text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Feb 3, 2009
|Filing date
|Nov 1, 2001
|Priority date
|Nov 1, 2001
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Michael Rys, Chris Suver, Bruno Denuit, Srinivasa Burugapalli, Murray Low
|Original Assignee
|Microsoft Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (10), Non-Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (27), Classifications (13), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention relates generally to the field of computing. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for importing hierarchical data into relational databases.
XML is rapidly becoming the vehicle of choice as a definition language for the description of content-related structures. XML provides great flexibility and universality because XML provides a grammar that can express nearly any content. On the Internet in particular, the standardized representation of content structures generates unexpected opportunities.
More and more, mission-critical applications are designed to run on the Internet. Add the logical structuring capability of XML to the mix, and a new infrastructure that is ideal for running electronic business applications on the Internet becomes much more feasible. Databases can now be accessed directly via XML without having to use CGI and HTML or Java in addition.
Relational databases provide a primary tool for businesses to maintain, access, and analyze data. Such database technologies have evolved over many years so that they are optimized for accessing and manipulating large information bases. Many businesses store the majority of their critical information in 5 relational databases. Moreover, many Internet sites managed their data using relational database technology. This approach also makes it possible to develop database search engines for sifting through the large volumes of information that "live" on the Internet.
The combination of database technology with a self-describing structure of hierarchical languages such as XML opens an interesting perspective for new applications.
The implementation of the kind of tree structures supported by hierarchical languages such as XML in the form of a relational data model presents a number of issues, some of which have already been addressed and 15 solved. One vexing issue is presented when transmitting large amounts of data over the Internet in the form of hierarchical data such as XML. A mechanism that permits large databases to exchange data in the form of hierarchical data structures is desirable.
The invention provides a mechanism for users and programmers to load semi-structured hierarchical data, such as XML data, of arbitrary size and structure into relational database tables using a schema such as an SQL-annotated XML schema. The schema describes how XML data maps into base tables and fields, including complex one-to-many and many-to-many relationships.
Bulk Load automatically interprets this schema, thus allowing the programmer to insert the XML data into multiple tables in a single operation—a process referred to herein as "shredding". No additional information is required other than to specify the data and the schema which performs the translation. Bulk Load is designed for rapid loading of large amounts of XML data, where performance is paramount.
More particularly, the invention provides systems and methods for moving hierarchical data into at least two relational tables. Such systems and methods comprise receiving a schema describing a relationship of nodes in the hierarchical data to at least one column in each of the at least two relational tables. The schema is used to map the hierarchical data to columns in the relational tables. Records are created from the hierarchical data from nodes identified as data to be stored in the at least one column in each of the at least two relational tables. The records are then streamed into the at least two relational tables.
Preferably, the invention creates a buffer for each of the at least two relational tables in which the records are stored before being streamed into the relational tables. More preferably, the buffer comprises a file.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings exemplary constructions of the invention; however, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:
Electronic communications have fostered the sharing of information among institutions, business, individual, etc. For example, retailers may share sales data with manufacturers, research institutions share research with other institutions and so on.
Illustrative Computer Network Environment
There are a variety of systems, components, and network configurations that support distributed computing environments. For example, computing systems may be connected together by wireline or wireless systems, by local networks or widely distributed networks. Currently, many of the networks are coupled to the Internet which provides the infrastructure for widely distributed computing and encompasses many different networks.
The Internet commonly refers to the collection of networks and gateways that utilize the TCP/IP suite of protocols, which are well-known in the art of computer networking. TCP/IP is an acronym for "Transport Control Protocol/Interface Program." The Internet can be described as a system of geographically distributed remote computer networks interconnected by computers executing networking protocols that allow users to interact and share information over the networks. Because of such wide-spread information sharing, remote networks such as the Internet have thus far generally evolved into an "open" system for which developers can design software applications for performing specialized operations or services, essentially without restriction.
The network infrastructure enables a host of network topologies such as client/server, peer-to-peer, or hybrid architectures. The "client" is a member of a class or group that uses the services of another class or group to which it is not related. Thus, in computing, a client is a process (i.e., roughly a set of instructions or tasks) that requests a service provided by another program. The client process utilizes the requested service without having to "know" any working details about the other program or the service itself. In a client/server architecture, particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer that accesses shared network resources provided by another computer (i.e., a server). In the example of
A server is typically a remote computer system accessible over a remote network such as the Internet. The client process may be active in a first computer system, and the server process may be active in a second computer system, communicating with one another over a communications medium, thus providing distributed functionality and allowing multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering capabilities of the server.
Client and server communicate with one another utilizing the functionality provided by a protocol layer. For example, Hypertext-Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a common protocol that is used in conjunction with the World Wide Web (WWW) or, simply, the "Web." Typically, a computer network address such as a, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or an Internet Protocol (IP) address is used to identify the server or client computers to each other. The network address can be referred to as Uniform Resource Locator address. For example, communication can be provided over a communications medium. In particular, the client and server may be coupled to one another via TCP/IP connections for high-capacity communication.
In general, the computer network may comprise both server devices and client devices deployed in a network environment (in a peer-to-peer environment devices may be both clients and servers).
Thus, the present invention can be utilized in a computer network environment having client computers for accessing and interacting with the network and a server computer for interacting with client computers. However, the systems and methods of the present invention can be implemented with a variety of network-based architectures, and thus should not be limited to the example shown. The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an illustrative implementation.
XML Data Transfer
According to an aspect of the invention, data is exported, e.g., from Business A 10 a, by way of a hierarchical self-describing format such as extensible markup language (XML).
The transformation of transform T1 to create XML views of the relational data of database 21 a can be created using, for example, XDR (XML-Data Reduced) schemas. These views can then be queried using XPath queries. This is similar to creating views using CREATE VIEW statements and specifying SQL queries against the view. An XML schema describes the structure of an XML document and also various constraints on the data in the document. When you specify XPath queries against the schema, the structure of the XML document returned is determined by the schema against which the XPath query is executed.
In an XDR schema, the <Schema> element encloses the entire schema. As properties of the <Schema> element, you can describe attributes that define the schema name and the namespaces in which the schema reside. In the XDR language, all element declarations must be contained within the <Schema> element. The minimum XDR schema is:
Here, the <Schema> element is derived from the xml-data namespace (urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-data).
Nodes at the same level in the hierarchy such as CustomerID, ContactName, CompanyName all represent columns within the same table, e.g., table 39, or represent a table having a relation to the table. An example of a relation is Orders table 37, which is related to Customers table 39 by way of the CustomerID key. Notice, for example, that the CustomerID node child of the Orders node has the same identifier as the CustomerID child of Customers. This indicates that the nodes are mapped to two different tables with a key relation CustomerID.
Such a hierarchical structure might be represented by the following XML schema fragment:
<XSD: element name = "Customer"
SQL:relation = "Customer">
<XSD:complex type>
<XSD:element name = "CustomerID"
SQL: Field = "CustomerID"/>
<XSD:Attribute name = "ContactName"
SQL:Field = "ContactName"/>
<XSD:complex type>
. . .
A corresponding XML document would then contain the following:
In general, all element and attribute data which is contained in the body of an XML document is consumed and mapped to corresponding tables and columns and stored in the underlying SQL database.
The "shredding" process described above is an important aspect of the invention. This is the process by which XML input data is broken into records for multiple tables. The shredding process figures out when to generate a new record, how to fill in the fields for that record based on the XML data it sees, and determines when the record is "completed" so that it may be handed off to the server for insertion. The invention resolves the schema definition and the actual data stream to produce an actual set of records.
Bulk Loading
According to an aspect of the invention, hierarchical data such as XML is bulk loaded into a relational database. The process sets up buffers for each of the SQL tables in the database and with a relational database instruction, or with a COM object using a Bulk Load Class automatically loads the contents of the document into the relational tables. For example, the following sample illustrates the simplicity of the code to perform a bulk load:
Bulk Load accomplishes the shredding process "in situ", that is, it must interpret the hierarchical data, e.g., XML data, determine the destination SQL target fields and tables, and pass the resultant records to the server—all as it is encountering the XML data in the input stream. This is contrast to other XML to SQL insertion mechanisms such as Updategrams, which can load the entire sql:before and sql:after images of the data into memory, run an analysis on it to determine the affected records, then issue a sequence of SQL statements to effect the change. In order to work similar to Updategrams, Bulk Load would have to load the XML file and create the in-memory DOM for the data set. This is expensive for data sets involving thousands, or perhaps even millions, of records.
In-situ operation implies the Bulk Load will generate records on an unordered basis. Such a process may have two records ready for a first table, e.g., table 39, then a few records for a second table, e.g., table 37, followed by more records for the first table again. It is desired that these records be passed to SQL server for insertion in parallel; that is, each record is immediately sent to the server as soon as the assembly process for that record is completed. This is in contrast to a serial approach, where all records for a table are batched up and inserted all at once before attempting an insert on the next table.
Serialization implies one of two solutions: buffering or passing through the data multiple times. Both are present issues from a performance point of view, and hence again point to the preferred method of in-situ, parallel operation.
Records are preferably written to a temporary files, one per table, then T-SQL BULK INSERT is used for each table. That is, buffers 506, 508, and 510 are preferably temporary files as opposed to memory.
