Gamer Dude

After Atari introduced the video game console in the 1970s the Video game market exploded. The market didn't even see its true success until the 1980s. In 1985 Nintendo introduced their new console called "Nintendo Entertainment System" to the world. The NES went on to become the best-selling video game console of all time. In the 80s people finally realized that the video game entertainment market was

going to be huge after the release of the NES. Because of this hype the market was flooded with bad games and even worse consoles. This resulted in the Video game crash of 1983. Nintendo singlehandedly brought the video game market back from the dead by selling tons of NES's.

Nintendo did this by introducing the third-party developer market to the video game market. Before this games were only being made by the consoles manufacturer. Nintendo standardized this business model which allowed other companies to release software one their console. This allowed for higher quality software to be released more often. To us now this is the norm, but back then it wasn't allowed by companies such as Atari for other companies to produce games for their console.The games is what made the NES so amazing. Not only were the first-party games created by Nintendo awesome, the third-party ones were also selling extremely well. Some of the games produced for the NES are regarded as some of the best video games ever created.

The NES was so good that Nintendo continued to produce the system for 20 y

ears even after releasing its next generations: the SNES(Super Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1990 and the N64 in

1997. Many adults viewed the video game industry as a fad after the Video Game Crash of 1983. Nintendo turned an industry otherwise forgotten about into a multi-million dollar money making machine. The NES's controller was also revolutionary. It introduced something know as a D-Pad (or directional pad) which consisted of 4 directions in which the player could choose to select. Before the invention of the D-Pad consoles often included some sort of wonky Joystick which was a pain to use as well as it being rather bulky. Nintendo won multiple awards for their controller design years after the NES debuted. The controller is now a pop culture icon. Kids grew up playing with it for hours on end and loved it like their best friend. Nearly every game system to come after the NES included some kind of D-Pad.

With one system Nintendo singlehandedly changed the video game industry forever. They changed how a game system was marketed, how it was played, how games were made, and generally how the video game console business model should function. Nintendo still continues to innovate in the video game market with co-

nsole such as the quirky Wii and new 3DS (has a 3D screen). Even though Nintendo's consoles are generally underpowered compared to their competitors they still hold the top spot in the industry with the Wii. There is no other product quite like the NES though. In my mind it still reigns supreme and I still continue to emulate some games on my computer even to this day.

Michael "Air" Jordan

If you do not know this man you SERIOUSLY need to free yourself from the house or at least turn on the T.V. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player to ever live. Some say he may even be the best athelete to play any type sport in history. The great Magic Johnson once said "There is Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us." The great Larry Bird would describe Michael Jordans performance dropping 63 points on the Boston Celtics as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."

Here is a brief description of Michael Jordans accomplishments. Rookie of the year, five-time NBA MVP, six time NBA champion, six-time NBA finals MVP, ten-time all NBA first team, Nine-time all NBA defensive team, Defensive player of the year, 14-time nba all-star, three-time NBA all-star MVP, and ten scoring titles including 7 that matched the great Wilt Chamberlain although playing against better competition than Wilt. Jordan then retired with the highest all-time NBA scoring average of 30.1 ppg.

However, his impact is much more than awards and championships. He bursted into the league as a rookie sensation unlike anyone had ever seen. He scored in droves with an unmatchable first step and acrobatic drives and dunks which concluded his career as a cultural icon. He became a true champion who spearheaded the globalization of the NBA with his dynamic on court abilities and personal sense of style that was marketed to the masses.

In 1984 Nike presented Jordan with an offer. One that he was not to enthusiatic about at first saying "I can't wear those shoes, those are Devil colors." Through the meeting it is reported that Jordan seemed disinterested and bored but as he left the meeting he said to his agent "Let's make the deal."

Jordan not only changed the basketball world but with the help of Nike would completely change the fashion world as well. Some people beleive that Jordans deal is what made Nike what it is today. In my eyes there is nothing that can compare to the fashion statement that Nike or Nike Air Jordan makes. They have been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The latest model of the basketball is the Jordan 21's. People speculate that they will stop making Jordans after the 23 shoe in honor of the man who started it all. Either way there has never been anything quite like the style of "Air" Jordan.

