Tag Archives: New Zealand

May 15, 2026 · 10:49

Two simple points

I was made aware of two events, one less than 2 hours ago. Both by the CBC, the first one (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/u-s-duties-tariffs-canadian-mushrooms-9.7200052) gives us ‘U.S. to slap tariffs on Canadian mushrooms as growers warn of broader risks for agriculture’ with the byline “U.S. pointing to agricultural tax exemptions as justification for countervailing duties” there is a seemingly wrong stance on this. We are also given “A U.S. Commerce Department fact sheet released this week and shared with CBC by the Canadian Mushroom Growers’ Association says that following an investigation, the U.S. government will be hitting Canadian fresh mushrooms with tariffs of between 1.6 and five per cent. Countervailing duties are slapped on imports judged to be unfairly subsidized. Similar U.S. investigations have resulted in duties on Canadian softwood lumber for decades.” So whilst we see that this is unfair, the article does bring out a few parts that might show that American mushroom growers can see that they are unfairly handled. At this point there is a setting that the US government should intervene. It is also clear that this is not due to the growers, but by clever supermarket entrepreneurs who see tax exemptions to get cheaper goods and I get that they do this, but this trap, which was always a hidden trap, might be blowing up in the faces of all. We then get “CBC news asked Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald’s office for a statement regarding the mushroom duties. A spokesperson pointed CBC News to Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s office for comment. LeBlanc’s office deferred to Global Affairs Canada, which has yet to offer a statement. The U.S. also launched a separate investigation which could result in further anti-dumping tariffs on mushrooms later this year.” In this case I would hand the reader: “is this anti-dumping or clever supermarket purchase policies?” There are different angles at looking at the dice that some are playing with. And this almost directly relates to the second article (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/investigates/sobeys-loblaw-maple-washing-9.7196767) where we see ‘Sobeys, Loblaw under fire for maple washing, as Sobeys ditches maple leaf symbol in stores’ which is accompanied by “Federal regulator has identified 127 cases of maple washing by retailers since the start of 2025”, the conspiracy theorists will blame American intervention, but I am seeing a place where those purchasing for supermarkets that they are on a sliding scale of disaster and they are choosing to level that sliding scale by a lot. So when we see “More than a year after the Buy Canadian movement took root, grocery giants Loblaw and Sobeys are facing increased scrutiny over “maple washing” the practice of promoting imported goods as homegrown.” And it is where we see “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) slapped two Loblaw-owned stores in January with $10,000 fines each for maple washing, and one month later, two other Loblaw-owned stores got formal warnings for the same violation, CBC News has learned. Sobeys is also on the CFIA’s radar. The federal food regulator told CBC it has received multiple complaints about the grocer and maple washing and has wrapped up an investigation into advertising practices overseen by Sobeys head office.” I am thinking that it is time for a change. It is time for the Commonwealth when not producing their own goods, to buy Canadian /Commonwealth. 

A combines sticker with the flags of Canada, UK, Australia, new Zealand, India, Jamaica (full be honest, I am including Jamaica to complete a set of six). When this purchasing setting is invoked there will be several changes. When we prefer our (near) local produce over American produce, there will be a change in several ways and as I see it, the supermarkets can either adapt or go under. Canada did not start this war, but with the help of the Commonwealth it can finish it. And for those having stock in Sobeys and Loblaw can either sell whatever stock they have or lose a massive amount of money. When the bulk of the Canadians walk away from these two brands, these brands will feel the hurt of no sales really quickly. Some will debate that America started all this and as such they should pay and I am not deaf to that premise, but these two providers set the change in motion and that should not be rewarded either. 

As such we have options and I reckon that if the UK, Australia and New Zealand follow Canada in taking American alcohol off the shelves the impact will be seen to a much larger extent. And it benefits the Commonwealth too, Gin from UK, Whiskey from UK and Canada, Rum from Australia, and there are a few combinations that will give the Commonwealth the investment in their own products. I reckon that it will take less than a year for over a 100 brands to fall into receivership. Good idea from this US administration to cry ‘America First’ so when that implode on their plates we can move on towards cars and a few other items. There is great satisfaction in this, but there is another setting. The stage where we see that there is justice in anti-dumping tariffs and the United States has a valid point in protecting its home made produce and these two articles do not bear this out. But that might be my view on the matter. What does matter is that these two articles show that Canada is sailing a narrow margin boat across heavy waves and there will be enough casualties on both sides of the border to consider that there needs to be another way. Because that is seemingly overlooked and perhaps these two points are not as simple as they seem because there are several issues in play.

Have a great day.

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May 7, 2026 · 17:59

Under Attack

That is at times the setting, especially when you look at the gulf states at present, but that is not what is the setting, the Commonwealth, specifically Canada is under attack. It is under attack from the United States and Russia. We might want to be in disbelief, but the CBC (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/russia-and-u-s-amplifying-alberta-separatist-narratives-to-stoke-division-distrust-report-9.7189604) and we are given ‘Russia and U.S. amplifying Alberta separatist narratives to stoke division, distrust: report’ where we see “Moscow’s influence scheme is covert, while Trump-aligned meddling is overt and public”, we here in the Commonwealth need to take notice of the plight that stalks and covertly attacks Canada. We are also given “Rather, researchers discovered the now defunct website and social media accounts likely came from a Russian covert influence network known as Storm-1516, known for making fictional websites that target audiences in various countries. And here, it targeted Canada and Alberta. Both Russian and pro-Trump U.S. actors are amplifying and spreading misinformation about Alberta separatism in the hope of fraying Canadian unity and sowing distrust in key institutions and authorities, warns a new report released Wednesday.” This report, written by Marcus Kolga, Jennie Phillips, Brian McQuinn, Bartel Van de Walle gives us the goods on this. Marcus Kolga is a journalist, human rights advocate, and leading expert of foreign disinformation and influence operations. We can go over the list, it makes sense to attach the PDF at the end of the story, so that you can read it for yourself. And as I see it, whatever President Trump cannot have, he disables and we see this with “US involvement in Alberta separatism is not covert — it is overt, escalating, and converging at multiple levels simultaneously. By overt, we are referring to official engagement, where senior US government figures have met directly with Alberta separatist leaders and made public statements validating their cause, while the US is led by a president who has repeatedly expressed interest in annexing Canada. By escalating, we refer to influencer amplification, where prominent MAGA-aligned media figures with combined audiences in the tens of millions have actively promoted Alberta separatism and normalized annexation narratives. By convergence, we mean that the line between US influencer activity and Russian-funded operations has, in at least one documented case, dissolved entirely. Three converging lines of evidence establish this case.” And I for one, believe that we need to up the disruption into the United States by taking away whatever commerce it had until recently. We (the Commonwealth nations) need to unite and stand together against these attacks on Canada. We could all stop buying alcohol from the United States, we could all put change out vacation destination to Europe, Middle East and Asia. As I see it, the loss of commerce and goods would push the United States right over the edge. It is not something I would like to do, but attacking our brothers in Canada (sisters too) makes it almost mandatory to stand by Canada and use these methods. As I see it in April 2026, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has taken a confrontational stance against Canada’s trade strategy, calling it poor and attacking Canadian officials like Mark Carney. These remarks, described as insulting, have increased tension regarding USMCA, tariffs, and potential impacts on tourism and trade relations. So how much more ludicrous will his position become when we all (United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) side with Canada and we all reject United States alcohol? From there we can reject all good from the United States? How long until their settings implode upon itself? You see, the MAGA setting was flawed from the very start, because a world founded on commerce cannot rely on export, without import it stops right quick. And now as we see that the United States is messing with Canada, we need to do something and until the senate hangs its 41st United States Secretary of Commerce out to dry, we need to stand firm, because Canada did not start this, whatever we see with his attacks on PM Mark Carney and all the rhetoric he wants, but the Commonwealth is over 2.5 billion people and even as the four nations are the important side, we could all refuse goods from the United States, you see it is our freedom to refuse whatever we want. It seems like U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has forgotten about that and the other nations that ‘revered’ American goods going back to the 80’s are now singing a different tune and a lot of them are a lot less positive about this administration and we have always been positive of the Commonwealth, as such people like U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are on a sliding slope that leads straight to an abyss. And now we see the Canada is under attack and anyone that sides with those attacking Canada can emigrate to the United States and make a new life, sounds fair doesn’t it?

