Tattoo ads turn people into ‘walking billboards’

Lookie here...

NEW YORK - What does Angelina Jolie have in common with Joseph Stalin and Thomas Edison as well as two out of every five Americans between the ages of 26 and 40?

They all have tattoos.

Once seen as a silent cry of rebellion, tattoos now posess a status so firmly mainstream that advertisers are using them to market everything from tires and shoes to wine and energy drinks. That has its downside, though. The more acceptable tattoos become, the more they lose their edginess — and their value as advertising.
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auction update

i confess i haven't been as good about promoting the bum auction the 2nd time around. as of this morning...here are the bum auction stats! (see pic)

the auction is back in business!

take two...spread the word folks! and bid bid bid away!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160076137005

going out of business sale

okay, after much clamoring, we're going to throw caution to the wind (kinda) and start from scratch (sorta).

we've started at the low low price of $26.2 dollars. and the auction is extended, so bid bid bid away.

special thanks to everyone trying to make this a successful fund-raiser, especially alan, instigator and co-conspirator. and hello, college humor visitors.

it's only fitting, right?

i can't give my bum away

nothing like ZERO bids to induce low-self esteem! over 300 people have checked out the assets, but no one wants to invest.

i mean, i thought that $500 bucks would seem like a bargain. and i *thought* i had a cute bum...hmmm.

maybe this was not such a good idea after all.

the pledge to save my butt

there are some *strong* reactions out there to the tattoo auction!

a very generous friend of mine, mark, has both ponied up with a *second* donation AND pledged to donate *another* $100 if i DO NOT get the tattoo.

and so, if you would like to join up, in an attempt to save my butt, simply send an e-mail to: savejensbutt@gmail.com with the amount you will donate if i DO NOT get the tattoo.

i'll keep you guys updated on the progress there on the sidebar.

thanks to everyone on both sides of the debate! :)

the bum auction is on

check out the sidebar...and cross your fingers!

ps - all over the news is that howard stern got a huge bonus. potential bidder?

semi-related craziness & some linkage

item one: "polar bearing"

i check my e-mail this morning to find an e-mail from ramon with "Polar Bearing!!!" as the subject. uh oh.

Definition of Polar Bearing: Art of going thru discomfort, pain and senseless massochism as a person submerges him/herself in a cool liquid.

Well, in this ocasion I hope the person is you, and the cool liquid will be the Atlantic Ocean.....

Hola, this is Ramon, your coach, inviting you for to a fun Polar Bear day!! Join me and other fun loving friends for a 3-5 seconds (or whatever you can handle) jump in the Atlantic Ocean as part of our annual Polar Bear.

Please reply to this e-mail if interested in this fun crazy way of starting the year. Last year we had about 14 people. If you think it is a crazy idea, many people think that doing a marathon is crazy and freaking hey.!!!! .. you are doing it !!!

Things to bring: Swimwear (this is a PG13 show), towel, warm clothing and your crazy fun energy !

your coach, the one with the accent !"

i'm not sure if he's crazier for suggesting it, or if i am crazier for actually thinking that this sounds kinda fun. i've realize that in my 30-year-old-year, i'm accomplishing all sorts of crazy, weird things...and maybe this should be one of them?

item 2: removable tattoo ink

a Concerned Friend sent along the following links with an offer to pay the difference in the cost of the ink.

what do you all think?

When love isn't forever — the removable tattoo

Freedom-2: Self-expression without Regret

strike one

argh.

so i didn't run today. i walked 4 miles too and from work (at least), but i did not run. ~sigh~

when i got up in the morning, the tempurature was so cold that i knew i couldn't run outside. i haven't gotten to the store to get approapriate winter running gear. i don't even have "normal" gloves (i lost my one pair a month or so ago). i debated going to the gym, but then i would have been later than i wanted to be for work...so i decided i would go *after* work.

and we know how that turned out. aaaaaaaaak.

i didn't leave until a bit after 8:30 and i just couldn't do it. i had a huge headache and just, well, just couldn't. i just don't know how i can be so strong some days and such a wuss some others.

so notice the title of the post. three strikes and...what? what will be an appropriate dis-incentive to make sure i stay on schedule?! suggestions welcome in the comments.

tomorrow practice - 5 mile loop, but we're going to "race" it. i better run fast or i'm gonna freeze.

and in other news...i'm going to try to get the tattoo-auction going on monday!! so start spreading the word. there's nothing up yet...but my good pal euroskip bought www.bidonmybum.com - no, i'm not kidding. get those pay-pal accounts ready! =)

yet another (although less noble) reason to give me money.

because i want to be in the top 10 fundraisers in the country for this season.

i can't remember if i'm mentioned that i'm secretly competitive or not...but i am. you're probably thinking - hmm. well she doesn't *seem* all that competitive about her running. well, that is because i am scared to death of all this running stuff, mostly of injuries, even though i'm doing pretty well. so where does it come out? well, in the fundraising arena. i think right now that i'm the 2nd highest fundraiser for the new york city chapter of team in training for the arizona marathon. sweet right? yes, but good enough? negative.

