As the work day winds to a close (at least for us on the east coast), it’s time to take a look back at the news from all over, to if tattoos, piercings, or any other type of modification turned up.  This week we’ve got a follow-up from a story we reported over a year ago, debates about dress codes for adults, the newest winner in the “worst editorial on tattoos ever” contest, and of course, the celebrity round-up, where I actually read some of the stories this week!

To kick things off today we have a story that will surely be repeated by parents everywhere when their child asks to get something pierced.

As Grace Etherington, 15, lay in hospital, doctors didn’t know whether she would ever walk again.  She had been struck down with a rare disorder, after getting an infection in her ear after she’d had it pierced just days before. She couldn’t move a muscle or even speak, and she had to be lifted in a sling.  She was diagnosed with Guillan Barre syndrome, a rare disease of the nervous system that paralyses the body. The doctors told Miss Etherington that her daughter’s case was so severe that if she pulled through, she may only be able to blink her eyes for the rest of her life.

Grace ended up making a recovery and is able to move again.  Thankfully they don’t dwell too much on the pierced ear, but I’m sure other news outlets weren’t so generous.  Just to clarify something, isn’t Guillan Barre the disease that Foreman always thinks the patient is suffering from on House?

There’s still a lot more news to come, so put your feet up and click the read more button.

Back in June of last year, Jordan posted an article about a New Jersey tattoo artist who was charged with sexually assaulting his clients, as well as breaking into his old place of employment while on bail for the assault charges.  Well, it’s been over a year and he’s finally pleaded guilty to the charges.

Jeffrey N. Dekmar Sr., 37, who has lived in Hardyston and Flanders, admitted to state Superior Court Judge Thomas V. Manahan in Morristown to three counts of burglary and two counts of criminal sexual contact.  In exchange for his guilty pleas, Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Alissa Hascup and defense lawyer Donald Fedderly negotiated a plea bargain that calls for Dekmar to be sentenced to 11 years in state prison, with no minimum period of time to be served before parole consideration.

Authorities previously have said that Dekmar on Feb. 21, 2009, sexually touched a 23-year-old woman who wanted a tattoo of a Hebrew prayer applied to her right upper thigh. The patron alleged she refused Dekmar’s request that she remove her underpants and that he pulled them down and touched her genitals. This woman hopped off the table and fled the premises.  The second tattoo parlor victim told Roxbury police that Dekmar rubbed his genitals against her own without her consent.

At what point in your life do you decide it’s ok to rip off a client’s underwear and finger them?  Clearly it was last year for this guy.  I wonder if he’ll try the same stunt when he’s tattooing guys in prison.

Heading over to Taiwan, it seems that kids in the US aren’t the only ones bullying other kids forcing them to get tattooed.  Luckily for the young man, a friend of his stumbled upon a police officer shortly after it happened.

The police officer, Fan Yu-yuan (范育源), said he was having a bowl of noodles at a stand in Taipei City’s Beitou District (北投) late on Wednesday night when he was approached by a teenager begging for food.  Fan said after he treated the boy to a bowl of noodles, and upon learning Fan is a -police -officer, the teen revealed to him that a friend of his, surnamed Lee (李), had been badly bullied by some other teens.  The boy told Fan that the teens had forcefully tattooed bad words and figures — such as a middle finger, a swastika and a cross with wings — on Lee’s back and arms against his will.

The story goes on to say that local coverage of the assault has prompted several people to come forth and donate money to have the tattoos removed.

Back in Canada, Toronto Public Health has issued a warning to people who were tattooed at “It’s Just Body Art” in North York.

Health officials say “It’s Just Body Art” on 1072 Wilson Ave., near Keele Street, did not follow infection control practices to prevent the spread of diseases such as Hepatitis B, C, and HIV.  There are no reports of infections, but authorities are advising anyone who got a tattoo between Sept. 29, 2009 and Sept. 30 of this year to see their doctor and get tested.

