Lucy's Radiolarian

I met Lucy yesterday in Penn Station after I spotted this cool tattoo on her right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SzceReQWEEPi0dHspfjaElcum930ZC9ChqW0jcS_ql6cf95CgbnFNEFoWWdV3i0HVW18H6N6YwFzrxpiw_uQtn011E2AgKcnCksuRACGGCmimcD8F7JdeogQ3kLTiESL0HNQvIpwONg/s0-d/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SzceReQWEEPi0dHspfjaElcum930ZC9ChqW0jcS_ql6cf95CgbnFNEFoWWdV3i0HVW18H6N6YwFzrxpiw_uQtn011E2AgKcnCksuRACGGCmimcD8F7JdeogQ3kLTiESL0HNQvIpwONg/s0-d/IMG_0475.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><br />Lucy credits the artist JK5 with this tattoo. She said he did this out of <a href="http://www.savedtattoo.com/">Saved Tattoo</a>, but he freelances and has also worked out of <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/component/option,com_gallery2/Itemid,26/?g2_itemId=2900">Dare Devil Tattoo</a>.<br /><br />And what is this on her arm?<br /><br />Lucy explained that this is based on an illustration by German biologist/naturalist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Haeckel">Ernst Haeckel</a> and depicts a creature known as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiolarian">radiolarian</a>, an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoeboid">amoeboid protozoa</a>. This is something you would see on the great science tattoo site, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/science-tattoo-emporium/">Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium</a><br /><br />Thanks to Lucy for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.029090943513438106" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit</span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></span></b>

Lucy's Radiolarian

I met Lucy yesterday in Penn Station after I spotted this cool tattoo on her right arm: Lucy credits the artist JK5 with this tattoo. She sa...

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Holy Ship! Isaac's Vessel and a Biblical Quote

There are a few tattoo artists whose work is so good that, when I'm lucky enough to stumble upon one of their clients, I consider it a great day.<br /><br />Such was the case on a Monday in August on the Upper West Side, when I stopped Isaac in Trader Joe's as he walked past me. I knew, even before he told me who the artist was, that this piece was special:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfA7MqFL_Cv-qcuGFsAlqsE1hZ7Tm9UlPPve9MTmkOx7RlCsDGPOViVhAK9EYxdHH11RFrjrgZSnC5mkl4MeyG6Bs1DnS1AOZfVHh1D8-7byXlNjCvgyMNWkqtADRY8pP8SLz2a-anAwo/s1600/Amanda+Ship+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfA7MqFL_Cv-qcuGFsAlqsE1hZ7Tm9UlPPve9MTmkOx7RlCsDGPOViVhAK9EYxdHH11RFrjrgZSnC5mkl4MeyG6Bs1DnS1AOZfVHh1D8-7byXlNjCvgyMNWkqtADRY8pP8SLz2a-anAwo/s640/Amanda+Ship+1.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br />Isaac explained that this ship was inked by the amazing <a href="http://www.amandawachobtattoo.com/">Amanda Wachob</a> of <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> in Manhattan. Amanda was featured in a small post in the <i>New York Times</i> earlier this year <a href="http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/who-made-that-tattoo/">here</a>. I have been fortunate enough to stumble across her work personally once before, as documented in <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/10/jackies-vintage-postcard.html">this post</a> from last October.<br /><br />Isaac explained that this ship was inspired by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Dutchman">The Flying Dutchman</a>, a painting by Albert Pinkham Ryder.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yNnBDdZOtbBWnGCa1Occ75StqcPOXFo3SeCP1cMyYI4AZVvmDr6L-p3l8xkOG8KyEkFdH9BiZG3O5zMAHi3idk-IrTRb4crn6uFBvDPDLabsqrmt4NQ6dRAaiBJdftIK6Zuh3ibiO_k/s1600/724px-Flying_Dutchman%252C_the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yNnBDdZOtbBWnGCa1Occ75StqcPOXFo3SeCP1cMyYI4AZVvmDr6L-p3l8xkOG8KyEkFdH9BiZG3O5zMAHi3idk-IrTRb4crn6uFBvDPDLabsqrmt4NQ6dRAaiBJdftIK6Zuh3ibiO_k/s320/724px-Flying_Dutchman%252C_the.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One of the amazing things about Amanda Wachob's work is how her tattoos look like they are painted onto the skin. Check out the front of Isaac's ship:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogO6k4H_KBUZ5X-3qcZNkHoaO93SzEPS6ahwRCGt-wIHj2xAzdDwUqUfDOUaqGA72C_exM3AaUWClk8BgF9w85waiLJx7bw9rNlRWRjFr7TMmry-0gSyOmuZDJ1wJJOC6SJPGV-rT-jk/s1600/Amanda+ship+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogO6k4H_KBUZ5X-3qcZNkHoaO93SzEPS6ahwRCGt-wIHj2xAzdDwUqUfDOUaqGA72C_exM3AaUWClk8BgF9w85waiLJx7bw9rNlRWRjFr7TMmry-0gSyOmuZDJ1wJJOC6SJPGV-rT-jk/s640/Amanda+ship+2.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br />"I used to write 'I'm a Son' on my arm all the time," Isaac told me, "as in a son of God," so he refers to this as his sonship.<br /><br />He also shared this piece on his left biceps:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHyLLiHkzn3GSIpyS488su0mWizkFDBxsJUjGmLuZK7x6Wk-UpYiZpGSJmC9AsrZx6lY7aVRQUVyKQpG7_kOrY-E4ZH-xjouR0DgFMBlIE2tSfgwcwufDr5qcIQyKBkTBh6DpAPyHfZM/s1600/love+is.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHyLLiHkzn3GSIpyS488su0mWizkFDBxsJUjGmLuZK7x6Wk-UpYiZpGSJmC9AsrZx6lY7aVRQUVyKQpG7_kOrY-E4ZH-xjouR0DgFMBlIE2tSfgwcwufDr5qcIQyKBkTBh6DpAPyHfZM/s400/love+is.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This is a Biblical reference, from 1 Corinthians 13, Verses 4-8. The passage is<br /><blockquote>"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." </blockquote>Isaac and his wife have the same piece, with hers being on her right arm. I love the font that the artist used. He attributed it to Kelly at <a href="http://www.eastsideinktattoo.com/">East Side Ink</a>. Kelly is absent from the shop website, so must have been a former or visiting artist.<br /><br />Thanks so much to Isaac for sharing these wonderful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

Holy Ship! Isaac's Vessel and a Biblical Quote

There are a few tattoo artists whose work is so good that, when I'm lucky enough to stumble upon one of their clients, I consider it a g...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: Noemi Soto

Today's tattooed poet is <a href="http://noemisoto.com/dreamland/">Noemi Soto</a>, who sent us this lovely, colorful photo of her tattoo:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnm8DgHyr0KZ1b2sptJQg8DaEOLb8rTclf6eun5KerF2dZH9bsnMGeNnZQQzoE7Suz57PaMACGbKUjoRHJWngK72DenkG_9tTvBIF5zWxBllodphiaNLZfjHb-StYYP5msQDI1sBj8VlY/s1600/HeartTattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnm8DgHyr0KZ1b2sptJQg8DaEOLb8rTclf6eun5KerF2dZH9bsnMGeNnZQQzoE7Suz57PaMACGbKUjoRHJWngK72DenkG_9tTvBIF5zWxBllodphiaNLZfjHb-StYYP5msQDI1sBj8VlY/s400/HeartTattoo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Noemi Soto</td></tr></tbody></table>Noemi explains:<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">"I designed the tattoo for myself during a pretty rough period after a major breakup about 6 years ago. I wanted it to represent the heartbreak that I was feeling at the time but still hold hope for the future. The artist who tattooed me was Danielle Distefano while she was working out of <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare DevilTattoo</a> on </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Ludlow Street</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Manhattan</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">." </span></div></blockquote></div>Danielle is currently tattooing out of <a href="http://www.onlyyoutattoo.com/">Only You Tattoo</a> in Atlanta, Georgia.<br /><br />Noemi offers up this poem:<br /><br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Beginning is the End is the Beginning</span></u></b></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Back when I was younger<br />My mother tried to protect my heart<br />Always telling me to never bare my insides for a man<br />to never let him in fully so that he may devour what I hold dear<br />to not let a man do to me what had been done to her</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Her backbone used to show signs of strength but now lacks the stamina to withstand the battle<br />She was once a woman so strong in her will<br />but with every man in her life taking pieces of her for themselves<br />she has now become a mere shell of herself<br />The stink of her childhood still lingering in her hair</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">I was witness to the tug of war my father and her used to play<br />saw the push and pull of their hearts<br />there was nothing unconditional about their love<br />not even when it came to me<br />there is nothing sentimental and heartfelt in the throwing of pots, pans and fists<br />“I love you” cannot be said through the gnashing of one’s teeth</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">So when it came time for my will to be tested<br />I acted on what I saw and not what I was told<br />What I was shown was that to be a woman meant having to bend your spine so far back to please your man that you broke yourself in two<br />To stretch those parts of yourself out so that you may give him the smoothest of surfaces in which he may stomp your hopes and dreams into<br />To ignore his faults and accept them as your own<br />How dare you even think otherwise?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">I was taught that… to be a woman meant having to pick up the pieces that were left behind from his war path<br />making sure only your feet bled in the process to save his<br />Being a woman always meant never asking any questions<br />to let him roam and if he comes back … well… what more do you want?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">I followed all of these lessons very carefully<br />made sure I folded the laundry just right<br />had dinner ready when he came home<br />and always made sure to give him his space<br />only to find myself face down on the floor, arms pinned behind me, with all of his weight pressing his right knee into my back<br />I waited until he left the room to get up</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">I stayed in silence<br />still willing to be the woman behind the man<br />Still willing to be the glass which he slammed his fist against<br />shattering any sense of self worth I had just for him</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">I began to wonder if this really was what it meant to be a woman or just the kind of woman who was so lost in herself that she was willing to let a man tell her what she should be<br />and if it did …. Then I had to learn to become my own woman<br />and I couldn’t do that by being underneath his thumb</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">So I bent back each one of his fingers till they snapped at the joints to show him how serious I was<br />It was the only way to break free<br />and while he screamed in pain and cursed me for having been born</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br />I cleared a way for myself through the broken home which I was sure would last forever<br />letting him know that he no longer had a hold on me<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Noemi Soto is a Brooklyn, New York native who was born and raised in Coney Island and is a recent transplant to Queens. Her poetry has been featured in a variety of publications such as <i><a href="http://www.acentosreview.com/Home.html">The Acentos Review</a></i>, <a href="http://theliteraryburlesque.com/"><i>The Literary Burlesque</i></a>, <a href="http://litupmagazine.wordpress.com/"><i>LitUp Magazine</i></a> & <a href="http://www.southjerseyunderground.com/"><i>South Jersey Underground</i></a>. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and is currently working on her first book. You can read more of her work  at her website <a href="http://noemisoto.com/dreamland/">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks to Noemi for her contribution to the Tattooed Poets Project!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. The poem is reprinted here with the permission of the author.<br /><br />If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit </span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Noemi Soto

