Recently in birthdays Category

Boy, if you've seen one "Star Wars"-themed video birth announcement, you've seen 'em all, right?

Wait, what? "Star Wars" birth announcements? When did this become a trend?

The exact date this idea sprung from a happy nerd couple's heads is a little murky, but the genre just took off like its ready to make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

Jennifer and Jeff Hays, you see, are about to become parents. A proud, "aging couple" craving danger and adventure and at the end of their breeding range. But, the Force must be strong with the Hays. With a baby clock alarm exploding like the Death Star, and two torpedoes in the, help us, baby hole later, the Hays are expecting twins.

Thankfully, not to be named Luke and Leia.

And how do we know this quiet couple is about to pop? Well, it's been beamed to the world, hologram-style, via YouTube.

Jennifer and Jeff have something they wanted to share with everyone...and because analogies make things easier and Jeff is an admitted Star Wars dork...we thought this might be appropriate...Thanks!

As a side benefit, it's clearly an exemplary educational video, too. This explains the whole procreation thing well enough for your little tykes the next time they ask where babies come from.

But, as well done as this is, it's hardly the first in this volley of nerdtastic one-upmanship baby-making broadcasts.

One of the earlier versions, seems to be this work by vidopantera. As a groundbreaking piece of due date film, it's an important work. But as with so many other trendsetting efforts through history, there was much to be perfected upon - the acting is as wooden as Queen Amidala's dialogue and the scene seems to have been shot from a Gungan sewer based on the lighting. But still, you have to start somewhere.

And then there was this rather wordy effort from cdalek that gives all lead-in type and no 'splosions. The dialogue killed George Lucas' moments of glory and it's no different for

Keeping it simple is good, but the people want special effects and action in this day and age. Mindful of the production must you be, parents.

Thanks to ToplessRobot for digging the new stuff up.

When no less than Roger Ebert chooses to give you birthday shoutouts, then you definitely deserve a little video love.

David Mamet is 62 today.

In a way, this should almost be the Saturday Night Live version, but sometimes you just have to stay true to the original. Yeah, sure, the live stage, Broadway types will argue movies suck and Mamet is written for the moment, but whatever. Let them find theater on YouTube.

Finally, a big twitter social networking phenomenon we can all embrace.

Big Bird, the giant yellow star who made Sesame Street a happy place long before Elmo came along, turns 40 today. Definitely not a spring chicken anymore.

To celebrate, Sesame Street's website is running a contest where you can vote for your favorite episodes from the the show's 40-year life on Public Television. Even Google has gotten in the game, sporting some decidedly chicken legs for the day above its search bar.

And while there has been controversy in the past over just how old Big Bird is in show years - he seems to be somewhere in the first-grade range if you're thinking of a gift - there's no denying he's been an iconic force in children's live for generations no matter his age.

And the 8-foot, 2-inch yellow original - he debuted on the original airing of "Sesame Street" in 1969 - shows no signs of slowing. Along with his buddies, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and the rest of the people and monsters on one of the world's most famous streets, Big Bird has seen and done a lot. From dealing with the death of Mr. Hooper to helping kids learn to read and count to making new friends, marking 40 years in feathers is quite the feat indeed.

And, of course, if Big Bird is 40, Sesame Street is also 40. There's a celebration planned for the actual anniversary date on November 10. Meanwhile, there's an interesting look in the AtlanticWire at some of the changes over the decades.

A little lesson on appreciation on Guinness' special day:

And a clever ad on the evolution of the wait for the settle:

And, of course, some fun facts for hanging with your friends down the pub.

Can't take the whole thing? Forward to the 7:45 mark for the flaming strings of a world record.

This has been around a little bit, but it's definitely worth a look for anybody who thinks they know how to crunch a guitar riff.

Watch the whole thing and two truths will clarify in your mind: 1) Flight of the Bumble Bee is an evil song that you never want to hear again and B) at 320 beats per minute and with the tune still clearly heard to that damn song, this guy incredible at what he does.

This guy is Thiago Della Vega, by far the fastest guitar player in the world. Seriously. The Brazilian, of whom there is not a lot of other information, has the Guinness World Record to prove it - though there is a controversy about whether he owns the record and should have played, no lie, Dueling Banjos to be official.

And, yes, the debate rages about whether he's a real guitar player. The fretheads give him his due as a quick picker, but whether that in and of itself counts as guitar playing? Well, who am I to judge. Check it out and make up your own mind.

But when prog metal meets Flight of the Bumble Bee, well, what can you really say?