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trenttrendspotter · 4 years

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What Recovery Looks Like

COVID-19 arrived and has not yet left. As a society, we initially dealt with the shock, learned to adapt to the “new normal” and we continue to power through. Now, consumers and the brands they use need to dive into the recovery process. The pandemic has made us more resourceful and resilient and we therefore expect the spa and salon industry to come back stronger.

Traditionally, in a recession, companies that have lean operations, relevant value propositions and a loyal client base will survive. It has also been said that brands that invest during a downturn capture three times more market share. Conversely, going dark in a recession, downturn or crisis can cause more suffering. The more marketing is cut, the longer it will take to recover.

On the road to recovery, companies need to evaluate what they know, what they learned and how they changed culturally during this crisis.

Factors to consider include:

● Shoppers were forced to try new things (i.e., virtual consultations) and started to seek out the familiar (at-home self-care).

● People quickly adapted to all things virtual despite early discomfort for many, which has left them craving real-time, in-person interaction.

● Consumers have learned to be quite happy staying at home but it hasn’t stopped the itch to get back out.

● Health consciousness and the desire to boost immunity are on the rise.

● Quarantined clients have been forced to skip hair removal and hair color.

● People have placed more pressure on themselves and peer pressure has risen as the public spends more time surfing and posting on social media.

We have all realized new needs. Based on these contradictions and behavior patterns we can expect customers to want more connection, truth, meaning, bonds and simplicity.

Moving forward, consumers will want support, quality, inspiration and versatility. They will have the following questions about every purchase:

● Do I need it?

● Will it work for me?

● Can I get it?

● What are my other options?

As a beauty brand you need to answer these questions before the consumer even asks.

Additionally, your brand should quickly build loyalty with an irregular customer looking for a temporary fix. Ultimately, what many in the cosmetic business have learned was that the core of the business must be expanded to whatever consumers need in the moment, which changes from week to week.

Consumers coming out of the pandemic will have more self-confidence and trust in their abilities and decisions. They will be less dependent on company sales pitches and more aware of what is necessary to live, be healthy and happy. They will value your experience and know-how as well as the quality of their experience with your products or in your facility while using your equipment.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you make people feel. Everyone wants to feel good about the future. You need to show your clients that they can be confident that your business will make it. Your customers want to be on the healthy, winning team. People vote with their dollars and they want to be aligned with the brands that are giving back.

The companies that were able to pivot to digital, delivery and donations are the companies that will be first to thrive.

6 Companies’ Journey to Recovery

1. Spa Revolutions

With the current state of the industry, Spa Revolutions, the creator of patented thermal wellness massage tools, began an affiliate program for new and existing clients that affords them a 30% commission as credit toward inventory purchase when their clients purchase at-home spa products.

When signing up for the program, affiliates also receive free samples of the new ThermaBliss Charges. The charges heat up using only tap water to eliminate the need for electrical appliances so users can deliver five-star spa treatments anywhere the client would like. More than 250 spas inquired about the free sample program and affiliate program, and more than 540 samples have been sent out.

Tools like this are coming in handy as there is going to be a burgeoning need for enhanced mobile spa services.

Glenn Hogle, co-founder of Spa Revolutions said, “We feel like one of the lucky ones and we are grateful because the comprehensive line of thermal wellness solutions for professionals truly answers the call for safety and sanitation in this new COVID-19 reality. All ThermaBliss treatments ensure the highest sanitation levels, deliver continuous radiant heat for the duration of the service using only mineral energy and water for total portability in on-the-go services—all this while eliminating the need to purchase, lug around or plug in electrical appliances.”

Spa Revolutions’ self-heating Lava Stones massage tools are non-porous and sanitize in seconds compared to the traditionally porous and hard to sanitize hot stones with their communal turkey-roaster-water-heater pot. Cal-a-Vie Health Spa is in the process of removing all its porous stones and roasters and switching to Spa Revolutions non-porous stones for sanitation purposes.

Cal-a-Vie Health Spa’s director, Traci Trezona, said, “We have learned to keep an open mind for how things can be done differently and more effectively regarding sanitation. We are ensuring that all of our products are sanitary and client-exclusive [single use].”

2. Peet Bros.

Another fortunate business to be in is the soap business, even if the brand is new.

David Bass, president of Peet Bros., stated, “Just like everyone else, these unprecedented times have forced us to think of the world and how we run our business differently. The good news for our business is that we are in soap and personal care, which consumers will always need in some form. The not-so-good news is that we are a new brand in the market, and we are trying to figure out our path. We will continue to focus on our key messages and push the limits on innovation.”

New companies, like Peet Bros., need to get creative about getting in front of the right buyers at retailers and be patient as it takes more time.

3. City Beauty

Known for decades for its plumping lip gloss, City Beauty has been keeping people Zoom-ready in lockdown while lip injections and other popular treatments remain unattainable.

Allyson Barrio, director of national accounts at City Beauty, said, “At City Beauty, we have a very strong digital footprint and heritage. While many skin care and cosmetic brands are busy learning the ropes of what omnichannel presence means, we are already experts. With the strong educational focus and consumer feedback that we prioritize within our direct-to-consumer models, we have experienced strong growth. Specifically, where industry reports show lip categories performing softly and at a decline, we are experiencing strength like never before.”

With a shift to online consumer spending, City Beauty has been able to gain even more brand exposure.

Barrio explained, "To better serve our customers during this challenging time, we've reduced the price of our products for an extended period. This includes waiving shipping fees, a 15% off site-wide discount and deeper discounts than we normally offer on our top-selling products—up to 60% off.”

City Beauty also broadened its communication channels by adding a live chat feature on its website and modifying email content—including at-home beauty DIYs, emotional health tips and lighthearted, engaging stories.

Kim Ferguson, owner of Kilee Distribution, one of City Beauty’s distributors, said, “I refuse to call it the new normal. I believe in the creativity of independent retailers, and the strong ones will survive this. Because we specialize in serving small retailers, many without an online presence, our business almost came to a standstill. We did manage to service those who were being creative with curbside pickup and even delivery of at-home beauty care packages.”

Online retailers have had the advantage.

Ferguson predicted, “I have vendors that are now only shipping products to their online retailers even though the small stores are begging for products. The mom-and-pop, small-town businesses do not have a lot of foot traffic at any one time. If they can open back up as normal, I see business picking up to 60% of what it was at closure. Hopefully by Fall [2020] up to 75%. We will lose a lot of stores that were barely hanging on as it was.”

4. SilcSkin

Beauty brands such as SilcSkin, which offers all-natural anti-aging pads made of 100% medical-grade silicone, have also proven to be an ideal isolation beauty necessity for women who cannot get their usual wrinkle treatments.

The patches adhere to the skin to keep trouble spots smooth and wrinkle-free while you sleep; however, 65% of SilcSkin’s business has been to spas and salons that have been closed. The company’s main pathway to meeting new clients has been predominantly through conventions/conferences, which have all been canceled. No refunds were given, only credits for future shows.

Camille della Santina, the Emmy-award-winning celebrity makeup artist and founder of SilcSkin stated, “I’m not sure when or how they will be able to hold these events with large gatherings in the future. It is not financially viable to attend these conferences if the attendance is low. We have partnered with online professional esthetician groups to introduce the product to estheticians. We want to help these estheticians however we can with our dropship program and by removing minimum orders. We will also continue to enhance our partnerships with professional esthetician groups. I really feel this is the new avenue for spa and salon continuing education. While SilcSkin was known for its customer service, we have upped it 110%. I think we really need kindness in these times.”

Many businesses have discovered during this pandemic that they need to stay connected to their regular customers while they are forced apart. Your personal touch has never been more important. You must find a way to do this.

5. Chiavaye

Shortly before the pandemic hit the United States, Kaylyn Easton launched Chiavaye, an all-natural, all-purpose vegan personal moisturizer available at natural grocers. Chiavaye will soon launch in other mass retailers, such as Walmart.

Since the nationwide lockdown started, Chiavaye has had a greater focus on online conversations and being present on popular media outlets.

Easton said, “The Chiavaye YouTube channel has increased viewership and comments. We also send out a special newsletter to our Chiavaye family with date ideas for couples during COVID-19 and fun reading material on female wellness topics.”

6. HydroPeptide

HydroPeptide, which combines epigenetics and peptides, continued to introduce new products including a new hydrating Vital Eyes Instant Awakening Serum as the mask culture will be putting an emphasis on eyes. HydroPeptides’ Vital Eyes minimizes the look of dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles over time using an eye-safe retinol alternative called bakuchiol. The treatment brightens hyperpigmentation and reduces the look of crow’s feet. It has a cooling rollerball that massages with anti-inflammatory caffeine to increase blood circulation and instantly depuffs for a smoother, brighter undereye.

As spas begin to open across the country, many are wondering what safety precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of both employees and clients. Amy Mclain, the spa director for Kenneth’s Salon and Spa in Ohio where HydroPeptide is on the menu, and her estheticians have been preparing for re-opening.

Mclain shared, “This experience has really reinforced the need for human connection in this business. The entire customer experience, from when they call to schedule an appointment to when they leave the spa or salon, is so important. Mental health and wellbeing play a big role in the spa industry, so we have been viewing our business through that lens to ensure we are giving our guests the best, most relaxing experience possible. Things in the spa have not changed too much from before, because we were already following rigorous sanitary guidelines. But we have given everyone 15 more minutes in between guests to clean their stations, and there is no longer a lobby where guests check-in, making room for wider spaces in between blow-dry stations so we can maintain six-foot distances between everything.”

