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Cords, Coals & Crowns

June 18, 2025

Hey Pops,

This week we're covering how to wire up your smart home without creating a fire hazard, grilling upgrades that won't require selling a kidney, and giving your dog the royal treatment he deserves. Let's dive in.

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WORK SMARTER

THE SITUATION:

Those smart home upgrades have been sitting in boxes for three months. You want the thermostat, camera, and doorbell installed, but you also want to keep your house intact and your pride undamaged.

THE AI SOLUTION:

"Walk me through installing a smart thermostat, doorbell, and outdoor camera. Include compatibility checks, tools I'll need, and time estimates. Assume I'm handy but not an electrician."

POWER MOVE:

Follow up with: "Now create a checklist I can save and use as I go." Because nobody wants to be elbow-deep in wires when they realize they forgot something obvious.

🔥

LIFE HACK

THE SITUATION:

Your grill game is solid, but you know it could be legendary. Problem is, you're not dropping four figures on a new setup when your current gear still has life in it.

THE AI SOLUTION:

"Help me upgrade my backyard grill setup using what I already have. Suggest pro-level add-ons, small upgrades, and new routines that elevate my game."

POWER MOVE:

Then ask: "Now give me 3 signature dad recipes I can master and make mine." Every dad needs a go-to dish that makes the neighbors suddenly friendly.

👑

ROYAL DOG TRANSFORMATION

THE SITUATION:

Your dog is basically royalty already – might as well make it official. Those blurry phone pics aren't doing justice to his majestic presence.

THE AI SOLUTION:

"Make me a classic oil-style regal painting of my dog Duke, a black and white Berniedoodle. Give him a crown and robe. He should look like he runs the kingdom. (Photo attached for reference.)"

POWER MOVE:

Take it further: "Now generate a fake royal backstory for Duke." Because every king needs a proper origin story. (And yes, the portrait came out absolutely perfect – see below.)

🧠

AI BYTE

Tool Spotlight: Merlin by ARDC
Free browser extension that basically gives you ChatGPT superpowers everywhere. Summarize YouTube videos, polish emails, ask smart questions about any webpage. It's like having a research assistant built into your browser.
(Zero sponsorship here – just genuinely useful.)

⭐

ONE THING TO TRY THIS WEEK

Drop this into ChatGPT:
"Create a weekly challenge between me and my kid that we can track. Make it competitive, physical or skill-based, and end with a fun reward."
This is how legends start – with a good challenge and a scoreboard on the fridge. Your kid will remember this stuff forever.