Hey, You Never Know

Your result for The Ultimate TRUE IRISH Test ...

2016-02-26T21:49:57Z

Your result for The Ultimate TRUE IRISH Test...

Finn MacCool

You scored 91 Common Sense, 78 Irish Facts, and 90 Irish Soul!

I am honored to be in your presence. You know your stuff. You are Irish in your heart. You probably talk like an Irish person after a few pints. You sing the rebel songs. You drink, and probably bleed Guinness. You may have even been interned in British Prisions. You impress (or annoy) all your friends with your vast Irish knowledge. If you are a female, I am in love. If you are a male, we are brothers. We should have a pint.

Origins of State Names

2014-04-04T14:42:46Z

Alabama:	Choctaw word for a Chickasaw tribe. First noted in accounts of Hernando De Soto expedition.
Alaska:	Russian version of Aleutian (Eskimo) word, alakshak for "peninsula," "great lands," or "land that is not an island."
Arizona:	Spanish version of Pima Indian word for "little spring place" or Aztec arizuma, meaning "silver-bearing."
Arkansas:	Algonquin name for the Quapaw Indians, meaning "south wind."
California:	Bestowed by Spanish conquistadors (possibly by Hérnan Cortés). It was the name of an imaginary island in the 1510 Spanish novel Las Serges de Esplandián, by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The Spanish first visited Baja (Lower) California in 1533. The present-day U.S. state was called Alta (Upper) California.
Colorado:	From Spanish for "red," first applied to Colorado River.
Connecticut:	From Mohican and other Algonquin words meaning "long river place."