Today's tattooed poet is Noemi Soto , who sent us this lovely, colorful photo of her tattoo: Photo Courtesy of Noemi Soto Noemi explains...

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Christmas House Cleaning

Regular readers of Tattoosday will notice that, although I generally follow a chronological order when I share tattoos I have encountered.<br /><br />However, certain pieces, for various and sundry reasons, have been bypassed, and haven't made it to the blog, until now.<br /><br />I was originally going to post a dozen to represent the Twelve Days of Christmas, but I settled for eight. For the nights of Chanukah, perhaps?<br /><br />Without intending to offend anyone for not receiving a post all to themselves, I have lumped these tattoos, spanning from late August to late October, in one post.<br /><br />These are the neglected tattoo pictures that are just a little off, some not through the fault of the contributor, but for reasons beyond their control.<br /><br />The quality of the photo may not be ideal, or the host and I faced a language barrier that prevented a good back story from emerging, or I didn't find the story behind the tattoo especially compelling. And then<br />there's what is likely one of the poorest tattoos I have seen, but the story behind it is somewhat compelling.<br /><br />So, without further ado, here is a Christmas cleaning, eight posts rolled together into one gigantic one.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />First up, we have Esteban, who shared his sleeve when I met him in September, at <a href="http://www.fairwaymarket.com/Directions/redhookdirections.html">Fairway</a> in Red Hook:<br /><br />Alas, I was still using a borrowed camera, and several shots were over-exposed and/or blurry, but I was able to salvage this one:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp8e6J7Hd9pfq_6vvgTkeCn74iO_uzfqGCGh0iPOl53oA4NWwr3yL5NV-X8oNljRTp6V9-XYlDwmhbddb-jLSUW8GapnJplpsoV8CcXsEmEX60zqREDHPRlkKkvmM6DrNNGINzw6QnnM/s1600/esteban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp8e6J7Hd9pfq_6vvgTkeCn74iO_uzfqGCGh0iPOl53oA4NWwr3yL5NV-X8oNljRTp6V9-XYlDwmhbddb-jLSUW8GapnJplpsoV8CcXsEmEX60zqREDHPRlkKkvmM6DrNNGINzw6QnnM/s640/esteban.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />The artwork is pre-Colombian in its inspiration, and is part of a larger tropical motif. <br /><br />Next up we have Dave, who I met in Penn Station. He has over 25 tattoos and selected this one to share:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTHVHVhlbZB6053VFSFN3A4ML-Nurar7Amo5cP0ZQ1EJ_hfTpQ0sEyoiZtjPh6MFBkZSoZnGAZK5sK5N-arq4mSzS65_2qcZM0QvU8k1jRlLvZZUa4aLx0-dAEevJaAkCul0YHnlQSqY/s1600/United+and+Strong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTHVHVhlbZB6053VFSFN3A4ML-Nurar7Amo5cP0ZQ1EJ_hfTpQ0sEyoiZtjPh6MFBkZSoZnGAZK5sK5N-arq4mSzS65_2qcZM0QvU8k1jRlLvZZUa4aLx0-dAEevJaAkCul0YHnlQSqY/s400/United+and+Strong.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />The phrase "Uniting the Strong" is the title of a song from <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victim_in_Pain">Victim in Pain</a></i>, the second album from the band <a href="http://www.agnosticfront.com/">Agnostic Front</a>. This is a friendship tattoo that stresses unity and the host's nod to the hardcore punk scene.<br /><br />Dave credits Jelena at <a href="http://www.lonewolftattoo.com/">Lone Wolf Tattoo</a> in Bellmore, New York with this piece.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />Next we have Orlando, a Fine Arts student at <a href="http://www.fitnyc.edu/">FIT</a>, where I met him outside while walking toward 23rd Street on my lunch break, also in September.<br /><br />This ship tattoo is an homage to his father, who served in the navy for thirty years. He wanted a "classic look" in the Sailor Jerry style.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7R0xQZVMOMQrI9vusHKp8ocyXNvEDX9lFWhLhz1An5Uw1bAXMCSblg3VsrOJWHi09MMu5y7SSdvp49IddT2NAYztiGqNNymsjnhUOxYBDaT25PYJ2tbgaxLYi75NyowarwPgWxxAHZA/s1600/Orlando+Ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7R0xQZVMOMQrI9vusHKp8ocyXNvEDX9lFWhLhz1An5Uw1bAXMCSblg3VsrOJWHi09MMu5y7SSdvp49IddT2NAYztiGqNNymsjnhUOxYBDaT25PYJ2tbgaxLYi75NyowarwPgWxxAHZA/s400/Orlando+Ship.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />Orlando confirmed for me that his dad loves the tattoo.<br /><br />It was inked at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/crazy-fantasy-tattoo-new-york">Crazy Fantasy Tattoo</a> in Manhattan by an artist named Antonio.<br /><br />[Update: I got a better, crisper picture from Orlando of the ship tattoo in May 2011:]<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yRs_ivkZzpafkQjgNcDYcZxz-lqw8HJkwyRGl5bCIK3uQIkZmmjDi1xMvRxiiCVuFY7lhOCwLLtC6reRkjD14g1s6a8fEreOEsL3xgmdjINIWl0HlFxeX8oyJ4hQTPQbNT2NcsFm4-E/s1600/Orlando+Ship+2011_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yRs_ivkZzpafkQjgNcDYcZxz-lqw8HJkwyRGl5bCIK3uQIkZmmjDi1xMvRxiiCVuFY7lhOCwLLtC6reRkjD14g1s6a8fEreOEsL3xgmdjINIWl0HlFxeX8oyJ4hQTPQbNT2NcsFm4-E/s400/Orlando+Ship+2011_picnik.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />Orlando has seven tattoos in all [in May 2011, he updated this number to ten], and shared this one, as well, inked at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> on the Lower East Side.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEyMmDc-5672sYivpzEUpPIG70j5cus8m3FiJQNZqeDxA3fNB68lYJMSWWDF0cQiD_9IrWwsC0jux6NxvneuW4cayna7hoI1wHsJPAQT6yQB4pr928MkojYX7-BstJIY10zFFcnFHxxc/s1600/Orlando+Bon+Iver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEyMmDc-5672sYivpzEUpPIG70j5cus8m3FiJQNZqeDxA3fNB68lYJMSWWDF0cQiD_9IrWwsC0jux6NxvneuW4cayna7hoI1wHsJPAQT6yQB4pr928MkojYX7-BstJIY10zFFcnFHxxc/s400/Orlando+Bon+Iver.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />The quote, "<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">This my excavation and today<i></i> is Kumran"</span> is from a song called "re: Stacks" by <a href="http://www.boniver.org/">Bon Iver</a>.<br /><br />Orlando explained that he interprets this quote as a reminder that "every day has the ability to make you or break you. It just depends on what you do with it." Other interpretations are <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858674649/">here</a>.<br /><br />For the record, I did email Orlando to ask for an opportunity to get clearer pictures, but I did not hear back from him.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />I met Farkas in <a href="http://www.unionsquarenyc.org/">Union Square</a> back in October. He had this wolf on his right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhCK3KhLVIHIgTe1qT8wDNdkDdSQ76v2LCc5mdzcaI9ELBYDkovxeTl8GyBWMe18LL0d-J6bASc0zGE4Suid84joM6hGiQ00xLMzXFnzNBoI5UqdyUVtRXfhgzdQdz-q8vnCYyBiJsOY/s1600/Farkas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhCK3KhLVIHIgTe1qT8wDNdkDdSQ76v2LCc5mdzcaI9ELBYDkovxeTl8GyBWMe18LL0d-J6bASc0zGE4Suid84joM6hGiQ00xLMzXFnzNBoI5UqdyUVtRXfhgzdQdz-q8vnCYyBiJsOY/s400/Farkas.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />He explained that his name means "wolf" in Hungarian, and that one of his friends in Hungary did this tattoo for him.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />A couple days after meeting Farkas, I met an Israeli named Ran on 34th Street across from <a href="http://www.macys.com/">Macy*s</a>. He shared this iguana on his right leg:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbqIBUHQRWZkHJDeUiLwxAQiE4OTa7GGb_X_AapNHW_GovqABZaYpfh23XlV4jYd72lTglhyphenhyphenXYvfMSkKjx4puRY2W4RFBhdA-cBLGW2wGDUB9gFN5a9ujwGiQWU_O40sCKlK5LnPz5Bw/s1600/Iguana_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbqIBUHQRWZkHJDeUiLwxAQiE4OTa7GGb_X_AapNHW_GovqABZaYpfh23XlV4jYd72lTglhyphenhyphenXYvfMSkKjx4puRY2W4RFBhdA-cBLGW2wGDUB9gFN5a9ujwGiQWU_O40sCKlK5LnPz5Bw/s640/Iguana_picnik.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><br />It's a pretty nice tattoo, but he hasn't sent me any further details about it.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />A couple weeks later, I was in the West Village before a concert, and met Carlos, a manager at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&expIds=17259,27342,27642,28067&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&cp=9&qe=cWRvYmEgMTAwMA&qesig=ioAfmDfQL9io8qJXivfDRw&pkc=AFgZ2tn4CORECvVIyeLyU2neM3rYho1uXF-JgkCMN3WPXIASZMzsBqf9zoXZYVCZMemdAnlBQwpPIUCXg07_bR4jmJS4wGewDw&client=firefox-a&hs=mBF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=qdoba+10001&fb=1&gl=us&hq=qdoba&hnear=New+York+10001&ei=-DoWTejMIM6s8AaP58W7Dg&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CAQQtgMwAQ&iwloc=3378200444570630634">Qdoba Mexican Grill</a> where we were having a quick bite before the show. He shared this intricate tattoo on his right arm:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S5HSffUGcfK5efTYIX1Jx1IrPjD3ZcjX83CcxgA8aIZAKbPESXr2B8n0xFMFtDraQZ820BRlI-YvcI_Dnym5TYRdMTtPj9m9vRAzf1vd280M_UBALNAugxPZv8pQY5zfGfSnNZqPtU8/s1600/puzzle+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S5HSffUGcfK5efTYIX1Jx1IrPjD3ZcjX83CcxgA8aIZAKbPESXr2B8n0xFMFtDraQZ820BRlI-YvcI_Dnym5TYRdMTtPj9m9vRAzf1vd280M_UBALNAugxPZv8pQY5zfGfSnNZqPtU8/s640/puzzle+wm.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br />He and friend collaborated on this tattoo together. He told me that, when he was little, he did jigsaw puzzles with his mother a lot. The tattoo reminds him of those fun times growing up.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />The following week, I ran into Iancu in Penn Station, and he shared this piece on his upper left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo62DvDZ45_mELmbfORaWjSc5jozc8sozq2YuxnDpk-3K7WVxqRAUswNacldZAz14-JURY_IMCBqBDVRcU3duVLeNDMzjJZjH5wAKhQ5HrFQ6DheDJnp_q_IDq6MXl1LQY3zmyynpdqA/s1600/guns+roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo62DvDZ45_mELmbfORaWjSc5jozc8sozq2YuxnDpk-3K7WVxqRAUswNacldZAz14-JURY_IMCBqBDVRcU3duVLeNDMzjJZjH5wAKhQ5HrFQ6DheDJnp_q_IDq6MXl1LQY3zmyynpdqA/s400/guns+roses.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />Iancu told me he came to the artist, Rico, formerly of <a href="http://www.risingdragon.com/">Rising Dragon</a> in Manhattan, who was initially unwilling to do the tattoo. However, he convinced him to do it. It's basically a <a href="http://web.gunsnroses.com/index.jsp">Guns N' Roses</a> tribute although, he<br />noted, the guns were added about a year and a half after the original design was inked.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />And finally, I must first say that  it is very rare that I ever criticize the quality of a tattoo.<br /><br />Even if it is inferior to the work of much better artists, I always like to believe there are some redeeming qualities in a tattoo.<br /><br />Which is why I struggled with this next tattoo, which I photographer back in August, and which I have included in this odds and ends post in December.<br /><br />I approached a guy named Danny who had a lot of interestingly-tattooed words and such on his arms.<br /><br />However, he offered to remove his shirt in Penn Station so I could photograph this:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TJ86dAVaJj3OZ9N-m-FY9UCwr4TKxaU__hlDdCbNkA42iqi55WzmxDi-O2KnfzjV36HTVfr26bUIFm7Y0Ia31tcghWICzJPh-kUKMr_VPIQnwSnuOetAiOzLnKGcpTOr4ZP8I5sycjs/s1600/diamonds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TJ86dAVaJj3OZ9N-m-FY9UCwr4TKxaU__hlDdCbNkA42iqi55WzmxDi-O2KnfzjV36HTVfr26bUIFm7Y0Ia31tcghWICzJPh-kUKMr_VPIQnwSnuOetAiOzLnKGcpTOr4ZP8I5sycjs/s400/diamonds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Um, yeah.<br /><br />If this was done by an experienced artist, I would likely not have posted it. Despite its obvious flaws, it is compelling, in my opinion, because Danny told me, like all his tattoos (15 or 16, he told me), this one was<br />self-inked. Now, I can see tattooing one's arm or leg, but I cannot even fathom how challenging it would be to self-tattoo your chest. He estimated this took one and a half hours to do.<br /><br />The message is "Diamonds Aren't Forever," or, in  Danny's words, "don't take what you have for granted".<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />So there you have it, a Spring Cleaning for Christmas.<br /><br />I do sincerely thank the individuals who shared their tattoos in this entry. Happy Holidays, y'all!

