First it was my friend Baron Vaughn on Conan O’ Brien. Baron was always a comedian who was going places, but I just remember him cornering people in my living room in Brooklyn to try his jokes on them. Maybe he still does this at parties. But suddenly, he looks like a man comic instead of a boy comic.
Then Stephen Squibb, another fixture in my Brooklyn apartment, showed up on Keith Olbermann this week. Stephen was always super academic, heart-on-sleeve, with fly-away hair.
Here he is talking about the arrests in Occupy Boston. Despite what I’m guessing is a pretty high stress, high emotion, low sleep situation… he sounds unbelievably articulate and thoughtful. Lead my revolution!
Here he is talking about the arrests in Occupy Boston. Despite what I’m guessing is a pretty high stress, high emotion, low sleep situation… he sounds unbelievably articulate and thoughtful. Lead my revolution!
STEPHEN DISCUSSING OCCUPY BOSTON ON KEITH OLBERMANN
Suddenly, he’s gone from a guy who could talk about political movements and social theory to someone who’s doing something. I’m so proud of my friends!
It’s strange. I leave New York to pursue my dreams, and my friends did too. And within just two years they start popping up in really awesome places.
It’s like they’re laying the rungs of this awesome ladder that I too will climb up.
Fuckin’ hard work & a lot of heart. That’s what it takes.
Ps—You know why they’re arresting people in New York & Boston? Because they’re afraid the message is actually taking hold and starting to spread. They were willing to indulge a bunch of kids getting their yah-yahs out, but now it’s getting a little real.
Think about the cost of education, healthcare, and how many jobs in this “strong Texas economy” are really minimum wage jobs, then ask yourself if we as a country are really investing our money in ourselves, our people, our futures?
Watch In the Time of Butterflies (free on hulu) if you’re feeling the revolutionary spirit – based on a book by Julia Alvarez about three sisters who helped topple the Dominican dictator Trujillo.
But we’ll leave you with a laugh…. Thanks, Baron.
MY FRIEND BARON VAUGHN ON CONAN
* * * * *
