Dave Barnes’ Posterous

At age 31: French Egyptologist Jean Francois Champollion deciphered the Rosetta stone. British physician Thomas Wedgwood produced the first photograph. Eli Terry produced clocks with interchangeable parts. He also introduced the free-trial, no-money-down sales method. Gregory Pincus achieved in-vitro fertilization of rabbits. Later he invented the birth control pill. Dennis Kucinich was the youngest person ever elected to lead a major American city (Cleveland).

Not as bad as I expected. Click the link to find out what people accomplished when they were your age.

He also told the German newspaper how he was dismissed by Hitler over a bizarre incident involving a fly.

The fly had been buzzing around the room during a strategy conference in July 1944, irritating the Nazi leader.

Hitler ordered Mr Darges to get rid of it, but the SS adjutant suggested that as it was an "airborne pest" the job should go to Luftwaffe adjutant, Nicolaus von Below.

He said Hitler then flew into a rage and dismissed him, saying: "You're for the eastern front."

Fritz Darges was one of Hitler's top aides -- but he fell from grace after this funny-but-misjudged remark.