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Congratulations to Stephen Saux and Lori Murphy Saux who recently welcomed Sophia Adele into the world!

This beautiful occasion reminded me of a sketch of mine those two terrific actors performed with me back in February of 2004. So I dug up the tape of our momentous performance of “Maternity Specialist, Episode 2″ in front of about 12 people on a heinously rainy night in Santa Monica at the Comedy Underground — and here it is!

Sophie (if I may call you “Sophie”), this one’s for you.

Performed by Stephen, Lori, & me way back in the yesteryears…

requires QuickTime

I can’t wait to meet you, Sophia!

On January 4th, 1952, a well-to-do 23 year old Argentinean man set out on a motorcycle trip across Latin America. It was to be his last rake’s adventure before returning to Buenos Aires and his aristocratic family to begin his medical practice. He set off on his journey with thoughts of wine, women, and debauchery, but when he returned eight months later, the young Che Guevara’s only thoughts were of the rights of the working class — even if that meant revolution!

He was instrumental in overthrowing the Batista government in Cuba and served for several years as one of Castro’s principal lieutenants and a leading figure in his government. Then, in the late sixties, he left Cuba, resurfacing in Bolivia, training guerrilla troops for revolution. And while Che Guevara was leading his men through the Santa Cruz region in 1967, unbeknownst to him thousands of miles away in Dallas, Texas, a boy was born. A boy who would one day grow up to copy a few facts about Guevara from an encyclopedia, and then use these facts as material in a blog post, even though the boy himself didn’t really care much about Che Guevara’s life or accomplishments.

That boy, ladies and gentleman, was me.

Small world, huh?

My great-great-grandfather was one of the most feared gunslingers in the Old West.

Not feared by other gunslingers so much, but innocent bystanders would run for cover whenever “Blind Johnny” van Wert came to town.

My great-great-uncle “Cross-Eyed Billy” van Wert was also greatly feared.

In 1882, a family squabble forced the two of them to face-off in the town of Doomsdale, TX. Fifteen people were killed (and twenty-two severely wounded) before they ran out of bullets. Afterwards, Johnny and Billy sat down for some pie and worked out their differences.

It was a great day for peace in the Old West.