Today Michael Jordan has many different partners in business, is the owner of the Ohio Bobcats, and has an estimated net wort of $525 million. The world would not be the same with out Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan set the bar for greatness which I doubt will ever be reached.

http://www.sneakerhead.com/jordan-brand-history.html

http://thefutureforward.blogspot.com/2010/01/forbes-top-15-wealthiest-black.html

http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html

Success and Failure for WKRP

During its 1978-82 run on CBS, WKRP in Cincinnati was one of the most critically acclaimed television programs on the air and won numerous accolades. Indeed, the sitcom won a Humanitas Prize -- an award intended to honor television shows that "promote dignity" -- and was nominated three times for Outstanding Comedy Series in the Emmy Awards. However, much of the popular success of WKRP did not come into fruition until the show aired in syndicated reruns, long after its run ended. Indeed, while the program was on the air in the late 70's and early 80's, its ratings fluctuated. At the beginning of its run, the show's initial eight episodes - despite featuring such later-beloved episodes like "Turkeys Away" - performed poorly in the ratings. Consequently, WKRP was put on hiatus shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, the clamor of disc jockeys across the country and TV critics -- who admired the show's witty humor -- helped resurrect the sitcom.

Ultimately, suspecting that WKRP could bear auspicious fruits for CBS, the network gave the sitcom a golden spot in their primetime schedule. The new time slot of WKRP was as the follow-up to the extremely popular comedy, M*A*S*H. Believing that the sitcom would attract viewers who were watching M*A*S*H, the decision from CBS was seemingly logical and rational. Consequently, show creator Hugh Wilson exploited the opportunity to adjust his sitcom's subject manner to include more dramatic plots to reflect the time change from CBS. The lead-in to the show, M*A*S*H, while essentially a sitcom, was nonetheless known for grappling grave and controversial topics. Therefore, Wilson saw it as appropriate to take advantage of the time slot change to develop more dramatic episodes such as one that revolved around the DJ Venus Flytrap's desertion from the U.S. Army. However, Wilson was deprived of the opportunity of making his show a megahit. During the second season, CBS moved WKRP yet again to a new timeslot earlier in the day, a decision that left producers and writers wondering what material would be appropriate for the new timeslot, considered the "family hour." As a result of even more changes in its time slot, WKRP saw its ratings decline -- with the notable exception of the finale earning #7 among all TV shows in Nielsen ratings -- and by 1982, the show was off the air.

Despite the troubles WKRP faced in its run, the show has earned several accolades and become more massively popular in reruns than anticipated. The sitcom was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, including a win by Andy Ackerman for the Emmy for Videotape Editing in season three. The show's "Turkeys Away" episode was listed several decades later by TV Guide as one of the greatest television episodes of all time. Furthermore, in syndicated reruns, WKRP became so popular during the 1980's that it performed better in the ratings than all of the other sitcoms of MTM Enterprises running on the air at the time. In fact, the reruns were frequently placed among the highest-rated syndicated shows on television during the 1980's alongside hits like Wheel of Fortune. The popularity of the reruns helped inspire a spin-off to the show, The New WKRP in Cincinnati during the early 1990's, yet this sitcom was a ratings disaster. Ultimately, even though the sitcom failed to find significant popular success during its time on the air, it has won numerous awards and found ratings glory since its run ended.

SOURCES:

1. WKRP in Cincinnati - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKRP_in_Cincinnati

2. WKRP in Cincinnati - The Internet Movie Database - www.imdb.com/title/tt0077097/

3. WKRP in Cincinnati - An Episode Guide - www.epguides.com/WKRPinCincinnati/guide.shtml

IMAGES:

1. Wikimedia.org

2. www.timstvshowcase.com

Run (With It) DMC

Run D.M.C unlike any other hip-hop group is responsible for both the sound and style of the music. They were the first harcore rap group and set the foundation for the next decade of rap. With their heavy metal excurisons and there spare beats, the trio was tougher and better than their predecessors Grandmaster Flash and Whodini. They opened up the doors for the politicized rap of Public Enemy as well as the gangsta fantasy rap of the N.W.A. They were the first hip-hop artists to construct full-fledged albums, a huge step in the hip-hop culture. By the end of the 80's Run D.M.C. had been taken over by groups they had spawned, but they continued to perform well into the 90's.

