So, at the halfway point of Beast, which is where I"m at, we get to go to sponsor's houses, people who work at West Point, and just relax and act like humans. Which includes computer access. So, I decided to post an update.

Beast sucks, obviously. It's mean to be tough, it's basic training. But I'm getting through it pretty well. Alot of waiting in line at issue points for uniforms or waiting around at formations, PT in the mornings suck because everything, and I mean everything, at West Point is uphill. Besides that, it's been alot of lectures on stuff like personal hygiene and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (Read: Killing is illegal so long as it isn't a direct order from a superior. Kidding. Maybe.) and other boring things, like drill, but we've done an occasional, interesting thing, like mountianeering (nothing says Hooah like rappelling off a 75-foot cliff singing Dixie at the top of my lungs), the Rifle Bayonet Assault Course (Running around, stabbing at foam-filled tires while jumping over wooden fences and crawling through muddy barbed wire patches, while guys from the 10th Mountain Division set off artillery sims, which whistle and explode like arty shells, and smoke), and, of course, getting gassed in the House of Tears (Just ask LJS if you're intersted in knowing just how much CS gas sucks). 2nd detail, the second half of Beast, starts today, and that's where more of the military stuff comes in, like firing rifles and throwing grenades. Should be more fun.

So, that's a quick update. Hope everyone is doing alright, thank you for the words of encouragement and I'll write again when I get my computer at mid-August.

I'm currently in the state of New York, after flying out of my beloved Texas yesterday with my parents. Tomorrow is R-Day, Reception Day at the United States Military Academy, where I'll be processed, poked and proded by doctors, shaved by a friendly barber, yelled at and rushed by angry upperclassmen and outfitted with every bit of equipment the Army deems is necessary for the next seven weeks of Cadet Basic Training, affectionately known to the cadets as Beast Barracks. During this time, I won't have access to a computer, so until late August when training ends and the school year at West Point begins, I won't be able to log on and post.

So stay safe everyone and keep OT a rockin' place while I'm gone!

I graduated from high school, a while ago. Finally got around to posting that. Just throwing that out there.

In honor of Memorial Day, I put up a sig I whipped up pretty quickly on paint. Here's a bigger version of it:

God bless all who have given their lives for the sake of our country. They've earned their rest.

So, continuing my plan of using Paint to make sigs out of pieces of fine art, I present two more creations:

The first one is a modification of Jacque-Louis David's Oath of the Horatii, one of his nationalistic paintings, made to glorify the new, post-revolution French Republic. The words Duty, Honor, Country are the motto of West Point, and I think it goes will with the theme of the painting. I'm going to fiddle with this some more, the red words look kinda wonky.

Just to prove all of my art sigs won't be serious business . This is the famous painting by Edward Hopper, Nighthawks. I love how my one addition completely ruins the pensive nature of the piece.

That's all for now, I'll be making more whenever the mood hits me, I.E. I find a painting I want to fiddle with. As always, comments and suggestions always welcome.