So if you’re in Toronto and have gotten work done there in the past year, make sure you go get tested.  According to the video in the link, it seems their autoclave wasn’t working properly so some of their equipment may not have been sterilized.

Now down in Utah, a new law has been passed that prevents the hiring of any new city employees with visible tattoos, brands or scarification.

The updated policy says employees hired on or after Sept. 1 cannot display any tattoos, brands, scarification, body art or decals on their body during work hours or while in city uniform.  Employees hired before that date can display certain tattoos that they already have between the wrists and the fingertips; between the toes and the ankles; and from the neck to the top of the head. These workers had until Sept. 10 to make their department head aware of their existing tattoos; all new ones have to be covered.

It seems that nobody really minds the new policy as applications haven’t diminished and those affect by the ban have already reported their modifications.

Elsewhere, not everyone agrees with this sort of policy.  A school teacher in South Carolina is having a problem with the school board’s policy towards staff members and visible tattoos and piercings.  (Bonus:  The teacher has an epic beard!)

Some Horry County School employees don’t like the current dress code they have to follow. That includes no visible tattoos or facial piercings.  Jack Ebright a psychology teacher at Socastee high school said Tuesday that he can’t understand why the district requires teachers and other county school employees to have a business like appearance at all times during working hours.

Ebright said he isn’t looking to create controversy but that he just wants district leaders to be on the same page as him when it comes to attire that creates trust rather than distance within the classroom.  ”Put me in anything, move my beard from here to there,” he said pointing to his long white beard, “It wont change how effective I am but I’ll be honest with ya, looking a little bit like Santa clause, doesn’t hurt in creating a good rapport in the classroom, good relationships are always part of our business.”

I don’t know about you, but if a guy shows up with a viking hat and an epic beard, I’d probably do whatever he demands.

Something for the “Well that’s just dumb” file, the city council of Painesville, Ohio has denied a tattoo supply company from opening up downtown.

During the Painesville Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night, Tattoo & Piercing Supply Shop was denied a conditional use permit.  Prospective shop owner David Nofziger attended the meeting and said the commission voted against the permit based on concerns that the shop was not comparable to other businesses in the district.  The commission also noted that neighboring businesses were against opening the new shop.  No tattoos or piercings would be done at the shop. It would strictly be used as a supply shop, Nofziger said.  City Planner Russ Schaedlich thought the East Main Street location might have been suitable for the business because it has plenty of storage space, which is essential to the shop.  Nofziger said the business would deliver supplies for tattoo artists in the event of an emergency. Though artists can order supplies online, supplies can take up to five days to get to the store.

Now we’ve all seen stories about cities trying to ban tattoo shops from opening up in certain parts of town, in fact that’s what led to the court decision making tattoos protected under the first amendment.  But to prevent a supply store from opening up seems pretty silly in my book.

Speaking of things that are dumb, an Australian writer has written an editorial for the The Courier-Mail.  Of all the tattoo bashing editorials I’ve read, this probably tops the list of the all time worst ones.

As one wit observed, a tattoo is a lot like marriage – it’s a lifelong commitment, hurts like hell, and the colour fades over time. And I’d like to add pointless and expensive.  In my book, if you want to announce to the world that you’ve served time in the services or perhaps a correctional centre, live in a caravan, have severe bogan tendencies, are having a midlife crisis, or all of the above – go get a tattoo.

Newly divorced women in their 40s once just got an ankle chain – a far less permanent nod to their new independent status than a tattoo. Less painful too.  Now they’re likely to front up for a piece of body art (and I use the term loosely). Maybe an ancient tribal or celtic symbol called “wheel of balance” or “mystical equine” – or, even more nauseating on a grown woman, a butterfly.

She then goes off on a tirade against pretty much everyone who has gotten a tattoo ever.  My Aussie slang is a bit rusty, so I’ll let our ModBlog readers from down under come up with some good words to describe her.  The only thing redeeming in the article is the photo of the eye-candy she chose to go along with her rant.