I get that Russia wants to attack Canada (even as I don’t like it), the Commonwealth was a natural enemy of Russia going all the way back to 1850, so we have been having issues longer than I remember. But for the United States to attack Canada by giving us “Steve Bannon, former Trump advisor and prominent supporter of Brexit, has also inserted himself into the Alberta separatist issue, telling his War Room audience that Albertans “are getting out of the Canadian union” and arguing the United States should recognize Alberta as an independent country and place it “on the pathway” to becoming the 51st state” I have had my views on the debatable reasons of the 51st state. I still believe that the United States is so broke (read: insolvent) that the United States does whatever it can to get revenue through any means to keep the lights on (my paraphrasing that setting) First Canada, then Greenland, then Venezuela and now Iran. I see the people stating that this is an Epstein setting, but I believe that it is merely the icing on the cake and as the United States has less and less, I fear for our Canadian brothers and sisters. As such this PDF is also an essential reminder that behind the 41 million Canadians are over 100 million Commonwealthians ready to support them (I know the Commonwealth is over 2.5 billion), but as I see it, direct action is possible from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and optionally India too. So what happens when Howard Lutnick loses that population for commerce as well? Do you think he will cry like a little girl stating that Canadians are mean? We see “Democrats accused Lutnick of lying and evading their questions.” (Source: GlobalNews) we don’t need to lie or evade, we can just take our business elsewhere. We can order booze from Mexico (Tequila), Bermuda and Australia (Rum) and Gin from the United Kingdom, we have options and the United States better realise that we can do this to more than booze, cars from Japan and Europe, oil from Canada, Pharmaceuticals from India. That amounts to over a trillion in commerce lost. As I see it, the United States needs to reassess its actions and stop interfering in Canadian politics. Because as I see it, the United States pissed off Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and they are (my personal view is) extremely willing to make the United States Administration sing a different tune. But that might merely be me. So all hail PM Mark Carney (whether you are Canadian or not) and enjoy today as much as you can.

Alberta-and-Foreign-Interference-Report-Final-052026-webDownload

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April 22, 2026 · 15:04

Whatever the BS indicates

So, I was looking at a few matters and some connect to yesterday’s setting. As such, this morning I was given by CBC (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-losing-losing-losing-carney-trade-9.7171738) ‘Poilievre says Carney has been ‘losing, losing, losing’ on U.S. trade war’ and I personally call out this incorrect setting (calling it a lie is so crass) as I see it, PM Mark Carney has done whatever he can to make Canada less reliable on the United States, giving the country options and not to be set to the whim of a their own version of King George III and lets face it the one in the United States, looks nowhere near as good as Nigel Hawthorne (supporting evidence below).

We are given the additional “Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre launched a pointed attack on the Liberal government’s handling of the Canada-U.S. file Tuesday, saying the results so far have fallen well short of the mark and the prime minister is “losing” the trade war. Speaking to reporters after Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his new trade advisory council to help with the U.S. dispute — a body that includes some big-name Conservatives — Poilievre lashed out, saying the Liberals ran on settling the issue at the last election but there has been no discernible progress to this point.” And in a stage where that less than appealing person in Washington, is calling Canada the 51st state, giving it tariffs that got well beyond what is acceptable (whilst giving Russia allegedly no tariffs) and whilst we see “Carney says there’s been a ‘rupture’ in Canada-U.S. relationship, while Poilievre wants to draw closer”, so does any real Canadian want to vote for Pierre Poilievre (also known as Peter Polivicious by some)?

So whilst we see this and whilst we were given yesterday ‘Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran’ (source: Reuters), today we get ‘Trump says ceasefire extended as talks with Tehran in limbo’ (source: Al Jazeera) and this is a person Canada wants to get closer to? Then we get that a lot of Canadians are christians, so do you want to get close to a person who attacks the pope on humanitarian issues as well as “President Trump has been lobbing insults at Pope Leo XIV in response to his criticisms of the war in Iran and appeals for peace, marking an unusually pronounced rupture between the leaders of the world’s most powerful country and the world’s largest Christian denomination. But Leo criticized the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts both before and after he was elected leader of the Catholic Church. He told reporters in November that the treatment of immigrants is “extremely disrespectful,” echoing the views of his predecessor, Pope Francis.” So do we (Commonwealthians) ever want to get close to this (so called) king? Or are we ready to steer the Commonwealth to safer waters? In that case, why would anyone ever consider the conservative PP or any of his arguments valid? OK, I will admit that the rental issues he raised last year were valid, but as I see it, no force in the Commonwealth gives rise to closer working with President Trump. 

And this is merely my view (also shared with many in the Commonwealth) and I could be wrong, but I do not think so. As such It is time to reflect on a few things that PM Mark Carney achieved over the last year (as I am not Canadian, I reserve the right to miss a few items).

  • Economic & Environmental Policy: Removed the consumer carbon tax, and pushed for deregulation to support industry.
  • Trade & Infrastructure: Passed legislation to reduce interprovincial trade barriers.
  • Housing: Launched the Build Canada Homes agency to accelerate development.
  • International Relations: Formally recognized the State of Palestine, strengthened ties with India and China, and continued strong support for Ukraine.
  • Social Policy: Implemented tax cuts for the middle class.

And these items are merely of the last 15 months. Also he increased trade with China, revenue the country can really use and achieved a higher trade settings with the EU and NATO, optionally also increased trade with Australia and New Zealand. All options whatever the conservatives throw in to the mix would never achieve as they are most likely not equipped with the knowledge of Economy that the present Prime Minister has.

So feel free to agree or disagree, but whatever America throws at Canada (like: Meanwhile, the Americans are demanding Canada change dairy access rules and drop some protections for its cultural sector, among other demands) which is funny, because that is decided by Canada, not the United States. 

So you all have a great day and remember it is still yesterday in Vancouver.

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April 19, 2026 · 10:11

The competition is moving

Yesterday (less than 24 hours ago) I took notice of an article in the South China Morning Post (at https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350460/nvidias-jensen-huang-warns-huawei-chips-deepseek-ai-models-would-be-horrible-us) where we see ‘Nvidia’s Jensen Huang warns Huawei chips for DeepSeek AI models would be ‘horrible’ for US’, so we see everyones favourite boy-scout giving us that Huawei could be either a terrible setting of everyone (us) or it could be horrible for the United States (US), I don’t know about the first one, the second one the United States did to themselves. And the setting of overvaluation by the United States on fake AI, versus undervaluation of Chinese fake AI is considerable as the United States is giving value to what China sees as a mere 3% valuation. I am willing to go with “You had that coming” and in addition as I see it the Huawei MateBook Fold (2TB SSD / 32GB RAM) is an engineering marvel. 

