Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

May 31, 2026 · 15:09

Who owes what?

That remains to be seen, as President Trump is (close to) begging for any deal with Iran, EuroNews reports “Donald Trump says that countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait “owe it” to the US to sign the Abraham Accords during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. Trump added that he was “not sure we should make a deal” with Iran until other countries joined the Accords.” I personally translate this towards “We can’t make a deal that Iran approves, so in that case we add an element that many Gulf States and Iran most definitely will reject out of hand, so in that case I will not look like a loser” that is how I see it and “he was “not sure we should make a deal” with Iran until other countries joined the Accords” Is as I see it, the response of a loser, the response of someone who never figured out that attacking Iran was a dangerous option. As I see it, Saudi Arabia doesn’t owe the United States anything. If Saudi Arabia signs a deal with China tomorrow and tells the United States to vacate Saudi locations for good. There will be hell in Wall Street, whatever they had in the past will be vented into despair and the EU would happily sign on for the American share, even for part of that in a heartbeat and there is additional data setting that stage. I reckon that the setting now “the United States imports roughly 250,000 to 350,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Saudi Arabia. This volume accounts for a relatively small fraction (around 7% to 10%) of total U.S. gross crude oil imports, as the vast majority of U.S. oil imports come from Canada and Mexico” is about to change a fair bit, because the United States pissed off Canada and Mexico to no small event, that means that Brent oil will have to service America first and that is not something they are (seemingly) wiling to do, because that means that the cheap oil import will become zero. Consider that $5 (a fictive amount) on 300,000 barrels each day is at least $1.5 million a day revenue lost. After squandering tourism and other revenue steams, the United States cannot afford to lose this too. I reckon that there will be a culling on investors coming up short in Wall Street, there are no definite numbers. But there will be signs. 

So, what are the Abraham accords? The Abraham Accords are a series of U.S.-brokered agreements signed in 2020 that established formal diplomatic, economic, and security normalization between Israel and several Arab nations. Now I personally see no disadvantage to them, but I reckon that it takes a muslim view on how they see a significant realignment in the Middle East. I get that not all gulf states are happy about this, but it is for them to decide what they find acceptable. Some have signed on, they see the benefits of not arming for Israel makes sense. And as I see it, outside of Iran and its terror network (Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi) there are people considering this. But the larger setting for the United States is that it allowed the U.S. and its regional partners to foster stability outside the traditional framework of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, acting in part as a regional counterbalance to Iranian and Chinese influence and it is the “counterbalance to Chinese influence” is what the United States fear. You can try to forcefully blend Iran into this, but Iran will do business with anyone who will deal with them and that is what matters to the gulf. And as I see it, several gulf states are ready to make deals with China, especially as the United States destroyed the calm they had before 2026 and China seems to be OK with that sentiment. But as I see it the United States destroyed its influence it had in the world and the data proves me right, so with some hesitation I give you:

I like the image, but as the data sources are ‘missing’ I would advice you to caution you against just blind fully accepting this, even if is says “Pew Research Center (illustrative map based on surveyed public opinion)” It looks nice, but the N (responses) per nation is missing as is the larger data and my reason for that is to consider how Nepal is included and how many have internet there? It has a lot less then Greenland and that remains ‘Unclear’ even after all Trump did there? Go bake me a cake (preferable a Black Forest cake).

So there are settings that make sense and there are settings that apparently is scaring America, so as news.com.au is giving us ‘‘We want you here’: US tourism chief pleads with ‘scared’ Aussie travelers’ he might have more luck getting Russians to get to go to the United States. My mind is set to Toronto (Canada) and Abu Dhabi (Yas Island, UAE), whichever I can afford to see first. As I see it, the United States with its Epic Universe is until 2035 no longer an acceptable option. The idea on how lovely these two places are, filming it with a DJI Osmo Pocket 4 feels like heaven. Filming my fishing expedition in LADURÉE at the Abu Dhabi Mall Store and my first Lunch at AlBaik (Abu Dhabi) makes my mouth water.

(I tend to torture myself with all kinds of dishes I am not having today). And feast your eyes on this deal, for only $3.80 you get these two wraps, that is a steal at twice the price. And Al Baik has proven itself several times over in both Dubai (in the Dubai Mall) and Abu Dhabi. So are you surprised that the world is giving the United States a miss with its MacDonalds Fries for $4.50? And at Universal Epic Universe, the famous Mac and Cheese Cones are priced around $16.99. As I see it, the United States tourism industry is bound to take another few dives in the next few years. And as the world is hungry for real food and real entertainment Abu Dhabi and optionally other gulf states (like Boulevard City, Riyadh) might offer a better vacation than the United States with its Karen’s, MAGA and ICE could ever hope to entice tourists with and such is the setting, because this is still about the Iranian setting and the United States are coming up short on several levels and whilst I have faith in my IP to destroy Iranian infrastructure (which I handed to the UAE and Saudi Arabia) it seems the my ideas were more devastating and a lot cheaper than the United States could ever hope to deal with and hiding behind “They are not willing to accept the Abraham accords, boo hoo hoo hoo” is as I personally see it, the hallmark of a loser who lost yet again. And as I see it, China is willing to step in, make Iran cry like a baby (and still get all the oil it needs, because that is likely the deal China is making), but to Iran it comes across as they defeated the intent of the United States and that is fine with them. A geopolitical setting requires you to see a lot more than some envision and as we are given ‘Crude Oil Prices Rise as Iran Dampens U.S. Deal Hopes’ (43 minutes ago) we need to see that this film flam setting is merely the stage of people trying to get away from that fallout, because that is bout to get worse, until China comes in as the savior of the Gulf States. I do’t necessarily think it is correct, but that is how I see this will be played. Iran made the United States its bitch, China is setting a better stage for nearly all and Israel? I have no idea what will happen there, they went in with the United States and they had a very good reason to attack Iran, they have had that for years, perhaps even decades. But there’s a chance that Israel will become a casualty of war and the United States will merely go to its own side of the Atlantic river saying ‘sorry’.

