Tattoos

[Robbiesan]

^I take it that was directed at Captain Katherine, and not me?

I'm talking about a blue flower and she's talking about a blue flower. She's talking about a fear of something pentrating her veins and I'm talking about a fear of heights.

Why would my comments be directed to you?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I like text tattoos and I like single color simplicity. I have long thought to get a few letters (words?) in Vulcan script, there are some great shots of this in the ENT ep Home which takes place on Vulcan. It's very curly and flowy. I like patterns and designs rather than actual things. I may never get this but it's what I come back to when thinking on it. I've spent a lot of my life hanging out in Star Trek (my oldest fandom) and I like fictional worlds very much, they have meaning. I know a lot of people get the delta Starfleet symbol but I am not a fan of Starfleet so even though the symbol means Star Trek to most people it would bother me

 

[thestrangequark]

I like text tattoos and I like single color simplicity. I have long thought to get a few letters (words?) in Vulcan script, there are some great shots of this in the ENT ep Home which takes place on Vulcan. It's very curly and flowy. I like patterns and designs rather than actual things. I may never get this but it's what I come back to when thinking on it. I've spent a lot of my life hanging out in Star Trek (my oldest fandom) and I like fictional worlds very much, they have meaning. I know a lot of people get the delta Starfleet symbol but I am not a fan of Starfleet so even though the symbol means Star Trek to most people it would bother me

Weirdo.



Vulcan script would be cool! It's really pretty!

^I take it that was directed at Captain Katherine, and not me?

I'm talking about a blue flower and she's talking about a blue flower. She's talking about a fear of something pentrating her veins and I'm talking about a fear of heights.

Why would my comments be directed to you?

Because the general etiquette of this forum is that a post in response to someone is assumed to be in response to the one directly proceeding it, and if not, one notes the person to whom the post is in response.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

OH and I am STILL laughing at the christian fish being originally a vulva.. just imagine if you got one tattooed with a button on the fish nose and people asked you "what's that bit?" and you got to say, "the clit". And then inform them of this bit of forgotten history.

OMG what if the Deltan Starfleet symbol was originally a vulva?! Because Starfleet can be a real..

NO STOP IT THIS IS GOING TOO FAR SOME THINGS ARE SACRED

 

[Robbiesan]

Because the general etiquette of this forum is that a post in response to someone is assumed to be in response to the one directly proceeding it, and if not, one notes the person to whom the post is in response.

Now ettiquette police?

If both of us are typing a post, and you hit enter before me, then your post will post first. Shall we each time place a salutation each time for each person to whom we are addressing? Place general salutations too for all? Have multiple people we are addressing?

Come on. I would hope some folks could tell by context or by quoting.

 

[thestrangequark]

OH and I am STILL laughing at the christian fish being originally a vulva.. just imagine if you got one tattooed with a button on the fish nose and people asked you "what's that bit?" and you got to say, "the clit". And then inform them of this bit of forgotten history.

OMG what if the Deltan Starfleet symbol was originally a vulva?! Because Starfleet can be a real..

NO STOP IT THIS IS GOING TOO FAR SOME THINGS ARE SACRED

I went away for awhile and forgot how much I love you.

I have so many things I want tattooed, I have to be careful. I need to pace myself, because I want a lot, but I don't want to end up completely covered and don't want to end up with anything I'd regret. The night before I got the marigolds tattoo I actually had a nightmare that I'd gone and tattooed my face. Now, I mean no disrespect to those who are up for that, because hey, look how you want to look, but man, that dream was awful!

For Christmas last year I bought my mom a tattoo. She had an old one on her shoulder that was poorly done and badly faded, and she really hated it. She's on disability though, and could never afford to get it covered up. She chose a sugar skull with five roses. She chose it because it's a celebration of life while acknowledging death; the five roses are for me and my 4 siblings, two of whom passed away in childhood. She told me that she struggled for a long time with reconciling happiness and grief; she felt guilty for enjoying my sisters and I when Holly and Christopher were dead, and holidays were especially hard as they both passed away around that time (Christopher in November and Holly in December). All this considered, I think for her the tattoo was therapeutic as well.

