Oh, hello! I know you’re all anxious to skip out of work early and starting shooting illegal fireworks at each other (I just stuck some Black Cats in your mailbox, actually), but first! Some quick BME-related announcements:

There is still time to buy fancy sex toys at a 15 percent discount from BMEshop. We mentioned this the other day, but, seeing as the sale ends Saturday at midnight, we just want to make sure you’re all filling your various holes appropriately. To recap, use the coupon code bmelovesme to get a sexy sex discount on sexy sex products like our Mother of Pearl, Latex Gloves and all three types of silicone dildos, not to mention the silicone Prrtle, which comes with a vibrator. Time’s a-wasting! Now go and get you a buttplug.

Tattoo Hollywood is coming! In case you missed this Q&A with the boss or other various announcements, from August 21-23, BME will be hosting the inaugural incarnation of its very own tattoo convention, Tattoo Hollywood! We’ve partnered with Bob Roberts and his world-famous Spotlight Tattoo and have assembled some of the best artists from the west coast and beyond. And hey, it’s pretty affordable! Passes are $20/day, $40/weekend and $100/VIP (includes access to VIP/artist parties, shorter access lines, etc.). If you’re a vendor, however, booth space is going quickly—visit Tattoo Hollywood online for details.

Celebrate Skindependence Weekend. And finally, friend of BME, Adam from BodyMod.org, has passed along the information about this weekend’s Skindependence Weekend, being held in scenic Billings, Montana! The four-day event features suspensions, band performances, booze, contests and general revelry. And really, who doesn’t like those things? If you’re in the area, you know what to do.

(Also! The tattoo at the top of the post is by David Ekstrom at Canvas II in Eagan, Minnesota.)

Hey, so, first things first, this here is a band from scenic Canada, North America, called The Ending, who have just filmed the fancy video for their song “Freakshow” that you see above. Now, normally, we don’t give preferential promotional space to bands (other than Pearl Jam, who I will promote forever and so help me God you will like it), but what do you know, they’ve got people doing all sorts of fun sideshow stuff in the video! Also, it features BME super-hunks Orbax, Sweet Pepper Klopek and Russ Foxx! Go look at your friends, people.

Moving right along, how would you like to be on television? Specifically, MTV? Well, here’s some pertinent information!

MTV’s True Life is casting for an upcoming episode and seeks young people, 16-26, at odds with their parents over their relationship; mainly because of their significant other’s interest in tattoos or body modification.

You can email your situation to Parents@mtvnmix.com, and be sure to include your name, age, location, phone number, and recent photo of yourself.

If anyone who reads this is featured on the show, please do everything you can to infiltrate MTV and punch everyone on The Hills in the balls.

And finally, apparently Playboy is too fancy to allow embedding of their videos, but this here is some kinda folk song dedicated to the Denver Nuggets and their tattoos. The Nuggets, who advanced to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals last night, are pretty much, to a person, covered from elbow to asshole in tattoos. The song isn’t hilarious, but hey, sports + tattoos + acoustic guitar + Playboy = Welcome to ModBlog!

So, if you’ve been around the Internets once or twice, you probably know the lovely Molly McAleer, formerly of Defamer and other various hilarious online ventures. (She even beat Christina Hendricks for “Best Newcomer Boner” on Boner Party! The Internet is a magical place.) Well, now she’s hosting The Molls Show, and wouldn’t you know it, she just had BME’s own Rachel on as a guest to answer a very special question about tattoos. The whole episode is fun, but if it’s just Rachel’s soaring soprano you wish to hear, skip ahead to the 2:00 mark. And then go back and watch the rest of it.

In a mini-edition of the vaunted BME roundtable, our esteemed panel (with newcomer Tracy Baer!) discusses the benefits and pitfalls of dealing with the media as a body modification practitioner.

We should have another article coming up this week, and, if all goes well, a brand new feature that we’re pretty excited about. Stay tuned!

To read BME’s Big Question #6: Fameballin’, click here.