Recovery will look much the same. Each week will bring new findings and cause new habits to develop and we must continue to adapt, persevere and market to existing and new audiences.

As Seen in Global Cosmetics Industry

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evangelene · 7 years

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92 statements tag

I was tagged by the ever lovely @ebullientbun !! Thank you sweetie for thinkin of me!! <3 <3

RULES: you must answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people

Me: gonna answer them and break dem fuckin rules cos I don’t know 20 people who’d I think would be comfortable wit dis

THE LAST: 1. drink: Archer farms sparkling water that I have consistently knocked over six times in the last ten minutes. 2. phone call: My dad asking if I wanted cheese on my subway sandwich 3. text message: “show me the bling damnit!” to my friend who’s boyfriend finally fuckin proposed. 4. song you listened to: Soldier by Fleurie 5. time you cried: Literally yesterday, I had a weird pmsing breakdown at work in the bathroom for whatever idiotic reason. Weeeeee~

HAVE YOU EVER: 6. dated someone twice: Since I’ve only ever dated one person and I am still dating them....no. 7. kissed someone and regretted it: that one time I kissed a sunfish I caught just so I could chase my partner around and shout “WHY WON’T YOU KISS ME?!” as he runs screaming from me. (he hates fish) 8. been cheated on: Don’t think so? No. 9. lost someone special: Yes. 10. been depressed: Chronically. 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: Never been drunk and never want to be drunk--so no.

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14. - dark purple, dark teal, and like a salmony pinkie color. IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. made new friends: Duh. 16. fallen out of love: Nah, once I love something I generally continue to love it for the rest of my life. Unless you’re a backstabbing bitch of a friend, then yes I will fall out of friendship love with you. 17. laughed until you cried: Yes, we were in the car and my dad was screaming Naf Naf in about seventy different voices for whatever reason. 18. found out someone was talking about you: Positively usually, yes. But I’m also oblivious AF. 19. met someone who changed you: I like to think that every person I meet changes me in some way. Some for the better, others just make me hate a certain breed of old person more. 20. found out who your friends are: Pfahhaha, oh hell yes. 21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: Yea, and I’m labeled as “in a relationship” with him.

GENERAL: 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: IDK like I used to know some of them--maybe like 90% I have a bad habbit of accepting everyone who sends me a friend request because I can’t remember anyone for shit. Turns out at least ten of my friends I have no fucking clue who they are but I hope they like the shit nothing I post. 23. do you have any pets: A rabbit, two gerbils, three golfish, four bettas and a whole fuckin forest of plants. 24. do you want to change your name: Nah, I’d forget to respond to anything else. 25. what did you do for your last birthday: Sat alone on my computer at my partner’s house hoping anyone on tumblr or facebook or just in general would remember my birthday. Surprise, not really. And then we went out to eat and I got ravioli and pet dogs and got happy. 26. what time did you wake up: 3am, 4am, 6am, 7am, 8am and then finally 9am. It’s rare that I sleep through the night entirely. 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: passed out having a dream that I couldn’t breathe--turns out I couldn’t because I was fucking accidentally suffocating myself in my bed of pillows. 28. name something you can’t wait for: moving out of this damn house and not telling my mother where I’m going. 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: yesterday but I hope that soon it will be never again. 30. what is one thing you wish you could change in your life: my flabby fatness but my meds are making it nearly impossible for me to lose it currently. 31. what are you listening to right now: The pleasant background noise of a horrible mother on Say Yes to the Dress. 32. have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Yeah, he’s my boss and I always feel like I’m incredibly nervous talking to him because like yo--what if he fires me for yawning? 33. something that is getting on your nerves: my mother but that’s nothing new. 34. most visited website: Youtube 38. hair color: auburn/red 39. long or short hair: long AF 40. do you have a crush on someone: yes, my partner--though he’s aware that my heart belongs to every single animal I see before it belongs to him. 41. what do you like about yourself: I’m secretly a badass but no one believes me because apparently I come off innocent and incapable of protecting myself. 42. piercings: 11 ear piercings. 43. blood type: A positive I think? Idk, the red cross vampires keep calling for more of it. 44. nickname: Sam? Hey you? Sami? 45. relationship status: in one? 46. zodiac: Gemini 47. pronouns: She/Her 48. favorite tv show: Wynonna Earp 49. tattoos: Two and counting. 50. right or left handed: Leftie in writing but ambidextrous in everything else 51. surgery: Yeah that one time they though I had cancer and operated on my mouth. Also wisdom tooth surgery in which I sobbed because I thought that they took my lips from me. 52. piercing: I want an industrial bar real bad. 53. sport: fencing, sometimes walk/run if my asthma allows for it. 55. vacation: Not till august but I’m hoping that my partner will make good on his promise to take me to Disneyworld. 56. pair of trainers: ???the fuck this mean????

MORE GENERAL 57. eating: I had a piece of cake. It was delicious 58. drinking: that same sparkling water I keep knocking over 59. i’m about to: write, clean, or nap. I haven’t decided yet. 61. waiting for: My anxiety and depression to magically be cured. 62. want: to just sleep forever. 63. get married: I want to literally just so I can wear the dress. I don’t give a fuck otherwise but damnit I want an excuse to doll myself up to the high heavens. 64. career: I’d like to be an art teacher but if that doesn’t pan out then I’ll just become a professional dog hugger.

WHICH IS BETTER 65. hugs or kisses: Hugs, but I like kisses too. 66. lips or eyes: Eyeballs, but I have a hard time making eyecontact in person so probably actually lips. 67. shorter or taller: It doesn’t matter? Like rude? I like em in all shapes in sizes. 68. older or younger: Older, but not like grandparent aged. 70. nice arms or nice stomach: I don’t give a fuck. Where’s the option for personality? 71. sensitive or loud: Sensitive because I’m shy and if the person is too loud or insensitive then I feel like I would start crying because yo like being in the spotlight gives me hardcore anxiety. 72. hook up or relationship: Relationship. 73. troublemaker or hesitant: Hesitant; I’m not about to fuckin babysit who I’m dating.

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. kissed a stranger: No 75. drank hard liquor: Yes, and then I punched my dad’s sunburn because he tricked me. 76. lost glasses/contact lenses: All the time. 77. turned someone down: Yes,, but the best way to turn people down is to show them pictures of Kim Seokjin. 78. sex on the first date: Hell nah boi. Unless you’re female, then I’d be down for it. 79. broken someone’s heart: Probably? By accident? 80. had your heart broken: Hell yes. 81. been arrested: Fuck no, I haven’t even been pulled over. 82. cried when someone died: Um, duh? 83. fallen for a friend: No?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. yourself: Maybe like 10%. Okay, I have an irrational fear of mall railings because I don’t trust myself to not trip and accidentally fall over it. 85. miracles: Sure, some bullshit miracles tho? Nah. 86. love at first sight: I believe that is called attraction. For me, love comes with knowing a person not just being like--oh they cute I bet they have a great personality too. 87. santa claus: Nah, I deadass watched my mom write Santa on one of my presents as a child. 88. kiss on the first date: Sure? IDK, my partner kissed me before we even had our first date because motherfucker was antsy. hahah. 89. angels: Yesh.

OTHER: 90. current best friend’s name: I have so many of them--but like Kylee, Maria, Ashleen, Serena, Laura...... 91. eye color: Hazel AF. 92. favorite movie: Bitch I have so many. Split, terminator, Get Out, the purge movies, Brave, Moana, etc.

Tagging:

@g-d0818 @daegu-dreamin @seokjinaf @arisuna @anyoneelsethatwantstodothis

Also, feel free to not do it if I tagged ya. I’m just spacey and forgetful!

#tagged #dis is me

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fitnesshealthyoga-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/yoga-and-throat-cancer-how-a-tumor-changed-a-teachers-practice/

Yoga and Throat Cancer: How a Tumor Changed a Teacher's Practice

Creating and delivering a powerful dharma talk at the start of a yoga class can be challenging. Read this amazing dharma talk for inspiration to help you write your own.

“You don’t have asthma,” my doctor confirmed, “you have this,” pointing to the x-ray and an almond-size tumor blocking 75 percent of my windpipe. “This is a very big deal.” For him or for me, I wondered, hoping not for him. If a well-respected Ears, Nose, and Throat surgeon was unnerved, my future looked grim.

My eyes moistened as I realized my partner and I might have to cancel our winter yoga teacher training—a tough blow for all the participants and, with my co-director and me being full-time yoga teachers, to our livelihood. “Catch a cold and you could die,” the doctor warned, tapping the ominous white growth on the x-ray.

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See also 7 Simple Ways to Call in More Joy—and Feel Less Stressed

Putting My Yoga Practice Into Practice

Few things bring lessons from yoga class to life better than being t-boned by a calamitous injury or illness, or confronting any kind of life-changing obstacle.

Five years and four throat surgeries later, teaching yoga and Buddhist meditation classes despite having a paralyzed vocal cord and nominal speaking voice, I remain healthy and upbeat and every day learn something unexpected about embodied spirituality.

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Take the yoga term “madhya,” for example. I’d used this Sanskrit word for more than 20 years of teaching without giving its significance much thought. Madhyas are effulgent pauses, like those occurring twice within each breath when we’re neither inhaling nor exhaling, or after each roll of the ocean’s tide or swing of a pendulum. In the pregnant lull of a madhya, the divinity of the Universe is revealed, or so I had been told and taught.