Recently we’ve seen a string of charity events set up to raise money for cancer charities, this week a woman in the UK is doing a charity tattoo drive to help out her local animal shelter.

Ms Oram, who runs Cherubs Tattoo Parlour in Sheep Street, is offering to tattoo a paw print for £35 to animal lovers, donating all proceeds to the home at Claverton Down.  She hopes to raise £2,000 over the weekend of December 4 and 5.  She said: “I’m gonna be knackered. There will be tea and cake and a raffle and if anyone would like to donate for this, then that would be wicked.

“It’s booking up quickly. I’m already halfway there, so call the shop on 07795 474219 or email [email protected] cherubtattoo.co.uk for bookings.”  Ms Oram, a volunteer dog walker at the home, said: “I wanted to do a bit more. It costs £3,000 a day to run the home and they are completely self funded, so every bit helps.  “Hopefully, this will remind people that a dog is for life… just like a tattoo.”

So if you have the chance, stop by to help out some of our four legged friends.  Plus, you can have tea and cake!  More shops in North America need to offer that.

Now last week I caught a lot of flack because I didn’t read all of the articles for the celebrity section.  This week you’ll be happy to know I forced myself to read them all and I can honestly say I’m now dumber for having read them.  Thanks everyone!

While you gloat over my pain, here is what’s been happening in the world of celebrity tattoos and piercings.

First up, infamous talk-radio show host Dr. Laura, known mostly for her nude pictures online, has gotten herself a tattoo of a skull and rose, possibly to commemorate the ending of her radio program.

In an effort to dispel the myth that all tattooed rock stars are tough, Dougie Poynter from the band McFly has admitted to fainting while getting work done on his sleeve.

And finally, to celebrate her final days as jail bait, Miley Cyrus flashed some sideboob and tattoo ink to paparazzi while on the runway for an MTV Europe awards show.

Well, that’s it for the news this week.  As always, if you find a news story that you think should be included in the weekly news, just send it to me.

In case you didn’t know, this week is World Kindness Week, with tomorrow being World Kindness Day, so go out and hug someone this weekend.

The week is coming to a close for most people, which means that it is time for the weekly news.  Overall there wasn’t much going on in the world when it comes to mainstream news reporting on modifications, but there were still a few interesting stories.

First up is news out of Dubai, where temporary tattoos are getting a lavish upgrade.

The UAE’s first real gold and platinum tattoo business will set up shop in the iconic five-star Burj Al Arab hotel next week, Arabian Business can reveal.  Starting at AED200 for a small gold tattoo and AED400 for an equivalent platinum one, the temporary tattoos have been available in the emirates for just two months.  Originating from Japan, the tattoos are created from 99 percent gold or platinum foil that is applied directly to the skin. Application takes around 10 minutes.

I guess when you live in a city known for it’s expensive tastes, getting gold or platinum painted onto you just seems like a normal accessory.  I would be a little curious at seeing some of the designs.  Can you imagine a massive platinum “blackwork” piece?  Or maybe a gold zombie portrait?  The possibilities are limitless.

You’ll have to keep reading to find out what world record is being attempted on new year’s eve, how dumb some criminals can be, as well as some positive stories about scarification and a couple of tattoo studios.  Oh, and of course, the celebrity round-up.  I know how much everyone looks forward to it each week.

A few years back an Arizona tattoo artist set the world record for most tattoos performed in a 24 hour period.  This year Denver tattoo artist Kaos is going to attempt to break the record, and make some money for charity while he’s at it.

Under the watchful eye of officials from the Guinness Book of World Records, Denver tattoo artist Kaos will try ink 900 tattoos during a 24-hour period beginning this New Year’s Eve at the P66 Tattoo and Art Galleria, located at 800 Kalamath St.  But this isn’t just tattooing for the sake of tattooing. Kaos will apply pink ribbons on breast cancer survivors, their family and friends and anyone else who pays a $10 minimum donation. Proceeds from the record-setting attempt will go to breast cancer research.  Kaos says that ringing in 2011 isn’t a publicity stunt despite the record-setting aspect. “This is a cause that is close to all of us,” he said. “Every day we hear of someone that has been affected by breast cancer and this is my way to contribute and make a difference.

