#Consumer products and services

[coochiequeens]

Update on a story I already posted about

By Anna Slatz February 5, 2024

The family at the center of a custody battle with Montana Child and Family Services over their 14-year-old “transgender” daughter is reportedly facing imminent arrest after speaking to media about their ordeal. Krista and Todd Kolstad had previously been ordered by a judge to remain silent on the case, but chose to speak out about their situation last week.

Reduxx was first to break the story after speaking to the Kolstads about their tragic situation on January 29. In the interview, the Kolstads revealed that their 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer*, had been removed from their custody after they declined to actively “affirm” her newfound gender identity. Montana Child and Family Services (CFS) argued to a court that it was in the child’s “therapeutic best interest” to have her gender identity “respected,” and a petition was presented for the child to be sent to a family member in Canada.

Stepmom Krista and “Jennifer” Kolstad. Photo Source: Provided.

The removal was the culmination of a months-long battle between the Kolstads and CFS which started on August 18, 2023, after Jennifer claimed to a friend that she was suicidal and suffering from terminal cancer. The friend reported the claims to police, who reached out to the Kolstads to confirm that Jennifer was alright.

Later on that evening, a CFS case worker arrived at the Kolstad home for an inspection and private interview with Jennifer, at which point the child declared she had drank toilet bowl cleaner and overdosed on pain medication.

Though she showed no symptoms of illness and had no access to either substances, Jennifer was taken to the hospital on an emergency basis for bloodwork, which conclusively determined she had fabricated her claim of overdosing. She also does not have a medical history of cancer despite having claimed to her friend that she was terminal.

The Kolstads attempted to inform CFS that Jennifer had a tendency of attention-seeking behavior and fabricating wild claims, but throughout the incident, Jennifer’s “gender identity” was the main point of contention. The child told CFS she identified as a “boy” named Leo, and that her parents were abusive and not willing to facilitate her gender transition.

Jennifer spent two days in the hospital for suicide monitoring, at which point the Kolstads agreed with CFS that she would benefit from being sent to a residential treatment facility for counseling. While there were a number of Montana-based facilities floated as options, the possibility of Jennifer being sent to Wyoming was also mentioned as an unlikely alternative.

The Kolstad family. Photo Source: Provided.

On August 22, the Kolstads were told that Jennifer was next in line for a bed in Billings. But, later on that same day, they received a call from the hospital informing them that she was instead being sent to an unnamed facility in Wyoming. Faced with a number of unanswered questions and a concern about Wyoming’s laws allowing children to transition, the Kolstads expressed a hesitancy to allow Jennifer to be sent across state lines.

Within 10 minutes of refusing to immediately sign paperwork releasing Jennifer to the facility, Montana Child and Family Services arrived at the Kolstad residence with police and served them with paperwork temporarily removing Jennifer from their custody.

Jennifer was eventually returned to Montana to enter a youth group home for additional counseling, but the Kolstad’s fight with CFS had only just begun.

Though initially told that Jennifer would be returned to their care after her time at the group home was finished, CFS petitioned the court to remove Jennifer from their custody completely and have her sent to her long-estranged biological mother in Canada.

“We were told that letting Jennifer transition and live as a boy was in her ‘therapeutic best interest’ and because we aren’t willing to follow that recommendation, the court gave CFS custody of Jennifer for six months,” Krista told Reduxx. “CFS is now going to place Jennifer in the care of her birth mother in Canada, who has never really been a part of her life. The judge said to us ‘you need to expect that reunification with your family may not be what you are expecting.’”

In response to the decision, the Kolstads released a video on social media pleading for help. The court demanded they remove it and issued a gag order restricting the Kolstads from speaking further on the case.

They voluntarily defied the order, re-uploaded the video, and spoke to press regardless out of concern over what was happening to their family. While a contempt of court hearing was set for January 29, the Kolstads had to file for a continuance in order to leave the state and attend to a severely ill family member in Ohio.

But the already-mind boggling story has only continued to grow in complexity after the Governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) siding with the decision of the state’s Child and Family Services.

While not directly accusing the Kolstads of abuse, Gianforte suggested that Jennifer was removed from the household for legitimate reasons.

While the CFS affidavit does extensively detail the child’s complaints of abuse for not being “affirmed” in her desire to live as a “boy,” the argument made by CFS that resulted in her being removed from her parent’s care was their hesitancy to immediately sign paperwork sending her to Wyoming.

Both the CFS affidavit and the accompanying report neglect to acknowledge that Jennifer had lied about having terminal cancer, drinking Clorox toilet cleaner, or overdosing on prescription medication — all statements that would lend weight to the parent’s initial warnings that Jennifer had a history of attention-seeking behavior.

