Tattoos these days have become more of a body modification “just because” and less of a message, as they were when I was growing up.  When I got my first tattoo, I got it because I had recently turned 18 and I wanted something that was going to stick with me for the rest of my life as a reminder of my youth.  I wanted something that said something about me and the way I tried to live my life, something that would remind me every day that this was the way to be.  It’s just a little Japanese lettering that says “enjoy one’s self”, but that’s how I try and live my life.  Be optimistic, enjoy yourself, have fun and be happy.  Of course, now I would like to have it covered up with something else since, when I was 18, I was dating a crazy girl and I would like to forget her.

continue reading "What do YOU think it means?"

I would say it is rare to see someone engaging in severe body modifications that does not already have a tattoo or three.  When I say severe body mods I am talking about suspensions, pierced nipples, and pierced nose bridges like the guy in this picture, hooks and rings pierced into their back, things of that nature.  Maybe pierced nipples are not “extreme” but you get the point.

continue reading "Tattoos are gateway body mods"

Travis Barker, former band member and drummer for the group Blink 182, is no stranger to tattoos.  With most of his body covered with tattoos, he still manages to find new places to add them.  His tattoos range in styles from plain black ink to multicolored.  A giant cartoonish boom box is displayed on his stomach, surrounded by everything from Cadillac emblems to Cadillac script, other random scripts and sayings, musical notes, fish, flags, stars, and hearts.  Anything and everything you can think of is on his body, displayed on his arms while he walks around in his wife beaters and plays the drums on countless YouTube videos.

continue reading "Little drummer boy"

It’s always important to have goals in life.  Set your sights on a goal and never look back until you have achieved it.  Goals are important and so are rewards.  Sometimes, the rewards can be better than the satisfaction of completing your goal.  Weightlifting has goals, for example.  Someone might have a weightlifting goal designed around weight loss.  They want to lose some number of pounds within a given time.  Another person might like to lift a certain amount of weight in whatever exercise, the squat for example.  Where rewards are concerned, I’ve always wanted to squat 405lbs.  I’ve also wanted to dead lift 405lbs and bench press 315.  A common factor in all of those lifts is the 45lb plates.  For a lift of 315, that requires 3 45lb plates on each side of a weightlifting bar.  For the lift of 405, that requires four 45lb plates on each side.  Add those amounts to the weight of the bar itself, at 45lbs, and you get your target.

continue reading "Iron never lies to you"

So, say you’re in the supermarket and you happen to see a guy walking around with a tattoo on his face.  Being that we’re not in an area that’s used to seeing people walking around with tattoos on their faces (unless you live on the islands of Samoa), maybe you stare a little bit.  Maybe you stare alotta bit.  And lets say you get caught staring.  What do you do?  Should you say something?  Compliment his face tattoo and go on about your business?  Maybe you think you should let them know how you feel about their face tattoo and that they’ll have a problem getting jobs in the future and they’ll always scare small children?  Yea.  Tell ‘em like it is.  That is, unless that tattoo faced guy is Lee Priest.

continue reading "You sir, can put tattoos anywhere you like!"

The nice thing about getting a tattoo is that you can always get it removed if you change your mind the next day.  Right?  Isn’t it that simple?  No.  Not really.  Well, it might be “simple” depending on your definition but I’m sure it’s not painless.  There are a few ways to get it removed and I think all of them involve a significant amount of feeling not-so-good by the tattooed and unhappy patron.

Me, if I had to choose a method to get rid of a tattoo I didn’t like, I would rather get it covered by another tattoo; one that I hopefully will not hate tomorrow or years down the road.

