A photograph for the history books: Bruce Springsteen leads the E Street Band during their "Land of Hope and Dreams Tour" stop in Washington, DC, as captured by his sister, Pamela Springsteen.
Conan O'Brien used his Harvard University commencement speech to argue that humility and the human connection matter far more than any diploma.
"I always recognize the enormous role of luck in my life. Refusing to see how luck has played a role in anyone's success is simply ignorant. Many people are happy to mistake a lucky poker hand for their own brilliance, and fighting that human instinct has kept me sane.
"I honestly believe that community, spontaneity, and a real commitment to humility has helped me build a rich life that means much more to me than any diploma. And believe me, I'm not saying the goal is to renounce accomplishments, but rather to metabolize them. If you carry your victories lightly, other qualities –- kindness, originality, courage, humor, and humanity –- have room to emerge.
"Maybe the greatest lessons I've learned along these lines have been through my 24 travel shows. I have degraded myself in Cuba, Ghana, Korea, Armenia, half of Europe, Argentina, Thailand, Mexico, and Greenland, where I visited a real estate office and tried to buy the country. When I travel to another land, every quality I have discussed -- community, adaptation, and a sincerely humble approach -- are all necessary. When you don't speak the language, no one truly cares where you went to college, and you have no choice but to make friends.
"It's on these travels that I learned a great lesson: let yourself be bad at things. I have been a bad dancer in every country I have visited. But the people laugh because it turns out everyone everywhere is related to at least one terrible dancer. For me, humility on these trips can easily lead to humiliation, which is also a useful tool.
"Three weeks ago, I visited Amsterdam, dressed up as Van Gogh, and forced my way into the Van Gogh Museum, where I started loudly demanding a cut of the merchandising because I made no money during my lifetime. Guards forcibly ejected me. I was roundly mocked by patrons for my pathetic display. But I did see a lot of smiles. And not one person said, now that's a Harvard grad.
"In Tokyo, I met with a teacher of Japanese etiquette who volunteered I wasn't her type. And when I asked her why, she just said, 'face.' In Ghana, after accepting a royal invitation, I was kicked out of the Ashanti Palace by the Queen Mother, because her favorite soap opera was starting.
"I understand that I am preaching modesty and connection at a time when this is not in style. We are living through a period of extreme narcissism. Our current leadership in Washington believes that empathy is a weakness and that our nation stands supreme and alone. Add to that, everyone here today has a phone in their pocket that is algorithmically programmed to celebrate you and you alone by making you the protein-maxing hero of your own special journey.
"Much has been written about how isolated and siloed we've become, but for me, the antidote is quite simple. By de-emphasizing what makes us special — in your case, a prized degree — we can really find one another, not as an exercise in virtue, but as a path towards greater laughter, love, and real growth."
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Harrison Ford: “Humanity is a part of nature, not above it. We need cultural change. We need to extend social justice. We need to respect and elevate the indigenous people that are being marginalized, and in many cases, killed in cold blood. The world you’re stepping into, the world my generation left you, is a real mess”
Clarence Carter, the blind Southern soul star whose songs were often as emotionally profound as they were delightfully bawdy, died Thursday, May 14. He was 90.
https://t.co/Y270TVxpRP
Today is Sarah Langs’ birthday, and we’re celebrating with the new 2026 Edition of our Baseball Is The Best shirt!
Proceeds from each shirt sold will benefit @ProjectALSorg and help their mission to end ALS. Available for pre-order for a limited time – first batch expected to ship by May 15th!
⚾️👕 available only at:
https://t.co/Gg4y05fH3K
Just want to point out Tim Salmon and Darin Erstad deserve some credit today in how they honored GA.
They did media & told stories. They were there for us so we could grieve and for the Anderson family to have some space.
They were, and have always been, great teammates.