It is the first product to be an actual threat to Apple’s iPad and that was long overdue. Don’t get me wrong, I have been an avid fan of the iPad and I had one since 2011, so you might say I was there almost at the start and it never let me down, 2 years ago I got the iPad Air and it is still doing its bit for me every day (almost every hour). That is true innovation and now the Huawei is surpassing it with the Huawei MateBook Fold, it makes us think that Microsoft is still in the water scuttling its own future. Huawei is that much ahead of the rest. And now Jensen gives us “What do you think happens when it is equipped with a chip running DeepSeek in the background? 

That is the reality of so called sitting on their asses and getting surpassed by all the western technology. Add to this 6G Huawei is researching with “70 GHz mmWave for short-range communication, aiming for speeds exceeding 10 Gbit/s and sub-millisecond latency” some say that US sanctions will prevent this, but Huawei is the innovator, nothing comes near this and the so called west, including Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia (New Zealand too) have had enough of greed driven sanctions by the United States. Germany already went overboard (as stated by some) giving France and Italy enough settings to follow suit. So when Huawei gets to install its pilots in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the rest will almost be standing still, as the current setting is that their 5G is about 700% faster than anyone else (almost twice as fast as South Korea has) and that was almost 5 years ago (source: Statista) and I talked about that in one of my blog articles raising awareness for smart ware. So as I see it, the moment Huawei releases its combines tablet to the west, the United States is done and I reckon that Apple will lose a lot of customers, It will also be the point where Huawei will make its HarmonyOS NEXT (or HarmonyOS 5) to the larger collective in Europe and from that point the United States is no longer working at 41% (at the speed comparison Statista gave us) it will be reduced to a mere 23%-38% of whatever will be running in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. That is the setting and the DeepSeek chip is making it a much easier jump as the United States was honey coating the chains with (fake) AI and now Huawei is nearly at a point where they can state “We have AI too in all our Huawei models” and it comes at mere pennies to the dollar (compared all the other providers). As such Huawei was working in the background and the United States willing to strangle any press releases (a speculation by me) on the subject.

So whilst we are given “If “future AI models are optimised in a very different way than the American tech stack”, and as “AI diffuses out into the rest of the world” with Chinese standards and technology, China “will become superior to” the US, Huang said on the Dwarkesh Podcast on Wednesday. The conversation came ahead of the much-awaited launch of DeepSeek’s V4 foundation model, expected later this month. US news outlet The Information reported earlier this month that V4 would run on Huawei’s latest Ascend 950PR processor, while a separate report by Reuters last month suggested that the model had been trained on Nvidia’s Blackwell chips, which would be a violation of US export controls.” So whilst I have no idea how accurate the Reuters article is (never read it) I can surmise that the Products from the United States (like Apple) are unlikely to have anything to counter the Ascend 950PR processor, off course I am always happy to be proven wrong, but the setting I reported on in 2024 where the iMac has a mere 24GB RAM and 2TB drive, which should have been at least 64GB RAM and 4TB drive before 2025, is still in the old settings. 

Either that technology is unable or the people of Apple are sitting on their hands is nothing less of a joke, even if it is now possible to get it in Orange, Revell has given Apple that option for a mere €3 per model and Revell had that option for years (if not decades) so whilst we get the ‘innovation’ of colour, it is not, it is mere iteration and there are a few other settings were these innovators are sitting on their asses (optionally overdosing on viagra). Innovation is a game that is unrelenting and I have warned the larger audience of that for years, if not decades. 

Now the hard truths come calling and Huawei is the next innovation that is up for grabs and whilst Apple comes with the claim “Center Stage front camera with a new 18-megapixel square sensor, a 6.3-inch display with 120Hz ProMotion (available on the standard model for the first time), and the high-efficiency A19 chip.” It is not innovation, it is iteration and I see iteration as the next step from an innovative setting. That is what has been around for a long time and the days of the Apple iPad might be numbered now. I reckon that Huawei is unlikely to bust the Apple iPhone numbers for some time, but there is a danger that the Huawei Mate X6 (or the models that come after that) are unlikely to bash iPhone or Google Pixels as they are (for now) too expensive, but these new versions are ready to knock on our doors. So there is danger to be seen (for western technology) in the words of Jensen Huang and as the United States is massively anti-China, I wonder if Canada might be the next stage for illuminating the North American customers. I have no idea how Canadians are staged towards Chinese technology, but as their stance towards the Trump administration grows more hostile, there is every chance that this stage might go successful for China, especially if the US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra gives us another of his diplomatic jabs, as I see it, every time he says something more and more Canadians get a fresh doze of anti-Americanism. I’m just calling it as I see it.

Have a great day and consider the words of Jensen Huang, he might be more on the ball than I am (never a truer word was spoken). 

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April 3, 2026 · 17:19

The change I am predicting

That is the setting, but it is merely a speculation. It might be called presumption if I knew all the players, but I do not. We see ourselves in the west versus the Middle East (the crusader setting) and the West versus the Iron Curtain (cold war) or the West versus Asia (Perpetual Foreigner setting), but those are yesterday’s settings. We need a new setting. It is more and more imperative that the Commonwealth seeks a closer working relationship with the Middle East, particular Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It isn’t merely because the money and oil are there. The setting that the United States of America is about to become our most enemy is coming too close for comfort and we need to stay with our Canadian brethren (sisters too), we can watch from a distance, but soon it will be too late and politicians better realise that ‘It was too complex’ or ‘we never banked on that’ will not be an excuse to get away from it all. It starts with the (as I personally see it) the illegal war on Iran. Now don’t get me wrong, Iran is evil and they needed to be dealt with. But a war has an actual declaration and we see too much media giving us the bytes by America giving us that there was not a war in play (really?) We know that the united States are based on laws, which they basically threw away when it suited their needs.

The U.S. Constitution is very clear that only Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war. But President Trump did not even consult with Congress before attacking Iran, let alone receive a congressional declaration of or even authorization for war.

This is the first setting, so as there is no war, it is merely an exercise in bombing civilians and the upcoming looting of oil. 

International law is equally clear. The Nuremberg trials following World War II determined that the “supreme international crime” was that of aggression. The International Military Tribunal ruled in 1946 that initiating a war of aggression differed from other war crimes because “it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.” War crimes, crimes against humanity, and all the related international crimes, therefore, are understood to stem from that fundamental crime of going to war illegally. The United States went to war illegally. They are waging a war of aggression against Iran. The UN Charter declares that no country may attack another country, and that “all Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.” It also prohibits UN member states from using “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”

So we are there at the moment. I also took Israel out f the equation, Iran has been attacking Israel for decades and they now have the United States backing them. The UN is useless, they sided with all opposing Israel for so long, it is not to be considered a factor here. The United States did sign a charter voiding what they did on June 26, 1945, in San Francisco, California. It was signed by representatives of 50 nations at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, with the US Senate subsequently ratifying the treaty on July 28, 1945.

