Dmagazine

ISSN 2152-6540

Confessions on Facebook: Why Do We Want Those Who Clearly Do Not Want Us?

thedymag.comYAn intelligent guide to the lifestyle of art, literature and politics.September/October 2011

Ronnie Beets

DY Profile with Laqui quiroga

Compelled to Create

Message from the Editor

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Publisher/Founder:Damon Youmans

Layout Editor:Lisa Tarter

Account Executive:You Group, Inc.

Administrative Officers:The You Group

Web Address:http://thedymag.com

Contributing Writers:

DY Magazine is a sub-sidiary of the DY Group and its constituents. All articles are reprinted via permission or as open submissions. Articles are subject to change in order to meet space and maga-zine layout guidelines. DY Magazine has the right to edit any specific con-tent and layout to meet the requirements of both digital and online piblica-tions. Advertisements are solicited via web access and at the permission and discretion of the DY Group and its clients.

David DerrDamon YoumansDiane Carol MarkLenora AtchleyLisa TarterRex MurphySteph Foster

On the Cover: OLGA 3 Diamonds; this page: Egyptian Boy. Both by Beets.

I’m currently in a state of Gratitude. More and more each day I realize how important it is to be grate-

ful. It doesn’t mean that I am content and resigned to not working towards goals and lifelong dreams. But it does mean that I am acknowledging what wealth and abundance I have already obtained. My riches are not measured in dollars and cents instead they are mea-sured in love. I realize that one of the keys to success lies in acknowledging what blessings I have in my life right now. And by doing just that; I move myself one step closer to reaching my goals. You must first be grateful for what you do have to obtain what you don’t.

In this modern world we live in we are so used to having it all NOW! The microwave oven for instance, was created by someone who saw there was a market for creating wholesome frozen meals that could be prepared at the touch of a button. Com-puters made the typewriter obsolete, by providing a quick and easy route to communicate and write down inner thoughts and ideas; thus giving birth to the sometimes wonderful and monstrous Internet.

But who and what would we all be if we didn’t have all of these gadgets and stream lined programs and such, running our lives for us? How would we communicate with one another? And could we still do all of it and be grateful for whatever our lives turned out to be? Would we be grateful for the pot of food boiling on the stove, could we still appreciate that poem we read by candle light from a distant lover? Would we be able to still be all that we are creatively, intellectually, emotionally with-out all of the world’s modern conveniences? Or has our very perception of ourselves somehow become blurred between the products and gadgets we poses and who we are as individuals? So, I ask you today. Who are you really? Are you the conglomeration of Monday night football, a BMW and a Platinum diamond ring? Are you

that Flat Screen HD TV, or does the very fiber of your being hang on the purse strings of your Gucci Bag? Or are you like me; grateful and proud to be who you are, no matter how many fleeting objects you obtain? Are you living a life of gratitude? Or are you still waiting? Peace Love And DY.

DYMay/june 2011 DY Remembers: The Dream By Damon Youmans P. 6

DY ProfiLe: with Laqui quiroga P. 8

SpotLight: with DJ OneStar P. 16

Poem: Untitled By Lenora Atchley P.19

Poem: Spin By David Derr P. 29

All Around The World: News Articles From Around the Globe P. 30

The Blogosphere: Gold Yard P. 32

Short Story: How Ganesha Won The Race Pt. 1By: Diane Carol Mark P. 34

Health and Well-Being: How Can I Prevent The Flu, Colds, and Minimize My Allergies This Fall and Winter? 5 Effective Tips! By: Rex Murphy P. 37

Confessions On FaceBook: Why do we want those who clearly do not want us? P. 42

Politics Getting Ready For Election Season By Steph Foster P. 44

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CONTENTS

Triumph By David Derr Page 24

BIOClaudette

Losier P. 20

BIORonnie

BeetsP. 38

BIODavid Derr P. 24

BIODilkaBearP. 12

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D Remembersan editorial thought

Y

I don’t dream often but recently, I had a dream. A dream where I died from natural causes. In

this dream while still not realizing that I have died; I saw an old friend

whose death I remembered as if it were y e s t e r d a y. I asked my friend why isn’t anyone paying at-tention to me?! And he replied “be-cause we are dead”. “How can I be dead and you hear me” I asked? He stated; “We are in the same death,

and it will keep repeating itself”. I said “that’s impossible you died years ago I remember, I was at your funeral. I can just wake up! I have to be still dreaming”! He replied “You have never been awake”. I remember how hard it was to dream or even remember a dream when I slept at night. I then start-ed thinking as if still in a dreamlike state; trying to apply it to everyday daily life and see how hard it is not to dream. The thought of someday becom-ing rich; what is wealth and riches?

TheDreamby Damon Youmans

A Dream?! The idea of someday living stress free; what is stress free? A Dream! The thought of loved ones all being happy, what is happiness? A Dream! I spent time reflecting, revisiting historical and evolutionary past actions and deci-sions I had made. I remember the families that I have joined through-out my years of existence. The true friendships and those people wished the worst for me (smh). The times when all seems to be going so wrong but yet we make it an-other day, only to complain about yesterday. The thought of things getting better; yet we might have seen the better if we had only ac-knowledged the dream.So, now I only had one question for

my friend, to help me end all this madness and confusion. “How do I wake up”? He stated “You must disconnect”. I then was awakened by a phone call. I tried to revisit the conversation but couldn’t. So, now I interrupt this so called realm of re-ality; my peoples and bring to you confirmation…. we are still dream-ing world.