So who owes what? Before the attack the strait of Hormuz was open, fuel was affordable and there was progress, not that much for the United States, but they made their own bed. Perhaps President Trump needs t make a tally on what his shortsighted ideas led to. Have a great day today, my Sunday is 62.5% gone now.

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May 26, 2026 · 01:57

What is this game?

That is the setting and I am referring to the BBC article (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21g0828reo) gives us ‘How Saudi Arabia’s spending spree reached the end of the line’ we see here that the article is all about setting a different tone. It starts with “Autocratic monarchs once left an echo of their glory in the ruins of the megaprojects they commanded at the peak of their unchallenged power. Those monumental physical traces are to be found in the fertile plains, mountainsides and deserts of the Middle East. But one of their most prominent modern counterparts may only have a digital footprint to leave behind for some of his most ambitious concepts.” What are they saying? You see the Saudi government and its royalty wanted to give the world something more and it came from “It was called Vision 2030. Extraordinary monolithic structures were to help bring forth new technological marvels not just for the Kingdom but for the world.” But as I remember Vision 2030 was about a lot more. They wanted their defense settings largely within the kingdom. They wanted to shed the dependency on oil. These settings are still in place. I reckon that they might get one of these plans filled by 2030, due to the war not all projects, but that is to be expected. War never came in the minds of any Saudi or gulf state. As we can go with, the United States largely screwed over the gulf states and it was my personal view that the United States wanted to destabilize the Middle East. And when we see (only 42 minutes ago) that ‘Trump suggests countries in region should sign Abraham accords recognising Israel under any deal’, this is not about peace, it is about destabilisation. The United States is about to collapse, it cannot pay its bills and they want a solution and they want others to pay for it. First we got Canada (a 51st state delusion) then it wanted Greenland and after that they went for Venezuela, but the oil was not cooperating. And now there is Iran and with the destabilisation of the Middle East the United States gets a lot of highly needed revenue. As far as I can see it, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia never signed up for that. And it was a decently hard target to fill by 2030 even with all the oil pumping it did in January. At present, most projects will get a delay, how much? I have no idea. So as we get “Some of the most striking projects are now being watered down, put on hold or even abandoned. Several come under the once all-embracing umbrella of the $500bn Neom mega-project.” With ““The thinking now is to basically get small wins, small successes here and there, instead of these mega projects,” says Abdullah. “Like, for example, the Red Sea island resort of Sindalah could be one small win that they can promote”” and it makes sense, Sindalah could be completed as could Oxagon, but there is no mention of Octagon in the article. Why not? As I see it “Oxagon will integrate industry 4.0 with circular economy principles to create a clean manufacturing ecosystem” The united States might be proud of the ten companies that are embracing industry 4.0, but the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has 48Km2 reserved for Oxagon, all embracing industry 4.0. Where is that mention? I have no idea how far it is along, but that brings in non-oil revenue, as such I reckon it is still on the books and optionally it is also spearheading China’s move towards the Middle East and Europe. That much plant space might set up a new consumer base and whilst some ‘giggle’ at Anko products, with Oxagon that could set massive revenue streams for Saudi Arabia and China towards Europe and as I see it destroy the MAGA manufacturing setting utterly and as I see it President Trump can kiss his manufacturing agenda goodbye as it relies heavily on broad tariffs and “Buy American” policies aimed at reshoring industrial jobs. When China sets up camp in Oxagon, there will be no interest in American products as Europe will embrace makers like Anko. Knowing this will be a mere slither of the destabilisation efforts by the United States. Yes, I believe that Israel would do well when it sides with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but that is not the plan (as I personally believe it to be) of President Trump. He is losing more and more options and the bills on interest are due soon and as I see it, he can’t pay all of them which will drive up cost of the loans and drive down available cash for American infrastructure. I warned of this danger long before he became president and he merely wagered away whatever options he had. So what is Sebastian Usher intending? We are given “This is the same playbook, the same thing again with The Line. You know, ‘We’re going to build this huge thing. Oh wait, well now we’re going to significantly downscale it.’ And it’s the same thing over and over again, and it’s been that way even since before Mohammed bin Salman. They make these big announcements, they’re very splashy, and then it either doesn’t get built or it gets built in a significantly scaled down or [in a] ‘not what it was’ way.” Nothing like the Line was ever built by anyone and whilst we get “it’s the same thing over and over again”, give me examples? These settings are all given to us in a relative small amount of time and the war is impeding a lot of revenue that is now absent in Saudi Arabia and whilst there might be some cancelations, there are two projects that are still on the make and there is even a few other parts of Vision2030 that are unmentioned. It feels like the BBC is ‘adhering’ to what the United States wants. But they might be in denial on that. Oh, will we get the same old thing when the BBC reports on Cuba? Are there issues? I feel that there are, but whilst the Iranian mess is going on, there is all the reasons for whatever delay Saudi Arabia gives us and in this week the Hajj is playing out and I reckon that nearly all Saudi ’s are catering to the needs of 1.5 million pilgrims who are visiting Saudi Arabia and as I see it, several players are playing a game and it is against Saudi Arabia at present. But I might be wrong on that, it is merely the view that I am having.

Just saw it was breakfast time in Vancouver, Lunch in Toronto and dinner in Abu Dhabi, wouldn’t it be great to time travel to these three places in succession? I feel hungry for some weird reason, have a great day.

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May 25, 2026 · 14:58

Having faith

That is at times the setting, in this case the Hajj in Makkah is this year one of the largest ever. Arab News gives us ‘Hajj pilgrim numbers surpass 2025 arrivals despite Middle East war’ (at https://www.arabnews.com/node/2644824/saudi-arabia), and as Saudi Arabia still stands under attack by Iran, the religious setting goes on. I am one to state that Iran has no business to attack Saudi Arabia ever, and especially not in the Hajj season which is supposed to happen between May 25th 2026 and May 30th 2026. 

