One mosquito bite and it seems we are exposed to an increasing host of bad stuff from malaria, West Nile and now the Zika virus. If that is not enough, Fido can end up with heart worms.

Is there any protection?

Yes. There is an effective repellent that has worked for 50 years on hundreds of millions of people with few, if any, side effects: DEET.

Some still don’t trust it.

Popular Science calls DEET the most effective mosquito repellent ever invented. But, like many chemical agents, DEET has come under suspicion in recent years, even though it has a long track record of safe use.

Developed by the US Agriculture Department in 1946, it was designed to protect soldiers. It has been available to the public since 1950. Hundreds of millions of people have used it safely since 1950. Today, it is applied 200 million times a year worldwide. Since its invention, it has literally been used billions of time, according to the Los Angeles Times.

So why the worries? The EPA says concerns are overblown, and DEET poses no health concern, especially when weighed against the dangers of mosquito-borne illness.

As a practical precaution, DEET should be used when necessary and not excessively. It should be washed off the skin after use. It should be not sprayed under clothes, but is fine on top of clothing.
DEET has been implicated in a handful of deaths during a 20-year study period, but never named as the cause. In all cases, the chemical was either deliberately ingested, or a heavy application was repeatedly applied to children.

In 1995, researchers reporting in the Journal of American Mosquito Control found 14 cases of individuals who had used DEET and suffered encephalopathy, a brain disease. All but one were under eight years old. Three died. The others recovered. The researchers wrote that the exact role of DEET was difficult to determine. It could have been other factors, or it might have been DEET.

A 2001 study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene concluded that DEET has no adverse effects on the growth and development of children in the womb or a year after birth. The authors concluded it was safe to use during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

In the European Union, the repellent is approved for only 15 percent strength. In the US, DEET is sold in concentrations of up to 30 percent. The EPA approves DEET for use on human skin at 100 percent concentration.

Life hands every single person a sense of loneliness at some point, but other people can do a lot to help out.

In the United States, a 2014 survey by the National Science Foundation revealed that 1 in 4 of 1,500 people interviewed have no one with whom to talk about personal troubles or triumphs or to share confidences.

People become lonely or blue for many reasons. Some are introverts and find social engagement difficult or feel they don’t fit in. Some are depressed after the death of a loved one, a divorce, loss of a parent or job or when children leave the nest. Some suffer from a disease or physical limitation that doesn’t allow leaving home; others may be abused by a spouse and fear outside relationships.

Remember when people are lonely, they often long to share the things they love: That perfect rose bush, a fabulous soup, or a favorite book. So helping to relieve someone’s loneliness is often just being willing to share in their experiences.

What can we do to add cheer to the world or even just a stranger who needs a lift?

* Tell people when you value their work.
* Ask someone new to lunch.
* Visit a recently widowed neighbor.
* Take your talent on the road by dancing or singing at a senior facility, for example.
* Smile at store clerks, your restaurant waiter, and a seemingly unfriendly neighbor.
* Pocket your phone and never use it in public except for emergencies.
* Call someone, or visit. Go to dinner. Take time to admire the important things.
* Spend time talking and laughing or playing a board or card game.
* Ask what they need (a ride to the dentist or church, a grocery trip, or repair of a dripping faucet).
* Make this one day of cheering up one person an important part of your life. If you want something, give it sincerely to someone else.

High school and college students in larger cities are checking out tech-type companies for their summer work, spurning the usual retail and restaurant positions.

According to The Wall Street Journal, jobs in companies like Uber, TaskRabbit, Instacart, and Postmates are hiring students for deliveries, tech support, and transportation. These are jobs that, for the most part, didn’t exist at all 10 years ago.

Delivery services Postmates and Instacart go out of their way to court students for summer work.

But unlike traditional summer jobs, these can be very flexible, offering little in the way of structure. According to college coach Suzanne Shaffer, a summer job is what trains kids to get up, dress up and show up on time. Listen to instructions. Obey a boss. Work with others. Accept responsibility for the job.

As we consider the dramatic words of the Declaration of Independence, we wonder whether the writers knew the long-range impact of their words.

Did they see a great nation emerge from a vision of independence? We think they did. How many times have you personally marveled at the wisdom of these national founders?

They had a rare vision of what our country would turn out to be, and that vision rings true to this very day. Their writings were an achievement of significant proportions.

Since the first July 4th, historians give us some interesting notes about that calendar day. First, they say the Declaration of Independence was signed on August 2, 1776, about a month after being adopted.

President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, and three of our nation’s first five presidents died on that day: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1826, and James Monroe, our fifth president in 1831.

Congress didn’t actually declare it as legal federal holiday until 1941.

The 4th of July is also a holiday for American business, says Robbie Briggs, a real estate company CEO. He reminds us that it’s a day that celebrates America’s devotion to entrepreneurship and the opportunity to build businesses of our own.

Briggs says it serves as a tribute to each citizen and all they may elect to pursue in business or any other endeavor.

As we commemorate our independence, we remember that America’s freedom and democracy occurred because of the determination of our forefathers to establish this place as a free country.

Concept cars are usually shown for years before they go into production.

Lincoln is changing that pattern. Its new Navigator SUV will go on sale in 2017 and will look like the concept car.

According to an attendee at the New York Auto Show, the Navigator drew actual gasps from the crowd when the doors opened like bird’s wings.

Lincoln calls them gull wing doors which, when opened, let down a helpful series of concertina steps.

The doors cover most of the whole side instead of the hinged, side-opening doors.

The new Navigator also has a push-button shifter that designers compare to piano keys, a flat, retro center console and horizontally ribbed seats.