Get Inked With KISS

For years, a disgrace has been embedded in body art as ink is in the skin. Perhaps that attitude was perpetuated by the fact that traditionally, tattooed people tended to be somewhat on the fringes of society, and have occupations that were not exactly mainstream and a little mysterious-like pirates, sailors, Japanese warriors, and gypsies. It gave body art a rather romantic, outlaw reputation.

Today, tattoos have become something of normality with the likes of movie stars and rock stars jumping on the bandwagon to get inked. The general public's fascination with celebrities gives them the power to give a voice to their cause, and influence our culture. More and more stars are making appearances with their tattoos hanging out and showing them off on the red carpet, giving their admiring fans one more reason to run out and get inked.

For better or worse, it's the idea of symbolism that draws people to tattooing. People commonly seek designs that celebrate or commemorate significant events in their lives, such as the birth of a new baby or the passing of a loved one. Some people choose a symbol of an immense accomplishment, like surviving cancer or serving time in the armed forces.

We obviously have come a long, long way in the ability to articulate self expression, making getting a tattoo more and more acceptable in today’s society. Getting a tattoo is a way to display art that is deeply meaningful to the owner. It has become ok to ask someone what their tattoo stands for. In fact they wouldn't have it so prominently displayed if they didn't want you to notice it.

Tattoos have become iconic symbols of design. What better way for me to be able to incorporate my love for the art and tattooing than to combine it with our upcoming entertainment release- KISS Ikons.

KISS wanted to be different than other bands of their time- more theatrical, odd, and shocking-something to remember. They knew they didn’t want to go onstage looking like your “Average Joe” band in shirts and jeans. That is when they began experimenting with make-up, with small amounts of black, white and silver. The here-and-there on the face paint jobs eventually evolved into full-face designs.

It was these full-face designs that inspired me to draw four different tattoos, one for each band member of KISS- the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman, and the Catman. Thousands of designs are out there for people to choose from, with styles of tattooing ranging from your traditional Irezumi (Japanese tattooing) to the “Old School” sailor tattoos of sparrows, hearts and anchors. Incorporating the uniqueness of each band members’ iconic face paint with these traditional forms of tattoo design, I created four unique member specific tattoos that are sure to drive KISS fans wild.

KISS Ikons hits store shelves in mid-April, and my four unique tattoo designs (along with 14 other classic KISS tattoos) will be available in Target, Wal-Mart, and your local hobby shop. Here is a preview of my designs.

The Catman

The Spaceman

The Starchild

The Demon

The Perfect Saturday

This past weekend featured the perfect Saturday. It was pouring rain (and would continue to do so all day long) when I headed out to the gym bright and early for my daily workout. But I didn’t linger around when I was finished because I had a better place to be on this rainy Saturday. Where you ask? There was a trading card show in our town this past weekend and I couldn’t wait to get there…

I showed up armed with my various lists of cards needed to finish sets I was working on. Everything from my 1965 Topps Baseball set, to singles of my favorite team (NY Yankees) and odd ball stuff in between…The show provided the perfect sanctuary from the deluge outside. As I walked the floor my spirit was restored as I remembered exactly why I love this hobby so much. Despite the fact that this was a relatively small regional show there still were all kinds of things to check out. Graded packs caught my eye immediately…I couldn’t remember the last time I saw an unopened pack of McHale’s Navy cards but I had some of those cards as a very young kid…

My buddy and co-worker Tom Farrell is one of my favorite people to attend a show with. The dude finds the craziest stuff on the floor. And the best part is his “presentation” of the most unique cards he has found. Tom loves to collect “world leader” and “explorer” cards. His big find this weekend was a 1952 Leif Ericson card. Not to be mistaken for Leif Garrett mind you... TF also scored a sweet 1969 Tom Day Topps football card which is quite simply a photo of a guy who seems happy with his place in life at that time. Not to mention he was a San Diego Super Charger and is wearing the sweet powder blue duds of that era.

I found some great ‘65s for my set (including a Lou Brock SP) as well as some other things (2007 Topps Heritage Baseball Derek Jeter SPs). But the best part was talking to people I’ve known in this industry for a long time. Guys and Gals who spend lots of weekends working shows making it possible for people like me to get a chance to pursue my passion. A person can get lost at a trading card show and I don’t mean physically…there is something to be said for memories, both old and new. And on this past Saturday I said hello to a few old cardboard friends (including a 1969 Horace Clarke card just like the one I once drew a mustache on) while meeting some new ones as I cracked open a few packs of the brand new 2009 baseball releases.

It was the perfect Saturday.

D.J.

