Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

March 4, 2026 · 12:42

Can we say Ole?

This is a setting that remains to be seen. Not from my side. I am fine with it and there are a few reasons for that. But it all started with a few news casts were we see (at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/spain-baulks-at-trumps-threat-to-cut-off-all-trade-over-nato-iran-stance) the Al Jazeera setting. The title ‘Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance’ and it comes with “Spain has said the US should be mindful of international law and bilateral trade agreements with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off all trade with the country for refusing to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.” And it is a simple setting and in this I stand with Spain. No formal declaration of war exists between a NATO ally (or NATO) and Iran as such there are issues with international law and simply put, it makes the United States of America the aggressor (together with Israel). I am not against these hits, but that is me, a person, an individual that does not matter, an individual that has no bearing on international law. So for the Bully named Shit (or was it bullshit named something) to set the premise of what some describe as “US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut trade with Spain over the ban on using their military bases during the Iran war.” And this act will bite back. Of that I have no doubt. You see America was never directly attacked, this is the ‘benefit’ of a proxy war. Don’t get me wrong. What was done had to be done and it had to be done a lot sooner than now. We might notice it not that Iran is attacking Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia all in one setting. But it started that the United States and Israel decided to preemptively strike against Iran. There was never a formal declaration of war, as such there are all kinds of labels we can throw at this, but in international law the NATO partners are playing a dangerous game. Iran now has (to some extent) international law in its side. And bullying Spain with trade sanctions because Spain will not allow attacks on Iran from base activity in Spain is understandable. Al Jazeera also gives us “On Tuesday, before a meeting with German Chancellor Frederich Merz, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in Washington, DC, that “Spain has been terrible” for not allowing the US to use its bases. He said that he had told his secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, to “cut off all dealings” with Spain. “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” the US president said.” It seems nice, but President Trump might want to talk to congress, he avoided them in the past and now that he is attacking Iran without a formal declaration of war there might be legal sides to all this. As such, how are the facilities in Germany used? Can we get a run down on them? What about the logistical sides? What is run from Italy or the UK? What are the settings there? I got word that the UK is allowing the attacks on Iran, but hat about the other bases? There is no clear indications of who is allowed and who is not. It seems like merely Spain does not and I see their problem. There is no declaration of war, USA is merely bombing Iran. And what evidence is there? We are merely given ““It was my opinion that they were going to attack first,” the president said. And with that, the botched rollout of the Trump administration’s case for war enters yet another chapter.” What evidence is there? Iran attacked with “The UAE’s ministry of defence said that 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 drones had been launched from Iran towards the country so far. Three people have been killed and 58 injured, the authorities said.” (Source: the independent) Between Iran and the UAE is a little river called the Persian golf (I believe that is Iranian propaganda, I personally believe the its real name is the straight of Dammam), so if you consider this, how successful would any attack on the USA be? I get that Israel would strike against Iran and the need to strike Iran is there, but the United States of America should have given a declaration of war with the approval of Congress. As stated (in senate.gov) we see “The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has declared war on 11 occasions, including its first declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812. Congress approved its last formal declaration of war during World War II. Since that time it has agreed to resolutions authorizing the use of military force and continues to shape U.S. military policy through appropriations and oversight.” As far asI can see, President Trump did not do this and did not let Congress proclaim a war. Now they are in it and likely it comes now, but that also gives other players a disastrous setting on international law as after all what Iran has done, there is every chance that the United States of America is seen as the aggressor in this. So what was this about? Iranian oil? Your guess is as good as mine, because things were done out of synch as the IT term goes. 

So, is ‘Ole’ the proper term here? If so, it will be up to Spain to shout that word but the setting is a lot more complex that most of us can see and as I see it Saudi Arabia has a first strike option as it has under proxy war attack by Iran for at least two years now by Houthi terrorists (using Iranian equipment to attack Saudi Arabia). 

So what comes next? That is the question, but this setting has every chance of escalating at present. The question becomes how many attacks will Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar endure over the next week. We will see what comes next and I do not think we have to wait long.

Have a great (and peaceful) day.

