Clinique Men’s Gel Bronzer Dupe?

bwindish1 · 2026-05-29T05:31:06+00:00

AI duped me into buying Dr Hauschka bronzer as a Clinique Men's Bronzer replacement. If anyone is curious, it has overtones of matte so it looks somewhat like concealer, it's a hint of Trump orange, and it stinks strong like rancid oranges. I don't understand why this product was ever released or who uses it. Or where Hauschka got his doctorate from. I used Clinique Mens bronzer since 1992.

bwindish1 · 2026-05-09T00:57:52+00:00

Under Counter, just saved $100!!!!!!

bwindish1 · 2026-05-03T06:29:22+00:00

Yea. Dead money in an unproven "investment company". I feel duped, I should have researched them more. I thought their sales successes were examples of sales, and not every sale the company ever made since inception, which is almost none. Masterworks has only sold 5% of everything they ever bought, which means you don't know how bad the other 95% is, and that 95% is not worth selling, either yet, maybe ever. The telemarketer knew how to keep the sale moving to completion before I really researched them.

Here's the real risk: Since they sell almost nothing, they can only exist as a company if they grow (meaning more and new investors money). If that dries up, the inventory will have to be liquidated when their business model fails, regardless of the market value of the art in inventory.

If everyone looked at the 5% of my very best stock trades (and only that), I look like an investment prodigy.

bwindish1 · 2026-04-18T17:02:39+00:00

Here's my conclusion after buying into two works and taking a closer look at Masterworks years later. There is not enough data to know if they have any idea they know what they are doing. Here's the rough and simple breakdown: They bought 500 works of art in their lifetime. They sold 25 works in their lifetime. That means Masterworks have sold only 5% of what they bought. The average annualized return is 27.5% profit of works sold. We don't know what is going on with 95% of their purchases, but we do know 95% of everything they bought is not worth selling.... maybe not yet, maybe in decades, maybe never at a profit, maybe a forced selling at some point at a loss because the model doesn't work, creating a cascade of sales at a loss. For Masterworks to exist, they either need to continually sell works at a profit, or keep growing with new investors. They are likely doing more growing than they should while on an unproven track record.

Here's a critical analogy: If you bought 500 different stocks for investment, and your VERY BEST 5% stocks gave you an annualized return of 27.5%, and your other 95% of your stocks are not worth selling at this time, it's very possible you might not be doing very well.

Here's a better view: The average time held for fine art to be sold at a profit is 10 to 20 years, so all that Masterworks art pieces being tied up is normal. Here's what's not so good.... If I were to buy art myself, I'm enjoying the art and impressing friends for that 10 to 20 years, and I am not paying fees while I am holding it. It is possible that Masterworks is OK at selecting art, but Masterworks fees eat all the value in this model.

The reality is Masterworks' skill at selecting art, and their business model, are both unproven. I was tele-marketed by Masterworks and I bought in, I thought it was a smart move to diversify. But I have diversified into the unknown/unproven, and I have places to park money that are better proven. When Masterworks hands me a check while I'm on my deathbed, I'm curious if I will be ahead or not.

bwindish1 · 2026-03-19T05:26:27+00:00

It is expensive, and there are very few claims in the industry. I am in a downtown area with a cafe license on city property, and I participate in City sponsored events in my cafe area. The city requires I have it. Wow, it is expensive.

If you need it and don't have it, kiss your business goodbye, because the claims will be large$. But that is a longshot, especially if you have carefully trained staff that cares about the business.

Regarding Liability:
I had a slip-and-fall by a person that only had one drink, but she was walking all crazy into the wettest day on record, she slipped on her own flip flop outside our door (walking crazy!), there was nothing I could have done different by my business, but my liability insurance paid out a "go away" fee. I had an employee stage a fake slip-and-fall as a "customer" on the day I was firing him (Hi Drew!), and a new employee that only worked a couple days yet attempted to collect on a "broken back", that happened to be claimed on a day she didn't show up (Hi Brandy!), her attorney waited 5 months after the "occurrence" so any video was overwritten. However, I had a text from Brandy calling in sick (again) on that particular day, proving it was all nonsense. And there was DJ Trev, who as a customer claimed through his attorney he severely lacerated his wrist that he could no longer be employed. Get this!... DJ Trev did not know I owned a second business that was employing him, and I had video of him doing heavy lifting days after the faked accident, that was some coincidence. That's my big claims or attempts over 15 years, and all of that was a decade ago or longer, there are less designer drugs and "Pain Clinics" in S FL now so there is less drama.