As such we see the clear markings of an illegal war. And the media has this clearly in their history banks, so whatever they do it now seen as invalid, let them chase their digital dollars, but as I see it, the media is now tax liable, and in many places it is 20% or more. Did they consider this?

As such we (the Commonwealth) needs to find a much better alliance. Whilst some might turn to Asia (China), I am mindful that a union with the Middle East is a much better fit. Unions with the UAE and Saudi Arabia might fit the Commonwealth charter better, I am against embracing Sharia law, but it is a low in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, so we need to be mindful that this is a setting we have to embrace the we are there and schools need to prepare for this shift, because this shift has never happened before. Even as we have 11th century hang ups on this, we need to move forward and moving forward with the United States is a one step movement into a debt driven setting. (USA is now 39 trillion in debt) and they are unlikely to be able to pay the interest in 2027. As such we are massively out of time and as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are setting up their tourism settings and the Commonwealth could be bringing a larger part of its 2.5 billion people to these regions (and taking them away from the USA) 

So, yes, this is speculation, but ask yourself, did you ever consider that the United States would become the instigator of an illegal war? Don’t get me wrong, Iran had to be taken down a few pegs, but we all agree that we are a nation of laws and there are ways to proceed, the fact that someone is waging water to get its hands on oil (whilst they claim they have enough) might be a step too far for several people and the Commonwealth is almost a third of the global population. So how desperate will the United States become when they realise they played the wrong song in a dancehall that is still set to the conservative settings it sees?

It is about time to select where we go to, I for one am a Commonwealthian and I go where more intelligent people (like PM Mark Carney, aka Marky Mark of the British Bank) tells us to go. I see his intellectual mastery of economics and as we see it, America is losing battle after battle against Canada, because whatever they have is not to confused with actual intelligence. 

And I foresee that the Commonwealth needs to take a side and in thesis settings for them there is the Middle East or there is China and I feel (a personal feeling) that China might not be the best solution for the Commonwealth. Don’t get me wrong they do a lot right, but whilst the EU is overturning the settings that the United States gave us concerning Huawei, TikTok and a few other vendors, there is a stage where some options need to be examined and whilst the USA is making acquisitions, it is them not others who are interfering with national interests and for the most we let them. Time to set a new stage, one that excludes the United States, I see that several changes are being made like FourEyes (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom) in a new shape of intelligence for these nations and as sick say the United States is no longer being considered as a valued source. But in business other settings will be required and here my vote goes towards the Middle East, because we are most likely more alike than unalike. I reckon that the Vatican might oppose that side, but they squandered their options as I see it. 

Is my speculation valid?

That remains to be seen. I think it is, but I am the one postulating that setting and before you go all high and mighty, consider this:

Were the attacks on Venezuela and Iran legal?
What solutions does the United States administration have to dilute $39 trillion.
And what losses will the United States see over the next 15 months?

Now consider that the more then one trillion interest that is due in 2026 and 2027 needs to be paid for?

So this is interest, not even a lessening of the debt. And was I see it, it is only getting harder in 2028 and now we add the cherry. As the United States is abstaining from NATO, how many bases and people will be made to move back to the USA? My ‘limited’ calculations give me the setting that these troops are around 65,000. Now they end up seeking jobs in the United States, and there is not enough place all over the USA to place them all, and this also implies a reduced return of investments in Europe. The US has to deal with over 100K dismissed staff from 2025 onwards and all to that thousands being replaced in the military. That is a decrease in revenue that might be too complex to calculate, but there will be an impact. So as others are reevaluating their stance towards the United States (Japan for one) what more losses in an age where a nation is almost unable to pay for its interest bill. So what happens when the United States defaults on a $39 trillion debt? I saw this a decade ago when out was merely $25 trillion. The picture wasn’t nice then, it is utterly ugly now. As I see it, the Commonwealth needs new alliances and it needs them fast. My vote goes towards the Middle East, but I reckon that many votes toward China are coming too. Whatever we do, we better do it fast. So, have a great day today.

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April 1, 2026 · 15:02

And the losses continue

That is the setting that I now see coming. The losses are on the United States of America and their commander in chief (that guy in the White House) is to blame for what comes next. You see, there needs to be a consequence for being as stupid as some people are. To this effect I hand you the following. It was presented to me by SBS News (at https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/trump-tells-allies-to-go-get-your-own-oil-after-they-refuse-to-join-strikes-on-iran/chkb28a1q) where we see ‘Australia responds to Donald Trump’s ‘get your own oil’ tirade’ first there was the ignorant ploy which was presented to all of us by the BBC on March 8th 2026 (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dn3j04lydo) where we were given ‘Trump accuses Starmer of seeking to ‘join wars after we’ve already won’’ it was tactically a stupid move to make. He had no won yet and here he is blowing off the British navy (and its PM). This was given to us together with the quote ““The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember.” We then get (on March 20th, by Al Jazeera at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/20/cowards-trump-slams-nato-over-lack-of-support-in-us-israel-war-on) the headline ‘‘Cowards’: Trump slams NATO over lack of support in US–Israel war on Iran’, which is of course a little weird as he had already proclaimed victory on March 8th, where we see “Trump has been calling for major US allies to help secure the safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz which Tehran has effectively blocked.” Here we get a slightly different setting. The attacks by the United States and Israel are not coming from a declaration war, President Trump needs US Congress for that. So NATO cannot get involved as the articles of war are almost clear as water and NATO does not have to get involved because there is no declaration of war. NATO could come to the aid of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and optionally Qatar if this was officially asked. But that comes with legislation of a slippery slope. NATO would have to go against its own ally the United States of America. Not a setting any of the NATO members are willing to entertain. It comes with the added ““Now that fight is militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk,” he wrote.” There he goes off again with his setting of a military won event. It seems that there was no victory and plenty of Iran was bombed but Iran never gave any noise of surrendering, in the meantime Saudi Arabia and the UAE are still attacked by Iran with missiles and drones. No act by either of them warrants that and no one seems to call Iran to the stage to hold Iran accountable. So now (through SBS) we get:

“Trump singled out the United Kingdom and France as unhelpful in the month-long war that has roiled global markets, driven up energy prices and seen Iran effectively close oil tanker traffic through the Strait. “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday (local time).”

Here we get two new settings. The first one given is that we all buy American (never an option) or we take it from the strait of Hormuz under the guise of delayed courage. The second option is basically an invitation to plunder Iranian oil fields, which might be illegal in several ways. But there is a third option, likely overlooked by the United States.

Canada is the largest foreign supplier of oil to the United States, exporting roughly 97% of its crude oil exports—about 4.3 million barrels per day—to the U.S. in 2023. While the U.S. relies on Canadian heavy crude for many refineries, Canada is diversifying export routes via the trans mountain pipeline expansion. It is my suggestion that Canada delivers that oil to the Europe and the United Kingdom (at a price). This is direct revenue that Canada will enjoy and they don’t have to deal with some bully in the south. The UK being in the Commonwealth will likely like this solution (as will Australia) and if there is freedom to change venue (like in there is no contract stopping Canada) they can have a new customer making the United States less of a customer. We won’t bother the Middle East and both Europe, News Zealand and Australia will optionally this solution a few dollars per barrel cheaper (which is merely a speculative discount).

