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Add flavor with mushrooms: How to boldly boost soups, broths, pasta, omelets and more
By: Bill St. John, for UCHealth
Add flavor with mushrooms. Warm up a wintry day with a bowl of mushroom soup. Photo: Getty Images.
Kitchen fun with fungi — both the dried and fresh sorts — can arm you with heady scents and deeply-wrought flavors for the coming winter.
Properly stored in your pantry, an ounce of dried mushrooms lasts for months. Little else adds so much flavor to so many foods or preparations than the simple dried 'shroom.
If one ounce sounds as if it isn't much, really, consider that you're likely never to run into any recipe calling for more — not even something that might serve six or eight people. A mere few grams is all one needs to boldly mark a stew or broth, top a portion of pasta, or add super deep flavors to a three-egg omelet.
However, for something so simple, adding flavor with mushrooms requires you to keep a few things in mind:
All dried mushrooms must be reconstituted in some sort of liquid. Water is the default, but if I'm already cooking with a flavorful liquid (wine, beer, juice, broth), I use that to enliven the dried mushrooms.
Typically, I warm the liquid first (microwave more than OK), although I find that an overnight room-temp liquid soak is especially useful in dealing with a particular mushroom, the gnarly dried shiitake. (With shiitake, also, break off the very tough stems before soaking, if possible; keep those for making stock.)
Never toss away the soaking liquid, though it must be strained of the ubiquitous grit found in all dried mushrooms. (Coffee filters and paper toweling are handy here, or a steady pour off the dregs.) The soaking liquid, now hugely boosted in the flavor and aroma departments, just goes into the final cooking preparation.
Don't buy any dried mushrooms with small holes in the cap's flesh; these holes might indicate former pinworm colonization.
It's OK to rinse (quickly, and then gently squeeze) the mushrooms once removed from the soaking liquid. You're not going to flush away a lot of flavor, but you are going to get rid of the last of the grit.
Most recipes call for using a certain weight of dried mushroom. If you buy an ounce of chanterelles, for example, and use half the package, be sure to mark the storage container somehow — or even the original wrapping — to let you know in the future what measure of weight remains.
No hard-and-fast rule governs the use of dried mushrooms in particular preparations, but it's a no-brainer to pair each with cuisine from its country of origin: porcini with Italian risotto, for instance, or shiitake with Asian soups. My go-to, all-around dried mushroom is the well-priced shiitake.
Uses for dried and reconstituted mushrooms are legion: in rice or pilafs; in anything wet such as a soup or stew; spooned onto already-sauced pasta; in sautés of most any vegetable; and especially in egg-based dishes such as frittatas, omelets, or coddled eggs.
Cooking with fresh mushrooms
We grew up in the kitchen hearing, "Never wash mushrooms in water because they're porous and will absorb the water. Instead brush or wipe them, one at a time, with a soft brush or kitchen towel."
Pshaw. Mushrooms are 90 percent water and won't absorb any more significant water (so say Mark Bittman, Martha Stewart and the Cooks Illustrated kitchens not a bad lot, that). Dunk or spray-wash quickly, then remove to a dry cotton towel and pat dry with paper toweling.
I prepared this soup a couple of years ago for the 50th birthday dinner of a friend's spouse. It ought to be called the "Oooh, Aaah Soup" because, besides the slurps, that was the common sound while it went down.
It's named after my mother, who prepared this — as I have — many dozens of times to ward away winter's frosties.
Madeleine's Cream of Mushroom Winter Soup
Make 8-10 cups
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, both portions cut up and near room temperature
1 pound fresh mushrooms (either white button, cremini or portobello, or any mix of the three), 3/4 finely chopped, 1/4 sliced
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade and low-salt or unsalted
1 pint half & half
Healthy splash dry sherry (not "cooking sherry"), about 2-3 tablespoons
In a large heavy Dutch oven or pot, over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in 1/2 cup butter for 3 minutes. Add the 3/4 pound of the mushrooms and sauté the mixture for 5 minutes. Add the flour, coating and stirring constantly until the lot is well-blended. Add the stock and simmer the mixture, stirring often, for 20 minutes.
Add the half & half, the salt and white pepper, and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Off the heat, and using an immersion blender (the best option) or a regular blender or fine sieve, blend everything. (If using a regular blender, be careful about splash-backs of the hot liquid.) Keep the soup very warm, even hot.
Sauté the 1/4 pound sliced mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons butter and the sherry until the mushrooms have given up their moisture and are beginning to brown or slightly crisp. Garnish each portion of the soup with a few of the sautéed mushrooms.
Variations: Top with croutons or toast rounds (the latter smeared with blue cheese if you like). Add pieces of leftover chicken, pork, turkey or veal. Add leftover cooked rice, wild or regular. Sprinkle with chopped flat-leaf parsley. For a French air, sprinkle fresh thyme leaves; for a Russian or Polish twist, omit flour, cooking at that stage with a cup and half of peeled, cubed potatoes and, when serving, top with fresh dill.
Reach Bill St John at billstjohn@gmail.com
Bill St. John Healthy eating Healthy recipes
Bill St. John, for UCHealth
For more than 40 years, Bill St. John's specialties have been as varied as they are cultured. He writes and teaches about restaurants, wine, food & wine, the history of the cuisines of several countries (France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the USA), about religion and its nexus with food, culture, history, or philosophy, and on books, travel, food writing, op-ed, and language.
Bill has lent (and lends) his subject matter expertise to such outlets as The Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, The Chicago Tribune, 5280 Magazine, and for various entities such as food markets, wine shops, schools & hospitals, and, for its brief life, Microsoft's sidewalk.com. In 2001 he was nominated for a James Beard Award in Journalism for his 12 years of writing for Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Bill's experience also includes teaching at Regis University and the University of Chicago and in classrooms of his own devising; working as on-air talent with Denver's KCNC-TV, where he scripted and presented a travel & lifestyle program called "Wine at 45"; a one-week stint as a Trappist monk; and offering his shoulder as a headrest for Julia Child for 20 minutes.
Bill has also visited 54 countries, 42 of the United States, and all 10 Canadian provinces.
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Q: Simple Layout Issue on Resize All throughout a page I'm working on I continue to get a repetitive layout error that stems from an attempt to float elements left and right in congruence with one another. However, on re-sized and small browsers the float:right elements collapses under the float:left elements each time.
http://jsfiddle.net/g4dbr3ho/4
    #wrap {
        width: 100%;
        height: 100%;
    }

#main {
    float:left;
    max-width: 70%;
    max-height: 100%;
    margin-left:112px;
    padding: 20px;
}
#side {
    float:right;
    width:auto;
    max-height:100%;
    background-color:black;
    border-style:solid;
    border-width:2px;
    border-color:red;
}

What I'm looking for is to understand what method is best to use to try executing this format. I'm aware of the inline:block strategy in formatting too, but I find that inaffective in my situation here, also creating new issues.

A: You should create a div around the #main text. Float that one to the left, give it a width and your sidebar to.
*{
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

I've added box-sizing to all. It includes borders and paddings to the width and height.
http://jsfiddle.net/qmd9shu0/1/

A: You can use

*

*Inline-block (css display property) (with proper width and media queries for responsive if required)

*Table-layout (widely supported)

*Flexbox (good to use if >ie8 support required)

A: First at all, is it nessessary to put the sidemain-div inside the main-div ? If not, put both of them as a direct child of the wrapper. With this, you're able to style these elements by position attributes.
Like this:
#wrap {
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
}

#main {
    position: absolute;
}

#sidemain {
    position: absolute;
    right: 0;
    margin-left: 10px;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


