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Tag Archives: 2013

The Queens Birthday Honours List 2013

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Toast Pop Posted in Pop Culture .

The Queens Birthday Honours List 2013It’s that time of year again when the Queen of England compiles her list of those worthy and deserving enough to be a recipient of one of her birthday honours. It’s an incredibly privileged award and usually only issued to those who have contributed in a highly significant way to their community or country. 

And though we generally only hear of the more famous recipients, the honours are issued to members of the general public across all sectors particularly to those who have achieved or accomplished something worthy of being recognised at the highest level. 

For example, over 275 people were awarded the British Empire Medal for the Queens Birthday Honours just recently and they included everyday people for services to policing, local government, to their community and for their charitable work. 

For those of us who are more familiar with some of the titles, the OBE is one which garners a lot of publicity. it is the Order of the British Empire and recognises distinguished service to those involved with charities, welfare organisations, public services and the arts and sciences.

It was created in 1917 during World War 1 when King George V saw the need to create a new list in a bid to more widely recognise those that were helping the war effort both on the front lines and at home. 

Fast forward to 2013 and the range of people included has widened and though there are still a large number of soldiers honoured, it has extended beyond that even if sometimes the service appears on the surface as being quite frivolous such as for services to fashion journalism as in the case of Hillary Alexander who is the fashion editor of The Daily Telegraph. 

I only say that as others on the list include Professor Wendy Atkin a Professor in gastrointestinal epidemiology at the Imperial College London in recognition for her services to bowel cancer prevention which seems a little more worthy on the face of things. 

A more familiar face in the UK is Clare Balding who most of us recognise for her TV racing coverage, particularly the Grand National, and her OBE is for services to broadcasting and journalism. 

Those in the Armed Forces, on the recommendation of the Ministry Of Defence, are also eligible for an honour for exceptional gallantry, achievement or service and can qualify for both civilian and military decorations. 

The highest Military Award issued for the Queens Birthday 2013 was to General Sir Peter Anthony Wall of the Royal Engineers who was given the Knights Grand Cross of the Order Of Bath (GCB) with the Knights Companion of the Order Of Bath being given to Lt Gen Richard Barrons of the Royal regiment of Artillery and Lt Gen Adrian Bradshaw of the Kings Royal Hussars. 

Most illustrious of all though must be the Knighthoods. From a regular everyday person to ‘Sir‘ or ‘Dame’ in the length of time it takes for the Queen to bestow it using the sword also previously used by her father.

The latest of those indoctrinated into this very exclusive club includes the much loved Anthony Robinson for his public and political service although we all know him better as the hapless and dry-witted Baldrick from Blackadder, one of only 29 men to be knighted this time around.

About The Author: 

Paul Warrander is a leading contributor on some of the interest’s best horse racing websites. Connect with him on Google Plus.

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Tags: 2013, birthday, Birthday Honours List, England, honours, list, Queen, Queen of England, The Queen .

Rockin’ at A Slammin’ Winter Jam

Posted on January 2, 2013 by kejohns323 Posted in Music .

Winter JamChristmas is over and New Years has just past, but it’s still the most wonderful time of the year! Why, you ask? Because it’s Winter Jam season! Winter Jam is a concert series for the biggest names and some of the up-and-coming acts in the Christian music industry. Since its formation in 1995, this tour has been a wildly popular event! In fact, stats from Pollstar ticket sales show that last year’s Winter Jam outpaced attendance for all other tours in the first quarter, including Cirque du Soleil – “Michael Jackson: The Immortal,” Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, The Black Keys, Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley! For one thing, the ten dollar admittance fee at the door might be one attribution to that. It’s probably the cheapest and most awesome show anyone could attend. No ticket required!

Winter Jam 2013’s lineup includes tobyMac, Jaime Grace, Red, Matthew West, Newsong, Sidewalk Prophets, Jason Castro, Royal Tailor, OBB. Capital Kings, and speaker Nick Hall. The tour kicks off January 4th, in Charleston, West Virginia and tours the eastern United States till the end of March. (Click here to find a tour stop near you!)Be sure to get to your venue as early as you can as it will very likely be a very packed house! If you’re a part of Jam Nation, you get free and early admission to a show and so many more VIP perks!

Ten dollars upon arrival for ten awesome music acts (and one speaker)…One night of great music with an even greater message… something for all of your friends and family to enjoy…What ‘s not to love about the Winter Jam Spectacular?! After rockin’ around the Christmas tree and with Dick Clark in Times Square, why not some  more rockin’ at a concert near you?

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Tags: 2012, 2013, Capital Kings, christian, concert, Jaime Grace, Matthew West, NewSong, Nick Hall, OBB, popular, red, Royal Tailor, Sidewalk Prophets, TobyMac, VIP, West Virginia, Winter Jam .

ToastPop Girl’s Favorites: New Year’s Edition!

Posted on December 31, 2012 by kejohns323 Posted in Pop Culture .

