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Came across this little gem of a web site
They've done some nice research. So... in addition to just following the old addage "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" you can also turn here to help you quantify just how good it is not.
I just couldn't believe it when I read this. I have no idea what makes people tick like this. I'm bewildered, baffled, and very sad.
Elderly Duo get Life in Insurance Killings
I went to the local grocery store the other day and as has become the norm, there was a table set up in front of the entrance with product laid out, and posters advertising some cause or another. The women wearing pink blazers standing behind the table clearly weren't selling girl scout cookies, so I ventured closer to see what they were about.
The cause was "Operation Smile" which I had heard of, and knew to be an organization focused on raising money to help surgically repair facial deformities in children such as cleft lips and palettes. It's a worthwhile cause but I chose not to donate that day.
The actual product that they were selling to raise funds for the charity was Victoria Jackson cosmetics, which they explained through a "generous program and partnership with Victoria Jackson herself", they were able to purchase at a significantly discounted rate. And 5% of the total proceeds of their sales would then go towards Operations Smile.
I'm not a big makeup wearer, but I can always go for a good lipstick and some mascara so it wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility that I would purchase cosmetics for a good cause. However I questioned the 5% and was told that that most of the money went towards buying the product (which was significantly discounted for them which they took pains to point out; whether or not it was also going to be significantly discounted for me they never bothered to offer) and administrative costs, but that 5% is a good amount to donate towards this charity.
Without even having to know the retail or discounted price of the cosmetics they were peddling I did know this. Why would I be interested in purchasing cosmetics for a good cause when only 5% of the proceeds went towards the cause. When instead I could donate directly to the charity where a significantly greater percentage of my money would go directly towards the cause.
But just because I was curious I decided to do some research. And here's what I found out about Victoria Jackson and her cosmetics, as well as about Operation Smile.
Operation Smile - in my opinion a worthy mission statement, to help children with deformities lead normal lives and promote sustainable healthcare systems for children and their families. Here are their financials for fiscal year ending June 30th 2007
I have no idea how that compares to other charities in terms of operating expenses as a % of revenue. Like I said - not a financial analyst; not an expert in non-profits; not an accountant; not an MBA. So I can't really pass judgement on the efficiency of the operation or net proceeds.
I also looked up Victoria Jackson's cosmetic line and here are a couple of sample prices:
lipstick: retail - $22; wholesale - $15; current sale price - $11
foundation: retail - $28; wholesale - $17
blush: retail - $23; wholesale - $14; current sale price - $12
so retail price in general appears to be a markup of 45% - 65% from wholesale. I don't know what the discounted price the pink blazer ladies paid for their inventory. Maybe it was less than wholesale. I also didn't actually note what price they were selling the cosmetics for. Maybe that also was less than wholesale. I would venture to guess though, that even with the discounted price (which I will presume since it is for a charitable cause would be passed on to the consumer in some fashion) and after the 5% donation to the charity, that Victoria Jackson was still making some sort of profit. There's nothing wrong with that; Victoria Jackson Cosmetics itself is a business, not non-profit. This is just an observation.
I did peruse the Operation Smile "shop to benefit" page. For cosmetics and fragrance purchases, 2% - 5% proceeds donated seems standard. There is a pretty pendant you can purchase for anywhere between $200 - $5,000 and 30% of its proceeds goes towards the charity. And the DVD, a $20 purchase, donates $6 of each purchase to the cause - also 30%.
Anyway, at the end of it all I didn't arrive at any different conclusion than I started with which was
which are the rules I've always applied to charities anyway.
I do wish I knew the discounted price the organization paid for the cosmetics in the first place as well as taken note of the price they were selling because that would have made the math a little more interesting.
The point of this blog entry is mainly just to reassure remote family and friends that the arson of 4 homes in the larger area that has been reported on the news today across the nation and also in Canada was no where near our neighbourhood, thank goodness, and that we and our home are fine.
