Thursday, September 16, 2010

Hiking Mt. St. Helens





 Below: Hiking in this outfit?  Well, why not? I lost my gear bag.  I should have been dressed to hike already before I got there.  Long story.  Just one of those things.  More below.  Unfortunately, because of this outfit, I didn't get very far up. I lingered at the 4000' elevation and did some sketching.  I had a wonderful time while waiting for my boy friend to come back down. But I ended up descending after two hours of drawing.  Got a bit too cold at this elevation in this outfit.

Being up here made me feel like singing:

The hills are alive...with the sound of music
With songs they have played, for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
that rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more

~~o0o~~

 Hiking Mt. St. Helens 

The view from the summit of Mt. St. Helens is spedtacular, with Spirit Lake and some of the volcanoes visible (i.e.: Mount Adams, Mt. Rainier, and Mount Margaret).  I've  climbed St. Helens several times, and standing up there is line being on top of the world; it always takes my breath away in awe. Can't help feeling quite spiritual about it. The first time I (with an ex-bf) tried to hike it years ago during the summer, we were inexperienced and didn't know we had to have a hiking permit to hike Helens, and they were already sold out in advance. We hiked anyway, and looking back, that was not a smart thing to do. What if we got lost, and there was no record of us being there at all (except for our car in the lot). We learned fast. My most unforgettable experience was losing my gear bag with the hiking essentials: climbing helmet, goggles, sunscreen, knife, first aid kit,, granola bars, water, flashlight, and trail maps. I felt so vulnerable throughout the trek. Helens is a lot rougher and difficult to climb than Rainier, Adams, Baker, etc. But because of its recent volcanic history, I felt more affinity with the mountain that the other ones.

(Worked on this for a while, then the infuriating thing happened.  I got timed out and lost everything after the above paragraph.  How frustrating.  Well, I'm going to bed and take a deep breath.)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

MARIA'S BELATED BIRTHDAY PARTY - JUNE 25, 2010


MARIA CONCEPCION PANLILIO
**THE GEMINI**
JUNE 6

It was a belated birthday party for this Gemini twin (June 6) given by the Adventurous Women's Group of San Diego, which was held at the Paradise Resort Barefoot Bar & Grill at 7:00 PM. Two other Gemini women were also feted during the event. It was great fun, and I expected nothing short of it. The group is comprised of extraordinary women from all walks of life. All professionals in different fields, there was a professor, a flight instructor for the U.S. Military, a nurse, an attorney, a photographer, etc. Oh, and there's this one poor little Asian girl who is a starving writer/artist. Hahaha. It was non-stop chatter about all topics; nothing was sacred.

I was supposed to deliver my joke for the night, but the noise decibel from the performing band, the restaurant diners, and us, was just a little too high and not conducive to joke delivery. They might not get the punch line, although I doubt that because these are all highly intelligent women. I will just post the joke here and post the link to our group's website.

Happy Birthday to the other June birthday celebrants: Darnisha and Nathalia






































HERE'S A HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREETING TO THE JULY BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS.
SEE YOU AT YOUR PARTY.

MARIA WITH THE OCEANSIDE WRITERS - JUNE 22, 2010

The most active members of the WORDsd.com Anti-Social Writers Meetup Group joined Traci and her beloved father--Mad Max for an informal dinner party at her house, "mostly to meet my dad," she said, "and say a bunch of great stuff about me, build me up with things like, "And in her spare time she teaches blind kids how to cook... and/or I've never seen anyone catch as many fish as that girl, she should have her own show on A&E" See, I kinda told my dad a few fibs about my great life in Southern California and I need a group of talented people to uphold my tales. I will pass out index cards at the next meeting w
ith what I want everyone to say. This should make it easy. But you have to make it look smooth, you know.. stick it into the conversation at dinner. "So Mr. xxxxx, I was also wondering how your daughter could know so much about blanket looming and still have time to write an award winning article on the anthropological debate of cranium disfigurements in early Mesopotamian sub cultures." You know, junk like that... Bring a dish that says, "Wow, Traci is more awesome than I could ever be" Be there at 7pm with a look like you're super grateful to come to my place and hug me really hard when we meet and act like we've totally been friends for a long time and say,"Oh my god you've already lost so much weight" because my dad is a fitness guru and told me last time I was too squashy. Thanks! - - -Traci
How could anyone resist an invitation as witty as this? I couldn't. I came. And had the best time mingling with the nuttiest and funnest writers I've even been privileged to be a part of in my life.

