Tag Archives: UAE

February 21, 2024 · 23:44

Exit towards destabilisation

That is the setting that we see coming a mile away, or at least I am and that is how I see it. Today I am given ‘China condemns US veto of call for immediate ceasefire at UN’ (at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68355436) and I have a problem with this. You see, the problem with the article is that we see “China has sharply criticised the US for vetoing a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.” Yet, the issue is more complex. There can not now, or will there ever be peace as long as Hamas exists. Hamas will never stop. Its commanders are safely in Qatar, a nation that has given Hamas almost $2,000,000,000 in financial support. Then there is Iran and they both are vying for destabilisation in the Arabian peninsula. It is a very personal view, but I believe that is the game that is being played with Hamas as puppets, right next to the Houthi forces. The problem is that we are given disinformation from nearly every side and that is hampering insight and optional progress. 

As I see it the two powers in the Middle East are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This is not what either Qatar or Iran like. They want a much bigger seat at the table and as such there is an essential need to rely on Hamas and Houthi forces and in this Iran seems the only actor, but I am not convinced. There is no clear intelligence what Qatar is doing beside sheltering the top of Hamas, which is as far as I can tell not a crime, not even in the Arabian peninsula nations. As I stated a personal view is that it is much better that Israel deals with Hamas. You see when BRICS evolves and the table setting is clear Iran will not be happy. They want more and they will push Hamas (and others) to get a larger seat at the table of plenty and Hamas being the one trick pony they are will strike out at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia first striking their projects. Lets be clear, I have no intelligence available that this will happen, but knowing what I do know. A one trick pony will resort to what it knows and for Hamas this is violence, and violence alone. At that point the KSA will either strike back in full or they will have to concede. Do you think that the KSA will concede against a terrorist organisation? It would be all the information that the Houthis would require to attack again and again, and Iran would show its clean hands stating “We had no hand in this” all whilst supplying weapons to both. 

This is the stage of destabilisation that China needs and that is at this point the wrong stance to have. As such my message to China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun who gives us “Only by extinguishing the flames of war in Gaza can we prevent the fires of hell from engulfing the entire region” is “take Hamas out of the region and talks can begin”. You see the stage of Palestinian territory’s Hamas-run health ministry is the larger problem. Anything Hamas run is tainted and that needs to stop. We can cry all we want for the Palestinians, yet Hamas is part of the problem and it started on October 7th 2023. Too many are ducking that part and have been since day one of the IDF assaults. That is before we consider the larger stage that we are given that the UNRWA is accused of directly supporting Hamas. The Washington Post gave us an image of a Hamas data centre UNDER the UNRWA building. The problem is that all sides are engaged with disinformation. I cannot deny that there are voices that Israel is doing the same that Palestine are doing in that regard. Israel has had well over a week to publish all evidence via all newspapers, they did not do that, that must be considered as well. 

My largest fear is that Hamas is pushed to attack any of the KSA projects and that will start new stages of destabilisation, not to say what they will do given a chance to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I believe that the risk is too high for any Arabian peninsula nation. In all this Hamas must go, preferably today and permanently. 

I truly believe that this is the only way that there is a future for the Palestinians and to remain with a stable middle east. The problem is that I am stating this based on information available to me and there could be issues with that. Yet there is no denying that Hamas is a problem for everyone and the sooner all others realise this, the better we all will be.

Enjoy the week. I might be away for a few days.

 

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February 12, 2024 · 04:18

Wall, writing, you know

Before we go into details, you need to be aware of something. On the 19th of November 2023 I wrote “America has been in denial of too much we see that their ‘friends’ are reevaluating their options and there is now an optional case that Japan made the first move.” It was in the story ‘Speculating towards something?’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2023/11/19/speculating-towards-something/) it was not the first time and not the only time I warned of that danger and now, the Associated press gives us (at https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-american-allies-worry-us-growing-less-dependable-whether-trump-or-biden-wins/b29bc0ac-3d1a-47b4-89dc-dad1de8b6ec9) ‘American allies worry US growing less dependable, whether Trump or Biden wins’, so the Associated press came to the conclusion 90 minutes ago what I saw coming almost 3 months ago. And you think you are getting informed by the press? So when we are given a quote by Donald Trump “He said at a rally on Saturday that, as president, he’d warned NATO allies he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that didn’t pay their way in the alliance.” I feel decently certain that at least 2 European nations are contemplating an alliance with Beijing, if not to keep Russia out, it would be to save whatever they can from their economy. And the setting is not small. With STC (Saudi Telecom Company) now set to be the largest 5G player and since last year the largest shareholder of Telefonica (Spain), their markers are ready to show themselves as the primary force in the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, southern Europe and soon the rest of Europe. This wasn’t news, it wasn’t groundbreaking it was meant to be and as America loses more and more ground, Huawei is about to get a lot more. In addition we now see ‘Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show ends with 61 orders worth $6.9 bln’ this matters because several of these orders aren’t going to America. South Africa’s HENSOLDT GEW, Spain’s Rheinmetall Expal, Bosnia Igman Company, Korea’s Poongsan Corporation, Qudra Industrial Company, Fahad International Company were some of the lucky ones. Several are under wraps, so I have no idea where they ended, but I have a nagging feeling that China got some too. What I predicted is coming to fruition. America is losing more and more commercial deals. Now that the US debt has surpassed $34,000,000,000,000 they lose more and more contracts and the telecom one is the killer. It allows Huawei for its vindication all whilst those supporting America’s baseless accusations are now entering empty space, no deals in front, only a vague ‘we’ll get back to you’. So how is that adding up? Well those who were ready to smear the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not be held on hold and that is a lot more than you think. The fact that BRICS nations are now also getting orders and the option to prove themselves implies that BRICS is about to become (or already is) the place to be between now and 2028. And all this could have been prevented for well over 5 years. 

