Karl Urban | Lawrence van Rijn

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May 10, 2026 · 01:20

Not as we know it

The famous and iconic quote by Dr. Leonard McCoy, first stated by Deforest Kelly, after that by Karl Urban. So, it’s space but not as we know it. We are given ‘Abu Dhabi-based space company plans massive $1 billion satellite network’ with the quote “The space technology company, linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s International Holding Co. (IHC), will launch its first satellite in October. Nine more are scheduled for next year as the firm builds an AI-powered Earth observation system. CEO Hamdullah Mohib confirmed plans for 40 additional satellites within five years.” Who would have thought that the 2017 movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets gave us a look into the actual future?

Of course I went to the cinema, I grew up with the comics of Valerian (in Dutch, where he is called Ravian) one of the comics even gave me the idea for a story with elements based on that setting, I even Included parts of the idea of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Origin, specifically the The Curse of the Pharaohs part. There were no pharaohs, or curses in my story, but the ships sailing through the weeds and the location of Aten and Duat gave me ideas. But this is about the UAE, who is launching 50 satellites. I have no idea what the competitive yank was doing when Elon Musk (yes, that guy) has launched over 11,500 starlink satellites. But the UAE, is a different matter. I have no idea what area, although some sources gave me “Middle East, Africa, and the surrounding regions”, the question becomes will it include at lest parts of Europe? You see, that would give a massive boost to the UAE streaming channels as they could reach these area’s too and that could mean all kinds of revenue (like advertising). It is me personal view to not include this would be folly. I also see the need to increase YouTubers, TikTok makers, and likeminded local crowds. I can see that the limitations is decently showing for Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The world needs to see what the UAE can offer as the resentment for visiting the United States is increasing on a near daily basis, especially as someone ‘claims’ that Cube is now easy pickings (they used a different term). But that warmongering claim and the sounds that we hear as Hegseth criticized NATO allies for not standing with the U.S. during tensions with Iran, questioning the strength of the alliance when allies are unwilling to support U.S. efforts is as some say “going down the wrong pipe”, as such there is a higher need for more diverse information and it might be nice to do that, but I believe that the best view on the Emirates should be given by an Emirati, should be simple, right? And there is enough sample materials. I am privy to see the works of Johny Strides, but there is also “The Ken Continuum” as I see it, plenty of stuff for Emirati’s to show Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah on a near daily basis. I just looked on the recently uploaded vlogs and what I find is ‘Inside Yas Mall Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 | Luxury Shopping & Walking Tour’ from the Canada Family Vlogs. One in one day, there were a few more in 3-6 days and plenty of shorts, but the famous Yas Mall? I would have expected at least a 6-12 in a day and I think it is important for the UAE to show itself and there is plenty of evidence that the Emirati’s love their country, as such I am a little bewildered why there is so little (perhaps there is a reason, but I am unaware of it) And Yas Island has a mall and 4 theme parks. And when. I look towards Sharjah, I get ‘Sharjah Separating From UAE? The Hidden Crisis In UAE Right Now’ I have no idea if that is real (most likely a doom speaker) but something should be done, especially when the UAE is adding 50 satellites and they all want to give and receive all kinds of data (I reckon a lot will be videos). But it is essential that the UAE will upgrade the quality of what is out and about, especially from Emiratis. I saw several good videos in the past for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but the pickings are getting slim. Show the people what shopping in Carrefour is like, show Affordables in Khalidiyah mall and Al Wadha mall (a mere example), foodcourts in Dubai, most people in the Commonwealth have never seen Al Baik and that is just the surface of things. Yes, people show us the Dubai Mall (which is lovely) and show us the Bugatti hotel, but there is more. And there are good vloggers, Dubai has Alone in Dubai, which shows us all the splendour of Dubai, I have seen numerous videos from that provider on YouTube. But there should be more, because not everyone likes one particular person, we all have different tastes. I get that, and by showing us more, we learn more and we accept that Dubai and Abu Dhabi needs to be on everyones bucket list especially now that the people tire of the United States. I reckon that with 50 satellites, there will be a lot more interactions and as these 50 satellites come online between now and 2031, it becomes essential to do this, especially as the telecom companies want to grow and there is room for growth especially towards Europe as I see it, so as the UAE shows its technological prowess, it needs to consider what is there to show and at times I think it might be better and these could be more. The UAE set out in 2024, to ‘Chris Hemsworth criticised over tourism ad promoting Abu Dhabi despite ‘notorious’ human rights violations’, which I personally consider BS. What Human Rights violations? The Guardian showed “The international non-governmental advocacy organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the UAE “invests in a strategy to paint the country as progressive, tolerant, and rights-respecting while carrying out repression against dissent”.” With a massive page where it mentions Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia and we get “The ACTU had said the UAE would be “one of the most repressive countries any Australian government has ever done a bilateral trade agreement with”.” So, where is the evidence? Because all I have seen on YouTube (mostly by British people) is a place that is a lot prettier then Florida ever was, I have not seen any repression and the BS I saw on the dangers in Google Search are as I see it massive lies too. The UAE is seen (by a lot of people as one of the safest places on the planet), plenty of women claimed that they felt safe in Dubai (on their YouTube videos), as such to counter this BS from wannabe human rights phonies it is time now to open the valve, because all this takes time to create traction and the UAE has 5 years to give us a whole range of videos of life in the UAE. I reckon that this is an essential call towards the people in the Emirates and I do believe that you need to see the local settings and as such the UAE has its challenge cut out for them, and I believe that they can meet them, because I see on Twitter (on a daily basis) the proclamation of Emiratis and the love they have for their rulers and their country. I saw a few videos regarding National day and it was clear that these people love their country, I think it is time that this is brought to the larger audience. I saw them as I watched a lot of walkthroughs on the first covid lockdowns. I was in me apartment, nothing to do, as such I watched what was available. London, Toronto, Dubai, Stockholm, Rotterdam and a few other places. As such I also saw the National day parades, cultural performances and I believe it was the first time that I saw the global village in Dubai. The UAE has so much to show, as such I believe it is needed to show it so that these people proclaiming repression, either show us evidence, or shut up. But that might be my oversimplified setting on the matter. But what is now known is that the UAE (with French help) will put 50 satellites in orbit in the next 5 years, as such it is time to see what there is and how it could aid others in seeking optional fortune and challenges. As I see it, the UAE is now where the United States was in 1952, a land of opportunity and as such the larger players and the smaller innovators have a new destination and you might think that the story I started with is merely talk, but consider that the UAE has Dubai+, Dubai One, and Dubai Sports, Shahid, STARZPLAY, OSN+, Abu Dhabi Media Network (ADmn) brands, Abu Dhabi TV, Emarat TV, and Abu Dhabi Sports. So what do you think will happen in 2031? When they grow outside of their UAE borders, they will need materials and that is your opportunity. That is the grow setting that is now getting lost in the United States. Some will go towards Canada, but the Middle East is where it will take on serious grow settings. I reckon that the European script writers are already looking in this direction, because they have materials that might fit in the Emirati media circles. So it will be life for all, but not as we have known it, it will be new and as such it will be interesting to see and it will be enticing. So have a great day today and consider where your future lies and as I read it (might be a typo) ADNOC has 555,845 open jobs. So anyone seeking a job? Have a great day.

