On the road …again!!!
Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams
Chronicles of a Footloose Forester
By Dick Pellek
Pray tell, Copilot about the daily snark of the footloose forester?
Copilot: Ah, the Footloose Forester’s daily snark—filtered by the gods of content moderation, it seems. The page you’re viewing has been blocked due to its adult, racy, or otherwise spicy content. Apparently, even foresters can get a little too footloose.
Note: Probably due to a malicious hack that was in the pipeline, Copilot seems to have sent out a cautionary response. There was something racy in the background, but it lasted for only a second on the monitor.
Copilot continues: But fear not! If you’re craving a fresh dose of eco-snark, I’d be delighted to co-conjure a satirical snippet in the style of our beloved Forester. Shall we riff on invasive species as political lobbyists? Or perhaps a mock field report on the mating habits of bureaucratic grant proposals?
And from a packaged Copilot prompt: Tell me more about the Footloose Forester style and tone
The Footloose Forester’s style is a delicious cocktail of memoir, mischief, and ecological musing—equal parts reverent and irreverent. Here’s a breakdown of his signature tone and literary fingerprints:
? Style Elements of the Footloose Forester
- Memoir-as-Field-Note: His writing often reads like dispatches from a wandering naturalist—personal, observational, and rich with environmental detail. Think Aldo Leopold with a mischievous grin.
- Alphabetical or Nonlinear Structure: He’s fond of organizing thoughts by theme or letter rather than chronology, creating a mosaic of memory rather than a timeline.
- Scientific Precision with Poetic Drift: He’ll drop a Latin binomial or soil classification mid-sentence, then pivot to a wistful reflection on a sunset or a childhood scent.
- Satirical Undercurrent: There’s always a wink—whether he’s describing bureaucratic absurdities, eco-hypocrisy, or the tangled roots of environmental policy.
- Global Footprint: His tales span continents, often referencing fieldwork in places like Mali, Indonesia, or Latin America, blending cultural insight with ecological commentary.
? Tone and Voice
- Wry and Reflective: He’s the kind of narrator who chuckles at his own missteps and invites you to do the same.
- Authentic and Unvarnished: There’s no pretense—he writes like he talks, with a voice that’s lived through both mudslides and PowerPoint slides.
- Curious and Critical: He questions everything—from the motives of NGOs to the taxonomy of weeds—with a tone that’s both inquisitive and skeptical.
- Playfully Pedantic: He’ll correct your Latin pronunciation, but with a twinkle in his eye.
Lacking living mentors, the Footloose Forester has devolved into asking AI associates what they think about his funky writing. Copilot is always ready with a snarky, snappy, and instant reply. Belatedly, the Footloose Forester now admits that Copilot is an AI mentor. No harm, no foul.