Prison Tattoos and Their Secret Meanings

One of the most widely recognized prison tattoos is the teardrop. But the meaning of the teardrop varies geographically. In some places a teardrop represents a long prison sentence, in other places the teardrop represents that the bearer committed a murder.

Sometimes the teardrop is empty. This can symbolize an attempted murder, or that one of the inmate’s friends was murdered and that they are seeking revenge. Rappers and other celebrities have popularized teardrop tattoos, which has led to many non-convicts getting the prison tattoos just for the ‘hard’ look it creates. If you are considering getting a teardrop tattoo, be warned: If you go to prison for the first time while sporting an unauthentic prison tattoo, you will make a lot of enemies, real fast.

The three dots tattoo is a very common prison tattoo that symbolizes ‘mi vida loca’ or ‘my crazy life.’ It doesn’t symbolize any particular gang, but rather the gang lifestyle. It’s typically found on the hands or around the eyes.


The three dots tattoo can also carry some religious significance, representing the holy trinity. Dot tattoos are often done using the stick-and-poke method. This is a home-made tattoo procedure that involves very rudimentary tools, like a pencil or a sewing needle. Almost any sharp objects can be used, and it’s often whatever the inmates can get their hands on. People outside of prison will also sometimes do a stick-and-poke, but it seems silly when you can go to a professional tattoo artist instead.

How Ebola Got Its Name

The Ebola virus that's causing the devastating outbreak in West Africa didn't even have a name just 38 years ago when it first surfaced and caused a mysterious illness among villagers in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The international team of scientists who were tasked with investigating that 1976 Ebola outbreak  were shocked at the sight of the virus and the disease it caused, Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus, recalls in his memoir "No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses." (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012)

The scientists had looked at blood samples sent from Africa under the microscope in a Belgian laboratory, and the virus looked like a worm or a long string, unlike almost all viruses known. And once the team got on the ground in Zaire, they saw how rapidly the virus spread and how quickly it killed its victims. They knew they had to figure out how this mysterious new virus was being transmitted, what it did inside the body, and how it could be stopped.

But they also had to figure out a name for the new virus.

The story of how Ebola got its name is short and somewhat random, according to Piot's account in his book. Late one night, the group of scientists discussed over Kentucky bourbon what the virus they were hunting should be named.

Coffee can Helps to Keep Your Liver Healthy

It won’t put pep in your step, but decaffeinated coffee could keep your liver healthy, according to a new study.
More than half of American adults — or 100 million people — drink coffee each day. Most down the joe for the pick-me-up effects of caffeine, but a growing body of research has linked coffee to several health benefits, including: enhanced brain activity and weight loss; a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease; and recently, a healthier liver.

"Prior research found that drinking coffee may have a possible protective effect on the liver," said lead researcher Dr. Qian Xiao in a press release. "However, the evidence wasn’t clear if that benefit may extend to decaffeinated coffee." So the question remained: Was it the caffeine or something else in the coffee that was protecting the liver?
In their study, published in Hepatology, Xiao and other researchers from the National Cancer Institute found that people who drank higher amounts of coffee, regardless of caffeine content, had lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes. This suggests that something else in coffee other than caffeine may help protect the liver.

This house could be yours for a mere iPhone

Finding no buyers at the $5,000 asking price, the seller says he's willing to trade his Detroit house for an iPhone 6 (preferably a Plus) or a 32GB iPad.
If you're looking to buy a house in Detroit, this 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath house in the heart of Motor City can be yours for the price of a new iPhone. Or, for an actual new iPhone or iPad, according to a reporter

The man selling the house has had no luck finding a buyer since the listing went live in June, even with a dirt-cheap asking price of $5,000. Now, desperate to offload this house to a willing buyer, he's willing to hand over the keys for just $3,000 -- or to anyone who can give him an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus (preferably the Plus) or a 32GB or higher iPad.

"It's a real listing," Larry J. Else, the realtor on the home told reporters. "It sounds like he wants the premium version, but I'm sure that he's willing to negotiate."

Zillow values the property at just under $50,000, and the listing calls it an "investor special," so it's likely that the home needs a lot of work to be livable. The house is currently vacant and has been ransacked by thieves, according to the report, and the buyer would have to pay more than $6,000 in back property taxes.

Anyone out there with a bent iPhone 6 Plus? You could possibly trade your flawed piece of consumer technology for this flawed house that needs a lot of love.