What is the law?

That is the question I got myself wondering about. Now consider the law, the US and Commonwealth nations have common law, other nations like most in the EU have civil law, all nations that embrace the rule of law. I myself am largely in favour of the law (alas it does not suit me all the time, but the is life). So when I saw Reuters give me this morning ‘Democrats hammer Trump’s Supreme Court pick, say she could jeopardise Obamacare’. Yes, I get it, democrats are not in favour of conservative judges, the setting is however that the elected president gets to nominate whomever they want, yet it is the Senate that elects them by majority vote. In all this we see “Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and others in his party on Saturday blasted President Donald Trump’s choice of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, focusing in particular on the threat they said she would pose to healthcare for millions of Americans” (at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-barrett-healthcare/democrats-hammer-trumps-supreme-court-pick-say-she-could-jeopardize-obamacare-idUSKBN26I00H). Yet here is the kicker, it seems that there is too large and too polarised a view in America for the situation to continue. Now, I have nothing against judge Barrett, I do not know her, and I don’t know any of the supremes, actually I knew one when she was a supreme (Diana Ross) and there is the case where I optionally know two judges, both named Dredd (Sylvester Stallone and Karl Urban). I will admit that I am making light of the situation (apart from the fact that I can), but consider the setting here. The nominated judge (at https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/barrett-amy-coney) gives us:

