Audiences at the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be treated to breathtaking fly-pasts each night.
Brigadier Melville Jameson, chief executive and producer of the Tattoo, has unveiled the dazzling festival line-up.
A 1000-strong cast of pipers, drummers, fiddlers, singers and dancers has been drafted in for the big event.
The Edinburgh Castle spectacle will this year pay tribute to the RAF and D-Day veterans.
The Red Arrows will perform an exciting fly-past during at least one performance, with the RAF covering the rest.
A record breaking 220,000 are expected to flock to the esplanade and up to 500 million people to watch it on TV.
However, organisers have attracted criticism from supporters of Tibet for inviting the Chinese People's Liberation Army to perform at the event from August 6 to 28.
Protesters angry at China's occupation of their country have staged a series of demos in Edinburgh.
Brigadier Jameson said he expects more demonstrations outside the castle during the event, but added: "We will meet all the necessary precautions in terms of that."
A police spokesman said precautions were also in place for any possible terrorist attack. Audiences at the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be treated to breathtaking fly-pasts each night.
Brigadier Melville Jameson, chief executive and producer of the Tattoo, has unveiled the dazzling festival line-up.
A 1000-strong cast of pipers, drummers, fiddlers, singers and dancers has been drafted in for the big event.
The Edinburgh Castle spectacle will this year pay tribute to the RAF and D-Day veterans.
The Red Arrows will perform an exciting fly-past during at least one performance, with the RAF covering the rest.
A record breaking 220,000 are expected to flock to the esplanade and up to 500 million people to watch it on TV.
However, organisers have attracted criticism from supporters of Tibet for inviting the Chinese People's Liberation Army to perform at the event from August 6 to 28.
Protesters angry at China's occupation of their country have staged a series of demos in Edinburgh.
Brigadier Jameson said he expects more demonstrations outside the castle during the event, but added: "We will meet all the necessary precautions in terms of that."

www.eveningtimes.co.uk

Just weeks after South Carolina legislators lifted a 40 year ban on tattooing, North Myrtle Beach leaders are trying to set some limits.

The North Myrtle Beach Planning Commission approved a change to the city's zoning ordinance that would only allow tattoo parlors in industrial areas.

The Sun-News reports officials want to keep tattoo parlors away from churches, schools and parks.

Artists like Ralph Leonard were happy about the ban being lifted. Leonard had planned to move his parlor from Brunswick County to his home in South Carolina.

The North Myrtle Beach City Council still must approve the zoning change.

www.wect.com

ORGANISERS of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo were today braced for protests at this year’s extravaganza after a controversial Chinese military band was confirmed in the final line-up for the showpiece event.

The People’s Liberation Army’s band will perform a mix of traditional Chinese music, marching and dance, with a leading Beijing dance troupe at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.

Spectacular gymnastics set to the soundtrack of the movie Gladiator, Australian Highland dancers, dazzling displays of Indian dancing and Zulu rhythms from South Africa are all set to captivate the crowds at this year’s Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

But although three bands from the Royal Air Force, a precision drill squad and an RAF flypast will also take centre stage at the RAF-themed extravaganza, it is the presence of the PLA’s 80-strong military band that is likely to command most attention.

Campaigners against the group’s presence had called for the band to be booted out of the programme amid claims they are a "symbol of brutality" and warnings that performances could be disrupted throughout the run of the Tattoo, from August 6-28.

But the event’s producer, Brigadier Melville Jameson, said he had "absolutely no regrets" about the decision to include the PLA band, and added that the invitation would be "good for democracy" in China, where the BBC broadcast of the Tattoo is expected to be shown before around 500 million people.

He added: "I am absolutely convinced that we are doing the right thing in terms of engaging with China and it is similar to the work that the Government is doing at the moment."

The PLA band is billed as a "show-stopping" attraction at this year’s Tattoo and is appearing in the UK for the very first time.

Among the other highlights of this year’s show will be the Cheraw Cultural Dance Troup from Mizoram in north-east India, who will stage displays with bamboo canes.

The South African Navy Band from Cape Town will use an array of unusual instruments during their performance, which will feature traditional Kudu water buffalo horns.

The all-girl Estonian gymnastic troupe Club Piruett will perform their dazzling routines to music from Gladiator while the Tattoo Company of Highland Dancers is to join forces with Australia’s OzScot Highland Dancers to perform a display of "contemporary Highland dance".

Breathtaking precision drill is promised from the Queen’s Colour Squadron of the RAF, while each evening there will be a dramatic flypast by RAF colleagues from across the UK.

This year’s Massed Pipes and Drums line-up will feature the likes of the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the King’s Own Scottish Borderers as well as bands from New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

The climax to the Tattoo, involving all of the performers in the show, will feature "Highland Cathedral", a Millennium Prayer for Peace, and the anthem from the Tim Rice musical Chess.

The brigadier added: "A huge contingent of servicemen and women from the RAF will contribute to this year’s proceedings, while overseas performers from five continents are also set to feature amongst one of the biggest casts ever gathered for the Tattoo.

"We sold all the tickets for the preview on August 5 in just three hours yesterday."

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Lesley Hinds, who has protested over the inclusion of the Chinese military band, said: "I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the South African Navy Band from Cape Town during this 10th anniversary of freedom and democracy in South Africa."

Sir George Mathewson, chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland group, sponsors of the event, said: "We’re delighted to be supporting this wonderful event for the third consecutive year."

news.scotsman.com

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - Tattoo parlors may only be allowed in limited industrial areas in North Myrtle Beach.

The Planning Commission voted and approved Monday to change the city's zoning ordinance text after Gov. Mark Sanford signed a bill last month lifting the state's 40-year ban on tattooing.

The zoning measure still needs to be approved by City Council.

The change allows tattoo parlors only in limited industrial areas, which include businesses such as warehousing, office buildings, boat yards and body-piercing parlors.

Principal Planner Joyce Rowley said the city of North Myrtle Beach has three such areas:

City Hall on Second Avenue South

Vereen Drive (west side of U.S. 17 North)

The Grand Strand airport

Officials say they want to keep tattoo parlors away from churches, schools and parks.

City Council will act on the amendment after two readings.

Horry County and Conway also are expected to adopt rules limiting where tattoo parlors can be located.

Myrtle Beach already has displaced parlors to medical facilities and the semi-industrial area near Seaboard Street, the same area the city has set aside for strip clubs and body-piercing parlors.

Paul Blust, North Myrtle Beach zoning administrator, said city officials choose limited industrial areas to put tattoo parlors because body-piercing is allowed there and they do not want them on U.S. 17.

However, the ordinance would not allow the five body-piercing parlors to do tattoos at the same locations, he said.

Body-piercing parlors and other businesses looking to offer tattoos must open a separate business and apply for a second business license because early drafts of the state regulations would prohibit tattoo parlor owners from operating out of existing businesses.

"As a citizen, I don't see anything wrong with them if that's what you want to do as long as there's no health issues, which [the Department of Health and Environmental Control] is ensuring," Blust said.

www.myrtlebeachonline.com

The Cheraw dance troupe, who have come all the way from India, are just some of the 1000 performers who are taking part in this year's Tattoo. The line-up for this year's show was announced this morning so let’s take a quick look at what are likely to be some of the highlights.

This year's tattoo promises to be as spectacular as ever when it burst onto the castle esplanade in just over a week's time. As usual the massed pipes and drums are likely to be the star attraction but one controversial group of performers taking part this year have already stolen many of the headlines.

Protests from human rights activists are expected when the band from Chinese army performs in the UK for the first time ever. However musicians and dancers from India, Estonia, South Africa, Australia and Gibraltar are all determined not to be overshadowed.

The show looks as fantastic as ever and the South African navy band are also taking part.

However, as you know the tickets for this year's Tattoo are already sold out.

scotlandtoday.scottishtv.co.uk

Here are the candidates for a free tattoo removal donated by a local doctor.

Read them over and make your choice. Polls close at noon Wednesday.


From Matt Blythe of Lansing:

"Until this last year I never regretted having my wedding ring tattooed on my finger.

"For six years I was a helicopter mechanic and flight instructor for the Army, and this tattoo allowed me to wear my wedding ring even in situations too dangerous to wear our gold bands.

"The divorce was final 14 days before our tenth anniversary. Now I regret my tattoo every day. My Army buddies have suggested chopping off my finger and mailing it to my ex-wife, but until I can get it removed, I think I'll consider it a character building reminder."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Wendy Bradfield of Lansing:

"Once upon a time there was a punk-rock girl who got a tattoo. She branded herself like a proud steer, and was very happy. Eleven years later, no longer a punk-rocker, the girl finds herself enjoying a career working as a belly dancer, working endlessly to conceal the tattoo.

