Dolphins try to save dying companion

28 January 2013 Last updated at 07:40

Common dolphins have been seen gathering to aid a dying companion, trying to support it in the water and help it breathe.

This is the first time that a group of dolphins has been recorded trying to help or save another dying dolphin.

Korean-based scientists witnessed the event in the East Sea off the coast of Ulsan, in South Korea.

Five individual dolphins formed a raft with their bodies in an attempt to keep the stricken dolphin afloat.

Details of the behaviour are reported in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

Healthy cetaceans, the group of animals that includes whales and dolphins, have been seen attempting to provide supportive care to individuals before.

For example, in the mid-20th Century, a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in captivity was seen lifting her stillborn calf to the surface with her back.

Wild bottlenose dolphins have also been seen supporting dead or stillborn calves near the surface, while some have been recorded stimulating their babies by biting them.

But all previous examples involved just one or two adult dolphins trying to rescue a calf.

Now Kyum J Park of the Cetacean Research Institute in Ulsan, Korea, and colleagues report an incident when up to 10 long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) tried to save the life of another adult.

The researchers routinely monitor cetaceans off the South Korean coast.

During one survey, they encountered a group of long-beaked common dolphins containing more that 400 individuals being followed by approximately 500 streaked shearwaters.

Both dolphins and birds were foraging, and the research vessel approached and observed the pod several times.

A small group of dolphins had separated from the pod and were splashing near to the boat.

Closer observation revealed at least 12 individuals swimming very slowly.

Among them, one dolphin was wriggling about, its body leaning over, with its abdomen showing to the surface.

Though it could move and splash its tail, its flippers appeared to be paralysed and it had red marks on its belly.

A number of dolphins circled this group, while those within appeared to be trying to help the stricken dolphin maintain its balance, by pushing it from the side and below.

Then the 10 remaining dolphins took turns to form a raft using their bodies.

Five dolphins at a time lined up horizontally into a raft-like formation, maintaining it while the stricken dolphin moved on top and rode on their backs.

One of the dolphins in the raft even flipped over its body to better support the ailing dolphin above, while another used its beak to try to keep the dying dolphin's head up.

A few minutes later the stricken dolphin appeared to die, its body hanging vertically in the water, with its head above the surface. It wasn't breathing.

Five of its associates continued to interact with the dead dolphin's body, rubbing and touching it, or swimming underneath, releasing bubbles onto it.

They carried on this way despite the dead dolphin's body showing signs of rigor mortis, say the researchers.

Join BBC Nature on Facebook and Twitter @BBCNature.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21146455

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Mass funeral held in Egypt after riots kill 37

PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? Tens of thousands of mourners poured into the streets of the restive Egyptian city of Port Said on Sunday for a mass funeral for most of the 37 people killed in rioting a day earlier, chanting slogans against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Violence erupted briefly when some in the crowd fired guns and police responded with volleys of tear gas, witnesses said. State television reported 110 were injured.

"We are very worried about what may happen after the burial," said local youth activist Rasha Hamouda, noting the city was fraught with tension.

The violence in the city, about 140 miles northeast of Cairo, broke out on Saturday after a court on Saturday convicted and sentenced 21 defendants to death for their roles in a mass soccer riot in a Port Said stadium on Feb. 1, 2012 that left 74 people dead. Most of those sentenced to death were local soccer fans from Port Said. The 21 were convicted on murder charges and the court is to rule on the remainder of the 73 defendants in March.

The riots stemmed mostly from animosity between police and die-hard Egyptian soccer fans, known as Ultras, who have become highly politicized. The Ultras frequently confront police and were also part of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime two years ago.

They were also at the forefront of protests against the military rulers who took over from Mubarak and are now again on the front lines of protests against the Morsi, the country's first freely elected leader.

A prominent Islamist leader delivered a thinly veiled warning that Islamist groups would set up militia-like vigilante groups to protect public and state property against attacks.

Addressing a news conference, Tareq el-Zomr of the once-jihadist Gamaa Islamiya, said:

"If Security forces don't achieve security, it will be the right of the Egyptian people and we at the forefront to set up popular committees to protect private and public property and counter the aggression on innocent citizens."

The threat by el-Zomr was accompanied by his charge that the mostly secular and liberal opposition was responsible for the deadly violence of the past few days, setting the stage for possible bloody clashes between protesters and Islamist militiamen. The opposition denies the charge.