I wonder if the United States had a clue that this option is available to the countries and I reckon that President Trump looked at that setting from the start, did he not? It is a clear setting in the Art of War which was published around 2500 years ago. I feel stupid having to illuminate this track, but there is too much stupidity in the media, so I feel vindicated handing an optional smile solution to the Commonwealth, and I am always willing to hand any option so that PM Mark Carney does not have to deal with the United States of America. 

Oh, and the other lie that we see is “like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran,” but it was he who stopped the United Kingdom from sending help in the form of sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, which came with the response “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer” as such what is he crying about? 

In the meantime I considered through design two shapes of IP to be used on the roads of Iran to stop convoys, no bombing run required and as I see it, it would cause delay upon delay setting whatever comes from Russia via other roads delayed by weeks, if not months. And as far as I can see, the IP for harbours is still unchanged, so that is running along nicely. The rail version is still on route as well. So Iran is about to face its own forms of hardship beyond what they already have.

So whilst the losses continue, they are likely to hit the United States as well as Canadian oil will now find new roads into the hands of allies and President Trump clearly stated “buy from the U.S., we have plenty” as I see it, we would much rather buy it from Canada and if you have enough, you don’t need more oil from Canada and they can be the savior of the Commonwealth and Europe all at the same time. Sometimes life gives you a nice curveball.

So whilst the losses for the United States continue, they now have less to capture all over the globe and the next interest payment, which is projected to exceed $1 trillion in fiscal year 2026, or roughly 17% of total federal spending, is due soon.

Have a great day.

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March 17, 2026 · 18:32

Where is the trust?

That is most of the time the setting, so as ABC gives us (at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-17/middle-east-live-updates-march-17-2026/106462358) “A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile while anchored near the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, US President Donald Trump turned his ire on European allies who he claimed “weren’t that enthusiastic” about helping the US secure the passage. The threat of Iranian missiles and drones targeting oil tankers in the strait has effectively closed the shipping channel, amid the country’s conflict with the US and Israel.” With the added ‘Rockets and drones fired at US Embassy in Baghdad’ an hour ago. Consider that President Trump gave us (on march 8th, Politico) ‘Trump says Starmer seeking to join Iran war ‘after we’ve already won’’ so, that was 9 days ago? What changed? Then yesterday, the Guardian gives us (at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/16/iran-war-live-updates-news-oil-trump-hormuz-dubai-airport-israel-targets) “As Donald Trump expresses frustration with countries declining to send warships to reopen the strait of Hormuz, the response remains muted among those he directly called upon.” And this happened a mere 4 hours ago. Where are the vessels of the United States? Where are their minesweepers? Simple questions and it defies knowledge why this is not front and centre everywhere. So when the Sydney Morning Herald adds spice to the setting (at https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/with-10-damning-words-pete-hegseth-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-20260314-p5oafr.html) with ‘With 10 damning words, Pete Hegseth says the quiet part out loud’ where we see “US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth believes the media has not been sufficiently effusive about the success of the American military operation against Iran.

He had just finished speaking about the massive damage inflicted upon the regime in Tehran – its leadership, its missile stocks, its navy, its weapons infrastructure – when he turned his attention to the Pentagon press pack.” Now, I am willing to accept that I have not been part of any defence department for 43 years. I can assure you that a certain clarity is required in communication (from the defence side) and whilst I feel ready to blame the press on several matters, they are massively without blame here. The March 8th setting was the first damning setting. Then as I yesterday lighted on the ‘Just for fun’ setting that President Trump gave us and whilst the tactical setting that Kharg Island provides a sea port for the export of up to 90% of Iran’s oil products, as well as supplying storage for up to 30 million barrels. Bombing the hell out of it might have been essential, but it is a mere export point. There are 10 refineries doing the bidding of capturing oil and whilst I was able to device methods of stopping those settings, the clear message is to bomb those 10 locations to really put pressure on Iran. So when were they done? No, As I personally see it, President Trump what’s that oil this is the clear setting that is tactically seen and now that 2,500-5,000 boots are getting on the ground, that setting becomes the pressure point that Iran can put on the United States. So whilst I created IP to close harbours and disable trains, stopping the bulk of oil transits, it was merely one stage that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE could do to take pressure away from themselves and as such I gave Saudi Arabia and the UAE that IP. I did my thing to stop the war to go towards the gulf states. 

So what are we now left with?

Well, the SMH also takes care of that. We are given “As former CNN Pentagon reporter Barbara Starr noted, it’s possible that Ellison will be none-too-pleased about Hegseth’s implications.

Starr, a 21-year veteran of the defence beat, pointed out on X that CNN has sent personnel to combat zones for decades, with some even losing their lives. “You have a legal and moral obligation to defend the free press, even the ones you don’t personally like,” she told Hegseth.

As a former TV presenter before he was tasked with running the world’s most powerful military, press freedom should be Hegseth’s instinct. His comments today – and his vainglorious move to banish press photographers from his briefings – suggest he sees the media more as a vassal to serve his interests.” I can get behind that thought. As such there are sides to this entire setting that aren’t reported on this enough. The first one was that no formal declaration of war was ever given by the United States. As such we were given: “the Trump administration officials have offered various and conflicting explanations for the war, such as to ward off an imminent Iranian threat, to pre-empt Iranian retaliation against US assets after an expected Israeli attack on Iran” My issue here is that the international courts in The Hague might side with Iran concerning the seemingly unprovoked attacks by Iran (I know that is hilarious), Iran has been waging proxy wars for decades and that is the power of a proxy war. I reckon that the attacks by Israel and the United States give a bitter taste in the eyes of the law. Israel is decently clear because of all the attacks by Iran via Hamas and Hezbollah, but the idea given “to ward off an imminent Iranian threat” is laughable. It is like New Zealand attacking Australia, the Sopwith Camel doesn’t have the range to cross that distance and as far as I know New Zealand does not have an aircraft carrier. The same applies to Iran. There is no way that an attack can result from Iran. Even Lone Wolf attacks are unlikely to succeed and the United States still has their boy-scout organisations (FBI, CIA, DIA) in place, as such they can either do their job or they cannot. 

As such my speculative view was that the United States needed the oil that Iran has (for now). After failing to get to Canada’s rare earths (the 51st state attempt), Greenland resources (through failed annexation) and Venezuela oil (which is seem simply useless to the United States) the United States are now going for the Iranian oil. After that merely Russian oil remains (and Ukraine is doing something about that too) so what is left? I might be wrong in all this and there is a simple way to show me I am wrong. Merely bomb the 10 refineries. Several sources seemed to side with me on this as we are given ‘GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham Brags ‘We Are Going to Make a Ton of Money’ on Iran War’, which was given to us on March 9th. So as we were given “Graham seemingly suggested that the conflict with Iran as well as President Donald Trump’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro aim to help the United States take control over major oil reserves. “Venezuela and Iran have 31% of the world’s oil reserves. We’re going to have a partnership with 31% of the known reserves. This is China’s nightmare. This is a good investment,” he said.” As well as ““We’re going to blow the hell out of these people,” Graham said, adding that “nobody will threaten [the U.S.] in the Strait of Hormuz again.” He also said there could be a collapse of Iran’s leadership. “This regime is in a death throe now, it is gonna be on its knees, it’s going to fall, and when it falls we’re going to have peace like no other time,” he added.” It seems that after 9 days he was proven on nearly all fronts and now that it is out in the open that the United States needs oil (because they have so little at present) there is now the setting that the United States are too broke to seemingly pay their bills and as I see it, the moment the boots come on the ground, the media will report on nearly everything and that will put team Trump/Hegseth in a new folly and in the limelight, Because if I can figure this out in the last decade and now we get that Dave Kelly (JP Morgan, as per OCT2025) can figure this out, you should wonder why others couldn’t figure this out. I get that I am a no one in all this, but David Kelly is the Chief Global Strategist and Head of the Global Market Insights Strategy Team of JP Morgan and he is a voice to consider no matter how you slice it. 