Christmas House Cleaning

Regular readers of Tattoosday will notice that, although I generally follow a chronological order when I share tattoos I have encountered. H...

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Jackie's Vintage Postcard

I caught up to Jackie after she passed me in Penn Station and I was delighted when she agreed to share her tattoo with us:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhpkiHuIp-InK6A-igCLrxeIU1jtAQ0YGHOOydgPicf-Y6qdXbkCE5vOvRofJZC3QFN-m0r-mq0LQGNN_uOH95H9mttDRwaIlhwpxOLy9EkFo-PsoaJkGhkzp9k-HSNzZxPxoqK8x/s1600/peacock+postcard+main+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhpkiHuIp-InK6A-igCLrxeIU1jtAQ0YGHOOydgPicf-Y6qdXbkCE5vOvRofJZC3QFN-m0r-mq0LQGNN_uOH95H9mttDRwaIlhwpxOLy9EkFo-PsoaJkGhkzp9k-HSNzZxPxoqK8x/s640/peacock+postcard+main+wm.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br />It's a truly remarkable piece, and I was thrilled to hear it was tattooed by the amazingly talented <a href="http://amandawachobtattoo.com/">Amanda Wachob</a> at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> in New York City. She is well-known for an amazing eye for detail for tattoos that appear as if they were just painted on. I mean, look at this delicate touch on the back side of the piece:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUAzPcA6WcMXg_we3_HY4lnMpD0T_Z-btQn5GvDOVtsfYmpJ4CQzcMholao4KdYxVd_GvZAnrMjZvCwChNE0b8N2aW-hQ7oK1lDbtvzeR86Qu9JuAvX_PAPnPf7IRHwk7xRnGHW23/s1600/peacock+postcard+back+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUAzPcA6WcMXg_we3_HY4lnMpD0T_Z-btQn5GvDOVtsfYmpJ4CQzcMholao4KdYxVd_GvZAnrMjZvCwChNE0b8N2aW-hQ7oK1lDbtvzeR86Qu9JuAvX_PAPnPf7IRHwk7xRnGHW23/s640/peacock+postcard+back+wm.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><br />Jackie explained that the tattoo is inspired by art in a book of vintage, early 1900's postcards that she found from <a href="http://www.pleiadespress.com/pp/default.asp">Pleiades Press</a>. She credited S. Solomko as the artist who created the original piece which inspired this tattoo.<br /><br />She loved the vintage appearance of the original and Asked Amanda to recreate that feel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtz8XzL7SsYxWHUMUmzkYGvpiPhtUZEuOizoN5zv9Hg65_emVomruZ0CSXy0pw8n821Zr8Ef8uDVpI_NCW5JfzOwON0HuWSspzzTn9yXcyyWmvEuboUMGnQS0mODkATPs5dSFFSG3/s1600/peacock+postcard+head+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtz8XzL7SsYxWHUMUmzkYGvpiPhtUZEuOizoN5zv9Hg65_emVomruZ0CSXy0pw8n821Zr8Ef8uDVpI_NCW5JfzOwON0HuWSspzzTn9yXcyyWmvEuboUMGnQS0mODkATPs5dSFFSG3/s400/peacock+postcard+head+detail+wm.jpg" width="327" /></a></div><br />She also loves, from an artistic perspective, the female form, and the sensuality of the peacock feathers fanning out at the bottom of the tattoo. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt3sb-89s16i4qZcbKCt08yMMHgie4HOMa37hixUlmqu-vFhH5KhWgoiEGdgnMoRTU4-YYTHedzXY0HduPTErjXxk_6ZhUD0tCk6ciOj6F7yBsf0Fcq5QYN6Lq0o3yBJy-apXAmup/s1600/peacock+postcard+bottom+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt3sb-89s16i4qZcbKCt08yMMHgie4HOMa37hixUlmqu-vFhH5KhWgoiEGdgnMoRTU4-YYTHedzXY0HduPTErjXxk_6ZhUD0tCk6ciOj6F7yBsf0Fcq5QYN6Lq0o3yBJy-apXAmup/s640/peacock+postcard+bottom+wm.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Again, I can't help but marvel at Amanda's artistry and how she paints on a tattoo:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeenpwaFkYUaJ0J7fKxB6MH_ecdWP3qXxKkOSfDC0n1xFKi3zGibNPAwnhfgc-Qv9O3-dxn2KQ9gG-T1gD0pH1qtAO5G-4XP5DVexv6xqW0Zb5ahgBoFFkTRLk5LYOVKCdJ4dyruV/s1600/peacock+postcard+bottom+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeenpwaFkYUaJ0J7fKxB6MH_ecdWP3qXxKkOSfDC0n1xFKi3zGibNPAwnhfgc-Qv9O3-dxn2KQ9gG-T1gD0pH1qtAO5G-4XP5DVexv6xqW0Zb5ahgBoFFkTRLk5LYOVKCdJ4dyruV/s400/peacock+postcard+bottom+detail+wm.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br />Thanks again to Jackie for sharing her amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Jackie's Vintage Postcard

I caught up to Jackie after she passed me in Penn Station and I was delighted when she agreed to share her tattoo with us: It's a truly ...