All three members of Run D.M.C. were natives of middle-class New York borough Hollis, Queens. "Run" aka Joseph Simmons was the brother of Russell Simmons who formed the hip-hop management company Rush Productions in the early 8 0's, and by the mid 80's Russel had formed the pioneer record label Def Jam with Rick Ruben. Russel encouraged his brother Joey and his friend Darryl McDaniels to form a rap duo. It was time to start a revolution and they adopted the rap names Run and D.M.C. After they graduated high school in 1982, the pair enlisted their friend Jason Mizell to scratch turn tables. Jason adopted the stage name Jam Master Jay.

In 1983 Run-D.M.C. released their first single "It's Like That"/"Sucker M.C.'s," on Profile Records. This sounded like no other rap song at the time. It was blunt, skillful, with hard beats and powerful, daring vocals where Run and D.M.C.'s vocals overlapped as they finished each others lines. It was the first to a new era. "It's Like That" became a top 20 R&B as did the groups second single "Hard Times"/"Jam Master Jay". Two other hit R&B single's followed in early 1984 "Rock Box" and "30 Days"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hN1SKVx31s

In 1986 Run D.M.C. set up for arguably their most popular song ever a cover of"Walk This Way" recorded with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The album the song was recorded on Raising Hell became the first Rap Album to become number one on the R&B charts, to chart in the Pop Top Ten, and go platinum.

In 2002 a few weeks after a greatist hits tour with Aerosmith Jam Master Jay was senselessly murdered in a studio session in queens. Jam Master Jay's new sound and beats will never be forgotten because he helped set the foundation for today's new style of music, Rap.

http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Run_DMC/Biography/

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/run-d-m-c-biography/7b157ca64417644c482568a900012a44

rockhall.com/inductees/run_dmc/bio/

Origin of and Success of Billie Jean

An enormously sucesssful single in American music history, "Billie Jean," performed by the legendary Michael Jackson in 1982, contains unusual lyrics that - while extremely popular -remain a mystery. Indeed, numerous different accounts have been offered to explain the story behind "Billie Jean," including from the rumor mill, Jackson's biographer, and the late Jackson himself. Although the lyrics and the easily recognizable bass line of the song made it a favorite of Jackson, who insisted it would be success, contradicting the concerns of song producer Quincy Jones. Ultimately, the song's popular music video, appealing musical elements, and creative lyrics validated Jackson, who oversaw the rise of the song to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for seven consecutive weeks.

Outside of the accounts offered by Jackson and the late musician's biographer regarding the origins of the lyrics of the song, there exist popular rumors regarding the lyrics that claim the song revolves around tennis superstar Billie Jean King. In spite of the popularity of these rumors, these claims are likely false due to her sexual orientation. An explanation of the lyrics -- which tell the story of a man who had a sexual relationship with a young woman with whom he consequently fathered a child -- offered by Jackson in his 1988 book, Moonwalk, only fuel the ambiguity and mystery. Indeed, Jackson recounted that, "Billie Jean is kind of anonymous...[and] represents a lot of girls...they would hang around backstage doors, and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with." However, Jackson conceded a personal connection as well, indicating that "there were a lot of Billie Jeans out there...every girl claimed that their son was related to one of my brothers." Expressing frustration with this development, Jackson penned that he "could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone's child when it wasn't true." Nevertheless, Jackson's explanation is disputed by his biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, who contends in The Magic & The Madness that a would-be pyschiatric patient would frequently send letters to Jackson insisting he was the father of one of her children. Taraborrelli claims these letters caused nightmares for Jackson, terrified by the woman's inclusion of a gun in a letter in which she said that it could be the case they would be lovers in afterlife.

