80s Trivia: Who famously told Dan Quayle, 'Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy?'

Obviously, we love politics and history here at Pocket Trivia.  We have two other games - Pocket Trivia: US History and Pocket Trivia: US Presidents.  This question, off of Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia, is a mix of the 80s and the politics.  It is also one of my favorite all-time moments of any political debate - mainly because Dan Quayle looks like he is about to cry.  Here's the question:  Who famously told Dan Quayle, "Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy?"  Was it Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen, George W. Bush or Dan Quayle?

Answer after the jump:

80s Trivia: Which of these nations gained formal independence in the 1980s?

Ahh, the 80s, filled with fun times in banana republics and bigger countries invading much smaller ones.  Yes, you couldn't throw a cat in the 80s without hitting some smaller nation that was in the midst of political issues.  However, there were some political transformations that occurred without any violence or bloodshed.  This is a random one, off our our Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia:  80s Trivia:  Which of these nations gained formal independence in the 1980s? Was it Mexico, Canada, the USSR or Serbia?

Answer after the jump:

80s Trivia: How many studio albums did The Police release?

The Police were, arguably, one of the greatest bands of the late 70s and early 80s.  Originally a punk band, the group quickly expanded into other sounds, including New Wave and Rock.  The group broke up due to creative and personality differences in the mid-80s at the height of their popularity and left behind a massive void in the music scene (one that was filled quickly, of course).  So, here is today's question, courtesy of Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia: How many studio albums did The Police release?  3, 5, 7 or 9?

Okay, this one is a little unfair, I'll be the first to admit it - you kind of have to be a Police fan to get it.  Anyways, the correct answer is five.  The Police released five studio albums before their break-up around 1984.  They are:

Outlandos d'Amour

Reggatta de Blanc

Zenyatta Mondatta

Ghost in the Machine

Synchronicity

80s Trivia: What actor originally played Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'?

Who doesn't love Back to the Future?  The second one was always my favorite--I loved all of the futuristic stuff.  Anyways, we all know that Marty McFly was played by Michael J. Fox, and the role helped to launch his career.  What you may not know, however, is that Fox was NOT originally cast in the role.  So, from our 80s Trivia Game - 80s Trivia: What actor originally played Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'?   Was it Tom Cruise?  C. Thomas Howell, Judd Nelson or Eric Stolz?

 As the picture probably indicates, the correct answer is Eric Stolz - but, keep an eye on the way the question was phrased.  McFly was originally the number one choice for the role of McFly - but, with Fox's filming of Family Ties, he couldn't commit to the schedule.  Producers then went to Stolz - and actually filmed four weeks of the movie - before the producers, director and Stolz himself all realized that Stolz was wrong for the role.  Stolz was found to be too "humorless" and was felt to look uncomfortable during the skateboard scenes.  Meanwhile, Fox's schedule opened up again - and he was able to take the role.

Look at that photo above - imagine if that was the cultural shot of the 80s.

80s Trivia Question: What was Michael Jackson shooting a commercial for when his hair caught fire?

As promised, we're going to start profiling some of the questions off of our new 80s Trivia game.  The format will remain the same, but the questions will just be that much more 80s-tastic.  Since its the 80s and not things that happened decades ago, we'll try and add some pictures and video wherever possible.  Anyway, here is today's 80s question:  What was Michael Jackson shooting a commercial for when his hair caught fire?   Pepsi, McDonalds, Burger King or Dunkin Donuts?  The answer after the jump.

Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia is now OUT!

 

I am very pleased to say that our third game is now available!  Pocket Trivia: 80s Trivia is now available for download from the iTunes Store.  This game features 250 questions on a variety of 80s topics: everything from music, TV, movies, games, sports, politics, pop culture and more!  Of course, the game is on sale for a mere $.99.

We are very proud of this one - we're taking a bit of a chance here, getting away from our usual history games, but we are excited and optimistic about its prospects.  Please download it and let us know what you think!

What is the worst natural disaster, in terms of lives lost, to occur on U.S. soil?

Few things capture the hearts and minds of Americans more than disasters - and in a YouTube age where pictures and cameras are ubiquitous, this tendency has only grown.  The history of America is certainly replete with natural disasters, so its only fair that we included at least one question on the powerful subject.  This question comes off of our Pocket Trivia: US History game - What is the worst natural disaster, in terms of lives lost, to occur on U.S. soil?  Is it Hurricane Katrina, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, the Okeechobee Hurricane or the 1900 Galveston Hurricane?

Believe it or not, it is not Hurricane Katrina - a confirmed 1,836 people died as a direct or indirect result of Katrina, but it is not the "leader" in terms of all-time deaths. 

Not the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 - over 3,000 people died there, however, and it is the worst natural disaster in California history.

The Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 killed 300 people and was the 2nd Category Five hurricane to ever be recorded - but it is not the worst in terms of death toll.

No, that "honor" belongs to the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.  This hurricane killed between 6,000 - 12,000 and utterly destroyed the city of Galveston.  The city was close to sea level and was hits with winds of over 100 mph (though that estimate is likely low, as the weather bureau's low as the weather bureau's measurement tools were blown away in the storm).  Thankfully, this record has stood for over 100 years.  Here's to hoping it won't be broken!

What political party has had the most Presidents?

Ahh, partisanship.  Despite Washington's warnings, America is a party that has thrived on its partisan divisions.  Though taking many forms and many different names, with relatively few exceptions, America has been a two party country, with control of the Presidency always reigning supreme.  So, here is today's question, off of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. Presidents:  What political party has won the Presidency the most times?  Whig, Republican, Democrat or Federalist?

Not the Federalist party.  You can only really count Adams as a Federalist President, though you can make the argument that Washington was a Federalist as well, even if he wasn't an official "member" of the party.

