Another awesome reader submission, Erica sent in this cute thing done by Ed Perdomo.

Elmo

And another tattooist submission, this time from Tucson, Arizona's Ed Slocum.

Another reader submission, this one from Danny.

Brave cos that one had to hurt....reader submission from Benny.

I think we've all heard the old saying about how folks come into your life for a reason, season, or a lifetime. Well...it's the lifetime friends you don't shoot :) Sometimes, you've only known these folks for a few years...but you know...they'll be there a lifetime, thus protected from any bullets :)

These lifetime friends have a fade to them in your mind's eye...because they fade somehow from the friendship category into the family category and you hardly noticed the transition whenever that happened. These friends are protected from bullets because you love them so much, they are the ONLY people allowed to give you huge shit and live through it.

Who says nobody is spending money? Who says the economy is flatter than a pancake? Conservatives spend money; in fact...they waste good money in order to tell those they love so much just how special they are :)

We went to dinner tonight with our friend Ray. Now Ray is a few years older than I (had to throw that in..."Pops"), but age between lifetime friends doesn't matter. He's really a better friend to my husband, that's how we met. We don't see Ray often, but keep in touch with electronics and technology. Imagine my surprise though tonight at dinner when Ray presented me with a beautiful little present...one of those kind that makes a woman giggle...you know the perfect sized little box :) JEWELERY!!!

Well, I opened my little special box (nice gold box with sparkly engraving that said "Plumb Gold Piercing Pagoda" on it) that was wrapped so perfectly. Inside was bright tissue paper folded around something small and wonderful :) I began to open my present in front of all...(remember Ray & I are lifetime friends now...we are like minded and see eye to eye on everything...he and my husband too)...

With held breath I open my gift...and what is inside? OH...NO...HELL NO...yep...it was this...



Somehow in a nice restaurant, only this one word could slip from my tongue... "Fucker!"... followed by many laughs and more great conversation. Only a true Conservative could get away with giving another fellow Conservative this special gift and not get shot :) Love ya Ray!

Vince Villalvazo

Kolleen sent in this wicked owl-tline. Can't wait to see the finished piece!

Becca sent in this nice black & grey piece.

Laura sent me this ridiculous and awesome Jesus tattoo. As you guys might know, I am kind of obsessed with Zombie Jesus tattoos. This one isn't Zombie Jesus, it's Adult Baby Jesus. I looked around for similar tattoos and could find NOTHING. This tattoo is in a category of it's own!

I'm going to heavily defend Rush Limbaugh here. I didn't write this post a few days ago when I should have...and for the same reasons the "others" attack him. We don't want our "perceptions" to be tarnished in the eyes that hold a majority. I'm learning at a Mach III speed that if we keep that mentality, we're gonna perish and in short fashion. Rush may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I listen...and for the great majority of the time...the man speaks some heavy truth.

Sure...some don't care for his seemingly arrogant and bullyish style...but folks...LISTEN, listen BETWEEN the lines. Rush gets off on a "me" tangent once in a while...but he NEVER pretends that YOU must actually change your lives to condone it, or accept him in those humorous moments. He quite frankly just tries to state facts, and in his humorous self indulgent moments encourages anyone that doesn't like it to change the channel!

Rush Limbaugh DID NOT wish Barack Obama to fail. He merely stated a very well known fact among we the peons, that given all these policies Obama wishes to pass - and soon - that with the passage of the new change and the new expansion of our new Obama government, we will all fail due to simple math. Therefore, Mr. Limbaugh said...if wishing Obama to succeed would mean that he condoned all the catastrophe coming from the upcoming policy, and that our nation would be burdened with impossible outs that will come from Obama's likely actions very soon...then yes...one could suppose that Obama's success would mean a devastating failure for the USA...and on that premise...he would wish he [Obama] would fail. It's a very legitimate point to make.

Then today, I see the headline..."

Obama: Quit Listening to Rush Limbaugh if You Want to Get Things Done

After I see the headline...I read the story. THEN I see the quote from my new President that promised me hope and change..."I won," he said, according to aides who were briefed on the meeting. "I will trump you on that."

The response was to the objection by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to the president's proposal to increase benefits for low-income workers who don't owe federal income taxes. MY PRESIDENT is going to pull the "I trumped you card" when our country is dying on the vine? Are you shitting me? Yeah dude...you trumped me, the next guy, the illegal alien, the single mother, and all you fought so hard for to get their vote! "Trumping US" means you SCREW THEM...do ya get that yet?