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Christina's Owl and Lighthouse

I met Christina one day after work while walking outside of Madison Square Garden.<br /><br />She had this incredible tattoo, which she gladly shared with us here on Tattoosday:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iNmXVFVvXsCFjXeyVnmBcTmP4Nz88CHTEJ2H8kTGJ9Kz7uP4BeahzlBJGQx4P13r4rCizPPQf-aWCRpHaC60s7vNK7mYoFHL9GeS9VKwJl1GdIg0gcUCr_4wgX84clqj6eaR81l8/s1600/owl+lighthouse+collage+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iNmXVFVvXsCFjXeyVnmBcTmP4Nz88CHTEJ2H8kTGJ9Kz7uP4BeahzlBJGQx4P13r4rCizPPQf-aWCRpHaC60s7vNK7mYoFHL9GeS9VKwJl1GdIg0gcUCr_4wgX84clqj6eaR81l8/s640/owl+lighthouse+collage+wm.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This tattoo that covers her upper left arm was actually done in two segments by artist <a href="http://www.orrinhurleytattoo.com/">Orrin Hurley</a>, who currently tattoos at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> in Manhattan.<br /><br />As for the source material behind this beautiful tattoo, Christina chose a piece of art by <a href="http://www.theburtongallery.co.uk/site/artists.php?prod_id=45">Frances Olive Esme Eve</a>:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSaN06J1KsJ-kjuVOZvCxWAXRcnl7zM1tyYDh2tQSKxa4Q3D6fnKdylA3bb9nHfPbjP3efSKs9fmlCBqObgpl3dbd2kYPDQMoWlxQRcG8xdqBizJRt30MQ8TSo-osKRW9fnZx00jV/s1600/EsmeOwl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSaN06J1KsJ-kjuVOZvCxWAXRcnl7zM1tyYDh2tQSKxa4Q3D6fnKdylA3bb9nHfPbjP3efSKs9fmlCBqObgpl3dbd2kYPDQMoWlxQRcG8xdqBizJRt30MQ8TSo-osKRW9fnZx00jV/s400/EsmeOwl.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />A closer look at the tattooed owl shows how it was changed, but you can still see that there is still a lot from the original design:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgmSn_kHMAufot1p8F5ZC_4OsWgvoKH_m3FqSt-O_we7LWgjyn0oxS26vNh94FvcwaXaUGgiv0EYYDkb2LSBQMyb4apdTLEAdZyWVUs67h3cbOvAK7i4mV1Ky-IVtaOijphpEYe1m/s1600/Owl+Detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgmSn_kHMAufot1p8F5ZC_4OsWgvoKH_m3FqSt-O_we7LWgjyn0oxS26vNh94FvcwaXaUGgiv0EYYDkb2LSBQMyb4apdTLEAdZyWVUs67h3cbOvAK7i4mV1Ky-IVtaOijphpEYe1m/s640/Owl+Detail+wm.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br />The lighthouse was inspired by the <a href="http://www.portlandheadlight.com/home.html">Portland Head Light</a> on Cape Elizabeth, Maine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuX53lqW9jlrbz3D8QaouXhZ1joyqN6joHfLWcBNvd-mjfE-hAQvC3CXc_GYhVo0OpA-tG0Mm6npLTalDIH-RdoRKIvlCW9L_WBykMdJ9fOyhAqHH1E8oPiH_bqaOAlRVYWKboUKs/s1600/Lighthouse+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuX53lqW9jlrbz3D8QaouXhZ1joyqN6joHfLWcBNvd-mjfE-hAQvC3CXc_GYhVo0OpA-tG0Mm6npLTalDIH-RdoRKIvlCW9L_WBykMdJ9fOyhAqHH1E8oPiH_bqaOAlRVYWKboUKs/s640/Lighthouse+detail+wm.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><br />Thanks to Christina for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.

Christina's Owl and Lighthouse

I met Christina one day after work while walking outside of Madison Square Garden. She had this incredible tattoo, which she gladly shared w...

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Travis and Another Perspective of Ganesh

People who are familiar with being featured here on Tattoosday know that there is a process, in which I generally go chronologically, and it often can be several weeks before I post their work.<br /><br />But there are always exceptions.<br /><br />Take, for example, Travis, who I met on Monday near the corner of 32nd and 8th Avenue waiting for a bus.<br /><br />Under normal circumstances, you'd have seen Travis's tattoo in September but, the next day, I got the following mysterious tweet: "<span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">@<a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/Tattoosday" rel="nofollow">Tattoosday</a> post pictures of that guys tattoos- you were talking to him yesterday outside MSG plzz! *stalker*".</span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">What?</span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Well, a little bit of digging, and I discovered that the source of the message was Hannah, who appeared last month on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/07/sugar-skull-sunday-hannah-and-her.html">here</a>.</span></span></span> And since I'm a sucker for my fans, I'll gladly oblige and share Travis's tattoo with us here today. Here it is:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVSYAoNSMbX0IvI-x5kkrEUeh9PjKpgoUykauvJHrBnleAI3XmUDL2g1AGE-ljL_yrizfS1S8FdlJtC8uR_N89yMkJS05ZbCgSyiKl7Tg8EY8G22X_rGhyphenhyphenIFZogRDPH05nMAPAok3/s1600/Ganesh+Travis+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVSYAoNSMbX0IvI-x5kkrEUeh9PjKpgoUykauvJHrBnleAI3XmUDL2g1AGE-ljL_yrizfS1S8FdlJtC8uR_N89yMkJS05ZbCgSyiKl7Tg8EY8G22X_rGhyphenhyphenIFZogRDPH05nMAPAok3/s640/Ganesh+Travis+wm.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Travis's tattoo depicts the Hindu deity <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha">Ganesh</a>. However, unlike <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/06/ganesh-waits-for-a-train.html">this Ganesh tattoo</a>, this one has a twist.<br /><br />Travis explained that one of the common beliefs is that Ganesh was born with a human head, but that he was beheaded as a boy, and his head was replaced with that of an elephant. He obtained a third eye so that he could make sure he was never betrayed again.<br /><br />Travis says that he often feels "too aware" of others, to the point that it detracts from his enjoyment of life. Thus, his tattoo of Ganesh has him literally slicing off the third eye, wielding a sword with his trunk, which metaphorically translates to Travis "cooling out" and being less aware so that he can enjoy life more.<br /><br />The "F.I.A." on the banner stand for "Fuck It All".<br /><br />Travis has eight tattoos, which includes a full sleeve, all by artist <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/component/option,com_gallery2/Itemid,26/?g2_itemId=2142">Brad Stevens</a> at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> in New York City.<br /><br />Thanks to Travis for sharing this interesting interpretation of Ganesh with us here on Tattoosday!

Travis and Another Perspective of Ganesh

People who are familiar with being featured here on Tattoosday know that there is a process, in which I generally go chronologically, and it...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: Mark Nickels