So whilst we now get the Guardian (read: recently) give us “March 2026, Hegseth stated during a press briefing that US forces in Iran would show “no quarter, no mercy” to enemies. Analysts and Sen. Mark Kelly pointed out that a “no quarter” order—meaning to take no prisoners and kill them instead—is a direct violation of international law, specifically Article 23(d) of the 1907 Hague Convention IV.” All whilst media like the Conversation give us “Legal scholars have argued that Hegseth’s actions, particularly regarding the Venezuelan boat strikes and statements on the Iranian conflict, could expose him to investigations for violations of international and U.S. criminal law.” As such I reckon that both President Trump and Pete Hegseth fear the international courts. Iran optionally have a case here (I rely on optional as they have done plenty of bad things, among them attack Saudi Arabia without a formal declaration of war), so it makes sense that Pete Hegseth is in the stage that he wants to trivialize the international courts of law in the Hague, which is set through “The International Court of Justice, or colloquially the World Court, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by other UN organs and specialized agencies. The ICJ is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between countries, with its rulings and opinions serving as primary sources of international law. It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.” It was established in 1945 and it should now confuse all the readers on why António Guterres remains silent on this. It merely gives my thoughts on the United States being broke seeming validity. The person who attacks Israel at any option he gets, remained silent on too many settings we are seeing here. Even the rebuke on the settings of Pete Hegseth ‘attacking’ the international courts should have put him up in arms. There is the smallest notion that the media had not covered it, but I doubt that. As I see it, the seat that António Guterres hold is seen as one of the 100 most powerful seats in the world. It might not be as powerful as that uncomfortable seat that the pope has, but that would be a buttock conversation. 

So I think I have given you something to think about and consider why the bulk of the refineries are left untouched, because that creates the wealth of Iran and isn’t that the superiority of any army? We are given “Sun Tzu’s The Art of War emphasizes that the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting, making the destruction of an opponent’s economic base (or wealth of a nation) a superior strategy to direct physical conflict. Sun Tzu advises that a protracted war exhausts a state’s resources, dulls weapons, and dampens morale, meaning attacking an opponent’s economic ability to sustain a fight is crucial.” And I wrote about that on March 8th (and before that too, at https://lawlordtobe.com/2026/03/08/ones-creative-process/) the story ‘Ones creative process’ gave you the setting that the harbours and railway of Iran should be destroyed and I was happy to hand the IP that could set that in a certain view of certainty to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Because I am just that sort of guy. It is never about personal profit in some stage of war and these two countries were hammered with drones and missiles. As such I did more than talk (are you watching this Pete Hegseth), I delivered. 

So you all have a great day and enjoy the day because Vancouver just joined us this Tuesday. 

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December 12, 2025 · 12:09

Dropped balls

There are several balls that have been dropped by a whole range of entities (cannot call them people) and there is a larger setting. 

First there is Bioware with an at some point appearing Mass Effect and I wrote about the options of a remade and remastered Mass Effect 45 where you get Mass Effect 5 as well as an upgraded and ‘corrected’ Mass Effect 4. I did this in 2018 (might have been 2019) but it was over 6 years ago and I get that AAA games take time, especially if they are done in Unreal engine 5, that sucker takes heaps of precision, especially in the setting that Mass Effect has (and their is need for precision here) and that is merely the first. Then there is need for pointing out several matters. You see, Google with whatever version they are working gives when we ask for “Intelligence UAE” (I was apparently looking for SIA) but I got 

Latest update:We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in the UAE. Tourist visas for the UAE are issued on arrival in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. For the latest information on traveling to, from or connecting through Abu Dhabi and Dubai international airports (see ‘Travel’).
(20 Oct 2025)

Now consider that the UAE is one of the safest countries in the world, as such, we have an issue. Yet when I ask for “UAE safety 2025” I get: 

The UAE is considered extremely safe in 2025, topping global safety indices with low crime rates and top-ranked cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, known for advanced security, political stability, and strong law enforcement. While generally very secure, visitors should still be aware of local laws, as some actions (like specific clothing) can be misinterpreted as protests, and it’s wise to avoid demonstrations and follow official advice, as political situations in the wider region can be unpredictable. 

Now consider that I ask this in 2025 and then try to question the first setting. As I have always said AI does not exist and the current Near Intelligent Parsing (NIP) that is managed by software engineers (programmers) and the setting we see here in Google is equally questionable by all who cater in the AI field. I also made mention of this in ‘And Grok ploughed on’ on November 27th (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2025/11/27/and-grok-ploughed-on/) a setting that many aren/t looking at, all whilst the people at large need to recheck everything some NIP solution is and gives, whilst most of these are quite literally riddled with bugs (also called programmer features).

It started as I was curious about Project Raven (I knew nothing of this about 24 hours ago), I am not completely dim to that setting as Wiki gives us “Project Raven was a confidential initiative to help the UAE surveil other governments, militants, and human rights activists. Its team included former U.S. intelligence agents, who applied their training to hack phones and computers belonging to Project Raven’s victims. The operation was based in a converted mansion in a suburb of Abu Dhabi in Khalifa City nicknamed “the Villa.”” I know that Wiki isn’t the most reliable ever, but at present it is more reliable then the press and the media, but what I needed to learn were names, namely Karl Gumtow and Cyberpoint. Basically as I am also looking for a job, and there was word that they were operating in Australia as well (which was proven to be incorrect). 

But there was a setting that places like LinkedIn never considered, the NIP setting of connected business and whilst we can call this a dropped ball, the setting is clear. These companies can never be found by some as the short sighted LinkedIn people are still on the page of “Are you hiring at present?” And they ask it of people who never hired in the first place, as well as flooding the mail system because that is a metric that they can measure (and it is utterly useless). 

But that setting is out there, so perhaps a competitor of LinkedIn could step in? Considering that Saudi Arabia is advertising that they have over 3000+ available positions (source: Arab News) and not just them, ADNOC is also hiring, but people need to know this and that is a filtered setting. There might be a reason that these two firms are merely looking for local staff, but as I see it, companies in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and perhaps France is looking for people they cannot find. As such as I personally see it, LinkedIn dropped the ball there as well. 

