Tatznw | Blogs http://www.tatznw.com/blog/ What the bloggers are blogging on Tatznw.com <![CDATA['Twilight' Tattoos surge before Los Angeles 'Eclipse' premiere: Art or Awfully disgusting?]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Punky_Brewster/blog/twilight-tattoos-surge-before-los-angeles-eclipse-premiere-art-or-awfully-d/
'It was crazy in here with Twilight girls. At one point three different groups of people were in here deciding an entire back tat. This definitely was more popular than the last movie New Moon.' Says Bob Dromer who is a tattoo artist on the boardwalk.

A Robert Pattinson Face. Twilight symbols and words spoken by characters to display devote loyalty to this Movie Series. Tattoo parlors around the Los Angeles area have indicated Twilight is one of the top five themes being inked in preparation for the Twilight Eclipse.

Thanks to the Internet you can find oodles of fans who show off their 'tat's.' Plenty of photos can be found online to see the selection out there before the movie. However, what is lost to Twilight fans is how application of the tattoo applied to the body. According to Tattoo.com the pain does vary but there can be complications and where you decide to place the tattoo is another issue.

Now the twilight tattoos aren't going on people who usually wear tattoos (and we all know someone who wears a tattoo because it fits their personality.) The ink is being put on Twilight fans who are getting a tattoo for the first time to show their loyalty to the movies. Plus the cost of these cuties are anywhere from $70 for an inch to the hundreds for a full color ink spread. Which begs one to ask aren't the Twilight fans just showing off?

If you are thinking Twilight Tattoos are for you, then you need to find a photo of the Twilight theme you want to put on your skin. Drop by the local tattoo parlor to find an artist who can make your twilight tattoo personalized. Before you reach those doors, you need to have an idea so look through the Twilight magazines out a few 'looks' gives the artist something to start with.

Let's reminisce a bit on how five years from now those Twilight Tattoos will be in vogue (NOT). Those fans with Harry Potter Tattoos who had to have one when the FIRST movie came out, could you please raise your hand. Yep, that was so yesterday. Any chance you can tat it a face of Robert Pattinson over it so your boss doesn't think you're lame now? Just a thought.









]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Punky_Brewster/blog/twilight-tattoos-surge-before-los-angeles-eclipse-premiere-art-or-awfully-d/ Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:46:42 +0000 Andrea Gibson Tattoo ideas for minors and people on the fence about getting a tattoo http://www.tatznw.com/Admin/blog/tattoo-ideas-for-minors-and-people-on-the-fence-about-getting-a-tattoo/ According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of January 2010 39 states have laws prohibiting minors from getting tattoos. Twenty-eig... (Tatznw State Law Listing) by state and their specific laws governing tattoo and piercing professionals. In Oregon where I am tattooing is not allowed even with parental consent. I do not personally agree with parents choosing to allow their children to get pierced or tattooed before they are adults, however, if you approve think of these ideas.

Temporary Tattoos

To avoid all legal and most health-risk issues, talk with your child about getting a temporary tattoo instead. The tattoos come in a decal form and stick to the first layer of skin with a wet cloth or ball of cotton. Consider animals, cars, flowers, smiley faces, "mom-in-a-heart" designs and their favorite cartoon or movie characters. The tattoos wash off in the bath or shower, or by hand washing, in two to three days.

According to an FDA report updated September 2006, some temporary tattoo brands contain color additives. The FDA has received reports of allergic reactions to some temporary tattoos. According to Consumer Safety Officer Allen Halper of FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, imported temporary tattoos---illegal in the U.S.---do not have the required ingredient list on the label. Check that the tattoos are not imported when purchasing so you can verify the tattoos are non-toxic, that is, that they do not have color additives.

Words and Phrases

If you are comfortable with your child getting a professional tattoo, come up with some words and phrases she may want permanently on her body. Think about her last name, a grandparent's name or nickname, mom, dad or the name of a sibling. Or, consider a phrase he finds meaningful, maybe from a story he likes or a religious quote significant to his values. Avoid long phrases---over four or five words---because if your child cannot endure the pain he may have to sport an incomplete sentence.

Animals

One of the most popular tattoo ideas, kids love to sport their favorite animals. Discuss with your child the importance of choosing an animal they will like wearing, and explaining, for their lifetime. Consider animals that have a significance beyond just being cute or lovable.