[Ed. note: Comments on this post have been disabled. Have at it in the forum attached to the article. Thanks.]

Hey, holiday symbolism! And before anyone jumps in to criticize, those hand-web piercings are one day old. If they look fresh or irritated … that’s why.

And just like that, friends, another week is behind us. What kinds of hilarious hi-jinx did we get up to this time?

- A brand new interview with The Lizardman! Always nice to hear from our fine, scaly friend.

- VOMIT didn’t drink boners, but she did show us a fancy balloon trick.

- Your managing editor was enlightened about the existence of long-standing Internet meme, and subsequently deleted the Internet, all of it, forever.

- A fine display of piercing-reversal with this stitched-up stretched labret by xPUREx.

- Samurai + serpent + swastikas = one hell of a back-piece.

- Ryan Ouellette and xPUREx would both like to cut you at the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts convention.

- No, really, we had a lot of really tremendous scars this week.

Piercing by Meg (IAM: MissMeg)

Venus by Maria Tash
653 Broadway, New York NY 10012
Phone 212 253 0921

Piercing prices (plus the cost of jewelry starting at $10!)
$10 piercings
$35 basic genital
$65 advanced genital

You must mention this post or print out the form below. (Click through for a larger version.) We hope to see you there!

[National MS Society] On March 1, 2009, the National MS Society is hosting its inaugural Climb to the Top fundraiser in New York City, in which participants will climb the several million 66 floors of the Rockefeller Center in order to benefit the National MS Society’s NYC chapter. Oh, and it just so happens that local roustabouts Kevin and (world-renowned artist) Cere will be among the 1,000 people taking part, representing TEAM BME! Between the two of them, they’ve already raised an incredible $1,320. It’s a great cause, and give if you can.

Click here to donate to TEAM BME for the National MS Society’s Climb to the Top.

[Venus by Maria Tash] Rachel mentioned it yesterday, but don’t forget that tomorrow is BME Day at Venus by Maria Tash! BME will be on location all day, shooting video of you getting pierced for BME’s new video section (coming soon!) and giving away BME swag with every piercing. Fun? Fun.

[BME Scholarship] Don’t forget: deadlines for the 2009 BME Scholarship are fast approaching! Essays and entry materials are due May 1, 2009, with the winner slotted to be announced July 1. This is one of the projects that really sets the BME community apart from many others: Having been dutifully run by Darrin Fowler for years, and now in the good care of Mark Anstrom, the BME Scholarship has gone to help some of the community’s students of higher learning pursue their academic goals since 2005. This, also, is a fantastic cause, and students, get your submissions in! As well, keep an eye on BME News for an interview with a former scholarship winner, coming soon …

From their lips fingers to your ears eyes:

Venus by Maria Tash is hiring!

We are looking for experienced professional piercers to work in our busy, upscale Manhattan studio. You must have a portfolio, resume and references. We ask that you be clean, neat, drug free, and have the ability to handle our high profile clientele professionally and efficiently.

If you are interested, please email your resume and references to Meg at meagan.kreiner@gmail.com for consideration. Please include a headshot and short bio as well.

(Microdermals on laowai4life by Meg.)

UPDATE: Sorry everyone, the university has been overwhelmed with responses and needs a little while to sort them out! If they’re taking more applications, we’ll let you know.

No, really, it seems that easy:

The Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University is conducting a research study designed to collect information on men’s sexual health and genital piercings. We are looking for men who have had their genitals pierced to participate in a phone interview that will be audio-recorded. The time commitment will be approximately 45 minutes and you will receive a $25 VISA gift card for completing the interview. In order to receive the gift card a name and mailing address is required.

To be eligible for this study, you must be at least 18 years of age, speak and understand English, and have had your genitals pierced.

If you are interested in participating please e-mail us with the following information at: xxxxxxxxx

- Your first name, or name you prefer.

- A phone number where you can be reached.

- Several times over the next 5 days when you are available to talk on the phone privately.

A member of the research team will call you to discuss the study.

For questions please contact xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Image at the top courtesy of the wonderful Kokomi.)