Tag Archives: travel

July 22, 2025 · 17:06

More bad news?

Yesterday I got some news from FTN News that might spell bad news for America. America is at this moment drowning in tourism ‘debts’ (for a lack of a better word). At present the downfall is set to 29 billion dollar and there are several sources who give us that there is all likelihood that this will not be reversed until 2029. And that is merely the reversal of income (if America does an about face basically today) the loss of income will continue. America will bleed tourism revenue for years to come. And the bad news that is added is seen (at https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/aviation/inside-saudi-arabias-bold-plan-for-a-low-cost-airline-with-45-planes-by-2030/) giving us ‘Inside Saudi Arabia’s Bold Plan for a Low-Cost Airline with 45 Planes by 2030’ where we see “Saudi Arabia’s bold plan for a low-cost airline with 45 planes by 2030 is the Kingdom’s latest move to transform its aviation sector and boost tourism and connectivity” Now don’t think this is a silly notion, but at present in Europe, Canada, Asia, Australia and a few more countries people can only afford one vacation a year and the sewing of cheap holidays to a place where many like to see it, it means that most will contemplate Saudi Arabia against the unwelcoming grounds of America. Considering that the bulk of Muslims (who are about 1.8 Billion, close to 20%) they all will consider Saudi Arabia over America, especially if that comes with lower costs. As such this is almost a slam dunk win for Saudi Arabia. So when we see “The new carrier will be operated by a consortium led by UAE-based Air Arabia, in partnership with Saudi companies Kun Investment and Nesma Group. According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, this alliance was awarded the contract to launch the airline after a competitive bidding process that also included Jazeera Airways and other regional players.” It sets a setting that the UAE/Saudi Arabia connection could spell a lot more bad news for certain parties. As stated, base operations might be in Dammam, yet they are aiming to carry at least 10 million passengers per year once fully operational. Its 81-route network—comprising 24 domestic and 57 international destinations will set the fall to others up to 10,000,000 passengers annually and that is merely the beginning. As I see it, the 10,000,000 will grace Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Considering the simplest setting that many will now be able to afford a trip to Dubai with its 0% taxation and Apple growing there too I expect a boom of people trying to unite cheap vacation with cheap shopping and in that regards Abu Dhabi remains an option for these people. The could visit both with the High Speed train that takes you to the other UAE destination in a mere 35 minutes. So how interesting is that against any place in America? 

So is this a real threat against American revenue? I believe it is and after the bad setting that America pushed itself in, and the upcoming Vision 2030, I reckon that America might get a prolonged bad tourism time going through until 2032/2033, a few years after Disney and Harry Potter theme parks graced Yas Island totaling the amount of theme parks to 6 with the added Yas Island Mall and the F1 races there too. And Harry Potter to be expected to arrive late 2026 and as there is no date for the new Disney park, I expect that this will not happen before early 2027. But that sets a new danger for America getting relieve to its tourism downfall. 

The setting that SeaWorld is an unique place merely sets the premise towards a lot of tourists selecting Abu Dhabi over America and that is merely the start of this matter. So as I see it, whomever invested in the new airline (apparently The NESMA Group and Kun Investment Holding) seem to be riding an great profit venture and as this goes on the investment might turn out to be a golden one and that is before the impact is seen that Neom Bay airport will face and that means tourists will flock towards Trojena and its ski slopes. Yup, the Kun Investment Holding is looking towards the bright side of profits.

So could I be wrong? 
It is a fair question, but the reality is that nearly all people need a vacation and when the price goes down people can do more and as such these 10,000,000 annual places are 10,000,000 that America loses, pretty directly and that is after the losses it is already facing at the moment, as such I feel pretty confident that this will make it, even as it is not the only one in Saudi Arabia. There is also Flyadeal, Flynas and Air Arabia. The fact that Saudi Arabia is ready to expand the tourist game implies that they have been upgrading with a focus and I think it will drive people towards Trojena and Sindalah, which is besides the options that Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer. So as I see it, America will be facing several more hard years and that is if they do an about face on tourism as per today, when they do not, by 2028 Ski tourism will go towards Saudi Arabia as well. A nasty package is coming to the American shores. They did this to themselves, as such I feel it is their own fault. But to see this amount of damage due to the stupidity of America first is pretty laughable in any book you read.

As such have a great day and if you need a point of investment, I reckon having a better look at the Kun Investment Holding might not be a bad idea. Don’t ask me for advice, this is all I see and I am not the expert in investing, but there are good times ahead for Kun Investment Holding.

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July 20, 2025 · 21:07

Change of venue

Today there were three articles that called my attention. The third os for another day. It was loaded with sarcasm and if not that it would be the irony of the matter and that is for another day (probably tomorrow) but the first two drew my attention. The second towards the first, but that starts with an article by Sophos giving us ‘Sophos announces UAE data center’ (at https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2025/07/18/sophos-announces-uae-data-center/) where we learn that Sophos is about to open a new data centre. We get to see “This expansion is about democratizing access to cutting-edge cybersecurity, powered by AI, automation, and the strength of our partner ecosystem.” The rest is a combination of marketing and sales ‘initiative’ taking this setting is not wrong, I tend to see it as less effective and as it is on the Sophos site, but I get why this was done. There is nothing negative on the ‘announcement’ that they made. 

Yet the second article optionally grips into this should the centre be set in Abu Dhabi. There is the option that Sophos could entertain consultancy solutions for the embassies in Abu Dhabi. 