Bulk Load preferably does not buffer large numbers of records while waiting for various fields to be filled in before sending them off to SQL server. Again, due to the large number of records potentially involved, this buffering would consume undesirably large amounts of memory during execution. An example of this is a customers/orders schema in element-centric normative form, where there is a one-to-many relationship between customers and orders joined by CustomerID. It is possible that the data stream contains 100,000 detail order records for a given customer, before the specific CustomerID is encountered in the data stream. It is undesirable to buffer these 100,000 records in memory while waiting for the last field.
There are at least two options to address this buffering issue: (1) require the user to specify the ID field first, or (2) perform upserts—that is, insert the record immediately and then when the CustomerID field is encountered, do an update operation. The former is preferable, as doing the latter again would degrade performance.
Unlike a single SQL table, XML data is interrelated, with one-to-many and many-to-many relationships between mapped XML data, so to support simple numerical batching might break referential integrity in the face of violations and errors. Accordingly, partial commits for XML Data would likely not be preferred. This is divergent from other SQL bulk insert methodologies which support a "rows-per-batch" or "KB per batch" concept.
Shredding is complicated by the fact that present invention contemplates the ability to handle arbitrarily large sets of data. To that end, the schema, e.g., schema 300, is first analyzed to build an execution plan, which is subsequently applied as data is encountered in the input stream. There are a variety of common schema formats with which the invention operates, including attribute-centric normative mappings (ACNM), element-centric normative mappings (ECNM), default schema mappings, containment, and one-to-many and many-to-many relationships with proper referential integrity.
Exemplary Shredding Algorithm
In XML, the Document Object Model (DOM) presents documents as a hierarchy of node objects that also implement other, more specialized interfaces. Some types of nodes may have child nodes of various types, and others are leaf nodes that cannot have anything below them in the document structure. Nodes include document interface, elements, and attribute nodes. For the most part, the difference between an element and an attribute is not important for the purposes of formulating and running against an execution plan.
A node is considered to "enter scope" when it is encountered in the data stream. For elements, this is the start tag; for attributes, this is the attribute name. A node leaves scope when there is no more data for it. For elements, this is the end tag; for attributes, this is when the attribute value is finished. Scopes nest in the obvious way following XML containment. It's like the parser building the DOM tree as it walks the XML data, except the node is deleted once it leaves scope. Every node along the current tree path to the current leaf has a scope associated with it.
Each time a node enters scope there is a potential for generating a new record. Should one be generated, that record will live as long as the node associated with it is in scope. Once that node exits scope, the record is considered to be complete, and sent to SQL server. This is referred to herein as the record lifetime rule.
The record lifetime rule fits in nicely with the buffering limitations mentioned earlier; there is a guaranteed, predictable lifetime for how long a record will live. It will not hang around forever waiting for fields in it to be filled in. In all but the most degenerate cases, there should be little or no long-term buffering, e.g., in buffers 506, 508, 510, as a result. The downside of this technique is that is forces the user to insure that all data associated with a record be defined within the scope of some node.
Basic Record Generation Rules
There are two cases in which a new record is generated when a node is encountered during shredding:
The first rule (1) handles the usual flat, ACNM, ECNM and default schema mappings. As an example, take the following:
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<Schema xmlns="schemas-microsoft-com:xml-data">
<ElementType name="Customers" sql:relation="Customers">
<!−− attribute declarations for columns−−>
<AttributeType name="CustomerID" />
<AttributeType name="CompanyName" />
<AttributeType name="ContactName" />
<AttributeType name="ContactTitle" />
<AttributeType name="Address" />
<AttributeType name="City" />
<!−− declare the instances −−>
<attribute type="CustomerID" />
<attribute type="CompanyName" />
<attribute type="ContactName" />
<attribute type="ContactTitle" />
<attribute type="Address" />
<attribute type="City" />
When the Customer tag is encountered, a new record is started for the Customers relation. Each attribute encountered also has its sql:relation set to Customers (since it is not redefined); because a parent scope has generated a Customer record already, a new record is not generated—attribute values are simply placed into the appropriate fields of the parent record.
An sql:relationship implies a one-to-many mapping between some parent scope and the scope where it is defined, and hence a new record is generated in this case for the foreign relation. This is true even if the parent scope and the node's scope are on the same relation, to support "Employee-works-for" scenarios. One-to-many support is implemented by taking the value specified in the (relation, field) attributes and placing it into the newly generated record—specifically into the field defined by (foreign-relation, foreign-key) attributes.
Subsets simply refer to the set of records which are generated on the "many side" of a one-to-many relationship. All of the records generated by an sql:relationship that share a common parent (as is the case with normal containment) are tied together in the same subset. The distinguishing characteristic of this subset is that the present invention contemplates that foreign-key fields for the records are automatically filled in on behalf of the primary key even though it has only been encountered once in the data stream.
When the parent of a subset goes out of scope, the subset is released, i.e. written to the proper SQL table from the buffer. This also puts a predictable life span on the caching needed for a subset (which is minimal), again to satisfy buffering limitations. This is referred to herein as the subset lifetime rule.
If, at the time the records in the subset are generated, the key value tying the primary-foreign relationship together have not been encounter, a potentially unlimited number of records could need to be processed, requiring an unlimited buffer while waiting for the key value. Consider the example of customers and orders:
<Name>John Worley</Name>
<Title>Trumpet Player</Title>
<Orders OrderID="1" ShipDate="3/4/99" /> </Orders>
. . . a million more order records . . .
In this case the million order records would need to be buffered until the CustomerID was encounter so that it could be placed in all the records. This is not a good solution. Accordingly, the user should place the CustomerID field before the <Orders>. This rule is referred to herein as the key ordering rule.
It may be the case that when bulk loading data, that data is loaded into tables with identity fields. In addition, it may be the case that those identity fields serve as a parent key for one or more other tables. In this case, when a new ID is generated for a row inserted in the parent table that ID may have to be propagated to one or more child tables. To that end, bulk load ID propagation is introduced. When generating the new ID's, we must take care not to lose any data in converting over from the old ID's in the data.
There are three basic steps to bulk loading data with ID propagation. Those steps are outlined below in conjunction with
There are several different "types" of relationships which need to be considered when performing ID propagation:
To ensure that all data is entered correctly and that all ID's are propagated correctly, data is preferably transferred from the temporary tables to the actual tables in a specific order. First, all "Parent Tables" are transferred because ID's do not have to be propagated to them. Once transferred, new identity fields can be generated, and that information can be propagated to any child tables. For the remaining tables, those tables in a "One-parent" or "Multi-parent" relationship, a queue will be created to hold them until their time to be entered.
To deal with the various relationship types, data entry and propagation will occur as described in below in conjunction with the flow chart of
There are two different cases wherein there are tables with circular relationships. In one, data is being propagated to a field which is not part of a table's key. In this case, each table in the circular relationship could be transferred to the actual table EXCEPT for the fields that are going to be propagated to. Once all tables have been transferred and new identities generated, the fields can be propagated to.
The other situation though involves circular relationships in which data is propagated to a key or part of a key. An easy way to deal with this would be to turn off the keys, do what is stated in the above paragraph to propagate ID's, and then turn the keys back on. But this may not be the best solution For example, consider the following:
Id1, pk, ident
Id2, pk
TABLE 2 Id1, pk Id2, pk, ident
Define 2 foreign keys:
Table 1 - Id1, Id2
Table 2, Id1, Id2
Table 2, Id1, Id2
Table 1 - Id1, Id2
This is legal to do in SQL Server with UPDATE and DELETE cascading turned off, but may not be likely that a user would want to do this.
With reference to
Computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 110 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CDROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can accessed by computer 110. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The system memory 130 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132. A basic input/output system 133 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 110, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 131. RAM 132 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 120. By way of example, and not limitation,
Computer 110 may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,
The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in
The computer 110 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 180. The remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 110, although only a memory storage device 181 has been illustrated in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 110 is connected to the LAN 171 through a network interface or adapter 170. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 110 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 173, such as the Internet. The modem 172, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus 121 via the user input interface 160, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 110, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation,
The various techniques described herein may be implemented with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the present invention, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the computer will generally include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. One or more programs are preferably implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardware implementations.
The methods and apparatus of the present invention may also be embodied in the form of program code that is transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as an EPROM, a gate array, a programmable logic device (PLD), a client computer, a video recorder or the like, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates to perform the indexing functionality of the present invention.
While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating there from. For example, while exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the context of digital devices such as personal computers and PDAs, one skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to such digital devices, as described in the present application may apply to any number of existing or emerging computing devices or environments, such as a gaming console, handheld computer, portable computer, DVD players, VCRs, home appliances, etc. whether wired or wireless, and may be applied to any number of such computing devices connected via a communications network, and interacting across the network. Furthermore, it should be emphasized that a variety of computer platforms, including handheld device operating systems and other application specific operating systems are contemplated, especially as the number of wireless networked devices continues to proliferate. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.
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|International Classification
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|Mar 29, 2002
Owner name: MICROSOFT CORPORATION, WASHINGTON
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|This group exists primarily or exclusively within the Sonic the Comic continuity.
Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.
Prime Badniks are Badniks built by Doctor Robotnik in Sonic the Comic. Prime Badniks are Badniks that do not require the inclusion of an organic battery.
- Badniks such as Troopers and robots from the Metallix series are similar to prime Badniks as they also do not require organic batteries.
Known Prime Badniks
|This article or section about a character is a stub.
You can help the Sonic News Network by expanding it!

