LA INK: Cancer Sucks!

While Aubry continues to get chance after chance, this episode is so much more important than her story line. It’s cancer awareness month and there were a few tattoos based on cancer based stories. One girl came in and got Kuan Yin done on her back. Kuan Yin is the Chinese Goddess of Compassion and the reason for the tattoo is that she had stage four cancer in her breasts. The cancer had gone into remission but is back and had found some type of activity in her lymph nodes. Another person came in to have a pink ribbon that wrapped a sunflower. Kat did a really good job on it. The reason for the sunflower was that this guy used to get a sunflower from his mom every year for his birthday, but his mom had since passed away from cancer. A young guy came in and got a tat done by Dan. This guy started Skate for Cancer where he skateboards all over the world bringing awareness to cancer, AWESOME! A mom and her daughters came in to get a tat for mom to celebrate her end of cancer treatment. Kat gave her a simple pink ribbon, but it was cool and neat to see her daughters be part of the healing process. Cheers to all cancer survivors and God bless all who are dealing with this unecessary evil. Cancer Sucks!

LA Ink: Paulie leaves the Shop

I like LA Ink, and the show really has to know that Kat and Corey are just not interesting enough to sustain the show. So, they have tried to infuse some new talent that has actually made the show more interesting, but as far as tattooing goes, their not up to Kat’s standards. Kat and Corey are actually getting in the way of the show’s success. Point in case would be following story lines outside of the shop. For example, Amy and Paulie are not tattooing at LA Ink but the show continues to follow Paulie and Amy.

Paulie

Amy and Paulie are from the East Coast and similar to Kim and Hanna, who left before this season of LA Ink, they add a certain flavor to the show that can be appetizing. Sometimes they do break away shot of the shop that shows that they are busy in the shop, really, who are these people? Nikko is on the website’s bio list but I still do not know who this guy is! I don’t see this show going past this season and the main reason being Kat and Corey thinking they are God’s gift to Tattooing. They are good, but don’t be so full of yourself. Here is an example from the last episode. Kat was really upset that she hired Paulie off the street and on the spot and Corey seemed to resent that Paulie was hired in a high profile shop and didn’t pay his dues. After Paulie quit the shop, Corey told Aubry that Paulie is an amatuer and got put in a prize fighting ring and got his @&& kicked. Are you that bitter Corey? Let the guy earn a living. I thought Aubry would have been ousted a long time ago, but I’m glad she isn’t gone yet because she annoys the heck out of Corey. No doubt though that Aubry leaving the shop is just a a matter of time. Until next week.

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LA Ink: Aubry scores COOL points!

I would have never thunk it, but Aubry is the center of attention and it seems that the producers are bent on placing Aubry front and center on every show. Frankly, I guess they may be on to something, because the stories and the tattoos that are being done are just not that fascinating. Or, they seem to be the same old stories. The show needs something fresh and I guess Aubry fulfills this void, I GUESS! Corey actually had me rolling. He was just constantly bagging on Aubry the whole show and there were some funny moments. So Aubry wants to get a tattoo and everyone is questioning why she is even getting a tattoo. They think it is just so she can fit in and they are right, but just let her get it over with. It’s getting so old. Coy is the brave sole that is going to tattoo a cherry blossom on Aubry. It was a nice tat. In a strange turn of events, Paulie left Cali to go to NYC to finish some tats, but doesn’t that cost money and here he is complaining about money. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens. Until next week.

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LA Ink: Give Paulie a Break!

Ever heard of 13 0′clock? Sounds very much like thirteen hundred hours, hmmmm. Kat tattooed a clock on a girls back, which represented stop waiting for tomorrow and get stuff done today. Kinda cool, I guess. Paulie got a sweet ride delivered to the shop. It was a green convertible and Kat came out to see it and did not say a thing. At least that’s the way they cut the scene. It was a pretty cold shoulder. I still don’t know why the heck they hired the guy if you don’t like him. Besides Aubry, Paulie is the second most hated person in the shop and then get this, Aubry throws him under the bus by basically saying that she wants to get tattooed by a real artist. Aubry will do anything to feel accepted. I will say that Paulie is acting a bit like a punk, seeing that he is always ribbing Aubry and trying to fit in himself. Now here is a cool story. An air-brusher came into the shop to get a memorial tattoo of his mom. He celebrated her life by getting a tattoo of a skull with an Indian head dress. I know what your saying, but it was a rad tattoo and very personal. I really liked it. So Kat is writing another book and Adrienne is helping her out. You see, the second book is going to be about the journal entries that Kat completes after every tattoo. She must have a lot of interesting stories. Should make for a good book. Until next week!

