Chris Pearce's Blog, page 9

How to score in Australian football

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Scoring in Australian football is different from other codes. The game has no tries or touchdowns and no crossbar in the goal area. The two ways to accumulate points are goals and behinds. A goal is worth six points and a behind is one point. To score a goal, the ball must come off the foot of an attacking player whereas a behind can be scored in a number of ways.

At each end of an Australian rules football ground are four posts: two goal posts and a behind post to the outside of each goal post. Each set of four posts is set in a straight line despite the rest of the ground being oval shaped. The goal posts must be at least six meters (about 20 feet) in height and the behind posts at least three meters. The distance between each post is 6.4 meters (or seven yards). A straight line is drawn on the ground between the four posts. All posts are padded to at least 2.5 meters (just over eight feet).

For a goal to be scored, the ball must be kicked by a member of the attacking team and must pass completely over the line between the two goal posts. The ball can be held before being dropped onto the foot and kicked through or can be soccered through, including any accidental contact with an attacking player’s foot. The ball can go through the goals on the full or it can bounce any number of times or roll through the posts, so long as it is kicked by a member of the attacking team and doesn’t touch another player before it crosses the line. The ball can pass through the goals at any height, including higher than the goal posts themselves.

A behind is scored when the ball crosses the line between one of the goal posts and a behind post. The most common way to score a behind is where an attacking player kicks for goal but the ball goes to the outside of a goal post instead. This can be the result of pressure from the opposing team or a poor kick from a set shot after a free kick is awarded. Sometimes the angle that a player has to shoot from is acute and only an extremely accurate kick will carry the ball through for a goal.

Other ways to score a behind in Australian football are many. This includes where the ball is kicked towards goal but it hits another player, from either the attacking or defending team, before passing through the goals. This often occurs when players contest a mark (catch) on the goal line and the ball crosses this line. Where an oppostion player kicks, handballs, taps or carries the ball through the goal posts, or between a goal post and behind post, a behind is scored.

If the ball touches the goal post, a behind is always scored. In this case, it doesn’t matter whether the ball was kicked or touched in some other way by any player. Nor does it matter if the ball bounces off the goal post and comes straight back into the playing area, or if the ball ricohets off the goal post, including the padding, and goes through the posts. It also includes where the ball trickles towards goal and comes to rest up against the goal post.

Further, where a defending player has the ball from a free kick and is standing outside the field of play near the scoring area and doesn’t bring the ball back in over the man marking him (i.e. he plays on), a behind is registered. If an opposition player is touching the ball at the same time an attacking player kicks the ball through the goal posts, a behind results (although the player kicking the ball may have a free kick awarded against him for kicking in danger). Any behind that isn’t the result of a kick by an attacking player is called a rushed behind.

If the ball hits a behind post on the full from a kick by a player on the attacking team, the ball is considered to be out of bounds on the full and a free kick is given to the defending team. If the ball hits a behind post in any other way, it is deemed to be out of bounds and will be thrown back in by a boundary umpire.

The term “behind” goes back to the days when the game had no behind posts or scoring of behinds. The first set of rules for Australian football in 1859 stated that when the ball was kicked behind the goal, the defending team brought the ball out 20 yards from goal and kicked it to restart play. Behind posts were used for the first time in 1866.

A goal umpire decides if a goal or behind has been scored, but only after being given the all clear (or touched all clear) by a field umpire. He or she (an increasing number of goal umpires in Australian football are females, including at national level) may consult with field or boundary umpires before awarding a goal or behind. The goal umpires indicates that a goal has been scored by raising both index fingers to about chest high. For a behind, one index finger is raised. The umpire then picks up two flags for a goal, or one for a behind, and waves them above their head. This allows the goal umpire at the other end of the ground to see what has happened, and also the scorers. The flags are kept in a pouch or bracket at the back of each goal post and are returned to this spot after each score has been signalled.

If the ball is kicked through the goal or behind area but touches an umpire or a team official (runner) on its way, then a goal or behind is still scored. Sometimes the ball passes through the goals or for a behind but no score is registered. This happens when an infringement occurs against the atttacking team, resulting in a free kick to the other team.

