The closest I’ve ever come to going to a circus was on the frequent childhood “family trips” to Las Vegas, when my parents would hand me and my brothers $20 to go play in the arcade. Between two boys and one girl – and despite the keen money management of said little girl – the cash lasted all of 10 minutes. After that, one of our parents or other responsible adult would take us out to the Midway Stage where we would be dazzled by any number of free circus acts while sitting on sticky benches next to the warm bodies of other tourists who may or may not have showered that morning.
This probably explains why the circus I remember from my childhood smells of stale popcorn, the mysterious sticky stuff on those Midway Stage benches, cigarette smoke, McDonald’s french fries and just a touch of body odor.
This also probably explains why today I found the eau de barnyard and exhaust that greeted me as I approached the Ringling Bros. Circus train cars so refreshing.
Unlike the stale, musty odors of the circus I remember, this smelled like life, like the wonderment of youth, like the promise of childhood joy under the big top … and, yeah, like poo.
Visit my Flickr photostream to see/download the elephant photos!
UPDATE: See more video of the elephants walking here!
It’s kinda hard to fathom just how popular Michael Jackson was – and is – around the world, but the website Eternal Moonwalk gives you a smidgen of an idea.
Fans the world over submitted short video clips of themselves, their babies, friends, family and even their pets doing Jackson’s signature move.
The videos play in a neverending stream over the first few measures of “Billie Jean”, with MJ starting off the moonwalk wave as fan after fan moonwalks into the screen.
If you’ve had enough tears or almost-teary moments from MJ’s memorial, the site shows just how many lives the late performer touched by celebrating his legacy in a fun way.
But the site isn’t without its sad moments. In one video, a guy does the moonwalk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right across MJ’s star. Tear.
It was hard to stop watching. Here’s the site if you want to check it out for yourself!
Alerts:
- Southwest.com has select 1-way fares from $30 to $90 (plus tax and fees) for travel during its 48-Hour Sale. Book by July 8 for travel between September 9 and November 18. Not valid on Fridays and Sundays. Other restrictions may apply. (via DealNews)
Entertainment:
- Free five-song sampler. Amazon.com’s MP3 store offers a free download of its five-song X5 Free Sampler – Golden Voices, which has songs from Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Eartha Kitt and Billie Holiday. One of the Blawgirl’s favorite recordings of all time is Fitzgerald’s rendition of “Honeysuckle Rose.” It never fails to make me smile! Have a listen!
- Free MP3 download. Amazon.com’s MP3 store also offers free downloads of “Lover Gone” from the Lover Gone EP by Peggy Sue. The song is a short and bittersweet one, with the lyrics straight out of the songwriter’s journal.
- Two-for-one to Medieval Times. For select locations only, buy one full-price admission ticket at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament and get a second admission of equal or lesser value for free via coupon code “THANK09″. Tickets start at $59.95. Sales tax is added where applicable. Eligible locations are Orlando, Buena Park, Lyndhurst, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Myrtle Beach, Baltimore/Washington, and Atlanta. Coupon expires December 30. (via DealNews)
Photo: www.secretparis.fr / Flickr
The Blawgirl crawls the Interwebz to find steals and deals for the frugal law student and the competitive bargain shopper. Find a new Frugal Finds 11:30 (ish) p.m. PST every Monday through Saturday! Also, each post is updated as I come across items. You’re welcome.
A note from the Blawgirl: Frugal Finds will continue on a daily basis until the beginning of August, when it will become a weekly feature.
Entertainment:
- $4 first-run movies at AMC Theaters. Participating AMC Theaters offer first-run movies that start before noon (including new releases) from $4. Find your nearest AMC here. (via DealNews) Reminder: AMC Theaters has $1 movies for 10:30 a.m. admission every Wednesday, with funds raised going to Variety-The Children’s Charity and the Will Rogers Institute
- 50 albums for $5. Amazon.com’s MP3 store for the month of July has a new selection of 50 albums for $5 each. The Blawgirl’s picks: Harry Connick Jr’s Blue Light, Red Light; The Beach Boys’ Summer Love Songs; The original Broadway cast recording of West Side Story; and Ben Kweller’s Changing Horses.
Odds and Ends:
- 20 percent off Pokemon and Super Mario Bros. plush toys. PC Micro Store knocks 20 percent off several Pokemon and Super Mario Bros. Licensed Plush Toys with coupon code “Dealnews20%Toys”. In all, 27 items are available, with prices starting at starting at $14.98 after coupon with free shiping. (via DealNews) The Blawgirl’s picks: ChimChar plush for $19.98 (List: $23.33); Bowser plush for $26.98 (List: $45); and the Yellow Yoshi plush for $19.98 (List: $26.67). And in case you missed it, here’s a very funny vid from College Humor.
Photo: wallyg / Flickr
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