Looks like the words of the year from the big dictionary companies (Oxford English, Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com) will be post-truth for the OED, fascism for Merriam-Webster and xenophobia for Dictionary.com. Not sure about you, but I see a trend here based on a certain event of the past year. Fascism, a bad idea with easy answers is back! Fascism will be helped in its course by post-truth, xenophobia and old favorites racism, misogyny, and good old fashioned lies and propaganda. Look for it at a White House near you!

A small observation I think will sadly be true soon: Barack Obama will be hailed as a great or near-great president sandwiched between the two worst presidents ever.

Were you paying attention? It is hard to right now.

1) Monday morning the first scheduled flight between what two countries in a half a century took place?

2) The Reason Foundation dropped Iowa’s highway system ranking from 18th last year to what lowly position this year?

3) In Pella, Iowa 3 people were killed when what what happened at the Pella Walmart?

4) An elector from Texas resigned rather than voting for what presidential candidate?

5) A man who was recorded delivering a rant against Clinton voters was banned from future flights by what airline?

6) Irony – what state represented in congress by climate deniers is suffering through huge fires aided by extreme drought?

7) Jim Delligatti died last week. His claim to fame was the creation of what fast food staple sandwich in the late 1960s?

8) Once again gun violence raised its ugly head at a college campus last week. Which one this time?

9) Breitbart called for a boycott of what company after the company pulled all advertising from the website?

10) In San Diego an extremely close House race was called Monday for whom?

11) Nancy Pelosi won the minority leadership position in the House again. Who did she defeat?

12) Despite claims from the next administration, what company still moved over a thousand jobs to Mexico?

13) The Southern Poverty Law Center has recorded nearly how many bias related hate crimes in less than a month since the election?

14) OPEC made an announcement last week concerning what?

15) Among Secretary of State candidates, which one would have to get permission from his probation officer to travel to the office?

16) The neighbors in Mike Pence’s temporary housing area are doing what to make the new Veep feel welcome?

17) Talk about a traveler! What American hero was med-evacced from the South Pole last week because of illness?

18) Drunken drivers in Kensington, PEI, Canada will have to listen to recordings of what band on their way to the hoosegow?

19) Elaine Chou is in the cabinet once more. She is married to what prominent republican politician?

20) The House voted along party lines to double the budget of the special committee investigating what health care provider?

Christmas will be tough this year as we look for what is coming.

Answers:

1) Cuba – republicans may change that quickly

2) 40th

3) a pickup truck drove through the door

4) Trump of course

5) Delta

6) Tennessee

7) the big mac – go ahead sing the jingle

8) Ohio State

9) Kellogg’s

10) Darrel Issa

11) Tim Ryan of Ohio

12) Carrier

13) 900 and climbing

14) they will be cutting production in January

15) David Petraeus. Remember he gave state secrets to his mistress but was only tried as a misdemeanor.

16) Flying the rainbow flags of the LGBT community

17) Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, America’s second man on the moon.

18) Nickelback, eh?

19) Mitch McConnell

20) Planned Parenthood. Maybe if PP would give out free Viagra, congress would leave them alone.

The sun now is setting at the earliest time of day for ten days. We are nearing the solstice.