Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin was born 82 years ago today. He was 39 when he walked on the moon and everybody who knows him says what a great guy he is. He'll go down in history as the second man on the moon. Hence the unkind phrase 'You show me a silver medalist and I'll show you Buzz Aldrin'. Apparently, he doesn't believe in Global Warming - excellent! In my book, he's just gone from silver to pure gold.
In other news ...
Today in 1265 the first ever meeting took place in Westminster Hall of what we might loosely call Parliament. Representatives from the Lords and Commons got together on the orders of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. Was this the start of democracy? No, because 'Commons' actually meant gentry (landowners) so something like 93% of the country wasn't represented at all. Women of course didn't count. Neither did serfs.
But at least there were no outrageous claims for expenses concerning second castles or falcon houses. So de Montfort had got something right. And just a note for Chanelle of Nine Tee Why; the word is serf, not smurf, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Mel Gibson painting his face blue in Braveheart. Well done for noticing it though, even if the logic is a little flawed.
