Watch This Documentary: Betting on Zero
Added 2017-07-08 06:13:06 +0000 UTCHey All,
When I came up with the idea for News Bursts upon launching Colin's Last Stand's Patreon, I had always intended on interspersing documentary and book recommendations in there as well. Thing is, while I'm reading more voraciously in my scarce spare time since I have in college (five 350+ page books in two months... not terrible), I've not had a chance to watch (nonetheless recommend) many documentaries. (Really anything of note, recently, as sad as that is.)
So, expect these kinds of posts (along with book recommendations) coming faster and more furious for those of you at the $5+/month level. I want to really give this tier more additive value, and more value to those above, as well, and I think a lot of you (if not virtually all of you) are like me: You like a good documentary, no matter what the subject matter is. Because we're curious people.
Tonight, I just wanted to alert you to a really great documentary I just watched, one called Betting on Zero. It was released this year, and is currently free to watch on Netflix in the US.
Betting on Zero revolves around the short sale of the health supplement company called Herbalife, which has been accused by some -- including by a well-known investor who bet $1 billion of his firm's money on Herbalife's demise -- as being a shameless pyramid scheme, perhaps the biggest, most lucrative, and most destructive of all-time.
Do yourself a favor: If you were ignorant of the Herbalife situation like I was, don't look it up on Google or anything. Just go in blind.
The documentary is thought-provoking, fun to watch, lengthy, and extremely sad. I think the CLS audience will really like it.
A fresh News Burst will go live tomorrow. Until then, I hope you're all well, and that you have a fantastic evening (it's night here in California, anyway). -Colin
Comments
John Oliver did a huge segment on this kind of pyramid scheme several months back. Really interesting and depressing to see hear those people tell their stories.
Nitsua MorningStr
2017-07-17 22:01:01 +0000 UTCYeah... a girl I use to fly with is always all over me to purchase 'shakes' etc from her. She apparently does very well... always going to conventions etc and she looks great! But she's one persistent, pushy chick. Yikes. It's awful. I avoid her at all cost- like 'no' isn't a word she comprehends! So, I too don't know the real story but... I still get that icky feeling. The end. For now anyway. š
BettyAnn Moriarty
2017-07-11 19:28:20 +0000 UTCGlad you liked it!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:53:10 +0000 UTCWhat's so crazy is that, today, the short is underwater significantly and Herbalife is doing great, even after the FCC intervened. Someone is wrong here, and I have no idea who to believe.
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:53:04 +0000 UTCLOL.
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:52:34 +0000 UTCWhat a hell of a way to end the doc, eh?
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:52:28 +0000 UTCYou're welcome. I hope you enjoyed it!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:52:16 +0000 UTCGlad to hear it. Enjoy!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:52:08 +0000 UTCEnjoy!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:52:01 +0000 UTCI said this after I watched the documentary: If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:51:54 +0000 UTCReally? That's interesting. You'll have to tell me more about that when next we speak.
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:51:17 +0000 UTCI'm so bogged down with work and other things to do that it's hard for me to find the time to do much. What I have seen of Vice I've really enjoyed, however. I'd love to do a video on the Manhattan Project one day, by the way. =) Good luck with your endeavor!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:50:59 +0000 UTCI will absolutely look into it. Thanks for the recommendation!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:50:09 +0000 UTCStay tuned for more!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:49:53 +0000 UTCEnjoy!
Colin Moriarty
2017-07-10 22:49:42 +0000 UTCgood watch
Eric Williamson
2017-07-09 18:32:55 +0000 UTCI just watched. It was startling but not surprising. I always had 'a feeling' about this company that just never sat well with me. The documentary aligned with that 'gut thing' that I had. At the same time , it was heartbreaking to watch. I hate when people that are struggling yet trusting are taken Advantage of. The resignation of Johnson kinda says it all for me... Thanks for sharing it, Col.
BettyAnn Moriarty
2017-07-08 23:41:11 +0000 UTCI think he still manages his hedge fund too, which seems like a conflict of interest to me, though Iām not sure what the precedent for this sort of thing is.
