http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:PilotstroupF15E&section=today deviantART RSS for by:PilotstroupF15E en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:54:02 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/21596787/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/21596787/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:17:34 PST
And yes, I know I've not updated this thing in almost two years. XD

]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/11007538/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/11007538/ Sat, 09 Dec 2006 15:18:56 PST
Anyway, had to drop a class because of scheduling conflicts with my job, earned a pay-raise, now getting promoted to one of three shift supervisors with another full $1/hr pay raise on top of my current $6/hr pay rate. I'm actually doing surprisingly well in school this semester carrying a high B average. Finals are this week, and hen off for the holidays. Won't need to be back until January 16th too! ^_^

Bit of good news too: my financial aid will fully cover tuition and textbooks, so I only have food, gas money, and miscellania to worry about this go around. Hopefully that holds true. This semester I ended up having to drop down about $300 of my own money on books and tuition. Nothing compared to my first semester at Texas A&M College Station, but still a hardship when that was almost a month's pay when I first started out at Pizza Hut as the lowest rung on the ladder.

Also, I'm getting my AA (Associates of Arts) degree from the community college this summer, right after the first month-long summer session. Bad thing is, I have to take a couple real dinky classes to get it. Foundations of music anyone? I have to play a recorder and "learn" trebble cleff and basic theory all over again. You'd think after playing clarinet in band for ten years (and going, mind you), I could test out of it or something. lol Guess not.

So sorry I've not had time to draw anything actually worthwhile this whole semester, hell, the whole year really. I need to. Need to get back to my roots and do more Star Wars, Trek, and Sonic artwork. Maybe even try my hand at doing some Transformers stuff, now that one of my coworkers lended me out the entire first season on DVD (but you didn't hear it from me, if that clues you in). Can't wait to see the movie this July 4th too! Anyway, that's my life in a nutshell. I'm single again too, by the way if anyone's interested. XD

]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/9527868/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/9527868/ Fri, 28 Jul 2006 22:02:54 PDT
This past week has been busy for me. We went back to College Station as a group to go and get my last student fees with A&M taken care of, talked things over with my academic counselor and withdrew from the Texas A&M School of Engineering. I'll be g-stud (general studies) now until I'm an upperclassman. I didn't withdraw from the University fully. I'm just going back to Victoria (community) College, thirty-eight miles from home, for the next year so I can get my dinky little Mickey-Mouse classes out of the way under the condition I maintain a 3.0 B average and take no fewer than 12 semester hours each semester I'm there so I don't lose my financial aid status with A&M when I go back as early as spring '07. Maybe I'll get to upgrade to Class of '08. Wow that was a long almost run-on sentence. And me here about to come out with enough hours to be an English minor real easy. Scary stuff.

Well, now that I'm working, I can afford school again since I should be taking home about $500 a month after witholding (taxes). My first month's pay is going to go to school and books, but now I'll have some money to spend on myself this time. I'm gonna be carpooling with a friend this semester too, so that takes a $730 crunch of fuel costs off my hands. Something less to stress over. I'll probably buy him lunch every so often though just to show I at least appreciate him. I understand fully how expesive gas is getting now. Irony is, I'm gonna be 19 in less than three weeks and I still don't have my license. I can fully blame my mother for that.

Lastly, I've now fully discovered eBay.com. Same friend who's gonna be driving me to school is letting me buy things through his sister's purchase account since I'm paying them in cash upfront. It's amazing, like a surplus store crossed with a Walmart. I just bought $130 worth of military load-bearing gear for $46 and it's all good quality. I'm extremely satisfied, and I'm also planning on putting some money aside for a replacement battery for my laptop, a few now rare games I wanted but can't find anywhere, and I've got my eyes set on that SatAM DVD set. Can't let myself go here, but at least this year I'll give myself Christmas again like I did with the airsoft rifle and boots last year. Beyond anything, I've got my life back under control and now I have hope. ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/8995233/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/8995233/ Wed, 07 Jun 2006 02:27:37 PDT
Now that it was back, fifteen months later, he suggested a biopsy. And, well, next to your mouth and your genitals (regardless of sex), the neck seems to be a pretty sensitive place on the body, so I wasn't exactly looking forward to a little snip and a poke.