Today's tattoo comes to us from the poet Mark Nickels:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOEIZ9RduTzjIZPGDl9dpV6PflIDgN4A0jNuh24Z1dbOFMokEm8B0rMJyWw7EDIxeShau3xDYtX7O_0XsKclJQET7V-SeoXsx7a9f-ZwDiFuXe2Qxy-7_n7gmRaNb0eEpkMf0n8VV/s1600/lighter+cropped.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455374280399601746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOEIZ9RduTzjIZPGDl9dpV6PflIDgN4A0jNuh24Z1dbOFMokEm8B0rMJyWw7EDIxeShau3xDYtX7O_0XsKclJQET7V-SeoXsx7a9f-ZwDiFuXe2Qxy-7_n7gmRaNb0eEpkMf0n8VV/s320/lighter+cropped.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 320px;" /></a><br />Mark explains:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"This tattoo dates from the end of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton">Clinton</a> era, I'm thinking 1997, 1998. It can't be true, but getting a tattoo feels like the last unmotivated thing I did. No regrets, I just can't remember exactly what it was all about. You forget about it and then glimpse it in your steamed bathroom mirror and think, Oh. Uh....freedom, or something like that...not so much the word as the feeling, sort of a lovely, aimless, Saturday morning feeling you don't recall having had lately."</blockquote> If I may interject, I love hearing things like this, because I often ask people about their tattoos, and they dismiss them, "Oh, well, it doesn't <span style="font-style: italic;">mean</span> anything," they often say, as if that somehow makes the tattoo less interesting. However, tattoos often <span style="font-style: italic;">symbolize </span>times, places, memories, or feelings, and Mark is able to capture that perfectly in his explanation of the tattoo.<br /><br />He continues:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">I was interested in medieval stuff at the time, especially medieval and Renaissance music, and found this griffin design in a book of </span><a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Dover</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> copyright-free medieval motifs. A very good artist at </span><a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Dare Devil Tattoo</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> drew it freehand for practice, referencing the book, then started on my arm and tattoo'd' it straight off. It hasn't faded much, as you can see. I remember I asked for red and yellow, outlined in black, and that's exactly what she gave me. </span><br /></blockquote>Mark Nickels lives in New York City. His book Cicada was published by <a href="http://www.rattapallax.com/">Rattapallax Press</a> in 2000. He has won the <a href="http://www.romeart.org/poetry.html">Milton Dorfman Prize </a>(1996), the Ann Stafford Prize from <a href="http://www.usc.edu/">USC</a> (2002) and been a finalist and semi-finalist at <a href="http://www.bigcitylit.com/may2002/contents/LyRResultsNames.html">Lyric Recovery Festival</a> (<a href="http://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Intro.aspx">Carnegie Hall</a>). He is a 2006 <a href="http://www.nyfa.org/">New York State Arts Foundation Fellow</a> in fiction, and two poems from his 2o00 collection were recently selected for inclusion in the on-line archive of the <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/">Poetry Foundation</a> (aka <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/index.html" style="font-style: italic;">Poetry</a>).<br /><br />Thanks to Mark for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! Please be sure to check out one of his poems (one that mentions a griffin, too!) <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2010/04/tattooed-poets-project-mark-nickels.html">here</a> on BillyBlog!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=1892494221" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Mark Nickels

Today's tattoo comes to us from the poet Mark Nickels: Mark explains: "This tattoo dates from the end of the Clinton era, I'm ...

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Lady Miscue of Delight

This was almost an orphan post, but I have enough to make it work.<br /><br />Last month, I boarded the 2 train, downtown, and was standing next to a young lady with a colorful fairy on her upper right arm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIb6cnEfTJPWJrz2wXP-sOVSVE_Q-nl5QHlQ-ZHiChF2hQCH-byTUoxt9PFybLceLPcHNLAs94f6pTar2QwzIB2JOEO8i_ld1xDGgtxi5n5MeMXI57hY7cIceinbRMSyRxxqsLQzq/s1600-h/Lady+Miscue.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389051319844792738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIb6cnEfTJPWJrz2wXP-sOVSVE_Q-nl5QHlQ-ZHiChF2hQCH-byTUoxt9PFybLceLPcHNLAs94f6pTar2QwzIB2JOEO8i_ld1xDGgtxi5n5MeMXI57hY7cIceinbRMSyRxxqsLQzq/s400/Lady+Miscue.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />The woman's name was Elura, and she had this done at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Daredevil Tattoo</a> in Manhattan. Other work from Daredevil has appeared on Tattoosday previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Dare%20Devil%20Tattoo">here</a>.<br /><br />Alas, the train was noisy, and Elura was getting off at 14th Street, one station away. I asked her what the fairy was about, and she said, "She's Lady Miscue of Delight".<br /><br />I scribbled that down and Elura said she would e-mail me with more detail. She never did and, try as I might, I couldn't figure out what looks like a fairy, and sounds like "Lady Miscue of Delight".<br /><br />So that is what I will call her, until I have been corrected.<br /><br />Regardless, thanks to Elura for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />UPDATE:<br /><br />Jeremy, below, in the comments, suggested that perhaps Elura meant, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Miss_Kier">Lady Miss Kier</a>, of the musical group <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deee-Lite">Deee-lite</a>:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ64zFWN1mDq24tUG2-TJN8pMyK042FQE7P-7or-KU0jbiTfbAHp_WHTF_d7IAN0Yhjn5Qfw3Vnjy95B_nbbKCQ7ukySSLGhJ5WZNQJK0i2boLGdCL-L4xiP6bBkmkQ2vMOgT4L-K6/s1600-h/lasy+miss+kier.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395376238034052034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ64zFWN1mDq24tUG2-TJN8pMyK042FQE7P-7or-KU0jbiTfbAHp_WHTF_d7IAN0Yhjn5Qfw3Vnjy95B_nbbKCQ7ukySSLGhJ5WZNQJK0i2boLGdCL-L4xiP6bBkmkQ2vMOgT4L-K6/s400/lasy+miss+kier.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><br />The photo indicates that may be correct. Thanks Jeremy!

Lady Miscue of Delight

This was almost an orphan post, but I have enough to make it work. Last month, I boarded the 2 train, downtown, and was standing next to a y...

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Fate Leads Me to Abundance

Sometimes Fate sends me to interesting tattoos.<br /><br />My commute home generally starts at the 34th Street subway station, on a Brooklyn-bound N Train.<br /><br />Sometimes, if the train is in the station when I come down the stairs, it is not clear if it's an N train or a Q train. Generally, if it doesn't matter completely, I hop on and sort it out later. Hesitation can cause me to miss the right train.<br /><br />So I jumped on the train before the doors closed and then realized I was on a Q. No biggie, it's still headed in the right direction, but I decided to disembark at the next stop and walk toward the back of the 14th Street platform and wait for an N.<br /><br />Halfway down the platform, as luck would have it, I ran into Sean and I had to stop and ask him<br />about this unusual tattoo on his inner left forearm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNzrDffe9MAftP3C1Llw4KZTY2un-yP3Aa3T_n-mcHWb3eIqMm2lY03xtP9Qo7wOSZbJgm5-69q-FVWoV_aJSPbK4BRQ6iz5nMOdHGtQfhyphenhyphenwTau4NEdBWNqCeg9OthW0F-JzkoQ3Kl9Y/s1600-h/Hexagram.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356026978634630498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNzrDffe9MAftP3C1Llw4KZTY2un-yP3Aa3T_n-mcHWb3eIqMm2lY03xtP9Qo7wOSZbJgm5-69q-FVWoV_aJSPbK4BRQ6iz5nMOdHGtQfhyphenhyphenwTau4NEdBWNqCeg9OthW0F-JzkoQ3Kl9Y/s400/Hexagram.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />This, it turns out, is from the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching"> <span style="font-style: italic;">I Ching</span></a>, a classic Chinese text which includes sixty-four hexagrams, each representing a description of a state, or process. The hexagram inked here is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching_hexagram_42#Hexagram_42">number 42</a>, which, as he understands it, represents Abundance and Unlimited Potential. It's literal translation is "Augmenting". There's another interpretation similar to Sean's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching_hexagram_42#Hexagram_42">here</a>.<br /><br />In another sense, the bars represent, in a pictographic sense, land, two mountains, and thunder and rain, which combine to mean fertility of the earth.<br /><br />Sean is very much into Asian tattoos and has a piece in progress on his right shoulder. He thought about this particular hexagram for about a year and a half before heading down to <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> to get it done. The artist, Chuck Donoghue, has since relocated to Atlanta, but often returns to Dare Devil.<br /><br />Work from Dare Devil has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Dare%20Devil%20Tattoo">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Sean for sharing his <span style="font-style: italic;">I Ching</span> hexagram tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Fate Leads Me to Abundance

Sometimes Fate sends me to interesting tattoos. My commute home generally starts at the 34th Street subway station, on a Brooklyn-bound N Tr...

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Landon's Sugar Skull

One of my favorite tattoos to feature here on Tattoosday are <a href="http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/">sugar skulls</a>. Clicking <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Sugar%20Skulls">here</a> (or on the tag at the bottom of the post) will display all of the sugar skulls featured on the site and, undoubtedly, demonstrate that, like snowflakes, no two sugar skull tattoos are the same.<br /><br />I met Landon last week on Broadway during the lunch hour. He has thirteen tattoos in all, and he offered up this piece, on the back side of his right biceps, to share:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINlBXghdJouV3gwgTxuKoTPpNAgUfblBd4ye6-y02ngN8LdWOhZeo6Ihxq_f-4uF-v59bLQo0h8N6Vm-RmnbQZcUW5JVSPPXYsAEiJ_9YZYDdNucSC4iys5glwc4rtj7oUepii20dDIU/s1600-h/Sugar+Skull+Jaimie+Ruth.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339512901825171282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINlBXghdJouV3gwgTxuKoTPpNAgUfblBd4ye6-y02ngN8LdWOhZeo6Ihxq_f-4uF-v59bLQo0h8N6Vm-RmnbQZcUW5JVSPPXYsAEiJ_9YZYDdNucSC4iys5glwc4rtj7oUepii20dDIU/s400/Sugar+Skull+Jaimie+Ruth.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />To Landon, there is no hidden meaning behind the tattoo, it is more decorative in its purpose.<br /><br />The tattoo artist responsible is <a href="http://www.jamieruth.com/">Jamie Ruth</a>, who inked this at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a>, but is moving to London, and has been guest tattooing here and there.<br /><br />Thanks to Landon for sharing his sugar skull with us here on Tattoosday!

Landon's Sugar Skull

One of my favorite tattoos to feature here on Tattoosday are sugar skulls . Clicking here (or on the tag at the bottom of the post) will di...

