Discovery Channel takes a six-part look back at the space race

If you can stand one more retrospective on the U.S. space program, Discovery Channel is celebrating NASA's 50th birthday with a new six-part limited series (as distinct from the two-or-more-night movies usually labeled "miniseries") called When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions, starting tonight with a segment on the Gemini missions.

So far, it's pretty good..but of course, I admit bias on this subject. New interviews, recently declassified footage and crisp narration by Gary Sinise (Ken Mattingly in the film Apollo 13) make it worth at least checking out for any fan of space exploration. And they appear to have even managed to coax first man on the Moon Neil Armstrong out of his notoriously reclusive media avoidance to speak on camera for this one. Be warned, though: the first episode is a solid three hours, so if you're not prepared to set aside that much time at one sitting, tape or TiVo it.

Support Your Local Injured Career Filker

By way of partiallyclips, I have alarming news: the Dark Lord of the Smith and The FuMP co-founder filkertom  has torn a quadricep while getting on a stage to perform, severely enough that surgery is required...and that healing up from it will render him unable to meet most of his performing commitments and convention-attending plans for this summer. So if you were expecting to see him at Contata, AnthroCon or any other event until at least GenCon, fuhgeddaboudit.

Discussion has begun on how to help him compensate for the sudden gigundo hit his finances will take from both the missed gigs and the medical expenses relating to his injury; stay tuned to Rob's and Tom's pages (Tom should be resuming his before too long). In the meantime, send prayers/good thoughts in his direction if you can...and tossing a song commission or CD order his way wouldn't go amiss, either.