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Readers!

 

My July fund-raising campaign to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary since I began Behind the Black is now over. I want to thank all those who so generously donated or subscribed, especially those who have become regular supporters. I can't do this without your help. I also find it increasingly hard to express how much your support means to me. God bless you all!

 

The donations during this year's campaign were sadly less than previous years, but for this I blame myself. I am tired of begging for money, and so I put up the campaign announcement at the start of the month but had no desire to update it weekly to encourage more donations, as I have done in past years. This lack of begging likely contributed to the drop in donations.

 

No matter. I am here, and here I intend to stay. If you like what I do and have not yet donated or subscribed, 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.

 

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.


Glenn Miller Band – I’ve got a Gal in Kalamazoo

An evening pause: From the 1942 film, Orchestra Wives. The word “brass” in all its meaning captures the sense of this music and the American free culture then. Everything and anything was allowed, within the moral confines of Judeo-Christian ethics.

Hat tip Wayne DeVette.

I am in need for evening pause suggestions. If you are interested in suggesting an evening pause, please say so in the comments (without providing a link to that suggestion). I will contact you so you can forward it directly to me to schedule. The guidelines for submitting Evening Pauses:

1. The subject line should say “evening pause.”
2. Don’t send more than one per email.
3. Variety! Don’t send me five from the same artist. I can only use one. Pick your favorite and send that.
4. Live performance preferred.
5. Quirky technology, humor, and short entertaining films also work.
6. Search BtB first to make sure your suggestion hasn’t already been posted.
7. I might not respond immediately, as I schedule these in a bunch.
8. Avoid the politics of the day. The pause is a break from such discussion.

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

6 comments

  • wayne

    “Orchestra Wives” (1942)
    Colorized, stabilized, denoised, and upscaled w/ Topaz Video Enhance AI Version 1.1.1
    [practically complete, the tune “I Want To Be Happy” has been muted because of copyright claims]
    https://youtu.be/qtJggZeec_0
    1:37:45

  • David Lawrence

    For a very funny spoof on things engineering/technology, “Rockwell’s Retroencabulator” is a classic. There are a few versions out there, but one in particular is the best. It is a short (few minute) film.

    I have done a search on your site, and it does not appear that you have posted it before..

  • David Lawrence: I have posted several versions of this in the past, but maybe not this specific one.

  • wayne

    David–
    Two iterations are here:
    https://behindtheblack.com/?s=encabulator
    (personally– one of my top 10 favorite clips)

    Mr. Z.,
    -David brings up a Thing I’ve encountered occasionally-
    Sometimes I have difficulty finding past stuff at BtB that I know exists. (music or otherwise)
    What is the best way to Search here? Do I need to use some sort of Boolean search terms, or what?

  • wayne

    David-
    here you go, the General Electric Spec Sheet from December 31, 1962, for the TurboEncabulator.

    http://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/humor/ge-turbo-encabulator.pdf

  • Wayne: The search funtion on BtB is not great. I find that the best searches are done with one to three words, but no phrases. (The search function does not recognize them as phrases, even if you put them in quotes.) Moreover, I have a personal advantage because I can better guess the right unique words to use to find what I want.

    I have been considering installing a better search function, but have not because I’d rather be writing that doing such boring website maintenance. Maybe you question will prod me to act.

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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