subset: commoncrawl


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|Darryl Parkins
|8th March 1974
|Highfield Prison
|Beth Tinker
|Craig Tinker (1998)
|First appearance
|14th September 2016
|Number of appearances
|Played by
|Paul Loughran
Darryl Parkins was the absent father of Craig Tinker and the husband of Beth Sutherland. In September 2016 Darryl and Craig met for the first time, but shortly after Craig's 18th birthday.
A career criminal, He was initially imprisoned for a bank job after his wife Beth Tinker shopped him to the police. He later found it difficult to find legitimate work so continued to break the law to fend for himself. Beth gave birth to their son Craig in September 1998, however Darryl would remain absent and continue ending up in and out of prison for the next eighteen years.
Craig first learned that his father was a criminal when he applied to join the Special Constabulary in 2016 but got turned down because of his father's past. When Craig contemplated meeting his father, his friend Faye Windass wrote to Darryl at Highfield Prison. Darryl sent a visit order which was received by Craig a few days later. Craig was determined to visit his father despite Kirk urging him not to do so, and soon met Darryl face-to-face. Although the two initially got on well, when it came time for Craig to leave Darryl asked him to sneak in drugs on his next visit. Craig was angry that Darryl was only really interested in using him as a drug carrier. Darryl then revealed that he and Beth had never actually got a divorce, making her a bigamist and her marriage to Kirk void.
- Craig's absent father was first mentioned on 16th August 2013
- Darryl's name was shown on a prison visiting application on 12th September 2016 where his first name was misspelled "Daryl"


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CHARLI Carys V Neck Sweater
CHARLI Carys V Neck Sweater
This 100% Cashmere sweater by CHARLI, features a bold v-neckline and boxy drape fit. Gorgeous midnight navy colour that can be paired with a variety of bottoms for any season.
Located on the picturesque Bowen Island off the coast of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Wren is a contemporary fashion boutique with a focus on modern sustainable Canadian designs. Seeking to provide classically effortless and wearable fashions that reflect upon one's lifestyle, Wren has developed a loyal fan base of local residents and visitors. Shop labels like Aigle, Valerie Dumaine, Mackage, Eliza Faulkner and more.
Do you have questions about this product? We're here to help!


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Nicolaus Radford of NASA JSC's Dexterous Robotics Lab says the group wanted to make NASA's entry in the DARPA Robotics Challenge "one that was just, when you saw it, you go 'wow, that's awesome.'" It looks like they succeeded.
RELATED: 12 creepy new robots that could take over the world
Dubbed "Valkyrie," the robot is basically Iron Man without the fictional billionare inside it. It even features the glowing orb in the center of its chest. It's the size of an NFL defensive end, standing 6'2" and weighing in at about 275 pounds. Its arms, hands, legs, and pelvis can all move independently, and are capable of being detached in a matter of minutes. It's equipped with cameras, sensors, and even sonar. Most importantly, it's entirely battery-powered, giving it an advantage over the similar Atlas robot designed by Boston Dynamics, which needs to be tethered to a cord for power.
Although Radford admits that the team wanted to make something that looks cool, Valkyrie is also designed to complete DARPA's challenge, in which the robot needs to walk over rough or uneven terrain, climb a ladder, use tools and drive. The aim is to encourage the development of robots that can assist in conditions in which humans cannot, like disaster relief. However, in the video Radford talks about the potential for Valkyrie to step foot on Mars, meaning this Terminator Iron Man could walk on the Red Planet before humans.


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In The Palace 2011
International Shortfilm Festival
International Shortfilm Festival
We start working for 9 edition of festival with the idea from a little game, which name is pinart.
It's can be very funny, simply and really creative stuff. The results is a collaboration between pinart and festival logo. First will be a teaser campaign, without images, just the game of words. After that, in the big campaign we changed the words with human shapes and emotion, everything from pins. Enjoy.
AD, GD, 3D - Ivan Gakov
CW - Rosina Maistorova
CD - Stanislava Ivkova
Teaser posters:
Crop test:
Campaign visuals:
In process of work, i made a many of this shapes for a test:
Web call for entries.
Brand identity and corporate materials.
Thank You!


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I'm too invested in dd's relationship. She's 15 and just started dating this sweet boy, we hit it off with the parents. I feel like it's bad timing, tbey won't see each other ... (more)
posted June 16th, 2016 at 2:57pm in Toddler
YouBeMom is an anonymous message board that lets you engage in open, honest discussion with other parents.Sign Up Now! Already a member? Log in.
Copyright © 2016 YouBeMom Inc. All rights reserved.