The Montana Safety Assessment completed by CFS.

Previous accusations of household instability detailed in the CFS report from 2016 and 2017, both of which involved Todd’s ex-wife, were noted “unsubstantiated,” and there has never been any history of Todd nor Krista physically harming or otherwise neglecting any of their children’s care.

But despite the clear indications that the “abuse” in the Kolstad residence was limited to not affirming Jennifer’s “gender identity” and expressing a hesitancy to sign paperwork allowing Jennifer to go to Wyoming, a push to paint the Kolstad’s as legitimately abusive has begun in an apparent effort to justify CFS’s actions. Disturbingly, many of those pushes appear to originate directly from the Governor’s office.

Travis Hall, Governor Gianforte’s senior advisor, has shared two posts to his social media account in which it is implied that the Kolstads were severely abusing Jennifer.

In one post shared by Hall, a user claims that even children living in “absolute filth, meth labs, with both parents being dealers and addicts” were not taken away from their parents in the way Jennifer was, implying what was happening in the household was far worse.

Another post shared by Hall features a link to an article from TownHall reporter Stephen Brown which appears to have been created with the input of the Governor’s office. In the article, Brown refers to Jennifer with “they/them” pronouns, and runs defense for Gianforte’s suggestion that the Kolstads were abusing Jennifer and that CFS acted appropriately.

On X, an individual claiming to be a lawyer who works to “protect trans kids” in Montana has been spreading the false accusation that Todd Kolstad, Jennifer’s father, was “convicted” of domestic abuse. In actuality, documents reviewed by Reduxx demonstrate the charges, which were unrelated to Jennifer, were dropped in 2021. The Kolstads are currently engaged in a lawsuit against the Glasgow Police Department for their alleged mismanagement of that case, and the officer at the center of the suit is also being pursued by other Glasgow residents for similar acts of misconduct.

But while the Kolstads have experienced an outpouring of support on an international level after taking their story public, Governor Gianforte appears to be doubling down once again.

This time, the Kolstads have been made aware through their lawyer that they may be arrested when they return to Montana from Ohio where they are still caring for a sick relative.

“We were very concerned, but not surprised, to learn from a credible source that the Governor of Montana plans to arrest us the moment we step foot back in Montana. We are also told that he has tasked his senior adviser and director of strategic communications to use the media to punish us for speaking out about the state’s medical kidnapping of our daughter,” Krista Kolstad said to Reduxx in an exclusive statement.

“It was an abuse of power for the state to revoke custody of our daughter because we wouldn’t affirm her ‘gender identity.’ It is an abuse of power to use tax-dollars to smear us as negligent in the press despite records that prove we have always proactively sought care for our daughter’s ongoing, unrelated mental health issues. We have also followed medical recommendations pertaining to these issues since she has been in state custody. The only thing we ever objected to is ‘transitioning’ our daughter.”

Krista continued: “Any accusation that she was taken from our home due to abuse or neglect secondary to this issue is a bald-faced lie with political foundations. Our daughter is not a political pawn. She is a child and she should be with her family – not the state. We are never going to stop fighting for our daughter.”

Since receiving the news of their possible arrest, the Kolstads have no plan to return to Montana at this time.

Mattie Watkins, the family’s media representative reiterated Krista’s sentiments, and slammed Gianforte’s office for participating in the “smear” campaign against the Kolstads.

“We anticipated Governor Gianforte’s next move would be to smear US Air Force veteran, Todd Kolstad and his wife, Krista, as abusive parents. It’s clear that his top priority is his political reputation – not the child at the center of this increasingly political fight,” Watkins said.

“Surely to defame parents as abusive, to take away their child, requires some standard of evidence. If not, where does this stop? Which family, in which state, is next? In my opinion, Gianforte is giving state agents a manual on how to sever the parent-child relationship and bypass all levels of law and government in order to put any minor they like on the affirmation to lifelong medicalization pipeline. Our children are not safe in government care.”

*The child’s name has been changed at the request of her parents.

[girl4music]

I thoroughly believe that the main 2 issues plaguing the TV art/entertainment industry today are representation anxiety and cancellation anxiety.

Representation anxiety is the reason why the quality of the storytelling is suffering.

Cancellation anxiety is the reason why the quality of the production is suffering.

ANXIETY is what is ruining TV show storytelling and producing in general. If people were less anxious about the way the story in a show should or has to go, there would be more focus on what actually matters.

