Commentary, Computing, Duly Noted, Security

I will have to be very careful about content in any of my mail sent to Gmail.com recipients

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FROM THE NNSQUAD MAILING LIST:

https://lists.nnsquad.org/mailman/listinfo/nnsquad

WARNING: GOOGLE IS TRYING TO TRICK YOU INTO USING GEMINI AI AND
FEEDING GEMINI YOUR DATA IN GMAIL AND OTHER APPS!

What Google is now doing should be ILLEGAL. PERIOD. For the first time
I can recall in history of using Gmail, it just now popped a modal
dialogue box — DEMANDING that I choose whether or not I wanted “Smart
Features” turned on — which when you read the verbiage mostly means
goddamned Gemini AI AND if you enable this you’re giving Google
permission to use your data to “improve” this horrifically invasive,
inept, and misinformation spewing tech that steals data from websites
for its own use without permission of those sites. DON’T LET IT SUCK
IN YOUR EMAIL AS WELL!

There was no way I could find to exit the modal window without
choosing YES or NO, which means my existing selection to NOT use Gmail
Smart Features (long my preference) was NOT being honored. After
saying NO to this disgusting query by Google, I was pushed to ANOTHER
page where I was forced to choose again about “smart features” in
“other” Google apps. I chose NO again and finally was permitted to
escape this trap.

Note that while you can fairly easily check to make sure “smart
features” are turned off in Gmail settings, I offhand don’t have a
clue as to how to find the similar settings in other Google apps that
may have been affected by this absolutely disrespectful forced
dialogue, as Google keeps trying to ram Gemini AI down our throats.

…

And even if you have Gmail “smart features” off, your email can STILL
end up inside Gemini

And remember, even if YOU have these invasive “smart features” turned
off, if you communicate by Gmail with someone who has them turned on,
your email will still be sucked into Gemini AI. Like I said, this
should be ILLEGAL. -L

Performance, Theater

“Pyramus and Thisbe”

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“Pyramus and Thisbe” in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Marin Shakespeare Company
Saturday, June 14, 2025. 7:30 PM

“Pyramus and Thisbe“: a play within the play is performed at the end of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as ‘preferred’ entertainment for the court. The original is an Ovid tale from “Metamorphoses”. In “Dream” (as done by the Marin Shakespeare Company) in the current production, the “Players” (who have been chosen as entertainment) are cast as “Pyramus and Thisby”, Wall, Moonshine and Lion.

Wearing brightly colored outfits, (as satiric costumes), Bottom’s dramatic group appear with his ‘fellow’ actors: Peter Quince, Francis Flute, Tom Stout, Snug (who appears as the Lion!) and Robin Staveling (a tailer). Botttom, (actor Steve Price) has appeared in earlier episodes of the play, particularly as Titania’s lover. In the ‘satiric’ play, the lovers “communicate through a ‘crack’ in the wall and their ‘love” is cut short by a misunderstanding, a lioness and suicide!

This is amazing event is delightfully performed in the ‘exaggerated’ manner of amateur acting (probably often seen in Shakespeare’s time.) It is ‘comic’ relief …and also serves as a satiric reflection of what has transpired in the larger context of the play.

The delightful actors of the ‘play within the play’ were: Adrian Deane, (Snout); Richard Paliaziol (Quince); Storm White (Snug); and Elena Wright (Starveling).

The learned critics of Shakespeare tell us that this satire concerns “forbidden love” and “ultimately leads to commemoration by the gods”. If this be so, Bravo. The ‘bravo” in the current production is to be given to the multitalented actors who, playing many roles, brought us to the end of the Marin Shakespeare production of “Dream” with much laughter and joy.

Dance, Performance, Theater

Marin Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Marin Shakespeare Company
Saturday, June 14, 2025 7:30 PM
Adapted, Choreographed and Directed by Bridgette Loriaux

A BRILLIANT, DELIGHTFUL PRODUCTION

This production of “Dream” which opened in the company’s amphitheater Marin County setting (just outside San Rafael), was created with amazing dimensions of setting, acting and especially DANCE.

The director, Bridgette Loriaux is also noted as an aerialist, a cast member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a ‘collaborator” with other Shakespeare festivals. She has certainly created “Dream” as a choreographic dramatic delight. Set designer Nina Ball has provided areas for the play’s intimate moments (e.g.Titania with Puck} but for the most part, actors all dance (and act) across the stage’s full space. This ‘open’ staging brings the merriment of “Dream” to the wide audience arena.

Many of the actors are ‘double cast’: e.g.Titainia/Hippolyta is played by Charisse Loriax: Oberon/Theseus by Johnny Moreno. Steve Price holds is own as “Bottom,” a demanding, hilarious role. All actors deserve applause and cheers for their talent and versatility.

The play flows along with its many scenes, narrative levels and musical interludes. The scenes are punctuated with dynamic ‘choreography’ and stage action. Charrise Lorisaus as “Titania/Hippolyta” and Johnny Moreno as “Oberon/Theseus” are just two of the star actors who are able to amaze and charm the audience in this delightful celebration.

The program notes the setting for “Dream” is 3,000 A.D. Let’s hope Shakespeare and the Marin Shakespeare Company can continue to bring audiences such delight as they accomplished in 2025.