Milo "Mr Lucky" Marcer

I'm Italian and I'm pissed at Italy going out of the world cup, as Italians we are just build that way when it comes to soccer, but right now I'm pissed! I'm pissed at a Mexican ref that's just an asshole, pissed that Suarez felt it necessary to bite someone, but most of all I'm pissed that a poes like Mario Balotelli gets to play in a world cup, when he has to be without doubt the biggest waste of space on the european continent, I just can't find the right negative superlatives to describe his performance on and off the field. I'm not even going to get into his performance on and off the field. That's the one and only world cup post from me....

As a tattooer, I find that our industry has become exactly that, Industry, and that the craft and it's roots and traditions is falling by the way side. As more artists market themselves well and reality shows aggrandise many, I feel that where we come from, and who we are? is easily forgotten. I was tattooing a paratrooper, here we call them "Parabats" and what I was tattooing to his chest was the "Bats" insignia, something they in their day were not allowed to do, something not new in many armed services. As I'm sitting tattooing, the fact that I'm carrying on a very long tradition in tattooing, and Sailor Jerry Collins came to mind. Tattooing in Hawaii through the 2nd World War, Sailor Jerry and those men and women in uniform that frequented his studio before leaving for the Pacific Sector, created such iconic images. Though unaware at the time, this is a body of work that has become such a large part of the strong tradition in western tattooing. I fe...

I'm not playing it safe any more. I'm gonna take it right to the edge. And do pirouettes. - What are you talking about? Pirouettes, you dumb fuck. And if I fall, well, so be it. You know. Who gives a shit? "Oliver Platt in Funny Bones" and so I have, pirouettes baby, I woke from a dream, and I was shaved clean, my face that is, and there were tattoos creeping up onto my face from my neck. This is the first dream I remember in I don't know when, I never remember anything while awake let alone while asleep, a little gift left from too many hard knocks against my head. So after 25 years in this industry I got completely immersed, I have had visible tattoos for quite some time now, but my face, well I always thought I would never go that far, and you know, I just felt it was time, and the dream, though it had no real direction, had an impact. The problem was I just couldn't remember what the shapes were that crept up on my face... and while doing some...

It's the 30th, I have worked my ass off this December, and I'm really super grateful to all my awesome clients, no friends, because if you spend as much time with them as I do they do they become friends. This year however has caught up with me, I feel like I have kinda been through the ringer and though I live in the moment, I am looking forward to the new year. I do have to say that I'm a little annoyed at the insensitive twats out there, that feel like they have some kind of ownership of my time because they want a booking when they want it. I would never turn anyone away who wanted a piece from me, I am still old fashioned enough to be honoured by the patronage I receive, and don't play the "tattoo rock star discovery channel" wannabe, I was at this before them and will be at it long after they are no longer the flavor of the month. So for the one or two I have disappointed, I'm truly sorry, and hope that you can forgive me, I will however say "C...

At the urging of a friend I am going to get my shit together and blog more often. I don't write about stuff if there really isn't much to talk about, it's always the empty vessels that make the most noise, just take a look around you. Things have been a little weird of late, and I find myself out of sorts, so much so that even the wind tonight has me anxious, and it's keeping both Little Laika awake. Actually just me, as she has fallen asleep on my foot. A couple of rude awakenings have taken place in my life recently, one being finding out I'm diabetic, rather a great shock, but not unexpected, as I have lived my life to excess and I guess there has to be some cost. The other has been the realisation that in 5 years of living in this city, I have made very few friends, as beautiful as this city is, it also breeds a type of arrogance and self serving that I haven't seen in many places before. People who professed to be your friends but in truth really were o...

I know it's been a while since I posted something, but I'm not just gonna write garbage to fill a page with nothing, and contrary to Lewis Black, I'm a writer, I may not do it everyday, I may not have finished my book yet, but I have something to say and some things I need to share. I may never be a good writer, hell I'm probably a really bad one. I haven't written lately because of a few things that have taken place recently, and in many ways it might be petty, but I feel wounded by the whole experience. Some people have seen it fit to spread some rumours and lies about me and my character, now obviously I'm not going to mention who and what, as that not the kind of person I am, and Karmically you swing on your own pendulum. So whats is this all about? Well it's about your actions or lack of action, what you say and when you say it, and the fact that you don't speak up when you should. The fact that all stories have three sides, theirs, yours and a ver...

I been thinking about change this morning, and the old cliche comes to mind, "the only constant in life is change" and I think it probably is true, but I wonder if it is also true about the very essence of you, can you change after all you have seen, experienced and lived through, this sets patterns in your life, and I wonder if therapy could even change those ingrained patterns. Of course I will admit that all those things cause your growth, and that in essence is change, but after years of that growth there is a whole bunch of things that cause you to act, react, and feel, and that forms patterns of behaviour and I wonder if this can ever be truly changed or worst case scenario modified? All that, got me thinking about just what I let into my life, and how those things are going to change how I act, and worst of all, will I repeat the errors I made before in the handling of these things because I haven't actually changed at all. The truth for me I'm afraid is dark,...

On Sunday I was visited by my long lost cousin and his partner, it must be about 16 years since I saw him, he had moved to Holland and due to typical Italian family bullshit some how we didn’t have much contact. After all that time it was fantastic to see him and see the man he has grown into, from that little guy we used to tease when they visited. He was very close to my Mum, and it was great talking about those days, and huge family lunches, with all my uncles and my Grandparents. The was sometimes 15 to 18 people at the dining room table and the conversation like the food, just kept on till late into the afternoon. Through rose tinted glasses, those were the best of days. He surprised me by asking me to tattoo him, something I never really thought he would get, I know my Uncle well, and so it did come as quiet a surprise but I never baulk at an opportunity to tattoo family, and piss the others off….lol I took enough condescending attitudes from some of my family, to really enjo...

On Thursday, I was able to go to Barnet Fair Barber shop at 98 Bree Street, St. Stephens Church, in Heritage Square. I got there at about 09H30 and I did not need to wait, I was greeted by reception and made comfortable in a lovely old school barbers chair. The young woman barber, asked me about how I like my hair cut, and in no time she was cutting away and for the second time in Cape Town, the stylist/barber actually understood the way I like my hair cut, I fussy like that…. Anyway, it was great, all the while there is a well chosen selection of music playing throughout from some swing to Bowie’s Jean Genie, that had me foot tapping away and tempted to break out in a sing along with the chorus. Next I was tipped back in the chair, made comfortable and the barber wrapped a hot towel around my face, and in the background I could hear her preparing the rest of the equipment. Off came the towel and luke warm lather was spread with a shaving brush, softening and raising the stubb...