It looks about as enhancing and natural as "artistic" markings on Zion's Great White Throne or Yosemite's El Capitan.

I'm waiting for neon ink that glows in the dark, like my condoms!!!

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm waiting for neon ink that glows in the dark,
> like my condoms!!!


My first best laugh of the day! Thanks!!

The Black Hills are considered sacred by Plains and some Mountain West native tribes. They were allowed to keep possession of them until gold was discovered there at which point the dominant culture changed its mind.

They considered the carving up of Mount Rushmore to be basically blasphemous, an opinion not shared by the rest of the world. It is one of our most visited national monuments.

Crazy Horse in particular would never allow his picture to be taken, never agreed to the ceding of the Black Hills to the US, didn't want the white man to know where he was buried (he succeeded there) and considered the Black Hills deeply sacred land. So the massive Crazy Horse statue being carved in the Black Hills is blasphemous on at least two level, the location and the likeness of Crazy Horse.

Funny how one group's blasphemy is another group's monumental tribute. I suspect the same thing is true of body art. Traditional Maoris would probably find American body art understated. Objecting to tattoos is every bit as much of an arbitrary cultural bias as Mormons objecting to bare shoulders or coffee.

I have my own bias. When the tattooage is so dense it looks more like armor plate than decoration, I start thinking "really?" I admit that is a bias and is pretty much my own arbitrary standard, and it has changed over time.

I remember several months ago A regular poster here commented she would not willingly patronize a medical practitioner with tattoos, or words to that effect. I was thinking I have a doctor and a nurse in my extended family, both women and both with pretty substantial tattoos, none visible under regular hospital uniforms. One even has a tongue stud, though I suppose she removes it for work. I don't know, never asked. That person was raised Utah County LDS, btw.

Tattoos may have special meanings to the adorned but for someone with 20/40 vision, the "sleeves" and fully covered leg tats just look like so much body dirt.

About as exotic as you can get, after Queequeg

https://www.google.com/search?q=ms+13+tattoos+gallery&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS568US568&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2yvTQsbrcAhXMuVMKHTCcDyoQsAQIKA&biw=2000&bih=958



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 09:48AM by caffiend.

Well ... at least it makes them easy to indentify.

Tramp stamp

though I don't have any. I'm not into needles. My sister has 4 I believe. One is a peonie. My grandfather grew a big garden of peonies on his farm.

I think for me it is something about anything not mormon. I find smokers attractive. Go figure. I think watching my boyfriend smoke a cigar is GREAT. He doesn't smoke often, but now and then. My sister's long-time boyfriend had hair almost to his waist and rode a Harley. I think that is really sexy. He is a Vietnam vet.

Anything that screams I'm not active mormon is great. My boyfriend actually has me guess who is active mormon when we have waiters and waitresses, etc., or people other places. You can certainly tell.

Have you ever noticed how many ex-Mormon men grow beards after they leave? It is like a rite of passage, something men do to celebrate their liberation.

Sort of like swinging.

Never been a fan of tats....but am thinking of getting one to honor my late wife....just thinking so far.

There is a contestant on American Ninja Warrior who has a tattoo to honor his father, who died on 9/11.

I'm not a big fan of tats, myself, but I respect tattoos that honor beloved relatives and spouses.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2018 12:17PM by GregS.

I don't like tats either, but this idea would be an exception. It sounds like a serious and sincere demonstration of your love.

I have 5 tattoos. The first two are just because I wanted them. A small butterfly on each ankle.
The third is a butterfly with a support ribbon for a body and my youngest daughters name. This is to honor her and her fight against epilepsy.
The forth is an infinity symbol with both of my girls names in it. All three of us got tattoos on the same day. They each got the infinity with the other sisters name in it.
The fifth is to honor my oldest daughter who passed a year ago. Butterflies and her favorite flower. Her name and birth, death dates.
I would not trade any of my tattoos for anything.
The reason behind tattoos is different for every one and the reasoning is different for each tattoo one gets.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 11:45AM by flutterbypurple.

It made me angry that they put them in the wrong places and had to do a second set.

I had the ones removed that I had to see in the shower. It cost $100. each and was well worth it to me. I don't want such dumb mistakes recorded on my body forever.

Others can do what suits them.

there is nothing artistic about them. They do suggest, however, that I am not likely to die of cancer, and I'm OK with that.

I had to have two simulations and two scans before radiation because they botched the first attempts. They roughly crammed me into a device which injured me when it caused a huge blood blister which swelled up like a purple mushroom and left a permanent blob which looked like I had two nipples on one side. That's when they also did tattoos in the wrong places.

So after redoing all of this, I was left with something that looked like an ugly mole and some extra tattoos. I had those mistakes surgically removed after radiation ended and I was all healed. I felt I'd never feel that I owned my own body unless I fixed these mistakes. It was a huge relief to be done with all of it.

I went to another facility for my followup care and liked them much better.

"Makes them easy to identify." Yes, that's the point. MS-13 is an especially vicious, even sadistic gang, and I'm sure the tattoos reinforce that image. A prisoner being booked will have any scars, body modifications, and tattoos recorded (digital imagery), one by one. It would take an entire shift to record one of those guys!

A cautionary word to Lethbridge Reprobate: a tattoo to honor your dearly loved lost one, but consider the possibility that you might marry again. That would confront her all the time, possibly negatively, but possibly positively, as it says, "My spouse means this much to me." Just think it through.

cl2: You find your boyfriend smoking a cigar stimulating? I'll leave commentary on that to BYU Boner.

