For many of us, the mere mention of the word "vampire" evokes images of pale Romanian counts with thick Eastern accents, slicked back hair, and tuxedo suits complete with opera capes. Younger generations might instead picture handsomely brooding teenage vampires more in keeping with a modern interpretation of the Byronic hero of older literary traditions. In either case, our images of the creature are often culled from the movies with which we grew up and that, for the most part, shaped our understanding of the archetype. Yet, whether we grew up loving or hating them, we often see vampires as either the product of entertaining fantasy or as a part of the colorful yet outdated mythos of ...
Vampires are ubiquitous; from vampires that walk among us (psychic and otherwise) to the mythology and media of every culture, we encounter vampires. These creatures and their lore are also universal: no matter how different a culture is, there will be vampiric stories of many forms. This, in turn, has led to everything from bestselling vampire fiction (think Anne Rice) to popular blockbuster films (Interview with the Vampire and Van Helsing) to books about the lifestyles of real vampires. Though the Japanese culture differs in many ways from our Western culture, anime and manga are often awash with stories of vampire mythology, and what is perhaps most interesting is that their many ...
The father of the vampireDracula, the Vampire Count, has become one of the most popular of archetypes. The novel Dracula tells the story of a vampire man in search of physical immortality. But he can only live forever if he feeds on human blood. In this story, blood represents the energy that flows throughout the body, and which gives us life. Although this premise seems preposterous to some, the story originated in author Bram Stoker's historical research, fertile imagination, and unique genius. Vampire peopleSome people perpetuate the energy pattern of vampirism; they feed on the emotional, sexual, physical, and mental energy of others. It goes without saying that they do not feed ...
My father never had a job. He had a career with a company. For thirty-five years he worked for the same company before he retired. Today, many people just entering the job market don't expect to be with a company for a long time. I was sort of stuck in between. Part of me wanted to be able to try new things and experiment in new areas. Another part of me enjoyed the security that came with being employed by one company for a long period of time. Indeed, I was employed by the same company as an accountant for nine years. One of my co-workers, Jonathan, came over to my cubicle one day, set a box on the table and said, "You know, companies like ours try to make you think you are part of a ...