Now, because of a tumor, I understand why madhyas, arguably, are the whole point of yoga and other ancient wisdom traditions. While on a hospital gurney, squeakily rolling toward an operating room for the first surgery, I held my partner Camilla’s sweaty hand and realized I was gifted a brief respite between pre-surgery struggles with near suffocation and the post-surgery challenge of breathing through a trach tube. In that hospital hallway, I felt for the first time the profound calm of a madhya. Yes, I might die, I thought; I might lose my voice and beloved business and never again gaze into Camilla’s beautiful brown eyes. But during that still point while lying on the stretcher, I felt love—and for a timeless moment I was at peace.

That’s not to say there haven’t been challenges. Camilla has assured me over the years that my hoarse, barely audible whisper makes me sound like Batman, yet the reality is decidedly less sexy: I can’t talk on the phone or order at restaurants; I can’t converse with students without wearing a microphone; I can’t answer Camilla when she calls out from another room.

I’ve also learned the yoga principle of aparigraha, the willingness to let go, somatically. It’s a lesson I’ve felt directly in my surgically-reconstructed throat: When I grasp and feel resentment for losing the booming baritone I enjoyed during the previous 50 years of my life, I strain to breathe around my paralyzed vocal cord and lose what little voice I’m blessed to still have. “Enlightenment is not about being perfect,” say the Zen masters, “it’s about being without anxiety over imperfection.” I take that to heart with every breath.

See also 3 Things I Learned After Taking a Break from My Yoga Practice

Discovering the Gift of Illness

When a fourth and final Hail Mary operation several years ago failed to get my voice back, I slumped with self-pity at the hospital’s check-out counter and pondered the pros and cons of drowning myself. Then, I looked up and smiled feebly at a young man who’d suddenly appeared behind me. He leaned heavily on a cane, wore a hearing aid, and appeared to be partially paralyzed from a stroke.

The painful rictus of his mouth could offer nothing in return to my quiet hello. On the drive home, Camilla and I listened to Austin’s great local music on the radio, I winged my free arm out the window, and started planning the next day’s yoga classes. I shook my head with renewed gratitude for life.

As anyone dealing with a physical or emotional test knows, our gifts can come when least expected.

Once, at the beginning of a 90-minute flow class, after handing out drawings of a storm-tossed galleon along with the quote, “Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor,” my microphone squawked with dead-battery static and frazzled into silence. I glared over the students’ heads at our studio clock—just 89 more minutes to go! Though a part of me wanted to curse and hurl the muted headset against a wall, a bigger part chuckled with awe at the Universe’s sense of humor and never-ending use of synchronicities.

Halfway through a yin class devoted to Shiva the Destroyer and “embracing change,” I abruptly realized—duh—I didn’t lose my voice to the throat surgeries, my voice had simply changed into something new. Not inherently better or worse, just different, with its own unique limitations and benefits. When guiding students through yoga nidra body-scan meditations in our candlelit nightcap classes, my amplified whisper proved incredibly soothing. I heard the loud snores to prove it.

See also This 7-Pose Home Practice Harnesses the Power of Touch

Camilla and I often tell our students, “The 90 minutes you spend on a yoga mat are really for the other twenty-two and a half hours of the days.” Two years ago, after teaching a class devoted to heart-opening poses like Camel and Wheel, I felt a strange tickle deep in my throat: The vagus nerve near my larynx, severed during my first surgery, instantly came back on line. Though still hoarse, the volume in my voice went from quasi-mute up a few game-changing decibels to Tom Waits territory, and has held steady ever since. When I shared with Camilla what happened, she smiled knowingly and said, “It was the heart-openers.”

Over the past five years of coming to peace with my throat, my favorite deity has been Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed “remover of obstacles.” With his conspicuously broken tusk, he reminds us that imperfection is inevitable and that we all have the instinctive ability to transform our challenges into blessings.

“There is a crack in everything,” the late great Leonard Cohen crooned Zen-fully, “that’s how the light gets in.” We sometimes become most alive, most excited about the mysterious machinations of the Universe, when we are given an obstacle: whether we suffer from chronic back pain, plantar fasciitis, or we lose the ability to speak; whether our hair turns gray, our politicians become less blue, or our financial status goes from black to red.

What is your broken tusk here to teach you?

See also How Tasha Eichenseher Embraces Constant Change

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yesdreamilyenchantingbouquet · 4 years

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Seventy-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz, Jan. 27 is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when the world remembers and mourns the victims of the Holocaust.

Please take a moment to read the below guest article and pause for a moment today.

AUSCHWITZ — 75 Years Later Deception Continues

By Gary McCullough

The whistle bellowed and the tracks creaked, as we slowed, then stopped. Shaking from the cold, I knew my anxiety would soon pass. Folded in my vest pocket was my future, my family’s future. The deed to a dairy farm, complete with four cows. We had sold most everything in order to secure our peace; to purchase this deed and the train tickets my wife, my two bundles-of-joy and I were now traveling on.

We brought with us our remaining precious belongings, including my father’s watch, safely tucked in my suitcase. Monica and Teresa each had their suitcases, stuffed with clothing, most of which their mother had hand-sewn, and assorted treasures my four and six-year-olds had stowed away. Each held tightly a doll from their Aunt Olga. My family was ready to start our new life. Here, far from the war, far from the anger and bitterness that had come with the war. Here in our new home in Oświęcim.

…Life is so good here. Just as they promised. Not a free ride, but with work, comes freedom. The winters, they are not so bad, not as they were back home. Both Margaret and I, we do love it so…

My beautiful wife was reading aloud the letter for the hundredth time. A letter written by Ben, the grocer from our neighborhood. He and his family had come to Oświęcim about this time last year. Six months ago he had written this letter to his parents. When word went about town that we would be leaving, Ben’s parents made a present of the letter. Over and over she read it to the girls, to encourage them on the long trip, to encourage me as well I suppose.

The doors strained open and the cold damp air flushed my face as I stepped on to the station platform.

“Leave your suitcases on the platform. Mark your name, age, and nationality on your baggage. To fail to do so will delay the return of your belongings.” The announcement was made again in another, and then another language.

I gathered my family and we walked with the others through a courtyard, then through an iron gate. Across the gate in bold black painted iron letters “WORK BRINGS FREEDOM”. A twenty-five-piece band was playing a familiar tune, one that my mother used to hum. The cheery flower boxes looked strange next to the double-barbed wire fence. Still it was all quite an unexpectedly comforting welcome. A distinguished looking man in a physician’s smock approached our growing group and picked a few men and me, most all the young-and-healthy sort, for a chore he said. Just for a few minutes, he said, then we would be back with our families. Well, I have made it this far by getting along with everyone. “I’ll be back in a minute honey!”

Walking away, I glanced back to see my wife and girls walking into the hospital building. The building with a big red cross painted on it. Some kind of disinfectant shower, someone mentioned.

* * * * *

Attention: “Everyone, the shower here is simple disinfectant, not to worry, it’s not too strong even for your youngest children. Please remove your clothing and fold them in neat stacks. Your co-operation is greatly appreciated.”

* * * * *

The other men and I walked down some steps, through a tunnel, then waited, and waited. We were given uniforms and wooden clogs and told to wait in another line. As I changed my clothes, I slipped the deed into the lining of my cap. I would just feel more at ease knowing exactly where it was. It represented years of scrimping and all our savings.

Finally, we are going somewhere. Down more steps, another tunnel. I was impressed by the sturdy construction of the walls. And in front of us now were two narrow gauge rail carts, small enough for one man to push empty. We pushed the carts up to where the tracks came to a double wide steel door. Locked at the moment.

An official looking gentleman unlocked and swung open the doors. Without warning my eyes flooded with tears and I dropped to my knees, a cloud of blue-gray haze escaped the through the doorway. As my eyes adjusted and cleared, I was kicked in the back. “Get up, to work now!”

“Doing what?” I began to twist around only to be booted once more. The other men from the train were as perplexed as I. We stumbled into the room. I tripped, as my eyes were still watering, and I landed on something soft, something warm. It was some, some person, an old man, he was limp. I looked up; no words came to my lips. As in a dream as you step off a cliff, you try and yell, but no words come out. No sound ever comes out.

Another and another and another body, no blood, no wounds. There was a young woman, younger than my wife. Next to her, a baby boy, not a year old, still clutching a brightly painted toy car, as I looked at him, such a beautiful healthy boy, the toy escaped his tiny little grasp, his fingers slowly growing cold. The vast room was filled with hundreds of naked bodies. Some of them still hugging each other, others piled on one another. Each one still warm, yet not one breathing. Who are these people!? Who were these people!? What happened? I looked up, screaming at God, and recognized a round, cone shaped, shower head.

* * * * *

In 1992 I visited three death camps in Poland. On the walls of a building in Stuthoff and several building in Auschwitz, hang the portraits of over a hundred of the millions of victims of the gas chambers. At both death camps, you can gaze upon piles of shoes, thousands of pairs of shoes, in all sizes. And literal bales of women’s hair, stacked like so many bales of hay. And next to the hair-bales are bolts of fabric that had been manufactured from the hair shaved from the heads of thousands of dead, murdered young women. And suitcases, piled to the ceiling, marked with white paint, the name, year of birth, and nationality of the owner. Many of the suitcases were of children; five, six, and seven years old. Another room was full of eyeglasses, the next, brushes and combs, the next room, stacked wall to wall, floor to ceiling, were prosthesis all every sort, legs and arms, and wheel-chairs and crutches.

