Thanksgiving Re-Post: A Holiday Tattoo from 2010

Every year at Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things, with my lovely wife and two amazing daughters at the top of the list. My new job cracks the top five this year, although it might appear as though my intense love of this blog is suffering as a result. As I've said before, you, the readers out there in the world, are also people for whom I am thankful. <i>Mahalo</i>, as they say in my childhood home, for visiting often.<br /><br />Posts have been few and far between, I realize, this fall. Nonetheless, I wanted to celebrate the holiday with this post from Thanksgiving 2010, slightly edited, which appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/11/happy-thanksgiving.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!<br /><br /><i>In honor of the holiday, I am sharing this, my newest tattoo, located above my knee on my right thigh:</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBomfF9pc8Ne37Pclb3x7gjl_YQlZXOpqz8RN4R2boegGA44pluZa2dE5bxPY2zJdwLSnwi_CFY2s_h2Sb-eXUaYIRXRvfQR3EEXzUzmnFSi7OzCz9CJFetZj-anrn79YLPl_dpVBc0Q/s1600/Thanks+tattoo+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBomfF9pc8Ne37Pclb3x7gjl_YQlZXOpqz8RN4R2boegGA44pluZa2dE5bxPY2zJdwLSnwi_CFY2s_h2Sb-eXUaYIRXRvfQR3EEXzUzmnFSi7OzCz9CJFetZj-anrn79YLPl_dpVBc0Q/s640/Thanks+tattoo+wm.jpg" width="640" /></a><i></i></div><i><br /></i><br /><i>This was done at <a href="http://www.handofglorytattoo.com/">Hand of Glory</a> in Brooklyn yesterday as part of the shop's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#%21/event.php?eid=171304776221493">$75 Thanksgiving Tattoo Special</a> ... </i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dNydf3UaugIQnHqUejKhOZCZXjeuHZpzRHywX18N_86tk6EXBUiH50XC0KWVIfnEK-ae8iBZo7UBNZ1UW8jvpvqWn9GSXoIm3vOduPzgvCDGVw8ziA1kI_fZkd1qI0rnFty3MBWUv-E/s1600/Troll_Skin_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></i></div><i></i><br /><i>For those of you just tuning in, check the pre-post <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/11/great-thanksgiving-tattoo-event.html">here</a>, which includes all the Thanksgiving flash designed for the occasion. I asked readers to vote on which tattoo to get, and this one sneaked out a narrow victory over the traditional Native American profile.</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>I like this design because it combines a lot of traditional tattoo elements and delivers an image with a sociopolitical subtext. We have the traditional American flag and handshake designs, but the added element of crossed fingers serves as a reminder that, despite apparent good intentions, there was subsequently a historical betrayal of that initial good will.</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>But that's just one perspective, of course, and the Thanksgiving holiday focuses on the positive in our society. The mere existence of the tattoo reminds me to be thankful, which I alluded to in my original post.</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>I was fortunate enough to have <a href="http://www.handofglorytattoo.com/pages/brian.html">BJ</a> as my artist again. He had inked <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/08/tattoosdays-trip-to-hand-of-glory.html">my Friday the 13th tattoo</a> last August, and I appreciate that he works quickly and concisely.</i><br /><i><br /></i><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;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftcrY9VFTZD4DcvA4EmLCGsI61VwFvY9M7slQBq5IYmGlPYS2MFDjs2796IeBBcMjqW8M02JzsGVr9wNTpHeB8pSyCQco02Uhvbp0HY5jiY0_mk9PPPvq6071gIlMkVhU9IHNYdH64VI/s1600/Brian+Faulk+At+Work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftcrY9VFTZD4DcvA4EmLCGsI61VwFvY9M7slQBq5IYmGlPYS2MFDjs2796IeBBcMjqW8M02JzsGVr9wNTpHeB8pSyCQco02Uhvbp0HY5jiY0_mk9PPPvq6071gIlMkVhU9IHNYdH64VI/s400/Brian+Faulk+At+Work.jpg" width="386" /></a></i></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>BJ at Work</i></td></tr></tbody></table><i>It was nice, also, that this design was one of his contributions to the flash sheet, as he was kind enough to embellish slightly on the original design, and it always seems better when an artist is tattooing his or her own design. As for the idea behind it, he was trying to represent graphically a broken treaty. I'm extremely pleased with the end result.</i><br /><i>...</i><br /><br /><i>I want to thank all of the readers who voted for designs, and for everyone who reads and supports the site.</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>And thanks again to ... BJ at Hand of Glory, and to my family, at home in Brooklyn and across the U.S., for their support</i><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2013, 2011, 2010 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 can contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

Thanksgiving Re-Post: A Holiday Tattoo from 2010

Every year at Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things, with my lovely wife and two amazing daughters at the top of the list. My new job ...

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Reposting Mike's Marine in Honor of Memorial Day

<i>The following post is from four years ago, and was shared then to commemorate Memorial Day. It seems appropriate to revisit it again:</i><br /><br />It only seemed fitting that, on this Memorial Day, we feature a tattoo that honors our men and women in uniform.<br /><br />A week ago, I was fresh off of my experience at the <a href="http://www.nyctattooconvention.com/">New York City Tattoo Convention</a>, and everything I saw on the street was uninteresting. Until I passed by Mike and did a double-take.<br /><br />This is the tattoo on Mike's inner right forearm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdohFyCzMhTfu7Czpdyklqi2wHLJAFMdtBVzJN7ORBDCZYGUe4z0HOiQ7-8W6IuaBBBUFVKRQYggcKqKrymxuJpzf2TTcPXE0x_F0d9nPX1K67GhOdhnDyOkxifl0tgiHDpjWYRqw_4BY/s1600-h/marine.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339372132223045362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdohFyCzMhTfu7Czpdyklqi2wHLJAFMdtBVzJN7ORBDCZYGUe4z0HOiQ7-8W6IuaBBBUFVKRQYggcKqKrymxuJpzf2TTcPXE0x_F0d9nPX1K67GhOdhnDyOkxifl0tgiHDpjWYRqw_4BY/s640/marine.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="315" /></a><br />Mike explained that, as a <a href="http://www.marines.com/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=G_09_MARINES">United States Marine</a>, he was choosing to honor the corps by building a sleeve of iconic military photographs.<br /><br />If you think this is an impressive tattoo (which it is), seeing the source material further magnifies how phenomenal a replica the artist has created on Mike's flesh:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6lxVpJIaN4RMf3_Og6WVt5rFiMGlw9zfbbLxsAFog2QVD5fktJPblS72y64qC-9KrjUQK5ZET0muSa3Tjzy_0kA6CJFgNgvpQEL5ZSWpVLxlaXuSLXg5KaHakDWL3-fYJ4RjCFRvNvc/s1600-h/korean67.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339374300620639538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6lxVpJIaN4RMf3_Og6WVt5rFiMGlw9zfbbLxsAFog2QVD5fktJPblS72y64qC-9KrjUQK5ZET0muSa3Tjzy_0kA6CJFgNgvpQEL5ZSWpVLxlaXuSLXg5KaHakDWL3-fYJ4RjCFRvNvc/s400/korean67.gif" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 319px;" /></a><br />A page on About.com explains this image further:<br /><blockquote>"While units of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command made an all-out effort to aid embattled units of the First Marine Division and Seventh Infantry Division, the men fighting in Korea were trying desperately to link up in their battle for survival. This marine is shown just as he reached the crest of the ridge at the link-up point. Wet, stinging snow and ice made the operation the most difficult sort, as unleashed hordes of communist troops charge again and again into the United Nations forces. (circa December 1950) "</blockquote>In addition to this tattoo, Mike has a Vietnam-era photo of a Marine sniper inked on his right biceps.<br /><br />This astonishing tattoo was created by <a href="http://randyprause.com/home.html">Randy Prause</a> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/PERMANENTBUZZ-TATTOO/315640083375?fref=ts">Permanent Buzz Tattoo</a>, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denville,_New_Jersey">Denville, New Jersey</a>.<br /><br />A hearty thanks to Mike for sharing this tattoo with us here on Memorial Day. More importantly, Tattoosday expresses even more gratitude to Mike and all his fellow soldiers and who have so bravely served our country to ensure the freedoms we enjoy each day.<br /><br />Have a safe and pleasant Memorial Day!<br /><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is © 2009, 2013 Tattoosday.</span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-388b3fbd-e625-36d8-7f49-e6875445ac57"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; 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></div>

Reposting Mike's Marine in Honor of Memorial Day

The following post is from four years ago, and was shared then to commemorate Memorial Day. It seems appropriate to revisit it again: It onl...