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DY PROFILE

interview with

Laqui quiroga

Laqui, is a self-taught artist original-ly from Argentina. She draws on

her humble beginnings in a single-par-ent home for inspiration and strength. Relying on strict self-discipline and life experience to guide her work she cre-ates beautiful images, fresh with play-ful subject matters and a vivid palet. Often not able to afford art materials Laqui became proficient in using foundobjects and household items in her art;practice that makes her work even more intriguing and inovative. We were recently privileged to sit down and chat with the busy artist for an in-terview.

DY: The mediums in which you choose to work have sometimes been very unique and innovative. What was it that made you decide to take up a bottle of hairspray and use it to paint?

Laqui: It was actually hair leave in conditioner, there have been moments when art supplies were not affordable therefore, I would try different things from around the house as well as found or donated objects.

DY: You are both a painter and sculp-tor. So, what creative outlet do you

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prefer the most to express your-self?

Laqui: Currently, I am obsessed with sculpture the larger the better! I cannot wait to afford doing large medal combination work...

DY: Do you feel one needs a formal education in visual art and or fine art to succeed in today’s competi-tive art scene?

Laqui: Definitely not I feel one needs passion. I have educated myself on a variety of subjects and feel I am doing fine. Obviously hav-ing gone to a formal college would have enhanced that.

DY: How was it growing up in Ar-gentina, and in what ways did the countries landscape and culture in-fluence your artistic style?

Laqui: I grew up all over North,

Central and South America. The bright colours, different textures, cultures and foods all play an influ-ence as well as different changes in lifestyles.

DY: Bright colors and wild brush strokes dominate many of your paintings, where do you find your-self going emotionally when you are in a creative mood?

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Laqui: Different emotions, different moods the abstract sarcastic piec-es are happy the life images are a sense of hurt or betrayal or anger with the exception of a few. Power that is what I feel and release

DY: You do a lot of charitable work in and around Ft. Lauderdale. How did you become interested in volun-teer work and how do you think it im-proves your art and life as a whole?

Laqui: I have done volunteer work in relations to art because when I was younger and money was no longer available I had always wished I had someone to give me guidance or support direction... I like to give back whenever possible It improves me as a person and keeps me grounded which is of course reflected in my work.

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Title: Hisako

BIOArtist

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eminine, and petal soft, Bear’s sub-jects draw you in with their mystify-ing gaze. Speaking to the inquisi-tive child with in us all. Her work enchants as well as entertains the senses. Bear was born in Alma- Ata (soviet union) in 1977. Like so many art-ist of her caliber her love affair with drawing started at a very early age and never stopped. After studying art at the Almaty State University she worked as a graphic designer for about 8 years. Also during that time she worked as an illustrator for various magazines, and lended her skills to illustrating children’s books. In 2005 she decided to move to Tri-este, Italy and began her life as a full time artist. To learn more about her work, or to make a purchase. You can find

her at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dilkabear?ref=seller_infoF

Dilka Bear

Title: Lilly

Feminine Mystic

Italian Artist

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Title: dreamcatcher

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Title: cippolino

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SpotlightMusic

DJ

Mice check one two one two, DJ OneStar is in the house!!! We caught up with the mix master in Fort Lauderdale FL; where he cur-rently lives with his girlfriend of 5 years and their 3 year old son.

DY: So, you’re a self-taught DJ, hailing from Paris, France. What was it that compelled you to be-come a DJ?

OneStar: I love music. From the age I could buy my own music I started collecting it. I had quite an extensive tape collection and even-tually graduated to cd’s. I always wanted to learn to DJ, so the transi-tion was easy. I bought the equip-ment little by little and I already had the music. The rest was just getting

the experience but most of all prac-ticing. I’m always looking to learn and improve.

DY: As a DJ you have to know what hot and what’s not on the music scene; and that can be a pretty daunting task to say the least. So, how do you know what to play at a party, when there are bound to be so many different musical tastes in a room at any given moment?

OneStar: I used to collect music the hard way, from listening to the radio to going to clubs to hear what they played. But I found it was too hard to keep up with it all; espe-cially in a place like south Florida which is home to so many different

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The

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Continued on page 46

LOVE By: Damon Youmans

Is

Poem

Here is an untitled work brought to us

By Lenora Atchley

Nationalism, capitalism going forward to communism and fas-cismAll of these demanding patriotism, That you walk and obeyand it is on you that they prey.Hoping that you don’t arise from your slumbereat, drink til you die-you’re privileged, don’t grumble. Zip up your mouth because you think this is being ‘humble’but when was living out of fear for self preservation considered humility?I thought it was putting self aside, lack of pride, no ego, silly me. So few willing to open their eyes, they continue to feed on the lies, until they conform and it’s the truth that they despise.Lacking conscience, wisdom and reason pointing a finger at the few that are awake and committing them of treason, while the actual perpetrators get away and we the protesters are considered to be part of ‘the fray’. But we can’t blame the gov’t for what it iswhen we are the ones who created it. We allowed men to reign from lust and greedGod warned against it but we didn’t take heed. Putting into power corporations and institutionswhich was their methodical attempt to control, their solution. Big pharma, chemically treated food, using all forms of controlpolicing our streets, innocent people jailed with the criminals on parole. They use ‘we the people’ as ‘pawns in foreign policy’another way to dehumanize and attempt at mind control, you see?Codex alimentarius, agenda 21, every form of regulationto further the ultimate goal for depopulation. In the words of Mishka, ‘People! The hour! The hour is at hand!’ We can come together now rise up and take a stand.