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An Interlude

<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/03/friday-13th-tattoosday-adventure.html">The previous post</a> featured our recent adventures at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> on Friday the 13th.<br /><br />I wrote specifically about my wife Melanie getting her lucky 13 tattoo on her birthday. People who know me and know Tattoosday were excited not just for her, but for me as well. They knew I'd be surrounded by tattoos, and that I would therefore be busy talking to people about Tattoosday, and collecting stories and photos that would last me through summer.<br /><br />Not quite.<br /><br />Certainly the cold weather helped (or hindered, depending on your perspective), but the concept behind Tattoosday has always been about the random spotting of tattoos on the streets of New York. The expression "shooting fish in a barrel" comes to mind. There is no "sport," if you will, in going to a tattoo shop, or convention, and collecting blogfodder.<br /><br />I could certainly do it, but the randomness and surprise element that one finds on the street are what really help propel the blog along.<br /><br />So, by the end of our Dare Devil adventure, I had material for the post on Melanie's tattoo, nothing more. I did pass my card to the two young ladies behind us with whom we had a mutual friend, but I did not request their participation, although I could have. I did not identify myself to shop employees as an ink- blogger, although I could have.<br /><br />Not to mention, it was Melanie's birthday, not mine. I was there for her, not me. No lucky 13 tattoo for me, although I would have loved one.<br /><br />I was rewarded later in the day by two other tattoo encounters, which I did document, and which will appear in the days to come. I am hoping to receive emails from the participants to fill in the blanks that time and necessity left incomplete.<br /><br />So, stay tuned.<br /><br />Thanks for visiting.

An Interlude

The previous post featured our recent adventures at Dare Devil Tattoo on Friday the 13th. I wrote specifically about my wife Melanie getti...

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Friday the 13th: A Tattoosday Adventure

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19cEy7tskL5y67WFof9Pi1WwFgYW7wZiLN0U9fJDWjbf2qlB3jy_JwuGJsRzQyZ0Pb6FBP9tBDbF2WzU-zvAGPKaqtJLxxsABnjF5pQRe2ULJNn3ZG9OHGeoSmV4ddzXwarEuXiGeOR8b/s1600-h/scan0001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313156580875395634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19cEy7tskL5y67WFof9Pi1WwFgYW7wZiLN0U9fJDWjbf2qlB3jy_JwuGJsRzQyZ0Pb6FBP9tBDbF2WzU-zvAGPKaqtJLxxsABnjF5pQRe2ULJNn3ZG9OHGeoSmV4ddzXwarEuXiGeOR8b/s400/scan0001.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 217px;" /></a><br />Today has finally arrived. A much-anticipated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th">Friday the 13th</a>. My wife, Melanie's, birthday. She was born on a Friday the 13th, so whenever it falls in March (the last one was in 1998, the next one is in 2015), it's always an event.<br /><br />This Friday the 13th, I've taken the day off and plan on spending a large chunk of it with Melanie, waiting in line for what has become a New York City tradition: a lucky 13 tattoo courtesy of the good folks at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a>. Located on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Street">Ludlow Street</a> on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_East_Side,_Manhattan">Lower East Side</a>, Dare Devil delivers $13 tattoos every Friday the 13th. They draw up some flash beforehand, and the clients get to choose from a selection of 13-themed, or Dare Devil-specific tattoos. As you'd imagine, they see a ton of customers, so we plan on arriving early to secure a spot.<br /><br />10:30 AM - We hit the Manhattan Bridge, much later than we had hoped. We'd planned on a 10AM arrival. We're now anticipating a lengthy line.<br /><br />10:45 AM - We've arrived. Maybe two dozen people ahead of us. The two young women who line up behind us point to a wall twenty feet away and said last month (a rare back-to-back Friday the 13th phenomenon), they lined up there and waited four hours. Best estimate at this point is to be done by 3 PM.<br /><br />11:05 AM - A guy with a dog announces to the crowd, "We have a minor issue!" The group of two dozen people tenses up. They need us to line up North-South on Ludlow, as opposed to South-North. Apparently the neighboring store owner doesn't like her entrance blocked. Not a big deal. We all move, collectively exhaling. We do note that it is considerably colder out from under the scaffolding to the north. We are 21st and 22nd in line. There are 5 people behind us.<br /><br />12:30 PM - They finally let in the first 10 people. The temperature has been struggling to get above freezing, and this has affected a little bit of the crowd's morale. However, we are given a reprieve. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nypd">NYPD</a> has received complaints about the 50+ people on the sidewalk, so a very nice Dare Devil employee named Rebecca takes our cell# and will call us, in about an hour to an hour and a half, by their estimate.<br /><br />1:15 PM - We are sitting in a warm cafe on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_B">Avenue B</a>. Caffeinating and restrooming. Heading back shortly.<br /><br />2:00 PM - We are waiting across the street from the shop. Still no call....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfM8USV4yib2Iq2GbUBVtM7T3osUhSBx1ATSN_SE1mC1Gv0vW4GXjFX2Qz_lKkttUM3mn-FwRl5D4YIWiwuT4XOBteah9aFIOZ7847HslJ5EJk01qeiYcC9sjG51tNk02DwEzKmVN5XUil/s1600-h/PICT1631.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313013314618729570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfM8USV4yib2Iq2GbUBVtM7T3osUhSBx1ATSN_SE1mC1Gv0vW4GXjFX2Qz_lKkttUM3mn-FwRl5D4YIWiwuT4XOBteah9aFIOZ7847HslJ5EJk01qeiYcC9sjG51tNk02DwEzKmVN5XUil/s400/PICT1631.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />2:15 PM - Peering in the window, we get our first look at the flash chosen for today's event.<br /><br />And then, we enter the shop and things move quickly. Melanie fills out the requisite paperwork, we fork over a $20 bill ($13 for the tattoo, $7 for tip) and Rebecca asks Melanie which design she wants:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1wu5xAWvhEzgLgVIoh1P24jvKe9eB90_HiFxWmH9Ls8xWwYHjzLl6RKhU8z4E1lQPhCcUAp51xLNFCl4sYBvxCPiXWPt-VNAHoiAkZewV18X2M6zVki0_3wDsqYxXVhePSgq-PWG_pB-/s1600-h/PICT1632.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313012809390285090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1wu5xAWvhEzgLgVIoh1P24jvKe9eB90_HiFxWmH9Ls8xWwYHjzLl6RKhU8z4E1lQPhCcUAp51xLNFCl4sYBvxCPiXWPt-VNAHoiAkZewV18X2M6zVki0_3wDsqYxXVhePSgq-PWG_pB-/s400/PICT1632.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Understandably, she chooses a small "13". She would have gone for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankees">Yankees</a> logo, but there was no "13" in it. And wasn't that the point? Not to mention #13 is the jersey number of a much-maligned Yankee named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Rodriguez">Alex Rodriguez</a>. She would have picked the cherry blossom flash, but the absence of the lucky digits was a deal-killer.<br /><br />She didn't want any of the devils, and the various phallus and other crude designs are inappropriate.<br /><br />We chatted with the young ladies from earlier in the day and discovered we had a mutual acquaintance, who they knew from school (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_Institute">Pratt</a>).<br /><br />And then Melanie was up. There was a brief debate about where the tattoo would go, in the middle of the back, or on the wrist. It is small enough that it can pass unnoticed on the wrist, or be covered by a bracelet or watch, should it be appropriate to do so. The wrist it is.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3euyn0FRRNAuBfmlKp4QSZd27VQYFxzW5pTcD1zXiaj_QBnet6tjlsPZY8co4T1Vv87qVgRMgmXkGqjLXAJJepm-Al0eJ_SMFtiYg-Rnp5hT5fZgYpJVOQy_AB0poRMUFcfHFenOv1eB/s1600-h/PICT1633.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313012390020710866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3euyn0FRRNAuBfmlKp4QSZd27VQYFxzW5pTcD1zXiaj_QBnet6tjlsPZY8co4T1Vv87qVgRMgmXkGqjLXAJJepm-Al0eJ_SMFtiYg-Rnp5hT5fZgYpJVOQy_AB0poRMUFcfHFenOv1eB/s400/PICT1633.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXatnHh1L7VMaqhO5t6nw2NVMhT79HyPqicb0oNz4KIUM8ko0YrXMKKoXEzIeZILdRdvcLHhNquwICxKl9u_sdggrNGU-nsnaR5Pi2TD_V0Irf2HzcspNxKIsPNfZrrgXWSZIsn7tUWwFg/s1600-h/scan0002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313156515545511602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXatnHh1L7VMaqhO5t6nw2NVMhT79HyPqicb0oNz4KIUM8ko0YrXMKKoXEzIeZILdRdvcLHhNquwICxKl9u_sdggrNGU-nsnaR5Pi2TD_V0Irf2HzcspNxKIsPNfZrrgXWSZIsn7tUWwFg/s400/scan0002.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://jasonjune.com/Site/Jason_June-Enter.html">Jason June</a>, the artist, jokes with us, as he tattoos the digits in under a minute. This certainly evens out the average tattoo time for the day, and makes it a quick pay-off for a long wait. The final product is a cute little "13" on the inside of her left wrist:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeGOH4Zh9ESyggfku3M-KpboEBksXONy96KTPtDspQD40NW5DIaKA9VnPPEocQ6J5hwXbrwtKLiCF98Z9KuX7zI8ISS5s8lDypeyscBildyYpuv5XqdXTvgOX7tyeBvP_l6s6bLfp25WR/s1600-h/PICT1634.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313012021808116194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeGOH4Zh9ESyggfku3M-KpboEBksXONy96KTPtDspQD40NW5DIaKA9VnPPEocQ6J5hwXbrwtKLiCF98Z9KuX7zI8ISS5s8lDypeyscBildyYpuv5XqdXTvgOX7tyeBvP_l6s6bLfp25WR/s400/PICT1634.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />We walk back up to the front of the store, Rebecca asking Melanie how it went. Smiles all around. We put on our coats. Melanie asks me what time it is. I look at my BlackBerry and say "3:13".<br /><br />I kid you not.<br /><br />The stars have aligned and the sun is shining brightly outside. A perfect coda to a New York City tattoo adventure.