"After all, most Arab families really don't like the outlaw belly dancer performing at their weddings.

"At times the girl simply thinks of quitting, as the stress is too much, but, you see, she cannot because to do so would strangle the dove of her heart.

"She will not go sleeveless, even in regular clothes, because she feels like a sailor. As she changes, the tattoo remains the same, creating this strange self-imprisonment.

"So, as the tattooed belly dancer longs for the time when she was unmarked, she also prays that her costume sleeves shift not."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Teresa Brown of East Lansing:

"I am tempted to write you a sad story of why I want to have a tattoo removed. What if my parents were abusive and tattooed my name on my arm before age 10? Surely that would win.

"But, unfortunately, I was just young and stupid. I started getting tattoos after I graduated from high school in 1991. Everyone told me I would regret it. My answer to them was 'What else in your life will be with you forever?'

"I regret all four of my tattoos, but I am going to tell you the story of the tattoo I regret most.

"In May 1992 I had just completed my first year at MSU. I had a little get together with a few of my friends. We were drinking gimlets and smoking cigars. I decided that night that I could not live another day without a cherub on my hip.

"I truly hate this tattoo. It was a dumb decision and it is ugly. I will never get another tattoo, and hope to some day get rid of the ones that I have."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Barb Carter of Lansing:

"I waited a very long time to get a tattoo, but not long enough obviously.

"I was about 16 when I first wanted one, but waited until I was 28.

"I figured that, by that age I knew what I wanted. Well about a year after I had it done I wanted it gone.

"I am now almost 40. I have a 4-year-old son and I don't want people to judge him because I have a big ugly tattoo of a wizard on my leg."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Kristi Doe of Lansing:

"Once upon a time, a 16-year-old girl was trying to make a statement and instead made a mistake that would scar her for the rest of her life.

"She thought she would show everyone -- mostly her parents -- that she called the shots, and got a tattoo of a skull with a top hat and a flower in its mouth, on her left shoulder.

"Ten years later I'm all grown up with a 3-year-old daughter of my own, I deeply regret my tattoo. Also, I realize all my parents wanted was what was best for me."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Carrie Feher of Lansing:

"I first got my tattoo at age 17. I was extremely naïve and thought the world ended at 20.

"I was seeing a guy that I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. We were both into drugs and partying. My tattoo is his initials. To make matters worse, it's not even jailhouse quality, and it's on my left arm.

Since then, I have gotten married to a wonderful man and we have a 6-month old daughter. I no longer party or do drugs. I've gotten my G.E.D. and am attending Lansing Community College.

"I've completely turned my life around. This tattoo is a constant reminder of the way I was living and how little respect I had for my life. It is something I regret doing and would love to get rid of."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Sabrina Free of Lansing:

"In 1983 I fancied myself to be madly in love with someone, and had his zodiac sign tattooed within a heart on my, uh, chest.

"The relationship ultimately led to marriage and divorce, spanned over a decade, and caused much suffering to me, my ex-husband, our six collective children, and countless other people.

" I count it as one of the top three major mistakes of my life, and assume he feels the same way.

"While the emotional reasons warrant removal of this tattoo, there are aesthetic reasons as well. Trust me when I say that the chest of a woman is not the smartest place for ANY tattoo.

"I imagine myself on my deathbed at Sparrow Hospital, with the nurses bent over me checking my heart for life, and thinking, 'Whatever possessed this old woman to get that tattoo? AND WHAT ON EARTH WAS IT????"



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Mary Greco of Lansing:

"About five years ago, I decided that I wanted a small tribal tattoo on my lower back.

"I became addicted. However, not in the sense most tattoo addicts are addicted; tattoos became an outlet for the pain I was experiencing in a relationship.

"My small tattoo became bigger and bigger. After the relationship ended, I looked in the mirror one day and realized how much I hated the tattoo and what it represented, not to mention how unattractive it actually was.

"I am too embarrassed to let anyone see my tattoo as I am a professional. I would be ever-so-grateful to have this removed."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Brenna Lantz of Lansing:

"I was sixteen and put a tattoo of a boy's name down my leg. We split up and I wanted it covered up.

"I had a friend who was into tattooing. Therefore, I told him I wanted a small lizard to cover the name.

"I never looked at what he was doing and suddenly I had this huge dragon head on my leg -- and that was only half the tattoo.

"So now I have this 5-inch-long, 3-inch-wide dragon on my leg.

"I am a mother now and once my child starts school, I don't want the other children, or parents, looking down on her for her mother's past."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Sandy Lopez of Lansing:

"I am writing this letter to try and get my tattoo removed from my ankle. I think that I have a good story to tell.

"I got a tattoo when I was very young, and without my parents permission. It is a picture of a clover that I really liked because our family is Irish, or so I thought.

"I hid this from my parents for a very long time because I knew they would not approve. As time went on, I found out that in fact, our family is not Irish at all. So now I am stuck with this clover on my ankle and when people ask me if I'm Irish, I have to say no and I feel very foolish.

"Now I am older and I work in a professional atmosphere and a tattoo seems inappropriate for this setting.

"Please help me get this removed."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Christine McCallister of Bath:

"I won a 50/50 prize drawing at a high school basketball game about 13 years ago. Wow, was I rich, holding an extra $150 in my pocket.

"I could have bought a schoolbook, or paid rent, but my mom's friend told me to 'do something you have always wanted to do -- something your mom doesn't approve of.'

"So, I went to a local tattoo shop and had a palm tree added to my ankle. No real reason for a palm tree. I just thought it was cute.

"Well, it is no longer cute, and although I am a pretty loyal Jimmy Buffett 'parrot head,' I do not want his state tree on my body.

"Please make my 'just-to-spite-my-mom' tattoo disappear!"



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Rachod Mildton of Lansing:

"I am 27, and the father of three young daughters. I have had this tattoo since I was 21. I would like to have the tattoo removed, but currently I do not have the finances to put that in motion.

"In my younger days I was with the wrong crowd, abusing alcohol, and hanging out in the streets. To show them how different I could be I had a tattoo of a villain placed on my face underneath my left eye.

"The moment I got the tattoo, I regretted it. However, I wore it as a badge of honor knowing in my heart that it was something ugly.

"Now that I'm sober, mature, and more positive, I carry the tattoo as a horrible scar and an awful reminder of my past misdeeds.

"I have to be a positive role model for my daughters and I don't want them growing up saying that daddy has a tattoo of a villain on his face.

"With this tattoo removed, it will help me gain the confidence I need to ensure a better life for my children and me."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Wendy Mull of Charlotte:

"This topic is so near to my heart, that I couldn't hold back.

"In my late teens, I was rebellious, and a little wild. At 19 I attended a party with some friends, and my boyfriend.

"A guy at the party offered to give me a tattoo. At my boyfriend's urging, I did so.

"To make matters worse the tattoo included my name and my boyfriend's, and it is from the top of my shoulder to underneath my shoulder blade. Of course, the "relationship" only lasted a month, but the tattoo lives on.

"I am now 31, and an intelligent, classy, Christian woman, except for my tattoo. I am engaged to Mr. Wonderful, but when we became engaged he requested that I get my tattoo removed.

"The removal of my tattoo would set me free from my past, and give me a handle on my future."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Kylie Ryan of Potterville:

"I am a 33-year-old female and made the mistake of getting a tattoo at the age of 21.

"What I thought was cool is not so cool in the business world I am in now.

"I had a cross with ivy vines tattooed on my left forearm. I now wear long-sleeved shirts, sweaters or jackets year round.

"Why? Because I am embarrassed and ashamed. I get asked by my fellow coworkers about getting too warm dressed like that in the hot summer months. Not one of them knows about my tattoo.

"I am ashamed of it because I think it represents someone I am not. I would be too embarrassed to let anyone at church, my coworkers or my clients see the tattoo."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Nic Spoors of East Lansing:

"It's been my dream since childhood to travel the world and be part of the U.S. Navy.

"Earlier this year I went through the enlistment process and even though I scored well on the test and was in excellent physical condition I was rejected because of two tattoos on my forearm.

"Soon afterward, I began the expensive process of tattoo removal. It cost me so much that I had to move into a cheaper apartment. In spite of my efforts I have seen no evidence of the ink fading.

"Please help me; I would give anything to serve."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Angie Sprank of Ionia:

"For my 21st birthday I got a tattoo. My mother said, 'You will regret it.'

