----A good friend of mine, Jay Lindsley, used to own 50% of Blairs. You still occasionally see cars around California that he built and raced. He has had quite a history.....Bill S

86 too. The rare IC GN

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This bright little jumper looks pretty unassuming but, in keeping with the general rule that vivid colors often signal danger, it's actually the deadliest of all amphibians. In fact, the golden poison dart frog is believed to be among the most poisonous animals alive. Found in the Colombian rainforest, they grow no bigger than around two inches (5cm) long yet hold enough poison to kill 10 people. The indigenous Emberá people have long used the venom to poison darts for hunting, giving the species its name.

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Most of the 50-odd species of box jellyfish are relatively harmless but some of the shimmering, hypnotically beautiful creatures are effectively floating death traps, with each tentacle packing an arsenal of poisonous darts. The few lethal varieties are found mainly in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australia – the Australian box jellyfish is the deadliest of all marine creatures. Those (including humans) unlucky enough to be struck can suffer paralysis, cardiac arrest and even death within minutes.

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Saw-scaled viper The saw-scaled viper isn’t the most venomous of snakes – that accolade goes to the Inland or Western Taipan, native to central Australia – but it is among the most aggressive and is the deadliest to humans. Found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and parts of Africa and the Middle East, it often lives near inhabited areas and strikes often, with terrifying speed. It’s estimated that a staggering 5,000 people are killed by them each year – the highest death toll of any snake.

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Pufferfish Also known as blowfish, pufferfish are found in tropical seas worldwide and are classed as the second most poisonous vertebrate after the golden poison dart frog. When threatened by a predator, they inflate by rapidly ingesting huge amounts of water or air – believed to have developed to compensate for their slow swimming speed. If caught, most pufferfish will release enough terodotoxin – a deadly venom up to 1,2000 times more poisonous than cyanide – to kill 30 people, with no known antidote. However, most human deaths occur when it’s eaten, as the flesh is toxic if not properly prepared.

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Deathstalker scorpion: This arachnid is as terrifying as its name and looks suggest. Up to 40 scorpion species are capable of killing humans and the deathstalker, found in deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, is the deadliest of them all. The creatures, which have eight legs and two bodies like spiders, prey on small invertebrates which they paralyze with small bursts of venom from their sting.

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Learning about the black mamba is unlikely to quell any existing fear of snakes. The reptile, found in the savannahs and hills in eastern and southern Africa, is the longest venomous snake on the continent and can reach up to 14 feet (4.3m) in length. More terrifyingly, black mambas are among the world’s fastest snakes and can move at speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour (20km ph). Named for their dark, gaping mouths, they’re naturally reserved but will strike when threatened – and bites are usually fatal within 20 minutes.

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The world’s longest venomous snake at 18 feet (5.5m) and the star of many a terrifying nightmare, the king cobra is something of a poster-reptile for deadliness. It is indeed one of the most venomous of snakes and also has some particularly scary traits, such as its ability to raise itself up so its beady eyes are level with a human’s. Found mostly in India’s rainforests and plains, they’re also equipped with an intimidating flaring “hood” and a particularly loud hiss. A spit of its venom is enough to kill an elephant or 20 people.

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Blue-ringed octopus: Many octopuses squirt ink to deter potential threats but this cute-looking marine creature, which is roughly the size of a pencil, emits something a little less edible: poison. Enough of it to kill around 26 people within a matter of minutes, in fact. Named because of the blue rings that brighten and intensify across its body when threatened, this diminutive octopus is native to the Pacific Ocean and lurks in crevices in reefs and tide pools. Deaths are rare, with none reported since the 1960s, although this is definitely a case of look but don’t touch.

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The male funnel-web is the world’s most venomous spider with a bite capable of killing an adult human within half an hour. They can be found (by the unlucky) in eastern and southern Australia and Tasmania, usually lurking in corners and sometimes even shoes, with a tendency to build their webs in sheltered burrows to create the funnel shape that gives them their name. Up to 40 people are bitten each year but there have only been 13 recorded deaths, and none since an anti-venom was released in 1981.

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The world’s most venomous fish (that we know of) is also, terrifyingly, an expert at camouflage. Found in oceans from the Red Sea to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, they lurk on the seabed and blend in almost completely with the reefs and rocks. From those hidden depths they ambush their prey and, while they don’t hunt out humans, their venom can prove deadly to those unlucky enough to step on one. The poison, injected from the dorsal fin spines, can kill within an hour if the anti-venom isn’t administered.

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Crocodiles kill around 1,000 people per year and Nile crocodiles – found mostly in Egypt – are the deadliest, with an estimated 200 people falling victim to their prehistoric-looking jaws each year. But they don’t set out to hunt humans – it’s simply that to a croc lurking in the river, pretty much any flesh is fair game, from fish to zebra. And few stand a chance. The reptiles weigh up to 1,650 pounds (748kg) and are capable of biting with a force of 3,700 pounds (1,678kg) per square inch, rivaling the jaws of a T. rex.

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Alligator attacks on humans are relatively rare, with Florida statistics showing there were 413 unprovoked bites, 25 of those resulting in death, between 1948 and 2019. Found mostly in Florida and other US states including Louisiana and Mississippi, they tend to be more shy of humans – and choosier about what they eat – than crocs. Nevertheless, their strong jaws can cause serious damage to humans, especially as our habitat encroaches more on theirs.

