DJDeepFried

Hell, yes! Just downloaded it five minutes ago. And the bonus packages are f-ing hilarious: EL-P + KILLER MIKE = RUN THE JEWELS - Merch. T-shirts. Hoodies. Video. Discography. Soundcloud. Release Date. Tour. Stream. – Daylight Curfew

@SeeSea: There's a DharmaPunx in NYC & DC: Dharma Punx Nation - Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society Otherwise this place in MD looks good Tibetan Meditation Center and of course there's a Shambala in Baltimore: Home - Baltimore Shambhala CentreBaltimore Shambhala Centre In NJ these places look alright: BODHI MONASTERY | A Buddhist Temple from New Jersey in US Princeton Buddhist Meditation Group But hard to get a vibe just from a website. Check it out! You'll be glad you did.

What I do is a form of Vipassana or insight meditation. My understanding is that it's very similar to Zen/Zazen meditation, and that one is not better than the other. As opposed to, say, Transcendental Meditation which involves mantras or chanting. Not to slander anyone, but I have heard some bad things about TM – mostly that they want your money, and that it can be very expensive. The place I go, for instance, is by donation only, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. I also prefer the more secular approach. There's certainly nothing wrong with Shambhala. It's one of the biggest if not THE biggest Buddhist organization in North America and probably one of the most mainstream. Otherwise, there's really no wrong way to do it, and the instructions are very simple. Set up a timer, sit on a chair or a mat, focus on your breath – that's pretty much it. There are of course some more advanced techniques to help with posture, focus, etc. I do find it very helpful to sit with a class once a week, which makes my daily practice easier. Plus I like being part of a community and listening to Dharma talks. I also recommend listening to Jack Kornfield's Intro to Meditation podcasts, which I think you can find for free on Dharmaseed.com. (They have an app too.) He's my teacher's teacher, and he breaks it down in a very straightforward and entertaining way. If you tell me where you live, I can maybe also suggest a place.

For me it's a lot like exercise. I never feel like doing it, but I always feel better after I do.

Thanks, @Pugilist & @Mark Bee! I think the number one misconception about meditation – or at least one that I had – is that it's supposed to be pleasant. Like you're all blissed out or you "clear your mind." In fact, it kind of sucks a lot of the time. Your foot falls asleep, your brain is going a million miles an hour when you don't want it to, but that's all part of the practice. I don't necessarily think of myself as a "spiritual" person. For me, meditation is a kind of bio-hacking that makes me feel happier, calmer, etc. And it's shown almost immediate results which is why I keep doing it. But a year plus in of daily practice and it's still really hard to stay focused. My mind still wanders but maybe I'm a little more aware of it now. When you're getting tattooed is a great time to meditate – to kind of lean into the pain instead of trying to block it out. I'm trying to coin a new phrase for us: tattooddists. Maybe tatuddhists. Tattoodists?

Tattoos also led me to Buddhism in a roundabout way. I had wanted to try meditation but didn't know how and couldn't find the motivation. Until one night @TrixieFaux & I went to a Jondix art show at this place in L.A.: Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. I came back for their Wednesday night class and have been going ever since. It's pretty inspiring to sit in front of this at class – Aeons-Tulpa | A Solo Exhibition by Jondix – and I'll be bummed if and when they take it down. Now I meditate (almost) daily, went on my first silent retreat, and stopped using drugs & alcohol a little over a year ago. I definitely feel like I fit in there. There’s a very punk rock ethos to what they do there which does not feel hippie-dippy or bullshitty or creepy/cultie in any way. Noah Levine, who started the center, is tattooed head-to-toe by @Scott Sylvia, Eddy Deutsche, Freddy Corbin and some other heavy-hitters. He’s starting to become one of the most influential next-generation Buddhist teachers in America. I like that my koi and dragon tattoos have deeper meaning in the Buddhist tradition though that’s not why I picked those images in the first place. I mostly just liked the look of Japanese style tattoos and the stories behind them, but now they feel as much a part of me as my practice does.

Ooh, I love that book with the blue cover!