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Re-Post: A Piece of Tattoosday Pi

<i>The <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/10/joes-piece-of.html">following post</a> appeared in October 2009, and I've been meaning to re-post it, but I always forget. This year, on 3/14, I remembered while it was still "Pi Day":</i><br /><br />I was on the 34th Street subway platform, waiting for a downtown N express train, when I met Joe who had a series of numbers inked around his arm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsk6lhiC8TshmYHk_jPiM23TwYYW7aFdp3p0TTnvSMAhy0m_dG3wruKHRssAsW8v0Zq9eoZaV1Q0LyLz6mQJkgSBxX7l8BfS8guMdE0DkZ9bFWCeNwQ9Kt7KLNvliJ4_8FXnkhgv8/s1600-h/Pi+1+detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393580477610707522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsk6lhiC8TshmYHk_jPiM23TwYYW7aFdp3p0TTnvSMAhy0m_dG3wruKHRssAsW8v0Zq9eoZaV1Q0LyLz6mQJkgSBxX7l8BfS8guMdE0DkZ9bFWCeNwQ9Kt7KLNvliJ4_8FXnkhgv8/s400/Pi+1+detail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 317px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />I asked him if the digits represented his social security number (don't laugh, I've heard it has been done) and he shook his head and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the top of the tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyviZwU6yOWGVzmp1YbzNJ8nbbri5sRBWlQGzlvUziErM_cqgk4fhT2QpUqomlfPReWXMayaulVymThHgTnqP23VFe13NK7NmYUvcrcpkURJWG6gzrUqjWGw1qXlKvtmJADhXNfV-/s1600-h/Pi+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393580419346936818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyviZwU6yOWGVzmp1YbzNJ8nbbri5sRBWlQGzlvUziErM_cqgk4fhT2QpUqomlfPReWXMayaulVymThHgTnqP23VFe13NK7NmYUvcrcpkURJWG6gzrUqjWGw1qXlKvtmJADhXNfV-/s400/Pi+1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 192px;" /></a><br />This, of course, is the value of <span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-size: 24pt;">π</span></span> (pi), which mathematicians have determined, possesses an infinite number of decimal places.<br /><br />As a physics enthusiast, he loves what pi represents. He told me, as the "meaning of symbols change a lot, what better [to have tattooed] than a transcendental constant?"<br /><br />Despite <span style="font-size: 24pt;">π</span>'s infinite number of decimals, he only has the tattoo calculated out to 27 places because, he said, it was "all I could afford" at the time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03AW4QIBDzAL65xrUg72irGOMhhCnq5yG2QPeOIN5S42-zWDk1u6CCCTbQeXX4TEuCUL4FkuwYxLaLuQw-Zx1O4v9X0_lD7iMx-eIq8968rXpEohz7NFRMTnaSjk5FTj4UEYZdimc/s1600-h/pi+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393580314842384274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03AW4QIBDzAL65xrUg72irGOMhhCnq5yG2QPeOIN5S42-zWDk1u6CCCTbQeXX4TEuCUL4FkuwYxLaLuQw-Zx1O4v9X0_lD7iMx-eIq8968rXpEohz7NFRMTnaSjk5FTj4UEYZdimc/s400/pi+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 276px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br /><br />Later, Joe e-mailed me and gave me more specifics. The tattoo was done at Utopia in Huntington, New York (out on Long Island). I can't find a current listing foe the shop, so it may no longer be in business. And, Joe said, "the font is Times New Roman, the <span style="font-size: 24pt;">π</span> symbol is 180pt font (<span style="font-size: 24pt;">π</span> in degrees) and the numbers are 90pt font (<span style="font-size: 24pt;">π</span>/2 in degrees)".<br />This careful selection of font size only emphasizes Joe's commitment to the purity of this <span style="font-size: 24pt;">π</span>tattoo.<br /><br />Thanks much to Joe for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.17090100375935435" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2009, 2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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></b></span>

Re-Post: A Piece of Tattoosday Pi

The following post appeared in October 2009, and I've been meaning to re-post it, but I always forget. This year, on 3/14, I remembered...

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Re-Post: Happy Birthday Edward Gorey!

<i>To those of you who pay attention to this sort of thing, <a href="https://www.google.com/">today's Google doodle</a> honors the artist and illustrator <a href="http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/">Edward Gorey</a>.</i><br /><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com/logos/2013/edward_goreys_88th_birthday-1056005.2-hp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://www.google.com/logos/2013/edward_goreys_88th_birthday-1056005.2-hp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i> <i>Over the years, we've featured four people with Gorey tattoos and I wanted to re-post one of them in honor of what would have been Gorey's 88th birthday.</i><br /><i><br /></i> <i>Here, from 2010, is my <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/10/missys-initials-illustrated-by-gorey.html">favorite post</a> of the ones we've featured:</i><br /><i><br /></i>I met Missy on the corner of 23rd and 7th back in the beginning of September and she shared her two tattoos, on both biceps.Her right arm bears this piece:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3uvE7piCu5KkGKfowdE8b4nI3Zg6E74vd_v4GQIPw8nmRX-1KULsK4RPYD11pDS1dQobVQws94xoEyjEBBkBi_OTx4DLjDm7xj-nJG8AEQv-KzvzZgHbyFE4AdBX6kXRfXDg6WcL/s1600/Missy+Gorey+Right+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3uvE7piCu5KkGKfowdE8b4nI3Zg6E74vd_v4GQIPw8nmRX-1KULsK4RPYD11pDS1dQobVQws94xoEyjEBBkBi_OTx4DLjDm7xj-nJG8AEQv-KzvzZgHbyFE4AdBX6kXRfXDg6WcL/s640/Missy+Gorey+Right+wm.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />and her left shoulder hosts this cool image:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgSHmVd7QWQ579bnrlCTB9CQ6pQ1D8rsb_mYL6xjSfX6tu7PxiVxUjKHsy_6YCOoiMVbFL680qPOC2YKmPKjIihT0pP6bwCH4tFQVlLI894F646a9tQGeMLzWbNjzhKGVDr4Cf0Im/s1600/Missy+Gorey+Left+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgSHmVd7QWQ579bnrlCTB9CQ6pQ1D8rsb_mYL6xjSfX6tu7PxiVxUjKHsy_6YCOoiMVbFL680qPOC2YKmPKjIihT0pP6bwCH4tFQVlLI894F646a9tQGeMLzWbNjzhKGVDr4Cf0Im/s640/Missy+Gorey+Left+wm.jpg" width="452" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These images may seem familiar, because they are based on <a href="http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/index.html">Edward Gorey's</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Utter-Zoo-Alphabet-Edward-Gorey/dp/076495508X?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Alphabet.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Missy has the two pieces representing her initials, M and N. The right arm represents "M": </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhol-brNwr4DynCCu-62WbPY9SvBweFRSXs7EjPO0FHWpRL8RbrhePhWU-45N0SqfcXdslFO3VkoY1McN73G4UIy-xlvLLvFBqdh1-s4YctZ5c0GVWH3SJG8-lVxYkPnLE29uL0ns/s1600/gashly_m-is-for-maud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhol-brNwr4DynCCu-62WbPY9SvBweFRSXs7EjPO0FHWpRL8RbrhePhWU-45N0SqfcXdslFO3VkoY1McN73G4UIy-xlvLLvFBqdh1-s4YctZ5c0GVWH3SJG8-lVxYkPnLE29uL0ns/s400/gashly_m-is-for-maud.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />And the left arm represents the "N" for her last initial:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ7VX4W-pExGO1wHfeKPX2pB8-vDUEnS6E-6qKlA3elCvgu3GBiaPB6XBowWlstln67LWidZwZMLx3lQGaxp0Qz611AoAhciKK8Bz-a6-DRGgI4KhOMvOoXmpo9I_F6ewSzq4mtsa/s1600/gashly_n-is-for-neville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ7VX4W-pExGO1wHfeKPX2pB8-vDUEnS6E-6qKlA3elCvgu3GBiaPB6XBowWlstln67LWidZwZMLx3lQGaxp0Qz611AoAhciKK8Bz-a6-DRGgI4KhOMvOoXmpo9I_F6ewSzq4mtsa/s400/gashly_n-is-for-neville.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Missy got these tattoos in Santa Cruz about ten years ago.<br /><br />Thanks to Missy for sharing her cool Gorey tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=076495508X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0764907123" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0764907123&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0151003084&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=076495508X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> ~ ~ ~<br /><br />To see all four Gorey posts, click <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Edward%20Gorey">this link</a>.<br /><br />Thanks again to Missy for sharing and, if you haven't seen Gorey's work, today would be a great day to start exploring this amazingly funny and dark artist!<br /><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8528531717602164" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2010, 2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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><br /></span></b>

Re-Post: Happy Birthday Edward Gorey!