So whilst Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on US Politics at University College London states that the world is about to become “a multipolar planet in which the United States is no longer “the indisputable world superpower”.” The truth is a lot less nice. The new powers are China, India,  Saudi Arabia and the UAE. These nations aren’t just carpeting on the side of the road. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are just about the hottest tickets in tourism. Another income stream dwindling down for America and Europe. As such the writing was on the walls and Rembrandt painted that one in 1635. 

So now we have a new setting (as I personally see it), is it because the associated press finally found out the setting I saw months ago, or is it because they can no longer get around this setting. And when you consider the  chance that it is option two, how useless has the press become? When was vying for the digital dollar journalism? 

And all that is before Donald Trump was foolish enough to piss of his NATO allies. It sets the stage of NATO abandoning America and that opens up other paths for President Xi. Not sure if he would act on them, but I feel certain that Khan Chen Yixin (you gotta respect the old titles) from the Ministry of State Security is probably seeing opportunities here. How this pans out? I reckon we can all make guesses, but Spain and Germany are most likely to fold first. France will definitely be one of the last players to leave America, but as the others gain economic options France might not have a choice in the matter. 

So how wrong am I?
Yes, that remains the setting. I was proven correct months ago, but that does not make it all true. Yet the telecom moves are out in the open and I wrote about that too and Huawei has options now and there Germany might seek unity (partnership) with STC sooner rather then later opening Europe to Saudi Arabian telecom options and all that gives Huawei an advantage (for now). The China part remains debatable, but there is enough out there to show I might not be completely wrong. Now add the predictions that some IT brand is losing chunks to Tencent as will some other players in social media and now see the redrawn map of nations with new streams all whilst American companies are losing out on ten to twenty billion taxable dollars and consider that America is facing between 68 and 136 billion in interest in 2024. In 2023 America collected $4.44 trillion and they couldn’t make the budget fit and now they are down an additional 100 billion and revenue streams are slowing down. When BRICS nations start selling the US bonds they have the damage is almost complete. This wasn’t rocket science, you could get there with an abacus, no silicon chip required.

Enjoy your day whilst I am heading towards Monday breakfast soon. 

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February 10, 2024 · 19:02

In other news

That was out there and I was not aware, yet the Khaleej Times (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/entertainment/shot-in-uae-coming-to-cinemas-next-week-sci-fi-epic-dune-2-to-welcome-fans-at-premiere) gave me that the second Dune movie was shot on 20 locations all on the UAE. This is nice. You seldom get to see news of that nature (apart from LOTR all over New Zealand) and as such I was surprised. Now, lets be clear Dune cannot be filmed in too many locations. So Saudi Arabia and the UAE (and a few places around the Sahara) are mostly it. So it was nice to see that the UAE catered to this magnificent film. As the article states, the 20 locations were in the UAE, the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi to be more precise. And next week Sunday, the red-carpet event is set to take place on February 18 at Vox Cinemas, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island. I reckon that might be a UAE first, but that is merely an educated guess. A team of 300 local, 250 international crew and 500 extras were used during the 27-day shoot. As such it is a movie to see as soon as possible. I will be watching the first movie on BlueRay again two days before the launch in Sydney. I won’t be joining Timothée Chalamet or Zendaya in the UAE but I don’t think they will be heartbroken on that part of the event. 

On the other hand, I have had to deal with my alcoholic neighbour who had been kicking and screaming at the door and then just being an ass. The landlord will do nothing and after 4 hours I pretty much had enough. This got my wheels turning and I think I have come up with a solution to get rid of around 20% of the planet. I had the idea for a side setting in one of my stories, but now I could solve the housing issue in Sydney. I have been waiting for over 10 years now and in that setting I could solve it another way. 

OK, I admit it is not nice, but stress and anxiety can create its own solutions, even if they are out of whack to say the least. 

Those who read the books of Frank Herbert know that the emperor wanted to take care of one duke. That duke was too popular and that creates envy. He used the Harkonen to deal with his problem and I saw another option to make one of my stories a little more challenging (Engonos). Here the problem is that it is not entirely original. Take any James Bond setting. With 1-2 exemptions they were all about world domination and reducing the population (by a lot). Here I to a small degree grasp at ‘On her majesties secret service’ combine that with the unproven accusations on Covid and you get an entirely new setting. Is it totally original? Not really, my examples get you part of the roadmap. Polar Star (an Arkady Renko story) gave me parts, but not parts of that story. It merely awakened me to a larger setting that could set the stage. There are two deployment options here, but one raises questions because I have no expertise in that direction and ‘On her majesties secret service’ finalised the road trip. I’ll grant you it is no Dune, but when you consider that we have no Spice Melange and as such we have no monster like Rabban, I had to make due and I think I found a handle on the idea. 