"I said, 'No, it will be a reminder of the best years of my life.'

"I have since graduated from MSU. I married and have two beautiful children. I was hired 2 1/2 years ago as the Crime Victim Rights coordinator for Ionia County.

"Every time I put on a skirt, or dress, people see my tattoo. I notice coworkers, attorneys, judges, officers and the victims I represent looking at my tattoo. They form an opinion before they meet me.

"I don't need an ugly tattoo on my ankle to remind me of the best years of my life. My husband, children and the victims of crime I work with everyday are the reminders that I am living the best years of my life."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Heather Thornsbury of Haslett:

"I was 14 when I got my tattoo. I thought it would be the cool thing to do.

"What a mistake.

"My dad was so upset that my younger brother and I tried to scrub it off my back, which only made it look worse

"I'm 34 now and every time I look at the tattoo I can see the disappointment in my father's eyes.

"I have a 15-year-old son and I feel bad when we have to go to an important event and I can't really dress up because I have a hard time finding nice clothes that cover the tattoo.

"What really upsets me is that the tattoo looks like a prison tattoo, and I've never been in trouble in my life.

"I would be so thankful if I could show my dad that some mistakes can be removed."

www.lsj.com

Here are the candidates for a free tattoo removal donated by a local doctor.

Read them over and make your choice. Polls close at noon Wednesday.


From Matt Blythe of Lansing:

"Until this last year I never regretted having my wedding ring tattooed on my finger.

"For six years I was a helicopter mechanic and flight instructor for the Army, and this tattoo allowed me to wear my wedding ring even in situations too dangerous to wear our gold bands.

"The divorce was final 14 days before our tenth anniversary. Now I regret my tattoo every day. My Army buddies have suggested chopping off my finger and mailing it to my ex-wife, but until I can get it removed, I think I'll consider it a character building reminder."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Wendy Bradfield of Lansing:

"Once upon a time there was a punk-rock girl who got a tattoo. She branded herself like a proud steer, and was very happy. Eleven years later, no longer a punk-rocker, the girl finds herself enjoying a career working as a belly dancer, working endlessly to conceal the tattoo.

"After all, most Arab families really don't like the outlaw belly dancer performing at their weddings.

"At times the girl simply thinks of quitting, as the stress is too much, but, you see, she cannot because to do so would strangle the dove of her heart.

"She will not go sleeveless, even in regular clothes, because she feels like a sailor. As she changes, the tattoo remains the same, creating this strange self-imprisonment.

"So, as the tattooed belly dancer longs for the time when she was unmarked, she also prays that her costume sleeves shift not."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Teresa Brown of East Lansing:

"I am tempted to write you a sad story of why I want to have a tattoo removed. What if my parents were abusive and tattooed my name on my arm before age 10? Surely that would win.

"But, unfortunately, I was just young and stupid. I started getting tattoos after I graduated from high school in 1991. Everyone told me I would regret it. My answer to them was 'What else in your life will be with you forever?'

"I regret all four of my tattoos, but I am going to tell you the story of the tattoo I regret most.

"In May 1992 I had just completed my first year at MSU. I had a little get together with a few of my friends. We were drinking gimlets and smoking cigars. I decided that night that I could not live another day without a cherub on my hip.

"I truly hate this tattoo. It was a dumb decision and it is ugly. I will never get another tattoo, and hope to some day get rid of the ones that I have."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Barb Carter of Lansing:

"I waited a very long time to get a tattoo, but not long enough obviously.

"I was about 16 when I first wanted one, but waited until I was 28.

"I figured that, by that age I knew what I wanted. Well about a year after I had it done I wanted it gone.

"I am now almost 40. I have a 4-year-old son and I don't want people to judge him because I have a big ugly tattoo of a wizard on my leg."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Kristi Doe of Lansing:

"Once upon a time, a 16-year-old girl was trying to make a statement and instead made a mistake that would scar her for the rest of her life.

"She thought she would show everyone -- mostly her parents -- that she called the shots, and got a tattoo of a skull with a top hat and a flower in its mouth, on her left shoulder.

"Ten years later I'm all grown up with a 3-year-old daughter of my own, I deeply regret my tattoo. Also, I realize all my parents wanted was what was best for me."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Carrie Feher of Lansing:

"I first got my tattoo at age 17. I was extremely naïve and thought the world ended at 20.

"I was seeing a guy that I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. We were both into drugs and partying. My tattoo is his initials. To make matters worse, it's not even jailhouse quality, and it's on my left arm.

Since then, I have gotten married to a wonderful man and we have a 6-month old daughter. I no longer party or do drugs. I've gotten my G.E.D. and am attending Lansing Community College.

"I've completely turned my life around. This tattoo is a constant reminder of the way I was living and how little respect I had for my life. It is something I regret doing and would love to get rid of."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Sabrina Free of Lansing:

"In 1983 I fancied myself to be madly in love with someone, and had his zodiac sign tattooed within a heart on my, uh, chest.

"The relationship ultimately led to marriage and divorce, spanned over a decade, and caused much suffering to me, my ex-husband, our six collective children, and countless other people.

" I count it as one of the top three major mistakes of my life, and assume he feels the same way.

"While the emotional reasons warrant removal of this tattoo, there are aesthetic reasons as well. Trust me when I say that the chest of a woman is not the smartest place for ANY tattoo.

"I imagine myself on my deathbed at Sparrow Hospital, with the nurses bent over me checking my heart for life, and thinking, 'Whatever possessed this old woman to get that tattoo? AND WHAT ON EARTH WAS IT????"



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Mary Greco of Lansing:

"About five years ago, I decided that I wanted a small tribal tattoo on my lower back.

"I became addicted. However, not in the sense most tattoo addicts are addicted; tattoos became an outlet for the pain I was experiencing in a relationship.

"My small tattoo became bigger and bigger. After the relationship ended, I looked in the mirror one day and realized how much I hated the tattoo and what it represented, not to mention how unattractive it actually was.

"I am too embarrassed to let anyone see my tattoo as I am a professional. I would be ever-so-grateful to have this removed."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Brenna Lantz of Lansing:

"I was sixteen and put a tattoo of a boy's name down my leg. We split up and I wanted it covered up.

"I had a friend who was into tattooing. Therefore, I told him I wanted a small lizard to cover the name.

"I never looked at what he was doing and suddenly I had this huge dragon head on my leg -- and that was only half the tattoo.

"So now I have this 5-inch-long, 3-inch-wide dragon on my leg.

"I am a mother now and once my child starts school, I don't want the other children, or parents, looking down on her for her mother's past."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Sandy Lopez of Lansing:

"I am writing this letter to try and get my tattoo removed from my ankle. I think that I have a good story to tell.

"I got a tattoo when I was very young, and without my parents permission. It is a picture of a clover that I really liked because our family is Irish, or so I thought.

"I hid this from my parents for a very long time because I knew they would not approve. As time went on, I found out that in fact, our family is not Irish at all. So now I am stuck with this clover on my ankle and when people ask me if I'm Irish, I have to say no and I feel very foolish.

"Now I am older and I work in a professional atmosphere and a tattoo seems inappropriate for this setting.

"Please help me get this removed."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Christine McCallister of Bath:

"I won a 50/50 prize drawing at a high school basketball game about 13 years ago. Wow, was I rich, holding an extra $150 in my pocket.

"I could have bought a schoolbook, or paid rent, but my mom's friend told me to 'do something you have always wanted to do -- something your mom doesn't approve of.'

"So, I went to a local tattoo shop and had a palm tree added to my ankle. No real reason for a palm tree. I just thought it was cute.

"Well, it is no longer cute, and although I am a pretty loyal Jimmy Buffett 'parrot head,' I do not want his state tree on my body.

"Please make my 'just-to-spite-my-mom' tattoo disappear!"



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Rachod Mildton of Lansing:

"I am 27, and the father of three young daughters. I have had this tattoo since I was 21. I would like to have the tattoo removed, but currently I do not have the finances to put that in motion.

"In my younger days I was with the wrong crowd, abusing alcohol, and hanging out in the streets. To show them how different I could be I had a tattoo of a villain placed on my face underneath my left eye.

"The moment I got the tattoo, I regretted it. However, I wore it as a badge of honor knowing in my heart that it was something ugly.

"Now that I'm sober, mature, and more positive, I carry the tattoo as a horrible scar and an awful reminder of my past misdeeds.

"I have to be a positive role model for my daughters and I don't want them growing up saying that daddy has a tattoo of a villain on his face.

