Fairy tale

A fairy tale (pronounced /ˈfeəriˌteɪl/) is a type of short story that typically features European folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Fairy tales may be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables.

In less technical contexts, the term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in "fairy tale ending" (a happy ending) or "fairy tale romance" (though not all fairy tales end happily). Colloquially, a "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can also mean any far-fetched story or tall tale; it is used especially of any story that not only is not true, but could not possibly be true. Legends are perceived as real; fairy tales may merge into legends, where the narrative is perceived both by teller and hearers as being grounded in historical truth. However, unlike legends and epics, they usually do not contain more than superficial references to religion and actual places, people, and events; they take place once upon a time rather than in actual times.

Fairytale (Pointer Sisters song)

"Fairytale" is a song introduced on the Pointer Sisters' May 1974 album release That's a Plenty; written by group members Anita Pointer and Bonnie Pointer, "Fairytale" became the second of the three Top 40 hits scored by the Pointer Sisters in their original embodiment as a quartet - Anita Pointer would sing lead on all three of these hits.

History

Anita Pointer has stated that she wrote this breakup song from personal experience: pre-stardom the Pointer Sisters had written and recorded radio spots, for which purpose they'd borrowed equipment from San Francisco radio station KSAN, and Anita had become romantically involved with a KSAN deejay who'd neglected to mention being married - "He lied to me so when I found out that's when that song 'came out' [ie. took shape]". "Fairytale" was written while the Pointer Sisters were on one of their earliest tours as support for Dave Mason: staying at a motel in Woodstock (NY) Anita was listening to a cassette by James Taylor - "I love him. I just think he’s so great. And I wrote Fairytale that night." At the conclusion of the tour with Mason, Anita gave what she'd written at the motel to Bonnie Pointer for polishing into the song which the Pointer Sisters recorded at Quadraphonic Studios in Nashville TN.

Me, You & the Music

Me, You & the Music is the debut studio album by American recording artist Jessica Sanchez, released on April 30, 2013 by Interscope Records and 19 Entertainment. The album's lead single, "Tonight" features American R&B singer Ne-Yo and was released to all digital retailers on March 21, 2013. The song's accompanying music video was shot in downtown Los Angeles on March 1, 2013 with director Justin Francis.

Background

Following the series finale of the eleventh season of American Idol Sanchez was signed to Interscope Records/19 Entertainment to begin work on her debut studio album. Recording for the album began during the American Idols Live Tour in mid July 2012. She worked with producers Mark J. Feist, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Toby Gad among others for the album. It was set to feature ballads but would exhibit "more of an R&B/Pop/Urban kind of feel". The album's recording and production wrapped in mid January 2013 where the final track listing was selected mixed and mastered. It was initially set for release on May 14, 2013, but this was later moved up to April 30. Fans of "American Idol" have gotten used to a full length debut from that season's winner and, typically, a few weeks later, an album from the year's runner-up. Season 11, however, was different, Sanchez was allowed more time on the project to craft the right sound and direction for the album.

Short Message Service

Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages.

SMS was the most widely used data application, with an estimated 3.5 billion active users, or about 80% of all mobile phone subscribers at the end of 2010. The term "SMS" is used for both the user activity and all types of short text messaging in many parts of the world. SMS is also employed in direct marketing, known as SMS marketing. As of September 2014, global SMS messaging business is said to be worth over USD 100 billion, and SMS accounts for almost 50 percent of all the revenue generated by mobile messaging.

SMS as used on modern handsets originated from radio telegraphy in radio memo pagers using standardized phone protocols. These were defined in 1985 as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) series of standards as a means of sending messages of up to 160 characters to and from GSM mobile handsets. Though most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, support for the service has expanded to include other mobile technologies, such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks.

SMS/800

SMS/800, Inc. is a company that administers the assignment of toll-free telephone numbers in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). This company is a subcontractor and service provider for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the Number Administration and Service Center (NASC), administering the Service Management System (SMS) Database for RespOrgs and service control points (SCPs), as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 52 Section 101 and stipulated in 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) Functions Tariff - FCC No. 1. Its implementation of this database is known as "SMS/800".

SMS/800, Inc. runs various Web interfaces over a VPN for RespOrgs to register toll-free telephone numbers and business information. SMS/800, Inc. admits and registers RespOrgs according to qualification criteria including a required exam. It provides training materials and fee-based classes in certain locations in the U.S. A $4000 deposit is required to access any of these and to obtain a VPN account. In spite of the company performing a public function, none of the training information is available to the public on its website.

Signetics 8X300

The 8X300 is a microprocessor produced and marketed by Signetics starting 1976 as a second source for the SMS 300 by Scientific Micro Systems, Inc.

Although SMS developed the SMS 300 / 8X300 products, Signetics was the sole manufacturer of this product line. In 1978 Signetics purchased the rights to the SMS300 series and renamed the SMS300 to 8X300

It was designed to be a fast microcontroller and signal processor, and because of this differs considerably from conventional NMOS logic microprocessors of the time. Perhaps the major difference was that it was implemented with bipolar Schottky transistor technology, and could fetch, decode and execute an instruction in only 250 ns. Data could be input from one device, modified, and output to another device during one instruction cycle.

In 1982, Signetics released an improved and faster version, the 8X305. This processor went on to become very popular in military applications and was second-sourced by Advanced Micro Devices as the AM29X305. Eventually, production rights were sold to Lansdale Semiconductor Inc., who still offers the 8X305 to this day.