QPORIT

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE is believed to have been born on this day in 1564. He is known to have died on this day in 1616. 

(There's an actual record of his death. There's no record of his birth, but there is a record of his baptism, from which the date of his birth is assumed.)

He lived through a tumultuous period, writing some of the greatest plays and poetry ever written in English, (and probably just... ever written).  

Some (just a few!) of his most revered plays are:

Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, Romeo & Juliet (tragedies); a series of historical plays leading up to the reign of Queen Elizabeth; A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest (fantasies), and Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night (comedies).

This summer, the Public Theater will be presenting Twelfth Night free in NYC's Central Park Delacorte Theater (just renovated!).

THE PUBLIC THEATER: TWELFTH NIGHT - FREE IN CENTRAL PARK, NYC

https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2425/fsitp/twelfth-night/

Another great venue (also great workshops!) for Shakespeare in New York is 

THE RED BULL THEATER

https://www.redbulltheater.com/

Here's a list from Google (AI) and other sources, of some of the many venues around the US and the world that produce Shakespeare's plays:

• Shakespeare's Globe (London, UK): This is a modern reconstruction of the original Globe, built in 1599, near the site of the original theater. It's an open-air theatre in the round, similar to the original and still hosts performances and tours. 
• Allen Elizabethan Theatre (Ashland, OR): This theater, part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, offers a replica of an Elizabethan-era theater. 
• The Old Globe (San Diego, CA): The Old Globe is a well-known theater company and venue that performs Shakespearean plays and offers educational programs, says Wikipedia. 
• Curtain Theatre (Austin, TX): This theater company focuses on classical plays, including Shakespeare, according to Wikipedia. 
• Globe of the Great Southwest (Odessa, TX): A dedicated Shakespearean theater in Odessa, TX. 
• Adams Shakespearean Theatre (Cedar City, UT): This theater is part of the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, UT. 
• Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, VA): This theme park features a Globe Theatre replica for Shakespearean performances. 
• The Rose Playhouse (Twin Lake, MI): Part of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, The Rose Playhouse hosts Shakespearean plays and other theatrical productions. 
• Pop-Up Globe (Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY): A traveling pop-up Globe structure that performs Shakespearean plays. 

The American Shakespeare Center in VA. (They also produce the Blackfriars' Shakespeare Conference every few years.) https://americanshakespearecenter.com/

Here is one of his sonnets. (notice that the imagery is interpretive of the deeper meanings of the poem). 

SONNET 65 "SINCE BRASS..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4FRae1XRkI/

A performance of sonnet 65 with visual commentary.

Labels: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo & Juliet, SONNET 65, Sonnet as drama, The Tempest, William Shakespeare

# posted by QPORIT @ 4:29 PM 0 comments

Open AI has released several new products and reports in the last few days.

NEWS 

https://openai.com/news/

OPEN AI o3 & OPEN AI o4-mini ("Thinking!") -- 2025-04-16

https://openai.com/index/introducing-o3-and-o4-mini/

THE o3 & o4-mini SYSTEM CARD (EXPLANATION) -- 2025-04-16

https://openai.com/index/o3-o4-mini-system-card/

THE SYSTEM CARD -- 2025-04-16

https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/2221c875-02dc-4789-800b-e7758f3722c1/o3-and-o4-mini-system-card.pdf

OPEN AI NON-PROFIT INSIGHT COMMISSION ADVISORS   (with audio) -- 2025-04-15

https://openai.com/index/nonprofit-commission-advisors/

UPDATED PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORK -- 2025-04-15

https://openai.com/index/updating-our-preparedness-framework/

FULL DOCUMENT

https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/18a02b5d-6b67-4cec-ab64-68cdfbddebcd/preparedness-framework-v2.pdf

INTRODUCING GPT 4.1 IN THE API (with audio) -- 2025-04-14 

https://openai.com/index/gpt-4-1/

OPEN AI PIONEERS PROGRAM  -- 2025-04-09

https://openai.com/index/openai-pioneers-program/

NEW INSIGHT COMMISSION  -- 2025-04-02

https://openai.com/index/nonprofit-commission-guidance/

Labels: AI, AI Pioneers, API, GPT, GPT-4.1, Insight Commission, O3 O4-MINI, Open AI

# posted by QPORIT @ 9:40 PM 0 comments

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has, over the last 24 and more hours, delivered the longest speech in the history of the US Senate, elegantly and passionately calling attention to the great promise and reality of the US in history, and the dangers the US faces in the actions of the current Trump administration.

Attention drawing events are the most important tools of Democratic resistance to the GOP's attempts to concentrate power in the Executive Branch of government, and with that power to cut vital services, to eliminate equality and diversity in both the government and private sectors, to alter the priorities of the Department of Justice, and to dramatically alter the system of taxation from an income tax (which can and should be progressive) to a tariff based "external" tax, which is basically regressive. (Tariffs are paid by importers, who pass along the cost to consumers, resulting in inflation, with the greatest burden falling on the poorest consumers.)

SENATOR CORY BOOKER'S OFFICE

https://www.booker.senate.gov/

Labels: Cory Booker, Democrats, Senate, Senator, speech

# posted by QPORIT @ 10:47 PM 0 comments