Not the Whigs - they went the way of the dodo bird in the 19th century.  Only four Whigs ever served as President:  Harrison, Tyler, Taylor & Fillmore.

Not the Democrats either - excluding Democratic-Republicans, fifteen Democrats have served as President:  Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Polk, Pierce, Buchanan, Johnson, Cleveland, Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton & Obama.

Thus, it is the Republicans that are the correct answer to this question, with a league-leading eighteen men that have occupied the oval office:  Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, McKinley, Taft, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr., Bush Jr.

What Presidential candidate was shot on May 15, 1972?

Presidential assassinations (and related) have always been an a topic of interest of mine.  Thankfully, there hasn't been an assassination attempt that has come close to succeeding since the 1980s, and there hasn't been a successful attempt since 1968.  It's fascinating, in a horrible, macabre sense, that someone could feel such anger or insanity towards another individual that they try to alter the political system via murder.

Anyway, here is today's trivia question, off of our Pocket Trivia: US History - What Presidential candidate was shot on May 15, 1972?   Was it Robert Kennedy, Walter Mondale, George Wallace or Tom Eagleton?

Mondale was Vice President under Jimmy Carter and ran for President in 1984 - but he was never shot at.  Not him.

Tom Eagleton was George McGovern's Vice Presidential nominee in 1972 - for about five seconds - before disclosures of mental illness, including depression, suicidal tendencies and electro-shock therapy.  He withdrew at McGovern's request - and that was that.  So not him.

Robert Kennedy, of course, was assassinated while running for President - but his death was in 1968, shortly after winning the California primary.

The correct answer is George Wallace.  Wallace was running for President as an independent for a second time.  He was campaigning in Laurel, Maryland and was wadding into the assembled crowd after giving a speech (against the advice of the Secret Service).  Wallace was shot four times by Arthur Bremer - one shot lodged in Wallace's spine, paralyzing him for the rest of his life.  Bremer was subdued immediately after the shooting and spent 35 years in jail before being paroled in 2007.  Bremer was motivated by fame, not politics.

Like most assassinations attempts after the 1960s, this one was caught on tape.  For a chilling view, see the video below (graphic content):

What President's election marked the end of Reconstruction?

We've been on a Civil War kick lately, so why stop a good thing now?  This one comes off of our Pocket Trivia: US Presidents game: What President's election marked the end of Reconstruction?  Was it Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland or Ulysess Grant?

The correct answer is Rutherford Hayes - but there's an interesting twist to this story.

The Presidential Election of 1876 was, without a doubt, one of the most controversial of all time.  It featured Republican Rutherford Hayes against Democrat Samuel Tilden.  When all of the votes were counted, 20 electoral votes were in dispute: Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina.  Those states all appeared to have favored Tilden.  Allegations of fraud and intimidation came from both sides.  Meanwhile, in Oregon, a single vote was disputed when the Democratic Governor said that the Republican elector was ineligible to serve as an elector under the constitution.  Tilden needed just one Electoral Vote to get to 185, the magic number - Hayes needed 20.

When partisan conflict left Congress incapable of solving the problem, an electoral commission was formed.  The commission consisted of an even number of Republicans and Democrats, as well as one independent judge from Illinois, David Davis.  Democrats in Illinois promptly elected Davis to the Senate, believing that they had won his support by doing so - however, Davis resigned from the Commission to take his seat - and a Republican was appointed in his place.  As a result, the commission voted 8-7 to give all votes to Hayes - thus electing Hayes by a 185-184 margin.

However, the result was filibustered by Democrats in the Senate.  Ultimately, Democrats agreed to drop their filibuster in return for the withdrawal of troops from the South - thus marking the formal end of reconstruction.

Who said, "Everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear"?

This one is almost a trick question, and when you see the answers, you'll see exactly what I mean.  From our Pocket Trivia: US President game - What President said, "Everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear"? Was it George W. Bush, Franklin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson?

Okay, sorry, this really isn't fair.  All of these President's served within 100 years of each other, and given the various colloquialisms of the English language, its highly possible that any of them could have uttered this sentence.  Plus, all four faced challenges that would have caused them to make the above statement: George Bush with the War or Terror, Franklin Roosevelt with World War 2, Theodore Roosevelt with his military past and Woodrow Wilson with World War 1.  So, which was it?

George W. Bush.

It is an outstanding quote, but the quote is not what is best remembered from this speech.  It was given on March 2, 2003, on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, to mark the end of major combat operations in Iraq.  The speech is often referred to by Bush supporters as the "Let Tyrants Fear" speech; to his detractors, however, the speech is best known for an iconic image:

Above:  Mission Accomplished...or maybe not.

What papers, published by the New York times, revealed the systematic deception of the American people in regards to the Vietnam War?

Given all of the recent controversy over Wikileaks, I can think of few questions that would be more appropriate than this one right here.  This one comes off of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. History game: What papers, published by the New York times, revealed the systematic deception of the American people in regards to the Vietnam War?  Was it The Kissinger Compilation, The Defense Report, The Pentagon Papers or The Dreyfuss Report?

The correct answer would be The Pentagon Papers.  The Papers, published by the New York Times, was actually a Defense Department study of U.S. involvement in Vietnam from 1945-1967.  The study was put together by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.  It was leaked by Daniel Ellsberg, who had once worked on the report, to the New York Times.  It showed that four Presidential administrations had actually lied to the American public about the war and had expanded the war greater than was previously known, among other accusations.

The Nixon administration sued to stop the publication of the Pentagon Papers, fearing that its publication would set a bad precedent for future National Security leaks (sound fimiliar?).  The Nixon Administration obtained an injunction to stop the Papers publication, but the decision was overturned 6-3 in a U.S. Supreme Court decision, allowing the publication of the Papers to continue.

