John Stupart.com

As much as John now exists in the mindset of pirates, development and general academics most of the time these days, it’s incredible how getting some sort of drive, and meaningful drive at that, can prove extremely cathartic for the soul. Back in 2006 writing about the Fallujah offensive I always enjoyed it because, well, that shit was fun. It just wasn’t particularly pertinent to anything anybody cares about. Not so anymore!

As I read more about my current piracy-centric paper and talk to the people in the know, it’s incredible just how easily one can get the notion internally that this stuff might actually say something. It’s important because it makes my studies both enjoyable and ‘noble’ in the not-so traditional sense. Naturally, being an academic agnostic it’s important to note that the truth of the end result is almost irrelevant, but rather it’s the process, it’s the striving to better oneself in the perception of a higher cause of study/life/cow-tipping/whatever which is important. To me anyways.

I’ve long since stopped trying to hide this and have instead started being very honest about my incompetencies, naiveties and aspirations, goals and strengths. I make no excuses, but I expect none in return. This is probably why I have precious few friends on my facebook, and also why I tend to cling onto the good ones I have at the moment. Nobody likes a know-it-all who really knows nothing! Nonetheless, those precious few who still tolerate me regardless are special, and it’s in them that I confide my hopelessly futile, yet irreversibly inevitable path, because they will encourage, participate, or – in a rare case – contribute to my worldview in ways I’d thought impossible.

I take this into my studies and use it towards something which I consider more ‘noble’ than mere John-writing warmongering, and I recognise the importance of this. It’s noble not in the traditional sense, but more because I consider taking these preciously-rare opinions and implementing in something I love more than any other profession to be important for something beyond me. Arrogant, perhaps. But if on the off-chance I’m able to create new literature where once there was a gap, I want it to include everything which influences me, and not just the pointy end of my own bias. That’s important… I think.

Below: The showcase video for Strategic Studies, and also a damning indictment against torture (ironically?):

Apologies for the lack of updating. I have been busy writing for www.undiscoveredcountry.co.za though, and also eating really crappy R6 springrolls on campus. Also, it’s getting cold, and I tend not to stay on the pc too long if I don’t have my woolly slippers on anymore!

Music for May:

I have been plagued with the horrendous responsibility, in the course of the past three weeks, to mark undergrads’ essay papers as well as write two of my own. The former was relatively painless in sheer time-spent terms, yet utterly horrendous in terms of how my intelligence was so molested by the things these people wrote. The latter is still ongoing, because after what is almost three years of non-academic writing, two of which were spent actively writing editorial-styled stuff on commentary, I’m finding that getting back into the groove of academic writing is rather… tricky.

But first the marking: first and foremost the task itself is slow. It takes roughly 20 minutes or so to mark a medium-length paper of about 6-8000 words. To add to the pain, the essays are largely crap, or slightly better than crap. This means that one spends hours marking torrents of crap which varies in consistency. Of course, it does mean that when one comes across a slightly decent essay it generally receives a far more favourable grade, almost as a subconscious ‘thank you’ for providing one with a break from the mental genocide that normally occurs. So yes, marking essays is onerous. No matter, when the grades are received I will not be surprised to see the population of my tutorials decline significantly, which means there might even be seats for everyone.

Now back to my papers. I find it has taken me 2 weeks to actually formulate a coherent argument for my first paper, and mere hours to actually write it out. In fact, the most annoying part of writing the paper is probably the referencing. YAWN. So once I learn to speed up the researching part, I expect this Masters lark will become far more efficient. Just as well, for after meeting with my supervisor (I’m officially researching piracy now! Hurrah!) I expect there’s going to be a LOT of necessary reading, in terms of historical, legal and strategic aspects. It’s a three-pronged attack! Like Europe in 1944, or something.

Menial slave labour aside, I am officially writing my research paper on piracy in the Gulf of Aden, which has good potential to really say something interesting in the greater academic world. Lots of things need to be read up on, including historical accounts of piracy, Malacca, Guinea, hell even 18th century privateers might make a cameo. International laws on maritime warfare and general transnational crime. All this stuff needs to be collected. Good gods! That being said, I have to admit that it’s freaking awesome that I’m able to actually write about pirates in an academic paper. That truly is rad!

And what, after all, am I listening to during all of this? Why, the best study lounge metal ever: Russian Circles – Campaign

In the first 15 minutes of playing hockey again since 2006 I have successfully managed to destroy my poor right shoulder. The little bastard has served me well up until now so it’s a mystery why, at the cusp of my greatest sporting accomplishments to date, he runs off and separates from various points on my collar bone, shoulder and so on. No matter, the weeks have been rather humorous so far, both inside of varsity and out. And furthermore, my shoulder is now being tenederly pummeled by a tiny little muslim physiotherapist, so I assume when the clicking sounds that occur when I rotate my arm a bit much are sounds of healing.

I have been conducting tutorials for the 2^nd year (sophomore in Americanese) IR students for a few weeks now, and on Wednesday we discussed how SA’s foreign policy affects Zimbabwe. Solutions that were discussed include:

• Assassination
• Invasion
• Assassination
• Doing nothing
• More assassination

My research paper for Masters has been more or less crystallized into what will be a legal/historical analysis into piracy, drawing in the final chapters into the Somali context. Goddamned liberals don’t want me waging war from day one, so I have to start with some unreasonably demanding “historical foundation” for my research. Bah…

Autumn has begun in jhb, replete with brown oak leaves littering the parts of the city where the whites live/lived (old trees are a sure sign of a white middle-class area. Because walking in the sun is for minoritahs.) Personally I can’t wait for winter. The crisp dry air and the ability to sleep late entice me.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Johnny Cash, especially his later, non-Gospel stuff. I find he’s at his absolute best when he’s not reciting old-ass hymns, but when he creates new ones with the distant cash style. That being said, when the man comes around is my song of the month for sure.

I’ve also been wondering what all the people I knew in Japan were up to. I’ve been in contact with few, but some I haven’t heard from for over a year. I wonder what they’re doing. Probably drinking Asahi and watching baseball/Korean soap operas on TV. But y’know, maybe they’re fighting Yakuza or something. It’s possible…

I have also conlcluded Stephen Ambrose’s ability to capture the WW2 D-Day landings in historical narrative is quite simply godlike. Before the year is out I want to have every book he’s ever written. So far I have Band of Brothers and Pegasus Bridge. Any donors? My exclusive book store vouchers have finally run out, so now my love for Ambrose is tested in faith and finance

As promised: song of the month: Johnny Cash – When the man comes around