To those of you who pay attention to this sort of thing, today's Google doodle honors the artist and illustrator Edward Gorey . Over t...

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Re-Post: The Day Before St. Valentine's Day

<i>Actually, this post from 2009 was originally called <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-valentines-from-tattoosday.html">Happy Valentine's from Tattoosday!</a> But, it's the 13th, so we can't really use the same title now, can we?</i><br /><i><br /></i> <i>In fact, this is a re-post of a re-post from July of 2008, and it is one of my favorite tattoos from over the years. I'm happy to be re-sharing it with new readers...</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~ ~ ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lacking any new material for this holiday o' love, I'm re-posting an old favorite that seems to be in the theme. Well, at least there's a heart in it.<br /><br />I just love the way, in this photo, that Cait's hand is positioned as she is pulling her blouse back to reveal the whole tattoo...<br /><blockquote></blockquote>"I asked her if she'd be willing to share, and she did. She peeled back a little of her top to reveal this beautiful piece on the top left side of her chest:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySxiQ0bAvY1C8J_vK67Biz6FiVLHmGhXxi2ZtSlTG5Z9Wxt4QV_ka192TZA9CcooLjfU3HkHzmdw5mRQ2FwwRPDrDrRwhTNVswAV_AhWbtP276KCBJnaZadPcgX3w6MRCkr5xSxNDIpFh/s1600-h/PICT0049.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221698484849485522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySxiQ0bAvY1C8J_vK67Biz6FiVLHmGhXxi2ZtSlTG5Z9Wxt4QV_ka192TZA9CcooLjfU3HkHzmdw5mRQ2FwwRPDrDrRwhTNVswAV_AhWbtP276KCBJnaZadPcgX3w6MRCkr5xSxNDIpFh/s640/PICT0049.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Cait and her friend Michelle have birthdays two days apart. When they turned 18, they took a design that Michelle had crafted to <a href="http://www.davincitattoo.com/">Da Vinci Tattoo Studio</a> in Wantagh, New York. The artist she remembered as "Yoshi" inked matching pieces for the two.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5cbY0Rlf138VTtr0zTQ4yC20iCvieX-OO0wfZxvZ3zky4u2sD8K9sUGVWiyiK92e4EAaROg2_mN3R882IykFSPKPEpQYgTD-xvIM5rpufA0_nlGDHPKXq6yQodOGfHSaO_ymQjpPJ0cP/s1600-h/starclose2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221698792160944274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5cbY0Rlf138VTtr0zTQ4yC20iCvieX-OO0wfZxvZ3zky4u2sD8K9sUGVWiyiK92e4EAaROg2_mN3R882IykFSPKPEpQYgTD-xvIM5rpufA0_nlGDHPKXq6yQodOGfHSaO_ymQjpPJ0cP/s400/starclose2.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="361" /></a><br />Cait says the heart that encases the colorful stars represents their friendship, and serves to remind them of the bond. In the event that life ever separates them, the tattoos will link them, no matter where they are.<br /><br />Work from Da Vinci Tattoo Studio has appeared on Tattoosday before <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/06/toms-pearl-jam-stickman-tattoo.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Cait for sharing her ink with us here at Tattoosday!<br /><br />The original post is <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/07/two-tattoos-starry-reminders-of-youth.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Here's hoping the day is everything you expect it to be!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8899545129388571" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2008-2009, 2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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><i><br /></i>

Re-Post: The Day Before St. Valentine's Day

Actually, this post from 2009 was originally called Happy Valentine's from Tattoosday!  But, it's the 13th, so we can't really u...

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Re-post: Here's to You Joe DiMaggio...

In a re-posting sort of mood and, with pitchers and catchers reporting soon, here's <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/02/heres-to-you-joe-dimaggio.html">a piece</a> from February 2009:<br /><br /><i>Living in <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/?front_door=true">New York City</a>, a metropolis known for its die-hard sports fans, it is not unusual to see tattoos honoring and celebrating the rich athletic tradition that exists here.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>On Friday, during my lunch hour, I spotted a <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/home2.shtml">New York City Fire Department</a> truck parked at the corner of 40th Street and 7th Avenue. Standing along side it was Johnny, one of New York's bravest, enjoying the warm weather, in shorts, and baring this incredible leg tattoo:</i><br /><i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0USlyK7sTBTyS6fHhRMHJMeWgnG0umilADg42xKfauE5IDXKyJAhTa05n4sq8V6JiEGbkIpGUOJJQAByEw9zg2rHA9LrooxbeyFynd82YI6D8JTdwyAbFKolr96v53JWxbZJYQyh8eNVI/s1600-h/marilyn1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><i><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308235882049230994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0USlyK7sTBTyS6fHhRMHJMeWgnG0umilADg42xKfauE5IDXKyJAhTa05n4sq8V6JiEGbkIpGUOJJQAByEw9zg2rHA9LrooxbeyFynd82YI6D8JTdwyAbFKolr96v53JWxbZJYQyh8eNVI/s320/marilyn1.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 268px;" width="214" /></i></a><br /><i>This is, of course, <a href="http://www.marilynmonroe.com/">Marilyn Monroe</a>, but with a twist. She is sporting the <a href="http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy">New York Yankees </a>  jersey of one of the franchise's greatest players, <a href="http://www.joedimaggio.com/">Joe DiMaggio</a>, to whom she was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_DiMaggio#Marilyn_Monroe">married</a> for less than a year.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Johnny is a huge Yankee fan, and also loves Marilyn Monroe, one of the iconic figures of the 20th century, and among the most popular celebrities tattooed. I have featured Marilyn tattoos previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Marilyn%20Monroe">here</a> and <a href="http://www.knuckletattoos.com/718/">here</a>.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>The image is based on a lithograph that Johnny purchased at a FanFest in 1996. After having it tattooed on his right calf, he felt something was missing.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>He contacted the <a href="http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/index.jsp">National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum</a> in <a href="http://www.cooperstownchamber.org/">Cooperstown</a>, New York, and purchased an archival photograph of the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Stadium">Yankee Stadium</a>, circa 1923. This was then used as the source material to create the recognizable backdrop for Marilyn.</i><br /><i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJPmWpFp_ajE7ly4XAGkFXaIfCluEsHeS1_VBtC-Y3anMU6OXBkhe6xVwsg1GRkq2SMDXyCK0Q0hI4_Ezv90DW8eUEdB83-qJdpwaALZv2yYS1FhVwYNEIJ6o6h8kqVqoxCfi7ARhFf-u/s1600-h/marilyn3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><i><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308235553422190386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJPmWpFp_ajE7ly4XAGkFXaIfCluEsHeS1_VBtC-Y3anMU6OXBkhe6xVwsg1GRkq2SMDXyCK0Q0hI4_Ezv90DW8eUEdB83-qJdpwaALZv2yYS1FhVwYNEIJ6o6h8kqVqoxCfi7ARhFf-u/s400/marilyn3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 216px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></i></a><br /><i>Johnny has a ton of tattoos, approximately 15 pieces in all. This one, along with others he has, was created by <a href="http://www.cortsroyalink.com/artist_cort_profile.asp">Cort Bengston</a> at <a href="http://www.cortsroyalink.com/">Cort's Royal Ink Tattoo Studio</a> in Patchogue, New York.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Thanks to Johnny for sharing this amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!</i><br /><i><br /></i><b id="internal-source-marker_0.346863703802228" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2009, 2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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>

Re-post: Here's to You Joe DiMaggio...

In a re-posting sort of mood and, with pitchers and catchers reporting soon, here's a piece from February 2009: Living in New York City...