Others in the Nixon administration would later admit that the report was a classic example of "overclassification" and that there was never a threat to national security, so the parallel to Wikileaks is unclear - but nonetheless, certainly makes you think, doesn't it?

Which of these countries has the United States never declared war on?

Ahh, foreign policy.  War, trade, tariffs, sanction, mental evaluations of foreign leaders health...wait, what?  Let's just move on.  We don't deal with foreign policy much in either of our games, but this is one of those questions that does, and it's on a big subject: war.  So, from our Pocket Trivia: US History game:  Which of these countries has the United States never declared war on?  Britain, France, Spain or Hungary?  


This one isn't too hard if you know your foreign history.

The U.S. declared war on Britain in 1812 during the appropriately named War of 1812.  I didn't count the revolutionary war since that wasn't necessarily the "United States" declaring war (at least as the United States exists today), but the War of 1812 was the first time that the United States ever actually declared war.

The U.S. declared war on Spain in 1898 during the Spanish-American war.  The war lasted a mere four months and saw the U.S. bushwhacking the Spanish and annexing Puerto Rico, the Philippians and Guam.

The U.S. declared war on Hungary during World War II.  The U.S. actually made three separate declarations of war during World War II - on December 8, 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan, then followed up three days later by declaring war on Nazi Germany.  A third and final declaration of war was issued on June 5, 1942, against Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.  That is the last time that the U.S. has declared war on anyone.

That leaves France - yes, despite the advent of Freedom Fries, the U.S. has never declared war on France - in fact, were it not for their assistance during the Revolutionary War, the U.S. may not be a country to this day.

Above: An Undeclared War?

What was the name of Bill Clinton's pet cat when he first came into office?

I was thinking earlier today about my dog Molly, and naturally, that got me thinking of pets.  Presidential pets frequently become famous in their own right, and President Clinton's pet was no different.  So, here is today's question, off of our Pocket Trivia: US Presidents game: What was the name of Bill Clinton's pet cat when he first came into office?  Muffin, Stripes, Fluffers or Socks?

Granted, any of those names sound cute/obnoxious enough to be a cat name, so unless you know this one straight up, guessing is going to be hard.

Anyway, the correct answer is Socks.  Socks (pictured left...yes, that's a real picture) was the Clinton's cat from the time Clinton served as Governor of Arkansas through Clinton's entire two terms in office.  He was the Clinton's sole pet until the Clinton's adoption of Buddy, a Labrador Retriever.  Apparently they got along like...cats and dogs ::snicker::

Anyway, when the Clinton's left the White House, they gave Socks to Betty Currie, President Clinton's White House Secretary.  Socks lived until 19, when he was euthanized after suffering from jaw cancer.  He did better than poor Buddy, however; Buddy was hit by a car and killed while "playfully" chasing a contractor off the Clinton's lawn.  As a dog owner myself, this is so sad!

What is the only part of the constitution that cannot be amended?

This one is a fascinating one.  The Constitution, as we all know, is an amendable document - every part of it can be amended - except one.  There is one part of the Constitution - and only one part - that its authors felt was so important that it could never be changed.  So, from our Pocket Trivia: US History Game: What is the only part of the Constitution that cannot be amended?  The ability of the federal government to print money, the repeal of prohibition, freedom of speech or each state having equal representation in the Senate?

The correct answer to this one is the provision requiring that every state in the United States have equal representation in the Senate.  This provision is found in Article Five of the Constitution.  The exact text is as follows:

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

There you have it.  States can, if they chose, allow themselves to be deprived of their Senate seat, but no state can have their Senate seat removed without their consent.  It is interesting that this is the only section of the Constitution that is written as such.

Who was Bob Dole's running mate in 1996?

I'm watching football as I type this question, so this seems like a good one.  Not sure what I mean?  Then you may not get the answer right.  The question, off Pocket Trivia: U.S. History, is as follows: Who was Bob Dole's running mate in 1996?  Was it Dan Quayle, Lamar Alexander, Jack Kemp or Pat Buchanan?

Not Lamar Alexander.  Alexander ran for the Republican nomination in 1996 and 2000 - he had previously served as U.S. Secretary of Education  and Governor of Tennessee.  Alexander never won the nomination, but was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, then reelected in 2008, where he still serves.

No, not Quayle.  The former Vice President, perhaps best known for his infamous quotes and spelling ability, (potatoe, anyone?), was V.P. from 1988-1992, but did not run with Dole in 1996.

It wasn't Pat Buchanan either.  The conservative activist ran for President in 1992 (he actually scored a stunningly high 38% in the New Hampshire primary against incumbent President George H. W. Bush) and 1996 (this time winning New Hampshire against Bob Dole), but did not run on a ticket with Dole.

The correct answer is Jack Kemp.  The one-time Bills Quaterback and seven-time all-star made a transition to politics in 1970, when he was elected to Congress from New York.  Kemp ran unsuccessfully for President in 1988, ultimately losing to George H.W. Bush, but he was appointed as Secretary for Housing & Urban Development in the Bush Administration.  Kemp was picked to run with Bob Dole as his V.P. nominee in 1996, an election that they ultimately lost.  Kemp retired from politics after the unsuccessful run.  Kemp died of cancer in 2009.

We are done until Thanksgiving is over - so, Happy Thanksgiving, and we'll see you on Monday!

What former U.S. Vice President would later become Secretary of War for the Confederate States of America?

We did it yesterday, so let's keep the streak alive: another Civil War question, this one from our Pocket Trivia: U.S. Presidents game.  What former U.S. Vice President would later become Secretary of War for the Confederate States of America?  Was it James Polk, John Breckenridge, John Calhoun or John Tyler?

This one always interested me - it's amazing to think that a former Vice President of the United States could wind up becoming one of the highest ranking officials in the Confederacy?