today we got our weekly e-mail about the race and they announced that the top 10 fundraisers for the country get to wear special numbers. under that...anyone that raised $8500 gets a travel bag. hrmmm. the girl that's ahead of me, katie, is ranked THIRD in the country for fundraising. THIRD. katie is a sweetie who spoke before our 18 mile run. her younger brother is fighting leukemia and doing well, and she's raised over $10,000, which is amazing. at this rate, while i'm kinda certain i'm going to be able to get the bag, i want the top ten.

so bring it. i'm not going to be satisfied with some tote. it's time to raise some more cash, catch katie and get my soon-to-be-tattooed-little-butt into the top ten. oh no, i didn't forget about the tattoo. it's looking like my ace at this point.

if you really want to save my ass (so to speak), there's a few things you can do...
• donate if you haven't already...every single dollar counts. see if your company matches and take advantage.
• if you've already donated, or you can't donate, spread the word!! take a few minutes and tell people about what i'm doing, if you have a blog, or you know people with blogs, ask them to give me a little linkage (thanks again matt!)
• have great fundraising ideas? send them my way. i'll give you credit, promise.

and if you are more of the instigating type, and would like to promote "project tattoo jen's bum" or have ideas as to how to do so, send them my way too. i'm going to need contacts of people who can spread the word...

you guys rock, i know...let's kick some butt the final few weeks.

i'm a team in training nerd.* and a lunatic.

every week on wednesday, in addition to the mission moment and the weekly "celebrity", the spirit tee is awarded. the spirit tee is awarded to participants who exemplify the spirit of what team in training is, go above and beyond the bare minimum, are involved, enthusiastic, and an inspiration to the other memebers of the team. people are nominated by their mentors, or other teammates, and then i'm guessing that a smaller group (not sure who) selects the winner.

the winner then adds to the spirit tee - a signature, picture of the person their running for, etc. it becomes a tribute to all the reasons that we run.

it was still raining when i was leaving work, so i traveled in my really spectacular high-boots + running shorts outfit, which was made even more trollopy by my long coat which pretty much hid the shorts. we were meeting in the park, which i was excited about because it meant i didn't have to trapse across canal street.

with the typical wednesday luck though, the trains were still running funky. i blamed it on the rain and decided not to get too worried. i ran into our social captain, jessica, who was doing announcements that night and we braved the way, but since she *had* to be on time, and i could be a minute or two late, she ran off ahead. the rain was steadily coming down, but it was still warm, so i tried to avoid puddles as i made my way to my to the fountain.

jessica first announced the celebrity of the week...and then, as i was peeling off my boots, she announced that i was the winner of the spirit tee! my face expressed my surprise. i got the tee because i was out cheering until the very end on sunday, because of my kick-ass fundraising (and big goals) and because i'm even thinking of...

oh wait. i haven't told you the idea.

i have a rather insane idea. depending on your sense of humor, adventure, and feeling about tattoos, you will think i am more or less insane. alright, i'll stop wasting time and just tell you.

i'm considering doing an e-bay auction. the highest bidder gets their name (first only!) tattooed on my bum.

[dramatic pause for reactions]

yes a real tattoo. no, not big. unless we get so much pr it goes corporate and then i will consider logos. i get final editorial and i will check id. i pick the ink, the font and the spot. i will pay for the tattoo. yes, the winner will get photo proof. no, i do not already have tattoos - this will be my first.

[dramatic pause for further reactions]

before you start commenting, (and by the way, if you guys have no comments on this post, i'm going to think that no one could possibly be reading!) here are my reasons.

1. this could have amazing pr potential. picture: "did you hear about he crazy girl who's auctioning off a tattoo on her butt for charity?" in e-mails, other blogs, who know - let's go for letterman!
2. i'm going to guess that this could build do a few thousand bucks at least. and you know i must reach $10,000.
3. people have gotten tattoos for *way* dumber reasons. or for no reasons at all. this is for charity people!
4. i can always have it lasered off.
5. i think it's a pretty funny story.

but BACK to the spirit tee! so in addition for generally kicking ass at practice and having team spirit and fundraising like a mad woman, i think that i am even considering doing this pretty much put me over the edge to win. and now i have to figure out how to do steve proud decorating the shirt. i'm thinking maybe some red sox emblem of some sort.

we then went and ran 4.7 miles (in the rain) and then had a pizza dinner with one of our honored teammates. unfortunately, she was a little far away from me so i wasn't able to get her whole story and so i'm going to try to attend another event with her.

and about the tattoo - because i care what you think, i'm going to leave you with a little survey on the tattoo topic. but remember. this is a dictatorship. a benevolent one, but a dictatorship none the less. so vote vote vote people!

today's mileage: 4.4
total mileage: 193.1

ps: we didn't do the test today because there were so few people and it was tres slippery to be running in the rain. i'm going to guess it's going to happen next week.

*when i say nerd, i mean it in the most affectionate of terms. steve used to call me "nerd", "kiss ass" and "brown noser" all the time in jr. high school. mmm actually, in high school too. and yes, he meant it will love too.