So what sets of the charter in a person? What makes that person go berserk?  I am not sure, but one drunk shouldn’t get you that far. It is too much psychoses. Like the girl who met this boy she really likes and hoping to meet him again. She starts to kill her family members with poison, hoping he will attend another funeral. Even if we do not know what made him come to the first funeral in the first place. So was the girl creative, insane or shortsighted? I tend to go with all three, but that is me.

So in all we need to see how cogs fit together. Frank Herbert did so for half a dozen books and the first three showed him to be a master. There is a reason that it is a magnificent book, just like the Lord of the Rings (1954) turned out to be. I have absolutely no hope to be ever anywhere near that good, but no matter what you think JK Rowling started on page one and she is now a multibillionaire. I have no plans to be that good (or that famous) and this is not about the money. It is about the creativity. Creativity for good or for evil remains creativity. Harnessing that creativity is what I am after and I do hope it is for good. Dune is one of the shining examples of my life ever since I read it the first time around roughly 45 years ago, around the same time I got the Lord of the Rings. So in other news we will get Dune 2 in less then 3 weeks, Dune 3? No idea, but that is supposed to be Dune Messiah. I wonder where that will be filmed. Time will tell, it usually does.

Try to enjoy your weekend, mine really sucks this time around.

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February 9, 2024 · 19:46

Is Israel failing?

That is a serious question. Hamas started all this and it was the straw that broke the camels back. The response was overwhelming. Well over 50% of Gaza has been reduced to rubble. But behind all this is a second tier that needs addressing. It is the UNRWA. We saw the accusations, we saw government pull out funds. I am OK with that, but now the media is starting another track. Australian ABC gives us that politician Penny Wong has questions. That is fair enough. 10 hours ago, the Guardian gives us ‘We don’t have all the facts on UNRWA allegations, Penny Wong admits’, now it is starting to become a problem. 

These are not alone. We see news from Channel 4, CBC and other sources making similar claims. Now, for the most the media has lost pretty much all credibility with me, so I have doubts. Yet in all this Israel has one option. To make this document public knowledge through all the sources it can trust. In the mean time, the new Arab (at https://www.newarab.com/news/no-evidence-israeli-unrwa-claims-six-page-dossier) gives us ‘Channel 4 says ‘no evidence’ for Israel’s UNRWA claims in six-page dossier’, so what gives? 

As I said, Israel’s (pretty much) only option left is to make that dossier public. If it is evidence (clear evidence mind you) the media becomes even less reliable than it already is. And lets not forget the UN Essay that newspapers used to smear the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I poked holes in that one in under an hour. I am pretty sure I can do the same here if it does not hold up to scrutiny. 

So the question remains, is Israel failing here? The fact that the UN sacked a dozen or more workers implied that there was an issue. They weren’t set to zero hours, whilst an investigation was done, They were sacked immediately. This implied something was wrong, something was afoot. But now we get that this so called dossier does not hold evidence. It does not sound like Israel, but that accusation should be investigated as well. We are also given “inconsistencies have since appeared in Israel’s narrative, with documents shared with Sky News by Israel naming 6 rather than 12 staff as allegedly involved in the attacks. No explanation has been provided yet for this.” Now, I get that the other 6 might have intelligence value by not naming them, as such it might have been not documented (might being the operative word). Yet why mention these people at all? There are question marks and I am happy to hand the ace of spades to the media, but too many (some very respectable) are making similar mention. As such Israel needs to do something. Hamas is a blight on all and soon they will become a blight on the Muslim world. As such, should Israel deal with them now, it is fine by me. Later when they play these games to wring power away from Saudi Arabia and the UAE towards themselves and Iran it becomes a whole new mess of destabilisation and these dumb individuals are one trick ponies. They know no other way. Better to deal with them now before they create chaos in Saudi Arabia and the UAE afterwards, then These two will have to deal with them and that is a larger problem. Gaza is almost gone, Hamas will spread via Qatar all over the Arabian peninsula, it will flame all the nations there. It is my view, but I feel that I see this anticipated view correctly. So Israel needs to show the evidence to everyone, so that politicians and media cannot hide behind “I misread that? It was a simple miscommunication”, we need to get ahead of this and I reckon that this dossier once printed in the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post and Haaretz will be picked up by everyone else. No matter what happens next, time is running short for Israel. They might have created waves, however the media is counter waving them with their own waves and the people are caught in the middle. NONE of them have produced the dossier or used clear quotes on what the dossier says, as such Israel has an option left and I reckon it might decide the fate of the UNRWA. 

I agree that it is my view, but I feel that I am seeing it all correctly. I will let you decide which view is the correct one. I am getting close to Saturday, in Vancouver Friday just started.

Enjoy the day.

