Tattoos

[Kyle]

Obviously, y'all know I don't have a problem with them. I have highly visible tattoos on my forearms that I only cover when I'm in court or meeting with a client, and another on my shoulder that I got twenty five years ago. Our family loves them- my wife has several and we're both going to get tattoos to commemorate our upcoming class trip to Mexico with five other homeschool families (all the parents going on the trip are getting similar-themed Mayan tattoos). Even my 16 year old daughter traveled to Taos NM so she could legally get a tattoo on her back.

I remember Mike- probably about six months ago- say on the podcast that he'd like a tattoo, but at this stage of his life, is that really something that you start? To which I say-- yes it is. You should reconsider, Mike.

All of that said, I've also noticed that the stigma attached to tattoos is rapidly diminishing each year. They've become so widespread, it's hard to be disgusted by everyone that has a tattoo- but that doesn't stop some people from trying.

So here's your tattoo role call- who has them?

[Phoebe]

Dude I don't even have pierced ears. I'm pretty tame. I do have a nice chunk of pencil lead in my thigh, after plunging it in there during a tumble down a flight of stairs with a cello. The cello emerged unscathed, which is the important thing. I like the idea of just carving a thing into your flesh and letting the scar serve as the mark, but maybe less attractive.

[Mrs.Darcs]

Not my thing, but one of my besties has one in my honor...does that count?

[Kyle]

[Cazmonster]

I really need to bite the bullet and get my caffeine and my Fibonacci spiral tats.

[bralbovsky]

Nothing intentional. No piercings, no ink.
About 150 stitches and a small scar from a childhood gunfight I lost. (pellet, belly) might as well have been pencil lead.
Just figured my messages to self, etc were too evanescent to commit to permanent marker. Come to think of it, I don't write on myself in the typical teenager way either.

[Phoebe]

[Bonefish]

I have four, all done by myself.

1st: inside left ankle. Iron Cross, with wreath and scroll underneath with the letters "Hugh". It was just an image that came to mind easily, and I felt like commerating my Granfather.

2nd: Right inside calf. Rebel Flag, with a skull, and two crossed bongs. Kinda a play on the death's head. One day I might get the letters "Tokkenkoff" on it. Totenkopf is german for "the skull of a deadman" and specifically refers to the classic skull and crossbones, an insignia adopted by the Black Brunswickers of Napoleonic War fame, and later much used by everyone's favorite villains.

3rd: eft inside calf. The Eagle of Royal Prussia. It's a stylized german eagle, with a crown around it's neck, and an armored arm with a sword in it. It's the heraldry of the part of Prussia that was held directly by the Polish King, rather than administered as a fief of poland by the Tuetonic Order.

4th: Left shin. A Teutonic Knight with a heater shield and lance. It was a beast to do, and is a bit faded.

Now ya'll can identify my body!

[Kyle]

Yay! But seriously, dude- you'll have to die in Texas. I'm not driving for that shit.

Caz- what the caffeine tat? Molecular or chemistry symbol?

[akiva]

I don't have any; don't want any on me. But I like a lot of tattoos, including several on my wife. And after watching Ink Master, I see how talented the artists really are.

[Zen]

I don't have any tattoos (or piercings) and have no real desire to have any. I don't have anything against them, I just don't think that I'm a good candidate for one. Somehow I feel that Fibromyialgia and getting a tattoo just sounds like a bad combination. (Let's see... I have hypersensitivity to pain in general, even if I have a higher threshold for the level of pain I can tolerate as the "I can deal with this" level of pain... I have spots on my body where, if you press even lightly, it will hurt far more that one would expect [tender points]... There are other spots where if you press I will feel pain in another area of my body [trigger points/referred pain]... Even getting my blood pressure taken generally hurts a lot... Yeah... I don't think I want someone taking a needle and injecting ink under my skin for an extended period of time!)

My son's girlfriend has gotten a couple recently and they are pretty cool, though her second one had "shading" and she swore after getting it done that she is only EVER getting line art in the future. The multiple needles doing the shading was evidently excruciating. (She might have fibro or something like it, actually...) I think the one she got on her foot was a vine with leaves or something, then the new one, on the back of her shoulder with shading, was a neuron... Yes, a neuron! She is studying biological neuro-psychology and is THAT kind of nerd! I love that girl like she was my own daughter!

If my daughter doesn't get a tattoo at some point in her life I will be shocked... SHOCKED I tell you! For now, she is too young. I'm not telling her that in a couple of months she could go to New Mexico and get one...

[Mike]

Yeah, I like tattoos, and I've thought about it plenty, but it's not THAT big a deal to me. Any time I start to consider it, I think, yeah... but I've got better uses for that money.

[El Jefe]

I've had plans for three of them. I chicken out every single time I get close to doing it. Between the aspect of letting folks see me shirtless and just the thought of what happens to a tattoo as I age and weight fluctuates...yeah, I'll stick with chicken shit.

[poorpete]

I can only see myself getting a tattoo if I'm in mourning. Then again, I have been in mourning before and not once have I considered it.

I keep thinking, if I was a teenager getting a tattoo it'd probably be a GOP elephant (we all rebel in our own ways). If I was ten, it'd be of Hulk Hogan or Bill Cosby. Haven't figured anything that I'm sure 10, 20, 40 years I won't be ashamed to have etched on my body.

I was thinking kids names would be a safe bet. I'd prefer even then, is to design, create, and wear temporary tattoos. Temporary tattoos: they are silly, they don't hurt, and are around for a perfect amount of time.

Roger Ebert (hmmm, an Ebert tattoo... nah) once called Mad Dog Time, "" For me, skin is a beautiful blank screen and I have seen very few tattoos that improved on it.

[Phoebe]

[Mrs.Darcs]

[Cazmonster]

[Kyle]

That's fucking awesome. I want to think of molecules to get tattooed with.

[El Jefe]

I'd recommend the molecule for cream cheese icing.

[Cazmonster]

That is one of the volatile molecules that makes bacon smell meaty.