This collection, this shrine to “Never-Again,” displayed what was but a fraction of the booty gathered from the killing of millions of mothers, sisters and brothers, husbands and grandparents and children over the years we now call the Holocaust. These were the items that had not yet been packaged for shipment. These glasses, shoes, clothing, etc. were to be shipped to people in need, taken from useless non-persons, to go to the sustenance of the higher race. A guard, would pick through the belongings of the still warm non-person for something to send home to his family; perhaps a needed pair of pants, or a Sunday’s-best dress that his bride would wear about town with him on his next leave, a pair of glasses that would be of use to his mother, she has needed a better pair for oh so long.

Of all these exhibits screaming of man’s inhumanity toward man, one moved me to tears, a small pile of children’s toys.

As our tour group exited the building, I approached our guide. Why didn’t someone stop this? Why didn’t the townspeople blow the place up? Why didn’t our allied forces obliterate the death camps?

Her response was one well thought out. As a guide at Auschwitz for seven years, she is asked that most every day. She stated, “Many people for years, much wiser than I, have debated that exact question. Survivors of this camp have said they would have gladly given their lives to see this place destroyed and the killing stopped. One thing that most all agree on though, is in regard to the three sets of railroad tracks coming to the camp. They should have been destroyed. They knew where the killing was being done. They had the ability, and even if the tracks would have been rebuilt in a matter of days, thousands of lives would have been saved, thousands of lives!

Immediately I responded, “You know, that’s what we do.” Up to this point, she did not know that the entire group touring Auschwitz that day were part of a group in the USA called Operation Rescue. I went on to explain to her, and to myself at the same time, that when we rescue, we take out the tracks. We don’t destroy the clinic/death-camp, we don’t kill the butchers. But for a short period of time we keep the non-persons/the babies, from getting to the death-camp. We buy a little time for the innocent.

Two weeks later, while hand-cuffed, from the back of a paddy-wagon, I found myself preaching to nine of San Antonio’s Finest. While these officers were arresting and carrying away one limp rescuer after another I began to tell them of my recent trip to the death-camps of Auschwitz, Birkenau and Stuthoff.

Officer, did you know…

At the Auschwitz death-camp:

Many Jews, Poles and others believed going to Oświęcim was an investment in their future?

At the San Antonio death-camp:

Many women come here believing that this is an investment in their future.

The Cyclon-B nerve gas was delivered in train cars marked with the Red-Cross as medical

The killing devices are sold and delivered, and even tax-deductible as medical equipment. A heart injection was sometimes used to terminate the non-person.

A heart injection is sometimes used to terminate the baby. Many of the bodies were burned in crematoriums, at the death-camp.

Many of the bodies are burned in crematoriums, at the death-camp. The availability of healthy, live bodies drew many researchers for experimentation and profit.

The availability of healthy, live bodies draws many researchers for experimentation and profit. They disguised the gas-chambers as hospitals and medical clinics.

They disguise the abortion-chambers as hospitals and medical clinics. The Nazis dressed up in the clothing of priests, and mocked God.

Pro-abortion advocates dress up in the clothing of priests, and mock God. Gruesome experimentation was performed, often simply for the sick entertainment of so-called doctors.

Gruesome experimentation is performed, often simply for the sick entertainment of so-called doctors. Body parts were used for decoration and jewelry.

Body parts are used for decoration and jewelry. Many, because of their health condition, it was considered dignified and more humane to end their life.

Many, because of their health condition, it is considered dignified and more humane to end their life. All that remains are the ashes of millions of innocent people.

All that remains are the ashes of millions of innocent people. Most Christians purchased their freedom by co-existing with the killing.

Most Christians purchase their freedom by co-existing with the killing. Only a small segment of the Church took a stand against the killing and they were easily dealt with.

Only a small segment of the Church takes a stand against the killing and they are easily dealt with. Most of the world could not or would not believe that such a holocaust was happening.

Most of the world cannot or will not believe that such a holocaust is happening. Judges, Police, Guards, all said they were just, doing their jobs.

Judges, Police, Guards, all say they were just, doing their job. The Church said they were just obeying the law.

The Church says they are just obeying the law.

We have simply become more efficient in the disposing of our non-persons. In part, the job is much easier today because the bodies are smaller and more easily disposed of.

Then the paddy-wagon door shut and a truck load of Christian men finding themselves on their way to jail began to pray.

Others prayed aloud, for the mother waiting to enter the soon to be opened clinic, for God to rescue the children who would be killed there that day. Then it was my time, before God, to open my heart…

Dear Lord, I remember how angry I was, and still am over that pile of children’s toys at Auschwitz. How these harmless steps we were taking this morning don’t seem to be a match to the violent death awaiting our holocaust victims.

How could even a brain-washed Nazi death-camp guard take a toy off the still warm body of a dead child and give it to his child?! In that sentence, God answered my question with His question:

“How is it that you, my son, washed by me, give your children toys taken from the children killed at the abortion death-camps?”

My crushing anger was now, full weight on me. How can this be, Lord? I am about to go to jail…again. I am doing all I know to do!

“For each child that is killed; his toys will instead be enjoyed by your children.”

Like it or not I have to face the fact that each day I find something more important to do than saving an unborn child’s life, I have chosen that my job, my comforts, my wife’s clothing and yes, even my children’s toys were more important than the life of an unborn child.

There is no “feel-good” end to this story; no secret solution. We have gone too far down the road to Auschwitz. We have a thousand Dachaus, Treblinkas, and Auschwitz in America, advertising in the yellow pages.

As the death-camps reared their ugly heads in World War II. Some of America’s citizens recognized the threat and rose to the challenge. They didn’t wait for our nation to enter the war, they went to Canada, enlisted, and went to fight Hitler and the Nazi War Machine. However, most of the nation waited for an official declaration of war.

But when war was declared, every able-bodied, clear thinking man entered the fight. If a young man was not serving his country, his courage and manhood was called into question. Men and women came from the countryside to the cities to work in the factories as part of the war effort. Factories that produced automobiles and appliances re-tooled to make items needed to win a war. Housewives conserved everything from nylons to rubber-bands to help beat the Nazis. And still the ashes of millions of burned bodies testified that we did too little, too late.

When will the time has come for us to do our duty before God and country in regard to the holocaust of abortion? When will it be time for every able-bodied, clear-thinking Christian to enter the fight? If a young man is not saving the lives of innocent children, is his courage and manhood called into question?

As in Nehemiah, chapter three, everyone from merchants to shepherds set aside their usual job for a time, to rebuild the wall. Every Christian ministry, God ordained and set apart for a particular need, must re-tool to win this war. To continue to do business as usual while there are death-camps operating down the street is an insult to our Creator.

And still the ashes of millions of burned bodies will testify that we did too little, too late.

In the story, Ben’s letter to his parents was forced and censored. It was common practice to keep a few Jews, Poles, and others alive for six months. They would be forced to write home and lie to their friends or relatives about the conditions at Auschwitz. After the letter was written they would be taken to the gas chamber and killed like the others, then cremated.

Hanging on the wall today in Auschwitz is a fragment of an actual uncensored letter from Monika Dombke, born 1920, to her mother. That letter reads:

Electric wires, high and double

Won’t let you Mom – you won’t see your daughter

So don’t believe those censored letters of mine

cause the truth is different; but don’t cry, Mom.

And if you would like to seek out your child’s trace

Don’t ask anyone, don’t knock anywhere:

look for the ashes in the fields of Auschwitz

It will be there. But don’t cry – enough of bitterness here.

And if you would like to discover your child’s trace

look for the ashes in the fields of Birkenau

They’ll be there – so look for the ashes

In the fields of Auschwitz, in the woods of Birkenau,

Mom, look for the ashes – I’ll be there!

AUSCHWITZ — 75 Years Later Deception Continues Seventy-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz, Jan. 27 is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when the world remembers and mourns the victims of the Holocaust.

#Auschwitz #Holocaust #International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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cedarrrun · 5 years

Link

What does a professional yoga teacher do after he permanently loses his voice? Yoga, of course.

Creating and delivering a powerful dharma talk at the start of a yoga class can be challenging. Read this amazing dharma talk for inspiration to help you write your own.

See also 7 Simple Ways to Call in More Joy—and Feel Less Stressed

Putting My Yoga Practice Into Practice

Few things bring lessons from yoga class to life better than being t-boned by a calamitous injury or illness, or confronting any kind of life-changing obstacle.

See also 3 Things I Learned After Taking a Break from My Yoga Practice

Discovering the Gift of Illness

As anyone dealing with a physical or emotional test knows, our gifts can come when least expected.

Once, at the beginning of a 90-minute flow class, my microphone squawked with dead-battery static and frazzled into silence. I glared over the students’ heads at our studio clock—just 89 more minutes to go! Though a part of me wanted to curse and hurl the muted headset against a wall, a bigger part chuckled with awe at the Universe’s sense of humor and never-ending use of synchronicities.

See also This 7-Pose Home Practice Harnesses the Power of Touch

What is your broken tusk here to teach you?

See also How Tasha Eichenseher Embraces Constant Change

#sleep sounds #sleep music #white noise app #nature sounds #relaxing sounds #rain sounds for sleeping

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chocolate-brownies · 5 years

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Dharma Talk: Yoga by the Throat

Dharma Talk: Yoga by the Throat:

What does a professional yoga teacher do after he permanently loses his voice? Yoga, of course.

