I found these pictures of funny/ridiculous tattoos that people got.  Do you think they were in an altered state of mind, shall we say, when they got these tattoos? What do you think they’re grandkids will think when these people are seniors? Do you think they are more funny or stupid?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/149329/black_henna_tattoos_can_cause_serious.html

This website was really interesting.  It talked about how Henna tattoos are different from regular tattoos, mainly because they are temporary and can be changed depending on the mood of the carrier of the tattoo. It stated, however, that if one gets a Henna tatoo and it’s a black henna tattoo then that can be very risky for the person’s health.  Apparently natural henna isn’t black in color. Henna has a red cast. Black henna tattoos consist of a chemical called para-phenylenediamine. Para-phenylenediamine is used to dye hair black. And that chemical is an allergen, and some people have very strong reactions towards that chemical.

My name is Dedrick Lenox and I have four tattoos. Two on my back, one on my right arm, and one on my left leg. The back was a little aggravating towards my pain threshhold, but the others were whatever. All but one of my tattoos link me to a time or place and they all have some sort of meaning behind them. One of them was just a design I liked, but I act like it means something… it makes me feel like I didn’t just do it to do it… which I did… but then again, maybe it means “REBELLION”. I do not plan on getting anymore and for the most part they do not bother me. One use to bother me but i’ve come to grips with it and today I wear it proud, and “No” it is not the one that was just a design. I’m currently studying English “Creative Writing”, I live my life in music-especially 50’s, 60’s, 70’s era and early 90’s Hip Hop. I consider myself to have an extremely creative personality and I am addicted to art in all its many forms. Feel free to ask any questions.

http://www.yuppiepunk.org/2006/03/not-so-complete-history-of-band.html

Whether your into the “duh duh duh grigggity grrrrrrr zam ziggity” of Rock or into the “boom boom chicka chicka boom boom chick” of Hip Hop, there is a tattoo with your name on it. It seems that being rebellous is synonymous with both Rock n’ Roll and Tattooing. It is not uncommon to find bands, rap artists, folk singers, jazz musicians, or what have you on the bodies of those who admire their artistic work. For some it is merely a way to support… but for others it is a way to immortalize their favorite Rockers, Rappers, Singers, and Drum Dingers. Take for instace these famous personalities: Elvis, Tupac, Bob Marley, Buddy Holly… etc. Other reasons for getting some sort of musical type tattoo… maybe that particular artist or artists helped you through a trying time. Some show respect to these artists by adorning their pictures or symbols (Prince… or The Artist Formally Known As) all over the epedermis. The link provided shows a few of the different artists that have been slapped on the skin… so…. How Do You Feel About That??? 

http://www.tattoo-gallery.org/history-of-tattoos.html I found a website that taps into the history of why different cultures have gotten tattoos. Whether for religious reasons or territorial purposes, Tattooing has been around for over 5000 years.

Jon-Paul Gamboa  

http://www.militarytattoos.us/

The link provided goes into detail about various tattoos that are recieved by military personnel serving in all five branches of the armed forces. Military tattoos like all others serve the purpose of identifying a member with the particular service, job, or unit that he or she is with. One particular tattoo might be the “meat tag” which is basically the i.d. tag or “dog tag” and it is usually applied to the members abdominal side. On a more personal level it is found that members in special positions tend to get tattoos that will let others know what position they are in , i.e. Special Forces. The funny thing is sometimes these certain positions come with inherent dangers that would put members more at risk if they were to get captured and had a mark on thier body that designated them as belonging to a particular unit that may have special sneaky secret information. That is why sometimes these members get tattoos that are not so easily understood, or they just wait until they are discharged. Anyways, others get these tattoos for the primary reason of letting the world know the accomplishment they have made in their life, and typically these tattoos are rendered after basic training. That seems to be when most service members are still pretty gung-ho about their service. It seems though, that sometimes they regret these tattoos, but only if their career goes sour. Probably the most easily recognized tattoo and popular seems to be the Marine Corps. Eagle, Globe, and Anchor…. or its mascott the “Devil Dog”. Other services have their special markings and can be viewed in the link. funniest one in my opinion is the cross hairs with the caption that reads: SHOOT HERE. So… how do youi feel about that???

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/28467/tattooing_america.html?page=5

This article describes the recent acceptance of tattoos in America. Once looked down on, tattoos have become popular and accepted in America in the past decade. Agenda Setting Theory and Cognitive Social Learning Theory are two theories that suggest the reasons why tattoos have become popular. Agenda Setting Theory proposes that the media tells the mass what is important and what events people inhabit around the world. Cognitive Social Learning Theory predicts that people will imitate behaviors of others when those models are rewarded or not punished or attacked for their behavior. We are seeing more and more people with tattoos on television, the internet, and magazines. Even in our everyday lives like in stores, schools, and our jobs. Tattoos are a way of one expressing themselves. I wanted to get a brief understanding of the psychology behind getting a tattoo. 

Jon-Paul Gamboa

http://members.cox.net/mashaka/fuerza/gang_tattoos.htm

The idea behind why gang members use tattoos as a way of displaying affiliation to thier particular gang, is an idea that carries with it many more concepts within. For some it merely shows an allegiance to the criminal enterprise which they are roote in, but for others it is a way of excommunicating themselves from mainstream society. Such is the case when a gang member adorns his face with tattoos under a strict proclamation to the world that he/ or she would rather never see themselves as part of mainstream culture, but would rather live and die for only one thing, thier gang. Gang tattoos not only display affiliation to a particular gang, but also let those within the gang know what level any particuler gang member might be. In other words, gang tattoos serve as a ranking system within the gang, letting fellow/ or ooposing gang members know the type of “crimes” that any particular gangmember has been a part of. The article in the link provided gives a little information to the idea behind gang tattoos and also shows some of the more prominent places on the body where gang tattoos might be found.

Dedrick Lenox

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/DiabetesResource/story?id=4028385&page=1

This article came as a surprise to me because I had never heard of anyone getting a tattoo on their body to serve as medical information for a doctor or EMT.  It’s interesting to get both sides of the situation here.  On one side there are the citizens who have Diabetes, implanted defibrillators, etc. and want to communicate to the EMT’s and doctors that piece of information, even when they are unconscious.  On the other side you have people who still don’t want to defile their body, if that’s what they consider tattooing to be, and don’t get the tattoos. Some doctors and EMT’s themselves are in the latter groups because they feel that in an emergency and rushed situation EMT’s arn’t going to be looking for tattoos because there just isn’t enough time.  All in all it’s still a very interesting concept and one that is rivaling the popular braclet because braclets are easy to lose and people don’t always wear them if they don’t consider them fashionable.

Hayk.