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18 August 2006

AskMeCha: Will I regret getting a circuit diagram tattooed on my head?
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I'm not sure why I want to do this so very badly, but I'm thinking of covering the right side of my scalp up with a circuit diagram of a sine wave oscillator.

I have a vague feeling that this is a bad idea, but I can't really think of any reason why it would be other than some silly "well, I might miss out on a job" fear, but I have so many other visible tattoos, I can't imagine a future employer caring about the one on my scalp.

Please talk me out of, or into, this idea!

post by: cmonkey at: 19:54 | 24 comments

Your other visible tattoos could be covered easily with a long-sleeved dress shirt.

One on your head? Not so much.

Not that that's a reason not to do it-- I'm just saying.

posted by dersins 18 August | 20:19

There are worse things than regret.

posted by LarryC 18 August | 20:22

Trying to talk strangers into doing something you would never do yourself, for example. That's bad.

posted by LarryC 18 August | 20:26

I used to know a guy in Baltimore in the 80s who had his whole head tattooed with a brain - an old medical illustration of a brain, with the different parts labeled in that nice old fashioned medical font. It was pretty cool. Then he also changed his name to tENTaTivelyACONvenIEnce (I kid you not, we called him Tent) and then, well, I went on to sort of move away and grow up and stuff and I don't know whatever happened to Tent. In an interesting coincidence, this is the second time this story has come up today, since my Mom went to see the tattoo show at the art museum today and in it, oh god, she saw a picture of my big leg tat that I've been assiduously hiding from her for three years and in her own way of telling me I think that it was okay she announced that she was thinking about getting a tattoo on her head where she's going bald. And she's 79.

So, uh, you know, whatever. ;-)

posted by mygothlaundry 18 August | 20:37

well, i don't know... what's the circuit diagram of? if it was a section of the resonant filter of an old moog, then hell yeah!

posted by syntax 18 August | 20:50

oops. didn't read the whole post. an old sine wave oscillator would be even cooler.

cooler still would be if someone actually sees it and goes "hey, nice hp function generator board, man!"

posted by syntax 18 August | 20:53

It seeems like blogger does some kind of referrer trick that disallows directly linking to photos. But I want to see your big leg tattoo.

So let's say you wanted to cover this circuit board tattoo with a hat, or hair? Would that kind of thing be feasible? (So, as an aside, yesterday, I had my sleeves rolled up at work, and some lady said that one of my arm tattoos (a chapter heading from Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Autobiography') is 'interesting.')

posted by box 18 August | 21:01

I dunno. I think that people don't think about what the tattoos are going to look like, or what they're going to look like 30 years from now.

You're young, cmonkey, and you might not always feel about it the way you do now. It's a given that you'll never be exactly the same person you are now. Things change.

Just something to factor into the decision.

posted by mudpuppie 18 August | 21:04

I would advise against it, Cmonk. Just for the location, though. How about a motherboard up your spinal column as an idea?

posted by Lipstick Thespian 18 August | 21:05

Yes.

As in, "yes, you will regret it". Maybe not immediately, but at some point.

posted by yhbc 18 August | 21:53

Tattoos are forever.

Hair is not.

posted by jason's_planet 18 August | 21:57

My leg on flickr. My back.

posted by mygothlaundry 18 August | 22:37

Oh and fwiw, I'm advising against the head tattoo too. Cool idea, but I think it's probably better not to have ink that can't be covered in a pinch, and sometimes you just have to take your hat off.

posted by mygothlaundry 18 August | 22:38

I like head tattoos, but it depends on the head. Just by itself, the circuit would be a little overwhelming. But combined with an industrial, some moderate plugs, and freaky eye brows (ooohh... make them shaped like electric bolts) it might fit in.

I suppose this is my way of asking, "How does the rest of your face look?"

posted by sbutler 18 August | 22:42

Yeah, you guys are right: I shouldn't it. At least not for a long time.

It woulda looked so rad, though.

posted by cmonkey 18 August | 23:28

I love the idea, but not the location.

posted by dabitch 19 August | 02:39

Are you planning to escape from the set of "Tron"?

posted by rob511 19 August | 02:52

mygothlaundry: hey I have seen tentacon at the Mount Royal Tavern a few times over the years, didn't know who he was though. Always enjoyed reading his exploits etc (google his name). There's another guy occasionally at the Tavern who has his entire face COVERED in heavy line designs. Looks really neat/freakish - I always wonder where he works though. Anyway, I like the circuit diagram idea - but I don't recommend anyone listen to me - ever.

posted by zoinks 19 August | 03:44

I think it's an interesting thing about tattoo locations.

Now that tattoos are becoming more and more common place I think the location of a tattoo has become the next "prejudice". For me, someone having a tattoo high on their neck or on their head says something very, very different about a person than a tattoo on their forearm.

That's not to say it's "bad". Maybe it shows a certain degree of wrecklessness? Maybe it shows commitment to a certain kind of lifestyle, (whatever that might mean)?

I dunno.

posted by dodgygeezer 19 August | 07:47

wrecklessness...

Now, there's an eggcorn.

posted by y2karl 19 August | 09:14

one of my many tattoo ideas is to get a pair of glowing blue eyes on the back of my neck or right where my shoulders meet my neck, so I can have "eyes in the back of my head". But not anything on my head itself.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 19 August | 13:50

There are worse things than regret.

Not many.

posted by amro 19 August | 18:45

Only do it if you can get conductive ink and the thing's an actual fully functional sine wave generator.

posted by porpoise 20 August | 12:32

Now that tattoos are becoming more and more common place I think the location of a tattoo has become the next "prejudice".
Along a similar line, now that fashion is pretty much universal and doesn't really provide any way for people who so desire to stand out from the crowd, tattoos are becoming the way that people ~~prove~~ kid themselves that they are not like everyone else. While not having any myself, I am fascinated by the tattoos that people have and, in particular, the location because I think that says more about the person than the design.

But, yes, you will regret getting this tattoo one day. It would be much cool, though.

posted by dg 20 August | 17:44

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