Then we get numerous places, outside of the gaming industry and the tech industry Some give us jobs like Healthcare (Nurses, Aged Care, Support Workers), Technology (Data Scientists, IT, AI/ML Specialists, Cybersecurity), and Trades/Construction (Electricians, Plumbers, Managers), so where is that knowledge going to? Let’s confront places like Canada, who is short on a lot of them and where is the offer for UK people, apparently they have an unemployment that recently rose to 5.0% (as of September 2025), its highest level in years, with 1.79 million people jobless. As such where will they go? If they do not want to go anywhere, that is fine, but in this stage, where people either accept jobs in other places or drown in rising cost there is a new setting, one that approaches the great depression (1929 to 1939) in that stage people would travel for days. By 1933, the U.S. unemployment rate had risen to 25%, about one-third of farmers had lost their land, and 9,000 of its 25,000 banks had gone out of business. People would travel to other states to get a job and support their families. It was not uncommon for people to hobo to California or Texas to find a job and send dollars home to keep their families safe. As I see it, these days are returning and people will Tavel all over the EU to get the same, or even go to the lands of opportunity like the UAE and see what can be gotten there. We aren’t in that stage yet, but that stage is just around the corner, especially for America as it is (apparently) “The US is experiencing significant job losses in late 2025, with layoffs reaching a five-year high, exceeding 1.17 million by November, driven by high inflation, interest rates, corporate corrections after pandemic hiring, and AI adoption, impacting sectors like tech, retail, and government, leading to a tougher job market with fewer new jobs and lower seasonal hiring.” I might seem low when the population if over 335 million, but that doesn’t matter to those who lost their jobs and these raking in the money handing out jobs (like recruitment company) and they are merely Direct Mailing all over the place to get their revenue. There is a larger need that is clear in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and several other places. 

As I personally see it, they are all in the mindset of “How can I get the same revenue for less work” instead of “How can I achieve more” because the second setting cleanses the Job loss setting and I am not saying that it solves everything, perhaps not even anything, but the lack in the mindset is the new prepared mind, which is currently not preparing at all.

And when you think that the US job losses are high now, consider what happened in 2026 when the impact of snowbirds is truly seen on the balance sheets in Florida and California. I reckon that in 2026 San Diego will face a massive job loss percentage and that is before the B&B that will go bankrupt in California as well as Florida hits US administration records. The Trump administration is losing more and more and as I see it, those waves will hit faster and faster in 2026. In the meantime there is every chance that Canada will be the next El Dorado, right in the middle of the snow as that is where fresh drinking water is found, America lost that setting too, because as I see it, no real investigation had been made for close to 10 years and whatever we see is a mere “Generally safe” and that it is the homeowners duty to check their wells. But no one is looking how the groundwater are impacted by chemicals and there is (as far as I can tell) no real investigation there. 

All balls that are dropped, some merely impact individuals and some impact whole population. All whilst places like Australia, Canada and New Zealand have larger settings to truly check these numbers. Did I show too much balls here? (Sorry, intentional grammar folly) The balls we see are not always the balls we care about, but they need to be shown to show that there is a larger failing and it is a very global failing. A setting we all saw coming, but it wasn’t our responsibility and it was not on our plate. Newsflash! The media isn’t doing its job and as such we need to have a wider look at things that COULD affect us, our families and our loved ones. 

Have a great day, except Vancouver and Toronto where I have to say “have a great yesterday”, my personal ever ready time travel jokes remain. 

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October 11, 2025 · 18:36

The dams are cracking

Yes, that is the setting I saw coming, but there is always ‘space’ for interpretation and at present we see two stories that seem to illustrate this. The first one is given by the BBC (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly17834524o0 where we see ‘Tech billionaires seem to be doom prepping. Should we all be worried?’ It is a question to have, but what does the article ‘bare’ out? It is not that basic or simple. First we are given “Mark Zuckerberg is said to have started work on Koolau Ranch, his sprawling 1,400-acre compound on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, as far back as 2014.” So, he had 11 years? Seems like overly ‘doom prepping to me’ (is this sarcasm or satire?) The additional setting is “The underground space spanning some 5,000 square feet is, he explained, “just like a little shelter, it’s like a basement”” which seems like the average floor of a mall to me. I think that when the ‘basement’ extends well beyond 1000 Sqft, we can ignore the ‘basement’ label and whatever it is, it is his to do. He might be buying up vats of wine or Cognac, whatever it is. It will be his setting. Then we are given “his decision to buy 11 properties in the Crescent Park neighbourhood of Palo Alto in California, apparently adding a 7,000 square feet underground space beneath.” So here again we get the ‘speculating’ media for the setting of a story. So he might have bought the 11 properties, but what happened to them? What evidence is there? He could have bought this for his nearest and dearest. There are many options. Then we get more ‘famous’ names and locations like New Zealand come up. Yet about halfway we get a clarion call (as the expression goes), we are given “Neil Lawrence is a professor of machine learning at Cambridge University. To him, this whole debate in itself is nonsense. “The notion of Artificial General Intelligence is as absurd as the notion of an ‘Artificial General Vehicle’,” he argues. “The right vehicle is dependent on the context. I used an Airbus A350 to fly to Kenya, I use a car to get to the university each day, I walk to the cafeteria… There’s no vehicle that could ever do all of this.” For him, talk about AGI is a distraction.” And as far as I can tell, I feel like Neil Lawrence does with an addendum, and ad the very end we are given ““LLMs also do not have meta-cognition, which means they don’t quite know what they know. Humans seem to have an introspective capacity, sometimes referred to as consciousness, that allows them to know what they know.” It is a fundamental part of human intelligence – and one that is yet to be replicated in a lab.” And it is part of what I have been saying all along. And we get the larger setting from a second source. It is SBS (at https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australians-living-in-america-anxiety/p88o60wos) that give us ‘Saving money and packing ‘go bags’: How Australians in the US are preparing for the worst’ where we see “But she says the attitude towards foreign nationals under the current administration has made life in the US feel “scary”. Kate says these fears were brought to the surface during her green card interview. “They grilled me in the interview and asked me questions not even related to our marriage but about my previous visa and time in the US,” she says.” As well as “Many Australians living in the US are reporting experiencing high levels of anxiety and feelings of instability due to the possibility of rapid political change under US President Donald Trump.”

These are the settings that matter. In the first there is the BBC article that is making the ‘doom lecture’ but that is not the setting. When AI collapses like a near empty shell, people will all be tuning for their incomes and playing the blame game, but as we are given ‘Wall Street crashes after Trump announces 100% tariffs on China; $1.5 trillion wiped out’ consider what happens when all these AI ‘vendors’ fall flat, the damage will be more than 10 times worse, America loses 15 trillion. Can you even fathom that kind of loss? That will be the sounding implosion that leads to civil war when 90% of 340 million people lose whatever they had, retirements wiped out, other savings gone, they will get angry. President Trump will have to run for his life to air-force one as quick as his legs can carry him. Evading to Russia or anyone that will have him and his billions? Mostly gone, if not already abroad. Those who bought large mansions outside of the US are likely safe for two generations in France, Monaco, UAE, Bermuda, New Zealand, you name it, some will evade and this is the setting we see. I reckon that people in California will need high walls to keep others out, optionally armed defenses as well. 

Foreigners are now seeing the scary reality they signed on for and they are getting ready a ‘go bag’ to evade to wherever they can as quickly they can. Is this doom speak?

