rlfj: Blog

And so we start a new chapter, both in the book and in Grim’s life. Welcome back!

An acknowledgement - I was definitely not a jock. Douglas Fox of the Paradise stories was quite helpful with the football scenes in Book 1

I need to seriously thank my military consultants/editors for the help in Book 2. I couldn’t have done this without the kind assistance of n12614, bumbyb, tangotulsa, and abac2856. After writing A Fresh Start many people thought that I had actually been in the military, since I knew so much. While I admit that I know more than the average civilian, I am a civilian and always have been. I simply knew a lot of guys in the services and went to a school with a lot of guys in ROTC; I got a lot of help then. As far as being enlisted, my personal experience is limited to my brother from the ‘80s and my son in the Navy. Any mistakes you find are mine and mine alone, and I take full responsibility!

My final comments on the word Sassenach: I received an interesting email from a reader who had argued that Sassenach was Scottish, not Irish. I argued that all my research said it was both. He wrote back: “I've now spoken to a fluent Irish Gaelic speaker and you are right and I'm wrong. Sassenach is in common usage in the Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking regions) in the west of Ireland as a mild insult for Englishman. As they say in my northern English region, Nah then, as bin nobbut a gormless flipperty gibbet (Alas, I have been nothing but a loquacious fool.) Hey, at least I learnt something today.” That’s the end of the Sassenach discussion.

Enjoy!

There has been some comment that ‘Sassenach’ is Scottish and not Irish. Since the only thing Irish about me is the whiskey I drink, and I don’t like Scotch, I had to do a little research. Here’s what I found on UrbanDictionary: “Sassenach: The Gaelic term for a Saxon. Survives in modern day Ireland and Scotland as a derogatory term for an English person.” I found an almost identical listing under Dictionary, with the only differences being in spelling between Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. Now, if somebody Irish can provide me with an equally appropriate Irish Gaelic insult, let me know. I’m an equal opportunity insulter!

Lastly, this is Chapter 20 and is the end of Book One. I’ll begin posting Book 2 in a few days.

More fun and games playing football. Grim is getting closer to graduation. Enjoy!

Not a whole lot to blog about in these two chapters. Grim is simply growing up. It seems he likes boating with a beautiful girl and playing football. Such strange behavior for a teenaged boy! Enjoy!

There is not a Nobel Prize in Mathematics. Quick report: Alfred Nobel, of dynamite fame, created five prizes in 1901, Chemistry, Physics, Peace, Physiology/Medicine, and Literature. Most of these are handed out by Sweden, except for Peace, which is handed out by Norway. In 1968 a sixth prize was established, for Economics.

There are two math prizes which are considered to be the equivalent of the Nobel for Mathematics. The Fields Medal is awarded every four years to the best mathematicians under the age of 40. The Abel Prize is granted annually and has no age restriction. Both have significant cash awards, much like the Nobels.

There has been a persistent rumor that Nobel never created a prize for Mathematics because a mathematician, Magnus Gösta Mittag-Leffler, was having an affair with his wife. Sounds interesting, but Nobel never married. Another rumor was that the two men simply didn’t like each other, and when Nobel asked his advisers if Mittag-Leffler would win the first prize and was told he probably would, simply declared no math prize. Again, the timing and age of the two men precludes that they ever had any personal relationship. The more mundane explanation is that Nobel was a very practical chemist and simply didn’t think math was important.

Enjoy!