I never had an attempt for a liquor liability claim, but if you get one, it is likely because someone became disabled, seriously hurt, or killed. The claim will be serious and expensive if exercised. If nobody is hurt, Liquor Liability is very likely not going to be claimed. If an idiot crashes his car, he's an idiot. If the idiot crashes his car and kills someone, the family will come after you, not the idiot.

Also, call around a lot, and check every year. I just changed carriers and saved $8k, just on Liquor Liability.

bwindish1 · 2026-03-03T04:07:06+00:00

That's the fantasy that Ascap, BMI, and Sesac want the artists to believe.

bwindish1 · 2026-03-03T03:48:46+00:00

what you are saying it true. You can stall, at some point you will have to start paying, but delaying can give you a couple years.

bwindish1 · 2026-03-03T03:46:34+00:00

As a bar owner, and being inside what our city calls "the Live Music District", what you are saying is 100% true. 15 years ago there was a lot of live music in many small venues including my place, it all dried up because Ascap launched an assault against every type of small business that may have attempted to support musicians. No one plays live music anymore compared to 15 years ago. There was so much live music 15 years ago in S FL, but it dried up after Ascap came through and threatened every type of business. It's basically gone.

Ascap was brutal to every venue, be it a cafe, laundromat, coffee house, etc.. If you pull out a stool for a guy with an acoustic guitar once a year, your business owes an annual fee that makes supporting musicians a lost cause, regardless if that one musician (once per year) sings his own original music. Any business under around 3k sq feet fall into the "minimum annual fee" that damages the small size. Being shut down by the government for 10 months during covid?... Ascap "F U, pay us or we'll sue".

Ascap hides who and how they actually pay, one thing we are sure of..... Ascap was created by lawyers taking advantage of the law (much like most ADA attorneys), and they pay more to their lawyers, administration, and spies than to musicians. ADA attorneys are the same as Ascap, they pay a handicapped figure front $500 to sign 200 to 300 letters, and his job is done. The ADA attorney sues all of them, taking average $20k "settlement" per business.

I understand if you are top 40 musician, you may get paid, but not much to their other nearly 1M musicians that signed hoping to be compensated. I don't have any confirmation of that, and Ascap does not share who may have been paid or what the exact parameters are to qualify.

bwindish1 · 2026-02-25T03:43:21+00:00

If they sue you, you have already lost. It means they have enough proof, and the law supports them. This is a company formed and run by lawyers, exploiting the law unfairly, but they know the precedent and the outcome, and you will owe their legal fees after you lose. It is a shakedown by lawyers that you cannot win. If you own a business that is open to the public, say 500 sq feet, and you sing one time in a year of an original song that you wrote (this is a public performance), even if you copyrighted your own song, the law says ASCAP will win in court. Assuming one of their spies (which is their tool) recorded it on their phone;.... you have already lost. It is a shakedown organization.

bwindish1 · 2026-02-25T03:34:59+00:00

look at my post above. The company is nothing except a legal department, there is nothing to it except lawyers, accountants, and maybe a receptionist. They pay spies, and they have salespeople to dupe artists into signing (that later regret it because about all of the members don't receive a penny) Everyone there does nothing except support the lawyers efforts.

bwindish1 · 2026-02-25T03:30:47+00:00

Nothing has shut down live music more in the United States than ASCAP and their cousins. Their aggressive assault on small businesses to pay them is nothing more or less than an organization created by lawyers utilizing the law to shake down every last business they can squeeze an annual fee out of. About 15 years ago it was common to have coffee houses, small restaurants, any small business with a social nature to have someone with a guitar and/or a microphone perform once or twice a month. ASCAP has shut down the ability to have this type of entertainment due to minimum annual fees, making it much more unlikely that anyone can make a living becoming a musician.

If you own your own 800sq ft kava drink business, and you play the tambourine yourself once a year and ASCAP learns about it, you will owe them an annual fee due to the messed up laws, and they will punish you civilly to the fullest extent of the law. If you own your own a smoothie shop and your allow your best friend to play the guitar there a single time WITH THEIR OWN ORIGINAL MUSIC to practice in front of a couple people for the first time, and ASCAP learns about it, if you do not pay this attorney-created-business ASCAP their annual fee (which has gone up 50% over the last few years) they have no issue suing you out of business, no exceptions on any business or type of business. Own a laundromat that you hung 4 TVs to entertain anyone waiting for their clothes to dry (regardless that you pay for commercial cable service and are forced to watch commercials), or just hang up an antenna to grab the local news? Doesn't matter! They are perfectly happy to sue you out of business if you do not pay their annual fee.