"With this tattoo removed, it will help me gain the confidence I need to ensure a better life for my children and me."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Wendy Mull of Charlotte:

"This topic is so near to my heart, that I couldn't hold back.

"In my late teens, I was rebellious, and a little wild. At 19 I attended a party with some friends, and my boyfriend.

"A guy at the party offered to give me a tattoo. At my boyfriend's urging, I did so.

"To make matters worse the tattoo included my name and my boyfriend's, and it is from the top of my shoulder to underneath my shoulder blade. Of course, the "relationship" only lasted a month, but the tattoo lives on.

"I am now 31, and an intelligent, classy, Christian woman, except for my tattoo. I am engaged to Mr. Wonderful, but when we became engaged he requested that I get my tattoo removed.

"The removal of my tattoo would set me free from my past, and give me a handle on my future."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Kylie Ryan of Potterville:

"I am a 33-year-old female and made the mistake of getting a tattoo at the age of 21.

"What I thought was cool is not so cool in the business world I am in now.

"I had a cross with ivy vines tattooed on my left forearm. I now wear long-sleeved shirts, sweaters or jackets year round.

"Why? Because I am embarrassed and ashamed. I get asked by my fellow coworkers about getting too warm dressed like that in the hot summer months. Not one of them knows about my tattoo.

"I am ashamed of it because I think it represents someone I am not. I would be too embarrassed to let anyone at church, my coworkers or my clients see the tattoo."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Nic Spoors of East Lansing:

"It's been my dream since childhood to travel the world and be part of the U.S. Navy.

"Earlier this year I went through the enlistment process and even though I scored well on the test and was in excellent physical condition I was rejected because of two tattoos on my forearm.

"Soon afterward, I began the expensive process of tattoo removal. It cost me so much that I had to move into a cheaper apartment. In spite of my efforts I have seen no evidence of the ink fading.

"Please help me; I would give anything to serve."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Angie Sprank of Ionia:

"For my 21st birthday I got a tattoo. My mother said, 'You will regret it.'

"I said, 'No, it will be a reminder of the best years of my life.'

"I have since graduated from MSU. I married and have two beautiful children. I was hired 2 1/2 years ago as the Crime Victim Rights coordinator for Ionia County.

"Every time I put on a skirt, or dress, people see my tattoo. I notice coworkers, attorneys, judges, officers and the victims I represent looking at my tattoo. They form an opinion before they meet me.

"I don't need an ugly tattoo on my ankle to remind me of the best years of my life. My husband, children and the victims of crime I work with everyday are the reminders that I am living the best years of my life."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From Heather Thornsbury of Haslett:

"I was 14 when I got my tattoo. I thought it would be the cool thing to do.

"What a mistake.

"My dad was so upset that my younger brother and I tried to scrub it off my back, which only made it look worse

"I'm 34 now and every time I look at the tattoo I can see the disappointment in my father's eyes.

"I have a 15-year-old son and I feel bad when we have to go to an important event and I can't really dress up because I have a hard time finding nice clothes that cover the tattoo.

"What really upsets me is that the tattoo looks like a prison tattoo, and I've never been in trouble in my life.

"I would be so thankful if I could show my dad that some mistakes can be removed."

www.lsj.com

SANTA CLARITA -- At first, it seemed perceptions ran skin deep during a recent city Planning Commission meeting.

The five stern commissioners who meet twice a month to vote on Santa Clarita's issues ranging from telecommunications towers, new sewage lines and median beautification projects, sat across from dozens of tattooed constituents, eager to erase the line drawn between them and the nonmarked.

And in between them, there was agenda item No. 1: Request to operate a tattoo salon and art gallery within an existing shopping center in Newhall, from applicants Robert Atkinson and Danielle Oberosler.

One by one, members of the crowd spoke in support. There was the man who got his first tattoo when he was 60, by Atkinson. He got his second one at 65. There was the woman whose arms had burned so badly in a car accident years ago, she opted for a sleeve of ink art created by Oberosler, instead of painful and costly reconstructive surgery. This way, she said, instead of people staring at her scars, they'll be staring at art.

But it was local resident John Johnson who cleared the air directly.

"Not all of us have to be incarcerated or alcoholics or bikers, he said politely at the podium. "We just have a different view of art."

More than 300 signatures had been collected on a petition in support of the salon, with few in opposition. And after a lengthy discussion about whether downtown Newhall could support the proposed Tattoo Room and Gallery, the planning commissioners seemed to come to some consensus: an upscale salon such as the one Atkinson and Oberosler proposed could be a fun, quirky addition that's just what the town needs.

Though nothing was permanent yet, the commission unanimously agreed to bring the issue back, pending an examination of additional conditions of approval and appeals from residents.

Tim Crissman, a local Realtor and developer representing Atkinson and Oberosler, said the commission showed the ability to listen to the issue from a purely business perspective, rather than drawing conclusions based on perceptions.

"I think for the first time in the history of the city, we've got what I regard as the most business-minded planning commission that recognizes their role," he said. "They see through the smoke screens clearly and fundamentally understand what their job is. They were much more democratic in recognizing that these two individuals are artists."

According to the National Tattoo Association, formed in 1976, body art has become widely accepted in the mainstream today, compared to just 20 years ago. But the negative perception of tattoos was tapped into last month when the Santa Clarita Redevelopment Committee rejected plans for the proposed upscale salon and gallery inside a shopping strip on industrial San Fernando Road, a mile from the heart of an area tagged for revitalization.

The committee, strictly an advisory body, voted 9-5 to recommend that the city's Planning Commission, and if necessary, the Santa Clarita City Council, reject the permit for the business. Committee members said the business is inconsistent with their vision of downtown, which they see as an arts district filled with theaters, restaurants, and galleries. And with that, the old issue resurfaced: are tattoos art? Who is getting them?

Planning Commissioner Tim Burkhart acknowledged during the meeting that what Santa Clarita residents want is an upscale salon, such as those on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

"While I would happily let (Atkinson and Oberosler) open their business across from me, I am concerned about the low-end ones. What I think people are looking for and want is a high-end place to get body art."

Kacie Lyons, a 20-year-old Canyon Country resident and psychology major who describes herself as fairly conservative, said her 55-year-old mom is considering a tattoo. Her mom teaches at an elementary school.

"You see every type you can think of getting tattoos," said Lyons, who wears various inked symbols on her body. Each one is a piece of who she is: the cross on her back, the four-leaf clover of her Irish ancestors, the nautical star and American flag for her family's military background.

"Twenty years ago, if I had been walking around like this, people would have said 'wow.' It's no longer 'wow.' I don't get weird looks walking around."

At Eternal Art in Saugus, artist Tommy Snyder said his customers range from newlyweds exchanging inked rings to parents wanting images of their children's faces etched in their skin.

"It's all walks of life in here," Snyder said. "It's so wide range and there isn't any one reason for it. Right now it's a big fashion thing. We're booked solid for a month at least."

Just turn on the television for proof, agreed Benny Miller, the owner of Skin Flix on Sierra Highway. Miller keeps dozens of flash or samples of art on his wall from 20 years ago, styles that were once favored, but no more. The designs are too linear and simple. People want more elaborate creations, with color and depth.

"You turn on a basketball game, a boxing match, or the Academy Awards," Miller said. "Tattoos have lost their social stigma. I've been doing this for 47 years, and there's a huge interest now."

But Miller said it's the backdoor tattooists who do shoddy work that give those who open legitimate salons with business permits a bad name. Miller said one of his jobs is to help correct bad work done by nonprofessionals. But sometimes, the bad work is beyond repair.

"There's a familiar axiom among tattooists," Miller said. "You do good work on somebody and they'll tell someone else. You do bad work on somebody, and they'll tell everybody."

According to the Alliance for Professional Tattooists, a 2,500-member nonprofit organization formed in 1992 to promote health and safety within the industry, the tattoo has evolved culturally into the mainstream, but stigmas persist because of an increase in the so-called "Johnny Tabletops," who work on kitchen tables.

The alliance works to form more regulations against such practices, said Dennis Dwyer, one the group's directors. Dwyer said local health agencies do not take tattooing seriously enough to conduct thorough safety inspections.