I see Republicans (strike that...the few Conservatives) trying to stop all the unbelievable crap the liberals are trying to shove down our throats, up our asses, and around our necks! It certainly doesn't take a rocket scientist to see our Congress is in the worst state of corruption and blatant unconstitutional action than most of us can remember in our lifetimes. And yet...Mr. Obama comes out and makes a nice speech that his drama teacher would certainly give him an A+ for...but it's all crap, lies, bullshit, and YOU are going to pay dearly for it and YOU can't get enough of it. The majority of Americans can't get past Survivor, Desperate Housewives and other sundry "reality" scenarios. You'd rather donate your hard earned money to make sure your "real" TV is in tact than you would invest in a 401K.

When Mr. Obama takes all responsible people (people that actually have a positive balance in their checking accounts) out of the picture by taxing them to the point they are forced to quit - (small business owners, long term average employees making it, college students wanting to make it, etc...), and then the rich people (the VERY rich) continue to see the stock market ISN'T rising...investors can add 2+2. Even if greedy Wall St. executives cannot...those MILLIONS of people living on somebody else's dole or credit are going to realize WTF!

The VERY WEALTHY (which most of your government officials including Obama are) have enough money that losing a million or billion here or there is but one day they have sand in their eye. THOSE people, your Republican nor Democratic government go after...they have enough money to LOBBY (hate lobbyists), DONATE, be philanthropic, and weigh their way into "protection". On the other side of that coin...THEY PAY a whole hell of a lot more of your taxes than anyone else...so yeah...they have a right to a little attitude. Why should this nation penalize someone smart enough and successful enough to make a billion dollars? That's what we all wish we could do. I'd be damn happy to pay the same percentage of tax on my Billion (if I could ever reach even $500,000) that you pay on your Thousand ANY DAY! Charge us all 10%-20%...If I make a Billion...my check might be written for $2 million, and if you make $100...you pay $20. I'd vote for that all day long and be HAPPY to write a large check.

I'M NOT HAPPY WRITING CHECKS FOR FOLKS THAT WRITE NO CHECK!!!!

Guess what flower, peace, and green folks...when those - ANYBODY - that has two more dollars than you do no longer has those two dollars...the degenerate, the dependant, the folks that lazed around not being aggressive about their futures are going to realize in short fashion what WTF really means. We will no longer have it to give to you - therefore - you'll be shit out of luck. The $20 you could have paid against my $2 million will suddenly make more sense to you! I'm pretty sure that's why Jesus burned in stone...Thou shalt not covet. Don't covet what you don't have when what someone else has is paying your bills.

I've spent my entire life so far working so hard to be able to have enough to give back. I've got to tell you something....most of the people I gave back to grabbed it up, took it, and never looked back. There are those though that reluctantly accept some help and cannot wait to give you back some and then some. Those people are the principals of Conservatism. Those people are capitalists and realize that socialism doesn't work. Those people are NOT the people that take advantage of those who love them most but bust their ass to pay a couple of dollars to a person or establishment that will never appreciate it, know it, nor think twice about it. Desperate people always turn to those closest to them for relief...yet never think it important to make those people first in line when the payback comes. How long does a liberal society think this kind of behaviour will be tolerated? At some point - - - Oh yeah... - - - it happend once, it was called the Civil War...the oxymoron of the century, but those that fought had a real beef!

The government, and big business, and small bad business along with the entitlement generation take hold of the Americans. But, they make great speeches and tell you how much more wonderful your life will be if you just drink their "ISM" juice. Whatever ism ails you...they have a medicine for it! Soon, you're addicted to the formula and never saw your death coming. For all that think bailouts and loans with no collateral are a good thing to make sure Americans (legal, illegal, or foreign) have just those "God given rights"...be VERY AFRAID!!! Those of us paying for it, and paying for all of you are running out of money too. And when we...we the conservative thinkers, and savers of money run out of ours...YOU HAVE NOTHING!

A great majority of people have never even had an IRA or a 401K besides a $10 per week donation or so. For those that do...another majority didn't until they were 30-35 years old, and even then it was $10 per week or so...minimum contributions. For those that took the plunge and put in the maximum...we've lost over 50% of our holdings in this economy. That's 50% less that we (the supposed rich - the ones in the "upper" tax brackets) have to pay in our taxes.