The second article (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/aviation/wizz-air-uae-employees-struggle-with-sudden-exit) is the Khaleej Times informing us of ‘‘Don’t want to leave UAE’: Wizz Air employees struggle with sudden exit, look for jobs’ the setting of Wizz Air where “pilots, cabin crew, managers, and other staff connected to Abu Dhabi operations, face uncertain future and seek clarity” consider that not all will be able to score a new job quick. There is the likelihood that most will be offered a new position by Emirates and/or Etihad Airways. It will give these people a way to continue their career. And the other? Well that is where article one comes into play. Sophos will need technicians, customer care, technical support and others and as such these people will have the option for all kinds of positions that they might easily be able to shift into and for Sophos it is a way to get localised people with motivation to do well. A setting that serves both sides in the process. But then I could be wrong and the idea goes nowhere. But there these two articles were and they might complement each other and that is a setting that should never be ignored. And if my suggestion solves two problems then it is 3-0 for me (I get an extra point for balancing the issues against one another) and that is how we create a positive balance. Unlike the profit seesaws that investors are trying balance towards personal profits. 

I think I get to feel pretty good about now. Tomorrow I get to throw in my own glasses as I exploit sarcasm and irony against one another. It is a too appealing way of life for me at this point.

Have a great day.

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July 18, 2025 · 18:35

The path of New Technology

That was the setting that I had in mind. You see, some time ago I saw the ‘idea’ that Elon Musk allegedly has. There is nothing wrong with the idea, but in this day and age, with all the settings going on, who is interested in going to New York? Been there, done that I say (in 1999), but the larger setting isn’t the place. There is nothing wrong with the place. Yet as I see it, like the HS2 (UK) the hyper-loop from London to New York seems to be a less then stellar idea. I know that allegedly Elon Musk is setting the stage so that he can get everything as much tested as possible before he is off to Mars (the planet, not the candy bar) and that is fine. Good luck to him.

Yet the setting of a hyper loop in NEOM makes a lot more sense. As I see it, three lines in NEOM seems to be the idea that could attract even more people and more advanced travel options.

Consider the first line connecting Sindalah, the Line and Aquellum (optionally more), the second line connecting Neon bay Airport, the line and Trojena. The third line would be over the length of the line itself allowing people to traverse west to east line in a little over 30 minutes. Optionally with a few stops. 

Basically allow the larger places in minutes. From Sindalah to Aquellum in less than an hour and that is just for starters. It would also allow the people in the line to go towards their destinations in mere minutes. There could be additional benefits too, consider that the people over the larger part in Neom could be off to the ski-resort in an hour, driving the desire to Trojena towards an all time high and the same could be said for Sindalah. 

This is not the easiest setting and perhaps that Elon Musk has the required equipment already as I reckon that these drills don’t grow on trees (I checked) the fabrication of these drills takes several months (if not longer) and we are in 2025, as such the creation of these lines might take more than  the 5 years required, so some haste is due. And with that setting Saudi Arabia will create a new worlds first. A hyper loop that connects these places would also push tourism to a larger degree, with additional connections that allow travel to Riyadh, Jeddah and Medina could grow tourism beyond anything they had expected and  considering that there are 1800 million Muslims, only 33 million living in Saudi Arabia could expand on expectations, desires and wonder and that would make it another first in the world. There are additional considerations as the hyper loop could transport the injured over a larger area, reducing the needs for a more equipped Hospital to the line and several smaller hospitals to other areas. That is, if the setting of a hyper loop would appeal to the Saudi government. 

There were some additional thought to combine lines one and two, but that is hat some would call the micro management (not meant for me) and the idea to live in the line, work in Aquellum and play in Trojena has massive appeal. I wonder how many Canadians might like the idea of skiing there. The setting seeing Neom would be great, if only I am still alive when these places were completed (five years with my butterfingers?) 

Still, the thought of hyper loop trains in Neom should spark any person who enjoys trips on the train. Ill try to get other IP thoughts sorted out tomorrow. Have a great day.

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July 17, 2025 · 22:43

A powerhouse South of Davos

Yup, it seems like a founding setting as July usually is in the setting of Davos in the desert and the setting is ‘embossed’ as we are given by Arab News as ‘Riyadh emerging as global super hub amid economic boom: Knight Frank’ (at https://www.arabnews.com/node/2608260/business-economy) this is a super setting for several players but not in a good way. 

We are given “Saudi Arabia’s capital is rapidly transforming into a leading global wealth hub, fueled by the Kingdom’s successful economic diversification under Vision 2030, a recent Knight Frank report said. The Riyadh edition of the “Emerging Wealth Hub” series noted that the Saudi capital is transitioning from an oil-dependent economy to a powerhouse for finance, culture, and lifestyle, attracting multinational corporations, investors, and expatriates.” You see, the setting is a little more complicated than that. This is shown through the paragraph that follows “A key driver has been the Regional Headquarters Program, which has already exceeded its 2030 target, with 600 global firms, including Bechtel, PwC, and Northern Trust, setting up regional bases in Riyadh. 

This influx has pushed Grade-A office vacancy rates down to just 2 percent, while prime office rents have skyrocketed by 23 percent in the past year and 84 percent since 2020.” 

When we see the dots, there is a danger that we link the dots in the wrong direction, so we can see that there are 4 dots with at least 2 options, and the more dots we have, the clearer the image becomes. But at present we see that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are rising stars in money matters and rising economy stars, also rising stars in tourism, employments and technology. In the other corner there are the parties of America, the EU and the Commonwealth to a lesser degree. The massive inclination is that America cannot remain the nice party towards both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, then there is the UAE connection to BRICS and as they both are rocking the tourism industry, a setting where they are making the dozens of billions that America is losing. A second setting is that they have the cash to make the technology work, all whilst America is allegedly having power issues, issues that this technology cannot survive, as such the upside is clear for the Arabic worlds a little less for the other players. Some players are vying for the same defence contracts as America, as such we are all facing some version of what some might see as a civil war in the ranks. And as I personally see it, America will be pulling more and more drastic settings and it is one of the reasons that the Trump administration ‘requires’ Powell needs to be shown the door. It is a mere speculation on my side, but there is a chance that America becomes more and more desperate as the tariff setting was backfiring and it seems to be the leading cause for American tourism going back towards the stone age. The thing that also rings in my head is the setting that the millionaires and billionaires that are now investing and seeing the lucrative stages that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are ‘promising’ are all founding mergers that are now not investing and seeking these options in America. As such these players and the tourism setting where people can only spend their money once, they are now vacating to other shores. These are not connected issues, but they do become accumulative issues towards the American shores. As I see it, the America first movements is slowly but surely becoming the undoing of America. 