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March 3, 2026 · 16:39

Glow in the dark today

Yup, glow in the dark today, so you can have a safe tomorrow. It’s not the Windscale advertisement, but Europe is coming to the conclusion that there is no longer a United States of America. And Al Jazeera is letting us know that there is a new setting in town. The article (at https://aje.news/wza18x) is letting us know that ‘France to increase nuclear warheads, lend nuclear aircraft to Europe allies’ where we see “French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will increase the number of its nuclear warheads and allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to eight European countries to bolster the security of the continent. His speech at France’s Ile Longue nuclear submarine base on Monday introduced the idea of “advanced deterrence”, a deeper, structured nuclear-security relationship with key European partners that he said was distinct from but complementary to NATO’s nuclear arrangements.” As I see it, it is the “complementary to NATO’s nuclear arrangements” that matters. There is no way that they will ever get close to the 3,700 warheads that America has, but the setting is such that there is now an advanced tactical arrangements with a number of NATO lands and these extra warheads should make all the difference between an adversary seeing the difference between ‘could we’ and ‘should we’ it might be the smallest setting but for those wanting to attack Europe and NATO it means that there will be a number of additional warheads going for their terrain and a player like Russia might take notice that attacking NATO would become severely less than folly. No matter what some ‘claim’ the additional firepower will be noticed and so far Europe has never shown itself to be the aggressor. So as we are given “Macron’s speech, which was scheduled before the widening conflict in the Middle East, was aimed at quelling European security concerns amid recurring tensions with United States President Donald Trump and growing fears of Russian aggression amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“We must strengthen our nuclear deterrent in the face of multiple threats, and we must consider our deterrence strategy deep within the European continent, with full respect for our sovereignty,” Macron said.” President Macron is correct and as I see it, with the escalations in the Middle East with the United States, it would be presumptuous that America is not willing to tap into their nuclear arsenal for any reason and that leaves NATO with a rather nasty problem. Even as France and the UK will have enough to turn half the planet to a cinder, this is one situation that is kinda the same as sex, bigger is better and as France is adding to the equation, the bigger is better equation is filled and with the lending of the nuclear aircrafts to other nations, the short term setting for both Russia and China (not accusing either) will become more of a question mark for either. As such it seems that France is playing the ‘safe’ card for NATO and Europe. This is how I see it and I could be wrong, but I don’t think so.

And that is seen in the next paragraph where we are given “The eight European countries that have agreed to participate in Macron’s scheme include Germany, Britain, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark. They will be able to host French “strategic air forces”, which will be able to “spread out across the European continent” to “complicate the calculations of our adversaries”, he said.”  There is more, but it might be better for you to read the article. The thing of this setting is not ideal. I reckon that France was always ready to do this, but with the attacks by Iran on the whole Middle East and both Israel and the United States attacking Iran a new conflict escalation seems to exist, how far this will go is anyones guess. I reckon that the escalation that Iran called on itself over attacks on Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar has had the counter effect that a desperate Iran could have hoped for. All nations are in support in what either Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Qatar wants to call on Iran. It lost whatever support they had on the world stage and the Iranian regime has launched over 588 missiles and 893 drones at 11 countries across the Middle East. There is some damage, some lives were lost, but as I see it, less than 1% made it through and considering that a Shahed drone is around $30,000 and they fired 893 of them amount to at least $27 million, considering the damage, that was a tremendous waste of money. And the missile damage at the price it cost them to fire these missiles is even worse. What some people tend to forget, there is a limit to what they can fire before depletion sets in and there is a limit they can fire before other nations will take out whatever they thought they would ending up having (it is vague, I know). It all connects, because France is setting the larger powerplay, but Russia who was going after Ukraine now has to realise that Iran is firing whatever they wanted to get and that side is now gone. So there is a link between the two and whilst we see that Russia is staying in touch with Iran, it is likely upset about Iran using what he needed for the Ukraine. As such there is an upside to all this for the Ukraine. 

What is a larger issue is that there are messages getting out there that the Straight of Hormuz would become a problem. I actually resolved that situation in my article (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2026/02/01/sinking-a-dilemma/) titled ‘Sinking a dilemma’, the solution isn’t immediate, but it opens up a few settings of commerce for the UAE, Iran out of the picture and additional commerce for the UAE. Should this plan go ahead, there might be some delay on this (no idea how long) but with every knee-jerk reaction from Iran that solution will increase in value (as I personally see it). You can confront an enemy, deflect an enemy or evade that enemy and that was the simple setting I used. 

So have a great day and enjoy your day on route to the upcoming weekend, which is only 80 hours away for me.

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March 2, 2026 · 18:39

As I say it is

That is the setting now, I am making assumptions and I prefer to call them prepositions. I know that I might be wrong, but in this day and age, the stories we were told bring across the pictures we are set in and today the stories come from the Khaleej Times. The first one (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-president-advisor-anwar-gargash-regional-tensions) where we see ‘‘Your war is not with neighbours’: UAE diplomat calls on Iran to act responsibly’ and I agree with Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President. He gives us ““The Iranian aggression against the Gulf states has miscalculated and isolated Iran at a critical juncture. Your war is not with neighbours, and this escalation only confirms the narrative of those who see Iran as the primary source of danger in the region, and its missile program as a constant source of instability. “Return to reason, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours rationally and responsibly before the circle of isolation and escalation widens,” he added.” For part I completely agree with him, the part of me that does not is seeing the panic rising in Iran and now that Ali Khamenei has been proclaimed dead I fear that the panic will merely increase. 