Friday the 13th: A Tattoosday Adventure

Today has finally arrived. A much-anticipated Friday the 13th . My wife, Melanie's, birthday. She was born on a Friday the 13th, so when...

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Renee's Expression of Hope and Joy In Ink: The Presidential Tattoo

Before I proceed with this tattoo, let me plaster a disclaimer on the wall. Although my politics are hardly a secret to people I know, I do my darnedest to keep them out of my blogs. People are passionate about politics, and I have seen rifts in friendships and other relationships turn into chasms of anger and resentment over a difference in politics.<br /><br />By posting the following, I am neither endorsing nor espousing any cultural, political or religious views. The views expressed are those of the owner of this tattoo. I have made small edits to the statement that Renee sent along with her photos, but it remains, for the most part, in tact. My edits are marked by ellipsis (...). This photo and description represent a landmark moment in United States history. So without further ado, let the bars of "Hail to the Tattoo" begin.<br /><br />Renee from Brooklyn e-mailed me this very new tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQiifW1ROLJMyvdM_D_68-F3RztNRCoAnVF_YzxYZeUChoifHwwTGCO5t_djnPMo4ojxBiqaAKy6MbjaZNttl1rVqCBoEtj3JyNCpB7cA8AzUe3csm7VMhSPiKsQFmbh4fztNEi6ekJ_Y/s1600-h/Obama+Tattoo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296687267361128674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQiifW1ROLJMyvdM_D_68-F3RztNRCoAnVF_YzxYZeUChoifHwwTGCO5t_djnPMo4ojxBiqaAKy6MbjaZNttl1rVqCBoEtj3JyNCpB7cA8AzUe3csm7VMhSPiKsQFmbh4fztNEi6ekJ_Y/s400/Obama+Tattoo.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />It was inked by <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/component/option,com_gallery2/Itemid,26/?g2_itemId=702">Big Steve</a> at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Daredevil Tattoo</a> in Manhattan.<br /><br />Renee offers a lengthy explanation:<br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></span></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Why an Obama Tattoo?</span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><blockquote>"You don't even know if he will be a good President." "Why would you put a politician's name and face on your body?" "You are going to hell for all those tattoos." "Renee, have u lost your mind?" "Are u f*cking serious?" "Woooooow!" "This is on ULTRA!" "That is a bit much!" "That is HOT!" "Are you insane?" "OMG!" "Good shit!" "That's very nice!" "You're a dumb ass!" "How utterly stupid!" "I love you; U rock!"</blockquote></span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Those are just some of the comments I read and heard. Some from closest friends; others from total strangers, but most were typical responses. I didn't expect a warm welcome to the idea. Yet, I am not second-guessing my decision because one of the precious gifts we have is freedom of choice. Additionally, it's a permanent tattoo so I better grill it up and eat it because it's here until death do us part.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">However, I ... did not get this tattoo as a dare, as some proclaimed; or as a way to get press coverage for personal gain. Yet, I am thankful for that which I received because all publicity, whether negative or positive, is good publicity and keeps your name in the mix. I dig being in the mix; always have.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Unlike many people, I do exactly what I want to do. There are two kinds of people in this world; those who talk the talk and those who demonstrate the talk. Blame my mother, as this burning desire to walk to the beat of my own drum no matter how extreme to some, stems from her blood which runs free within me. Shout out to my mother (who doesn't have any tattoos, in case you are wondering).<br /><br /></span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">For the last ten years, I have demonstrated the talk. Moved to New York as I said I would do at age 12, mingled with celebrities, did some broadcast and touched people with thought-provoking topics; wrote articles that changed perceptions and sparked controversy; been in love and failed with great stories to tell; had my name in magazines and even remain a staple on Internet search engines; been on television (Hey Amanda Lewis); was homeless, but flew out of it like a bat out of hell; held down some decent jobs and even got a better job during a...recession...performed twice in Time Square; had lunch with Secretary of State elect, Hillary Rodham Clinton; modeled when people laughed and said I was too short, too tatted; too fat, too boyish, too awkward; can’t walk in heels; too over the top; and this is only a fraction of the accomplishments.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Be it right or wrong, I've seized the moment to aspire to great heights despite the whispers from those who thought they knew what was best for me. If I lived my life based on their theories of what is just and unjust, how would I be able to call myself an individual? Along with that I am passionate on a lot of things; one of which is the state of our country.</span></span></span></div><br /><div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">...I have eight tattoos, with the President Obama caricature tribute being the ninth. I made the decision to get this tattoo a while ago but never acted on it. I toyed with the idea in my head and dismissed it as something I wouldn't do. When the inauguration came, I got that feeling again. The same feeling I got when Obama won the democratic nomination. The same feeling I got when Obama won the presidential election. It was a feeling of VICTORY!<br /><br /></span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">President Obama didn't win alone; WE WON! We, being our ancestors who endured the brunt of slavery; our youth who have witnessed what was once said to be impossible; people everywhere of all shades of pigmentation who believed in the dream of equality and democracy; Rosa Parks who sat down and refused to comply; the joy in my grandmother's voice; and the gleam in the eyes of many. Now that I think of it, I can't remember a time I have been so in awe, so proud to stand up and support a movement; because President Barack Obama is a movement. Whether you acknowledge it or not, it is evident. </span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />From the chants of "Obama" all across Washington, D.C. to they dirt roads of Kenya, people believed! I believe! We believe! And though my mother, father, and sister attended the inauguration, as I watched on a television at my job in New York, my feet stuck in one place, mouth open in amazement; I've never seen anything so beautiful and powerful. Something gripped my soul and hollered, "YES WE DID!"</span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />When we got up...to cast our ballots on Election Day, you could feel the power then. It was in some ways indescribable. I felt like I was voting for family. The interactions with President Obama and his family; Michelle's glow of intelligence and nurturing to her children; the innocence and curiosity of Sasha and Malia...</span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />I was moved; simple and plain. I remained moved and encouraged. Others would agree with me but still say, "Did you really have to get a tattoo?" Yes! Every tattoo I've gotten has meaning and a greater significance. Some people express themselves through conversation, the arts, clothing, etc. I chose to document history by inking it on my arm as a constant reminder that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Of course I knew this before President Obama was elected but his perseverance and the drive of the American people made it full circle for me. When I think back to my childhood and an incident that occurred in Florida, when my aunt and I went fishing, I know the dream has been fulfilled. </span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We were traveling to the 7 mile bridge that leads to Key West to go fishing. We stopped at a small convenience store because we both needed to go to the bathroom. As a Caucasian man left the single stall bathroom he carried a key and handed it to the older Caucasian woman behind the counter. When my aunt asked to retrieve the key so we could use the restroom, she informed her that they didn’t have a bathroom. When my aunt pointed to where the sign read, "rest room,” the lady then said it was out of order. But we just saw a man leave from it who even said "thank you" upon exiting the store. This was the first time in my life I felt so insecure about my skin color. I never want ANYONE to feel that way. I never want to feel as though I would be denied anything because I am a brown. This happened in 1992, which isn’t that far back, so it shows us that some people still hold on to those discriminatory practices. </span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Will the world be changed overnight because Obama is in office? No. Will racism end based on his win? No. Will we still endure hardships? Absolutely. Yet, we have made SIGNIFICANT progress thus far, which only lets me know we are able to make so much more. President Obama didn't start the movement; he answered the call of the movement. He answered the call of the dream so that the children I will have someday will really be able to say, "I want to be president," and no one will see it as far-fetched. We are a million steps closer. </span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />He is the first politician who said things I actually felt in my soul. This isn’t some cult or impulsive craze; this is HISTORY. If it’s not something you would do, I understand but in the words of Jay-Z, “Can’t Knock the Hustle.” President Obama is MOTIVATION! And if I am a fool for believing in someone who acknowledges we need change in our schools, economy, government, lifestyles, and so much more but has the power to work for that, than so be it. I'm guilty, standing tall, standing proud, boldly drenched in ink for our 44^th President of the United States. </span></span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:11;"> </span></span></div> <div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Sho Nuff! </span></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size:11;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></span></div>I want to thank Renee for considering sending her tattoo photo and accompanying statement to us here at Tattoosday. Regardless of one's politics, it is difficult to convincingly argue that the election of Barack Obama was not an historic moment. I was happy to share Renee's joy here on Tattoosday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKjmQmiK4bCZgw6MTXBBumEryMbTLvErbLaUFXvEQTftPJnqwDmTf6Gm8eweMiAgyGIVDmvU8YGT1FMgH2ampTHcTpGyGA-XaFsdarUevtStU8rQJ0Wct9Fc-ZksUvTpn28vQ8PgDv3Mz/s1600-h/yeswedid.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296687114577540002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKjmQmiK4bCZgw6MTXBBumEryMbTLvErbLaUFXvEQTftPJnqwDmTf6Gm8eweMiAgyGIVDmvU8YGT1FMgH2ampTHcTpGyGA-XaFsdarUevtStU8rQJ0Wct9Fc-ZksUvTpn28vQ8PgDv3Mz/s400/yeswedid.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 400px;" /></a>

Renee's Expression of Hope and Joy In Ink: The Presidential Tattoo

Before I proceed with this tattoo, let me plaster a disclaimer on the wall. Although my politics are hardly a secret to people I know, I do ...