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Repost: Amanda's Hands Are Well-Armed

<i>It seems silly to </i>not <i>post anything when I have the time and five years of material that is wandering the ether. So, I am pledging to dredge up some oldies but goodies, should I find myself lacking new material for any given day. That said, here we have a post that originally went live on February 1, 2009. Enjoy!</i><br /><i><br /></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>~ ~ ~</i></div><i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AB3_eoa3Rwi2n4jJ9Ki2JO6TcqcoKv6IqOhj1XZc2_WSsqWLrL84Hspmmh1LXAL-uRm8_xQID-0FLR6JS22N3QVGJhkrr0xml1XRf2brk9Ghz-rDA0Q54bG9z7Rqg4diyGN0tkfoLbwF/s1600-h/detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298526198076304514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AB3_eoa3Rwi2n4jJ9Ki2JO6TcqcoKv6IqOhj1XZc2_WSsqWLrL84Hspmmh1LXAL-uRm8_xQID-0FLR6JS22N3QVGJhkrr0xml1XRf2brk9Ghz-rDA0Q54bG9z7Rqg4diyGN0tkfoLbwF/s400/detail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 237px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />I met Amanda in my neighborhood a couple of weeks ago on a cold day in January. She wasn't wearing gloves which, despite the cold, was a good thing, as her hands bore a couple of nifty tattoos that really flashed in the sunlight.<br /><br />Unfortunately for me, I was bogged down with a bag of groceries and dry cleaning, so I wasn't in any position to take pictures.<br /><br />I did manage to chat with Amanda briefly, and I told her about Tattoosday. I passed her my card and asked her to email me if she was interested in sharing.<br /><br />I was happy to hear from her a day or two later and, this past weekend, sat and chatted with her at a local Starbucks. It was there that I got to see her tattooed hands in all their glory:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RBCh6PHGalIR-ynrOQAj4BX0AwXQ3-u_uAnm1hby3LlZrD-ZKLk_ucTTWQmBWQCydDmOblAptscX1yh7k-xLzilNukBKYVYihH6Wvs6GaXQZLDwsReg8mcmHB1yI8mk40f579LGKDGfl/s1600-h/PICT1381.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298527310169231778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RBCh6PHGalIR-ynrOQAj4BX0AwXQ3-u_uAnm1hby3LlZrD-ZKLk_ucTTWQmBWQCydDmOblAptscX1yh7k-xLzilNukBKYVYihH6Wvs6GaXQZLDwsReg8mcmHB1yI8mk40f579LGKDGfl/s400/PICT1381.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 311px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />Amanda hails from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri">Kansas City, Missouri</a>, and moved to New York several years back to pursue her dream of an artistic career. She estimates that her body is 30% inked, most of which was done by her home town artist Steve Drew, who works out of a shop called <a href="http://local.yahoo.com/info-17789794-irezumi-body-art-kansas-city">Irezumi Body Art</a>.<br /><br />She was looking around for an artist in New York, when she accompanied a friend to <a href="http://www.redrockettattoo.com/">Red Rocket Tattoo</a> in Manhattan. There, Mike Bellamy was working with her friend on a concept sleeve. Amanda liked what she saw and started working with Mr. Bellamy on her hand guns.<br /><br />You can see other Tattoosday-featured work by Mike Bellamy <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/03/tattoos-i-know-paul-part-2-or.html">here</a>.<br /><br />So, why put guns on your hands, of all places? Amanda says it was an aesthetic decision, and not any sort of moral or political statement. Nor, she says, was it necessarily a nod to her roots in Kansas City.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKGLV8F4XVKPzSx1bIPei-799kTOWUVWYHmGn82_qJSu58gIIx_ENMOsCAi5TBeNkXdmV7TAYkgEwDyMuYUy4WSmfrVvhjUnCaDv5UT7sEgL2q66In-FRQXiS1_PJnl4bzJz1pbVM2pIr/s1600-h/right+hand.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298525722546735250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKGLV8F4XVKPzSx1bIPei-799kTOWUVWYHmGn82_qJSu58gIIx_ENMOsCAi5TBeNkXdmV7TAYkgEwDyMuYUy4WSmfrVvhjUnCaDv5UT7sEgL2q66In-FRQXiS1_PJnl4bzJz1pbVM2pIr/s400/right+hand.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 151px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />Rather, Amanda wanted a whimsical tattoo that anchored what will become, eventually, full sleeves. The old six-shooter style of revolver is a traditional tattoo, in some senses (see previous gun-themed tattoos <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/guns">here</a>).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU2AkSGi9261H9WvXnX6RxxXW4CBXe0H8eoBviKorkJJgQS2SLIj_1KgXDON6LpDmQ16ZKOsghBNjsPrkzGgWUYCc7UP-fAa0Z8KaF_buweofeVZTEvkfu1mnAVFOwDBkd2ByPFMXfLLY/s1600-h/left+hand.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298525580632317410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU2AkSGi9261H9WvXnX6RxxXW4CBXe0H8eoBviKorkJJgQS2SLIj_1KgXDON6LpDmQ16ZKOsghBNjsPrkzGgWUYCc7UP-fAa0Z8KaF_buweofeVZTEvkfu1mnAVFOwDBkd2ByPFMXfLLY/s400/left+hand.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 134px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />But Amanda wanted her hand guns to be colorful and depict a feminine side, reminiscent of a weapon tucked into a saloon-girl's garter belt. The red roses, set into the handles, give the guns a softer edge. Their placement on the hands recall a childlike innocence, reminding one of the gesture kids make when they pretend their hands are toy guns.<br /><br />Amanda said that she had these inked in one sitting, each gun taking about an hour and a half each. Mike Bellamy inked the outline on each hand first, then went back and did the color and shading on both. How did it feel? "The most intense pain I've ever felt," said Amanda, "especially on the knuckles".<br /><br />Thanks to Amanda for sharing her guns here on Tattoosday! We look forward to seeing more of your ink in the future!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.9937010509893298" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2009, 2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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>

Repost: Amanda's Hands Are Well-Armed

It seems silly to not post anything when I have the time and five years of material that is wandering the ether. So, I am pledging to dredge...

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Repost: Richard's Mayan Calendar Honors His Heritage

<i>Seeing today was predicted to be the end of the world, it seemed appropriate to repost this entry from last February:</i><br /><br /> Just two weeks ago, back in the first month of the current year, 2012, which as many may have heard, is the last year in the Mayan calendar, I met Richard in Penn Station. He has this amazing tattoo on his upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl5ZOrreO06Z-o6b8WzDNK_HC8Qu8ZnHBf2e4FHDJnQepgcTBaQJDPEsF_0k0dMaLUoAStxgdNMLrBqe08D5plcwLPpc4Q0rW4bvchIMs3QnSk4jhLs_QjSkAvvoAAajrniWvqqyaRzE/s1600/mayan+calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl5ZOrreO06Z-o6b8WzDNK_HC8Qu8ZnHBf2e4FHDJnQepgcTBaQJDPEsF_0k0dMaLUoAStxgdNMLrBqe08D5plcwLPpc4Q0rW4bvchIMs3QnSk4jhLs_QjSkAvvoAAajrniWvqqyaRzE/s640/mayan+calendar.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><br />He had just finished the last section of the tattoo a couple weeks earlier. The piece is a cultural tribute to his and his family's Mexican heritage.<br /><br />This was done by Chuck Bondo at <a href="http://www.stationonetattoo.com/">Station 1 Tattoo</a> in Huntington, New York.<br /><br />Thanks to Richard for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><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 <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><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Repost: Richard's Mayan Calendar Honors His Heritage

Seeing today was predicted to be the end of the world, it seemed appropriate to repost this entry from last February:  Just two weeks ago, b...

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Re-Post: Happy Birthday, Mr. Vonnegut!

