Mini drone carriers

We may see a new class of warships come to prominence: drone carriers. These look like aircraft carriers, but are one quarter the size. At 107m  Damen Shipyard's Multi-Purpose Vessel for the Portuguese Navy is half the length of HMAS Canberra. The ship can launch surface and sub surface drones via a crane, as well as fixed wing drones via a ski-jump equipped through-deck. There are spots for vertical takeoff drones, as well as a rear deck wide enough for a conventional; crewed helicopter.

Compared to a similarly sized Anzac-class frigate, a drone carrier may not look a very effective warship. However, that would be similar to the mistake proponents of battleships made before WWII. The effectiveness of such a ship comes from the drones it carries.

New Theatre Sydney 2024 Season

In the Foyer at the New Theatre. 
Photo by Marghanita da Cruz 2023

The New Theatre launch was exciting, a theatrical performance in itself. I suggest starting a night out with an early meal in one of the cafes in King Street. Ask for a table overlooking the street and you can watch the passing parade of interesting characters. Then a drink in the foyer of the theatre.

For the launch we were each handed a colored plastic token. I wondered if there was going to be some form of audience participation, with all green tokens told to do something, and red something else. But these turned out to be free drink tokens for the opening. After some people watching in the foyer, we filled the seats in the theatre, wit the directors for next year on stage. The set was dressed for the last production of the year, THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN BY BETH FLINTOFF, which finishes 16 DECEMBER and is suitably ethereal. The 2024 season opens with Homos, or Everyone in America by JORDAN SEAVEY (6 FEBRUARY,) then Atlantis by LALLY KATZ (19 MARCH), The Front Page by BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR (23 APRIL), Ink by JAMES GRAHAM (28 MAY), Sunset Strip by SUZIE MILLER (9 JULY), Hangmen by MARTIN MCDONAGH (13 AUGUST), Wife by SAMUEL ADAMSON (8 OCTOBER), Shakespeare in Love BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL (12 NOVEMBER). That was a lot to take in. Each director was asked about the play and their approach. This is a little like asking a teacher what their star pupil is like. I wanted someone to say "It was the only play left, so I had to take it", but they didn't. Plays for the year go through a selection process, and the rights have to be available. Like looking at clouds, reading a pattern into the selection of plays says more about the viewer, than what is viewed. In this case there are two about the print media: The Front Page and Ink, which neatly bracket the golden age of newspapers from the 1920s to the 1970s. Similarly Everyone in America and Wife explore sexual identity. Normally I will try to find a movie or TV show to relate a play to, as an easy way to explain it to non-theater goers (those of us who are middle upper class but still use public transport, was we were categorized last night). This is going to be easy with the last of the season Shakespeare in Love, based on the film of the same name. That should provide the opportunity for the New Theatre to do what it does best, a big boisterous production.eet. Ask for a table overlooking the street and you can watch the passing parade of interesting characters. Then a drink in the foyer of the theatre.

The New Theatre launch was exciting, a theatrical performance in itself. I suggest starting a night out at the Net Theatre with an early meal in one of the cafes in King Street. Ask for a table overlooking the street and you can watch the passing parade of interesting characters. Then a drink in the foyer of the theatre. 

For the launch we were each handed a colored plastic token. I wondered if there was going to be some form of audience participation, with all green tokens told to do something, and red something else. But these turned out to be free drink tokens for the opening.

After some people watching in the foyer, we filled the seats in the theatre, wit the directors for next year on stage. The set was dressed for the last production of the year, THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN

BY BETH FLINTOFF, which finishes 16 DECEMBER and is suitably ethereal. 

The 2024 season opens with Homos, or Everyone in America by  JORDAN SEAVEY (6 FEBRUARY,) then Atlantis by LALLY KATZ (19 MARCH), The Front Page by BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR (23 APRIL), Ink by JAMES GRAHAM (28 MAY),  

Sunset Strip by SUZIE MILLER (9 JULY), Hangmen by MARTIN MCDONAGH (13 AUGUST), Wife by SAMUEL ADAMSON (8 OCTOBER), Shakespeare in Love BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL (12 NOVEMBER).