LEARN WITH THE SEASONS: Forage for and use Edible & Therapeutic Herbs. Autumn course.
LEARN WITH THE SEASONS: Forage for and use Edible & Therapeutic Herbs. High Summer Course.
Contrary to what you might expect, cities can be great places to forage for wild foods & medicinal herbs. John Rensten takes foraging walks in London and runs the websitehttp://www.foragelondon.co.uk/. He will share some of his tips with us about urban foraging. He is the author of The Edible City , a new book about the joys of finding wild food in the city.
Robin is a highly-regarded forager. His website eatweeds is considered to be one of the UK's leading wild food foraging sites. He is a co-director of Plants & Healers International, a non-profit that connects people, plants and healers around the world, he travels extensively documenting and recording the traditional and local uses of wild food plants in indigenous cultures. Robin will introduce us to 'contemplating plants': a method that helps people to slow down and connect to plants on a deeper level.
Discover the fascinating world of edible and medicinal plants.
Learn at your leisure, wherever you live, whenever you want.
The Early Summer Course: This course features wild and cultivated medicinal herbs and edible plants that are usually available to pick and use in April, May & June (please note that seasonal variations in the weather will determine if and when the plants are available). It includes Nettle, Plantain, Cleavers, Hawthorn flowers and leaves, Silverweed, Daisy, Dandelion, Sorrel, Blackberry Leaves, Raspberry Leaves, Red Clover, Primrose and Elderflower.
The High Summer Course: This course features wild and cultivated medicinal herbs and edible plants that are usually available to pick and use in July & August (please note that seasonal variations in the weather will determine if and when the plants are available). It includes Calendula, St. John's Wort, Self-Heal, Meadowsweet, Roses (wild & cultivated), Rosemary, Yarrow, Lemon Balm, Honeysuckle, Raspberries (wild & cultivated) and Cleavers seeds.
The Autumn Course: This course features wild and cultivated medicinal herbs and edible plants that are usually available to pick and use in September & October (please note that seasonal variations in the weather will determine if and when the plants are available). It includes sea buckthorn, elder berry, dandelion root, dock root, rose hips, hazel nuts, silver weed roots, blackberry, plantain leaves & seeds, nettle roots, the haws of hawthorn and guelder rose/cramp bark.
Each course is supported for set dates while the plants are usually in season (i.e. you can receive help and guidance from me via our Private Facebook group and live webinars).
Learn at you leisure! These courses do not require doing 'homework' or a time-commitment each week. I've designed these courses to fit in with busy lifestyles. You can engage with them at whichever level suits you best and you can return to them year after year, to study and use the plants when they are in season. If all that happens is that you start to recognise some of these plants growing around you then this is a very pleasurable life-enhancing interest to have; if you have more time then you can try making all of the recipes, post photos of plants to learn more about identification, have a go at herbal medicine-making and get advice about experimenting with some recipes of your own.
Videos showing the featured plants that are currently in season and how to identify them.
Videos or photos demonstrating how to include foraged herbs in an easy, everyday meal.
Videos demonstrating how to make your own herbal remedy, tonic or balm safely and easily in your own kitchen using ordinary house-hold equipment.
Detailed documents about the herbs featured in each video so that you can read the key properties of each plant (e.g. nutritional content, medicinal uses etc.), try out recipes and have clear guidelines so that you can use them safely.
Suggested simple activities for you to try out to help you to begin to engage with the plants.
Photographs of the featured herbs to help you to safely identify them.
A chance to ask me your questions: The last week of each course features a bonus live webinar. This is your chance to put your questions to me so that you can feel confident about using your new skills (Please note: this is not a chance to have a medical consultation or to ask direct medical questions: I cannot treat people via phone, email, text message, Face Book or Skype but, I can educate you this way).
Access to a private Facebook group: Here you can let us know how you're getting on with your new journey into the plant world, post pictures of the plants that you've found, the delicious dishes that you've created and/or the remedies that you've made. I will pop in and out of this group so this is also a good place to check things that you are unsure of and post questions for me. It's also a great place to receive the support and encouragement of others who are learning and to see new recipe ideas.
Documents and recipe sheets for making herbal tonics and extracts e.g. tinctures, infusions, syrups, cordials, infused oils, ointments etc.
My basic, jargon-free, beginners' guide to safely identifying plants (to help you to avoid any mishaps when foraging).
My guide to using herbs safely: for adults, children & in pregnancy; including when not to use them and when to seek professional advice instead.
A list of recommended herbal suppliers so that you can buy herbs that you want to use but can't find growing near you.
Identification videos for each featured plant.
My list of recommended books so that you can learn more about wild food foraging and herbal medicine.
My list of recommended, reliable websites.
Further study: a list of courses where you can train to become a professional, qualified herbalist; information on informal apprenticeships where you can gets some hands-on experience with an working herbalist.
A list of suppliers of ingredients e.g. herbs, bottles, jars, oils, waxes etc.
Herbs in the City: an info sheet with tips on how to forage when you live in towns and cities.
A brief guide to organic versus conventional gardening: otherwise known as the alarming truth about weed-killers and why you should avoid them like the plague!
A guide to common poisonous plants (so that you can avoid them!).
Plants for bees: bees love herbs and herbs love bees! A list of herbs to plant to encourage bees into your garden.
Free updates: if I update any part of these courses or add new lsesons then you'll receive these updates free of charge.
All students get life-time access to the resources (documents, videos, photos etc.) in this course. On-line support from Vivienne is currently provided seasonally but will not be available for life-time!
"I am so delighted with your course. It's consolidating stuff I knew and lots of new stuff that I didn't. You're a natural at it! Clodagh Kelly, Ireland.
"I've just finished watching the webinar and I wanted to let you know that I loved it all….I liked your mix of videos and text, recipes and medicines. I honestly can't think of a suggestion to improve it!
As recommended in the Irish Examiner (National Newspaper): Click this link to read the review.
I am a qualified and experienced professional Medical Herbalist (I qualified in 2003) based in Ireland.
Over the yearsthousands of people have attended my lectures, talks, classes, guided walks, herbal clinic and/or have watched me on television.
I am a knowledgeable, entertaining and engaging teacher.
I have been teaching herbal medicine classes for 12 years. You can see my workhere.
I co-presented a major national television series in which I foraged for and made an herbal remedy, natural cosmetic or wild food. I presented this show alongside celebrity chef Richard Corrigan and organic gardener Kitty Scully. Click here to see details of this television series.
I've also contributed to two other television series since then. (One of them is currently in production; you can see details of the other series here).
I have a BSc degree (with first class honours) in Herbal Medicine from the University of Central Lancashire, UK.
I have to ensure that I am up to date with herbal medicine by doing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) every year.
I constantly strive to learn more: about therapeutic and edible plants; about medical conditions and diseases; about scientific research and evidence.
I regularly feature in national newspapers and television and am often asked to comment on issues affecting herbal medicine e.g. changes in legislation etc.
I have spent several years researching local plants that were once popular remedies and food sources but which have fallen out of use or been forgotten.
And my classes are very enjoyable and people return to them over and over again.
The internet is full of information about herbs but little of it is reliable, lots of it is wrong and some of it is out-right dangerous! Learn from an experienced teacher that you can trust: learn from me!
Do you have questions about this course? Then ask me! You can email your questions to me at info@theherbalhub.com. Please put 'E-Courses' in the subject line.
This is not a qualification: after buying this course you will not be qualified to work as a professional consulting herbalist.
It is not a medical consultation: We will look ways to improve general health with herbs and how to use safe and effective remedies for common ailments (e.g. colds, coughs etc.) but we will not learn how to treat specific, serious illnesses and diseases with herbs. We may mention these briefly and talk about them in general terms but, this is always an example of a case where I will recommend that someone consults a professional medical practitioner and/or qualified herbalist. I cannot treat people or give specific medical advice via phone, email, text message, Face Book or Skype.
This is not a science course: we will not cover chemistry, medical trials or evidence for the effectiveness of herbal medicines (but I am working on one that will….).
This is not a promise to identify every therapeutic and edible wild and cultivated plant.
The information that you learn in this course is not to take the place of a qualified medical practitioner. It is for educational purposes only. Qualified medical practitioners are highly skilled and helpful people. Please consult one! They are there to help you.
Enrol and if you are not happy in the first 7 days we will refund your money no questions asked.


The assumption was that an approved ETF would open the floodgates to both Wall Street and regular investors who want a stake in the digital currency but didn't feel comfortable purchasing it on their own. This influx of new investors would then drive the price of bitcoin up.
Instead the price dropped about 22%, from about $1,295.00 to as low as $1,000 as soon as the news broke. It's since stabilized to about $1,120.00, which is still a drop of about 14%.
In its decision, the SEC explained that a Bitcoin ETF would not be consistent with current rules requiring securities exchanges to regulate and monitor the markets where underlying products are traded. Essentially the underlying markets that currently exist for trading bitcoin aren't regulated enough to responsibly support an ETF that would rely on those markets for liquidity.


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Trump Tells GOPers To 'Get Moving' Even After Electoral College Locks In His Defeat
President Donald Trump visits his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on November 3, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
December 15, 2020 7:48 a.m.
President Donald Trump early Tuesday morning demanded his fellow Republicans take action against the election results somehow even after the Electoral College sealed President-elect Joe Biden's victory on Monday.
Trump retweeted a conservative radio host calling on followers to "ignore the electors at this moment."
"This Fake Election can no longer stand. Get moving Republicans," Trump wrote in his retweet, once again providing zero evidence of any "fake" election or voter fraud.
The President praised Michigan judge Kevin Elsenheimer for releasing what the President called an "epic" report filed by a pro-Trump plaintiff in one of the many lawsuits challenging the election results that went up in smoke. However, the report only includes the same litany of falsehoods and conspiracy theories parroted by Trumpland.
It's unclear what exactly the President expects Republicans to do. His attempt to pressure GOP lawmakers in swing states into deploying pro-Trump electors instead of those that Biden won fairly was a failure. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit, which was backed by more than a dozen GOP attorneys general, requesting that the Supreme Court overturn swing states' votes was rejected.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
While giving a speech after the Electoral College votes put him over the top at 306 votes, Biden swiped at Trump for refusing to acknowledge the election results despite the president-elect winning the same number of electoral votes as Trump did in 2016. At the time, Trump claimed he had won the election in a "landslide"
"By his own standards these numbers represented a clear victory then," Biden said.
Donald Trumpelectoral collegeTrump tweets

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: The current state of reflection in C++20 I started reading about reflection in C++20 and got quite confused. What is the current state of it, i.e. how much can we use as of now?
I've found reflection TS - but even the examples on this website fail to compile (on GCC11 with C++20) because the compiler cannot find "#include <experimental/reflect>"... So it's not exactly in the GCC?
So my question is: can we use anything of reflection now, without waiting for C++23? By 'anything' I mean for example querying the compiler for list of class members, names of enums etc? And by 'use' I mean in production code, not just for playing around.