 

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February 6, 2024 · 23:26

Puzzled

Something left me puzzled today. I saw the article and question marks came up. But before I go there, lets start at the beginning. The UAE, or United Arab Emirates is seen by me as an Islamic Monarchy. At the head of that nation are Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President and ruler of the UAE with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Prime minister of the UAE. I might not have gotten that all correct, but I am likely more correct then plenty of others. The UAE is an islamic nation and pork is seen as haram, forbidden. So if I would accept a job there my days of bacon and egg would end. There is no law against non-Muslims eating pork, but why would I? Why upset others? Pork doesn’t rule my life and having a roast-beef cheese melt for breakfast sounds just as yummy. If not that, then an egg and pastrami sandwich as alternative. There are plenty of options and none of them include a slice of oink.

So I was puzzled when I saw an article (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/dubai-pork-byproducts-in-food-can-be-easily-detected-through-new-system) with ‘Pork byproducts in food can be easily detected through new system’, it puzzled me as I am amazed that pork and its byproducts aren’t banned in the UAE. It doesn’t matter where these byproducts are used. A banned product is a banned product. It is relatively simple as I see it. So the article also gives me “A new examination and screening system can now accurately identify the presence of pork byproducts in processed meat products. The technology guarantees rapid and precise results, providing outcomes within a day and facilitating up to 100 tests per hour.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I see the need for testing, but I wonder what idiot would ship a pork byproduct to any islamic nation to be honest. It is not a Saudi issue, it is an islamic issue. Egypt has a 90% islamic population and a 9% christian population, that nation too should ban pork and its byproducts. The UAE might only have a 76% islamic population, but that is so far the overwhelming majority and with dozens of foods available I am a little puzzled why pork is tolerated at all. I reckon that pork is a non option in Saudi Arabia (I didn’t check) and I reckon we (non-Muslims) could get used to camel, or kabasa and if in dire need there is always gator tail (a delicacy in Australia, also served in Birmingham). Although it might be called different in the UAE, Croc Tail most likely.

So back to the testing. I understand the need for the testing, yet I am puzzled why the UAE hasn’t clearly banned all pork products and by products. Leaving the people to what they desire to eat is a noble setting, but to allow for food that is forbidden to 76% of its population sounds like folly and that could very well be me. 

So leave it to the Khaleej Times to puzzle my brains a little. Enjoy your day, my midweek is about to start.

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February 3, 2024 · 22:47

What are sports to you?

A question I have been pondering. It started a week or so as the Swift hatred entered my Twitter account. I have no idea why there was so much hatred. She is gorgeous, she is a singer and from one photo I saw she has the muscle tone of an olympic athlete. So, what is not to like or love about that youthful young sprout? But this is about sports and for this we need to go back to early 2003. I got my Xbox with a new mobile subscription. I wasn’t looking for it, I had my PS2 and I was happy. I had nothing against the Xbox, gaming is gaming. And on a nice summer 5 friends and me making a team of 6 decided to have a little American Football match. With the EA game that as possible, so on Saturday we started the elimination game each a 15 minute game (I believe) and I ended up 4th. I lost the last game against the Steelers and the steelers went to the podium to get 3rd. The final that was to be played Sunday (we were all tired) was set to noon (a Gary Cooper reason). And the final match a two times 30 minutes game was set between packers and raiders and the raiders won. It was perhaps one of the nicest weekends that year. There were snacks, there were suds, there was cake in-between and we were all having a great time. Even now 20 years later I still remember that weekend. Gaming and sports. I was playing the 49ers for the most nerdy, dorky reasons of all. I saw one of their cheerleader calendars that year and San Francisco seemed like a cool city. 

Does there need to be another reason? I like my hockey, my NHL games. So as the 49ers are due towards the Super Bowl these thoughts came flooding back to me. 

And as I was looking at the news I see how Taylor Swift could make the flight back from Japan with the words ‘You need to calm down: Taylor Swift can fly from Tokyo to Super Bowl in time, says Japan embassy’ (source: The Guardian) is the world mad? First if she can’t make it, she can watch it on TV. She has a jet with TV. She is a multi billion dollar business woman and she has her brand, just like Travis Kelce has his job and his job is on the line that day. He might not be the quarterback, but this is the game of a lifetime and he is just as important as the other players. This is one match when being a team matters. Prima Donna’s never make it to the finish line. They need their team and this is the grand slam of finals in sports. 

I doubt I’ll see it, I am not a football fan and I am not sure if it makes the Australian TV. I will keep an eye on the Google Scores. And it all matters, as I see “Big name advertisers from Netflix to Google paid as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot during the game, seeking to capture the attention of the roughly 100 million viewers who tune in each year.” Everyone wants to cash in, everyone wants to see part of that 100,000,000 audience. I get it, but it is about the sports (and perhaps the halftime show)

But what does it mean to you? You see EA has its franchise, but when did they go out to make it about a friends sphere? Not what THEY believe it to be, but what you believe it to be. You see, I never got to safe that game (and now It doesn’t matter as I do not have an Xbox), but the option to set that match in PDF, or perhaps the game created a social media page. When was that done? We underestimate the connection of sports and play and the franchise holders underestimate it even more. In a global view it matters to people in Pakistan and India to keep scores of their achievements in cricket and I reckon in other games too. 