Alright - not John Tyler.  Tyler was Vice President to William Henry Harrison and became President when Harrison died.  When war broke out, Tyler tried to stop it via a compromise, but to no avail.  Instead, Tyler was elected to serve as a Congressman in the Confederate Congress (!!!!), but died before he could serve.  Harrison became the only President whose death was not mourned in Washington.

Not John Calhoun.  Calhoun, a Senator and one-time Vice President, was an advocate for states rights and the rights of slaveholders, but died ten years before the Civil War.

Not James Polk either.  Polk was a Congressman, Speaker of the House and U.S. President, but never V.P. Polk died 103 days after he left the Presidency in 1849.

The correct answer is John Breckenridge.  Breckenridge was something of a boy wonder and elected Vice President at age 35 - the youngest V.P. in history.  He ran for President in 1860 and came in third, winning only border states, having been nominated by the southern wing of the Democratic party.  He was expelled from the U.S. Senate in 1861 for supporting the South and eventually served as a successful general.  Named Secretary of War during 1865, the final days of the confederacy, Breckenridge helped to oversee an end to the Civil War and negotiate an honorable surrender with Union forces.  Breckenridge fled the country and only reentered in 1869 after having been granted amnesty.

Who was President when West Virginia was admitted to the Union?

This question, courtesy of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. Presidents, is more interesting because of the history behind it.  It's Civil War related - so you know right away that there is probably some serious passion behind it.  Who was President when West Virginia was admitted to the Union?  Rutherford Hayes, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Harrison or Abraham Lincoln?


Alright, I said Civil War, so that basically gives it away: it's Abraham Lincoln.

So, what happened that made West Virginia a state?  Again: the Civil War.  West Virginia was originally a part of Virginia.  However, it was most decidedly more pro-Union than the rest of Virginia.  So, when Virginia voted to secede from the Union, the people of West Virginia met in a Constitutional Convention, declared that the rest of Virginia had violated its constitutional oaths by voting to secede (and thus vacated their offices) and reorganized its government, claiming to represent the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.  They organized their own government, complete with a new Governor and two United States Senators (that were recognized in Washington D.C.).  Eventually, the government acknowledged that it represented only the West Virginia portion only.  It applied for statehood and was recognized by the federal government in 1863.

Yup.  West Virginia exists because of the civil war.

What is the term for an elector in the Electoral Collage who votes for a candidate they are not pledged to?

The Presidential election is now less than two years away (weird, right?).  So, we bring you this question off of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. Presidents game:  What is the term for an elector in the Electoral Collage who votes for a candidate they are not pledged to?  Is it a Lying Voter, Twisted Elector, Faithless Elector or Sockless Vote?

Sockless Vote?  I don't even know where I got that from.  I guess it sounds like something that could be true though.  History is sort of random.

Anyway, the correct answer is Faithless Elector.  As you may know, the U.S. population doesn't actually vote for a Presidential candidate, at least not directly.  Instead, they vote for a slate of electors that are pledged to a Presidential candidate.  Those electors then vote for the President - the first one to 270 wins.

In total, 164 electors have voted for a candidate they were not pledged to vote for.  A faithless elector has never actually decided the outcome of a Presidential election, though it came pretty close to happening in 1796, when a wannabe faithless elector was denied the chance to vote twice for Aaron Burr, costing Burr the election.  The most recent time this happened was in 2004, when a Minnesota elector voted for John Edwards for President, despite being pledged to Kerry (though this may have been in error).  Since Minnesota voted by secret ballot at the time (since changed), no one knows who actually did it.

Which state is home to the largest naval base in the world?

We're in a military frame of mind today - this question comes straight off of our Pocket Trivia: US History game. What state is home to the largest naval base in the world?  Is it California, Hawaii, Virginia or Massachusetts?


The answer is Virginia.  Some interesting comments here about the psychology of this question too, since some of these answers have elements of being trick question-like.  I went with Hawaii as a possible answer because just about everyone likely thought of Pearl Harbor when they saw that.  Nope - though I think you can make the case that Pearl Harbor is the best known U.S. naval base.  I also went with California since its one of the biggest states in America and would seem like a safe guess.  Wrong again.

Virginia is the correct answer, and the largest naval base in the world is Naval Station Norfolk, located in Norfolk, Virginia.  It serves as the garrison of the 2nd naval fleet, conducts over 100,000 flight operations a year, 150,000 passengers and 264,000 tons of mail.  That's a lot of mail.

What Vice President was the first to be elected President after fulfilling the term of his predecessor?

Welcome back everyone, and hope you had a good weekend!  It's Monday, it's cold, what's a better way to get back to work than with a nice, hot, steaming glass of U.S. Presidential Trivia?

Well, actually, I can think of several, but you probably don't want to work yet, so let's just move right along.  Today's question comes off of our Pocket Trivia: U.S. Presidents.  What Vice President was the first to be elected President after fulfilling the term of his predecessor?  Was it Harry Truman, Chestur Arthur, John Tyler or Theodore Roosevelt?

All of these men were Presidents, and all of these men were Vice Presidents that became Presidents after the President died.  But, only two of these men actually were elected President in their own right.

It isn't John Tyler.  Tyler became President when William Henry Harrison died (after serving barely a month in office).  However, Tyler proved to be such an unpopular President that he was expelled from his own party.  Almost his entire cabinet resigned in protest of his actions.

It wasn't Chester Arthur either.  Arthur became President after the assassination of James Garfield.  Arthur unsuccessfully sought the nomination for President by the Republican party - that went to James Blaine, who would lose to Grover Cleveland.

It wasn't Harry Truman either, though you'd be closer.  Truman became President upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945 and did win his own term as President in 1948.

Above:  Journalism fail.

