While Western Illinois will not officially release its full list of recruits until February, the Leathernecks appear to have made a concerted effort to improve their running game.

The Leathernecks, in fact, do appear to have made a significant upgrade at running back with the addition of a former starter from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). According to published reports this fall, former Auburn back JaTarvious Whitlow transferred and enrolled at Western.

In late August the Dothan Eagle reported that Whitlow has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Elliott tweeted, “Welcome @eslreed6 to Leatherneck Nation! Jaylen is electric, with plenty of big play ability. He has been a proven WINNER throughout his career. Many Leatherneck greats have come from @Football_Flyers. Can’t wait to get Jaylen on campus!”

The third-year WIU head coach was welcoming running back Jaylen Reed from East St. Louis. According to the recruiting website 247sports.com Reed committed to WIU this past summer. Reed is listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. He also had an offer from Northeastern State, a Division-2 school in Tahlequah, Okla.

Key departure

The Leathernecks certainly have a need in the backfield as two-time All-Missouri Valley Football Conference fullback Clint Ratkovich announced he is transferring to FBS Northern Illinois.

Ratkovich, a Crete-Monee High School graduate, ranked third in the MVFC in receptions per game (4.8) while finishing second on the team with 444 receiving yards in 2019. He also rushed for a team-high 258 yards. Moreover, Ratkovich was a two-time team Leatherneck captain.

K: Dad, does Paul McCartney have a lot of music from after he left The Beatles?
H: Well, yeah. He was only in The Beatles a short time compared to his solo career. Why?
K: I’m not going to know any of those songs when he plays them.
H. That’s okay. Hardly anyone does. We’re not here to hear those.

That was a conversation with my youngest daughter as we were headed to Chicago’s United Center. It was July 2014 and we were seeing Paul McCartney, in concert, on his “Out There” tour. It was less than a year after his album “New” was released. The record received extremely positive reviews. Rolling Stone had it in its top five albums of 2013. Yet, on that summer night in Chicago, Paul McCartney played just two songs from the album. In a thirty song set, twenty of the songs were from The Beatles.

It can’t be easy being Paul McCartney, the solo artist. The comparison of that work to his songs from The Beatles gives him something that’s close to impossible to live up to. And yet he keeps trying. Between his work with Wings and his solo career, McCartney has released twenty-two albums. Most of them have been pretty good to excellent, but after you listen to them for a while, they seem to head back to the shelf where they’re forgotten for years. Yeah, you might pull out “Band on the Run” or the original “McCartney” every so often, but it’s rare. Certainly, it’s not nearly as often as listening to “Sgt. Pepper’s”, “Abbey Road”, “Rubber Soul” or whatever is your favorite Beatles disc.

And yet, Paul McCartney keeps plugging away. Every few years he puts out a new record. This is one of those years. McCartney had no plans to do it this year, but 2020 had challenges for everyone, including Sir Paul. There was no way he could tour. He was living under quarantine conditions. Why not find something to do to keep you from being bored? For Paul McCartney, that means making music.

But what about hooking up with other musicians and finding a studio/producer? No problem for Paul McCartney. Just make an album where you sing all the parts, play all the instruments and do the production yourself. He’s done it before, why not do it again? So fifty years after the release of “McCartney” comes “McCartney lll”.

Most of the reviews for the album have been good to excellent. Lots of four out of five stars or B ratings. I’m apparently a bit tougher. I’d give it a C. It’s an easy listen, but nothing really stands out. I don’t find any of the eleven songs to be memorable. I couldn’t figure out which one or two of them I’d want to hear at a McCartney concert.

The music itself is fine. McCartney once again shows that he can handle whatever instrument you put in front of him. We expected nothing else. The vocals are solid, too. His voice holds up well, especially for someone of his age. Yeah, he goes into a falsetto to get to those higher-range parts, but that’s also expected. Also, if you listen to the songs on YouTube, you’ll find some interesting videos to go along with a few of the tunes. It’ll add to your entertainment, but for me, it just wasn’t enough.

I understand that McCartney doesn’t need to do this anymore. He can rest on his laurels of the songs he’s done in his more than sixty-year career, and no one would blame him. But, I know that he doesn’t want to do that. He wants to remain current and hip. He wants us to think of him as if he’s one of the new generation of music stars. I don’t think that works. I think of him differently.

Paul McCartney is the most famous musician from the classic rock era that is still alive. Only Bob Dylan is close. A few of his contemporaries that are in the same decade of life, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Dylan himself, put out memorable albums this year. Sir Paul dropped one that won’t be remembered as soon as New Year’s Day 2021.

The album photo is a shot of a dice landing on the number three. It signifies that this is the third album with the McCartney title. Well Paul, it was a good try, but no dice…no dice, Sir.

Related Post: McCartney 2014

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Still on a quest to try at least one beer from each of the 200 brewers in the Chicago market. It’s not too easy when you really don’t have time to just drive out to every taproom in a several-county area. But the task becomes easier as more brewers are canning for store sales to offset slow taproom/brewpub traffic.

