From Shanghai: “A Chinese man has been sentenced to death for scratching insults across the bodies of three women with a needle dipped in ink.” The court gave him a two year reprieve. If his behavior is good he will get life imprisonment instead.

China has the death penalty for over 60 offenses, half of them being non-violent.

From the AP - “Forty-four tattoo customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Vermont developed skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… MRSA generally causes mild skin infections, but in some cases has led to pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and a painful, flesh-destroying condition called necrotizing fasciitis.”

This is a very good reason why you should not have your friend do your tattoo. Go to a liscenced tattoo shop were the artists follow proper procedures.

From the AP - “About one in seven people surveyed reported having a piercing anywhere other than in the soft lobe of the ear, according to the study. That total rises to nearly one in three for the 18-to-29 set. Just about half - 48 percent - in that age category had either a tattoo or piercing.”

Is this just the crest of a trend, or is mass-popularity of tattoos here to stay?

From the Times Leader: “Tattoos cover more than half of his body and include an angel killing a demon and Jesus on the cross. He considers part of his work to be spreading the message that tattoos don’t harm a person’s faith but offer a way to present a gospel message.”

The article goes on to say that Steve is the president of the Christian Tattoo Association which has 850 members from around the world.

The RockyMountain News reports on the Inaugeral Denver Tattoo Convention being held June 3rd and 4th. - “He still notices some people pulling their young children close when they pass him on the street. Furthermore, the fact that his right arm is a virtual harem doesn’t make him popular among the masses. ‘Since my whole right arm is all naked chicks, a lot of people find that offensive. But, you know, I find it offensive that they find it offensive.’”