Baby animals may look sweet on a young child, but imagine what a baby bunny munching on a tuft of grass will look like on a 53-year-old man or woman. Tattoos of strong, spirit-animal type creatures---like lions, eagles, dolphins, snakes, swallows, tigers, whales, hawks and wolves--tend to age well. Dinosaurs and mythical creatures, like unicorns or dragons, may appeal better as temporary tattoos.

Sports and Activities

Discuss with your child their favorite sport or activity. If she loves playing soccer, think about getting a soccer ball or goal tattoo. If he loves horseback riding, think about creating a horse-jumping scene or an image of a horse resembling the one they ride. Remind your child that they may grow up to dislike the sport or activity, even though it might seem impossible at the time. Minimize pain and later regret by talking with the tattoo professional about small tattoos.

Size

When considering a tattoo, one of the first questions is where to place it and how large. Discuss with your child a small tattoo to start. When they are older they might want to get a larger one or add to the small one they got as a minor.

Placement

Highly visible spots like the forearm, neck or leg may cause too much exposure and attention for a child. Let them pick a spot on the body that is less visible---like the back or foot---so the tattoo becomes special to them because only they see it each day.

Safety

According to KidsHealth.org, put safety first when considering a tattoo and all tattoo designs. Before getting a tattoo, parents and their kids should check that the tattoo artist is a licensed practitioner and that the tattoo artist can provide references. Also check that the tattoo studio follows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Universal Precautions. No matter how small or large, a completed tattoo is considered a wound and is susceptible to irritation and infection.]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Admin/blog/tattoo-ideas-for-minors-and-people-on-the-fence-about-getting-a-tattoo/ Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:34:00 +0000 Admin Covered the movie http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/covered-the-movie/ "http://coveredthemovie.com/" You can also fan her at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Covered-women-and-tattoos/110767148934986



Director’s Statement: Beverly Yuen Thompson (website)
I got my first tattoo at seventeen; it was nothing special, regrettable even, immortalizing an unfortunate relationship. But it was my first introduction to the world of tattooing; and more specifically, the world of women’s tattooing. I had accidentally ended up in one of the top all-female tattoo artists’ shops in the nation—Madame Vyvyn Lazonga in Seattle, Washington. My second tattoo was much more appropriately thought about and unique to my personality. From then on, I was hooked. At nineteen, my good friend was a tattoo artist, Charissa Vaunderbroad, and I spent my days studying in the tattoo studio, observing the customers. As I became more heavily tattooed, social reactions to my visible tattoos began to impact my life. I was interested in finding out about the experience of other heavily tattooed women and the ways in which they managed these social sanctions. Thus, the idea for Covered was born.

Tattoo culture has now entered the mainstream with its exponential growth in popularity, reality television shows, and nationwide tattoo conventions. While Kat Von D might have made it to television stardom as a female tattooist, other women’s voices from the tattoo community have been notably absent. When women are present, such as in tattoo magazines, they are often sexually objectified. Covered sets out to remedy these oversights by shedding light on the history of women in the tattoo industry and to share the voices and perspectives of heavily tattooed women in the United States.

Covered advocates for freedom of personal expression, be it tattooing or other forms of adornment. For women who have been thinking of their desired tattoo for years, or for those who would love to become tattoo artists, Covered encourages them to follow their bliss.

Beverly Yuen Thompson, Ph.D.
Director/Producer

http://www.snakegirl.net



Production Notes
“Filming for Covered”
Filming for Covered began at the annual, all-female tattoo convention Marked for Life in Orlando, Florida in 2006, the only tattoo convention exclusively for female artists. The convention attendees, both “old timers” and new artists, provided a welcoming atmosphere in which to enter the world of female tattooing. Their stories recounted the hardship of entering the profession in the 1970s, contrasted against the comparative ease of those coming of age in the industry today. I met Sofia Estrella, a 25-year veteran, with a love of global spirituality and fine art. At last, I had found the perfect tattooist for my desired Hindu goddess Saraswati backpiece. Commissioning Sofia Estrella for the large scale tattoo was one way in which to guarantee that she would be a significant part of this documentary.

I returned to my hometown Spokane, Washington, and included my good friend Charissa Vaunderbroad, along with her mother, Constance Eller, from Constant Creations Tattoo Studio. Charissa was able to arrange for twenty of her favorite customers to come to the shop during a week of filming. While Charissa tattooed in the front room; we created a makeshift filming studio in the back. I collected stories from these women about their love of art, self-expression, and the often painful experience of dealing with social rejection.