"The industry is changing itself," Dwyer said. "We sort of self-monitor ourselves to hold up the standard, to stop spreading diseases. I think the real issue is not going after storefronts, but the underground movement. Many years ago, tattoo shops were in the back of bars, but over the last 25 years, the industry promoted itself to a profession. We try to take it out of the gutters and into the sidewalks." For Oberosler, the 33-year-old tattooist who is proposing the salon and gallery for Newhall with Atkinson, it seemed that the planning commission's overall response was refreshing. "I work in Hollywood and have lived in L.A. for several years, so tattoos in a way are a nonissue in big cities," she said. "But when I step into a smaller town or travel abroad, I'm awakened to this reluctance to accept us. I understand how the Redevelopment Committee is thinking. They have to plan for the future, and we appreciate that. But maybe we need to work in baby steps to build our reputation and have a good track record."

www.dailynews.com

A Tucson dentist who shot a young relative in the heart with a hunting arrow and yanked it out will spend three years on probation.
Judge Pro-Tem Howard Fell of Pima County Superior Court could have sent Valentino James Pugnea, 46, to jail for six months, according to a plea agreement, but instead placed him on probation Friday.

Pugnea does not have to surrender any weapons, but cannot have them if children are in the house.

The boy recovered after surgery, but his mother told Fell the child has nightmares about being chased.

Pugnea was indicted on two felony child abuse charges, one for striking the child and the other for pulling the arrow out before taking the boy to the hospital Dec. 14.

Pugnea pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor child abuse charge in May.

www.tucsoncitizen.com

Police are investigating after a 15-year-old schoolgirl was given a 13cm tattoo of Winnie the Pooh.
Julie Thomas, from Sussex, had the design and the words "Grandpa H", put on her arm to remember her grandfather.



But it's against the law for people under 18 to get tattoos, and Julie's mum, Mary, wants the tattooist who did it to be investigated.

Julie says she felt pressured into getting the design. She said: "If I could scratch it off, I would."

She went on: "I didn't realise how big it was until I saw it in the mirror."



The tattooist who did Julie's design apparently only does the designs as a hobby.

Julie has had to have blood tests to see if she's caught anything from his needles, but won't know the results for three months.

The design cost £40, but it could cost up to £600 for painful laser surgery to have it removed.

Illegal

The law says people under the age of 18 can only get tattoos for medical reasons.

Even if they have an adult with them, or have permission from a parent or guardian, it's still illegal for anyone to give young people a decorative tattoo.

news.bbc.co.uk

SANTA CLARITA -- A vote on an upscale salon and art gallery planned for downtown Newhall has been postponed by the city Planning Commission, but the panel appeared willing to approve the business over objections from an advisory committee on redeveloping the old business district.
Commissioners said Tuesday night that they want time to examine conditions of approval based on another tattoo business in Santa Clarita and an environmental review.

After listening to about a dozen supporters in favor of the salon, the five-member commission voted unanimously to bring the issue back Aug. 31. The business would be operated by Robert Atkinson and Danielle Oberosler, two award-winning tattoo artists.

In addition to letters and e-mails, city officials received 328 names on a petition in support of the proposal.

While most of the commissioners agreed tattoos can be an art form and leaned toward supporting the proposal from Atkinson and Oberosler, the panel questioned allowing the business inside an area tagged for revitalization.

Atkinson and Oberosler would like to operate their business in a shopping center -- in one of the vacant storefronts at 23630 San Fernando Road, which is within a redevelopment zone.

Last month the Santa Clarita Redevelopment Committee rejected plans for the salon, which would be more than a mile from the heart of the aging downtown.

The committee, strictly an advisory body, voted 9-5 to recommend that the city Planning Commission, and, if necessary, the Santa Clarita City Council reject a permit for the business. Committee members said the tattoo business is inconsistent with their vision for downtown Newhall.

Planning commissioners wrestled with the perception of the tattoo salon and gallery, saying they were impressed by Atkinson and Oberosler's plans and professionalism but were concerned about the location, which they deemed a seedy part of San Fernando Road.

Commissioner Dennis Ostrom said he has previously approved tattoo parlors and owns a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, but wondered whether the timing is off for this proposal and whether the particular business would run into trouble once revitalization of downtown Newhall kicked into full swing.

"What we're talking about here is not the tattooing. It's the location," Ostrom said. "Timing is everything. We're talking about wanting a business in this area now."

Commissioner Tim Burkhart took it a step further, calling tattoos a beautiful art, and he said local residents should have a high-end tattoo salon. But he said he wondered about the public's perception of the business.

"This is a difficult decision for me," said Commissioner Michael Burger. "I think people look at us like squares. My big dilemma is I would like to have these two in Santa Clarita, but this location is not the location for them."

The commissioners agreed to bring the issue back after studying conditions -- for signs, hours of operation and visibility from the street -- for another tattoo salon in town known as Altered Flesh.

www.dailynews.com

I REMEMBER being surrounded by crying classmates when Scott and Charlene tied the knot in Neighbours. So it was a shock to discover that Angry Anderson, the man behind the cheesy ballad that was the soundtrack to their wedding, was one of the brutish-looking fivesome on the Cathouse stage on Monday night.

This Aussie rock act’s brain-bludgeoning music bore no resemblance to their frontman’s soap opera debut, and as they’ve been around since 1976, it came as no surprise that they could churn it out with verve and the occasional well-timed witticism between songs. Big guys boasting big tattoos and (apart from the folically-challenged Anderson) even bigger hair, Rose Tattoo didn’t make for the prettiest viewing, though to begin with they had the curly-maned moshers in the audience tossing their heads in approval.

As the set wore on and each self-indulgent solo seemed to last longer, the band began to plod into more stodgy, tuneless territory. Misogynistic lyrics started to appear, inciting boorish singalongs from broken-hearted bikers around me, which gave the evening a gruesome twist. Rose Tattoo ultimately affirmed that, unless it’s very catchy or camped-up and comical in the style of the Darkness, there is no place for macho hair metal in this day and age.

news.scotsman.com

To be invited to perform at one of the world's major events - the Edinburgh Military Tattoo - is every highland dancer's dream, but to be invited back is something that is "out of this world" says 19 year old Lithgow highland dancer April Spillett.

April took part in the Queen's Jubilee Edinburgh Military Tattoo back in 2002 and with 15 other Australian dancers performed in front of the Queen and millions of television viewers around the world.

Such is April's talents that she and six other girls from the Western NSW region were invited for this year's Tattoo.

"Performing at the 2002 was a dream come true, but to do it all again is something that I never thought would happen, it's really exciting," she said.

"Last time I did not know what to expect, but this time I will have less nerves and be able to really enjoy the whole experience.

"To dance with the world's best and have the Edinburgh Castle as the backdrop with thousands of people surrounding you is surreal and really magic.

lithgow.yourguide.com.au

If you get someone else's tattoo, you will be wearing a tattoo that says, "Hey, look at me! I'm so lame I couldn't even get my own tattoo -- I have nothing to say about myself." In addition, you'll be stealing."
- Shannon Larratt

I recently bought the new issue from „Tätowiermagazin", the German monthly tattoo mag, and was very surprised looking at one of the pictures I saw in it: the picture showed a man with a half sleeve Japanese tattoo, inked by my tattoo artist. I already saw different pictures from my tattoo artist in the magazine, no big surprise. What really hit me was the dragon head this guy had on his arm: this is my dragon!! Yes, indeed: my tattoo artist tattooed „my" dragon head on someone else's arm, even at the same place!! Needless to say that I was very upset: how could he dare putting „my" artwork on someone else? Had he lost his mind? Even if he had asked, I still would have said no, like everybody else! Who gave this guy the right to steal „my" dragon?! Slowly I calmed down, realizing that I am not really in the right position to judge anybody else, as I also stole this dragon from somebody else...

I first got tattooed when I was 18, a horrible and poorly done celtic knot on my chest. It took me many years deciding what to do with this crappy tattoo. For years I searched for a great design to cover up my tattoo, it took me years to find something that I really liked. One day, I found this dragon tattoo online from a tattoo shop in Japan: I fell in love immediately with this particular dragon (only with the head to be exact), and decided that I want this dragon head on my arm! Thoughts about „stealing someone else's art" didn't come up: I mean, it was only the head, and the person wearing that tattoo lives in Japan, right? My tattoo artist didn't really seem to care about the fact that I wanted the exact same dragon head printed out from my computer. He did a great job: it looked like the one on the page I brought with me. I would have loved to get a tattoo from the tattoo shop where I found this pic, but come on, the studio is in Japan, get real!

The bad conscience and the guilt came afterwards: what would the wearer of the original art think meeting me? He/she would be pissed off for sure! I tried to appease my guilty conscience with the fact that a meeting like this is unlikely to happen, but the fact remains: I stole someone else's tattoo.