So, how am I getting to the conclusion? For that we need the second article of the Khaleeh Times which we see (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/emergencies/killed-injured-uae-intercept-iranian-ballistic-missiles-drones) where we see ‘3 killed, 58 injured as UAE intercepts 165 ballistic missiles, 541 Iranian drones’ I likely could do more damage with one drone in Dubai as we see that Iran fired 165 missiles and 541 drones. The equation is severely out of balance, it feels like desperation and when a nation like Iran is desperate with the only friendly nation is likely to be Russia, as such I see that the desperation might lead the ones who are now in charge into a more desperate situation and that never ends well. 

So, we are given “Since Saturday, February 28, a total of 165 ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the UAE have been detected. Of these, 152 were destroyed, while 13 fell into the sea. Two cruise missiles were detected and destroyed. Additionally, 541 Iranian drones were detected; 506 were intercepted and destroyed, while 35 reached UAE territory, causing material damage.” It shows me that the Iranian is massively inaccurate. You see, these nations are on par with each other Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran will have similar abilities, so to see Iran to fail to such an extent merely shows me that their abilities are failing and against both Israel and the United States they have zero chance of getting out of this. I don’t feel sorry for them, they did this to themselves, but to see a nation like Iran get lost in the weeds to this degree is more then slightly unsettling. As I said, they did this to themselves, but to see any nation to be this close to the edge of an abyss at a point whilst the other nations are seemingly unaware of how close to the edge they are is at least unsettling. 

Am I right? Am I wrong? I can leave it up to you to decide, have a great day today.

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March 1, 2026 · 22:41

Desperation is their middle name

There is  setting I was confronted with this morning. At first I wouldn’t believe it, but as the evidence came in over YouTube (via a massive amount of sources) I had to admit that Iran should now be known as the Desperate Islamic Republic of Iran. The fact that Iran is slamming Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and a few other places (also in Saudi Arabia). It shows that Iran is now desperate. Don’t get me wrong, they are also hitting US base locations, which makes sense, but the locations in the UAE in Abu Dhabi and Dubai do not (except for a Trump location hit). So the BBC gives us (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204px4zddro) ‘Luxury Dubai hotel hit as Iran launches retaliatory strikes across region’ where we see “A luxury hotel in Dubai was hit as Iran launched strikes across the region in retaliation for a “massive” and ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel. Video verified by the BBC shows a fire raging at Fairmont The Palm Hotel on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates’ largest city. Thick black smoke rises into the sky.

Local officials also said four people were injured in a blaze at a building in the Palm Jumeirah area. They gave no further details.” I (to some extent) know that area and as far as I can tell there are no military targeting in, around or near the Palm Jumeirah area. This shows the desperation of Iran, like a toddler thinking that if they hit the nations around them, the others will scream at America and Israel. As I stated mere desperation. And as we are given “Iranian media earlier said that it had launched an attack on Dubai, although it is not clear what they are targeting. A British woman told the BBC that she was at the Dubai Marina, just off Jumeirah Beach, when the strikes hit on Saturday. She heard a “loud bang” and saw a “big puff of black smoke” before a “flurry of missiles were intercepted” above her for around five minutes.” To be honest, there is nothing military in Dubai to be targeting. The Port of Jebel Ali is likely to be used a a naval resupply point, but it is over 5km away from Palm Jumeirah. So this calls in the question on how accurate are these missiles to being with and the Shahed drones are ‘piloted’ which merely supports the desperation of Iran. 

So then we get to the second article, also from the BBC (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0z9012291o) there we see ‘Bowen: A dangerous moment, but US and Israel see opportunity not to be missed’ where we see “It will have become even more so after US President Donald Trump said that Iran’s long-time Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on day one of the US-Israeli air strikes. His death was later confirmed on Iranian state TV.” In addition we are given “Israel and the United States have calculated that the Islamic regime in Iran is vulnerable – dealing with a severe economic crisis, the fallout from the brutal crackdown on protesters at the start of the year and with defences still badly damaged by last summer’s war. Their conclusion seems to have been that this was an opportunity that should not be squandered.” All that makes sense to me and as I see the Iranian regime as utterly evil. I am not willing to give them an inch on the some bleeding heart setting, especially as they are launching drones and missiles on population area’s. Not merely American, but an Islamic nation. As I see it, all nations need to rescind their pleads for Iran. I would like to add that they targeted places in Saudi Arabia as well, but I do not know where these attacks took place at present, the News outlets were focussed on the attacks on Dubai and Doha. 

No matter how you slice it, as I see it, Iran is pretty desperate at present and it will get worse as the Islamic nations will let them rot by themselves. As far as I can see it Amy nation that was attacked with drones and missiles is not that eager to give financial support, but that might merely be me.

