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From Theban (Feb 09 2007)

Ok my question to you is....

How many questions can I ask lol

Sorry, lol no really...Is it possible that we all are what people here call Vampires as we ALL in some form steal energy from people..well not just people but ill just say people for now!.......

Ok the question was supposed to be about you!!

Do you believe in Vampires in the energy sense and blood sense?

Thanks Theban for the questions, and yes, you may ask as many as you like.

Is it possible we are all vampires? Well, I think all living things consume energy in order to live. But this does not make someone a vampire. A vampire is usually defined broadly as someone who takes energy from unusual sources, if not narrowly as someone who feeds on blood or psychic energy. Humans are omnivorous predators and I don't think it unfair to say we are fairly opportunistic, also. So if we can consume it and it isn't toxic, we probably would.

My personal theory about vampirism is very simplistic; so much so I think it is taken for granted. Perhaps this is not true in every case, but we should already be used to generalities, so here's mine. Put simply, vampires have a craving that they cannot satisfy with a normal diet. No shit, Sherlock. Seriously, some cravings are obvious, but some aren't.

Pregnant women for example are the classic case. Their bodies are already going through drastic changes, producing hormones, trying to not only maintain the mother's health, but also provide for the child inside them. They will start craving banana splits... with pickles! Or even foods they've never liked before, suddenly it's all they'll eat. They don't know really what it is the "baby wants"; it isn't the baby craving it, it's their body craving nutrients. The body will tell you what will satisfy that craving.

There's another mysterious craving that can affect pregnant women, but also anyone with an iron deficiency. The general term is "pica syndrome", and it manifests in people eating very strange things, some with seemingly no nutritional value, some that can actually be harmful. This includes people eating chalk, dirt, clay, sand, starch -- even laundry starch! Some of these might make sense, as dirt has a certain level of iron in it. If you find that your child eats mud-pies, maybe an iron supplement would help.

Another pica syndrome, which truly baffles the medical community, is one that I suffered from after a surgery that I had about seven years ago. I had an almost constant craving for ice! Being a native of Phoenix, Arizona, and during the summer, this didn't immediately strike me as odd. However after a while it started to bug me. I explained this to my doctor during a follow-up from the surgery, and he just smiled at me and said, "Congratulations Dan, you are now a member of the Pica club."

He went on to say that pregnant women sometimes crunch ice or eat lots of ice cream to satisfy their craving for ice. The issue amazingly is usually an iron deficiency -- same as dirt eating. But as ice has no iron in it, they only figure the craving is actually for cold things. Why this is, they don't know. At least they have a name for it: pagophagia.

Which, in a frightening way brings me back to my discussion of cravings. Sometimes, you just don’t know why you crave something; you just do. Haemophagia is the medical term for the craving that living vampires have; a craving to consume blood. Is it because blood has a certain iron content, or sugar content, or even oxygen content? We may never know.

So, ultimately your question is do I believe in vampires, and I'd have to say that I do indeed. I know quite a few, and I know they have these cravings and they are more than just psychosomatic symptoms or fetishes. Do I believe in the undead reanimated monsters of fiction, no.


From: alixaryon (Feb 18 2007)

At which age have you lost your virginity?? (now now, dont lie:D)

LOL, I knew someone would ask this question. I just didn't know it would be so soon. Well, I am not ashamed to admit that I lost my virginity when I was 24. I believe in waiting until the time is right, and at the time, I thought it was. I have no regrets over who, why, or when; only in how things soured in the years since. I will say, as I watched "The 40 Year-Old Virgin", I never laughed so hard in my life. Not because the movie was such a great comedy (which it was), but because I identified with the poor bastard so much.


From: sabre (Feb 12 2007)

What's the main genre of book you have on the bookshelves ( in the profile photo ?)

A great question, Sabre. In the photo below of me sitting and reading by lamplight, that entire shelf in frame was my collection of vampire books. I think technically the only book on that shelf that isn't a "vampire" book, is the large D&D Monstrous Compendium portfolio, but it is a role-playing game supplement which does feature vampires and other undead in it. There are more than just books on those shelves; there are board games, DVDs, and Music CDs, even a jigsaw puzzle of Dracula's Castle.

Now, I say was, because we moved a few months after that photo was taken. In our new apartment, we endeavoured to continue the tradition of putting all categories of books together. In that old apartment, we only had two of those tall bookshelf units, so that collection was 50% of our books. The other shelf unit held the rest; our fantasy and sci-fi, and non-fiction books of all sorts. In our new apartment, we have three tall units, and the "vampire" shelf is the one in the middle. The left has our non-fiction, and the right has our fiction. The vampire shelf has novels, gaming rulebooks, history and non-fiction books about vampires, and DVDs. It now overflows and we recently bought two more smaller shelves to go on each side of the current shelves, and these will all be expanding outward.