It has been some time since we gave a detailed update on the state of things in Rise of Agon, and today's news post aims to bring people up to speed on what has been going on and what to expect throughout the rest of the year. It will be a long read and we hope it gets our community as excited as we are for the rest of 2018.
Right now we have the mechanics in place to allow players the ability to designate one of their cities as a Capital City. These cities will be where members of a clan can accumulate Clan Platinum which will be acquired by performing activities such as harvesting, crafting, and hunting monsters. Platinum will be used to purchase a variety of items and services, including extending clan buffs outside of the default range and the purchase of siege weaponry.
This system aims to encourage clans to live out of their Capital City and provides a reason for veteran clans to take in newer players and those not as proficient in combat as they themselves may be. It will be a system we continually expand upon including, but not limited too, the addition of new siege weaponry or items only obtainable by spending this new currency.
We have the mechanics in place for players to be able to acquire platinum through the activities mentioned above, along with a system to track how much platinum each clan member accumulates and the total available balance a clan has. The next steps are to designate specific platinum values to each activity and finish up the user interfaces needed for purchasing items with it.
Factories will be structures that players will fight for control over in a King of the Hill fashion. These factories will produce resource crates which must be brought back to a player city to open and which will contain resources such as rare ore and possibly new items and resources.
We have completed the King of the Hill mechanics and are working on the placement of these structures and the mechanics involved in transporting and opening the resource crates. Our current plan is to release these only on the sub-continents to increase the value of cities found near them along with increasing the conflict found on the islands. This will provide clans and groups of players with a new objective to fight over throughout the day and should be a refreshing addition to end-game conflict.
The next thing that we want to talk about is something we should have started doing a long time ago which we are calling Community Patches. As the name suggests, these will be patches of requested changes and additions taken directly from discussions, feedback and polling that we get from our community members. The goal is to be able to release smaller patches on a weekly to bi-weekly basis, each containing a handful of the most highly requested changes the community asks for.
We plan to start having Q&A's on our Twitch channel monthly which will be back and forth discussions with members of our community. The goal of these Q&As are to come up with suggestions together of viable changes that our team can tackle in a reasonable time frame. Changes will not only come from these Q&As however, as we will also pull ideas from discussions on Discord and the forums. We ideally plan to focus on changes that can be coded and ready for testing over 1-2 days of development work so we can consistently pump these patches out.
Once we put together a list of proposed community changes we will release a Ranked Voting Poll utilizing rankit.vote where people can vote and prioritize what they deem are most important and/or will provide the biggest positive impact to the game. The top ranked items will in turn get developed first by our team, put onto the Public Test Server for testing, and released in the subsequent Community Patch. This cycle will continue with each patch knocking off more and more requests taken directly from all of you.
This is not something we plan to wait on and in turn our first Community Patch Q&A will be hosted this Saturday, September 22nd at 1pm EST. We encourage all of you to attend so we can make the most out of these sessions, and it is a great opportunity for you to get your voices heard and your suggestions developed and deployed to the live game.
There is no intention to try and parse words on this subject so we will get right to the point. We recognize that there has been a lot frustration within the community on how we handled the recent combat changes, from releasing the initial patch too early to leaving the combat in a state of limbo over these last few months. Our intention from the very start was to accomplish one goal - create more diversity within the combat system. This has been one of the most requested things asked from us by community members over the last few years, from the start of Alpha to where we are now. We know that this has not been accomplished yet with where combat stands at the moment, but by working with you in our community we will accomplish that goal.
With that out of the way, we want to discuss how we plan to tackle combat and how all of you in the community will help shape the future direction of it. We wish to create as much diversity as possible without having to use specializations, "relics", or any other change that could be deemed reinventing the wheel. Instead, we aim to create diversity by utilizing what the current game has to offer and by making smaller, more incremental changes to the system. This will be accomplished by working alongside our community, placing proposed changes on the Public Test Server so players can see how they feel and function in a real setting, and then implementing them as part of our Community Patches mentioned above. There are many ways to go about this and we look forward to having the necessary discussions on how best to approach this endeavor.
Once we are able to create a more diverse combat environment, we can look at alternative routes for enhancement such as reintroducing specializations (and even adding in new ones) and/or leveraging the Relic System we previously outlined. The first step however is achieving diversity without them, and that is a top priority for us right now.
We have a new addition to our development team who has been focusing on the graphical side of Rise of Agon. One of the biggest obstacles we have had to deal with since the inception of this project is that the game's engine utilizes highly outdated tools from pre-2009, some of which no longer can be found online despite countless hours from multiple people digging through the archives of the web.
Instead of trying to find missing files to combat this longstanding roadblock, what he has done is created an entirely new system which allows us to use more modern tools to create art assets that can then be exported back into the game engine. This make it easier for us to create new art assets and also opens up the door for community members to have a much easier time to create assets that can be added to the Nithron Coin Shop through our previously announced ACT program.
Not only will it be easier to create and implement new art assets, but we now have unlocked the ability to create new animations. Having the ability to create new animations means we can design and create new things such as emotes, gank animations, mounts, and even monsters in-game. This will also provide our artistic community members the chance to make their own new animations that can be put on the online store.
We realize there have not been many community events that we have hosted as of late, and that is mostly due to being stretched thin as a team. To combat this we are working on some tools that will help make things easier to host and moderate in-game events, and plan to coordinate with those of you who wish to create and host events on your own. There have been some excellent community run events over the last few weeks, but we realize that it takes a lot of time and effort and that it can be frustrating when things get interrupted or disrupted by those looking to "ruin the fun".
Those of you looking to host events are encouraged to reach out to us and we will do our best to help you facilitate these events. It provides players with fun things to look forward to, helps increase activity in the game world and ultimately keeps people more interested in staying active. Although we cannot promise to be able to help everyone, especially given the resources that we have at the moment, we will do our best to ensure that players can look forward to more events in the future. We will also host events ourselves when we can, which the new tools being created will greatly help towards.
As we have mentioned in the past, we have been working on a new Donation Page for our website. This will provide players the ability to purchase packages to obtain unique weapon skins and other items and will go directly towards funding development and the future of the project. We will have monthly goals and will track the top donators throughout the month and the top donators of all time to give recognition to those who help provide financial support for the game and our staff.
This page will be released when we deploy the content patch that contains Clan Platinum and Resource Factories.
We have gone through many changes as a game development studio over the last 3 years and have learned quite a lot of lessons along the way. Today we are confident that with the company structure we have and the personnel our team is comprised of that we can delivery on our promise to all of you to create the best gaming experience possible. We have certainly made mistakes along the way, from some poor game design decisions to lapses in communication and transparency, but with each mistake made we have learned from them and persevered through each one.
Now more than ever we look towards you in our community for your support, both in helping to increase our in-game activity as well as providing the financial support needed to keep this engine running. The next few months will be very busy and we hope that many of you, including those who have taken breaks or have been sitting on the sidelines, come back to join us for the journey ahead.
By all of us working together, both as a game development studio and a community, we will succeed in making Agon the place many gamers wish to call home.
Thank you as always for your support, your patience, and even the constructive criticism when necessary. We look forward to the rest of 2018 and the push towards a freemium release in early 2019, and promise all of you in our community are unwavering commitment to fulfilling the potential this game has always had.


