Friday, September 23, 2005

Spotlight
It's The Boss's birthday! Rocker Bruce Springsteen turns 56 today. Famous for his songs about working-class values, Springsteen's songs express what it's like to grow up on New Jersey streets. His most famous albums are Born to Run (1975) and Born in the USA (1984). After the 9-11 attacks, Springsteen gave fund-raising concerts and produced an album, The Rising, with his longtime back-up group, the E Street Band.

Quote
"And you've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above..." – Bruce Springsteen, "Tunnel of Love"

Word of the day
heartland rock: music with a straightforward style, with lyrics about living in everyday America, and a belief in music's social purpose beyond entertainment; The Boss is a heartland rocker. (© )

Today's News

• Houston: residents clear out as Hurricane Rita approaches (story)
• cigarettes: even a few a day triples risk of death from heart disease or lung cancer (story)
• Bible: condensed into a 100-minute read (story)

Today's History

• I have not yet begun to fight: said by John Paul Jones during the Revolutionary War to British commander who asked if he was ready to surrender his ship (1779)
• Neptune: 8th planet (usually) discovered by Johann Gottfried Galle (1846)
• Checkers speech: candidate Richard M. Nixon denied having received improper contributions, except perhaps for his daughter's dog, Checkers (1952)

Today's Birthdays

• Victoria Claflin Woodhull: first woman to run for US president (1838-1927)
• musicians: John Coltrane (1926-1967), Ray Charles (1930-2004)
• actors: Mickey Rooney (85), Jason Alexander (46)