I know that I made a mistake, and I often have a bad conscience when looking at my dragon. I love my dragon head, but would I have the possibility to change it, I definitely would. There's nothing artistic or creative in stealing someone else's tattoo. I would love to have a dragon on my arm that was solely made for me, unique on my skin. I am not proud of what I did, and writing this experience was not easy for me.

As for my tattoo artist, I surely won't visit him again. I planned getting tattooed again from him, but who can guarantee that he won't tattoo my art on somebody else again? I planned a back piece and the other arm, but I don't trust him anymore. There is a studio a few hours away from here where I will go to, as I know that the tattoo artist is designing and creating every tattoo especially for his customer.

If I could have the possibility to meet the person with the original art, only made and designed for him/her, I would truly and deeply apologize and ask him/her to forgive me. In his/her place, I am not quite sure if I could forgive me... Well, at least now I know how it feels when you open up a magazine to find out that someone else has exact the same tattoo. Poetic justice I guess...

I surely am not the only one that stole somebody else's work, and I can only say to the ones who just found a tattoo they really like, be it in a magazine or even here at BME: DON'T STEAL THIS TATTOO! Print it out or copy it and use it as an inspiration, show it to your tattoo artist so that he knows what you want, then ask him to design something similar only for you. Please don't copy it! You will regret it some day, having a work of art on your body that does not really belong to you, as you stole it. Simple as that.

calvin&hobbes
www.bmezine.com

Getting a tattoo is the easy - if somewhat painful - part. Trying to get rid of one is the hard part.

Tattoos live up to their promise of being permanent body markings. Changing your mind after you've had one can be painful, time consuming and expensive, and can cause scarring if you are not careful.

There are many reasons that make people wish they'd never had a tattoo. Crumbling relationships are one of them.
American screen star Angelina Jolie famously had the name of her husband at the time, fellow actor Billy Bob Thornton, tattooed in huge letters above a dragon on her arm.

Then he dumped her and she set about dumping the tattoo.
Jolie now sports the dragon sans Billy Bob's name. That is said to be thanks to laser treatment. She is lucky her skin is pale and the tattoo was in blue ink only. This makes laser removal a lot easier than full colour versions.

English football icon David Beckham has wife Victoria's name on his arm in an Indian script. He'd better hope his marriage continues to survive allegations of infidelity with his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos and others.

If not, his next love will not be thrilled with the ex's name indelibly etched on to his skin. For all those who rush out to have tattoos, just as many set out on the hard road of trying to erase them. There is a variety of removal methods available locally, all with varying degrees of success.

None of these methods is perfect, says Dr Richard Halley-Stott, clinical head of plastic surgery at the University of the Witwaters-rand Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Parktown, Johannesburg.

A method popular in Britain, using a herbal gel, looks promising, though. It was pioneered by Harley Street micropigmentation specialist Dawn Cragg, and will be available in South Africa later this year. (See the natural alternative, right.)

Factors affecting removal results include the method used, the skill of the practitioner using it, the age of the tattoo, whether it was done professionally or by an amateur, the type and colour of ink used, how deep the tattoo is and skin colour.

Length of time and cost involved in removing tattoos also vary, depending on methods.

The laser is a popular method. The "gold standard" of machines is the Q Switch or "Yag" laser, used by plastic surgeon Dr Chris Ladas in Bedfordview and the Skin and Laser Clinic in Pretoria.

Specialists say it removes "most colours". Others say the Yag laser is most successful with blacks, blues and reds to some extent, again depending on how deep the ink is imbedded. It has little or no success with yellows and greens, Laser works by changing light to heat energy once the beam reaches its target (the coloured ink), and burns the skin to some extent.


It splits the ink into tiny particles that are then "gobbled up" by the body's white blood cells and dispersed through the body.

The nature of laser therapy makes it more successful on lighter than darker skin tones that are more prone to pigmentation, or skin that is prone to keloid (raised, red scar tissue).

Laser is definitely not a once-off therapy. Claims that it requires three or four sessions are optimistic. It can take up to 10 or even more. Treatments cost around R400 a session.

Unfortunately, laser is "not as magic as it sounds", says Halley-Stott. He has not seen any "remarkable results" and says the skin is often left looking "strangely mottled" and whiter than surrounding areas.

Certainly, this appears to have happened to Jolie. The skin colour where Billy Bob's name was is whiter than the rest of her arm.

That doesn't appear to have put Jolie off having tattoos, though. She has many, most of them permanent, but also a temporary Lady Croft on her other arm, in honour of her Tomb Raider film roles as Lara Croft.

Dermabrasion is another method that is sometimes used to remove tattoos. It involves "sanding" the skin with an abrasive instrument, causing it to peel.

It can only be used if the tattoo is superficial, says Halley-Stott. Other methods use traditional plastic and reconstructive surgery techniques. These include: Excision: The tattoo is cut out and the skin sewed up to produce as neat and small a scar as possible. It works best for small tattoos in unobtrusive places on the body. For bigger tattoos, the excision can also be "serial", in which small amounts of the tattooed skin are removed at a time.

Tissue expansion: An expander is inserted and left under the skin for three to six months to stretch it, says Halley-Stott. Thereafter, the tattoo can be cut out and covered with the stretched skin to produce a straight-line scar.

Skin grafting: The tattoo is surgically removed and replaced by a section of skin carefully cut from another part of the body to fit the space. Scarring is more noticeable than with excision methods.

www.dailynews.co.za

GREEN BAY — A 29-year-old man was taken to a local hospital Monday after he was shot twice outside a Green Bay tattoo and body-piercing parlor.

Police responded at 4:48 p.m. to Dead Man Ink, 805 N. Irwin Ave., after a caller said he heard gunshots and someone yelling for help, said Capt. Lisa Sterr of the Green Bay Police Department.

“When we arrived here, we did find one victim at the rear of the building and he had sustained two gunshots to his body,” she said. “There was a blood pool.”

Police didn’t know his condition.

Sterr, who didn’t say in what part of the body the man was shot or what hospital he was taken to, said the victim was inside the tattoo and body-piercing parlor earlier but was shot outside the building.

Humberto Serrano owns the building, according to a Brown County land records search. There was no phone listing for him in the Green Bay phone book.

Police barricaded an apartment complex next door to the parlor, preventing residents from coming or going for a short time following the incident.

The crime scene unit showed up shortly after the shooting and was recovering possible evidence, Sterr said.

www.wisinfo.com

A 29-year-old man was taken to a local hospital Monday after he was shot twice outside a Green Bay tattoo and body piercing parlor.

Police responded at 4:48 p.m. to Dead Man Ink, 805 N. Irwin Ave., after a caller said he heard gun shots and someone yelling for help, said Capt. Lisa Sterr of the Green Bay Police Department.

“When we arrived here, we did find one victim at the rear of the building and he had sustained two gunshots to his body,” she said.

Police didn’t know his condition.

Sterr, who didn’t say in what part of the body the man was shot or what hospital he was taken to, said the victim was inside the tattoo and body piercing parlor earlier but was shot outside the building.

Humberto Serrano owns the building, according to a Brown County land records search. There was no listing for him in the Green Bay phone book.

Police barricaded an apartment complex next-door to the parlor, preventing residents from coming or going for a short time following the incident.

The crime scene investigation unit showed up shortly after the shooting and was recovering possible evidence, Sterr said.

“Usually, this type of incident is not random — there’s some reason behind it,” she said.

Police said they were looking for a male in a purple and wine-colored mini van.

Walter Morrow, who lives next-door in an apartment complex, said he’s seen the mini van in the past, driving slowly around the block. Police interrupted him before he could say more and later questioned him as a possible witness.

www.greenbaypressgazette.com

EAST BAY - These days, you can't help but notice how many people have some sort of tattoo. Young, old, male, female, parents, students, singles, divorcees — it doesn't seem to matter. Tattoos have gone from being something only sailors or the toughest bikers got, to something you see women showing off quite regularly. In fact, women make up about 60 percent of local tattoo parlors' clientele.


Eighteen-year-old Colleen Hayes-Costello of Tiverton got her first of six tattoos when she was just 16.

Why do women get tattoos? We asked eight of them to find out, and got as wide a range of answers as the women themselves. At its most basic level, tattooing can be a way of recognizing the beauty of the body, positioned to complement certain features. Yet most of the women we spoke to said they got a tattoo to mark a rite of passage, or to celebrate or record a life transition. Some women incorporated the mystical or superstitious into their tattoos, others chose a subject that had a special meaning. And most chose a spot on their body which they could hide, if need be. Here are their stories.

