My Latest Thoughts

By Mike Bibb

As if I already don't have sufficient brains to figure out all the computerized sensors, buzzers and gizmos on my car, now I'm hearing the 2027 models are going to be equipped with a "kill switch."

Sounds like the nickname of a Chicago mobster — Tony "Kill Switch" Rossetti.

No doubt, this new "safety" feature will increase the vehicle's MSRP — "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price" — which is already ten times more than my net worth.

If it wasn't for the bank's lenient 132-month auto loans @ 28%, I probably couldn't afford to drive my used, low mileage, 1999 Pontiac Catalina I bought just before all the computers were supposed to crash on New Year's Day, 2000.

More Fraud and Scams
By Mike Bibb

10,000+ Free Dollar Sign & Dollar Images - Pixabay

"If it is true, the 2020 Presidential Election should be permanently wiped from the books and be of no further force or effect!" — President Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 24, 2026.
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If recent multi-million-dollar fraud accusations against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) are valid, President Trump is suggesting the 2020 Presidential Election was probably equally tainted by SPLC fraud influences.

With ongoing federal investigations of massive fraud occurring in various states, this particular DOJ review could open another can of worms. Principally, were certain aspects of the 2020 General Election affected by questionable SPLC motivations?

By Mike Bibb

I'm not opposed to tipping someone for the efforts they expend when taking and delivering a food order at a local restaurant, or any other product requiring a delivery person.

Good, friendly service necessitates a reward.

However, the amount of a tip should be decided by the customer — not automatically calculated by a handheld computer tablet and added to the bill.

For instance, the wife and I have dined in several establishments where, upon completion of the meal the waitress scans our bank card and hands us a tablet to sign.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary.

Except, before signing an array of tipping options appear on the screen as percentages of the total bill — not in dollar amounts.

The Ladder
By Mike Bibb

"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." — Genesis 28:10. (28:12 in some editions)
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The Beat's article "Stairway to Heaven," Genesis 28:10, by Dan Stewart, (April 12, 2026) got me thinking the ladder analogy is a fitting description of a technique we can use when exiting our current Earthly assignment.

A ladder to climb to the next adventure.

We know ladders were designed millennia ago to assist people in reaching higher to perform certain tasks.

Ladders have multiple rungs to climb to the intended goal. Normally, it takes at least one rung, and as many as several dozen to accomplish what we're trying to achieve.

"Open the F**in' Strait""
By Mike Bibb

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fu**in' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah." — President Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 5, 2026.
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Doesn't get much more clear than that.

I realize delicate ears have probably been offended, and Democrats and RINO Republicans are pulling their hair out but, hey, it's politics and international "diplomacy."

At least, the way Trump envisions it.

Before a lot of folks begin screaming "Trump's gotta go. Invoke the 25th Amendment or Impeach 47, now!", it would be judicious to apply soft breaks and slow down a little before something really stupid takes place.

You may have noticed Trump advised the Iranians to permit unrestricted ship travel through the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. If they didn't, various infrastructure targets could be targeted.

By Mike Bibb

Contributed Photo/Courtesy NASA: NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off in this April 1, 2026, image. NASA's Artemis II mission will take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.
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Like the President John F. Kennedy assassination a few years prior, I remember exactly where I was when U.S. astronauts first landed and walked on the moon on July 20, 1969.

It was during the height of the Vietnam War, and I was assigned to a Marine Corps Air Station. About a dozen Marines were huddled in front of a small TV awaiting the landing of the Apollo 11 lunar module.

After announcing "The Eagle has landed," astronaut Neil Armstrong descended the spacecraft's short ladder and declared his now famous comment "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" as his uniform's boots settled into the Moon's soft surface.

By Mike Bibb

Be careful what you wish for.

Image result for El Niño 2026 summer weather pattern picture

"A potentially strong El Niño weather pattern will likely emerge this summer and persist through the rest of the year, according to the latest official forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Forecasters estimate there is a 62% chance that El Niño will emerge between June and August. El Niño occurs when trade winds weaken, allowing vast volumes of warm ocean water to move from the Eastern Pacific toward the Americas." — NPR, March 12, 2026
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"Golly, this has been the winter that wasn't" you're probably thinking. "Sure be glad when it cools down and rains settle the dust."

Careful what you wish for.

According to various weather prognosticators, El Nino is approaching and will be bringing much relief to a parched Southwestern United States.

By Mike Bibb

Well, looks like warmer weather is bringing out the Dem's sidewalk protesters again. At least passing motorists will have something to entertain them as they patiently await a green light.

However, I've noticed they're intending to add a slightly different twist to their chants on Saturday, March 28. Something calling itself "We the People — All the People" is hooking up with the third installment of the "No Kings" protest, now known as the "No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings." gathering.