I like these facial cherry blossom tattoos by Ryan Almighty at Almighty Studios in Jamestown, NY. It really amazes me though how “normal” things like this have become from where we were at ten years ago. I wonder what change we’ll see over the next decade?
Author Archives: Shannon Larratt
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BME Newsfeed for Jul 5, 2006
- 2006-07-05: UK: New research allows skin to heal around metal [by Glebian]
- 2006-07-05: IN: Tattoo U [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-05: UK: Slayer Under Fire From Christian Groups [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-05: USA: Is Locklear expressing her love via tattoos? [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-05: NJ: Envisioning an art scene BAMA Galleries in uptown Hoboken [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-05: ON: Tattoo shows the world he’s Canadian [by deadly pale]
- 2006-07-05: BC: Get ready to explore the Fringes [by deadly pale]
- 2006-07-05: NY: Neighbors fight tattoo parlor [by deadly pale]
- 2006-07-05: AZ: Body and Mind [by deadly pale]
- 2006-07-05: CO: Artists must pass test [by deadly pale]
Please note that links may expire. IAM members, please help out by submitting stories!
Punny Tattoo
Thanks to Shauncey Fury at Three Saints Tattoo in Pensacola, FL for this. For those of you a bit slow on the word games figure-out, it’s a titty twister.
Canadian Laws
One of the nice things about Canada is that it’s perfectly legal for women to be topless in any public space where it is also legal for men. Nice because all people should have a right to show off their mods equally — so that of course also applied to BMEfest 2006. Thanks to Jezebel (who had a pretty crazy experience) for this melon photo (scarification by Blair).
Large Gauge Septum and Tongue Piercings
Thanks to Dreamsofstars for this photo of his septum and tongue, at a very large 10mm (about 000ga) and 13mm (about 1/2″) respectively.
Chest Cuttings
DIY by iam:Bot in the UK.
We are all HIV+
Because Keef has Hep C, his blood is dangerous, and yes, he tells the artists. These are by Kris Evans at Endorphinden in Iowa City, IA.
PS. My art school version of this story.
Teddybear Suicide Tattoo
This comes courtesy of the folks at Factory Ink in Kutztown, PA. I love that instead of brains and blood and guts spraying out of the back of the skull, it’s candy… so morbid, yet so cute!
BME Newsfeed for Jul 4, 2006
- 2006-07-04: CA: Gang Bangers Show Colors On The Web [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-04: NY: BOOK: BODY PIERCING SAVED MY LIFE: INSIDE THE PHENOMENON OF CHRISTIAN ROCK BY ANDREW BEAUJON DE CAPO PRESS, [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-04: SC: Making a mark in Columbia [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-04: SC: Skin Art Tattoo Studio scathed by blaze [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-04: Uganda: Make circumcision compulsory for men [by rebekah]
- 2006-07-04: MD: Fourth of July Celebration in Full Swing [by deadly pale]
- 2006-07-04: NY: Attend Southport meeting to voice opinions [by deadly pale]
- 2006-07-04: AB: Two clerks fought orders to remove face piercings [by rebekah]
Please note that links may expire. IAM members, please help out by submitting stories!
Germany ups the fight on Body Mod
As you may know, even linking to BME in Germany is illegal, and the German government has already successfully taken legal action againt Google there to have BME removed from the German version of their search engine. I recently received this letter from a friend in Germany:
Bad news for Bodymod Freaks here in Germany. The government decided to redesign our health system. As a part of these changes so called “risk groups” like extreme sports fans or bodymod addicts have to pay any medical treatment they need by themselves, given the trouble is caused by these activities. No [standard] health insurance will cover any kind of problem you could have after a body piercing or a tattoo, not to speak about heavier mods.
So if you should be so unlucky to need very expensive treatment, a surgery maybe, because something went wrong when you got something pierced, you will have to pay thousands of euros (1 Euro is about 1.20 US Dollars) by yourself. If you can’t pay it you’ve got a serious problem. Because no Doctor will help you then.
And they talk about human rights. Yeah. But only rich people are humans to them. Be grateful you don’t live in a country which is ruled exclusively by money bags.
I asked for a little follow up information, but this is a brand new change so there is not much yet:
There is a way to get a health insurance which covers these special risks — but you have to pay 25 Euro (30 US$) extra per month, in addition to your regular health insurance. No matter how much you earn, these 25 will always remain the same. The extra insurance is volontary, but if you don’t have it, it is like I said: No doctor will help you if you get an infection from a piercing or something like that.It would have been a lot better if they offered an insurance you can buy when getting pierced, so a piercing will become more expensive, but you are safe if something goes wrong. Maybe some private insurance company will have this idea some time later, but this will surely take some time.And do-it-yourself piercers, self-modders or people who got an illegal modification done at an underground parlor would be unprotected in this case either.
So currently it looks as if you’ll have to join this extra insurance-fund, paying 25.- extra per moth, if should ever want to get a piercing or try yourself at a BMX offroad bike. All so-called “self-accountable risks” are to be covered in this expensive extra-insurance. If you refuse joining it, you should not risk to do anything dangerous. And a nostril or belly button piercing, as every second girl has it, would be considered dangerous in this context. I don’t know about how they include the standard ear lobe piercings there. 98% of the female population have pierced ears, including many women over 70 years. But as I know German bureaucrats they will make no difference there. Politics and reality are very different things.
So most people, but espeacially the younger ones, will have to pay this extra fee. Everything else would be too risky…
What do you think? Should body modification fans have to pay extra to have healthcare? And if anyone knows more about these changes, please do post them in the comment forum.