Travis Barker has made a lasting tribute to his late friend and musical partner DJ AM: a memorial tattoo honoring the DJ.

Barker posted a photo of the thigh tattoo to his Twitter account on Thursday. The nearly hip-to-knee piece reads “In Memory Of” in cursive, with AM’s signature lightning bolt logo floating in a bank of clouds that have sunbeams streaming out of them. The image also incorporates a weeping angel whose head is ringed by a beaming halo.

The tat was finished on Thursday night by body artist to the stars Mister Cartoon. He’s no stranger to inking Barker, having given the Blink-182 drummer a wrist tattoo of his daughter’s name last year.

Barker and AM survived a 2008 plane crash in South Carolina that took the lives of four people. AM (born Adam Goldstein) died last August of an accidental drug overdose after struggling with a relapse in the aftermath of the crash.

The drummer will take the stage with DJ A-Trak in Hollywood for performances next Tuesday and Wednesday. The shows will be Barker’s first live performances with a DJ since AM’s death.

“When Travis hollered, I was definitely flattered,” said A-Trak. “We started by jamming once, back in the fall, just came over to the studio, and we did, like, one hour of jamming, which we thought was maybe a half an hour.

“I just started playing records and scratching, and he was playing on top, and it went really, really naturally,” A-Trak continued. “It was very fluid. And we stopped and looked at the watch, and it was like, ‘Oh, we’ve been playing for an hour and didn’t even realize it.’ And I think that solidified for both of us in our minds that we could do this pretty easily.”

Barker and A-Trak will perform each other’s remixes as well as some new collaborations.

Thanks MTV

AZTEC — Rhonda Sigler and Jesse Crowley of Ancient Arts Tattoo Studio were set on tattooing people for 10 hours straight Saturday and they did it all for the proposed new animal shelter.

They planned to donate all proceeds from the 9 a.m. to

7 p.m. tattoo marathon to the regional animal shelter that would more than double the size of the one on Lake Street that Farmington city officials say is overcrowded.

“I love cats and dogs, so it’s an easy choice,” Sigler said.

“We do well enough,” she added. “The lights are on, the bills are paid. So we’d like to give a little back.”

The tattoo marathon was the latest in a number of fundraisers held by businesses to fund the proposed $7.6 million animal shelter.

Ancient Arts had collected more than $460 in donations by early afternoon and had more customers to go.

Skulls and guns, a New Orleans Saints logo and paw prints were some of the tattoos given. A KRWN radio DJ who broadcasted the marathon was given a tattoo on air.

The radio station also donated airtime for advertising promoting the cause, Sigler said.

Sigler hopes a larger animal shelter will give animals a better chance at being adopted before they are put down.

Artists tried to limit the time they spent on customers to one hour so they could tattoo more people.

Eric Stires was getting a tattoo associated with rock band Iron Maiden, his third tattoo. He planned to pay $80 for the tattoo, all of it funding the shelter, along with an

additional $20 donation.”Not a lot of businesses would donate all their proceeds like this,” Stires said about Ancient Arts. “Other businesses should be willing to do that.”

Stires used to go to the Farmington Animal Shelter with his father. He recalls seeing animals in a few cramped cages.

He hopes to take his son someday to a new, spacious shelter.

Ancient Arts also accepted donations in jars from people who didn’t want tattoos.

The tattoo artists did it all without caffeine: It makes their hands unstable. Crowley’s enjoyment of tattooing and the satisfaction of funding the proposed animal shelter kept him going, however.

Victoria Ulibarri was getting a four-leaf clover tattooed on her foot. The tattoo commemorates the life of her father who died recently. He was born on St. Patrick’s Day.

“This is definitely not my first (tattoo) and it won’t be my last,” Ulibarri said.

Ulibarri has two pet boxers, one named Dalilah and another, Ace.

“I feel for those animals,” she said about those in the Farmington Animal Shelter.

Kelly Jeffery and his wife, Chawmarie, brought a grill and charcoal for hot dogs served at the marathon.

The couple owns 11 cattle, four cats, three horses, a dog and “whatever else lives in the barn,” Kelly Jeffrey said.

The regional animal shelter could use as much donations as possible because the current one is insufficient, he said.

“This new project is going to change all that,” he said.

Thanks DailyTimes

A GLASWEGIAN has become one of the first Scots to sport a tattoo that could save his life.

The tattoos can be used to give vital medical information in an emergency about conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy which might require special care.

Colin Sutherland, 25, may be one of the first in the country with such a tattoo, telling everyone he is a type 1 or insulin dependent diabetic.

The electrical engineer from Tradeston got the idea after passing out from a couple of hypoglycaemic attacks and having seen the TV programme “Miami Ink” about tattoo artists in the Florida city.