Creating and delivering a powerful dharma talk at the start of a yoga class can be challenging. Read this amazing dharma talk for inspiration to help you write your own.

See also 7 Simple Ways to Call in More Joy—and Feel Less Stressed

Putting My Yoga Practice Into Practice

Few things bring lessons from yoga class to life better than being t-boned by a calamitous injury or illness, or confronting any kind of life-changing obstacle.

I’ve also learned the yoga principle of aparigraha, the willingness to let go, somatically. It’s a lesson I’ve felt directly in my surgically-reconstructed throat:When I grasp and feel resentment for losing the booming baritone I enjoyed during the previous 50 years of my life, I strain to breathe around my paralyzed vocal cord and lose what little voice I’m blessed to still have. “Enlightenment is not about being perfect,” say the Zen masters, “it’s about being without anxiety over imperfection.” I take that to heart with every breath.

See also 3 Things I Learned After Taking a Break from My Yoga Practice

Discovering the Gift of Illness

As anyone dealing with a physical or emotional test knows, our gifts can come when least expected.

See also This 7-Pose Home Practice Harnesses the Power of Touch

What is your broken tusk here to teach you?

See also How Tasha Eichenseher Embraces Constant Change

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krisiunicornio · 5 years

Link

What does a professional yoga teacher do after he permanently loses his voice? Yoga, of course.

Creating and delivering a powerful dharma talk at the start of a yoga class can be challenging. Read this amazing dharma talk for inspiration to help you write your own.

See also 7 Simple Ways to Call in More Joy—and Feel Less Stressed

Putting My Yoga Practice Into Practice

Few things bring lessons from yoga class to life better than being t-boned by a calamitous injury or illness, or confronting any kind of life-changing obstacle.

See also 3 Things I Learned After Taking a Break from My Yoga Practice

Discovering the Gift of Illness

As anyone dealing with a physical or emotional test knows, our gifts can come when least expected.

See also This 7-Pose Home Practice Harnesses the Power of Touch

What is your broken tusk here to teach you?

See also How Tasha Eichenseher Embraces Constant Change

#sleep sounds #sleep music #white noise app #nature sounds #relaxing sounds #rain sounds for sleeping

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identybeautynet · 3 years

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OnlyFans courts beauty content creators

OnlyFans courts beauty content creators OnlyFans is trying to break out of its sexy box. The 5-year-old social media platform broke into the mainstream in 2020 as people sought to supplement a sudden loss of income due to Covid-19 and were driven to consume more digital entertainment. But it also gained popularity during a crucial inflection point of the creator economy and is now trying to capitalize on this rapid growth by expanding beyond what it is best known for: porn. One burgeoning area of the OnlyFans ecosystem appears to be beauty content, which has proven popular across other major social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok. Gabi Mrugala, whose username is GroovyGabs, joined OnlyFans in Nov. 2020 after a friend who makes fashion content on OnlyFans suggested it. Prior to OnlyFans, Mrugala worked behind-the-scenes in the film industry and was looking to build an audience for her self-help wellness content. She said she likes that her videos and photos on OnlyFans can be less polished than those on Instagram and still gain traction. She currently has 23,000 followers on OnlyFans but declined to share her monthly earnings. A creator can opt to charge a monthly subscription fee of up to $50 for people to follow them. They can also charge people to send direct messages to them and to see specific posts or photos. And, of course, they can receive unsolicited monetary tips. OnlyFans takes a 20% commission. Subscribing to GroovyGabs is free, but Mrugala monetizes through tips and direct-message gratuities. She also has an Amazon wishlist for flowers. “I’m choosing to stay as a full content creator, because I am fulfilling my purpose by helping other individuals,” Mrugala said. “ is a place where you can be more personal and more yourself. A lot of people prefer to wear a full face of makeup on Instagram — there’s nothing wrong with that. But on OnlyFans, it feels like a lot of individuals will support you regardless of .” OnlyFans operates differently than most social media sites, but it was intentionally designed to not become a user’s only social site, said Ami Gan, OnlyFans head of communications. For example, the ability to search for a specific person to follow is not possible, though there are some suggestions offered on who to follow based on who OnlyFans wishes to promote. Additionally, when someone joins OnlyFans, they do not select the type of content they are interested in seeing or following, which negates OnlyFans as a platform for discovery. Gan declined to share what percentage of content is adult but said creators are also not categorized. “OnlyFans is an add-on to someone’s existing social media. You can populate your OnlyFans profile by doing a swipe up through Instagram, or sharing that you’ve launched an OnlyFans and direct traffic that way,” said Gan. In the past, notably in the 1990s music industry, artists who sought to capitalize on their fame to earn more money were regarded as “sellouts” who were diminishing their artistic integrity. Kurt Cobain from Nirvana was accused of selling out, while the Beasty Boys have a lifelong policy to never license their music for commercials. But, fast-forward to 2021, and content creators are not only more willing to solicit brand deals or direct payments from followers but, to an extent, they’re applauded for doing so by their followers. Now, just like OnlyFans helped disrupt the creator economy and the attitude toward paying content creators, it is now seeking to disrupt its own reputation. According to Bloomberg, OnlyFans is seeking outside capital at a $1 billion valuation and to become more of a “mainstream media platform,” rather than a place for porn. Co-owner Leonid Radvinsky, who owns 75% of OnlyFans, has received scrutiny for questionable business practices in the past. For OnlyFans, sex sells until it doesn’t. In Dec. 2020, OnlyFans soft-launched OF.TV, which offers broader lifestyle content on topics like meditation, cooking, music and comedy. Both Mrugala and Alyssa Olson, whose username is BodyPosiStylist, have been invited by OnlyFans to post on OF.TV for free, in exchange for promotion of their account. Both said the exposure significantly boosted their followings. “We do have that reputation for having sexy content, which is something we don’t shy away from. Its intention back in 2016 was always for all types of content creators from all genres,” said Gan. She said, due to the company’s “liberal content policies,” adult content has flourished. But, by 2019 there was a variety of content creators including from the music industry and lifestyle space. Celebrities like singers Cardi B and Aaron Carter, as well as actress Bella Thorne, all joined OnlyFans, bringing it even further awareness. Gan said OnlyFans has 130 million users and 130 million content creators, while only 300 creators have made $1 million through the platform. But, as The New York Times reported in May, even the non-adult content comes with a wink and a nudge that alludes to the platform’s origins. When designer Rebecca Minkoff began its OnlyFans profile in February, one locked post said, “This is what we don’t show you,” followed by a coquettish wide-eyed, red-cheeked emoji. This barrage of sexual association on and with OnlyFans can create some barriers for content creators. Mrugala said she does not promote her OnlyFans account through her other social profiles and does not publicly tell people she has an OnlyFans, as she is waiting until the stigma of association goes away. “It’s changing rapidly. I will feel more confident in sharing OnlyFans with others. I don’t really care what other people think, but I want the stigma to go away,” she said. Meanwhile, Olson posts a mix of hair-styling tutorials and body-positivity photos. She said she appreciates the ability to post content that spans genres. Olson has been in the beauty industry for 11 years, working in cosmetology and hairstyling, and began her OnlyFans account in Oct. 2020. She described the response from OnlyFans followers as “day and night,” compared to other social channels like Instagram. She has 50,000 followers and has received $1,500-$15,000 in monthly earnings, whereas her Instagram presence hovers at around 1,000 people. Olson monetizes through selling lingerie photos and unsolicited tips, and occasionally charges for direct messages when she is behind and has hundreds to answer. “I was excited about OnlyFans because I had my personal Instagram and my business Instagram but I could never meld those two things together,” said Olson. “I’m looking to build my name as an influencer. People aren’t working for free anymore, especially after the pandemic. You can go and enjoy my content on Instagram for free if you want, but you can see a lot more and see more in-depth if you are willing to pay $5.” BEAUTY TIPS: OnlyFans courts beauty content creators. OnlyFans courts beauty content creators, OnlyFans courts beauty content creators, OnlyFans courts beauty content creators, OnlyFans courts beauty content creators, OnlyFans courts beauty content creators, OnlyFans courts beauty content creators, Read the full article

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amyddaniels · 5 years

Text

Dharma Talk: Yoga by the Throat

What does a professional yoga teacher do after he permanently loses his voice? Yoga, of course.

Creating and delivering a powerful dharma talk at the start of a yoga class can be challenging. Read this amazing dharma talk for inspiration to help you write your own.

See also 7 Simple Ways to Call in More Joy—and Feel Less Stressed

Putting My Yoga Practice Into Practice

Few things bring lessons from yoga class to life better than being t-boned by a calamitous injury or illness, or confronting any kind of life-changing obstacle.

See also 3 Things I Learned After Taking a Break from My Yoga Practice

Discovering the Gift of Illness

As anyone dealing with a physical or emotional test knows, our gifts can come when least expected.

See also This 7-Pose Home Practice Harnesses the Power of Touch

What is your broken tusk here to teach you?

See also How Tasha Eichenseher Embraces Constant Change

0 notes

remedialmassage · 5 years

Text

Dharma Talk: Yoga by the Throat

What does a professional yoga teacher do after he permanently loses his voice? Yoga, of course.

Creating and delivering a powerful dharma talk at the start of a yoga class can be challenging. Read this amazing dharma talk for inspiration to help you write your own.

See also 7 Simple Ways to Call in More Joy—and Feel Less Stressed

Putting My Yoga Practice Into Practice

Few things bring lessons from yoga class to life better than being t-boned by a calamitous injury or illness, or confronting any kind of life-changing obstacle.