Have a great day

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February 23, 2026 · 19:58

Hat in a hornets nest

That is the expression I was given, or better stated that is the expression I remembered as I read something in the Arab News. The actual expression is ‘kick the hornet’s nest’, which translates to “Saying something that makes a large group of people angry or upset all at once.” Which pretty much translates to the setting we have here. And in the Arab News we see “Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned remarks made by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting that Israeli control over the entire Middle East would be acceptable, describing the comments as reckless and a violation of international law.” And as I see it (no disrespect to Israel) is that the middle east can only set in a normalized way when it is controlled by Saudi Arabia and the UAE (a setting I always had faith in) and as far as I know, so does the larger international community. I have no problem that Israel is part of all this, as that is how I personal see it, but the remark by Ambassador Mike Huckabee is quite literally kicking the hornets nest. As such US envoy to Israel Mike Huckabee is trying to carry favor in Tel Aviv (my view on the matter) and that was ‘transmitted’ to Riyadh and the news we see now is the direct result of this. As such we now see “The ministry said the remarks represented a dangerous precedent, particularly as they came from a US official, and amounted to a disregard for relations between the US and countries across the region. It warned that such positions carry grave consequences and threaten global peace and security by inciting hostility toward the peoples and states of the Middle East, while undermining the foundations of the international order based on respect for sovereignty and internationally recognized borders.” I think that (should he have been directed by Washington, that Washington is trying a slightly different tactic, that optionally is shaped by some in a setting towards the Gaza ‘solution’, but I am grabbing at chopsticks at present. And that is a ‘variation’ of ““Grabbing at” food with chopsticks refers to the impolite, frantic, or picky behavior of searching through dishes to find specific pieces, rather than taking the item directly in front of you.” Washington seemingly wants to set the table by picking out the good pieces trying to carry favour and possibly trying to get to the larger stage by seemingly implying that they are making headway whilst the stuff in front of them aren’t being dealt with (or so it would seem). A setting that is my view on the matter. Weirdly enough, I am actually listening to Jesus Christ Superstar at present, which was unintended, but the setting brings a smirk to my face. 

So whilst the New Arab end the article with “The Kingdom reaffirmed its firm opposition to any actions or statements that infringe on the sovereignty, borders or territorial integrity of states, reiterating that a just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation and implementing a two-state solution. That solution, the statement said, must include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.” I like that setting as Hamas didn’t exist in those days and any solution that filters Hamas out of that is all right with me. I reckon that I am not alone in this, but that is what it is. I was around Rafah in 1982 and that mess was never dealt with and seeing that same mess half a century later gives me the thought that there is no hope for Palestine, not whilst Hamas is part of that. They did that to themselves and I feel it is essential to clean up that part of Palestine, only then can Palestine be pushed to something real. But as I see it, the remarks by the US Ambassador has no grounds, it was not to get a conversation started, it was merely to seemingly prepare the table with the big chunks of meat in front of the United States whist ignoring the larger settings that are driving any conversation nowhere. Because as I see it there will never be any solution in play whilst Saudi Arabia, the UAE and in this case Egypt are out of that equation. It makes sense that Israel is included in this conversation, but I don’t see it help any, it merely requires a solution they could live with, it is not something Tel Aviv would care to heard, but that is as I see it the reality we have here and no ‘Board of Peace’ is setting that scenery by whisking away the ‘good’ pieces of meat from that table setting. I could be wrong but that is my view on the matter. 

It might be simplistic, but that is what I see after watching that mess for almost 44 years. Have a great day out there. In this heat I feel the need for a cheese sandwich, a sandwich with cold pieces of cheese, for refreshment value of course.

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February 20, 2026 · 10:56

The way of the dodo

Yes, that is a path that I am walking at present. You see, I am (originally) a Catholic. As such I tend to miss the Islamic markers around me. And this year I was aware of Ramadan, even though I do not practice it. So the news given by Morocco World News (at https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/02/279298/impossible-moon-saudi-arabia-faces-scrutiny-after-declaring-wednesday-as-1st-day-of-ramadan/) caught me unaware for two reasons. The first setting is that the accusation that Saudi Arabia made an Islamic booboo (as expressions go) is out of the realm of my conception of Islam. In this I am biased. I see Shia Islam (Iran) as evil and Sunni Islam (Saudi Arabia) as good. As such I see Islam of the UAE on the same footing as Saudi Arabia. If people want to convict me of these thoughts, that’s fair (as long as they are Muslim)

So the news given to me was ‘Impossible Moon: Saudi Arabia Faces Scrutiny After Declaring Wednesday as 1st Day of Ramadan’, I was own a different footing. I got that it was Ramadan as Google informed me it was, nothing complex about this. But then I tend to rely on Google on many matters, like the Horoscope, Chinese days and a few more like this and Ramadan fits in that setting for me. So a the News from Rabat is given to me In the form of “Another year, another controversy as experts and observers across the world are surprised and nearly shocked over Saudi Arabia’s decision to declare Wednesday as the first day of Ramadan 2026.

