SARAH PALIN PRANK CALL: Masked Avengers Call and Transcript

Politico's Ben Smith is reporting, via The Canada Press, that Quebec comedy duo The Masked Avengers, posing as Nicolas Sarkozy, have successfully prank called Sarah Palin...

Sarah Palin Prank Call Transcript 

Here is the call, transcribed it for those who don't feel like downloading and listening to it or who are hard of hearing.

For the Frank Sarkozy part, imagine a very thick, fake French accent only slightly better than the ones used in Monty Python's Holy Grail.

SP Assist = Sarah Palin's Assistant
MA = Masked Avengers
SP = Sarah Palin
FNS = Fake Nicolas Sarkozy

Things I couldn't make out were placed in brackets.

(Thanks montsegur1234 for filling in the French parts)


Ring

SP Assist: This is Lexi.
MA: Hello, Lexi. This is Frank l’ouvrier (Frank the worker], I’m with President Sarkozy, on the line for Governor Palin.

SP Assist: One second please, can you hold on one second please?
MA: No problem.

SP Assist: Hi, I’m going to hand the phone over to her.
MA: Okay thank you very much I’m going to put the president on the line.
SP Assist: Ok he’s coming to the line.

SP: This is Sarah.
MA: Okay, Governor Palin?

SP: Hellloooo...(long drawn out, like Well, hellooooo)
MA: Just hold on for President Sarkozy, one moment.
SP [To someone in the room]: Oh, it’s not him yet, I always do that. I’ll just have people hand it to me right when it’s them.

FNS: Yes, hello, Governor Palin? Yes, hello, Mrs. Governor?
SP: Hello this is Sarah., how are you?

FNS: Fine, and you, this is Nicolas Sarkozy speaking, how are you?
SP: Oh...so good, it’s so good to hear you. Thank you for calling us.

FNS: Oh, it’s a pleasure.
SP: Thank you sir, we have such great respect for you, John McCain and I, we love you and thank you for spending a few minutes to talk to me.

FNS: I follow your campaigns closely with my special American Advisor Johnny Hallyday, you know?
SP: Yes! Good!

FNS: Excellent! Are you confident?
SP: Very confident and we’re thankful that the polls are showing that the race is tightening and--

FNS: Well I know very well that the campaign can be exhausting. How do you feel right now my dear?
SP: Ah, I feel so good. I feel like we’re in a marathon and at the very end of the marathon, you get your second wind and you plow to the finish—

FNS: You see, I got elected in France because I’m real and you seem to be someone who’s real as well.
SP: Yes, yeah, Nicolas, we so appreciate this opportunity.

FNS: You know, I see you as a president, one day, you too.
SP: [Muahaaa...weird laugh], maybe in 8 years. Haha

FNS: Well, ah, I hope for you. You know we have a lot in common because personally one of my favorite activities is to hunt too.
SP: [Giggle] Oh very good, we should go hunting together.

FNS: Exactly! We could go try hunting by helicopter, like you did, I never did that.
SP: [Giggle]

FNS: Like we say in France, "on pourrait tuer des bébés phoques aussi" [Translation: We could also kill some baby seals.]
SP: [Giggle] Well I think we could have a lot of fun together as we’re getting work done, we can kill two birds with one stone that way.

FNS: I just love killing those animals. Mm, mm. Take away a life, that is so fun!
SP: [Hahahaha]

FNS: I’d really love to go as long as we don’t bring your Vice President Cheney, hahaha.
SP: No, I’ll be a careful shot, yes.

FNS: You know we have a lot in common also except that from my house I can see Belgium. That’s kind of less interesting than you.
SP: Well, see, we’re right next door to other countries that we all need to be working with, yes.

FNS: Some people said in the last days, and I thought that was mean, that you weren’t experienced enough in foreign relations, and you know, that’s completely false, that’s the thing I said to my great friend, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stef Carse [Stephen Harper is the PM].
SP: Well, he’s doing fine, too, and yeah when you come into a position underestimated, it gives you the opportunity to prove the pundits and the critics wrong. You work that much harder-

FNS: I, I was wondering because you are also next to him, one of my good friends, also, the prime minister of Quebec, Mr. Richard Z. Sirois [a famous Quebec radio host], have you met him recently? Did he come to one of your rallies?
SP: Uh, haven’t seen him at one of the rallies, but it’s been great working with the Canadian officials in my role as governor; we have a great cooperative effort there as we work on all of our resource development projects. You know I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife, oh my goodness, you’ve added a lot of energy to your country, even, with that beautiful family of yours.

