Tag: reference

Masterlist: Police Work/Law Enforcement (US)

referenceforwriters:

Content: police ranks, Promotions and how they work, daily life, career paths, jobs usually glossed over, administration, etc.
Job Related

Training

Promotions and Becoming a Police Officer

Daily Life

Other

As always, got any more links or help to add? submit!

-Alex

But Where Is Beacon Hills? (Teen Wolf Meta)

foolproofpoem:

So, I’m trying to figure out where Beacon Hills would be in California for a fic. I googled BH to see if it was a real town or if some unsuspecting hamlet was struck with this new identity. Having found that, no, BH did not indeed exist, I set out trying to figure out where Beacon Hills could be located in California.

Here’s what we know:

  • The forest scenes in TW were filmed in a large pine forest in Georgia.
  • Lacrosse is generally played in the Spring, and tryouts started in Jan.
  • BH is set in California.
  • The topography is not flat. There are plenty of hills and promontories.
  • The soil we see covering Laura’s body in the grave near the Hale house is an ultisol, which is a really common soil order in Georgia. The other option could be an Inceptisol, but the preserve is more likely to be in the foothills considering the density of plant life and the distance between the trees.
  • Jeff said it was in NorCal

Alright! So how does this all fit together? Our two biggest clues are the biome type and the soil type. If we look at a common forest biome map (x) we can see that California has 2 types of biomes largely present. The pink is a hot desert biome. Not our guy, obviously. The other is the evergreen/montane forest biome which makes TONS of sense. Pine can become an evergreen (it doesn’t lose its needles) when it grows in poor soils. Ultisols are poor soils that don’t have that much nutrition. They’re clay-heavy and are found in humid places. All of these things fit together because these montane forests have a large amount of pines. But then how can I narrow down that huge blue portion of California to a smaller place?

Soil! Ultisols in California are only in a small portion of the state. It’s orange on this map (x). If we look at a topographic map of california as well (x), we can see where all of these sections overlap! Where there is montane forest, ultisol soils, hilly/elevated terrain, we can see it is in one section.

Now that still seems like it could be a bit too much area, so I’ll have to abandon some hard biogeography for a more narrow target. Like I said before, Lacrosse is played in the spring. Many scenes feature the boys playing at night, breathing out some fog. That can happen in florida even when it’s cold, but the grass seems fairly vibrant and people don’t seem like they’re bundled up too much in the show. Let’s take that small part we have and chop it in half. BH is probably set in that more northern part then, where the flora would have adapted more to colder weather and become hardier, also because Jeff said it was in NorCal.

In the end, we have a small spot where Beacon Hills could be! Now you can write your college AUs more accurately and have fun roadtrip AUs (haven’t seen any yet, I think! 😉 )

Here’s my map of where Beacon Hills should be with some cities listed underneath that are in that area:

image

  • Paradise
  • Oroville
  • Chico
  • Magalia
  • Nevada City
  • Off I-5
  • Route 149
  • Plumas National Forest
  • Tahoe National Forest

Edit: Thanks to the anon that pointed out a more accurate idea of when the boys play lacrosse! I really appreciate it. Doesn’t really affect the meta much, but it’s more precise in my evidence, so thanks!

Teen Wolf School Schedule

Today I decided to try to put together the class schedule/class list for the Teen Wolf characters because I clearly hate myself and want to cause endless frustration. In general it seems like people only show up to class when there’s a major plot point that needs to be carried out, and they never attend class before their character is introduced (obviously characters that only appear in season 2 are not in class during season 1). Also, classrooms change on a monthly basis (I counted at least three different chemistry rooms and two English classrooms). 

So here’s the list of who’s taking what (that we know of either by them being in class or saying they took it). The numbers after classes indicate multiple sessions of the same subject.