There are so many storytelling and production issues in a show because people are not focussing on the overall experience when creating/watching a TV show. Showrunners/creators are not focussing on it because they’re too anxious about providing the “correct” or “best” or “most palatable” representation because if they don’t provide it, their show will just get cancelled.

Honestly imagine the extreme anxiety a showrunner/creator would feel in this day and age of showmaking.

It is a never-ending loop for them of “I must provide the representation that appeases both the audience and the network alike” and then “if I don’t do this as soon as possible, my show will be cancelled and everybody that depends on me will lose their jobs”.

Show disappoints the network, gets cancelled - which in turn disappoints the audience, stops them from watching anything else like it in case it happens to them again - which then makes the network misjudge it as “this kind of content must not be engaging enough for consumers to invest themselves in” but they throw it out for consumption anyway because quantity over quality even though they’re ultimately going to axe it regardless because “it doesn’t sell.”

And then the whole thing happens all over again. 😩

Sounds to me like they should just have better communication with the showrunners/creators and more faith and trust in what they’re able to deliver.

And maybe once in a while CONSULT THE AUDIENCE themselves. Make them apart of the conversation more than with just the standard lazy feedback questionnaires. I’m pretty fucking sure were a BIG WIG network executive to actually take the time out of their oh so busy work week to talk to us about what it is we want and what we don’t - things would be better for all sides. For the networks, the showrunners/creators+team, and for the customers/consumers.

At the end of the day the people I really feel sorry for regarding this is not us. It’s the showrunners/creators.

I feel so sorry for the producers, writers and directors because I know they’re all running rings around themselves trying to please every fucking body and every complaint from either side goes right to them.

They’re the mimimim wage staff at your favourite restaurant where customers and employers alike yell at them over something they’re personally pissed about but they can’t do anything about it other than offer their sympathies and provide other alternatives.

You think we have it rough as the viewers.

The network thinks they have it rough.

No.

Who has it rough are the showrunners/creators.

[researchers-me]

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[asalescommunity]

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CBA can be proven to represent an interest of a criminal gang.

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[yo-aloe-vera]

Editing for my own posts: Ao3 absolutely allows meta.

AO3 Etiquette

It would seem a whole new kind of AO3 reader/writer is emerging and it is becoming clear not everyone quite understands how the website community works. Here is some basic guidance on how most people expect you to go about using AO3 to keep this a fun community archive that funtions correctly:

Kudos is for when the story was interesting enough to make you finish reading. If it sucked or was badly written, you probably left. If you finished - you kudos.

If you liked it, you should comment. It can be long and detailed or a literal keysmash. Writers don't care, we just love comments.

No critisism unless the author has specifically asked or agreed to hear it. Even constructive critisism is a no-no unless an author note tells you it's okay. Many people write as a fun hobby or a way to cope with, among other things, insecurity. Don't ruin that for them.

Do not comment to ask the author to write/update something else. It's tacky and off-putting and will probably have the opposite effect than the one you want.

There is no algorithm, it's an archive. Use the search and filter function to add/remove the pairings/characters/tropes etc. you want to read about and it will find you the fics that fit the bill.

For this to work, writers must tag and rate stories. This avoids readers finding the wrong things and missing the stuff they want. I don't care how cringy that trope is in your eyes - it gets tagged.

Character A/Character B means a ROMANTIC or SEXUAL relationship of some kind. Character A&Character B is PLANTONIC, like friendship or family.

Nothing is banned. This is an implicit rule because banning one thing is a slipperly slope to banning another and another, until nothing is allowed anymore. Do not expect anyone to censor for you. Because of the tags system, you are responsible for your own reading experience.

People can create new chapters and sequels/fic series any time after they "complete" a story. So it's considered perfectly normal to subscribe, even to a finished story. You can even subscribe to the author instead just to cover your bases.

Do not repost stories or change the publishing date without an extremely good reason (like a complete top to bottom rewrite). It's an archive, not social media. No one cares what's the most recent, only what fits their tag needs.

Avoid deleting a story you wrote if you hate it - orphan it so others can still enjoy it, without it being connected to you anymore.

This is a creative fanfiction archive. No essays on your insights or theories please. There are other places for that.

I KNOW there's plenty more I missed but I'm trying to cover most of the basics that people seem to be struggling with.

I invite anyone to add to this, but please explain, don't berate.

[trendynewsnow]

European Commission Investigates Temu for Violations of Digital Services Act

European Commission Launches Investigation into Temu for Potential DSA Violations The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against the Chinese online platform Temu, examining its compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Founded by PDD Holdings in 2022, Temu is currently under scrutiny for several issues, including the sale of illegal products and the design features of…

[sapphia]

USA please listen to me: the price of “teaching them a lesson” is too high. take it from New Zealand, who voted our Labour government out in the last election because they weren’t doing exactly what we wanted and got facism instead.