<i>Happy Birthday, Mr. Vonnegut! </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Social media reminds me that today would be Kurt Vonnegut's 90th birthday. </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>It's also Veteran's Day and, since Vonnegut wrote one of the great war novels of all time, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughterhouse-Five">Slaughterhouse Five</a>, it seemed appropriate to re-post this classic Vonnegut tattoo. You can see all of the Vonnegut tattoos that have appeared on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Kurt%20Vonnegut">here</a>. </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Enjoy this Tattoosday classic:</i><br /><i><br /></i><i><br /></i> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsSa7KyFU9t5vzn-aN3a9A61mfQmV_TOwbGOTOL3YAVTTh_uVMiXvb3w212wL3xxy2R0DXqGzxwEJD1JKUrAgHe73bbnb7h_9JdKIBsp2JKwAJ8cLA1EYoAnErwckBAmF9UfhsjRaSazQ/s1600-h/100_7610.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212210132593427074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsSa7KyFU9t5vzn-aN3a9A61mfQmV_TOwbGOTOL3YAVTTh_uVMiXvb3w212wL3xxy2R0DXqGzxwEJD1JKUrAgHe73bbnb7h_9JdKIBsp2JKwAJ8cLA1EYoAnErwckBAmF9UfhsjRaSazQ/s400/100_7610.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>At the Seventh Avenue Street Fair in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Slope,_Brooklyn">Park Slope</a> on Sunday, there was plenty of ink. Amazing ink too. But I only stopped one person, Samantha.<br /><br />Samantha had this simple quote from the late <a href="http://www.vonnegut.com/">Kurt Vonnegut</a> on her back. This simple refrain (used 106 times in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughterhouse-Five">Slaughterhouse-Five</a>, according to Wikipedia), came to be synonymous with the Vonnegut philosophy.<br /><br />Samantha had this inked on her birthday at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dru1">Hypnotic Designs in Sunset Park by Dru</a>. Her boyfriend Igor also had a Vonnegut quote inked, but on his left leg:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq8fq25MZ14z8c2iRkTftmSgUe2KriLQeWq5zqPwOZWJGIdWp3WUOblQwfZROaLzU4dP5_8-dUapbR1eiFa2cYRSSjpvJWpOikCYjq5BqWMZy-YqOAfU3BZ5MXQuqj4ZTYFMiYCbgGx8r/s1600-h/100_7611.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212209948731740610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq8fq25MZ14z8c2iRkTftmSgUe2KriLQeWq5zqPwOZWJGIdWp3WUOblQwfZROaLzU4dP5_8-dUapbR1eiFa2cYRSSjpvJWpOikCYjq5BqWMZy-YqOAfU3BZ5MXQuqj4ZTYFMiYCbgGx8r/s400/100_7611.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />or, from a different view:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqSqo_nqoVUboTwA5J8qxomGI6v8rZS4De5E3YGhTVwnqPRdQEJ5CTWYn0DoIbK7dhduunpfAQ6iTdehZMywi7roS5dyPFlexVucIETxXCPnRg3ibUbJpnEJU2NcGAjZ7fE1jk8Xj7hXr/s1600-h/100_7611b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212207690744151122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqSqo_nqoVUboTwA5J8qxomGI6v8rZS4De5E3YGhTVwnqPRdQEJ5CTWYn0DoIbK7dhduunpfAQ6iTdehZMywi7roS5dyPFlexVucIETxXCPnRg3ibUbJpnEJU2NcGAjZ7fE1jk8Xj7hXr/s400/100_7611b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />This quote is from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-Bless-You-Dr-Kevorkian/dp/0743422007">God Bless You Dr. Kevorkian</a>...<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"> My epitaph in any case? "</span><b style="font-weight: bold;">Everything was beautiful. Nothing hurt.</b><span style="font-weight: bold;">" I will have gotten off so light, whatever the heck it is that was going on.</span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Thanks to Samantha and Igor for sharing their Vonnegutian ink here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.0619120504707098" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2008, 2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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>

Re-Post: Happy Birthday, Mr. Vonnegut!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Vonnegut!  Social media reminds me that today would be Kurt Vonnegut's 90th birthday.  It's also Veteran's D...

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Re-Post: A Patriotic Tattoo for Patriot Day

<i>I am rarely satisfied with something from my unpublished backlog when September 11 rolls around.</i><br /><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>I have re-posted a </i><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/09/pauls-911-memorial.html">9/11</a><i><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/09/pauls-911-memorial.html"> Memorial Tattoo</a> several times already, so I am re-posting this one, from 2008, because it also seems like an appropriate sentiment for this day.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>I also like to share <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2006/09/explaining-silence.html">this poem</a>, which I composed back in 2001.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>~ ~ ~</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2KIRCMUg32MxgYUCAVwwWkMzoWuVmbY7UpYnL6PPzPifn41nTa8WjsQtUBiuBduVo_5Xuuj-lUJxZxpYKH4HYykBlBKDWVv3ABdtdb2k5TFAIzroCQZnJ_1ZPo1xfEkfX-SsRWIo4xXm/s1600-h/PICT0546.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240692972449207778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2KIRCMUg32MxgYUCAVwwWkMzoWuVmbY7UpYnL6PPzPifn41nTa8WjsQtUBiuBduVo_5Xuuj-lUJxZxpYKH4HYykBlBKDWVv3ABdtdb2k5TFAIzroCQZnJ_1ZPo1xfEkfX-SsRWIo4xXm/s640/PICT0546.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="480" /></a><br />I ran into Rob in my neighborhood in late August and he gladly shared his patriotic tattoo.<br /><br />Rob is a Revolutionary War buff and has a distinct interest in American history.<br /><br />He wanted an "old school" tattoo back in 2000, and wanted something patriotic back "before it was fashionable". He's referring of course, to the explosion of post-9/11 red, white and blue ink. He wasn't disrespecting or being critical of patriotic tattoos done after 2001, he was merely clarifying for me that his piece was not a product of the huge wave of emotion that surged through the country after that day of infamy seven years ago.<br /><br />Rob's "Land of the free, Home of the brave" banner with the original 13-star flag was inked by Darren Rosa at <a href="http://www.risingdragon.com/">Rising Dragon</a> in Manhattan. Work from Rising Dragon has appeared on Tattoosday previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Rising%20Dragon%20Tattoos">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Rob for sharing his red, white, and blue patriotic tattoo with us here on Tattoosday on this occasion.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~ ~ ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.21108403825201094" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2008,2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are reading this on another website 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="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="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></div></div>

Re-Post: A Patriotic Tattoo for Patriot Day

I am rarely satisfied with something from my unpublished backlog when September 11 rolls around. I have re-posted a 9/11  Memorial Tattoo s...

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Let the Games Begin! (A Re-post of Olympic Awesomeness)