At the end of a quarter of play or at the end of the match, the ball must have left the foot of the player kicking the ball before the siren starts for a goal or behind to be counted. A goal or behind can be scored after the siren when it is the result of a free kick having been awarded before the siren sounds. A field umpire may still award a further penalty if a player infringes when the player with the ball is kicking for goal after the siren. For example, if the opposition player runs over the mark, a 50 meter penalty may be awarded, bringing the kicker within much easier range of the goals. Or if one of his team mates infringes in any way, the player with the ball may lose his opportunity to kick for goal.

After a goal is scored, the boundary umpires run with the ball back to the center of the ground and pass it to a field umpire who bounces the ball to restart play. Thus, unlike soccer or rugby, neither team is favoured at the restart. After a behind, a player from the opposition kicks the ball back into play and may run as far as a line drawn 10 yards or nine meters in front of the goal before taking his kick.

For several years, the pre-season competition of the Australian Football League (currently the NAB Cup) has awarded nine points for a ball kicked from outside the 50 meter (about 55 yards) line drawn on the ground in an arc this distance from the goal. This is called a super goal. Other goals and behinds are scored in the usual way. When an attacking player has a free kick, the mark or infringement (and thus the man standing the mark) must have taken place at least 50 meters from the goal for a super goal to be scored.

Scores can range from nil (although this is unusual and has never happened in the Australian Football League, the code’s premier competition) up to more than 200 points, which will probably include at least 30 goals. A more typical result might be Melbourne 14.18 (102) defeated Sydney 15.9 (99), where the first figure is the number of goals scored (worth six points each), the second is the number of behinds, and the third figure is the total numbers of points. Note that the winning team isn’t necessarily the one that kicks the most goals, although this team is the winner in most cases. A result from the pre-season cup might be Geelong 2.13.10 (106) defeated Brisbane 1.11.12 (87). Here, the first figure is the number of super goals (worth nine points each). In the long term, the number of goals and behinds are similar.

A draw can and does occur although this is infrequent, perhaps happening in something like one match in 100. Finals matches include provision for extra playing time in order to break a tie.

The popularity of Australian rules football outside of Australia

(originally published in 2008 to Helium writing site, now gone)

Australian rules football is becoming increasingly popular in a number of other countries. This is mainly due to expatriate Australians living overseas as well as the media and others promoting the game internationally. Leagues exist in at least 25 countries in all continents.

The first overseas countries to play Australian football were New Zealand and South Africa by Victorian gold miners who had been attracted to these countries by gold rushes. By 1900, New Zealand had 115 clubs. At the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival in 1908, the New Zealand team beat two Australian states, New South Wales and Queensland, although rugby was very much the predominant code in those states at the time. During World War I (1914-1918), Australian servicemen played the game in England, France, Belgium and Egypt. Overseas games then almost disappeared, with the notable exception of the annual match between England’s Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Gradually, other overseas countries began playing Australian rules football. Nauru, an island nation north-east of Australia, adopted it in the 1930s after Nauruan children returned from stints in Australian schools. It soon became the national sport. Nauru has 12 teams and a match can attract up to 3,000 spectators, or 30 per cent of the island’s population, making it the only country outside Australia where the game is a major spectator sport.

Australian servicemen played the game in a number of countries during World War II (1939-1945), including Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt and Algiers. Servicemen played in Vietnam in the 1960s against local residents. The popularity of the game in Papua New Guinea has grown rapidly since the 1960s, with various international games and tours in the 1970s. They have 2,000 senior players in 46 clubs in seven competitions, and 8,000 juniors. The biggest crowd to see a game in Papua New Guinea was 5,000 at their 1999 grand final at Port Moresby. Matches from Australia are shown live on television. Their national team, the Mosquitoes, beat New Zealand in the 2008 Australian Football International Cup.

Overseas exhibition matches started in 1963, attracting large crowds and doing much to boost the sport’s popularity. The first match in Honolulu on 20 October drew a crowd of 1,500 to see Melbourne play Geelong. A game in San Francisco six days later attracted 3,500 people. The largest crowd to attend an Australian football match overseas was 32,789 at B.C. Place, Toronto where Melbourne played Sydney on 9 October 1987. Other good crowds to exhibition games include 25,000 in 1986 at Yokohama, 24,639 in 1989 at Toronto, and 18,884 in 2005 at London. Other countries to host these games have been India, Singapore, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates. The matches resulted in leagues being formed in many of these countries.