It’s a good thing the world didn’t end a few weeks ago…because already there’s a lot to look forward to in 2013! It’s a new year for new beginnings, new entertainment, and so much more! ToastPop Girl has scanned the horizon for the some of the up and coming shows and attractions, and here’s what she has found and liked:

New Movies

Coming February is the life-and-death romance flick Warm Bodies. If you haven’t seen the previews for this one, when the world is majorly populated with the undead, a zombie and a live girl fall in love with each other. Also out in February is Safe Haven, the next Nicolas Sparks book to hit the silver screen and stars Julianne Hough.  Sephanie Meyer’s book “The Host” is the next to be produced for film and will be out in March. Disney’s next big production out that same month is Oz, the Great and Powerful. It seems to me the storyline is original, unrelated to the initial classic or the musical Wicked. I look forward to the next installments of Iron Man and Thor out in May and November respectively. And last but not least, the Hunger Games release in November, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug release at the end of the year.

New Books

To say the very least, I’m excited for “Truth Stained Lies”, a new thriller and series from my favorite author, Terri Blackstock. A former lawyer and a judgmental investigative blogger find herself and her family in the middle of a murder investigation.  It will be available on March 12th and is currently available for pre-buy on Amazon.  In June, Sarah Dessen’s eleventh novel, called “The Moon and More” hits store shelves. USA Today provides some info on it, and even a previewing excerpt.

New Shows

ABC entertains the art of competitive cooking this coming year with a show called “The Taste”. Sixteen competitors, from amateur home-cookers to professionals, concoct dishes for some of the world’s most renowned chefs. “The Taste” airs Tuesday, January 22nd at 8/7c. And if it’s not too early to be thinking about it, Good Morning America is revealing the next season’s DWTS cast on February 28th! Starting January 14th on the CW is “The Carrie Diaries”. This teen drama is like a Sex and the City prequel highlighting the backstory of the series star, Carrie Bradshaw, in 1984. It stars AnnaSophia Robb, Freema Agyeman, and Austin Butler. Mel B. even seems to make an appearance, judging from the previews.

New Music

As always the music scene is alive and thriving in the New Year with some new music from many of your favorite people. Just to name a few, expect new albums from Selena Gomez, Niki Minaj, Taio Cruz, Mumford and Son, Darius Rucker, Bon Jovi, and Josh Groban. For those interested in the inspirational music scene,  Skillet, Switchfoot, Britt Nichole, Casting Crowns, are Chris Tomlin also a few of the many to have be finishing up in the studio as well. In addition, the long-time favorite Audio Adrenaline is said to be making a comeback this coming year with and new album and former DC Talk-er Kevin Max fronting.

Who doesn’t love the New Year?  It brings a chance to refine and reinvent yourself with fresh goals and ambitions. And it also has in tow plenty of fresh beats, books, broadcasts, and big screen events! What is 2013 bringing along that you’re waiting for? Feel  free to share with ToastPop Girl in the comments section!

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Tags: 1984, 2013, abc, Audio Adrenaline, books, CW, Disney, DWTS, GMA, Hunger Games, Iron Man, Music, new, Nicolas Sparks, Oz, preview, Safe Haven, Sarah Dessen, shows, Stephanie Meyer, Terri Blackstock, The Carrie Diaries, The Hobbit, The Host, The Taste, Thor, tv, Warm Bodies .

Real ID Controversy

Posted on March 28, 2012 by kejohns323 Posted in Lifestyle, Uncategorized .

Have you been to your local Department of Motor Transportation recently? If you visited to obtain a driver’s license or to renew one you may have been offered an option to get a federally-backed license. You may have been told that this form of identification could be used to board commercial planes and enter federal buildings. If you chose this option, your new license had to be specially printed and would be delivered to your home about two weeks after the request and you would be issued a temporary card in the meantime. If you left this experience curious, this is what it’s all about: It is the product of the Real ID Act of 2005. The intention of the act was to create a federal identity document which every American would need for activities like flying commercially, entering government buildings, or opening a bank account. Ever since its enactment, the states have fought against it.

The act was never passed through a true democratic process. It was slipped through congress at the time in a “must-pass” Iraqi War/Tsunami relief supplement bill. The Real ID Act hence lacks legitimacy that comes from being studied, debated, considered, and directly voted upon by America’s elected representatives. While Congress passed it, state legislatures struggle with it. They have to appropriate the money for this act, and in some cases change the state laws. Making the necessary technological changes to comply with this act would be burdensome, and it is a threat to privacy and immigration groups. Because of its lack in proper analysis, the Real ID Act is considerably controversial for these reasons.

 The Department of Homeland Security has issued several mandates and extensions for compliance with this issue, but they claim that January 15th, 2013 will be the final one given. Then, the DHS will assess each state based “on the totality of what [they] have done”. They want to declare that each state is “materially compliant based on their independent actions to improve security…”.
At the present time, getting the federally-backed license is optional, but it’s going to be the new norm if you acquire a license or renew it after the deadline. A real nightmare could also ensue with an increase in identity theft and pointless and time-wasting red tape and expenses. Get ready, because in more ways than one, America is about to pay for an error on the part of our lawmakers.

