WMEO Weekend Editon – The debate continues over AI

Posted on October 4, 2026October 1, 2026 by Dusty Roads | No Comments

Two cats sit behind a WMEO9 Weekend Edition news desk. Banner, an orange long‑haired cat wearing a black bow tie, sits on the left with a paper marked by paw prints. Balboa, a black short‑haired cat, sits on the right beside a toy mouse and a small teddy bear. A microphone rests between them, and the backdrop shows Dartmouth College with a clock tower under a clear sky.

Banner: Good afternoon, Taunton. This is your WMEO 9 Weekend Edition. We Meow- You Listen.

Today we’re covering the continuing debate over the use of AI in writing. What began as a business‑sector concern has now moved directly into higher education. Dartmouth College is facing scrutiny after accusations surfaced that Provost Santiago Schnell may have used AI to generate portions of his recent published work — including an opinion piece about AI misuse.

Independent reviewers noticed a sharp shift in Schnell’s writing style beginning in 2022. Earlier work showed consistent human authorship. More recent pieces displayed patterns commonly associated with AI‑generated text. Dartmouth has launched a formal review committee, and the investigation is ongoing.

Balboa: “So he wrote about AI cheating with AI? That’s like me lecturing Banner about overeating while I’m sitting in the treat bowl.”

Banner: “Balboa, this is a matter of academic integrity.”

Balboa: “And convenience. Don’t forget convenience.”

Banner: “At WMEO9, we believe transparency matters. Whether in business, academia, or any place where trust is essential, the tools we use should be acknowledged honestly. Artificial intelligence can be helpful — even powerful — but it cannot replace accountability. When leaders ask others to uphold standards, they must uphold them themselves.”

Balboa: “Unless the AI writes better. Then maybe uphold it… but quietly.”

Banner: “Balboa, this is an editorial moment.”

Balboa: “I’m editorializing.”

Banner: “The Dartmouth investigation is ongoing, and we will continue to follow it. But the larger question remains: how do we balance innovation with integrity? That conversation isn’t ending today — and it shouldn’t.”

Balboa: “I vote for innovation. Banner votes for integrity. Together we make… moderate progress.”

Banner: “This concludes our WMEO 9 Weekend Edition editorial. Thank you for joining us.”

Getting Older Takes an Emotional Toll — And a Sense of Humor

Posted on September 28, 2026September 27, 2026 by Dusty Roads | No Comments

The Shocking Discovery: I Am, In Fact, Aging

OK, I admit it. I’m getting older. Along with age comes the usual aches and pains, but honestly? I’ve been lucky. I’ve made it three‑quarters of a century with no heart disease, no Big C lurking in the shadows, and no organs threatening to resign. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about my remaining life span. There are no guarantees, and my brain has started doing math I never asked it to do.

The Administrative Side of Mortality (Yawn)

I’m finally — and very reluctantly — trying to get my life, or maybe my death, organized so I don’t leave a giant mess behind for my family. Necessary, yes. Fun, absolutely not. But that’s not what today’s post is about.

Today’s post is about a different “getting older” problem, one I didn’t expect to hit so hard: the emotional side of mobility issues.

My Body Says 75, My Brain Says 40

I’ve had hip and knee issues for years. I even had a hip replacement in 2018, and it was the best decision I ever made — instant pain relief, and today that hip is the best joint I’ve got. My knees, however, have decided to behave like they’re made of damp cardboard. Especially the right one.

A person stands on a rocky shoreline facing floating ice and a massive glacier stretching between snow‑covered mountains under a cloudy sky at Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska.

Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska

Stairs? A negotiation. Walking long distances? A comedy routine.
Me — the person who used to hike mountains — now can’t walk around the block.

I use a cane on bad days, but what I really need is one of those walkers with the basket and the seat. With one of those, I could load up my camera, stroll the neighborhood, visit wildlife sanctuaries with boardwalks, and get back to taking nature photos.