He said: “I had medical bracelets before and one got stolen and I thought, ‘Well I’ll always be diabetic’. I’m a big fan of things that are unique and have other tattoos.

“It’s a back-up if something happens to me -if you check my pulse, you will see it. Someone can steal a bracelet but nobody is going to cut your arm off.

“It will help if I go to the pub and get a hard time for carrying needles, and for airport security.

“It’s both medical and loud and proud.

“And if they ever find a cure, I can just add the date I was cured under the tattoo.”

He added: “My parents are not too keen on tattoos but didn’t have a problem with this one.”

Colin, who trains four days a week as a mixed martial artist, said he has not heard of others in Scotland with such tattoos, though examples of similar ones can be found particularly from US websites.

Billy Hay, of Custom Inc tattoo studio in Glasgow said he had yet to see a medical tattoo but they would happily try to come up with a design for a customer.

He said: “I’ve heard of people getting these done but not seen it. It would need to be a really basic and easy-to-read design to work.”

While some US designs have “diabetic” or other tattoos on the upper arm or chest, Colin made sure to put the 2-inch long design facing out. If he was unconscious, it could be easily read by someone else.

Jim Dorman, training manager with St Andrew’s Ambulance, said while they would not advise Scots to get tattoos, having identification for a serious medical condition is important.

He said: “We train 20,000 people a year to look for bracelets and even on the back of watches and we will need to advise them that tattoos are a growing trend. This is the first time I have heard of a medical tattoo in the UK.

“It’s very important to have identifying information to help first aiders or responders or emergency services.”

Advice from US tattoo experts warns people to be in good health before getting a medical tattoo to ensure healing and prevent infection.

Thanks TheGlaswegian

There are countless reasons people get tattoos. Some do it to remember a loved one or help deal with a painful memory. Others note their affiliation with a school, a gang or a mindset.

Recently, however, the motivating factor for going under the needle was to help cats, dogs and rabbits in need. Insight Studios held a two-day event in which all funds raised from tattooing or piercing were donated to the Red Door Animal Shelter, a no-kill facility committed to helping cats, dogs and rabbits in need.

“I’ve always had an affinity for animals and animal shelters,” said Insight Studios owner Bob Jones, before revealing the tattoo of his cat, Indy, that covers his right calf. “(During this event) people know that their money isn’t just going to the tattoo shop.”

On the third weekend of each month, this progressive tattoo/piercing parlor at 1062 N. Milwaukee Ave. donates its proceeds to a charity. One event was titled Tats for Cats, with the funds directed to the Tree House Humane Society. Jones, 35, also has donated profits to the American Lung Association and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

Jones said that first-timers are more inclined to go under the needle if there’s the added altruistic aspect.

Some of the shop’s customers for the recent charitable event were tattoo and piercing veterans with soft spots for furry critters. To ensure her money went to the animals, Joan Pinnell, 25, rescheduled an appointment to enlarge her nose ring to that day.

Brandon Hansen, 29, was getting his fifth tattoo, a penny-farthing, an old-school bicycle, on his abdomen. “I’m a huge animal person,” he said, adding that he is happy to know that his $250 fee would house a homeless pet.

Among the customers were employees and volunteers at the shelter. Matt Gannon, who manages the Red Door, was getting a Celtic crest with his son’s name, Kai, on his left bicep. “For a lot of people, animals are like their children,” he said while the needle buzzed into his flesh. “My son is kind of like an animal.”

Nearby, shelter volunteer Kate Walpole was getting a rabbit inked onto her lower right leg. “This was really good timing,” she said. “I wanted to get a second tattoo and this is a fun way to help the shelter out.”

All told, Jones said, the studio tattooed and pierced some 49 customers over the course of two days, raising $2,163 for Red Door. Aside from the normal designs of mermaids and family crests, there was an unusually large number of requests for rabbits.

Insight Studios’ artists tattooed cartoonish, fluffy bunnies nestled into thatches of grass and realistic hares. One customer wanted the bizarre rabbit from the film “Donnie Darko.” Another requested a rabbit wearing an apron and holding a cake.

“We don’t buy into any of the stereotypes of tattoo parlors,” said Jones, whose business looks more like a doctor’s office than a typical ink shop. (They hand out Blow Pops to customers to help ease the sting of the needle.) “The image has changed, as it should.”

Case in point: While this tattoo studio inked dozens of different styles of bunnies onto customers’ bodies this weekend, the Playboy logo wasn’t one of them

Thanks ChicagoTribune

Thanks Asylum

During the assault, which took place over the course of several hours, the man was hit by a baseball bat, punched and kicked. Officers said several people were involved in the attack.

Police said the 18-year-old was also assaulted with a tattoo gun and has been left with one word on his forehead.

