>“‘Most people who don’t have counsel don’t realize what their rights are. They’re afraid to impose restrictions. You can be very stringent,’ Herculian said. If a dress code is put into writing and doesn’t discriminate between the sexes, it can be enforced legally, as long as employers are open to negotiating compromises for health or religious reasons.” Via AP

Finally, another free tattoo design has been added to Top Tattoo Designs. This one is a unique take on the classic Japanese koi fish design by artist Jinx. This free design includes both the outline and final colored design in high resolution. It is free and usable if you wish to use it as a tattoo.

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.’”

The Post Star has a good article on UV tattoos - “They like that they can go ahead and get a dragon done on their arm and have the UV ink put into the eyes or into the flames from the mouth,” Scherbarth said. “When you put them under the light, they almost look neon. They’re very brilliant.”

If you are thinking about getting an ultraviolet tattoo check out this thread at TattooArtists.com. Artists there recommend using Crazy Chameleon ink, which is FDA approved; people have been known to have adverse reactions to other brands of ink.

The China Daily has an article about tattooing in China. Although tattoos have played an important cultural role in China for over 1,000 years, recently, in the 1950s, they began to become associated with crime.

Today groups like the China Association of Tattoo Artists are seeking to reshape that image by improving tattoo safety and guaranteeing artist quality.

StarPulse reports that pop singer Pink has a help button tattooed on her arm. The help button tattoo is one of 20 tattoos that Pink has.