See also 3 Things I Learned After Taking a Break from My Yoga Practice

Discovering the Gift of Illness

As anyone dealing with a physical or emotional test knows, our gifts can come when least expected.

See also This 7-Pose Home Practice Harnesses the Power of Touch

What is your broken tusk here to teach you?

See also How Tasha Eichenseher Embraces Constant Change

from Yoga Journal https://ift.tt/2UU6j9U

#Yoga Journal

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

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Shannon Creek Ranch

By Alan Harman

Deep in the heart of cattle country, Joseph Hubbard, at age 30 a 20-year sheep-producing veteran, is helping groom a new breed of sheep producers.

Unit manager of the Kansas State University’s (KSU) sheep and meat goat center, he takes his work home as co-owner of a family run operation, Shannon Creek Ranch.

It’s a 500-acre property that has been in the family for three generations.

Kansas ranks third nationally with 6.4 million cattle, dwarfing the 57,000 sheep in the state. So what attracted him to sheep?

“I was really young when I first started with sheep and it was something I could manage on my own,” Hubbard says. “As I expanded, the profit margin was much greater with sheep than cattle on my operation.”

His farm runs a composite breed first established at the Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. The breed’s original composition consisted of 50 percent Romanov, 25 percent Katahdin, and 25 percent White Dorper.

“This cross creates a very maternal, prolific ewe with nice rib shape and bone density,” Hubbard says. “They are also able to breed out of season very easily, which is perfect for our accelerated program.

“We have some ewes with different percentages of the cross and some that have St. Croix replacing the Katahdin. They have all proven to be excellent mothers, but among the ewes that can stick to our very strict breeding program, the best are our true Easy Care cross.”

Hubbard has no regrets about opting for a hair-sheep operation even though global wool prices have been hovering around record levels.

For much of his career wool prices had been so low that the cost of shearing was more than the value of the wool.

“We’re glad the wool market is thriving because it’s helping our fellow sheep producers, but we started our operation specifically with hair breeds in mind,” Hubbard says.

“We’ve found that producers are more successful by sticking to what works with their personal operations rather than jumping around with the market trends.”

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Breeding Schedules & Costs

The farm’s accelerated breeding program produces three lamb crops every two years and that means extra work compared to once-a-year lambing.

“We have to be very strict with our breeding schedule because not only are we doing three lambings in two years, but we have two separated breeding groups doing it,” Hubbard says. “The benefits of the accelerated program and confinement are that it makes feeding much easier and more efficient.

“We are able to maximize the efficiency of our ewes and have lambs consistently available year-round. This program is very appealing to our buyers, especially those wanting to expand, because they can get ewes in large quantities and know the history on every one of them.”

If a ewe slips out of the program schedule for more than two cycles it’s culled to maintain efficiency.

Hubbard created his present operation three years ago, to expand his business from the 600 sheep he had previously farmed.

After building a 200-by-80-foot sheep barn, he initially stocked the farm with almost 2,000 sheep, but then lowered this to about 1,600 head to focus on solid white ewes and the Easy Care cross. This main lambing facility houses about 1,000 of their mature ewes on about seven acres.

“The majority of our ewes are kept in large pens with runs allowing about 50 square feet a ewe,” Hubbard says. “We have a couple pastures we can run some miscellaneous stock and have run some on a neighbor’s property to help manage the undergrowth in their wooded areas.”

Dividing the ewes into the pens helps reduce confusion during peak lambing, when an average 150 ewes are giving birth each day.

This means about eight ewes lamb a day in each pen.

Hubbard recently leased a former hog operation’s retired hoop barns. Once bunk lines were added with large runs attached the facility was ready for stock. That facility now is occupied with 600 open ewes, with the ability to hold 800.

With this facility being off site—about 15 minutes away — Shannon Creek opted to obtain custom care and feeding though a good friend, Jones Feeders.

Hubbard pays a lot of attention to feed at both locations, providing each ewe access to a total mixed ration (TMR). Depending on which stage of the lambing cycle they are in, they will receive a specific feed ratio containing ground prairie hay, alfalfa haylage, wheat haylage and whole corn a day amounting to around 6.5 pounds per ewe.

The estimated cost of maintaining a ewe is $100 to $125 in feed and medication a year.

Feeding a consistent TMR diet helps with a breeding regimen that sees the ewes back in with the rams just 30 days after weaning their lambs. The ewes will be exposed to rams for 30 to 45 days every eight months.

The farm is located in the northern part of the Flint Hills, about 20 miles north of Manhattan, Kansas.

Flint Hills is designated as a distinct region, because it has the densest coverage of intact tallgrass prairie in North America. Due to its rocky soil, early settlers were unable to plow the area, resulting in a predominance of cattle ranches, which are in turn largely benefited by the tallgrass prairie.

“We have livestock guardian dogs at each of our locations,” Hubbard says. “Just their presence alone is usually enough to deter coyotes. We haven’t had any coyotes come near either of our sheep facilities.”

There are two six-year-old Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd littermates at their open ewe facility. There is a three-year-old Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd, a two-year-old Akbash, and an 11-year-old Akbash that watch over their lambing facility.

Fenceline automated feeding of TMR not only streamlined the operation, but cut labor costs by speeding up the job and improving comfort in inclement weather. Bunk lines keep feed from defilement, largely prevent blowing allow equal access to all ewes and enable larger usable pen area — for sheep comfort and health.

Records & Markets

The average annual lambing percentage for the state of Kansas is about 120 percent. Hubbard’s operation is averaging 194 percent over eight-month intervals, giving them an annual rate of about 290 percent.

In the years ahead, Hubbard aims to maintain being a seed-stock operation and continually improve on his elite line of genetics.

“We have started the process of implementing Shearwell RFID tags in our operation to further our data collection efficiency,” he says.

“We are most excited about how easy this will make analyzing both past and future data and help us continually find our top and bottom 10 percent.

“We are open to any chance we have to improve on our management scheme, whether that is genetic improvement, animal husbandry, feed efficiency, time management, etc.”

The Shannon Creek ewe lambs are sold directly off the property at 75 to 100 days of age. They cater to all sized operations, but most recent sales have been to larger scaled operations that breed them to terminal rams with all their offspring sold for conventional meat markets. These conventional commercial market streams seek heavier weights of around 140 pounds.

Hubbard’s ram lambs are grown until they reach 50 to 65 pounds, when they’re sold at market price to East Coast outlets, where Muslim and Spanish consumers prefer the lighter weights.

The variety of ear tags is no accident. The aim is cookie-cutter uniformity for large buyers who love that they can buy uniform lots of lambs all ear, knowing their cutability ratios and on-farm treatment well ahead of purchase. The genetics, a composite mothering breed that hails from the U.S. Govt. research facility at Clay Center, Nebraska.

Labor, Land, & the Future

Hubbard, his wife Shelby, and full-time employee, Danielle Stuerman, do a daily health check on the sheep, feed them, make sure they have clean water and remove any feed left over from the previous day.

Hubbard says working a “seven days a week” operation of almost 2,000 sheep is not for everyone.

“It’s chores every day,” he says. “Sometimes those chores only last a few hours and then other times they last the entire day.”

Stuerman worked with Hubbard at KSU’s Sheep and Meat Goat Unit. The summer before she graduated, she asked Hubbard if he knew of any local producers hiring someone to help manage sheep. He was beginning to think about his expansion and asked if she would be interested in helping.

She has been working with the sheep now for almost three years.

One full-time sheep manager, Kansas State Univ. graduate Danielle Stuerman is now needed to keep the three sheep locations running smoothly. Here, she helps habituate Adeline (2) and Abegail (7 months), daughters of Joseph and Shelby Hubbard, to love and enjoy the life among the sheep. “Take good care of lambs today, so they can take care of you tomorrow.”

“My job now is to take care of day to day operations on the ranch, help establish and implement the lambing cycle schedules, track animal health, care of bottle lambs, maintain an online presence, and collect and evaluate animal data,” Stuerman says.

“I never saw myself working with sheep. I just kind of fell into it — now I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

The farm operation is regularly used as a teaching tool.

“We have used our operation as a model for a potential commercial sheep operation in the sheep-focused classes at KSU,” Hubbard says.

“We have also given many tours to those classes, agriculture clubs, and judging teams, both from K-State and abroad. We recently presented hands-on learning experiences for KSU veterinarian students to help build their skills and — for many of them — getting to work with a new species.”

The farm has also seen many scheduled tours for producers from all over the country who are either just curious about the sheep industry or looking to use Shannon Creek as a model for their home operation.

Hubbard is a full-time sheep industry enthusiast.

Modern handling facilities ease and maximize output of workaday tasks, Stuerman sorting, moving and preparing the line-up behind Hubbard’s treatment duties; Shelby and girls supervising.

“Opportunity is out there,” he tells university students, “Expansion in the sheep industry is happening all across the country, which has increased the need in the workforce.

“With land prices on the rise, sheep are a good substitute for smaller ranching operations wishing to run livestock. Conventional ranching methods in our area allow for about one cow for eight acres, whereas we can run 1,000 sheep on seven acres in a confinement scenario.”

Hubbard’s purely commercial operation keeps a close eye on animal quality.

“With our intense data collection process and multiple pens, we’re able to maintain multiple lines of genetics without having to turn over our ram investment too often,” he says.

“Most of our breeding rams are kept from our lines, or we’ve purchased from MARC. We also have a handful of our own replacement rams that we have kept back for other producers.”