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not far behind them. These 4 make up for a 2 billion population, not all are into sports, but it ends up being a lot more than the population of America. These franchise holders have been catering to the wrong cluster as far as I can tell. Now that sports are going to be a much larger presentation all over the Middle East these people need to consider changing gears and they need to do this before their next games come out. Whomever does it will have options to really become a larger player in sports. But it all reflects back to ‘What do sports mean to you?’ It is not the easiest question. Even kids misalign their views because of what they feel of any sport. But ask any Pakistani Kid and for the most their will answer that Cricket is their life. And Cricket (on PS5) heard that call. Yet we also get The user score for NHL 24 on Metacritic has the game received as “generally unfavourable”. Not a good thing. And it gets worse for them. The Middle East has no representation as far as I can tell and in the upcoming years it will matter. It might not be NHL, the Emirates Ice Hockey League (EHL) is starting to get noticed and that implies fans and youthful players. I believe that gaming can head it off giving the young players something to care for. And in all this sport is caring and caring is sports. You might think I am wrong and that is fine, but consider the numbers. How many people play the Cricket game per nation? I never found these statistics and now they matter. You see there is a shift and it is turning towards the Middle East. Not for American Football and not for the Super Bowl, but this even shows how much sports have been in decline in the west. Soccer players will disagree and I hand that to them, it is all about Europe there. Yet there is a shift there too. We are catering to the wrong crowds and these franchises better wake up soon because that is how rifts start. That is optionally how new and better franchises are created. By the way, in 2003 I could set my entire game towards a SF49 interface. Later it was dropped. Why? Consider the thought behind that change and wonder how there is not a shift amongst gamers. The NHL games never gave me that option, other then my home stadium and a collection of players and outfits. But the interface was generic. Why not appeal to their fans? Why can’t actual scores not be added to the game tweaking statistics? All ideas that have been floating around for at least a decade, but we aren’t seeing any of it in the NFL, NHL or NBA games. Why is that? What are games to you and what are game to them? When you consider that these franchises are merely interested in money, where does that leave you? I let you ponder that and you all as you enter the last week before the Super Bowl. Sports are more than one game, but this is their moment, their aim for the throne of footballs. We can merely sit by and watch it on TV (or if you are rich and lucky) watch it in person. 

So have fun and watch out for that wicket this day.

 

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February 2, 2024 · 19:17

Evolutions towards the third cog

There was a side in one of my IP, the one that Google squandered and Amazon decided that they don’t need 50 million subscriptions, that one. There was a side that I never pondered on too deep. You see that part has more than one side. One side was the people and my IP is all about protecting them. Yet there is a global need for advertisement and I accept that, I merely don’t want that junk on my work desk. It needs to be available when the CONSUMER thinks they need it, not when the advertiser states that they know when a consumer needs it. 

These two fames of mind the (shortsighted) advertiser and the consumer need a buffer. There are a few other parts in this, but this is taking certain concepts and turn them into global options. As such my mind designed the system to be this strong willed, optionally that far ahead thinking. As such (my mind) who realises that AI does not yet exist did consider adding the deeper learning systems to be part of this, after all the consumer wins and 50,000,000 winners cannot be wrong. That being said, the sight of additional IP, parts I had designed in an isolated setting and if working, a mere increase of 1% amounts to 650,000,000 dirham. Take that concept global and it starts amounting to serious amounts. A setting that no one considered and for the life of me, I cannot see why. It was out in the open for the longest time. 

The mind started to consider additional sides. You see, social media where the consumer is the centre piece, brushing against commerce when it conveniences THEM has as far as I can tell never been explored to a serious degree and now the UAE (most likely first in line) get a serious addition to consider with a player like Tencent Technologies. That part was never contemplated by me as I was looking at different IP parts, but they could be connected. It only needs the mapping API and that is where Google comes back into the frame. You see “The Google Maps Platform is a set of APIs and SDKs that allows developers to embed Google Maps into mobile apps and web pages, or to retrieve data from Google Maps.” So until Amazon has its own Mapping part, or until Tencent releases their mapping part a new event rises to the occasion and there my mind started to mull things over. Three elements that can be connected and two of them globally. Facebook doesn’t have it and Google squandered part of it. They still have important parts, but overall they left it on the floor, all whilst they had an option to be the only contender in 2021. There is another case, but I know too little. You see last September we were given “the UAE’s efforts to embrace advanced technologies are set to drive the country’s economic growth and cement its position as a global leader in technology and innovation.” I never looked into that, because my IP wasn’t up to scrap then. There was also the small desire to sell it all to the Kingdom Holding Co. The little I knew of Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud gave me the idea that he would welcome turning a starting (a speculated: my starting) 30 million into his presumed 6,000,000,000 annually. There is now a lot more on the dinner table as this could explode into all directions leaving the owner with a lot more. How much more? I have no idea. My mind is still mulling over the third cog. You see, in the end the total revenue is unimportant to me. It is creating the new stage that big-tech ignored and optionally trivialised. And with the Kingdom Holdings having a stake in the Citigroup, their growth seems almost a certainty. But that is not on my plate. You see I need to remain focussed on serving the consumers. Only then will the IP be globally accepted and there is a lot to be had there. All the others claim to think of their consumers. So how many advertisements were added to your timeline, were shown whilst you were playing a game, were shown whilst you were browsing family news? Try counting these advertisements and see where you stand. 