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Mayo GAA Blog
Mayo GAA news, views and over a century of results
2023 Fixtures
How we're shaping up
February 14, 2019 February 14, 2019 Willie Joe
Photo: MichaelMaye.com
So, we've played three rounds of League games and it's as case of so far, so good for James Horan's second stint in charge. We've won all three games, we lead the Division One table, we're level on points at the top with Kerry but ahead of them on points difference, as we've made our best start to a League campaign since 2006.
It's fair to say we didn't expect this. The widespread belief before the League began was that, once again, we'd be battling against relegation. We certainly didn't think we'd be top of the table after three rounds of games so we've every reason to feel pleased about how we've done to date.
The three games played so far have given us a mixture of positives as well as a few negatives. As you'd expect, three wins from three mean there are more of the former than the latter at this early stage in the year.
On the positive side, the obvious first point to make is that we've discovered the happy knack of winning matches in the League. We've more points on the board already this year after three games than we garnered from all seven NFL outings in 2018. We're starting to get used to winning League matches for a change.
The victory up in Omagh – especially the manner of that win – was a pleasant surprise. It's surely of greater satisfaction, though, that, after a truly abysmal run, we've started to rack up wins once again at MacHale Park. It's far from a fortress for us yet and the heavy sod combined with the tight confines make it a pitch on which we struggle to perform well regardless of who we're facing. It's encouraging nonetheless that we've begun to rediscover how to win there.
The way James has been able to blood so many new players – with seven lads having made full League debuts so far – and the encouraging performances put in by all the debutants, in particular Michael Plunkett, Fionn McDonagh and Brian Reape, also augurs well for us.
This isn't just experimentation for the sake of it either. The new lads have been introduced alongside a solid core of experienced players, whose own early season form has been good. The mix has, so far at least worked well.
The injection of new talent has certainly deepened the playing panel and it has given us different options all over the field. It's still very early days, though, for the new lads who, in truth, are only starting to bed in. We can't be certain how many of them – if any – will be pushing hard for a place on the first fifteen come summer. The early signs are, however, good.
In his Mayo News column this week Billy Joe Padden used the term 'Horanball' to describe how we've been playing so far this year. James has always put an emphasis on high workrate, skill execution and, yes, results. If this is 'Horanball' then we've seen at least some evidence of it already in the three games we've played.
I've always felt that James' second coming was never going to be about reassembling all the players he'd managed before. We're already seeing his appetite to use exciting raw talent but that doesn't mean that there isn't a place for a revival of some of the traits we saw in the 2011 to 2014 era.
For me, the most visible sign of this retro style has been the way Aidan O'Shea and Donal Vaughan are being deployed. Aidan isn't – despite what some pundits might tell you – operating as a conventional no.11. Instead he's dropping deeper and working hard to hold up opposition attacks and force turnovers. Once he does this, he's moving the ball on rapidly. To me, this reminds me of the deep-lying role he played so effectively for us back in 2012/3.
Donie never, it's true, operated as an out-and-out midfielder in James' previous tenure. But he did frequently barrel forward, chest out, giving and going, a vital link in the middle third. It's a part he appears to be reprising with effect once more.
But, of course, what we've seen so far this year isn't all positive. Wins so often gloss over the things a team doesn't do so well. James was surely aware of this after the Cavan game, when he said that, despite the victory, we'd done "a lot of daft things."
I've no wish to stoke the goalkeeping debate but, on the evidence of the three games we've played so far, it's clearly a discussion that remains open. Is Robbie too scarred from big day mishaps to be a realistic Croke Park option for us should we find ourselves back there? Can David Clarke sort his restarts so that he's giving his men a better than 50:50 chance of claiming possession from his kickouts?
I don't know what the answer is to this conundrum. But I do know it's one that James Horan and his backroom team need to sort ahead of the summer.
Midfield is also a bit of a concern. While both Donie and Diarmuid are going well, primary ball winning isn't their strongest suit. Aidan can, of course, field with the best of them his lack of mobility means there's only so much he can do, though his presence there does certainly help.
It was, then, good to see Mattie Ruane getting a run there the last night but, of course, it's way too soon yet to judge whether or not he's ready this year for a summer in the engine room. There's surely still a role for Seamus O'Shea as well so maybe how he and Mattie share that job between them could be key. It's certainly an area that needs further work.
Of course, our restart strategy is relevant here too. The range of kickouts we use impacts directly on the ball-winning load the middle third will be expected to carry. That in turn brings in the winning of breaking ball and who is best placed to contribute there. Happily, we're far from bereft of options in that regard.
Free-taking is another issue we need to sort conclusively before the summer. Once he returns to the fray, Cillian will, once again, be our go-to man in that department.
While he's still a very good man to have on placed balls, Cillian is no longer the best in the game. Coming up against the likes of Dublin – for whom Rock rarely misses – and Kerry, where young Seán O'Shea is popping over frees for fun, we need to be nailing every opportunity we get in this area.
So we've some things we can be happy about, with other aspects still a work in progress. That's not surprising – it is only the middle of February, after all.
What's good is that the three wins we've got so far in this League don't appear to have given us any inflated notions about our standing in the world. It's widely accepted by supporters that these wins came against the easiest opposition – admittedly, there's some after-the-fact reasoning about the Tyrone win but anyone who was in Omagh will readily admit that they were pretty awful that day – and that far harder assignments now face us.
The next three games are all huge for us. While we've given Dublin the biggest tests they've faced in the Gavin era, we've never beaten them, not once. You have to go back as far as 2012 – yes, back to the Horan Mk I period – for our last win over them. Kerry, by contrast, have got the better of Dublin in the League twice in the last three years, including in the Division One final in 2017.
So the Dublin game is a big one for us. So too, however, is the match against Galway a week later. Back on our stodgy, suffocating home ground, we'll be up against a team that has really got under our skin in recent years, one we haven't beaten in League or Championship since 2015. Yes, that one will also be a big test for us.
Then it's Kerry, arguably – in light of their win over Dublin the last night – the form team of the League so far, down in Tralee the night before St Patrick's Day. That one, though, is sufficiently far away to park for now. In any event, how we get on in the intervening two matches – and how they do in the meantime as well – will largely dictate how we're feeling about ourselves as we point ourselves towards Tralee.
The bottom line, then, is that, while we've made a good start to 2019, James Horan's charges have yet to face their first proper challenges of the year. How his team fare out in those will tell us a lot about how we really are shaping up. These upcoming tests will also give us at least some indication of what we should realistically be expecting from the team this year.
Dublin, Galway, James Horan, Kerry, NFL 2019 permalink
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46 thoughts on "How we're shaping up"
FW says:
Cillians ability from placed balls seems to have regressed in the last few years as mentioned above. However given his young age and undoubted technique i think some of this may be on the mental side of things.Since he has now had a good break and with the new feel good factor in the squad is it possible he might get back to top form from placed balls? I think it could be.
MayoMark says:
Last Saturday was the first time this year that at least one kickout didn't go straight over the sideline. It is also the first time we didn't look vulnerable under the high ball.
Catcol says:
What is there that one can say after that excellent summary Willie Joe? Here are a few paltry thoughts:
* At the half-way stage, one thing is clear: the Connacht championship is going to be some battle this year. We beat the Rossies, but they will claim – with justification – many absentees that night. The addition of Conor Cox has added to the mix there for sure. And, Galway can be quite happy too; missing many, not brilliant performances, but an away win in Monaghan and 4 points on the board. Leitrim are atop division 4, London beat Wexford and only Sligo, so far, have slumped.
* To put our kick-out woes into perspective, I've noted the performances of all three opposition goalkeepers, and all, to my mind, have been excellent. O'Malley for the Rossies was able to ping to his man even against the storm; Morgan, well what can you say – 16th man? Galligan too was excellent at finding his man consistently. Don't know what Slingerman can add, but he must be given a go.
* On McHale Park, all we've got to do is keep winning and we'll be able to manage the pitch. We didn't lose many in James's first term, so why not get back to winning ways, as we have done so far. In that sense too Galway are a good scalp to aim for.
* Placekicking has been ok; Doc's blips came when we played our best football from play. Evan will be a loss there, but Conor Loftus or Brian Reape could surely contribute.
* Pace, pace pace. James has worked on this for sure. The team is really pacey – Tyrone game in particular. We are capable of mounting attacks and have scorers from 2 to 15, 1 to 15 including Robbie. Harry, Keith, Leroy, Padd D, Boyler, all bombing forward and Reape, Diskin, McDonagh, and Tracey bounding out to balls is all quite exciting.
* Finally, the mark. Seems to be a feature early in games and then is forgotten about. Still it can give us options. I particularly liked the way Aiden made his mark and hit his point.
Aidy says:
Let's not get carried away with ourselves, put roscommon Tyrone and cavan together and they would not beat Dublin or Kerry. Just as man utd found out the other night Cardiff or Fulham are not PSG. On the plus side its great to see the panel being strengthen with all the younger lads getting a chance and taking it. The connacht championship probably will be the most competitive in 2019 should be very interesting.
toe to hand says:
Excellent summary Willie Joe.. you've covered all bases there. The goal keeper debate will continue for some time yet but the way the game has gone, and as crazy at it may seem, the kick out strategy/ability trumps everything else including commanding the square and shot stopping ability. If we could clone both players into one we would have the perfect keeper. The stodgey surface of MacHale park in its current size and condition along with the brand of football we play will mean that it will never likely become a fortress for us.. but it is a good training ground on toughness if nothing else. I would have preferred to play the Galway game straight off the back of having played Cavan and then go to Croake Park but either way these games are key too seeing where we are at.
Tom Prendergast says:
A good assessment at this stage of the competition,and I agree with most of it , u es all the games remaining will be tough,I am sure James and all are aware of that,we need to more efficient up front,use Aiden more in around the D ,and the lads with pace to feed off him,and try and reduce the amount of turnovers,,hon. Mayo!
FDBinashui says:
Agree there Toe to Hand. if the kickouts are 50:50 then you'll always have more shots to stop, more kick-outs to make. If you can improve the odds of those then you make it a problem for the opposition midfield, defense and ultimately your opposition keeper has more to worry about as regards high ball into the square and the shot stopping.
Ger Bohan says:
Thanks Willie Joe. An excellent summation.
Great to get 3 wins. Great to start winning at home.
What does concern me though is the value of those wins. We will only find out over the next few weeks and Summer. Recent years have shown teams like Donegal, Monaghan and Roscommon thrive in the league with young players, but the cupboard being empty come the Summer, once fitness levels were more even across teams. I don't know if this is an issue for us with our young players? They have to be a few years away from the top in terms of S & C work.
For me a Connacht title and a Super 8 win is the realistic target for the year. I do not see us as All Ireland contenders. We are bridging the gap between the lads of 2011 and 2019. To win Connacht will take beating two of the top 8 teams in the country, and only Dublin have beaten Galway the last two years (the Monaghan game really was a dead rubber). It is doable though.
I would like us to target the league. Next Saturday will be very interesting.
PJMcManus says:
If there is an issue with his kick outs I cannot think of a better man to sort that out than David Clarke. I agree making fool hardy assumptions on where we are at in Feb is a losers game.
StatsMan says:
We are in a great place with the squad, good rotation in all positions and a few great players to come back.
@PJMcManus, kick outs are so key and Clarke's aren't up to scratch, that cannot be argued against. If he can't do it against Cavan in Castlebar he is unlikely to do it against Kerry and Dublin.
The ability to win quick KO's 30, 40 and 50 metres up the field is invaluable, Clarke doesn't have that in his locker. I have to disagree strongly that he will sort it out, with all respect to him, he hasn't figured it out in 13 or 14 years of intercounty ball
JP says:
The goalkeeper debate has been like most debates in modern times, entrenched views 🙂
However, now that teams are more practiced with claiming marks and making passes from the kickout mark the kickout has taken on even more importance.