Australian rules football in neighboring New Zealand was revived in 1974. A national team, the Falcons, was formed in 1995 and has performed well in international competitions. About 600 senior players compete in four leagues, while junior participation has exploded to 16,000. Four exhibition matches between 1991 and 2001 attracted an average of about 9,000 spectators. Live coverage in New Zealand of Australian Football League (AFL) matches started in 2006.

Competitions started in Japan, England, Denmark and Canada in the 1980s. Australian football in Japan goes back to 1910 when it was played in four high schools. Interest was revived in the late 1980s after two exhibition matches. Japan has four leagues, 15 clubs and 600 adult players, with over 80 per cent being Japanese nationals. In England, the game had been played by Australian expatriates, servicemen and visiting teams since about 1870. It now has 600 senior players in 20 clubs, and 3,000 juniors. Local grand finals attract up to 1,500 people. English fans see three live matches from Australia a week. Canada had more than 500 seniors and 300 juniors in 21 clubs in 2007, with participation up 70 cent on 2006 and 95 per cent on 2005. Live matches from Australia are seen on television.

In the 1990s, Australian football leagues commenced in Sweden, Germany, the United States, Argentina, Spain, Samoa, South Africa, and some south-east Asian countries. The United States has 2,000 registered adult players in 28 clubs in several leagues, with participation more than doubling in two years. Most players are American. The largest crowd to see an Australian football match in the Unites States was 14,787 at Portland in 1990. Americans see regular matches from Australia on television. South Africa has 2,000 adult players and 4,000 juniors in 100 clubs. An exhibition match at Cape Town in 1998 attracted more than 10,000 spectators.

Since 2000, league competition has begun in Ireland, Tonga, Scotland, France, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Catalonia, Croatia, Norway, Bermuda and East Timor. Most players in Indonesia, China and Pakistan are nationals. In China, while only 70 adults play, 9,000 juniors attended clinics and 18 schools added Australian football as a sport. Popularity of the game is Ireland has been boosted by the annual series of hybrid rules games between the Australian national team and the Irish Gaelic football national team since 1967, often bringing in crowds of over 20,000 in both Ireland and Australia.

Other international competitions include the Arafura Games which are an international sporting event held in Darwin and have included Australian football matches since 1995. The Australian Football International Cup has been held in Victoria every three years since 2002 between overseas countries. In 2008, 16 nations competed.

Junior development and competitions in Australian football are conducted in a number of countries, including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Denmark, United States, Canada, Nauru, Tonga and Samoa. The Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament began in 1998 and is held in Canberra with countries such as New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Denmark, Nauru and Samoa competing.

Potential barriers to the spread of Australian football in other countries are several. The game is played on a large oval field that also usually serves as a cricket ground in summer. These grounds are up to twice as long as a soccer, rugby or gridiron field and suitable venues can be hard to find in many countries. A team has 18 players on the field at any one time, more than other football codes. A successful compromise to these problems has been nine-a-side games on soccer and rugby grounds. Another issue is that other football codes are firmly entrenched in most countries and people can be reluctant to support a code they know little or nothing about.

Despite these hurdles, the number of Australian football players in other countries increased from 16,000 in 2006 to about 35,000 in 2007, although none play professionally. While participation has increased rapidly in recent years, the game remains a major sport in Australia only, with 600,000 registered players. This may change in the years ahead, with international competitions, junior programs, and media coverage expanding all the time.

The origins of Australian football

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Australian football had its origins in Melbourne, the capital of the then fledgling colony of Victoria, in the late 1850s. At the time, the city played no soccer or rugby. Indeed, the two codes hadn’t officially separated from each other in England or anywhere else. Football had few set rules. This was the case in America too where gridiron wasn’t formalized until 1869.

In England, folk or mob football had been played sporadically in open spaces since Medieval times. These were often brutal affairs with few rules. In the early 19th century, certain English schools started to adapt the game. By mid century, football was played at a number of public schools. Those such as Eton and Harrow restricted their games to kicking the ball, whereas others like Rugby and Marlborough mainly handled the ball. The rules were peculiar to each institution and the limitations of the playing grounds. Melbourne’s population grew rapidly in the 1850s due to a gold rush and many of the city’s young men had played football of some sort at school in England. But football hadn’t made the transition from a school sport to a game for young men.