The fun part?
Google had a massive advantage here, yet they decided to drop the Google Stadia making Amazon the only option (Microsoft is not considered a worthy contender). That was until Tencent Holdings came out with their solution and now the picture changes even further. Now that there is a premise to link certain IP there is a larger station to change the image of revenue. I believe that consumers do not care that YOU make a dollar or two, they just don’t want to be faced with that fallout and advertisement is pure fallout. That is one part they all agree on. Now consider that people can spend their money only once and that gives you a new train of thought. This isn’t some spiel on the margins this is a new definition on how the pie is cut up and the other players will have to do with a much smaller piece of their slice. Not at first mind you, but like all growth settings when margins grow the others lose their margins and that turns to a smaller piece of the pie.

Feel free to disbelieve this, but I have been writing about this since November 2022 (it might have been December 2021). The timeline shows me to be correct. 

So as I am about to face Saturday, Vancouver is only now starting Friday, and as such, only 16 minutes ago former PM Najib Razak got his sentence reduced (time joke).

Enjoy the day and the upcoming weekend.

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January 31, 2024 · 00:11

Forbes Foreboding Forecast

Yup, it happens. Sometimes the others are all on your train ride, but that does not make your prediction true. Yet to see this we need to take the whole image into consideration. For me I saw this come towards us like a freight train without any brakes when I wrote about it as early as September 2020. I wrote several times that these settings were a really bad setting and the outcome would not be a nice one. Then I warned that the US economy had nowhere to go, not when they insult and offend Saudi Arabia (and to some extent the UAE), as such China would gain billions in revenue. We saw last month (could have been 2 months ago), news that America was ‘worried’ about China making so much headway into the middle East. And now Forbes (at https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/01/29/the-us-dollar-is-finished-wall-street-legend-warns-trumps-and-bidens-china-nightmare-is-suddenly-coming-true/) gives us ‘The U.S. Dollar Is ‘Finished’—Wall Street Legend Warns Trump’s And Biden’s China Nightmare Is Suddenly Coming True’. Really? First off, this isn’t suddenly, I made mentions for almost 4 years that this stage was underway. The fact that the dollar is finished is not entirely wrong, but not to the degree we see predicted. Wall Street will take any stance to diminish that danger. People will end up with nothing, but the almighty dollar will sail on, even though the galleon it once had will be replaced by a simple sloop (as piracy goes). 

So whilst we get “The U.S. dollar is “finished as the world’s reserve currency,” analyst Richard X Bove told the New York Times just days after his retirement from a storied 54-year career as a Wall Street analyst.” I initially tend to agree. Yes the dollar as a reserve currency is pretty much a bye bye black sheep operation. It is the “Bove, who sees bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as winning in a post-dollar dominant world, predicted that China will overtake the U.S. economy” part I do not completely agree with. You see the Yuan is and will be an important part of the global economy, but China has its own skeletons to deal with. Evergrande is one and that $300,000,000,000 issue will hinder the Chinese economy to a massive degree. Not to mention the Chinese population that is hurt by that loss. I reckon that being related to Shawn Siu in China is a lot more dangerous than being a loudmouthed disrespectful American in that region, but that could merely be my take on that situation. You see, China needs both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to get the traction to push forward. Yes, they will push the dollar of its throne and Americans with their arrogance did this to themselves, but without the Middle East China has no real momentum. That was the larger station we needed to see. I tried to warn people, but to them I knew nothing. And true, I have no degrees in economy, but I have looked into numbers for decades and I have both a creative mind to see beyond the numbers and a critical mind to question any hypothesis I have. As such I saw what is now being published as ‘suddenly’. My timeline has three years of warnings of the dangers the US and its dollar were facing. I do not have the knowledge or insight to discuss or oppose the digital currency changes, but I can tell that the ego of ex-presidents with his opposition to the digital dollar will be the end of the American economy. The digital dollar would allow Wall Street to diminish the impact the slam the dollar is about to make. If that stops the damage will be enormous. I don’t think the US economy will have any cards to play. Especially now that the EU nations are vying for the same defence contracts that were once almost uniquely America alone. With France, the UK and Germany vying for whatever spending dollars they can, China might end up with a little less, but they still have a lot of billions coming their way, all billions lost to America now and the EU is trying to get a few as well, an indoor fight between the US and EU is not one they were ready for and overall the American evangelisers are now starting to be a lot more quiet. Money talks and the US has none left. Now that the Ukrainian Russian military debate is now three weeks away from two years. A short term prediction by the Kremlin is now a setting that they could actually lose. A stage not considered a year ago and that also brings a lot more problems to the EU nations as well as America. America that has been catering to Russian needs no less and that is important as the people are now a lot more eager to accept China as the new leader. This is not some Nixon fantasy, this is the case of Wall Street deciding on what is best for the world and that is not how it works. That only has any value in the delusional mind of some. So whilst we see what happens next, we see that the power players are vacating towards the UAE. Some will go to other destinations, but the mess that they are leaving behind (not all due to them) will leave the American population without anything left. So what do you think happens when the dollar collapses and 200,000,000 Americans see that their savings are gone. Do you really think they will will side with Trump and his multiple multi million lost lawsuits? Consider that no one has a clear view on how much he owns. Some state that he only has now less than 3 billion and he was dropped from the Forbes 400 list, he came up $300,000,000 short (a lot more with the lawsuits he lost). To give you some reference, Elon Musk is apparently 96 times wealthier. He has 9600% more wealth than Donald Trump and that is the person Americans pissed off, all whilst he has the foundations of a solution for the energy shortage they face. So how is ego holding up? When the UAE engages with that solution, America will come up short in funds and energy. So the ‘suddenly’ setting wasn’t there. This has been out in the open for up to 4 years. And that picture goes from bad to worse soon enough. 