There was also a funeral in Cairo for two policemen killed in the Port Said violence a day earlier. Several policemen grieving for their colleagues heckled Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the force, when he arrived for their funeral, according to witnesses. The angry officers screamed at the minister that he was only at the funeral for the TV cameras ? a highly unusual show of dissent in Egypt, where the police force maintains military-like discipline.

Ibrahim hurriedly left and the funeral proceeded without him.

In Port Said, mourners chanted "There is no God but Allah," and "Morsi is God's enemy" as the funeral procession made its way through the city after prayers for the dead at the city's Mariam Mosque. Women clad in black led the chants, which were quickly picked up by the rest of the mourners.

There were no police or army troops in sight. But the funeral procession briefly halted after gunfire rang out. Security officials said the gunfire came from several mourners who opened fire at the Police Club next to the cemetery.

A witness said the police responded to the gunfire with volleys of tear gas. The witness and the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation in the city on the Mediterranean at the northern tip of the Suez Canal.

Survivors and witnesses of the Port Said soccer melee blame Mubarak loyalists for the violence, saying they had a hand in instigating the killings. The troubles erupted after Port Said's home team Al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly 3-1. Some witnesses said "hired thugs" wearing green T-shirts and posing as Al-Masry fans led the attacks.

Other witnesses said at the very least, police were responsible for gross negligence in the soccer violence, which killed 74 people, most of them Al-Ahly fans.

Anger at police was evident in Port Said, home to most of the 73 men accused of involvement in the bloodshed.

The trial was in Cairo and Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he handed down the guilty verdicts and sentences for 21 defendants. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

Verdicts for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, are to be delivered on March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers. All the defendants ? who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons ? can appeal the verdict.

In Port Said on Sunday, army troops backed by armored vehicles staked out positions at key government facilities to protect state interests and try to restore order.

The military issued a statement urging Port Said residents to exercise restraint and protect public property, but also warning that troops would deal "firmly" with anyone who "terrorizes" citizens or infringes upon the nation's security and stability.

Rioters on Saturday attacked the prison where the defendants were being held and tried to storm police stations and government offices around the city. Health officials say at least 37 people were killed, including two policemen, in rioting on Saturday.

The clashes in Port Said were the latest in a bout of unrest across the country that has left a total of 48 people dead since Friday. That death toll includes 11 people killed in clashes between police and protesters marking the second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew Mubarak after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.

Clashes broke out in Cairo for the fourth straight day on Sunday, with protesters and police near central Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police fired tear gas while protesters pelted them with rocks.

The clashes show how turmoil was deepening in Egypt nearly seven months after Morsi took office. Critics say Morsi has failed to carry out promised reforms of the judiciary and police, and claim little has improved in the two years since the uprising.

At the heart of the rising opposition toward Morsi's government is a newly adopted constitution, which was ratified in a nationwide referendum.

Opponents claim the document has an Islamist slant. It was drafted hurriedly by the president's allies without the participation of representatives of liberals and minority Christians on the panel that wrote the charter.

Protesters on the streets this past week demanded the formation of a national unity government, early presidential elections and amendments to disputed clauses in the constitution.

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which he hails, counter that the opposition was seeking to overturn the results of democratic and free elections. The Brotherhood, a well-organized and established political group in Egypt for decades, has emerged as by far the most powerful force in post-Mubarak Egypt.

As the situation in Port Said spiraled out of control Saturday, police disappeared from the city's streets, residents and security officials said, staying put in their camps, police stations and the city's security headquarters.

The military then dispatched troops to the city, taking up positions at vital state facilities, including the local power and water stations, the city's main courthouse, the local government building and the city prison. Navy sailors were guarding the local offices of the Suez Canal company.

Navy vessels were escorting merchant ships sailing through the international waterway, a vital income earner for Egypt's beleaguered economy. Military helicopters were flying over the canal to ensure the safety of shipping, according to Suez Canal spokesman Tareq Hassanein.

Residents said Port Said was quiet overnight except for intermittent bursts of gunfire. The city was still on edge early Sunday ? but streets were largely deserted, stores were closed for the second successive day, and some hotels asked guests to leave, fearing more violence.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-funeral-held-egypt-riots-kill-37-134608043--spt.html

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RolePlayGateway is proudly powered by obscene amounts of caffeine, duct tape, and support from people like you. It operates under a "don't like it, suggest an improvement" platform, and we gladly take suggestions for improvements or changes.