FNS: Thank you very much. You know my wife, Carla, would love to meet you. You know even though she was a bit jealous that I was supposed to speak to you today. [Hahahaha]
SP: [Hahahha] Well give her a big hug from me.

FNS: You know my wife is a popular singer and a former top model and she’s so hot in bed. She even wrote a song for you.
SP: Oh my goodness! I didn’t know that.

FNS: Yes, in French, it’s called Du rouge à lèvres sur une cochonne [Translate: Lipstick on a smutty girl (note: I've seen other sites that say this translates to lipstick on a sow)] or if you prefer in English Joe the Plumber, [sings] It’s his life, Joe the Plumber..."
SP: Maybe she understands some of the unfair criticism but I bet you she is such a hard worker, too, and she realizes you just plow through that criticism like

FNS: I just want to be sure, I don’t’ quite understand the phenomenon "Joe the Plumber," that’s not your husband, right?
SP: Mmhmm, that’s into my husband but he’s a normal American who just works hard and doesn’t want government to take his money.

FNS: Yes, yes, I understand, we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France, it’s called, "Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit, oui."
SP: Right. That’s what it’s all about, is the middle class, and government needing to work for them. You’re a very good example for us here.

FNS: I seen a bit about NBC even Fox News wasn’t an ally, an ally, sorry, about as much as usual.
SP: Yeah that’s what we’re up against.

FNS: I must say, Governor Palin, I love the documentary they made on your life, you know, Hustler’s "Nailin Palin."
SP: Oh, good, thank you. Yes.

FNS: That was really edgy.
SP: [Laughs] Well good.

FNS: I really love you. And I must say something, so, Governor, you’ve been pranked.
By the Master Avengers. We’re two comedians from Montreal
SP: Oohhh have we been pranked? And what radio station is this? [tries to force herself to sound nice but you can tell she’s pissed]

FNS: This is for CKOI in Montreal.
SP: In Montreal? Tell me the radio station call letters
[SP leaves phone, continuous griping in background, sounds like, "For chrissakes...that was ??? Just a radio station prank...chrissakes..."]

MA: Hello? If one voice can change the world for Obama, one Viagra can change the world for McCain.
[Man’s voice in background: hang up, hang up.]
SP Assist: Hi, I’m sorry, I have to let you go. Um, thank you.

CHARLIE BELL: Ringling, circa 1930s

That's Charlie in the center. I'm not sure who is on the left but that's a young Lou Jacobs out of makeup on the right.

MYSTERY CLOWN: Ringling, undated

I know that Greg DeSanto knows who this guy is but I always blank on his name. He had a really interesting auguste makeup at a time when the only augustes on the Ringling show were him, Lou Jacobs, Chesty Mortimer and Gijon Polidor.

KEITH OLBERMANN: October 30, 2008

For those four people who wrote me to say that they strongly objected to seeing links to political videos on clownalley.net: Here's something to like even less... Keith Olbermann's comments for Oct. 30, 2008.

If you don't want to hear what Mr. Olbermann has to say about John McCain's own ties to William Ayers or Rashid Khalidi, the computer works just like the TV or the radio... don't click the link.

To those four, and anyone else who dearly loves free speech but only under the condition that it aligns perfectly with their own political point of view... we'll miss you. We really will.

For the rest of us, this will all be over, one way or another and for better or worse, on Tuesday.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN: From CLOWNALLEY.NET

Three...

Two...

One!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I THINK I'VE GOT IT NOW...

Link courtesy of Mike and Lara Smith

POODLES HANNEFORD: Boston Children's Hospital, circa 1915

PEDRO PEDRO & TIN TIN: Circo Arlechino

It's good.

I think it just needs some "Kulki Taka".

OOF!

CLOWN COLLEGE: Memories of 1985

Photos by Barry Phillips

Lou Jacobs addresses the class of '85...

...and "wows" them with his Jackie Mason impersonation.

(In all the time it took to elaborately paint that prop no one thought to check the correct spelling of the word "accurate"?)

Lou and Circus Sarasota's Robin Eurich 

Two "Master Clowns" discuss their art

An important moment for the class of '85: Frosty Little gathers the 

students outside the arena to explain the birds and the bees:

"Well kids, it's like this... sometimes when a Mommy Clown and a Daddy Clown love each other very much..."