BIOArtist

laudette Losier graduated from Brock University with an Hon-ors BFA in Fine Arts in 1989. After finishing her studies there she left a chalk pastel drawing entitled “On Your Mark” and an acrylic painting on their walls entitled “Unfinished Runner” which is now a part of the uni-versities permanent collection. “Since graduating my creativ-ity focuses on my paintings in oils using the glazing method of painting, and realism with various themes. I work on sev-eral bodies of work such as: flowers and gardens, swim-mer as a metaphor for identity and life’s journey, portraiture, and using various transfer art techniques”. She is not only a practicing artist, but a teach-er, model and yogi. She is

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C

Title: Royal Ascend

Claudette LosierPlayful Interpretations

Canadian Artist

dedicated to sharing her creative spirit through her art, mind, and body with others to inspire attrac-tion to the positive creative spirit in all. Her work has various styles and subjects: oil paintings, draw-ings, photographs, and transfer mixed media are some of the tech-niques she applies to her work. Claudette has had more than 16 solo shows since 1989 and nu-merous groups and juried shows. She has also won several awards in Juried Shows in Ontario that in-cludes an award of merit for my swimmer drawing “Drifting”, and two best in show awards for my portraiture work, one in chalk pas-tel and the other using the transfer techArtnique. In 2009 she received awards for her transfer art: an Hon-orable Mention for “Phantom Rid-ers” at the Burlington Art Center’s

Kaleidoscope April 2009 event,, and in October Sunrise Juried Show 2009 the Gerald Gunther Humanity Award for “Noodling My Doodling With Thy Neighbour”. In 2011 she won the City of Toronto Purchase Award for “Cinder Pop-py” oil transfer painting at Scar-borough’s Arts 2011 Juried show. Claudette has taught at the Bur-lington Art Centre. She currently teaches art at the Royal Bo-tanical Gardens in Burlington.

You can find out more about her work and classes that she offers on the fol-lowing web sites: www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/l/Losier/, and www.flickr.com/photos/30736118@N03/. Three of my transfer art is included in book-cat-alog NeoPopRealism Starz: 21st Cen-tury Art by Nadia Russ, compendium of new millennium contemporary art, 4

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Title: Cinderpoppy

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including in www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com for details visit: http://neopoprealismstarz.com/id80.html.Her work is available for sale 4 at both the Burlington Art Centre Art Ectera shop, the Art Gallery of Hamil-ton’s Art Rental and Shop, Arts Ham-ilton Boutique, Brantford Arts Block, and The Print Studio in Hamilton.

Titles: 1. Dominican Habiscus Beauty, 2. Sequia Floating in Mat-ter, 3. RS McGaughlins Italian Pond in Oshawa, 4. Abundance, 5. Immersed in the Stillness Within, 5. Spirit and Nature Dancing Together.

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Title: Family Ties

Title: No seer and Nothing seen

ew Jersey artist David Derr’s first recollection of his interest in art began at the age of six; when a neighbor who happened to be an artist, introduced him to the world of drawing. It was then that he realized his true pas-sion, lay in painting and drawing.In the 1970’s Derr attended the Art Students League, studying life drawing under Gregory D’Allesio and Gutay Rehburger, and graphic design with Michael Ponce De-Leon. For nearly 10 years he con-tinued his passion for life drawing making it his primary focus, while still making a living as a model and freelance commercial artist. Currently Derr heads up his own design agency, D2 Studios Inc., he is also the creative director for vari-ous businesses, musicians, arts or-ganizations and various non-profit

groups. Commercial success has never dimmed his expression of deep personal imagery. This is in-fluenced by his interest in archeol-ogy, primitive art, mythology, clas-sical music, and dance. His latest digital works combine the worlds of art and science by using im-ages from NASA’s Mars Rovers in conjunction with electron mi-croscope imagery to create strik-ing images that defy description. Derr has an amazing eye for both color and form. His paintings trans-fix the viewer taking them to other worldly dimensions. Many of his ab-stract paintings have religious and social references that at first glance might leave you puzzled as to what he is trying to convey. But upon closer inspection the viewer is able to discern the messages he wishes to share. 4

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BIO

Title: Inventionis one of Derrs’ digital images

Artist

David Derr

American Artist

The Quadrupple Threat

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As an accomplished painter, graph-ic artist, photographer and musician he has flipped the old cliché “a jack of all trades and a master of none” on it’s head. Derr is well learned in every medium in which he chooses to express himself. His works in Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Me-dia, Digital Imaging, and 4

1and 2 violin both front and back. 3 Sentinel of the Night, 4. The Heart is the eye of the Soul, 5.Sa-cred Cow, 6. Nude

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Title: Nimbus

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Title: Three and the Moon

Photography are a popular amongst collectors. Derr has been featured in exhibi-tions juried by Ivan Karp of the OK Harris Gallery, Holly Solomon, of the Holly Solomon Gallery , and by curators from the Guggenheim and NJ State Museums. He has exhib-ited throughout the United States

and Europe . His works appear in corporate, government and private collections throughout the world.

