Best Clown School

Start clowning around -- it could earn you a cool 35 large a year. Instructor Larry Kibbey, 76, has been clowning since 1949 and has written seven books on the subject, so he's got the Bozo thing down pat. He's also the patriarch of what he calls the world's largest family of clowns and magicians -- 14 fabulous entertainers in all. Kibbey learned at the gigantic shoes of four of the most famous Ringling Bros. clowns of the past century, and now he's ready to show you the Way of the Honking Nose. For $600, you get seven two-hour courses on things like the history of clowning, costuming, makeup and balloon sculpting. Some of his goofy grads have found jobs working in Hollywood or for Disney. And lest you think that there's no moolah in acting the fool, Kibbey claims he once earned $49,000 for four days' work clowning around for alkies and crackheads at a state hospital. That's over $12,000 a day. Who's laughing now?