“One of the men also allegedly assaulted the man with a tattoo gun, by forcefully tattooing a word on the man’s forehead,” New South Wales police said in a statement.

Police refused to reveal what the tattoo said.

Officers said that the assault took place when the victim visited a house in the suburb of Albion Park Rail at 3.30am on Feb 23.

Following the assault the teenager was treated in hospital for serious injuries.

A 34-year-old man has been arrested over the attack and charged with wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, and supplying and possessing illegal drug. He was refused bail. Four other people, aged between 28 and 30, have been charged in connection with the incident.

Thanks telegraph

So you know Cash Money Records CEO/ Lil Wayne’s pa, Birdman is in love with tattoos and has tons of ink art on his body. Last week we posted the picture of Birdman’s newest tattoo, another red star on his head. There was only one picture showing Birdman’s tattoo from one angle, but luckily for you, someone took a bunch of pictures of Birdman’s domepiece at Lil Wayne’s farewell party and got a real good look at the stars. Check out Birdman’s tattoos below!

Global Grind

When a 14-year-old gets a haircut or a manicure in Florida, the barber or nail technician is licensed, has completed relevant training and passed tests dealing with sanitation and health safety issues.

But when that same 14-year-old gets a tattoo, the artist who punctures their skin and injects ink that leaves permanent markings is not required to have any training or credentials whatsoever.

That lack of training can result in bad tattoos, scarring and infections, say those in the industry. Risks of infection are so high that would-be blood donors in Florida, unlike in some states, must wait a year after being tattooed before they can donate blood.

Another problem is that children often receive tattoos in shops without their parents’ consent, which the law requires.

That is so common that the vast majority of tattoo-related complaints to the Duval County Health Department are from parents who discover a tattoo on their child.

Cheryl Ellis, the environmental supervisor who fields those calls, says she has to explain that she has no enforcement authority over tattoo shops, except for their disposal of biomedical waste, such as needles.

“They call me all upset, find out we can’t do anything and then they really blow their gasket,” she said. “I tell them to call their legislator.”
(more…)

An ex-Royal Marine was told to cover up his regimental tattoo by security staff at Heathrow on the grounds that other passengers might find it “offensive”. Paul Fairclough, a former medic with the 539 Assault Squadron, was left feeling “angry and insulted” after an over-zealous female security operator objected to his 12-inch dagger tattoo. She told him it was airport “policy” to require all tattoos showing offensive weapons to be covered up and she couldn’t make an exception for regimental insignia. The fact that the 29-year-old had risked his life while serving his country in Kosovo and Iraq made no difference to her.

When Fairclough complained to a supervisor he was told that the official in question had made a mistake and that the “policy” didn’t apply to regimental tattoos, but he offered no apology.

“I was left feeling insulted, angry and incensed,” said the ex-soldier. “I served my country and lost mates who were blown-up in Iraq. I am proud of my service with the Royal Marines and this left a bitter taste in my mouth.”

This story is the reductio ad absurdum of our absurdly over-sensitive culture. It won’t be long before women are banned from wearing short skirts on the grounds that Muslim men might find the sight of their knees offensive. Indeed, I was once in a restaurant when the manager asked the woman I was having lunch with to stop breast-feeding her baby on the grounds that some of the other diners might find it “offensive”. Luckily, I knew the owner and was able to clear the matter up with a quick phone call. Seconds later, the manager apologised and sent over a bottle of champagne.

What is so infuriating about these petty little martinets is that the sensitivities they claim to be protecting are largely imaginary. If I was passenger on the plane Paul Fairclough was attempting to board I wouldn’t be “offended” by his regimental tattoo. On the contrary, I’d be extremely pleased. I’d think to myself, “If this plane gets hijacked, at least there’ll be one person on board who’s man enough to do something about it.”

Thanks Teloegraph

OGDEN — Police are looking for a man whose face is tattooed to look like a clown following an Ogden home burglary.

The suspect, whom police identify as Tony Alexander Pete, 43, has “clown eyes and a clown mouth” tattooed on his face and goes by the name “Happy,” said Lt. Scott Sangberg.

Police say a man was asleep inside his apartment on the 400 block of 21st Street around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday when he was awakened by two men who said they were police officers.

The victim told officers he recognized Pete, who is an acquaintance and recently stayed in his home for a few days. Police are now looking for Pete, who is recognizable by his distinctive look.

Pete also reportedly has a warrant out for his arrest in another case.

Sangberg said the victim told officers Pete and another man tried to wrap him up in a blanket to keep him from escaping during the burglary. He was able to get away and run to a neighbor’s house to call 911.

The victim said the duo took his personal computer. He could provide only a vague description of the other suspect.