Truman, however, was not the first.  That honor goes to Theodore Roosevelt.  Roosevelt was elected Vice President with William McKinley and became President when McKinley was assassinated in 1901.  Roosevelt was elected President on his own in 1904, but had promised not to run in 1908.  Instead, he helped elect his Vice President, William Taft. 

Who was the second man to walk on the moon?

Ahh the moon.  Made of pure swiss cheese and populated completely by gnomes.  When the Soviets aren't invading it.

Wait, what?

Above:  Not really under Soviet control...we think.

Well, not that the goofy stuff is out of the way, let's get on with the question of the day, this one off of our U.S. History game.   Who was the 2nd man to walk on the moon?  Neil Armstrong, Gus Grissom, Pete Conrad or Buzz Aldrin?


Not Neil Armstrong:  He was the first man to walk on the moon.  Interestingly enough, Armstrong actually botched his preplanned quote when he first stepped on the moon.  What he said was, "One strong step for man, one giant leap for mankind."  What he meant to say was, "One strong step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."  He walked on the moon.  We'll forgive him.

It wasn't Gus Grissom: One of the original Mercury astronauts, Grissom was the 2nd man to fly in space and the 1st to fly in space twice - Grissom, however, was tragically killed when the Apollo 1 caught fire during a routine test.

It wasn't Pete Conrad either, though that's close - Conrad was the third man to walk on the moon.  

The correct answer is Buzz Aldrin.  This was apparently due to the physical positioning of Aldrin in the spacecraft, as well as NASA's desire to have the first man on the moon be a civilian.

What President publically opposed slavery after his Presidency?

Slavery was the most controversial topic in American politics until it was outlawed in the 19th century.  Most American Presidents did little to stop the institution.  However, at least one publicaly opposed it - after his administration was over.  So, in a question that comes off of our Pocket Trivia: US Presidents game:

What President publicly opposed slavery after his Presidency? John Quincy Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson or James Madison?

Well, it wasn't Thomas Jefferson - he owned slaves and likely had children with one.

Not Madison, though he was apparently very conflicted by slavery: one quote noted that the issue "undid him."

John Adams?  He did oppose slavery, but not actively or publicly after his Presidency.

The correct answer is John Quincy Adams.  After his Presidency, Adams was elected to Congress (making him the only former President to later serve in Congress).  In that capacity, Adams became a leading antislavery voice.

What Speaker of the House-designate had to step down after he admitted having an extra-marital affair?

This one comes to us courtesy of U.S. History Trivia.  It's one of those fun, scandal ones too.

What Speaker of the House-designate had to step down after he admitted having an extra-marital affair?  Was it Newt Gingrich, Roy Blunt, Dennis Hastert or Robert Livingston?

Correct Answer:  Robert Livingston

Some of these guys were just plain boring.  Roy Blunt was never Speaker of the House - don't worry though, it worked out for him, he was elected to the United States Senate last week.  Dennis Hastert was Speaker of the House from 1999-2007 - he only left office when the Republican Party was booted from power after the 2006 elections.  Hastert resigned in November 2007.

Newt Gingrich isn't boring, but he wasn't booted by a sex scandal either.  After leading the Republican Revolution if 1994, Gingrich served as Speaker from 1994 - 1998 and had many high profile controversies with President Clinton.  After the Republican Party took a beating in the 1998 elections, Gingrich stepped aside as Speaker, yielding eventually to Hastert.

Ahh, and here is where Mr. Livingston comes in.  After the 1998 elections, Livingston rounded up supported was was nominated as Speaker by the Republicans without opposition.  However, during this time period, Hustler Magazine (yes, that Hustler) discovered evidence of an extra-marital affair that Livingston had.  This was at the height of the Clinton impeachment trials, during which Clinton had admitted he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky.  Subsequently, Livingston announced his resignation, not only as Speaker but from Congress.  

How many Vice Presidents have resigned?

This question appears on our U.S. History Trivia game.  Here's the question:  How many Vice Presidents have resigned?  0, 1, 2, or 4?


Alright, so we're asking the question here, and this would be a pretty lame blog entry if the answer was 0.  Anyway, the correct answer is 2.  Who were they, and where'd they go?

Well, the first V.P. to resign was John Calhoun.  Calhoun was a hero of the south: Congressman, Secretary of War and two-time Vice President.  It was in his 2nd go-round as VP that Calhoun resigned.  A crisis developed between Calhoun and the President, Andrew Jackson.  In response to the Tariff of 1828 (the Tariff of Abominations), Calhoun believed that any state could impose nullification, a doctrine which held that a state could nullify a law it believed was unconstitutional.  Jackson opposed the doctrine.  This disagreement ultimately lead to Calhoun resigning as Vice President.  He was immediately appointed as Senator from South Carolina, where he became a states-rights leader.  The conclusion came to a head with the adoption of the Compromise Tariff of 1833 - however, the crisis ended Calhoun's national ambitions.

V.P. #2 to resign was good old Spiro Agnew.  Agnew was selected to be Nixon's Vice President in 1968 and was a favorite of the "law and order" types of the country.  Formerly the Governor of Maryland and Baltimore County Executive, Agnew developed a large base of conservative supporters who appreciated Agnew's tough, controversial statements.  Agnew resigned in scandal in 1973 - but this scandal was unconnected to Watergate.  Instead, Agnew found himself in trouble after being accused of accepting $29,500 in bribes from his time as Governor.  He ultimately plead no contest to charges of tax evasion from unreported income (you know, that bribe money).

Sources:

• James Calhoun
• Spiro Agnew

What President was the first to be interviewed by a female?

This one is one of my favorites, because it is one of the funniest.  It comes from our U.S. Presidential Trivia game.  What President was the first to be interviewed by a female? George Washington, Rutherford Hayes, Andrew Jackson or John Quincy Adams?