Guess what? "We've" all lost so much money this year...we're paying the same 50% less in taxes that we have in our investment accounts. Most of the smart heavily invested folk saw the shit hitting the fan and pulled their money after they lost about 30%... I waited too long to make a move...waited too long years ago to save, and most of the ones now totally uneducated in finance at all that were too busy attending Barack Obama great speech rallies...just left their money where it was...didn't even look at it. With the "upper class" (that's such a joke to me as I know where I stand and Obama considers me to be one of them)...being about 50% down...the tax dollars collected to give all the takers their special benefits are also down!

Obama, the RINOS, and the libs want to plunk out another $850 Billion to $1.5 Trillion to make it all better. Again, from my tax dollars and I'm already down 50%. How does that make sense to ANY OF YOU? You all KNOW YOU don't have any money to throw down to pay TARP back, or the next and the next stimulus bill. Nope...those of us that keep on trying to pay our taxes and bills on time will have to give you some more. HEAR ME PEOPLE - WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE TO GIVE EITHER!!!!

Wake up and smell the coffee! There can hardly be a person on the earth that hasn't heard the old saying "you cannot draw blood from a turnip". Well...most of us DIDN'T fall OFF a turnip truck and we have no more blood to draw. We're coming after your blood...the green kind...if you don't have it...get out and earn it like the rest of us had to in order to support your sad butts as long as we've had to already!

Remember this too...STOP taking everything totally out of context. If you are reading this thinking what a bitch I am to have the gall to speak to you that way...then YOU AREN'T the one I'm talking to. If YOU didn't do it, then YOU aren't guilty! Pay up USA...it's getting OLD! Your government cannot take care of you with an A+ in speech class! Actions speak louder than words...be very afraid...fight back! BUT...if you've been drinking the ISM juice...watch this! It was made ONLY 60 FREAKING YEARS AGO...not much has changed sadly!

Folks these days are real down on Conservatives. They say we're racists, arrogant, capitalist pigs, etc. All of the things liberals throw at us...we just let it bounce off because we know in our hearts they are wrong. We are not racist, we are not arrogant, capitalist we are - but pigs we are not.

Conservatives know what makes America great and we remember those who fight that fight. We do appreciate others different than us, we thrive on the eccentric that can succeed at doing what has impassioned them and allows them to succeed in their dreams. And so it is with painting the flag...

Well, it's over. We have inaugurated the 44th President of the USA. I'm trying so hard to keep my happy and positive face on and hope for the best, but the facts keep stabbing me like sharp knives and pokers as I sit in a pool of paint thinner.

I found a couple of things disturbing as I watched the "festivities" today. Since when during any inauguration is the new First Lady NOT arm and arm with her husband at all times? Am I the only one that noticed Barack Obama had his woman sitting behind him...or coming out before him...and then again behind him...and only with him for a brief moment at the moment of oath? I found that odd and disturbing. I find that odd a lot with Barack H. Obama. He has a knack of always walking into a situation or a place all alone with that overly ME auora about him. I find it creepily narcissistic.

I realize he flubbed the oath. The gentleman giving it flubbed too. This observation has nothing to do with that...as I don't judge folks in an extremely emotional moment that get tongue tied and have a goof...we are all human. BUT...as I listened to Joe Biden's oath...it was read by his orator perfectly, and he quoted back the oath as it should be. Is it just me...or did any of you find it odd that Barack Hussein Obama did NOT swear in his inaugural oath to defend this nation against enemies both foreign and domestic. That's like one of the hugest parts of the whole oath! I find that eerie that he ommitted that from his oath and I also find it UNAMERICAN!

I guess we'll see. I'm trying to be positive, but this man makes it hard. I do wish him the best, but more than ANYTHING I just hope SOMEONE in the next four years will remember that we...WE THE PEOPLE are still out here waving frantically hoping that someone again might notice US. It's become so all about THEM in Washington...it feels to me like it's THEM up there, and WE down here are just little trolls that meander around cluttering up the countryside while they carry on their own personal agendas on our dime.

God Bless America

It's a little late to be early morning crap, but I wanted to stick with a theme. Here's a tattoo to commemorate this historic date. A god awful tattoo of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan.

The final reader submission of the day comes from Kim, who was lucky enough to have Uncle Allan do this piece at the Evian Tattoo Show 2008.

This owl comes from 'Handsome Al', done by Doc Fell at Mikes Tattoos in Carlisle, UK.

Andi sent in this owltline, done by Kele Idol at Aerochild Tattoos in Birmingham, AL.

Lastly, Ashley sent in this ace black & grey owl, called Vinny, and done at Infinate Art.

DJ Kopp sent this owl in, done by Mikey Sarratt in Arizona.