The houses that were destroyed by fire were part of the Seattle Street of Dreams. The most recent article I found on the internet, updated as of a couple of hours ago, is here at the seattletimes.com but if you search on Street of Dreams Arson you'll find lots of current info.
Hey there. Sorry again for waking you up so early, but I am glad everything is alright. :-)
Posted by Sarah on March 3, 2008 4:52 PM.
For your daily dose of cuteness, check out Zoo Atlanta's Panda Cam, and watch Lun Lun and her 36-day old baby girl panda snuggling.
http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_panda_cam.htm
Got an email from my dad today to me and my sister reminding us it's Shrove Tuesday and to enjoy our shroves ;-)
Tim'll be outta town tonight and Baby Girl isn't ready for pancakes yet (she could handle the texture I think if torn up into little itty bitty tiny pieces but it's the ingredients I'm more cautious about) so I think we'll be forgoing the traditional pancake dinner this year. However for those of you who observe this particular day, hope y'all enjoy yours!
In the spirit of eating breakfast for dinner, (which is actually entirely Not the point of Shrove Tuesday but whatever) I ended up having peanut butter toast and milk. It's quick, easy, and I can make enough for one person without leaving any leftovers ;-)
The actual definition of "shrove" is "to make or hear confession" and since I'm really not a practicing Catholic about the closest thing I can come to it on this Shrove Tuesday anyway, is to confess that I prefer when Tim cooks dinner on weekdays :-)
I was going through our pile of receipts for the week (I'm old fashioned and having tried it several times unsuccessfully and then worked in the industry, I don't trust the "online downloading and auto-balancing" features of most financial software programs - they just don't do it right for me) and was updating our finances on the computer when I came across the following receipt from QFC:
3 Musketeer - 3.49
Tot Piz Roll - 4.19
Hst Cupckes - 1.19
Plntr Peanut - 3.39
3Musktr Cndy - 0.65
3Musktr Cndy - 0.65
3Musktr Cndy - 0.65
Host Zingers - 1.19
Milk - 2.50
Although it's the only healthy thing on the receipt, I am guessing the sole purpose of the milk is to wash down the Totino's Pizza rolls, the three 3 Musketeer chocolate bars, the bag of 3 Musketeer candy, and the packages of Hostess Cupcakes and Zingers. Peanuts and milk don't really go together so I'm betting he already had beer at home to go with those.
Not exactly sure how this receipt ended up in our possession since it's nothing we'd buy, and the debit card # doesn't match one of ours, but I'm getting a very clear mental image of the real purchaser of all this "food" ;-) And yes - I said "he", because in my many many years of observing the contents of men's grocery carts vs women's grocery carts in the checkout line at the grocery store, time and time again I see my theory that women are healthier food buyers than men proven true. That's not to say that women actually EAT healthier than men, or that women don't just go home and closet binge on the junk food that their male housemates have purchased... I'm just saying the stuff the women actually BUY tends to be more wholesome ;-)
Hmm... I could really go for something sweet right about now. Wonder why that is...
Unfortunately Tim's decided to be a positive influence on me, his pregnant wife, and has eliminated all the "bad-for-us" stuff from our cupboards (or he's just really good at hiding it. Either way, it's effective ;-)). I guess I'll settle for a glass of water. ;-)
Isn't it pretty?
I like it - it makes me think of poppies blowing gently in the breeze underneath a clear blue sky. No -it's not a new painting. We're on a self-imposed art-purchasing hiatus due to a) the lack of space in our current house and b)(and perhaps more significantly) the rather scary loan papers we just signed for the construction of our new home ;-)
It's actually Tim's cell phone screen. And no - it's not a new wallpaper. He forgot the phone was in his back pocket when he sat down, and the display screen cracked, resulting in this permanent but rather artful splotch. Unfortunately he can't see anything else on the screen so we'll be getting Mr. H a new cell phone shortly :-)