Anyway, Monday I went to an ear, nose, throat specialist and got checked out. Thankfully, she decided the biopsy wasn't necessary. But what I got instead wasn't much more comfortable. That's right, here's where the probing comes in. She sat me in a chair, told me to lean forward, and with a special instrument, I had an at least foot long camera-tipped fiber-optic cable snaked through my nostril and down my throat to check for obstructions. It wasn't in the least bit comfortable. Before she even got anywhere, all my sinuses started to drain and my tear ducts just gave way. So yeah, I dun got probed, bitch!

So in conclusion, apparently like everything else that's ailed me recently, save my leg injury, it appears this latest bump in the road again stems from my allergies. Texas' climate just hasn't been kind to this Arizona boy. I have to go in again Thursday to get an ultrasound test done on my thyroid to check for cysts and also get a CT scan done on my sinuses. With the new allergy prescriptions included, I'm just damn glad I'm on state subsidized health insurance, because this stuff even FEELS expensive. Worst part of it all, a day later it still burned and where I couldn't scratch either. >_< ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/7748392/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/7748392/ Mon, 30 Jan 2006 05:48:50 PST ), and I'm doing the community college thing again.

Can't believe how inexpensive it is. I'm taking 14 hours there, mostly classes I couldn't take at Aggieland on account of them being full, and it's only $896 for the semester's tuition, all but $275 of it being covered by financial aid. *dances* Compare that to the $8500 a semester at A&M. I paid more for my semester mealplan than this semester's tuition. =0 My books were covered too, a first. ¬¬

Still workin' on shiz for the Mech Brigade and Iron Cobra. Storm and I decided we're doing a little shortline railroad for it too, hence the new art. I'm loving this new RP Profile Wiki a couple guys at SoaH started. Gives me an excuse to be creative again. =3

Here's the article I wrote on the base, as much as I could from memory (since nothing's ever been written down before):

[link]

Also got twenty-six random Star Trek Voyager eps from one of my friends who's a senior in high school now. First time I've seen ANY of the series since just before I left Arizona in the summer of 2000. God, it's been so long. I'm so happy he did that for me too.

Been doing more airsoft stuff. Finally replaced my cheap Chinese-made pistol belt with a real one and got a whole bunch of proper ALICE pouches for my loadout for about $20 at a surplus store that was literally only a short walk away from my dorm at A&M. Also got a new rifle too, an AEG! Finally, I have a proper M16A3. David still won't shut up about how much better the M4s are when they're really the exact same receivers as the A3. They're actually inferior becuase of the shorter barrel and the inherent decreased range and accuracy, but it's all about the CQB and special forces for him.

Here's a few pictures of the new shiz...

Desert Environment:

[link]
[link]

Woodland/Temperate Environment:

[link]
[link]

I'm gonna try looking for a job again. Hopefully the theather is hiring again, or the hospital (non-medical jobs, anyway), and I'm also gonna get qualified for substitute teaching this summer. Here's hoping to keepin' busy.

~Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/6573015/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/6573015/ Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:29:39 PDT
On a more serious note: my family evacuated from Port Lavaca yesterday and went to Victoria to stay at my Grandma's. I still can't get in contact with them, so hopefully they moved on to Austin. Victoria's only 30-40 miles inland and still too close to shore to be safe.

Other than that, my room mate and I are safe inside our dorm here at Walton. Yeah, you heard right, "room mate, dorm, Walton." I'm not in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets anymore since about two weeks ago. Recommended medical discharge sorta thing. Not fun. But I'm alright, so don't worry much either. I'm more afraid my parents didn't get all the animals out than about myself at the moment.

Best of luck to all those who live on the Texas Coast and above all, Gig 'em!
~Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/6275071/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/6275071/ Fri, 19 Aug 2005 22:08:22 PDT
Twenty-four hours a day, five days a week, I will be on their clock, the weekends my only exception. I will wake at 0530 in the morning, dress, go to morning formation, and do PT for the Corps and drill for the Band until 0700 when we break for breakfast. After breakfast, the academic day begins and we attend our registered classes until 1630 (4:30 in the afternoon) when we run our last training session until evening formation and dinner at 1800 (6:00 PM). After dinner, freshmen are required to stay in our barracks for three hours of uninterrupted study time, followed by a thirty-minute free-time period, then lights out for bed at 2230 (10:30 PM). This will be our daily ritual all throughout semester. I will learn to like it, for I have little other option (hell, I'll like it anyway XD).

I'm telling you all this because my time will be heavily regulated, and I will, at first, have few liberties to myself: such as time to mess around on the net and have fun with you guys. It'll be just like enlisting in the regular military or attending one of our Academies. It will be fun, yet it will suck all at the same time just because it's something new and transition takes getting used to. I just need to remember this is something I volnteered for and that no matter how bad it will get for me and the rest of my fish buddies, it will be over too. Thanks for your support, and wish me the best of luck.

~Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/6157566/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/6157566/ Sun, 07 Aug 2005 09:42:57 PDT
After spending all day at NASA, we had dinner at the Fudrucker's across from the campus, where we watched much, to our dismay, Fro eat their giant 1 lb burger right before our eyes. What's worse, there was an eight-person party of college kids that ran up to watch! INSANE!

We didn't expect him to make it back home without a few pit stops on the way. We were pleasantly surprised, believe me. >_0

Anyway, we got back from Houston around 8:30 last night. I was actually tired and slept almost eleven hours.

It was fun, I'll give you that. And best of all, it was just a spur of the moment thing when Jonathan "Fro" Francine had invited me to go along with the night before. Biggest disappointment of the day was the fact the big Saturn V rocket they had at Rocket Park is now under this huge prefab garage and under "restoration," hidden away from public view until finished. That, and I feel like NASA's become a little too...tourist trendy.

I dunno, Fro still went out and actually bought an $80 set of robin's egg blue NASA flight coveralls. Which, by the way, are waaay too big for me.

I think the highlight of the day though, was when I got to go inside the giant Skylab module they had in the little museum in the back. You'd be amazed at how big and roomy it is compared to even the "ultra-modern" ISS. It's almost like taking a step back would be more of an advancement than looking ahead. Funny, isn't it?

____________

In other news, I turn 18 in less than a week. Six days to be precise, and I just now got my State ID in the mail the day before because I still don't have my license. *shrug*

Other than that, nothing's really going on for me except I have to report in to FOW with the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets on the 21st. Something I have to do, but not really looking forward to either.

Peace, all!

~The Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/5579223/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/5579223/ Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:08:27 PDT
Storm and I are collaborating on this crazy Sonic-ish story involving a raid on the Floating Island by GUN to steal the Master Emerald. I'm mostly combining story elements from the original Sonic3&Knuckles games and the Archie comics and treating GUN, more literally translated to Universal National Guard, like a real military group. It's what I'm more comfortable with.

And if writing about the military isn't enough, I'll be playing team airsoft skirmishes almost regularly now during the break. Here's a couple links of what I look like in full gear for anybody who's curious:

I need plane to guard: [link]

It's the Clancy Guy from the games!: [link]

My "overseas" photo: [link]

Later all!
~Teh Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/5035074/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/5035074/ Fri, 08 Apr 2005 14:47:53 PDT
I'm apparently also not allowed to sue or countersue against them because to do so, I'll ALSO have to pay DA's legal fees as well as mine. I don't have that kind of money, so as I said before, I feel this is entrapment and refuse to grant them access to my property. Thank you very much. ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/4445742/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/4445742/ Sat, 29 Jan 2005 13:44:29 PST
Things are finally coming to gether for me. Now all I need to do is notify the Air Force that I wish to join their four-year cadet scholarship program and figure out how I'm gonna get $43,000. God, this is such great news! ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/4149212/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/4149212/ Fri, 24 Dec 2004 20:36:38 PST
I thank you lord for this Christmas Eve and the miracle your brought us. ^_^ It's just so beautiful. We already have maybe two, three inches on the ground.

This is the very first time I've really seen true snowfall and not just a flurry like we had in Scottsdale once every decade. This stuff is sticking together and crunching under my feet. I made snowballs-and ate 'em-and a snowman about waist high with the neighbor kid. It's just so magnificent! I only wish I could be out in this with all my friends and a certain special someone.

Merry Christmas Everybody, may all your dreams and wishes come true!
~Jon Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2944365/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2944365/ Thu, 22 Jul 2004 18:58:45 PDT Pilotstroup [6:52 PM]: *faints*
Pilotstroup [6:53 PM]: Katie's showing off her Belgian crush to Betty and me like he's a trophy.
DSRTfox4453 [6:54 PM]: XD
Pilotstroup [6:54 PM]: *twitches*
DSRTfox4453 [6:54 PM]: Belgian?
Pilotstroup [6:54 PM]: Belgian
Pilotstroup [6:54 PM]: As in from Belgium, a small and easily conquered country in northwest Europe.
DSRTfox4453 [6:55 PM]: XD
DSRTfox4453 [6:55 PM]: ANYWAY...
DSRTfox4453 [6:55 PM]: Is he a Foreign Exchange Student?
Pilotstroup [6:56 PM]: *shows up in tank*
Pilotstroup [6:56 PM]: I want your weapons, your waffles, and your women. In that order.
DSRTfox4453 [6:56 PM]: Stroup...
DSRTfox4453 [6:56 PM]: XD
DSRTfox4453 [6:56 PM]: I'm not sure puffing out your chest is gonna do anything to help
Pilotstroup [6:56 PM]: Dude, that's gotta go in my sig somewhere.
Pilotstroup [6:56 PM]: Sure it will, it just won me Belgium.
DSRTfox4453 [6:57 PM]: XD ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2740961/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2740961/ Sat, 26 Jun 2004 12:31:29 PDT
So like, there was this l337 HAX0R, right, and he like, died...