The custom-built "roleplay" system was designed and implemented by Eric Martindale as of July 2009. All attempts to replicate or otherwise emulate this system and its method of organizing roleplay are strictly prohibited without his express written and contractual permission; violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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HTC gives a huge smartphone its own Mini feature phone

HTC's Mini lets your Butterfly delegate the whole phone thing to a little helper

Image Gallery (2 images)

Huge smartphones and phablets are great for some customers. They provide more screen real estate, and can double as miniature tablets. But the bigger these devices get, the more awkward they become for phone calls. If your 5-inch smartphone has you feeling like Zach Morris, then HTC has a solution: give it its own personal dumbphone.

A phone's phone

Meet the HTC Mini. Though you might mistake it for the phone you had in 2006, it's an accessory for the HTC Butterfly (known as the Droid DNA in the U.S.). Chinese Butterfly owners can use the Mini to make and take calls without removing their super-sized phones from their pockets.

The device connects to the Butterfly via Near Field Communication (NFC). It's small, light, and could be dropped in a shirt pocket while the much larger Butterfly sits in a deeper pocket or purse. In addition to making calls, it can show messages, calendar appointments, and call history on its monochrome display.

The HTC Mini has a few other tricks. With the Butterfly tethered to a TV set, the Mini can also serve as a remote control for menu navigation. And if you misplace your smartphone, the Mini will ring it to help you to quickly find it.

Joke or genius?

Is the Mini an innovative stroke of genius, or an illustration of how ridiculously oversized our phones have become? Though we still call them phones, smartphones are really pocketable computers. Perhaps if you see the Mini as an ultra-portable phone accessory for your primary computer, it sounds a bit less absurd.

The HTC Mini is only available for the Chinese market, and only compatible with the Butterfly. We inquired with HTC about any future availability outside of China, but the company has nothing to announce at this time.

Source: Xataka, via Slashgear

Share About the Author Will is thrilled to join Gizmag, where he brings his expertise in phones, tablets, PCs and other fun gadgets. He previously wrote for Geek (where many of his posts were cross-featured on PC Mag), Gotta Be Mobile, Android Police, and Android Central. He is also an occasional tech blogger for The Huffington Post.

Will holds a Masters degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a Bachelors from West Virginia University. He lives in New Mexico with his wonderful wife, Jess. ? All articles by Will Shanklin

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Source: http://www.gizmag.com/htc-mini-phone-accessory/25975/

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Wayward dolphin dies in polluted New York canal

A dolphin surfaces in the Gowanus Canal in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The New York City Police Dept. said animal experts were waiting to see if the dolphin would leave on its own during the evening's high tide. If not, they plan to lend a hand on Saturday morning. According to authorities at the scene, the dolphin appeared to be adventurous, rather than stranded.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A dolphin surfaces in the Gowanus Canal in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The New York City Police Dept. said animal experts were waiting to see if the dolphin would leave on its own during the evening's high tide. If not, they plan to lend a hand on Saturday morning. According to authorities at the scene, the dolphin appeared to be adventurous, rather than stranded.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A dolphin surfaces in the Gowanus Canal in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The New York City Police Dept. said animal experts were waiting to see if the dolphin would leave on its own during the evening's high tide. If not, they plan to lend a hand on Saturday morning. According to authorities at the scene, the dolphin appeared to be adventurous, rather than stranded. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A dolphin surfaces in the Gowanus Canal with debris on its nose, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The New York City Police Dept. said animal experts were waiting to see if the dolphin would leave on its own during the evening's high tide. If not, they plan to lend a hand on Saturday morning. According to authorities at the scene, the dolphin appeared to be adventurous, rather than stranded.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A dolphin surfaces in the Gowanus Canal in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The New York City Police Dept. said animal experts were waiting to see if the dolphin would leave on its own during the evening's high tide. If not, they plan to lend a hand on Saturday morning. According to authorities at the scene, the dolphin appeared to be adventurous, rather than stranded.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A dolphin surfaces in the Gowanus Canal in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The New York City Police Dept. said animal experts were waiting to see if the dolphin would leave on its own during the evening's high tide. If not, they plan to lend a hand on Saturday morning. According to authorities at the scene, the dolphin appeared to be adventurous, rather than stranded.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A wayward dolphin that meandered into a polluted urban canal, riveting onlookers as it splashed around in the filthy water and shook black gunk from its snout, died Friday evening, marine experts said.