This reminds me of a Latin expression “Post hoc ergo propter hoc” meaning “after this, therefore because of this” it is an expression that dates back to ancient Greece where it was ‘accepted’ as a truth, but correlation does not equal causation. Apparently the Romans figured this out and as such I gave the example with four points. But the setting where the non-connected events can show that it does have a negative side towards other shores and as such we see the setting towards America. One can believe or debunk the setting that in economy, the entrepreneurial mind can only spend money once, and in a separate turn ‘we the people’ can for the most merely afford one holiday a year and that was in previous years a 20 billion dollars solely from Canadians towards America. But that milk was soured by an administration with State 51 on their mind, a setting that Canadians no longer accept, it made them reject America as a destination. Moreover, other events were also detested by others (Europeans) and as such they are also going to other places, not all, but enough to America seeing this as a massive problem. Only 10 hours ago we were given that Canadian tourism to America is now down 33% in June. In an age where tourism is banking on a near 90% full setting, Canada alone is giving America a tourism body blow and that is before the European sources are considered. So in an age where the financial situation is dire to say the least, the loss of billion will be a hardship station for the near entire industry. So, whilst some are looking towards Davos in the desert, that setting might show the new stations we see as the Future Investment Initiative (FII), which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 29-31, 2025. Some will see a setting that shows for the first time just how desperate the sewing for America and Europe might be. I believe it the news will be bad (for the west), you see, over the last 5 years I have been trying to keep eyes on the Saudi Broadcast Authority (SBA) as I expected them to reach out towards Egypt and Europe, but the news has gone silent the last year. It is my believe that the world will hear news in these directions in October. It is highly speculative (on my side), but I believe that is what will happen this year. I personally believe that this is the ‘surprise’ Saudi Arabia and Huawei is getting ready for, but I have absolutely no evidence on this. So call it what you will but these elements together will show a new dot setting and we will hear it in Q4 this year. 

No matter what we will hear, it doesn’t frame well for the America First pamphlets and photo frames. But I will be the first adjusting my ‘wrongly’ seen connected dots. Because I honestly don’t know. It is more of a gut feeling towards the image that others seem to be showing us.

Have a great day.

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July 16, 2025 · 05:51

Two for two

That is the setting that I see overlapping. Now, if someone states that they have nothing to do with each other, I would disagree, but I see their point too. At times causality is as thin as the thread to a spiderweb. I just see that there is more then one thread connecting the two together. And those who disagree are allowed to do this. So it started with Kazinform International News Agency (a news agency in Kazakhstan) informing me of ‘Saudi Arabia retains top spot in MENA venture capital investment for first half of 2025’, in itself not terribly important to my scope of life, but it had mention of the MAGNiTT. I had not heard that term before and I get a lot of information, so I decided to check it out. It states “your go-to platform for verified Venture Capital & Private Equity data in Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Türkiye and Pakistan” that I would have remembered, as such a new term came to me, from an unknown source. The part that got my intention was “Saudi Arabia maintained its first rank across MENA in terms of Venture Capital (VC) funding in the first half of 2025, witnessing a total VC deployment of $860 Million (SAR3.2 billion), surpassing the total VC funding of 2024 (full year)” as such, I am getting the impression that Saudi Arabia is stretching its financial influence in the world, when you see a near two for one deal spanning almost a billion, that ain’t hay (as the expression goes). 

The additional quote goes “The Kingdom’s leading position in the VC scene in the region comes as a result of many governmental initiatives launched to stimulate the VC and startups ecosystem within the Saudi Vision 2030 programs. We at SVC are committed to continuing to lead the development of the ecosystem by stimulating private investors to provide support for startups and SMEs to be capable of fast and high growth, leading to diversifying the national economy and achieving the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030, CEO and Board Member at Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) Dr. Nabeel Koshak commented.” As such there is a lot to be said for being thorough and Saudi Arabia isn’t tinkering on the corner. Now considering that I didn’t get that news from the Financial Times or Reuters, I had an issue with this. So, consider that it is missing from the Financial Times, a said to be thorough news agency for all matters linked to the channel of a “Ka-Ching” nature. 

This is setting the second phase of the issue being a (what some call) AI setting. You see, I was looking as American Tourism (a daily event) as I keep my eyes on this. Here we see “Tourism in the United States is experiencing a decline in international visitor spending, with a projected $12.5 billion drop in 2025. This downturn is attributed to a combination of factors, including perceived negative impacts from Trump administration policies related to trade and borders, a strong dollar, and weaker global economic growth. While domestic tourism remains strong, the US is seeing fewer international tourists compared to other countries, and some experts predict it may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2030.” (Source: claimed AI) what connects this is Forbes giving us ‘U.S. tourism will lose up to $29 billion as visitors plummet amid Trump policies’ a mere week ago (at https://www.forbes.com.au/life/travel/u-s-tourism-will-lose-up-to-29-billion-as-visitors-plummet-amid-trump-policies/) a mere week ago. So is this (non) AI a mere 240% off? You see, one part is the “strong dollar” but sources give me “the United States Dollar has strengthened 0.62%, but it’s down by 5.38% over the last 12 months.” As such the second part came to me. Can these sources which I define as NIP (Near Intelligent Parsing) be given programmed issues that as not taken into consideration? And that thought gets strengthened through “While domestic tourism remains strong, the US is seeing fewer international tourists compared to other countries, and some experts predict it may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2030”, the issue is that the term before directly clashes with the Forbes quote, which is “the U.S. is a notable loser this year as tens of millions of international visitors are choosing to travel elsewhere—costing the economy up to $29 billion—and risking millions of jobs” and there is data supporting the Forbes view. I am also considering that Forbes might have missed a setting or two. The amount of bed and breakfast places that will lose close to everything as tourists stay away. Florida who just expanded is seeing less tourists from both Canada and overseas tourists. The Trump administration has made America less interesting in 2025 and likely 2026 as well. That and as we now see that Saudi Arabia, Europe, Canada and the UAE are cashing in on that negativity is giving a much larger confidence in the losses that Forbes predict. 