Traci is an incredible talent. She is riot, and you can tell that from just reading the above. The party was really a combination of welcoming her dad to San Diego (forgot where he and wife actually live) and a celebration of her book publication--her memoir, which is forthcoming from Simon and Schuster in 2011, about growing up with OCD. She calls it mostly contemporary Fiction, mostly. But so far, based on what I've heard from her readings, it's mostly non-fiction. At any rate, it promises to be a great and entertaining read. I look forward to owning a copy of thee book.

Jaz brought a huge plate of sumptuous, homemade sushi garnished with edible rose petals. It was so yummy. I gobbled 4 pieces in no time. I brought lumpia (Philippine egg rolls), and Jaz had (on his plate above) 4 pieces. This is what he wrote on the site: "Maria, I had the fine-fingered treasure of 4 pieces of lumpia rolled with Filipina love...."

Here are some of the pictures from the party. Traci is extremely camera shy, so you won't see her much in the photo exhibit.
























SOME OF THE COMMENTS POSTED ON THE GROUP'S SITE ABOUT TRACI'S PARTY:

db Wow. Such warm, sincere, hilarious, creative, kind, generous people. How the fuck can there be so many wars on this planet with so many beautiful people like this? I don't get it.

Ed Coonce Thank You Traci, the evening was delightful. Met so many friends and the evening left me happy beyond belief.

Jaz Thundering dad and Sandy are great, now we've gotten to know them maybe they'll lead the... you got speakers fit for YMCA installed, Max?...

Maria Jaz, I wasn't going to eat anything at the party because I started another diet yesterday, but your homemade sushi was too tantalizing and yummy to ignore. I gobbled four pieces (and wanted more) in no time....

Jaz Maria, I had the fine-fingered treasure of 4 pieces of lumpia rolled with Filipina love....

Ann Bancroft A magical evening, Traci. Thank you and your family for making it happen. I'm still high from all those warm hearts and creative minds...

db "I really, really owe it all to you." Yes, you do. And you will soon receive a large Invoice from the Rent-A-Friend-to-Impress-Your-Dad Agency very soon.

JenniferLH "Terrific group of people, great talent, and lots of fun! I couldn't have had a better time! The newly dubbed Alice in Wonderland

Zara Everyone in social setting. Many new faces. Love the blue bookcase.




Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Cancer Facts and Prevention Update from Johns Hopkins

(Note: Maria Panlilio has written and published articles about breast cancer. The following article is taken from a report from Johns Hopskins. It is now widely circulated through various web networks as a critical health information and should be read thoroughly by everyone, especially those who are genetically at risk of getting cancer.)

Remember these pointers after reading the following article:
  • WE ALL have cancer cells in our body; they just don't show up in tests until they've multiplied to a few billion, but we can prevent this (read on).
  • Radiation and chemotherapy are not the only way to eliminate cancer (read on)
  • Avoid meat, sugar substitutes (Aspartame, etc.), salt (use sea salt), distilled water.
  • Do not use plastic containers and plastic wraps in microwave oven; do not put water bottles in freezer.
  • Avoid coffee (Oh, no!), tea and chocolates (drink green tea instead)
  • Eat more fresh vegetables and exercise more.

* * * * *

HERE'S THE EXCERPT FROM THE JOHN HOPSKINS NEWSLETTER:

Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative e and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Florescence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodys own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Monday, March 29, 2010

YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN MARIA PANLILIO

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM I HARBOR SOME OF THE FONDEST MEMORIES IN MY MIND. I HAVE JUST STARTED THIS BLOG; THROUGH THIS GREAT WEB OF SOCIAL NETWORKS, I HOPE TO REESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THEM AND RELIVE SOME OF THESE MEMORIES.  THIS WILL BE A HUGE UNDERTAKING, I KNOW, FOR I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE GARNERED SO MANY FRIENDS IN MY LIFE.



















