Blog posts of '2015' 'June'

The dog has earned the title as "Man's Best Friend" by being humankind's first and most common domestic animal. There are an estimated 400 million Dogs in the world. Over time, humans have developed the domestic dog into nearly a thousand types of breeds. Dogs are very social Animals, accounting for their trainability, playfulness and adaptability. 

The Nepal Hindis hold see the dog as having major Religious significance and are worshipped as a part of a five-day Tihar festival. The dog is believed to be that messenger of Yama, the God of Death. They also believe that Dogs guard the doors of Heaven. Chinese astrology Honors the Dogs as one its twelve important Animals. The Chinese also celebrate the second day of the Chinese New Years as the birthday of all Dogs and a day to be especially kind to them. The Catholics recognize Saint Roch as the patron saint ofDogs. It is said that he caught the black plague while doing charitable work and went into the forest, expecting to die. A dog befriended him, licked his sores, and brought himfood. Saint Roch recovered. Bolivians celebrate August 16 as the feast day of Saint Roch and the birthday of all Dogs. 

Even though the ancient Egyptians are more Associated with Cats than Dogs, evidence shows that Dogs had a Sacred role in their Religious as well. Their God of the underworld, Anubis, was shown with a jackal's Head and Associated with Dogs. The Islamic prophet Muhammad ( a great Lover of Cats, by the way) taught his followers that Dogs were unclean and to keep the company of Dogs except in hunting, herding and home protection would void a portion of that Muslim's Good deeds. 

Dog tattoos can represent loyalty, fidelity and friendship, just as the modern domesticated dog's image portrays. Dog tattoos can Symbolize protection or guidance. Because Dogs are often used in training for Military or police organizations, dog elements can show up in tattoos for those types of organizations.

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Pitbull Tattoo Designs

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The discovery and harnessing of fire is one humankind's most important innovations. Fire has been compared to wild animals in that they can be helpful and cause harm as well. Fire can heat your food and keep you warm, but it also destroys and consumes what it touches. Therefore, fire is both feared and needed. In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to the mortals. He was later imprisoned and tortured for act. It is one of the four principle elements along with Earth, Water and Wind. In both Chinese and Hindu culture, fire is one of the five sacred elements that all living creatures are made of. 

Fire & Flames tattoos can symbolize the heat of passion or the blaze of destruction. It can also represent change or transformation because fire is a chemical reaction. Putting an object under fire can change it. For example, metal that has been tempered in fire is stronger. Fire tattoos can stand for the power of light as well as the control of a wild element. 

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Flags have always been a very public way to declare how what people stand for, what they believe, their allegiances and their current sentiments. It is natural, then, that flag tattoos would also follow as a way for people to celebrate their loyalties, their heritage and their beliefs. Flag tattoos come in a vast array of colors and styles, and they can be manipulated in a variety of ways to express many sentiments. Just as seafaring vessels use a variety of flags to signal how things are faring aboard the vessel, people around the world use flag tattoo designs to express how things are faring with and for them throughout their lives.

Probably the most popular type of flag tattoo is one that indicates love of country. In the United States, the American Flag flies proudly on many, many American men and women who have gotten their own personal version of the flag to express their personal pride in their country and their patriotism in a public way. Patriotic tattoos incorporating the American flag have always been extremely popular, but in the aftermath of 9/11, their popularity and visibility soared in surprising ways as people who heretofore would not have displayed any type of ink openly proudly bore American flag tattoos on prominent positions on their bodies regardless of their professional status. American flag tattoos are also extremely common among military men and women and the families of those who serve in the armed forces. For Americans, an American flag tattoo is one of the best and boldest ways to declare one's support and love for one's country and the ideals that it stands for. Interestingly, patriotic tattoo designs implement the American flag in a number of ways. Of course, the flag can fly proudly, but it also can enshroud a brave soldier, peer out from behind the skin of a brave warrior (see illustration) or be used in a variety of decorative ways to supplement and accent other tattoo designs. 

Naturally, people with nationalities other than American citizens also enjoy sporting their native lands flag, and many other nations are just as patriotic as Americans when it comes to pride in their country and their heritage. Heritage tattoos also often incorporate flags of various nationalities, particularly when the owner of the tattoos has several different types of heritage. Particularly popular are Mexican flag tattoos, Irish flag tattoos, a variety of African flag tattoos and, in a category all their own, confederate flag tattoos. Often people incorporate their heritage based flag tattoos into coats of arms or other larger tattoo designs that illustrate many different aspects of the tattoo owner's heritage.

It is certainly not possible to discuss flag tattoos and flag tattoo designs without addressing confederate flag tattoos. These highly controversial and extremely popular flag tattoo designs express an aggressive pride in one's heritage while, at the same time, eliciting a potentially violent and inherently visceral response in many people who view these designs. Some people, Civil war buffs in particular, may get the confederate flag tattooed on their bodies as an expression of their interest in the American Civil War or as a commemorative tattoo for all the lives lost in the war. However, far more often, confederate flag tattoos are meant to commemorate the Southern way of life that many people in the southeastern United States mourn to this day. 
In an interesting subset of flag tattoo designs, NASCAR tattoos often incorporate racing flags, such as a green flag tattoo to indicate speed, a checkered flag tattoo to indicate passion and triumph and highly stylized and customized car number flag tattoos to indicate support for a favorite driver. Particularly following the highly publicized and traumatic death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., the popularity of number 3 tattoos skyrocketed as race fans flocked to commemorate the NASCAR racing legend. Let's not forget the Jolly Roger which is the traditional English name for the flags flown to identify a pirate ship about to attack during the early 18th century.

Whether you get a flag tattoo to help you express your pride in your heritage or you just want to support your country and show your love in a visible way that does not require you to say anything and still lets people know how you feel, a flag tattoo may appear to be impersonal, but it is one of the most emotional tattoos many people will every get. Flag tattoo designs tend to involve pride, devotion and similar emotions, and a flag tattoo design will let everyone know just where your heart and your loyalty stand.

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Because the eight ball is the "money maker" and the winning shot, it is a popular symbol. Pool is a game just as much a game of chance as skill, and so the eight ball symbolizes risk and fate as well. The expression "behind the eight ball" refers to being in a strategically poor position on the pool table. When building customized race cars, the gear shift knob is often an eight ball. It can also mean being in a bad position in life as well. In drug terms, it is an extremely dangerous combination of cocaine or crack and heroin. It can also mean an ounce of any drug. 

Eight ball tattoos can be worn by those who are serious pool players. They also symbolize the wearer's willingness to take a chance or risk it all for good fortune. Eight ball tattoos are often incorporated with other signs of the "fast life", like fast women and cars or gambling motifs.

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