The Unfortunate Art of Projector Operating

The aroma of freshly burnt toast was not standard in the marketing department, nor was the high-pitched whine that suggested a small, critically wounded animal. Both, however, became alarmingly common after Kevin, the new intern, was tasked with setting up the conference room projector.

"Alright, Kevin," Brenda, the department head, had said, her voice laced with the kind of forced cheerfulness that usually preceded a trip to the dentist. "Just plug it in, connect the laptop, and make sure the screen is focused. Simple."

Three minutes later, the projector was upside down, the laptop was displaying a screensaver of a cat playing a piano to an empty wall, and a thin wisp of smoke curled from a power strip that Brenda was fairly certain had never smoked before.

"Oh, Kevin," Brenda purred, stepping over a tangle of HDMI cables and what appeared to be half a bagel. "You really have a gift. I mean, most people struggle to *make* a projector work, but you've managed to weaponize one. It’s truly revolutionary. Are you aiming for an avant-garde art installation titled 'Technological Despair'?"

Kevin, his face smudged with what might have been toner, looked up sheepishly. "I think… I might have plugged the internet cable into the power socket for the speaker, and then the power cable for the projector into the laptop's USB port, and then everything else just kind of...reacted."

Brenda clapped her hands together slowly, a sound like two dry leaves colliding. "Brilliant! So proactive. Why use things as they're intended when you can pioneer entirely new failure modes? Honestly, Kevin, I was worried you'd just *succeed* at something mundane. Thank goodness you keep us all on our toes, wondering if the building will still be standing by lunch." She paused, her gaze drifting to a flickering light on the smoke detector. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that's a new personal best for 'most catastrophic outcome from a power strip in under five minutes.' We should probably get you a trophy."

Kevin just blinked, unsure if he should be proud or start looking for a new career path, perhaps one involving less electricity.