So, how are they connected?
There is a larger setting to the folly of NIP (or what some call AI), you see NIP is based on DML and that only works on predicted data that has occurred and the setting America faces, other has never faced before and certainly not in this global economy where preparation is king. Last month, merely one travel agent is giving us ‘Flight Centre is facing a $100m hit as a result’, that is merely one travel agent and some sources give us that there are an expected 571,541 operating in 2025. So how many losses will America face? It is the groundling of questions, because that also gives us the amount of Venture Capitalists that are turning towards Saudi Arabia and the UAE (to name but two). This matters as it explains why Saudi Arabia it self is leading the charge. Wouldn’t you turn to your own borders to cash in on ventures happening before 2030? So as we saw “some experts predict it may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2030” and this is happening around that same time. With the Trump administration giving folly at nearly every corner, I wouldn’t put my money there, I would feel a lot more secure putting it in Canada to say the least. 

Kazinform gave me the setting that is playing now. Through these links there is a thought that the internet and its habitants are being spanned to through what some call AI (which it is not) by engineering markers that are ‘managed’ through some forces as to what constitutes NIP at best. Deeper Machine Learning (DML) even with LLM (Larger Language Machine) in place can only work with what is, what it has ad the world has never been given these markers of folly before. As such DML is kinda useless. They can pretend the core remains the same, but everything that this core fuels is off (by a lot) and that is setting the fake premise that it can never keep. And the end of the Kazinform story is pretty much the best, it gives us “As reported previously, Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in growth of international tourism receipts in Q1 of 2025 compared to Q1 of 2019, according to the World Tourism Barometer published by UN Tourism in May.” That makes sense as the people are turning away from America in tourism and Saudi Arabia has worked hard to buff up on being the next tourism spot to be. People tend to forget that 20% of the world is Muslim and they are done with the world treating them as a second best option. Taking into account that Saudi Arabia is growing in the tourism direction as well as all the NEOM projects completing one by one. So when winter sport season comes near, do you really want to go to America at the present setting, or will it become Mt. Whistler (BC, Canada) or Trojena (Saudi Arabia)? The choices are tough, I get it, but with the waiting lines at Mt. Whistler I wouldn’t be surprised if Trojena will have its first year with numerous Canadians there. As some say, Aspen is so passé. And that is merely one reason why Saudi Arabia will grown into a new tourism behemoth. All that before we get to actually see Aquellum, which could be a global first, a community where the architecture is inward set. I cannot give credence to any of that, but if Saudi Arabia pulls it off, it will become the next world wonder and it will show Saudi Arabia to be the next powerhouse in the world with the bulk of the Muslims world wanting to live and grow there. 20% of the population of the planet seeking growth is not to be underestimated and that is before other realise that the bulk of eager Americans want a piece of that life too. All elements in what the next decade is shaping up to be and that is the setting that neither AI (or NIP for that matter) saw coming, because the current settings are all given to us be engineers (remember builder.ai). It doesn’t adjust for something never done before and that is where the hard parts come around the corner, there is no AI (at present).

So feel free to see me as incorrect, that is fine. But also adjust your views to views currently not given and there is an overlap of matters. What is and is filtered away for reasons ‘unknown’ and what is not given to us because some cannot see the impact. It is a two for two setting.

Have a great day, I entered the middle of the week, it is still yesterday lunchtime in Vancouver.

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July 14, 2025 · 10:29

Say where?

Yup, where is the issue and it is very specific. According to Latin America reports (at https://latinamericareports.com/germany-rejects-uruguays-latest-passports/11771/) the ‘new’ passports from Uruguay will be rejected by Germany. The story gives us that both France and Germany are rejecting the new passports, but according to Uruguay the concerns are a lot stronger with Germany. The issue is that “is a result of the fact Uruguayan passports issued after this date do not indicate their holders’ birthplace. Passports issued after this date also have the field of “Nationality” replaced by “Nationality/Citizenship,” assigning the code “URY” to both natural and legal citizens of the country. However, it is the lack of “birthplace” field which has sparked concern amongst the German and French governments.” My issue is ‘only those two’? I reckon that such a setting should spark a lot more issues and we can assume that this (in part) is that “San Javier was founded by Russian immigrants in the early 1900s. For locals, Russia is still their Mother Land.” I reckon that this is the opening that organisations like the FSB are hoping for. As such when will Europe and optionally America will get a stronger inbound setting of Uruguayans and a speculative well over 60% might have a Russian heritage. It seems that a lot more nations should be complaining about this. As I personally see it, but is not a simple setting and to do such a ‘large’ change should have an almost global outcry. There is a debatable argument coming from the 825,273 penguins on McDonald Island (Australia) but that might merely be speculative semantics, as it is less then 5.21% of the Australian population. 

The larger issue is why the bulk of the western media is (optionally) losing this story as trivial. The reason for my thoughts is the case study (published in Vancouver, Canada) setting the framework

“In 2021, a 52-year-old executive from San Diego sought to escape financial ruin and a collapsing reputation after his company went bankrupt amid a hostile media storm. Instead of disappearing illegally, he partnered with Amicus, filed for residency in Uruguay under its investor visa program, and legally changed his name through the court system after naturalization. Within 18 months, he held a new passport, a new name, and a tax ID number—entirely above board. He now lives quietly in Punta del Este and consults remotely for European tech firms.”