David Clarke is not going to majorly change his kickout at this point in his career. He has by definition a high trajectory, slow dropping kickout. We are missing out on marks we can claim ourselves and we are more vulnerable to the opposition breaking our kickout or claiming marks on it.
If you want to reduce goals conceded the most effective way is to dominate posession. Many goals that are scored are unstoppable anyways, so it wouldn't matter who was in goals.
Then, in terms of our attack, we have seen Robbie Hennellys kickout being the launchpad of attacks.
An excellent summary your article Willie Joe. The Dublin and Kerry games will really give us a better view on where we are.
diehard says:
On the goalie debate I have been a fan of David Clarke and thought replacing him against Dublin was a bad mistake. However, his kicking out on Saturday night wasn't great and caused us real problems. Mind you our outfield players didn't win much 50/50 balls either. I hope he can improve. Otherwise James Horan will have to go with Robbie Hennelly despite his unenviable history in Croker.
The next game is a very big deal for us. The dubs will be going all out because they need the points and they will be doing their best to put us back in our box. Whatever about winning, which would be great for morale, we certainly need a good performance and above all we need to avoid a heavy defeat.
Mayomagic says:
Barry Cassidy the ref for the Dublin game. he's one of the worst refs in the game at the moment.
JPM says:
Good report WJ.
A few points caught my eye. First was the issue with McHale Park pitch. Is there no way that the surface can be improved to dry it out and harden it up? Could it be covered when not in use? Its clear as day that the team approach JH encourages suits fit fast guys who really need a proper hard fast pitch to play on that suits their style. Its the same style for Dublin and Kerry by the way. But they do have these facilities when required so its another big loss that we are falling behind on.
Second is a shot of realism. Everyone on the podcasts concurred that Tyrone were a good bit off the pace. So it wasn't a level playing field and although the result was fantastic and much welcomed the reality is that Dublin will be a far bigger test in Croker. And they will be the real benchmark for these new Mayo soldiers.
Finally my tuppence worth on the goalkeeper saga is that we have to live with what we have. Right now our 2 options are D Clarke and Robbie. Both have strengths and weaknesses. It would be better to develop alternative outfield options for whichever of these is going to be used rather than concentrating on improving either of these individually. Because at this stage their overall styles are not going to dramatically change.
Paddyjoejohntom says:
I'm going to cause outrage here, but stopping people coming on to Machale park after a game,might go someway in helping its long term improvement ? Cue the screams of " but what about the children" !
I have seen absolutely nothing to suggest that Robbie has anything more than average kickouts. And that is an assessment of his league form. The last big game he played in, he unfortunately demonstrated an incredibly poor display of kickouts in 50 minutes or so. I am absolutely baffled that this is even a debate. Even if it were true that his kickouts were better (which I don't), it is absolutely marginal and it would still be lunacy to pick him over Clarke.
Wide Ball says:
Looks like John Small will be suspended for our game against Dublin due to the brawl after the Kerry game. Hard to know if that's even a positive for us. Jack McCaffrey will probably start now.
Remember51 says:
It's a great start but I'm a bit worried that we are still not settled on full back even tho Ger is making a late run at it, midfield are athletic and pacey but we are being outfielded regularly and we are still too reliant on Andy God bless him.
It's brilliant to see the new lads and all but these next three games will tell a tale.
Still very hopeful tho.
Perfectly summed up WJ. Lots to be positive about, but we also need to be realistic about where we are and where we might end up in the summer.
Right now I'd take a Connacht win and some positive performances in the Super 8's, so long as we are continuing to blood some new players in the process.
I'd want to see Plunkett, McDonagh, Reape and possibly Diskin getting valuable championship experience this summer.
Last year was a missed opportunity in that regard.
In terms of the league, I think we need to remember that our early championship exit last year is playing a big part in our positive performances. We look fitter at this point than we have for the past 6 or 7 years.
Beating the Dubs would be fantastic, but I genuinely can't see it (although I thought the same about Tyrone).
So long as we are competitive and give them a good old rattle, I'd be happy enough.
The Galway game is huge though. I know we've said it before, but we really need to get back into the habit of beating them. I'm sure Horan will be targeting this game, we have to lay down a serious marker before a potential Connacht final meeting.
The other 2 games in the league are very winnable. I know Kerry are in good form, but we can get a win down there. The Monaghan game will be tough, especially if they are fighting to stay in the division at that point. If they're not, and we have a potential final place in our sights, I'd fancy us there as well.
To sum up, we have to be happy about where we're at.
Horan seems to have the lads fired up (particularly the older lads, who clearly respect him and would run through walls for him) and we can see a definite style of play developing.
It's exciting to think how this pacy, hard running style will develop on the drier hard sod during the summer.
HaunisExile says:
Regarding the pitch, I was shocked last year when I walked across it after a match.
In addition to the smaller holes made from boots digging in, the surface has dips and hollows all over the place, it's a long way from a flat surface. The sod seems to to be lacking in grass to be honest, too much clay, not enough roots keeping it solid.
In fact, it seems very similar to when I played a NS hurling game there all of 30 years ago, when we struggled to lift the sliotar out of the holes in the ground.
I'm far from a gardening or pitch maintenance expert, but if you look at any of the top grass playing surfaces, Croke Park, the Aviva, any number of Premiership pitches, they seem to have a sod with a high density of grass, and possibly roots below, which maintains its structure and you tend not to see the ground beneath at all.
Should we be looking at replacing the pitch after we're finished with inter-county home matches this summer?
To me, the whole thing could do with being dug out, drained well, flattened completely, and a proper new surface laid. If we scrimp on the quality, we'll be doing the same thing over and over again every few years. It would be best to do it once properly and let the team benefit from over the coming years.
AMayoFan says:
@MayoMark – There is absolutely no question whatsoever that Robbie's kicks out are better than Clarke. Conditions against Roscommon were a factor in balls that when over sideline. Not since 'Bigbird' came back to mind our square have I been confident in Mayo ability under high ball and that regardless what goalkeeper we have! I don't have stats but anecdotally hasn't Clarke conceded goals under high balls too (Derry match two years ago in particular stands out in my memory).
Anyway, I find comparing these two a little distasteful as I'm a fan of both. They're both wonderful goalkeepers and both have different qualities. Both given the right run in the Championship I bet would be all-stars contenders.
Mayomad says:
HaunisExile, I don't think you can compare the surface in McHale Park to Croke Park, Aviva or Premiership grounds. These places have spend millions on state of the art drainage systems, sprinkler systems etc. it is simply not viable to expect similar in Castlebar. The cost of the playing surface in Dr Hyde park was in the region of 700,000. As someone who has had dealings with the construction of all weather pitches in the past I can say that is very good value. At present do Mayo GAA have the funding to re surface McHale Park to that standard, I don't think so, and if it has to be done it must be done right which means money, otherwise just look and the state of the pitch in Cork
AMayoFan – There is absolutely a question on kickouts. I have seen enough of both to know that. I'm not going to start trudging over old ground, because it's not fair. But if we are going to completely deny numerous past events and refuse to learn from them then we are in trouble.
They are not on a par. David Clarke is an All-Star goalkeeper, who was nominated once for player of the year. Even if his kickouts were inferior, and even it was by a significant amount (which, again, I do not think they are), we still can not afford to have someone of Clarke's standard on the bench. We have worn that t shirt and it hasn't worked.
If Robbie was the best keeper in Mayo, I'd have no problem. If Robbie plays for Mayo, I'll get behind him on the day just like everyone else wearing the jersey. But David Clarke is, on a whole, a much better goalkeeper.
Just to echo Mayomad, Haunis, pitch laying is big, big money. It's a massive investment. One that may well bee needed soon but one that will take serious funds.
yew_tree says:
MacHale Park needs to be ripped up and a new pitch put in like they did in the Hyde…that may mean a year out for the stadium but in the long term it will be worth it.
yew-tree, where will the money come from?
Willie Joe says:
I agree with Yew Tree – a new pitch is an absolute must and the sooner it's done the better as the current one makes playing at home a major liability for us. Of course it'll cost money, as will the Lough Lannagh development, hence our need to do fundraising like this.
RiseAgain says:
Mark Mayo. …
Re D Clarke.
Because of the new rule, regarding all kickouts from there 20 m line, Hennelly has the ability to hit someone across the half fwd line. Clarke does not have this ability.
Regarding past performance :
Go back and review the last 10 minutes of the drawn all ireland 2016.
Anyhow the decision is up to J Horan.
To reply to Mayomad and MayoMark, of course it's a huge expense, but it needs to be done, and the sooner the better. It'll still be expensive next year or the year after if we keep putting it off.
The surface is poor, not just the pock marks from players churning the ground, there are sections of the pitch with rises and falls, more like waves on the sea than a pitch – at least they're static though 🙂
Generally though, this is something the GAA should be part-funding though. They're happy to take the gate receipts from the inter-county games, but they should be ploughing it back to inter-county facilities.
Now it may well be that we were waiting on the possibility of the Rugby World Cup coming to Castlebar in order to fund a new pitch, but as that's not happening, it really should be one of the main items the County Board plan in the coming months.
RiseAgain – That rule will be dumped in 4 games time so you can't base everything on that.
I don't really want to get into this debate again, but Hennelly has had plenty of poor kickouts as well over the years. IMO it seems to be more of a concentration or mental thing with him. While he does have a cleaner kicking style than Clarke, he seems to struggle with decision making in game situations.
From what I've seen, Clarke is better at shotstopping and under the high ball. The kickouts are broadly even. Clarke's are more reliable/consistent while Hennelly has a better length/variety.
Rise Again, refer to 2013, 2015 semi, 2015 semi replay, 2016 replay, if we are going down this route. I've said it before, it appears both keepers are judged on different standards.
RE the pitch – I don't disagree that it needs to be done. I'm just pointing out that it will require massive funds.
On the pitch issue, the problem with relaying the surface is the sheer disruption it will cause. MacHale Park is used all year round, rom the FBD in January to the U21 club championships in December.
If it has to be closed for a prolonged period of time where will all the games be played? Specifically the senior intercounty footballers. We get 10-14k at league games which cannot be accomodated anywhere else in the county. If the club championship finals were played in Ballina for example you would also get much lower crowds.
Reduced crowds equals reduced revenue which adds more expense to the whole project.
Wide Ball – regarding the re-org of games.
I'm sure we could come to some arrangement with other counties to manage it.
Let's say we had a league season (2019) where we played all our home matches first, then resurface the pitch begins. We play all our Connacht Championship games away that summer, on the basis that we'd have them all at home next time around. We get to the Super-8's and play our home game at an alternative venue, say Hyde Park or Salthill, just that season.
Surely the pitch would be completed by the following season.
Yes, you'd need to find alternatives to stage county finals, but I honestly think it would be worth it to get the pitch to the standard it should be.
I'm a year behind myself, say 2020 League season home first, away last few games.
Mayonaze says:
I'm with you Mark on the keeper debate.
Someone earlier said last year was a lost year in many respects and I'd agree too with that. We were out of juice in the league mainly because the on starting 15 in most games were the old reliables who had just come off two physically and mentally exhausting seasons. Thst we managed to stay afloat that day in Ballybofey was a credit to them team but there's no reason why Reape and plunkett couldn't have been nicely bedded in in 2018 and given Ruane greater exposure. From that perspective, I agree it was a year lost. These guys are 24,23 respectively and not kids anymore! Remember when Galway won Sam in 1998, a third of the team were 22 or younger!! I know Donnellan, Joyce, savage and divilly were all 21 yrs old cos and Meehan and Paul Clancy were 22. Yes, it's a much more physically demanding game now twenty years on but it's still relevant. High quality intercounty players should be 'making it' by the time they are 23. If they haven't it's unlikely they'll develop into the the type of player good enough to win you an All Ireland.
The ones who look certain to make it from our u21 2016 side are Diarmuid (obviously), Reape and plunkett (looks like a veteran already) and probably add Eoin O'D and Coen to that tho the former hasn't featured this year and Coen needs to nail down a position.