Although the origin of the lyrics certianly remain a mystery, what is not in question is the huge popularity, success, and cultural impact of "Billie Jean" in the music industry. Although producer Quincy Jones did not appreciate the bassline and the demo, Michael Jackson claimed from the start that he "knew it was going to be big when" he was "writing it." Jackson was vindicated. "Billie Jean" reached the top of the R&B chart in three weeks, reached number nine on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, was the third best selling single of 1983 in the United States, was praised by Rolling Stone and Blender, and earned eight accolades at the 1984 Grammy Awards. Recently, the song attained #58 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

SOURCES:

1. Billie Jean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean

2. Book Review: "Michael Jackson Revisted but Not Revealed" - Justin Moyer, August 4, 2009

3. MTV.com - "Michael Jackson Answers Fan Questions in 1996 Thailand Interview," July 6, 2009

PICTURES:

1. Wikimedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean

Steve Jobs Pushing Computing Forward

Some people think he is crazy, some people think he is a visionary who has revolutionized many aspects of the electronics industry. Steve Jobs has consistently been pushing technology forward since founding Apple Computer in 1976. At first himself and Steve Wozniak revolutionized what people thought a computer was with the Apple I. Even though the Apple I was extremely primitive, it was still revolutionary for its time. Quickly seeing a market for personal computers, Woz and Jobs released the more commercialized Apple II. The Apple II launched with a "killer-app" called VisiCalc Spreadsheet. This app created large potential for the Apple II in the business world and increased its success. This is similar to the apps on the iPhone today, which are consistently driving sales. As IBM entered the PC market, the Apple II's market share began to dwindle. Jobs then set out to create Apples next revolutionary product. This product was the Macintosh.

The Mac singlehandedly revolutionized the personal computer by introducing the Graphical User Interface. This

used graphics instead of typing commands to preform tasks on the computer. This opened the door for even more people to own their own and operate a personal computer. Jobs didn't stop there. When he returned to the company in 1997 he introduced another revolutionary product called the iMac. Jobs saw the immense potential of the Internet and saw it fit to include a Ethernet port on the iMac in preparation for the web revolution to come. The 'i' in the name stood for Internet, so Jobs was essentially gearing the device to a market that hasn't been fully developed or popularized yet. The iMac also only had firewire and USB ports on it, removing the old Serial ports which was used to connect peripherals to computers for years. He was essentially setting the bar for other computer manufacturers to follow in the following years. The iMac also "revolutionized" computer design. At the time computers were usually big beige boxes which had to be connected to a separate monitor to function. The iMac featured an AIO(all-in-one) design which included the monitor and case in one unit. The design was also translucent and offered "candy" colors which made the computer not only extremely functional but also some sort of fashion statement. The iMac was designed by young Industrial Designer Johnathan Ive. Ive had done much research on colors at candy factories and took months to get both the colors and amount of translucency up to Jobs' high expectations for the product. The design of the iMac alone would have made it a revolutionary product.

Then in 2001 Steve Jobs introduced the iPod, Apples entry into personal music player market. Jobs had a vision that CD's would be essentially obsolete and people would be listening to all digital music. The iPod let you carry your entire music library in your pocket. The iPod wasn't the only digital music player when it was released but it was definitely the best designed one. Yet again Jobs let Johnny Ive design another revolutionary product. The design eventually became one of the most recognizable designs of the 21st century. The design was so elegant and complemented the software extremely well. A year later Jobs released the revolutionary iTunes music store which allowed people to digitally download music to use on their iPods. Jobs was able to convince all three major US labels that digital downloads were the future of the music industry, and a power to defeat the file-sharing networks such as Napster and Kazaa. iTunes is now the #1 retailer of music in the US.

Jobs kept pushing many new technologies forward such as multi-touch screens. The iPhone was released in 2007 and wasn't the first device to have a multi-touch screen but it was the one that did it the best. Since then the iPhone has been revolutionizing how people think about their cell phones. Jobs realized that software was a huge deciding factor in an Operating Systems overall success. Because of this he opened the App Store in 2008 which led to hundreds of thousands of apps to flood the mobile market. Apple now has the largest catalog of apps and because of this they continue to have one of the

worlds most popular cell phone, the iPhone. These killer apps continue to keep Apple atop the mobile market.

It seems like no matter what Jobs does the world watches and then follows. He has changed many industries and continues to make his mark on the world. No matter what decision Jobs makes it always seems as though he thoroughly thinks about each one. With every product he releases he essentially attempts to out innovate the "rest".

