We all get plenty of emails from companies that immediately go in the trash, messages that arrive only because at some point we ended up their mailing list.

Usually it’s a promotion designed to get us to visit a website and buy something.  But on Friday, my inbox started filling up with messages from corporate America wishing me “Happy Birthday!!!”

Some of these were of the expected variety, like the Washington Nationals offering me a special 15 percent off at their team store.  A bank sent me a link to a video with a basic message that having friends is more important than having stuff (so maybe you should deposit more money in your savings account?)

The local rock radio station didn’t seem to have a message at all.  In fact, they acknowledged exactly what they were doing:  “Don’t you hate automated emails Chris? We do also.” (I also hate when you don’t properly punctuate your sentences, but I’ll let that go.)

The University of Maryland Alumni Association sent a nice message, including a push to update my information in their system if it wasn’t actually my birthday.

But by far, the most random was from an online forum catering to all forms of stereo systems.  I signed up two years ago when I was fixing my grandfather’s reel-to-reel tape machine and had some sort of question about 1968 technology.  Granted, this was useful information that led to finding some really cool audio, but I’m not sure they had to go out of their way to wish me happy birthday.

To all of the real people who did, thanks.  It was a massively cool day that included sleeping late and going to a doubleheader at Nationals Park:

Our view while consuming Game 2 food