A legally transference of personality and with the new passport he can go back into wherever that person wasn’t welcome, the place of birth no longer attached to this allows that person to reappear where that person wants. When we see this how often will this set a new premise of white collar crime who ‘faded’ into the limelight of Uruguay and in a year that person could get a new penthouse place a mere boat rode over the Rio de la plata to Argentina and living it up in Buenos Aires. And that is the simple drop of people wanting to vanish. It is the Lone wolf setting that should worry America (Europe too) and the fact that it doesn’t break media waters seems a little unusual. 

Make if this what you want, but consider the loops you have to jump through to get a passport and now consider the setting where it suddenly becomes really easy. 

Then there is the thought on why they made this change. There is no clear explanation for this, but to change a passport after it took years, if not decades to get accepted. Why change this?

That is the simple thought I am having. 

Have a great day.

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July 13, 2025 · 01:25

Where is the exit?

That is a question that is more often than not a valid one. We went to exit any setting, but there is the ego to consider, America has skin in the game (as the expression goes). As the Guardian gives us (at https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jul/08/saudi-arabia-capital-punishment-executions-foreigners-drug-offences-crime-600-people-amnesty-international) last week, last Tuesday to be more exact, we are given ‘Saudi Arabia executing ‘horrifying’ number of foreigners for drug crimes’ with the byline “Hundreds put to death for non-violent drug offenses over past decade, with little scrutiny of Saudis, says Amnesty”, yup it is everyones favourite crybaby Amnesty International. I can’t really fault them here. They have a ‘strict’ setting and I get that, but the rest of the world needs to understand that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes a harsh views on any drug offense. So as we are given “Almost 600 people have been executed over the past decade for drug-related offenses, Amnesty International has found, three-quarters of whom were foreign nationals from countries including Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and Egypt.” It is like toddlers in a zoo. If you put your hand in the tiger cage, it will be bitten off. There is no ‘but’ or ‘why’ in this. It is the nature of the beast. Saudi Arabia is totally against drugs and they do not accept any other setting. You see, America might have started ‘the war on drugs’ around 1971 (optionally 1970) and for 50 years where we see that the setting should be seen as “at least $100 billion a year, and far from eliminating use, supply and production, as many as 300 million people now use drugs worldwide, contributing to a global market with a turnover of $330 billion a year” as such America has spend a generic $5,000,000,000,000 dollars on a war that has no exit strategy. Saudi Arabia isn’t falling for that trap and is not concerned for the 600 people who threw away their lives and is happy to end their seemingly pathetic lives. I am decently certain that their lives in Pakistan or Egypt would end in the same way. Although, I am certain that these two countries only give the death penalty on extreme cases (whatever that means), still the death penalty is in the cards there too. 

So, whilst every is calling the war on drug in America a lost cause and it is only in the eye of politicians who want to get coin out of this setting that they would ‘see’ an optional solution. I am of the mind that simply putting them all to death might have saved America $100,000,000,000 on an annual basis. That is the setting I personally see. 

So whilst we see “With little international scrutiny of what Amnesty describes as “grossly unfair trials” and a “chilling disregard for human life”, the rights organisation warned that the death toll would only increase.” We need to understand that Saudi Arabia sees drug use as a complete ‘no-no’ and they have strict laws in place. When we understand this, we should consider why these people go for drugs, and more important, how is this setting being supported? I think that most people in that ‘industry’ want their slice of a $330 billion cake and it is an annual cake, as such I wonder what is fueling this. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia isn’t wondering this at all. They merely execute the people who go for that dish and I get that. The American war on drugs is a stalemate for negotiations and a setting for delays and optionally some people get some out of this. Saudi Arabia sees them all as equally unworthy and treats them all to a one way ticket to the grim reaper, or towards Malak al-Maut as they call him. I reckon he is the American version of ‘Kill ‘em all, let god sort them out’ I have no real view on this. You see Saudi Arabia has capital punishment and the results are not unlike “Old Sparky,” who had been executing people since  1924 at the Huntsville Penitentiary. So is that any different? There is no setting of violent or non-violent. If you get caught with drugs in Saudi Arabia, they get a one way ticket to wherever they were supposed to go. It sounds harsh, but it is time that people realise that intentionally breaking the law in some countries has consequences and drugs have a finite consequence here. So when we see “Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International’s Middle East researcher, said: “We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend, with foreign nationals being put to death at a startling rate for crimes that should never carry the death penalty.” According to who? Is my question. You see “Saudi Arabia has a zero-tolerance policy regarding drugs and enforces its laws rigorously” as such I wonder where Dana Ahmed got her law degree. I kinda understand her. I am not in favor of the death penalty, but it is for every government to decide for themselves and as I see it, Saudi Arabia is not interested in wasting $100,000,000,000 a year on this problem. I get that too and I see that they decided to take ‘zero-tolerance’ to the next level and the people who cannot stay away from drugs, need to find a little burrow in America to see they lives through. As I see it Saudi Arabia said ‘not here’ and I get that too, I very well understand that. As such these people should have exited that country (preferably) before they got caught, they had the option between ‘leave now’ or ‘drugs now’ and they chose poorly. 

So whilst we see all parties cry their way into your hearts consider that it is well stated and openly documented that Saudi Arabia does not tolerate drugs of any kind, even as we might, we ned to learn that other countries have other values and they might not condone our recreational approach to drugs. That part I see missing here. There was a larger truth, it was there from day one and now we see that some are trying to seek other solutions, but the fact is that the other solution has proven to be a failure for over half a century and now that the funds are dwindling I reckon that America will get a new premise, it will go from ‘America first’ to ‘Healthy Americans first’ a setting we are likely to see before the years end. Especially when fentanyl is not only fueling political settings, America might take drastic steps to downsize that problem. So does that make Saudi Arabia a trendsetter?