That was a lot to take in. Each director was asked about the play and their approach. This is a little like asking a teacher what their star pupil is like. I wanted someone to say "It was the only play left, so I had to take it", but they didn't. 

Plays for the year go through a selection process, and the rights have to be available. Like looking at clouds, reading a pattern into the selection of plays says more about the viewer, than what is viewed. In this case there are two about the print media: The Front Page and Ink, which neatly bracket the golden age of newspapers from the 1920s to the 1970s. Similarly Everyone in America and Wife explore sexual identity. 

Normally I will try to find a movie or TV show to relate a play to, as an easy way to explain it to non-theater goers (those of us who are middle upper class but still use public transport, was we were categorized last night). This is going to be easy with the last of the season Shakespeare in Love, based on the film of the same name. That should provide the opportunity for the New Theatre to do what it does best, a big boisterous production.

For the launch we were each handed a colored plastic token. I wondered if there was going to be some form of audience participation, with all green tokens told to do something, and red something else. But these turned out to be free drink tokens for the opening.

After some people watching in the foyer, we filled the seats in the theatre, wit the directors for next year on stage. The set was dressed for the last production of the year, THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN
BY BETH FLINTOFF, which finishes 16 DECEMBER and is suitably ethereal.

The 2024 season opens with Homos, or Everyone in America by JORDAN SEAVEY (6 FEBRUARY,) then Atlantis by LALLY KATZ (19 MARCH), The Front Page by BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR (23 APRIL), Ink by JAMES GRAHAM (28 MAY),
Sunset Strip by SUZIE MILLER (9 JULY), Hangmen by MARTIN MCDONAGH (13 AUGUST), Wife by SAMUEL ADAMSON (8 OCTOBER), Shakespeare in Love BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL (12 NOVEMBER).

That was a lot to take in. Each director was asked about the play and their approach. This is a little like asking a teacher what their star pupil is like. I wanted someone to say "It was the only play left, so I had to take it", but they didn't.

Plays for the year go through a selection process, and the rights have to be available. Like looking at clouds, reading a pattern into the selection of plays says more about the viewer, than what is viewed. In this case there are two about the print media: The Front Page and Ink, which neatly bracket the golden age of newspapers from the 1920s to the 1970s. Similarly Everyone in America and Wife explore sexual identity.

Normally I will try to find a movie or TV show to relate a play to, as an easy way to explain it to non-theater goers (those of us who are middle upper class but still use public transport, was we were categorized last night). This is going to be easy with the last of the season Shakespeare in Love, based on the film of the same name. That should provide the opportunity for the New Theatre to do what it does best, a big boisterous production.

JLab JBuds Frames Bluetooth Head Phones Clip to Your Glasses

The JLab JBuds Frames Wireless Head Phones are two small boxes which clip, one to each arm on your glasses. Each has a microphone, speaker, battery, and one push button. You an use just one for mono, or two for stereo. The sound is not as good as Bose Frames sunglasses, but much better than Lenovo Lecoo C8 Smart Sunglasses. These are fine for phone and Zoom calls, but not so good for music.

 One problem is that the JLab Frames need a firm large spectacle frame to clip to. There area reversible rubber pads which can be adjuted for different size frames, but they were still loose on my ultra slim titanium frames. They worked fine on a larger pair of plastic frames. These units have the advantage they can be used on prescription glasses, and removed. But in place they still look dorky, and people looking at me on Zoom immediately commented on them. But that was a Mobile Learning Special Interest Group meeting, where dorky is a good thing. ;-)

Electronic Binding Death Benefit Nomination

This is to suggest the Australian Government permit and require superannuation funds to accept an electronic binding death benefit nomination, secured with two factor authentication, which do not lapse. I just asked two people to witness my form. They both commented that they should get around to doing this. But it requires filling out a paper form, getting two people to witness it, and then sending the paper form in. So I suspect few do, resulting in suffering and cost for their dependents. This could be changed to a simply click of a mouse on the fund's website.