Tattoos are — when they’re done right, in my opinion — an integral part of people’s lives, and have a meaning that’s tied to their self-chosen destiny.

[This is] a tattoo in the honor of an album I heard a few years ago, called “The Ugly Organ.” I took the album art, in this case, the jagged piano design, and pretty much photocopied it. The design credits go to Cursive. The album changed the way I heard music, and more importantly, changed the way I write music.

I now run a record label, play in several bands and just released my tenth album. None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t had heard “The Ugly Organ.” The combination of dischord and cacophony along with melody and tender moments struck me in a special way. The lyrics, predominantly about the paradox that successful writers constantly must seek out pain in order to write about to continue to be successful writers, was a concept that I had been battling myself before I had heard the album.

I devoted about 14 inches of my chest to this album, this work of art. It took about 5 hours, with four breaks, and the Subway I ate afterwards was the best in my life, if for no reason than I was no longer being tattooed across my chest. Those with chest work understand the pain, I’m sure. But, It was totally worth it. Tattooed by Matt at Evolved.

- Evan

Along those lines you may remember pro cyclist David Clinger (pictured on the right), who tattooed his face with a Maori-style warrior’s pattern and was told by his employer to laser it off or lose his job. Forced to choose between part of his face and twenty years of dedication to his sport, he chose to do a partial removal… Needled reports that after spending $15,000 on laser treatments, Webcor decided to fire him anyway.

Clinger, who already had several other Polynesian designs, got the tattoo because he felt it represented his life as a sort of “warrior” and that he needed it. I’m not sure that I’m going to argue that Webcor had no legal right to fire him, but I will say that ethically they are far in the wrong, and their suggestion that it would cause their team to lose sponsors is laughable… sports celebrities grow through a combination of skill and being outrageous characters — with this firing, Webcor has lost what could have been a valuable promotional ally.

With something like 10% to 20% of Americans now being tattooed, you have to ask yourself — if Webcore builders is willing to fire tattooed people, why should tattooed people offer them any business in return? It’s not as if there aren’t other construction companies in California.