The Gulf country aligns with other nations in the region and beyond, who are facing scrutiny over their decision, with experts and astronomy centers stressing that the crescent moon, called the “hilal”, was impossible to sight last night.” This kinda caught me unaware. I am not a Muslim and as such I am in the dark of these matters. I for one (with my scientific mind) was thinking that as the world is almost a sphere that some will not see what some do see. So, what is visible from Mecca (or Riyadh) might be out of view for Rabat , Casablanca and a few more places. But that is thrown upside down as we are given “Critics say the declaration is against all available data contradicting declarations from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond, which started fasting for Ramadan today. Astronomers had warned prior that highly unfavorable celestial conditions would make it impossible to sight the moon yesterday, February 17. Astronomy calculations suggest the moon sat before or simultaneously with the sun in most Islamic countries. This would serve as an obstacle to leave an observable crescent above the horizon, with both the moon’s age and angular separation from the sun also far below globally accepted visibility thresholds.” I am merely posting what Morocco World News is giving me, because in the first I am not Muslim, I am also neither a astronomer and I wouldn’t be able to do these calculations without an additional 4 years of University level of mathematics and calculus. So I lose out three times. And when we get to the setting of “According to Evrim Agaci, a Turkish science and education organization, the moon was supposed to disappear a mere 42 seconds ahead of the sun’s descent last night” it seems a matter of less than a minute and that is the slimmest of all astronomical settings as I personally see it. And my lack of knowledge and insight into science (as given above) I heralded with “The same source detailed how the moon will set before the sun in many cities, including in Abu Dhabi, where the moon sets one minute before sunset. “In Riyadh, it will set 37 seconds earlier,” Gulf News reported. Several other countries like Jordan, Oman, and Egypt announced Thursday as the first day of Ramadan, acknowledging the impossibility of sighting the moon. Saudi Arabia’s controversy is not limited to this single incident, especially as the Gulf country has long been treated as a reference point by many Muslim countries that model their own calendar decisions on Saudi announcements.” And my comical setting of a town proclamatory walking through Yas Mall (in Abu Dhabi), ringing a bell proclaiming ‘Ramadan has started’ brings a small grin to my mind knowing that the sin goes down a mine later and everyone can enjoy their foods until sunrise. But that is me, always trying to see the bright spot on the moon (its right between Ptolemaeus and Mare Nectaris) And yet, this article gives us another setting, one that I had no knowledge of and no expectation of. It is seen in “Observational data consistently show Morocco is among the most accurate in determining the start of lunar months, as they base their Islamic calendar on actually sighting the crescent moon with the naked eye. This approach relies on different methods, including engaging clerics, astronomers, and armed forces units in a coordinated effort.” I did not expect that to be a strength of Morocco. As such we might say ‘Calculate it again, Sam’ with a small wink at Casablanca. So even as I go the way of the Dodo, I do see that we are all fallible and we all come to conclusions. I am not judging Saudi Arabia, the UAE or even Morocco. But a setting of this magnitude happens. We might think bad, good or anywhere between there and uncaring. But the fact that this happens brings a smile to my face. Because we are all fallible and someone wanting to enter Ramadan a day early should be heralded into doing the best for his or her faith. It is seemingly that simple, at least that Is what I think.

You all have a lovely day and abstain from offering any Elderly Muslim water between dawn (Suhoor) to sunset (Iftar), I would want to do this for humanitarian reasons, but apparently it is not an option to Muslims, knowing this makes my heart hurt a little more than I am comfortable with.

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February 18, 2026 · 23:31

The idea that was 

There is a setting that we at times tend to forget. Disney paved the way and some will like that path and some will not. But it isn’t up to Disney and others can follow that path. Particularly a path that was set out by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The name of that movie was Titan AE. The setting was one that I see as a movie that was released in a bad time setting. 2000-2001 was not a great time setting for a lot of people and it was competing with MI2, Gladiator, The Perfect Storm and X-men. A non-Disney animation doesn’t really hold up a candle to that. But in this age of special effects and graphic Machine learning design (calling it AI sounds like a mass) this setting could well work in the age of Netflix/Paramount/Disney plus all competing for a larger slice of the pie. I reckon that Don Bluth has a lot more materials and that setting might help him. So what happens when this 95 minute setting becomes a mini series of 4 episodes each an hour long? I reckon that there are reasons why some of the cast members would love to get involved and when you see the average scripts that these studios accept, the complete rewrite of a decent script might hold water with these streamers. A setting where we get the good, the bad and the energetic and it all comes to blow starting in episode 3 with episode 4 as the finale. You see, some are thinking the other way round, but I reckon that Titan AE has what it takes to get into a real action movie. The stage was properly presented by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. As such whilst some go for the ‘the movie was a failure’ some could see the open sided win that is right there for the taking and it might make for a decent mini series. As I see it, the streamers see the benefit of that equation. That being said, there is no reason why the original designers couldn’t offer this to the SBA or a player like Dubai One. The options is not seeing it, but seeing where it could hold water too and the second option might require more rewrite (making it more Arabic set) but the story doesn’t change and the makers had a decent setting to begin with. So whilst everyone is redoing the same thing (example: Harry Potter and Percy Jackson) others might seek a wider spread of a setting that was in the past a little too constricting. As such is there a setting where the new could be derived from the old, whilst not relying on a remaster?  I don’t think from animation to real life action is a remaster, but that is merely me. And when the stage is placed on the new borders, some might create an entirely new frontier. That is something worth considering (at least that is what I think).

