Brilliant Weekend Edition
Virtual girlfriend accountants, "diverse" non-humans, TikTok tricks, explosive team names, blow-up controllers, awesome AI tools and more!
Welcome to the new format for Mike’s List! In the past, each issue contained both a column and also a smattering of “Brilliantly Bad Ideas.” From now on, I’ll separate the two, sending out more frequent columns and then group all the “Brilliantly Bad” items for special Brilliant Weekend Editions. (I’m also going to publish “Brilliantly Good” ideas — incredible brand new tools you’ll want to know about.)
Mike’s List of Brilliantly Bad Ideas
1. Virtual girlfriend also does your taxes
Japan is famous for all manner of “virtual girlfriends” — flirtatious electronic chatbots with anime cartoons to go with them. But now, a new Japanese-style “virtual girlfriend” does something *really* sexy: She does your taxes. The game is in English and designed for American users who can use it to file actual U.S. Federal tax returns. The Tax Heaven 3000 comes out March 27, just in time for tax season!
2. Levi’s to boost inclusion by excluding people
Jean giant Levi’s plans to start using AI-generated models on it’s e-commerce sites this year, and the reason is hilarious: To increase diversity and inclusion. Instead of hiring black, brown, Asian and other models, they’re going to replace such models with a diverse range of what are essentially AI-generated cartoons (in partnership with the Lalaland AI studio). Their plan for human inclusion is to exclude humans. Levi’s: Stop virtual signaling and admit that you’re just too cheap to pay actual people.
3. TikTok users think special sounds make their phones colder
Yeah, no, it’s called the “placebo effect,” sheeple. Fooling people is not cool.
4. Baseball team of the moment: The Exploding Whales
Oregon’s Eugene Emeralds baseball team has decided to change their name to the “Exploding Whales” baseball team. Their logo is a grinning whale holding a lit stick of dynamite. The new name pays homage to a famous incident that happened in 1970 on an Oregon beach. A giant dead whale washed ashore, and authorities decided to “remove it” by blowing it up with dynamite. The event was covered live on local television, and so we got wonderful footage showing eight tons of rotting whale chunks raining down on the TV crew and onlookers, and some of the bigger chunks even crushed soft-top cars. (And, yes, they have merch.)
5. Finally: an inflatable PlayStation game controller!
Yanko Design’s KeyShot Inspiration Hub rolled out a “Design of the Week,” and the first installation is this inflatable PlayStation controller. It’s perfect for playing Playstation sailing games while on an actual sailboat — it floats! (If you want this, I’m sorry to deflate your expectations, but it’s all just hot air at this point.)
Mike’s List of Brilliantly Good Ideas
Use ChatGPT to chat with your own Notion pages
Try two great, free, easy new AI image generation tools: OpenDream and Bing Image Creator
Use Parkulator to find find parking spaces anywhere in the world
Mike’s List of Shameless Self Promotions
Can’t hire? Can’t get hired? How to avoid the “Great Mismatch” trap!
The Chinese government, which banned TikTok, says Europe's ban on TikTok is bad for business. Why?
‘Digital twin’ tech is twice as great as the metaverse
What’s new on my ELGAN.COM blog!
Mike’s Location: El Salvador!
Increasing inclusion by excluding people. Absolutely spot on and a real sign of the times.
Wow!, A really beautiful ocean beach!
Forget Chat_bots, I'll take some mind altering visual amplifiers with a side of endorphin enhancing meds, and chillax right into the central American sunset.