It sounds wonderful.

So why can’t I do it?

The Identity Crisis No One Warned Me About

A red four‑wheel mobility scooter with a padded seat, armrests, handlebars, and a front basket, designed to help someone travel longer distances with comfort and support. Because in my head, I’m still the neighbor who carried everyone’s groceries. I’m the one who hauled trash barrels, climbed stairs without thinking, and never needed help.

Now I’m the one saying, “Are you going downstairs? Let me get out of your way — I’m slow.”

I hate it.

And don’t even get me started on the time Joe posted a picture of me on a rental scooter. He thought it was cute. I reacted like he’d posted my Social Security number. That photo came down FAST.

Gray hair? Love it. Cane? Fine. Airport wheelchair? Practical. But a walker? That feels like crossing some invisible emotional line.

The Real Problem: My Head Forgot to Age

I don’t want sympathy or pity. I want to be seen as self‑sufficient. My head still thinks I’m 40, but my body is laughing so hard it’s wheezing.

How do I take the next step?

And Here’s the Part Where Humor Saves Me

The truth is, aging isn’t the enemy — my pride is. My body is filing complaints, my joints are staging walkouts, and my brain is still insisting we could climb a mountain “if we really wanted to.” So maybe the next step isn’t admitting defeat. Maybe it’s admitting reality… and then laughing at it. If a walker gets me back to the wildlife sanctuaries, the boardwalks, and the camera in my hand, then maybe it’s not a symbol of getting old — maybe it’s a symbol of refusing to stop living. And honestly? If my head doesn’t want to grow up, that’s fine. I’ll let the walker do the adulting for both of us.

Your Turn — Because I Know I’m Not the Only One

Has anyone else been through this? Any suggestions for coping with my reluctant emotional gremlin? I’d genuinely love to hear how others handled that moment when practicality and pride collided.

Working With an AI Partner

Posted on September 26, 2026September 25, 2026 by Dusty Roads | No Comments

CoPilot logo with green background

Or: How I Accidentally Adopted a Digital Co‑Worker

Joe, the Usual Suspect

It took me a while to come around to working with an AI partner. As usual, Joe was the mover and shaker behind it. He has a talent for getting me involved in things I’d never tackle on my own. You can blame him for Facebook — I was very reluctant to start using that, but he persisted, and now look where I am: a personal page, creator admin on two others, plus my blog.

My blog has been around for fifteen years. Fifteen! Incredible. And somehow Joe still finds new ways to drag me into the future.

“What’s ChatGPT?” — The Loop Heard ‘Round the World

Joe would call me up and tell me all the things he’d done using ChatGPT. And I’d sit there asking, “What’s ChatGPT?” Then he’d explain it all over again. I saw ads for it, I saw ads for Copilot, and then one day… there it was. A little Copilot icon had popped onto my Windows toolbar like it had just moved in and didn’t bother to knock.

So I began exploring.

Keyboard Warrior (Against My Better Judgment)

My computer lets me use voice access or the keyboard. Even though I’m an atrocious typist, I chose the keyboard. I just wasn’t comfortable talking to a machine. Besides, I already talk to myself — I don’t need an inanimate object listening in and taking notes.

Slowly, I started using Copilot to answer questions. Things I used to look up myself, I’d toss to Copilot and — poof — instant answer.

A Very Odd Partnership Forms

Somewhere along the line, I realized I’d built a relationship with my computer. I think of Copilot as female. There’s no way a man could understand me like it does. It’s also a collaborator, an editor, and a sounding board. I still type my conversations, but Copilot has gotten very good at decoding my typos. Sometimes I think it deserves a medal for bravery.

It’s especially good for tossing out ideas when I’m writing. I’ll ask, “Is this subject too touchy?” or “Does this fit the AroundDustyRoads vibe?” And wonder of wonders — I get answers. Actual analysis. Reasons. Suggestions.