It was against this background that publican Tom Wills wrote a letter to sports newspaper “Bell’s Life in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle” on 10 July 1858 suggesting that cricketers play football in winter to keep fit. A practice session was arranged at Richmond Paddock near Melbourne Cricket Ground on 31 July. Wills provided a football, a rare item in those days. A large number of players turned up but many of them had been used to different rules or lack of rules and the session ended in chaos and fighting.

Another match had been organized on the same day between Melbourne Grammar School and some men from St Kilda, a southern suburb, playing as the St Kilda Club. Rules were laid out which emphasized carrying the ball instead of kicking it. But the men were used to football played in the Eton style where the ball was always kicked and never handled. A fight broke out and the game was abandoned.

A week later, Melbourne Grammar took on Scotch College, with some oval balls from Rugby School that had arrived by ship. They probably used at least some of the Rugby rules. The match was played over three days: 7 and 21 August and 4 September. Other games were organized by cricketers. Players soon realized that the rules needed standardizing. But the cricket season had started and nothing more was done until the following year.

Melbourne Football Club was established on 14 May 1859. A committee was formed of Tom Wills and three other club members to discuss and draft playing rules. Three days later on 17 May, they met in his Parade Hotel. William Hammersley, a noted athlete, worked for “Bell’s Life in Victoria” and had studied at England’s Cambridge University where an early soccer-type game was played between colleges and houses. James Thompson worked for the “Argus” newspaper and had also attended Cambridge. Thomas Smith was from Ireland, where the ball was usually handled, and taught at Scotch College. Wills had attended Rugby School. Thus two of the men had played a kicking game and two were more used to carrying the ball. All four were cricketers, with Wills regarded as the best in the colony.

Wills thought that Rugby School rules should be adopted but the others thought they were too complex. They looked at “Cambridge Rules”, which Hammersley and Thompson had helped formulate in 1848, as well as those of Eton, Harrow and Winchester schools. They wanted something simple with no hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins) or black eyes.

They came up with a set of ten rules. These included the size of the playing field, tossing a coin for choice of end, and defining a goal as a kick that sent the ball between two goal posts without it touching the posts or another player. If a player caught the ball from a kick, it was a “mark” and he was awarded a free kick. This rule was adapted from variations of it at Rugby, Harrow, Winchester and Cambridge. The ball could also be handled when it had only bounced once after a kick, but it couldn’t be picked up off the ground and wasn’t to be thrown. This rule was a compromise between the Rugby type handling game and Eton style kicking game. Pushing and tripping were allowed but no hacking. There was no offside rule. Overall, the rules had more in common with rugby than soccer.

The first game or games of Australian rules football (or more correctly at the time, Melbourne rules football) probably took place on the following Saturday, 21 May 1859.

While English school football was the biggest influence on the origin of Australian football, other possible factors were many. Matches in the goldfields areas north-west of Melbourne may have been played as early as 1853 with similar rules but evidence is anecdotal. At Geelong, 50 miles south-west of Melbourne, football was played to a set of rules, since lost, as early as 1856. Irish football may have been a contributor, given one of the committee, Smith, was from Ireland. There are similarities with Gaelic football but its rules weren’t set down until 1885. Local Aborigines played a game called “marngrook”, where a ball made of possum skin was dropped from a held position and kicked. The game included jumping high off the ground to catch the ball. Further, the dry winter and hard grounds of 1858 are thought to have had some influence on the city’s football rules, as a major purpose of the game was to keep cricketers fit in the off-season and the committee wanted to avoid too many heavy falls.

The 1859 “Melbourne Rules” were promoted by Thompson in the “Argus”. Further refinements to the rules took place in 1860, and in 1866 they were redrafted and became the “Victorian Rules”. Major changes included the requirement for a player to bounce the ball every 10 or 20 yards when running with it, umpires to officiate rather than the captains, time limits for matches, and behind posts. The popularity of the game soon spread and by 1890, Australasian Rules were put in place.