Answer:  John Quincy Adams.

Okay, so this is one of those standard first questions - this one happens to involve gender?  What makes this one so interesting?  It's how the reporter got the interview that makes this one absolutely hysterical.

The reporter was Anne Royall, a woman who is viewed by many as one of the first female reporter's in the United States.  In addition to being a reporter, Royall was the widower of a veteran.  However, according to federal pension law at the time, she actually had to travel to Washington to try and claim her husband's pension.  During one of those trips, Royall happened to catch President John Quincy Adams skinny-dipping in the Potomac, as he was known to do.  According to the story, Royall found the President and sat on his clothing, which was lying on dry ground.  She refused to move until he granted her an interview.

Adams, though annoyed, would later forgive Royall, later referring to her as a "vergo errant in enchanted armor."

Wonder what the Secret Service would think about that one.  I feel like it wouldn't end well.

Sources:

• John Quincy Adams
• Anne Royall
• HistoryBuff.com

How many Presidents met with Martin Luther King Jr.?

So, as promised, here is the first of a "look behind the question."  Our first question comes from our U.S. Presidential Trivia Game.  Here it is:  How many Presidents met with Martin Luther King Jr.?  0, 1, 2 or 3?


The correct answer would be three.

So, which three?  Dr. King met with President Dwight Eisenhower in 1958.  He did so with other black activists, including Roy Wilkins, A. Phillip Rudolph and Lester Grange.

In August of 1963, Johnson met with Kennedy and other civil rights leaders.

Last up, in 1966, Dr. King met with President Lyndon Johnson.  King had previously endorsed Johnson's bid for the Presidency.



















Sources:

• Timeline of Events in Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Kennedy meets with King, other civil rights leaders

Pocket Protector Games Blog: The Gritty Reboot

So, I realized that I'm pretty stupid.

I had been blogging about the process of creating a iPhone games and related entries.  Then, I realized something: if you play Pocket Protector Games, odds are that you don't care about iPhone development.  You care about trivia.

So, let's try this again.  Reader, meet Mr. Pocket.  Mr. Pocket, meet the Reader.  There, now, aren't we reacquainted?

So, how are we going to try again, you ask?  That's simple.  We're going to blog what you care about: the content of our Trivia Games.  From here on out, you can expect the story behind the question - background information, explanations and unique insight into some of the trivia questions in our games.

This should be interesting - and certainly much better!!

I love the 80s....

I mean, come on, who doesn't love the 80s?  The hair (long and terrible), the music (filled with synthesizers...and also terrible), the movies, the TV, it was just an awesome decade.  I was born in 1983, so I didn't really get a chance to fully appreciate the 80s, but it was my home decade and I have always had a fascination with it.  How strong of a fascination?  Let me put it this way: my wife and I danced to Hypnotize Me by Wang Chung.  I still have a stuffed Fraggle on my desk (Wembley).

Anyway, in keeping with that, Pocket Protector Games is going to shortly be launching an 80s Trivia Game.  There are a few on available now, and they are all selling really well.  The popular categories seem to be Music, TV and film, so that is what we are going to concentrate on...with a dash of news, politics (duh), pop culture, sports and video games.

Any suggestions are appreciated.  But that is what is next for Pocket Protector Games!!

Great U.S. History Trivia Sites

Being a self-admitted trivia nerd, I went digging for other U.S. History Trivia Sites.

1.  Fun Trivia:   Best thing about this site?  The many, many quizzes.  Even better?  They are in tons of different categories.  There are 253 on the Civil War alone.  Wowzers.

2.  History.Com:  It doesn't get much better than a trivia quiz from the History Channel.  The one is one of the most technically appealing of all the sites I visited.  Alas, it isn't exclusively U.S. History.  But the site is so awesome I had to include it.

3.  Trivia Champ:  I like this one for its simplicity.  You just hold your mouse over the question mark and the answer pops up.  It's stripped down, and frankly, that isn't a bad thing!

4.  Patriotic Trivia Quiz:  Also stripped down, but this one has 110 questions, and they are good ones.

Random difficulty, but one of the problems that I had when designing Pocket Protector's two games were that I noticed that a lot of trivia questions repeated themselves.  The trick was not only to research new facts, but to craft questions in unique ways.

Until next time!

Apple Game Center: Game changer?

Apple is all about letting (most) 3rd parties use its software for maximum benefit - after all, that's how so many iPhone developer companies have sprouted up and made tons of money for themselves (and billions for Apple).  This strategy has obviously proven to be wildly successful for Apple.  Like Twitter and Facebook, Apple has figured out how to maximize the input and expertise of others - the ultimate in crowd-sourcing, if you will.

However, Apple has decided to get into the act itself.  Seeking to reclaim its own device in at least one respect, Apple has launched its Game Center.  The Game Center (you need iOS 4.1 to have it) allows for developers to set up achievements, compete against your friends or others, download games directly from the center and play multi-player games.  The system is a similar, albiet more advanced version, of OpenFeint.

This is a big deal for game developers like myself.  But, in my mind, it also lays out a more interesting question - what else will Apple start branching into?  Is this there first foray into their own gaming development company?  There aren't too many "official" apps except the ones that your phone comes with, but I'm curious.  Will they go the route of Twitter and start developing more of the iPhone's added accessories on their own, or will they basically stick to the route of Facebook and let others stay with the third party stuff, content to provide a general framework in which others can operate?

What do you think?

How to market your iPhone app

This is a question I've been wondering about a lot lately.  It goes without saying that if you just leave your iPhone app alone and don't try and market it, you aren't going to get anywhere with it.  Like any business, iPhone Apps require you work your butt off to get your product out there.  Of course, being so new, there isn't much experience when it comes to iPhone App marketing.  How, exactly, do you do it?

