Ride the Cyclone!

In <a href="http://www.oxy.edu/">college</a> we had a game room at the Student Union.<br /><br />I claimed to be a master at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkanoid">Arkanoid</a>, but would occasionally play pinball. <a href="http://www.pinballrebel.com/game/pins/es/earthshaker_pinball.htm">Earthshaker</a> was fun, but there was another, carnival-themed game that would often beckon, "Ride the Cyclone!" It was, naturally, called <a href="http://www.pinballrebel.com/game/pins/cyclone/cyclone_pinball.htm">The Cyclone</a>.<br /><br />Fast forward ten years and I would be residing in Brooklyn, home to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island">Coney Island</a> and the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island_Cyclone">Cyclone</a>.<br /><br />Despite having been in close proximity a number of times, I've never gone for a ride.<br /><br />I was reminded of this back in September when I met Matt at the top of the escalator at the Penn Plaza Borders store.<br /><br />He shared this amazing tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrToCVwC7KofnIdoK1rf4ICIoNj0JAZuTgnztiYoiURI0BLdmLrD-p0mnIsUBGYQAdX-W6vrMuWlv8RO8EVQAblVgQMdd1_4zLTHzHzjVidzcvnPyMze0cd4aTWfTM9qGPTBcMDX1QkVg/s1600/Cyclone+wm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrToCVwC7KofnIdoK1rf4ICIoNj0JAZuTgnztiYoiURI0BLdmLrD-p0mnIsUBGYQAdX-W6vrMuWlv8RO8EVQAblVgQMdd1_4zLTHzHzjVidzcvnPyMze0cd4aTWfTM9qGPTBcMDX1QkVg/s640/Cyclone+wm2.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br />This is, of course, the Cyclone.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkuPrOvaYrn3bCqKYUNw7Yw6lTfSVNRE2ePU9S8Vpz2tE39C8toDSg8Ml9IHNrK_7NnSEGZVvUmzS2yVpxcybeeMnnJy3PqxL1QjwPRfy431HFLA7P99TIoIdIpQN1hyphenhyphen3LQ_NvInG18M/s1600/con-cyclone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkuPrOvaYrn3bCqKYUNw7Yw6lTfSVNRE2ePU9S8Vpz2tE39C8toDSg8Ml9IHNrK_7NnSEGZVvUmzS2yVpxcybeeMnnJy3PqxL1QjwPRfy431HFLA7P99TIoIdIpQN1hyphenhyphen3LQ_NvInG18M/s320/con-cyclone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Matt is working on a Coney Island/"Carnie" theme, having lived in Brooklyn most of his adult life. Thus, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroland">Astroland</a> tower behind the Cyclone in the tattoo. Next up: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Wheel">Wonder Wheel</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_Jump">Parachute Jump</a>, other Coney Island attractions.<br /><br />He sent along a photo of the tattoo when it was initially finished:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_wrveSdRA7UL6EviI362vs2d9zYhiVLmPBk0ZQzM479ymhxcmcDaOUdyBN8JYtDnRB3W08a_j0_KNlPhoPHp7IPDeWoV9jclvPLu6Ul1bMte6ThzMDya__9gV4uS9n3K31lthcRpQSs/s1600/Cyclone+fresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_wrveSdRA7UL6EviI362vs2d9zYhiVLmPBk0ZQzM479ymhxcmcDaOUdyBN8JYtDnRB3W08a_j0_KNlPhoPHp7IPDeWoV9jclvPLu6Ul1bMte6ThzMDya__9gV4uS9n3K31lthcRpQSs/s640/Cyclone+fresh.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br />Matt credits this tattoo to Ping at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/village-rock-tattoo-new-york">Village Rock Tattoo</a> in Manhattan.<br /><br />Thanks to Matt for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Ride the Cyclone!

In college we had a game room at the Student Union. I claimed to be a master at Arkanoid , but would occasionally play pinball. Earthshake...

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