Budgets were tight that summer, George Shellenberger and Frosty Little had to 

take part-time jobs as school crossing guards in the early morning hours to bring

in a little extra cash for the program.

Another important moment: "Greg DeSanto Discovers Soap"!

Have you ever seen someone so happy? So totally, malevolently happy?

Mike Hinman seems sheepish and uncomfortable to be in the 

presence of DeSanto in his full blown Berserker Rage.

KULIKI TAKA, INDEED.

CHICHARRINES-Kuliki Taka

Um... "Kuliki Taka" must be Spanish for "stretch".

EMMETT KELLY: Dodger Mascot

Los Angeles Times file photo

Emmett Kelly, right, in an undated photo, with a mystery guest. The picture was apparently a publicity photo for the Jan. 21, 1962, television program "Project 20," which featured the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus.

By Keith Thursby
Times Staff Writer

It was an unlikely sports story—a clown announcing the end of his connection with the Dodgers.

Emmett Kelly said the Dodgers had failed to renew his contract for the 1958 season. Kelly, a longtime performer with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, was no mere clown act. He had performed on Broadway and in movies and had taken off the 1956 season to serve as the Dodgers’ mascot in Brooklyn. (You can still find Dodger pennants from that era with Kelly’s portrait.)

The Associated Press story noted that Kelly’s "glum face had been a source of laughter to millions of children."

Photograph by Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times

Emmett Kelly cleans his plate--in this case home plate--during a Dodgers-Braves game on April 15, 1962, for Senior Citizens Day at Dodger Stadium. 

He blamed the Dodgers’ selection of the Coliseum for the decision. He said the team’s first home in Los Angeles was "too big for one clown."

The story said Kelly was returning to his first love, the circus. He died in 1979.

Photograph by Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times

Emmett Kelly jokes with an umpire at Wrigley Field in a photo published June 30, 1957. 

Los Angeles Times file photo

Emmett Kelly, possibly in Vero Beach, Fla., in a photo dated June 27, 1957.

ONIONHEAD: Loves His Mac

I do too, most of the time.

BENNY SCHULTZ: Circus/Circus Hotel & Casino

CLOWN ALLEY: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, circa 1930s

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP: Gijon Polidor, Tad Tosky, Paul "Chesty" Mortimer, Felix Adler, Billie Demiro, Lou Jacobs.

MICHAEL BONGAR & BETH KAPLAN: Rudy Bros. Circus

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: BBC's "STAN"

Based on Neil Brand's critically acclaimed radio play of the same name, the drama follows Stan Laurel's last visit to his dying friend and comedy partner Oliver 'Babe' Hardy and Stan's subsequent coming to terms with the ghosts of his past. Written by Garrett Fallah...

SHANE CASHIN: 1st Whiteface Makeup, October 25, 2008

Shane made good use of his new wig today, heading to the Chiller Theater convention in Parsippany, NJ to meet some of his TV pals...

Shane wearing Daddy's old Ringling whiteface makeup but with a pained on nose,
making him look like a little Frosty Little.

With a clown nose and his new wig, a little siller and a little more like Daddy used to do it.

With Daddy's childhood hero, Frank Avruch. Mr. Avruch played Bozo the Clown on WHDH-TV in Boston and his show was syndicated nationally. He was the Bozo that I saw on WPIX-TV out of New York growing up and the reason for my childhood interest in clowns and circus.

Those same shows recently became available on DVD, giving Shane an opportunity to see Daddy's first clowning inspiration.

Mr. Avruch was delighted that Shane was as familiar with the show as he was. We asked him about how Bozo selected his "Butch For a Day". After a little coaxing from Daddy, Mr. Avruch closed his eyes real tight, went into his magic Bozo trance, spun around and pointed to Shane. On cue Daddy produced a bag with a red tail coat, a marching band hat and a Bozo doll... exactly what "Butch For a Day" got on the TV show!

Shane also got to meet Carroll Spinney, who played characters such as Mr. Lion, Kooky Kangaroo and Grandma Nellie on the WHDH Bozo show but he is much better known for the job he took after that. For the last 40 years he has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street!

Mr. Spinney so enjoyed Shane's "Butch For a Day" bit that he took out a pad of paper and reprised one of Mr. Lion's old chalk-talk tricks from his Bozo days He wrote Shane's name on a piece of paper and turned it into a sketch of Shane's dog Honeybear!

