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The time has come for my annual short Thanksgiving/Christmas fund drive for Behind The Black. I must do this every year in order to make sure I have earned enough money to pay my bills.

 

For this two-week campaign, I am offering a special deal to encourage donations. Donations of $200 will get a free autographed copy of the new paperback edition of Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, while donations of $250 will get a free autographed copy of the new hardback edition. If you desire a copy, make sure you provide me your address with your donation.

 

As I noted in July, the support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.

 

In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.

 

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Taking the day off…

Yesterday I came down with a head cold, which is draining me of energy. I am going to take a few hours off to take a nap. I should post some more later in the day but don’t expect much.

A sidenote: When I mentioned I had a head cold to someone, the first question that person asked was “Covid?” I laughed and responded, “Who cares? Covid has been nothing more than a cold since around 2021.”

This obsession with Covid has got to stop. From a infectious disease perspective the only valuable thing it taught us is that every new and harsh flu strain that comes through eventually mutates downward utnil it is nothing more than the common cold. Covid did exactly that, no matter how much the Chicken Littles of the world tried to claim otherwise.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

20 comments

  • F

    Get better, Bob!

  • John

    No sleeping on the job.

    Also feel better.

  • Gary

    Take care Bob. You, David Livingston and John Batchelor are treasures in my little corner of the world.

  • Blackwing1

    The last time (3rd for me) that I had Covid it was manifested by fatigue, a tiny one-day fever, and a slightly runny nose. The only reason I was sure it was Covid (I’ve never been tested) was that I lost my sense of smell and taste for a couple of days. Bounced right back and felt fine within 4 days. Not even as bad as a head cold.

    About 4 months later there was an influenza bug going around our Tiny Town™ here in NW Wyoming. That thing laid me out like getting hit by a ton of brick. My joints ached so bad I could barely move, my fever got up to almost 105°F for a few hours, and I felt like crap for 10 days. The immune response triggered my auto-immune uveitis and my intra-ocular pressures soared as a side effect.

    I’d almost infinitely rather have yet another bout of the dreaded killer-Covid than the flu, personally.

    For either a rhinovirus cold or Covid, rest and plenty of fluids is about all you can do. Hope you feel better soon.

  • Bllackwing1: Don’t assume a loss of taste or smell means you have Covid. Does no one remember that these were some of the basic symptoms of every cold and flu in the past? Covid was not unique in this matter.

  • Mike a

    Gary-
    Thank you for posting almost verbatim what I came to the comments section for.

    Feel better Bob!

  • Darwin Teague

    The “Covid pandemic” was a really bad flu season.

  • Lee S

    It’s kinda ironic, or at least darkly amusing… Here in Sweden, a bad case of the Rona is now refered to as “only like a bad flu”…. I’m not advocating for panic, but a bad flu can be REALLY bad… Sometimes fatal.

    I had a good corona… 2 days feeling crap, tested positive for the rest of the week, off work in my back yard with full pay in the Swedish summer sun. I got a real flu in the 90’s and was laid up in bed for 10 days…. A big difference.

    It is worth pointing out that my opinion regarding COVID has dramatically changed over time as the genuine statistics have been revealed. I was wrong.

    I often get accused here of stuckinthemuddery, and being closed minded, (exclusively regarding my left leaning politics) but the truth is, my opinions, how ever much they rub others here the wrong way, are based on a combination of personal experience and facts. However, my opinions are just that, opinions. I don’t mind admitting when I am wrong.

  • “It is worth pointing out that my opinion regarding COVID has dramatically changed over time as the genuine statistics have been revealed. I was wrong.”

    The question remains: What do you think you have learned about those in the media, big pharma and government and those who endeavored to deceive and actively lie about the situation?

    Why did they do what they did?

    There was an element of the unknown but as time progressed and more information was arrived at they continued to promote their initial message and what turned out to be them knowing their information was false?

    And why did they as a group not allow others with much higher qualification and experience express their opinions? Many times, especially in America and other countries of the West if you dared to vary from their from on high opinion and mandated actions and therapies you were cancelled and or lost your job.

    I am very interested in what your conclusion is about these now indisputable listed facts.

    How many unnecessarily died because of it?

    What was the overarching goal?

    Things at this level do not just happen.

  • Lee S

    @Cotour…. Once again, an overtly aggressive response, to a post I made admitting that I was wrong on a subject, which obviously says I learned something. Jeeze… Give a guy a break sometimes! ( I obviously trigger something in you….. Let it go!…)

    But to answer your questions to the best of my limited ability… ( I drive a forklift, I don’t work in government or big pharma)….

    There is a quote from someone who’s name eludes me, “never attribute malice to something that can be explained by stupidity”…. While there was definitely some skullduggery going on during the “pandemic” , I believe that most of the world wide reaction was down to an abundance of caution…. No one really had any idea how bad things would get… At the very start corona was pretty bad. I know folks that were hospitalized, and know people that knew folks that died. The virus evolved, ( something that kills it’s host is a bit of an evolutionary dead end ), and now it’s a form of flu.

    There is no world wide conspiracy…. Sweden made mistakes, people in old folks homes died in droves… Masks and isolation would have served them better, but in general the Swedish approach served the country better than the lock down approach. Lessons learned.