When he got to the pearly gates, he demanded to see God, to know if he was really there...

After many denied attempts to heckle with St. Peter, he finally got his wish. When God finally appeared, the hacker asked if he could go in now.

God replied to the man, "Sorry, this isn't your final destination. St. Peter is here for a reason. Think of it as the Celestial Anti-virus system to block out the hackers wanting into the promised land. So therefor, we're shunting you elsewhere."

"You mean?"

"Yes Stephen...as you say it...owned!"

This was not meant to be religiously offensive, or repulsive to those with real 1337 5|<1llz, just something that came out of nowhere and I thought was kinda funny. Who's ever seen a religious/technological joke anyway? I could be starting something. If it does offend you, just say you don't like it and be civil about it. Nothing was meant by it so don't chastise me.

Thanks,
~Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2666287/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2666287/ Tue, 15 Jun 2004 12:07:06 PDT Anyway, summers going great I guess. Not as bored after I decided on a whim it was time to reorganize my room. The only thing that didn't move was my dresser! At least I have room for a rug now or something. Well, thanks again for your dedication and I'll try to do something nice in return soon as the 21st century hits my home.

~Jon Stroup ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2430520/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/2430520/ Fri, 14 May 2004 20:45:58 PDT
On another note, I'm sketching again, have a new fighter-bomber concept in the works. Also got my first BB gun. It's an HFC M16A2 scale model, a springer. Nice quality, but I paid 60 bucks for it and it shows. Dust cover over the receiver is molded on, among other things. It's fun though, had a match with one of my friends from school. Got hit in the head four or five times.

Enough rambling from me, yarrrgh! ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1981876/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1981876/ Tue, 09 Mar 2004 16:01:40 PST ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1930137/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1930137/ Sun, 29 Feb 2004 21:32:28 PST

Sorry kids, didn't mean to make any of you upset if I did. ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1206526/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1206526/ Fri, 26 Sep 2003 14:51:19 PDT ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1152549/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1152549/ Thu, 11 Sep 2003 21:05:06 PDT
It saddens me, the catastrophic loss of life suffered by all parties involved, how the innocents were killed without warning, how the hijackers could be so cruel to waste their own lives in such a horrid manner, it's all upsetting to me. I'm glad we took Afghanistan from the clutches of Osama and his brainwashed cronies and liberated its repressed people, I'm glad we liberated Iraq and working to restore it and make life better for the residents forced to live under unending decades of despotic rule. Nobody should have to perish at the hands of madmen and fanatics again, never. In memorandum of the events that unfurled on September 11th, 2001, may the souls lost that day forever rest in peace, and I pray that our people, and those afflicted by tyranny worldwide may find the strength to live in peace forevermore.

-Jonathan F. Stroup, in Memorandum of 9/11 ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1125969/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1125969/ Wed, 03 Sep 2003 19:46:05 PDT
Then again, I think she's also a sympathizer for the "Southern Cause" during the American Civil war, keeps putting the Confederates in a brighter light than they deserve. Hell, they lost the war, get over it. Don't need to glorify them, they killed as many troops as the Union, perhaps more. The war was hell for all sides; it always is.

Haven't had much new art, still no new scanner. Moan. Drew up some utility uniforms for the US Space Forces personnel. Got the Navy and US Air Force ones finished, still need to do the USMC, thinking a female Marine wouldn't be bad. Also started a sketch of the Terminator during Physics today, started as me freehanding some shades while bored in the last five minutes of class, then came Arnie's head. Finished the rest of him 'bout an hour ago, after dinner.

I'll try to get a scanner soon, prolly after I get myself a job. ]]> ~PilotstroupF15E http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1064777/ http://PilotstroupF15E.deviantart.com/journal/1064777/ Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:06:15 PDT ~PilotstroupF15E