You can learn more about the Hubbard family’s operation via Facebook at Shannon Creek Lamb. Or phone: 785-565-1040; or e-mail: [email protected].

Originally published in the September/October 2018 issue of sheep!.

Shannon Creek Ranch was originally posted by All About Chickens

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advancedh2osolutionsinc · 6 years

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Santa Ynez Water test

New Post has been published on https://www.advancedwaterinc.com/santa-ynez-water-testest/

Santa Ynez Water test

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1 Having soft water saves you money. According to a study by the Battelle Institute, you use up to 75% less soap and fewer cleaning products with soft water. Considering the soap and detergent aisle is the most expensive aisle in the grocery store, your budget will immediately reflect the savings!

2 Your plumbing will last longer. Hard water can cause a build up of scale from mineral deposits. Over time, pipes and fixtures can clog, water flow can diminish, and water pressure can be reduced. This doesn’t happen with soft water. Soft water is low in mineral content and therefore doesn’t leave deposits in the pipes.

3 Your hot water heater will last longer. Scale and lime build-up created by minerals will not take place if your water is soft. This adds life to your hot water heater. Also, if you have deposits in your hot water heater, the University of New Mexico found it will cost up to 29.6% more to heat the water that your family does use.

4 Diminished razor burn and less dry, cracked skin: Soft water causes the razor to glide more easily across the face. This, in turn, causes your razor blades to last longer. Hard water minerals can also build up on your skin. You know that “squeaky” clean feeling after a shower? Well that’s not the feel of your natural skin. Often it’s the result of minerals bonding with your soap to stick to your skin.

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The service that I have received from this company has been excellent. The sales people, technicians, and owner are all very approachable and a pleasure to deal with. We have had a problem with our reverse osmosis system being too loud and they have come back repeatedly to try and fix the problem and ensure that we are competely satisfied. The problem has been remedied and we are happy to be dealing with a company that wholeheartedly cares about its customers and their needs. Bravo.

My long serving and rare Braswell Water Softener failed over the weekend. All the available water was salty with a capital T. Called this am first thing. They sent Danny out this afternoon. He was here 10 minutes checked a couple of possible causes. Very professional and knowledgeable. Had it nailed in short order. He explained thoroughly, had the necessary parts in the truck and was outta’ here in 30 minutes. Very reasonable charges and I’m back in business. The way things are supposed to work but rarely does. Thank you Danny you’re an ace! Thank you AWS. Well done all!

Tom Loge’

We don’t think about the water in our house. We have had Advance Water Solutions water for the past 6 years and never really knew how great the system was. We recently “babysat” for the pets of a neighbor and we shocked at the crummy water at their place. (they have that replace the tank every week service). East Ventura is famous for it’s bad water but our house is crud/white junk/what-the-heck-is-that-smell?/dirty dishes free thanks to Advanced Water Solutions water. They really are the solution.

On time, courteous, answered all questions, didn’t rush me, willing to give suggestions. Jay, you were very helpful in explaining all of your products/machine functionality. Willing to work with me on pricing & payment. Helped us very much!

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We are extremely happy with our Advanced Water Solutions system. We appreciate the personal service we received as well!

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The people make the business. That’s why Advanced Water Solutions are a pleasure to do business with!

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Our Customers Love Us On YELP!

Read Adam G.‘s review of Advanced Water Solutions on Yelp

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Tom Loge’

-Barry Lang

We are extremely happy with our Advanced Water Solutions system. We appreciate the personal service we received as well!

-Judy Byshhe

The people make the business. That’s why Advanced Water Solutions are a pleasure to do business with!

-Doris Kennedy

ADVANCED WATER SOLUTIONS, INC

License #764570

If you’ve become concerned about the quality of your drinking water for your family, CALL US TODAY!

805-385-4740

1031 Factory Lane Oxnard, CA 93030-7200

Phone: (805) 385-4740 Email: [email protected]

8:00 AM-5:00 PM M-Th 8:00 AM-4:30 PM F

Meet the Team

Jay

President

Alonso

Service Manager

Danielle

Accounts Payable

Danny

Technician / Installer

Goose

Sales Representative

Loreina

Administrative Assistant

Mike

Warehouse

Paul

Salt Truck Delivery Driver

Paulette

General Manager

Rick

Technician / Installer

Samantha

Administrative Assistant

Shawn

Warehouse / Technician

About Us

Advanced Water Solutions is locally owned and operated by Jay Hellenbrand, CWS-V, CI with over 20 years in the water treatment industry. Jay’s experience comes from manufacturing, wholesale distribution, field service, and retail sales. Advanced Water Solutions has been serving the central coast since 1997. Our continued growth and expansion is due to our commitment to delivering the highest quality products backed with the best customer service.

We have a team of highly qualified installers and service technicians. We service and maintain all brands and models of water treatment equipment.

Serving both residential and commercial markets in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, AWS carries a full line of whole-house filters, water softeners, drinking water systems, water coolers, insta-hot water makers, inline water chillers, filters and more.

Providing high efficiency water softeners with chlorine reduction and reverse osmosis systems is a priority for Advanced Water Solutions. Many older softeners are inefficient and use enormous amounts of salt and water no longer meeting California Efficiency Standards. Our systems far exceed the new efficiency standards using less salt or potassium and water. The standard reverse osmosis system uses as much as 80% more water than the new Advanced Reserve Osmosis System.

Advanced Water Solutions is a member of the Santa Barbara and Ventura Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Water Quality Association (WQA). In March of 2011 AWS was recognized as a Hall of Fame Member with the BBB for a record of no outstanding complaints. Jay Hellenbrand is a certified Water Specialist, Certified Installer, and has specialty certifications in Reverse Osmosis, Deionization, Filtration, and Ultra filtration. Jay also carries a California State Contractors License.

Contact Advanced Water Solutions at 805-385-4740

The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. It features the Santa Ynez Airport for general aviation with a paved 2804 x 75 foot runway. Santa Ynez is located about 40 miles north of Santa Barbara, California, and is known for its world-class wineries. It is named after Saint Agnes, Santa Ynez in the Spanish language.

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ladyonly01-blog · 6 years

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JEWELRY, SOCKS EASE DIABETES AND ARTHRITIS [email protected]

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lindyhunt · 6 years

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A Tour of Some of the Most Photogenic Places in Thailand: Follow Our Thailand Travel Diary

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We have just left Panyee, a Muslim village on stilts, and are en route to a beach picnic on the island of Rang-Yai when our photographer Arkan Zakharov yells: “Stop! Can we shoot on that little island?” He points to a rocky islet cropping out of the Andaman Sea. “Sure,” responds Teddy Kongsawatt, one of our guides. “But we’ll have to be quick because the tide is coming in and it’s going to disappear!” Once we reach the islet, Shaughnessy and Eliza Grossman, our fashion editor, scramble out. (You can’t see Grossman because she’s lying flat on the ground behind the tiny knoll.) We pull away, leaving them marooned. It’s a stunning image—just one of the many visual memories I will have of our time in Phuket.

Photography by Arkan Zakharov. Creative direction by Brittany Eccles. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Hair and makeup, Susana Hong for P1M.ca/Amika. Fashion assistant, Nelly Akbari for P1M.ca. Photo assistant, Will Jivcoff. Model, Shaughnessy Brown at Dulcedo Management. Dress, $1,400, Ellery. Shoes, $275, COS.

Today the sky is blue and almost cloudless, but when we landed last night, it was in the middle of a torrential downpour. The rain was madly ricocheting off the pavement, stirring up humidity-drenched misty clouds. June Na-Songkhla, our guide, must have sensed we were worried about the shoot the next day. “We say our weather is like a woman’s mood,” she assured us. “She may be angry but not for too long.” Our “weather mistress” had indeed settled down by the time we arrived at Tu Kab Khao, a restaurant in Old Phuket Town. It was here that I had my first encounter with galangal, or Thai ginger. When I bit into a slice, I was expecting something pungently spicy, but my confused taste buds registered citrus and pine flavours. It was the first of many new taste and textural sensations. (Steamed cubes of doughy white bread dipped in bright green panden custard was another highlight.)

Later we checked into the Nai Harn resort, which is about 17 kilometres from the town of Phuket, and set our alarms for a 5:30 a.m. start to our island-hopping adventures. Morning comes quickly, but fortified with coffee, we head out to the harbour. It’s early, but I can already feel the heat and humidity kicking in. I board the boat and head to the front. As we pick up speed, en route to James Bond Island for our first shot, I turn my face into the wind and let my hair fly. I suspect I look like a blissed-out retriever poking her head out the window of a pickup truck.

The next day, we’re back on land and heading to the Phang Nga Elephant Park. It’s a small family-run operation in southern mainland Thailand that offers ethical elephant tourism. Jake Thaotad and his cousin Lek Songkaw set up the park in 2015 after Thaotad returned from London, England, where he was working as a microbiologist. Thaotad tells us that his family have been involved with elephants for 150 years and that helping domesticated elephants is paramount to their mission.

“We let our visitors interact with them in a way that isn’t exploitive,” he says. “It hurts me a lot when people say that all Thais are cruel to their elephants as it is simply untrue. But what we have to realize is that without tourism, elephant owners have no means to care for these wonderful animals. It is unrealistic to think that thousands of elephants can be homed in a handful of sanctuaries. And talk of turning them loose is unrealistic firstly because Thailand does not have the land and secondly because domesticated animals cannot be left to fend for themselves. So what I want is a world where healthy and contented elephants can be used but never abused.”

