latest ink tattoos

Lady Gaga has had her left arm tattood, which can be prominently seen in her new “Telephone” video, since August 2009. She got it in Osaka, Japan on a midnight tattoo run when she was in the country getting Hello Kitty photographs taken.

The cursive script is a Rilke quote, a poet who Gaga calls her “favorite philosopher.” It’s written in German, Rilke’s language, but translates in English as:

“Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?”

Some claim this is just dribbling German romanticism, but anyone who’s ever come to a crossroads in life where you are forced to choose between two things knows that there’s something too this type of melodrama. Sometimes it is the only thing. There are many kinds of death we endure in our lives before our heart stops beating, it doesn’t mean that you will stop breathing if you don’t do what you dream of doing, or what makes your feel the most at home in the world. But part of yourself does get packed up and forgotten.

Lady Gaga may mean something a little more literal, she may really think that she may die if she does write music or wear artsy-fartsy clothing, or inspire the devotion of millions (maybe billions?). During many of her onstage performances she collapses to the floor and tells the audience that she’s like Tinkerbell, and they must applaud to make her live

Miley Cyrus has proven she 'Can't Be Tamed,' and when she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday, she appeared to be sporting a new tattoo. The word "LOVE" is inscribed on her right ear, although she has not confirmed if it's real or not. Perhaps it is a permanent dedication to her 20-year-old Australian boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth? If the tattoo is real, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus would have had to sign-off on it because Miley is only 17 -- in the U.S., it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to get a tattoo without parental permission. The singer already has "Just Breathe" inked on her ribcage. Of course, that ink honors the memory of one of her close friends, who passed away from cystic fibrosis over three years ago. ("Just Breathe" is the slogan for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.)

The most well known and most popular mythical creature depicted in tattoos is the Japanese dragon. It is more popular than any of the other mythical creatures, such as the phoenix, mermaid or gryphon. This may be due to its shape because the long and flexible dragon that descends from Japanese tattoo traditions practically fits on every part of the body - covering full backs, winding himself around arms or coiling up on the chest of the carrier.

The Japanese dragon is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily scaled snake-like creature with small, clawed legs and a camel shaped head with horns. It is associated with sea, clouds or the heavens. It has whiskers and a beard, and it is deaf. In the West we think of dragons as terrifying beasts, but in Japan the dragon symbolises wealth, good fortune, good luck, kindness, power and freedom.



NEW YORK, N.Y. - It's electronic milestone time for Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy.

Publisher Alfred A. Knopf says the late Swedish author's blockbuster thrillers have sold more than 1 million copies in the e-book editions.

That makes Larsson at least the second author to join the e-million club.

The ultra-prolific James Patterson also has more than 1 million e-book sales.

Amazon.com is the biggest player in the growing e-book market. It told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Larsson's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" is the all-time top seller on the e-book reading device the Kindle.

Kathryn Stockett's novel "The Help" is No. 2

Dear Amy: Our kids (19-year-old boy and 21-year-old girl) announced last night that they had gotten tattoos. They are no longer able to hide them because it's summer and they are wearing bathing suits.

We have no idea why they did this. They don't really have that kind of money to throw away, and they know how we feel about tattoos. It's not as if they made this choice while in drunken stupors; they planned it!

We just find this hard to believe. We feel we've done the right things to help them make good decisions.



In a few years when the ink starts to bleed, they may woefully regret what they did.

Both kids are studying for professional careers. We are paying for their schooling. Both kids have jobs and help pay for some expenses.

My husband feels that having tattoos decreases their chances of getting good jobs, as corporations can find out "everything" about prospective employees. He also feels that they are influenced by the wrong group of friends.

I disagree. I feel they are good kids overall who have made us proud in many ways. They are loyal, honest, smart and hardworking and have superb characters and integrity.

Also we're trying to determine a suitable punishment for spending that money and each making such a bad decision — making them pay for more of their way comes to mind. What do you think?

— Beside Ourselves

Dear Beside: I think you may be overreacting to or misreading the professional "risks" associated with having a tattoo.

Unless your offspring have tattoos which are obvious and visible (on their hands or necks, for instance), or unless they wear their bathing suits to a job interview, there's no reason their ink should hold them back professionally.

The most important point is that they have made a choice and will have to face the natural consequences of this choice.

If their tattoos hold them back professionally, they will face the option of having them removed.

They have disappointed you and your husband, and the consequence of that will be the knowledge that they have let down two people who love and trust them.

If they used money for these tattoos which should have been spent elsewhere, then they should repay you. After that, let it go.