1 Comment .
Tags: "must-pass", 15, 2005, 2013, Americans, bill, congress, controversy, DHS, DMV, federal, federally-backed, Homeland, info, Iraqi War/tsunami relief, January, laws, license, life, news, option, Real ID, Real ID Act, Realnightmare.org, Security, state .

The Journey Begins in 2012

Posted on January 7, 2012 by kejohns323 Posted in Movies, Pop Culture .

Tolkien fans get to return to Middle Earth and see where the LOTR saga began during the 2012 holiday season. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is scheduled to release on December 14th of this new year. Peter Jackson agreed to the role of directing this film. Key actors from the epic trilogy like Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, and Ian Mckellen also appear in this prequel. For those unfamiliar with The Hobbit, as mentioned this is the account of how the events of the Lord of the Rings series came to be.

As Bilbo Baggins accompanies Gandalf the Grey and a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim a great treasure, he meets the creature Gollum and obtains his precious possession, a ring that possesses magnificent power. An Unexpected Journey is going to be the first of two installments of this epic genesis. The Hobbit: There and Back Again will pick up where Journey left off. Christmas season of 2013 is when the second film is due to release.

As fans anxiously await the most anticipated movie of 2012, TheHobbitMovie.com would be a great place to stay connected with progress and information on the movie! It’s chalk-full of blogs about publicity and offers behind-the-scenes photos and material. This site claims to be the number one Hobbit fan site on Facebook.

1 Comment .
Tags: 2012, 2013, an, An Unexpected Journey, Baggins, Bilbo, Bloom, christmas, december, dwarf, dwarves, Elijah, entertainment, fansite, fantasy, Gandalf, Gollum, Grey, Ian, J.R.R, Jackson, journey, Lord of the Rings, LOTR, Mckellen, middle earth, movie, new, online, Orlando, Peter, prequel, preview, The Hobbit, Tolkien, unexpected, Wood .

Rockin’ at a Slammin’ Winter Jam

Posted on January 2, 2012 by kejohns323 Posted in Music .

Christmas is over and New Years has just past, but it’s still the most wonderful time of the year! Why, you ask? Because it’s Winter Jam season! Winter Jam is a concert series for the biggest names and some of the up-and-coming acts in the Christian music industry. Since its formation in 1995, this tour has been a wildly popular event! In fact, stats from Pollstar ticket sales show that last year’s Winter Jam outpaced attendance for all other tours in the first quarter, including Cirque du Soleil – “Michael Jackson: The Immortal,” Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, The Black Keys, Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley! For one thing, the ten dollar admittance fee at the door might be one attribution to that. It’s probably the cheapest and most awesome show anyone could attend. No ticket required!

Winter Jam 2013’s lineup includes tobyMac, Jaime Grace, Red, Matthew West, Newsong, Sidewalk Prophets, Jason Castro, Royal Tailor, DBB. Capital Kings, and speaker Nick Hall. The tour kicks off January 4th, in Charleston, West Virginia and tours the eastern United States till the end of March. (Check here to find a tour stop near you!) Be sure to get to your venue as early as you can as it will very likely be a very packed house! If you’re a part of Jam Nation, you get free and early admission to a show and so many more VIP perks!

Ten dollars upon arrival for ten awesome music acts (and one speaker)…One night of great music with an even greater message… something for all of your friends and family to enjoy…What ‘s not to love about the Winter Jam Spectacular?! After rockin’ around the Christmas tree and with Dick Clark in Times Square, why not some more rockin’ at a concert near you?

Leave a comment .
Tags: 2012, 2013, awesomesauce, Capital Kings, cheap, concert, DBB, hip-hop, Jaime Grace, Jason Castro, Matthew West, NewSong, Nick Hall, popular, red, rock, Royal Tailor, Sidewalk Prophets, speaker, TobyMac, VIP, West Virginia, Winter Jam .

Arrested Development Returns As Netflix Exclusive

Posted on November 19, 2011 by James Agee Posted in Movies, Pop Culture .

The much loved comedy, Arrested Development, has taken a leave of absence after it’s previous cancelation. For years fans of the short lived series hoped and rumored a return for the Bluth Family. It has been officially announced in a press release that Arrested Development will be making it’s return to your home sometimes in early 2013. The only new quirk about the show is that it will only be available as a Netflix exclusive. Netflix has been pondering over exclusive content for some time now and has even begun filming a few series that only they will have, but this has come as a surprise to most everyone. While some fans rejoice, others fear that Netflix will be stingy with the rights to the show and deter the newly planned season from ever seeing DVD format. The future of the show is still under wraps, and not much more has been announced in regards to the new season or if Netflix will allow it to be sold as a DVD after it debutes, but one thing is for sure, this could mean many more new subscribers for Netflix, just for the return of Arrested Development!

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Tags: 2013, arrested, banana, bananas, behind, bluth, details, development, dvd, exclusive, family, flix, fox, info, michael, net, netflix, new, news, press, preview, release, return, returns, scenes, season, series, show, the, tobias .

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