ShawnPorter

My advice? There are a lot of tattoo blogs out there; before starting your own... submit. Contact Marissa over at Needles and Sinns. Talk to that handsome (AND YOUNG) blogger what runs Occult Vibrations about an article you have in mind. Our Endless Days (I suck at tagging) has original content up on his blog, see if he'd like to publish an article. Get into the habit of writing and having it out there for people to read; new blogs don't get a lot of traffic. The first few months of OV, I got less traffic than I get per day now. It's discouraging to take the time to write stuff if no one is reading it. So submit. Get your stuff out there, get people reading it (while also uploading it on your own site, for consistency) and eventually, when you've found your stride and your voice, start working exclusively on your own project. You never know... some day someone might dig your site so much that they ask you if you'd publish one of their pieces. Oh. And Robson is still my new nemesis.

See. That sounded perfectly nerdy. Just what I was lookin' for.

Ok. You don't HAVE to be a nerd.... but it helps. I just need a little transparent gif logo created to tag photos with. Something that will be instantly recognizable at any size, using the letters OV. Helps me figure out where my photos are going.... The pay is AMAZING (ok.. it's not. At all) and I'm REALLY easy to work with (another lie).... So if you've made it this far and are DYING to help... [email protected]

You too, fella! I felt like the Jay to your Silent Bob! :P

Oh. And also... @Stewart Robson is responsible for the recommendation to have Hooper do my palms- my most painful tattoo to date. So he's indirectly injured me AND is trying to cockblock me by pointing out that I'm old. Happy Valentines day, nemesis! :o

SHUSH, Robson.... if you mention that I've been doing this for decades, then everyone will know that I'm OLD. Now we've got a blood feud going, fella! I'm going to come to England and shoot a video of you telling every single woman that I'm flirting with online that I'm only 25. Seriously. :) Thanks for the kind words otherwise.

@LosingShape impressed me with mad Morrissey skills...

there've been a lot of cancelations....

It was sleeting earlier, but the forecast is now calling for snow.

It was considerably slower today than this time last year. Everyone who was staying at my place for the convention has canceled due to weather. Upside- Seeing Zeke Owen wandering around, Talking to Mr. Andy Perez, Jason Scott, Tron, Josh Hoffman, Eric Perfect, Schweigert... lots of decent tattooers this year.

I just found another four dollars. Four closer! (I work at a bar, most of our drinks are $_.50, so there's usually change. The drunk customers drop it. I pick it up)

You might have to... I'm saving quarters I find at my bar to pay for the laptop. :D I'm up to $700. I should kickstarter that jawn. "Occult Vibrations needs a new laptop to rip video, and so Shawn can look at porn. PAY ME".

I have a lot of old documentary footage of Kari tattooing from the 80s- when I clear my hard drive or buy a new laptop (it's time) I'll add it to OV for ya'all.

I'll send you a picture when it's done, fella.

Just got an email from Chad Koeplinger- we're finishing my stomach on Monday!

I think I might have a copy. I really need to look through my book collection.

Must have. I keep greensoap in my washroom to wash my hands with, because the smell makes me happy.

Whenever I have a problem, I call on mary jane...

I was always a fan of Suzanne Fausier (sp?) from Michigan. And I've known Annette since I was.... christ.. 15? Deb tattooed my brother when he was on vacation once.... small tattoo world.

thanks. Pushead stuff tends to be elusive and expensive, so it's taken a lot to get the collection to where it is. Given that I started sending Pus letters when I was 11, and I'm 38 now.. this is sort of a life long hobby.

I couldnt make it to the gym today, so I ran for 45 minutes on the wiiFit and then did 100 situps holding a 20lb kettle bell to my chest.

Nunez.

Im not sure if I mentioned this, but I had an email conversation with a producer about my contempt for the show, and despite him trying to be very PR conscious... mentioned that he 'personally wouldn't get tattooed by' one of the Judges... based on him thinking that their work wasn't good enough.

Thats the one. Its about 100 yards from my bar, so I get a great discount, and they have a lot of equipment.... but the music...

My gym is a primarily gay gym in a primarily gay neighborhood, and they play intolerable dance remixes. I love the gym, some of the staff also work for me at the bar, love the people etc... but the music is horrid. I have to listen to music on my headphones to escape