Springsteen feels New Orleans' pain

Springsteen feelsNew Orleans' pain
NEW ORLEANS -- New Jersey's favorite son was adopted by New Orleans on Sunday, as Bruce Springsteen -- through speeches and song -- vocalized the anger, frustration, pain and resilience of this hurricane-battered city at the annual Jazz & amp; Heritage Festival.
Decrying what he called "criminal ineptitude" in Hurricane Katrina's wake, Springsteen jabbed at the political powers he deemed responsible for New Orleans' slow recovery.
Perhaps the most pointed moment came as he prepared to sing an old song that he had rewritten lyrics to for New Orleans. Noting that he visited the city's ninth ward, perhaps the most devastated area in the city, Springsteen said: "I saw sights I never thought I'd see in an American city," and added: "The criminal ineptitude makes you furious."
With that, he launched into a song titled "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" and dedicated the song to "President Bystander." Its lyrics included the lines: "There's bodies floatin' on Canal and the levees gone to hell ... them who's got out of town, and them who ain't got left to drown, tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?"
They made the list
NEW YORK -- Oscar winners George Clooney and Reese Witherspoon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among the newsmakers on Time magazine's list of 100 people who shape our world.
The list of 100 most influential, in the issue on newsstands Monday, also includes world leaders Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Ehud Olmert of Israel, director Ang Lee, plus entertainers Daddy Yankee, Ellen DeGeneres and Meryl Streep.
There are a total of 104 names on the list of 100, with Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, founders of the MySpace Internet sites, and former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush sharing spots.
The list includes 79 men and 25 women from 29 different countries including Bhutan, Liberia and Luxembourg.
Separately, Time named 15 power couples such as singers Jay-Z and Beyonce and actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, plus five couples from history including the artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Today's Birthdays
Actor Theodore Bikel is 82. Actor Roscoe Lee Browne is 81. Bianca Jagger is 61. Singer Lesley Gore is 60. Actor David Suchet is 60. Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 58. Actress Christine Baranski is 54. Singer Angela Bofill is 52. Actress Elizabeth Berridge is 44. Country singer Ty Herndon is 44. Rock musician Todd Sucherman (Styx) is 37. Wrestler-actor The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) is 34. Actress Jenna Von Oy is 29. Olympic gold medal figure skater Sarah Hughes is 21. Actress Kay Panabaker ("Summerland") is 16.