a scheme of a devious woman who happens to be Miguel’s mother.

After Catherine’s mysterious disappearance, Miguel was forced by his mother Isadora to marry a rich girl named Scarlet Dela Rhea (Angelica Panganiban). A union founded on needs instead of love, Miguel and Scarlet’s marriage was a failure right from the start.

Heart-broken, homeless and rejected, Catherine strives to build a new life in Manila with her grandmother (Susan Roces). Regaining her pride, dignity and self - respect proved to be a great feat for a young girl like Catherine. Aura, her loving grandmother is her source of strength, hope and values.

Soon, blessings and opportunities come for Catherine. She was very fortunate to have been given a scholarship from a foundation owned by Martin Dela Rhea (Bembol Roco). Things complicate when Martin falls in love and proposes to Catherine. Feeling indebted, Catherine feels she had no choice but to say yes to the man who helped her on her feet again. Martin Dela Rhea was Catherine’s hero, the man who gave her her life back. But Martin turns out to be Scarlet’s father. When she marries Martin, Catherine hurts the people she loves and the people who loves her including Aura and Raphael.

Catherine soon becomes a complex woman with complex values and intentions. Driven by obsessive love and revenge, she starts creating problems and chaos around the Dela Rhea family. She is now Mrs. Catherine Dela Rhea, a billionaire’s wife. She is Scarlet’s stepmother, Miguel’s boss in the office, and she holds more power than anybody else.

Catherine becomes heartless, ruthless and cold as this was the only way she perceives to attain justice for all that has happened in the past.

But beneath her smoldering anger lies an undeniable passion between Catherine and Miguel. Their battle of wills is just an outlet of their own frustrations and deeply buried love and desire for each other.

And through it all, Raphael never lost hope. His love for Catherine is pure and he will do everything to free Catherine from her hatred and anger, despite his mother Estelle’s (Laurice Guillen) disapproval.

And caught in the middle of this powerplay are the two young innocents – Sophia (Melissa Ricks) who is Miguel’s younger sister, and Toby (Matt Evans), Raphael’s younger brother. Will their blossoming love survive amidst the chaos around them?

Catherine realizes that in order to break free from the past, she must find it in her heart to forget and forgive… before she can truly attain the happiness and true love that eluded her all these years.

An epic saga with a powerhouse cast, IISA PA LAMANG is a love story that will show us the real meaning of love.

Love destroys… Love consumes… but ultimately… Love Redeems.

Tilapia is bad for the health!

Jul 10, 2008 (The Philadelphia Inquirer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Consider the latest food to hit the danger list: farm-raised tilapia.
Researchers from Wake Forest University Medical Center say you're better of with a big juicy burger than with this mild, low-fat fish, which turns out to be high in an unhealthful form of fat called long-chain omega-6 fatty acids, especially when it's produced by fish farms.
Long chain omega-6 fats promote inflammation associated with heart disease, asthma, some cancers, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other conditions, said Floyd Chilton, professor of physiology at Wake Forest and head of the study.

Is there anything left that the experts say we should eat? Not much, said Chilton, thanks to a large-scale corruption of the American food chain with cheap corn feed. That has altered the composition of fats found in beef, chicken, eggs and farmed fish, such as catfish and tilapia.
In tests, the researchers found that grain-fed tilapia concentrated even more of the worst fats than did grain-fed beef.

One animal-based food that Chilton recommends is wild-caught fish, such as salmon and sardines, since they contain inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately, he said, public health officials have been wrongly telling people to get more of this important nutrient by eating more fish without specifying what kind.

Hmm, if this article is saying that farm raised fish is bad because of the cheap feeds, then that makes farm raised salmon, milkfish etc... bad for the health too. I guess that I'll be left to eating organic vegetables.