Open thread: naval warfare

There have been a number of interesting developments in the area of naval warfare recently: Chinese efforts to develop anti-ship ballistic missiles, American experiments with broad area marine surveillance, China’s declaration of an air defence identification zone, the launching of a Japanese destroyer seemingly designed for possible conversion into an aircraft carrier, the launching of China’s first aircraft carrier, and the development of supercavitating torpedoes, to name a few.

Particularly in Asia, the coming decades seem likely to involve considerable developments in marine military technology and deployments.

From MaddAddam

The people in the chaos cannot learn. They cannot understand what they are doing to the sea and the sky and the plants and the animals. They cannot understand that they are killing them, and that they will end by killing themselves. And there are so many of them, and each one of them is doing part of the killing, whether they know it or not. And when you tell them to stop, they don’t hear you.

So there is only one thing left to do. Either most of them must be cleared away while there is still an earth, with trees and flowers and birds and fish and so on, or all must die when there are none of those things left. Because if there are none of those things left, then there will be nothing at all. Not even any people.

So shouldn’t you give those ones a second chance? he asked himself. No, he answered, because they have had a second chance. They have had many second chances. Now is the time.

Atwood, Margaret. MaddAddam. 2013. p. 291 (hardcover)

The cost of a summer

The PhD student funding mechanism at the University of Toronto varies a bit depending on whether you are part of the standard funded cohort, receiving a scholarship like the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, or in some other situation. Still, the basic setup is similar for most people: you probably get three lump sum payments per year, from which you must pay your tuition if it is not automatically deducted. You then receive monthly paycheques for eight months out of the year, as compensation for work as a teaching assistant (TA).

As a PhD student, you are basically expected to do academic work over the summer, but only a minority of people get work as TAs. That makes financing the summer a challenge. It’s possible to do paid work outside the university, but quite challenging to do so if you have academic research obligations and (in your first couple of years) comprehensive exams to prepare for.

I moved out of Massey College for the summer because it is a relatively costly residence with no summer meals. Instead, I spent the span from May 9th until August 21st in University College’s Morrison Hall. Rent for the span was $2,130. In addition to rent, I had to buy food a few gifts, pay my cell phone bill, pay for transportation, and so on. I also did a few short trips over the summer: notably, a few days in Montreal for my brother’s graduation and a day in Ottawa for my friend Andrea’s wedding. All told, non-rent expenses were about $2,869.89 – akin to $27.58 per day.

With after-tuition income of about $15,000 per year, I can’t afford to spend so much on summers for the rest of my PhD. I suppose I will need to work, or win a bigger scholarship.

Fall term 2013

The year is off to a rapidfire start.

As part of the PhD, I need to do a second core seminar this year. I have chosen to take public policy because it accords well with my interests and experience, and apparently has a less onerous reading load than either comparative politics or international relations. I have been advised against taking courses with excessive reading requirements, given the need to re-take my Canadian politics comp in December.

PhD students are expected to take two courses in each term, so I am also taking an environmental politics and policy course. In addition, I am working as a teaching assistant for a course in U.S. government and politics, with three seminars back to back on Thursdays.

At our termly general meeting on the 25th, I will not be running for re-election to the executive of Toronto350.org. Nevertheless, I have some obligations to discharge with them, including two on-campus workshops on divestment and the October 15th film screening (free tickets still available).

In the background at all times, I should be thinking about and preparing for my re-comp in December. I find that I have already forgotten a lot of what I crammed for it the first time. When I re-take it, I will need to demonstrate both a comprehensive knowledge of the literature and an ability to formulate complex and convincing arguments. Toward the latter objective, I should be building up a database of convincing (and conventional, I’ve been warned off controversy) answers to recent comp questions.

Jeffery’s “In View”

My friend Chelsea Jeffery has an exhibition of photographic equipment on at Pearson Airport in Toronto, entitled: “In View: Moments from Canadian Photographic History”. It includes a variety of cameras and prints, as well as related materials like catalogs and

I headed out there today to have a look and take some photos.

More information is available through the Photographic Historical Society of Canada.