A reader submission from the improbably monickered Gray Byrd.

Meg McNeil

This dolphin is member of a fraternity and obviously is into some major kush here. Wicked tribal, brah. He spends his day in his shitty recliner likely watching Old School with his other dolphin brahs. They all have tribal tattoos and love beer bongs.

This falls under the "it's so ridiculous it's awesome" category. Let's just call the AKH part awful, but the dolphin kinda awesome. I give you, your early morning crap...


If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

I've just recently gotten involved at Facebook.com. I've been "registered" for some time, but never paid much attention to it. And strangly this last week or so a lot of folks have popped up from my home town in Texas. All grown up living all over the place and it's been cool to stop in and say hey to some faces from long ago.

Well...although not on Facebook, but through those contacts we hear today that one of ours...one of our high school mates died. His name was Pete Parham. He was a great guy back in school. One of those kids that has all the looks, all the moves, played ball, was a captain #83, and was ever so popular. BUT, he was also a really decent kid. He always had a smile and something kind to say.

His Dad Gene was an awesome man too. Back in the day, Gene had a TV/Appliance repair shop and was an ordained minister on the side. He was the cool preacher though. Gene had an affinity for the young folk, and I say this as someone that saw Gene at the local Dairy Queen up and into my 40's. Gene, like his son Pete was a handsome man and of great stature too...even into his 70's :) Just good people that didn't judge folks, loved all folks, and could for sure bring out the best in folks no matter the circumstance.

I didn't know Pete Parham well, except for basic friendly chatter around school, or later in life at a few really good parties...but he was the nicest guy. I think that's a legacy of sorts. I never in all my years in Colorado City ever heard of ANYONE that didn't like Pete Parham. I suppose some might not have travelled in his particular circles...but NOBODY that I ever knew disliked him. He was an icon of my little generation in that little town, and I know he touched a lot of lives.

How sad is it today that he has passed on and the many people he touched lost touch with him and never actually told him what a special guy he was. But I think that's how the Lord intended it persay...to make a difference and not make a scene doing it. Pete was certainly that guy.

Rest in peace brother, and thanks for the memories :)

Roar... this sucks!



If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

Finally for today's submissions, Joe Glassford sent in his owl, done by artist Robert Ryan from Electric Tattoo, Bradley Beach, NJ.

Leeza sent in this submission, and writes, 'This was done to symbolize me with my memaw who past away. She was really into owls. It was done by "Wicked Ink" in Clearwater,Fl. by an artist named Prix.'

Happy New Year! I've been on holiday and had a slew of owl submissions waiting for me in my inbox when i got back, so I'll be posting them in the days to come. This little fella was sent in by Megan, and done by Shane at Classic Tattoo in Las Vegas.

I have a confession to make. I secretly love bad straightedge tattoos (maybe because I am straightedge? probably because they are just goofy). I actually secretly love all bad tattoos, that's why I do this blog. But I have a special soft spot in my heart for three x's that are stick-and-poked into someone's ankle. Many people get them, many people regret them later, but they are still awesome. These abominations, however, are not so awesome. Behold: the bad straightedge tattoos, volume one.


Bad font, bad linework, bad coloring, bad placement, just a generally bad idea.


Ditto! Only worse.


Why did he decide to put the text in a pool of water? I don't understand!


And finally- starship troopers straight edge dude. I have to admit this is actually pretty awesome, because I too love science fiction and not drinking. I hope this guy had a sense of humor about what he was doing, because that instantly turns this questionable tattoo into a hilarious and rad one.

If you have any regrettable edge tattoos (or any other kind of regrettable tattoo, for that matter) feel free to email me: alice@vivalavinyl.org.

I know how much Alice just loves wizard tattoos. Here's one to get your day going.


If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

If there is ever a terrible god damn tattoo that people get, it's that piece of garbage "Taz" tattoo. For some reason or another the Warner Bros. Tasmanian devil has become one of the more well known shitstorms of ink pounded into the skin of the willing. I am unsure if it's some need to feel as if the person getting the tattoo is "wild and crazy" or some true love for the actual character. Nonetheless it is almost always an awful tattoo and unfortunately tends to be a "first" choice for a lot of people. All my searching on the internet found so many people saying that their Taz tattoo was their first and how much they loved it. I think it falls under the cheap flash art that on a dare someone finally gets to impress others. Now we look further into the lexicon of tattoo art and discover together this craptastic series of tattoos.

Man oh man... I loved the movie too, but why?