Two years ago, I went to Cambodia.  It was an amazing place for many reasons, but the capital city of Phnom Penh, in particular, was like something out of the old west.  As friendly as the people were, there was an overwhelming feeling that something, read: anything, could go down at any time.  Had I known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have hesitated to say that there is a palpable feeling of magic in Cambodia.  Exactly what sort, it’s hard to say.

The truth is however, that Cambodia is a place where the notion of magic is no laughing matter.  Though not as regularly practiced today, in earlier years and particularly during the Pol Pot regime and the subsequent Cambodian civil war, resistance fighters received highly detailed tattoos which were believed to bless the soldiers with special, magic abilities.

“The list of powers that supposedly come with the tattoos is long and includes: imperviousness to bullets, anti-landmine protection, invisibility, an amplified voice to address troops and “great gravity” magic to make one’s fists into heavier, deadlier weapons.”

As a soldier, it’s probably the best thing you can ask for.  Anti-landmine protection for one, has got to come in serious handy.  The tattoos are of course, done by magic men, or magic tattoo artists, and they are done by hand.  A handle about 30-centimeters long is supplied with two syringes at the end.  The tattoos are written in two different languages: Sanskrit or Pali.  The magic itself, is based in Buddhist belief and in order for the spells to properly work, a strict manner of behaviour must be adhered to.  Amongst the rules: no murder, no stealing, no committing adultery, be sure to pray and burn incense and recite magical mantras.

These days the magic spells don’t seem to stick as well, as the old magic tattoo artists claim the new generations smoke and drink and chase women too much.  It is a dying tradition now in Cambodia, with very few of the original magic tattoo artists performing their craft.  Still, it can be found amongst the new school of tattoo artists, but somehow, it just doesn’t seem the same.  At any rate, this sort of tattoo work is without a doubt, amongst some of the most interesting tattoo forms to be found.

I tend to find it very interesting when people get corporate logos or the produced goods of corporations tattooed on their bodies.  Incidentally, Billy the Billboard, you fascinate me.  Tattooing those company advertisements on your body is gutsy stuff as far as I am concerned.  And yet, Billy’s level of corporate tattooing is understandable because Billy is no doubt, getting some nice cash for his tattoo advertising.  Even that guy who got the iPhone tattooed on him several months back did it in order to win a contest and thereby received some sort of financial or product compensation for his efforts.

However, when someone tattoos a product or a corporate logo on their body simply because they really enjoy that product or corporation…well, that just baffles me.  Enter one Steven Smith, aka “The Zune Tattoo Guy”, aka “MSZuneFan”.  Previously, Smith had become internet fodder when his first Zune tattoo in honour of Microsoft’s Mp3/iPod wannabe/hand held electronic thing, impressed no one and made blog message boards across the internet universe light up with mockery and disdain.  That mockery and disdain only escalated when Smith proceeded to get two more tattoos in honour of Microsoft’s Zune gadget.  One tattoo displayed Microsoft’s catchphrase “Welcome to the Social”.  The other was of the Microsoft “Share Bunny”.  It does indeed seem like a cheap cry for attention or that at the very least, it was done in hopes of gaining something nice and green from Microsoft.  Not so, says Steve Smith:

“All three tattoos were done in love of the Zune and I was never promised anything before getting any of the tattoos.”

Alas, it was not to be all rainbows and cupcakes.  After a fallout with the second generation 80GB and 120GB Zunes, Steve Smith began to regret his Microsoft themed tattoos.  That’s like, you know, really too bad.  Really too bad.  I mean, Steven Smith was just a practical guy who loved his Zune and even considered legally changing his name to Microsoft Zune.  Why?  I don’t know.  Maybe he wanted to do the furthest possible things from both sane and cool that he could come up with.  What a doozy that would have been!  But with the fallout over the newer Zune products and the realization that Microsoft didn’t actually want him to be named Microsoft Zune, Smith wasn’t happy.  He wanted to get rid of those tattoos.

So what did Steve Smith do?  He covered up (sort of) one of his Zune tattoos with a tattoo of Dick Cheney as the devil.  Another sound tattoo decision.  Smith says there might still be hope for him to change his mind about the Microsoft Zune however, so until then, the world will just have to hold its breath in anticipation.

What do over 80 tattoos, Harley Davidson motorcycles, over 1,700 pounds of big tough looking muscle, and a love of animals have in common? If you guessed an outlaw motorcycle club, you guessed wrong. If you guessed a group of tattoo loving tough guys who can’t stand to see animals abused, then you probably already know about Rescue Ink, and their new show on National Geographic premiering this month.

Now, I can’t stand to see animals abused myself. It’s made my blood boil, and gotten me into a few scraps in my time. Still, it’s good to see that I’m not alone in this, as well as discovering a group of stand up guys who feel the same, and aren’t afraid to do something about it.

As group leader Joe Panz states, “If you don’t like us from the way we look, we can’t help that. But, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, so stay out of the way.”