It seems this year is the year of the pink ribbon when it comes to charity tattoos as this is probably the 4th or 5th story I’ve reported on it.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing as I too have been affected by breast cancer.  It just would be nice to see other charities supported in the same manner, as this seems to be an excellent way to raise money and awareness.

Sure enough, there is another drive going on.  All day tomorrow Guy Daniels, the owner of Expressions Ink in Wausau, WI will be tattooing puzzle pieces to raise money for autism awareness and treatment.

Daniels says many of his customers at Expressions Ink expressed their struggles raising children with autism. Saturday Daniels gave a family with an autistic four-year-old a permanent reminder of their battle, and a gift to the entire autistic community: profits from Saturday’s sessions will go towards autism treatment.  ”There isn’t a lot of support groups around and I want to be able to help out any way I can,” said Amanda Mrozek, who bought an autism puzzle piece tattoo Saturday. She says it’s been a struggle getting her autistic child to be social and share what’s on his mind.

If you’re in the area, stop on by and make a donation, or get a tattoo, as the proceeds will be donated as well.

Of course the flip side to these charity drives is that it also provides excellent press coverage for the studios.  Clearly it’s working.  Yet there are other ways to get the word out about your studio, and Toronto’s own Speakeasy Tattoo has been working tirelessly to redefine advertising in the digital age.

When a colleague told me about Toronto-based Speakeasy Tattoo, I was intrigued. She said Lizzie Renaud, the shop’s owner, was doing some really cool things online – Ms. Renaud and her team fill last-minute cancellations through Twitter and share their stories and artwork on WordPress, Tumblr, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and other tattooing websites. You name the social network, Speakeasy is there.

…

So Ms. Renaud and her team did something innovative to set Speakeasy apart: they reached out to five well-known tattoo artists and asked them to work as guests in the summer of 2010. Despite her commitment to blogging and social media, when it came time to promote the roster of guests, she deployed a completely integrated campaign that used a combination of online and offline tactics.  “We decided to go old school,” says Ms. Renaud, speaking about her offline strategy. She worked with a designer to produce glossy, postcard-shaped handbills, which included art by the guest artists, the dates they were coming, and the shop contact information.

The rest of the article goes on to examine how Speakeasy is showing that it requires a mix of both old and new media in order to have a successful ad campaign.  It’s an excellent read for any shop owner looking to expand business.

From Toronto we head west to Saskatoon, where the U of S newspaper, The Sheaf, has written an in-depth article about scarification and branding.

Scars often draw powerful and visceral reactions from their observers, whether sympathy, concern or machismo respect and admiration. That’s because most people view them as violations of an unwilling body.  Others, however, choose to have patterns, symbols and words carved into their skin in order to be meaningfully and permanently marked. This is scarification, a form of body modification that originated in equatorial cultures but is now attracting adherents in Western culture.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, self-harm — also known as self-injury or self-mutilation — is the causing of mental, spiritual and physical injury to oneself without suicidal intent. Those who self-harm usually don’t know how to effectively express and deal with emotional issues such as loneliness, depression, anger, psychological pain, numbness or stress. Injuring themselves through practices like cutting or burning flesh is a coping mechanism that leads to immediate release of, and temporary relief from, negative emotions. The pain distracts from other problems, or, if the issue is numbness, allows them to feel something, or anything, again.

Body modification, on the other hand, is done for positive emotional reasons — perhaps simply to make one’s body more aesthetically pleasing. Another person, usually a professional artist, also does scarification. However, even those who cut or brand themselves just to see what will happen, what it feels like and how it scars, aren’t self-injurious, says Kenny. As long as there is no negative emotion involved, they’re just curious.