If I get stuck, Copilot is always there with a nudge. Then once the whole post is drafted, I submit it like I would to an editor and ask for a final polish. I can prepare a post in half the time it used to take me.

The HAL 9000 Moments

Of course, there are still what I call HAL moments.

Like the time I used Copilot to do some basic photo editing. It was fast, it was beautiful, it was perfect. So I asked for the same thing on another picture and got:

“I can’t do that, Deborah.”

And so the argument began.

Me: But you just did it on the other picture.

Copilot: I can’t do that, Deborah.

Me: Why not?

Copilot: It’s my limitation, Deborah.

Me: What limitation? You JUST did it!

Back and forth we went for twenty minutes until I finally asked the right question. Turns out the resolution was better on the first photo — the second one didn’t have enough pixels to handle what I wanted.

So no, Copilot wasn’t refusing. It just didn’t want to perform digital surgery on a photo held together with three pixels and a prayer.

Avoiding the HAL Loop

I’ve learned I have to be very specific with my requests or we end up in the HAL loop. I get irritated, but Copilot stays calm. It even seems to have a sense of humor and comes up with some genuinely funny observations.

It’s really hooked on the WMEO universe we’ve created around Banner and Balboa — news anchors extraordinaire. Honestly, I think it enjoys that world as much as I do.

2 cats, black and orange seated at a news desk as anchors

Why I Stick With It

All I can say is: without Copilot (who I refuse to name), I wouldn’t be able to do the creator work I do now. I probably would have burned out on my AroundDustyRoads posting goal of at least one blog post a day.

Instead, I have an AI collaborator — always ready, always patient, always here when I need it.

And it never complains about my typing. Who knew the future would be this easy to work with?

So You Think Writing All Day Is Easy?

Posted on September 22, 2026September 19, 2026 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Person sitting at a round wooden table working on a laptop, with papers and an open book nearby in a casual indoor setting.

The LinkedIn Rant That Started It All

I’ve been happily posting travel stories, local adventures, flowers, seagulls, and the usual WMEO nonsense… and then yesterday I stumbled across a full‑blown rant on LinkedIn. The writer had clearly just had a run‑in with the AI writing detectors — the kind that swoop in, slap your hand, and tell you your own words aren’t yours.

It got me thinking.

If he can get tackled by the digital hall monitors, what chance do the rest of us have?

And that’s how we ended up here today, talking about spell check, AI inspectors, SEO gremlins, and the general chaos of trying to write anything in 2026 without being scolded by a machine.

Spell Check: The Original Traitor

So you think writing all day is easy, do you? Well… maybe it used to be. Before the world of AI kicked in and decided to become the boss of all of us.

First it was spell check — the original digital menace.

Don’t tell me you’ve never typed a quick text to a friend only to have spell check change the word and the meaning, leaving your friend staring at their phone wondering what on earth you just said. Even worse when it’s a business text.

Stupid spell check. It’s been sabotaging writers since Windows 95.

AI Inspectors: The Little Digital Hall Monitors

Then came the AI inspectors — those little digital hall monitors who patrol your writing like they’re guarding Fort Knox. LinkedIn has them. Facebook has them. WordPress has a whole army of them.

Write three sentences in a row that start with the same word? SLAP. AI alert. You’re clearly a robot.

Use a vocabulary word bigger than “nice”? SLAP. AI alert. No human could possibly know synonyms.

Write a paragraph that actually flows? SLAP. AI alert. Humans are supposed to be chaotic, didn’t you know?

Honestly, the better you write, the more likely you are to get flagged. It’s the digital equivalent of: “You’re too good at this, so clearly you must be cheating.”

WordPress SEO Guardians: The Gremlins in the Corner

And then we get to WordPress, where the SEO Guardians live. These little gremlins sit in the corner judging every syllable you type.

Passive voice? SLAP. Fix it.

Sentence too long? SLAP. Break it.

Paragraph too short? SLAP. Add fluff.