Formed a few years ago by eight friends, (now ten), who met at various hot rod and motorcycle events, these tough guys found that they each shared one huge thing in common. A love for animals, and a righteous indignation at seeing them abused. (A problem that seemed to run rampant in NYC.) They then formed Rescue Ink, and the rest, as they say is history.

Simply stated their mission and reason for forming is:

“We met because we were all doing the same thing on our spare time: rescuing and finding homes for abandoned and abused animals. None of us did it for money; we did it because we cannot stand by while anyone mistreats an animal!”

“We will stop at nothing within the bounds of the law to protect animals at risk. We will intercede without hesitation when we are informed of a situation that needs to be addressed, and we will address it. If we need to convince people to do the right thing … we can be very convincing, we’ll even buy animals if that’s what it takes to get them away from abusers.”

If, like me, you can not stand the thought of animal abuse, Rescue Ink has several ways you can make a difference on their website:

Rescue Ink Hotline is manned 24/7:

“ If you know or suspect cases of animal abuse, find abandoned animals, or have animals that you are no longer able to care for, please call the Rescue Ink™ Hotline at
1-800-510-7355.”

A slew of programs:

The Puppy Mill Consumer Awareness Program
Companion Outreach Services
The School Visitation Initiative
The Animal Housing Workshop
Rescue Ink™ Animal Advocates
The Pit Bull Awareness Program

Their own volunteer program, and pets for adoption through Pet Finder.com.

Check out the guy’s website for more information, and give their show a look. I know I will.

Peace out, Gang! 😉

Image ©Rescue Ink. Org 2009

An eye-popping, jaw-dropping carnival designed for the 21st century. Each weekend long extravaganza delivers sensory stimulating events and attractions including onsite tattooing by Premier Tattoo Artists, over 30 Bands, Celebrity DJ’s , Celebrity Appearances, the Miss Tattoo Pageant, Submission Ink Grappling Tournament, Midget Wrestling, Roller Derby Girls, Tattoo Contests, Guitar Wars, and much more. Experience all Rock The Ink has to offer – Beautiful Women, Motorcycle Displays, Daily Giveaways, Five-Star Vendors, Family Fun, After Parties and Chances to Win Free Stuff. So arrive early and stay late, you won’t want to miss a thing.
ROCK THE INK HOTLINE NUMBER: 505-414-7516

As I have stated in a previous post. I love helping people and doing what I can to make the world a better place. I also have another side of me that is  what you might call naughty. I enjoy watching porn who doesn’t right? About a week after I got my MinkaXXX.com Tattoo Advertisement on my forehead I got my newest tattoo advertisement, this one was for MrPinks.com. Here is a link to photos of my newest tattoo Advertisements.
http://www.checkoutmyink.com/tattoos/billythebillboard/tattoo-advertisement-mrpinks-com

MrPinks.com is one of the oldest and established porn review sites on the net filled with honest and humorous adult site reviews. Before you sign up to an adult site, make sure you check out MrPinks.com first. This website has really helped me with all my porn needs it truly has. This tattoo advertisement is my 10th so far. I will be getting number 11 on Tuesday for LoveEvelyn.com.
The video is of me getting my tattoo advertisement for Grownupgeek.com.

I’ve never been to Texas, but I’ve heard great things about the city of Austin.  Being the curious chap that I am, I decided that hey, maybe Austin’s tattoo scene is worth looking into as well.  Well, I wasn’t disappointed. There are numerous great tattoo artists working in the Austin area, one of which is Michael Norris.

Norris tattoos at Austin’s Southside Tattoo, as well as maintaining the Hub Tattoo website.  He’s taken his skills on the road since becoming at tattoo artist in 1995, working in locales as diverse as Europe and Asia along the way.  His work has also appeared in the August 2008 issue of International Tattoo Art Magazine, and for good reason.

While looking through Norris’ gallery of colour tattoos, I was sufficiently impressed.  That is, until I decided to check out his black and grey work and well…wow.  Norris’ biography on the Southside Tattoo website states that Michael’s specialty is:

“…versatility, applied in designs that complement the underlying body forms of the recipient.”

Looking at Norris’ work, I agree 100% with that statement.  A truly good tattoo artist understands the contours, advantages and disadvantages of the flesh on different body types and uses them to enhance their artistry.  Michael Norris is that sort of artist.  For me, it’s his black and grey work that really illustrates his smooth and clean style.  Unfortunately I can’t place the photo on the blog because it belongs to a Flicker slideshow, but check out the second tattoo on this slide show (the sleeve) to see what I mean.

Gorgeous work, Michael, and all the more reason for me to take that first trip to Texas.

Patrick Swayze, whose hunky good looks and sympathetic performances in such films as “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost” made him a romantic idol to millions, died Monday. He was 57.

Swayze had been battling Pancreatic Cancer for the last 20 months.

This Tattoo image comes from:

Fikcle Little Machine

Science has turned its big headed, thick eyeglassed attention to tattoos recently in the land down under.  A new study out of the Universtity of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia has taken a small yet interesting look at the psychology behind tattoo and body modification.  The results are well, kind of odd.