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However, systems that can read facial expressions, relevant data that will follow you anywhere, devices that automatically capture and renew energy, biometrics and pervasive mobile computing are all concepts that have been around in one form or another for quite some time. As Bernie Meyerson, an IBM fellow and vice president of innovation, notes, it's not the coming up of algorithms needed to create these technologies that represents the major challenge, but rather finding the way to deliver those technologies in a format that makes them economically viable to consume.
What IBM is really saying is that within the next five years, these technologies will have crossed an economic threshold that for the first time makes them affordable to deploy across a broad range of applications.
If you accept that premise, then the real challenge facing IT leaders is going to be maneuvering their organizations into a place that allows them to take advantage of these forthcoming changes before rivals can react. No one can say exactly for sure when any of these technologies may go mainstream, but if and when they do, their impact is sure to be profound.
The degree to which any of these technologies may transform society is also unknown. But if you believe that as an IT leader part of your job is to prepare your organization today for the future, then you might want to pay close attention to where IBM researchers say the world is going. After all, IBM researchers not only tend to have impressive pedigrees; they frequently have track records to back up almost any prediction they care to make.
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About the Book
A contemporary twist on the vintage all American beefcake genre, made famous by Bob Mizer, 'Ho Ho Ho' is an homage to the holidays, seen through a distinctly homoerotic lens.
Features & Details
- Category Gay & Lesbian
Small Square, 7×7 in, 18×18 cm
78 Pages
- Publish Date Dec 08, 2013
- Language English
- Tags Fine Art Photography, Gay, Male, Sensual, Nudity, Homoerotic, Humor
See More
About the Creator
Boston, MA, USA
FLYFOTO is a Boston-based photographer who specializes in portraiture and editorial imagery. He is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art, and has been shooting for over 25 years. His philosophy on shooting is that an image must first serve to inform, then to trigger inquiry within the viewer. His work has been widely published in print and on line and is currently editing a retrospective of his work for publication. http://flyfotophotography.blogspot.com
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Stained Glass Window Film Offers Affordable Elegance
A very simple and inexpensive approach to add a beautiful effect to your home is with stained glass window film.
Stained glass designs can add a great deal of beauty to any window. If you have always aspired to have stained glass windows but the price tag was not within your budget, there is a means to get the look you'd like to have at a price that you could afford.
You can go on the internet and find stained glass window film in a large choice of designs which you can use on any one of your glass surfaces, including windows, glass doors, mirrors, and glass panels on cabinets. Having your favorite design will achieve a new appearance for your windows or other glass surfaces around your home where you want to have the special look of stained glass.
The wide variety of decorative stained window film that is readily available may depict scriptural themes, floral motifs or abstract geometric designs.
Not only does window film decorate a person's house, it also offers the right balance of light control, increased privacy, and they also can also obstruct glare. They convey a very European style to the home, so when direct sunlight filters through them, an array of wonderful designs and colors are thrown on the floor, walls as well as furnishings of your home.
A decorative stained glass window film can be created from special material that filter out harmful rays. The static cling vinyl kind of stained glass window film is incredibly user friendly, and all that needs to be done is to peel off the backing paper and then apply the non-adhesive film to the glass panel. This economical film can be removed during the cold months and reused during the warm months.
Some manufacturers of decorative stained glass window film combine glass particles directly into designs which create the same sparkle of real stained glass. Good brands make use of special inks to create decorative stained glass window films that have deep dazzling colors. A really practical use of a decorative stained glass window film is to apply it on a window or door that has an aesthetically displeasing view. Rather than consistently keeping the shades down, you can add a gorgeous stained, etched or frosted glass design, that will block out the objectionable view and provide privacy, but will even add a decorative touch to the area.
With so many advantages and no disadvantages at all, plus the affordability of window film, it can quickly become one of the favorite window treatments of anybody who uses it.
Stained Glass Window Film
You can add a decorative touch to a window or glass door with stained glass window film. This type of window treatment is affordable and it is very easy to apply. Installation only takes a few minutes and it requires no brackets or mounting hardware like other types of window treatments.
There are stained glass window film designs that cover the entire glass area, while some designs are a decorative glass centerpiece and other designs cover a specific area, such as a border or a corner.
Stained glass window film is available in these design categories:
* Abstract, Geometric, and Contemporary Designs
* Look of Nature . . . Leaves – Flowers – Vines
* Christian Faith Designs
* No-Pattern Color Tints
* Oval Centerpiece Designs
* Glass Borders and Corner Accents
Our favorite window film is the Wallpaper For Windows™ brand. They use a specially designed adhesive-free vinyl film with UV inhibitors.
Some of the great features about decorative window film from Wallpaper For Windows™:
* Provides energy savings (cooler in summer, warmer in winter).
* Their vinyl window film is easy to cut/trim. It resists wrinkling, creasing and tearing.
* This adhesive-free film will not stick to itself or other things while you are
peeling it from the backing paper and positioning it on the glass.
Also, this adhesive-free window film is easy to remove. That makes it handy to change designs. We know some people that like to rotate their favorite designs in a couple of places.
This type of decorative window film is ideal for renters because it is easy to apply and remove and requires no brackets or mounting hardware like most window treatments.
Stained glass window film, as well as the other styles of decorative window film, can be used on almost any glass surface. Of course, windows and glass doors are the most likely spots, but many window film designs look great on glass tables or glass panels on kitchen cabinets. Glass borders and corner accents really add a nice touch to mirrors. Also, don't forget about glass shower doors and enclosures.
"A picture is worth a thousand words." That old saying sure is true. So, let's look at some examples of stained glass window film.
You can click on any picture to get more information or to see other types of decorative window film, such as the etched glass and privacy window film designs.
Beautiful stained glass floral pattern creates a bold focal point on windows, glass entry doors, sliding glass doors and more. Adhesive-free film installs in minutes, looks great for years!
Decorate with the relaxing colors of nature. Biscayne Privacy stained glass design obscures visibility through the glass day and night. Enjoy the beauty from inside when the light shines through. Wow your neighbors at night when indoor lights show off the stained glass effect. The Biscayne design coordinates with many colors and decor styles.
The colorful earth tones of the Savannah design creates a beautiful decorative effect and ambiance in any room. This adhesive-free window film is the easy way to transform a window or glass door into beautiful stained glass that looks like it cost hundreds of dollars, but you'll know that is was really a small fraction of that!
Mandalay adds beautiful stained glass color to a room. The vibrant flowers and foliage coordinate perfectly with many decorating styles and color motifs. The clear / see-thru design adds a decorative feature to glass doors and windows without blocking the view.
You'll want to reach out and touch the grapes of Napa. This stained glass design is an easy way to transform any window or glass door into a beautiful decor element. With the clear background you can enjoy the design and still have the view through the glass. Also available in a privacy version.
Use this Christian faith-inspired window film design to help celebrate your spirituality. Timeless stained glass design easily beautifies glass doors, windows, and more. Ideal for home, business or church. Grace measures 21.5″ x 34.5″
These colorful shards of glass will add a beautiful decorative effect and ambiance to any room. The Atlantis design is an easy way to transform any window or glass door into beautiful stained glass that looks like it cost hundreds of dollars.
The rich colors of the Mandalay stained glass corners are an easy way to add the beauty of stained glass to mirrors, windows and glass doors. You get four (4) 9″ x 9″ corners, instructions and FREE smoothing squeegee. All you need is a spray bottle.
Biscayne stained glass corners are an easy way to add the rich beauty of stained glass to mirrors, windows and glass doors. Transform the ordinary into the extraordinary with a custom corner accent.
The cheerful colors of the Alena stained glass corners, are a beautiful accent for windows, glass doors and mirrors. You get four (4) 9 in. x 9 in. corners, instructions and FREE applicator smoothing tool. All you need is a spray bottle and a couple of minutes to apply.
The cheerful colors of the Charleston stained glass border complements many decorating styles. From casual to country to tropical to European and all styles between, Charleston is a beautiful addition to windows, glass doors and mirrors. Let your imagination go wild!
The Reno stained glass border is the easy way to add the beauty of stained glass to mirrors, windows and glass doors. These rich colors complement many decorating styles and color arrangements. You get two (2) 8 in. x 48 in. borders, instructions and FREE smoothing tool.
Inspired by a Frank Lloyd Wright style design, Rhapsody window film is an easy way to give any window or glass door a beautiful stained glass look. Coordinates with many color motifs and decorating styles. Adds privacy and maximum wow factor, day and night.


text: Home > Bookshop > Other Subjects > Environment « Back Natural Control of Garden Pests, 2nd Edition French, Jackie Our Price Retail Price AUD$21.95 Your Price AUD$18.65 Minimum Order: 1 In Stock (1) Dispatch: 1 day Natural Control of Garden Pests, 2nd E/French, Jackie/Paper/0947214550/S023-E AUD$18.65 QTY Gift Wrapping Add Gift Wrapping (click checkbox) If you would like a gift wrapping message, please add it in the Notes section on the checkout page, thank you. AUD$2.95 Publisher: Aird Books ISBN-13: 9780947214555 Series: Binding: Paperback Year Published: 2002 Jackie French proves once again that she is a life giver, not a death-dealer with her wise, balanced and practical approach to the plants and creatures that inhabit our gardens. Rather than carpet bomb with toxic chemicals, she encourages us to grow crops well, as the best antidote to pest or disease problems. Organic Pest Remedies. Natural Pest Control Calendar. Bird-attracting Plants. Companion Plants. ID: 183200 Code: GM000184


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A Life Care Centers of America facility, Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is located in Paducah, Kentucky, a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art. Our facility is located between Lourdes Hospital and Baptist Health Paducah, making us a perfect choice.
Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center focuses on inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation with 24-hour skilled nursing care. Our facility's in-house team of therapists and nurses create individualized care plans for each resident and patient. Our facility also has a certified wound care nurse, offering Closed Pulse Irrigation, a specialized wound care treatment option.
Stop by today for a free tour and discover why Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a premier nursing home in the area.
Life Care Centers of America is honored to publish LEADER magazine, a yearly publication sharing the special stories and unique accomplishments of several of our amazing residents.
One such resident is Claude Ogle, a 101-year-old resident of Life Care Center of Cleveland, Tennessee. Ogle has a charming smile and sharp wit, which has earned him great popularity around the facility and in the community. In 2015, Ogle was even named "Mr. Life Care!"
Enjoy Ogle's story, as well as the stories of seven other residents from around the country, in the latest issue of LEADER magazine, available at your local Life Care center or online.
Lori Moberly
544 Lone Oak Road, Paducah, KY 42003
(270) 443-6543
(270) 442-3312Find Another Life Care Location