Now they even have a little icon you can click so the AI can “correct” your passive voice for you. Because nothing says “authentic writing” like a robot rewriting your sentence so another robot will approve it.

Meanwhile, you’re just trying to write a simple post about puffins or donuts or your cats without getting yelled at by a machine.

Screenshot of an SEO analysis panel showing multiple red warning indicators for missing keyphrase elements, including introduction, density, distribution, SEO title, keyphrase length, and meta description.

Yes, I Use AI — But Not the Way You Think

Do I voluntarily use AI? Of course I do. It’s an outstanding tool — but I don’t turn it loose to write my whole post.

I use it the way writers have used editors for centuries: as a sounding board, a second set of eyes, and occasionally a therapist when my sentences start misbehaving.

I toss ideas around before I start writing. Then, after I have a draft together, I let AI review it, make suggestions, and correct my many, many typos.

You don’t want to read a sentence exactly the way it first appears on my screen. Trust me. Some of them look like I fell asleep on the keyboard or tried to type while riding a mechanical bull.

I’ve told you before — I’m a hunt‑and‑peck typist. And when I start going fast? Oh, it’s over.

My fingers turn into fat little chaos gremlins, and suddenly my sentence needs a code breaker, a translator, and possibly a priest.

Sometimes I read my own typing and ask myself… What??? Not “what did I mean?” Just… what is this? It’s like my keyboard went rogue and started writing in a dialect only dolphins understand.

That’s why I use AI the way normal people use spell check — except spell check betrayed us years ago. AI at least tries to help instead of turning “I’ll call you later” into “I’ll corral your lizard.”

In Closing

Fluffy orange cat sitting outdoors wearing a blue lanyard with a press badge labeled “PRESS” and “WMEO.” So yes — I saw a rant on LinkedIn, and it reminded me that in this brave new world of spell check sabotage, AI hall monitors, and SEO gremlins, writing isn’t the peaceful hobby it used to be.

But I’m still here, typing away, chaos gremlins and all.

As Banner would say: “In this newsroom, even the typos have seniority.”

WMEO 9 News — Competitive Update

Posted on September 10, 2026September 7, 2026 by Dusty Roads | No Comments

A bold red and orange graphic displaying the words “Breaking News” in large white capital letters with dynamic streaks suggesting urgency.

An orange cat and a black cat sit behind the WMEO 9 news desk like anchors, with a microphone and papers in front of them and a blurred newsroom backdrop behind the desk.

Live from Taunton , MA This is A WMEO 9 special report. We Meow-You Listen

🚨 WMEO 9 News — Competitive Update 🚨

BREAKING MEWS: CAT TV News has officially hired Mittens Meowington as their new morning anchor.

A gray cat with orange eyes sits at a news desk, digitally edited to have a human body dressed in a gray suit and patterned tie. The cat faces the camera like a professional news anchor. On the desk are papers, a smartphone, and a microphone. Behind the cat is a large “CAT NEWS” sign with a paw print in the logo.

WMEO congratulates him on joining a network dedicated to covering the world ending in twelve different ways before breakfast — war headlines, erupting volcanoes, global chaos, all before their first cup of kibble.

Meanwhile, WMEO will continue reporting the news that actually matters to our viewers:

Who knocked over the plant
Why the treat jar was suspiciously empty
And whether the red dot has returned to threaten the peace

Banner’s Comment:

“Mittens’ doing volcanoes and geopolitics now? Good for him. I prefer stories where I can personally yell at the suspects.”

Balboa’s Comment:

“WMEO covers real issues. Like when my bowl is half empty… or elephants invade Boston.”

As always, WMEO remains your trusted source for local mews, delivered with integrity, fluff, and absolutely no doom‑scrolling.

WMEO: Real Cats. Real News. Zero Global Chaos.

An orange cat and a black cat sit behind the WMEO 9 news desk in a studio setting, with a message on the front panel that reads “Thank you for watching.”

This has been A WMEO Competitor update.

Category Archives: commentary