So as we are given “Over 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for Hajj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East.” With the additional ““The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al-Murabba, the commander of Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday.”So whatever the setting is, the faithful are giving us “For Fadel, there was never any doubt in his mind that he would attend this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia despite the war and a US government travel advisory. “Even if the war were still ongoing, I would not have backed out,” the 49-year-old US national, who asked that only his first name be used, told AFP. “We are undoubtedly in the safest place in the world,” he added, referring to a passage from the Qur’an.” It warms my heart that the convictions of a person who if faithful believes himself to be safe,  no matter what religion he/she practices. 

So as we are given “As more than a million pilgrims poured into the holy city ahead of the Hajj, the breadth and diversity of the global Islamic community was on vivid display, with many carrying paraphernalia such as bags and umbrellas showing their country of origin. “This is an opportunity that comes once in a life and I decided not to miss it,” said Ibrahim Diab, a 63-year-old German national, despite the “shaky situation in the Gulf.” But even amid the euphoric atmosphere in Makkah ahead of the Hajj, some pilgrims said fears about the war had troubled them ahead of the journey.” We see that it will take very little for the entire muslim world to focus their anger on Iran, Iran has no friends left and when the gulf states focus their anger on Iran, the people that come under attack might want to go to hell (or Jahannam), they might want to go there for a cool vacation until the dust settles. We get ‘More than 1.5 million pilgrims brave fierce Mecca heat ahead of Hajj’ from Al Jazeera (at https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/5/23/more-than-1-5-million-pilgrims-brave-fierce-mecca-heat-ahead-of-hajj) where we see “Pilgrims beat the heat by sheltering under umbrellas and drinking plenty of water as temperatures in Mecca near 47°C during the Hajj, which runs from 24 to 29 May. Saudi Arabia expanded shaded areas at the Holy Mosques fivefold since 2024, when extreme heat claimed the lives of more than 1,300.” I partially disagree with that. Yes, there were 1,300 lives were lost, but the bulk of that were people traveling without a Hajj permit, as such they were denied the facilities that the Hajj permit holders have and Saudi Arabia has no choice when they have to tend to over 1.5 million people as well as the fact that those without a Hajj permit were not allowed on busses and in shaded places for people to rest, as well as access to medical places on the journey. Still, for an organisation to get less than 0.1% of the casualties is almost unheard of. That is near perfection of a system that tends to over a million people in 5 days. It is a pity that no one focusses on that and the we take out the illegal Hajj participant, the serviceability of the Saudi System has a mere 0.02% casualty setting, I have never seen a system this refined and this close to perfect. 

But there is more to having faith and Muslims will see that as they take their 5 day journey. They are only required to do this once in a lifetime, but at times I wonder who have done more than once, and what is the highest attendance rate of a person? I could not find any numbers, but that was a mere curiosity of me. You see, the Hajj includes pilgrims walking a total of 40 to 60+ kilometers. Which is quite the trek even under nominal conditions. Yet, at 40+ degrees (Celsius) it is not a nominal setting, it is a brutal attack on the senses and as such the Saudi System with a mere 0.02% casualty is almost too unbelievable to consider. As such there is no doubt that those attending the Hajj is a faith level non muslims might find hard to comprehend.

Have a great day.

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May 24, 2026 · 03:00

When war and politics mixes

That is the setting that I see initially, but there is a lot more. So lets go back to the message CNN hands us roughly 95.432 minutes ago. CNN (at https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/22/politics/trump-iran-national-security-meeting) gives us ‘Trump meets with national security officials as he weighs next steps on Iran’ where we are told “President Donald Trump met Friday with top US national security officials as he weighs a path forward on the war with Iran, a person familiar with the meeting said. The White House session — which Trump holds routinely — came as diplomacy grinds ahead in an attempt to secure a deal to end the war. It ended without a decision on what will happen next, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday there “might be some news a little later today.” “Even as I speak to you now, there’s some work being done,” Rubio said, talking to reporters on a trip to India. “There is a chance that, whether it’s later today, tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to say.”” So, am I getting that “Between now and whenever he will tell us that Coffee is better with cream?” Because that is something to say. As I see it, the American war room is filled with committed non-intelligent people. And when we see “According to Iranian state media accounts, Ghalibaf said Iran “will not back down from the rights of our nation and country – especially when dealing with a party that has never shown sincerity and in which no trust exists.”” And it is here that for the first time (ever) people are not seeing Iran as the big bad. How do you think anyone sees the United States as a friendly nation when people start believing Iranian media? But that is not all (at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-hes-called-off-iran-strike-planned-for-tuesday-at-request-of-gulf-allies) we are given ‘Trump says he’s called off Iran strike planned for Tuesday at request of Gulf allies’ and we are seemingly asking the question “Which Gulf allies?”, so this article was given to us on May 18th, 2026 4:27 PM EDT. It is important to show the time given the timeline. And the article also gives us “Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire struck in mid-April could end if Iran did not strike a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement. Over the weekend he warned, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.” Trump said he was calling off the planned strike at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.” So we see the names, but personally I reckon that we need to see that same message in places like Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and Arab News. We have seen to much Tom Foolery by the digital dollar driven media and most of us seek verification. Yet Al Jazeera gives us ‘Iran war updates: Trump warns of attacks in ‘two or three days’ if no deal’ on May 19th 2026, so the three days have passed. Whilst only 20 minutes ago (aka 1200 seconds) CBS gives us ‘Trump says U.S. is “getting a lot closer” to agreement with Iran’ (at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-iran-war-negotiations-draft-agreement-strait-of-hormuz/) With the quotes “Sources familiar with the negotiations told CBS News that the latest proposal includes a process to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the unfreezing of some Iranian assets held in foreign banks, and a continuation of negotiations. Mr. Trump declined to provide specifics about the agreement, but said that “every day it gets better and better. I can’t tell you before I tell them, right?” Mr. Trump told CBS News in a phone interview. Mr. Trump did say that he believes the final agreement will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, adding that he “wouldn’t even be talking about it” otherwise. Mr. Trump added that the agreement would also result in Iran’s enriched uranium being “satisfactorily handled.”” But the CBS article gives me pause, you see words are everything and they give us the mention of ‘Mr. Trump’, but he is president. He is not my president, I don’t like him much, but he was elected and CBS should know this. So why the wording? As I see it, whatever delay we see would be working in favour of Iran, the more the words of President Trump are doubted, the more power Iran gains from all this, the weaker the United States looks to the world. I am getting the feeling (or perhaps illusion/delusion) that the Sun Tzu setting from the Art of War could use another chapter. In Chapter 13 we are given the 5 states of spies. Local Spies, Inward Spies, Converted Spies, Dead Spies, Living Spies. So what would be the case if we imply this to politicians. We always thought they were the ‘asset’ of that nation, but what happens when that is no longer the case? Because a politician serves up to three masters, Their nation, themselves, big corporations or their party. But what happens when their nation is replaced in the first instance towards one of these goals. What happens when they stop seeing their nation and their voters towards whatever happens to take the primary place in goals? What happens then? And as I see it, the media is too involved in servicing their need for the digital dollar to care on what seems to be happening.