To learn more about David Derr and his work you can visit his web site at www.D2studios.com

The sad worried eyesStare transfixed upon the spin-ning ringsInterlocked and moving with a subsonic humCrystal chimes sound when they touchforming and releasing new pos-sibilitiesThe rings of fate continue to spinHis raised hand, in a blessingSends out waves of chance,Colliding with strings of timeCreating random symphonies of life,moving in lush rhythmsAscending into the violent seren-ity of chaosHis strained face,covered by the living mokoReflect’s the insistent and mad-dening songs of the musesEternally demanding his vigilanceTheir constant cravings never ceasingHe questions the overwhelming responsibility of movement,Of creativity, of dancing in the momentOf giving birthAnd letting goThe rings continue to spin

Poem

SpinBy David Derr

Title: Spin

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All Around the WorldYour headlines from across the globe! Every month we share with our readers headlines from around the world, focusing on hot topics that aren’t given much airplay here in the states. However, this month we would like to focus on some of the headlines affecting our own nation today.

EPA Declares Hay a “Pollutant”

Cattle producers took a huge hit recently when the EPA declared

harmless cattle hay a “pollutant” according to a report from R-CALF USA. The advocacy group believes that this move by the EPA is di-rected toward family-scale cattle ranches, and engineered to stomp out family owned businesses; in fa-vor of mega sized feedlots. Mega

feedlots usually use GM modified corn to feed their cattle while the mid to small size cattle ranchers use hay as a source of food for their animals. The new law basically leaves cattle ranchers in a pickle. Because any rancher that stores hay or leaves a broken hay bale out in their field could be subject to major fines, and penalties.

Nashville Suburb Ends Fluorida-tion of City Water Supplies

The fast growing Nashville Ten-nessee suburb of Spring Hill an-nounced that they are ending wa-ter fluoridation. On November 1, 2011 they will stop fluoridating the city’s public water supply. The fluo-ridation of Spring Hills water supply will end on September 30, 2011; and its a move set to save the city $21,000.00 a year. Hopefully the decision made by the city of Spring Hill, will prompt oth-er cities and towns nationwide to make similar changes. Water fluori-dation is an egregious practice that has been scientifically proven to do nothing for the dental health and or overall health of people. In fact it does the exact opposite; caus-

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ing fluorosis (decay) of the teeth and bones. Florid is a byproduct of industrial waste; extracted largely in part from aluminum processing plants, then gleefully added to your city water supply and favorite tooth-paste. All under the guise of making sure you are healthy, when in real-ity it does the exact opposite.

RFID Tattoo

Soon, hospital patients everywhere could be sporting tattoos. But these aren’t your typical tattoos,

no. These tattoos carry powerful RFID technology capable of track-ing a patient’s brain, muscle tis-sue activity, and heart rate. It’s use could eliminate the need for bulky and costly equipment. The device is less than 50-microns thick, so it is thinner than a human hair. Also it doesn’t require much fuel to work, because it has solar collectors that pick up electromagnetic radiation. The tinny patch adheres to the skin like a temporary tattoo. Its formal name is Epidermal Electronic Sys-tem or EES and it was developed by an international team of scien-tists from the US, Singapore, and

China . This technology could very well transform medical sensing, computer gaming and spy opera-tions. So it looks as though we are one step closer to the melding of man and machine. What scary thought.

Gibson Guitars is Told to Move Production Offshore

Gibson Guitars is one of the most respected and leading guitar manu-facturers in the world. So you would think that in a weakened economy such as the one we are in now, our government would be trying to en-courage businesses such as Gib-son to remain here to help provide Americans with jobs? Well the sad truth is Gibson has been raided by federal agents two times in the past two years. This time the Feds confiscated a million dollars’ worth of precious ebony and imported woods. They executed the raide with automatic weapons drawn, without any warning or any lawful charges being brought forth. CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said fed-eral agents told him, that Gibson’s problems would go away if the company just moved their opera-tions overseas to Madagascar. Now, correct me if I’m wrong? But shouldn’t we be trying to encourage businesses to stay here in the US in order help provide jobs for our 14 million unemployed? Shouldn’t our government be in the business of supporting businesses such as Gibson; not strong arming them into leaving? There is no logical explanation for this folks.

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Gold Yard

The blogosphere

A Thought about Hurricanes:

It’s good to know how hurricanes are born.Though we think of them as big rain-storms, they start out small and dry: breezes blowing through the Saha-ra desert. Hot air there is continu-ally rising, forming a “jet stream”. That stream of air is like a funnel 3 miles high in the air, shooting to-wards the west coast of Africa, to meet the Atlantic Ocean.“Hurricane season” is when both Mama Sahara and Papa Atlantic are hottest: T he wind funnel is able to pick up mois-ture from the warm water rising into it, and massive . Many of them just swirl around in the ocean, but some are pushed

all the way across to the Ca-ribbean, Central America, southeastern US, and even up the East Coast.It’s a natural process, pos-sibly (the rest of this is my personal theory) made much worse by human beings. The Sahara desert, along with

every other dry desert on Earth, is increasing at a high rate. That’s because of colonialism destroying African society and economy, first in North Africa by the Romans taking timber to fuel economic growth. Timber com-panies are now making a killing in West and Central Africa, but poor people themselves are de-

stroying forests for daily survival. That’s a GROSS oversimplification, but it is true.“Desertification” is a scientific term that means non-desert land turn-ing into desert. It is a direct result of deforestation, and tt’s widespread throughout tropical regions of the world, which were originally cov-ered in wet “rain”-forest. Forests

Gold Yard chronicles the personal journey of one aid worker as she helps in providing humanitarian aid in Haiti. Join us every edition as we are touched by her strong and opinionated views on the truth sur-rounding relief efforts in one of our world’s most resilient and proudest of nations.