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Cheap Cigarettes,Newport Cigarettes Website: Newport Regular Cigarettes with 10 Cartons ($25 per carton)
FDA proposes to regulate electronic cigarettes under less The federal agency said in a letter to stakeholders Monday that it intends to propose rule changes to treat e-cigarettes the same traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products. The news is considered a victory for makers and distributors of the devices, which continue to gain popularity worldwide. E-cigarettes are plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that the "smoker" inhales. until late 2006. Now, the industry has grown from the thousands of users in 2006 to several million worldwide, with tens of thousands new e-smokers every week. No timeline has been set on the proposed rule changes. The FDA said e-cigarettes could still be regulated as drugs or drug-delivery devices if they are "marketed for therapeutic purposes," - for example, as a stop-smoking aid. Jason Healy, president of e-cigarette maker Blu Cigs, called the news a good first step, but said the pending rule changes will be more beneficial for "weeding out the shady companies." Right now, "you can potentially sell snake oil," Healy said. Nearly 46 million Americans smoke cigarettes. About 40% try to quit each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But unlike nicotine patches or gums, e-smokes have operated in a legal gray area. The FDA lost a court case last year after trying to treat e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices, rather than tobacco products, because e-cigarettes heat nicotine extracted from tobacco. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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With First Tutors: Music you can search for a Llanbedr bass guitar tutor. Bass Guitar tuition are a great way to learn a fun new hobby, pick up a new skill and attain confidence with bass guitar. Try our service to search for Llanbedr bass guitar teachers and select which best suits your requirements so you can begin your bass guitar tuition in Llanbedr today!
First Tutors: Music is the best place to locate Llanbedr bass guitar tutors in the UK, helping you find Llanbedr bass guitar tuition close to you and Llanbedr teachers to help with any instrument such as piano, violin or guitar. We can help you find Llanbedr bass guitar lessons or a one-to-one Llanbedr bass guitar tutor to prepare for bass guitar exams and improve your bass guitar skills! Our search will order Llanbedr bass guitar teachers near you according to their lesson prices and proximity to you.
If you are a bass guitar tutor wishing to offer bass guitar lessons in Llanbedr or throughout the UK, please register with First Tutors: Music or find out more about us here. Becoming a Llanbedr bass guitar tutor is a wonderful way to re-affirm your own knowledge through giving bass guitar tuition while helping others, all in the Llanbedr area!


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BEWDLEY are making heavy weather of their attempt to be promoted to Division One of the Worcestershire County League, and this latest setback at the hands of Oldswinford leaves them only eight points clear in second place with two games to play.
Bewdley's bowling, though weaker than usual on paper, was quite satisfactory but the same cannot be said of the batting.
Oldswinford were restricted to an achievable 201.
Andy Platt showed excellent control, his ten overs at the start of the innings going for a mere 16 runs, but it was Bewdley's trio of spinners who did the damage.
Michael Stead (2-32), Simon Mauger (3-50), and Jack Mills (4-32) all recorded excellent figures.
But Bewdley's reply was disappointing.
Stead anchored the innings with a fine 56, and Luke Groves (23) and Gareth Lewis (28) both chipped in but they lost wickets at regular intervals and finished well short.
Bewdley entertain Rushwick at home on Saturday.
l In Division Three, Stourport closed in on automatic promotion with a nine-wicket win over Tenbury, Lee Waldron taking five wickets as Tenbury were kept to 83-8.
Spencer Colley (50) and Craig Siwicki (20) then guided Stourport to 85-1. They go to Alvechurch on Saturday (12.30pm start).


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We stayed for a one night stop after driving all day from the East. The desk clerk was very accomodating, as we didn't have a reservation, and she made check-in a breeze. The room was clean, and plenty of towels were available in the bathroom. The only complaint is, the bed was about 3 inches from the wall because of a 6-prong extention plugged directly in the wall. Pillows kept falling through the hole through the night. I'd suggest a regular 6 foot extention cord that isn't directly against the wall, and maybe having some additional pillows available. We only found 2 pillows on each bed, no extras in the closet. Also, the heater ran continually, so it was either keep in on all night, or turn it off occaisionally to get some quiet.
Overall, this hotel is an excellent value, and in a convienient area. There are places to eat close to the hotel. We ate at a sports bar accross the street and the food wan't too good, but it filled the tank after a long drive. We will definately stay here again when going throught the Toledo area.
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Hilton Hotels Direct, Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Priceline, TripOnline SA, Travelocity, Hotwire, Cheap Tickets, Cancelon and HotelQuickly so you can book your Hampton Inn Toledo South Maumee reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Hampton Inn Toledo South Maumee Hotel Maumee
- Hampton Inn Maumee
- Maumee Hampton Inn
- Hampton Inn Toledo South Maumee Ohio


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Motorola Partners with the NBA in Asia
Posted Jul 19 2007 12:00PM
BEIJING, 11 July 2007 Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a global leader in mobile entertainment, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a new multi-year marketing partnership.
As part of the new agreement, Motorola will participate in high-profile NBA initiatives across television, digital platforms and events. Motorola will begin the new partnership by launching the inaugural Motorola NBA 2v2 Basketball Challenge, visiting 112 cities starting in July. Motorola will also be a partner of the NBA China Games 2007 featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic and the Chinese Mens National Team in Shanghai and Macao from October 17-20.
Motorola will become the Official Mobile Phone of the NBA in China and in select Asian countries. Both parties are committed to bringing the best in basketball and mobile entertainment to sports fans in the region. This partnership enhances Motorolas connection to the trendy, youth market through exclusive NBA content and will allow the NBA to continue utilizing technology to reach fans around the world in new and exciting ways.
NBA legends Scottie Pippen and Vlade Divac headlined the partnership announcement and demonstrated their two-man-game basketball techniques at todays press conference in Beijing.
The Motorola NBA 2v2 Basketball Challenge tournament, which is officially sanctioned by the Chinese Leisure Sports Administration Center, will sweep across China, visiting an unprecedented 112 cities, covering all provinces, autonomous regions and direct municipalities in mainland China. Tournament cities range from major metropolitan areas to small remote towns.
We are extremely excited to partner with the NBA in Asia, and this first tournament is a great opportunity to work with them to bring sports and entertainment to youth across China, said Motorolas Ray Yam, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Devices, China. Youth throughout Asia are always looking for ways to express their individuality, and Motorola helps facilitate that through our cool handsets, superb mobile phone experiences, and exclusive content from top organisations like the NBA, Yam continued.
Over 35,000 players, including men and women, are expected to compete in the Motorola NBA 2v2 Basketball Challenge which is scheduled to run from July 14 to October 14, 2007. The Motorola NBA 2v2 Basketball Challenge will take place simultaneously in 8 cities each weekend for fourteen consecutive weeks. Opening weekend cities include Lhasa, Daqing, Pingdingshan, Nanyang, Zhangzhou, Dali, Maoming and Jiangmen.
The winning Mens and Womens team in each of the 112 markets will be invited to Shanghai to compete in the Motorola NBA 2v2 Challenge National Championships in October. Winners from the finals will have the opportunity to attend the NBA China Games 2007 featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers against Orlando Magic.
Motorola is a forward-thinking and trend-setting organization that will match perfectly with the NBA, said Mark Fischer, Managing Director of NBA China. Motorolas support will allow us to bring an authentic NBA experience in new and exciting ways to fans in all corners of China with a scope and reach that is unprecedented.
Motorola and the NBA are also committed to giving back to the community and promoting a healthy sports culture. As part of the event, Motorola and the NBA will renovate basketball courts in the hometowns of the winning mens and womens teams at the National Championships.
Basketball fans attending the games can also try out cool Motorola handsets, such as the MOTOSLVR L72, MOTOROKR E2 and Z6. Those demo handsets will come pre-loaded with unique and compelling NBA content, like wallpapers and ringtones.
As part of a nationwide promotion during the games, sports fans who buy select Motorola handsets, will receive special NBA gifts, including t-shirts, bags, and sweat bands. For more information on the 2v2 basketball Challenge and Motorola promotions, please visit: www.motonba2v2.com and NBA.com/china.