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Atom Strange

On the way to work Thursday morning, I was passing through the <a href="http://www.manhattanmallny.com/">Manhattan Mall</a> from the subway whe I spotted a guy reading a paper at one of the tables on the bottom floor. This was peeking out from the bottom of his right sleeve of his t-shirt:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioV2mKXp3nPxyP8TQsgkNWGsb2AE8E4m1p0s1141NZW4glFaHCiuvIZbWkxKyowEvwOqA_0_Sfoocq4XikwtCLn81YgXeGG032bNOoryQpBf1bDe0ASa0WKG5chGrd5uJuql_ZP64NRl3N/s1600-h/atom3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122893057683561602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioV2mKXp3nPxyP8TQsgkNWGsb2AE8E4m1p0s1141NZW4glFaHCiuvIZbWkxKyowEvwOqA_0_Sfoocq4XikwtCLn81YgXeGG032bNOoryQpBf1bDe0ASa0WKG5chGrd5uJuql_ZP64NRl3N/s400/atom3.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I walked up (after dodging a few commuters passing through the mall) and asked him if I could talk to him about his tattoo. He gestured to the empty chair opposite him and started chatting.<br />His name is Alex.<br /><br />At this point, I had only really seen the bottom of what was a half-sleeve. The stars and black lightning blots were compelling enough to get me to stop. Then he pulled his sleeve up to his shoulder to reveal the whole of the piece:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bZrtKek1Gg6oy678n23vPZypmaVkHj3V7vONgapgn9Q2rLnyEFwkVqkYKdtS1nUiPYGuIVplvLeCgRZXfQgqAemDdGJmgfmcN8xpvEtx3ZxhCAMS4fIs2c218ZSQZJCPxMDDI9kdXdlr/s1600-h/100_5592.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122892293179382882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bZrtKek1Gg6oy678n23vPZypmaVkHj3V7vONgapgn9Q2rLnyEFwkVqkYKdtS1nUiPYGuIVplvLeCgRZXfQgqAemDdGJmgfmcN8xpvEtx3ZxhCAMS4fIs2c218ZSQZJCPxMDDI9kdXdlr/s400/100_5592.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>The majority of the piece was done by Scott, who used to work at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/#">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> on Ludlow Street. The bolts were inked in later at <a href="http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7098974/new_york_ny/venus_modern_body_arts.html">Venus Modern Body Arts</a> on East 4th.<br /><br />When I asked Alex what inspired this work, he said that he is a big science fiction fan, from <a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne">Jules Verne</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells">H.G. Wells</a> to more modern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction">"hard" sci fi</a> which has a deeper connection to hard scientific fact. I discussed my own appreciation of <a href="http://www.philipkdick.com/">Philip K. Dick</a> and talked about how, if you read too much of his work, you start to feel the author's reknowned paranoia, and it begins to affect the way one thinks. Here's a closer look at the piece:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ01qzSwsMQW3sRQJmqfH_Wy5WU2WPc1q5W-koVbxS64tO4HobLLIeITDW280l9kB23hpQ1Y7kKgy4CzNd1B6LcrPN2fB4eaAzMDLjFbx-t0jM57xRVZsk2g-zVu-6cyAuk6lemK-MZjOS/s1600-h/atom2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122892619596897394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ01qzSwsMQW3sRQJmqfH_Wy5WU2WPc1q5W-koVbxS64tO4HobLLIeITDW280l9kB23hpQ1Y7kKgy4CzNd1B6LcrPN2fB4eaAzMDLjFbx-t0jM57xRVZsk2g-zVu-6cyAuk6lemK-MZjOS/s400/atom2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>I asked him about any other tattoos. He briefly flashed one on his upper left shoulder that he got when he was younger. He indicated that he was thinking of having it removed/covering it up and incorporating it into a themed piece spanning his back and connecting to the other sleeve.<br /><br />He did have this tattoo on his inner forearm:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFKLWhU_Kk5pa17bm3iKxRRvuNzbDTKzizJDO52KvCSL9HS28BZibWMsndAdscBqHIOhriSOodHSKhDg66vTMXIOpA-WUPWSbaZasNKE7Uwl5ts1WTIteas-a81gVBRWYKNOTaBrHOf1u/s1600-h/100_5593.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122892125675658322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFKLWhU_Kk5pa17bm3iKxRRvuNzbDTKzizJDO52KvCSL9HS28BZibWMsndAdscBqHIOhriSOodHSKhDg66vTMXIOpA-WUPWSbaZasNKE7Uwl5ts1WTIteas-a81gVBRWYKNOTaBrHOf1u/s400/100_5593.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I assumed it to fit in with the sci fi theme, but he also indicated it referred to his band. Oh? What band?<br /><br />He is in a band called <a href="http://www.atomstrange.com/">Atom Strange</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtZDLnHNvdNnsq8cs3OAjb74qZ4-SoUmtnPeinf9UI_rYqx_xe2y9lWlrm31sG_HfkvP1_9-0Uw_wPrTUmSpilf2MVwgsIfdbql8k-7FvDGTvKjKMg9BiyAleJMrk6v95vze19CGYFptY/s1600-h/SurferBand.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123059745364319586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtZDLnHNvdNnsq8cs3OAjb74qZ4-SoUmtnPeinf9UI_rYqx_xe2y9lWlrm31sG_HfkvP1_9-0Uw_wPrTUmSpilf2MVwgsIfdbql8k-7FvDGTvKjKMg9BiyAleJMrk6v95vze19CGYFptY/s400/SurferBand.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>He's the guy on the far left. I later learned he was the guitarist.<br /><br />"What kinds of music do you like?" Alex asked.<br /><br />I told him I liked pretty much everything that I used to say I liked everything but country, but then I discovered <a href="http://www.lucindawilliams.com/">Lucinda Williams</a>. He nodded in agreement. "Lucinda Williams is great," he added.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5LllrkfIn3j5vuMBusw7VDnqnQNt9veVRWIYNXGnu8D_wQd5qMGWcdPi72T-4gSH8Gf-Gt66fMJGGcsoxvaScWekXxHpk9sU3I0lxFmI0oMOzlQ_V-cb3s_1k3MVruluePA4HJcILyTQ/s1600-h/atom.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123060681667190130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5LllrkfIn3j5vuMBusw7VDnqnQNt9veVRWIYNXGnu8D_wQd5qMGWcdPi72T-4gSH8Gf-Gt66fMJGGcsoxvaScWekXxHpk9sU3I0lxFmI0oMOzlQ_V-cb3s_1k3MVruluePA4HJcILyTQ/s400/atom.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />He reached into a bag and handed me Atom Strange's CD. The theme matched his tattoo. You can order the CD <a href="http://www.atomstrange.com/">here</a>. I''ll be reviewing it in the near future over on <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/">BillyBlog</a>.<br /><br />Here's a shot, not taken by me, in which you can see Alex and his tattoos in action:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BitogksWn8bVKmoaBWGvSs7P0LoKVsOghv4-PO4wb5lDfiei6pNQws0g_1lFK-UydOdJd7NMyiNUqUqg5uJsBq47g8i2t7fRMT5jt_mzNV4iJswucA63kuka3yxySEEGMxTYY-p1BKDp/s1600-h/normal_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123058980860140882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BitogksWn8bVKmoaBWGvSs7P0LoKVsOghv4-PO4wb5lDfiei6pNQws0g_1lFK-UydOdJd7NMyiNUqUqg5uJsBq47g8i2t7fRMT5jt_mzNV4iJswucA63kuka3yxySEEGMxTYY-p1BKDp/s400/normal_1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I have listened to the CD once through and I like it, but will give it some more attention before writing about it in detail. Alex said that some people compare them to early <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20onblur=%22try%20%7Bparent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully%28%29;%7D%20catch%28e%29%20%7B%7D%22%20href=%22https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BitogksWn8bVKmoaBWGvSs7P0LoKVsOghv4-PO4wb5lDfiei6pNQws0g_1lFK-UydOdJd7NMyiNUqUqg5uJsBq47g8i2t7fRMT5jt_mzNV4iJswucA63kuka3yxySEEGMxTYY-p1BKDp/s1600-h/normal_1.jpg%22%3E%3Cimg%20style=%22margin:%200px%20auto%2010px;%20display:%20block;%20text-align:%20center;%20cursor:%20pointer;%22%20src=%22https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BitogksWn8bVKmoaBWGvSs7P0LoKVsOghv4-PO4wb5lDfiei6pNQws0g_1lFK-UydOdJd7NMyiNUqUqg5uJsBq47g8i2t7fRMT5jt_mzNV4iJswucA63kuka3yxySEEGMxTYY-p1BKDp/s400/normal_1.jpg%22%20alt=%22%22%20id=%22BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123058980860140882%22%20border=%220%22%20/%3E%3C/a%3E">Stone Temple Pilots</a>. I certainly see (and hear) why.<br /><br />Anyway, thanks much to Alex for letting me interrupt his breakfast and paper on Thursday morning.<br /><br />You can hear samples and see the band profile on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/rofile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=5518635">their MySpace page</a>.<br /><br />I reviewed the CD over on BillyBlog <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2007/10/atom-strange-rocks.html">here</a>.

Atom Strange

On the way to work Thursday morning, I was passing through the Manhattan Mall from the subway whe I spotted a guy reading a paper at one of...

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