The deep-freeze weather hadn't seemed to faze the dolphin as it swam in the Gowanus Canal, which runs 1.5 miles through a narrow industrial zone near some of Brooklyn's wealthiest neighborhoods.

Marine experts had hoped high tide, beginning around 7:10 p.m., would help the dolphin leave the canal safely. But the dolphin was confirmed dead shortly before then, said the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, which didn't immediately know how it died.

Earlier, with the dolphin swimming about and surfacing periodically, bundled-up onlookers took cellphone photos, and a news helicopter hovered overhead.

The New York Police Department said the marine foundation's experts had planned to help the dolphin on Saturday morning if it didn't get out of the canal during high tide. The foundation, based in Riverhead, on eastern Long Island, specializes in cases involving whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles.

The filthy canal was named a Superfund site in 2010, meaning the government can force polluters to pay for its restoration. For more than a century before, coal yards, chemical factories and fuel refineries on the canal's banks discharged everything from tar to purple ink into the water, earning it the local nickname The Lavender Lake for its unnatural hue.

The dolphin, which appeared to be about 7 feet long, likely entered the canal from the Atlantic Ocean through the Lower and Upper New York Bays and then the Gowanus Bay, which leads to the canal. It's about 20 miles from the canal to open ocean.

It may seem strange, but it's not uncommon for sea creatures to stray into city waters, though they don't often swim away alive.

A dolphin was found dead last August near Long Island, south of the canal. Another washed up in June in the Hudson River near Manhattan's Chelsea Piers sports complex.

In 2007, a baby minke whale that briefly captivated the city wandered into the Gowanus Bay and swam aimlessly before dying.

Two years later, a humpback whale took a tour of the city's waters before leaving New York Harbor safely. The 20-foot whale was first seen in Queens before it headed for Brooklyn, took a swing through the harbor and headed toward open waters near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-01-25-Dolphin%20in%20Canal/id-b124fc71c834471c87db91111cca22a7

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HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

Friday, January 25, 2013

Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least 5 million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to study published January 24 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.

HIV-1, the virus responsible for AIDS, infiltrated the human population in the early 20th century following multiple transmissions of a similar chimpanzee virus known as SIVcpz. Previous work to determine the age of HIV-like viruses, called lentiviruses, by comparing their genetic blueprints has calculated their origin to be tens of thousands of years ago.

However, other researchers have suspected this time frame to be much too recent. Michael Emerman, Ph.D., a virologist and member of the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Alex Compton, a graduate student in the Emerman Lab, describe the use of a technique to estimate the extent to which primates and lentiviruses have coexisted by tracking the changes in a host immunity gene called APOBEC3G that were induced by ancient viral challenges.

They report that this host immunity factor is evolving in tandem with a viral gene that defends the virus against APOBEC3G, which allowed them to determine the minimum age for the association between primates and lentiviruses to be around 5 or 6 million years ago, and possibly up to 12 million years ago.

These findings suggest that HIV-like infections in primates are much older than previously thought, and they have driven selective changes in antiviral genes that have incited an evolutionary arms race that continues to this day. The study also confirms that viruses similar to HIV that are present in various monkey species today are the descendants of ancient pathogens in primates that have shaped how the immune system fights infections.

"More than 40 non-human primate species in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with strains of HIV-related viruses," Emerman said. "Since some of these viruses may have the potential to infect humans as well, it is important to know their origins."

###

Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126471/HIV_like_viruses_in_non_human_primates_have_existed_much_longer_than_previously_thought

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Are tattoos/body modification becoming more acceptable and - Fluther

I?m studying to be a clinical psychologist, so I have limited my tattoos to areas that are easily hidden. However, I really despise and oppose discrimination against body modification. As long as my tattoos are not obscene, why should it matter if I have them? I would like to get some ink on my ?ditch? a.k.a the inside of my elbow, but am wary because of the profession I?ll be in eventually. I?m not worried about my piercings, I can take them out whenever it is appropriate. Please tell me I won?t actually be turned down for some art on my body? All I can ever find on Google is hearsay from people who seem to be about 13 years old. Does anyone have some concrete advice to ease my conservatism with tattoos?

22 Answers

I reported to a VP, and knew several persons at my level who had tattoos. No big deal to have them, it was always considered good judgment to have them in places that were concealable if a client were to be present. It is not that the firm cares, they just get nervous about putting you in front of a stuffy client if you can?t easily conceal it.