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A: How does hydrogen peroxide "know"? It doesn't.
The driving force is not the chemical but rather living cells. Most cells (like blood in a cut) cause hydrogen peroxide to change into water and oxygen gas, which, in turn, bubbles and fizzes. However, cells must produce a catalyst to force hydrogen peroxide to change. Some cells can manufacture the catalyst and some can't.
Living cells as different as oysters and oak can produce the catalyst. However, lactic acid bacteria (found now in dairy products like yogurt) or the bacteria causing botulism or gangrene cannot. Also, nonliving objects such as dirt or oil cannot manufacture the catalyst (called catalase).
Most cells learned to make catalase to solve a vicious problem. When cells metabolize food in the presence of oxygen, most produce hydrogen peroxide as a side product. Hydrogen peroxide kills cells. The dilemma: cells must extract energy from food to live. But the process can produce a poison that kills them. The solution: manufacture a rescue catalyst that changes hydrogen peroxide to harmless water and oxygen and make that reaction happen: fast!
Therein lies a tale. When Earth was young and lacked oxygen — a couple of billion years ago — simple lactic acid bacteria probably developed first. These bacteria do not use an oxygen-rich atmosphere to metabolize food (there wasn't any oxygen) and therefore don't produce hydrogen peroxide. They ducked the problem.
Pour hydrogen peroxide on crushed cheese or yogurt and it won't fizz. They never learned to make the rescue catalyst because they didn't produce the poison.
Later, but still eons ago, "strict anaerobes", such as the bacteria that cause botulism and gangrene, developed when Earth's atmosphere still had no oxygen. Then, they were OK since hydrogen peroxide is an oxygen compound and can't form without oxygen. Now, these bacteria exist in extreme danger. You see, the anaerobe bacteria do generate hydrogen peroxide when they metabolize food but they don't make the rescue catalyst. Now, strict anaerobes can live only in an airless environment like deep wounds and airtight containers.
Finally, Earth's atmosphere became oxygen rich. Disaster! Peroxide killed cells as the cells converted food to energy and produced hydrogen peroxide. Cells solved the problem by contriving catalase. Almost all advanced organisms since make catalase and convert hydrogen peroxide to fizzy oxygen and water. Pour peroxide on crushed fruit or leaves, wait a few minutes, and watch the bubbles.
By the way, white blood cells engulf germs and then kill the germs by bathing them in poison — hydrogen peroxide. (Related:Video showing how white blood cells kill bacteria with H2O2 )
Further Surfing:
•US Peroxide, Inc: Introduction to hydrogen peroxide
•US Peroxide, Inc: Why peroxide bubbles
•How Stuff Works: Making a rocket engine from hydrogen peroxide and silver.
Q: What animal has the biggest heart?
A: The animal with the biggest heart is the biggest animal ever — the blue whale. This mammal's heart is as big as a small car (like the Volkswagen Beetle: 2000 pounds, 907 kg).
Its main blood vessel (the aorta) is big enough for a man to crawl through. The heart beats slowly (5 or 6 times a minute) as it pumps 10 tons of blood through the body.
More surprisingly — the hummingbird's heart, pumping in flight at 1,000 zippy times a minute — is the biggest heart of all, for the animal's size.
Its heart must pump such an incredible amount each minute to push needed oxygen and energy into cells so the animal can hover like a helicopter and live in the sky.
A whale's heart is only 0.5% of its body mass; whereas a hummer's heart is 2%. That's 4 times bigger than the whale's relative to the their respective body sizes.
Further Surfing:
•NOAA: Blue whales
Q: Will water always expand if frozen or are there any exceptions?
A: Water is one of the few substances that expands when it changes to a solid — silicon is another. Ice (in its ordinary form) always expands as it freezes and occupies about 1/9th more space than the same amount of liquid water. Most substances contract as they cool and freeze. Water (H2O) starts to follow this pattern, contracting until it reaches 39 degrees F (4 degrees C).
Then six frozen H2O molecules link together to form a hexagonal ring that floats like a life buoy bobbing on the water. As the temperature drops to freezing, these rings join to make ice — a crystal lattice ridden with tiny "ring" holes. The "holey" configuration is less dense than water's more "packed together" structure. That's why water expands as it freezes. It's the holes in the lattice.
By the way, in January 2000, Roger E. Miller, chemist professor at the University of North Carolina, succeeded in making the world's smallest ice "cube"-a single hexagonal ring of six molecules. Quite a feat, considering there's 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules in a drop of water.
However, you asked if there are any exceptions. Yes, ice can be denser than water. But, it doesn't get into that state easily and quickly leaves such an unnatural state. We can apply high pressure (30 to 50 times the atmospheric pressure at sea level) to produce ice that's about 40% denser than water. It contracts instead of expanding. The strangely dense ice forms either by bending the hydrogen bonds more than usual or by the hydrogen bonds penetrating the 6-molecule rings that ice crystals normally make.
Imagine Earth if such dense ice were the normal ice and all ice sank, suddenly. Ice plunges to the bottom of rivers, lakes, and oceans. Bottom life perishes. Warm water above insulates the bottom ice. Northern lakes eventually freeze solid and thaw only a few inches in the summer. Icy sea bottoms never melt. The moderating effects of large bodies of water cease. Climate changes drastically. Life all but dies planet-wide...
By the way, Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle plays with the notion of a man-made frozen Earth. A scientist supposedly isolates ice crystals in such a way that water can freeze at room temperature. It's a entertaining, sardonic book that pokes fun at scientific irresponsibility.
•University of N.C.: Researchers make the smallest ice "cube"
•Resources: Winter weather, including ice
•University College London: Phase diagram of water/ice and a new metastable phase of ice
(Answered Aug. 8, 2003)


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English Spiced Beef
Recipe by Amanda2
This was one of the great Victorian Christmas season dishes; the perfect centre piece for a cold supper buffet. A neat round joint of silverside or topside is the best for this kind of dish.
Top Review by AZAofMirkwood
All I have to say is... YUMMMMMMMMMM!!!! The only thing I did not do was use the saltpeter.
See Discussion:1 Review
Ingredients Nutrition
- 6 lbs joint of beef
- 3 ounces light brown sugar
- 1 ounce black peppercorns
- 1 ounce juniper berries
- 1 ounce allspice berry
- 4 ounces sea salt
- 1⁄4 ounce saltpeter
Directions See How It's Made
- Saltpeter is a necessary preservative when curing meat and also adds a pleasing red color otherwise the beef will turn out a murky grey.
- Rub the meat all over with the sugar and put it in a pot with a lid for 2 days. Leave it in a cool place, turning and rubbing the meat occasionally with the sticky liquor that develops.
- Crush the peppercorns, juniper and allspice with a pestle and mortar and mix with the salt and saltpeter.
- Rub this mixture well into the meat and leave it in the pot for a further 9 days. Turn the meat and rub the pickling mixture into the flesh daily.
- When the pickling is complete, remove the beef and rub off any excess spices adhering to the surface. Do not rinse it.
- Wrap the meat in cooking foil [the Victorians used suet] and put into a large ovenproof pot. Add about 10 fl oz water, cover the pot with a double layer of foil and fit the lid on tightly.
- Preheat the oven to 275 deg F.
- Bake the meat slowly allowing 45 min per lb.
- When the meat is cooked, remove the pot and set aside until it is quite cold.
- Unwrap the meat, drain off any excess liquid and place on a board.
- Cover with foil, put a weight on it and leave for at least 24 hr.
- Carve the meat into thin slices and serve with anything from good mustard to pickled kumquats.