<div><i>The 2012 Olympics, or the games of  XXX Olympiad, begin today, officially. The summer games are always a big deal in our household and one thing you'll notice, the Olympians of 2012 are sporting a lot more ink than they have in the past. For a taste, check out this slideshow <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/wtvj/photos/2012/olympic-ink-athletes-striking-tattoos-432800.html">here</a>, highlighting a few.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>This, of course, reminds me of Tattoosday's chance encounter with an Olympian several years ago. In honor of the games starting today, I thought I'd repost "<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/05/rondas-olympic-tattoos.html">Ronda's Olympic Tattoos</a>," which appeared back in May 2009:</i></div><div><br /></div><div>...O<span style="background-color: white;">n Tuesday, April 21 [2009] ... I spotted a familiar symbol on the right ankle of a woman in the Amtrak section of Penn Station:</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1331aU5lft1cv9eOmZJOXifY8-V_QF_QZJgfmvEZY11xpoAhXdRAKPfV1rF1bumKBkLweGdScybobfjVBTeUaom2yiF-5vCvsyj5TPAaQo7cPVZnfkXRaZ17VUdPcqddYfryOq9X19U/s1600-h/o-rings.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331681804522630114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1331aU5lft1cv9eOmZJOXifY8-V_QF_QZJgfmvEZY11xpoAhXdRAKPfV1rF1bumKBkLweGdScybobfjVBTeUaom2yiF-5vCvsyj5TPAaQo7cPVZnfkXRaZ17VUdPcqddYfryOq9X19U/s640/o-rings.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" width="640" /></a><br />Those are, of course, the recognizable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols#Olympic_rings">Olympic rings</a>.<br /><br />One can imagine how pleased I was when the individual to whom this tattoo belonged was open to discussing not only her tattoos, but their significance.<br /><br />For <a href="http://www.rondamma.com/">Ronda Rousey</a>, like many athletes (see this <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times</span> article <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/sports/olympics/24tattoo.html?fta=y">here</a>), getting tattoos to commemorate attendance and participation in <a href="http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/index_uk.asp">the Olympics</a>, is a rite of passage.<br /><br />But Ronda isn't just any Olympic athlete. She participated in both the <a href="http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2004">2004 games in Athens</a>, and the <a href="http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2008">2008 Olympics in Beijing</a>. In fact, she won the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_medal">Bronze Medal</a> in China in the sport of judo (middleweight division)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPnegR9RNnFgZRWtBbJLYbD0xB9pJQf3hf-ND8FOj6z2QLqX65RztB_Jct019UrKvlsFhUFM-JYi8dj4Q0CLNW2j6LGJD0_ABCOtyOQ42XaxwBpjTF8btmbcsvFyhlf01fFn0gI0FZow/s1600-h/bronze-medal-back-and-front.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331684189826308594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPnegR9RNnFgZRWtBbJLYbD0xB9pJQf3hf-ND8FOj6z2QLqX65RztB_Jct019UrKvlsFhUFM-JYi8dj4Q0CLNW2j6LGJD0_ABCOtyOQ42XaxwBpjTF8btmbcsvFyhlf01fFn0gI0FZow/s400/bronze-medal-back-and-front.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 374px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 338px;" /></a>and became the <span style="font-style: italic;">first </span>American woman ever to medal in that event.<br /><br />She actually has at least three pieces that <span style="background-color: white;">circumnavigate her ankle. The tail end of one can be seen to the left of the Olympic rings. Here's the beginning (and majority) of the slogan:</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2CTyQUgmayLhGgiZA971g-q4__632hCTpWEDlbEEoQ8ZQA703L5WlQaTZq_ubuPksAlLadik7tz-R4vNcOMhIVwvshBThqWZ76t8nSBehYz15_ii1nObt12PAmf_B4_WXJIyqLr8kDI/s1600-h/slogan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331685525078919282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2CTyQUgmayLhGgiZA971g-q4__632hCTpWEDlbEEoQ8ZQA703L5WlQaTZq_ubuPksAlLadik7tz-R4vNcOMhIVwvshBThqWZ76t8nSBehYz15_ii1nObt12PAmf_B4_WXJIyqLr8kDI/s400/slogan.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />That is "Citius, Altius, Fortius," which is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols#Motto">motto</a> of the modern Olympic games. Translated into English it means "Swifter, Higher, Stronger".<br /><br />Also on the ankle is a third element, which is a Greek head garland:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgustl5Vd4n8r6Tps5gnSvCOqo2-JyRar4GeTdGR31I5pWpE19zBJNjsyUj25gDIgqOS-04oa1oJOS4lMwPzn_NoEP2mSDAlFpnoFAD1YRdT5j08IWMOJMShywae7G-0Q6IFooOin8eeBc/s1600-h/garland.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331687031417494290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgustl5Vd4n8r6Tps5gnSvCOqo2-JyRar4GeTdGR31I5pWpE19zBJNjsyUj25gDIgqOS-04oa1oJOS4lMwPzn_NoEP2mSDAlFpnoFAD1YRdT5j08IWMOJMShywae7G-0Q6IFooOin8eeBc/s320/garland.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />This is a symbol of the 2004 Athens games, at which Ronda also competed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78XuU6qgcGEbhm787H9AekA8mtn88wQmfIHlStkyMhvv0Ed5TMaJHl28PAByMavrVIBsVKELbMejU1JFp052FyKIjS-AB2kqrM3q18woGzxP2y631z9VbIWoHmppDKuRId-RW-MiO4XE/s1600-h/Athens_2004_Authentic_Olympic_Games_Products.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331687342884668802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78XuU6qgcGEbhm787H9AekA8mtn88wQmfIHlStkyMhvv0Ed5TMaJHl28PAByMavrVIBsVKELbMejU1JFp052FyKIjS-AB2kqrM3q18woGzxP2y631z9VbIWoHmppDKuRId-RW-MiO4XE/s200/Athens_2004_Authentic_Olympic_Games_Products.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 197px;" /></a>She did not medal that year, but she was also the youngest, at 17, judo competitor in the Games, and was a rising star.<br /><br />A resident of Los Angeles, Ronda had all three tattoos done at <a href="http://www.theinkmonkey.com/">Ink Monkey Tattoo</a> in Venice, California.<br /><br />On a side note, personally, I always get a charge out of meeting a complete stranger and talking to them about their tattoos. That excitement is the fuel that energizes the Tattoosday experience for me.<br /><br />Days later, I was still pumped about meeting an Olympic athlete. Most Olympians will say they're just like everyone else, normal folks like you and me. But, I beg to differ. Ronda isn't a member of the "Dream Team" or a star in track or gymnastics or beach volleyball or any of the "marquis" events. Nonetheless, here is a woman who participates in a sport and, in August 2008, was one of the top three women in the world in that event. She accomplished what so many athletes aspire to. She stood on a podium and even though the Star-Spangled Banner wasn't blaring on the P.A. system, she wore a medal around her neck and saw the American flag raised because of her remarkable athletic accomplishment.<br /><br />It is an honor to have her featured here on Tattoosday and I thank her profusely, from the bottom of my tattoo-loving heart.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/13/AR2008081303517.html">here</a> [for a news article that is] a recap of Ronda's Olympic medal run....<br /><br />Thanks to Ronda for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~ ~ ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>I should add that Ronda has gone on to have a successful career in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts">MMA</a> (Mixed Martial Arts). </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Let the Games Begin!</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.3390495285857469" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is © 2009, 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 website 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></div>

Let the Games Begin! (A Re-post of Olympic Awesomeness)

The 2012 Olympics, or the games of  XXX Olympiad, begin today, officially. The summer games are always a big deal in our household and one t...

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Repost: Keikikalani

Today my daughter Shayna had her bat mitzvah. In honor of Shayna, and in light of the rabbi commenting on angels and cherubim during the service, my sister Alicia suggested I repost my second tattoo, in honor of my youngest daughter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmhfwqV_mLH8Wbm2BhknOxnnB71W7Fkf53Wu4zz9bqf-lAKJGLcP1XU3IHl-uIB6w50ZweNX2TK-9VjUnpzWXo27f17es4FXw21DiwSzPeA-qhyphenhyphenLIYQ8rDPb9TUOBkDtB2ysuEtmcV5_q/s1600-h/100_0903.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218733889519704066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmhfwqV_mLH8Wbm2BhknOxnnB71W7Fkf53Wu4zz9bqf-lAKJGLcP1XU3IHl-uIB6w50ZweNX2TK-9VjUnpzWXo27f17es4FXw21DiwSzPeA-qhyphenhyphenLIYQ8rDPb9TUOBkDtB2ysuEtmcV5_q/s400/100_0903.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />You may recognize this from the bottom of the page (or for long-time readers, it once served as the masthead).<br /><br />This is my second tattoo, inked in July 2005, by Peter Cavorsi at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Brooklyn. I brought him this art as reference, and he ran with it, customizing it to more closely reflect my younger daughter's blonde hair, and her affinity for Green Day, at the young age of six.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4z15XIkXzG18aGiznTKa784u23JEsloT9xR27IslGPDI-MCUSUwADV-gvTueQCzYVzh2VOKztpRKLCajCHrLZe6SQPx96HjX8LFzpCGK78p7-tZuImUkDW4LVmlnmGH9DSVqkT7ZulZK/s1600-h/CherubGuitar.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218734466683112066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4z15XIkXzG18aGiznTKa784u23JEsloT9xR27IslGPDI-MCUSUwADV-gvTueQCzYVzh2VOKztpRKLCajCHrLZe6SQPx96HjX8LFzpCGK78p7-tZuImUkDW4LVmlnmGH9DSVqkT7ZulZK/s400/CherubGuitar.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Thanks for reading Tattoosday!

Repost: Keikikalani

Today my daughter Shayna had her bat mitzvah. In honor of Shayna, and in light of the rabbi commenting on angels and cherubim during the ser...

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Repost: All I Want for Christmas is a Tattoo with Teeth