And when you have considered that as a solution, what will some do about those not ‘in league’ with Zeus, but what happens when a simple girl enters The Eleusis Ploutonion? Did anyone consider being original and brave? The setting that someone is pushing the boundaries of the past into the future by using the known parts and throw them upside down. Because the facts that were were often whispered by the victor. So what happens when someone found tablets that were set in hidden scriptures. Hidden because the victors would never allow them to be released or to survive. But what happens when someone with the powers of a god could foresee that happening and they would have had ways to plant the fruits of their achievements in other ways?

It is just a thought, but we are always ‘pushed’ to accept the writings of the old, but what happens when there are older writings still? Where could they be hidden and how could they be ‘resurrected’? It just a thought to have, because the bulk of movies and series never go into that equation. Just like seemingly no one considered that Titan AE might become an excellent movie.

Just food for thought. Have a great day.

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February 17, 2026 · 19:32

Choices of an inspiring nation

We might not always agree with the choices ones nation makes, but there is no denying that the Olympics are the proper breeding grounds for Nationalism. At present the rankings are held by Norway – Italy and the United Stated, but this is a tally that could change at least twice a day and the Netherlands is racing the United States as both have 6 golden medals. And there is more, but this is not about the medals. Fayik ABDI (KSA) did not get any, but the setting that someone from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is participating is blowing my mind. There is an absolute absence of snow in the 2,149,690 square kilometers it inhabits. As such to see someone in that tally getting so kind of placed in the 95th position is quite remarkable. Yes, there are all kind of people making some yabayaba statement, but I was born in the Netherlands, they have snow there. I have also lived in Sweden. Another nation with plenty of snow and I never made that list (as did millions of Dutch and Swedes), so come to think to it a remarkable setting. The same goes for Alex Astridge, a 19 year old Emirati who is set to become the first male Alpine skier from the desert nation to compete at the Olympic Winter Games. I did not see the results, but there is an expected setting that he is not making that list. No worries, he is at least an Olympic competitor, something billions of people will never be able to do. 

And whilst some might belittle that setting, keep in mind that they never made it anywhere there. I almost got there in my younger days (in fencing), but I never had the required points to qualify and I saw one of my opponents get there (and I was happy for him) He was Oscar Kardolus and today I learned he is no longer among us. He was a great fencer. For comparison he got the Dutch title 18 times. I was not good enough to get it even once (to make sure you won’t think that I am on his level). As such we are all a little more nationalistic during the Olympics. Even those who are by large not interested in sports. 

So whilst we are watching how our nations are doing during these days and we are keeping our forgers crossed for others. Like most of the Commonwealth is keeping its fingers crossed for Canada (women’s hockey) to slap USA silly (if at all possible) and whilst almost whole of Canada is holding its breath for the semi-finals on February 21st and the finals on February 22nd, most of the Commonwealth will hold its breath too, especially as they are likely to face off against USA as well. And to some it might not make sense, but then I was never one to watch submarine racing either (that’s a spectator sport) and the funnies keep on coming. So whilst you might avoid sport events, almost 95% of any nation is watching with baited breath on how its nation is doing, even if they realise that their contender might never make the podium. Sport achievements are respected almost everywhere and that is something, because its roots were seen in Ancient Olympics 776 BC, something that was brought back to life in the 1896 Summer Olympics. A sporting event that brings people together for 2800 years now (minus the interruption) I personally see this setting as a great way to bring some ‘parties’ together in an informal way to get a dialogue started. Sometimes a non-formal setting might be the way to get a discussion going. That being said I am massively against politic entering the Olympic field, but on the audience stand, people start talking (as people do) and when they are on their nationalistic foot, optional open, especially when their team is winning. 

In this world we need to have these moments in time, especially when the media and some other players can no longer be trusted. The neutral places where a dialogue can be called for might be the best setting to have.

Have a great day.

