Jack B. Hood
Sam Stone, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, gives banjo lessons to a promising Gates scholar as Sam undergoes a bitter divorce with his second wife and boss, Linda Lott. Meanwhile, Sam’s ex-wife, Regina Jones Oliveira, a direct descendant of the former Confederate families from Americana, Brazil, wants Sam back and launches an international plan of action to get what she wants. The story carries the reader on a legal expedition to the former Panama Canal Zone, modern Panama, the Cayman Islands, and Switzerland. Against this background, Sam and his talented Labrador retriever, Holmes, take on some very clever Vietnam era veterans with foreign accounts and rich real estate holdings. These crooks hold a huge advantage because they have a federal judge on their side.
Jack B. Hood was born in Clarksville, Habersham County, Georgia in 1948. He received an A.B. degree in 1969 and a J.D. degree in 1971, from the University of Georgia. In 1972, he received a Diploma in International Law from the University of Cambridge. He has been a JAG Captain in the USAF, a law professor, and a private practitioner.
He worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Georgia and presently works as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Alabama.
He is a member of the Alabama, District of Columbia, Georgia, Tennessee, and former Canal Zone bars.
He is the author and co-author of several books, primarily legal texts, published currently by Thomson/West.
No banjo was ever placed on his knee from the age of four like several bluegrass pickers he had met, and he did not have one tattooed on his knee like some Army types he had run across from Alabama while in the Air Force stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. As with most 5-string banjo players, Sam Stone did not have formal music training, and he was not a professional. He had enjoyed playing since the age of sixteen, even though he had not improved his performance much since the age of nineteen. Banjo players were likable sorts as a general rule, and over the years banjo playing had created for him some unique social opportunities and experiences. Sam was now fifty-six, and he was on his fourth banjo, and his last wife, in his mind. He didn’t know it, but his first one wanted him back. Sam did understand, however, that his current wife and boss at the U.S. Attorney’s Office wanted to fire and divorce him. She also wanted to inflict maximum pain during the process. In the meantime, Sam sometimes taught banjo, and played it to maintain some sanity in a seemingly insane world.
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“No one has science figured out, and sometimes it’s hard to tell the kooks from real contributors. There are a lot of people that believe a new big break is about to occur, but some theories and researchers are hard to follow.”
Sam inquired, “Do you mean another discovery equivalent to Einstein’s theory of relativity?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. It may have already occurred, and we don’t know about it.”
“What do you mean?” asked Sam.
Steven replied, “Except for a very few people, little was understood about Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which he published in 1905, and later his general theory, until Sir Arthur Eddington lectured and published fundamental explanations in the mid-1920’s. Einstein commented that Eddington’s work was the finest explanation of his theories in any language, but if the average person were to pick up Eddington’s publication, they would not understand much. It’s mostly a book of complex geometrical and mathematical writings. It took a young Bertrand Russell, in 1925, writing an ‘ABC’ book about the subject to provide a non-mathematical explanation that the world could understand. Some things are hard to explain, even in plain English, and they take a while to sink in.”
Sam said, “I guess you are right. After all, people are still fighting about teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution in some parts of this country.”
Steven laughed and said, “That’s why I want to study at Cambridge. I figure that news of any great scientific, philosophic, and mathematical discoveries will likely surface there, and I would like to be close around when it happens.”
“Sounds like a reasonable plan,” said Sam.
Steven continued. “Some have recently theorized that the speed of light may vary, which would call into question a basic part of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Fundamental research is being done with particle accelerators and time microscopes. NASA in Huntsville has created a device that is being launched into space to test Einstein’s general theory. That kind of research and the debate that goes on about cosmology are exciting to me.”
Sam looked around and whistled for Holmes to turn around and head back to the apartment. Holmes obeyed as was his usual and ran back all the way.
Sam turned to Steven and asked, “What do you think about all the scientific conspiracy theories associated with the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and others that have surfaced in popular novels in print of late?”
“Not much,” said Steven. “You could take the same approach and create the belief that the ancient Egyptian’s use of square and compasses held the secrets of Einstein’s theories because circles, triangles, and geometry are used to explain and illustrate his special and general theories by most writers and lecturers.”
They entered Sam’s apartment and picked up their respective banjos.
“Back to banjoing, and simpler things,” said Sam. “For this lesson I want you to start trying additional bluegrass rolls. I’ll write them down. Try not to play tunes until you can do these smoothly. If you want to do some songs, or try to perform, use some of the other styles that I have taught. I really believe that you will be a better bluegrass player if you don’t try to play too many songs until you have mastered smooth roll techniques. Trust me on this.”
