Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 13. 2008 - PAGE 9A
Chatter Box
"A clown is like aspirin,
only he works twice as Fast,
— Comedian Groucho Marx,
cm tkirikexisi, com
Kim Baranowski is one "cool" artist. She recently
traveled to Antarctica in search of inspiration. Boy,
did she find ill i ■ it i * i
She has been living on the chilly IJJVlJl
continent for the past three months, rUB Ww&W
at the U.S. Palmer Station. She is participating in the
National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and
Writers Program. As part of the program, Baranowski
works with polar scientists who arc researching the
continent’s wildlife. She goes out in the field with them
and draws and photographs what she sees.
Baranowski has observed a variety of Antarctic
landscapes, sailed with humpback whales. and much
more. Time For Kids got the scoop from Baranowski
about her journey down south.
TFK: Can you explain some of the objectives you
had in mind when you were planning this trip?
Baranowski: Mainly, I wanted to find inspiration
for my artwork. (I wanted to observe animals) like
penguins and whales. I also wanted to view' land
scapes, like icebergs.
TFK: What is the Palmer Station like?
Baranowski: It is pretty small, but it’s a great
place. Thirty-three people are currently slaying there,
including the people who keep the station running.
TF K: Have you befriended anyone in Antarctica?
Baranowski: Everyone at the Palmer Station is
like a family because we spend so much Lime to
gether. I made friends with die scientists who arc
studying animals, and T got to sec the animals when I
was working with the scientists.
TFK: What is the food like?
Baranowski: We have chefs come in from all
over. One day we had Indian food. They are very
high-class meals.
Artist goes on an
ntarctic adventure
Adult tigers can consume up to 90 pounds
of food at one sitting.
■ A pugmark is a tiger’s paw print.
■ A tiger’s night vision is six times better
than that of a human.
— savitigligers.com
He’s not Just any clown —
he’s the star of the show
Wacky pacts
Circus numbers
85,000: Total weight in pounds of 10
clcphanfi: in show
15,000: Pounds of ice used to make
snow cones in each city
1,000: Pounds of popcorn consumed
in each city the circus visits
750: Pounds of sugar used to spin
cotton candy
350: Number of costume
changes per show
300: Total pressure in pounds of
a tiger’s jaw
08: Performers in the show
60: Pounds of confetti used per show
53: Years in age of oldest elephant
23: Years in age of youngest
elephant
21: Horses
4: Goats
PHOTOS COURTESY 0-F FELD ENTERTAINMENT
In The News
By Jaweed Kaleem
McClatchy Newspapers
emetrius A lex audi o Claudio
V Amadeus Beilo Nock —
“whew” — has been an
entertainer for as long as he
can remember.
Some people might call him a clown, but
the word doesn’t completely wrap around his
signature 12-inch-tall, straight-standing head
of red hair (“definitely not a wig,” he jokes) or
his lack of heavy makeup and the red nose
found on the typical circus performcr.
This 38-year-old — Time magazine called
him America’s best clown, but you can just
call him Bello Nock for short — is part of the
Ring ling Brother and Barn uni & Bailey cir
cus. Along with him come elephants, horses,
tigers, zebras, dogs, goats (really) and dozens
of performers, from trumpet players to acro
bats to even a pie car staff.
From the moment he bungees out of a huge
video sateen to begin die show to one of the
final numbers — in which 81 look-alikes ap
pear on the arena floor along with him —
Nock is the star of "Bellobration.”
*Tm a mixture of a comedian, clown and a
daredevil,” says Nock, who lives in Sarasota,
Fla., when he’s not on the road. "I’m sort of
like Jackie Chan and Charlie Chaplin mixed
together.” The Chaplin allusion makes sense,
but Chan? Turns out that Nock, too, does his
own stunts. Furthermore, he doesn't believe in
safety nets. “A net is like a false sense of secu
rity. You can’t net the world,” he says.