Mary Bennett, 80, Barrington

* Her tattoo: A musical staff with the notes of "Bless the Beasts and the Children"

* Body part: Her right ankle

Mary Bennett decided to get a tattoo when she turned 75. "I always try to do something adventurous and out of the ordinary to commemorate my birthday," she said. That year, Ms. Bennett said she was running out of ideas, and suddenly the thought of getting a tattoo just came to her.

She consulted with her son, Roy, who advised her to get something meaningful tattooed on her body. She chose a musical staff because music has always been a large part of her life, and added the notes of "Bless the Beasts and the Children," because animals and children mean the most to her.

Her three kids, Roy, a lighting designer, Melissa, a graphic designer, and Kenny, an occupational therapist, were all hysterical and laughing, said Ms. Bennett, who had her tattoo done at Inflicting Ink in Portsmouth. "But they appreciate the wild things I do," she said. "It's part of my personality. I like to commemorate things."

Colleen Hayes-Costello, 18, Tiverton

* Her tattoos: A little red heart, a stalking tiger, an Irish knot, a claudaugh, an Irish rose and a peacock.

* Body parts: Her hip, lower back, left forearm and shoulder

To date, Colleen Hayes-Costello has six tattoos. She got the first one, a little red heart on her hip, at the age of 16, as a way to rebel. She had the work done by her boyfriend, who is now her fiance.

"I thought it was a neat thing to have my first love tattoo a heart on my body," she said.

Since December of 2003, she has had five more tattoos put on her body. To symbolize strength and courage, which Ms. Hayes-Costello says are a huge part of her personality and that she gained through the trials of childhood, she put a stalking tiger on her lower back.

Next came three tattoos added to her left forearm that all speak to her Irish heritage. One is the Irish knot, which is located on the inside of her left wrist; another is the claudaugh; the third is a rose, with the words "Irish Rose" on either side of the stem. That tattoo extends from her left wrist to her elbow.

Ms. Hayes-Costello's most recent tattoo is a huge peacock on her left shoulder, which is not yet completed. She has about three more hours at Inflicting Ink to go before that tattoo is done. The bird's body covers her left shoulder blade and the feathers come over her shoulder and down her arm.

The adrenaline rush and appeal of adding permanent body art is what makes tattooing so addictive for her. "Everyone puts so much emphasis on what will happen when I'm older and don't want tattoos. All I can really say is that it is always people without tattoos who have a problem with people getting them. Plus, when I am older, I'll be the cool old lady with the tattoos," she said.

Maria Portugali, 36, Barrington

* Her tattoo: A small blue shark

* Body part: Low on her left hip

Maria Portugali's small tattoo of a ferocious blue shark encapsulates all the wild things she did in her lifetime before getting married and having two children, which included traveling the globe as a marine scientist.

When she was 22 years old, after graduating from the University of Rhode Island, she decided to get a tattoo as a permanent reminder of South America, the Galapagos islands and the Antarctic, where she went ice climbing. She was living in Maine at the time, and was in love with the ocean and fascinated with sharks. So she got a tiny shark tattooed low on her left hip.

Now she hides the tattoo, and didn't want it photographed. "I'm proud of it, but it's private," she said, thinking that a tattoo was taboo for a Barrington mother of two. She's a homemaker and a student, studying to be a science teacher.

Christina Hutton, 19, and Diane Hutton, 47, Barrington

* Their tattoos: A butterfly with tiger-face wings for Christina, and an outline of a horse for Diane

* Body part: Their lower backs

Christina Hutton and her mother Diane both got their very first tattoos together, almost a year ago. Christina had told her parents she wanted a tattoo, so collectively, mother, daughter and father researched different designs on the Internet and discussed where Christina might want to put a tattoo on her body.

She decided to get a butterfly, about the size of a hand print, on her lower back, the wings colored as a tiger's face. She wanted the tiger's face to symbolize her strength, courage and fiery personality, even though she may look, from the outside, as timid as a butterfly, she said.

Only Christina, then 18, was supposed to get a tattoo; her mom was going to keep her company and insure everything went well. But Christina persuaded her mom to get a tattoo of a horse on her lower back, which Christina picked out for her.

"I had no intention of doing it," said Mrs. Hutton. But she loves, rides and owns a horse named Dakota, and so agreed to get the tattoo. She went first when mother and daughter went into the parlor.

"I love my tattoo and am very proud of what it means to me," said Christina, who added that she asked her parents for their input because she values their opinion and didn't want to hide a tattoo from them forever.

"Would I prefer that she not get a tattoo?" asked Mr. Hutton. "Yes. But of all the things she could do, that's not the worst. You can't sweat the small stuff."

Kim Rocha, 33, Tiverton

* Her tattoos: A pink ribbon, a dancing girl, three stars, a Scottish terrier, a band of flowers, paw prints and a toe ring

* Body parts: Right shoulder, right ankle, left ankle, lower back, left toe

For Kim Rocha, her six tattoos memorialize different times in her life.

"I can look at each one and remember where I was, who I was with, and why I chose what I did. Every one has special meaning, especially my most recent one," she said.

She got a tattoo of a pink ribbon and a dancing girl on her right shoulder after being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age 30, when she was nursing her first child Jeremy. Today, after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, she is cancer-free. But the cancer diagnosis changed her life.

"I felt I needed to permanently remember, but not dwell on, this chapter of my life," she said, and had the pink ribbon tattooed two years ago.

Most recently, Ms. Rocha added the symbol of the Young Survivors' Coalition, a dancing girl, next to her pink ribbon, to symbolize her strength now that she is well. This July, she added three stars to the same tattoo to symbolize three years of cancer survivorship. She has her tattoos done at Sin on Skin in Tiverton.

"I think when people think of women with tattoos, they envision 'inked up biker babes' who dress the part and are generally considered a 'seedy group.' I couldn't be further from that image," she said, noting that as a mother of two boys, she drives a minivan.

Debbie Coccio, 40, Bristol

* Her tattoo: A dolphin

* Body part: Her right hip

In her late 20s, Debbie Coccio decided she was finally going to do it. She said had wanted a tattoo for a long time, and loved dolphins, and one day just got up the nerve to do it.

"Ever since I was in high school I was fascinated with tattoos," she said. But she thought she wasn't the type.

"I thought only 'tough' people had them. I was pretty quiet in high school and never thought I was the tattoo type," she said.

The fact that she has a tattoo still surprises people, she said.

Her first dolphin, which she put on her hip, was small, about an inch long. Years passed, and then she went on a dolphin swim on a special excursion. After that, she decided to get her tiny tattoo expanded. On a trip to Virginia with a friend, she went to a tattoo parlor, had her dolphin made bigger, and added color.

Now she has tentative plans to get another tattoo soon, though she's not sure what parlor she will go to or what the new tattoo will be.

Gerilyn Cahalan, 38, Warren

* Her tattoo: Three horses representing the Celtic horse goddess Epona

* Body part: Her right shoulder

For her thirty-sixth birthday, Gerilyn Cahalan decided to get a tattoo that symbolized her love of horses and the bond between herself and her two sisters. For the three siblings, the number three has always been lucky, so Ms. Cahalan had three horses, in three colors, tattooed on her shoulder, which also symbolized the Celtic fertility goddess Epona.

It was three months after she got her tattoo that the magic started: Ms. Cahalan became pregnant with twin boys. She already had one son, bringing her total number of children to, you guessed it, three. Again, the number three seemed a powerful talisman for Ms. Cahalan.

This Fourth of July, when the three sisters got together over the holiday, all three women went back to Inflicted Ink in Portsmouth, where Ms. Cahalan had her first tattoo done. All three women got the Celtic symbol of three — the triad — tattooed on their bodies. "I wanted something that would look good when my grandchildren see it," she said.

How to identify a good tattoo studio

* Look around to see if the studio is clean and professional.

* Ask the artist to point to the autoclave, which is a heat/steam/pressure unit used in hospitals that kills all pathogens harmful to humans. Every shop should have one. If it doesn't, leave.

* Make sure all needles and other materials are single-use.

* Ask that the needles be opened in front of you.

* The artist should use disinfectant and latex gloves.

* Everything that comes in contact with your body should be disposable or sterile.

* Professional tattoo artists will not object to answering questions about health and safety. If you do not get straight answers or feel uncomfortable with the responses you receive, take your business elsewhere.

Why you should be careful choosing who does your tattoo:

* Non-sterile tattooing practices have led to the transmission of syphilis, hepatitis B and other infectious organisms.

