Jack Newton is a fan of science. A dedicated fan. His decision to permanently print a portrait of the world famous physicist Stephen Hawking on his leg not only proves his die-hard attitude towards science but also demonstrates his excellent taste in body art.

The tattoo - complete with a Monty Python line from the classic Life of Brian film ‘He’s not the messiah. He’s a very naughty boy’ written underneath it - has already won two trophies at tattoo conventions.

Mr Newton said: “I read A Brief History of Time, but to be honest I didn’t understand a word, but I respect the man and that’s why I got his face tattooed on my leg.

That’s a good enough reason than any to get a tattoo. As for myself, well, I lost a bet.

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Check out this cool tattoo based on the Fallout 3 perk called Bloody Mess. Kotaku reader David Lo has high hopes for the upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG. So high that he decided to permanently ink the game’s mascot, Vault Boy, on to his arm.  Fallout 1 and 2 are classics, but Fallout 3 - that remains to be seen.  Here’s to hoping he won’t regret it.

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Everyone loves cosplaying as their favorite Italian plumber. All it takes is a red shirt and some overalls and all you’re missing is a hat and phony mustache.  Well, don’t worry about buying some expensive Nintendo-licensed product made of fabric. Instead, make your own Mario hat with nothing more than some paper, printer ink and Band-Aids. Just don’t try grabbing any fire flowers in the Mushroom Kingdom because this hat is anything but flame retardant.

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A relatively unknown company called Plastic Logic today unveiled it’s new technology called E-Newspaper. Designed to mimic the look but not the feel of newspaper, it’s supposed to put current versions of e-ink, such as the Kindle or eReader, to shame. The unnamed device will make it’s official debut come January 2009 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas (we’ll be there), so until then, one can only dream of both functionality and price.

Due out in either Q1 or Q2 of next year, the device is aimed at hardcore daily readers and business users who constantly use documents. No publishing companies are on board yet but that could all change next year. E-Newspaper looks to be the ultimate Kindle-killer but ultimately the price will determine that.

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Would you buy someone’s tattoo off of them? No, I don’t mean pay for them to get the tattoo inked into their skin (or teeth), I mean pay for ownership of the ink that is already on their skin. This is probably the first case of selling of a tattoo while still on the owner’s body.  Tim Steiner sold the tattoo on his back to Zurich gallery owner Jutta Nexdorf for about $218,000.

Ha, sucker! Doesn’t he know he could have gotten that tattoo himself for $214,500 dollars cheaper? Belgian artist Wim Dalvoye took 35 hours to create this elaborate tattoo of the Virgin Mary. The artsy fartsy Jutta Nexdorf plans on exhibiting Steiner’s back three times a year and when Steiner passes away, Nexdorf will most likely skin him and display the tattoo in his gallery. What an asshole.

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Here’s a great concept that would do wonders for those working in an office. This pen cap utensil set includes a plastic knife, fork and spoon, all of which are biodegradable. It’s called Din-Ink and was designed to “respect the environment.” Perfect for that old salad sitting in the office mini-fridge. Just grab two pens, slap on the knife and fork attachments and you’re ready to chow down. Hey, it beats using your fingers.

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If you thought that the nail biting clock and calendar was weird, check out this different take on the calendar altogether. Oscar Diaz came up with this self-printing concept when he discovered he could control ink bleeding onto paper. You could have a wallpaper calendar to write on, schedule appointments and what not, but where is the fun in writing up your own “To do” list? Rather than that, try having the ink leak all over the paper, telling you what to do that day.

This self-printing technique is unfortunately merely a prototype, so no amount of ink in the world is going to plan your weekend for you. Wouldn’t that be convenient to have your whole week scheduled my a pre-embossed page with ink leaking over it? Mine is telling me to never leave the house, ever, so I won’t.

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Apparently, there’s good money to be made in recycling older batteries. A recent Instructables article showcases how one sly fox made a few hundred bucks doing this. Seems all you have to do is round up a bunch of batteries, clean ‘em up and you’ll make a fortune by turning them in at your local scrap yard.

This article reminded me of another way to make a very quick buck. Office Depot and Staples have a program where you can get a $3 or a $3-off coupon for each ink cartridge you turn in. Go to your school, visit your relatives and friends and do whatever it takes to find printers. Collect enough and visit different locations and you’ll be rolling in dough.

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In this day in age, you can walk into any big-box office store like Staples or Office Depot and pick up a printer for under $75 most of the time. For instance, I was able to procure a Canon all-in-one-style printer last year for $55 on sale. Problem is, after the ink cartridges (which, rumor has it, come only half-filled when you buy a new printer) run dry, you need to shell out the bucks for refills. This is when we must ask ourselves: Is it more cost-efficient to buy a new printer or buy refill cartridges?

BookofJoe has asked just that and lists the Epson C88+ printer as an example. It costs $80 and refills add up to $56. At that price, one has to really think hard about this. After all, you can recycle empty ink cartridges for $3 a pop at select stores like Office Depot. That’s $12 after your three colors and black. Each new printer you buy therefore comes with a $12 refund if you think about it.

So at $56 for refills versus $68 for a new printer with the $12 factored in (using the Epson C88+ as an example), I feel it’s best to just buy a new printer when your ink runs out and help contribute to the piles of shit in our landfills. Much easier.

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