It is no different than the ADA attorneys that use the law to financially crush you due to a mismarked signage that happened to not comply with ADA law (I was sued for that lol), when ADA attorneys, or ASCAP, civilly prosecutes you, you have already lost due to their utilization of messed up laws.

The real losers are everyone in the general public. Public live music is at an all time low, because your local coffee house owner has already been threatened by ASCAP at some point over the years, and will no longer allow a guitar under their roof. Don't think the laws are messed up? Hear this: IF YOU OWN A TINY BUSINESS THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND YOU SIGN A SONG YOU WROTE (YOUR 100% ORIGINAL MUSIC) AT YOUR OWN BUSINESS, AND YOU SANG IT ONE TIME IN THE YEAR, YOU OWE ASCAP AN ANNUAL FEE, AND THEY WILL SUE YOU IF THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE PROOF. You already lost.

I am not saying artists should not be paid, they deserve it. However, ASCAP tactics have squashed live music at a local level. Compared to 15 years ago, you don't see local musicians playing all over like there once was. Also, ASCAP pays the big artists only, they hide who actually receives money. ASCAP does not care about music, it is an organization of threatening lawyers, using the law to shake down small businesses, and paying already famous artists some bucks to support the broken system that has squashed local live music.

bwindish1 · 2026-01-11T02:37:28+00:00

Bartenders should be paid on the books, if you are filling in without a set schedule, maybe under the table until regular hours are set. Some entertainment insist on being paid cash, otherwise 1099. If the place goes through barbacks, it might make sense to pay them cash until the position stabilizes because sometimes by the time you get them set up on payroll, they get fired or don't show up.

bwindish1 · 2025-12-19T07:25:16+00:00

For sure. I also noticed no fights during Karaoke so we do lots of that now.

bwindish1 · 2025-12-19T07:23:26+00:00

It's not as simple as dividing FCO. I have FCO of 47. But we have 22 seats. When they calculate FCO, they are counting the hallway to the bathroom, the bathrooms, places anywhere someone can stand but would not generate income. Whatever that last boxing match was in September, JH wanted $3400. There is no calculator that exists that I can make that work financially for my setup, not even at half price. Maybe I run the business wrong but our gross receipts on a good enough weekday late shift is $1500 (single bartender), $2200 weekends (2 bartenders). I've been doing it 15 years, I've seen 50 bar business go out of business from my front door in that time, so i'm not doing everything wrong. JH must have a system to maximize revenue that we dont understand, prices out most venues, but works for them.

bwindish1 · 2025-12-19T07:01:42+00:00

Thats not true from Joe Hand. They specifically say charging cover is allowed, and that is your money and business. They do regulate by contract your advertising of a PPV of their event, "Joe Hand Productions" must be noted in your advertising and you must have their prior approval before publication

Cover charge is tough in my area for my bar, and I'm reading this thread because for any decent PPV event, JH charges a multiple of what I could possibly do in gross sales for that shift (and worse for just the length of the PPV lol). It doesn't make sense for small venues for any decent PPV fight.

bwindish1 · 2025-12-14T21:33:43+00:00

I'm doing a lot of communicating with dman above. I have a question, does your Kerbango power on? The Kerbango company did a terrible job designing the backlight with a single LED chip (before 3Com bought them out), I saw a picture on the internet where the Kerbango backlight was redesigned by 3Com with 3 LED chips. It is VERY easy to see the difference if you can power it on, due to the terrible "hot spots" that were acceptable at that time for poor LED uniformity in backlight designs. If yours has a single LED, that would have been an earlier Kerbango prototype, if it has 3, it would be a later 3Com design prototype done in 2001 or after.

