October 10, 1996 (Peter Gilstrap / Phoenix New Times) - It takes a certain brand of optimism and foresight to make a small-market concept work, a certain drive and, of course, the essential ability to recognize a need and fill it. Before a savvy, upward mover even begins to address such concepts as outsourcing, retrenchment and severe lower-pricing to shed high-cost capacity, he must be able to pick the right product at the right moment. Such a man is Rod Jakubik. His product is fangs.

A collection of poetry and prose submitted to VO in 2001.

Somewhere inside the adult female reader lurks a 12-year-old girl breathless at the idea of romance and mystified by the rules of sexual engagement, the one who (in my case) stayed up three nights straight devouring "Gone With the Wind." Although Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series of vampire romance novels is aimed at young adultsages 12 and up, I'm certain there are a lot of older women reading them too.

As you bow your head in science
Remember those me who came before you
And see my sacrifice, and blood
The reflection isnt yours
The bruises are my gift to you
So you can see how wonderful your Romeo really is
As your satisfaction in your denial
Eats away at your sanity
Look at the pictures of me
And understand that he will always remain
And you laugh at your faults,
And cry in your dreams,
For your fallen Romeo, and his long dead Juliet

DeadAngel
January 5, 2001