The Press Pass 500

Yesterday four members of the Press Pass Team competed in the Press Pass 500. The PP500 is the 500-mile journey from Press Pass' Headquarters in Charlotte, NC to Daytona Beach, Florida. The team posted two impressive 1,200-second pit stops in South Carolina and St. Augustine.

The Jeep Commander fired on all six cylinders without any issue, although the SUV was loose in the turns going through Jacksonville. The team arrived in Daytona safely, and today we began preparations for our annual Daytona Photoshoot which we hold in the Goodyear Tower in the infield at Daytona.

Tomorrow each of the drivers will stop in at the photoshoot during their media day tour and take a few photos for Press Pass. We use these photos throughout the season, and the drivers also sign their Press Pass hats at the event. The hats are prizes in Wheels American Thunder.

To give you all an idea of what our trip to Daytona is like, we will be posting photos and stories from our trip. Here are some photos from around the track this morning at Daytona International Speedway. Enjoy!

Entering DIS

Driving Under the Track

The Lake!

SAFER Barriers @ Turn 4

Coming out of Turn 4

From the Top of Turn 4 Looking Down

Flag Stand @ Start/Finish Line

Looking Down Pit Road

Empty Seats at the Start/Finish Line

Coming into Turn 3

Where We Lost a Legend
Stay tuned for more!

Snow time in the Tennessee mountains

It’s that time of year when I really enjoy getting outdoors and soaking up the snow and cool air, especially in the mountains. So my wife and I headed to, well, what most would call an unlikely tourist destination: Oak Ridge, TN. That’s right, the “Secret City.” Our primary mission was to check out the immense Coal Creek OHV park in our Land Rover. We enjoy the scenery of being out on the trails, along with the challenges and adventure of off-road driving. Did I mention it was winter?

Winter showed up just in time as the snow began flying soon after we rolled into town. It just kept coming down for the next two days and made for some very scenic driving. Temps were cold (to us) most of the week but especially earlier in the week where lows dipped into the low teens and it struggled to make it into the low 20’s during the day. Snow has a way of adding another level to the trails. At certain points, it can actually add traction; however, as it begins to thaw the trails get slick again! Trails that normally have running water across them freeze over in these conditions. This is the point where you will find the least amount of traction period. A sloped trail, solid smooth ice with a very slight film of water on top. Fortunately for us, the Warn winch on the front of the Discovery came in handy several times when we encountered these conditions.

Taking a break from the trails, we visited the science museum in Oak Ridge. It was fascinating to me to read about the history of this city. If you aren’t aware, Oak Ridge is where components for the first atomic bomb were made in the early 40’s. The city was built by the government and kept secret specifically for this purpose. Entire trainloads of all description of cargo would enter the city from around the area and leave completely empty. To the amazement of folks in surrounding areas, a lot of stuff went into Oak Ridge and nothing seemingly ever came back out! If you’ve never been to check it out, I highly recommend visiting the museum and reading the history behind it all.

If you enjoy pictures of the snow and scenery of the Tennessee mountains, check out our photos from the trip at: http://www.rockytopphotography.com/web-data/images/RoverAdventures/CoalCreek1-09/index.htm

Happy Trails!

Aaron

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

Every year at this time most of us go through the same process of setting goals for the New Year. Some will follow through on their goals while most have abandoned their plans by mid-February.

So how about making a resolution this year to not have to make any resolutions in 2010? What?

That’s right, I have a plan. The plan is to make small, permanent changes in 2009 that will result in not having to make any resolutions for next year. As a personal trainer (that’s my other gig) I see people constantly dealing with the battle of the bulge. Staying in shape is not rocket science. But it does require consistency.

You can’t tackle any big obstacle all at once. You have to patiently chip away at it. And the only way you can do that is to change your train of thought and your approach. For example, say you want to lose 40 pounds. Well you know you aren’t going to lose that in a month (you’re not) so you have to break that down into small, quickly achievable goals. Like 2 pounds a week. That’s something you can measure in a mere week and at the same time have a successful outcome. Remember, that 40 pounds didn’t get there in a month to begin with…

So instead of these massive behavioral shifts in January of every year how about we start making some small but significant changes daily; weekly; monthly. They say it takes 30 days to form a habit, so make a pact each month to change something about your life that you’d like to see take a different path. Before you know it your New Year will be resolution free and you can live your best life!

D.J.

VIP Gift Bag #8: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

And the winner is:

David McMahon of Concord, CA.

Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who entered the VIP Gift Bag Contest.

VIP Gift Bag #7: Jeff Gordon

And the winner is...

Mike Young of Prescott Valley, AZ.

Congratulations! Stay tuned for next week's final Gift Bag drawing.