This week was a banner week for people to do dumb mod related things.

First, a prison inmate stole medical supplies just so she could keep her lip piercing from closing up while she was in jail.

Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Stanley McNatt said told the Decatur Daily that Word had used broken pieces of a plastic comb to stick in her lip piercings and stole the blood kit from a jail nurse’s station to push the plastic out.

Then, in Lexington KY, an attempted robbery at a tattoo studio was foiled by a customer who fought with the man and chased him away.  Oh, did I also mention he wasn’t there to steal money?

According to Lexington Police, a man went into the Purple Haze Tattoo Parlor and demanded something called ‘White Lightning’, which police say is a powdery insect repellent.

Now, if you’re planning on a life of crime, it’s probably not a good idea to have a distinctive tattoo visible that can easily identify you.  It’s also probably not a good idea to get a dollar sign tattooed on your forehead when your crime of choice is money laundering and forgery.

Newport News police said they received a Crime Line tip leading to the Monday arrest of Elias Sedale Jones on eight felony charges, the Newport News Daily Press reported Wednesday.  Investigators said Jones has a dollar sign tattooed in a prominent position on his forehead.

Finally, you may recall a certain online casino that offers people money to get the website address tattooed on their bodies.  Well it seems they’re at it again, this time a woman got the site address tattooed across her chest.  Her payment?  A NASCAR helmet, oh and some money to charity.

In the last story today before the celebrity section, we have what appears to be the worst possible advice columnist, “helping” a woman who doesn’t like her husband’s new tattoo.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS:

My husband went out and got a tattoo which I just hate. It’s of a sexy naked woman and it’s not me. He says it’s not anybody else he knows, either. Call me suspicious but I think he knows her from before. She looks vaguely familiar, like somebody from the bar he worked at in the evenings — not the present one — but the one before. How do I find out if he’s messing around with her?  I lie awake all night, looking at that tattoo on his back. By the way, we’ve been married two years, and have no children yet. — Jealous Over Tat

Dear Jealous:

It seems unlikely a guy would be so bold, or think his wife so stupid, he’d get a tattoo of another woman he’s seeing inked on his body. It’s more likely he picked a type of woman whose look he likes, and he’s disrespectful enough to have it tattooed on his back where you can stare at it in bed. Frankly, it sounds like this guy is not in love with you anymore and is trying to get YOU to break up with him. When it gets to that point, do you really need to go out and get proof?

It’s better not to stay and have kids with a guy who doesn’t love and respect you enough to keep another woman off his body. But since you can’t sleep, you need to find out what’s up. Stop in at his old workplace with a best friend and see if the lady you suspect still works there. If, as you suspect, one of the staff looks exactly like the tattoo, you might have your husband followed by a private investigator to see if he’s cheating with her, and then actually listen to what the detective has to say. Lots of people won’t accept the evidence they’re given and totally waste their money. Best of luck.

She also goes on to give advice to a young woman who is lusting after her high school teacher.  Her advice?  Date guys your age to make him jealous so he’ll become interested in you.

And now, today’s abbreviated celebrity section.  Sadly there are only two stories this week.  Hopefully next week there will be more action.

That Harry Potter actor, the one who got naked with a horse on stage (Note: Equus is a great play), is talking about getting a HP tattoo when the films are finally finished.  Maybe he’ll get a wand tattoo.  That way he’ll have an excuse as to why the girls run away from him.  He can just grab his wand and shout “Expelliarmus!” and maintain his dignity.

Lastly, in an effort to stay relevant, one of the spice girls, Old Spice, is going around telling anyone who will listed that when she got her tongue pierced she made out with all the other girls.  Not surprisingly she admits the other girls were “grossed out”.

Well that’s it for this week’s news.  If you happen to stumble across a story you think should be included in the news of the week, just click here to submit the link.

Have a great weekend everyone, see you back here next week when you’ll get another edition of Movember Monday!