I just wrote this whole long rant but then I reread the thread and realized I couldn't say it any more simple or eloquent than this. If we're being honest, aren't all our tattoos a form of narcissism to some extent? Also, if we're talking "famous," how many tattooers can the average person name? Kat Von D, Ami James, maybe Bang Bang (who's famous mostly because he tattoos famous people)? Totally agree with the idea of seeing tattoos in person vs. tiny closeups on Instagram. Seeing Shige and Jeff Gogue tattoos up close and personal at the Perseverance opening blew my mind – like I had no idea how powerful a tattoo could be. It's like looking at pictures of paintings in books vs. the real thing.

I grew up in Boston. When @TrixieFaux & I started to get visibly tattooed my mom was all like "Well you can't move back to the East Coast now." As if nobody has tattoos east of the Mississippi. It's true that tattoos were illegal in Massachusetts while I was growing up. (You had to drive up to New Hampshire.) But people are definitely catching up.

Finally booked with Seth Wood for his November guest spot in L.A. to bang out more of my dragon 3/4 sleeve. Haven't been tattooed since April, but at least I had the summer to go swimming and save up some. I'm not gonna lie; it's been tough seeing all of your awesome tattoos. I've been very tempted to get work from some great artists in the meantime, but trying to stick to my self-imposed "one tattoo at a time" rule.

S'okay, I give him a reprieve.

That's funny, @hogg, cos I've only met you once and I can name at least three of your tattoos and who did them -- not including your backpiece that I've only seen in a book.

I would think the quality of the tattoos counts for something as well as the subject matter. A flower or a mandala is bound to be seen differently than a shrieking zombie dripping with blood and gore -- especially for a schoolteacher. Don't want to scare the kids.

Ooh, I have an idea! Richard Stell.

How about a sparrow with a banner in its mouth?

This one's my favorite: "

"

Here's a good place to start. Where do you live? I'm sure someone here can recommend a good shop in your area. Then: go there and look at the portfolios and the flash on the walls. Maybe something will inspire you. Personally, I don't like quotes much. I'm sure you can find an image that suggests that idea to you. Something bad-ass like a panther, eagle, tiger, dragon, etc. is never a bad idea. They're classics for a reason. As far as the ladies go, find what you're into and do that thing.* Women are attracted to interesting guys who do interesting things. *N.B.: Going to bars and clubs to hit on women does not count as a "thing."

@TrixieFaux & I just got back from a photo shoot at Memoir for Tattoo magazine. Don't know if our faces will show but it's the closest that I will ever be to being a model.

I hear you. Believe it not, we're not all millionaires on this board. The most famous and/or expensive artists aren't necessarily the best, and there are some lesser-known artists out there who are incredible and don't charge an arm and a leg. You just have to find 'em. The thing is, it's not like buying a Kia in hopes of affording a Mercedes someday. (Not that there's anything wrong with buying a cheap car if it gets you there.) You're stuck with that thing for life. So you may as well save up even if it takes a year or more -- which is how long it takes to get an appointment with some of these folks anyway. And we're just talking about local artists! Think about the people who travel to get tattooed – sometimes overseas. Not all of 'em are rich, just committed. Like my new signature says:

We don't discuss price here. (Like it or not, them's the rules.) But I will say that a) some tattooers work faster than others, so it's hard to do an apples to apples comparison and b) they don't always charge their full rate (esp. for large pieces, I think) depending on factors I can only speculate upon (whether or not the client is a pain in the ass, what mood he/she is in that day, etc.). Having said that, you should be able to find an excellent artist in that price range, and that Jess Yen may be a bit of an outlier. The common wisdom on here is that you pick the best artist you can find. If you can't afford the tattoo you want, don't get one or save up until you can. We're talking about something that's on your body for life. It's not wise to go bargain-hunting when it comes to certain professionals – doctors and tattooers among them. Actually (am I talking about price too much?) you could make the argument that some of the best tattooers in the game actually undercharge given that they have very long wait lists if you go by "what the market will bear."

Any reputable place will give you aftercare instructions.

Check out Jess Yen @ My Tattoo

Chris Brand does the best neo-Japanese in the L.A. area IMO Sung Song & Julian Zeff @ Unbreakable in Studio City also do nice work Horisuzu @ Dark Horse & Small Paul @ True Tattoo both do more traditional-style Japanese, and are excellent There's also Onizuka Tattoo in Little Tokyo, JoJo Ackermann, Robert Atkinson -- the list goes on... My koi sleeve was done by Kim Saigh @ Memoir. She can do anything.

Yay @KBeee! Nicely done.