Probably depends on the job setting. Web design firms, internet start-ups, television, the entertainment fields probably more so than banks, law firms or real estate offices. Just as the racial and gender make-up of organizations seems to reflect the period in which the industry started and developed. More modern businesses from television to internet seem to have more diversity and more younger people.

And, @desiree333, just as you can remove piercing jewelery, you can wear long-sleeved clothing if you feel it necessary to conceal them.

On another note about going into a therapy field, ethically, if a practitioner cannot relate to a patient [such as someone who could not deal with aspects of your appearance] it is common that they will recommend them to someone else and choose to work with persons with which they can build a therapeutic rapport.

When I was hospitalized recently for COPD, I did notice several nurses and technicians with tattoos and piercings. I would not have been surprised to see same on a young doctor.

Discrimination of this sort sucks and is pointless, but it?s still a reality we have to deal with. There?s no laws protecting against body art discrimination, so I think you would do best to assume it will be considered unprofessional until you get that job.

I?m on the academic track, and I am already prepared to cover up my tattoos (forearm and bicep) whenever necessary. I have the suspicion that visible tattoos for women are slightly more commonly acceptable than for men, but this might just be from my very strange vantage point within the humanities.

@anartist Yes, long-sleeved clothing is an option. I would actually be surprised if a patient chose to end sessions with me because of tattoos. That would be unfortunate. Either way, I will never be heavily modified on my arms/chest/neck. The majority of my tattoos will be on my legs/feet anyways.

@bookish1 Wow! I did not know that there?s no law protecting people from that? How ridiculous. I would definitely cover-up during an interview and the first few months. I guess if I decided to expose them after awhile my employer wouldn?t really do anything about it?

Yes, up to a point. In a lot of older line businesses, customer-facing positions don?t do well with visible tats or more than a modicum of ear piercings.

It?s your choice to make permanent changes to your body, but expecting everyone else in the world to accept your decision is pretty dogmatic. Brandings okay? extreme body mods? genital bisection? One could argue well that such mods are not healthy and are done by people with way too many self loathing issues. And if I were a business owner, I should be able to not allow such statements be publicly nade by an employee representing my company.

I believe they are much more acceptable today than they were 20 years ago but most people, at least in the professional world, prefer them to be concealable in a business setting.
Chances are that if you have a Maori Facial Tattoo and are not living in New Zealand, you will face some descrimination when you apply for a professional position.

Sorry,

@zenvelo Ouch. Basing your discrimination on other people?s appearance does not sit well with me. What if someone you were interviewing had obvious breast augmentation? Would that be ?healthy? enough to represent your company?

You don?t know a person just by looking at them. Their piercings and tattoos could have religious significance. Unless a body modification is obscene or offensive you shouldn?t be so quick to pass judgement.

People don?t realize how expensive and time-consuming it is to design and get tattoos. The people that you look at and decide are ?self-loathing? or criminals are actually very intelligent human beings with thousands upon thousands of dollars invested on their body in the form of beautiful art.

I think it really depends on the job. I normally don?t have a problem, but when my waitress had an infected tongue piercing and was leaking puss that she wiped with her bare hand, I left the restaurant mid order and never went back.

IMO It is a good idea to get them where they can be covered if necessary.

@desiree333 : I think that instead of attacking you, @zenvelo was just being realistic. We all have to live in this world, which is full of people who are not-us.

I show my tattoos when I?m hanging out with friends, or when I?m going to class or teaching my own students, but I?d never go to an interview or important meeting without covering them up. I like to dress pretty fruity when I have a choice in the matter, but I dress more conservatively for initial meetings or interviews, because there?s still a lot of homophobia and femmephobia out there, and I don?t want people judging me before they get to know me. Just because you believe that people shouldn?t make hasty judgments about you does not mean that they will not.

@bookish1 I completely agree with you. Yes, people should be realistic and cover-up during interviews and professional settings. I just get a little riled up when people are discriminatory, especially in such a harsh tone.

I just wanted to comment on the ?genital bisection? thing: That is clearly a personal choice and I see no reason why/how an employer would know about that? Unless some ethical boundaries are being crossed.

@desiree333, @bookish1 Just trying to think of the situation where this question comes up?? ? Reflecting upon your desire to become a teacher, have you, or are you, considering a genital bisection??
I do not believe I have ever been asked that question at a job interview!.