_________________________________________________________________________________

The little Chinese girl was my "adopted" sister through the "BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS PROGRAM". I was living in Cincinnati then. As a Big Sister, I entertained her with picnics at the park, exploring museums and the zoo, took her to some of my family gatherings, shopping, and just plain chats.  I taught her how to draw and we read a lot together.



















__________________________________________________________________________________
Above is a team picture of the indoor champion 5.0 Career Women Tennis Team (80's - 90's)
while I was still living in Cincinnati,, Ohio. For their privacy, I will not reveal their names here. I had so much fun playing tennis with these superb players.



















__________________________________________________________________________________
ABOVE is a picture of the former Senator Niki Coseteng of the Philippines. I haven't seen her since her visit in San Diego. This picture was taken in Colorado sometime in 2006, during the promotion of the book "Sinaunang Habi". We stayed in contact for a while, then it ended because she and I began to travel the world (separately).

___________________________________
MORE TO COME.  TUNE IN NEXT TIME.























SKYDIVE! Look, Ma, I'm Flying



The author skydives in memory of her mother.

By Maria Concepcion Panlilio


Watching my mother die slowly is emotionally overpowering. I have to get out of the San Diego Hospice and release my misery elsewhere. I rush to my car, quickly jumping inside and hoisting myself in the driver’s seat. I drive away, letting destiny take me anywhere.

Unaware of my speed, I suddenly hear a siren, and behind me is the sheriff’s car with his red blue and yellow lights flashing. My heart starts pounding. Oh, no, not again, I scream internally.

I pull over onto the hard shoulder and shut the engine off. My hand shaking, I retrieve my car insurance and registration papers from the glove compartment and I wait. Cars zoom past my Celica GTS as it shakes in their wake. I take a deep breath and drop my head down, resting my forehead on the white knuckles that clutch the steering wheel.

What’s taking him so long? I glance up. My eyes are assailed by the glare of lights several yards in front of me. I see the cop approaching the driver of another car. "Oh, God, thank you," I murmur.

* * *

I feel the gravel sand crunch beneath my tires as I find myself pulling into the parking lot of the Otay Mesa Drop Zone. Whenever I come near this place, I am pulled in like a magnet. I stop longingly to watch the familiar activity around: the rigging of the canopies, the exuberant camaraderie, and the wonderful sight of parachutists dangling from their colorful canopies, some landing all over the place. I cannot help but feel nostalgic about this extreme and exciting sport that first hooked me years ago.

I leave my car at the parking lot and saunter toward the gathering of people who came to skydive, or simply to watch their family members or friends jump. People place their lives in the reliability of the parachute strapped on their back, knowing that if it fails to open, they’re history. For most people this sounds insane. Yet, a growing number of men and women of all ages continue to clamor for the adrenaline rush and thrill of skydiving. And for an elite group, it is a lifestyle. Like it was once for me.



I claim my place on the grass lawn and visualize bailing out of a perfectly operational aircraft from 13,500 feet. The dreadful thought of my mother nearing death makes me want to sail into the clouds and then fall freely at the speed of terminal velocity.

It is hard not to want to jump again, but it is harder not to recall my recent skydiving mishap that I thought was going to prematurely terminate my license to live. I remember that very last moment just before my consciousness fluttered into oblivion. It was my mother’s voice screaming to me: You see? I told you you’re going to kill yourself one of these days.

Let me tell you about my mother's voice. It is soft, gentle, and always filled with affection. When she is displeased, it retains these qualities, but the strength in the timbre dominates, and you can almost feel it passing through stone walls.

