Feeling bugged this summer?

If you're feeling extra mosquito-bitten this summer, you're not alone, says NBCNews.com. According to the National Pest Management Association, record hot summer temperatures are bringing out the bugs. Ants, fleas, ticks, earwigs and black widows are among the pests that are making a strong showing … "'Insects are cold-blooded, which means that their body temperatures are regulated by the temperature of their environment,' NPMA public affairs officer Missy Henriksen said in a statement. Drought can also exacerbate pest problems, she added. When insects and arachnids can't find moisture outside, they often head indoors."

Some drivers are cruel

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A science experiment conducted by NASA's Mark Rober "basically showed that 6 per cent of drivers out there are sadistic animal killers," writes Jesus Diaz for gizmodo.com. "This is what he did: He alternatively placed a rubber animal – and a leaf as a control object – on the shoulder of a road; a turtle, a snake or a spider. He watched 1,000 cars pass by and annotated the drivers' reaction. … He found out that 94 per cent of drivers did what anyone in their sane mind would do: keep driving on their lane. Remember that the animals were on the road's shoulder, way outside their driving path. They didn't pose any danger whatsoever to the drivers' safety. On the other hand, 6 per cent went out of the driving lane to run over the animals … actually went out of their way to kill a living thing that didn't represent any danger to their lives – and risking their own lives in the process, no less."

Goat man phones in

"A man spotted dressed in a goat suit among a herd of wild goats in the mountains of northern Utah (Social Studies, July 24) has been identified as a hunter preparing for a Canadian archery season," reports Associated Press. "Phil Douglass of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said he received a call Monday from a 57-year-old Southern California hunter who explained he was merely trying out his goat suit in preparation for a mountain goat hunt in Canada next year."

Students to climb trees

"Xiamen University in eastern China's Fujian province will add a new course to its curriculum this coming semester – a lesson in tree climbing to enhance the escape skills of its students, according to Xiamen Business Newspaper," China Daily reports. "The sports department of the university confirmed the new lesson to the newspaper, saying the idea was inspired by some of its university peers in the United States who launched the course to teach students some special escape techniques. 'Of course it is not going to be tree climbing bare-handed,' said Lin Jianhua, a professor with the department. 'They will be equipped for safety. It is kind of like rock climbing.'"

Thought du jour

Hope is the gay skylarking pajamas we wear over yesterday's bruises.

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Benjamin de Casseres

U.S. journalist (1873-1945)