Delaware:	Named for Lord De La Warr, early governor of Virginia; first applied to river, then to Indian tribe (Lenni-Lenape).
District of Columbia:	For Christopher Columbus, 1791.
Florida:	Named by Juan Ponce de León Pascua Florida, "Flowery Easter," on Easter Sunday, 1513.
Georgia:	Named by colonial administrator James Oglethorpe for King George II of England in 1732.
Hawaii:	Possibly derived from Hawaiki or Owhyhee, Polynesian word for "homeland."
Idaho:	Said to be a coined name with the invented meaning "gem of the mountains"; suggested for the Pikes Peak mining territory (Colorado), then applied to the new mining territory of the Pacific Northwest. Another theory suggests Idaho may be Kiowa Apache term for the Comanche.
Illinois:	French for Illini or "land of Illini," Algonquin word meaning "men" or "warriors."
Indiana:	Means "land of the Indians."
Iowa:	Indian word variously translated as "here I rest" or "beautiful land." Named for the Iowa River, which was named for the Iowa Indians.
Kansas:	Sioux word for "south wind people."
Kentucky:	Indian word variously translated as "dark and bloody ground," "meadowland," and "land of tomorrow."
Louisiana:	Part of territory called Louisiana by René-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle for French King Louis XIV.
Maine:	From Maine, ancient French province. Also descriptive, referring to the mainland as distinct from coastal islands.
Maryland:	For Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England.
Massachusetts:	From Indian tribe whose name meant "at or about the Great Hill" in Blue Hills region south of Boston.
Michigan:	From Chippewa words mici gama, meaning "great water," after lake of the same name.
Minnesota:	From Dakota Sioux word meaning "cloudy water" or "sky-tinted water" of the Minnesota River.
Mississippi:	Probably Chippewa mici zibi, meaning "great river" or "gathering-in of all the waters." Also Algonquin word messipi.
Missouri:	Algonquin Indian term meaning "river of the big canoes."
Montana:	Latin or Spanish for "mountainous."
Nebraska:	From Omaha or Otos Indian word meaning "broad water" or "flat river," describing the Platte River.
Nevada:	Spanish, meaning "snow-clad."
New Hampshire:	Named by Capt. John Mason of Plymouth Council, in 1629, for his home county in England.
New Jersey:	The Duke of York, 1664, gave a patent to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret for Nova Caesaria, or New Jersey, after England’s Isle of Jersey.
New Mexico:	Spaniards in Mexico applied term to land north and west of Rio Grande in the 16th century.
New York:	For James, Duke of York and Albany, who received patent for New Netherland from his brother Charles II and sent an expedition to capture it, 1664.
North & South Carolina:	In 1619, Charles I gave patent to Sir Robert Heath for Province of Carolana, fromCarolus, Latin name for Charles. Charles II granted a new patent to Earl of Clarendon and others. Divided into North and South Carolina, 1710.
North & South Dakota:	Sioux word Dakota, meaning "friend" or "ally."
Ohio:	Iroquois word for "fine or good river."
Oklahoma:	Choctaw word meaning "red man," proposed by Rev. Allen Wright, Choctaw-speaking Indian.
Oregon:	Origin unknown. One theory is that the name derives from wauregan, meaning "beautiful," term used by Indians in New England.
Pennsylvania:	William Penn, Quaker who was made full proprietor of area by King Charles II in 1681, suggested "Sylvania," or "woodland," for his tract. The king’s government owed 16,000 pounds to Penn’s father, Adm. William Penn, and the land was granted as partial settlement. Charles II added "Penn" to "Sylvania," against the modest proprietor's desires, in honor of the admiral.
Rhode Island:	Origin unknown. One theory notes that Giovanni de Verrazano recorded observing an island about the size of the Greek island of Rhodes in 1524. Another theory is that Dutch explorer Adriaen Block named the state Roode Eylandt for its red clay.
Tennessee:	Tanasi was the name of Cherokee villages on the Little Tennessee River. From 1784 to 1788, this was the State of Franklin, or Frankland.
Texas:	Variant of word used by Caddo and other Indians meaning "friends" or "allies" and applied to them by the Spanish in eastern Texas. Also written Texias, Tejas, Teysas.
Utah:	From a Navajo word meaning "upper," or "higher up," as applied to Shoshone tribe called Ute. Proposed name Deseret, "land of honeybees," from Book of Mormon, was rejected by Congress.
Vermont:	From French words vert (green) and mont (mountain). The Green Mountains were said to have been named by Samuel de Champlain. When the state was formed in 1777, Dr. Thomas Young suggested combining vert and mont.
Virginia:	Named by Sir Walter Raleigh, who outfitted an expedition of 1584, in honor of England's Queen Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen.
Washington:	Named after George Washington. When the bill creating the Territory of Columbia was introduced in the 32nd Congress, its name was changed to Washington because of the existence of the District of Columbia.
West Virginia:	So named when western counties of Virginia refused to secede from the U.S. in 1863.
Wisconsin:	Indian name, spelled Ouisconsin or Mesconsing by early chroniclers, believed to mean "grassy place" in Chippewa. Congress made it Wisconsin.
Wyoming:	From Algonquin words for "large prairie place," "at the big plains," or "on the great plain."

Source: State officials; Smithsonian Institution; Topographic Division, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Dept. of the Interior

HDM Daemon Quiz

2013-11-24T06:53:07Z

Your result for The Golden Compass Daemon Test...

Curmudgeonly Soul

You are an independent, confident person. You march to the beat of your own drum, and if other people don't like it, they can go f*** themselves. You don't really care what they think, or at least you THINK that you don't care. You believe that people should live and let live.

You are an introverted soul, disliking the crowds of morons and idiots that you find at big parties or clubs. You prefer to be on your own, or with a couple close friends. When you are forced to be social, you get tired quickly. You need to curl up with a good book or spend a night on the computer to recharge.

You have a strong sense of self, and it doesn't bother you much when people criticize you, especially strangers. You care more about what your family thinks, but probably not enough to change yourself for them. In any case, your loved ones know that under that gruff, aggressive exterior there is a caring friend. Your daemon's form would represent your confident, occasionally aggressive and solitary nature, but might betray your softer underbelly. He or she would probably help you make fun of the idiots around you, but would also provide the comfort and affection that you sometimes deny yourself in everyday life.