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LA INK: Aubry be QUIET! and do your job

The show starts out with what else, Aubry drama. Ever had a spoon, fork and cleaver tattooed on your side? OK, probably not! Ever heard of a James Beard Rising Star Award? Maybe, maybe not. So, this girl gets a cleaver and utencils on her side because she supports her BOYFRIEND! Very nice support, but a do really have to show him with a tat of some stainless steel? Yay, Dan Smith is back. Wait a minute, who’s Dan Smith. I know he is a respected tattoo artist, but he comes onto this show like he owns the place. Last episode that I saw him on was, well, I’ve never seen him on an episode. He and Paulie didn’t seem to vibe very well. Aubry and Dan hit it off well. One of the first words out of her mouth is if he is single. Moving right along. This guy came in and got piano keys on his back that faded off into the distant. He wanted Kat to do this tattoo because Kat is classically trained on the piano and she is a decent tattoo artist to : ) This guy Dan talks more than Aubry. Does he really tattoo? Yes he does and is pretty good to. Matt, who married Dan and his wife came in to get a lantern on his foot which represented light when there is darkness.Nice! See Kat go to NYC, see Aubry be completely useless, see Kat yell at Aubry, AGAIN! Okay, let’s hash it out! Everybody is really mean to Aubry, but she does get in the way and talks way to much. She states that she doesn’t know what to do. Let me tell you what to do. Either, suck it up, cause I do not see it getting any better, anytime soon or JUST QUIT and move on with your life! Until Next week.

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LA Ink: Kat, Playing Nice?

It’s clear that the shop does not like Aubry, but Kat seemed to find a soft spot in her heart for her. Look, I think that Aubry is a very nice person and is just a bit lost inside. You could say she is confused and I don’t just mean at work. She seems like someone who wants to be accepted and loved. OK, so that’s the Dr Phil segment of the blog. I’m dying to talk about the “animal communicator.” You heard me, an animal communicator. She came in to get a tat of the words “always learning” in Japanese. So, Kat brings out her cat, Ludwig. So this psychic translates in so many words that Ludwig is pissed off and mentioned that Kat is her girl. And Kat was buying this $&*! Paulie is the latest victim, I mean tattoo artist to join Kat’s stable. Paulie is from New York and is actually pretty funny. He comes straight at you and made me laugh at least once or twice. He may be good for the show. So we know that Aubry is a bit nuts, but now she really made Kat mad. Aubry explains that she wants a baby in the next few years and Corey and Kat think she is crazy. Kat tells her that she can’t even set-up tattoo stations and she is crazy if she is going to have to care for a baby and change diapers. It was hysterical! In a twist of events, Kat sets up Aubry on a blind date. I know, I’m not sure what the heck is going on in Kat’s mind. Anyways, the long and the short of it is that Aubry goes on the a date, she skates, drinks some champagne and then basically asks the guy if he wants to get married and have kids. You should have seen the look on the guy’s face. On a first date!?! There was a hilarious moment when this guy comes into the shop and wants this fictional character tattooed that his dad had created. Paulie was the tattoo artist on this one and added his own flair and wanted to add “Alway’s Dad.” He shows him the ink copy on his arm and the guy says, “everything looks really good but I’m pretty sure that always doesn’t have an apostrophe on it.” You should have seen Kat’s smirk. Until next week.

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LA Ink: Kat Removes Her Tattoos!

Aubry is a MEATHEAD! I take that back. She is trying hard but this is just not the job for her. Kat actually called her, her shop manager, huh!?! But I get it, she’s comic relief for the show. The first ten minutes was all Aubry, all the time, but I have had enough. On to the tattoos. An importer from Germany comes all the way out to California to get tatted. That’s a bit extreme, but I guess if you want the best, you see the best! Amy on the show, Part II. Amy seems capable, but she keeps doubting herself because she is so uneasy. But that is life my friend. Sometimes you have to walk through fire before you get to where you want to be. Suck it up Amy. And then Amy goes out and quits or in her words, “resigns”, whatever. You know what, Aubry temporarily gained some respect from me when she tries to stop Amy from quitting by trying to persuade her not to give up. I know that misery loves company, but Aubry seemed sincere. Oh well, Amy’s gone. Thanks to all of you who voted on the Amy/Aubry, who will leave first poll. Aubry was voted out by you, but your wrong! Dang it! Kat is off to New York and needs some help and calls a long time friend, Nikko, to come into the shop and help tattoo. This guy just came in, set up and started tatting. None of this Amy stuff. Kool! So I mentioned Kat was in New York to do a photo spread but it was nutty. She took some fiendish shots with a scandalous look and then she got all covered up by concealing her tattoos and took some more shots. It was wild! No tattoos, wow, what a difference. Nikko’s first tattoo in the shop was the completion of a trilogy of a family tree. This guy actually wanted to get his self portrait to complete the family tree. This was no ordinary self portrait. His face was morphing half skull, half face. Crazy, but very well done. Kat gets back in from New York to greet Nikko and gets an ear full from Aubry, but nobody cares. Until next week.

