Vintage Macy’s: A bit of the parade and a lot of movie clips

Macy’s in New York City is one of those icons that features into many a trip to the Big Apple.

Our travel agent in Singapore told us when she visited the U.S. that Macy’s was her favorite stop in NYC. Of course, she also told us that one week in Disney World was not enough.

This video that spans several years shows just how much Macy’s has played into American culture. Ignore that it’s an ad for Macy’s. I was impressed by just how many movies have made reference to this store. There are shots of the Thanksgiving Day Parade as well. I haven’t seen this ad before. Perhaps, you have. At any rate, I am fond of movie montages, so here it is. Regardless of whether one likes Macy’s or not, this is sure an example of the cross between consumer economics, travel and culture.

Circus acts: One vintage and one modern

After my night at the circus, I’ve thought some more about circus acts, the discipline it takes to get good enough to end up in a circus somewhere, and the countries from which performers hail. How people end up in a circus interests me. I can stand on my head. That’s about it. I’ve never been able to touch my toes and still think a split is just something you make with a banana. The other kind is out of the question.

Here’s a YouTube video of vintage circus acts. The aerial acts are similar to what we see today, but the acts with the strong man may not translate to today’s audiences. David Letterman’s stupid human tricks, maybe. Poor guy. What a heck of a way to make a living.

The second YouTube video is of a Olga and Pavel Polistovskie, two circus performers whose jobs seem a bit more fun than a cannon ball in the stomach.