Terri Runnels is a former WCW and WWE professional wrestling manager, and TV host. She was extremely sweet and left her own table to run over to get her picture taken with Shane while he was in line to meet Carroll Spinney.

Later she autographed a photo for him that will be added to his growing "Shane Wall of Fame".

And then we came home to tell Mommo all about and and make some pizzas!

SHANE CASHIN: His First Yak Wig!

Shane was surprised when he got off the bus today to find that there was a package in the mail for him from Trick and Tara Kelly. he opened it and his jaw hit the floor when he saw that it was a real, honest-to-goodness yak clown wig just for him!

I have to admit, my jaw hit the floor too! What a thoughtful and generous gift!

It came with the following note...

Hi Shane,

We saw the video of you and your Dad in the parade. You were awesome! We thought you would like to have a new yak wig to go along with your cool outfit and makeup. Best of luck with your clowning career!

Bump a nose,
Tara and Trick Kelly

Thank you guys! Tomorrow there will be pictures to show just how much this great gift is appreciated.

BILLY VAUGHN: Balloon Come-In, Garden Bros. Circus

A little bit Blinko and Maran, a little bit Dime and Connie Wilson... Billy Vaughn shows that he knows his history and learned from the best doing come-in on the Garden Bros. Circus.

THE CIRCUS REALLY BEGINS ON MONDAY!

Feld Entertainment has (in a very smart move) set up a website making it easier for folks to follow the trial, which begins on Monday.

Grab a seat and a bag of popcorn! This should be good.

SNL: Homerun

BARRY LUBIN: That's Life, 1998

Video courtesy of Tiffany Riley



Barry Lubin es muy "Rico Sauve" in this clip from the NY Goofs 1998 holiday production, The NY Goofs' Family Christmas Special. He is ably assisted here by Evelyn Tuths, Hilary Chaplain and Tiffany Riley.

RON HOWARD: Funny or Die

"Why NOT?!? Jenny Piccolo's mother let's her watch Ron Howard's online political videos!"

BIG APPLE CIRCUS : Play On

Drew Richardson and I saw the final NY dress rehearsal of the Big Apple Circus' 31st production, Play On last night.

CAST

Carrie Harvey
Barry Lubin
Rodion Troupe
Luciano Anastasini and his Pound Puppies
Glen Heroy
Mark Gindick
Olivier Taquin
Valdis Yanovskis
Christine Zerbini
Sultan Kumisbayev
Nanjing Acrobats
The Flying Cortes
The LaSalle Brothers
Sarah Schwarz
GuiMing Meng
Regina Dobrovitskaya
Andrey Mantchev
Virgile Peyramaure
Christian Atayde Stoinev

MUSIC
Michael Valenti

DIRECTOR
Steve Smith 

The clowning was excellent as always. Glen Heroy hit one out of the park last night by picking an adorable 3 year old volunteer who was as happy to participate in the gag as he was just to run around the ring. Glen played each moment absolutely perfectly.

Stand outs in the show for me include Luciano Anastasini comedy dog act which I worked with on Hamid two seasons ago and GuiMing Meng who I worked with on McConnell's show. Both acts are outstanding. The LaSalle Brothers come into New York heavily hyped by the show and live up to every word that you've read; they are the most entertaining juggling act that I've seen since this group in 2005...

I'm not sure of the name of the wire walker, but that was another act that I found outstanding in both it's conception and execution.

The set design was very innovative and brought the band much closer to the action and the show benefited greatly from the return of Steve Smith's direction, which always brings a warmth and flow to the production that seems to be missing when he's not at the helm.

For more, click here.

SLAVA RETURNS TO NYC

Slava's Snowshow returns to NY for a limited run from December 2nd through January 4th to compete with Big Apple in Lincoln Center and Cirque's Wintuk at the Garden.

CLOWNALLEY.NET VIDEO COMPILATION VOLUME 2

VOLUME 2 of the CLOWNALLEY.NET video compilation series is again available on eBay...

VOLUME 2 features

The 112th edition Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Blue Unit Clown Alley

Lou Jacobs and Pee-Wee

Charlie Cairoli

Linon

The Ghezzis

Andre & Frisco

Fredi Codrelli & Bernhard Paul

The Francescos

Rosalee Hoffman footage of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Clown Alley of the 1960s

NTSC format only

Approx. running time: 1 hr

To order, please click here.