Sometimes a cigar really is just a cigar.

Other times...I too defer to Boner.

Tattoos are more socially acceptable now than when I was young. Many young people have one or more smaller tattoos. IMO extensive tattooing (i.e. an arm sleeve) is still uncommon.

It mostly depends on why the person has their ink. If it's just because "it looks cool" while you know nothing about the design, you deserve that Chinese character tattoo that means "cow's anus."

On the other hand, there are tattoos that means something and look good. I'm former Navy, so I'm going with sailor tattoos as examples- stars and compasses (both used for navigation at sea) were believed to ensure sailors found their way home, a pig and a rooster on the feet were believed to prevent drowning (I actually knew a guy with the pig and rooster tattoos), a rope around the left wrist (a tattoo I have) means the person was a deckhand, crossed anchors between the thumb and index finger on the left hand marked a boatswain's mate (now marks BMs that have the approval of the ship's boatswain).

Meet Davinia Catarina, tatooed exmo gal:

http://purpleport.com/portfolio/davidharrison/image/812715/photographer/
http://purpleport.com/portfolio/davidharrison/image/812749/photographer/


Unfortunately, her facebook page is gone, and with it more comprehensive images of her ink.

Edit: a brief description of her mormon background:

https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1383262,1383262



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2018 08:45PM by 3X.

At least they cover her shoulders. . .

I'm trying to overcome my bias against tattoos. I have plenty of friends that have them but I still don't get it. I haven't seen one yet that I thought looked good.

The people I know that them are smarter than I am but if I see a professional, such as a health care worker that has one, my confidence in that person drops considerably.

I don't want my doctor, lawyer or any professional I have to put my trust in to have one.

Guess I come from a time when tattoos sent a negative message to most.

Excellent identification. Prisoners tats are photographed. Even the new ones they illegally get put on.
I'm not a fan of tats. I can appreciate something small and well done. I have a big concern about infection. Happens a lot, I am told.

Jacko Mo Mo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It looks about as enhancing and natural as "artistic" markings on Zion's Great White Throne
> or Yosemite's El Capitan.

It's not graffiti when you know what you're doing. Whose body?

Enhancing? Is one thing
Natural is another

What are ""artistic"" markings and why do other people's body's decisions bother you? Can't you stay inside?

"I would never wear my hair like that."
^^^ Then don't.


"Why is s/he wearing that dress?"
^^^ Go ask her/him, not me.

"Why did they pierce their ______"
^^^ Go ask them.


IOW, don't judge. Ask yourself if you are truly curious about the whys or are more concerned with something someone has chosen to do. If you can't bring yourself to ask someone about whatever is bugging you, it's probably none of your business.

For those who are curious, I recommend a movie called "Modify". https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455980/

I have one quibble with the movie's described history of suspension (I think it's more like the Sun Dance), otherwise, people explain why they've chosen to do what they've done. Take it for what it's worth to them and to you. You don't have to agree, but you also don't have to denigrate.

Until someone physically holds you down and forces you to get a tattoo, etc., you have no skin in the game.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2018 10:49AM by Beth.

I had been thinking about it ever since my trip to Europe, in about 2006.

I had a marvelous experience in Venice, Italy. It was noon, and Mass had just gotten out. Suddenly, from every direction, there was a mingled pealing of many, many church bells. One, on the other side of the Grand Canal, sounded enormous - BOOM! BOOM! I could feel it through my feet.

It was incredible. I must have just been standing there, gawking. I saw this little old guy watching me with amusement. I stammered out, in my limping Italian, "The bells here - they don't RING, they SING!!" He lit up with a beautiful smile, and replied, "Si, Signora! Cantano per la gioia!" They sing for joy!

I thought, "That is one of the most incredible verbal expressions I have ever heard!" It took me almost a decade to gather up my nerve, but I went to a tattoo parlor recommended by my daughter, with the words already written in a font my TBM DH found on his computer. The words "cantano per la gioia" are written in "UCLA blue" on my inner left arm, and they bring joyful memories surging back every time I glance at them.

I briefly considered getting a pink ribbon tatt as a survivor or breast cancer, but hey - I already have tatts provided by the cancer clinic, so why bother? Granted, they aren't artistic, but they are authentic. Works for me.

I have over 20 tattoos. Each one has a specific meaning or marks a certain event in my life. I get tattoos because they are one thing that is a part of me that no one will ever take away. They are with me forever. One example is when I left mormonism, I got the phrase "vivere est cogitare" which means "to live is to think". I then got it surrounded with lillies and that tattoo was done by an exmormon. All my tattoos have stories and I am not ashamed of any of them even though I am a professional.

I would never have one now . They are popular and if something is popular I have an automatic reaction to not do anything that is popular .Some tats are OK but some are Absolutly horrible . I will never have one

For me, I haven't found anything I like enough to have permanently on my body, even if I put it someplace that's hidden by most clothing. I often admire tattoos on others, but my form of taking back power when I left Mormonism was to get my ears pierced a second time so I wear 2 pairs of earrings.

From my experience tattoos tend to worn by people who are risk-takers.

One thing is clear: the content of the tattoo ink is not FDA regulated so a person is taking a great risk by having something unknown injected into their body.