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LA Ink: New Tattoo Artist, Amy?

Aubry is still MESSING UP! I’m not sure why this gal is even in this shop. I could do a better job and would have fun doing it. I am assuming they needed some conflict on the show and she is certainly the right medicine for that: HORRIBLE! I guy named Matt came into the shop and memorialized his father with a tat of his dad holding him as a baby. The tat was pretty touching because Matt and his father were in a plane crash and his Dad died but Matt survived. Psychologically, that is tough but Matt seemed in good spirits and what a cool tat. Kat is once again overwhelmed by running the shop because of the loss of Hanna and Kim and then having to train the newbie. Since Kat is so busy they give a new artist, Amy, a chance at tattooing. Is Kat crazy! Amy made me nervous and I wish she wouldn’t commentate on her every move. For example, “OK, here we go”, “this is the hardest part of the tattoo, getting it straight”. Just tat it woman! The more the show progressed, the more I got nervous and heck I’m not even an employee: Yikes! Another tat was memorialized and yet again for a deceased father. This time Polio got the best of this father and his son thought it was time for a tattoo of him so he could show him that he did indeed love him after many years of resentment. Corey free-handed an absolute sick tattoo. His next customer had him free-hand a wish box that was represented by stars emerging from the box. The meaning of the box was for a deceased cousin who had dreams in a box but died at 24 years of age. To young to go. Aubry the little instigator is at it again. She tells Amy that the shop thinks that her stuff is amateur. Amy buys it and is also getting tired of the rookie treatment. I’m not sure who is going to be gone first, Amy or Aubry? What do you think? Until next time.

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LA Ink: Kat is back!

Are you ready for a new season of La Ink, I am. Kat still has Corey in the shop, but Hanna and Kim are gone. Kat had been away promoting her book and line of make-up. This episode of LA Ink starts out with some fireworks when Michael (Kat’s brother) hires a non-experienced shop assistant. Uh, Corey was not happy : ( I believe he used the words, ” you hired that BIMBO”. Totally funny because he whispers it his client that he is tattooing. When Kat gets to the shop and finds out about the hiring of Aubrey, she talks to Michael immediately. She asks him if she has experience, he says “no, but she has run three of her own businesses.” Kay asks what they were. Michael replies, ” uh, not sure. ” Kat states, ” great interview. I was just a funny conversation. On to the tattooing. Kat tats a portrait, her specialty, of a father’s son who had been hit by a car in a crosswalk. The son turned out to be okay and was even with his father while the tattoo was happening. He was chatting it up with Kat. Corey tatted a female sailor on a woman who is actually a captain herself. She had gone on a hard core sailing experience with her dad between high school and college and saw the world. I think that is pretty cool, I get sick when it get too rocky out in the ocean. Did I mention that Kat and Adrian do not like Aubrey. I’m thinking that Aubrey does not last long. Amy, a tattoo artist walks in and hope to get her portfolio looked at and Kat takes a gander. You could tell she was not feeling Amy’s rawness. Amy had only been tattooing for about four years. Did I mention that Aubrey is a pain in the butt to most of the staff? Well, it looks they are going to keep Aubrey around, at least for now and Amy the rookie tattoo artist may be getting the gig. Stay tuned

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LA Ink: 1st Anniversary

One year later and they are still inking. Your probably asking, inking what? Glad you asked. Mia St John comes into the shop and Corey has no clue who she is. I will say myself, I did not know that Mia St. John was still around. She mentioned she started boxing when she was 28 and she’s 41 now. Seems like she would be over the hill. Keep up the good work Mia. Oh by the way she got inked with the World Boxing Council (WBC) on her back shoulder. It was o.k. It should have been bigger, but Corey did what he could with how small it was. The Chiquita Banana dog was my favorite of the night. The lead singer of the All American Rejects has a 14 year old dog that named Chiquita and his thought was to get it tatted on his lower leg. The dog, appropriately named, was to emerge out of a banana peel. Hanna did an awesome job. The the sticker on the peel and everything. Very cool! Hanna does Kim! Get your mind out of the gutter, she tatted her. It seems that Kim had a very dark flower on her left shoulder that covered a tattoo that Corey had done on her many years back. Kim wanted it lightened up, so Hanna drew up all these flowers and vines and butterflies which were really bright and cheery. It was nice. I love this lady, Karen, who came in to get a tattoo to commemorate her 60th birthday and it couldn’t have been funnier. Karen keeps talking and talking about what she wants on this tattoo and you should have seen Corey’s face. He was waiting for her to add the kitchen sink. Props to Corey though, because he made it happen and it looked great. Party time! The crew got together for a very nice dinner and the original crew toasted Kat and the shop for being open for one year. Kat, congratulations and keep on tatting!

LA Ink Store: Come on In!