Are you using a propogator or a humidity dome and operating at the right temps ?????.
When using paper towels, I stick the seeds in a ziploc bag and keep it in the dark. My house temp is always 75-78 degrees. When the taproot pokes out, I plant it in Jiffy Seed Starting soil in a Jiffy pot. I then use the ghetto dome. (I put it in a zip-lock bag until the little head pokes out. I then remove the ziploc and mist the seedling until she takes off.)
If using the direct method, I put the seed 1/4 inch in moist Jiffy Starter Seed soil. I then use the ziploc to tent it until the head pokes out.
I've used this method with 80% germ rate before....it's just lately that the odds are now against me. Sorry for all the commotion guys, I know this is supposed to be stupid-easy. And thanks for all the references and tutorials.
Late Edit: After watching the video, I realized he used "purified water." To eliminate so many factors, I am going to use distilled and/or purified water and double check the pH.