TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Aries (March 21-April 19):

Each and every effort you make is a brick in the monument of your reputation. You don’t feel pressured by this (because by now the people around you know you pretty well), but you do take the responsibility seriously. Taurus (April 20-May 20): Things may not be what they seem, but there are certain widely accepted measures of proof that would be hard for reasonable people to deny. This is the stuff you’ll be gathering today to make your case. Gemini (May 21-June 21): There are those who were never taught good manners, and then there are those who were taught them but, for whatever reason, never learned. Either way, it’s a blessing. It gives everyone a chance to practice the virtue of tolerance. Cancer (June 22-July 22): We run our lives on hypothesis, acting in accordance with our theories about how the world is and should be. When the world doesn’t agree, that’s when things get really exciting. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): There are many communication skills worthy of mastering, but none will have such wide-ranging terrific effects as the skill of choosing the topic of conversation well. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re not usually inclined to think of yourself first, but go on; do it. You’ll be amazed at whom else you can make smile while following through with what you believe are purely selfish motives. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You refuse to stay home, and you’ll never be smugly satisfied that you already know enough — because your understanding of reality keeps changing as you meet new people, learn different new topics and have new experiences. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): The mature mind is like a dual processing computer. It can function while running two programs at the same time. Sure, sometimes there’s a clash that hangs things up, but you’ll be fixing bugs as you go today. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The problem you once thought of as insidious now seems like a really fascinating study in how things develop with their own inner logic and wisdom to try to solve the issues they face. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There’s you, and then there’s your role. You never want to confuse the two or invest your ego in the role instead of in you Original Mouseketeer Tommy Cole (TV: “The Mickey Mouse Club”) is 77. Rhythm and blues singermusician Walter “Wolfman” Washington is 75. Rock musician-music producer Bobby Colomby is 74. Rock musician Peter Criss is 73. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is 72. Psychic/illusionist Uri Geller is 72. Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 72. Rock musician Alan Parsons is 70. Actress Jenny Agutter is 66. Actor Michael Badalucco is 64. Actress Blanche Baker is 62. Rock singer Billy Bragg is 61. Rock singermusician Mike Watt (The Secondmen, Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is 61. Actor Joel Gretsch is 55. Country singer Kris Tyler is 54. Rock singer Chris Robinson is 52. Actress Nicole deBoer is 48. Movie director Todd Phillips is 48. Singer David Cook (“American Idol”) is 36. Actor Jonah Hill is 35. Actor Bob Morley is 34. Singer JoJo is 28. Actor Colin Woodell is 27. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Matters of right and wrong will be quite complicated. Potentially, you could waste many hours arguing over it. Look instead at the spirit of the rules, the tone of things and the overall feeling of an experience. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): An interaction that seems out of joint needs but one quick reset — a powerful snap — to set everything right. Go on and do it. Otherwise, you’ll continue, everything rubbing the wrong way, uncomfortable and annoying. Today’s birthday (Dec. 20): The next three months feature unparalleled liveliness. After that, things settle. The repetition of healthy habits relaxes you into a deep groove. Other highlights include more intense love than you thought your heart was capable of, a special piece of creative work and a string of interviews. Capricorn and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 3, 33, 38and 14.