Form suggestions: Badger, Jackal, Black Bear.

Take The Golden Compass Daemon Test at HelloQuizzy

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Recs

2013-07-12T00:29:16Z

Ignis by Meskeet (Victoria LeRoux)
2,500 Words, Gen

Summary: A wall of impenetrable fire looms before them. Suddenly, Ethan's lunging forward, pulling the semi-conscious Brandt into the flames. If Brandt ever needed confirmation that Ethan was certifiably insane, he could have used this moment.

Hell or High Water by Alex Kade
1,774 Words, Gen

Summary: Brandt, Benji, a cage, a sinking boat, and some humorous whump. Need I say more?

Leverage Recs

2013-07-11T00:07:24Z

Triggers by Maimat
3,000 Words, Gen

Summary: Nate sat across the table from Eliot. Right now, Nate needed to see him exactly as he saw any other obstacle standing in the way of getting the job done. Even if it meant crossing a line that should never be crossed.

Wouldn't Be the First Time by Maimat (Rat)
2,540 Words, Gen

Summary: It wouldn't be the first time a personal grudge interfered with a job.

Eliot thinks Hardison's abandoned him during a job because he accidentally broke his computer.

Leverage Rec

2013-07-10T00:06:00Z

Liabilities by sheryden
2,420 Words, Gen

Summary: When Eliot has a meltdown during a job, he wonders if the team would be better off without him.

Leverage Rec

2013-07-09T00:01:03Z

Stay on the Ride (It’s Gonna Take You Somewhere) by Hannasus
8,222 Words, Gen

Summary: As he dangled over the edge of the ravine, forty feet above the ground below, Eliot wondered when, exactly, everything had gone so completely to shit.

Leverage Rec

2013-07-08T00:07:04Z

Buried Deep Inside by Sprite91360
3,000 Words, Gen

Summary: After the Underground Job, Nate and Eliot have words. Nate worries Eliot is getting too attached to stray kids.

Harry Potter Recs

2013-07-07T07:30:05Z

All I Crave is a Normal Life by cazgirl
216,000 Words (it's been a WIP for a long time, but even the unfinished story is so worth reading), Gen
Summary: Harry leaves the wizarding world after defeating Voldemort. Upon the death of his muggle boyfriend, Harry is drawn back into the wizarding world, but disguises himself from everyone. Harry renews his connections to his former life without anyone realizing he's even there.

Surreality by Perse
41,000 Words, Gen
Summary: Harry begins to have vivid dreams...happy dreams, showing what his life might have been like with his parents. But Dumbledore and Snape think this is the Dark Lord’s doing, and that it needs to be undone. Set at the beginning of 6th year.

Harry Potter Recs

2013-07-06T07:28:31Z

In Blood Only by E.M. Snape
185,000 Words, Gen
Summary: Snape discovers he's Harry's father, and uses it to his advantage to lawd power over Harry. A much more realistic version that shows petty Snape gradually becoming a good father without losing his dark side.

Betrayed by kateydidnt
102,000 Words, Gen
Summary: After being betrayed by the wizarding world and slaying Voldemort for them, Harry makes a life for himself in the muggle world. Trouble starts up again when his daughter turns 11 and receives her Hogwarts letter. Told (mainly) from the daughter's pov.

Harry Potter Recs

2013-07-05T07:27:44Z

Had I Known by Kayly Silverstorm
163,000 Words (No longer a WIP!), Gen
Summary: After killing Voldemort during seventh year, Harry vanished without a trace. But now, 8 years later, a deadly secret forces him to return and it seems that only Snape will be able to save him.

Resonance by GreenGecko (sequels Revolution and Resolution)
528,000 Words, Gen (Harry dabbles in Het relationships here and there, but still mostly Gen)
Summary: Year six and Harry needs rescuing by Dumbledore and Snape. The resulting understanding between Harry and Snape is critical to destroying Voldemort and leads to an offer of adoption. Covers year seven and Auror training.

