A space-race flashback, a muscle car dream, and a bedtime quote to send you smiling.

Evening, friend. Jack Reynolds checking in. December 10 always makes me think of the old space-race days, when a rocket launch could stop a whole neighborhood mid-supper. I dug up a neat little moment from that race for you, and it pairs real nice with that barn-burner muscle car we used to daydream about. Then we’ll wind down with a good, steady quote. Brings it all back, doesn’t it?

On December 10, 1965, the Soviets sent Kosmos 99 up on a Vostok rocket, and I remember how every launch felt like a world event. It circled just a couple hundred miles above us, then came home by parachute eight days later. Click here for the quiet spy-satellite story behind it.

The 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 was the kind of muscle car that made a fella slow down just to listen. That LS6 big block was rated at 450 horsepower, the top dog of the era. A coupe went for about $3,439 new, while clean LS6 cars today often push well past $100,000. Click for the factory story and why collectors still chase it.

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That big cowboy hat and those two boot restrooms sure made this Seattle gas stop hard to miss in 1977. The place opened in 1954 with a 44-foot hat and 22-foot boots, ran till 1988, then got saved and moved to Oxbow Park in 2003. Click for the full photo set and where it sits today.

“My bologna has a first name” hit TV in 1974, and that little sing-along turned into one of the longest-running jingles in ad history. It even got dusted off for its 50th birthday not long ago. I still hear kids spelling along in my head. Click to watch the original spot and see why it stuck.

Dolly Parton was already a bright light by the late sixties, then “9 to 5” made her a household name in 1980. She has written around 3,000 songs and sold over 100 million records, and in 2025 her fortune is estimated near $650 million. My wife still sings along. Click to trace the whole climb and what she is up to now.

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Tonight’s “Your Memory” comes from Frank in Pennsylvania, because it reminds me how proud a kid can feel of a small win. In 1981 he saved paper route money for months to buy a silver stereo with big round speakers. He says the first song he played filled the whole living room, and his folks just smiled.

Tonight’s Quote comes from Erma Bombeck, who said, “Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” I clipped that one out years ago, and my dad would have nodded right along. Life is busy enough without borrowed trouble. You can learn more about her here. Click in and see what else she had to say.

See you tomorrow. Same time, same station.

– Jack

Images are AI-generated or sourced from public-domain archives. Reader photos used with permission.