After surveying 115 different tattoo convention attendees, body modification enthusiasts and university students about tattoos and body modification, the study found that some 25% of those who underwent body modification of some sort, were in fact highly stressed and anxious people.  The study also found that the main reasons for body modifications were individuality and beauty.

Let’s just slow down a minute here though, because I have a couple of problems with this survey.  Now, I don’t know if it’s the fault of the survey itself or of the news source which I’m getting this information from (although I’m far more likely to blame the latter), but this “study” seems very vague to me.  The article in question initially mentions tattoos and body modification as two separate procedures, but then goes on to confuse me by seemingly blending both procedures under the blanket grouping of body modification.

“Researcher Jen Black said some people used self-harm behaviour to help cope with strong emotions or to feel emotions.

“It is possible that piercing and other modifications could serve a similar, more socially acceptable function for some individuals,” she said.

Ms Black said there were some indicators that people motivated by addiction had more body piercings.

“We are exploring the possibility that piercings may then lead to other more extreme forms of body modifications such as scarification and body suspension,” she said.”

Call me stupid, but it really seems to me that tattooing doesn’t really fit in to any of what Ms Black was speaking of.  Piercing, scarification and body suspension all made the list, but what about tattooing?

My next problem with all this is that a study done on 115 different people seems like a small group from which to determine the psychological makeup of the people who get tattoos and piercings done, does it not?  I, like all of you reading this, have many friends who are tattooed.  I also know and have met many people who are tattooed as well as being tattooed myself, and I don’t know, maybe it’s because I live on the west coast, but I honestly have found that the mellowest, most laid back people I know all have some sort of tattoo or piercing.  Am I suggesting that I know more than science?  No.  Am I claiming that a tattoo or piercing makes someone mellow?  No.  But I call ’em as I see ’em and I’m telling the truth when I say that I don’t know many uptight and stressed people with tattoos.  I just don’t.

But hey, that’s just my experience.  Who am I to question science, right?  Still, it kind of irks me that such a small study like this has taken place and is placed in the news as though it is fact.

Damn it, now I’m all stressed…time to go hang by my rib cage from the meat hooks I installed in my garage.  Stupid science.  Later dudes.

First off I would like to say that this is not typical behavior from Canadian tattoo artists. They happen to be some of the most conscientious artists working today. But I do have to ask myself, “WTF is going on in Edmonton?!”

Around three months ago Tattoo Blog reported the closing of Zipps Tattoo studio for unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Now most of us would pass this off as a singular event. I mean there are, and probably always will be, bad apples in any profession. As the Latin phrase goes, “Caveat emptor.” Let the buyer beware. But in the case of the art of tattoo this is your health we’re talking about.

Now it seems that a second tattoo studio, Beauty Salon Concept Tattoo and Body Piercing store in Northgate Center, has been closed within a three month period for the exact same violations. You would think that after all the publicity surrounding Zipps closing any artists there would have cleaned up their act. Assuming of course they were practicing the same unsanitary techniques.

According to Alberta Health Services’ Jason MacDonald the studio in question was using single use needles, but they were putting those needles into tubes that had been used on the previous collector! Damn! They might as well have used the same needle! That’s akin to trying to put out a forest fire by pissing kerosene on it!

“You’re putting a clean needle into a dirty tube,” MacDonald said, noting that 120 people who went to the salon for tattoos and piercings are being advised to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C.

The risk of infection is low, but MacDonald said he closed the tattoo and piercing store immediately after walking through its doors and seeing hairs on countertops, dried ink from previous clients on equipment, a broken hand sink and an inadequate sterilization machine. Clamps and forceps used to hold skin or tongues during piercings were stored in dirty drawers.

In case you didn’t know, MacDonald is the same inspector who closed Zipps in June of this year, but there is a slight difference.

The health concerns at Northgate’s Beauty Salon were more a result of ignorance than blatant attempts to hide from inspectors, as was the case with Zipp’s, MacDonald said.
“Zipp had 30 years in the industry and knew better.”

Now before you get the wrong idea about Edmonton, and the fine artists who work hard in that area, I do want you to know. Edmonton tattoo artists are known to go that extra mile to ensure that their establishments are clean and completely health conscious. Most of them will even contact the health department when they are opening, or remodeling their studio. Something that they are not required to do by law.

“This is a safe industry locally,” said MacDonald, who supports a move among local tattoo artists and body piercers to create an association that would provide information to the public and education to industry members. “I have 100-per-cent confidence in the studios open today.”

I agree 100%. However, let this stand as a warning to the clients out there. Never allow an artist to touch you until you have seen him open both needle, and tube, from sterile, sealed autoclaved packages with your own eyes. Most of us are not offended, and I never assembled my machines until the client was in the chair. I wanted them to see the whole procedure, just so they would know I was doing all I could to safeguard them. Most artists are the same way. We want you to know we are thinking about you, and your tattoo first and foremost.

Also, use a bit of common sense. If the place is dirty looking, why would you expect the tattoo to be clean? If they don’t give a shit whether their studio is clean it’s a safe bet they don’t give a shit whether your tattoo is sterile, or not.

Keep it safe, Gang. 😉