I will go out on a limb and risk offending every HP writer out there (though none is intended), but I'll say it anyway: Never has a better Harry Potter story ever been written. Not in fanfic, not by Ms. Rowling herself. Seriously, if you ever have even a remote interest in this fandom, you must read this story.

Avengers Rec

2013-07-04T07:12:59Z

These Promises Broken by missbecky
15,438 Words, Slash (Tony/Steve)
Summary: "Tony, even if you don't go talk to him, you have to face the fact that your father – or at least some version of him – is on this ship right now. This is happening. Whether you want it or not."

Avengers Rec

2013-07-03T07:09:09Z

Nobody Panic This Time by sauntering_down
9490 Words, Gen
Summary: The six of them just saved the planet from an alien invasion and a megalomaniacal dictator with mind-controlling magical powers. Thor’s a god, Steve is an enhanced super soldier, Bruce has serious anger management problems, Agents Romanoff and Barton kill people for a living, and Tony is… well, he’s Tony Stark. He’s the Iron Man, he’s an eccentric billionaire genius, he’s famous (sometimes for bad reasons, like that cock-up with the cleaning robot). And he flew an active nuclear warhead through a portal into outer space, which definitely counts for something. In short, they are pretty much the most amazing thing in the world right about now.

And yet he thinks that maybe this is the moment that defines them as a team – the one where Barton has a goddamn seizure in the shawarma joint and the rest of them panic and run around like headless chickens.

Bumper Sticker of the Day

2013-07-02T15:13:14Z

I'm not good at empathy.
Will you settle for sarcasm?

Avengers Rec

2013-07-02T07:08:09Z

Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat by rubygirl29
16,918 Words, Het (Natasha/Clint)
Summary: Clint Barton's life seems to run in a cycle of love, loss, hope, and repeat.

Clint and Barney work a summer at a cane farm in Florida until Barney snaps.

Holy Shit, I Actually Read Something!

2013-07-01T07:57:56Z

And it blew my mind away!

ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card

Summary: In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. Is Ender the general Earth needs?

If you haven't read it, go! The author writes with such clarity and decisiveness, the characters are lovable and the plot truly well thought out. No soft punches. Much more psychology than science fiction. If you've ever felt like the smartest person in the room it'll mean that much more to you. (Not that you have to be a genius, just that feeling of having something your immediate peers don't - and why that's not always a good thing.)

I admit I mainly read it because I know the movie is coming out in November, but I'm so glad I did. Off to the library tomorrow to get Ender's Shadow and Speaker for the Dead!

Moving on to Movies, Also rec'ing:

Now You See Me

Plot: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

Talk about a movie that leaves you feeling smug as you exit the theater. I'm not into magic shows or illusions, but I love the sassy attitudes, clever capers (similar to Ocean's 11) and seriously good acting. Woody Harrelson freaked me out! Yes, some twists were predictable, but overall, what fun!

Recs

2013-07-01T07:03:17Z

Avengers:
Waiting for Phil by MountainRose
6264 Words, Slash (Clint/Phil)
Summary: Clint Barton is captured; it happens to all of them, eventually. Some of them come out of it alive, some of them don't, but always, always, it changes you.

Arrow:
Fire in the Blood by Misachan
7490 Words, Slash & Het (Oliver/Slade Wilson/Shado)
Summary: When Slade wakes up with the shakes one morning Ollie really wants to believe him when he claims it's nothing. Which would be easier if the fever didn't keep getting worse.

Delicious to Pinboard

2013-04-22T19:07:28Z

So I joined the bandwagon and migrated over to pinboard. The last changes to delicious just put me over the edge.

You can find me with the usual name at pinboard.in/u:splitbeak.