    There will be pandemics again.. and perhaps worse than COVID.. flu related or something nasty and new… And hopefully something has been learned… You have to remember we are in the first age in human history where a global response to a pandemic is possible. Every government is flying this threat by the seat of there pants.

    I will be accused of being neieve for having this view, but I can assure that I am not… I am deeply skeptical of the “vaccines”, and the money making machines behind them, but I think that most governments were trying to do the best for their citizens… Why wouldn’t they?

    And for the record, I personally now wear a face mask when visiting my doctor’s office… Out of an abundance of caution… I am immunocompromised, and really… The old adage “better safe than sorry” applies. It does no harm, and if I’m sitting in a waiting room full of sick people, it might even help!

  • Not an unreasonable Pedestrian Realm answer to a reasonable although somewhat leading set of Political Realm questions.

    Stay calm Lee S, just questions.

  • Skunk Bucket

    While on vacation in Charleston this week (highly recommended!), I got a head cold and wondered aloud if it might be the China Virus. My friend commented, “If you don’t get tested, it’s not Covid.” Very true, so I’m calling this one the common cold and treating it as such. No biggie.

    OTOH, since the first of my two confirmed cases of the ‘rona back in ’20, I’ve had a no sense of smell. Zero, zilch, nada. Of course, I was BORN with complete anosmia, so this was nothing new. I will admit that during the Covid scare it was almost gratifying to see so many people experience, at least temporarily, what I’ve been dealing with all my life. A lot more people have at least heard of anosmia now.

  • Lee S

    One of my closest friends wife is down with the flu, and she asked him to buy a covid test. (She tested negative) I asked him what was the point? It makes no difference if covid or not…. Treat symptomatically, with Irish whiskey hot toddies at the forefront…. Flu or the Rona…

    I guess it’s a badge of honor to have had covid, but at this point it’s all it is…. My friends wife would probably be better off if she had contracted covid than the flu.

    Tangentially, I’m off to get my flu jab next week…. A genuine vaccine which hopefully guesses this years variant correctly… Benefit/cost weighed up…. better to get jabbed.

  • Lee S

    @Cotour… Could you please explain to me your definition of “Pedestrian Realm” and “Political Realm”…. I think I get where you are coming from, but genuinely want to be sure… I am not familiar with the terms.

  • “CONCLUSION: The public lives and operates under a subjective moral code or within a “Pedestrian Realm” perspective which they assume their leadership which exists within the “Political Realm” is constrained by. This is a subjective false perspective conclusion on the part of the public. Leadership at its existential core is not about morality, truth and honesty. Politically empowered Political Realm leadership is ultimately about the fundamental exercise of power and “IT’s” subjective agenda interests and “IT’s” political power prevailing. And within this Strategy Over Morality model the potential for the abuse of power related to the Pedestrian Realm perspective is ever present.”

  • James Street

    As Spock said in that one episode of Star Trek
    https://t.ly/8VcTn

  • Jeff Wright

    To cotour

    I suspect the medical-industrial complex has gotten into bed with the Greens.

  • Max

    Don’t drink the water…
    EPA loses lawsuit. Medication in water harming the public on purpose.
    https://fluoridealert.org/news/epas-final-witnesses-concede-fluorides-harm-admit-to-flaws-in-key-study-as-trial-closes/

    (fluoride is more toxic than lead)

    And definitely don’t get the shots. Bill Gates going to trial over vaccine injury’s. (can’t find this on Google)
    https://youtu.be/8OKENDqY3c4

    Maybe that 50 million to Kamala Harris will buy his way out of this. The list of countries that he is not welcome in, is getting longer.

  • Lee S

    I have to say, that given that this wonderful blog is at least as space science based as anything else, and I have no doubt of the intelligence of my fellow commentators, there is an awfully large amount of conspiracy theories banded about.

    I just don’t buy them. There is no doubt that stuff occurs we are not privey to, mostly financial related, but people talk… It’s human nature…. There is no way that a whole “deep state” conspiracy keeping us plebs under an illusion of democracy, poisoning the water, whatever, whatever… could ever work…. When the most powerful man in the world at the time ( on the left ) couldn’t keep an under the desk incident with the pizza delivery girl quiet, it boggles my mind to think any global cabal running things in the background could go unnoticed. ( A few YouTube videos posted by nutters are not proof. ) The vast majority of reporters are genuine and there are still many who do genuine research…. They would love to break any story that big, and fear is not a deterrent, look at the reporters dieing daily in war zones today.

    As I said earlier in this thread “never attribute malice to that which can be explained by stupidity” … I’m sorry, but I have never worn a tin foil hat, and never will. Those that believe that these conspiracies are real give WAY too much credit to those they believe are involved.

    Follow the money, yes… Follow the bad stuff in water…. Go check out Flint , Michigan.

  • “As I said earlier in this thread “never attribute malice to that which can be explained by stupidity” … I’m sorry, but I have never worn a tin foil hat, and never will. ”

    Exactly, you are the stereotypical inhabitant of the Pedestrian Realm, .

    You r insistence on your perspective being the only valid perspective is exactly what is used to manipulate you.

    See: Mr. A. Hitler and “The Big Lie”.

    Lee S, you and your kind are truly, TRUMAN.

    https://youtu.be/c3gI9ms8Fdc?si=mv_ZQ8M25v9FsrbR

    “We accept the reality with which we are presented”.

    Some day you may see something different.

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