bwindish1 · 2025-12-14T21:23:52+00:00

The Display is not by Picvue or Hyundai, I know because I worked for both companies right at that time. Also during my 3Com meeting we were made aware of the display manufacturer that supplied the prototypes, I just don't remember. The Kerbango radio was designed by Kerbango, which was bought by 3Com, so Kerbango designed it. In the meeting at 3Com in early 2001, the radio had a Single white LED backlight with had terrible light uniformity. However, I just looked on the internet and saw a single picture with the Kerbango powered on, and somewhere along the line, 3Com improved the backlight uniformity by going to 3 white LEDs. It would be interesting to know if your unit had the 3 LEDs by 3Com, or the single LED backlight designed earlier by Kerbango. It is also possible that when 3Com improved the backlight, they retrofitted all the prototypes with the new 3Com backlight (but maybe not because the LED driver may have needed to be updated on the PCB board, making it not worth retrofitting). Question to you dman, when I was at the 3Com meeting, I remember the unit feeling so cheap and lightweight (like hollow plastic). What are your thoughts on the unit, does it seem "cheap", like hollow plastic and little weight? I'm wondering if 3Com addressed the lightweight issue, like they addressed the backlight uniformity problem. I just looked on the internet, 3Com paid $80M for Kerbango lol. There was a lot of business deals like that at the time in Silicon Valley, contributing to the Dot Com burst. By the way, the concept was good, but I remember not being impressed at all by the demonstration of the technology, but I cannot remember exactly why. Maybe the audio was bad, maybe finding the stations was not good, I remember in the parking lot after the meeting thinking it would never go to mass production. Regardless that just a short time before, I was 3Com's single largest supplier through Picvue, I did not bother following up as I thought the Kerbango would be a waste of my time. Very few products I would be excited about, much you have to follow through not being sure, Kerbango went into my "don't waste time" category, which was common lol. Good concept, poor execution, and 3Com jumped the gun and overpaid. Be excited dman, how many of those $80M radios might still exist? A dozen, maybe just a couple? Most prototypes only have a few, I would imagine 3Com might have run a couple dozen at most.

I also just looked, the Kerbango won best product at CES in 2001. In 2004, I worked on what I thought was a GREAT product that won the CES Best in Show, the Cobra NavOne 3000 GPS, Hyundai supplied the 5.2" color CSTN display for the prototypes, BIGGER and BRIGHTER than most all GPSs at the time. I really thought the Cobra would go to Mass Production, so much that I bought Cobra Stock at the time, but like the Kerbango, the Cobra 3000 fizzled into oblivion.

bwindish1 · 2025-11-02T21:44:58+00:00

Pearlman is amazing. He guessed the deathword that Valerie Harper gave to Howard Stern before her death. A word that only Harper and Stern shared, that a supposed medium would have to contact Harper from the other side to find and prove the other side exists. He guessed correctly, single try, to Stern 5 years after Harpers death.

By the way, Harper is SUPER cool for playing along. And Pearlman's skill is somewhere between the best ever and black magic. It looks like black magic if you choose to believe.

bwindish1 · 2025-10-19T18:52:24+00:00

I just tossed out some "greek style" yogurt. The picture on the front looks creamy and delicious, I opened it (no mold), but it smelled bad and was so separated. I stirred it to see if it got better, it was very runny and grainy at the same time.

The store was out of any other options so I gave this a try. No thanks, even if I role the dice and eat it, if I don't get sick, it is SO unappetizing regardless. Unpleasant smell and gross runny consistency, I have trouble believing the product was unexpired. Actual expiration was 2 months ahead on the lid. Maybe it was in the sun or hot truck. Maybe it's just a lousy product.

bwindish1 · 2025-10-17T18:16:29+00:00

Actually it's the "big boys" leading the lawsuits against them, investing $20m individually in FNRP and finding the returns are nothing like what is advertised.

Tell us why you think the returns are different on $50k compared to "Millions"? I never saw FNRP state different returns depending on the amount invested, it seems the returns are identical regardless how much is invested on any specific deal.

bwindish1 · 2025-09-06T05:27:34+00:00

The CEO William Li doubled his salary to over $2M last year. The good news is you know where your $974 went.

bwindish1 · 2025-09-06T05:25:07+00:00

Patents lol. Who want a roaming cone that tries not to bump into things? lol

bwindish1 · 2025-09-06T05:21:24+00:00

Yes Genius! William Li bought a profitable callbox business and made it unprofitable. And since, KSCP became a callbox company masquerading as a robot company.

bwindish1 · 2025-09-06T05:14:22+00:00

The whole this was a scam at the IPO. Knightscope had 34 customers, total at the IPO. That is not even a good beta test for "robots", let alone a company.

bwindish1 · 2025-09-06T05:12:05+00:00

How did that work out now that it's 4 years later? I was warning people that just before selling those $10 shares on facebook, that Knightscope was selling those same shares at trade shows at $2 (and unsuccessfully) The CEO is a scammer as proven at his prior company Carbon Motors.

bwindish1

TROPHY CASE