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Readers!

 

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.

 

Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.

 

Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:

 

1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.

 

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In memory of…

A evening pause: It is important to remind ourselves repeatedly of the lengths that evil people will go to exert their will on innocents, merely for the sake of power.

The song, “Wake me up when September ends,” is by Green Day.

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

6 comments

  • R. Reed

    Forgetfulness is our greatest sin.
    As has been said by someone, somewhere, at some time.

    Memories eternal.

  • Cotour

    “It is important to remind ourselves repeatedly of the lengths that evil people will go to exert their will on innocents, merely for the sake of power.” ( Well said, sounds familiar. Have you done some independent evidence reviewing and truly independent objective thinking?)

    On September 11th, as I have now done for the past 10 or so years, I hang two very large American flags over the two front windows of my building symbolizing the two towers as a reminder. People will stop me and tell me how they respect the display. BUT, as time goes on I seem to be the only person that does so. There are less and less every year, it seems.

    In the morning the other day I went to my local dinner and as I waited for my order I picked up the Daily news and noticed within the list of the names of the people that disappeared, through no fault of their own other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time on the morning of September 11th, 2001. The print was small and the list fully filled four pages, its a lot of names that represented real living and breathing people. Not to mention all the rest who will die from exposure to the poisonous atmosphere as they rummaged through it all during the rescue and clean up.

    I understood long ago that really any one of us could have worked or had some essential business in those buildings on that morning. Or any one of us could have been on any one of those planes that morning, traveling here or there for business or pleasure. Timing truly is everything in life. At the wrong place at the wrong time and through no fault of your own you get to be introduced to the ultimate question (and answer) that humanity has pondered since humanity pondered.

    Here today, fully alive and engaged in the details of life, the good, the bad and the ugly, and through no fault of your own, gone tomorrow. I take a very existential point of view on some of these things. The universe and existence ultimately is really a cold and brutal deal, mother nature is a harsh bitch, and we will all some day, at some moment, know the answer to the ultimate question. And we (Humans) however are able to disconnect from many of the harsh realities of existence because we are “special”, we are “different”, so we think.

    Let none of us be naive and may we understand the obligation that we (Humans) have to understand, to use our individual common sense, and as a general rule lets allow no one to deprive any of us indiscriminately of our existence. Not without knowing the truth real truth of how and why, anyway. Its the least we can do.

  • Cotour wrote, “Well said, sounds familiar. Have you done some independent evidence reviewing and truly independent objective thinking?”

    As usual, you begin your comment with a condescending air, implying that I, your host, is generally stupid and thick-headed, and this one time appears to have used his brain. You also imply that without your wise advise I could never think for myself.

    This is not the way you persuade people. This is how you turn them off. And you have succeeded quite well.

  • Cotour

    And when you do the same, assume a “condescending air” that is a “good” thing? When you put words in my mouth, that is acceptable?

    Discount my not so veiled sarcasm and discard your need to be stroked (ego) and we may make some progress here. I must assume that you have your own curiosities on the subject and have done some pondering, but you know what is said about assuming.

    My arguments and persuading on any subject that I choose to comment on is done through laying down hard to argue with logic and understanding. Disagree? Want to refute it? Go right ahead, I encourage it. I am not here to hold anyone’s hand. Nor do I want my hand held.

  • wayne

    Cotour-
    60% of communication is non-verbal and all anyone has to go on here, is the text they read. Way too much nuance is loss in Text.
    (You might have struck 2-3 sentences, and it would have come across infinitely better. And Yes– it had a bit of that condescending flair, that you do enjoy.)

    on the upside– good deal with the Flags.

  • Cotour

    In the context of the forum that we find ourselves I do not have time to communicate in any other way other than directly and without ambiguity. And that appears to be my natural style, which I modify to certain degrees, but I fully embrace it. Boiled down its meant to be confrontational to status quo thinking and thought provoking.

    Yes, the flags are a large and an appropriate touch, its the least I can do.

    (its all on the upside on this side)

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