Consider that and not merely the ‘bad’ feeling you get from a death penalty, consider what drugs and the drug market is doing to your economy. There are a few sides to this that Amnesty International does not want you to see, consider the impact of trillions on a war that never had anywhere to go. And you can afford this trillion, can’t you? 

Have a great day today.

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July 9, 2025 · 08:18

Age of BS (Bill Sightseer)

That is the setting I was confronted with last night. We have all seen the US downturn in tourism and there is a certain justice in souring your own milk. This is what we saw in the last two weeks and last night the Independent gives us (at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-tourism-decline-trump-policies-b2782820.html) the repeating ‘US is the only country facing tourism decline as Trump policies to cost $29 billion in visitor revenue: study’ and for the most I was all about “seen this before” so I was about to leave it next to me, but then something happened. Travel and Tour World gave me (at https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/united-states-tourism-soars-to-new-heights-with-20-million-canadian-tourists-contributing-a-staggering-20-5-billion-and-fueling-job-growth-across-140000-american-positions/) ‘United States Tourism Soars To New Heights With 20 Million Canadian Tourists, Contributing A Staggering $20.5 Billion And Fueling Job Growth Across 140,000 American Positions’ are the flipping kidding me? As we have been given from a multitude of places “Amid the president’s immigration crackdown, travel bans and sweeping global tariffs, the U.S. is expected to be the only one out of 184 countries to see foreign visitor spending fall in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. The study suggests that the U.S. economy is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international spending this year alone – but the actual shortfall might be much greater.” (Independent, July 4th) and it matches what others have given me. But no, here comes the Travel and Tour World article giving us “A remarkable 20 million Canadian tourists visited the United States, contributing a massive $20.5 billion to the U.S.economy, while also sustaining around 140,000 jobs across the United States, as reported by the U.S.Travel Association. These figures highlight the essential role Canada plays in U.S. tourism, making it the largest source of international visitors for the country. With Canada’s population of about 40 million, this represents a significant proportion—half of all Canadians visited the U.S. last year. In fact, Canada accounted for 26% of all international tourists to the U.S., which saw a total of 77 million visitors in 2024.” And CBC on July 3rd gave us “The data shows there were 88,686 fewer recorded crossings at the Peach Arch, Pacific Highway, Lynden and Sumas points of entry throughout the month.” As such (apart from the confirming feeling), it seems that (as I personally see it) the U.S.Travel Association are beefing up numbers by the millions and no one reacts? How is this setting acceptable to anyone? As I see it, America might be in deeper waters than anyone thinks they are. It seems that Wall Street needs to be mismanaged so that they will give America the credits they desperately need. Apart from The deal that Canada now has with Aluminum provider Australia in stead of America, the setting is far worse then anyone is considering. The TTW article has a few other capers that makes for a weird setting “While Canada did not actively seek to “steal” American tourists, certain Canadian destinations are benefiting from a surge in European visitors. In fact, a recent study from Context Research Group highlights that Canada is experiencing an unexpected tourism boom, driven largely by European high-spenders who were previously considering U.S. destinations for their vacations. As the U.S. tourism sector struggles with internal challenges, Canada seems to be emerging as a viable and attractive alternative.” It is the word ‘steal’, you see, after the Florida setting where people seems to feel insecure and unsafe and there is the US customs setting where people are seemingly evicted by a owning a mere meme and then there are the numerous events that customs is scanning your social media, the land of the free now seemingly takes away free speech. I don’t care about the meme’s some other people send. I find it a waste of my time and as such any second hand meme might actually debunk the only vacation you can afford. That is a principle setting why people go somewhere else. And the internet is bustling with numbers of places that have a massive downturn, as such the TTW article isn’t even funny or actual in several settings. And as we have seen the amount of the 51st state mentions, the Canadians seemingly like Americans, their blood in particular. See what I did, I made an actual funny (TTW please take notice) The article has other things missing, the first quote didn’t give a timeline, whist other mentions do give a timeline, but these moments can be misread. So who is behind this? The TTW article doesn’t carry a name, neither does it state opinion piece, which might not be a setting that has weight as the TTW is not journalism, but in the B2B world the writer is often indicative of how serious you need to take an article. The Independent piece was written by James Liddell, a US News reporter and giving us (a little late) the facts we already had. The CBC article gives us the charts that show that as per February 2025 the numbers going to America started going down with 40K less visitors, in March the drop was over 80K and going on and on until June where it was a little over 80K as well, and this is merely the BC/Washington crossing. So where did they find these 20 million Canadian tourists? Did the TTW not vet the files they publish? Because as I see it, it is their name that comes up. 

Was it just the one?
So we can fret over this, but there was another reason to mention this. You see, I mentioned the Aluminum setting and as it was given to me yesterday, Canada is now in conversation with Rio Tinto as a new supplier of Aluminum, which might delight Coca Cola and a few others who are ‘diverting’ to Canada to avoid tariffs and other bad news towards their shareholders. The larger news was given to me by MSN (at https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-extends-visa-free-entry-to-more-than-70-countries-to-draw-tourists/ar-AA1I9PTl) there we see ‘China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists’, I have no idea what the impact will be, but there will be thoughts on many being interested in seeing Beijing and a few other places. The fact that China has its own theme parks, Disney has two in China, one in Shanghai and one in Hong Kong. As I see it, this might be massively bad news for America as well. I have no idea what the impact will be, but 70 countries imply a loss of thousands of tourists in a time America cannot have any more bad news. And the one thing we tend to forget, most people (as assumed 90%+) can only spend their money once and thousands going to China means that they cannot spend that money in America, more importantly, many Europeans are trying to find a place far away from America (optionally Canada too) and now China makes this move. A tactical move that could hurt America a few points more. And as I see it (through the graphics) the move will hit many in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. And I think it matters, it is the Commonwealth nations, the Arabian countries and Europe that will wield the largest punch for China. So what the TTW article to dissuade people from going to China? I think that might have been a bad move as it only shows America to be more desperate than even before. And with the Rio Tinto move Canada is showing itself more than apt to counter whatever America throws at them, I reckon that yesterday’s threat on 10% addition for BRIC’s minded governments and as a bonus President Trump soured the well in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, what a 24 hour score to make.