I love books, and I love vampires. Suffice it to say, I have a lot of books on the subject of our beloved undead. By the way, there is a story as to why our new shelves are not ordered in the same manner as they were in that photo. I can only qualify this by saying I'm agnostic when it comes to most things, especially the supernatural. Let me also state I'm anal-retentive to an almost obsessive level, so I made sure all the books were lined up and flush to the edge of the shelf. It just makes finding books easier. However, that bookshelf had a tendency to move books. Up, down, in, out, objects falling off. While sitting next to it. Just enough to get your attention. We live in AZ, we don't have earthquakes -- at least not in Phoenix. So, our decision was that, when we moved, we would intentionally NOT put the books back in the same order. The books don't move anymore. The chess set in the glass cabinet near it though... well, that's another story.


From: Gesar (Feb 16 2007)

This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

A riddle for you sir and a little pay back from me from all the times i have tried to understand the answer to your profile ......It is indirectly connected to your birthday ..... You will have probably read it before but i have always like it ....

I like this riddle. No, I've never heard this one before. Please tell me if I'm wrong in my answer, but I would have to say the answer is "Time". What a great riddle, thank you.


From: madbeau (Feb 16 2007)

If you had the chance to get away with any crime what would it be and why?

Oooh, a morality question. If I can be melodramatic, I don't think there's any crime that you can truly get away with. Not that I believe deeply in karma, and I certainly give no credit to our system of justice. Deep inside, however, it would haunt me. Knowing I got away with a crime would eat me up inside. Either that would be my punishment, like some modern Twilight Zone episode, or I'd eventually turn myself in.

However, that isn't the answer to your question. I would probably steal something so that I could provide for my family in a time of desperation. Even then, I would hate myself for doing it, but if given no option, I would without hesitation. The only other thing that comes to mind is if I had to protect my family or in a case of self-defense, I would kill anyone that posed a mortal threat. Manslaughter, not murder, mind you.


From: GrieviousAngel (Feb 17 2007)

If you could choose/or have an animal guide.. what is it/or what would it be?

I took one of those personality quizzes, and it said that my animal guide was a bear. I like the rationale that it had enough, but I can't say I really believe it. The Mascot of my Household here on Lunazure is an Owl, and I do believe it is a wise choice for guiding the Household. So, if I had to choose one, yes, it probably would be an Owl.

However, if I have an animal guide... well I have a natural affinity with cats. Yes, I love cats and hate dogs. Been that way since I was a child. I only ever got along with one dog in my whole life, my beloved black labrador named Vixen, who passed away a few years ago. I imagine though, that my animal guide would be a strong feline, like a lion. Especially as I am named after the prophet Daniel, who survived his time in the Lion's Den, from the Old Testament. Yes, I'd have to say it's a Lion that's keeping an eye on me.


From: ShadowKat (Mar 01 2007)

What's the single (only one now :P) happiest moment of your life (to date)?

Hmmm, a very tough question, because I am lucky to have a pretty happy life to choose moments from. The very happiest moment however, hands down, is the moment I held my daughter in my arms the very first time as a newborn.



From: Liebe (Mar 02 2007)

So how do you control that love itch in the morning?

Gads I'm naughty.... ;)

Indeed, a good randy question. Let's just say my Lady and I are happy to scratch each others backs... and fronts... whenever that old itch needs a-scratchin'.


From: darknice (Mar 02 2007)

ok, so here is my question. well questions, i hope thats not cheating. lol. how old is your daughter now? and what is the thing that worries you most about what she does, or indeed is going to do?

(i ask cos im a parent myself and im curious)

LOL, you can ask as many questions as you like. My daughter, Alexandra Lilith (yes, I gave her the middle name, *smile*), just turned 10 in January. What worries me the most is that she reminds me of her mother, aka my Ex-wife. I'm not being mean when I say this, but she has taken on many of her mother's bad habits and attitudes, without taking on a lot of the positives. Her half-sister (my step-daughter Samantha) has adopted most of the good motherly qualities. Alexandra is the attention-magnet. She is happiest when she is the center of attention and distraught when she is ignored or bored.

Moreover, she is obsessed with the monetary value of things. But I cannot say that she is spoiled, because her mother and I have never really been able to give them what they want. For a long time we lived the SITCOM lifestyle -- Single Income, Three Children, Oppressive Mortgage. You know it better as the American Dream, personified perfectly in that credit card commercial with the dad showing off all of his wonders then admits "How do I do it? I'm in debt up to my eyeballs! Somebody help me."

Ultimately, my honest fear is that she'll grow up to be one of the "popular girls", joining all of the exclusive cliques she can, fawning over any boys who'll promise her what we all know they can't deliver, and by the time she actually meets the one who'll really love her, she won't recognize him because he won't give her the baubles she thinks equals love. I do also worry a bit about what peer pressure she'll succumb to be in with the "in crowd". While I believe she's smart enough not to get into the really bad, stupid stuff, rebellion is always a factor in doing stupid things, too.


From: ummDeena (Apr 21 2007)

My question is What's the difference between smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes?

I honestly havent figured it out yet.

I love it. Well, it turns out the difference is primarily in how coarsely the potatoes are smashed. "Smashed" potatoes seem to be chunky, probably smashed with little more than a fork after being cooked. "Mashed" potatoes are usually whipped to a smoother consistency.