Ruane is being tested and boy do we need legs in midfield. We are really short in this sector. Akram hasn't broken through. Hall has faded (I believe he has injuries but doesn't look like he'll be back anytime soon) and Boland still makes fleeting appearances. James Kelly plays the odd few mins here and there and Loftus…well, something ain't right there. Still think he can make it but seems to have regressed and looks to lack strength, bullishness and aggression whereas look at Fionn Mcdonagh…he has really grabbed the bull by the horns and taken the opportunity (a bit like Jaydoc did in his first league campaign when he scored a heap of goals). Thst being said, Mcdonagh has to continue to improve. He kicked 2 wides v Cavan which should both have gone over. Loftus could take a leaf out of his book in terms of on the pitch mentality.
James Carr…the great white hope…Andy namechecked him on newstalk and it was like the commentators curse!! No one seems to know where this guy is? I'd love to know if anyone has an update there.
David Kenny and Liam Irwin were two excellebt players too but the boat may have sailed for both it seems. Pity. Particularly re Irwin cos he had a special talent and could react to do things others wouldn't think of AND kick frees off the ground!
Great if we can see more of disco and Ryan O D (When back from injury). They are young but not too young. Colm Moran needs to bulk up.
I think everyone would like to see a new surface at McHale Park and it does need to happen at some stage. However significant funding will have to be in place first, approx 1 million would need to be ring fenced for the project. In reality Mayo play about 6 home games per year. Mayo County board have other demands on their finances, the stand still needs to be paid for (No money coming from GAA until that is done), the cost of training and maintaining teams is currently in the region of 1.5m and there is the development of Lough Lannagh to fund (IMO this takes priority). Taking that into account I would say the surfacing of McHale will be put on the very long finger.
HaunisExile, I really don't think County Council were waiting for the rugby world cup to finance it, that was all pie in the sky and was never going to happen in Ireland. We all love McHale park but it is no where near up to the standard required to host a world cup match.
dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze says:
A good assessment of where we are at, however it is only Feb, and I hope it's not a case of flying in February, burned out in June. I think we have big problems at midfield and if that doesn't come into sharp focus against the Dubs next week, it will during the summer.
On the goalkeeper issue, I think Horan will go with Robbie.
Leantimes says:
A new surface in Mchale Park would mean a year away from it… The pitch is in better shape than it was this time last year, when it was definitely abused…. The two FBD match's in January of last year ruined it and it never recovered, by the time we got to play Tyrone in the league it resembled Enniscrone Beach with all the Sand… Pairc Uí Cáoimh was resurfaced at great cost, and a total disaster… Serious questions should and indeed are being asked in Cork about the whole project including how much the new pitch cost, and why it's so bad.. Enormous figures are being suggested for the resurfacing cost…But there is absolutely no reason for it to cost hundreds of thousands of Euro…It is still just over a hecacre of land, regardless if it's the County ground or not….. Other GAA club's, soccer club's and rugby have resurfaced their pitchs successfully and it didn't cost several hundred thousand Euro…If the surface is relaid, it would definitely mean a year away from McHale Park… Probably meaning that we play our league games in Ballina… Can Ballina hold the type of crowd's Mayo regularly attract to home games? A few years ago I remember on an Easter Sunday, beautiful spring day in fairness, Mayo and Donegal attracted over 18K people in the league, Dublin and Mayo attracted a similar figure a few weeks earlier…. And that was official figures. Can the Mayo County Board afford the automatic reduction in attendance money this would nessarly involve?.. Another thing I would contend is that, while Mayo are probably the best supported team in Ireland, outside of Dublin… This continued support cannot be taken for granted, If thousands of Mayo fans were precluded from attending home games because of lack of capisity for one year, there is no gaurentee that they will return the following year….. Not too many years ago, Cork football had big support, Meath likewise, Galway once upon a time, long time ago… Even the Dubs are not coming out in the numbers of a few years ago…. Mayo need to progress with caution!
When did Cork footballers have huge support? Marty football has fallen off a cliff hence their support has reduced. Galway fans only ever showed up for All Ireland finals in my lifetime although Castlebar in 1998 was an exception…it was like they sensed it was going to be their year.
That said there is no way we would get 10-15,000 at home league games if we were operating in division 2.
Yew tree, I said 'Galway,once upon a time, a long ago'. Cork in comparison to Mayo never had good support, but at least they did have some support….a multiple of what they now have, despite the new stadium, and I reckon that will be the same after they have the second new Pitch next year!.. You wouldn't get 10,000 into any other Ground in Mayo!… Spending hundreds of thousands of other people"s Euro's won't gaurentee a good Pitch,. ..If it did, Cork would have a good Pitch in Páirc Uí Cáoimh… And even Wembley itself, was badly torn up after an American Football match was played their towards the end of last year…. Despite the millions available to the English FA and I'm sure spent…. What a good Pitch needs is very good care, good weather and time….All far more important than spending money on it!
AndyD says:
On the issue of the MacHale Park surface I have in the past few years been part of redeveloping my home club grounds which were by common consent "a bog, and nothing can be done wiith it". It was on boggy soil and also subject to frequent flooding from an adjoining river. Today it is one of the best pitches for many miles around and has never failed to host a match since it opened over 10 years ago at any time of the year. The solution lay in drainage because, contrary to many peoples opinion, peat is one of the easiest soils to drain provided you can find an outlet for the water. It also involved laying a sand surface to make the surface more durable. The beauty of the pitch to play on is the springiness which makes it easy to run on and reduces wear and tear on the joints of the player. This comes from the peat soil. The secret of the drainage is a dual drainage system with drains about 5 feet deep at about 15 yards spacing and surface drains c. 18 inches deep and 12 – 15 inches apart with plenty gravel used.
What the soil is like in MacHale I do not know. Would need to do a little digging to find out. But unless it has natural good drainage properties it will always be very difficult to have a good surface. Replacing the surface on a badly draining pitch would be a case of putting clean socks on dirty feet. The aroma won't be absent for long. Another crucial aspect of doing work on a pitch is that any work done in bad weather is likely to leave conditions worse that at the start as working soil in bad weather destroys whatever structure is in the soil. So bad luck with weather could leave you pitch out of action for more than one year.
PS to above. The cost of our redevelopment was c. €350,000 with one of the top, and in my opinion, the best contractors in the country.
Jp2 says:
regarding the pitch are the seniors training on it at present.?
Swallow Swoops says:
For me, midfield is the place where we have the most to gain. I'd like to see us assured and confident there. I would love to see two people there capable of high fielding. In past years, I've seen the benefit of being able to gain possession there and make attacks from it. On the converse side I've noticed it is *really* costly for us to lose our own kickouts there, and for the opposition to win them. That is so wasteful and can cause all sorts of problems. Tom Parsons has been so good for us in this sector of the field. Seamus O'Shea too. This is top of my wishlist!
Jp2 – I don't think the seniors train in MacHale Park at this time of year. They would be on the back pitch.
michael Mc Nicholas says:
KMc`s goal for me ,for all the above reasons but also because we were sitting behind Tommy O`Dowd of Meath. He reveled in the whole Canalgate fracas. By the time the game was over he got more"benign" slaps on the back than were thrown in 96.
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text:
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve staff remove a shipping container off Long Beach on Nov. 17, 2016. Roughly 35 shipping containers are believed to have spilled off the Haniin Seattle last fall and 17 of them have since been located onshore. (Photo - Andrew Bailey)
Hanjin Shipping cleanup around Tofino and Ucluelet has hit a snag says Courtenay-Alberni MP
"If this was in Ottawa River, you can't tell me that they wouldn't figure out a way."
The West Coast's efforts to clean up the aftermath of last year's shipping container spill have hit a funding snag, according to Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns.
Volunteers have collected much of what crashed ashore when 35 containers spilled off the cargo ship Hanjin Seattle while it was making its way from San Franciso to Seattle on Nov. 5, but Johns believes some of the supersacks that debris was collected in are now stranded with no funding available to carry them out.
The vessel's owner, Hanjin Shipping, was ordered to pay $72,000 to help the cleanup efforts, as part of the South Korean company's ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. That money was held by Canada's federal government until June of this year before being dished out to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
The Park Reserve worked with local organizations, particularly Surfrider Pacific Rim, to organize volunteer cleanups of the debris, which was organized into 17 pick-up sites, according to Johns who said he was dismayed to see the Park Reserve pump the brakes on its originally laid out pick-up plan due to funding limitations.
"They were going to have to leave a bunch of these sacks there and it was up to Surfrider to find the money to pick them up. It's sickening…People think it's like a bunch of plastic bags or pop bottles on the beach, this is massive pieces of styrofoam and metal. This isn't light stuff and it's not easy to remove," Johns told the Westerly News on Thursday.
"The fact that the government, through the National Park, had made a promise to remove it all once it was gathered and now they're saying the don't have the resources to do it, is absolutely insulting and it's a betrayal to the people of our communities."
He said he successfully lobbied the Park Reserve to clear debris from some of the sites, but that Flores Island is still scheduled to be missed.
"With our pressure this week, the Park has now has expanded to go back to promising to remove those areas around Ucluelet and others that they identified when they set out the 17 points, but we need to secure that seventeenth point up on Flores Island to finish the job," he said.
He added the supersacks must be removed before the West Coast's winter storms hit.
"This isn't a lot of money right now to remove the debris that's been gathered, but it's going to be a lot of money if that debris gets spread out all over the coast again and we have to call on volunteers again," he said.
He said he's been shocked to see the Government of Canada offer no funding of its own outside of the $72,000 from Hanjin Shipping.
"The government has given zero money, not a nickel, to this cleanup……For them to tell us that they don't have a funding mechanism is complete garbage, no pun intended," he said. "If this was in Ottawa River, you can't tell me that they wouldn't figure out a way. Disasters happen and you throw money at it and you fix it before it creates greater damage and they haven't done that."
He said he's reached out to the Prime Minister's office and will continue pressing for more funding.
"I'm absolutely not going to sit idle and watch this group and the volunteers in our communities be left out and told, 'Too bad.' That's not acceptable," he said. "These people did this because they care and then the government's going to treat them like this? It's absolutely disgraceful. It's unacceptable and we're not going to let this happen."
The Park Reserve declined an interview request but issued a written statement on Sept. 22 suggesting that 13 of the 17 shipping containers that were located after crashing ashore have been removed from within the Park Reserve as well as surrounding areas, including Vargas, Blunden, Bartlett, and George Fraser Islands and that four other containers are scheduled to be removed "as weather permits."
"Removal of the debris has been made more challenging by the remote locations and rugged shorelines of the region, discovery of more debris in areas not originally identified in Parks Canada's work plan, and the necessity and cost of using barges as well as helicopters to sling the material out," the statement reads.
"In the spirit of cooperation, Parks Canada was able to direct most of the funding received from Hanjin to clean-up outside of the park reserve's boundaries. The Hanjin funds have gone towards equipment, transport, helicopters, and barges needed to break down, collect, and remove the debris both inside and outside the park reserve, with some funds provided to Surfrider towards their expenses. This dollar amount does not reflect the many hours of time dedicated by volunteers and Parks Canada staff to planning and removing the debris."
The statement adds that Parks Canada plans to meet with local stakeholders next week to "discuss possible options for removing debris from the remaining two sites."
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T.D. Williamson, a global leader in pipeline product and service solutions, was in need of a video to accompany a newly redesigned website to explain its mission. Invisible Element teamed up with TDW to create this unique animated video that utilized illustration and motion design.
Although this project was a collaborative effort, Invisible Element was responsible for scripting, creating art direction and illustration, as well as animation. TDW was interested in creating a unique video that would stand out amongst those commonly found within the Energy market. The visual approach we landed on allowed great flexibility to give a corporate message a fresh, distinct voice.
Since 1920, TDW has served the pressurized pipeline industry with product and service innovations engineered to exceed customer expectations. Today, TDW is a global leader in pipeline product and service solutions, providing hot tapping & plugging, pipeline cleaning, geometry & MFL inspection, pigging and non-tethered plugging pig technology services for any pressurized pipeline system.