While we’re taking our last shots, a dark bank of clouds rolls in over the hills. It seems our weather friend is about to have another one of her moods. As the doors to the van close, the rain starts, but it’s a short-lived, blustery fit. When we arrive back in Phuket, the sun is setting. In the distance, I can see the glowing and peaceful silhouette of Big Buddha sitting atop the Nakkerd Hills. It’s another picture-perfect moment.

Find out more about our travels in Thailand and enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Hong Kong and Thailand valued at $7,500 CAD here.

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Thailand Travel Diary

Shaughnessy is standing on an islet in the Andaman Sea. The tide is coming in, so it will soon be covered—but not before we get our shot.

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Thailand Travel Diary

“Travelling gives me the rare privilege of having the time to think deeply about finding my true self and to think about what life I want to lead.”

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Thailand Travel Diary

“My hair has always been a window into where I’m at in life. It’s my soul telling me how I feel.”

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Shaughnessy is standing in the waters surrounding Khao Phing Kan. James Bond Island is behind her on the left.

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Thailand Travel Diary

This tiny port is where speedboats and traditional Thai longboats moor while visiting Khao Phing Kan. It’s one of more than 40 protected islands in Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park. The islands’ distinctive shapes are formed as the limestone is weathered over time by wind, rain and waves.

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Thailand Travel Diary

“I bring a masculine facet to these feminine clothes. It’s completely fine to be active and elegant, but oftentimes fashion can lose its utility.”

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Thailand Travel Diary

Panyee island is a 200-year-old Muslim fishing village built on stilts in Phang Nga Bay. Shaughnessy is photographed on the soccer pitch that floats alongside the village. The original floating wooden field was built in 1986 by a group of local boys who wanted to play rather than just watch soccer on TV. Away from the field, you can walk through a maze of stalls where villagers sell souvenirs (everything from T-shirts to pearls) as well as the village’s famous shrimp paste.

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Thailand Travel Diary

Shaughnessy is on the grounds of the Phang Nga Elephant Park.

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Thailand Travel Diary

“I’ve been photographed with animals enough times to know that I’m there with sentient beings.”

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Thailand Travel Diary

Shaughnessy is at Reflections, the rooftop terrace/bar at the Nai Harn resort. On the right, she is standing in the resort’s pool, which is lit by a galaxy of tiny lights that mirror the celestial display above.

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Thailand Travel Diary

“This was our last shot by the pool, and it captures what I want the next phase of my career to be: enlightened.”

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takebackthedream · 6 years

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North Carolina's Public Reckoning of CIA Torture by Alexandra Moore

President Donald Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel, is reported to have overseen a U.S. site in Thailand where torture of a suspected terrorist took place. Later she allegedly helped destroy evidence of torture.

Her nomination, pending congressional approval, is viewed by many as further evidence of this administration’s support of torture and an undoing of Obama-era efforts to end it.

Her work was allegedly part of a program the CIA launched after 9/11 called Rendition, Detention and Interrogation. From 2002 to at least 2006, the CIA orchestrated disappearances, torture and indefinite detention without charge of suspected terrorists.

Photo credit: djbiesack, CC BY-NC-SA

What can a small group of committed citizens who oppose these practices do to push back? A commission against torture in North Carolina may serve as a model for how citizen-led initiatives can create transparency and accountability for abuses of power in government.

North Carolina’s Involvement in CIA Torture

In 2005, The New York Times reported that two planes used in the CIA torture program were operated by a contractor based in North Carolina. Forty-nine of the known 119 CIA prisoners were flown from two rural North Carolina airfields to secret prisons or nations with lax policies on torture for violent interrogation. Haspel allegedly oversaw the so-called “black site” in Thailand, starting in 2002 where two of those suspects were held for interrogation.

The revelation about the CIA program angered a number of North Carolinians. They condemned the use of tax dollars to fund an aviation facility that was involved in what they believed was illegal and immoral activity. They wanted to end the state’s participation in torture and hold accountable those who were responsible.

A grassroots movement began. Over more than a decade, it has evolved into a forceful voice against the use of torture. In 2017, organizers created the North Carolina Commission of Inquiry of Torture, an independent and nonpartisan group dedicated to transparency and accountability for the state’s role in the CIA program.

The commission compiled extensive research and appointed 11 commissioners to review the evidence. In November 2017, the commission held public hearings to investigate North Carolina’s role in the CIA’s program. My research explores the importance of understanding torture’s wide-ranging implications for survivors, communities and human rights workers. I also volunteered as a note taker during the hearings.

The commission currently invites public input for its recommendations and will publish its report in fall 2018. With it, the commission will seek to determine North Carolina’s responsibility and liability for its participation in the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation program.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Activism

The nongovernmental, nonpartisan commission builds on the extensive work of North Carolina Stop Torture Now, a coalition of anti-torture citizens across the state. It started with a core group of 10, that expanded to protests of up to 250 people. The organization has partnered with as many as 75 organizations on various public actions. Over more than a decade, the group has staged public and legislative campaigns and educational conferences. The campaigns, described as “neighbor-to-neighbor activism,” have sought to focus public attention on state and citizen complicity with torture.

With other civic organizations, NC Stop Torture Now put pressure on state and county officials, as well as Aero Contractors – the company that owned the planes and hangar used to transport suspects. Activists publicized the CIA’s actions and drew attention to laws against torture, enforced disappearance and indefinite detention without charge.

In 2007, Aero Contractors decided to sell its hangar at the Kinston, North Carolina air facility. That year, NC Stop Torture Now also helped generate bipartisan support in the state legislature for a billthat would have criminalized participation in CIA-sponsored disappearances and torture. However, the bill stalled the following year and never passed. To date, state officials have avoided any official or lasting response. The Johnston County commissioners have at times gone on record to defend Aero Contractors.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government has attempted to shield itself from liability for its torture program. In three federal court cases, the government argued for immunity and for the protection of state secrets. A fourth lawsuit, Salim v. Mitchell, targeted the psychologists who designed the CIA’s interrogation program. The case was settled in 2017 for an undisclosed sum.

Public Hearings

In November 2017, the commission convened public and private stakeholders, survivors of disappearance and torture, former interrogators, legal and medical experts and citizens. Altogether, 20 witnesses gave testimony during the public hearings. Together with the research the commission has amassed, these efforts provide the fullest picture to date of the local dimensions of the CIA program. Representatives of Aero Contractors did not respond to an invitation to participate.

Testimony began with Professor Sam Raphael, co-director of the United Kingdom’s Rendition Project. Synthesizing material from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on the program, analysis of flight plans, corporate records and personal testimony, the Rendition Project has compiled extensive documentation of the CIA-sponsored flights.

Raphael detailed the Rendition Project’s research on the scope of Aero Contractors’ participation. According to their analysis, Aero Contractors used publicly funded aviation facilities to launch abductions of suspected terrorists from around the world. They were taken to CIA secret prisons, or “black sites,” or to foreign sites where torture was the norm rather than the exception.

The researcher offered detailed testimony about abduction protocols, including abductors’ silence, failure to identify themselves and lack of arrest warrants. For the captives, Raphael testified, rendition flights involved removal of clothing, diapering, hooding, restraining, and the forced use of suppositories, which prisoners often experienced as sexual assault. Captives often had no knowledge of why they were being taken, where they were being transported, or how long they would be held, Rafael said.

Former counterintelligence, investigators and interrogators Steve Kleinman, Mark Fallon and Glenn Carle also testified. They spoke of the pressure they experienced either from their superiors in their agencies or from the Department of Defense to support the use of torture on captives.

All three witnesses drew on extensive research and their own experienceto argue that coercive interrogation techniques do not yield valuable intelligence. Instead, according to the witnesses, coercive techniques impeded accurate recall, triggered resistance and produced false information aimed at ending the pain. All three also testified to the usefulness of rapport-building techniques in gathering “actionable intelligence.”

A survivor’s wife detailed her husband’s lasting emotional and psychological damage after his rendition and 10 years of detention:

He is 44 years old. His hair and beard are graying; his gestures, his look betray the state of anxiety and pressure in which he has existed for many years. How will we live? We both ask, each on our own. I look at him, but I do not recognize him. … We struggle to understand each other. Day after day I realize that this condition will no longer leave us.

Another powerful statement came from Allyson Caison, a founding member of NC Stop Torture Now. She explained the difficulty of activism in a small community, in which Aero executives are prominent members.

She said, “As a mother, I like to think if somehow my boys were kidnapped and tortured that there would be another mother out there where my boys were like me, trying to end an injustice that begins in my neighborhood.”

Legal scholars Deborah Weissman and Jayne Huckerby, summarizing extensive research, concluded North Carolina has a duty to adhere to state, federal and international laws that prohibit kidnapping, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial detention, and torture or cruel and degrading treatment. The scholars believe North Carolina is liable for participation in those crimes.

Alberto J. Mora, the former chief legal officer of the U.S. Navy and Marines, detailed the costs of the program to national security.

From Stealth Torture to Democracy

The CIA’s rendition and torture program was notable for its use of what Darius Rejali, a scholar of international torture, has called “stealth torture.” These techniques, including waterboarding, stress positions and environmental extremes, are designed to inflict extreme physical pain and suffering without leaving visible traces.

Despite the challenge this presents to government transparency and accountability, the commission hearings have created a forum in which the scope of the CIA program can be disclosed and the public can debate the infrastructures that make torture possible.

Cross-posted from The Conversation

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