Ryan Wichelns

a stack of magazines on a wood table, with Issue 13 of Trails on top

the title page of a feature for Issue 13 of Trails. the text reads “Who’s in Charge, Here?” alongside an image of a lake with jagged mountains in the background

for @trailsmag.net I wrote about what happens when the work of Forest Service rangers becomes the work of volunteers on public lands. thanks to @sidehilling.bsky.social for the PHOTOS and @ryan.trailsmag.net for shepherding this one into print 🌄

AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet — And Thanksgiving Dinner Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures

We really need to stop using Google.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Thats...not really the point. Anyone who calls themselves a writer should not be using AI to write stories, pitches, or anything else. Its plagiarism.

I’m fascinated by the fact that ChatGPT can dive into our website to figure out we “emphasise human‑powered, overnight trips in North America (not RVs or day hikes)” but somehow never realize we’re a print magazine and your “SEO-optimized article” is not helpful. And that they don't use spell check.

Is that what happened to you?

The Toronto Blue Jays could win the World Series…on Friday.

In disbelief.

Ohtani washed? 🤔

A photo of a young Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a home white Montreal Expos uniform. He holds his hat over his heart.

This kid is heading to the World Series 🥹

Me too, buddy

WHAT A GAME SEVEN MY GOODNESS

Holy shit I’m fucking crying

Goodnight to everyone except those who are only now deciding the Blue Jays are a good team.

I never want to hear about (or watch, frankly) “Guardsball” ever again.

Also: *shut down

This is lunacy.

Who the fuck is this for?

I love this.

This is the kind of statue you see an “allied coalition” pulling over with a tank.

I have to imagine Statcast isn’t entirely sure how to handle a pitch that is essentially falling vertically over the plate.

This is dope. Way to go Chris and team.

Right wingers are really not prepared for an era where their own normalization of gun culture and gun violence might be used against them and not just the people they hate

Local government employee: Answer this question for me, ChatGPT.

ChatGPT: OK!

Local government employee: But make sure your answer is accurate!

ChatGPT: Oh, in that case…!

www.knkx.org/government/2...

What’s he scared of? How about getting strange calls at dinner time. You’re a telemarketer, not a journalist. People change their numbers to stop that all the time.

In the future, the smartest people will be unable to read, ACKCHYUALLY.

Reddit post: The fact the Jays didn't make a single throwing error today despite two of them having to make a throw FROM THEIR ASS is such a perfect contrast to this shithole club. They make better throws laying down then our guys do in set positions.

Took someone's advice and wandered over to r/Yankees.

#BlueJays

Got a story pitch today in which the (supposed) writer accidentally pasted his entire conversation with ChatGPT—about how to pitch me!!!—into the bottom of his email. Including the part where he let GPT write (at least) pieces of his pitch email.

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

I do not recommend this strategy.

As good as the DEC/Rangers are, I’m honestly surprised this doesn’t happen more, especially during that time of year. Those mountains are serious, and so, so deep.

They know these people are crazy. They know they’ll believe anything they tell them. The whole conservative movement is built on convincing the most gullible people of things anyone with any amount of critical thinking (including our leaders) would reject. And they’re giddy when it works.

Pretty much! Maybe one Blaze for Issue 11, otherwise pitch for Issue 12 (more info in the Discord/Contrib Info Page).