So agree or disagree, it is fine with me. But when you look at it and consider that fuel now is at an average of $4.529, which is a little more than the $3.10 to was on 2025. So, what else are you paying through the nose for now and aren’t politicians meant to keep these costs of living down? The so called war on Iran didn’t really set that out did it? And still the nuclear setting has been “Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon, but it has a long history of engaging in secret nuclear weapons research in violation of its international commitments. Western analysts say the country has the knowledge and infrastructure to produce a nuclear weapon in fairly short order should its leaders decide to do so.” As such the world was driven into some perspective war because ‘produce a nuclear weapon in fairly short order should its leaders decide to do so’ I am not saying that this reasoning is short, but the deception around all this has become debilitating. No one wants to see Iran with nuclear weapons, but we should all be told the exact truth (as I see it) and there is way too much deception in all of this. Deception in war is OK, it is the part of Chapter 13 that makes sense, because disinformation towards enemies is a employable weapon, but this disinformation has taken in a life of its own, it is now almost everywhere and it is labelled truth next to the actual truth and a lot of people (including myself) are finding it harder and harder to distinguish one from the other and the BBC gives us less than a day ago “But what is driving the US pressure on Cuba and how is it responding?” Because as I see it, that is the next stage. Canada, Greenland, Venezuela, Iran and Cuba? Did anyone really want to give President Trump a Nobel peace price? As I see it, War and Politics don’t mix, politics needs to present a clear message, from that war optionally derives, but that is a personal view I have and it might be wrong.

Have a great day. Oh wait, I am watching Harry Potter getting killed again. Repetition doesn’t make the story better or more, it makes the story the same story, no matter how it is reenforced. So enjoy the day and consider how the story is being told to you and what it is actually saying, because that too shapes the narrative that is in your mind, in all our minds actually. So have a good one, I am still hours away from my morning coffee, so I might look at letter 26 multiple times for a few hours (the answer is ZZZZZZZZZ).

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May 22, 2026 · 04:28

Questioning my mindset

That is the question, so this is not about IP, or even about hardware. This is a software question, my software. It becomes the setting, am I a delusional paranoid, or a paranoid delusional? You might think this is fun, but I woke up at 03:30 when thoughts hit me and I looked online to seek some kind of verification (I really believe in verification, because that leads to validation) So I found CNBC (at https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/21/iran-war-us-peace-talks-trump-hormuz.html) where we see ‘Iran reviews U.S. peace proposal as Trump says he’s willing to wait ‘a few days’’ and my first question was “He is willing to wait a few days?” The article where we see “Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the Islamic Republic had received the views of the American side “and are reviewing them,” according to the state-run agency Nour News.” The article was all neat and shiny (particularly the shiny part) and it merely increased the tensions within me. And I wonder if it is just me, or are there sides that others had picked up on? There is no blame to the media here, they merely reported on items and they did that. I think there is no oversight on their part, unless they all look at the complete picture from March 1st this year. Where some might see “President Trump used the phrase “bomb them back to the Stone Ages” in an April 2026 primetime address regarding the U.S. war with Iran. In the speech, he threatened to hit Iranian infrastructure “extremely hard” to force Tehran into negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.” Yet the second article gives us (at https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-us-talks-trump-tehran-gaps-nuclear-deal-pakistan-war-rcna346258) where we see ‘Iran-U.S. diplomacy intensifies as Trump seeks ‘right answers,’ Tehran signals gaps ‘reduced’’ and as I see it, President Trump never waited for right answers, you can look up his responses right back to the start of the 51st states mentions. The man talks before his brain kicks into motion. And the byline “A visit by Pakistan’s army chief Thursday was aimed at “reaching the point of officially announcing acceptance of the memorandum of understanding,” Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.” Might have been the settler of it all. It comes with “Tehran was responding to Washington’s latest proposal, which had “reduced the gaps to some extent” between the two sides, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported early Thursday. It said that a visit by Pakistan’s army chief was “aimed at reducing these gaps and reaching the point of officially announcing acceptance of the memorandum of understanding.”” The seed in me evolved and it blossomed right into a Castor Bean plant in my brain. The thought that had evolved was “Was this war about destabilizing the Middle East?” The attacks on the UAE was another part, the attacks on Saudi Arabia and Qatar seemed to be supporting this all. The entire setting is a sort of death jerk by the United States to stop the decrease of what is overwhelming them, as to reduce the damage that seems to be coming for them. The successes that the UAE got in Tourism and to some effect Saudi Arabia too, President Trump sees the lack of tourism that is coming for them and Canada exasperated that notion. The numbers aren’t adding up and why? Why are at least 3 government installations in the United States cooking the books? (Or at least that is what it looks like to me) and my mind around 02:00 this morning hammered me awake with this notion. The United States are destabilizing the Middle East to avoid total disaster before 2027. I don’t think they will, but the underlying setting then becomes is Iran in on this? They might like to destabilize Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well, and they are willing to play their part. I have no idea where Israel is in this and they might merely like the idea of bombing Iran, they have been their target for long enough.

