Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects. Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.

People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable. They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others. They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends. They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors. They like things to be aestically pleasing, not stark and sharp. There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects. They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences. If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.

The Nosferatu bare the burden of monstrosity. No matter what they do, every Nosferatu is unspeakably hideous to behold. They are forced from the world they knew when they were alive, shunned by their fellow clans and forced to dwell in sewers and caves where they may hide from the sun, and everything else. Unlike the other clans, they are vey loyal to one another. Nosferatu tend to know everything, though. They know all the secrets of how the streets really work and know all the dirt on everyone. Generally they want to be left alone and trying to pry information from them is like pulling teeth unless you can give them something they want.

For you to be a Nosferatu means that you are probably a shy, unsocial soul. You don't deal well with other people. You have either deep inner self loathing or an unexplainable apathy towards others. You are extremely intelligent but you are by no means an extrovert. The Nosferatu are the silent scholars whom some say are the only ones who really understand what it means to truly be undead.

ISLAMORADA -- Greg LeNoir watched in horror as the shark's mouth opened wide, chomping a large set of teeth on his beloved 14-pound dog, Jake.

''Noooooo,'' LeNoir shrieked, fearing the worst.

But the case of the rat terrier vs. the shark has a happy ending.

''Jake's doing great,'' LeNoir's brother, Phillip, said Monday. ``And I still can't believe my brother jumped in the water and punched a shark.''

The saga began Friday afternoon when Greg LeNoir took Jake to the Worldwide Sportsman's Bayside Marina pier in Islamorada for the dog's daily swim. LeNoir said Jake is a fast and fearless swimmer, often retrieving jellyfish and soaked coconuts.

But this time, Jake, a 28-month-old dog adopted from an animal shelter, unexpectedly encountered the shark, which was about five feet long. As Jake disappeared under the water, LeNoir conquered his own fear and sprang to action.

''I clenched my fists and dove straight in with all my strength, like a battering ram,'' LeNoir, 53, said Sunday, reliving the frightening ordeal. ``I hit the back of the shark's neck. It was like hitting concrete.''

Sharks are not uncommon in the marina, which is near the Islamorada Fish Co.'s open saltwater pool that attracts large tarpon.

LeNoir, a finish carpenter who lives in Islamorada, said he concluded the creature was either a bull shark or lemon shark after describing it to local fishermen and another brother, Louie, a shark-tooth collector in Orlando.

LeNoir's wife of 17 years, Tessalee, said she wasn't shocked by her husband's heroics. ''People know him as Dr. Doolittle,'' she said. ``He's the one who climbs up a tree to save a possum.''

Lenoir added: 'We have no children. Jake became our child. When I saw the shark engulf him, I thought, `This can't be the end.' ''

The shark let go of Jake, and the dog popped to the surface, frantically swimming the few yards to shore. LeNoir followed, paddling through a red trail of blood from the dog.

At VCA Upper Keys Animal Hospital in Islamorada, veterinarian Suzanne Sigel and emergency on-call assistant Callie Cottrell patched Jake's wounds.

''Amazingly, he wasn't critical,'' Sigel said. ``He's one lucky dog.''

The shark's teeth punctured Jake's skin and some muscle on the dog's abdomen, chest and back in a pattern that looked like ''an upside-down smile,'' Sigel said.

Jake also suffered lacerations on his right side and front left leg, with skin hanging like ribbons, LeNoir said.

''The shark put almost all of Jake in his mouth, except for his head and three of his legs,'' LeNoir said.

Sigel reexamined Jake on Monday and said the pooch is expected to recover.

''He looks great and is recuperating well,'' she said. ``I was worried he may have inhaled saltwater when he was pulled under, but there's no evidence of infection or pneumonia. He's healing great.''