By Person:

Scott – Chemistry Lecture (1), Economics (1), English (1), History (1), Math (Algebra), lunch, free period/Chemistry Lab
Stiles – Biology, Chemistry Lecture (1), Economics (1), English (other), History (1), lunch, free period/Chemistry Lab
Allison – Chemistry Lecture (other), Economics (1), English (1), French, History (other), Math (Geometry) lunch, free period/Chemistry Lab
Lydia – Biology, Chemistry Lecture (other), Economics (1), English (1), Math (Algebra), lunch, Chemistry Lab
Jackson – Biology, Chemistry Lecture (1), Economics (1), lunch, free period/Chemistry Lab
Danny – Chemistry Lecture (1), lunch, free period/Chemistry Lab
Matt – Biology, History (1)
Isaac – Chemistry Lecture (other), Economics (other),  Hsitory(1), French, Chemistry Lab
Erica – Chemistry Lecture (other), lunch, Chemistry Lab
Boyd – lunch

By Subject:

Biology: Stiles, Lydia, Jackson, Matt
Chemistry Lecture (1): Scott, Stiles, Jackson, Danny
Chemistry Lecture (other): Allison, Lydia, Isaac, Erica
Chemistry Lab (fluid class makeup): Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, Danny, Isaac, Erica
Economics (1): Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, Jackson
Economics (other): Isaac
English (1): Scott, Allison, Lydia
English (other): Stiles
French: Allison, Isaac
History (1): Scott, Stiles, Isaac, Matt
History (other): Allison
Math (Algebra): Scott, Lydia
Math (Geometry): Allison
Lunch: Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, Danny, Erica, Boyd
Free Period: Scott, Stiles, Allison, Jackson, Danny

Detailed explanations and speculations under the cut.

Biology 

We only ever see one biology class during the series (2.03) which is when the video about vaccines is playing and Jackson makes the (incorrect) assumption that Lydia somehow passed on her werewolf immunity to him. Actually in the class we see Matt, Jackson, and Lydia. Jackson later has a scene where he goes to the biology teacher to discuss his paper and ends up eating a snake instead (2.07).  

The only reason Stiles made it onto the biology class list is because he says he sits (present tense – sits) behind Lydia in biology class while trying to flirt with her at the hospital (1.02). He is never actually seen in the biology classroom during class, and is not the person sitting behind Lydia in the biology class we do see. 

Chemistry 

I’ve divided Chemistry into Lab and Lecture in an attempt to make more sense of the comings and goings of characters. Everyone but Matt (and Boyd) attends some form of Chemistry at some point in time.  

Jackson, Danny, Scott, and Stiles almost always appear in Chemistry Lecture together (unless someone is absent such as Scott in 1.05 or Jackson in 2.02). The one exception to this is in 1.03 when Danny isn’t in class because he hasn’t been introduced yet (he’s introduced in the following scene at the lunch table). 

Erica, Isaac, and Lydia only show up once (2.05) during the musical chairs/let’s poison Lydia scene. This is also the only Chemistry Lab that we get to see, so I’ll go ahead and say that Erica, Isaac, Lydia, Allison, Stiles, and Scott all have lab together. Since lab doesn’t happen every day, I think it’s likely that the students have to come in during lunch/their free period to do the lab, which would explain why the people in lab seem to change randomly. If, for example, there are three lab days a week and you only have to attend one (letting Harris know which one ahead of time, but otherwise you’re free to choose) it explains why Erica and Isaac suddenly appear in Chemistry Lab and why Danny is not there, even though he’s Stiles’s lab partner in 1.09. (I would guess that Danny switched his lab time to be with Jackson, which explains why they’re not in the lab during 2.05). 

Allison appears in Chemistry only during labs (2.05) and tests (1.08). It’s possible she had a make up test or the test was scheduled after school, because Allison never appears during Chemistry Lecture.

Economics

Stiles, Scott, and Allison are seen in Economics in 1.06 when Finstock yells at Scott for not doing the reading. Lydia and Jackson join the economics class during 2.05 when Lydia has her first major mental breakdown and writes “someone help me” backwards on the chalkboard. 

Isaac is listed as being in Economics because it’s one of the three classes he mentions when talking to his father about grades (2.02). (He has a B-. The other two classes are Chemistry and French.)

This is also the only class Greenberg is ever mentioned in (courtesy of Finstock, as usual). 

English

The first English class is in 1.01 during the scene where Scott and Allison first meet. The (white male) teacher is writing about Kafka’s Metamorphosis on the board, which is the only clue to this being and English class. Stiles, Scott, and Allison are the only recognizable characters in the class. I’m going to basically ignore this class because after 1.01 the teacher, classroom, and class register changes. In canon, my best guess would be that the teacher quit/retired/had to leave suddenly and the class got split up and sent to different teachers.