The filming for Covered spanned three and a half-years and took me across the United States where I interviewed seventy women who were tattooists and/or tattoo collectors. This movie is based upon their stories.

]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/covered-the-movie/ Wed, 26 May 2010 01:54:21 +0000 Jared Amato Bizarre tattoo related stories! http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/bizarre-tattoo-related-sotries/ Since starting Tatznw I have read so many bizarre stories of tattoos gone wrong. I have been shocked at the lack of self control that some people go t...
1. This first story was posted in our forums by my friend Jason about a young pop star named Justin Bieber. Here is a link to the post by I will give you the quick and dirty. This kid who just turned 16 received a tattoo from a studio in Canada called, Son of a Gun Tattoo and Barbershop. Now the story goes Justin’s dad took him in on his 16th birthday to get a tattoo of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It is purported that a couple of the men in the Bieber family have an identical tattoo.

So, my problem obviously isn’t the tattoo itself or the fact that it represents some rite of passage of the men in their family. My problem is any place that it is legal for someone so young to get a tattoo in the first place. Just because you have parental permission doesn’t mean that parent has your best interests in mind. I believe that someone who is going to make a lifelong commitment to a tattoo should be of legal age to make that decision for themselves. It doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t still get the tattoo but it does give a couple more years to warm to the idea.

2. The second story I read about 4 adult males ages ranging from 18-20 and one minor age 15 bullied a freshman to get a tattoo. The tattoo was done on his butt and was a picture of a penis with the words “poop dick”. The boy asked what if he refused and basically it was stated that if he did they would catch him and beat him up. The reports I read said that the 14 year old boy had learning disabilities and self-esteem issues.

Ok, so I had to read this a couple of times and checked the stories validity because I was beside myself with horror after reading this. Good news is that these boys were arrested and are being charged with a few different crimes. Bad news is that these morons will be allowed to procreate at some point. I understand young men doing stupid and reckless things. What I don’t understand is no one ever stopped to think, yeah…maybe this is a bad idea and we could end up in some trouble over it. I do not believe in many forms of punishment that people should be locked up (I do believe that there is a percentage of society that should be, however, that is another blog post). I do believe that these 4 men and a boy should do some time to contemplate their poor life choices.

I could go on and on with bizarre stories but all that is does is just piss me off the level of depravity people. I never thought I would be my father and say stupid shit like, “I can’t believe the younger generation is doing X,Y and Z” or, “In my day we never did anything like that”. I know this behavior isn’t specific to tattooers or those that wear tattoos. It happens in all walks of life. But I am going to say that the decline in self control and empathy in our society will be the death of the Western Civilization as we know it. Ok, that might be overly dramatic but I was trying to write a profound story with a meaningful ending.]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/bizarre-tattoo-related-sotries/ Fri, 21 May 2010 05:51:13 +0000 Jared Amato Tattoos The Original Marking http://www.tatznw.com/Punky_Brewster/blog/tattoos-the-original-marking/ Tattoos have been in existence for centuries, they were our first original markings. Tattoo were the way many cultures identified themselves.Though ea...
Some images frequently used in Asian arts include cranes, dragons, fish, tigers, samurai warriors and Buddhist deities. Karma tattoo designs represent Asian and new wave images that are also very well loved these days. In Western and the Japanese culture, dragon tattoo designs are well loved and have powerful images.

Tattoos can be placed anywhere on the body. They can be placed in plane sight or hidden where only the owner can see them. Most people who get a tattoo will place it where it can be seen.Tattoo wearers are proud of them and want to show them off. A fantastic space, to do both simple tattoos or complex designs are the arms ,which has the distinction of being a fantastic place for a 1st-time tattoo.

While the body art industry is highly visual, tattoos are not always images. They can be bold words to statements they live by. Some people will even use quotes they like. Word tattoos are also increasingly well loved, they can be done with or without images. The choose is yours which to use, just words or images with words. There are a lot of tattoos to choose from, so picking a tattoo can be hard. You can choose a design from a tattoo shop wall or be more original and use one of your own design, either way getting a tattoo is a fantastic experience and more and more people are doing it.

Tattoos have been around since man has walked the earth and they are not going out of style anytime soon. Weather you like tattoos or not, we as humans want to mark ourselves to be different and tattoos seem to be the way people do it.

