I was pretty busy today and did not look more than at the surface report of the Oklahoma State tragedy with the the lady basketball coach, his assistant and two others dying in a small plane crash.

I'm learning now the plane was 47 years old, and the pilot was 82 years old.

I love to fly and in my lifetime was the first passenger for a guy who just received his pilot's license, and will go up with just about anyone looking for a flying companion for a recreational flight (well, until I married this wife who has a big problem with me flying in small planes....or skydiving).

I don't want to get into an age thing, because I hope and expect to be alert and robust and finely tuned when I am 82.

But darn, a 47 year old plane....albeit conditioned to rigid FAA standards.....and an 82 year old pilot would give me a second thought or two.

Small planes can be righted even if the engine is sputtering, and there is a 7 to 1 glide ratio available from altitude to ground without power. That means that at a low altitude of say 3,000 feet, a four seater can normally be piloted as a glider for about 21,000 feet (about four miles) looking for a pea patch or corn field to set down in. Sounds to me like the plane went into a stall and the pilot was unable to recover.

May God bless them all.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:
Now, my second thought, was the irony that this was announced in sync with the 50th Anniversary of her West Side Story, including the new theatrical release.

Dang, that's right. My cynical side says it might be a publicity stunt. Hope not.

J.R. wrote:

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:
Now, my second thought, was the irony that this was announced in sync with the 50th Anniversary of her West Side Story, including the new theatrical release.

Dang, that's right. My cynical side says it might be a publicity stunt. Hope not.

The only possible known witnesses to this time are Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken, and the boat (yacht Captain) driver.

I doubt anything is going to substantially change in the investigation resolution after 30 years.


Heck, Los Angeles authorities were never successful in pinning the death of Marilyn Monroe on Bobby or Jack Kennedy.


If anyone is guilty of anything, it might be Robert Wagner post argument saying something like, "the drunk bitch fell in...let's see if she can swim."

And she couldn't.

Sweet Melissa.


I just watched a PBS program titled "ACL: American Music Festival."


Greg Allman was in attendance.

I've always been a sucker for "Sweet Melissa."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uFD7JqkOR4


I was going to add some stuff about knowing a good hearted hooker who goes by Sweet "Melissa"

But I won't.

Darkstar and I met for drinks and food and music

I think we had a good time.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Darkstar and I met for drinks and food and music

I think we had a good time.

You think? I mean, if you're not sure....

To the rest of our forum's denizens: TFiSC(nC) was a great host yesterday. We eschewed some of the more touristy haunts, and in exchange, we caught a couple of live blues acts. Couple that with some beverages, good conversation, and some great soup down in Fisherman's Wharf -- if i didn't feel like I'd aged 10 years in the last twenty-four hours, I'd go back there next weekend!

Thanks for the kind words, Darkstar.

Make the flight trip frequently enough, and it gets to be old hat.....



Seriously, my first east coast to west coast intense business trips were personally quite a drain until my body and mind were conditioned. I mentioned that on my first trips to California I was normally gassed and ready for bed by 8PM PT during the week, and I've always been a night owl.

The trip I admire business people taking is catching the red eye from the west coast and then going directly to a business meeting upon landing 4 to 5 hours later at the beginning of the east coast day. I used to belong to the USAir and Delta flight clubs. I'd lay over in Charlotte or Atlanta and would see guys from the west coast freshening their shave in the club men's room before taking off to a meeting.

Next time instead of fresh clam chowder or clam bisque, we'll need to try some fresh ingredient cioppino. It originated at San Francisco fisherman's wharf and was created by the Portuguese and Italian fisherman of North Beach....where Joe DiMaggio grew up. I make my own version, but there are some great one's in those restaurants around where we were.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino

Oh, and for the record, Darkstar plays well with others.

At the moments of our first meeting, I was engaged in conversation with with a crab fisherman who had enlightened me to a crab fishing strike I until that conversation did not know was a recent event.

As we all parted, Darkstar told my new found crabber acquaintance, I hope your work situation improves.

Extraordinarily well played.

Isaac runs into the record books

JCA falls to Montini in record-setting 5A football title game

By Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com November 26, 2011 5:28PM

Records are made to be broken, but this was ridiculous.

On a Saturday when Joliet Catholic junior wingback Ty Isaac shattered every record imaginable, the Montini passing combination of John Rhode to Jordan Westerkamp proved too much.

The Broncos took advantage of turnovers in the second half and scored the final four touchdowns in a 70-45 victory over the Hilltoppers in the Class 5A state championship game at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

To call this one wild is an injustice. The teams combined for 1,644 yards of offense, with Montini netting 853 and Joliet Catholic 791.

Turnovers mattered. The Hilltoppers (11-3), who had committed 10 turnovers total in their first 13 games, had two passes intercepted, and Isaac, who threw one of the picks on a halfback option, had the misfortune of losing two fumbles in the second half.

“I was fighting trying to get extra yardage,” he said. “Unfortunately, the fumbles happened in the wrong game.”

Before then, Isaac was so incredible the Montini crowd let out a loud cheer virtually any time he was tackled.

In becoming Joliet Catholic’s all-time leading rusher in a season, Isaac gained 515 yards on 26 carries Saturday, a 19.8 average, and scored six touchdowns. He finished the season with 51 TDs, easily the school record.

His 515 yards gave him 2,629, five yards better than the previous season mark set by James Randle in 1996. The 515 yards are the third most all-time for any game in state history and blew away all the championship game records. In fact, he had a record-breaking 376 yards on 13 carries in the first half, which ended with Joliet Catholic on top 31-28 even though the Hilltoppers had made two trips to the red zone in which they came up empty.

