Death First!: Trials by Combat

In today’s society, when one individual is a victim of a crime, he or she can file a report with the local law enforcement agency. After the investigation is completed, charges may or may not be filed with the county district attorney’s office depending upon if enough evidence is found to proceed with a trial. During the medieval period, it didn’t always work that way. Authorities could ignore crimes if the involved persons were high enough in the pecking order, or a bribe was offered. Sometimes the Church would step in and claim a higher power was involved.  When a sentence of death or life in prison was given, the common people were stuck but the nobility had a second option: trial by combat.

Western Conference Finals here they come!

The naysayers have to eat some words 'cause the San Jose Sharks are going to the Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals for the fifth time in 25 years. What a game seven it was. 5-0 shut-out for the men in teal. The big stars showed up with goals by Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Joel Ward. The team kept cool heads and only allowed 26 shots on goal with zero pucks in their net. Pekke Rinne had a bad night and was pulled after allowing five goals on 26 shots. The Predators goalie was less than thrilled and showed his ire by smashing his stick against the goal post, breaking the stick in two. Rinne then threw the remnants across the ice in disgust before skating to the Nashville bench.


In all, the Sharks played a good puck-possessing game. Instead of doing the dump & chase, the guys kept the biscuit in possession and carried it across the blue line. I saw more set-up and less of the usual passing. More shooting which resulted in goals. The D was on top of their game. This is how the Sharks beat their opponents.


According to the Sharks website:


"Pavelski scored at 8:22 on the power play with Viktor Arvidsson in the penalty box for delay of game. Thornton sent the puck below the goal line to Marleau, who found Pavelski in the low right circle. Pavelski, who had been knocked down by Rinne seconds earlier, scored on a wrist shot into the upper left corner.The goal was Pavelski's ninth of the playoffs. San Jose is 8-0 in the playoffs when he gets at least one point."


The team never looked backwards from that point onward. ESPN gathered ten hockey experts together and they are split, five to five in who wins the series. I say the Sharks in seven.




Game One is Sunday, May 15th at 5:00 pm (Pacific time)


official San Jose game seven recap


http://sharks.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2015030247&navid=DL|SJS|home


NHL Sharks/Blues preview:


https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-playoffs-conference-finals-predictions/c-280654866?tid=280204614




Go Sharks!


Stay safe out there.

Stick 'em with the pointy end: a brief history of swords throughout history

Every epic fantasy or historical book set before the 1800’s has at least one scene with two men facing off against each other, swords clashing, until one died in a spray of blood. Swords were handed down from father to son or taken as prizes of war. Damascus steel from India, steel from Toledo, or Ulfberht swords from Scandinavia were the top of the line. Weapons could be single edged or double, straight or curved, short or long, and used for cutting or thrusting. What is a sword but a piece of metal? The weapons are the foremost symbols of war, associated with every type of warrior from ancient times to our modern military.  

Ulfberht swords