The goals and objectives of the San Francisco Latino Democratic Club are to promote and encourage Latino candidates to empower the Latino community in areas of Immigration and Social Justice Issues such as Economic Development for Latino Jobs and Businesses, for Quality of Life Issues relative to violence prevention, youth and education. In addition, support other candidates that will advocate and promote issues and legislation that further the Latino Agenda. To actively motivate Latinos to understand the issues, vote, and get involved through advocacy.
Check in starts at 6:00pm - Meeting begins at 6:30pm.
We will have a short agenda focusing on the election of our 2018 Board - Make sure you are eligible to vote by paying your dues!
The San Francisco Latino Democratic Club will hold it's General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, September 20 at 518 Valencia: The Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics. Sign-in starts at 6:00 PM. Meeting starts at 6:30 PM.
The San Francisco Latino Democratic Club is throwing their support behind Come Together - Juanita MORE!'s Rally & March For Equality happening Saturday, August 26 at 12:00 PM. Gather near the Galeria de la Raza tent which will be at 17th/Castro.
The San Francisco Latino Democratic Club will hold it's General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, July 19 at 518 Valencia: The Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics. Sign-in starts at 6:00 PM. Meeting starts at 6:30 PM.
We will have a training on how to effectively lobby an elected official by Gomez Arteaga. We will also be holding a vote to confirm the appointment by the Executive Board of Kevin Ortiz to VP of Membership.
The San Francisco Latino Democratic Club (SFLDC) fully supports the Resolution Calling for an Independent Audit of the 2017 California State Democratic Party Officer Election put forth by Members Petra Dejesus and Peter Gallotta and urges members of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee vote in favor of said resolution.


