Infected Tattoo Linked to Man's Death

Patty Jo Marsh, Jacob Bartels make bail, get children back

(NEWSER) - A Georgia couple is out on bond after being charged with illegally tattooing six of their children because the kids wanted to be more like them. "If I’m such a bad parent, then how come they brought the kids back right after I got out jail?" asked Patty Jo Marsh, arrested last week with Jacob Bartels for using a makeshift machine to tattoo small crosses on the hands of the six oldest kids —aged 10, 11, 11, 12, 15, and 17—in their blended family. Georgia law prohibits both tattoos by unlicensed artists and tattoos on people under 18. More»

Large study looked at other possible drug benefits

(NEWSER) - Cholesterol-lowering drugs showed sizable effects on patients in a new study, but not only in the realm of lowering heart attack and stroke risk. The statins, which are sold under the brand name Crestor, also dramatically cut the occurrence of potentially deadly blood clots in healthy people, reports the New York Times. Some doctors viewed the findings with reservations, however. More»

(NEWSER) - Though Oprah Winfrey lost one of her new puppies to disease, a second is “holding steady for now,” a rep tells the Chicago Tribune. Ivan, one of the cocker spaniels Winfrey adopted earlier this month and showcased on her TV program, died of the highly contagious parvovirus. Littermate Sadie is undergoing treatment and in stable condition. More»

Canadian artists trade artworks for flesh space

(NEWSER) - A growing number of Canadian artists are giving away art to fans who are willing to wear it permanently, the Globe & Mail reports. The art buffs get free prints and a tattoo, while artists put their work out there on human flesh. "When I say 'this is by a local artist' it's so much more punk rock," said one buyer who forked out $300 for a tattoo and got 12 prints for free. More»

Chain-store tattoo parlors aim for a mainstream crowd

(NEWSER) - Now that piercings have become passé mall culture is taking on a new taboo: tattoos. With several chain parlors springing up at shopping centers across the country, the intrepid can now get inked in homogenized comfort by salaried artists with 401(k) plans—a radical departure from the traditional tattoo scene on the edgier side of town. More»