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Readers!

 

It is now July, time once again to celebrate the start of this webpage in 2010 with my annual July fund-raising campaign.

 

This year I celebrate the fifteenth anniversary since I began Behind the Black. During that time I have done more than 33,000 posts, mostly covering the global space industry and the related planetary and astronomical science that comes from it. Along the way I have also felt compelled as a free American citizen to regularly post my thoughts on the politics and culture of the time, partly because I think it is important for free Americans to do so, and partly because those politics and that culture have a direct impact on the future of our civilization and its on-going efforts to explore and eventually colonize the solar system.

 

You can’t understand one without understanding the other.

 

Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent independent analysis you don’t find elsewhere. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn’t influenced by donations by established companies or political movements. 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.

 

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.

 

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

3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:

 

4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed 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 most interesting comment threads of December

Many of the posts here at Behind the Black are not much more than me providing my readers a link to what I consider to be an important story, what I categorize as a point of information. Ever so often, however, one of these posts will touch a nerve and generate a great deal of comments and discussion, most of which is generally well written and thoughtful.

In December two posts in particular resulted in a lot of debate. Because these comments were part of a point of information, however, they ended up being lost amid the many similar posts. I have decided to highlight both threads here on the front page because I think it worthwhile for others to read what was written.

Thread 1: A preliminary copy of the next IPCC report has been leaked.

Here was a case where several readers who believe in global warming challenged my skeptical take on the IPCC, and I and others responded. The give and take is quite illuminating.

Thread 2: The state where this past weekend’s mass murder occurred is considered to have the fifth strongest gun laws in the nation.

In suggesting with this link that the mob-like rush to impose new gun control laws on the federal level after the Connecticut mass murder was a mistake, regular reader Jim asked, quite reasonably, “So what’s to be done? Given the number of recent events like this, and the absolute horror of Newtown, what if anything is to be done?” The responses from myself and others I think gives us a much more reasonable and rational look at this sad affair than we have seen from the mainstream press.

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

7 comments

  • wodun

    It is nice to see so many conflicting view points but I would like to point out to people that a post shouldn’t have to put a fire in your belly for you to comment on it :)

  • Rene Borbon

    Good debate really makes for better solutions. That’s what is often lacking on TV. Of course, maybe I shouldn’t say that since I haven’t had TV in my apartment for a full year now. Am I missing anything?

    I very much enjoy this site and hope to pick up your book soon. Thank you for moderating and interesting subjects!

  • Jim

    Indeed…it we can’t debate all of these points reasonably (a lesson I myself struggle with, but hopefully I am improving on), there is then no hope. Lots of tough issues facing all of us in America. We need reasonable discussion and solutions. And that does not mean passion is eliminated. Passion is good too.
    Happy New Year to all.

  • wodun

    Game of Thrones, Justified, The Walking Dead, Archer, Sons of Anarchy, Boardwalk Empires and a couple others :)

    These days there are a lot of cool series to watch but sometimes it nice to wait a season or two buy the dvd or rent it on netflix and watch it all marathon style.

  • Thanks for your suggestions wodun. I do have Netflix and watch using the marathon style approach.

  • Paul Lake

    I enjoy a good debate. But I lost track of thread 1. Is there no way to be notified if a thread I’m involved in has a new comment or reply? What’s the best way to keep track of the discussion?

  • You will just have to check back periodically. The only way you find out about responses is if someone replies to you directly. If they instead comment to the post itself you won’t get an email.

    It is partly for this reason I highlighted these two threads.

Readers: the rules for commenting!

 

No registration is required. I welcome all opinions, even those that strongly criticize my commentary.

 

However, name-calling and obscenities will not be tolerated. First time offenders who are new to the site will be warned. Second time offenders or first time offenders who have been here awhile will be suspended for a week. After that, I will ban you. Period.

 

Note also that first time commenters as well as any comment with more than one link will be placed in moderation for my approval. Be patient, I will get to it.

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