Breaking News from 1968

History, then farce. A fringe player from 1968 emerges at the Occupy Wall Street extravaganza in New York City:

John Carlos, the Harlem-born sprinter who raised his fist in a Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics, addressed the Occupy Wall Street general assembly Monday night.

"I am here for you," Carlos, 66, told the protesters. "Why? Because I am you.

"We're here 43 years later because there's a fight still to be won," he said, referring to his controversial fist-raising moment on the podium at the Mexico City Games. "We must never stop. This day is not for us but for our children to come."

Carlos finished 3rd in that race. Now, if they had been able to wangle a visit from Peter Norman, the Australian dude who finished 2nd, that would be more impressive.

Meanwhile, we got another star turn:

Day 24 of the chaotic, festive protest in Zuccotti Park saw a demonstration by schoolchildren who sang songs and waved signs saying "Money for Schools Not War," a Native American protest against Columbus Day and a brief frenzy over the arrival of hip-hop icons Kanye West and Russell Simmons.

"I don't pay enough taxes, and I know it," said Simmons, the Def Jam magnate worth $340 million and author of the new book "Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All."

"I'm happy to pay a little more taxes if it means better education for our children," he said.

You know someone is super rich when he can honestly claim he wrote the book about it. As always, as a public service I am happy to remind Mr. Simmons that he can write a check to the U.S. Treasury, or to the State of New York, or any other governmental entity he chooses, at any time.

Alternatively, he might want to buy new sleeping bags for the universal soldiers currently occupying Zuccoti Park. The pictures accompanying the New York Daily News article would indicate that a little, ahem, wear and tear is happening. I find the caption for the second photo especially amusing:

The Occupy Wall Street movement has gathered steam as protesters camp out in Zuccotti Park. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)

Steam? Not so much. Methane? Quite likely.