Trans rights are being attacked, public transport has been defunded, tax cuts issued for the wealthy, they've mass-defunded public services, cut and attacked the disability funding model, cut benefits, diverted transport funding to roads, cut all recent public transport subsidies, cancelled massive important infrastructure projects like damns and ferries (we are three ISLANDS), fast tracked mining, oil, and other massive environmentally detrimental projects and gave the power the to approve these projects singularly to three ministers who have been wined and dined by lobbyists of the companies that have put the bids in to approve them while one of the main minister infers he will not prioritise the protection of endangered species like the archeys frog over mining projects that do massive environmental harm. They have attacked indigenous rights in an attempt to negate the Treaty of Waitangi by “redefining it”; as a backup, they are also trying to remove all mentions of the treaty from legislation starting with our Child Protection laws no longer requiring social workers to consider the importance of Maori children’s culture when placing those children; when the Waitangi Tribunal who oversees indigenous matters sought to enquire about this, the Minister for Children blocked their enquiry in a breach of comity that was condemned in a ruling — too late to do anything — by our Supreme Court. They have repealed labour protections around pay and 90 day trials, reversed our smoking ban, cancelled our EV subsidy, cancelled our water infrastructure scheme that would have given Maori iwi a say in water asset management, cancelled our biggest city’s fuel tax, made our treasury and inland revenue departments less accountable, dispensed of our Productivity Commission, begun work on charter schools and military boot camps in an obvious push towards privatisation, cancelled grants for first home buyers, reduced access to emergency housing, allowed no cause evictions, cancelled our Maori health system that would have given Maori control over their own public medical care and funding, cut funding of services like budgeting advice and food banks, cancelled the consumer advocacy council, cancelled our medicine regulations, repealed free prescriptions, deferred multiple hospital builds, failed to deliver on pre-election medical promises, reversed a gun ban created in response to the mosque shootings, brought back three strikes = life sentence policy, increased minimum wage by half the recommended amount, cancelled fair pay for disabled workers, reduced wheelchair services, reversed our oil and gas exploration ban, cancelled our climate emergency fund, cut science research funding including climate research, removed limits on killing sea lions, cut funding for the climate change commission, weakened our methane targets, cancelled Significant National Areas protections, have begun reversing our ban on live exports. Much of this was passed under urgency.

It’s been six months.

[flashfactts]

Remembered a post on here exposing blur. Saw this today.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse. This is absolutely horrifying, I cannot stress it enough.

The yellowed stopper wasn’t as bad as the rest but for some reason I just can’t get over it 💀 OP mentioned that the brand offered to replace it but she declined, and that they weren’t close to expiry in the first place. Can’t believe this costs 700, can’t believe such a shitty fucking brand is allowed to exist so peacefully. I wouldn’t try their products for free even if it wasn’t riddled with fungus or sent down by god himself.

Please do yourselves a favor and boycott this brand, they do not give a rat’s ass about our health and money.

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[expopeak]

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[tritonmarketresearchamey]

Beauty and Personal Care Market: Global Trends & Strategic Outlook

The desire to look attractive & youthful and enhance one’s physical appearance has elevated the use of beauty and personal care products worldwide. This is further supported by various social, cultural, and economic changes across geographies.

Based on our study, the global beauty and personal care market , which was valued at $508.83 billion in 2021, is expected to generate $701.11 billion by 2028 and is likely to advance with a CAGR of 3.20% during the forecast period, 2022 to 2028.

A number of factors, including rapid urbanization, greater awareness, and increased disposable incomes, are attributable to this growth. Besides, the evolving beauty standards and shifting trends also play an integral role in shaping the market’s outlook.

What’s Trending in this Billion-Dollar Market?

·         Widening Product Range for Personalized Solutions

Beauty and personal care is not restricted only to skin care, but also extends to hair care, oral care, fragrances, and other categories. Among all, sun care is anticipated to exhibit the fastest growth at a 3.55% CAGR in the type segment.

Further, fragrances are no longer perceived as a luxury, and are witnessing increased demand. With strong performance in this category, Natura & Co continues to remain the market leader in Brazil.

Also, the development of hybrid products that reduce time & effort and cater to multiple needs is steering innovation in the hair care category. For instance, the Keratin Perfect 3-in-1 Multi-Action Hair Beauty Balm by Keratin Complex works as a cream, serum, and oil together.