So the question becomes “Am I merely a paranoid delusional individual or am I also a delusional paranoid?” It is a fair question to ask myself, and the answer could go either way, but I don’t believe that anyone has a clear answer. Perhaps the media has, but they are likely to busy chasing digital dollars. And the media answers are tainted to say the least. And as I see it Google Gemini (yes, I confronted a second source in this) gives us: “Middle East destabilization is currently driven by the active Iran war that began on February 28, 2026, when US and Israeli forces launched preemptive airstrikes. The resulting regional escalation—including retaliatory strikes on Gulf states and threats to global shipping—has shattered the pre-existing geopolitical balance and triggered severe diplomatic and humanitarian crises”, as such I don’t think I am entirely wrong. It might be flawed as the notion is subjective and that tends to come with data gaps, but the thoughts are there. 

So, as I put this to printed paper, perhaps my mind will relax and I might still get around 150 minutes of ZZZZZ time. Have a great day.

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May 20, 2026 · 14:25

An ignored setting

There was a thought pushing itself into my brain, it came to me (weirdly enough) whilst I was rewatching the first Harry Potter movie. You know, that one where Daniel Radcliffe is still young and innocent. So whilst I was watching the movie, I was combining a few things together. First a Nightmare on Elm street (the one in Toronto) and then the idea went to the Hellraiser series. So, I was combining the original works of Myst (the game) and my mind was combining the cube from Hellraiser where the lament configuration is merely one of the options and each will open portals into other dimensions of hell. The idea that the graphics of the cenobites will get more than a few into Myst, there was nothing wrong with Myst, but the creators could create new worlds in a much higher resolution and the setting of horror set puzzles are pretty rare in the gaming world, as such it could gain a rather large following. Considering the appeal that Lovecraft satire have on the world as a whole and the connections to horror that the Clive Barker stories have had on people since the 80’s the game is destined for a decent level of success. So whilst we seek new IP, there is nothing stopping old IP to rear its head and give the audience a place to stay and have shivering fun. Now as we combine the works of Clive Barker, the Hellraiser comics and movies, we have enough materials to make a sizable game and considering the materials that Lovecraft gave, which requires some Cenobite rewriting (to avoid plagiarism) we get a large enough materials to fill a game with several missions and a decent amount of puzzles. Taken in account the other setting I proposed on relaunching the 7th Guest in the last month, I have done my duty to protect the power of gaming. Anyway, it is always nice to create non-military IP even if it is for the UAE and Saudi Arabia at zero revenue for me. The creation to protect these countries  (against Iran) and whatever is trying to hurt them, I believe that a soul needs the creation of peaceful IP to grants the soul peace of mind and the blissful setting to remain creative (it is not a saying, I merely belief this myself). So whilst there is a stage that we need to consider that there is more to gaming, I believe that it gives the player the stage to consider other paths of the mind and puzzles tend to open the thinking of the player, especially if it is not the usual way that person thinks. So whilst others have made their way into valid and valuable creative IP, as examples I would like to raise Subnautica, Skyrim, Elite Dangerous and a few others. I would like to contribute as well. And this is my contribution to it all.

So let the developer who creates this game be smitten by the IP of Myst (perhaps even the Myst creators themselves) and see what the gamers can gain by playing that game. I get that it is all in the mind, but when you consider that games tend to be all based on some shooting game with flaccid stories, the idea to gain creativity and originality from an original game created in 1993 over a quarter of a century ago and create something unique and new and combining that with original storylines that others have not set into some combined IP is a little disappointing. But here I am trying to balance the scales once more. 

So you all have a great day and feel free to create some original IP yourself as well. Perhaps next I will find another IP that will serve the defence of the UAE, as I already created enough IP for them to take out their harbours, railways and roads and also now (after the attacks on Barakah) I gave them my idea (and IP) to take out their nuclear reactors. I tend to have a vindictive mindset and I does not give way (I still have a healthy hatred of Samsung, even after 40 years) But after the created IP, I feel rather happy with myself, even after I also created the new 7th Guest setting. But that is for another day, for now the creators of Myst should consider that 1993 had 40-60 self pronounced gamers, in 2026 we are at 3.5 to 3.6 billion, it is almost 100 fold, as such there is a much larger audience and at best, there is a setting of 100 times what games in 1993 would make and that is what game makers seems to overlook. These original games are allegedly the stuff of legends. And even if we do not consider them great, with added graphics they could reset the moulds they were originally based on and that is just the start. Games like Millennium 2.2, Chrono Quest, and several others were what they seemed, original concepts and original games tend to be mind blowing in the very least, as such I saw this stage evolve years ago and as I see it, some are getting on that page now. It was the stage that could have propelled streaming solutions, as such the stage now belongs to Nintendo (Switch2) and Sony (PlayStation 5 and 6) I let these so called captains of industry decide on where they want to go with that, but the stage is there for all to see. 

Have a great day.