That is a valid question. You see, the AI setting is merely one, President trump soured the waters on tourism which is down in many ways and no reflective view is given by anyone in media. That amount of bad news they find likely ‘irresponsible’ and the media has no business using that excuse as they have been one of the most irresponsible parties ever. Then foreign retail. Canada pulled all the alcoholic beverages from the shelves in Canada. How much is that costing? One source (Source: Global News) gives us that the decline is 85%, that amounts to how much? These three settings is almost a certainty of recession and there is a lot more declines in the papers but the media will not give you the proper numbers. Several sources all giving different partially overlapping numbers. As such the economic dams of America are cracking. And they will lose a massive amount of revenue and while some will give some of the numbers. Most of us aren’t given the full view. I have some of the views as I have been keeping an eye on some of the numbers. But even I do not have the full view. So whilst some give us “The sell-off erased more than USD 1.5 trillion in market value from US stocks. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market faced record liquidations of USD 19 billion. This is the largest single-day figure ever recorded.” The part no one talks about is where are the billionaires set at? We see the wins of Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, but where are the other billionaires? How are they doing? And that disjointed Microsoft view.

Why the Windows maker?
That is a fair question. You see, they were all ‘heralding’ how good they were doing, but the shimmer in the shadows is different. We are given “Microsoft is currently losing money on AI development, having spent an estimated $19 billion in one quarter on AI infrastructure, with no significant revenue from it yet. The company also experienced a reported loss of $300 million in Call of Duty sales due to the Game Pass subscription model” all whilst Activision and Bethesda was bought for over $100,000,000,000 and that has an interest setting. They might be ‘offloading’ staff (over 9,000 according to some numbers) and whilst they and Adecco (firing into the thousands) are all set to AI, there is a hidden snag. When this falls short they will face a setting that is a lot more dangerous. People will not consider them in the future. So when the non-existing AI is set to the need of engineers it goes flat and when there is no one around (an exaggeration) to program your LLM, consider where your firm will be. ZDNet gave us “Microsoft’s CEO loves to talk about ’empathy.’ But everything that is coming out of Redmond these days is perilously close to turning the company into the Borg.” Basically a non-existent setting of people that cannot live in a vacuum and that is an additional side I never saw coming. I was focussed on Microsoft turning into an empty shell and when the substance is gone, the shell collapses. That is what I saw in Microsoft Games and Microsoft Office. It started in 2012 when their service devisions were no longer up to scrap and when support goes, so does sales and when we consider the over 100 billion for two companies its, whilst they weren’t making enough to even afford the interest on that, the picture of failure starts to evolve into a nightmare setting and sacking 9,000 people will not safe it. They are telling us now that AI is the future, but at present it does not exist and what does exist requires engineers (remember Builder dot AI?) It is a fictive setting that is showing up all over America and the ‘import’ people are seeing the cracks evolve and they want out as fast as they can. Which is good news for Aramco and ADNOC as they now get the choice of the litter, but for America it is bad news. So there is no doom speak. It is the returning story of a country who think it is too big to go bankrupt. I heard that story before (SNS Bank for one) then a few more banks and they are all part of something else. And America? Parts of America could be added to Canada and Mexico would be relieved to get Texas (the latter part is speculation) and that is the dangerous reality that others are facing. The question is what does it take to throw this around and whilst Wall Street is in denial. Others, those who can afford it, will be making a new household out of American clutches (like the non-tax countries mentioned earlier) also Saudi Arabia becomes an option, but the is reserved for the chosen few (and American Muslims of course). 

So am I delusional or do I have a point? I reckon that one of the larger issues (still setting) is how America deals with Alex Jones. Because if he gets his ‘blockage’ Americans will go insane, they will not accept that this Conspiracy theorist is allowed his fortune after he went after dead children (saying they were actors, who were not dead according to sources). I wonder where that will go, because as I see it, it will be the tinder spark America will be set on fire. At that point all bets are off and I reckon that most ‘New-Americans’ will run to the nearest airport. This might merely be my speculation and optionally a wrong one. But that is how I see it.

Beyond that, the losses that America is having and when all the numbers come out, the second stage is reached and whomever thought they had a retirement, they will all try to collect on whatever possible. 

It is a hard setting and I hope I am wring, because this collapse will fall over Japan and Europe pretty much soon thereafter. Connected currencies will take a massive tumble.

Have a great day, if that is presently at all possible. 

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August 2, 2025 · 21:20

As Hogwarts expands

That is the setting. We are given ‘Miral extends deadline for tender to build Abu Dhabi’s ‘Harry Potter’ land’ (at https://blooloop.com/theme-park/news/miral-construction-tender-harry-potter-land-abu-dhabi/) the quote is that “Miral has extended a bid submission deadline for a tender to build the new Harry Potter-themed land at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. Per a report from Middle East media publishing company MEED, the deadline has been extended from 28 July to 4 August.” Implying that next week the Start of a  $545 million – $816m expansion is due to begin. And in addition we are given “Three new rides in Harry Potter land Miral announced the Middle East’s first Harry Potter-themed land in 2022. It will feature iconic locations from the Wizarding World, as well as three new rides, retail outlets, and F&B facilities. The 40,000 M2 addition to Warner Bros. World will join six existing zones in the park – Warner Bros. Plaza, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch, Cartoon Junction, Gotham City and Metropolis.” As such The staff of Hogwarts will have to endure a rush of people howling “Yabadabadoo” whilst assaulting the death eaters. These death eaters are in a pincer setting as the other side will be shouting “Yibbity-Yabbity-Doo!”, those poor death eaters won’t know what hit them (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk)

And as I see it, the quote “Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, said: “This is yet another testament to our commitment to continue to position Yas Island as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure, and a great addition to Abu Dhabi’s tourism offerings, contributing to the growth and economic diversification of the emirate.”” Is not entirely accurate. It is that international tourism will see Abu Dhabi as a much more appealing destination and with the ‘idiocy’ (as I personally see it) settings that America is setting with immigration, the costly ‘visa integrity fee’ and several other settings. So as I see it, Universal just dished out $7.7 billion USD (Hogwarts is merely a part of it) and the other park in Orlando will have a rather large problem. With the Hogwarts expansion, Yas Island becomes the most appealing choice for a whole flock of tourists, now definitely deciding that there will be a viable alternative for Orlando, and when Disney arrives in 2027/2028 also on Yas Island, Florida will see the largest downfall in economy they have ever had. When millions of tourists will select Abu Dhabi over Florida, the rest will become a mere escalation of something you could have seen coming miles away. But not to worry, I had the setting in view even as the media seems to be coming up short. In addition Abu Dhabi has the Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 4-7 December 2025. I have no idea yet when the 2026 race is on, but for a lot of people combining the two would be preferable. Also there is a lot more around Yas Island. And the UAE has a much better visa setting where it is offered at a mere fraction of what America offers it. The setting was debatable (at best) when America was the only option, but that hasn’t been the case for almost 4 years. So now as America is bleeding money in almost every direction, the people in Europe, Canada, UK, India, Australia, New Zealand and China will consider Abu Dhabi and Yas Island as their destination in 2026, 2027 and 2028. So how many million of people will seek their preferred choice in EuroDisney (Paris), Efteling (Netherlands) and parks in Belgium, Sweden and several others. A setting that was there from the start. 

A setting that will also propel the UAE as a global tourist destination. They already were that, but the millions of Harry Potter fans had Florida, London and Tokyo in their sight, with Abu Dhabi added to the HP arsenal, I reckon that Florida (at present) is allegedly decently  much done for.

Have a great day and when in Abu Dhabi try the Emirati Chabab, it is a famous dish and decently yummy. 

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