Big Wigs in Finance- Where they are now...

There's a saying that goes "the bigger they are, the harder they fall..." very apt description for a lot of industry leaders in the financial industry.

I'm certain that they're still a lot richer than me but I still wouldn't trade shoes with them. I can't imagine that millions or billions of dollars can be lost by a person in a year... and I wouldn't want to imagine how it would feel like either. 

I have one question though, if they'd lost their money, where did it go?

Here's a list of the financial big wigs and the estimated damage to their bank accounts

All I can say is ouch!!!!

Here in Manila, the famous fund manager CKP is in comatose. Let's pray for his recovery. His fund has performed poorly in the past due to bad market, bad luck and bad timing. It has cost a lot of people, including me a lot of money. Good people make bad decisions so I'll cut him some slack. I'm sure that he's feeling pretty bad because of the stress brought about by the bad financial environment. 

On the other hand, the famous fund manager, who is also a writer for a popular spreadsheet here in Manila is still alive and kicking... I've learned a newbie lesson never to heed his advice again... When he tells people to buy his "stock picks" that's a signal for me to sell. This guy is heartless and takes advantage of innocent stock investors especially newbies. I have no respect for these kinds of people.

Anyway, it's hard to earn money from stocks because the market is really erratic. My advice is to be liquid. I've pulled out my money from the market last year and am really glad that I made the right decision. For those who are stuck, I wish you all the best... don't do anything rash. Remember, you can still earn what you've lost. 

Life Directions Retreat

In today's fast paced world many are lost. Many don't know what direction their life should take. I admit that I was once a lost soul. I still lose my focus now and then but a little nudge in the right direction and I'm on the right path again. 

A lot of us are not lucky to have all the great opportunities placed in a golden platter in front of us. In fact, most of us have to search for what we'd like to do with our lives. It's not easy. Some 40 something, 50 something, 60 something still don't know what their life's purpose is. 

Life Directions Retreat is being held every year to guide people who want to rediscover themselves or discover their purpose in life. 

Don't expect to immediately know where your life is going to after attending the retreat though. You need to open your heart and mind in order for the retreat to be successful and make the necessary lifestyle changes if need be. The success of this retreat relies 20% on the organizers and 80% on the participant.

*** I've been meaning to attend this retreat but their schedule always doesn't fit mine.

For inquiries, email lifesdirections75@gmail.com 

or contact Tiff Batilo (0917 8612951) or Didi Paterno (0917 8440367)

www.lifesdirections75.wordpress.com

Abe's Farm

Inspite of the Storm Signal Number 1 raised yesterday, my friends and I didn't let the opportunity to spend the day in rural Pampanga pass us by. 

It took us 1.5 hours to reach Abe's farm. The farm although secluded was well guarded. The perimeter of the lot was surrounded by tall concrete walls and entrance was through an equally intimidating gate which was kept closed. A security guard was stationed near the gate to assist visitors of the farm. Due to the existing weather conditions, we weren't able to take a lot of pictures but Abe's farm is a great picture taking spot, weather permitting.

Ample parking space was available for visitors. I would approximate the parking capacity to 15-20 cars. No fear of getting your shoes or car muddied as the grounds were filled with large natural stones.

The restaurant interior was clean and had a rustic approach to it. Most if not all of the furniture were made of hardwood. Antique appliances also added to the place's appeal. Model bedrooms and living rooms were also built as part of the restaurant's interior. Here, visitors can take pictures and lounge around. This is definitely a great spot to visit if one needs to relax or escape the hustle and bustle of city life

The food was superb. All the dishes were tasty and fresh. If you've enjoyed the food in Abe's Serendra or Trinoma then you would definitely love the dishes here at Abe's farm. Abe's farm has bigger portions. The food also seemed tastier. 

What we had:

Lamb Adobo 

Paco Fern Salad

Sinigang na Baboy

Crispy Hito

Adobong Puso ng Saging

Sisig

Sikreto ni Maria (dessert)

Turon (dessert)

I loved all the food except for the sisig. I prefer my sisig to be toasted brown.

It's hard to choose the best dishes but if I were to order just two dishes then it would have to be Lamb Adobo and Adobong Puso ng Saging. 

After lunch, guests can take a swim in their luxurious looking pool. It was raining so we had no choice but to just take pictures of what we could have been doing.

Massage was also available in Abe's farm. Nurture's Spa offers massage services inside. The rates were quite pricey though. We're on a budget so we had to pass.

Rooms are also available for those who wished to stay overnight at the farm. 

Travelling 150km from Metro Manila was worth it. We had lots of fun and enjoyed the food immensely. We spent approximately 800PhP for gas, another 316PhP for the toll and PhP 2,400 for the food. Quite reasonable if you're gonna do it once in awhile.

*** Crickets are also being served in Abe's farm. We were not that adventurous so we didn't order that. A lot of people are saying that it's good though.

You can call Abe's restaurant or any restaurant part of the LJC group to inquire about Abe's farm.

Tainted Milk

China is known for mass producing a lot of fake items: bags, cellphones, shirts, etc. Who would've thought that these wily businessmen would go as far as producing "fake" milk... semi-fake anyway. For those who are oblivious to what's happening, here's the scoop: it was discovered recently that a lot milk produced in China contained melanine. I don't know exactly what the effect of melamine is if ingested internally, but it's considered plastic so it can't be good. 

I've always been wary of China manufactured cosmetics and food products but I didn't expect the Chinese businessmen to stoop this low for profit's sake. Saying that the people in China are ruthless businessmen is an understatement. 

A lot of multinational companies are affected by this revelation. Even the coffee giant, Starbucks was not spared from this unexpected revelation. Expect the price of milk produced locally and imported from New Zealand and Australia to jack up. Nobody would dare buy China produced milk, or if they're wise, China manufactured food products (who knows what else they've added in other food products).

The Chinese government should be more stringent in punishing socially irresponsible and unethical business practices such as this one to avoid similar incidents in the future. 

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.