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May 19, 2026 · 19:21

A new dawn

Quantum Insider gives us less than an hour ago ‘Aramco And Pasqal Launch Saudi Arabia’s First Quantum Computer And Middle East’s First Commercial QCaaS Platform’ (at https://thequantuminsider.com/2026/05/19/aramco-and-pasqal-launch-saudi-arabias-first-quantum-computer-and-middle-easts-first-commercial-qcaas-platform/) as such, Saudi Arabia is adding a notch to their services belt, non oil services belt. As such we are given “Aramco and Pasqal officially inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s first quantum computer and launched the Middle East’s first commercial Quantum Computing as a Service platform, expanding regional access to quantum computing infrastructure and applications.” As such the Arab population will be Abel to tap into a new “The 200-qubit neutral-atom quantum processing unit, located at Aramco’s data center in Dhahran, enables remote cloud-based access for enterprises, universities and research institutions to develop quantum-enhanced solutions for industrial challenges such as logistics, CO₂ storage optimization and supply chain management.” In that setting Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technology & Innovation gives us “This quantum milestone belongs to our Saudi researchers, engineers and scientists. By investing in joint training and research, we are building world class quantum expertise right here in the Kingdom—an expertise that will power the next generation of energy solutions, accelerate lower carbon fuel development, and enhance reservoir and supply chain optimization. Let this achievement be the catalyst for an innovation driven economy, creating high impact, future ready jobs for our youth and advancing Saudi Vision 2030.” At present the consumer can access IBM Quantum, Amazon Braket (not Bracket?) And Azure Quantum as such you can still count the consumer quantum profiteers on one hand as Aramco Quantum is added to the global settings of quantum computing and as I see it, it is more than “Aramco is not just waiting for quantum computing, it is helping to shape it as a global leader. This inauguration is evidence that the most demanding industrial challenges in the world are now being tackled with Pasqal’s quantum processors, software and specific solutions. For Pasqal, deploying our system for use in Aramco’s business-critical operations, while also being available to the region’s enterprises and research community, is a part of our core mission: to enable practical and secure quantum computing at scale today.” These are words by Wasiq Bokhari, Pasqal CEO to live by. In this age and setting that anything Americas are rejected more and more, merely the fact that this is Saudi setting and not an American setting might be appreciated by a large cluster setting of 1.7 million corporations comprising largely out of the 2 billion Muslims and they are fiercely offended by some of the western settings and the one Islamic providers is now offering their services. The fact that this gap is now appearing seems to set Saudi Arabia and Aramco as a quantum provider might give Saudi Arabia a few more options down the road. As I see it, the timing couldn’t be better for them. The article ends with “Under the terms of the partnership, Aramco will progress a roadmap of use cases on a production-ready QPU as a foundational customer, accelerating development of quantum-hybrid solutions for its programs across energy, materials and industrial operations. Other external organizations, including research institutions, universities, and enterprises, can use Pasqal’s cloud platform to access one of the few quantum computers in the world. Aramco’s domestic venture capital arm, Wa’ed Ventures, initially invested in Pasqal in January 2023, reinforcing efforts to localize advanced quantum technologies and accelerate the development of the regional quantum ecosystem. Since then, Aramco and Pasqal have built a structured quantum program targeting high-value operational challenges across multiple work-streams, where quantum-hybrid approaches unlock capabilities beyond classical computing. These Aramco work-streams include port logistics optimization, CO₂ storage optimization, well placement, rig scheduling, building the Kingdom’s quantum workforce, and making quantum computing available throughout the region.”

As I see it, it will become a brand new day in Quantum providers and I reckon that the other might have to downgrade their prices as one in three is now seemingly becoming one in four. The other three might have seen under ‘American pricing’ but Aramco is a different kettle of fish and as I see it, they are the only non American alternative out in the field and in this political climate there is the option for Aramco to attract a few other clients as well, who? I have no idea as there is to the best of my knowledge no data on a setting like this. It has never happened before and that is a nice setting for my old nogging (or so they say). It is another service that Aramco will be offering its clientele and it is one that is not easily found on the planet a whole new doorway to revenue is opening to Aramco and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Have a great day this Tuesday, Wednesday is still 5 hour away from me and New Zealand gets there in two hours.

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May 18, 2026 · 08:27

The new presiding solution

The mess we inherited is not one we asked for, whilst the dumbo’s of the World (all sitting in Washington DC) give us through the BBC (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0p4y9y48xo) ‘Trump warns ‘clock is ticking’ for Iran as peace progress stalls’ with the ‘threatening’ setting we are given through “They better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” We are also given that Iran is attacking Saudi Arabia and the UAE again and the Middle East Monitor (at https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260517-saudi-arabia-is-pulling-europe-toward-a-gulf-helsinki-deal-with-iran-because-washington-failed/) ‘Saudi Arabia is pulling Europe toward a “Gulf Helsinki” deal with Iran — because Washington failed’ where we see the words of Tamer Ajrami giving us “I said clearly that Gulf states “have nothing but to talk to Iran now”. That was not idealism or goodwill. It was hard security math: the old formula is eroding. Bases do not protect the way people assumed, and guarantees shrink the moment they face a real test. Today, this is no longer an argument. It is a reality driven by markets before politics.” In an article that gives us “According to Western reporting, Saudi Arabia is floating something close to a “Gulf Helsinki Act” arrangement with Iran—modeled on the Helsinki process of the mid-1970s during the Cold War. It would not be just a Saudi–Iran deal. It would extend to the Gulf and the European Union, aiming to lock in non-aggression, structured economic normalization, and monitoring and implementation mechanisms.” So, as I personally see it, whilst President Trump is acting like the pussy he likes to grab. He made that statement in September 2005 on some tour. So whilst America is kept holding the bag, the entire economic and political setting comes in the hands of Europe and it is based on a proposed regional non-aggression and security framework initiated by Saudi Arabia, drawing inspiration from the 1975 Cold War-era Helsinki Accords. So this example is half a century old and still what would some call the stuff of legends and others will refer to it as an example that the United States could have used to further their own needs. But instead they pissed off the Persian bully and facing an American bully they both did what they do best (read: shout incriminations and attack the people around them). I am happy that I gave my solution to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE (to destroy their infrastructure without resorting to heavy bombings, but the effect would have been equally devastating. A presented a recap in ‘In Summary’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2026/03/23/in-summary/) giving the total view (to some extent) where Iran’s infrastructure goes ‘Bye bye’.