John Quinn
2017-07-08 21:58:26 +0000 UTCWould you short on Herbalife now?
Lucas Gremista
2017-07-08 21:03:43 +0000 UTC"On December 21, 2016, Donald Trump named Carl Icahn special advisor to the President on regulatory reform" in my opinion this is incredibly harrowing based on what he was willing to back simply because of what seems to me to be a vendetta of some sort.
James Schubert
2017-07-08 18:23:30 +0000 UTCThis sounds more like "snake oil" to me. But that's the issue, you come up with a fancy product (may it be energy drinks, cosmetics, oils, storage containers, dildos or stockmarket portfolio products), tell something about "cutting off the middle man" and instead becoming the middle man himself. Whenever someone tries to sell me those things, I try keep my distance from them. And it's sad when friends become part of that scheme and they become obsessed with it.
Arvel Crynyd
2017-07-08 18:04:33 +0000 UTCDownloaded it to watch on the plane today. Thanks Colin!
John Quinn
2017-07-08 18:04:04 +0000 UTCThe current thing that I keep seeing friends posting on social media are these "essential oils" which makes no sense to me, because I can buy any kind of "essential oil" or product they sell right on amazon with free shipping. My wife keeps getting targeted for this from her "friends" and purely out of curiosity each time they recommend something I ask her what the cost is... and then we find it on amazon for like $5 with free shipping. I hate these things though, every single one of them. We have friends we stopped talking to because every "hangout" turned into "while you're here check this out" and trying to make us "sample" they're "product".
Christopher Lee
2017-07-08 17:31:49 +0000 UTCAwesome! Thanks for the recommendation Colin. Supposed to be rainy this evening here, now I've got something to check out.
Josh in Tampa
2017-07-08 16:55:59 +0000 UTCCool Time to clean my house and turn on Netflix!
J.S Neveu
2017-07-08 14:33:29 +0000 UTCI saw this thing for a long time on my Netflix frontpage but didn't bother to watch it. Thanks to your recommendation, I watched it... Man, I hate MLMs. It's selling a group of uninformed people the idea of making money on the go. 2 or 3 years ago there was a similiar thing with energy drinks with a variety of YouTube personalities here in Germany, where one of the top Fitness Youtubers basically sold this product Vemma to his young viewers together with this MLM scheme (until it eventually collapsed after regulators shut this scheme down in several countries). Things like this make me appreciate your stance on not putting any commercials and product placements in your videos.
Arvel Crynyd
2017-07-08 11:18:07 +0000 UTCI'll take a look. This will be very interesting. MANY years ago, your dad and I were approached about Herbalife - about first purchasing products/buying in. Obviously that never transpired...thankfully!? I'll soon find out!
BettyAnn Moriarty
2017-07-08 10:10:59 +0000 UTCThank you! I'll watch it tomorrow! I feel like most already know about it, but if not, VICE on hbo (the weekly documentary series) is almost always insanely fascinating (though occasionally biased to one political side... go ahead... guess). Sidenote: my new weekly "podcast" is now books purchased on amazon/audible based on suggestions either from you Colin or others here in CLS and I really enjoy that so thank you. Currently going through "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes. The "Manhatten project" was loosing in the monthly votes so I took matters into my own hands š
Christopher Lee
2017-07-08 08:24:39 +0000 UTCColin my man please watch the documentary the world without U.S. I saw it on Netflix but recently on YouTube. You always say you don't understand the military budget and why we are on so many patches of foreign soil. It's eye opening. Give it a watch!! CLS for life!!!
JoTu 22
2017-07-08 06:42:05 +0000 UTCWill be watching it. Thanks Colin.
Gustavo
2017-07-08 06:22:39 +0000 UTCNice! Love the book and documentary recommendations :) <a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/3otPoOxyDTXjzpMbIY/giphy.gif" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://media.giphy.com/media/3otPoOxyDTXjzpMbIY/giphy.gif</a>
Will Caldwell
2017-07-08 06:18:45 +0000 UTC
