The year was 1977 and, for my brother Steve and me, Christmas toys were forever changed. That was the year Mom introduced us to Pong. Or maybe it was Santa who did. I can’t recall. What I do know, though, is that we spent countless hours playing this most basic of video games on a 9-inch black-and-white TV in our basement, and we truly thought this was high-tech. For the time, it was.
For those of you who don’t know, Pong was a video game that simulated table tennis, but only in two dimensions — a far cry from the video games that are available today. Playing it on a black-and-white TV was fine because the game was only available in black and white. Players would use paddles (that were built into the console) |
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by moving them up and down on the screen. We were able to compete against each other, too, as a second paddle was on the opposing side of the console. No remotes on this set, though, wireless or otherwise.
Pong was manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was the first commercially successful video game and, along with the Magnavox Odyssey, established the industry. Soon after its release, several companies produced games that copied it, but these machines were not the home units my brother and I enjoyed.
In 1974, Atari proposed a home version of Pong that connected to a TV. The first units were branded by Sears with the “Tele-Games” name and sold in late 1975 for $98.95 and an additional $7.95 for the AC adapter. That was a lot of money at the time. Still is. Atari later released a version under its own brand in 1976. Who needs Sears? |
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Our version was a knock-off brand — the Coleco Telstar Pong. It was commercially successful, too, as about one million units were sold at a price of $50 from 1976 to 1978. The short-lived success of Pong led Coleco to nearly go bankrupt in 1980. Regardless, for those few years, Steve and I mastered those paddles and ball, which were really just straight lines and a dot. Regardless, we thought we were the real deal, playing tennis, hockey, handball and jai alai. The 2.5-pound plastic console had variable settings for beginner, intermediate and pro skill levels. Needless to say, we were pros. |
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Mom even got in on the fun and joined us for some friendly competition. Her hand-eye coordination didn’t match the skill level needed, though, and she retired from play quickly. I would guess our Coleco Telstar Pong sold at a garage sale at some point soon after, probably along with the 9-inch black-and-white TV. But for those few years, they both provided much fun and enjoyment for a couple of boys.
How about you? What were the toys of your youth that bring back great memories? Send me a note and let me know.
Have a magnificent Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's past columns here. |
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FROM KCCI: Iowa's Kaleb Johnson declares for 2025 NFL draft. IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa Hawkeye running back Kaleb Johnson has announced he will forgo his senior season in the black and gold and is declaring for the 2025 NFL draft. The junior from Hamilton, Ohio, shared the decision on social media Sunday evening. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Iowa State beats Kansas State for program’s first 10-win season. MES, Iowa (AP) – Rocco Becht threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and No. 17 Iowa State’s defense came up with big stops in the second half to help the Cyclones beat Kansas State 29-21 on Saturday night for the first 10-win season in program history. ...READ MORE
FROM WOI: Iowa small businesses worry about Trump’s proposed tariffs. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a 25% tariff on goods coming from Mexico and Canada or a 10% tariff on all imported goods. ...READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
After some light snow, it looks like a cold start to the week. Warming on a windy Wednesday and cooling again after.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | IOWA ARTIST
Faces in the Crowd
By Jackie Wilson
When Adam Oestreich “stumbled on” an art exhibit of William Hawkins at Figge Art Museum in Davenport, he says the experience was life-changing to his career.
He became enchanted with the works of Hawkins, a self-taught artist.
“The colors were vibrant, powerful and incredible. It blew me away. I discovered artists can be powerful and have beautiful work — even if they didn’t have a chance to pursue art,” he says. | | | READ MORE |
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Back to the Biz
More than 500 people gathered last month at the Iowa Events Center to celebrate Iowa Restaurant Association's (IRA) annual awards. The event included the final portion of IRA's statewide culinary competition. First place went to Chef Aaron Holt, of Catering by Doolittle Farms, second to Chef Anthony Nace, Park Street Kitchen +Bar, and third to Chef Tanner Killinger, Des Moines Embassy Club. Chef Nace also won the People's Choice honors and Chef Holt the Choose Iowa award for best use of Iowa products. Nace was also named Chef of the Year.
Other winners: Legislator of the Year - Majority Leader Representative Matt Windschitl; Iowa Brewer's Guild's Ambassador of Craft - Jeff Bruning, Full Court Press; Emerging Leader - Isabella Santoro, Northside Diner of Washington; Rural Restaurant Operator of the Year - Chelsea Johnsen, Sisters and Cheese; Mentor of the Year - Chef Andy Walsh, Mickey’s Irish Pub, Waukee; Restaurateur of the Year- Jim & Jodi Landau, The Brown Bottle, Cedar Falls.