Could I be wrong?
It is a fair question and I ask myself that question pretty much every day. It is not indecisiveness, it is not doubt. It is about verifying the numbers again and again from whatever reliable source I can find. Verification is everything. Richard X Bove and I got to the same conclusions via different ways and as such I wonder why others were never on that page. Why was the media not all over this? They were so ready to protect Elizabeth Holmes and Sam Bankman-Fried, but this they didn’t see? Ask yourself that question and wonder what else they got wrong and more importantly why did they get that wrong. You might come to some conclusions that will scare you. Mainly because you all worked towards your retirement, but how many funds saw the golden future that the dollar bonds brought? When that falls flat your retirement will be gone and there is no coming back from that. I think that a few banks in America, as well as Credit Suisse Group AG (now part of UBS), isn’t it interesting that none of them were properly investigated by the media? They all gave the same story, but no one looked into how many dollar bonds these banks had. It might be nothing, but I doubt it. You see, Credit Suisse was handed a $54 billion lifeline. The fact that ANY bank needed THAT MUCH money was never properly investigated and it wasn’t just them. We see all the claims, but to need a 54 billion lifeline implies that that piece of rope is made from weaved platinum threads with diamonds. When did you ever need a lifeline like that?

And these places all matters, because that is to some extent the impact that the dollar pushed for, at least that is how I personally see it. There will be plenty of people stating that I am wrong, but after 4 years I have been proven correct too many times. Let them come up with verifiable data and clear sources to prove me wrong. I dare them.

Enjoy the day, my Wednesday just started.

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January 29, 2024 · 15:40

Pushing buttons

That is the name of the exercise and this time it is not just having a go at Microsoft, it is time to call Apple to attention as well. You see we have been pushing buttons on a keyboard for years, optionally for decades. Yet when did we see ACTUAL evolution in these contraptions? The most interesting evolutionary step was seen in CSI Miami in 2002 when an episode evolved around a laser keyboard display.

It didn’t go far enough, but it was a start, since then for 20 years. two hundred and forty months no less, both Apple and Microsoft have been spinning all kinds of innovation, but leaving a larger gap. You see, the world is globalising and both were part of that, but they never embraced the world, they merely pushed American values which are not the same.

Now consider this image below. The black keys are small LCD screens (or something similar). 

This is not a leap, this technology, all parts exist. On the iMac you can literally change the keyboard on your screen, a decent case can be made to make the iPad the Keyboard to ANY other Mac, but that is a different conversation. You see, the next part makes sen se if you know more than one language, this example shows us an Arabic version.

A setting that many have seen (millions actually). Japan, China, Korea, Arabic Nations, Pakistan, Ukraine and that list goes on for a while, even in Europe (France, UK) they have different setups. 

So here is the screen below

A simple example from Hiragana. With a home font (the white character) and Hiragana. This was not rocket science. The elements have been around for DECADES and Apple kept itself asleep at the wheel (no one cares about that snoring dumbo Microsoft). A setting that is strangling market research, Advertising and any corporations with foreign needs. I get it, such a keyboard (for now) isn’t cheap (expected $399), but over time as these edges of technology are explored more and more, the prices will go down and two multi trillion companies couldn’t figure this out? And Apple is even in more hot water. They could have set this up by having an iPad (which has 99% of these abilities) at the ready, to make that iPad a Bluetooth keyboard for any other Mac (MacBook or iMac) and they just didn’t look that far? Too many blinders mister Timmy the Cook? 

I wrote about these part (not to the complete degree now) a few years ago and none of these two entertainment jollies (clowns seem too harsh an expression) didn’t catch up? This is the issue with those proclaiming innovation and iterating themselves into the next decade year after year. Innovation comes from making the jump no one else considered and commerce is nice. You see when Apple comes with this idea at $399, someone will reengineer the idea into a $129 solution that works. It is iteration grown from innovation, but Apple made the innovative step, from there evolution comes. Was that hard? 

