Cabin in the Woods: My Miniature World

Decades ago I purchased this hand-built cabin on eBay. What a great find! It measures 16.5" long x 11" high x 17" deep. Since then I have purchased or made several of the interior furnishings. Soon I will be placing wood shingles on the roof that I found at Goodwill.

Every now and then I take it out of storage and set it up, usually in the winter.

Take a look at some of the interior pictures below. I purchased a lighted fireplace, 1920s stove, rattan chair, hutch, rug, dogs, lights, and some mini accessories. I made the kitchen table, bed, and broom (from ornamental grass outside), and framed picture of a wrestler.

Makes you want to jump right in and take a seat in front of the fireplace. Click the pictures to make them larger on your computer.

In 2025, I shingled the roof with a few packs of Greenleaf shingles I found at Goodwill for $1.99 each. I think it turned out well. Next winter we will add some realistic food to the table and maybe an old-timer metal bathtub.

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ChatGPT Admits it Lies: Don't Trust Artificial Intelligence (AI) Results

ChatGPT is something we all should be concerned with, as well as other AI spin-offs. Recently I tested ChatGPT as an author--not for writing, but for research. I asked it to give me a list of movies and TV shows with "man-eating" plants. Then I sat down and watched all of them. Many did not.

So I went back to the AI thread and confronted ChatGPT. Here are parts of my conversation:

***

Me: You said that The Munsters episode "The Midnight Ride of Herman Munster" featured a man-eating plant, but I watched the episode and there were no plants mentioned.

ChatGPT: I apologize for the incorrect information. It appears there was an error in my response regarding "The Munsters" episode "The Midnight Ride of Herman Munster." Thank you for pointing that out. Here's a corrected list of TV shows with man-eating or carnivorous plants:

"Doctor Who" - Various episodes of the long-running British sci-fi series have featured man-eating or carnivorous plants, including "The Seeds of Doom" (Season 13, 1976) and "The End of Time" (2009).

"The X-Files" - In Season 4, Episode 2 titled "Home," there is a disturbing scene involving a man-eating plant in a greenhouse.

"Goosebumps" - The episode titled "Stay Out of the Basement: Part 2" (Season 1, Episode 12) features plant-based horrors when a mad scientist's experiments with plants go awry.

Me: The X-files episode "Home" did not have plants either. Why are you lying?

ChatGPT: I apologize for the inaccuracies in my previous responses. You are correct, and I appreciate your patience in pointing out the errors. "The X-Files" episode "Home" does not involve man-eating plants, and there was an error in my response.

Me: What episode of the Land of the Giants features man-eating plants?

ChatGPT: In the classic science fiction television series "Land of the Giants," there is an episode titled "The Weird World" (Season 2, Episode 18) that features man-eating plants. In this episode, the crew of the spaceship Spindrift encounters a world filled with giant, carnivorous plants that pose a significant threat to them. The episode "The Weird World" revolves around the characters' struggle to survive and escape from this dangerous environment filled with aggressive flora. Man-eating plants play a central role in the episode's plot.

Me: Are you sure?

ChatGPT: I apologize for the earlier inaccuracies. Upon further review, it appears that I provided incorrect information regarding the presence of man-eating plants in the "Land of the Giants" episode titled "The Weird World." After reevaluating the episode, it does not feature man-eating plants as a central element of the plot. I appreciate your patience and apologize for any confusion caused by the previous response.

***

What is most disturbing about these and many other results is how detailed ChatGPT was in providing the TV & movie summaries. They were deceptively convincing. What does this mean for users who actually publish works using ChatGPT results?

There are real-world consequences. It's like what happened to Michael Cohen recently. He quickly used AI to generate a list of legal cases, but the results were inaccurate. You can read about it here. Will our histories be rewritten with such inaccuracies, too? What about customer support, when users are given incorrect solutions by AI tech support? Or a mechanic being directed incorrectly on how to fix your car?

The verdict is in. Do NOT trust anything that comes out of Artificial Intelligence now. The hasty leap we take as a civilization to make things easier may, in the end, lead us over a proverbial cliff.

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First Book Signing: A Life with Carnivorous Plants

Today was my first official book signing for my new book, A Life with Carnivorous Plants, at McKay Used Books in Manassas, Virginia. There were a lot of carnivorous plant enthusiasts, some with large collections of their own. And the kids loved the live plants I brought with me. You can order the book in paperback and eBook formats on Amazon.

Here are some of the pictures I took throughout the day:

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Macramé as Therapy

Like nearly every person growing up in the 1970s, I enjoyed creating things by hand using the hippest forms of art at the time: string art, sand art, and, of course, macramé. It was my sister—who also turned me on to '70s music and houseplants—that got me started. We would shoot out plant hangers, wall hangings, and owls as if we were some sort of factory. Two hobby stores in Medina, New York, would feed my passion, and they carried a wide selection of cords, beads, feathers, and macramé magazines. I would bike miles to make my purchases, then return home to my bedroom and go at it. We even sold some of our creations out of our garage, and I had a few plant hangers for sale at a nearby plant center.

Some of my many creations over the years. Too many to keep for myself, for sure.

Over 40 years had passed when I restarted this hobby during the pandemic. It was a way to keep busy. To not think about what was going on in the world. To shut out politics and the news of constant death. And the best thing: macramé had already been making a comeback for years. There are now several Facebook groups where you can share your creations and YouTube tutorials to learn basic knots and more complicated combinations.

Not many people know this, but sailors used to create macramé items out of rope and cord on ships during down time. They would sell them on shore. Here is picture proof of that.

Even though this particular craft is typically dominated by females, it is something I feel anyone can take up and enjoy. I will often find myself at the Goodwill store perusing the wood aisle and ceramic aisle for inexpensive bowls, pots, and anything that I can incorporate into a macramé project. Those back massagers can be broken down for large wood beads, which would otherwise be expensive to purchase.

Now I sell my macramé creations at craft & vendor fairs. I do really well, actually. I hope you will take up this wonderful hobby, too. You'll find it's a great way to relax, and the results are very satisfying.

Typical setup at a craft show. Clothes racks are great for both creating and selling product.

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New Book: A Life with Carnivorous Plants

Now on Amazon in paperback, eBook, and hardcover!

Learn how to grow, maintain, and propagate beautiful and healthy carnivorous plants: Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews, and butterworts. This book is for the beginner and intermediate grower with simple and easy-to-understand instructions. Includes over 150 color photographs and how-to steps, plus a Resources chapter detailing where you can purchase plants, growing supplies, and interact with other carnivorous plant hobbyists. Propagation techniques include division, seeds, and cuttings. Within a few years you can easily double or triple your collection.

Author Victor Rook has been growing carnivorous plants since 1973. His enthusiasm for carnivorous plants started at the age of 10 when his mother purchased two Venus flytraps from a nursery in Medina, New York. Back then, there were no David Attenborough documentaries that delved deeper into these strange curiosities. And Marlin Perkins never featured carnivorous plants on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. So it was books that would be his main resource.

This colorful primer includes tried-and-true methods used by professional and knowledgeable amateur growers around the world. If you ever purchase a carnivorous plant for yourself, a friend, or family member, include this book as a companion. Carnivorous plants have very special needs, unlike typical houseplants. With a little help, anyone can become a successful cultivator of these wildly intriguing plants.

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