SELF BALANCING UNICYCLE

Focus' new SBU (Self Balancing Unicycle).

GEORGE CARL: Clown College Reunion 1987

Photo courtesy of Billy Vaughn

THE FRATELLINIS: Amilcar Ad

Try to imagine any international auto manufacturer even considering using clowns to sell their cars today.

ANDY ROSE

SWF!

MIKE SMITH: Got a Baby Daughter for His Bithday???

I just realized that Lara gave Mike a brand new baby for his 40th birthday! I can't wait to see what he gets her for her 40th...

(which is AT LEAST 15 years away!)

STEVE COPELAND: In Andrew Scharff's Makeup

Just in time for Halloween Steve sends another very creepy picture...this looks like the last thing the victim sees before the car trunk slams down on top of them!

NO WAY!

From the New York Times



By GLENN COLLINS
Published: October 21, 2008

No longer shall he be lord of the ring.

Paul Binder, the 66-year-old founder, artistic director and ringmaster of the Big Apple Circus, will be stepping away from the tanbark next year after three decades as boss man of the little top.

Mr. Binder is master of ceremonies and principal public symbol of this one-ring show, which begins its 31st season on Thursday in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. The new production, “Play On!” — featuring 4 horses, 8 dogs and 28 humans from 12 countries in a heated 1,600-seat blue Italian tent — will continue its traditional holiday run through Jan. 18.

“Finally I can get off the road,” said Mr. Binder, who for decades has been ringmaster half of each year. “I didn’t want to do this until I was on my deathbed.”

The new show will be Mr. Binder’s last production, though he will remain behind the scenes with Big Apple, taking the titles of artistic adviser and founding artistic director. He is to focus on fund-raising and planning, and will travel the world searching for new circus acts. Next year his place in the spotlight will be taken by Carrie Harvey, billed as host of “Play On!”

He will be succeeded as artistic director — and circus boss — by Guillaume Dufresnoy, Big Apple’s 48-year-old general manager. A Bordeaux-born former aerialist with the national circuses of France and Switzerland, Mr. Dufresnoy has been a performer or manager at Big Apple for 21 years. For the last 11, he has been second in command to Mr. Binder.

Though creating the show has always been a collaborative process, “ultimately I would make the call,” Mr. Binder said. “Now Guillaume will have the final word.”

The street-smart Big Apple show that made New York a circus town has come a long way from the spunky little counterculture entertainment that Mr. Binder and his co-founder, Michael Christensen, first presented in 1977 in a green 1,000-seat tent set up on landfill destined to become Battery Park City.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, Mr. Binder became a television stage manager for Julia Child in Boston, and then a Manhattan talent booker for “The Merv Griffin Show.” After that he ran away with the San Francisco Mime Troupe in the early 1970s, performing political theater with Mr. Christensen, then a comedic actor.

In the mid-1970s the two left the troupe to work as street jugglers “living off our wits,” Mr. Binder recalled. They tossed quips, clubs and hats in London, Paris, Italy, Athens and Istanbul before returning to France to perform in the Nouveau Cirque de Paris, a legendary one-ring show.

Soon Mr. Binder had the idée fixe to create a one-ring circus in Manhattan, and did so in a show that presented its performers to audiences “sometimes awkwardly, sometimes a trifle self-consciously, but altogether winningly,” according to a review of the show’s second season by Richard Eder in The New York Times.

The circus has refined its family-pleasing aesthetic of intimacy, artistry, fun and sense of wonder, and now tours to 10 cities and has a $21 million budget for the show; the circus’s rehearsal complex in Walden, N.Y.; and its charitable divisions, which include school programs and a Clown Care Unit that employs 90 clowns to visit children in hospitals.

Mr. Binder “took the European one-ring style and put his own signature on it,” said a competitor, Kenneth Feld, chief executive of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. In 2000 Mr. Feld took on Big Apple in Bryant Park with Barnum’s Kaleidoscape, a high-end, one-ring holiday-season show that folded its tent forever on New Year’s Day 2001.

“Paul has done a great job with the show for three decades,” Mr. Feld said, “but just staying alive isn’t enough. He’s done much more than that, and my hat goes off to him.”

Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, called Mr. Binder “a cultural landmark to generations of kids and their parents.” The conservancy designated Mr. Binder and Mr. Christensen as “living landmarks” in 2000. “How many people say, ‘Let’s start a circus, and make it nonprofit,’ and have the imagination and courage and whimsy to keep it going for three decades?” she asked.