But in all this Tamer Ajrami gives us “A Gulf–EU–Iran non-aggression arrangement without the United States creates a dangerous gap: the Gulf and Europe commit to non-aggression, Iran commits too, but Washington and Israel still retain the ability to strike Iran. What does the agreement do then? Does it become a nice document that collapses at the first air raid?” There is a simple (or simpler) setting. You see, Iran merely needs to leave the Gulf States alone, if it still attacks Europe would be faced to escalate actions against Iran and perhaps that would also shut down any Russian escalations we se towards Europe, because if it sees the damaging outcome of even one European strike Russia hopes to be wearing brown pants, instead of red pants hiding blood and wounds. But I still like the approach that the UAE had, but Iran made sure that they are not willing to talk peace now that the Barakah nuclear power plant has faced the attack of drones. I reckon that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have had it with Iran, there might no longer be an option to talk. I had the idea on December 14, 2021 when I wrote ‘Keeping my promise, part 1.’ It was a way to meltdown an Iranian nuclear react from the inside (At https://lawlordtobe.com/2021/12/14/keeping-my-promise-part-1/). It came to me as there are two certainties. One it was based on a Russian design and they want it to be implemented ‘exactly’ (for obvious reasons) and the fact that all engineers are struck with laziness, even when innovation might be called for. As such I created this untested solution, I am, after all not a nuclear physicist. Now that Iran attacked a nuclear power plant, I see no restriction to hand Saudi Arabia and the UAE access to this innovative strike in me and when a rector melts down it will be unavailable for work for decades to come. The design came with some warnings as three issues can only be resolved by a nuclear physicist, but its a freebee, so live with it. The setting of all this is that the world tires of Iran and there are over 2 billion people to wish they were somewhere else (not in this world). The time for talks and keeping nice is over. The Barakah attack clearly sets this out. But still  gives us another setting and we see this with “Gulf states and Europe “bypass Washington” in practice. That would mean refusing the use of their airspace and territorial waters for any military or intelligence activity against Iran. And maybe refusing to enforce sanctions that destabilize the region and recreate the Hormuz shock. This is not a small move. It would be a strategic shift.” And as I see it, that strategic shift might be essential as this president is leaving his post (in the very near future) a nation that is about to become insolvent and it will not be able to afford even a Changli Freeman to replace the jeep required to move a general from points A to B. They will not be able to enforce anything, not without the money required for such an action. As I see it, they merely have the annexation of Iran to look forward to (well their bank managers see that as an option). 

So whilst we are given (in the BBC article) “Trump’s message echoed his threat that a “whole civilisation” would die unless Iran agreed to a deal to end the war, shortly before the ceasefire was announced in early April. The president warned earlier this week that truce was on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s demands, labelling them “totally unacceptable”.” It is my view that this will never happen, two bullies agreeing on a thing? I severely doubt it. As such the Gulf–EU–Iran non-aggression arrangement might be the only way out for Iran and at that point the United States and Israel has to halt its actions as well. They would face the larger consequences of both the Commonwealth and Europe if they don’t and I reckon that we will see a light show in Washington DC to keep people looking away from an ex-president running for his life, because that is the setting that comes with insolvency. Their will be no red carpet exit and with his (allegedly) 37% approval rating which seemingly comes through a 100% disapproval rating by Democrats and at least a 50% disapproval rating of Republicans no other option will be left to him and at that point it will take over a decade to mend the bridges President Trump burned between January 20, 2025 and May 1st 2026, that is the impact of what needs fixing and it will take decades to get it fixed, anyone thinking that this will be a done deal in one or two high placed meetings is delusional. 

As I see it, it comes with a new stage, but this is top of mind thinking, there is no data or clear evidence in this. This has never happened before, but a new stage might be forming. It will be a stage where the new power table is set to Commonwealth, Europe and Gulf States. I reckon that the gulf states invited to that table are Saudi Arabia and the UAE. But as I see it, it will be a non-option to both China and Russia, we might not care what Russia thinks in this matter, but China is a different stage. It might not like that new power block to be in place. But that is a though I am merely having. 

To all a great day and my breakfast is now 1800 seconds and 1000 steps away.

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May 16, 2026 · 04:54

Applied Directive Never Offering Concern

Nice and mystical, but it is al in the title. The guardian gives us (at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/15/uae-oil-pipeline-strait-of-hormuz-by-2027) ‘UAE to complete second oil pipeline bypassing strait of Hormuz by 2027’ as such, with a year the problem with the strait of Hormuz and posing a setting for Iran, it is taken out of the equation. I admit that it is simpler than digging a trench from Sharjah to the east coast of the UAE, it is simpler and as such I love the idea. We are given “Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, has directed the UAE state oil company to fast-track the previously undisclosed project so that the pipeline can begin carrying oil from the emirates to the port of Fujairah by 2027. The new pipeline is expected to double the UAE’s export capacity via the existing Habshan-Fujairah pipeline which can carry up to 1.8m barrels a day to the port on the Gulf of Oman.” I am considering the idea that optionally expanding that port would give way to a fleet of tankers parking (5-8 ships). It would enable additional options as well, but it is straight out of mind thinking and I have no idea what there is now. There is the setting that these ships might require overhauls, but that is because I have seen the needs of takers in my youth in Rotterdam (predominantly Europoort & Maasvlakte) and I think that similar conditions might be required. So whilst we accept that “The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the only Gulf producers with pipelines that export crude outside the narrow waterway running between Iranian and Omani territory.” The fact that the UAE deleted itself from OPEC opens up other settings, they would have no limits to go though which they apparently had in the past, as such they could release close to their own maximum settings overriding what was previously allowed through OPEC. So, as I see it “Leaving the oil cartel was expected to allow the UAE, the group’s third-largest oil producer, to pump more oil than the group’s future production quotas may allow once the conflict ends and normal trade through the strait of Hormuz resumes.”

