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Wrestling and Bloodshed at the Decatur Book Festival [06 Sep 2009|03:15pm]

Just what do Abdullah the Butcher and "True Blood" author Charlaine Harris have in common? Well, they were both at the annual Decatur Book Festival this weekend, but only one of them managed to truly horrify the largely whitebread crowd.




When we first arrived, the scene was rather pleasant: parents and children scurrying about, bookworms of all ages sifting through boxes of used paperbacks. Walk up to any vendor tent in downtown Decatur, Ga. And you'd find people getting their first edition signed or eating a funnel cake. It's that kind of vibe: the fair, except without all the chronic illiteracy.

On this day, however, it would all end in pools of human blood.

Here's how it all went down: For the first (and presumably the last) time ever, the Decatur Book Festival advertised a "Literary Death Match" as part of its "smart fun" offerings. In one corner: author, journalist and general provocateur Michael Mohammed Knight. In the other: the legendary Abdullah the Butcher. If you're a pro-wrestling fan, you know him as the Mad Man from the Sudan, the now 68-year-old death match legend famous for stabbing his opponents bloody with a fork. In his home town of Atlanta, he's also known for his authentically weird restaurant, Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs and Chinese Food (Click here to see photos from our adventure there). Word of warning: Don't go there for the cuisine.

So my wife and I had been meaning to check out the book fest for a few years and since I'm a closet pro-wrestling fan and we're both admirers of the bizarre and absurd, this provocative approach to literary programming cinched it as the year we had to attend.




We arrived at the festival a little early and by the time we'd made it over to the wrestling ring, some local BWI wrestlers were already putting on a tag match. These guys knew their crowd and kept everything very PG. So, for the most part, all the children and upper-middle class adults laughed and enjoyed the in-ring antics. After the match, the promoter thanked the audience and let everyone know that BWI is available to perform at YOUR next fundraiser or family reunion.



Then it was time for the main event. Author Michael Mohammed Knight came out first, rather smug and full of himself, complete with "MMK" ring robe and rock star glasses. Then Abby shambled up the ring, dressed in an Abdullah t-shirt, a pair of shorts hiked up to his breastbone and his signature curly-toed boots. The years have certainly taken a toll on Abby, though. He didn't hand off the walking stick off till he was directly at ring side.

Abby never actually climbed into the ring, though. Instead, he grabbed Knight's leg and the two awkwardly worked a spot where Abby pulled him out onto the grass at ringside. I should mention at this point that the ring was set up on the Dekalb County Court House lawn.



Knight never got in the least bit of offense -- which was fine. I don't think anyone there wanted to watch a brash, young, slight douchey author wail on a 68-year-old. So the kids, adults and BWI wrestlers were still really into it, shouting encouragement to the Butcher and humorously telling knight that he better get ready to go to the hospital. Oh, the irony. Abby wailed on the sprawling author a few times and then he pulled out the fork. In pretty short order, most of Knight's face was covered in blood and the juice was visibly flowing off his forehead.

Abby followed up with a few chair shots before throwing a water cooler at him. Then the match just ended -- no bell, no announcement. Abby just walked back to his tent to sell more $10 photos and signed metal forks. Knight, on the other hand, continued to lay their bleeding for at least 10 minutes.




During the course of all this, most of the children stopped cheering and entered a rather quiet state. Some adults laughed uneasily. One father tenderly took his young daughter by the shoulder and turned her away from the sight, saying, "Come on, honey, let's not look at the blood anymore." Another worried spectator turned to my wife and asked, "This is all fake, right?" She told her that it was, more to calm to the visibly shaken woman than anything else.

Even the BWI guys looked legitimately concerned over the amount of blood laying in pools on the cement -- as well as what was still flowing out of the author's skull. We left the scene when event security asked everyone who wasn't with BWI to leave.




So did Knight wind up taking a trip to Dekalb Medical Center (ironically, the main sponsor of the festival)? Did he blade himself*  too deep or had Abby put a little too much fork in the act? And indeed, how much of the bloody conclusion to this literary publicity stunt was staged and how much was accidental?

At any rate, it was quite a spectacle. When we left, they were asking if anyone in the dispersing audience had a towel, faces were still haunted with shock and the blood still gleamed in bright crimson pools.

Click here to enjoy the rest of the blood and sweat-soaked photos.


~rl

* To blade in pro-wrestling is to cut open your forehead, often with a razor blade, for theatrical effect. However, even pros can sometimes cut too deep and lose a dangerous amount of blood during a match.