There is just one thing to remember if you are thinking about getting a tattoo, they are not for everyone. Tattoos are for life! Some tattoos can become faded with time, unreadable or even become a messy blob. Tattoos are meant to be permanent, so their complete removal is hard. Tattoos are fantastic for people who delight in body adornment and like showing off their personalities. Tattoos are body art at its finest. So if you are thinking about getting a tattoo, make sure you get some tips and choose very carefully where you want to place your tattoo. Remember they are hard to have remove.]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Punky_Brewster/blog/tattoos-the-original-marking/ Fri, 14 May 2010 16:16:08 +0000 Andrea Gibson <![CDATA[Popular Flower Tattoos Designs Ideas & Types]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Punky_Brewster/blog/popular-flower-tattoos-designs-ideas-types/ Flower tattoo designs can stand for a eternal symbol of beauty and are a trendy choice of tattoo design mainly amongst females although not an rare ta...
Some types of flower have held a more demanded than others. It is valuable to think what certain flowers symbolize before assign to getting a tattoo. Most people can be pleased about their beauty and see their worth when they look at flowers and also feel a happiness and liveliness. The wealthy variety of present America , fused with infinite technical advances in tattoo tools only seems to more brace the attraction of world with flourish designs. As the boogie butterfly and buzzing bee, one is enthralled to the variety of flowery and splendor designs. Some variety of flowers is trendier than others. It is the best to think about value of floral tattoo. The following are a good number well-known flower tattoos. A floral tattoo is one of the most fashionable amongst women for a tattoo design. A flower tattoo is very eternal as well as womanly making it ideal for female. With all the diverse option of a flower tattoo, which would be best for you? Consider if you desire your tattoo design to really stand out or not and placement. A flower tattoo such as the budding accepted hibiscus flower is usually inked with vigorous colors.

Types of Flower Tattoos

There are various types and styles of floral tattoos. These comprise sensible blooms, fashionable representations, and multi-flower designs. The originality and exclusivity of the tattoo is only limited by the artist’s thoughts, giving flowers an enormous collection of applicability to different person’s thinking fondness. Some flowers, such as roses and lilies, are perceive more than others, but factually any flower can be turned into a tattoo as long as there is an expert tattoo artist on the job. With different attractive sense and varieties of flowers, it is totally probable to select a tattoo sample that completely presents a great note to people. There are so many types of flowers that it should be simple to find the precise flower tattoo design that vibrates with who you are and means something distinctive to you.]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Punky_Brewster/blog/popular-flower-tattoos-designs-ideas-types/ Fri, 14 May 2010 16:14:04 +0000 Andrea Gibson Shut down the scratchers! http://www.tatznw.com/steveo/blog/shut-down-the-scratchers/
Which brings me to my point: a tattoo artist may have learned the basics of tattooing by scratching, but it’s not a recommended way of going at it. In fact, some established tattoo artists have even talked about having trouble initially getting apprenticeships once they had been scratching for a while because reputations can grow fast and not too many reputable shops are interested in dealing with a well known scratcher. Which brings me to my initial point all over again: scratchers spoil everyone’s fun by casting a really dark shadow over all the legitimate and good tattoo artists out there. Furthermore, they tend to be lazy and cut corners, using crap equipment and ignoring standard health procedures. They’re single handedly responsible for creating an image of tattooing that has no place in this current day and age.]]> http://www.tatznw.com/steveo/blog/shut-down-the-scratchers/ Fri, 14 May 2010 16:06:50 +0000 Steve Ossmand Government Sting Operation http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/government-sting-operation/ I was hot when I saw this. Please read it and share via your facebook, twitter, myspace and digg it. Makes me loose faith in our government, economy...
here is the direct link to the site http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/CMKX

Today we have spent hours reading on the whole CMKM Diamonds debacle and the government’s involvement in what they have termed a “sting” to actively pursue people and corporations involved in naked short selling and the illegal activities that are often part of the penny stock market world. We are still dumbfounded that this wasn’t all over the press for the world to know.

Granted there are a lot of lawsuits filed every day, but it seems that one of this magnitude, a $3.87 trillion lawsuit against U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary L. Shapiro, as well as several other current and former SEC commissioners, would be a little more publicized. Recently a clip on television criticized SEC officers for watching porn while on the clock. If that was newsworthy, this lawsuit which alleges a multitude of illegal activities and misrepresentations from our government certainly is also.

