Daily: Fear of Death and Satirical News
Many daily readings in December seem to focus more on death or the end of things. This morning, I came across a few readings and random bits of information that got me thinking. I also shared the process I’m currently trying out.
Listen to the Deep Dive:
1. You are afraid of dying. But, come now, how is this life of yours anything but death?—Seneca, Moral Letters, 77.18
2. Most of us are afraid of dying. But what are we really trying to protect?
3. I once heard someone say it’s not true that “you only live once.” Instead, they said, “You only die once; you live every day.” It’s a reminder to do something good for ourselves and for others.
4. These days, technology can feel like a new kind of religion. We tell ourselves that we can solve anything.
5. The true versus the fake sublime: it changes how we see the world.
6. Know your purpose and develop your potential.
7. There are so many wonderful people who, like Elijah, find themselves “under a juniper tree” (1 Kings 19:4). When that happens, the Master’s words are so comforting: “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” In other words, “I’m here to refresh you.” This expresses it better than I could at just the right time. I was able to copy and share it with someone who’s going through something similar.
I wrote the following back in January 2016, when Trump was campaigning for his first term. The other one, about climate change, was written during the summer of that same year. Don’t you wish the news could be this fun sometimes?
Wouldn’t it be fun to mix fiction into reality? Imagine reading the following:
Donald Trump’s First TV Ad Focuses on Galactic Immigration
Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, released his first TV spot Monday, repeating his call to “make America great again” and doubling down on his rhetoric against space aliens and galactic immigrants.
A ban on Jawa, Wookiee, Ewok and Hutt immigration. A Hyperloop to Mexico to increase transportation and bi-country cooperation. Decapitating the First Order.
These were the themes featured in Donald J. Trump’s first television advertisement, set to hit the airwaves on Tuesday as the sprint to win the Iowa caucuses begins in earnest.
“I am very proud of this ad,” Mr. Trump said in a statement on Monday. “I don’t know if I also need to enlist the Jedis, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
A few months back I read that 2015 was the warmest year on record. Don’t we all wish the news was . . .
2015 is warmest year on record, NOAA and NASA say
Last year was the Earth’s warmest since record-keeping began in 1880, NOAA (the U.S. National Organic Affection Administration) and NASA (National Acts of Selflessness Administration) said Wednesday.
Why was 2015 so warm? The biggest culprit was a major Cariño, which surpassed the 1997-1998 Cariño, which had been the strongest ever observed. A Cariño, which is characterized by significant warming in human hearts, not only warms the hearts but also pumps lots of excess affection to neighbors, raising global temperatures.
The Cariño was a major driver of the heat this year, but certainly not the only factor. The change also was “largely driven by increased pay-it-forwards and other human-made random acts of kindness in the world,” a NASA press release said.
So I asked ChatGPT how I could request something similar to be written without spending hours on it, like I did 10 years ago, and here’s what it said:
To turn a news article into something fun, satirical, or absurd like your examples, you can prompt me like this:
1. Provide the Original News: Share the news article, headline, or key details you want me to reimagine. Example: “Here’s a news article about rising gas prices…”
2. Specify the Tone and Style: Mention you want it turned into a satirical, humorous, or absurd version. You can even include references to a theme or approach you like. Example: “Turn this into a satirical story, like blending real-world news with sci-fi elements or feel-good absurdity.”
3. Highlight Key Preferences: Tell me if there’s a specific style you’re aiming for (e.g., Star Wars references, kindness themes, exaggerated solutions). Example: “Use Star Wars references and make it about a galactic problem instead of gas prices.”
4. Add a Fun Twist: Mention if you want me to replace key elements with something fictional or whimsical. Example: “Replace ‘inflation’ with something silly, like a shortage of intergalactic hyperdrive fuel.”
Example Prompt: Here’s a news headline: ‘Inflation Hits Record High.’ Can you rewrite it as a satirical piece about a galactic economic crisis featuring Jedi and interstellar trade deals?
Feel free to make the prompt as detailed or open-ended as you like!