© 2009 Team Thunderpuss Productions

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New site [18 Aug 2009|11:02pm]
[ mood | accomplished ]

My new "pet" project. http://atlanimalwelfare.org
I'm helping them with their web site. Please go visit, so the traffic will go up!

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photos from the Outer Banks [10 Jun 2009|10:05pm]
[ mood | nostalgic ]

We had an awesome vacation at the Outer Banks last week. As always, it's hard to get back to work after some time off, but it's fun to look through the photos and be reminded of how much fun we had. My fam rented a house on the sound side. The kite and wind surfers were fun to watch and we went kayaking a few times. Here are a few photos...



We always have to stop and take a few photos at South of the Border!


Aunt Betty and Uncle John helped my Gram with the crossword puzzles.


My dad on a nature walk.


Rob and I at the Wright Memorial.






We couldn't resist this photo op on Ocracoke Island





More here-http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonheath/sets/72157619397105888/
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Letter from my friend Tony [06 Mar 2009|10:16am]
Hey Everybody,

These are my friends in Arizona who run a non-profit horse therapy ranch. They do incredible work on a daily basis. They have helped me personally and have had a big impact on my life. The last time I was out there I was privileged to be a volunteer for a week, being a side-walker with some of the developmentally disabled clients, and shoveling horse poop for kicks. :-) They help people of all ages with physical, emotional, and psychological problems.

They are hurting with the economic downturn, having lost some of their sources for funding and are seeking donations - whatever you can send - $5.00, $50.00, $500.00 - they will take it and use every last cent to continue to do the incredible work they provide to the people in that region. Check out their website to see some of the services they provide.

I can personally vouch for them and if you are wanting to be of help financially somewhere but don't know where to direct your funds - this is one place where it will make a big big difference.

Please forward this to your network of friends and help spread the word so that these fine folks can continue to serve their community and make a difference in the lives of those who really really need it. http://www.connectionsaz.com

Thanks!
Tony

Hello to all that read this!!

As many of you know Connections has provided a wonderful service to the Verde Valley for almost 10years now. We have been through many hardships before and are facing them once again due to the economy. At this time we are asking all of you that are "connected" to Connections in one way or another to please write a personal note and forward this attached letter to as many of your "connections" as you can. We need help urgently. The more we all give in any sense of the word the more we all shall receive. So, please give the gift of your time and pass this on. Every little bit helps.
Thank you in advance for your time and belief in the goodness of this program and the work we do.

Sincerely,
Jordan
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Photos from last weekend [24 Feb 2009|07:53am]
[ mood | artistic ]

Dad flew into Atlanta from California Friday night and we picked him up at the airport. Saturday morning, Robert and I took him to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for a little photo excursion. I got to test out my new 5D and use the Lens Baby, which is always fun.

After dad started his drive back to NC, Rob and I drove up to the Regal theater to see Coriline. Amazing. It was definitely worth it to see it in 3-D on the big screen. We had a great time playing board games at Dave and Becky's Saturday night, and Sunday we got a visit from the lovely Miss Marilyn. Overall, and awesome weekend, just way too short.

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The Blessing of the Animals [12 Oct 2008|09:52pm]
[ mood | amused ]

Saturday morning, Rob and I's church had its annual Blessing of the Animals. There were about 30 dogs there, and two very brave kitties, including Biscuit.

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Chattanooga Choo-Choo [08 Oct 2008|05:05pm]
On Saturday, Rob's family met us in Chattanooga to take a train ride for his Dad's 60th birthday. The train was totally steam powered and the cars were restored to their original state. We had lunch on the dining car and stopped in Summerville, Georgia before heading back to Chattanooga.
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Fashion shoot for Lori [16 Sep 2008|08:02am]
[ mood | artistic ]

Last weekend, I shot a small set of fashion photos for the talented Lorigami. Kip was our very patient model, who deserves a medal for standing still while being attacked by a million mosquitoes at the Carter center gardens.

Here are a couple of my favorites-








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Little Evan [26 Aug 2008|12:44pm]
[ mood | artistic ]

Robert and I got to meet Evan Sunday afternoon. He's so beautiful! I can't wait to take some more photos of him.

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Photos of Kip and Brian [01 Jul 2008|07:47am]
[ mood | artistic ]

Brian DJed at Rob and I's wedding, and I traded him a portrait shoot. We met in downtown Decatur Sunday evening. Our shoot got cut a little short because of a thunderstorm, but I think we got a few good shots before we ended. Brian and Kip are so comfortable in front of the camera, silly and playful that it's hard to get bad shot of the two of them. Adorable!