Your Members Choice Checking Account & Debit Card is even safer now when you enroll in Visa Purchase Alerts. This service provides you with email or text alerts when transactions are made with your debit card. There is no charge for this service and only takes a couple of minutes to set up. You can choose to have alerts received via email, text message or both. (Messaging rates may apply through your cell phone carrier).
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Are you looking for a fun an exciting way to have a Christmas gift exchange? Try playing the. I played this gift exchange right left game over Christmas, I had to share it! This unique. Last Minute Family Christmas Gift Exchange Game.
58. 2K. Oct 13, 2010. Now it was time to buy the right present for each member of the Wright family. So one morning he hopped right out of bed and quietly left home.
If you'd like to write Christmas letters to friends and family this year, but are getting overwhelmed, here's ideas and tips to make the process painless and fun. Download or Print this fun free Christmas scouting activity. This game can be enjoyed by both boy scouts and girl scouts. This is one of the best scouting Christmas games for scouts!
Want to learn how to write Christmas Letter to Friend? Here are useful tips that will guide you to easily write a Christmas Letter to Friend.
How to play the popular left-right Christmas game, complete with a funny story you can use. You won't want to" pass" on this article. Christmas Letters: Patterns, Samples, and Templates I love all the extra mail the month of December brings with it.
It's fun to open all the pretty Christmas cards and see the family photos, but I especially enjoy reading the newsy letters. A few years ago my mom used this game at a Christmas party with our family. The entire RIGHT family sang Christmas carols while they decorated. Then they. Wright Family Christmas Story. Discover ideas about Christmas Parties.
Pass the. You'll note that the first letter of each scrambled word is capi. Find this Pin. Download or Print this fun free Christmas scouting activity. This game can be enjoyed by both boy scouts and girl scouts. This is one of the best scouting.
How to write an entertaining christmas letter (that your family and friends will actually want to read! ) Skip to primary navigation;. it is a challenge to write a good Christmas letter, here are some key things to keep in mind when writing. 1. How to write an amazing Christmas letter [. ] Christmas is coming, holiday cards and letters fill the mailbox and it's time to write your family's annual Christmas letter.
Want your letter to stand out from the crowd? Aug 10, 2011 · A Right Family Christmas Game. 6 photos of A Right Family Christmas Game Recipe.
By Kim Biegacki @pistachyoo 1. This is by far one of the funniest Christmas. An article full of tips about writing an annual family Christmas letter. Christmas letters are a good way of renewing your ties with family and friends. However frantic and hectic your schedule may have been throughout the year, Christmas seems just the right time to catch up with your family, friends and acquaintances.
Use one of these free Christmas letter templates to create a newsletter that will update your friends and family about your year in style. How to Write a Christmas Newsletter Sometimes the holidays are the only chance you get to connect with your out-of-state relative or old college buddy. Between graduations and new family additions, there's a lot to keep up with!
Mar 11, 2018 · How to Write a Christmas Letter. Millions of people send Christmas letters to family, friends, professional contacts, and members of their community every year. A Christmas letter wishes the recipient a happy Christmas and exchanges some. An article full of tips about writing an annual family Christmas letter.
Here are ten creative Christmas letter ideas. And the picture at the very top of this post is going to be our "family letter" for 2013. I usually write a. RIGHT – LEFT GAME. FOR CHRISTMAS. This is a fun and simple game that you can play with your ESL students during a Christmas party.
You will need a. Christmas with the RIGHT Family. Christmas was almost here and Mother RIGHT was finishing the Christmas baking. Father RIGHT, Sue RIGHT and Billy RIGHT Here's how you can write a more authentic Christmas letter this year: Focus on your readers instead of on yourself and your family. As you prepare to write your Christmas letter, imagine the. Conclude your Family Christmas Letter with a heart-warming wish and then add the closing salutation right below it, followed by your name.
Others are Reading How to Write a College Acceptance Letter Here are some ideas for creative Christmas letters to get you started. Multiple Choice Quiz You don't need to write lengthy prose to tell people about your year. Spruce up your season's greetings with our Christmas letter ideas and writing tips. Hallmark;. If you write a caption for a photo of the family at Disney World. Download or Print this fun free Christmas scouting activity.
This game can be enjoyed by both boy scouts and girl scouts. This is one of the best scouting Christmas. Home > Christmas News Letters. Concentrate on the good things that happened to you and your family. There are exceptions. Write about Christmas when you were a. Conclude your Family Christmas Letter with a heart-warming wish and then add the closing salutation right below it, followed by your name.
Others are Reading How to Write a College Acceptance Letter Creative Christmas Letter Ideas Creating personalized Christmas cards is a traditional practice during the holiday season. In addition, many families include a Christmas letter to update extended family and friends on what they've done over the past year. All the guests stand in a circle, with a wrapped gift (under a specific dollar amount. ) The" Right Family Christmas" story is read, and each time the word.
Dear Friends and Family: Happy Holidays from the Wright Family of Wright, Texas Wendell Willard Wright and Wanda Sue Wright. Greetings from Turkey, Texas –where the Wright Family is again spending what is left of the Christmas holidays. 1 LIFE WITH THE WRIGHT FAMILY MATERIALS NEEDED: The Wright Family Story One playing card, penny, pen, paper clip, or some other small item for each person in Use one of these free Christmas letter templates to create a newsletter that will update your friends and family about your year in style.
This lovely Christmas letter template is just what you need to create a newsletter that has enough space to write about your whole year. You also have places to add two photos, a date, and customize your. How to Write a Holiday Newsletter that People Will Actually Want to Read. Abstain from passing along news of friends and family we're unlikely to know. She writes her Christmas letters in. 5 Tips for Writing the Perfect Christmas Letter Every year we get between 10 and 20 Christmas letters.
I read every single one, and keep them in a basket in the dining room so visitors and family members can easily scoop them up. How to Write a Christmas Newsletter. Include your photo with your family together, to give a nice, personal touch. Write your letters in the first person. Christmas with Wright family christmas letter RIGHT Family.
Christmas was almost here and Mother RIGHT was finishing the Christmas baking. Father RIGHT, Sue RIGHT and Billy RIGHT returned from their last minute Christmas shopping. "There's not much LEFT to be done", said Father RIGHT, as he Free Christmas Letter Templates.
add a typed letter directly onto the design, or write out holiday greetings by hand. to your family this year? This Christmas. Family Christmas Letter example and information on writing Family Christmas Letter. Right now you have to write a Christmas letter, because, although you have been assiduously updating your co-workers, gym mates, and entire eighth grade graduating class with Facebook pictures of. 14 ideas for creative Christmas letters! Write from the pet's or toddler's perspective, make a Top Ten list, create a family newspaper, and more!
Everyone sits in a circle holding the gift he or she brought for the Christmas Party. Someone reads the story below, reading slowly enough for gifts to be passed. A Right Family Christmas Game. 6 photos of A Right Family Christmas Game Recipe. By Kim Biegacki @pistachyoo 1. This is by far one of the funniest Christmas games to.