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serve MANY purposes, but among them is mitigating severe weather patterns. The less trees there are in and around a desert, the hotter it becomes, and the faster des-ert conditions spread. So, it’s just common sense that trans-Atlantic storms also seem to become big-ger over time.In Ayiti, it can be depressing to see desertification, because it’s such a clear indicator of human despair. It makes me want to work at com-munity level to help more people learn to stop it. But as I take a step back, I see a problem so huge that maybe nothing any human can do will make a difference.

July 6th

One morning in the baking heat, we saw a humongous, bowl-sized frog

(“krapo”) flattened like a pancake in the road. People acted like it was no big deal, but I know as a fact they and/or their close relatives, are extinct from other areas of the Caribbean.That night while running to the truck in the pouring rain, we saw a small, stone-sized frog on the windshield. We also had a tiny frog or two adopt the puddles near our water pump in the front yard.Amphibians, lizards, birds, bats, fish and other small animals love to eat the nasty beasts that are out of control in Ayiti: flies and mosqui-toes. In other words, insect preda-tors are God’s bug repellent.All of those animals rely on forest habitats (especially along water-ways), to survive. It gives them

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How Ganesha Won The Race Pt. 1By Diane Carol Mark

Heavy mist from a summer shower settled over tufts of river grasses and hid them from

us that afternoon in Paradise. Then, a breeze peeled back those golden shards, leaving beads of dew dancin’ off the tops of those wavin’ stalks. They were the tiniest of glass orna-ments. The riverbank was just damp enough so that when you ran barefoot across her shore-line, your toes left prints that would surely be seen a week later. Miles across the valley glittered a towerin’ palace of white marble that we all knew so well. Rose quartz canyon walls cradled that immense city as if the arms of a divine woman held it to her breast. Lights twinkled below her buttes, an’ we were all beckoned toward her magic

ShortStory

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once again.There was gonna be a competition that day. The Supreme Lord chal-lenged his friends the demigods, the spiritual souls, the evolved spirits, the devoted ones and the child spir-its to a rousing contest with a plum a sweet prize that would be an eter-nal blessin’ upon them. What was that prize? Well, everyone gathered round his white marble dais to hear it. And, once they did, they couldn’t get enough of the idea, and they couldn’t get it out of their heads either. Imagine... being selected to hold such an honor for all eternity. Well, I guess I didn’t say what it was that the good Lord announced that day. It was an honor above all else. The winner of the competition would be known as the wise one, the one to be prayed to first. That soul would remove all obstacles in your path, or if need be, would put troubles there so as to discourage you from walkin’ that way. But, they only knew what the prize was. What they didn’t know was what they had to do to win it.After the announcement, everyone scrambled up from his seat on the black and white marble floor and sprinted toward the blue carved gates as if the sun had splashed them with hundreds of energy sparks. They dreamed they was gonna be honored as the great one. They thought how they’d shine and imagined how they’d feel privileged and significant to always and for-ever be prayed to first.Now, the elephant child Ganesha, one of the evolved spirits, he strode out of the courtyard swinging his

short tail with his mind off in the distance, watchin’ the sun shimmer as it settled on the rose quartz can-yon walls. He felt relieved that he still had plenty of time for a game of soccer in the forest clearin’ near his home. He knew the game would calm any worries he had about all the other great ones who would be challengin’ him in the competition the next day. As soon as he cleared the gate, he sprinted across the val-ley determined to reach the forest long before sunset.

A Rosy SunriseAt dawn the next mornin’, the sky was mostly blue with a thin rosy cloud cover from the sunrise that had just brushed the canyon walls. Your skin felt pretty warm. So, you didn’t even wrap a shawl over your shoulders. Everyone jammed into the Supreme Lord’s courtyard with a riot of voices. They clam-ored for a good spot in the hall that stretched as far back as a body could see and then some. Granite pillars were scattered throughout the hall under an immense flat roof that shaded them from the intense sunshine. The roof was segment-ed into carved squares, each one painted golden. Crystal chandeliers dangled from many, makin’ the in-ner courtyard a sight so bright that a body felt enthusiasm pull him straight up.There was a hush all over the crowd’s heads as the Supreme Lord wrenched open the silver doors on His balcony to greet them that mornin’. It got so quiet that even the noisiest songbirds stopped 4

