(By D. Hanousek) Yesterday, a close friend pregnant with her first child posted a link on Facebook to an article about a mother who was arrested for allowing her 10-year-old to get a tattoo honoring his late brother. Said friend posed the question, "Would you let your 10-year-old son get a tattoo, for any reason? What if the tattoo is to honor the passing of his brother; is that acceptable?" I immediately felt my emotions heighten as I wrote the comment, "Er, circumcision is legal. So is piercing your infant's ears. Don't get me started..." This led me, of course, to the confession that when it comes to hot-topic children's issues, to me, ignorance is bliss. more ›

As the Lower Haight Art Walk approaches (from 6pm to 9:30pm on Friday, folks), so does the annual tattoo roulette tradition at Idle Hand Tattoo Studio. See, each year they offer "$60 Get-What-You-Get Tattoos" night. It goes something like this: They have a large gumball machines filled with tattoo designs, you fork over a comparatively scant $60, turn the dial, and outcomes your new tattoo. Whether you like it or not. But, since the artists at Ide Hand are taop-drawer, you're bound to like it. more ›

New San Quentin inmate Edward John Schaefer -- who was convicted of murder after a bout of drunken driving resulted in the death of a 9-year-old Novato girl -- was stabbed to death "in the chest and neck at about 10:35 a.m. Monday in the prison's reception center yard." Schaefer was killed 10 days after arriving at the notorious state prison in Marin. more ›

"Born and raised" by Plug 1. more ›