·         Rising Influence of Domestic Trends

The Korean wave has swept the global market, with a fresh take on beauty and personal care. Sheet face masks are a popular offering of K-beauty. Globalization and renewed interest in travel & culture have helped drive such influential trends.

Consequently, unique skincare trends from other countries, such as J-beauty (Japan), C-beauty (China), and A-beauty (Australia), have also captured consumers’ attention in recent years. The popularity of these domestic markets has positioned the Asia-Pacific beauty and personal care market on a growth trajectory, which is evident from its largest revenue share of $197.50 billion in 2021.

·         The Clean Beauty Revolution

The rising focus on health and inclination towards natural ingredients & formulations are driving the demand for natural and clean beauty. With the growing popularity of veganism in the United Kingdom, the demand for plant-based and cruelty-free beauty products has also grown.

Thus, a significant number of product developments are evolving around these trends. In line with this trend, Henkel reformulated its Schauma hair care products to make them suitable for vegans, in February 2019.

Further, complying with the overall push towards sustainability and green practices, some companies have already replaced petroleum-based plastics with corn-derived polylactic acid (PLA) for packaging their products.

·         The E-Commerce Boom has taken the Market by Storm

The E-commerce Sales Channel is expected to witness the fastest growth at a 4.48% CAGR in the forecast period. It has become a crucial part of the cosmetics and personal care space with increased penetration of the internet and technology among various age groups across numerous countries.

Ease of delivery, wider range of options, and competitive pricing are some reasons that have made online shopping an attractive alternative. In March 2021, L’Oréal announced investment in US-based social selling platform Replika Software Inc, as part of its acceleration strategy in e-commerce.

Strategic Outlook for a Bright Future:

Given the competitive environment in this space, innovation remains a key strategy for companies to differentiate themselves from industry rivals. Limited edition launches, mini variants, and niche targeting would help manufacturers increase market penetration.

There is growing demand for Halal cosmetics and other products, especially from the Muslim population. Besides, several men are increasingly opting for products targeted specifically at their needs. Various companies, especially in the anti-aging market, are already tending to these growing and potentially vast consumer bases, and aspiring players can take note.

Leveraging the reach of social media celebrities in influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions is another dependable strategy for brands. Also, technological integration will additionally boost prospects. In June 2021, Estée Lauder launched a number of new AR and AI-equipped features on its official website and app, to offer its customers a ‘try-before-you-buy’ virtual makeup experience.

Despite COVID-19, the studied market showed resilience, given the immense and continued demand. And embracing inclusivity and riding the digital wave will help the beauty and personal care market scale new heights.

FAQs:

Q 1) Which are the main segments covered in the beauty and personal care market?

The main market segments include Type and Sales Channel.

Q 2) Which region is expected to grow the fastest in the global beauty and personal care market?

The Middle East and Africa is expected to witness the fastest growth rate at a CAGR of 3.52% during the forecast period.

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[sindoshipping]

How To Ship Branded Goods With SindoShipping to Indonesia

Why shipping branded luxury goods to Indonesia difficult and expensive? Shipping branded luxury goods to Indonesia presents a series of challenges that make the process both difficult and expensive. Understanding the dynamics at play requires a look into various aspects such as the market landscape, logistical reach, prevailing trends, and the broader impact on the world market and general…

[petnews2day]

Introducing Els Pet Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box with Safety Door, Taking Care of the Dirty Work for You

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/hjajA

Introducing Els Pet Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box with Safety Door, Taking Care of the Dirty Work for You

SHERIDAN, Wyo., March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Taking care of our furry pals brings joy, but dealing with litter boxes can be a hassle. Traditional ones need manual scooping, lead to unpleasant odors, and constant cleaning. Recently, ELS PET launches Self-Cleaning Litter Box, which changes the game. No more scooping by hand – it does […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/hjajA #CatsNews #AnimalsPets, #ConsumerCosmetics, #ElsPet, #Household, #HouseholdProducts, #NewProductsServices, #Retail

[head-post]

EU agreed new law giving consumers right to repair products

Under a new legislation passed on Friday (February 2), European consumers will have the right to repair common household appliances, including mobile phones, with EU countries obliged to develop schemes to increase repair rates, according to Euractiv.

The European Commission proposed a new law in 2023 to give consumers the right to have their devices repaired even long after the warranty has expired. Parliament and EU countries will only be required to approve the agreement. Alexia Bertrand, the Belgian consumer protection state secretary, stated:

With the agreement reached today, Europe makes a clear choice for repair instead of disposal.

Read more HERE