Eris Brewery & Cider House, started and run by women entrepreneurs and beer lovers, has been operating from a brewpub on W. Irving Park in Chicago for over two years. They have been brewing both beer and cider, and are now packaging some of their ciders in retail cans. I came across their Blush, a “Hard Cider blended with sweet and tart cherries.” It’s 5.9% abv. I found a can, next to their Pedestrian green apple cider, at Binny’s.

Unfortunately, as soon as I popped the tab, I got a gusher of foam all over my workspace. Well, not the first time for that.

Once I got sponged off, , I smelled a light apple cider nose with a bit of alcohol to it. And just a bit of the usual sulfites found in many canned ciders. It is a nice pink rosé or blush color.

Carbonation is kind of high at the first sip. I’m thinking there might have been a secondary fermentation in the can, but there’s no yeast clouds here.

After I let the pour settle down, I got more of the light red apple cider impression, with just a bit of cherry added on. This is not overly done with adjunct juices. Instead it stays dry and, of course, fizzy, like an asti version of a blush wine. That dryness can also run into some tart from the cherry juice.

Still, it’s worth checking, as so many other ciders taste like carbonated apple juice. This is a good pair that fits in anywhere a light red wine would go, or with a cheese platter. It could also be a good cocktail mixer.

Futuristic space viruses are trying to attack your computer! You are it’s only defense! Set up an awesome security system before they take over completely! You will need strategy and timing and LOTS of retries!

Planetfall Studios and Zerouno Games’ Defentron is a 3D tower defense game for the Switch and Steam. It takes place inside a computer and you are basically a virus fighting computer program. You need to set up turrets and different defense weapons to fight off the attacking viruses. The viruses can be very fast, or very strong, or a combo of both so you need lots of strategy to decide how best to get rid of them. Fortunately you have several different types of weapons at your disposal. You will need quick shooters for the quick viruses, and strong shooters as well to catch the ones that slip past. You also get weapons that will slow down the targets to give you a bit more time to attack.

Each round in Defentron has specific places where you can place your weapons. You need to plan where the best place to place the turrets based on the viruses that come out. Some are very fast and need zapping quickly, whereas with the slower ones you might be able to take some time, but need strength. You will most likely lose a couple times and have to restart before you figure out the best set up. In fact let me rephrase that, you WILL lose a couple times!

Turrets and other weapons can be upgraded by speed, range, and power. Buying new weapons and upgrades cost money and you get this money by killing the viruses! You start out with a certain amount as well so plan carefully! And the money does not carry over to the next level so don’t be shy about spending. The thing you SHOULD be careful about is how you spend it! You have to decide if you want to use it right away to buy new weapons, or maybe save up a bit and upgrade what you have already. You can also spend a lot of money and make your turret super strong, but it will explode after a few uses.

I warn you Defentron is challenging! You will lose a lot and repeat levels several times before you can figure out the best set up. They tell you what types of viruses you will be dealing with in the beginning but not what order they come out. On the plus side, you can pause the attacks to think about how you want to level up and place your turrets. Don’t think you’re gonna have a nice easy ride with this one!

Defentron is challenging, futuristic, and has cool galacticy music! It’s got a different feel then other 3D Tower Defense games due to its grid like computer security system look. I give it 3 ½ stars!

Defentron is out now on Steam and Nintendo Switch for only $9.99! For more info cick
here! Now get out there and McAfee those viruses!

In Illinois, successful deer hunters are awarded a round pin for each deer they harvest, whether with a firearm or bow. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources began this tradition in 1978, creating a new design each year for firearm pins while archery pins are always green. Both versions have the year and IDNR deer hunting logo.

While it might seem insignificant, these pins are a small part of the Illinois deer hunting culture. For many hunters, the coveted pins symbolize a successful season and are worn on hats or clothing with honor.

When the IDNR required deer to be physically checked in at designated check stations in each county, hunters were provided their harvest pin at that time. The pins were actually a small incentive for hunters to check in their deer. When the check-in process changed from physical locations to an online and phone-in system, the IDNR found another way to distribute the pins. Today, they are available at most vendor businesses that are authorized IDNR license agents. Basically, the place you buy your hunting license is the same place that should provide your harvest pin.

While I’ve seen pins displayed in workshops, on hats, on clothing, and in shoeboxes, one of the most creative and effective ways to display the collection is on a wooden plaque available through Custom Outdoor Advantage. Hunters can order a variety of styles and options online at CustomOutdoorAdvantage.com. I’ve bought several plaques that have drill-pressed holes for the pins, and include a plexiglass cover to protect them. They also have pins available from past years for those hunters that have lost a few of them over the years. Successful non-resident deer hunters are also entitled to pins. Be sure to get yours.

Deer Harvest Pins symbolize a successful hunt and are coveted by many Illinois deer hunters.

“Neighbors of Donald Trump’s infamous Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach, Florida are warning the president that he cannot live at the club after he leaves the White House, following an agreement he made with the town in 1993.”   [The Guardian]

Live in Mar-a-Lago?  Trump says that he might;

But his neighbors are leery what he would invite.

Neo-Nazis just may

Put a crimp in the day

And the KKK, Proud Boys the night.