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Delivered Daily At 7pm
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Evening, friends, Jack here. December 7th always makes me think of Apollo 17, and when the whole country seemed to stand a little taller. I can still see my dad nodding at the TV. And wait till you get a look at that black and gold Trans Am we all daydreamed about after school. Brings it all back, does it not? |
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#1 · This Date Back Then
A quick hop back to one real moment from the golden years that had folks talking.
Apollo 17 Lights Up the Night Sky 
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On December 7, 1972, Apollo 17 roared off in the dark and I remember watching with my jaw open. It was the last time we sent men to the Moon, and they came home with a record 243 pounds of moon rocks. Click here for the night launch story and what they found up there. |
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#2 · The Car We All Wanted
Slip back into the driver’s seat of the American machines we circled in the brochures.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, Black and Gold 
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The 1977 Trans Am was the poster car of my high school lot, bold black paint and that big bird on the hood. It listed around $5,450 new, and a clean one brings about $55,000 today, with rare sales even higher. With a burly V8 and shaker scoop, it sounded like freedom. Click here for the specs and the wild auction highs. |
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#3 · Corner of America
One small patch of town that shows how everyday America grew up around us.
Full Service on a Gas Wars Corner, 1950s 
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Full service on a sunny corner in the 1950s meant a smiling attendant, a wiped windshield, and gas for 17.9 cents a gallon in the famous gas wars. My dad would hand over two bucks and drive off happy. Today we pay about $3.85. Click here for the photo and the story of that bargain era. |
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#4 · The Ad You Still Quote
A commercial or print ad whose lines still pop into your head at the oddest times.
Coca-Cola’s 1979 “Hey Kid, Catch!” Spot 
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“Hey kid, catch!” from this 1979 Mean Joe Greene Coke ad still gets me smiling. It first aired October 1, 1979, then stole hearts again during Super Bowl XIV, and even won a Clio for best TV spot that year. My boys quoted it in the driveway. Click here to watch the full minute and feel that little handshake moment. |
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#5 · Where Are They Now?
Checking in on the faces, shows, and products we grew up with to see where life carried them.
Eddie Murphy, From Axel Foley to AFI Honoree 
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Eddie Murphy lit up 1984 as Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop,” and back then he was already pulling about $14 million for that first movie. These days his fortune sits around $200 to $250 million, and in 2026 he is getting the AFI Life Achievement Award. Makes me proud to see it. Click here for his full road from standup kid to legend. |
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#6 · Your Memory
A shared moment from you, the reader that could have come from any of our family albums.
Linda’s Front Porch Lemonade Stand, 1962 
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Tonight’s “Your Memory” comes from Linda in Iowa, thinking back to a hot July day in 1962. She and her sister set up a lemonade stand on their front porch with a hand painted sign that read five cents a cup. Neighbors paid with nickels and smiles, and her mom brought out sugar cookies. That is small town summer at its best. |
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#7 · Nightcap Quote
One last quote from a familiar voice to end the night right.
Maya Angelou on Doing the Work 
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Tonight’s Quote comes from Maya Angelou, who reminded us that “Nothing will work unless you do.” That is plain truth my dad always said in his own way. You put in your best, and the Lord and the world meet you halfway. You can learn more about her here. Click and see how she turned hard days into strong words. |
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See you tomorrow. Same time, same station. – Jack |
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Images are AI-generated or sourced from public-domain archives. Reader photos used with permission. |