Still, in Mr. Binder’s final season at center ring, Big Apple, like many cultural institutions, is facing uncertainty brought on by the Wall Street crisis, which could suppress ticket sales and fund-raising. But given the circus’s loyal patrons, including grandchildren of the first generation of fans, Chris Wearing, chairman of the circus’s 35-person board, said he hoped that “parents may want to be with their families at our show more than ever.”

Another challenge is increasing competition. For nearly three decades Mr. Binder’s show largely owned Manhattan’s holiday-circus season, but last year Big Apple — which spent $2.5 million on its production — was challenged during the holidays not only by “Wintuk,” a $20 million Cirque du Soleil show in the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, but also by five other circuses, including the Apollo Circus of Soul in Harlem.

Despite that, Big Apple’s $15.5 million in ticket sales and attendance of 475,000 set a record. This season, though, the Apollo show won’t be back, and Soleil — as circus people call it — is revamping “Wintuk” with new acts after mixed reviews last year. It is to open in previews on Oct. 30, with an official opening on Nov. 14.

Mr. Wearing said that despite the economic downturn, the circus hoped to create a summer season and was exploring the possibility of international tours “since we’ve been invited to perform in Asia.”

Mr. Binder will be expected to unleash his charisma at occasional future ceremonial events, including fund-raisers, Mr. Wearing added. This “is not one of those ‘move him out and say he’ll be doing special projects’ things,” Mr. Wearing said. “There is so much we want to do. We want to extend the show and the season, and develop an endowment. We need Paul to protect the franchise, and his legacy, in the future.”

Mr. Binder said he had been working out the details of his transition with the circus board for several years. “We wanted to create a cultural institution that would last after me, and now it will,” said Mr. Binder, who grew up in Brooklyn.

As Mr. Christensen put it, “Nothing stays the same, and something that is alive — like this show — has to grow.” (Mr. Christensen, 61, is formally the co-founder, while Mr. Binder is the founder because he came up with the circus idea in 1976.)

As Mr. Binder separates from Big Apple, he hopes to teach theater performance and management and to work on his autobiography. “Ultimately,” he said, “I suppose I’ll become an éminence grise. I’m already grise.”

RULO: Atayde Hermanos 2008

RINGLING CCC WELCOMES NEW BABY CLOWN!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CENTER FOR CLOWN CONSERVATION® ANNOUNCES BIRTH OF 23rd BABY CLOWN

(October 20, 2008 - Vienna, VA) - The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Clown Conservation (CCC) proudly announced today the birth of a healthy female circus clown - marking the twenty third birth in what is already one of the most successful clown breeding programs in the world. The baby, born on October 20, 2008, 1:08 p.m. at 6 pounds, is a rare second-generation offspring of Lara and Mike, who are the breeding stock at the Ringling Bros.® conservation program in Kooskia, Idaho.

"The endangered American circus clown has been a revered member of the Ringling Bros. family for 138 years, so our commitment to their salvation around the world is of paramount importance," said Kenneth Feld, Chairman and Producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey®. "Every baby clown born into our care represents another important step toward sustaining this remarkable species for generations to come."

A team of expert doctors and clown husbandry specialists will watch over and care for the new "clownling" as she grows and develops. The baby's name will be selected through a national naming vote Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is conducting with Weekly Reader's Kids News program. The public can vote on the name at www.weeklyreader.com from Friday, October 31st through Friday, November 7.

The goal of the Ringling Bros. CCC is to focus on the research, reproduction and retirement of circus clowns. Since its inception, it has seen unprecedented breeding success, due to a dedicated and expert staff of Clown College alumni. Ringling Bros. has the largest sustainable population of American circus clowns in the Western hemisphere.

"With fewer than 1,200 Clown College graduates left in the wild, this birth represents an unwavering commitment by Ringling Bros. to safeguard the future of this endangered species, literally one baby step at a time," said Bruce Read, Ringling Bros. Vice President of Comedy Stewardship. "The Ringling Bros. CCC is the central point for our global collaboration in scientific research and we are proud of the important work being done here and the contributions our team is making to ensure the preservation of this magnificent creature."