The long and short of the situation is best summed up by some of the direct quotations from the complaint filed by Pasadena attorney Al Hodges on behalf of the CMKM Diamonds shareholders. The complaint was filed on January 8, 2010 in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

[Complaint paragraph 31] During the period of June 1, 2004 through October 28, 2005 a total of 2.25 Trillion “phantom” shares of CMKM Diamonds Inc., was sold into the public market through legitimate brokers, illegitimate brokers and dealers, market makers, hedge funds, ex-clearing transactions and private transactions. The sales of the majority of such shares were at all times known to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Defendants herein.

[Complaint paragraph 32] At some date prior to June 1, 2004 the Securities and Exchange Commission in concert with the Department of Justice of the United States, together combined with Robert A. Maheu and others to utilize CMKM Diamonds, Inc. for the purpose of trapping a number of widely disbursed entities and persons who were believed to be engaged in naked short selling of CMKM Diamonds Inc. stock and cellar boxing the company.

Furthermore, the complaint states that the Security and Exchange Commission worked in cooperation with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to take the covert operation to a whole new level as they believed and developed evidence that said short sellers were utilizing their activities to illegally launder monies, wrongfully export monies, avoid payment of taxes, and to support foreign terrorist operations. Pretty serious stuff that was truly deserving of the efforts put forth by the government to catch the criminals. The problem is that all of this was done at the shareholder’s expense. All of the naked short selling and corruption eventually led to CMKM inevitably being delisted in October of 2005.

We obviously gave a very abridged version of the complaint, but hopefully made the point. The government went to great lengths to set up this operation and fulfill its purpose, but (and here’s the important part) no arrests were made. In lieu of prosecution, the people involved were granted immunity in exchange for statements and repayment of illegal monies obtained. So, where is the money? That is what the shareholders of CMKM Diamonds want to know.

Despite numerous, documented attempts to collect the money that has been promised by the government to the shareholders, no transactions have taken place to reimburse shareholders for their losses. The carrot has been dangled several times through promises of “within the month” or “in a couple weeks” to properly compensate the holders of CMKX stock, but it has never been completed. Hence, the lawsuit has finally been filed that alleges that the SEC is illegally withholding funds collected from unscrupulous broker/dealers that facilitated the selling of more than 2.25 Trillion shares of CMKM Diamonds stock into the market.

Time will tell how this situation will play itself out as the common conception is that it will be settled before it ever reaches trial. In the meantime the shareholders will have to sit and wait.

A copy of the complaint can be viewed at: http://www.qualitystocks.net/misc/hodges_SEC.pdf
]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/government-sting-operation/ Sat, 08 May 2010 22:32:39 +0000 Jared Amato My Visible Tattoos http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/my-visible-tattoos/
It wasn’t until my early twenties that I decided to get a tattoo. Being a young man in the Air Force with a world of possibilities in front of me I thought I was untouchable. I was Superman. So like many other tens of thousands of young men with this mentality I had the Superman logo permanently etched on my calf. I love it. I felt much empowered in my own self expression.

I am an educated man who loves and is inspired by his own convictions and tattoos; however, I have long held the belief of not having visible tattoos. I always had felt more secure in whom I was and being able to control what others thought of me when making 1st impressions.

I believe that tattooists are incredibly talented and interesting people. When I started this journey of creating the Tatznw network for the tattoo culture in the Northwest I never realized how difficult it would be to become a trusted confidant, member and friend.

On outward appearance I believe I am nondescript. I am of average height a tad over weight, a typical normal white guy. I have no “rock star” qualities. I am fairly intelligent and business / technology driven. I see things very different from how artists conceptualize things. So trying to create a buzz within the tattoo culture has been challenging at best.

I was met on many fronts from Artists, Studio employees and Owners with skepticism, until I met Joe from 1928 Tattoo.

In the beginning he was as leery as anyone else of my intentions. It took many months of occasional small talk for him to finally share his view of me. I was a little shocked by his impression. I am usually thought of as a fairly nice guy who is pretty easy to like. Now Joe didn’t hammer me on my character he laid it out that one major reason he didn’t trust me was due to the fact that I am an outsider who doesn’t look or act like a typical person in the industry. He went on to say that he had reservations with helping me since ultimately I would like to make money off him and his hard work.

With the revelation that I was a “douche bag” (my words not his) I wanted to find out why I was so different? I believed in the art form and had by this point in my life a couple of small tattoos and a 1/2 sleeve.

