Birthday Wishes

Birthdays are lame. At least they have been since I stopped having cartoon themed parties where people brought me gifts in shiny wrapping paper and I got to beat the daylights out of a polychromatic paper donkey filled with candy. Oh yes, those were the days. However, I would like to point out some exceptionally awesome birthdays you may want to celebrate on this day, June 5th.

First is everyones favorite cubical slave Ron Livingston. You may remember him as Peter Gibbons from the now cult classic Office Space, or maybe you remember him as Carrie Bradshaw's writer boyfriend in Sex and the city. Maybe you are more of a history buff and recall his performance in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. Either way you remember him, wish him a happy 42nd Birthday.

While thinking about celebrities, nothing makes a better celebrity than someone who is multitalented. You know, the type that can act and rap. Well today you better set aside some time and try to send Marky Mark Wahlberg some birthday greetings. He is 38 today.

For all of those who absolutely hate jazz music, you may want to dust off your old copy of G Force and give it a listen. That's right, pseudo jazz man Kenny G is 53.

If you are a fan of contemporary art and music, then you may want to bust out a MIDI keyboard and play some Happy Birthday for experimental performance artist Laurie Anderson. Mostly known for her UK hit O' Superman (Which Imogen Heap probably heard right before she wrote Hide and Seek), she is know this day for turning 62. Happy Birthday Laurie.

There are a lot of rebels in the music scene today, from bad boy 50 Cent to train wreck Amy Winehouse, but very few of these artists have caused a complete riot at the ballet. Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer, caused a riot in the streets of Paris when he debuted his now iconic Rite of Spring. The crowd in Paris at the May 1913 debut reacted with jeers and and a general uproar. The well heeled Parisian crowd were shocked by the Russian Pagan imagery accompanied by the liberal use of dissonance and misuse of string instruments as percussion. Despite the negative reaction, Rite of Spring has become one of the most important compositions in 20th century music. Stravinsky would have been 127 today.

Finally lets give it up for Edmund of Langley, the first Duke of York. Ed was born June 5th 1341. While his main claim to fame was being the first Duke of York, his other accomplishment was being the first of five brothers to live to adulthood. Way to go Ed, have a happy 668th birthday.

There are loads more great June 5th Birthdays, so for the rest of you I leave you with Bert and Ernie and the letter U.