In the last year Ringling Bros. has committed more than $300,000 to fund the Smithsonian Institution's Circus Comedy research projects on cranial colonosis, the single greatest health threat to the American circus clown, and a reproductive study aimed at increasing the captive population of the clowns. In 2007, Ringling Bros. formed a partnership with Circus Roncalli in Germany, allowing Roncalli the opportunity to acquire, through a companion clown program, a male circus clown named "Burl" from the Ringling Bros. Center for Clown Conservation in an effort to increase respect, pay rate and skill level of "bubble clowns" internationally.

About the Ringling Bros. CCC: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Clown Conservation was founded by Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to experience the endangered American circus clown. Built in 1995, this 200-acre, state-of-the-art facility was designed for the reproduction, research and retirement of the circus clowns, enabling Ringling Bros. to share its knowledge of circus comedy with the circus and conservation communities worldwide.

For more information about the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation visit www.ringlingclown.com.

BELLOBRATION IN NEWARK

I had the chance to take the family (and Drew Richardson) to the new Prudential Center in Newark to see the Ringling 137th edition Red Unit's Bellobration Tour. We enjoyed the show, LOVED the arena and had a great time talking with Ruth Chaddock before meeting up with the Alley.

Old friends Lance Brown (fellow class of '97 alum and one of the last CC grads left going into next season), Leo Acton (headed here to the NY/NJ metro area after this season) and Larry Clark all seem to be doing just fine and dandy. New friends Dustin Portillo (soon to be Boss Clown) and Brandon Foster looked to be juiced headed into Winter Quarters.

Speaking of next season, take a look at this flyer for next year's show...

"Arrive an hour early for Clown College at the All Access Pre-Show" 

What's that all about??? The All Access Pre-Show (formerly the 3 Ring Adventure) is great and all but it's no Clown College. It isn't even as much fun as seeing all those beautiful George Shellenberger props being wheeled out there on the track, rigged to explode and best viewed from the safety of your seat.

The whole affair just makes me nostalgic for the early to mid 70s when my Dad used to grumble about having to get us to the Garden early so that I could be there when the doors opened and watch the clowns' pre-show. 

Back then there were 25-30 clowns per unit, Lou Jacobs, Mark Anthony, Duane Thorpe, Prince Paul, Bobby Kaye were still with the show. I'm now so old that Otto Griebling and Frankie Saluto were still there the first few times I went! 

Graduates of the then-new Clown College included Frosty Little and future deans Steve Smith, Ron Severini and Dick Monday were out there on the floor along with the likes of Barry Lubin, Peter Pitofsky, Billy Vaughn, Ruth Chaddock, Peggy Williams, Ron Jarvis, Billy Baker, Sparky Washburn, Swede Johnson, Keith Crary, Mitch Freddes, Zappata, Danny Chapman, Levoie Hipps, Kevin Bickford, Robin Shaw, Earl Chaney, Mike Padilla, Johnny Peers, Maude Flippen, Jim Howle, Richard Mann, Eric Braun, Rick Cobbin, Janice Gillespie, Leon McBryde (doing advance), Ray "Anchor Face" Lesperance, Don Debelli, Bob Zraick, Chris Bricker, Tim Torkildson, Antonio Hoyos, Lazlo Donnert, Dougie Ashton and the many others who made the Greatest Show on Earth such a magical experience when I was young.

Way back then kiddies, the programs were pretty expensive, $2.00 or $3.00, and EVERY kid in the Garden had one of these to swing around when the lights went down...

"CIRCUS LIIIIIIIIIIIGHTS!"

Just the plastic smell of one of these takes me back...

CHRIS SHELTON: Breakaway Bicycle

SUNDAY MORNING ART GALLERY: Patti Williams

My sister-in-law Patti sends this photo of her Cashin-centric Halloween pumpkin. 

Here is a "Shane-O-Lantern". Groovy mohawk!

SHANE CASHIN: America's Luckiest Little Boy!

Shane, yesterday afternoon, dressed in his "Dark Knight"-style Halloween costume posing with Batman and Robin in front of one of the original George Barris designed Batmobiles.

The car belongs to the Chinery family. The costumes are mine.

Then he met the Amazing Spider-Man

And then a few hours later attended Drew "The Dramatic Fool" Richardson's show Help! Help! I Know This Title is Long, But Somebody's Trying to Kill Me! directed by Avner "The Eccentric" Eisenberg at the Middletown Arts Center in Middletown, NJ.

While he loved the show, I think that he was more excited that we were going out to eat with Drew afterwards and that he was going to be riding in our car!

TWEEDY: His New Job

Scenes from Alan "Tweedy" Digweed's stage show.