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First few photos from the wedding [16 Jun 2008|09:45pm]
[ mood | amused ]

Our friend Martin set up the photo booth at our wedding. Thanks, Martin! The photos are amazing, so I wanted to share some of them. Here are just a few of my favorites...





Shell and Ben helped us to put everything together.


My dad and my brother.


Some of the MST3K crew... and Liz.


Rob's sister Al and her boyfriend are throwing gang signs with us. Check this one out on Flickr.com if you want to know which gangs we're in. :)


Awww... Lori and Wayne are super cute in this one.


Hahahaha...


I'm so glad I brought the mustache. Has any one seen it?

Too many awesome ones to post! Go see more here-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonheath/sets/72157605594101248/
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We're back from Mexico [10 Jun 2008|08:50pm]
[ mood | content ]

Our honeymoon was outstanding. It would take too long to make a post about every day, so I'll post a few photos and highlights.



The place we stayed most of the week was Yelapa, an island off the coast of Puerto Vallarta. We rented an ocean front room at the Hotel Lagunita. The food was fantastic.


This was our room. We could hear the ocean.


We went for lots of walks around the island. It was pretty awesome to be away from cars, cell phones and the internet for a week.


This was the view from our room.


Here's a couple of shots from one of our walks through town.




Charlie's a stray dog who lives on the island. He adopted us for a couple of days. Everyone knew Charlie and greeted him by name.


It was an amazing vacation. I'll try to post more soon.

See more photos here- http://flickr.com/photos/bonheath/sets/72157605548158031/
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Great party!!! [03 Mar 2008|08:08am]
[ mood | amused ]

Oz's party rocked! I was so impressed with everyone's ninja and pirate costumes. Dodge ball was awesome fun and the photo booth was a big hit.

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Party photos! [12 Feb 2008|08:05pm]
[ mood | cheerful ]

I had an excellent birthday. I just posted the photo booth pics to flickr.com. Thanks to everyone who came out to help April and I celebrate. Here are a few of my favorites...

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Painting with Light [25 Jan 2008|06:00pm]
[ mood | creative ]

Robert and I played around with a technique called "painting with light" a few nights ago. It's a lot of fun. You set the camera up on a tripod, and make the room very dark. You set your shutter speed for a long time, like 20 or 30 seconds. After you hit the shutter, you direct flashlights, pen lights, laser pointers or anything else that makes light onto the subject.

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East Side Lounge photos [07 Jan 2008|08:57pm]
[ mood | accomplished ]

[info]lorigami and her sweet hubby set me up with an excellent photo job, taking pics at East Side Lounge in East Atlanta. I took photos of the club empty, and also with people. This is one of my favorites...

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Casie's going away party photos [16 Dec 2007|05:27pm]
[ mood | amused ]

Friday night, Elena and Sarah hosted a delightful going away party for Miss Casie Yoder. She had Brian spinning, and asked me to set up the photo booth, which is always fun. Here are a few of my favs...

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Engagement pics [10 Dec 2007|08:04am]
[ mood | accomplished ]

We finally got our engagement photos done Friday afternoon. I traded some editing with Jason Spruill, the wedding photographer I work for on weekends. He's a talented shooter, and was relieved that we wanted a different location than Piedmont Park, like his regular clients. We went to the High Museum, and had a great time shooting in the permanent exhibits.

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Christmas time at the Lamb/Heath house [30 Nov 2007|03:12pm]
[ mood | accomplished ]

This year I'm one of those annoying people who already has their Christmas shopping done. Well, mostly done. I have a few odds and ends left. And, I did most of it online. Woohoo! No malls. Just an occasional trip to Target. :) A few days ago, we sent out our holiday postcards. I won't post the image yet, because I don't want to spoil it for friends who will get them in the mail soon.




Check out this awesome wrapping paper I got this year.


This is our new favorite ornament.


This one is also great. He came from Rob's family this year.



We still love our paper cranes Miss Becky made us!


We had a great time decorating the tree last Sunday. Our friends Shell and Ben came over, and we drank eggnog and listened to the Rat Pack Christmas. I'm glad we decided on a real wreath for the door. When you open the storm door, it smells wonderful.
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Charleston [30 Nov 2007|02:38pm]
[ mood | cheerful ]

A few weeks ago, Robert and I took a mini vacation to Charleston with Shannon. We stayed with her mom who has lived just outside Charleston in Mount Pleasant for years and years.

We did a lot of walking around the city. We ate a lot of seafood, and went on a ghost and graveyard tour. We also took a tour of the Provost Dungeon, which was awesome because it feature animatronic (sp?) guides, one of which was a talking parrot!

I took a few photos with Shannon's camera. Here are a few of my favorites-






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