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Readers! A November fund-raising drive!

 

It is unfortunately time for another November fund-raising campaign to support my work here at Behind the Black. I really dislike doing these, but 2025 is so far turning out to be a very poor year for donations and subscriptions, the worst since 2020. I very much need your support for this webpage to survive.

 

And I think I provide real value. Fifteen years ago I said SLS was garbage and should be cancelled. Almost a decade ago I said Orion was a lie and a bad idea. As early as 1998, long before almost anyone else, I predicted in my first book, Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, that private enterprise and freedom would conquer the solar system, not government. Very early in the COVID panic and continuing throughout I noted that every policy put forth by the government (masks, social distancing, lockdowns, jab mandates) was wrong, misguided, and did more harm than good. In planetary science, while everyone else in the media still thinks Mars has no water, I have been reporting the real results from the orbiters now for more than five years, that Mars is in fact a planet largely covered with ice.

 

I could continue with numerous other examples. If you want to know what others will discover a decade hence, read what I write here at Behind the Black. And if you read my most recent book, Conscious Choice, you will find out what is going to happen in space in the next century.

 

 

This last claim might sound like hubris on my part, but I base it on my overall track record.

 

So please consider donating or subscribing to Behind the Black, either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. I could really use the support at this time. There are five 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.

 

2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation. Takes about a 10% cut.
 

3. A Paypal Donation or subscription, which takes about a 15% cut:

 

4. Donate by check. I get whatever you donate. Make the check payable to Robert Zimmerman and mail it to
 
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652

 

You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.


The February 2023 Behind the Black fund-raising campaign-THANK YOU

8:01 am

My annual February fund-raising campaign is now over. I decided to shorten it by two weeks because I was tired of begging my readers for money. As expected, this will likely make this a much smaller campaign then previous years. So be it.

Nonetheless, I sincerely and with deep gratitude thank all those who donated. Without your support I could not keep doing this, not so much because of the need for income to pay the bills, but because it tells me that there are people out there who want me to do this work.

For those who did not contribute during the campaign, the tip jar is still somewhere on this webpage. Please consider adding your vote of support to Behind the Black.

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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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

11 comments

11 comments

  • wayne
    February 1, 2023 at 6:53 pm

    Mr. Z.,
    Serendipitously, I just mailed a donation to your PO box this morning.

  • wayne
    February 1, 2023 at 7:05 pm

    Paul McCartney –
    “Birthday”
    https://youtu.be/fkZ9sT-z13I
    2:45

  • Robert Zimmerman
    February 1, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    wayne: Thank you again!

  • Dave Walden
    February 2, 2023 at 7:23 am

    Robert:

    I know in the grand panoply of contributions mine are small, but I wish to double my monthly contributions, but please advise me on the most efficient and convenient (for me) manner.

    I receive notice of my bank account being debited each month, and I no longer use Paypal. How might I satisfy my wish without writing a monthly check?

    Thank you for your wonderful site and your work to maintain its’ valuable service!

    Dave

  • Robert Zimmerman
    February 2, 2023 at 9:00 am

    Dave Walden: First, thank you for your monthly donation since 2016. It is appreciated far more than I can express.

    Second, you might not realize it, but your monthly payment is still being processed through Paypal. To end this, you need to log into Paypal and cancel it.

    Third, you have two other digital subscription options for making automatic monthly donations. The preferred is Zelle, since it charges no fees. It is used in conjunction with an internet bank account. If you have more than one, you need to choose the one that you want to use with Zelle. You then log into that account and follow the instructions at the Zelle link there.

    You make payments by assigning them to my email address. With some bank accounts, Zelle allows the option to pay a monthly amount to that email address. You need to look to find out if that option is available with your bank.

    If not, then the other option for paying a monthly subscription is Patreon. Go to my Patreon webpage and select a tier, or pick the option for creating a custom subscription amount. Note that Patreon charges me about 12%.

    I hope this helps.

  • Forrest Fuller
    February 2, 2023 at 11:19 am

    Mr. Zimmerman,

    Your contributions to the John Batchelor show have always been a highlight of my week. Your command of current events both on Earth and beyond is unparalleled. Your book “Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8” was an excellent experience as well as informative. While I am of no extravagant wealth, and the hobnail boot of Uncle Sam is familiar on my Millennial back, I shall enjoy sending you a cheque in the mail tomorrow. Happy birthday to you sir, I look forward to your future work and I am certain I will always remember these years of listening to you and Mr. Batchelor fondly.

  • Robert Zimmerman
    February 2, 2023 at 11:59 am

    Forrest Fuller: Thank you in advance for your donation.

    As you liked Genesis, you might consider buying some of my other histories. I suspect you would especially like Conscious Choice.

  • Catch Thirty-Thr33
    February 4, 2023 at 3:30 pm

    We share a birthday month. Happy early birthday!

  • Joe Rosario
    February 5, 2023 at 6:19 am

    Happy birthday Bob! Hope you have an enjoyable day! Thank you for all the informative space content. I enjoy your commentary on this site and your appearances on both the John Batchelor Show and The Space Show. Pioneer and Leaving Earth are two of my favorite reads.
    Wishing you all the best!

  • Mark
    February 5, 2023 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Bob,

    Have a happy birthday. I usually thank my Mom on my birthday since she did all the work. :-)

  • wayne
    February 6, 2023 at 7:17 am

    Forrest–

    “The Universe in a Mirror”
    WGBH Forum
    Live at the Explorers Club (June, 2008)
    https://youtu.be/5mNJAf83YTs
    1:24:20

    (

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