There is the idea that this might (I am completely uncertain about this) be paid back in mere months after which that new pipeline will bring in a pretty penny and restores the old prices of oil by 2028/2029. It would be nice to see Iran lose another setting, which they will oppose, but it is out of the waters of Iran, so they don’t get to have a word on this. And as Iran made it a case to bomb the UAE for all it could, it is nice to see them come in last in a race with limited players. 

So whilst we see “The UAE’s departure has laid bare the long-running tensions between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, with the Saudis normally favouring strict production quotas to keep oil prices high enough to support their economic agenda. The exact capacity of the new pipeline has not been disclosed but doubling its existing capacity to 3.6m barrels a day would bring the UAE’s pipeline exports closer to that of Saudi Arabia, which can transport roughly 7m barrels a day from its eastern oilfields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, of which 5m barrels are exported.” And with that Iran will have angered the Arabic nations to another level, because it will dig into the Saudi pennies and they will not accept that lying down. If only they have refrained from bombing the Arabic nations, they might not have gotten themselves into this predicament a clear showing of how limiting the Iranian thinking patterns are. A clear setting that pretty much any oil country could have considered and now we see where that is getting them. For the UAE, who got this project started it means that several advances will get green lighted sooner rather than later. 

So have a great day and consider that the UAE got a solution working in weeks and it is more elegant that my solution of making a canal, so the bulk of tankers don’t have to look at Iran at all. Simplicity itself.

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May 14, 2026 · 20:34

About that game

I am an RPG minded (lost cause), just started Skyrim again for the umpteenth time. I played that game on XBox360, PS3, XBox one, PS4, PS5. I never regretted any hour in that game and it must have been over 3000 hours now. This time I noticed a few things. Like a sword and shield floating 25 meters in the air before I got to level 3. So there are glitches in the game, whether it is from continuous gaming or whatever reason it was, but there is no anger, no frustration. This is 2010 technology and it has held up for 16 years. In gaming that pretty much amounts to an eternity. 

But it is not about the Elder scrolls or Bethesda. It is about gaming requires an update, or more games and at present I do not trust Microsoft to have the need of the gamers in mind, themselves, their investors and their bottom line. The gamer is at best a 5th priority. And I saw this  evolve with Subnautica 2 allegedly only coming on Xbox and Windows. The first one was quite excellent and original, as such Sony (Nintendo too) will need additional RPG challenges and there is a need to go beyond Bethesda. They are now part of Microsoft. It is legit and all very valid. Microsoft was able and did the ‘better’ thing for them, not for gaming and not for gamers. 

But I draw the line at ‘replicating’ the same idea. It is plagiarism. I voiced an idea about 10 years ago. If Sony makes a deal with Richard Garriott and acquire his Ultimate IP. That in a 3D setting could become a great franchise that could be the fiercest competitor for Bethesda and the Ultimate fanbase is a decade older than the one Bethesda has and as I see it, there are millions of gaming fans that would love to walk in 3D through Sosaria and live its lore. There is a need to adjust some of the gameplay to make this a fist person game, but that is manageable. What is important that between 1981 and 2003 Richard created a massive amount of lore and now that could get a second life, through the eyes of Mondain and as such there is a larger consideration to weigh. How to create an IP that would support Sony and Nintendo. They are not alike and I would be happy to get it on my Sony, but I feel for the Nintendo users, they need something too. Perhaps Richard will have his own thoughts on that. 

The second setting is Subnautica, there is no copying that. It is original and they deserve the laurels that come with it, it is alas one the wrong system. So I started to mull things over. When it comes to water, the only IP that is set n water is Bioshock. So what if 2K changes the storyline and the challenges, but largely follows the graphics (to some extent) and the views on the matter. Take away the ADAM and you have the beginning of a new RPG and as the Bioshock games are almost 20 years old there is a valid case of reusing that setting is a stage that 2K should consider. On the other hand, setting this in space and you get too close to System Shock and that shouldn’t happen. So we get a third option (I was steering towards this from the start) a new RPG that is Arabic driven. I would accept that, but how to set the lore? The idea is to map out Hegra and AlUla map the entire region and set the 1001 Arabian nights stories as a backdrop. Find all the stories and the characters in these stories. A game with an educational character as an RPG. When was this done before. I am certain that it has been done. I can’t be the first to consider this. 

And AlUla has an approximate 60K population, so there is enough options for NPC collaboration. But how to make it realistic and entertaining? Well, the idea is that as you start the conversation with the proper NPC, you get to switch and become one of characters in the story and then the store plays out, you play out the story and as this is done 1001 times, there is a chance that this game comes in parts, the main part and over time the DLC’s add the other stories. I reckon that would be first and this setting could be release on Sony (Playstation) and Nintendo (Switch2). It is an option and I wonder how this will reverberate in the Arabic countries. A game that brings to life all 1001 Arabian Night stories. I wonder who could pull it off, I don’t want to offer it to the usual suspects and as this largely concerns Saudi Arabia and as they have this gaming setting, perhaps they can give the world this RPG game. And that is how it is done. A brainstorm with a population of one. I reckon that this is where I slowly turn gaga (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk).

And this solution could be applied to both systems, but with the Nintendo, you might have a smaller view of the world you are in. And in the end it will be about that game, that game the opens up a whole range of new games, ideas and copies. It happens and perhaps now it will happen for Saudi Arabia and the progression of Arabian lore. Have a great day.

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