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My February birthday fund-raising campaign for this website, Behind the Black, is now over. Despite a relatively weak initial three weeks, the last week was spectacular, making this campaign the second best ever.

 

Thanks to every person who donated or subscribed. It continues to astonish me that people who can read my work for free like it enough to donate money voluntarily. Words cannot express my appreciation for that support, especially in these uncertain times.

 

If you have been a regular reader and a fan of my work and have not yet donated or subscribed, please consider doing so. I take no ads, I keep the website clean from pop-ups and annoying demands (most of the time). Thus, I depend entirely on my readers to support me. Though this means I am sacrificing some income, it also means that I remain entirely independent from outside pressure. By depending solely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, no one can threaten me with censorship. You don't like what I write, you can simply go elsewhere.

 

You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. 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.
 

3. A Paypal Donation:

4. A Paypal subscription:


5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
 
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
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October 15, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

Embedded below the fold in two parts.

To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, well worth your time, go here.

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 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

8 comments

  • Mark

    From this past week, here is a sampling of Batchelor episodes I can recommend:

    Josh Rogin on the Iran Deal

    Captain Jerry Hendrix discussing Taiwan

    Dan Henninger on the unreality of Washingtonian Politics

    Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the US,

    The economist Simon Constable on UK food & fuel shortages and empty shelves

    Mary Anastasia O’Grady on Cuban baseball & MLB

  • Jay

    Mark,
    I listen to show on my way home from work, besides the obvious space news which brought me here to this site, John’s show is the only U.S. radio show that talks about international issues like Taiwan and the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
    It is a great show.

  • Shallow Minded Reader

    Mark, Jay
    I removed Batchelor from my podcast list. Just too many shows and repeats that I wasn’t interested in. On weekends he would release a dozen or so book interviews. I found I was only listening to Bob, and Hotel Mars. Dr. Livingston has Hotel Mars in his podcast feed and of course, Bob posts here.

    Also, Batchelor is a RINO deep stater, not much coverage if any of the big election steel.

  • Gary

    Shallow,

    To each his own. John Batchelor is a treasure to me. He introduced me to Bob, David Livingston, Michael Yon, Gordon Chang, Michael Vlahos, several books on world history – (Roman, British, WW1 and 2), in depth discussion of Asia and the Middle East you don’t get anywhere else and on and on. He has numerous guests. who’ve worked on debunking Russiagate, defended Michael Flynn and didn’t waver in support of Trump. He does make an effort to talk to all sides, which can be a little discomfiting, but if I find a guest egregious (Dr. Henry Miller, John Bolton), I just don’t download. And, lately, he’s been hosting more of the AGW guests. I’m thinking some of this is because he had to go to CBS to get his program distributed after whatever happened with the radio station in NYC. To me, it’s still worth. sorting through it to get the info I find interesting in valuable.

  • Mark

    Gary – I appreciate your excellent review of the value of John Batchelor who has been a radio interviewer and broadcaster for many years. His shows have broad appeal and that’s a lost art in today’s niche podcasting and internet video world.
    Also – I recommend using the link that Bob now provides in his Zimmerman/Batchelor posts (To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, go…). That takes you to Batchelor’s Audioboom site which is nicely laid out and where I find it easy to find the episodes I’m interested in.

  • Lee Stevenson

    I just can’t keep silent here…. @ Gary, your comment quote “He does make an effort to talk to all sides, which can be a little discomfiting”.

    If you only listen to those who agree with you, you will never get the chance to see anything from a different angle, and thus end up living in an echo chamber.

    I try and not post here these days…. I’m bored of arguing, and have little time at the moment, but I read, and try and take on board what I read, even though I venomously disagree with the politics of most here, there are actually many points we agree on. I would never know this if I only read left wing news.

    I also occasionally take in RT, And Al Jazeera. Again, generally nothing I politicaly agree with, but I think it’s important to get an idea of what and why the folks you disagree with believe what they do.

    It’s ok to be discomforted…it’s actually healthy to have your beliefs challenged, this is what the current “snowflake,” generation don’t understand. Don’t make the same mistake, coming from the other direction!

  • Gary

    Lee, since you addressed me, I shall respond.

    First, I didn’t say I didn’t listen to those with whom I disagree. I frequently listen to Batchelor callers who don’t share my views. I’ve only culled a few who are so consistently out of touch with reality (my judgment) that I consider it a wast of my time. John produces 3 hours of content a day, so I make the judgement on what I pick.

    Second, I notice that, after your grand and dramatic exit, you have returned. Seems sort of like the old James Brown routine where he would limp off stage mid act and wait for the crowd, inevitably returning as he knew he would before leaving.

  • Gary

    Lee,

    It was wrong and petty of me to take that last shot at you. I should either not answered at all or left it at the part 1 response. Please forgive my offense against you.

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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