In my youth, I was always fascinated by anything that soared gracefully in the sky: birds, planes, kites and imaginary angels. To simulate flying, I’d flap my arms and jump from my bedroom window, from atop the fence or from a tree in our backyard. None of these take-off points were high enough to cause bodily injury, but they were high enough to cause an improper landing that would later reveal itself on my knees as ugly bruises. Unfortunately, the sting from these bruises was not as intense as the pain my mother would inflict on my behind with a spanking board. Ah, yes, she didn’t do it often, but I had my share of spanking when I was young. And rightly so.

Why can’t you be more normal like your sisters? Mom would always admonish me. But I was a stubborn young girl. I kept doing things that traumatized my mother.

Many years later, my wish to fly like a bird would come true. And the memory of my first jump would never be obliterated from my mind.

It had been years ago, when Doug--an old boyfriend—invited me to an annual Skydiving Boogie--a huge event that usually attracts hundreds of amateur and professional skydivers from all over the country, Europe and Canada. When I asked Doug to describe the sensation of free-falling, he replied, "Why don’t you jump and find out for yourself?" I smiled and without hesitation I said, "Okay."

Because I had not taken any skydiving lesson, I could only jump tandem--the state-of-the art piggyback method where I would be harnessed to the belly of a Tandem Master.

The Boogie was teeming with Tandem Masters looking for gutsy would-be-first-timers. Doug referred Bill to me; supposedly one of the most reputable Tandem Masters around. I immediately felt a special bond with Bill; after all, he would be holding my life in his grasp for a while.

In addition to Bill’s instructions, I watched an introductory film for a quick lesson on the theory of skydiving, personal equipment, aircraft procedures, body positions, parachute opening, canopy steering, landing and emergency procedures.

Doug also hired Wayne, an aerial photographer, to videotape my entire experience, hopefully capturing the intrinsic excitement of my performance without any humiliating incident.

Dressed in a bulky jumpsuit, I climbed into the aircraft behind Bill and thirteen other skydivers. Cramped inside the Beechcraft King Air, I closed my eyes and saw visions of my body dangling from a tree like a rag doll. I began to doubt my sanity. This is not like jumping from my bedroom window. At 13,500 feet, the roar of the plane’s propeller rang in my ears. "It’s time," Bill said. He checked all the safety locks that attached us together and announced they were secure. We were ready to go. I began to feel the excitement of anticipating my first leap.

A door in the side of the plane swung open and a cold wind ripped through the cabin. My gut wrenched and my whole body rocked. The guy closest to the door knelt at the doorway then tumbled out. The big guy in front of us in a Star Trek outfit jammed up the small opening, his hands grabbing the sides. He was playfully screaming, refusing to jump. His friend pushed him with a finger and he was beamed out of the prop blast.

It was our turn. Now or never! With Bill strapped to my back and breathing hard in my ear, we waddled toward the gaping hole. I gripped the sides of the door and I wondered if they could ever pry my fingers off them. My toes hanging over the edge, I stared at the empty space leading to the twilight zone. The wind was rushing up at me, pushing my cheeks back. The primeval fear began to consume me and I thought my brain would short-circuit and explode. "Oh God!" I screamed.

"There’s no turning back now." Bill yelled. "Swing your leg out and jump!"

In a lightning speed mode, I mentally reviewed the fine points of doing a proper and flawless jump: a full-spread eagle form, arms and legs straight and spread widely, head back, with a backward arch at the waist, pushing outward, maintaining throughout, a stable, face-to-earth free-fall body position.

I made a sign of the cross, thrust my body forward and jumped our one-way ticket to earth. We stumbled straight into nothingness, and all the instructions I had reviewed in my head were scattered in the wind.

Almost instantly, an incredible euphoric sensation replaced my anxiety. With my arms spread wide like wings of an eagle, free-falling at a rate of 32 feet per second, I looked down at the panorama of colors below. I did not think of the hard ground that waited straight down for me. Instead, I soared with a sense of tranquility and quiet bliss, enjoying the sensation of experiencing the closest thing humanly possible to flying like a bird. The wind was roaring past my ears at about 120 miles per hour but all I could think of was that the mystery of the sky had been unveiled.