Some tattoos are simple and ugly in their simplicity and can be covered easily.  Others are very complex, full of color, and might have to be removed or partially removed before they can be redone or recolored.  I have a small bit of Chinese lettering on my right shoulder that is not only TOO small but also is a reminder of an ex that I would like to get covered.  It’s plain black and probably simple to cover up but I am just not sure yet what I want to have put there.  Depending on when I start my next career as a paramedic, I might have something from that line of work put there.  Maybe a rescue type design or IAFF logo (International association of firefighters) if I become a firefighter instead or maybe just a black square, big enough to cover the lettering.  In any case, I’m going to get it covered in the future.  Putting new ink over it should be a lot less painful and a lot less expensive than any kind of skin removal or laser treatment.  Plus, I’ll have a new tattoo to show off.  I could always go with a method similar to the person’s tat I the pic to the left.  That’s something I have never seen before, except on my son’s arms when he comes home from school after drawing on himself in some particularly boring class.

Are getting tattoos addicting?  I have heard a few people say that recently and am just wondering how or why they feel that way.  I only have two tattoos and the second one didn’t come until two years after the first one.  To me, they’re not addicting but that might be because I do not have a whole lot of money to spend on tats and, since I like to have some deep meaning in mine, it might take me a little longer to decide on what to get.

One person, and I think it was on a television show, was having trouble with addiction to drugs and alcohol.  Getting a tattoo was something he did just about every time he got intoxicated.  With so many tattoos on himself, and some in places that were visible even while wearing long sleeve shirts or jackets, he was having issues with people taking him seriously during job interviews.  He mentioned quite a few times that getting tattoos was another way to “get high” since he felt a rush while the artist was poking those tiny holes in his skin.

continue reading "What a puzzling tattoo choice!"

No tattoo aficionado can avoid knowing of Kat Von D. She is LA’s best known female tattoo artist and persona. She has been instrumental in the shift in attitude towards women and tattoos. In fact, I credit her with the huge societal ground shift which has seen professional women choose to have tattoos to adorn their bodies and enhance their sexy charisma, their power and their talents. If I have any criticism it is only that tattoos have now become so popular that the trend buckers among us are going to start soon to choose to go as blank canvasses just to be different…

Why do I say that? Well, Our Kat has done what every other celeb woman has done (or tried to do) – she has launched her very own smell, or smells in this case… Kat Von D has introduced her very own signature fragrances which reflect her view of herself as naughty but nice, I presume….

continue reading "Kat Von D and her Sensuous Smells: Sinner and Saint"

The last weekend of September 2009 was a memorable one for East London. There were hundreds of tattoo and body artists from all over the globe attending and performing their trade from traditional Nordic facial tattoos applied with a chisel and hammer to heart-stopping full body designs ranging from Eastern mystic creatures to science fiction characters and more.
The Convention is well known for its wide variety of entertainment from exhibitions, artistic events and live rock bands to burlesque performers from around the world. The food stalls are bewildering in their variety and mouth watering in their offerings. There are also your traditional East End bars and pubs but the best part of the day is just sitting with an ale in the corner and watching the throngs pass by in all their glory.

continue reading "London Tattoo Convention"

Ok, I’ll admit it.  I play World of Warcraft. I don’t consider myself a computer geek or nerd or a hardcore gamer, but I do play the WoW.  What can I say, it’s a great way to pass the time on a rainy day or blow off some steam after a hard day at work.  Some WoW players are more extreme than I am and they will play for hours and hours a day, raiding dungeons and killing monsters and getting the “phat lewts”, in English that equates to “wonderful treasures”, and rising in status in the realm of Azeroth, bringing down the leaders of evil and helping the blood elves extract their revenge!  FOR THE HORDE!!!

Sorry, I got carried away a little bit.  Anyhow, I’m not ashamed that I play a game online that many consider a game for the nerdiest of nerds.  I would probably wear a sweatshirt or t-shirt that had an emblem on it from WoW, showing the faction of my choice while I’m out in public.  But… a tattoo?  And even better, two really BIG tattoos that will stick out like a sore thumb every time I take my shirt off?  I would have to think about that one pretty long and hard.

continue reading "For the Horde…"