chirpin’ in the magnolia trees that bordered the plaza. He cast His eyes over the crowd, smiled and waved before He spoke. That el-ephant child was crammed in on all sides. Behind him one of the demi-gods edged in for a closer look. He shoved Ganesha forward with a fist in his back. Ganesha nearly fell over, but one a his friends grabbed his arm, an’ he straightened out okay. Just in time, too, ‘cause the Lord started in on His announce-ment.“This is gonna be an easy con-test,” He says from His balcony that swooped the sides of the temple. “The winner will be the one we will always pray to first. He will be the revered one.”Everyone listened without a mur-mur, but inside was already one-step ahead, believin’ that they’d win for sure. They all were itchin’ to know what they’s gonna have to do to win this contest. It was stillness and silence when the Lord spoke again.“The first soul who travels around the whole universe an’ back again three times, an’ who returns first will be the winner.”Now, everyone wanted to be re-spectful an’ all, but that’s not what happened. There was a buzz in the courtyard an’ then there was a thun-derous roll, a clappin’ an’ a bangin’ as everyone spoke up at once. Heads turned and folks shoved each other on all sides as they scrambled outta their seats. But, it weren’t over yet. The bell rang, the bronze bell that usually only chimed at the end of ceremonies. Everyone froze up. Time stopped an’ no one

breathed.In the silence the Supreme Lord he said, “The competition will start at 11:08 a.m. today and will end when our victor arrives back here on these steps.” He turned round, strode through the silver balcony doors and was out of sight just that fast.Well, there was a frenzy now. They all rushed the gates, stormed outta the courtyard, an’ scattered all over the plaza. They gathered in groups, spun ‘round, grabbed their brothers, an’ chattered fierce as songbirds in the magnolia trees. But, Ganesha he didn’t even fidget. He cozied up on the marble floor and closed his eyes deep in thought. And, with the stillness of the moonrise over a river, he relaxed for a long time. His friends tore out an’ were fixin’ their vehicles, gettin’ ready for the race.They had all kinds a sophisticated vehicles in those days. Some had flyin’ machines carved outta gold, some had chariots hooked up to majestic horses, some had mysti-cal birds like eagles only they was bigger an’ could carry a man on their backs. But, the elephant boy, he didn’t have a vehicle at all. His dad, Lord Siva and his mom, God-dess Parvathi, had always said that when it was time for him to start travelin’, he’d have to design and construct his own chariot. Well, on the first count, he really liked playin’ soccer with his friends, an’ on the second count, he hadn’t yet thought too much about acquiring wealth.Stay tuned for More adventures from Genesh; when we bring to you Part 2 of this wonderful addaptation, in the Nov/Dec edition of DY.

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How Can I Prevent The Flu, Colds, and Minimize My Allergies This Fall and Winter? 5 Effective Tips!By Rex Murphy

This article is all about answering the question ‘how can I prevent the flu, colds, minimize allergies this Fall & Winter?’. Here are 5 specific things you can do to minimize your chance of getting the flu, a cold, and significantly reduce any allergy or asthma symptoms:Get Some Sunlight: It’s a prov-en fact that sunlight boosts your body’s immune system and over-

all strength. So, when sunny days come along, even if it’s cold outside, get 15 min-utes of sunlight, rake the leaves, etc. The fresh air will be good, too, as it will contain natural ozone which destroys bacteria, vi-ruses, etc.Vitamin C: Get some time-released Vitamin C and take at least 1000 units / day. If it bothers your stomach, try Ester-C, which is buffered and more

gentle on your digestive system. Vi-tamin C essentially makes it harder for viruses to get into our cells and gives the immune system an over-all boost.Consider Essential Oils: Essential oils have been used for centuries to treat and prevent illness. Some oils such as cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils were used during the Black Plague and actually enabled people to be ex-posed to such a powerful illness without getting sick! A company called Young Living sells a product called ‘Thieves’ just for this pur-pose. Or, you can visit your local health food store and get the oils there.Clean Up Your Indoor Air: As we move into Fall and Winter, we are simply spending more time indoors where more bacteria, mold spores,

Health and Well-Being Sep/Oct

Continued on page 4

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Artist Ronnie Beets was born in Fortaleza, Brazil and ad-opted as an infant by a family

in Tennessee. His upbringing was traditional and Southern Baptist. “Art and culture were never big top-ics around the house, but I always enjoyed drawing and was strongly compelled to create”. Beets first drawings were landscapes; naive nature scenes with waterfalls and impossibly pointy mountain ranges

BIOArtist

Ronnie BeetsArtist

Compelled to Create

in the distance. When he reached middle school he began drawing mannequin like women in cloth-ing of his own design and bloody scenes of war. “I had difficulty un-derstanding the looks of concern from teachers and parents when I proudly displayed my latest works. Why were the grown-ups so put off by this combination of genres? Why was this so upsetting when viewed in the pages of my sketch-book, but perfectly acceptable (and entertaining, even) when shown on the television set every evening”? Thus began his Questions...“I wanted to know ‘Why’ and ‘How come’ about everything”. Since he didn’t feel he was getting many answers from those around him, he began relying more on Art for revelation and reflection. “I start-ed studying painters like Picasso, Chagall, Dali, and Van Gogh whose works seemed to be asking ques-tions as well”. Beet’s paintings exude the unde-niably strong influences of Cubist and abstract greats like Picasso, and Chagail; while at the same time remaining fresh and original. During his high school years, his art teacher prompted him to pick up a brush for the first time. She told him, “I love your drawings. Have you ever wondered how they would look in paint”? “And honest-ly, I hadn’t”. He informed her that he was not a painter. She, in turn, informed him that his next assign-ment would be a painting. Beets decided to paint a still life compris-ing of a female mannequin torso, a tea kettle, and a bundle of dried flowers.