In contrast to the single Australian game, English football diverged in two directions: the kicking game became soccer in 1863 and the handling game became rugby in 1871. If Melbourne hadn’t started playing football for another decade or two, the city would have very likely taken up soccer or rugby rather than inventing a unique game called Australian football. The sport is still evolving today.

Early censuses

(originally published to Bubblews writing site, now gone)

The Babylonians may have been the first people to take censuses around 4000 BC, using them to determine how much food was required. They used clay tiles to record census data.

Censuses were conducted in ancient Egypt in the Pharaonic period in 3340 and 3050 BC. By the second millennium BC, the Egyptians took regular censuses for tax purposes and military recruitment. Around 600 AD, an Egyptian census recorded people’s ages and residences.

The oldest census for which data are still available was held in China sometime before the Xia Dynasty which started about 2070 BC. It counted 13 million people. A census in 2 AD counted 57.67 million people in 12.36 million households in China, which must have been an enormous task without modern transport and technology.

Ancient Israel held a number of censuses and these are mentioned in the Bible, the first by King David and another by his son King Solomon in the 10th century BC. Other censuses were held around the 6th century BC before and after the exodus. According to Luke, a census was underway when Jesus was born.

Regular five-yearly censuses in ancient Rome started in the 6th century BC by Roman king Servius Tillius. They were used for administrative purposes and to calculate taxes. At census time, everyone was expected to return to the birthplace of the household head to be counted.

The first censuses in India were around the 3rd century BC for taxation purposes and included population, economic and agricultural censuses.

The Caliphate, the overarching Islamic government, held regular censuses from about 635 AD. This included the number of people, their age and where they lived.

England’s William the Conqueror arranged a count of landowners and their land and stock in 1086, including values, for tax purposes. The details recorded became known as the Book of Judgment or Doomsday Book and its contents became law and could not be appealed against.

Jerusalem took a census in 1183 to count the number of men and amount of money that could be used in case Egypt and Syria invaded.

In the 15th century, the Incas, who did not have writing, recorded census and other data on quipus made of many llama or alpaca hairs with small knots, using a base ten system.

Easter customs around the world

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Easter has its origins as a pagan festival where ancient Saxons worshipped Eostre, or Eastre, their goddess of spring. Christian missionaries in the second century converted the pagans and took over the festival, combining it with celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection, which also occurred in spring. Easter used to fall on various days, but the Council of Nicaea determined in 325 CE that it should be held on the Sunday following the full moon after the March 22 equinox. It has been celebrated on this day ever since.

The Easter Vigil on Saturday night is the traditional start to the observance of Easter in Catholic and sometimes other churches. After the service begins in darkness, the Paschal candle is lit representing Jesus’ resurrection. This is followed by various Old Testament stories and of Jesus’ rising, before the lights are turned on. A sermon might be followed by baptisms and Holy Communion. There are variations between churches and some hold the vigil on Sunday at sunrise. Normal services are traditionally held on the Sunday, perhaps with additional festive emphasis such as trumpets and Easter flowers.

Bunnies and eggs 

Many of the customs of Easter go back to ancient times, such as the Easter bunny and Easter egg. The earthly image of the Saxon goddess Eostre was a rabbit. References to the Easter bunny appear in German literature from the 1600s. German migrants in the 18th century took the Easter bunny concept to the United States and it is now a common part of Easter celebrations. In fact, the bunny now plays a role in Easter celebrations in a number of countries.

The Easter egg also goes back to pagan times. An egg signifies new life, and it was a pagan tradition to exchange eggs in spring. Sometimes the eggs were colored by putting them in boiling water and adding leaves or flowers. The custom of giving eggs at Easter has carried on to the present day. Real eggs have been replaced with those of plastic, candy or chocolate. Eggs are often put in an Easter basket and hidden by parents who tell their children it has been brought by the Easter bunny and they have to try and find it. Many community, government, tourist and railway organizations, as well as churches and schools, hold an Easter egg hunt where Easter eggs are hidden in a designated area and children have to retrieve them. Egg decorating or painting is undertaken in many countries.

Apart from Easter eggs, various other foods are traditionally associated with this time of year. A Sunday roast is popular in many nations. Another favorite is hot cross buns, with the cross relating to the crucifixion, or the moon’s four quarters. Their origin goes back to Saxon times. The cards people exchange at Easter time often portray an Easter story or include birds and eggs or rabbits or lambs.