My childhood dream of flying had become a reality!

I was hamming at the camera; smiling, waving and giving Wayne the skydivers’ thumbs-up language. I yelled: "Look, Ma! I’m flying!"

After about forty-five seconds of free-fall, we pulled the ripcord, instantly jerking us upward. I craned my neck to look up, and there it was — our luminescent blue, white and yellow canopy blossoming heavenward, rippling gently in the breeze — like the wings of an angel protecting me. I noticed the total quiet and peace around me. I didn’t know whether to scream or say a prayer. I chose to scream — it was a manifestation of joy for being a part of an adventure that was bringing me so much thrill and satisfaction.

I thought I heard my mother’s voice yelling: You’re still not normal after all these years! If you do that again, I swear. . . !

That was the beginning of my fanatical obsession with skydiving. On my 55th jump, however, I thought I heard my Mom scold me for the last time. Fortunately for me, none of the severe cuts and bruises and torn ligaments left any physical imprint on my body to remind me of that mishap. But throughout the recovery process, my mother’s voice kept playing in my head like a broken record: Do you have a death wish? Didn’t I tell you? Now, are you going to listen to me?


* * *

"You think you’re going to join us this time?" A very tall skydiver yells, pulling me out of my reveries and sending me back to earth. I’ve seen him here before. No woman could forget that California sun-kissed sculpted face, and that unruly, blonde hair. He must be one of the regulars.

I smile. "No, thank you. I’ll just watch."

All right," he says with a grin. "You don’t know what you’re missing!"

I remain sitting comfortably on the grass for a few minutes, watching jumpers land on their feet; one being dragged by his canopy instead of the other way around.

I turn my head to the right toward the manifest table. I check my wallet to review my cash. I hope they have jumpsuits available for my size. I get up and walk to sign up.

Handsome sees me at the manifest table. He flashes a toothy grin. Of course, he's got those perfect, pearly teeth.

"So you decided to join us after all," he says.

"Yes, I did."

"We have a tandem master on board. He’s quite good. You’ll like him."

"No, thanks. I jump solo.”

I catch the look of surprise. "Well . . . How about that?" he says. "How long have you been jumping?"

"A few years,"

"Cool!"

"But I haven’t jumped in a long while."

"What made you change your mind now?"

I ponder his question for a moment. Maybe he thinks it's because of him. How can I tell him that Í just want to hear my mother’s voice again, even if only in my head?

"For my mother," I say.

~~* * *~~~


Author's note:
Having tasted human flight, I often find myself walking with my eyes to the sky where I have soared like a bird many times before.
My mother is gone now. When missing her becomes unbearable, I drive to the nearest drop zone, hoping to hear her say in feigned anger: You’re still not normal after all these years! If you do that again, I swear . . . It's the closest thing to feeling next to her again.
(I dedicate this article to Bill (who died after a skydiving accident), and to Doug (who introduced me to skydiving).

© Copyright 2006 writeartista (UN: mariapanlilio at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

They Don’t Grow Flowers In Afghanistan


World Trade Center Bombing



They Don’t Grow Flowers In Afghanistan

Published after 9/11 2001
by Maria Panlilio
A continuing series of articles about slavery

(Written immediately after 9/11, this is dedicated to all the heroes of the WTC attack, all the persecuted women of Afghanistan, and all the forced slaves of the world.)

They Don’t Grow Flowers In Afghanistan

They don’t plant seeds to grow flowers in Afghanistan
None to express affection for their mummified women
Who live their lives without respect, warmth and inspiration
How can there be love when one is treated as subhuman?

In the desert of hell the Talibans plant bullets and guns
Iraq, Philippines, US, Europe, Sudan, Algeria, Pakistan
Throughout the world Osama bin Laden buys young men
Enslaving the world’s forsaken and troubled minds

One gun for each young man, slavery for mankind

The seeds of evil philosophy sprout among the Afghans
The young men grow, and now it’s harvest time

Americans plant trees that scrape the sky in Manhattan
Made of steel, earthquakes they could withstand
But on Sep 11, towering trees burn and fall to the ground
As the Al Qaeda slaves execute the works of the demons
Murdering more than five thousand of our innocent civilians

Gripped with terror and disbelief we hug our loved ones
While the Red, White and Blue waves all over the land
As we sing the Republic’s Hymn in our hearts and minds
We lay flowers where dust and debris cover the grounds

Flowers we give to express our love and affection.

