...M107

Well, if you know anything about me, you know that I like guns. I think guns are beautiful pieces of engineering and I've made it a goal to learn more about them. Also known as the Barret M82, the M107 is one of the finest sniper rifles made thus far.

It's a recoil-operated, semi-automatic, anti-material rifle. It uses .50 caliber rounds and was in fact built by Roy Barret specifically for the purpose of using that ammunition in a rifle. It has a range of approximately 1800 meters, just over a mile. Its about 30 pounds and is either 57 or 48 inches long depending on the barrel length. It is most often used to take out targets like trucks, radar cabins, parked aircrafts and the like rather than human targets, though it can be used against human targets from a standoff range or those behind cover.

See it here in use by a USMC sniper.  It is used by military and police forces in at least 30 countries all over the world. There's even an airsoft version!

...As Tall As Lions

So as many of you know, I'm pretty much music illiterate, which sounds like weird being that I'm a music major and a music teacher, but there you have it. I have a horrible memory for music, both classical and non classical, and that's just sad. After all, music is a method of communicating and of expressing emotions non-verbally and my Masters thesis is pretty much about using music as a tool for emotional expression. So, I figure I'd better step up to the plate and make one of my goals for the summer expanding my music knowledge.


I was recently made aware of the Indie Rock band As Tall As Lions, thank you Tim, and I really fell in love with their music. Originally from Long Island, these boys were high school friends and founded the band in December of 2001. Their lyrics deal with the commonplace everyday struggles of life. I really like how easy it is to relate to them through their lyrics. Their harmonies, both vocal and acoustic, are well thought-out and wholly appropriate. They're probably my new favourite band. Check out "Milk and Honey" and "Song For Luna", two of the first songs I heard by them.

...Top Sailor Awards

Congratulations to the four sailors who won the top-sailor awards this year! It's the first time that women have swept the entire lot. I'm proud to be applying for the military, and I'm proud to see those I hope to call my sisters achieve success where it is deserved. Hooyah! Also congratulations to EmilyAnn Ruthven who's in the process of signing all her paperwork before swearing in! I'm so proud of you!

...back to blogging

After a rather long and much hiatus from blogging, I've decided to wipe my slate clean and start up a new blog. Summertime is for exploring new things, right? After a long semester of hard work teaching, researching and homeworking, I'm hoping be able to use this as a tool to relax my brain while making new discoveries.

With that said, I'm pleased to kick off my new blog with a drink! Cheers!