Law clerk, Hon. Laurence H. Silberman, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1997-1998
Law clerk, Hon. Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court of the United States, 1998-1999
Private practice, Washington, D.C., 1999-2001
George Washington University Law School, 2001-2002; adjunct faculty member, 2001; John M. Olin Fellow in Law, 2001-2002
Professor of law, Notre Dame Law School, 2002-2017
Visiting associate professor of law, University of Virginia Law School, 2007

This youthful youngling of 48 summers has experience, as such she is eligible. And this is where we get to Jo Jo Biden. This is important as they claim “the threat they said she would pose to healthcare for millions of Americans”. Now, I am not stating that she is not, I merely wonder how a judge with so much years of experience might optionally invalidate a setting unless it is an illegal one. Let’s not forget the this is a supreme court judge, not the election of Judge Fish (again the Dredd connection).

It leaves me with questions, one of them is what would be illegal about Obamacare? If the second president keeps on unravelling on what the previous president put in motion, how useless has the American legal system become? That is a valid question, is it not?

All this whilst the vote of confirmation has not passed yet and this is where the Democrats panel members get to ask all the questions that could interfere with the nominee being confirmed. The Sydney Morning Herald gives us (at https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/the-trap-democrats-must-avoid-in-the-supreme-court-nomination-battle-20200927-p55zm0.html) “Republicans want to turn the confirmation process into a grievance-fuelled culture war by portraying Barrett – a devout Catholic conservative – as a victim of left-wing bigotry. Democrats want to use the Supreme Court showdown to highlight the precarious status of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and elevate it as an election issue”, I believe that this is right on point. Yet when we look at this, would either ever elect the best nomination? Lets not forget, the even as we accept “There is no precedent for a US Supreme Court vacancy to be filled so close to election day”, the reality is “He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law”, this is what Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 states. There is nothing about how close to election it is. It is about the elected president of the United States, the constitution is actually that simple (no fish required). And none of it can happen without the consent of the Senate, and they are elected by who? Yup, you guessed it they are directly chosen by the people of the State, in this those 55% (the part that actually showed to the election) made their decision known and these senators, elected by the people will confirm (or reject) the nomination to the supreme court, but those parts are not really that highlighted by the papers are they?

Now, I will happily agree that I am not the greatest expert on the matter (apart from a master degree in law), but there is a lot we need to consider. How can the USA move forward when the setting is created that optionally the next term undoes the actions of the previous term? Is anyone considering that non-productive stage? Apart from the stage where we see the confirmation that the Affordable Care Act is in a precarious situation, implying that it was never properly set into law, and if that is so, whose fault was that? If we focus on the law, let’s make it about the law and there, the current president has been fortunate enough to elect 3 supreme court judges. The last one to do this was former President Reagan and he got to nominate 4 of them, just like former President Nixon, only President Eisenhower nominated 5. And so far, do the people of the USA have anything to complain about? Reagan nominated Judge Scalia, where some state that he was he was one of the most influential jurists of the twentieth century. Nixon elected Judge Blackmun, who was seen as became one of the most liberal justices on the Court. He is best known as the author of the Court’s opinion in Roe v. Wade, which prohibits many state and federal restrictions on abortion. Then there was President Eisenhower who nominated Justice Brennan, and ended up being known for being a leader of the Court’s liberal wing. So when I see all the tears on a lack of liberal judges, I wonder how valid it is. OK, I have an actual life, so I did not dig into EVERY nominated and elected justice, yet I hope that I am raising enough questions for you all to wonder and lets face it, unless you went in and actually voted, you have no real right (unless you were younger than 18 during the last election).

In the end, we have to wait and see, mostly if the confirmation succeeds or not, because that is the next step. Let’s wait and see, the next step starts on October 12th.

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