Response moderated (Spam)

As a clinical psychologist, you?ll be working independently, yes? If so, it probably wouldn?t be a huge problem. I work as a bank teller, and visible tattoos are big no-no?s. Why? Doesn?t really matter, it?s just how it is. The real world kind of sucks like that.

Body modification is a choice. If you choose to dye your hair neon pink, you?re going to be judged and probably denied certain jobs because many people would not take you seriously in a professional setting. Sorry, but that?s just how it is. It?s just as easy to choose to not have tattoos (or have them in easily concealable locations) as it is to choose to have them. The repercussions of the latter are something you?ll have to accept.

On a side note, I had no idea what genital bisection was until I saw it here and googled it. I understand most tattoos and piercings, but that?s just?WHY?!

@desiree333 I think @zenvelo is being very realistic and he didn?t make the rules. As @livelaughlove21 says, the real world is what it is. Answers contrary to your opinion are not insults, they are just different views from yours and by asking the question one would think you?d presumably wanted to hear those as well so that you can have a more realistic picture of the whole issue.

@nofurbelowsbatgirl I like KVD better w/o tats. I just like a clean canvas.

@livelaughlove21 I too had to look it up. I still haven?t recovered from what I found.

Oh good God, who dreamed up genital bisection? That?s wrong on so many levels.

No, tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications aren?t accepted in a traditional, conservative professional setting. I?m not arguing whether this is fair or unfair; I?m just stating the reality.

If you can keep your ?body art? hidden, it?s nobody?s business except your own. But, if you go to a job interview with visible tattoos, or if you don?t remove the jewelry from facial piercings, smart money?s betting that you won?t get the job.

I?ve been on the other side of this fence; i.e. with professional firms interviewing job candidates. I once saw a young woman get rejected?mocked, actually, as soon as she?d left the office?for having worn an ankle bracelet. If she weren?t capable of dressing appropriately for her interview, she couldn?t be trusted to wear the right ?uniform? for client meetings and on-site assignments.

Things may be very different in more relaxed fields, such as graphic arts, entertainment, and software design. But, if you hit the pavement with your MBA degree, hoping to land a more conventional business position, your visible body modifications will considerably hinder your efforts.

I once worked in the customer service department of a high-visibility company (you probably saw the ads and infomercials on TV). Although this was about 5 years ago, and the published dress code required that tattoos be covered. I found it interesting, because we had no visual contact with customers or the public in general.

@PaulSadieMartin I?ll have to agree with you on this one, in my area it wouldn?t be acceptable in business settings.

A few thoughts about tattoos (from an old fogey who detests tattoos):

(1) Fads come and go, but a tattoo is permanent. Long after tattoos have ceased being cool and popular, you?ll still have the same designs inked onto your body. If you want to express your independence and rebel against social norms, load your iPod with some loud, obsenity-riddled hip hop music. Someday, you?ll erase the music; the same can?t be said for a tattoo.

(2) You?re a changing, growing, ever-developing person?each of us is?but a tattoo is permanent. What seems clever and attractive today might seem very silly to you in a few years.

(3) Your body is also constantly changing. If you?d like to get a tattoo on your torso, how will that artwork look after several pregnancies and births (ladies) or when your tight abs turn into middle-age spread (gentlemen)?

(4) Tattoos seem to be addictive. After someone get?s his/her first tattoo, that person?s likely to go back for another tattoo. And another. And another. What started off as a small, subtle adornment grows into a mess of ink.

(5) The generations ahead of you (before tattoos were cool) and behind you (when tattoos are passe) will think that you?re trashy. It won?t matter if you?re not the least bit trashy; you?ll look the part. I?m a baby boomer, and I grew up seeing plenty of WWII veterans who?d been tattooed during the war. Almost all of them regretted what they?d done (the deeds of drunken sailors on shore leave); all of them looked low-bred and ignorant.

Yeah, I know that I won?t convince anyone who?s in the market for a tattoo. But, I?ve given it my best effort!

@PaulSadieMartin I have one little dot, I won?t say what it signifies, but some Americans may know, but it?s biker gang related from my angry teen period. What it signifies to me now breaks my heart every time I think about it, I was so misguided and angry. But it is a good reminder of how we?re always evolving for sure.

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Source: http://www.fluther.com/155102/are-tattoosbody-modification-becoming-more-acceptable-and-tolerated-in-professional-settings/

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