Nock knows the circus and the circus knows
him. He walked his first lew wire at age 9 and
his six-part name is an homage to the long line
of Nocks before him, who began performing in
Switzerland in the 18th century. The technology
has advanced since then, but the idea remains
the same: "It's a barrel of laughs,’’ Nock says.
‘The circus, it’s like the ultimate reality show.’’
Keep an eye out for some of these daredevil
and animals acts.
■ Sway pole: Towering atop this 94-foot-
tall, three-inch-wide tube. Nock will swing to
and fro almost 20 feel in every direction.
■ Wheel of Steel: Nock and daredevil
Nikolas Wallenda balance on a 39-foot struc
ture that is suspended in the air and resembles
an enormous four-prong bubble blower com
bined with a set of hamster wheels revolving
on a center axle. Powered by the muscles of
Nock and Wallenda as they w r alk inside the
wheels and perform tricks, the prongs criss
cross each other and turn in circles at 15 miles
per hour, producing a zero gravity effect.
■ Double Highwire: Brothers Alberto and
Mauricio Aguilar of Mexico City balance on
parallel wires 25 feet in the air using umbrel
las, unicycles, jump ropes, chairs and even fire
as props. If that’s not enough, then 1 finale in
cludes blindfolds]
■ Double Human Cannonballs: Brian
and Tina Miser arc stacked atop each other in
two cannons and simultaneously launched
across the arena, flying at 65 miles per hour.
■ Taba and his Tigers: Chi lean-bom Taba-
yara Antonio Maluenda de Campos, Taba for
short, brings 12 tigers into the arena as they
jump through hoops and show off their skills.
A spin on the Wheel of Steel.
Taba flips for tigers.
A real balancing act.
TFK: Will you bring any fun souvenirs home?
Baranowski: Since conservation is an important
point, I am not allowed to take home anything, like if I
found a feather or something. There's a gift shop at the
Palmer Station that lias all of the necessities, like tooth
paste and toothbrushes. 1 bought some sweatshirts there.
TFK: What overall grade would you give this trip?
Baranowski: I would give it an A-H-t I get to work
with such experienced and knowledgeable people, and
the animals and landscapes I’ve seen arc so exhilarating.
TFK: Are you planning to return to Antarctica after
tliis trip? What would you do differently?
Baranowski: If I ever got the opportunity to re
turn to Antarctica, I would cake it. Right now I have to
stay within 20 miles of the Rainier Station. (So, next
time) I would like to explore different places on the
is land. — Jennifer Fotioco
■D 200S Time Inc. All Rights Reserved
TIME FOR KIDS ird Tunetorkid* oom m<* roo&isfO'd votfoinarks or Time ins
— -I :
COUftlESY Df KIM UARANGWSKl
Artist Kim Baranowski works with polar scien
tists who are researching the continent’s
wildlife. She goes out in the field with them and
draws and photographs what she sees.
Help!
FIND THE DIFFERENCE
There are more than 10 difference in the pictures below. How many can you find?
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MARTY WESYMAN/IMCT
Face your fears
DEAR AMERICAN GIRL: I get
scared over siliy things in movies.
No matter how much I tell myself
that they 're not real, I can't stop
thinking about them. My sister calls
me a scaredy cat — Scared Ft iff
■ Many people feel just the
way you do. To keep from getting
that creepy feeling, be choosier!
Find out ahead of time
whether a movie will have
scary parts. If it sounds
bad, tell your family or friends you don't
think you’ll like it, and suggest another
movie. If no one agrees, do something fun
by yourself. Don’t waste time watching
things you don’t enjoy.
DEAR AMERICAN GIRL: When 1 need
to go into the basement. I'm scared of
what could be down there. I ask some
one to go down with me. — Help Me
■ It’s easy to freak yourself out by
imagining creepy critters in the
dark. Instead, sing a cheerful song
out loud. It also helps to dream up
something sweet that you wish were down
™ there, like the cutest puppy
you ever saw, in a basket
lined with a fuzzy blanket.
If you really concentrate on the details, you
won’t have a chance to let shadows give you
the shivers. Turn on all the fights, loo!
Writ americangirl.com to get or give advice.
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