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An agreement on granting a syndicated loan to OJSC "Aeroflot - Russian Airlines" was signed in Moscow Mariott Grand Hotel, which was initiated and co-arranged by Vneshtorgbank and Donau-Bank AG, Vienna. Citibank, Moscow will act as the lead-arranger.
On the part of OJSC "Aeroflot - Russian Airlines" the loan agreement was signed by its General Director Valery Okulov, on the part of the arrangers - by the President and CEO of Vneshtorgbank Andrey Kostin, Chairman of the Board of Donau - Bank AG Andrey Chetyrkin and Vice-President of Citibank Daniel Connelly.
Also participating in the syndication were BCEN-Eurobank, Paris, Ost-West Handelsbank AG, Frankfurt-am-Mein; Bank fur Arbeit und Wirtschaft, Vienna, East-West United Bank, Luxemburg, Denizbank AG, Vienna, Vakifbank International AG, Vienna. The legal advisor of the syndication is Lovells, London.
Aeroflot was granted a 12-month loan in theount of US$60 000 000, which would be allocated to financing Aeroflot`s development program and current activities.
Aeroflot`s high international rating together with its status of the leading Russian air carrier were crucial in determining the beneficial terms of the loan.
The successful implementation of this project by the two Russian arrangers of and participants in the syndication - Vneshtorgbank and Citibank stems directly from the strengthening and development of partner relations between OJSC "Aeroflot - Russian airlines" and the leading Russian financial institutions.


text:
"I am going to accept the situation, Judge Henderson," answered John, with a brevity that did not escape the keen old man.
The use of "targeted" lends a smell of precision and, therefore, brevity, finality.
And that sentiment, in all its brevity, summarizes the perpetual dilemma we face right now.
Much was made last Friday in regards to the brevity of the press conference Mayor Ford held.
For brevity, I'll focus on Gov. Romney's missed opportunities.
Jaltor's eyes and the brevity of his answer to Vokal's question confirmed that.
There was fervour in the blessing which he asked that made amends for its brevity.
In speaking, simplicity and brevity take the place of the high-flown and artificial refinements of the modern grammarian.
In accomplishing this task the author has aimed at correctness and brevity.
By the combination of these letters, all the ordinary phenomena of the weather may be recorded with certainty and brevity.
c.1500, from Latin brevitatem (nominative brevitas) "shortness" in space or time, from brevis "short" (see brief (adj.)).


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(the "Official Rules")
The FedEx Small Business Grant Contest (the "Contest") begins on February 21, 2017 at 12:00:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) and ends with the announcement of winners on April 25, 2017. The Contest consists of three (3) periods as set forth in the chart below:
|Submission Period
|Voting Period
|Judging Period
|Start Date (at 12 a.m. ET)
|End Date (at 11:59 p.m. ET)
*Sponsor will announce the top 100 finalists on the contest website on April 13, 2017. The top 100 finalists will be notified via email and asked to provide a second-round submission video by April 17, 2017. Sponsor will announce the winners on April 25, 2017.
The Contest is open to only legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who at the time of entry are independent owners/operators of a for-profit small business that is domiciled in the fifty (50) United States or District of Columbia which has been in continuous operation selling a product or service for not less than six (6) months at the start of the contest. In order to be considered an eligible "small business" for purposes of this Contest, the business must meet all of the following criteria:
Sponsor shall determine, in its sole discretion, whether an entry meets the eligibility criteria to participate in the Contest. Sponsor's decisions regarding eligibility and all other aspects of the Contest are final and binding.
Sponsor, its parent and affiliated companies, and each of their respective, officers, directors, employees, agents and persons engaged in the development, production or distribution of materials for this Contest (collectively, the "Contest Parties") and the immediate family members (i.e., parent, child, sibling, and spouse) of each and/or persons living in the same household of such individuals (whether related or not) are not eligible to participate in the Contest. This contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and is void in all other geographic locations where prohibited by law.
There will be a total of ten (10) Winners: Grand prize: One (1) winner of $25,000, plus $7,500 in FedEx Office® print and business services ; Silver prize: One (1) winner of $15,000, plus $5,000 in FedEx Office® print and business services ; Bronze prize: Eight (8) winners of $7,500, plus $1,000 in FedEx Office® print and business services . Total value of all Grants and Prizes: $120,500 (each a "Grant" and together, the "Grants").
The FedEx Office prizes may be used only by the Winners toward printing and print services orders placed in-center or online through FedEx Office® Print Online through 5/31/18. Cannot be used in combination with other coupons or discounts, including account pricing. Not valid on FedEx Office® retail products, Sony® PictureStation™ products or postage. Does not apply to rush, packing or shipping charges. No cash value. Offer void where prohibited or restricted by law. Products, services and hours may vary by location.
To enter the Contest, entrants ("Entrants") are required to visit the Contest website located at fedex.com/grantcontest (the "Contest Site") and submit an entry (the "Entry") between February 21, 2017 and March 29, 2017. A FedEx account is not required to enter the contest. Entrants will be required to provide responses to the following: (1) Give us your elevator pitch (tell us what you do, what you sell, the service you offer…) (2) Tell us about your business, what inspired you to get into it, what makes your business stand out and what difference it makes on you, your community or the environment and (3) How would you use the FedEx Small Business Grant money to make a significant impact on your business? The narrative responses of the Entry must be no more than 1140 characters in length (maximum of 140 characters for the elevator pitch and 500 characters per each additional response).
In addition to answering the questions listed above, each Entrant will be required to submit the following information:
While not required, in addition to the above, Entrant may submit a "elevator speech" video not to exceed ninety (90) seconds in length.
All entries are subject to approval by Sponsor, in Sponsor's sole discretion. Once approved, entries will be posted in a Contest Gallery with the ability to vote for a business on the dedicated Contest Site. In addition, approved Entrants will be able to access a voting badge on their contest profile for placement on their website or social media and are encouraged to share this link with customers, friends and family to vote for their small business during the Voting Period as described below. Entrants will receive an email within four (4) business days if their entry has been accepted or rejected.
Except where prohibited, entry in the Contest constitutes each Entrant's consent to the publication of her/his/its name, organizational information and completed Entry, including the Digital Image, (to the extent applicable) in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose (including, without limitation, the Internet), without further compensation.
By entering the Contest and providing an email address, each Entrant grants Sponsor express permission to send Entrant emails related to the Contest, including, but not limited to notification of Finalists, Winners and a follow-up email in order to gather feedback regarding the Contest to be used in the planning and design of future Contests.
Limit: one (1) entry per business.
Digital images and company logo must be in one of the following formats: .jpg, .png or .gif. Each digital image (including company logo) may not exceed 5MB. The optional video should not exceed 90 seconds in length and must be uploaded to YouTube as a public video and the link to the video provided in the submittal form.
If any digital image or the video contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Entrant and/or are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the video or image, the Entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph or video, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the image or video in the manner set forth in these Official Rules. If any person appearing in any photograph or video is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.
If a professional image or video is submitted, Entrant is responsible for securing usage rights from the photographer or videographer to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the image by Sponsor in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known.
Upon Sponsor's request, each Entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) such signed release from all third parties who (a) appear in the photograph or video submitted or (b) whose owned content appear in the photograph or video submitted, authorizing use by Sponsor and its licensees ("Authorized Parties") in accordance with these Official Rules. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner.
During the Voting Period, all persons who are eighteen (18) years or older and have a valid email address and properly answer the Captcha question will be eligible to vote for the small business of their choice. Voters will use their email address and properly answer the presented Captcha question to cast their votes. Limit: Each participant may vote one (1) time per 24 hour period during the Voting Period. Multiple votes received from any person or email address in excess of the stated number will be void and will not be counted.
Entrants are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means. Fraudulent or inappropriate means include, but are not limited to the following: (a) Offering prizes or other inducements for votes to members of the public. However, Entrants are allowed to run promotions related to the Grant Contest that do not require the winner of the Entrant's promotion to have voted. (b) The use of any automated, robotic, repetitive, programmed or similar registration or voting methods. (c) Any questionable activity that increases votes for an entry, including without limitation any attempts to artificially increase vote totals or trade votes. (d) Paying for votes in any manner. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant who is suspected of violating these terms or otherwise tampering with the entry, voting or selection process.
All eligible votes will be tallied by Sponsor at the conclusion of the Voting Period. The Top 600 will be determined based solely on the number of eligible votes received during the Voting Period as described above. The six hundred (600) Entrants who receive the most votes during the Voting Period (the "Top 600") will be eligible for consideration for the Top 100 Finalists as described below. Should there be a tie for the final spot, all Entrants receiving that number of votes will be eligible for consideration for the Top 100 Finalists.
During the Judging Period, the Top 600 will be judged by Sponsor or its designated representatives and narrowed down to 100 finalists (the "Top 100"). Sponsor will consider the following in determining the Top 100:
Extra credit will be given for those Entrants exhibiting any of the following elements:
Sponsor will announce the Top 100 on April 13, 2017.
The Top 100 will be notified via email with instructions for completing and submitting a second submission which consists of creating a video, ("Second Submission) not to exceed 5 minutes in length, answering the following question: "What is your passion as an individual and business owner and how is that passion reflected in your business?" Video must be submitted as a YouTube link and be publicly available (not set to private viewing).
Second Submissions must be received by Sponsor no later than 11pm EST on April 17, 2017. If Entrant does not provide the Second Submission by the deadline, the Entrant will be automatically disqualified.
Sponsor or its designated agents will evaluate the Entries along with the Second Submission of each of the Top 100 to determine the winners. One of the eight Bronze Level Winners will be selected by the FedEx Entrepreneur Advisory Board which consists of past grant winners and finalists as the Alumni Choice Award.
The Winners will be announced on April 25, 2017. Each Winner will be notified by email or phone call prior to the announcement. In addition, Winners may be featured on the FedEx Small Business Center, in FedEx social channels and FedEx press release Winners may not issue their own press release without prior approval by FedEx.
Grants are non-transferable. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if advertised prize becomes unavailable. All details of any prize not specified herein shall be determined solely by Sponsor. By accepting a Grant, each Winner acknowledges compliance with these Official Rules. All federal, state, local or other tax liabilities arising from this Contest are the sole responsibility of each Winner, respectively. Limit of one Grant per Entrant. All other expenses relating to acceptance of a Grant, including but not limited to taxes and any other expenses not specified herein are the sole responsibility of each Winner. Grant conditions may be added or modified by Sponsor, in its sole discretion. Acceptance of a Grant constitutes permission for the Sponsor and its designees to use each Winner's name, photographs, entry material, other likenesses and biographical information for advertising, promotional or trade purposes, including but not limited to online announcements, in commerce and in all media worldwide without limitation or additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.
A Winner may waive its right to receive the Grant. The Grant is non-assignable and non-transferable. No substitutions may be made by the Winner. Sponsor shall withhold taxes from any award as is required by law. Prior to receiving the Grant, Winners must execute a W-9 tax form verifying their tax identification number. Winners will be required, as instructed by Sponsor, to complete and sign (i) an affidavit of eligibility/liability certifying that such Winner has complied with the Official Rules of the Contest, and (ii) a liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law). Failure to sign and return any of these documents or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules may result in an Winner's disqualification, the forfeiture of its interest in the Grant, and, at Sponsor's discretion, the presentation of the Grant to a substitute recipient. A Grant not won and/or claimed by a Winner and not awarded to a substitute recipient by Sponsor in accordance with these Official Rules will remain the property of Sponsor.
Payment of Federal, State and Local taxes and fees due, if any, are the sole responsibility of the Winner.
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant at any time that it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the Contest; to be acting in violation of these Official Rules; or to be acting in an inappropriate or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.
Submitted Entries must be consistent with the FedEx Mission, Strategy and Values and Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject and/or disqualify any entries at any time that Sponsor deems to be obscene, defamatory, profane, offensive, lewd, pornographic, false, misleading, deceptive, or otherwise inconsistent with its editorial standards, audience expectations, or reputational interests or that Sponsor believes may violate any applicable law or regulation or the rights of any third party or may subject the contest, Sponsor, or Sponsor's advertisers, clients, or customers to controversy, negative publicity, scorn, or ridicule.
Should Sponsor determine, in its sole discretion, that any announced Winner has violated any of the prohibitions contained in these Official Rules or should be disqualified for any other reason, Sponsor shall have no obligation to award a Grant to such Entrant.
As a condition of entry, Sponsor reserves the right to conduct a background check on any potential finalist and/or winner and reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entrant based on such background check if in its sole discretion, the Sponsor determines that awarding the prize to such Entrant might reflect negatively on the Sponsor's image and/or reputation.
By participating in the Contest, each Entrant releases and holds Sponsor, its parent and affiliate companies and each of their directors, officers, employees, representatives, and agents harmless from and against any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or with the acceptance, possession, use of or defect in any Grant (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light). Sponsor is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by technical or human error or otherwise which may occur in the processing of entries or voting in this Contest or in the running of this Contest. Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest.
If for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including but not limited to by reason of fraud, computer virus, worms, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, technical limitations or failures, human error, mistake or any other cause that in the sole opinion of Sponsor could compromise, undermine, corrupt or otherwise affect the security, integrity, fairness, administration, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest at any time and without notice.
Notwithstanding anything set forth above, to the extent that the preceding release is determined by a tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable or void for any reason, each Entrant agrees that, to the fullest extent permitted by law (i) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Contest, or any awards awarded shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred by such Entrant, but in no event attorney's fees and no greater than $1,000; and (iii) under no circumstances will any Entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, incidental, punitive or consequential damages.
The construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, and all issues and questions relating thereto, along with the rights and obligations of all Entrants and of Sponsor, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, such determination shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision, and these Official Rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.
Any specific waiver of any obligation hereunder by Sponsor does not constitute a general waiver of that obligation nor of any other obligation of Entrant.
Any dispute concerning this Contest shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Tennessee within one (1) year from the date that the cause of action arose (or, if multiple cause of actions are involved, from the date that the first cause of action arose), with such arbitration conducted pursuant to the then prevailing rules of the American Arbitration Association. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no arbitration brought pursuant to these Official Rules shall be joined to any other arbitration initiated pursuant to these Official Rules.
By participating in the Submission Process for this Contest, Entrant grants to Sponsor, its parent and affiliated companies an exclusive, assignable, royalty-free and irrevocable right and license to edit or otherwise use all materials submitted by Entrant in connection with the Contest, in whole or in part, for any purpose and in any manner or media (including, without limitation, the Internet) now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world in perpetuity, and to license others to do so, without notice and without compensation, royalty, accounting, liability or obligation of any kind to any Entrant. Each Entrant further agrees that it will use its best efforts to have its employees, consultants, volunteers, officers and directors sign any additional licenses or releases that Sponsor may require.
BY SUBMITTING SUBMISSION MATERIALS, ENTRANTS EACH ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SUBMISSION MATERIALS, AND ANY OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PROGRAM, MAY BE POSTED ON THE SPONSOR'S WEBSITE(S), IN SPONSOR'S SOLE DISCRETION. Sponsor reserves the right to edit the Submission Materials and other materials prior to posting them to the website in its sole discretion.
The names of the Winners may be obtained following the end of the Contest on April 25, 2017, by visiting this url: https://smallbusiness.fedex.com/grant-contest.
Sponsor: FedEx Services, Inc.; 3640 Hacks Cross Road, Memphis, TN 38125. Attention: Small Business Grant Contest / Integrated Go-to-Market Marketing