The next time English appears is in 1.05 during the parent teacher conferences. The (black female) English teacher has meetings with the Martins and the Argents. She later appears teaching about Shakespeare’s Othello in 1.09. Lydia, Allison, and Scott are in the class by themselves. Stiles is NOT in this class despite being in the earlier English class. His conversation with Scott just before the class in 1.09 implies that they have separate classes this period.

French

French is the class no one ever sees. Ms. Morrell teaches it, and Allison (1.02) and Isaac (2.02) take it. 

History

In 1.04, Stiles and Scott are sitting together in World History class (class name can be seen on the orange textbooks most students have). One of them definitely has a world history textbook, since Scott is using it to hide from Allison in the cafeteria during 1.06. 

Allison is clearly taking history, but we never see her in class. She ‘studies’ for it with Scott (1.04) and has the family history project that Kate uses to open up the talks about werewolves (1.06).  Neither Scott nor Stiles ever mentions a project like that, so it’s probable that Allison either has a different history teacher, or is in a different type of history (European or American or just General as opposed to World).

We think that Matt is in History because of Stiles’s testimony in 2.10. He claims to recognize the back of Matt’s head because Stiles sits behind him in History. 

Math

The only math class we see is in 1.02 when Scott and Lydia are solving binomial equations on the board. Based on the fact that there are binomial equations on the board, it’s likely that they are in some level of Algebra.

Allison is also probably in a math class, as she has a Geometry textbook at home (2.03). The textbook is probably being used since it has a note from Scott that Allison could only have gotten at school. This would put her in a different class than Scott and Lydia.

Lunch

Everyone except Isaac and Matt appear during the lunch period at some point in time.

Boyd only ever appears at lunch, and seems to drop out of school after he takes the bite.

Free Period

Free Periods are these mystical periods that are often referred to but rarely seen. The only time they are seen is in 1.06 when Stiles spends his free period pelting Scott with lacrosse balls out on the field. Jackson also appears during the scene to gawk at them, so I think it’s safe to assume he has a free period as well.

Later in 1.06, Jackson and Allison have a creepy moment in the hallway and Allison asks if Jackson is on his free period (implying that that’s why she is sitting in the hallway all by herself). Jackson replies that no, it’s his chemistry period, which may or may not be true. Given that Jackson isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders during this scene though, I’m inclined to believe he’s lying in order to start a conversation with Allison.

Danny is listed as having a free period because he references it in 2.05 when he tells Jackson he can work on the video recovery then.

Timing

We get a few clues as to when classes are relative to each other and lunch (mostly lunch). Here’s the list of what we know.

French is before lunch (1.02)

Chemistry Lecture is before lunch (1.03)

History for Stiles and Scott is before lunch (1.06)

Lunch is before the Free Period (1.06)

Free Period is before Economics (1.06)

Biology is before lunch (2.03)

Economics is before Chemistry Lab (2.05)

(Yes, I realize that the Free Period/Economics/Chemistry Lab creates a paradox if Chemistry Lab and the Free Period are at the same time. I’m really not sure what to do about it.)

Summary:

Morning Classes: French, Chemistry Lecture (for Scott, Stiles, Jackson, and Danny), History (Scott, Stiles, and Matt), Biology
Lunch
Afternoon Classes: Economics, Chemistry Lab/Free Period
Unknown: Math, English

Other Notes (or the things that I didn’t put in because they made even less sense than what’s on here)

1) The climbing wall in 2.03. For some reason Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, and Erica all end up in the gym climbing a wall and being coached by the Economics teacher, Finstock. This might mean they’re all in P.E. class together or it might be an after school fun club/fun session. Or maybe Finstock just decided he’d had enough of Economics and took his class to the gym instead. It also might take place during the free period. If I had to squeeze it into an official schedule though, I’d put it as a special activity that’s offered during the free period.

2) In 2.05 Isaac appears in class with Scott and Stiles in what looks like an English classroom (the blackboard behind them has stuff about verbs and direct/indirect objects on it). Given that Allison and Lydia aren’t there (and that Stiles is), this isn’t Scott’s usual English class. Based on the people in the class though (Scott and Stiles only), I’d say it’s World History. Overall since we never see the teacher and the identifying blackboard is at the back of the room (and therefore not being used), I would say this is the World History class.

3) In 1.01 Stiles mentions that he might use shop class to make himself some silver bullets for the upcoming full moon. Since this is the only time shop class is ever mentioned or seen, I decided it was probably a Stiles flavored joke and not an actual part of anyone’s schedule.