My beautiful mother and her beautiful tattoo:

 

[thestrangequark]

Because the general etiquette of this forum is that a post in response to someone is assumed to be in response to the one directly proceeding it, and if not, one notes the person to whom the post is in response.

Now ettiquette police?

If both of us are typing a post, and you hit enter before me, then your post will post first. Shall we each time place a salutation each time for each person to whom we are addressing? Place general salutations too for all? Have multiple people we are addressing?

Come on. I would hope some folks could tell by context or by quoting.

Oh stop whining.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Because the general etiquette of this forum is that a post in response to someone is assumed to be in response to the one directly proceeding it, and if not, one notes the person to whom the post is in response.

Now ettiquette police?

If both of us are typing a post, and you hit enter before me, then your post will post first. Shall we each time place a salutation each time for each person to whom we are addressing? Place general salutations too for all? Have multiple people we are addressing?

Come on. I would hope some folks could tell by context or by quoting.

Since you seem to love unnecessary appeals to authority... I had an uncle who proudly served in the Etiquette Police for thirty years before being gunned down in a hail of misplaced salad forks, so I can speak on this issue with some experience:

Quit making every topic about you and arguing everything to death. Especially if you're the type who feels the need to pontificate in every thread around the board, even the lighthearted ones, which it seems you are. It does not ingratiate you with the board at large.

 

[Emher]

I will eventually get a tattoo. It took forever for me to decide, but I figured out the one I wanted, and still want. See, that's something I have always worried about, was that I'd get a nice tattoo, then a few years later would want something different. Anyway, this is what I want (I've shown it before):

Perfect! Love the design of it. Where would you get it? I'm pretty sure my Earth will go on my left upper arm, start off traditional.

I'm not much for portrait and tribal tats either. Tribal tats are awesome on members of the tribe, but it's just a bit too much cultural appropriation plus trendy dudebro nonsense on white people. I don't think I'd even get anything from my own tribe tattooed!
Sagan has also inspired me..."We are the custodians of life's meaning" is something I wouldn't mind tattooing, but I'm not sure if I want any more text tattoos, and if I did, I'd have trouble deciding between that and the last line of my favorite Shakespearian sonnet: Till my bad angel fire my good one out.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I have an old friend from the town I grew up who has loads of tats and half of them are tribal tattoos and portraits. And I always find it kinda of hilarious since he's the whitest guy ever being half English ginger and half Swedish ginger! And of course he's into the whole 2pac/thug life thing. Great guy but appalling taste in tattoos.

Oh yeah, you are actually part of an actual tribe! I'm just a Swedish mutt. I do love Norse mythology though and really have thought about something in regards to that. Sadly traditional symbols like the hammer of Tor have become sort of adopted by white supremacists in Sweden, which really sucks because I'd love to get one seeing as I have the Viking connection in my name as well.

As for other symbols, I'll probably get an Ouroboros at some point. It has it's place in Norse mythology as well with Midgårdsormen, the serpent that hold the world together. But I just like the look of it and it's presence in several mythologies.

I'd love to get a quote as well at some point, I just seem to have a fondness for really long ones, almost shorter speeches! I do love the one you have though, it's great.

Here is the sketch I did today of my thoughts for my new hummingbird. I will also have the current bird tweaked to make them more similar. The idea was to incorporate the style of the star, and to make everything more cohesive. The old bird will be outlined in black, and the new on colored in to match the old one, but with the stained glass look of the star.
I'm sure the finished product won't be exactly like this, but this is the general idea:

Okay, that will be awesome. Liking the look already, but with the stained glass look it will be fantastic!

And I've said it before, but I love the picture of your mother and her tattoo, it looks great and she looks so happy!

I have been thinking of maybe getting a tasteful tattoo that connects to something I really love such as Harry Potter or something celestial/space-related but am unsure what I could get that I wouldn't get tired of.