“It was fun blocking for Ty,” said guard Carson Smith, who pulled to lead Isaac through on his long runs. “I feel I have the speed to keep up with him. I like getting out there. We just went hard and found our blocks.”

Malin Jones, the wingback opposite Isaac, also had a big day blocking and gained 187 yards, averaging 6.9 per carry.

The Hilltoppers managed leads of 38-35 and 45-42 in a seesaw third quarter. But Isaac’s fumbles occurred on the next two possessions, Montini (12-2) quickly turned them into touchdowns and Joliet Catholic could not recover.

Rhode completed 29-of-45 passes for 587 yards and seven touchdowns. The all-time state record for passing yards in a game is 589, set by Riverside-Brookfield’s Tim Brasic in the infamous 56-50 loss to Joliet Catholic in the playoffs 10 years ago.

Then there was Westerkamp, who caught 11 passes for 331 yards and five touchdowns. His brother Christian caught the decisive pass two years ago when Montini beat the Hilltoppers 29-28 in the 5A final.

Joliet Catholic is now 13-4 in state title games.

“I’m pretty sure JCA is sick of the Westerkamps by now,” Jordan Westerkamp said.

“I’m going to sleep better knowing Westerkamp is graduating and Ty (Isaac) is a junior,” Joliet Catholic coach Dan Sharp said. “It’s very humbling to give up 70 points. But that was a tremendous offense out there for Montini. Their skill people, especially Westerkamp, are outstanding. They get rid of the ball quick and have that ability to break tackles. They have the athletes to do what they do. I don’t know if I have ever seen that many great skill players on one team.”

Joe Borselli caught 10 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown for Montini. Dimitri Taylor rushed for 196 yards and averaged 13.1. Anthony Taylor caught seven passes for 113 yards.

It was that kind of day — gaudy numbers getting lost in gaudier numbers.

“If not for the turnovers and the turning it over on downs in the red zone, we could have scored near 70 as well,” Sharp said.

He was not joking.

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Montini quarterback John Rhode was recovering from a broken thumb and did not make his first start until Week 7, when he threw eight touchdown passes in a 59-14 win over St. Edward.

He has not slowed down.

Rhode and his favorite target, Nebraska-bound Jordan Westerkamp, will supply the headaches for the Joliet Catholic defense when the two perennial powers collide at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Class 5A state championship game at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

Rhode, who transferred to Montini from Marian Catholic for his senior year, has completed 140-of-203 passes (69 percent) from the Broncos’ shotgun spread formation for 2,447 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has been intercepted four times.

Westerkamp has 78 receptions for 1,342 yards, a 17.2 average, and 24 touchdowns. Joe Borsellino has chipped in 62 receptions for 869 yards, a 14.0 average, and nine touchdowns. Anthony Taylor has caught 52 for 844 yards, a 16.2 average, and seven scores.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Oh, and for the record, Darkstar plays well with others.

At the moments of our first meeting, I was engaged in conversation with with a crab fisherman who had enlightened me to a crab fishing strike I until that conversation did not know was a recent event.

As we all parted, Darkstar told my new found crabber acquaintance, I hope your work situation improves.

Extraordinarily well played.

Hey Darkstar, Geno went back to work today. The crabbers and buyers split the difference on the price dispute and the boats left the docks to head out to sea this morning.

I know that was information you were anxiously awaiting.

On a Saturday when Joliet Catholic junior wingback Ty Isaac shattered every record imaginable, the Montini passing combination of John Rhode to Jordan Westerkamp proved too much.

Joez, every time I hear of Joliet I to this day think of Eliot Ness.


I lived on the border of Wheaton and Carol Stream when Illinois legalized "riverboat gambling." It was right after Iowa had done so, with some pretty rigid betting limits.

Joliet had one of the first "riverboats" for gambling in the state. In those days, Illinois state law required the boats to actually move. Joliet's boat was on a splinter of the Chicago sanitary canal and would leave "the dock" and go back and forth for a distance of maybe 250 feet during each four hour "gambling cruise." Passengers had to board, and disembark, with a fresh ticket purchase required for each cruise.

Those were the days.

My favorite Chicagoland gambling story was seeing 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled begin his post Triple Crown season campaign in an allowance race at the then newly re-constructed Arlington Park. I still have a $2 souvenir win ticket on him that I never cashed.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Oh, and for the record, Darkstar plays well with others.

At the moments of our first meeting, I was engaged in conversation with with a crab fisherman who had enlightened me to a crab fishing strike I until that conversation did not know was a recent event.

As we all parted, Darkstar told my new found crabber acquaintance, I hope your work situation improves.

Extraordinarily well played.

Hey Darkstar, Geno went back to work today. The crabbers and buyers split the difference on the price dispute and the boats left the docks to head out to sea this morning.

I know that was information you were anxiously awaiting.

Thanks for the update. I get really pissy whenever there's a potential disruption to the sea food supply chain.

I stopped in a local Thai restaurant yesterday and noted the Po Tak on the menu. It seemed appealing.

I inquired as to the whether the "seafood" in the soup included crab for the day.

The waitress inquired as to whether or not I had ever had Po Tak before.


The old Jhonny Carson line about the US astronauts and Moon Tang came immediately to mind, but of course I suppressed the thought.

The Po Tak was great.

Flavorful, and healthy.