Chef Nace has an interesting New Year's Eve dinner planned - four courses paired with high end rum cocktails $99. Reservations.
Monday's deals
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.
• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Monday $10 special is ham and Swiss sliders with fries.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays.
• Trostel's Greenbriar (5810 Merle Hay Road, Johnston) offers half-pound steak burgers with fries or salad and a beer for a Monday-only price of $14.
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.
• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine.
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9.
• Fareway has a deal this week on USDA Choice T-bones $8.88/pound and navel oranges for 99 cents a pound, not a piece.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local Customer Service (overall)
1. Stork Orthodontics
2. Prysm Jewelry and Piercing
3. Merkle Retirement Planning
Cast your votes in the 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll now! Open until Nov. 22. Results to be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$840,000 7350 Eagle Pointe Drive Johnston, IA 50131
Discover elegance and comfort in this exceptional 5,300 square foot estate, prominently featured in the “Home Show Expo ‘97” and nestled within the prestigious Eagle Pointe subdivision. Situated on a corner lot, this home boasts meticulously manicured landscaping and charming stone accents, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere. ...
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 1310 N.W. 114TH ST., CLIVE
SALE DATE: 2024-08-21
SALE PRICE: $950,000
SELLER: MOSS, TERRY
BUYER: NVGC PROPERTIES LLC
ACRES: 1.226
SQUARE FEET: 5,150 |
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Featured in the current
issue of Norwalk Living magazine | | | On the map
Landmarks add to the community’s character.
By Rachel Harrington
A landmark Norwalk will “Never Forget”
In 2018, the Firefighters Association in Norwalk applied to a program out of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a request was put in to obtain a piece of steel from the Twin Towers.
“The steel was available, by request, to any emergency services organizations,” Fire Chief Jenn Porter says. “The organization likes to know what you’ll be doing with it, and in our case, we were creating both a firefighters memorial and a 9/11 memorial.”
The process took approximately a year from start to finish. The association had kicked around several ideas at first, thinking perhaps they could put it up themselves. | | | READ MORE |
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FROM ESPN: Big Ten fines Michigan, Ohio State $100K each for role in melee, ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: NFL Needs to Suspend Azeez Al-Shaair to Set Clear Boundary on Dirty Hits. ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: Magic get 12th win in past 13 games, NBA Cup clash with Knicks up next. ... READ MORE |
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1954: Meteorite strikes Alabama woman. The first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human being occurs at Sylacauga, Alabama, when a meteorite crashes through the roof of a house and into a living room, bounces off a radio, and strikes a woman on the hip. The victim, Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges, was sleeping on a couch at the time of impact. The space rock was a sulfide meteorite weighing 8.5 pounds and measuring seven inches in length. Mrs. Hodges was not permanently injured but suffered a nasty bruise along her hip and leg. … READ MORE
1989: Female serial killer strikes in Florida.Richard Mallory, a storeowner in Palm Harbor, Florida, is last seen taking a ride with Aileen Wuornos. The following day, his car—containing his wallet, some condoms, and an empty vodka bottle—was found abandoned in a remote area of Ormond Beach. Nearly two weeks later, his body turned up in a Daytona Beach junkyard with three bullets in his chest. Mallory’s murder was the first of seven committed by Aileen Wuornos over the next year. … READ MORE
1993: Brady Bill signed into law.During a White House ceremony attended by James S. Brady, President Bill Clinton signs the Brady handgun-control bill into law. The law requires a prospective handgun buyer to wait five business days while the authorities check on his or her background, during which time the sale is approved or prohibited based on an established set of criteria. … READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday: Anthony Bonanno!
These celebrities were born on this date: Britney Spears, Charlie Puth, Aaron Rodgers, Nelly Furtado, Mitchel Cave, Lucy Liu, Jana Kramer, Fred Hechinger, Gigi Goode, Amber Frank, Joe Lo Truglio, Alfred Enoch, Barney Walsh
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle: What language does Postman Pat use when delivering to Hogwarts? PARCEL-TONGUE! - Gail Tomlinson.
Today's riddle: A robot walks into a bar and says he needs to loosen up. What does the bartender serve him?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or West Des Moines/Jordan Creek, Waukee or Norwalk Living magazines, contact:
Martha Munro
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 314
Mobile: 515-321-5246
martha@iowalivingmagazines.com
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