Match Game

During the 1970's, groundbreaking television that touched on controversial subjects such as race, sex, and out of wedlock pregnancy dominated networks. Sitcoms that dealt with these topics included All in the Family -- one episode included Sammy Davis, Jr. kissing the bigoted Archie Bunker -- and Three's Company, a series that revolved around single bachelor Jack Tripper pretending he was gay in front of his landlord in order to live with two young girls. However, not only did sitcoms enter uncharted territory but so too did game shows, especially in the case of Match Game.


In 1973, Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, legendary game show producers, brought to CBS a revival of The Match Game, a bland game of simple fill-in-the-blanks involving celebrities and contestants that ran from 1962 to 1969. While revived edition of the show was renamed Match Game '73 in order to reflect the year, the program still featured the zany Gene Rayburn as host. In an unusual development, Match Game '73 skyrocketed to even greater popularity than the original 1960's program. Within weeks, the show became the #1 highest rated program on daytime television. During the 1973-74, 1974-75, and 1975-76 seasons, Match Game remained at #1 in daytime TV, earning extremely high ratings, especially in the 12-34 year old demographic. The program was also the most popular game show on TV from 1973 to 1977 and the #2 most watched game show in the 1977-78 season as well. Airing in the 3:00 p.m. hour, the game show was particularly adored by teenage fans who rushed home from school to catch the program. A key element of this incredible success was the show's tendency to include sexual double-entendres in fill-in-the-blank questions and its pushing of the boundaries in terms of celebrity and contestant responses to questions.

This version of Match Game was heavily influenced by a set of comedy writers on the production team. Among these writers was Dick DeBartolo, who also wrote for the comedic Mad magazine. DeBartolo and his team of fellow writers penned often hilarious and racy fill-in-the-blank questions that left the audience laughing. These questions included, "Contrary to popular belief, Eve was not made out of Adam's rib but was instead made of Adam's _____" or "The big bad wolf said, 'I just came from a house where this old lady had the biggest _____s I ever saw!'" After Rayburn would read such a question, celebrities would proceed to write down answers in secret and if a contestant's subsequent answer to the question matched the responses of celebrities, the contestant would earn one point per match. The contestant with the highest number of matches after two rounds would win $100 and proceed to a second round featuring an audience survey. These questions naturally made the Standards and Practices Department at CBS nervous. Consequently, CBS agreed to permit Match Game contestants and celebrities to use words such as "boobs" and "derierre" in response to questions but barred the use of more explicit words, including any references to genitalia.

The fact that contestants and celebrities were permitted at all to use words such as "boobs" was an extaordinary development given the long history of the network's Standards and Practices Department being sensitive to such language on television. Nevertheless, CBS was still incredibly cautionary in its monitoring of Match Game. When Gene Rayburn accidentally quipped in 1974 that a contestant had pretty 'nipples,' intending to instead say 'pretty dimples,' the network refused to air the error. However, CBS restored the clip, which has been relayed on countless TV specials of game show bloopers. When a celebrity panelist used a word in a response that was considered to racy by Standards and Practices, the reply was often censored on the screen.


The groundbreaking quality of the questions and their replies, combined with the excellent comedic chemistry of Rayburn and the celebrity panelists, catapulted Match Game to enormous success. The program was nominated several times for a daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Game Show, earned #10 on TV Guide's 2001 list of the 50 greatest TV game shows of all-time, and was named the #1 greatest game show of all time in GSN's list of 50 greatest game shows in 2006. Host Gene Rayburn -- an emcee who engaged in acts like climbing the audience, knocking down the doors, roller-skating on stage, and belly dancing with a contestant -- was nominated for a daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Game Show Host and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1999. Today, the popular game show of the mid-1970's lives on in cable reruns as it has long held the title of the #1 most watched show on GSN's schedule.



SOURCES:



1. Match Game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_Game

2. Match Game '73 - IMDB - www.imdb.com/title/tt0069608/

3. Match Game - GSN - The Network for Games - www.gsn.com/shows/matchgame

4. Gene Rayburn, former 'Match Game' host, dead at 81, December 2, 1999 - CNN Archives - www.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/02/obit.rayburn.ap/index.html





IMAGES:

1. Nypost.com

2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_Game

3. The New York Times, "The Real Match Game Story: Behind the Blank," November 25, 2006; http://www.nytimes.com/