Phil Shapiro ChatGPT Explorations

People come to me often at my public library job and ask me for advice on buying their first home. Often, I'll hear people say "I'd like to buy a house, but I can only afford a $2 million house. What should I do?" When they ask me that question, I roll up my sleeves and explain: This is what you need to think about if you can only afford a $2 million home. First, not all $2 million homes are alike. There are some that can be fixed up to make them more habitable. Ask your real estate agent to help you find a house that is drafty. If you were to buy such a house, you could install new windows, and presto, your $2 million house is not as drafty. Also, a fresh coat of exterior paint can work wonders. With a fresh coat of paint, your $2 million home will no longer look and feel like a $2 million home. Look to find a house with serious structural problems. The phrase "serious structural problems" can be open to interpretation. A home inspector can inform you if th...

    Almost every family faces the situation where the children in the family beg their parents to get a mosquito as a pet. Before running over to the pet store to buy a mosquito, it's good to think carefully about choosing a mosquito as a pet. Those cute little baby mosquitos will soon grow up to be adult mosquitos -- and adult mosquitos are just not as cute as baby mosquitos.  Also, since mosquitos have an average life span of about 30 days, your children will grieve the loss of their beloved mosquito soon after they form a lifelong bond with the mosquito. Sure, you can get them another mosquito, but do you really want to be buying 12 mosquitos each year?      Parents have the important role of steering children in the decisions they make in their lives. Instead of getting a mosquito as a pet, parents should gently suggest a more practical pet, such as a hippo.  Baby hippos are the kind of pet your children can cuddle up to, right within the...

In a quiet classroom in Millfield High School, Ms. Turner was beginning her geography class as she had done countless times before. However, fate had other plans for her that day. Within the first ten minutes of the lesson, a sudden mishap unfolded. Ms. Turner lost her balance on a stool, tumbling to the floor with an audible thud. The class gasped as their teacher clutched her ankle in pain. Panicking, some students rushed to help, while others fumbled to find their phones to call for assistance. The school nurse was swiftly on the scene, and soon Ms. Turner was being carefully carried away on a stretcher. The remaining students exchanged uncertain glances, wondering if the class was dismissed. Amidst the confusion, Ariane, a diligent and responsible student, took a step forward. With a calming voice, she suggested that they continue with the lesson as planned. "I think we can handle this," she said, exuding confidence that belied her youth. Ariane began to ask the types of ...

In the quiet of the morning, when the sun begins to rise, There's a world of hidden wonders, if you open up your eyes. In the rustle of the leaves and the whispers of the stream, There's a melody of patterns, like a beautiful dream. Look for patterns in the shadows, find the rhythm in the rain, In the parallels to be noticed, there's a wisdom to attain. The world is full of secrets, waiting to be known. Unlocked and delivered, to the pattern seeker prone. Below the bubbling surface, reach the truth of steady calm. If chaos confuses, in truth there is a balm. So gaze with purpose at all unseen, There's a dance of hidden patterns, in the spaces in between. Amidst the pages of a novel, where characters evolve, In the choices that they make, and the problems they resolve. In the ebb and flow of narratives, where emotions are affirmed, There's a literary language, seek the patterns in the world. -- Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com https://opensource.com/users/pshapiro @ph...

After much thought and consideration, I've decided to switch my political affiliation from butternut squash to acorn squash, and let me tell you, it's been quite the journey. You see, I come from a long line of butternut squash enthusiasts. We'd proudly serve it at family gatherings, make squash soups during the holidays, and wax poetic about it when visitors came to dinner. Growing up, being a butternut squash supporter was as much a part of my identity as my last name. Our family crest might as well have been a golden butternut on a field of green. It wasn't that we had anything against acorn squash, it's just that we had a deep-rooted, resolute understanding that we were a butternut squash family. However, life has a funny way of introducing you to new things, and my stint at college was no exception. My professors encouraged me to keep an open mind. They told me to question the status quo, to think for myself, and to explore the squash side of life. So, I did. I...

Barney, the colossal blue whale, swam through the vast ocean with a heart brimming with gratitude, a trait he had cultivated over time. His journey towards this immense sense of appreciation was sparked by a pivotal incident during his youth, a transformative experience that forever altered his attitude. In the early days of his oceanic existence, Barney encountered a lively pod of dolphins, frolicking and playing with an infectious zest for life. Intrigued by their porpoiseful existence, he realized the profound impact a sense of porpoise could have on one's outlook. Inspired, Barney set out to discover his own life porpoise, determined to infuse meaning into his massive, aquatic existence. Guided by the wisdom of his kind and nurturing parents, Barney learned to appreciate the small wonders of life – a lesson not easily imparted to a creature over 100 feet long and weighing more than 300,000 pounds. Yet, he embraced the idea that size should not dictate one's ability to notic...

Hawthorne High School was known throughout the state as a bold public high school, so when they introduced a new class simply titled, Better, educators throughout the state became intrigued. The purpose of this one open-ended semester class was for a high school student to choose a practical problem to solve to make the world better. The class grade would be determined by whether the student chose an achievable goal and succeeded in meeting that goal. Harley was a mischievous 11th grader who signed up for this class. He was a member of the drama group at the school, the people who loved to thumb their noses at stuffy traditions. When the teacher for the Better course asked students to submit their proposals, Harley developed a mischievous, but practical plan for his "Better Project." The nearby pizza store closed at 9 pm on weekdays. Harley found this inconvenient for his late night studying sessions and he was determined to extend the closing hours. Harley's plan was to ...