Thais Find Super-Human Power in Tattoos

Thai citizens claim etching images on a non-Buddhist is culturally insensitive

(AP) - Thailand's foreign tourists should be barred from getting Buddhist tattoos while visiting because the practice is culturally insensitive, says the country's culture ministry. Residents have complained that tattoo parlors are etching pictures of Buddha and other religious images onto the skin of non-Buddhist visitors across the country. Thailand is mostly Buddhist, and Buddha statues and images here are considered sacred objects of worship—but "foreigners see these tattoos as a fashion," says the cultural minister. More»

President Thein Sein's reforms have obviously convinced her

(NEWSER) - Burma's most popular political activist is leaving her country for the first time in decades, a sure sign of confidence in the nation's fledgling steps toward democracy, Reuters reports. Aung San Suu Kyi plans to arrive in the Thai capital of Bangkok tomorrow to give a speech at the World Economic Forum on East Asia. Since returning to Burma in 1988, she has refused to leave during her times of freedom, thinking the military junta wouldn't let her back in. More»

Seven suspected members of 'Jump Up Boys' placed on leave

(NEWSER) - Seven deputies suspected of belonging to a "police gang" that supports street crime crackdowns backed by shootings have been suspended from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, according to officials. The so-called "Jump Up Boys" apparently operated like a squad within a squad, with members believed to sport similar tattoos and cheer on aggressive policing, investigators believe. Officials were alerted to the existence of the Jump Up Boys when a supervisor found a pamphlet for the crew that lauded shootings by cops, reports the Los Angeles Times. One member eventually came forward and identified others. More»

Groomers offer doggie tattoos, hair dye

(NEWSER) - Colored fur, tattoos, trendy haircuts: The punk look isn't just for humans anymore. Temporary tattoos are increasingly popular in the canine world, says an association of "creative groomers." "People love it—it's hilarious," says one groomer. Adds another: "People are amazed—they do a double take." The tats, which cost between $10 and $20, range from sports symbols to anchors to John Deere logos, USA Today reports. More»

But it's too late for Kelsey Grammer, Kayte Walsh

(NEWSER) - Surely you were moved last week by the touching story of 57-year-old Kelsey Grammer and his much younger wife , Kayte Walsh, who walked into a Chicago tattoo parlor last Saturday so that Grammer could get "Kayte" tattooed on his hip. But The Frisky fears for their union: It turns out, if these other 10 couples are anything to go by, getting matching ink does not guarantee lasting love:

• Tony Parker and Eva Longoria: Now that their marriage is over, they probably wish they didn't have their wedding date permanently tattooed on them.