Customs in English speaking countries 

Around the world, Easter is a time of special church services and family days. Many US cities hold parades where people often wear new clothing. A traditional game is the Easter egg roll where eggs are rolled down a hill. The winner is the person whose egg rolls farthest. The White House hosts a game on its lawn, with children rolling colored eggs with all their might. Egg roll originated in northern United Kingdom and is still played there too. The game probably represents the rock being rolled off of Jesus’ tomb. Egg knocking has been a serious Easter custom in Louisiana since 1956, with people going out of their way to produce eggs with very hard shells and less chance of breaking easily.

Each Shrove Tuesday for more than 500 years, English town Olney has held a pancake race. Participants toss pancakes in frying pans as they race each other along the main street to the church. Another traditional activity is called lifting and heaving. Here, decorated chairs are carried by young men who get a girl to sit on one before they lift it high three times to bring her luck. People also pat one another with a pussy willow branch for good fortune. Morris dancing is another popular custom at Easter time in England.

In Australia, Easter is in autumn. The Royal Easter Show attracts thousands in Sydney to see farm produce and animals, as well as parades, sideshows, rides, fireworks and, this year [2014], Prince William and Kate. The native bilby has replaced the rabbit as the traditional symbol of Easter, as rabbits were introduced into the country and have caused much damage to local flora and fauna. Egg knocking or tapping is also a popular Easter game in Australia.

Customs in Europe 

A tradition in Belgium, Netherlands and France is for no church bells to ring for several days over Easter. This represents a message of mourning for Jesus. On the Sunday, when the bells return from the Vatican, children look into the sky for them as parents hide Easter eggs in the garden. Across northern Germany, bonfires are lit on Saturday to symbolize the end of winter. In Scandinavia, children don witches garb and door-knock for sweets. A fascinating tradition in Norway is to read or watch murder mysteries ever since the book “Raid on the Bergen Express” was released at Easter in 1923.

An intriguing Easter custom in central Europe is the practice of men “whipping” or tapping women with a whip made of willow pieces and colored ribbon. This is supposed to keep women healthy and attractive. Women who miss out on this ritual are regarded as lacking in appeal. A woman who has been “whipped” gives a decorated egg or money to the man as thanks. Sometimes the woman throws cold water on the man.

In Italy, the story of Madonna and Jesus after the resurrection is told at the Piazza Garibaldi in Suloma. Thousands of people come to watch each year. The resurrection is announced by St Peter and St John by knocking on the church door. Madonna comes out in a black shawl, sees Jesus, discards the garment and runs to him in a green dress symbolizing hope. She lets go of 12 white doves and her handkerchief is replaced by a red rose as she feels no more anguish.

There are many more Easter traditions around the world. Most of them have some sort of connection to the resurrection, even if that link is not always immediately obvious to someone unfamiliar with a particular custom.

What is Maundy Thursday?

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Maundy Thursday observes the day that Jesus partook in the Last Supper with the 12 apostles before his crucifixion the following day, Good Friday. The location is believed to be in John Mark’s house, where the Pentecost took place. A basilica was erected there in the fourth century. Jesus shared bread and wine with his apostles at the meal and this act continues to be a Christian tradition at church services in the form of Holy Communion.

After the meal, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane and was betrayed by Judas, one of the apostles. Jesus was lashed and made to wear a crown of thorns, as the apostles slept, and was later taken to the priests who said he had committed blasphemy. He was further beaten and in the morning was taken to Pontius Pilate, governor of Judaea, who tried him and sentenced him to death.

The word “maundy” comes from the Middle English word “maunde”, which in turn comes from the Old French word “mande”, derived from the Latin word “mandatum”. The Latin word means a command or mandate. The word “maundy” has come to mean the washing of the feet of the poor, and especially Jesus washing the feet of his 12 disciples on Maundy Thursday. This act is symbolized at Catholic mass where a priest washes the feet of a dozen people from the parish. According to the Old Testament, the practice of feet washing has it origins before the time of Christ and was conducted prior to the marital embrace at weddings (II Kings 11:8-11 and Canticles 5:3).