I'm not the most experienced person in the world, but here are my thoughts so far:

Free
1)  Review sites:  They may be new, but there are PLENTY of review sites out there.  Find them and submit your app.  Many just have submission buttons so you can submit info about your company and app.  If you have a paid app, you should generate free codes so reviewers can download them for free.  This is common courtesy and makes sense...no one will review your app if you make them pay for it!!

2)  Press releases - to digital & local media:  Press releases still work.  Find app reviews sites that don't have a "submit" button and send them information about your game.  In addition, target your local media.  Most media (at least print) has "business players" or "new venture" sections where they will cover new business ventures like this.  iPhone Apps and Mobile Gaming is a hot topic right now, so don't forget the "old fashioned" ways of media outreach!
 
3)  Social Media:  People who download apps have above-average usage on Social Media.  Based on that, it only makes sense that someone who has an iPhone app set up a presence on Facebook, Twitter or a blog.  This takes some effort to maintain (trust me), and you always make sure that you aren't too self-promotional and providing value-added content, but it is a great way that you can confirm that you are actively reaching out to an audience that is willing to listen.

Paid
4)  Pay Per Click options:  Google and Facebook both have extremely robust, effective and targeted advertising options.  You can set a budget and pay per every time someone clicks on your add.  Once I have the money, I'm going to look at Facebook ads.  You can target based on demographic and interests - so I'll be targeting iPhone users who like U.S. History.  This will, hopefully, be effective!!

5)  iPhone Ad Services:  There are services out there that specifically target iPhone users with in game ads.  I know there are many, but the only one I really know anything about is admob. which claims over 280,000,000,000 impressions (damn). 

So, that's what I've got.  How about you?  What else am I missing?

Do iPhone Ratings Matter?

I was very happy to discover the following image when I checked on Pocket Trivia: US History today:

Woohoo!  The US History Trivia game now has enough ratings (that number is five) to get an actual star ranking - with four five-star and one one-star rating, we have an average of a four star rating.  This is big news, because it now gives people something by which to evaluate the game.

This got me thinking - do these ratings actually affect downloads?  Traditional wisdom would indicate yes.  When it comes to customer reviews, people are willing to pay between 20-99% more for a five-star product than a four-star product. 78% of customers trust peer recommendations, but only 14% trust advertisements.

I went looking for some information - and found none.  Hmm.  So, as best I can tell, there is no empirical research our there that would indicate whether or not a high rating affects App downloads.  I tend to think it does, but I'd be curious to know the actual affect.

Anyone out there have any ideas?

News Advisory: New iPhone App Developer launches two U.S. History iPhone Apps

Usually I don't post press releases (it's never a good idea to post too many), but this one is pretty important.  Versions 1.1 of both Pocket Trivia: US History and Pocket Trivia: US Presidents are now out and ready to go.  The release is copied below. 

This is a big deal for us, and to their infinite credit, the folks at Enter.Net made SERIOUS improvements to the two versions.  The games now have lifelines, connection to OpenFeint (allowing for a leaderboard and achievements), enhanced graphics, sound effects and a smoother user interface.  It is a marked improvement on the previous game.

So, we've submitted the game to as many iPhone reviewers as we can find (but are always looking for more!) and sent the press release to local media as well.  I know we'll get at lease one story out of it, so that will be nice. 

Now we wait!  The press release (with links added) is after the jump.

How many apps....

I checked out the numbers the other day to see how many apps have been downloaded - interesting numbers. 

It's pretty common knowledge that iPhone lead the way.  As of September 1, 2010, over 6.5 billion apps had been downloaded.  Obviously an insane number.

What is less common knowledge, however, is just how well Android phones are doing.  According to AndroLib, over 1.5 billion Android apps have been downloaded.  For developers, this is a startling high number...and perhaps a number that will speak volumes about the ability of Android to stay on the market. 

Let's be honest - a Droid has a lot of advantages that the iPhone doesn't - a bigger screen and better camera being the two most prevalent.  One of iPhone's biggest advantages over Droid is the App store - generally you can get high quality products that are readily available.  iPhone has the market momentum in that sense.

But so did MySpace.  And Friendster.  And AoL.  And plenty of other tech companies that have since gone the way of the DoDo Bird (no, not the Grand Theft Auto DoDo).

Before learning the stats, as an iPhone App Developer, I hadn't paid too much attention to Android.  That is starting to look like an error.  Not yet.  But maybe in the future.

Anyone have any information on the trends?  How are iPhone App downloads doing vs. Android App downloads?  That be some REALLY interesting information.

And now, for your viewing pleasure...the DoDo from Grand Theft Auto 3.  I could never get the thing to fly.........

Apple ending free case program for iPhone 4

From the Master's of the Universe themselves:

"We now know that the iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought. A small percentage of iPhone 4 users need a case, and we want to continue providing them a Bumper case for free. For everyone else, we are discontinuing the free case program on all iPhone 4s sold after September 30, 2010. We are also returning to our normal returns policy for all iPhone 4s sold after September 30. Users experiencing antenna issues should call AppleCare to request a free Bumper case."

Hmm.  Alright.  A brief refresher:  As first reported by Consumer Reports, the new iPhone 4 ran into some pretty serious problems when it turned out that, if you held your iPhone 4 just so on the lower left-hand side, you could degrade the signal and wind up losing a call completely.  Consumer Reports thought the problem was so significant that they didn't recommend the iPhone 4.

Apple responded quickly, holding a press conference and announcing how they were handling the issue - just four days after their initial report, Apple announced that they would give away free bumper cases for the iPhone 4. 

