5 Things You Need to Know Today: Aug. 22

1. It was 15 years ago today that President Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, with the goal of ending “welfare as we know it.”

2. Born on this day: An interesting mix of musicians, including Vernon Reid of Living Colour (1958), Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears and Debbi Peterson of the Bangles (1961), Tori Amos (1963), the GZA (aka Gary Grice) of Wu-Tang Clan (1966), Layne Staley of Alice In Chains, (1967), Paul Doucette of Matchbox 20 (1972), and Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys (1973).

3. According to a website called P2012: Race for the Whitehouse, Gary Johnson has made the most pre-Primary visits to the Granite State 46 in the last 240 days). You can get all the Election statistics and fun facts you want at http://www.p2012.org/chrnnewh/newhvisits12.html.

4. Only 125 shopping days left until Christmas. If that's not exact enough, find out down to the actual second, by clicking here for Santa's countdown clock: http://emailsanta.com/clock.asp

5. The name Nashua has its origins in a Native American word for “land between two rivers,” those being the Nashua and Merrimack Rivers. Incidentally, someone's done the math and Nashua is about 2.98% water.