Other sources say that “maundy” derives from “maundsor” baskets, which contained alms, or food and clothing and money, given to the poor by the English king from the time of Edward I in the 13th century until the end of the reign of James II in 1688. The word “maundsor” comes from the Old French word “mendier” and the Latin word “mendicare”, which mean to beg. Thus the “maunders”, or beggars, “maunded” for one of the small baskets. St Augustine started the practice of giving money to the poor on Maundy Thursday in 597 CE.

Maundy Thursday has been commemorated on the Thursday of Holy Week, or the week leading up to Easter, at least as far back as 393 CE, when the practice appears in North African Council of Hippo notes. The Eucharist or Holy Communion are the names usually given to the observance of the Last Supper. Maundy Thursday is known by various names in different churches, but usually either as Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. It is known by the former name in the Anglican Church, and by the latter in the Catholic Church and in countries that are mainly Catholic. Other Christian churches tend to use both names. In some countries, such as Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the day is called Green Thursday.

In most churches, the custom of the washing of the feet is a main part of services on Maundy Thursday. In the Catholic Church, the Gloria, or hymn, is followed by bell ringing (after which the bells are not heard again until Easter Sunday, representing a message of mourning for Jesus). The feet washing ceremony might then take place, and finally, after the altar is stripped, the Blessed Sacrament, or Jesus’ body and blood, are taken in a procession to the altar.

Various traditions have developed around the word on Maundy Thursday. In the United Kingdom, it is now customary to offer alms in the form of Maundy money, which from 1822 have been coins minted especially for the occasion, to two elderly people each year. In Italy and Malta, it is customary to visit seven churches on this day, while some of the people in the Philippines go to 14 churches. In Sweden, children don witches garb and go door to door for sweets or coins.

Should euthanasia be legal?

(originally published a couple of years ago to Bubblews writing site, now gone)

What is your view of voluntary euthanasia, or assisted suicide, for terminally ill and suffering patients?

In Australia, after more than 10 hours of debate on October 16-17 [2013], the Tasmanian state parliament lower house rejected a voluntary euthanasia bill, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, by 13 votes to 11. Most Labor Party (center left) and all Greens (left) members supported it while all Liberal Party (center right) members opposed it. This is despite 80 percent of Tasmanians supporting the bill. In 2009, a similar bill was rejected 15-7.

No Australian state or territory allows voluntary euthanasia, although it was legalised in the Northern Territory in 1995 but overturned by the federal government in 1997. In the aftermath of the recent Tasmanian decision, leading Australian media site ninemsn is running a poll asking: Do you support voluntary euthanasia? By end of Thursday, there are about 83,000 yes votes and 16,000 no votes.

I see voluntary euthanasia is legal is a few other countries and states, including Belgium from 2002, Colombia from 2010 for certain diseases, India from 2011 for passive euthanasia (which is effectively the same as in Australia, Ireland and Mexico), Japan in some circumstances, Luxembourg from 2009, Netherlands from 2002 and Switzerland from 1942, as well as the US states of Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Awesome oarfish

(originally published a couple of years ago to Bubblews writing site, now gone)

The carcass of a 16 foot long oarfish has been found by a snorkeler in 30 feet of water off the Californian coast. Jasmine Santana dragged the huge fish 25 yards before other staff of the Catalina Island Marine Institute assisted her to bring it to shore.

These mysteries of the deep swim from 20 yards to up to half a mile or more under the surface mainly in temperate and tropical ocean areas and are rarely seen alive or dead. They can grow up to 36 feet in length, making them the world’s longest bony fish, although there have been unconfirmed sightings up to 56 feet.

A live oarfish was first filmed in the deep in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine scientists and oil companies collaborating on a research project came across the giant at a depth of 1500 feet using a remotely operated vehicle. The video shows the fish propelling itself using its dorsal fin in an undulating motion while keeping its body straight.

How to get your pendulum swing right in tenpin bowling

(originally published a couple of years ago to Bubblews writing site, now gone)

Maybe if you’re having trouble with a smooth pendulum swing in tenpin bowling, you could try this. It seemed to work for me. 

I’ve done a bit of bowling over the decades, mainly in open grade. These days, I just bowl one league a week and no tournaments. I’ve been struggling a bit lately. So what I did last Monday was to change my push away.