“I drew it out and mischievously disfigured the face in bright yellows and greens. The lips and flowers were bold crimson strokes. The whole piece was a vibrant and un-refined acrylic scream. I presented it, feeling assured that she would now agree with me. “I love it,” she said. And secretly, so did I”.After his high school graduation he went on to college to study art edu-cation and realized right away that he had no desire to teach art, only to create it. So, he left school and set out on the ‘starving artist’ path. While working day jobs and trying to sell paintings, he noticed that the original brightly colored woman was consistently showing up in his work. Though she had changed and transformed over the years, he would see a piece of her in nearly everything he ultimately painted. She continues as my Muse. 4

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Title: Egocentric self

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Title: Aunt Babs

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Title: NEFERTITTI AND ATEN

It is his affair with painting that continues to serve as a tool for self-examination and questioning. “I can see myself most clearly when I am looking for my reflection in others. My subjects are rarely painted from live sitters, although they may be representative of actual people. I am por-traying archetypes and emotions; Love, Fear, Sexuality, Faith and Contradiction are given a face and a persona. Naturally, I strive for a pleasing aesthetic, but more so to ignite an interaction between the viewer and the subject. “Who are you? Who am I? Why are we here? How do we relate?” I invite you to connect with these images. Let your conversation begin”...

To learn more go to Beets web site at: WWW.artbeets.com

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CONFESSIONS on

FACEBOOKWhy do we want those who clearly do not want us? Why do we pass on those who do, say and exhibit all the little things we want? When did we become such emotional masochists? I guess that’s why therapy is a thriving business.

BW: Food for thought!

A: You were speaking loud and clear to me this morning to me Mr. D. I have been at the crossroads in my life where I have questioned this even in my own life.

TY: I have a saying on my phone something like that !! GD MN PAPI :-)

KM: I think It’s because subcon-sciously we don’t believe we de-serve the great person that were looking for, & if we find them are we really good enuff for them... so we settle for what we think we qualify for. #JMT

KP: Ain’t this the truth. Nothing worse than trying to be with some-one who does not want you. In their own way, they’re telling you that you’re not good enough for them. Going through this as we speak...I call myself fighting for my family, but at the end of day I must perserve some dignity and self respect. I

KNOW I’m good enough!

MD: @ K Price and I know that is the truth my friend. The other per-son’s unwillingness to see you for what you are is their problem, not yours. Yet we will pass and pass and pass by those who think we are awesome

KP: Yep! What I’ve discovered is we need to be in constant prayer asking GOD that HIS will be done...NOT MY WILL...but HIS WILL. When I look at it like that, my strength is renewed. I know whomever he has for me is going to be AWESOME! So I’ll wait while continuing to work on being the best me that I can be.

LL: Someone woke up thinking too hard.

PB: Did somebody reject you and hurt your feelings?

DB: I’m just making a statement...but if someone did I’d freely admit it, that doesn’t bother me. DM: smh hahahahaha you just hurt a lot of feelings hahahahaha, But truth be told, for some reason it seems lik we want what we want but not understanding the good, bad, and triumph’s that walk with every journey. A time in my life where I think I took on way more then I

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could handle, only to find myself unhappy and always going through the unwanted terms of something I thought I wanted. So now I want what wants me just as much.

Have some confessions to share?

Do you want to see some of your own thoughts and those of your

friends on our pages. If so, send your conversations in a Microsoft Word document

to dymagaz@gmail.com. Make sure you type “Con-

fessions” in the

Here At

DY magazine we want to here from you our val-ued readers. So, send us an email de-tailing why you love DY or you can send any sugges-tions or ideas for articles to DYFeedBack@gmail.com If you would like to be fea-tured in DY magazine and you are an aspireing visual Artist, musician, writer, etc; then you can send all submissions to dymagaz@gmail.com.

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“Rabbit season!” “Duck season!” That old cartoon argument im-mediately comes to mind when

I see people arguing about which candidate is best, who should run, etc. So much of what is said in poli-tics boils down to arguments that really aren’t much better than the one between Bugs and Daffy. Lots of noise, little care for facts.

Politics is often a dirty business.

These days pretty much any politician is getting money from someone. Even companies claim-ing to offer nonpartisan information are often re-ally geared toward mak-ing one side or the other look better. There is little care for reality.Election season means hearing both sides even more so than usual call-ing each other liars. That’s easy for them to do, as there are plenty of lies from each so far as I can tell. The cries of “traitor” are more annoy-ing, since I do not believe either Republicans or Democrats really have any intention of making things easier for terror-ists. They simply have different ideas as to what the solution is.As things get moving, with more and more can-didates declaring their in-tention to run for nomina-tion, I hope more people

think harder about what is really at stake. Yes, the war on terror is seri-ous, and terrorism is a danger. We have been lucky here in the United States, and have suffered far less than most from it. Many other coun-tries have suffered far more and far more often.But that is not the only problem fac-ing us. There are problems within this country. Education. Healthcare

Ready for Election Season

Getting

PoliticsSep/Oct

By Steph Foster

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Infrastructure. Environment. The list goes on.As you look at the candidates for President and other political offices, you need to think about what you want them to do. Party affiliation can help you understand their be-liefs, but it is not an absolute. Many candidates have beliefs that cross over party lines. Same for most vot-ers.As things gear up, don’t rely solely on information from one side or the other. Read what the opposition has to say. Read what the middle has to say. And yes, read what your side has to say. You’ll get very dif-ferent stories.Sometimes one side or the other will flat out lie. Politicians get caught doing that regularly.Look at actual voting records.