Are there issues?
Of course there are. Pricing might be a problem, but the keyboard has been neglected for decades, time to open that rusty door. In the end Apple can only start the setting, what comes next is up to the actual innovator. At the ready the iPad could become the start of new Bluetooth technology, which could lead to iPad based keyboards (more rectangle) and with a decently stronger screen. All options in front of the eyes of the Apple cook who seemingly overlooked it all and never looked beyond the blinders they all had. And as for the issues. Is it my job to fix all their shortcomings? Nope it is not, but with the IP at the ready and optionally a massive pay package, I can hand over some idea showing the others that I have a much stronger hand that is not out in the open (Amazon take notice please). You see Amazon could see this too, which means that multi character set design systems will take a much larger stage next, a stage that Azure/Oracle doesn’t actively has and that gives opportunity. You see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is investing $200,000,000 in all kinds of IT solutions, the UAE has a $2,000,000,000 portfolio ready for startups. 2.2 billion and Amazon has options, so who else is asleep at the wheels (plural intended). Is it all to be had? Of course not, but gaining a slice of a 2.2 billion dollar cake is better then nothing and some people need to realise that the Middle East is here to stay and it is investing. So why not wake up, have a coffee and see where that could lead you? 

It is merely a thought, but who else gave you the option to consider a slice of a 2.2 billion yummy cake? And it all started with a keyboard, so where are these so called innovators now?

Enjoy Monday. 

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January 27, 2024 · 22:48

That one sided conversation

We all have them, we tend to have them with ourselves. We see things, at time we extrapolate and we come to singular conclusions. I did too. You see, ever since we have been treated to Pretty Woman (1990) we al wanted to see Rodeo drive, we wanted to see the shops and during the first covid we all took that option and had a look. However, most of us felt slightly betrayed. The view was not what we expected and today I looked at three other YouTube videos. The bulk is concentrated on the block surrounded the via Rodeo. The shops seem empty, some shops show nothing outside (or very little) and Rodeo drive is diminished to a crowd of tourists and vloggers with here and there a person quickly walking to or from their jobs. The other side is that Dubai has the mall of the emirates, the Nakheel mall that are on par with Rodeo drive and the Dubai Mall outshines Rodeo drive by a lot. And you might wonder why Dubai is such a sought after destination? The Americans let things slip all over the place and the turning point is just about here. I reckon it is already here for Las Vegas and as we see what tranquility, cleanliness and amazing views we get from these malls, as well as malls in Riyadh and you wonder why. London might have Harrods and it is amazing, but London is showing additional issues making Harrods and the streets surrounding it unsafe for tourists and shoppers. The downfall will be harsh and it is getting worse. The malls in the UAE and KSA have options towards driving engagement, making these places even more appealing. Places like Rodeo Drive and London have waited too long and there is a clear indication that their revenues cannot be maintained and the solution was online (my blog) well over two years ago. It was creating engagement. Engagement is only working if you have a population that you can serve and that is missing outside the middle east. Where was the Rodeo drive diner, preferably filled with people? Where were the real shoppers? They might show revenue for now, but when did we see a real stage of physical versus online revenue? In the Dubai mall I see shops and well over 75% show shopping and buying people during the YouTube pass. People eating, people drinking, people walking (not vlogging) dozens of eateries and many of them filled with people. The vlogging and posing women on via rodeo aren’t showing too much shopping, are they? Now, lets be clear. I could be wrong, but I feel certain I am not. I warned about creating engagement, they did nothing. I warned about creating awareness and too little was done. Now we see things changing. Even the Eaton Centre Mall in Toronto shows more live and living shoppers than Rodeo drive does, so how’s that for leaving it in the middle east? I get the distinct feeling that should Riyadh and Dubai embrace engagement, the impact on London, Paris, Amsterdam, New York and Los Angeles will be felt to a much larger degree. The equation was not a mystery, it was simple and it has been simple for over a decade. The customers expect more and too many places aren’t showing any. Engagement was key in this and it was ignored. The moment some of the jewellers in Dubai show the engagement solutions I had thought up the change will be close to immediate a race in time will happen. Oh, I almost forgot about Monaco. They are good for now, but they too need to embrace an engaging nature. They recorded 218,400 tourists and they are not doing bad, but the idea is to address this before it turns bad and so far they (seemingly) haven’t done enough. The dozen of hot women and fast cars videos seem nice, but one video tells it nearly all. Monaco has a lot more to offer and videos clearly show this, but when the  numbers dwindle the act of engagement is shoddy and optionally too late. These solutions tend to work when there is too much to see, too much to do and too many places left that alone for too long. Optionally they relied on the wrong numbers and the wrong stories, but this is pure speculation from my side.

Consider that the Dubai Mall has all the best brands of the world, all the sought after brands and articles for purchase and they are a zero tax nation. You still think that my feel is wrong? Some people travel to Dubai just to get the new iPhone at 0% taxation. If you are willing to do that, the rest seems easy to place and engaging your customers becomes a dream ride to keep revenues up. Oh, and here (unlike in London) you can buy a watch and walk safely home. So this might be one sided, but I am leaving you with enough pointers that you can verify for yourself.

In a one sided conversation, the best you can hope for is for someone else to listen (or read), I leave it up to you to decide.

75 minutes to Sunday for me. Have fun.

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