The Provo Museum of Postal Art

  There once was a high court so cowed By some hardened goofball so loud That when he yelled boo Their wits away flew And at his feet they humbly bowed.

  I don’t really understand why protestors are using clowns and circuses as symbols of the Trump administration. Not that I am a fan of said administration.  Far from it. But as a retired professional circus clown who spent 40 years in gaudy makeup and floppy shoes I don’t get the symbolism.  I never have. To me clowns and circuses have always meant serious commitment to bring astounding talent – both animal and human, serious and comic – to audiences for a reasonable cost. To make wonders and marvels accessible to even the smallest and most remote tank town. I loved my job as a circus clown, and am proud of my slapstick heritage. It took me many years, under the tutelage of veteran buffoons who learned their trade from the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy, to learn how to present a gag and time it for maximum effect. It was an honorable profession. Run by, for the most part, honorable and professional men and women. I won’t go into the details; that whole ...

  Will Anyone Take the Factory Jobs Trump Wants to Bring Back to America?  (WSJ Headline.) A hollow boom in factories Across this storied land Tells the tale of heavy work – Which no one now can stand. The rusted cranes; the silent gears; The boilers cold as ice – Indicate a workforce that Don’t think sweat very nice. We’d rather sit behind a desk, Pushing pens with ease, Than toil like our grandsires (who all got black lung disease.) So Mr. Trump the sweatshop jobs You wish to yoke us with Will remain a byword And a too unpleasant myth!

  The recent retirement of Steve Smith from the Clown Emeritus program, due to poor scheduling, brings back a flood of memories.  Well . . . a dribble, anyways. We first met at the Ringling Clown College back in 1971.  Steve was one of my classmates – and the only one to pass out ‘good luck’ cards from Hallmark to every student who was competing for a coveted spot on the Red or Blue units as a First of May.  Right away, I liked his Ohio-bred genteel style. Oh, the gags we pulled on the Blue Unit that first heady year!  And not just on the audience. There was the time we blew up balloons in the sleeves of the entire male wardrobe just before Spec. Or the quarters we superglued to the cement floor of clown alley, in the hopes that Stanley & Lester, midget clowns and dedicated misers, would get a hernia trying to pry them lose. (They got a cold chisel from somewhere and chipped them off!) The night the bear got loose and Smith thought everyone was screaming “ma...

  I cast my vote with laughter; I’ve done it all my days. It makes me feel much better When fools set things ablaze.

  My mom used salt and pepper, And nothing else at all, When seasoning our supper, Winter, spring, and fall. In summer she made salads, Of iceberg lettuce, cukes, And vinegar with ketchup, That made us cry “Gadzooks!’ I ran away at tender age Just to taste allspice and sage.

 CHAPTER ONE.  PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA. The History and Culture of Pretoria, South Africa, and Its Influence on Elon Musk Introduction Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, is a city deeply rooted in history, culture, and innovation. Founded in the 19th century, it has been shaped by colonial rule, apartheid, and modern democracy. It is a city of contradictions—one that has been a center of government power, yet also a place of resistance and transformation. Given its historical significance and cultural richness, it is intriguing to consider how Pretoria may have influenced Elon Musk, who spent his formative years there before leaving South Africa for North America.  On the other hand, there is every possibility that he actually came from Mars and was left on a doorstep. Historical Overview of Pretoria Pretoria was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, a group of Dutch-speaking pioneers who moved inland to escape British rul...