Smashed potatoes are also often smashed with the skins on the potatoes. Mashed potatoes are usually peeled.

To be honest, I wasn't really sure either. So, I googled it. *grin*

Be well, and thanks for the question. I'm hungry now. :D


From DarkDestiny (Dec 12 2007)

This question may have already been asked but you seem to enjoy historical eras so I was wondering if you could choose a period of time to visit or live in, would it be the past or the future?

I admit I have trouble deciding myself, while I love history and would enjoy exploring many different periods I also burn to know how man and the planet Earth change from our decisions today. I wouldn't choose to live in any other time period as this is an absolutely amazing time in the expansion of science and knowledge, from man walking on the moon, to the internet itself. What more will I see before I pass from this Earth? It's too exciting not to find out. :)

That is an excellent question, and I think my initial response my seem like a cop-out at first, but I don't think I'd want to live in any different time. Visit maybe, but I would be wholly out of place in a different era if I had to live there.

I like to consider myself of student of history, and there are many points in time that I'd like to be an observer of. I don't want to travel back in time to change anything, but I'd love to know what people were really like, and not how the history books have documented them.

One period and place in history that fascinates me right now is ancient Babylon. I'd like to know what life was really like for them, to live and die and serve their kings. What did they do, how did they celebrate, fight, and mourn. How did they worship and build, and did they really create such wonders as the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Why were they so reviled by other cultures, or was it just hatred or fear of their power?

As for the future, I'd like to know what progresses man achieves, and at what cost. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it's father is war and suffering. I'm not sure I want to know what injustices and torments lie ahead only to advance civilization. I'd like to think we'll rise above all of it, and that is the day I'd like to see in the future.


From: Veralidaine (Dec 16 2008)

For all the real life vamps trying to deal with their differences and how people see them, what advice would you give them?

I once knew a severe empathic vampire, and he told the wrong person, and soon the whole town knew. All his friends abandoned him, deeming him weird, and he became known as the town crazy. The pressure of what others thought of him ate at him until his depression was well past helpless and into the hopeless stage. In the end, he took the emotional pain and turned it physical. It ended his torture as well as his life. He died alone, and was soon forgotten. There wasn't even a notice in the newspaper where his parents had disowned him, believing him to be in a cult of some sort. He had no funeral, and no one missed him. Not even his own mother.

If he had talked to you and told you what was happening, what advice would you have given him, or anyone who knows they are in some way different from the norm and thus, alienated?

Wow, this is a heavy question, but one I'll try to answer and hope I can do your friend a service.

I know a few real vampyres, both sanguine and psychic. The thing is, I've met them all after they had made their decision to come out of the coffin. Also, I've met all of them in safe environments that welcome folks of that lifestyle. I've never had the opportunity to talk to someone in social circles or circumstances outside of that.

I have had friends who suffered either from depression, bi-polar, and even post-traumatic stress syndrome. A couple of them committed suicide because their family didn't recognize the signs or didn't want to believe that their children were going through more than "just a phase". I have always tried to be there for my friends, and especially to make time to talk on the phone or online, if I couldn't do so in person (if they moved or whatever). It seems to me that in most cases, just having someone to talk to is more important than what is said.

But, what I would probably say is this. First, you are not alone. You are unique, but there are others like you. Folks who've been down this road before you. There is a definite stigma against anyone who lives in a darkness; or hell anyone who is different than the society norm. Goth, punk, sang, psy, empath, tantric, otherkin, and more. They'll lump you into one group: crazy. Maybe there's medications to help one set of symptoms, but that isn't the fix that is needed. Worse, some kids will self-medicate by getting into drugs to escape or to feel better when their energy is low and they don't understand why. Some may run with the wrong groups, or yes, even into cults because there are people who want to be in control of others. They are out there even when the paranoid society assumes wrongfully that you've joined one.

And yet, there are groups that can and will help you. I'll wager there's at least one group in your town. If you can find that one, even if they aren't a perfect fit, they probably know of others. The internet is your friend, but that doesn't mean go make a MySpace page, or even a VampireRave profile, and shout to the world what you think you are, or worse, paint yourself as Satan's bastard love-child. Be angry, be dark, but don't be stupid. That will only portray you as a poser or as a fool, and the folks who can help you may be wary to do so. Also, dont just go meet anyone who says they are a vampyre house. They should have some restraint in meeting you, and you should have some in meeting them.

Join Sanguinarius, VVC, VampireRave, OutOfTheCoffin, SangSpace, and yes even Meetup.com, and find local established groups of like-minded individuals and find a second home. Not a "new" home, but a second, understanding home. Depending on your age and your station in life, not everyone can come out of the coffin and tell their friends and family. Nobody said you have to tell anyone, but I'd find folks like you to talk to, to teach you, before you test your confidence to tell a friend or a loved one. Be prepared that most people don't understand. However, the ones that love you and don't try to fix you, will be the ones you can trust.

I hope this answers you question, Vera.

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