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February 12, 2026 · 16:10

Bank on this

Early this morning the Khaleej Times alerted me to a story (any https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/finance/united-arab-bank-posts-45-surge-in-2025-profit-as-assets-and-income-climb). Now we all assume that banks make all the money, but that is not the whole story. You see under Sharia law banks have ‘limitations’. Or perhaps better stated “Islamic banking operates under Shariah law, primarily prohibiting interest (aka: riba), excessive uncertainty (aka: gharar), and gambling (aka: maisir). Key rules include mandatory asset-backing for transactions, sharing risks and profits between bank and customer, and investing only in ethical, halal businesses. Common structures include Murabaha (cost-plus financing), Ijarah (leasing), and Musharaka (joint venture).” Are settings that an islamic banks need to adhere to. So when you see these ‘limitations’ and then the Khaleej Times gives us ‘United Arab Bank posts 45% surge in 2025 profit as assets and income climb’ we might see another side, mainly the side of how well the UAE is doing at present. The subtext “A key highlight of the year was the Sharjah-based lender’s successful Dh1.03 billion rights issue, which increased the bank’s paid-up capital by around 50%” with the added “The bank recorded a net profit of Dh438 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, up from Dh301 million in 2024. Total income climbed 31 per cent to Dh797 million, fueled by what the bank described as “strong momentum” across its core businesses. Non-interest income surged by 56 per cent, while net interest income rose 24 per cent.” this is what I call a massive boost to the UAE economy, so whilst you are getting fed up (tired too) on how bad the United States is doing, you see here an example on how it could be done and people better consider the fallout, because at present any dollar (Euro’s and Pounds too) that aren’t currently being invested in Europe, America, Commonwealth, Europe and a few other places are likely being invested in the UAE. I don’t know how well Saudi Arabia is doing, but it is doing a lot better than Europe. So when we get to “Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal bin Sultan Al Qassimi said 2025 marked a pivotal year for the bank as it celebrated its golden jubilee and unveiled a refreshed brand identity. “It proved to be a transformative period for UAB, reinforced by decisive strategic initiatives and robust financial performance,” he said. “Operationally, the Bank delivered solid profitability, supported by disciplined execution, prudent risk management, and enhanced operating leverage.”” You know that they are doing it right and a strong willed and able minded board of directors was at the head of that setting. I reckon that the western world will eagerly look at the reports of SAMA (Saudi Central Bank) and the CBUAE (Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates). Because as I see it, the 2025 results are merely the beginning and if my predictions hold firm, the Western world (and its banks) will come under the spell of ‘Dry Well psychoses’ soon enough and when the opportunities of Wall Street dry up because of the economy in the United States, these two countries will get a lot of opportunities ‘handed’ to them and whilst we might worry about the Influence they will gain, these ‘new’ banks will have to adhere to Sharia law and the laws of the land, which prohibits them from making certain steps. So while we might stop at “UAB also reported healthy asset quality, with a net reversal of impairment charges amounting to Dh51 million, translating to a cost of risk of –41 basis points. The bank attributed this to strong recoveries and its “robust risk framework.” Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 46 per cent, down from 52 per cent the previous year, while return on shareholders’ equity stood at 16 per cent.” Banks on a global setting haven’t seen this since the post-WWII Golden Age, which went from 1950–1973, as such the last really successful ‘boom’ period was 53 years ago, so you better bet on the non-Islamic banks taking notice at present. Whilst President Trump will be wondering where the money is going to and he might wonder why no one is betting on his ‘beautiful’ bills, I get the notion that banks might want to vacate towards the settings of SAMA and the CBUAE at their earliest convenience, especially as this comes with an almost certain guarantee for return on their investors. As such I noticed the settings we are given and I wonder how well ADNOC is doing in all this, because their profits go somewhere, don’t they and as I see it, the CBUAE is a safe bet to consider. 

Have a great day today, Perhaps tomorrow I get to write on some gaming IP. 