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It’s not surprising that great white sharks are almost universally feared. They’re the world’s largest predatory fish, growing up to 20 feet (6m) long and weighing around 5,000 pounds (2,267kg). They can also slice through the water, torpedo-like, at up to 15 miles per hour (24km ph). Oh, and they have up to 30 razor-sharp teeth that they use to snare their prey. But they aren’t quite as murderous as Jaws might suggest: 10 people died from shark bites in 2020, with an annual average of four.

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These pretty, marble-shelled mollusks are equipped with a needle-like tooth that injects prey with venom. Cone snails launch this to latch onto a target, paralyzing their victim. Some use this brutal technique to feed on worms while others feed on fish, and it’s the latter – particularly the geography cone snail – that’s potent enough to kill humans. Found around the Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida and Indonesia, they’re also known as cigarette snails because the poison acts so quickly there’s just enough time to light up before you die.

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It’s reported that around 30 people die each year in the US as a result of ant bites, with fire ants – accidentally introduced from South America – the deadliest. The brownish-red ants are particularly fearsome because they tend to be so aggressive, more likely to persistently attack people than other ant species. Their bites are severe, causing itchy, painful red welts and, in severe cases, potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

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Hornets are basically enormous wasps, at least in looks, which makes them terrifying enough. Most species avoid people and aren’t aggressive, but that isn’t the case with the Asian giant hornet. Roughly as big as the average human thumb, they’re fiercely protective of their colonies and, if threatened, will inflict a sting that’s been compared to a red-hot needle with pain lasting days. One hornet has enough venom to kill 10 mice, while multiple stings can kill humans regardless of allergies. In Japan, between 30 and 50 deaths are attributed to the insects each year.

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Komodo dragons, endemic to Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, grow up to 10 feet (3m) long and weigh around 330 pounds (150kg) – and they’re fearsome predators. After ambushing their prey, they inflict a razor-sharp bite that releases a potent venom, causing shock and preventing clotting so victims bleed to death. They will also stalk bite victims relentlessly, waiting for the poison to kick in. Five people have been killed by the reptiles since 1974, according to Komodo National Park.

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Slow lorises may be among the cutest-looking creatures but they can actually be deadly. The rare mammals, who have the coloring and twisting movement of a cobra, live in the rainforests of South and Southeast Asia and are the only venomous primates. When threatened, they lick toxic-secreting glands, mixing venom with saliva for a bite that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans. Slow lorises are currently endangered due to habitat loss and illegal medicine and pet trades, with hunters often clipping the teeth.

We moved to a new location in Sept 2019. The next spring was rainy and I was trying to get a driveway put in to the new building I'd had put up in the backyard. We didn't have a rain gauge at the new place, so I went to Fleet Farm and got a BIG one. When I got home my wife said " I hope I never see that full"....... It was predicted to rain overnight. We were woken a few times by pounding rain and in the morning there was 5.5" in the gauge. By the time it stopped later that day, it topped out at 6". Communities 7-8 miles East of us had 14-16" overnight and roads and bridges on township and county roads that had stood for 50 years were wiped out in flash floods.

Moral of the story, never make a comment about something that Mother Nature just might feel like making come true.


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I'd like to kick the person who brought fire ants into the US square in the nads. Fire ants are the worst. I got bit by one last week on my left pinky finger while fixing a sprinkler head that made my entire finger swell up and made it stiff to move and get kind of numb for a couple days. They're nasty little things that can ruin your day, especially if you accidentally stand in ant hill, which is very easy to do.

We have a friend who buys cars for the large rental companies like Enterprise and National, who said that the shortage of computer chips is what's causing the slowing and/or shut down of new car plants. He said that the rental car companies have resorted to buying newer used cars to replace the cars they sold off during the earlier days of the pandemic and since there's little new car inventory, they have to get them somewhere. The lack of new cars and the buying of newer used cars by the rental car companies are driving up the prices of all new and used cars. Our SUV got totaled by an inattentive driver on April 1st, and we bought a used Suburban LTZ but had to pay probably $3-5K more than what it would have cost 6 months ago.

I guess I got lucky with my purchase of a 2016 CR-V in January. It was in Fort Meyers FL and I got it wholesale, because it sat on their lot too long. It is "only" front wheel drive and it seems most people believe they need all wheel drive anymore. I could only find a few fwd vehicles up here in the northland and plenty in FL, so that is where I went.

This is very interesting. I was just in Arizona for a week and had a Hertz rental I picked up in Mesa. It was 2020 KIA Sorento with Fla. plates on it. The car had 42000 miles on it. After driving it for a few days I noticed how new and clean it was, interior was spotless ! Outside not one door ding or even a light scratch ANYWHERE , no marks on the threshold of the back hatch from loading luggage, not normal for a 42K rental car ?

How the HECK did someone put 42,000 miles on a 2020 model anything, when most of us weren't driving anywhere ? My wife has worked from home since last March 15th and hasn't put 3,000 miles on her car yet, when she was driving 16,000/yr for work.

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The King Power MahaNakhon is a bizarre skyscraper in Bangkok - and one of the tallest buildings in Thailand. It stands 78 stories high and opened in 2016, with architect Ole Scheeren among those that created the design. The cutaway parts of the building are meant to give the effect of it being pixelated.

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The V&A Dundee opened in September 2018. It was designed by renowned Japanese architects Kengo Kuma & Associates and is their first building in the UK. The museum stands on the banks of the River Tay and the shape of the building is said to have been inspired by the cliffs on Scotland's north-eastern coastline. Part of the building juts out over the water and is meant to resemble the prow of a boat, honoring Dundee's shipbuilding history.