I've considered some kind of stealth Doctor Who tatt myself!

I've really thought about the possibility of a Who of Trek tattoo as well. But for the former I'm holding off to ensure I stay a fan. I think I will but i know form experience that I tend to have a few years as a flash being a huge fan and then it dying down a bit.

 

[Roshi]

I have an appointment for a new tat in February for my 40th...
Pics will definitely follow.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

These are all awesome tattoos and tattoo ideas.

My mother suggested - possibly jokingly - that I get myself a tribe-style tattoo when I last visited New Zealand (which was now over 10 years ago). Today, when asking her about it she was firmly against the idea. Myself, I've only half-entertained the thought of getting a tattoo. While I appreciate having a bit of body art on me, on the other hand I don't know if I really need one, plus I'm a bit body-shy when it comes to these things.

I do have a few ideas in mind, though: the one I've always wanted is the Symbol of Torment (itself my very first avatar on the TrekBBS) on my left shoulder. Today, thinking about it further, I even considered a capital H with sunbeams radiating around it (according to John Hodgman it is the hobo code for "It is time for the hoboes to take over the United States government" ) for the right shoulder - a nice and simple design.

Yet, while I have these ideas, I'd still want a) the money for such tattoos, and b) a talented tattooist who can bring them to life. What would also be nice (although strictly not necessary) is a sturdy pair of shoulders that can carry them with pride, instead of the flabby and brittle wings currently upon my person.

 

[selina]

=Cool! I love the learning about the history of symbols like that. I think my favorite example of cross-culture symbol adoption is the Ichthys, which for Christians is well-known as the Jesus fish, but for early pagans represented motherhood and fertility as not a fish, but a vulva. I find that hilarious.

I wasn't aware of that. Yes, it's quite interesting what tattoo threads can reveal .

I've been thinking for quite a while about getting my first tattoo and what's mostly held me back is what it should be off. I then at long last came to think about Carl Sagan's speech about "the pale blue dot" that is our home. But i realized that just simple blue dot might be a bit boring. So I've thought that maybe something inspired by one of the photos from the Apollo missions of the Earth. I've always been fond of this: http://dennisgnosis.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/apollo-8-earth-rise1.jpg

​

So I've made it a goal that now that I'm making real progress with weight loss I've decided to go trough with it once I hit a certain weight. As a reward and a goal to my self. And knowing myself if I like it, which I think I will, I'll set another goal for the next one. I think that once I get started I'll keep going. Just have to keep them nice looking. Portraits and tribal symbols you'll never find on me.​

There are some really beautiful designs of planet earth. In addition, I think getting a tattoo as a reward is a really strong motivation. I'm actually thinking about getting another one - maybe around my ankle - but I can't afford it at the moment. So, it's a motivation for me, too, to sink my teeth into work and to change something about my financial situation.

I will eventually get a tattoo. It took forever for me to decide, but I figured out the one I wanted, and still want. See, that's something I have always worried about, was that I'd get a nice tattoo, then a few years later would want something different. Anyway, this is what I want (I've shown it before):

That's an interesting choice. Do you want to get it in black or will it be with colours?

I'm not much for portrait and tribal tats either. Tribal tats are awesome on members of the tribe, but it's just a bit too much cultural appropriation plus trendy dudebro nonsense on white people. I don't think I'd even get anything from my own tribe tattooed!
Sagan has also inspired me..."We are the custodians of life's meaning" is something I wouldn't mind tattooing, but I'm not sure if I want any more text tattoos, and if I did, I'd have trouble deciding between that and the last line of my favorite Shakespearian sonnet: Till my bad angel fire my good one out.

A singer, whose name I forgot, hung the design of a new tattoo next to his bathroom mirror for at least two weeks before getting the ink done. That way he was forced to look at it several times a day. If he still liked it after two weeks, he got it. Maybe this approach could help you to find the right design?