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February 6, 2026 · 13:57

Thinking of the Post

You’ve got it, the post, or more classically names the Washington Post. It has been on the mind of millions for the longest of times. In 1989 Robert Downey Jr. wishes he was a reporter for the Washington Post in Chances are. In 2017 Steven Spielberg makes Meryl Streep into its publisher Katharine Graham and over time there have been enough mentions and references to see that the Washington Post is (or sadly stated was) a global icon in news media. I still see it as a global icon, but I do realise that as a star in the top of the Christmas tree it has played its course and we all wonder how long it will hold out on that premiere position and perhaps that is how it will end, a true ornament of global media, the top of the tree. So I was a little taken back when this morning I saw the news (via most other media) that a third of its staff is about to be let go. So lets first start with what I personally see as a brazen lie, we see (at https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/how-jeff-bezos-brought-down-the-washington-post) ‘How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post’ and it comes with the byline “The Amazon founder bought thereof  paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he’s forced it into severe decline.” It was bought in August 2013, Jeff Bezos purchased The Washington Post and other local publications, websites, and real estate for US$ 250 million, transferring ownership to Nash Holdings LLC, Bezos’s private investment company. I have to ask the simple question. How much did the Washington Post cost Jeff Bezos up to now? I think that a newspaper who should bring in millions a day is now see as “The Post has lost around 500,000 subscribers since the end of 2020 and was set to lose $100 million in 2023, according to The New York Times.” (Source: Wiki) As such the Washington post has costed Jeff Bezos well over $350,000,000 dollars. There are only so many ‘pretty pennies’ any billionaire can fork over. And nearly ALL AMERICANS are to blame here. Consider the simple truth. If you are an American and you have not bought at least 100 newspapers as since August 2014, you are part of that problem. And I am just considering you part of that problem if you did not buy 100 Newspapers in the period 2013-2026. There are a few more reasons, but that it the crunch. As there are 350,000,000 US Citizens, we can consider you part of that problem if you bought less than 100 newspapers in 12 years. The number should be a lot higher, but you might have the divide attention between the LA Times, Boston Globe, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and a few others. News media is on the way out and they have themselves to blame for it. Instead of setting proper media trenches, America let slip the setting by allowing 6,000 newspapers to exist in the USA. That is a separation of 58,400 people per newspaper and they are all vying for advertisement money, classifieds and attention. Is it a wonder that a place like the Washington Post goes down? The utter stupidity of that is beyond me to understand. I get that there are more newspapers, local newspapers, but consider that there are merely 50 states. Where did the 6,000 newspapers go? It comes down to 120 newspapers PER STATE. And with every iteration that is out there, the big ones suffer, I reckon that several of the newspapers I mentioned are in a similar predicament and that is before they consider the online presence they have or lack to have. As spoken we get the setting (at https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5699328/washington-post-layoffs-jobs-bezos) where we see ‘Bezos orders deep job cuts at ‘Washington Post’’ which has much more business sense as a setting and here we see “The Washington Post moved Wednesday at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos to cut a third of its entire workforce. The layoffs affect every corner of the newsroom. In a newsroom Zoom call, Executive Editor Matt Murray called the move “a strategic reset” it needs to compete in the era of artificial intelligence. The paper had not evolved with the times, he said, and the changes were overdue in light of “difficult and even disappointing realities.”” Which is note completely true either. You see, there is no AI at present and all who are appeasing to that “lie” are selling themselves short. Actually AI is still two decades away but the setting that is now coming is creation of events through DML and LLM is real and when verification and validation happens it will become a problem, but as I see it, there is no real validation and verification and that happens by REAL journalists at present (editors too) but as I see it, created stories are a problem and an AI could do my blog if it had what I have and as I see it places like Grok are no where ready because they lack the ability to cater to multi dimensional viewpoints, so at present I am still a superior power there. I reckon that some of these journalistic dinosaurs are similar too (if they are not part of the Jurassic Park franchise) and that is the value they currently have and it is a dwindling setting at present. So when we get

“While acknowledging that the media industry as a whole is struggling, Baron blamed Bezos for exacerbating the newspaper’s woes through “ill-conceived decisions,” including killing an endorsement in fall 2024 of Kamala Harris for president. That choice, which Bezos took responsibility for, led hundreds of thousands of subscribers to cancel their subscriptions. Under Baron, whom Bezos inherited as executive editor, the paper flourished, flexing journalistic muscle in accountability reporting on President Trump’s first term in office. It reaped rewards from readers too, exceeding 3 million paying subscribers. It is now far below that level, according to a person at the paper with knowledge. (The person spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fears of being fired for speaking to the press.)”

It is hard to disagree (I don’t have any facts on that, but the setting of 3,000,000 paying subscribers does have a handle, it might be too small, it might not, but I think it is too small and the 6,000 newspapers are part of that. I think that a newspaper needs to have journalists, it needs to have a national/global section and I think that over 2,000 papers are unable to do that. They all hope for the materials that floats them and the advertisements that bring them dollars. Not a way to run any newspaper (my number 2,000 is purely speculative and arbitrary) but to see that one third of the newspapers are unable to fill such a gap and merely capture the faces that read headlines is part of the problem. 

That is the setting that I fear that is part of the problem and I do not agree with Jeff Bezos, but he was not part of that problem ever. And to give you the other setting, Wikipedia gives us “In 2018, Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents in Istanbul.” This is a blatant lie. I ripped a hole in that UN research with nothing more than logic and there are more settings that never made sense, but that is the world we are in now, “Guilty until proven innocent” that is the era that what some call AI is vying for and until there is proper verification and validating that is all you will get and at some point someone will say “If only we still had the Washington Post” but that is the moment when this is too late. I might live long enough for that moment too come (I am no longer a spring chicken). And at the speed things are coming, I will see this moment and say “You see, I was right all along”, but those in the thick of things will not care and others will feel to hopeless. 

That is the refractionary reality of things to come. Have a great day.

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