And they don’t grow flowers in Afghanistan.

* * * * *

Strange Alliances Form
In U.S. Campaign To Fight
Global Terrorism

“Either you’re with us, or you are with the terrorists,” declared President Bush. And most of the free world jumped the bandwagon of coalition. Unfortunately, this new alliance includes those ruling regimes that have provided refuge to the world’s terrorists, as well as those who engage in chattel slavery like Sudan’s National Islamic Front, which harbored Osama bin Laden for six years.

Osama bin Laden buys young men from all over the world with guns and raise them to become the most feared terrorists. In Uganda, it costs one Kalashnikov assault rifle for every child bin Laden buys. In Sudan he uses the children as forced labor on the marijuana fields that fund his international terrorism network. Sudan has been a training ground for terrorists with at least 17 training camps and the target is to install Islamic fundamentalist governments in east and central Africa by 2002.

Since 1994, Sudan has abducted at least 8,000 Ugandan children and forced them to serve as soldiers or sex slaves, or traded into slavery, many to bin Laden, in exchange for guns and ammunition. Some of these slaves have escaped and testified before the U.S Congress about Sudan’s own jihad—terrorizing, killing and enslaving black African civilians.

Before September 11, the Sudan Peace Act, which imposes capital sanctions against foreign companies who continue to do business with Sudan was about to be passed. In the wake of the USA attack, Congress has tabled action on the proposed legislation and the US may soon reopen formal ties with Sudan who “promises to turn over several of bin Laden’s associates.”

The US already is waiving, easing or softening economic and military sanctions imposed against countries known for their human rights violations; who develop and test nuclear weapons; governments that come to power through a military coup d’etat; and even some countries charged with backing terrorism. For their cooperation during this “New War,” the Bush Administration is preparing major aid packages for these countries, which include Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Algeria, and lifting sanctions imposed against them. U.S. officials say that these countries have become very cooperative and have provided significant information on key terrorist figures in the Al Qaeda network and have promised to bring them to justice.

The sudden USA-Sudan alliance might have sacrificed the struggle for freedom for the tens of thousands of slaves in Sudan. Anti-slavery and modern abolitionist organizations that have worked so hard at getting the Sudan Peace Act are now watching the realization of their dreams fade from the country’s paradigm shift in foreign policy.

While I agree that fighting and ending global terrorism should be the central organizing principle of our country, we cannot abandon America’s performance on human rights to reward those brutal regimes who have “joined us” in our battle to shatter Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network.”

The United States must persevere in pressuring Sudan and other human rights abusive countries to clean up their acts.

What can you do
to make a difference
in stopping global slavery?

There are international anti-slavery organizations that exemplify the best of American values in their campaigns against enslaving regimes. If you want to make a critical difference in ending global slavery, you may start by logging on to iAbolish.com and learn about this modern day abolitionist movement.

From the Underground Railroad Movement to the electronic superhighway. Modern day abolitionists still help slaves escape to freedom. Many of the leading abolitionists of these contemporary times are young, educated, vocal and visible human rights activists. Their voices and organizations are strong, powerful and international. They observe, scrutinize and battle modern day slavery around the globe, untiringly fighting for the liberty of the victims.

Unlike their popular predecessors these 21st Century anti-slavery activists do not ride the imaginary railroad to freedom trails; instead, they navigate the cyberspace to take slaves to safety. There is no hiding in the dark, no keeping their identities a secret, no whispering in public or clandestine meetings to discuss their activities. In fact, you can log on to their websites and read about their missions, join the organizations, and contribute your financial support through the Internet. You can learn about their activities by subscribing to their newsletter, delivered to you through weekly e-mails.

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