Here is the sketch I did today of my thoughts for my new hummingbird. I will also have the current bird tweaked to make them more similar. The idea was to incorporate the style of the star, and to make everything more cohesive. The old bird will be outlined in black, and the new on colored in to match the old one, but with the stained glass look of the star.
I'm sure the finished product won't be exactly like this, but this is the general idea:

It's awesome. I'm always getting jealous if I see how skilled people are around this board. And now I'm seeing where you are going with this. Since the star on your back is really beautiful, I'm sure to have the hummingbird(s) done in a similar style will indeed make everything more cohasive.

I've always planned on getting a tattoo someday but my weight has fluctuated a lot over the past 10 years. I went from being overweight to being intensely thin to overweight again then finally just to average. So until that is somewhat finalized, I am hesitant. I figure if it still fluctuates more in my lifetime, there is always the option of getting it in a place that doesn't tend to matter as much (wrists, ankles) however I have a phobia of anything touching my veins. The needle to get the tattoo I know logically would not penetrate my veins, but considering I won't let any doctor do bloodwork on me ever and the one time he did I passed out and had a panic attack...I don't think it's an option.

I agree with thestrangequark. The shoulder and upper back are good places where a weight shift wouldn't affect a tattoo so much. And I would also like the see a better picture of the necklace.

I think it can also be a therapeutic thing. I only realized recently how therapeutic my own tattoos have been. I think for a lot of people (especially women), tattooing can be about having control over one's own body. Like many women, I've had control over my own body taken away (in more than one way), tattooing gave me back the power I'd lost. I think the prime example of this is women who have mastectomy tattoos. They're beautiful things, those!

I totally agree again. For some people tattoos might just be a fashion thing, but for others they have therapeutic values. I've got my second tattoo because I had trouble with relationships. So it was my way of saying: love is complicated. And somehow it gave me a lot of self-confidence.
On a side note, when people see my tattoos they often say: "Oh, you've got a tattoo. You don't look like it". So, I even believe tattoos can help to overcome prejudices. People who get body art are not necessarily a member of some subculture or whatever. Some just like to decorate their skin.

For Christmas last year I bought my mom a tattoo. She had an old one on her shoulder that was poorly done and badly faded, and she really hated it. She's on disability though, and could never afford to get it covered up. She chose a sugar skull with five roses. She chose it because it's a celebration of life while acknowledging death; the five roses are for me and my 4 siblings, two of whom passed away in childhood. She told me that she struggled for a long time with reconciling happiness and grief; she felt guilty for enjoying my sisters and I when Holly and Christopher were dead, and holidays were especially hard as they both passed away around that time (Christopher in November and Holly in December). All this considered, I think for her the tattoo was therapeutic as well.

Your mother rocks! Mine freaked out when I got my tattoos. She is still very reluctant. And I'm very sorry to hear about your siblings.

Since tattoos function as a constant reminder, I, too, think they can be a good way to deal with grief. You really have to pinpoint the source of your sorrow, which isn't always easy. I'm also very found of the idea to choose something opposite to grief, like in your mother's case the celebration of life. Again, it's all about balance .

[...] I do have a few ideas in mind, though: the one I've always wanted is the Symbol of Torment [...]

Planescape Torment is still one of my favorite games. Have you ever played it or is it more like a coincidence that you choose this symbol? A symbol like this is great because it can be recognized by a minority of people but not by a larger crowd. So it's almost like a secret sign.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

[...] I do have a few ideas in mind, though: the one I've always wanted is the Symbol of Torment [...]

Planescape Torment is still one of my favorite games. Have you ever played it or is it more like a coincidence that you choose this symbol? A symbol like this is great because it can be recognized by a minority of people but not by a larger crowd. So it's almost like a secret sign.

Oh yes. One of the best games ever made. I love that game to bits, and it's the main reason for choosing that design. I've seen a few photos of other people with the same tattoo on their arms and upper backs. It looks fantastic. Yes, it does look like they're all part of a secret society! One chap even had the Lady of Pain on his back - let's hope the Lady herself doesn't find out that she's being worshipped, or he could end up mazed, or worse...