Instead of holding the ball waist high and pushing the bowl out, I held the ball low down with a straight arm at about the five o’clock position. I then pushed the ball out and up (rather than out and down) to about the four o’clock position, keeping the arm straight. At the same time, I took the first step of my four step approach.

By doing this, the ball was already in its pendulum position, right from the start, instead of at the end of the push away. The rest of my approach was conventional. On the second step, the ball was at the bottom of the downswing, or at six o’clock. On the third step, the ball reached the top of the backswing. For me, this is around eight o’clock or a bit higher. I’ve never had a high backswing (never past nine o’clock). On the fourth step, the ball was beside me.  

This seemed to help me. It helped me keep my arm straight and it helped me to not force the ball. I bowled 205, 210, 199 and 207, for 821 over four games, which is good for me these days, and the centre isn’t noted for being an easy house. I think I got three splits (and picked one up) and a washout and opened two other frames. I had the third highest pinfall on the night, in an open grade league. 

So I might keep using this pendulum swing right from the very start rather than starting with a conventional push away. Or least I’ll do this for the time being.  

It might not work if your approach is quite slow. Mine is on the fast side, and although not very big, I still seem to generate enough ball speed using this method for reasonable pin action with a 15 pound ball. 

Update: Recently, I’ve been having problems hanging onto the ball too long. Last Monday, I bent my elbow and brought my arm up as soon as it reached the bottom of the downswing rather than extending the arm right out. It worked: 209, 200, 196 and 245, for 850, which is very good for me these days as I’m in my 60s and have had a few niggling injuries.

 

Palm Sunday observances by Western and Eastern Christianity

Today, 20 March 2016, is Palm Sunday. A few years ago, I posted the following article to Helium writing site, now gone …

There are some important differences in the way Palm Sunday is observed in Western and Eastern Christian churches.

In Western Christian churches, the clergy and their attendants gather outside the church where the minister consecrates palm leaves using an aspergillum, a device for sprinkling holy water. Some other plant, such as willow, boxwood or yew, is used in cooler climates. The congregation then forms a procession and enters the church singing a hymn, as it re-enacts Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem just before his death. Sometimes the procession includes the choir and parish children.

All Catholic churches and most Anglican churches follow this procedure. Many Protestant churches have a procession on Palm Sunday, but they don’t use an aspergillum. Lutheran churches often have the children march around inside the church with their palm branches. In Eastern Christian churches, palm leaves are often given out at the altar steps. In some places, such as India, marigolds are laid in the sanctuary. In India, the men traditionally take their palm leaves from the left of this area and the women from the right. At the Church of Pakistan, an Anglican church, members enter the church singing Psalm 24.

Churches will often keep the old palm fronds until the following Ash Wednesday nearly a year later. These sacramentals are then burned and used as ashes on this day. Clergy of the Catholic Church wear blood-red garments on this day, signifying Jesus’ sacrifice.

Eastern Christian churches have a similar ceremony to the Western churches for Palm Sunday. The Eastern churches finish Lent two days before Palm Sunday. In between is Lazarus Saturday, which celebrates the rise of Saint Lazarus who had been dead for four days before Jesus breathed life back into him. Church members make crosses out of palm leaves on this day, ready for Sunday’s procession. Churches are often decorated in a special color, often green, for Palm Sunday.

Palm leaves are not available in many of the Eastern countries that practise Christianity. One of the various species of pussy willow is often used instead. Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe and Russia, as well as Western Christian churches in Northern Europe, use goat willow or grey willow. In the northern United States and Canada, American pussy willow is used. Olive branches are commonly used in Eastern Europe. The branches of any species will be blessed just the same, as they do not have to be palm fronds.

In the East, worshippers receive a branch and a candle on the Saturday or just before the start of Sunday’s service. The procession is known as the ‘Great Entrance’, representing Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on that day. Unlike the Western churches, the whole congregation often forms the procession. Devotees might take the branches home. Many churchgoers have an ‘icon corner’ in a room of their homes where they have an icon of Jesus. Here they pray and keep crosses, candles, holy water, and palm or willow or olive branches.

In Russia in the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a donkey walk as part of Palm Sunday, as Jesus was sometimes depicted riding a donkey. The Tsar would often lead the parade. There have been recent moves to revive the event.