Airplane

The following is true and not photoshopped. (News story here.)

A new cargo-plane was designed to carry huge items (like pieces of other aircraft) and, to do that, it needed to be oddly shaped. The resulting airplane look weird. But smartly, someone decided to paint it in a way that takes advantage of its shape. Like this...

Sci-Fi Writer Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison just died. He was 84 years old. Ellison wrote science-fiction and television. You may have seen some of his work on "Star Trek," "The Outer Limits," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" or "The Flying Nun." His story "A Boy and His Dog" was made into a movie in the Seventies with Don Johnson.

Despite his writing talent, Ellison was an asshole. All of his five ex-wives say he was abrasive and argumentative, as do many others, some of whom Ellison physically assaulted. During one sci-fi awards ceremony, Ellison grabbed a woman's breast on stage (the video is on YouTube). Ellison himself said he was a "troublemaker" and "malcontent" and a dust jacket on one of his books described him as "possibly the most contentious person on Earth." Ellison was expelled from college for hitting a professor.

Ellison sued often and complained all the time. He was fired on his first day working at the Walt Disney company when Roy Disney overheard him in the cafeteria joking about making porn with Disney characters.

His writing, however, was imaginative. For decades it was lauded with awards and high sales. Ellison is considered one of the top-three sci-fi writers of our time. You just needed to stay arm's-length away from him.

Fashion Bliss

I don't know why but I like this outfit. It starts with a vintage dress that appeals to me because of its sunny color and nice fit. Fortunately, I already have a scarf that matches the dress perfectly. You'd think they were made for each other, like Ariana and Pete.

You probably won't notice but I'm using orange lipstick and an orange ring to pick up the same color in the scarf. I pay attention to details like that. Do you? I finish off the outfit with white tights and heels. Just want them to direct attention upward.

What do you think? If this outfit works, why? I'm not sure why.

Camping

Experience teaches us. We think we know everything but much of that "knowledge" is based on false assumptions. Only when we actually do something do we realize whether our beliefs about an activity are true or not. And many activities (like motorcycling) have unexpected delights. (For me, motorcycling pleases the senses and rewards practice as you develop increasing mastery over a difficult task.)

I started camping this year for the first time since I was a kid. It's turned out much better than I expected. I find deep appeal in the calm that descends soon after you pitch your tent and listen to the quiet sounds of nature. We don't realize how noisy and jarring modern life is until you take away the sources of that. The peace of a campsite is remarkable.

In addition, camping is cheap. When I grab a hotel-room on the road, it's always over $100 and sometimes twice that. A campsite is incredibly low-cost, often as little as $15-25. I paid only $23 per night in Watkins Glen.

Finally, camping inspires us to get closer to nature. I wouldn't have visited Watkins Glen if they didn't have a campground there and am so happy I did. The gorge and waterfalls are magnificent. I got to see -- and feel -- them: you can walk UNDER the waterfalls and put your hand out to touch cool falling water.

Since returning home, I've been filled with insatiable desire to camp again and on bigger scale. I've been researching and buying new camping gear for longer trips. And making better decisions on what to use. Experience taught me what meals I like to cook at a campsite, what equipment works best (and doesn't), what to bring and what to leave home. In short, my observations are honing how to camp with more success. I could never know that without actual experience guiding me.

Have you ever camped? Would you consider it? Imagine seeing this in person...

Ups and Downs

The last place you want to see a motorcycle-buddy is in the hospital. And yet that's just where I came from. My friend Jaime got in an accident last night on his way home from dinner.

Riding his Zero (electric motorcycle), Jaime was only a block from home when a car turned suddenly, without looking, and struck his motorcycle on the left side. The impact broke Jaime's leg below the knee; fortunately his top-notch gear protected him from other injury. Due to the location of the break, the doctors aren't going to put the leg in a cast; instead, they'll do surgery to install metal equipment.

A witness told police that the motorist was 100% at fault, which is fortunate because New York's no-fault law doesn't cover motorcyclists.

This event is ironic because Jaime is the safest rider I know. In addition to being highly-skilled (qualified as an instructor), Jaime rides more miles than anyone else I know (averaging over 20,000/year). Jaime is the last person I'd expect to be in an accident but, as happened in my accident on the Goethal's Bridge a decade ago, sometimes you're simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing you can do about that.

I'm wishing him well.

More WG Photos

I didn't want to overwhelm you Monday with Watkins Glen photos so I limited their number. Here are a few more. The pictures are beautiful to look at as they display the majesty of nature.

Gorge-ous

Watkins Glen is amazing! The gorge and waterfalls in the state park take your breath away. Natural beauty at its finest. The campsite is serene and offers peaceful bliss. Adorable little chipmunks scurried around my tent all day. Hiking in the woods was superb and I could walk from my campsite to the gorge.

Not insignificantly, you can also return to civilization. There's an excellent BBQ place in town (Nickel's Pit BBQ) with the best hot chicken wings I've ever had -- and that's saying something.

Travel feeds our soul and belly. Put Watkins Glen on your bucket list.