* Since the needles used to tattoo are solid, not hollow, the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, a non-profit organization which promotes health standards in the industry, says that the transmission of HIV is unlikely.

* However, staph or other infections in the skin and bloodstream can occur if proper care isn't taken after the tattooing session.

* Allergic reactions to pigments are also a risk. None of the colors and shades of pigment used in tattooing are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The science behind tattoos: How they work on your skin

* Tattoos are a permanent design made on the body when pigment is inserted into the dermal layer of the skin through ruptures in the skin's top layer, the epidermis.

* Injection is done by a needle attached to a handheld tool. This machine, sometimes called a gun, moves the needle up and down at a rate of several hundred vibrations per minute.

* A tattoo gun is an electrically powered, vertically vibrating steel instrument that resembles a dentist's drill. It is fitted with solid needles that puncture the skin at the rate of 50 to 3,000 times a minute.

* The sterilized needles are installed in the machine and dipped in ink, which is sucked up through the machine's tube system.

* Powered by a foot switch much like that on a sewing machine, the tattoo machine uses an up-and-down motion to puncture the top layer of the skin and drive insoluble, micrometer-sized particles of ink into the second layer of skin, about one-eighth-inch deep.

SOURCE: How Things Work at www.howstuffworks.com

Tattoo removal — the ups and downs

* Tattoos are meant to be permanent, so removing them is difficult, and few surgeons guarantee complete removal.

* Most tattoos are now removed by laser surgery, which can cost anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the size, type and location of the tattoos, and the number of visits to the surgeon it will take.

* Other tattoo removal methods — like chemically burning the skin, painfully sanding off skin layers, freezing off sections of skin, or removing the tattoo with a scapel and stitching up the wound — have become antiquated since the advent of laser surgery.

* The number of laser surgery sessions depends on the amount and type of ink used and how deeply it was injected. Most tattoos require between two and eight treatments.

* Energy pulses from the laser (which people have compared to being splattered with hot grease or having an elastic band snapped against their skin) break up the cells that have tattoo pigments. They are then washed out by the body's immune system.

* Local anesthetic is used sometimes, but most people who can handle the pain of getting a tattoo can likewise handle the pain of tattoo removal.

* Yellow and green are the hardest colors to remove, and blue and black are the easiest. The dark colors absorb laser light more easily, and therefore break up better. Lighter colors selectively absorb laser light.

n After healing, which takes several days, the site will gradually and continually fade.

* After removal, you still might have: some of the tattoo visible on the skin; an absense of regular skin pigment on the site; an abudance of skin pigment where the tattoo used to be; and some permanent scarring (a 5-percent chance).

www.eastbayri.com

Effective Wednesday, minors in Pennsylvania will be required to obtain parental permission before they get their navels, noses, ears or other anatomical areas pierced. Perforate a youngster without parental consent, and you could face up to a $2,500 fine and/or a year in jail.
Hurray for Harrisburg? Hardly.

The state never has been, nor ever will be, effective in the role of parent. Yet lawmakers time and again devote their high-salaried attention to feel-good initiatives that are, at best, on the periphery of their purview.

Maybe if lawmakers did their homework, they would find that most established piercers already require parental consent for clients younger than 18 for good reason: Who wants Mommy or Daddy showing up the next day making a scene in the shop? Says Tim Azinger of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Professional Tattooists & Body Piercers, nothing is going to change "now that there's a law on paper."

Meanwhile, there's no state law that enforces safety and sterilization procedures in tattoo parlors and piercing shops, according to a state Department of Health spokesman, although some municipalities have their own rules.

Instead of grabbing at what's left of the low-hanging fruit, it would be nice to see state lawmakers for a change actually reach for something substantial and meaningful for the good folks who pay their salaries.

www.pittsburghlive.com

Sooner or later, all conversations with old-timers feature a hog story or two. Several of my earlier columns recalled hog adventures of one kind or another. Here are a few more.
Without doubt, I consider the distinctive flavor and taste of crisp, fried, cured bacon in the early morning my favorite of all tastes. As far back as I can remember this experience has existed in my memories. I've lost count of the times a cold slice of bacon between the halves of a biscuit saved my life. I could always tell when mother sent bacon in my school lunch as it made a brown grease stain on the side of my paper lunch sack.

Without hogs, the homesteaders of the west would have had a much harder time surviving. Raw pork could be kept from spoiling merely by adding salt. Salt solutions kept many food items from spoiling. Grandma Trew packed fresh eggs into crocks filled with salt to extend their useful life. Buffalo tongues were packed in wooden barrels filled with salty water and shipped to markets.

Travelers packed salted fatback on trips to assure they had meat during their trip. Some of the most prominent early country gatherings were organized to butcher a winter's supply of pork. Warm climates dictated meat animals be butchered at lighter weights to prevent spoilage. Colder climates, especially after the arrival of winter, allowed a season's supply of meat be processed and stored often with the meat carcasses being hung high in windmill towers.

The mail-order catalogs like Sears and "Monkey Ward," offered all the many tools needed to process and cure meats of all kinds. Spices and cures were guaranteed fresh and ready to use. Knives, steels, meat grinders and any tools used were offered in kits and individually. Government bulletins were available chock full of processing instructions and recipes to make sausage and other delicacies. Pressure cookers were available to can meats in glass jars for preservation.

Pork processing was easy compared to the chores of raising hogs. Unless the baby pig survived to grow up, you had nothing. Extreme care was taken when a sow gave birth to a litter. Stories abound about how housewives attended the pigs' birth while the men toiled in the fields. My mother-in-law was attacked by a sow while trying to take an injured baby pig from the pen. A friend of a friend at Lela died from a hog bite trying to protect a litter of newborn pigs from a boar. Hog attack stories were common in every community.

There are many patented hog tools and accessories available in catalogs. There are so many that friend Onie Sims of Whittier, Calif., and formerly of Mobeetie, wrote and published a 141-page book on the subject. Page after page tells of hog rings, ringers, swine-holders, snouters and hog jewelry all designed to help control these ornery, sometimes vicious animals.

Onie states, "I wonder sometimes if the ear, nose and other body-piercing fads of today didn't originate with the hog jewelry of the old hog-raising days?"

www.amarillonet.com

It was occasion for some piercing humor and legal analysis as Monterey County supervisors enacted a law this week that licenses tattoo parlors and body-piercing studios.

Public health officials recommending the law were forced to cool their heels nearly all day while supervisors slogged through their usual agenda mire of land-use matters.

When the body-art law finally came up, Supervisor Lou Calcagno quipped, "It takes a long time to get a good tattoo."

Supervisor Fernando Armenta wondered if the county could restrict tattoo artists from putting gang symbols on people. Charles McKee, county counsel, opined such a ban likely would violate the constitutional right to free speech.

It would be impossible to regulate "what kind of speech may be put on the body," McKee said. In other words, such legislation would be "Born to Lose."

Prunedale happenings: It got hot and heavy in Prunedale this week when sheriff's deputies were summoned to a home on Addington Lane in response to some sort of domestic dispute.

The result was so... well, so quintessentially Prunedale that deputies couldn't help but send along details of the episode in a "major incident" news release to local media.

The incident is summarized completely with this synopsis (names changed to protect the embarrassed): "Ms. T struck Mr. R with a corncob and sprayed him with water. Ms. T was upset with Mr. R because he had looked at her. Mr. R refused to prosecute Ms. T for the batteries. Madam T was arrested for being drunk in public."

Finally, an answer: If you've lived around here any time at all, you probably know that Carmel is Dogtown-by-the-Sea. Carmelites love their dogs, as evidenced by the doggy fountain, the restaurants that welcome pooches (please don't mention us by name in the local press lest the Health Department squawk, say the proprietors), the dogs running free on the beach.

But until now, no one had offered up an explanation for why Carmel is so doggone dog-happy as compared with, say, Marina.

Weighing in with an answer is Peter Fish, whose essay on Carmel's love affair with canines is a highlight of this month's Sunset magazine.

"It takes a certain kind of town to let dogs be dogs," writes Fish. "But this is Carmel, which started life as an artistic haven on the edge of the wild Pacific and still cherishes the eccentricities that link it to its rougher youth."

Fish then quotes a bit of Robinson Jeffers' doggerel, an elegy to his bulldog, and finishes his explanation.

"The poem gets to the heart of why Carmel celebrates its dogs: a communal understanding that dogs are as loving, maddening and quickly passing as life itself. And that without them, life would be a lesser thing."

www.montereyherald.com