And it's great to see another P:T fan here on the BBS.

 

[mari]

I always enjoy looking at other peoples' tattoos and hearing the stories behind them. One of my Facebook friends is up over 20 now, I think.

tsq, the new hummingbird looks awesome as a line drawing, I can't wait to see it in color!

As for me, I am not a fan of needles. I've had my ears pierced twice, and both times ended up with major infections, so I haven't tried for a third time - no earrings in 20 years. But if I were going to get a tattoo, I'd wait til I'm done having kids and then get their names. Possibly on my stretch marks, because that would be hilarious. (Of course, I haven't even gotten stretch marks from the baby so far, the ones I have are from when I gained a lot of weight very quickly in college. Oops.) Or... I could get a balloon on my belly, and then when I inevitably gain weight it would inflate...

 

[Greylock Crescent]

I *love* this drawing. Very cool. I imagine that'd make a great tattoo (or avatar for the board, even).

There was a time I seriously considered getting one - but I never committed to it. I still think about it sometimes. Maybe one of these days I finally act on the urge.

 

[Kemaiku]

I've been trying to think of what to get on and off for around two or three years now. And for a time it was along the idea of John's, something MLP related but ultimately I wanted something more personal.

I've been an archer and photographer for years (decade+ in cases) and doodled arrow and lens designs, none looked good enough. And someday I may go back to them for a second or third.

I've turned my attention to learning languages the last three years as well, and although I'm primarily learning Norwegian (there's another longer story behind that ) I read a lot of fantasy fiction and while flipping through Elvish I found something interesting:

My real name is Errol, one of the rarer and least popular names around and I've had a very love/hate thing going on for years, with no one ever really having heard of it, spelling or pronouncing it wrong, having to repeat it all the time.

I researched it before, it comes from the latin word "erró" 'to wander'. Well, it also means "error" as in straying, wandering, mistaking etc, so it's even semi-insulting lol.

I prefer the Elvish version and think it would make a nice first tatoo, once a friend of mine makes a nice design from it.

Sorry for rambling on there.

 

[Roshi]

tsq, here's what I drew for a friend's tattoo:

She had it done on her foot and it the tattoo artist took large parts of the design to do something original.

 

[selina]

Oh yes. One of the best games ever made. I love that game to bits, and it's the main reason for choosing that design. I've seen a few photos of other people with the same tattoo on their arms and upper backs. It looks fantastic. Yes, it does look like they're all part of a secret society!

Ha! I knew it.

One chap even had the Lady of Pain on his back - let's hope the Lady herself doesn't find out that she's being worshipped, or he could end up mazed, or worse...

And it's great to see another P:T fan here on the BBS.

Yes, the guy is a daredevil . And hello, fellow P:T fan .

My real name is Errol, one of the rarer and least popular names around and I've had a very love/hate thing going on for years, with no one ever really having heard of it, spelling or pronouncing it wrong, having to repeat it all the time.

Really? I think it's a common name. Maybe because a guy in my class was called Errol, too. Also, there's always Errol Flynn, the actor .

I like the elvish writing and the connection between the word wanderer and your own name .

 

[Kemaiku]

Really? I think it's a common name. Maybe because a guy in my class was called Errol, too. Also, there's always Errol Flynn, the actor .

I like the elvish writing and the connection between the word wanderer and your own name .

Ahh, it could well be more common in other regions, but here it doesn't make the top 1000 boys names.

 

[Amaris]

I KNEW IT!

Yeah, that choice can be seen from a mile away.

Perfect! Love the design of it. Where would you get it? I'm pretty sure my Earth will go on my left upper arm, start off traditional.

I was going to get it on my right shoulder, but I'm not entirely certain where to get it.

That's an interesting choice. Do you want to get it in black or will it be with colours?

Oh, definitely with color. This is the kind of tattoo that has to be very colorful. Dash has to have all the colors she has or it won't look or feel right.