As I see it, I wouldn’t take the entire TTW article too seriously, but as a part in a larger setting it gives us (optionally wrong) that there is a larger setting in America, the cracks are seemingly showing and that presents a larger setting for multiple players, all stating the same thing. Doing business in America is starting to become a folly for anyone entertaining that thought. A setting that is merely the consequence of the last 12 months. For America a bad thing, for the business entrepreneurs a new horizon they haven’t see for a long time and what is new tends to be sexy and explorable for the eager greed driven minds.

Have a great day today.

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June 25, 2025 · 03:47

A fool’s errant?

Yesterday I ‘threatened’ myself with wearing the thinking cap and in hours I kinda created two solutions. One to take care of the Iranian airfare and the second (very unfinished) to unravel the Iranian Army and as I had already dealt with the Iranian navy I was feeling a little complete. The air force was my first objective. You see, you can always isolate an army through its own domain. If an army is ‘hindered’ by their own locations, it stops being a threat. You see, the Iranian air force might have an estimated 37,000 personnel, but the only real threat they have are the 330–350 aircrafts and when they are limited to their own garage they tend to stop being a threat, out their threat comes a limited one. And I have to wonder how I got the idea and is my idea even realistic? The idea is developing in my mind (to some degree) but there is a lack of realism if I get the upper hand on DARPA, not once, or twice but 5-7 times? Only a deranged person thinks that he has the low down on over a dozen DARPA intellects. Once, I get, but that many times? Even I know that there is no way that this is feasible. As such I put my idea here, so that (as I suspect) actual clever people can do something with the idea. 

I get that this has wider implications, but I believe that the enemies of Iran (they have plenty) might be able to do something about it.

You see, as I gathered that some people tend to look in one direction. I tend to go the other way. That is how I got several sides of IP as most merely look I one direction. As I see it, I got the upper hand on Google, Amazon and Microsoft. I am not blaming that I am ‘more’ intelligent. I am merely saying that I was looking the other way and I saw an option. So far Amazon didn’t accept my thoughts, Microsoft will never get the offer and Google already carved another direction and they are free to do that. As such as I was ‘entertaining’ my thinking cap, and entertaining isn’t the proper word, merely an adjective to use. You see, people see planes as an evil. They aren’t evil they are tools, but tools with a specific requirement. And even as drones and helicopters don’t have that need, putting 330 planes out of business is not a bad accomplishment. 

You see, they need tarmac to get of the floor and tarmac, nowadays is made from aggregates and bitumen. The first one are the aggregates – usually crushed stone, sand and gravel. And they are  bound together with bitumen, which is a viscous and waterproof substance at a temperature to become asphalt. As such I gathered that these bitumen can be messed with. And that is basically a chemical solution. You see nowadays we have drones and I was thinking cargo drones specifically. These drones has a flight range of 1,500 kilometers and a maximum operational altitude of 8,000 meters. It can fly for up to 10 hours and carry a payload of 1,200 kilograms. Now take these numbers and take 3-4 drones. Consider 1,200 kilograms of pellets which can be spread over the airstrip. Don’t consider the impact of destroying the entire airstrip. Merely parts of this (although the more complete the damage the less use the airport has). Now consider the setting that the pellets damage or make inert the bitumen part of tarmac. So, what is an airport without an airstrip? Merely a place for lost luggage. You see, with the tarmac damaged to that degree, planes cannot lift off. They can merely wait until the tarmac is repaired. There are about 20 Iranian airports, which might require too many drones, but you could take out around half a dozen airports in this way. And I am not claiming I know more than DARPA, but couldn’t DARPA have figured this out themselves? 

And lets not jump to conclusion. I haven’t solved the bitumen part (yet), however how many boffins have considered this track? Everyone is so strange in the void ahead of them, that they tend to forget what is behind them. A setting I tend to use as it is a lot more rewarding to see what I can reengineer behind myself then consider what I could get in front of me. This is how my mind could make harbours useless and that was merely for starters.

So, am I crazy or are there people around who are considering that I have an idea that too many overlooked? Just me having a creative moment and when completed I changed the setting of airports to the largest degree. It required planes to take off and when that stops, those without zeppelins are basically earth bound.

Just a creative snag I am handing the world. Have a fun day, I am going to take another attempt at sleeping, it is 03:45 now, 300 minutes to breakfast.

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June 22, 2025 · 05:44

The dress is wrong

It seems correct to use this expression when this is a follow up to ‘All Dressed up’ which you can find (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2025/05/31/all-dressed-up/) in my blog and written a little over 3 weeks ago. I saw the impending fallout and now there is too much to ignore. You see, we now see (less than an hour ago) a story from Travel and Tour world giving us (at https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/trumps-impact-on-u-s-tourism-a-crisis-thats-becoming-hard-to-ignore/) ‘Trump’s Impact on U.S. Tourism: A Crisis That’s Becoming Hard to Ignore’ and it has off springs in this matter. You see as we are given “For years, the United States has been a top destination for international travelers, drawing millions from across the globe, particularly from countries like Germany, the U.K., and Canada. However, since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, a noticeable decline in international tourists has emerged, signaling the onset of what could be a long-term tourism crisis. As the U.S. struggles to regain its footing as a global tourism hub, several regions across the country are starting to feel the economic impact.” This statement is putting it mildly. One source even gives us “The United States, once the undisputed leader in global tourism, is witnessing a seismic shift in traveler preferences. Over the past eight years, a cocktail of restrictive visa policies, trade wars, and polarizing rhetoric has driven a 9% annual decline in international arrivals since 2017. This exodus of tourists—projected to cost the U.S. economy $22 billion in 2025—has created a rare opportunity for investors to capitalize on emerging tourism hotspots in competitor nations.” With the limelight caught with “a rare opportunity for investors to capitalize on emerging tourism hotspots in competitor nations” and the UAE and Saudi Arabia will be profiting from this setting. As will Japan, China and Europe. In an age where America is bleeding interest over a debt of 36 trillion, a loss of 22 billion will be felt through and through. Oh, and that 500 billion investment that is called Stargate (an odd thing to do, name an IT project off an Sci-fi tV series that is founded on fantasy) is currently in the running to hit a few snags and that will have a longer lasting effect than anyone can gather. As such 2026/2027 will likely be the last year that the world speak of the United States of America. As soon as it is possible California will try to be the bear republic (something to do with the flag) and the Washington State will likely move mountains to become part of Canada. In that setting as America’s social settings will collapse the American people will feel and see themselves and all their neighbors decline in a way America hasn’t seen since the great depression and this time it will be worse. 

