I believe summer officially starts today. Let me stick my head out – yep it is warm. Time for me to start whining about the heat and the bugs and the humidity and the bugs and the burns and the bugs and the pollen and the loud noises and the bugs and the humidity and the bugs. Did I mention the bugs?

I used to look forward to Fall to see summer end, but now summer doesn’t end until almost Halloween. That is only 5 months of bugs and burns and humidity away.

Were you paying attention last week?

1) This went by almost unnoticed on May 20th just like it almost did 50 years ago. What was unknowingly recorded on May 20th, 1964 when two scientists were trying to record waves from an Echo balloon?

2) Which Iowa congress person is proud to be named last week as stopping any action on immigration?

3) As part of a responsible investment initiative, what city is in the process of divesting its portfolio of Walmart bonds?

4) 100 protesters were arrested at McDonald’s HQ protesting for higher pay. What major city area is McDonald’s located in?

5) Did you miss it? Overnight Friday to Saturday a spectacular sight from what lit up the skies?

6) President Obama became visibly upset when discussing problems in what agency?

7) 11 year old Lucy Li of Redwood Shores, California became the youngest person to do what last Monday?

8) What country soundly threw out the party that had held power for 50 of the the last 60 years?

9) At a forum in Bettendorf, how many of the 5 Republican candidates for US Senate supported an increase in minimum wages?

10) Gov. Branstad at an appearance in Des Moines compared his opponent Jack Hatch to what other opponent from 1982?

11) MERS is all over the news. What is MERS?

12) Early wild fires took place around what major California city last week?

13) By the end of this week, there is only one state that has not had a case filed concerning discrimination over same-sex marriage. What is that state?

14) Late last week a judge ordered that thousands of pages of a John Doe investigation be turned over to a Milwaukee county Wisconsin executive. Who is the object of the John Doe investigation?

15) What liberal radio talker and MSNBC host announced that he would abandon his radio show at the end of last week?

BONUS: To date how many heterosexual marriages have been destroyed in the US due to the existence of same-sex marriage?

So much stuff going on I get dizzy. So how did you do?

Answers:

1) background cosmic rays from the big bang.

2) Steve King

3) Portland, Oregon

4) Chicago (Oak Brooke) Illinois

5) a new comet which crossed paths with the earth that night

6) Veterans Health Administration

7) qualify to play in the US women’s golf open

8) India

9) 0

10) Roxanne Conlin

11) Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Thought to be transmitted from camels.

12) San Diego

13) North Dakota. South Dakota, the other holdout, had suits filed Friday.

14) Gov. Scott Walker. There is an expectation that some of the investigation information will become public.

15) Ed Shultz

BONUS: As of the last official count 0. Maybe you know someone.