Categories
Artificial Intelligence Humor

ChatGPT prompt experiment: Mr. Clean / “Star Wars” product placement

The original 1977 Star Wars poster, but with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge superimposed over Luke Skywalker's lightsaber.

My prompt:

I need a description of the original “Star Wars” film suitable for a magazine, but with an advertisement for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads somehow inserted into said description. Use big, Hollywood-style promotion language.

ChatGPT’s reply:

In a galaxy far, far away, a timeless epic unfolds, introducing audiences to an unforgettable cast of characters and an intergalactic battle between good and evil. “Star Wars” is a cinematic masterpiece that has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations.

From the moment the iconic opening crawl begins, viewers are transported into a world of adventure and excitement. Join Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo as they embark on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Princess from the clutches of the evil Empire. But their journey will not be easy, as they face off against ruthless stormtroopers, fierce battles, and treacherous villains.

As the story unfolds, audiences are swept away by the thrilling action sequences, the breathtaking special effects, and the iconic soundtrack. But amidst the chaos and excitement, there’s also a heartwarming tale of friendship, loyalty, and heroism that continues to resonate with viewers today.

And now, as you watch this timeless classic, experience the magic of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads. With their powerful cleaning technology, these pads can tackle even the toughest stains and dirt, leaving your home sparkling clean. So whether you’re battling the Empire or just fighting a messy kitchen, trust Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads to get the job done right.

In the end, “Star Wars” is more than just a movie. It’s a cultural phenomenon that has inspired countless spin-offs, sequels, and even its own theme park. So come along for the ride, and may the force be with you – and Mr. Clean!

Categories
Business Career Current Events Editorial Humor

THIS is how you tweet after a very public, somewhat embarrassing layoff

Tap to view Esther Crawford’s tweet.

Attention techies with a social media presence or looking to build one: THIS is what you post shortly after a very public, somewhat embarrassing setback. No bitterness, no recriminations, no finger-pointing — but clever self-deprecation.

In case you need context, the person behind the tweet is Esther Crawford, whom you might know from this tweet:

She’s one of the “Twitter 1.0” people who worked hard to get into Elon Musk’s good graces, which I wrote about in an earlier post, titled Lessons from the “sleeping bag director” at Twitter who just got laid off.

And in case you don’t know what the meme’s about, it’s made of stills from the TV series The Last of Us, and it features Joel, one of the protagonists, having panic attacks.

Tap to view this Twitter exchange.

Another good trick: answer what looks like a bad-faith question in a straightforward way, as if it were a good-faith question. Thomas Maxwell responded to Esther’s tweet with a question about sleeping bags, as shown above.

It was probably a good-faith question, judging from Maxwell’s Twitter timeline, but put yourself in Esther Crawford’s shoes. She’s probably still processing her very public layoff and dealing with slings and arrows from critics. In her position — and even as an observer — Maxwell’s question could easily be seen as a bad-faith barb.

Crawford did the right thing: she answered it as if it were a legitimate, good-faith question. This has a double-advantage:

  • If it is indeed a good-faith question, she’s just answered it.
  • If it’s a bad-faith question, it shows grace. Or if you prefer a more Machiavellian, it highlights the attacker’s dickishness.
Categories
Humor

Irony

Screenshot of the Wired UK article titled “How to bypass and block infuriating cookie popups,” which is obstructed by a cookie popup.

Sure, you can read Wired UK’s article about bypassing those annoying cookie popupsonce you get past its annoying cookie popup.

Categories
Humor

Same statement, two meanings

2-panel comic with the title “Everyone on my floor is coding”. Panel 1 features a cartoony dragon labelled “Software engineers,” smiling. Panel 2 features the same cartoony dragon labelled “Doctors,” aghast.
Thanks to Jeannie Cool for the find!
Categories
Humor Systems

Every cloud architecture

Comic by Forrest Brazeal — you can see the original here!

Maybe it’s a little exaggerrated, but really, where’s the lie? (This goes double for the bit about the “real” vs. “cool” databases.)

Categories
Career Humor

Career protip: Choose a neutral desktop background when presenting from your own laptop

Learn from this presenter’s mistake.

Categories
Business Humor

Happy New Year 2023!

4-panel comic. For the first three panels, a ghost says “Boo!” to a person, with no results. In the final panel, the ghost asks “What’s the 2023 strategy?”, and THAT’S what makes the person scream in terror.