And we get more “Stricter visa screenings, prolonged wait times, and high-profile detentions (e.g., a British tourist held for 12 days in 2024) have fueled fear among travelers. Canadian land crossings, once bustling, now see 44% fewer vehicles due to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Meanwhile, 36% of Canadians who planned U.S. trips in 2025 canceled them, citing safety concerns.” This is not a simple setting. It is fueling fear that America is no longer the space to be and last week Australians were given ‘Australian tourist’s warning after being deported from US in ‘traumatic’ ordeal’ and it isn’t a nice setting (source: news.com.au) “Mr Kitchen said he had done a “superficial clean” to remove any potential red flags a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer may “uncover with three minutes of glancing”. But he did not prepare for CBP to have already looked at his online presence before he even made it to the long customs queue at LAX.” I would personally view this as a setting would only see in books, or FSB documentation. American policy is pushing tourism away. Which is fine by me, but I reckon that Universal will gain that back from tourists (what tourists?) They just invested 8 billion in their new Epic Theme park and it looks amazing. There is just one catch it needs people and YouTube showed you all yesterday a theme park absent of visitors. The most beautiful theme part America has ever seen, pretty much perfect in every way is seeing no people and queues for many rides that are seemingly less than 15 minutes. You think the economy of that setting can recover? The people will be much happier visiting Yas island in Abu Dhabi with 5 parks right there (and a mall that is amazing to behold) with a train connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 35 minutes, I reckon that 2026 and 2027 the UAE will become the place to be which amounts to not only Europeans and Asians seeking a new holiday spot, but many Americans will join that queue in a heartbeat.

So as we are given “As the U.S. tourism industry suffers from a reduction in international visitors, the impact on local economies is becoming increasingly evident. For cities and regions that rely heavily on tourism dollars, the decline in foreign visitors means fewer hotel bookings, reduced spending in restaurants and shops, and a general downturn in the hospitality and entertainment sectors.” As such America created a place for themselves where no one wants to be. Not even Americans. And when that shift is completed, how will America pay for the annual interest of $1,620,000,000,000 because that is what 4.05% interest looks like and when the essential services collapse, the fallout will be EPIC (not like the empty theme park) and that is something the media was eager to hide as they have advertisement quota to fill. The problem is that this is short sighted as American businesses are about to no longer afford those. So where to next? China? Isn’t that what this American Administration was eager to prevent? 

And I only mentioned Universal. So how about Disney? Their largest success is about to become Disney Abu Dhabi (earliest in 2027). A side I didn’t consider in my initial calculations was given to me by Invest. They give us “Anti-immigrant policies and LGBTQ+ restrictions (e.g., biological sex mandates on visas) have alienated key markets. Western Europe’s unfavorable view of the U.S. hit record highs in 2025, with 50% of Britons and Germans now avoiding U.S. vacations.” I get that this would have an impact, but 50% britons and Germans was a little more then expected. I heard a saying in 1999. “First you get along then you go along” I personally see saw it as a BS expression. Something the greed driven say to get what they want. I never expected to see it in this light, I never did. But the signs are unmistakable. California is supposed to be the richest state, its economic offset is in the top 10 globally, now we get “A major factor is the projected 9.2% drop in international visitors” that is massive. Hotels and restaurants will see the hurt. Established places will likely survive, the rest becomes a debate for speculation. And if revenue goes down a mere 5% for the 10% loss of visitors, as I personally (speculatively) see it, we will see a 4%-5% of people losing their jobs. In a state the size of California that is big. A source stated “Los Angeles is experiencing a significant drop in tourism, particularly from Canada and Mexico, with some areas reporting a 25-30% decline in international visitors” and California is just starting to repair the fire damage it has had. As such the movie industry is likely to find places in Canada (like Vancouver) to see their productions get through and that is not all. A massive rewiring of streaming services might be required all these elements come with costs and in America that might be tax deductible, yet that puts the America administration is a massive bind. When revenue falls and taxable revenue falls too, the setting becomes a bit of a problem, especially when 1.6 trillion is due at end of every fiscal year. I wonder if the orchestrators of this revenue venue had seen this through. 

So whilst the theme part lovers are pushing for Tokyo and Abu Dhabi as their next destination, where does that leave America? They could ask Canada to help out, but that bridge was already burned. The penguins on McDonald Island don’t care and they will heartily repeat the message dolphins gave us, as such “So long and thanks for all the fish”

A lovely Douglas Adams setting, so as America is dragging its feet against Iran and the people of this world. They might be losing tourists now, but in a short time they are also losing allies and even people ready to listen to them. One leads to the other and as America has less and less money to spare, the people who were ready to listen to them will turn their ears to China and the Arabic nations. In less then three decades they lost what took more than a century to build. And Wall Street? Well, they will just move to London, Dubai, Tokyo and Paris. Although, when the dollar goes, the sight of Tokyo might become mighty grim soon enough.

Have a great day. 

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