<i>Happy Holidays from us here at Tattoosday! Today we're re-visting a post from 2009, in the spirit of the season:</i><br /><br />On Christmas Eve afternoon, I was passing through Penn Station, I spotted Lindsay, a woman with what appeared to be a sleeve that had a water-inspired design.<br /><br />It wasn't until after I approached her and asked if she wanted to contribute to Tattoosday that I saw, as she rolled up her sleeve, what awesome work she had done on her left arm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhA9B6gedXGmm-AcxRFdw9dA32-8YguxxBzG4vZ_qNKubP3T4uLHKSjgYr8OZ1blebdybgko9q9wqIxGQUQptaBx1lPkDESr7JKQhkdTTejzYJJrYvPdRg5wL_VXtqEavh_WWy5NI/s1600-h/Lindsay+Shark+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419203565906421714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhA9B6gedXGmm-AcxRFdw9dA32-8YguxxBzG4vZ_qNKubP3T4uLHKSjgYr8OZ1blebdybgko9q9wqIxGQUQptaBx1lPkDESr7JKQhkdTTejzYJJrYvPdRg5wL_VXtqEavh_WWy5NI/s400/Lindsay+Shark+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 338px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />Lindsay said that, like all of her 14 or 15 tattoos, none of them have "deep meaning". She just goes with whatever she describes as an "intense urge" at the time she's getting the tattoo.<br /><br />The sleeve above started with her taking photos with stylings to the artist, saying she wanted a bloody shark. This was the first part of the tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_BA7ES9eL0XbNSmgu-u-30jDw7dQH2CiktdUmgZzmUV1Mhxl-Yx_ENPXDNaIIMCPC8wgm6_nhL5w8rvVpFH6NLwUXk2kS7nJfhj5YWRZXygZ9y9AdoE9B9-GkKsrTEck44pjEbbV/s1600-h/Shark+2+detail.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419199639574663170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_BA7ES9eL0XbNSmgu-u-30jDw7dQH2CiktdUmgZzmUV1Mhxl-Yx_ENPXDNaIIMCPC8wgm6_nhL5w8rvVpFH6NLwUXk2kS7nJfhj5YWRZXygZ9y9AdoE9B9-GkKsrTEck44pjEbbV/s400/Shark+2+detail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 254px;" /></a><br />She then expanded it with this segment of shark<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLnrU52TZS0MtffsqOV5VsoHA8cCR-IOYMHHCvhsvc96ZTVkeztT_ZklXA8T4LWnvN_zF_WDII2rh99Lb3c-znpSpkiqXn6RC0Mi3QPFaLQX84IEP3__oVfF00EFQ4pApMBJZAaXw/s1600-h/Shark+1+detail.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419199966785022210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLnrU52TZS0MtffsqOV5VsoHA8cCR-IOYMHHCvhsvc96ZTVkeztT_ZklXA8T4LWnvN_zF_WDII2rh99Lb3c-znpSpkiqXn6RC0Mi3QPFaLQX84IEP3__oVfF00EFQ4pApMBJZAaXw/s400/Shark+1+detail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 255px;" /></a><br />which is certainly reminiscient of the movie poster for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/" style="font-style: italic;">Jaws</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5BD9Y9I2PJQZd0qCS06EHJIszG0lh9pbzgphbHSyZiITQjOVtPYvWb1g4bhIHFoSDSq81Y2Qr3reG_b4LgyWfkCt288oNlqTZnwtPiuqRPs20Q10nx8qjmH8UT8IrlM7X0jBcj9z/s1600-h/JAWS_Movie_poster.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419201134078836290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5BD9Y9I2PJQZd0qCS06EHJIszG0lh9pbzgphbHSyZiITQjOVtPYvWb1g4bhIHFoSDSq81Y2Qr3reG_b4LgyWfkCt288oNlqTZnwtPiuqRPs20Q10nx8qjmH8UT8IrlM7X0jBcj9z/s400/JAWS_Movie_poster.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 277px;" /></a><br />This piece was created in four sittings lasting 3-4 hours each, by <a href="http://www.johnreardontattoos.com/">John Reardon</a> at <a href="http://www.savedtattoo.com/">Saved Tattoo</a> (which was the shop responsible for yesterday's post, too). [Reardon now works at the <a href="http://greenpointtattooco.tumblr.com/">Greenpoint Tattoo Company</a>] <br /><br />Work from John Reardon has appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-hope-but-home.html">here</a> on Tattoosday previously. Reardon is also the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592577253?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1592577253">The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting a Tattoo</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1592577253" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.<br /><br />Thanks to Lindsay for taking the time to share her incredible shark sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!<br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is © 2009, 2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><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 <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>

Repost: All I Want for Christmas is a Tattoo with Teeth

Happy Holidays from us here at Tattoosday! Today we're re-visting a post from 2009, in the spirit of the season: On Christmas Eve aftern...

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Repost: Michael's Mariachis

<i>Well, it has been a repost sort of week, and as it is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_dead">All Soul's Day</a>, a.k.a. The Day of the Dead, this only seemed fitting. It's from my college friend, Michael, and it appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/12/michaels-mariachis-celebrate-life-with.html">here</a> originally on December 30, 2008. Enjoy!</i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl_mObKQKr2imPCk-4UPiJ588Nx4lI7uj5iiQEUOAhDFsDUnEHSAiaIsp4nxluk11dEzpw7r2IvuguXcXuOSMa4UO3nwettlNmdVZ_Gzjmb4oR6-HAcdiqASSLsoJS9M8rQ5EGyNovpIt/s1600-h/mariachi+with+iris.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269720254143055906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl_mObKQKr2imPCk-4UPiJ588Nx4lI7uj5iiQEUOAhDFsDUnEHSAiaIsp4nxluk11dEzpw7r2IvuguXcXuOSMa4UO3nwettlNmdVZ_Gzjmb4oR6-HAcdiqASSLsoJS9M8rQ5EGyNovpIt/s640/mariachi+with+iris.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 356px;" width="569" /></a><br />In reconnecting with old college friends through Facebook, my old friend Michael who I haven't seen in almost twenty years sent me an amazing tattoo he has on his right arm.<br /><br />He sent me before and after shots so we can see the transformation from outline to spectacularly colorful body art. First, the before shots.....<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AMg5HMwRZUERr-Es-5Oa6m7x9w1U8pUrooumPGk4Xt9VOVnEC0FRMCNKaKt6_Os2zOo5gyF7nv_fo4W-LRJUyNRgzneBfnO4RH-ut-2enD6i6Q0INgJUQ07ffDtGcgcG9Uf2rBsAEZCQ/s1600-h/mariachi+outline+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269719225156372226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AMg5HMwRZUERr-Es-5Oa6m7x9w1U8pUrooumPGk4Xt9VOVnEC0FRMCNKaKt6_Os2zOo5gyF7nv_fo4W-LRJUyNRgzneBfnO4RH-ut-2enD6i6Q0INgJUQ07ffDtGcgcG9Uf2rBsAEZCQ/s640/mariachi+outline+1.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" width="342" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_ZW0JG2QE8LiO2edxzvyHoJ3mbZUs4kS82hkS_ivr6pkW5LowQ5sCrBMQawWPhv9tUu-04a9oIwUFlYfvMpqpeapROfMW39qVZj2I4X1elk_HMAWH5adS5UdfylSDbTW_8kfh3yqytU0/s1600-h/mariachi+outline+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718659087915346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_ZW0JG2QE8LiO2edxzvyHoJ3mbZUs4kS82hkS_ivr6pkW5LowQ5sCrBMQawWPhv9tUu-04a9oIwUFlYfvMpqpeapROfMW39qVZj2I4X1elk_HMAWH5adS5UdfylSDbTW_8kfh3yqytU0/s400/mariachi+outline+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 176px;" /></a><br />The detail and the line work is exemplary and breath-taking. As someone with a guitar inked on my arm, I can appreciate the intricacies of a finely-drawn instrument. The detail on the mariachi's jacket cuff is incredible.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-D6Tip6rawH-OB3InfgTcjZDjZ6V78uT17xhncbCzlqnb4ui2pRjGR6kVbkGdE7jnnlAgH1pGaiKLMvpZ0DYuYa01aOTAJLb6Qu126mERW82SIeHyHmZ9WxSQMzoke50tEQ-av5lTuq3/s1600-h/mariachi+detail.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269719773239210498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-D6Tip6rawH-OB3InfgTcjZDjZ6V78uT17xhncbCzlqnb4ui2pRjGR6kVbkGdE7jnnlAgH1pGaiKLMvpZ0DYuYa01aOTAJLb6Qu126mERW82SIeHyHmZ9WxSQMzoke50tEQ-av5lTuq3/s400/mariachi+detail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 147px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />And now, for some color:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bjMatrIXqOp_IIF_sdBHQcLBRSA-tOMxasc9xXdQvBlbgY1a3lUhyeBVKNLMn6OxEorcwcU0zAcrlkYfwz1TT2TK2dlglg2lJUzkyDQZCWN1hdAUSFToyJtDYP2KkO5TQPPEIk0Hqi2G/s1600-h/mariachi+right.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718515179009634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bjMatrIXqOp_IIF_sdBHQcLBRSA-tOMxasc9xXdQvBlbgY1a3lUhyeBVKNLMn6OxEorcwcU0zAcrlkYfwz1TT2TK2dlglg2lJUzkyDQZCWN1hdAUSFToyJtDYP2KkO5TQPPEIk0Hqi2G/s400/mariachi+right.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 193px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8BG4GBRddcgJXZuI-npX_gQKQOk_X9kSuS-KM7eDopjjGPxXwhZBQSsElfCgk1PESG9WHRtkyr5HoqOBNsdYmQIJzQEoepYWr7YuXCs5FKL-tx5etGeHOoMX96syQZ_wqPWjKq-VP4Sp/s1600-h/mariachi+left.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718414681594482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8BG4GBRddcgJXZuI-npX_gQKQOk_X9kSuS-KM7eDopjjGPxXwhZBQSsElfCgk1PESG9WHRtkyr5HoqOBNsdYmQIJzQEoepYWr7YuXCs5FKL-tx5etGeHOoMX96syQZ_wqPWjKq-VP4Sp/s400/mariachi+left.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 146px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLo6X96y4Igse_fUrL-b0Teb9B58vUgjcISYt5vZ_FUUrSjT5P72GIWPbAHNhnCyw6Xm_q2DaZ-owOzQwTZoN-BWt2uKEFtv8ySo-_QtbBpNvdhAJw3sBsRJcxvq_VohWsxd6-1IjhzgSF/s1600-h/mariachi+center.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718302019198898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLo6X96y4Igse_fUrL-b0Teb9B58vUgjcISYt5vZ_FUUrSjT5P72GIWPbAHNhnCyw6Xm_q2DaZ-owOzQwTZoN-BWt2uKEFtv8ySo-_QtbBpNvdhAJw3sBsRJcxvq_VohWsxd6-1IjhzgSF/s640/mariachi+center.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 190px;" width="304" /></a><br />Michael explains the basic premise of this tattoo:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">In a sense, this piece is a "memorial" tattoo, although I hate to call it that. Since I grew up in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_United_States">Southwest</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_dead">Day of the Dead</a> was a regular thing, so I've always been drawn to that type of imagery, plus I like the meaning -- honoring the dead, and reminding us to live life to the fullest.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> I picked the mariachis partly because I am so into music, and partly because of the celebratory aspect of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariachi">mariachis</a>. </span></blockquote>Like many intricate tattoos with multiple elements, every part has significance. The tulips, for example, that are growing at the mariachi's feet, "are an actual heirloom varietal that I have in the garden" [and] are for my wife -- tulips are her favorite flower".<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqK3ClnntneQxWCiwiu_UvW0zNh0GNyT-SBKq6SGqQnRzcGjJbO8JlWNtylYrL1hx7rV2ZOBJeatmDMKulEGXaGEAE_4zDm76TfwTq8uCYpwOgIA6SBMYnqaWvgganF0BhxeGuYAMWnbH/s1600-h/mariachi+tulips.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285329957944922738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqK3ClnntneQxWCiwiu_UvW0zNh0GNyT-SBKq6SGqQnRzcGjJbO8JlWNtylYrL1hx7rV2ZOBJeatmDMKulEGXaGEAE_4zDm76TfwTq8uCYpwOgIA6SBMYnqaWvgganF0BhxeGuYAMWnbH/s400/mariachi+tulips.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 285px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />And the angel at the top of the piece (and the top of the post)?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qDgMdFWJL0p2zR3OjSoGUOohaqjk_YJ8wABuTHHQJbAjYV3sCqP26b2FuXDaTMlSUT0c1ye1IH2lVf0TLlpIqVonjztBFYmPSibzeN0xro1NE2Q5rvdgfNEXONdHG6PjK2cDKRuOc5rm/s1600-h/mariachi+top.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269719465230803490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qDgMdFWJL0p2zR3OjSoGUOohaqjk_YJ8wABuTHHQJbAjYV3sCqP26b2FuXDaTMlSUT0c1ye1IH2lVf0TLlpIqVonjztBFYmPSibzeN0xro1NE2Q5rvdgfNEXONdHG6PjK2cDKRuOc5rm/s400/mariachi+top.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 355px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />Michael informs us that "the angel is for my mother, who is no longer with us. The angel holds a purple iris (my mother's favorite flower), and looks down over the whole scene."<br /><br />This amazing piece was inked by <a href="http://www.doyleomite.com/">Susan Behney-Doyle</a> who works out of <a href="http://www.jinxprooftattoos.com/index.html">Jinx Proof Tattoo</a> in Washington, D.C. Mexican folk art is one of her specialties (see a gallery of her work <a href="http://www.doyleomite.com/gallerySusan.htm">here</a>) and Michael says he "gave her a few reference pieces to look at, but she basically drew it after a consultation". He continues, "we made just a couple tweaks after I saw the drawing, but it's a one-of-a-kind custom piece".<br /><br />The whole tattoo was crafted back in 2006 over a five-month, seven-session period. Michael notes that one of those sessions was devoted solely to shading the guitar. A closer look at the instrument reveals an incredible complexity of brown variations that truly makes the guitar jump off the skin.<br /><br /><i>Thanks again to Michael for sharing this amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday</i> - twice!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">This entry is ©2008, 2011 Tattoosday. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div>