text:
George Lopez
D'Andre Thomas
My Actors name is George Lopez he was born April 23rd , 1961 in Mission Hills , Los Angeles . In 1999 he hosted a major morning radio show in LA . He was the first Latino to have headlined the keystone morning radio slot on a English-language radio station
George Lopez was born April 23rd , 1961
-He was deserted by his Father when he was two months old.
-He was deserted by his mother when he was 10 years old.
-He was raised by his maternal grandmother Benita Gutierrez & Step Grandfather Refugio Gutierrez.
Hosting a LA radio station in 1990 gave him publicity and he later became a famous comedian.
- In 2000 after years of stand up comedy , He was approached by Sandra Bullock to produce and star in a comedy.
-In 2002 Lopez became one of the few Latinos to star in a television comedy series.
-On March 8,2007 George was announced that he would join the Nick at Nite lineup.
-Lopez was a cast member and a commentator for a hit sporst show on HBO called "Inside The NFL"
-On March 28,2009 it was announced that Lopez will Host his own late night talk show on TBS.
These are links to videos of George Lopez
- http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Me-You/dp/B00AYB1FJ0
- http://katiecouric.com/videos/george-lopez-divorce...


text:
honeytree24's Profile
Well Hello...
Let's get this jar of honey rollin' !
I think I'm a pretty awesome bargain shopper and wanted to share my finds with the rest of the world! I design toys for a living and have a passion for jewelry and fashion. I hope you enjoy all of the retro and vintage items I have carefully selected just for you! Feel free to email me if you have questions, wanna chat or have any suggestions!
I'd love to hear from you. You can also checkout our website for new products and news at the Honey Tree!
Happy Hunting from the Honey Tree !
- Female
- Born on March 20
- Joined June 1, 2011
Favorite materials
- honeytree24
Los Angeles, CA,
United States


text:
A '57 Chevy On His 57th Birthday
Get out the Kleenex!
Mike had promised his dad when he was 8 that he would buy him a '57 Chevy on his 57th birthday. His dad grew up poor and never thought he'd have his dream car. Mike worked 60 hour weeks for several months so he could afford the car. On his dad's 57th birthday, watch what happened.