These are very telling. There’s what a politician says he or she believes and what he or she really does. Very different sometimes, and very important to know.Look at who is supporting the can-didates. No matter how they may deny it, money does buy influence.Consider third party candidates. Many will be too fringe in their be-liefs for your taste. But sometimes a gem shines through.Be an informed voter. There are more places to form your opinions than the evening news or even your favorite blog. Get as much in-formation as you can from a range of sources so that you understand both sides. You’ll be able to vote more intelligently for your efforts.

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Health & Well Being Continued from page 37dust, dust mites, pet dander, etc are all floating around, and con-sequently we are getting repeated and larger doses of these con-taminants. Later, as people come in contact with each other, they transfer bacteria, viruses, etc, and now a cold or illness seems to be ‘going around’. My point here is this: if we minimize the amount of these agents floating around in our homes, offices, schools, there would be far less chance for some-one to ‘catch something’ in the first place, and then less transfer to other people. A great way to do that is with a high-quality, true HEPA air purifier, which will remove 99.97% or more of the airborne particles that cause a lot of allergy and asth-ma flare-ups. You’ll probably sleep better, as well.Do not choose ‘HEPA-type’ puri-fiers as they only remove 50-60% of contaminants. If you see a HEPA air purifier that also uses healthy negative ions (preferably Hydroxyl (OH) ions, not ozone), those purifi-ers are even more effective as they the negative ions destroy bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and some chemicals. Some air purifiers use UV light, which is very good for de-stroying the DNA of bacteria, mold spores, viruses so that they cannot replicate / multiply--which, again, helps prevent the spread of illness.Consider a Dehumidifier: Why a de-humidifier? Well, with the increased moisture outside during the Fall /Winter, there’s often increased moisture inside, as well. And when we get to around 70-80% humidity inside, that creates perfect condi-tions for bacteria and mold to thrive

and multiply. A dehumidifier will al-low to easily control humidity by re-moving moisture.Note: Moisture can accumulate inside by getting through cracks around the roof, loose shingles, windows, or gutters that are full of debris or don’t drain properly. All it takes for a gutter to allow water to run underneath the edge of the roof is to not have enough flashing or shingle hanging over into the gut-ter so the water stays in the gutter itself. I know-I had a gutter situa-tion at my house and that is what caused a mold problem in my attic! If you have a basement that tends to get a little wet during weather from leaks in the wall or seepage in /around the foundation, etc, you have a chance for higher than nor-mal indoor humidity, as well.To check your humidity, simply go to Walmart and look for a cheap thermometer or an electronic unit that has temperature and humidity functions-should be around $8-17. Test several areas of your home-attic, bedrooms, basement, etc. If you have higher humidity in one area, it will affect the other areas so be prepared to get a dehumidifier for the affected area, and investi-gate to see why that area has more humidity (i.e. leaks, etc)I hope this information helps you stay well this Fall and Winter sea-son. For more information on qual-ity HEPA air purifiers and dehumidi-fiers, air quality test kits, and more,

About The Author: Rex Murphy is an avid health enthusiast, former martial arts instructor, and owner of The HEPA Air Purifier Store http://www.hepaairpu-

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Spotlight with DJ OneStar Continued from page 16

people(ethnicities and age groups). I started trading music with other DJ’s and sub-scribed to music pools for DJs. If you’re an aspiring Disc Jockey do yourself a favor and get your membership soon, that will save you a lot of time and money. They identify the up and coming hot tracks that record labels are trying to push and send them to you .I still go to clubs and listen to the radio because it’s good to hear what oth-er DJ’s are playing and what’s hot on the local scene. Gathering the music and equipment helps, but identifying your crowd demograph-ics is as important. From the way people dress to their age groups etc.. Being a DJ is not about what you wanna play but pleasing and responding to the crowd.

DY: You recently lost your mother in the devastating quakes that rocked Haiti; which had to have been a very difficult time for you in your life. What song or songs if any got you through that difficult time and why?

OneStar: My mom loved music. She loved to dance and she was also an avid collector of music. The

songs that are special to me are the ones we danced together or songs she used to sing to me as a kid. Mon petit dauphin by Gerard Le Norman is very special to me or La vie en rose by Edith Piaf wich was one of her favorite songs.

DY: What do you like most about your job?

OneStar: Making people dance and smile is definitely it.

DY: Sum up for me who DJ One Star is in 3 words or less.

OneStar: Energy in motion.

For booking go to: www.djonestar.com or look for him on FB; www.facebook.com/djonestar

shade to stay cool, water to absorb/drink, and places to raise babies.So, once again, I am comforted by their resilience of the Haitian eco-system. There are some areas that are extremely degraded and are worth all the “Haiti is 99% defor-ested” pity-ridden fundraising ef-forts, but essentially, it is better to celebrate what is alive that mourn what is dead.

rifierstore.comTwitter: @HepaAirPurRex is also a musician, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Med Studies/Psychology, as well as many years of study in natural healing methods. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.

Gold Yard Continued from page 33