Repost: Michael's Mariachis

Well, it has been a repost sort of week, and as it is All Soul's Day , a.k.a. The Day of the Dead, this only seemed fitting. It's fr...

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Repost: Eddie Graces Egghead's Shoulder

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfobeFjDbZ3erA6K29zDMS_DKUI5hyJ7Y3DDOP9bZ9OT4eL8Sak2y2aieKobUto1VhRYeRBt2uwooL95DXUFk8rrYERczqR3QsJxhNJPndBSamr7zEBuyvSUdPKw4s0yOiH7RU-FIjy8/s1600/Eddie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><i>For Halloween, I felt like re-posting a piece that appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/11/eddie-graces-eggheads-shoulder.html">here</a> back in November 2009. To date, this tattoo is in my Top 10 that has appeared on Tattoosday. Enjoy! And have a safe, happy Halloween!</i> <br /><br />I recently met a gentleman from England, along with his wife, as they were milling about outside of Madison Square Garden.<br /><br />He referred to himself as "Egghead," I'm guessing due to his bald head. I first noticed the logo for the band Slayer on the back of his calf, along with several other interesting looking tattoos. He estimated he has about a dozen tattoos.<br /><br />But, like the best Tattoosday stories, he shared this amazing tattoo on his right shoulder, hidden under a sweatshirt, which he pulled off so I could see it properly:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfobeFjDbZ3erA6K29zDMS_DKUI5hyJ7Y3DDOP9bZ9OT4eL8Sak2y2aieKobUto1VhRYeRBt2uwooL95DXUFk8rrYERczqR3QsJxhNJPndBSamr7zEBuyvSUdPKw4s0yOiH7RU-FIjy8/s1600/Eddie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfobeFjDbZ3erA6K29zDMS_DKUI5hyJ7Y3DDOP9bZ9OT4eL8Sak2y2aieKobUto1VhRYeRBt2uwooL95DXUFk8rrYERczqR3QsJxhNJPndBSamr7zEBuyvSUdPKw4s0yOiH7RU-FIjy8/s640/Eddie.jpg" width="409" /></a></div><br />That's a phenomenal piece, courtesy of his artist <a href="http://www.tattoo-bristol.co.uk/ben-boston.html">Ben Boston</a> at <a href="http://www.tattoo-bristol.co.uk/index.html">The Tattoo Studio</a> in Bristol, England.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkI3Wj2GVyefB0SlB6vi-Ye76WKihUKYaQ7Q-hfs1VHc4kadwx9WamQgz3ix_N_LJ8_A_HWrD0Io0gZpkfpmglvTiDkHasqWD8kCk8iuaWymGZdfMSFQCMYW-pjTfGyEU3fYRZ9QDk/s1600-h/tattoo+studio+t1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399832367246328066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkI3Wj2GVyefB0SlB6vi-Ye76WKihUKYaQ7Q-hfs1VHc4kadwx9WamQgz3ix_N_LJ8_A_HWrD0Io0gZpkfpmglvTiDkHasqWD8kCk8iuaWymGZdfMSFQCMYW-pjTfGyEU3fYRZ9QDk/s400/tattoo+studio+t1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYdDwMJ3o-4aZZgvG7h0LwuWvuY_Wf8NljI1rXnaab-kPQ8S26tTcchDiek0R_XbtEDEYxjCP1TkJssvrrdOnlsXZ0PkGm-x9WE6eEKwxB49diAWPARs8AET_16A566DPKYSvA1qW/s1600-h/tattoo+studio+t2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399832234993110882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYdDwMJ3o-4aZZgvG7h0LwuWvuY_Wf8NljI1rXnaab-kPQ8S26tTcchDiek0R_XbtEDEYxjCP1TkJssvrrdOnlsXZ0PkGm-x9WE6eEKwxB49diAWPARs8AET_16A566DPKYSvA1qW/s400/tattoo+studio+t2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 395px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />The tattoo is a likeness of Eddie, mascot for the band <a href="http://www.ironmaiden.com/">Iron Maiden</a>, one of the premiere metal bands that came out of England in the late 1970's/early 1980's. I won't bore the reader with the catalog of my Iron Maiden fandom, but it certainly made the tattoo even that more wonderful for me.<br /><br />I even had a nice chat with Egghead and his wife about concerts we had attended.<br /><br />I thank Egghead for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2009, 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>

Repost: Eddie Graces Egghead's Shoulder

For Halloween, I felt like re-posting a piece that appeared here back in November 2009. To date, this tattoo is in my Top 10 that has appea...

Read more »