It took another couple of weeks before we connected again. I saw him at the Portland Tattoo Expo and started a little small talk. Before I knew it he was sharing his view of what made me different. It was due in large fact that I was a closet tattoo aficionado. I was viewed as someone who walked the walk but only did so when it served me to share my tattoos. Now, this kind of sounds harsh as I read it after writing it but that wasn’t Joe’s intention or demeanor. He was drawn to my steadfast tenacity of continuing my project facing all the rejection that I have gotten. He said he would like to spend some more time with me and wanted me to spend some time in his chair. Now I was all about more tattoos so I was down. We talked more about it and he mentioned to add credibility to my project and my beliefs I might want to think about taking the leap to visible tattoos. Something that was a step to becoming more accepted within the community a sign that I was “one of us”

I reflected on this and wondered if I could have visible tattoos or was I really just, “the douche bag who is trying to make a buck off the industry.”

It didn’t take me too much thought about this. I love my tattoos, the culture and the meaning. I am not embarrassed by who I am nor am I someone who really gives a shit what people think of me. I only answer to my moral compass and my daughter.

I did want to be accepted within the community but more because I believe in the goals I am trying to accomplish vs. looking cool or fitting in. I asked myself a few questions that ultimately gave me the answer I had already known. Did I love having tattoos?... yes. Do they make me feel good?... yes. Do I believe they define myself worth?... no.

After answering these simple questions it became apparent to me that whatever belief I had in the past about visible tattoos was no longer valid. Thank you Joe for being and amazing artist, man and shrink ;-)

Now this is my belief system. It doesn’t work for everyone and isn’t meant say I am better or worse than you. I am at a point in my life where I have had to analyze and challenge what I believed as my boundaries and redefine them as needed. It is kind of like the thought that your tastes change every 7 to 10 years. In the past you might not have liked Tabasco but now you are a hot wing junkie!!

On a final note, am I still a douche bag? Probably…. But I don’t give a shit… I have an awesome pinup on my arm of a Vegas Showgirl sitting on a tattoo machine. I named her Josephine....



Jared]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Jared/blog/my-visible-tattoos/ Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:12:34 +0000 Jared Amato Russian Roulette http://www.tatznw.com/steveo/blog/russian-roulette/

SO, I was wondering where Russian Roulette originated from since I've heard it's possibly not really Russian itself. This is what I found: Most of t...]]>

SO, I was wondering where Russian Roulette originated from since I've heard it's possibly not really Russian itself. This is what I found: Most of the legends that abound regarding the invention of Russian roulette are, predictably, set in the Russian Empire or occur among Russian soldiers.

In one legend, 19th-century Russian prisoners were forced to play the game while the prison guards bet on the outcome. In another version, desperate and suicidal officers in the Russian army played the game to impress each other.

Whether Tsarist officers actually played Russian roulette is unclear. In a text on the Tsarist officer corps, John Bushnell, a Russian history expert at Northwestern University, cited two near-contemporary memoirs by Russian army veterans: The Duel (1905) by Aleksandr Kuprin and From Double Eagle to Red Flag (1921) by Pyotr Krasnov. Both books tell of officers' suicidal and outrageous behaviour, but Russian roulette is not mentioned in either text. The standard sidearm issued to Russian officers from 1895 to 1930 was the Nagant M1895 revolver. A double-action, seven chambered revolver, the Nagant's cylinder spins clockwise until the hammer is cocked. While the cylinder does not swing out as in modern hand-ejector style double action revolvers, it can be spun around to randomize the result. It is possible that Russian officers shot six and kept the seventh cartridge live. Due to the deeply seated rounds unique to the Nagant's cartridge and that the primers are concealed, it would be very difficult to tell from the outside where the live round was and which were spent; this would add to the uncertainty of the results.

Several teen deaths following the release of the film The Deer Hunter caused police and the media to blame the film's depiction of Russian roulette, saying that it inspired the youths.]]> http://www.tatznw.com/steveo/blog/russian-roulette/ Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:13:05 +0000 Steve Ossmand Welcome http://www.tatznw.com/Fedora/blog/welcome/
I just got here, myself.

Here's where you can see more of my photography:

http://tinybox.tumblr.com]]>
I just got here, myself.

Here's where you can see more of my photography:

http://tinybox.tumblr.com]]> http://www.tatznw.com/Fedora/blog/welcome/ Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:18:26 +0000 Fedora el Morro