Tattoos?

[Matt Timion]

Does anyone else here have tattoos? I'd love to post some pictures if I'm not alone.

[Bill in Houston]

I have interesting scars... Close enough?

[GasSavers_DaX]

Post 'em up Matt. Here's my collection as it stands:

First one ever. Har har, I have my internet handle on my back.


Deceased younger brother's name on my chest.


Right arm - Von Karman Vortex Street. The kanji was supposed to mean "wisdom" but I found out later it means "name" - oops. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it. They symbol in the circle is like a triple yin-yang - meant to symbolize the balance between the three Greek words in the band.


The arm band is Greek. This one says "knowledge" (Greek - gnosi)


Wisdom (Greek - sophia)


Truth (Greek - alitheia)


In the future, I'd like to get a tattoo of the golden rectangle / golden spiral somewhere, and I want to do a Dark Tower theme on my left shoulder/arm/back (I know, very geeky).

[Matt Timion]

first tattoo...



The guy's name is Jose Rizal. He was the fuel behind the Philippines Revolution against the Spanish. The Philippines is superimposed to the left.

I lived in the Philippines for two years (age 19-21). I've been back for 7 years, but I still connect very deeply with the Philippines in many ways. This was my ode to the country I adore and the culture I can't get out of my heart.

second tattoo...



This aztec sun is worn by both my wife and myself. Lots of meaning behind it.

third tattoo...



That's right... my n600. It means more than just the n600 though. Working on cars is something I've wanted to do since I was 13. I've just always wanted to know how to do it. This tattoo not only represents the car that I love, but it represents the fact that I achieve goals. It's a reminder to not take life for granted and to take the time to do the things I really want to do.

[GasSavers_DaX]

Awesome ink! How recent is the N? It's excellent! All black in too - same with me. I originally wanted the Karman Vortex Street on my inner forearm, but went against it. Glad I did now because I'd probably be wearing long sleeves year round at work if I had tattoos down on my forearms!

Comments on how it felt to be tattoo'd on the inner wrist?

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by DaX

Awesome ink! How recent is the N? It's excellent! All black in too - same with me. I originally wanted the Karman Vortex Street on my inner forearm, but went against it. Glad I did now because I'd probably be wearing long sleeves year round at work if I had tattoos down on my forearms!

Comments on how it felt to be tattoo'd on the inner wrist?

The N is the newest. All of these are new as of Valentine's day of this year. The N was put on me on April 22, 2007.

The inner wrist was a pain. Well, only certain parts of it hurt. There are lots of nerves in the wrist, which hurt. Overall though it wasn't too bad.

Both of my other tattoos are fairly detailed, so there was a decent amount of pain involved in them. layers and layers of shading kind of blows. The Jose Rizal tattoo has lightened up since that picture. I think that picture was soon after I received the tattoo. It has since peeled and looks a lot more natural.

I'm trying to think of my next one, but I'm undecided yet. I may want to do something on my ribcage, back, or legs.

as for the forearm, it was somethign I considered as well, but I also know that any job I get will be directly related to my ability to do it as opposed to my appearance. Code Monkies don't see the light of day very often anyway.

Or I can just wear long sleeve shirts :P

What is your next ink planned?

[GasSavers_DaX]

In the immediate future, I'd like to get all my tattoos touched up. The one on my back was done in 2001, and the newest is the one on my chest, coming up on a year (but it could still use a small touch up).

I'd really like to get the golden rectange / golden spiral, or some sort of fibonacci pattern done somewhere.

I really want to do a Dark Tower theme on my left shoulder. I really need to find a good artist, and it wouldn't hurt for him/her to be familiar with the story. There are a few things I want for sure in the tattoo, but to fill in all the gaps, I plan on leaving that up to the artist. I only consider myself a huge geek when it comes to engineering related things and the Dark Tower. I haven't decided yet whether or not I'd go with color or just shades of black, as that's all I have now. I try to think somewhat long-term, and how difficult it will be to touch up later down the road - that's why most of mine so far are pretty cut and dry.

I'd also like to figure out what to put over the botched kanji on my right shoulder.

As for pain for me - the spine hurts the worst.

Have you checked out bmezine.com? Some pretty cool archived photos there.

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by DaX

<snip> Dark Tower theme on my left shoulder/arm/back (I know, very geeky).

What happens if something changes, and you become cool, and you are stuck with geeky tattoos? :-) I really appreciate the one for your brother. Can't imagine what it would be like to lose a brother...

[SVOboy]

Dax, I was surprised to find "na" on your arm as well...I feel like I often see people with kanji that I recognize as being something inane on someone that thinks it's something else (ie women with "onna" or woman tattoed on them and told it means beauty or something). *sigh*

[GasSavers_DaX]

Originally Posted by Bill in Houston

What happens if something changes, and you become cool, and you are stuck with geeky tattoos? :-) I really appreciate the one for your brother. Can't imagine what it would be like to lose a brother...

Here's how I view my tattoos - I may not always think they are so badass - I mean we all change our tastes over time. However I only get something tattooed on me if I feel strongly enough about it representing something important to me at a point in my life. It's like looking at old pictures of yourself - they represent you at a time in your life that isn't now.

As for Jeremiah's name - losing a brother is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I'm still trying to deal with it. Getting his name not only helps me to remember him and the good times we had, but also as a reminder to appreciate every relationship I have, and (as silly as it sounds) to remind everyone to wear their seatbelt.

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Dax, I was surprised to find "na" on your arm as well...

Yeah, it sucks. Jeremiah pressured me into getting one while we were at the beach - he wanted to see it done. Maybe I'll just get a big black dot there.