January 9-11 – Another year, another birthday. The New York Times wants to talk with you. Placido Domingo and Tim Robbins sing Happy Birthday to you. Same old, same old. Rocker Dave Matthews’ 37th birthday fell on January 9, the same day that he, Robbins and Domingo appeared on separate stages at the New York Times’ arts & leisure weekend. These are not performances, but talks with Times journalists in front of an audience, sort of like a live Charlie Rose show. Among the luminaries the Times packed into the three days were composer Stephen Sondheim, authors Toni Morrison and Jonathan Franzen, Broadway stars Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, playwrights Nilo Cruz, Tony Kushner and Terrence McNally, Segway scooter inventor Dean Kamen and director Michael Moore. Due to the severely cold weather (thanks, Canada), Volkswagon, one of the program’s sponsors, provided a fleet of their new Taureg SUVs to shuttle the VIPs around town.