I've also added a bit of a sorting system to my tags, so they're not exact copies, for example:
Author tag = a.authorname
Whump tag = w.typeofwhump
Fandom tag = f.fandomname

All my old bookmarks are still available on delicious, but I will not be updating them.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

2013-02-17T09:39:28Z

Saw Hansel & Gretel tonight. It was much better than I was expecting! They had some nice twists to the original tale and had a lot of fun with it. I always figured at least one of them would come out with an eating disorder from the whole ordeal, but while that plot wasn't in the movie (though IMDb says originally Gretel was supposed to have one), I loved that Hansel developed diabetes. I thought that was a really great follow through.

Avengers Rec

2012-11-11T14:30:24Z

wicked shine sharp by isawet
Mostly gen, but a little Clint/Phil pre-slash, 1200 words

Summary: Written for the kinkmeme. Clint and Tony are taken and drugged, Clint wakes in the medlab disoriented and Coulson calms him down.

splitbeak @ 2012-11-02T21:20:00

2012-11-03T01:20:42Z

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath at the Library

2012-11-02T00:39:57Z

Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island hard Sunday night through Monday - most of the damage was on the south shore, but my town (Syosset) was one of the hardest hit on the north shore. I think 95% of the homes were without power.

The Library where I work followed the school district's example and closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, the director decided, Fuck It, we have power - we're opening. We opened for limited hours (9-5 instead of 9-9). The night shift (including me) was called in to work day to have as many hands on deck to help out as possible. We were originally going to open at 10, but there were so many people lined up outside to come in, we opened at 9:30. I don't know how people found out we were open, but they were smelled those amps.

So in came the masses and within 20 minutes there wasn't an outlet to be spared anywhere in the building. We literally have them under every table, desk, carrell, you name it. We brought out all our extension cords and surge protectors. People were breaking out into fistfights over outlets! I don't know how many square feet our library is, but to give you an idea: we're three floors and the tallest building for miles. Right off the highway halfway from Riverhead to NYC.

My job at the library is to oversee the public computers and wireless internet. Guess what everyone's been wanting to use?

Just last week we had gotten a new public computer management system to control how long people can sit at each computer before they have to get up and let the next person have a turn. This system was a godsend, but we've still only had it for a week and everyone's still learning how to use it. Which basically means I've been running around like a chicken without a head showing both staff and patrons! I had to reschedule two vacation days just to make sure I was around to help.

But I'm really glad we were open. We're not an official refugee shelter, but we may as well have been. We called a lot of other libraries in the area, but as far as we could tell, only 2 other libraries within a 30 mile radius (maybe more!) were open and we were the only one with internet. People were coming from the surrounding two counties just for a chance to charge their phones, pay their bills and check their email. So many people were just so grateful for a chance to use the internet for 5 minutes (of course, some people were less than pleasant about not getting to aimlessly surf for hours on end - seriously, I'm an internet junkie too, but emergency conditions (95% without power in 40 degree weather people!). Staff didn't get to check their email or use computers until the end of the day we were so busy helping everyone else!).

Usually we have about 1000 people come into the building each day. We were at well over 3000 yesterday and today. Over 200 desktop computer sessions plus another 200-400 wireless users. I'm exhausted and this will probably continue into the weekend. But I really do get to leave the building feeling like I contributed to a great community service. And most of the staff has really pulled together in fine form - no one's taking lunches longer than it takes to actually eat (5/10 min), no breaks - and for civil service, where such things are usually sacrosanct, this is phenomenal. Go team.

Quotes from the repair log of Qantas airline mechanics

2012-09-19T19:55:55Z

Source (P = The problem logged by the pilot.) (S = The solution and action taken by the engineers.)

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're there for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

Bumper Sticker of the Day

2012-08-17T14:16:59Z

I BRAKE for MORONS who tailgate.

Avengers Rec

2012-06-10T07:07:43Z

of a demon in my view by CallisteDawn
Mostly Gen (hints of Phil/Clint), 1732 words

Summary: There is always a cost for the sort of thing Clint needs. But anything, everything, for this.

Clint makes a deal with either a norn or demon to bring Phil back to life at the cost of his memories of him. So well written.