art's blog

Not too long ago we published a post criticizing Apple for banning an unauthorized biography of Steve Jobs. But we still think Jobs is an incredible guy. He delivered the commencement address to Stanford graduates on June 12, and gave an inspiring and very personal speech.

We think it is important for students everywhere to read what he had to say, so here is the transcript, as originally published in the Stanford Report:

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth
be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation.
Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big
deal. Just three stories.  Read More »

Steven Spielberg, known for his movies featuring lovable, cute aliens like E.T., has decided that people in the post-9-11 world want to see aliens they can fear and loathe.  Read More »

The 'text lottery' for tickets to the London
Live-8 concert began this morning. The
concert, which is part of an international music bonanza taking place across North America and Europe, is planned to coincide with this summers
G8 summit in Edinburgh.  Read More »

Bob Geldof was interviewed on NPR's Talk of the Nation today, and his passion for solving the problems that face Africa came through loud and clear. 

The interview was very short, but Geldof was bubbling with energy and statistics.  When asked how Live-8 came to be, Geldof described how Tony Blair attended his Live Aid concert 20 years ago, and how the concert had helped shape Blair's political opinions on Africa. 

About a year and a half ago Sir Bob convinced Blair to form the Africa Commision, and Live-8 was eventually planned as a political lobby for change to help raise awareness around the world and thereby put pressure on the leaders of the G-8 countries to adopt the recommendations of the Africa Commision.  Read More »

No, we have not discovered a new video of Paris Hilton mixing it up with Bill Cosby. But there is a tie-in between the two celebrities, and there is some degree of controversy.

Last week Progressive U bloggers attended a talk by Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, an ordained Baptist minister, avid social commentator, and author of numerous books, including Holler if You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur, Open Mike: Reflections on Philosophy, Race, Sex, Culture, and Religion, and his latest, Is Bill Cosby Right? (Or has the black middle-class lost its mind?).  Read More »

A Los Angeles Times reporter who gained access to a private conference call released embarrasing details today of Governor Schwarzenegger's campaign strategies.

The LA Times said that major Schwarzenneger donors are invited twice a month to participate in a conference call with the governor and his campaign advisors. The reporter was given the dial-in number for the call from one of the participants, and listened in on the call last Thursday.  Read More »

Have you ever wondered why the income gap between the rich and the poor is increasing?  Have you ever wondered why corporate CEOs
take home 300 times as much as the average hourly worker, even in recession
years?

The reason is simple: bonehead economics.  Read More »

Jon Stewart was back on the air this week after a two week vacation. On his first night back he caught people up on all the current events that had happed during his absence.

The highlight of the show was a backhanded compliment that Stewart gave to bloggers. They did a segment discussing the debate around purported injuries sustained by rebel leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Then they showed a clip from a Fox News interview with General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Myers said that the army believed the reports of Zarqawi's injuries to be true, based on postings that they had read on enemy websites that they regularly monitor.  Read More »