4) Jackson knows upon hearing the word that Argent means silver in French. This may imply that he takes French, or it might just mean that he has a thing for Romance languages. Since he never says anything about French class, I chose to ignore the comment when putting together a schedule. 

5) Lydia knows archaic Latin because she got bored with regular Latin. This implies that at some point in time she studied regular Latin, although whether or not this was in school is unclear. 

6) I didn’t include every time someone appeared in a class or mentioned they were in a class, but I do think I caught every class that appeared/was mentioned. I do have a more complete list of when classes are mentioned, so let me know if you want/need it.

If I missed anything or put something in wrong, let me know and I’ll fix it.

EDIT: Fixed the note about Isaac in the Chemistry section.

EDIT 2: Added English to the list of classes and put Isaac in History.

alcoholic beverage breakdown

literaryfirearms:

euclase:

I had a disturbing exchange with a high school-aged person today that prompted this…

  • Beer, wine, mead, and cider are fermented beverages.
  • Mead is made from honey.
  • Cider is made from apples.
  • Beer is made from grains.
  • Beer tastes like beer because they flavor it with hops.
  • They used to flavor beer with dandelions.
  • Ain’t that cute?
  • All beer is either ale or lager.
  • Ale is fermented at room temperature.
  • Lager is brewed and store cold.
  • Barleywine, bitter, porter, and stout are ales.
  • Pilsner and bock are lagers.
  • Most of the crap people drink in America is pale lager.
  • Mosft of the crap people drink in Ireland is dry stout.
  • Butterbeer isn’t real.
  • (Except actually I think it is, and I heard it tastes like cream soda)
  • Miruvor isn’t real, either, but it probably would taste like squash.
  • Ent-draught isn’t real, either, but shit, it would be awesome if it were.
  • Wine is made from fermented fruit juice, usually grapes.
  • Red wine is made from red grapes.
  • White wine is made from green grapes.
  • The name of the grape is the name of the wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot are all varieties of grape)
  • Unless you live in France.
  • In which case, the name of the place supersedes the name of the grape.
  • (for example: Burgundies are made in Burgundy, France, but Burgundy wine can be Pinot Noir or Chardonnay)
  • Champagne is any sparkling white wine.
  • However, Champagne can also be wine that comes from Champagne, France.
  • Drink red wine with beef. Drink white wine with fish.
  • Act like it tastes good. 
  • Keep a Diet Coke in your bag for later.
  • You’ll be fine.
  • Brandy is distilled wine.
  • Cognac is brandy aged in oak barrels.
  • Don’t fuck around with the French about their cognac.
  • Fortified wine is wine with added alcohol.
  • Sherry is fortified white wine made in Spain.
  • Port is fortified red wine made in Portugal.
  • Vermouth is fortified white wine plus grape spirits.
  • Sweet vermouth has added sugar.
  • Dry vermouth has added spices like nutmeg.
  • Liquors are distilled spirits that contain ethanol.
  • Liqueurs are liquors that have sugar and flavors added.
  • Liquors can be made from grains, fruits, or vegetables.
  • Grain alcohol is liquor made from grains. Duh.
  • Gin, Vodka, and Whisky are grain alcohols.
  • Vodka is grain alcohol and water.
  • Be careful with vodka. Homemade vodka is poisonous.
  • Gin is (basically vodka) flavored with juniper berries.
  • Absinthe is (basically gin) flavored with anise.
  • Whisky is grain alcohol aged in wood barrels.
  • Malt whisky is made from barley.
  • Grain whisky is made from all the other grains.
  • Scotch is whisky made in Scotland.
  • Bourbon is Kentucky whisky mostly made from corn.
  • Don’t fuck around with the Scottish.
  • Don’t fuck around with people from Kentucky, either.
  • Tequila is liquor made from the blue agave plant.
  • Rum is liquor made from sugarcane.
  • Schnapps is liquor made from fruit “must” (smashed fruit that still contains seeds and skins).
  • American schnapps is grain alcohol mixed with fruit flavors and sugar syrup.
  • Drink apple schnapps only while playing Tekken 2.
  • Sake is rice wine that’s brewed like beer. Or something.

♥

Fun facts, because I frankly didn’t know what the difference between a lot of these was.