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As an old '70s rock-'n'-roll working stiff now in my 40s, I have for quite some time felt disillusioned with what my rock heroes have had to say. It seemed they had nothing of importance for me to hear, and I feared rock might be dead. Now, after reading your story on Springsteen, I have renewed resolve. Although my loss could never compare with that of the victims and survivors of Sept. 11, I am sure The Rising will be part of their healing as it will be of mine. God bless Springsteen--craftsman, Renaissance man, healer, saint. STEVE SPARROW Abbotsford, B.C.
A couple of days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, I happened to watch America: A Tribute to Heroes, the telethon in support of Americans who directly suffered from the attack. I was amazed by those artists who, thanks to their widespread energy, helped Americans cope with their sense of loss. One guy in particular, Bruce Springsteen, struck me with the intensity of his words and music. I have bought The Rising, and listening to his songs, I know the Boss has changed something with his art. FEDERICA BERTELE Reggio Emilia, Italy
In a time when a lot of modern music is brought to us by people who are judged by their looks and dance routines, somebody like Bruce is needed. He has made a very strong political and emotional statement with this record. PHILIP C. DOWE Bovenden, Germany
Bambi Gets Even!
Your brief report on hunters who may have died from a version of mad-cow disease, "Deadly Feast: Can Venison Kill You?" [Science, Aug. 12], should rightly have been titled "Bambi Gets Even!" I've argued in the past that hunting is not a sport, because if it were, both sides would be comparably matched. But now perhaps it truly can be called a sport--with both hunters and prey having an equal opportunity to kill each other. CHERIE TRAVIS Downers Grove, Ill.
Rick's Cafe Redux?
President Bush's response to the misdeeds of corporate ceos [Nation, Aug. 12] reminds me of Claude Rains' famous line in Casablanca. As Captain Renault, Rains closes down Humphrey Bogart's casino and says, "I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"--just as the crooked roulette dealer hands him his winnings. DOUG WEISKOPF Cincinnati, Ohio
Mosquitoes Hit the Highway
The spread of the West Nile Virus could be because of interstate traffic of cars [Science, Aug. 12]. Mosquitoes are dragged along in the wake of cars as unsuspecting vacationers travel from east to west. Major highways generally have drainage ditches next to them; crows feed at the roadsides, and lots of mosquitoes breed in those ditches. DICKSON DESPOMMIER, PROFESSOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY New York City
Beached Again
Pilot-Whale strandings are nothing new for Cape Cod [Science, Aug. 12]. Henry David Thoreau, writing in the mid-19th century in his book Cape Cod, described beached whales. That was long before people started theorizing that agricultural runoff and global warming might be tainting the food chain and causing marine-mammal deaths. LEN SURETTE Santa Ynez, Calif.
A Camp for Compassion