As you can see, the note from Apple does leave the possibility that they will continue to send cases on an as needed basis.  But, an interesting tidbit:  According to the good folks at Macworld, "An executive with Mexican iPhone carrier Telcel late last month claimed that Apple would be introducing revised iPhone 4 hardware by the end of September to address the antenna issue, but Apple has made no announcements regarding changes to its hardware or manufacturing process."

Here's what I want to know - how many cases were sent out?  Anybody have any ideas? 

Apple releases App Store Review Guidelines - What's next, we find out who killed JFK?

Credit to Social Media Gods Mashable for breaking this story - super-secretive Apple has released its Store Review Guidelines.  If mere mortals attempt to view the guidelines, you won't be able to without being a registered Apple Developer.  Fine, whatevs. 

One of the more common complaints about App development was that Apple wasn't always always clear about why an app was being rejected.  Now, thanks to the release of the app guidelines, developers can have a better idea of what guidelines their apps have to adhere to.

Apps have been rejected for a variety of reasons, including:

• Ridiculing public figures (see #1 and #2)
• Lack of user functionality (see item #3) - like the famous "I am rich" application.
• Offensive Content (#4, sorry South Park)
• Support of nudity
• Support of violence...like shaking babies?  REALLY?

I'm glad I just make trivia games.

App Downloads - oh there are so so many

This is why mobile gaming is the way of the future:

The following data was pulled from Wikipedia.  It lays out the amount of iPhone App Downloads over time - and as you can see - there are a lot.  The latest data release by Apple shows that over 6,500,000,000 apps have been downloaded.  The most recent jump showed that Apple had an increase of 1.5 billion in downloads from June to September.  At that rate, it will be at more than 10 billion downloads by the end of the year - and the number of downloads keep growing.

Wow.

Journey of a start-up App company

Hello everybody!  If you are fimiliar with good ole Mr. Pocket, and Pocket Protector Games (where Mr. Pocket lives, of course), than you are likely familiar with the fact that Pocket Protector Games is a brand new App Development company, creating trivia games for the iPhone.  We have two games out so far - U.S. History Trivia and U.S. Presidential Trivia.  Both were produced by the great folks at Enter.net.

So, being brand new has been quite an interesting journey so far.  We are a one man shop; my name is Mike Schlossberg, and I have two other jobs in addition to Pocket Protector - working for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and serving as a member of Allentown City Council. So, being busy, this was a very interesting project.

That being said - as far as I am concerned, to me, this was a demonstration of having enough passion and deciding to go for it.  I did this because I am fascinated by technology and really think that mobile technology is the next big thing.  About 20% of America now has a smart phone - and that number is only going to grow.  This is something that took a pretty good time and financial investment, but I am confident that, if marketed correctly, this app will grow in success.  Ideally, I'd like to come up with more trivia games, then branch into other areas. 

As a start-up business, this is a little stressful - you never know if you are going to make it or not, and wow, I really hope I didn't waste a heck of a lot of my own time.  That being said - I really believe this will work.  I hope you will all be with me for the journey!

What makes a good app?

Seeing how I just created the first app, this is a question that I have given quite a bit of thought to.  What does make a good app?  What makes people keep playing, keep coming back and keep downloading your games?  It's a good question - and one that can decide the success or failure of your app.

So, when it comes to games, this is the question - what makes a good app?  Here are some thoughts:

1)  Graphics:  This one probably goes without saying - but a game has to have good graphics and be visually attractive.  If it isn't, people won't download.  This sort of folds into item #2 below, but iPhone Apps are all about being attractive.  Now, that's easier said than done.  How do you get good graphics?  The answer may lie outside of your capabilities - I know I can barely draw a stick figure.  Go with the professionals.  Find a local company that builds Apps (I used Enter.Net) or hire a freelancer.

2)  Shiny!:  SHINY!  I like to refer to what I call the "ohh, shiny!" factor in life.  Our attention spans are shrinking as the demands on our time is growing.  So, based on that - make your app "Ohh, shiny!" friendly.  An app has to be constantly stimulating, constantly changing, and most important, have opportunities for non-stop interaction.  It seems simple, right?  But in practice, its harder than it seems.  I have seen way too many apps that have long cut-scenes and not enough of a chance to interact.  That's what apps need to be all about.

3)  Competition:  Regardless of how - an app should have an opportunity to compete.  Two-player apps are sometimes difficult to design and its not always feasible.  So, give your app an opportunity to have competition in another way - create a leader-board, have medals for completion or have a high score that can be beat.  One of my favorite apps is Finger Physics - its a free app that requires thought and coordination.  You get medals for finishing a level with speed - and this leaves you constantly wanting to beat your own record!

4)  Achievements:  If you've ever played an xBox game, you know that you are constantly trying to get achievements - chances for you to complete something specific to the game and get an award for it.  Achievements can be set up within a game without much programming difficulty - just hook your game into Open Feint.


5)  Content:  If a game isn't interesting, it ain't selling.  How can you make your content unique - based on who your target audience is? 

Hello, world!!

Hello world!  This is Mike Schlossberg, writing on behalf of all of us at Pocket Protector Games.  All of us would be me, and Mr. Pocket to my left.  Mr. Pocket isn't a real person though.  That would be creepy and make me sort of derranged.

Anyway, this is the blog of Pocket Protector Games, a new iPhone App development company.  Pocket Protector Games has two apps on the market so far:  One for US History and one for US Presidents.  They are trivia games based on teh topics that they are named after.

Now, that being said, I know enough about Social Media to know that no one really cares all that much about Pocket Protector Games that they are going to keep coming back to read about us, so this blog will be dedicated towards useful topics - things like Social Media news and tips, mobile technology, the occasional app review, app development and the like, as well as the occasional update on Mr. Pocket and all of his latest adventures. 

So, we'll be back in a few days, but thanks for checking us out, and we'll see you soon!!