BUZZ: Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin of Laguna...

BUZZ: Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin of Laguna Beach heads back into space tonight on “The Simpsons.” In this episode, NASA chooses Homer to be the first average American in space, and Aldrin accompanies him. . . . The popular TV cartoon show is “not in my regular repertoire,” admits Aldrin, whose voice and cartoon image are featured. He is now writing a science-fiction book about space travel. “Who knows?” he says. “The aliens could look like the Simpsons, though more advanced.”

PLAY NO MORE: Ingram Micro Inc., the worldwide computer distributor in Santa Ana, has a policy of not carrying any adult software. Uh, unless by accident. . . . PC Week magazine recently discovered that Ingram was distributing copies of Playboy’s electronic date book last year--including risque photos of women. A spokeswoman told PC Week it had no idea “just how adult” the material was. The company says it withdrew the products from distribution once the error was discovered.

MARATHON MAN: The Festival of Whales opens Friday in Dana Point (OC Live!), and as might be expected, Laguna Beach-based marine life painter Wyland will be part of the action. He’ll be honored at a reception Sunday at the Dana Point Resort. . . . Wyland, known for painting life-size whale murals around the world, plans a whale-painting marathon to begin in August: eight murals in eight West Coast cities in eight weeks. . . . His goal is 100 “Whaling Walls” by the year 2011.

HIGH MARKS: Orange County’s own state Sen. Marian Bergeson and Assemblyman Tom Umberg scored big in California Journal’s recent biennial survey ranking state legislators. . . . Newport Beach’s Bergeson was ranked fourth overall in the Senate, and was the highest-scoring Republican in the survey of legislators, their staffs, lobbyists and journalists. Umberg, a Garden Grove Democrat running for state attorney general, finished 10th in the 80-member Assembly.