Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 1131

National Geographic Traveller (UK) wins British Travel Award for the second year running

Nat Geo Traveller (UK) team collect BTA

LONDON — National Geographic Traveller (UK) has once again won the Best Consumer Holiday Magazine category at the British Travel Awards gala dinner held at Battersea Evolution, London on 25 November.

The award tops an eventful year for the magazine. In addition to being nominated for several other prestigious awards, it successfully launched the inaugural National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards — held in London’s Le Meridien Piccadilly last week — while also holding its first photography exhibition plus masterclasses in both travel writing and photography.

Pat Riddell, editor, said: “Winning this award last year was a fantastic achievement, but to win it again in 2015 is even better, especially as there’s been no let up in the levels of competition. It’s been another very busy year for the magazine, so it’s really satisfying to know that we’re doing something right.”

Anthony Leyens, chief executive of APL Media, the publishers of National Geographic Traveller, said: “Thank you to all those who voted and congratulations to our hardworking and dedicated team of professionals who I’m enormously proud of.

“We’re so delighted to receive this award because it recognises the quality of the content we’ve been producing across all media platforms — and what makes it even more special is that, with a record number of UK travellers voting this year, we’ve won this based on a consumer vote.”

British Travel Awards’ chief executive Lorraine Barnes Burton said: “More than a quarter of a million consumers voted this year to determine the winners of the 2015 British Travel Awards – it’s the largest awards programme in the UK and to win is a clear statement that companies are providing excellence in travel to the discerning consumer. The travelling public regard the British Travel Awards winners logo as the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who are the best travel companies and National Geographic Traveller is to be congratulated on their achievement.”

The award further cements its position as a leading title in the consumer travel market. The 180-page magazine celebrates compelling storytelling featuring award-winning writers, you-are-there-photography and inspiring narratives.

National Geographic Traveller success continues

Pat Riddell was also shortlisted for the Digital Editor of the Year, Consumer in the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) Awards 2015.

National Geographic Traveller has been shortlisted in the category Consumer Media Brand of the Year, at the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) Independent Publisher Awards.

And finally, three contributors were shortlisted for Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) awards. Zoe McIntyre won a silver award in the Young Travel Writer of the Year category, while Chris Leadbeater and Adrian Phillips were shortlisted for the Travel Writer of the Year and Travel Blogger of the Year awards, respectively.

ITAM Review Excellence Awards 2015 – Winners Announced

ITAM Excellence Awards 2015 Winners

1st December 2015 – The ITAM Review, provider of News, Reviews and Resources for ITAM, SAM and Software Licensing Professionals announced the winners of the ITAM Review Excellence Awards 2015 at their inaugural charity gala dinner in Reading, UK. Martin Thompson, Owner and Founder of the ITAM Review presented the following awards:

• ITAM Review Partner of the Year 2015 (recognising excellent ITAM service providers, resellers or partners) to b.lay, The license management company
• ITAM Professional of the Year 2015 (recognising excellence in ITAM professionals) to Tony Crawley & Gillian Leicester of Synyega
• ITAM Tool Provider of the Year 2015 (Recognising excellent tools or technology suppliers) to Snow Software
• ITAM Innovation of the Year 2015 (recognising recognizing new ideas, innovation and creative approaches) to Nexthink
• ITAM Implementation or Project of the Year 2015 (Recognising excellent ITAM teams or ITAM service providers) to Synyega and the Crown Commercial Service (CCS)

The ITAM Review received over 100 nominations from 19 different countries for ITAM professionals, service providers, technology vendors and specialists who are progressing the industry and leading the field.

The awards were presented to the winners at a charity gala dinner in aid of Sebastian’s Action Trust, a charity that supports the families of seriously ill children. The judging panel consisted of Martin Thompson, Owner and Founder of the ITAM Review, Rory Canavan, Owner and Founder of SAM Charter, Vawns Murphy, ITSM Analyst, ITSM Review, and Dave Kelsey, Product Manager, BCS.

Martin Thompson said: “The thinking behind these awards is to shine a light on ITAM industry excellence; to show our community what good looks like. We’ve been blown away by the response from our industry – both in quality and quantity of submissions”

In response to their win Richard Spithoven, director b.lay, The license management company said: “We truly believe in partnering. Combining key skills and expertise to deliver the best result to a client. It is cool our partners recognise this.”

Speaking about the ITAM Professional of the Year Award, Tony Crawley from Synyega said: “These awards recognise what can be achieved with Synyega’s innovative mix of technical and commercial skills and its collaborative approach to working with clients. This work demonstrates the huge potential that commercially savvy software asset management unlocks when an organisation needs to deliver significant cost savings”.

Axel Kling, CEO of Snow Software, commented: “We are extremely proud to take the award for ITAM Tools Provider of the Year. I believe the award reflects our commitment to continual development of Software Asset Management as a function and our investment in customer satisfaction.”

“We are honoured to receive the Innovation of the Year award,“ said Poul Nielsen, CMO at Nexthink. “We are committed to innovation. Nexthink V6 raises the bar with more sophisticated metrics and dashboards that enable IT to make faster, better decisions and outcomes. We are pleased that ITAM Review sees the value End-user IT Analytics brings to ITAM professionals.”

The CCS License Review Programme delivered millions pounds of savings for the taxpayer in 2014/15 through licence re-use, reducing spend on surplus licences and optimising software assets and licence agreements. It will continue to deliver significant savings in 2015/16.

Speaking of the project, Tony Crawley from Synyega said: “This project recognizes the significant financial benefits delivered through some creative thinking across a vast and complex environment. It was a team effort, working with the Crown Commercial Service and Central Government Departments.”

See the ITAM Review blog post of the event, including photos here:http://www.itassetmanagement.net/2015/12/01/excellence-award…

TV Picks Today, December 1: The Flash, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Married at First Sight

The Flash. Today’s episode: Legends of Today. Season 2. Episode 8. 8:00 pm. CW. From Wikipedia: The Flash is an American television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, airing on The CW. It is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. It is a spin-off from Arrow. The series follows Allen, portrayed by Grant Gustin, a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed, which he uses to fight criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities.

And our second recommendation is for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Today’s episode is titled Closure. Season 3. Episode 9. 9:00 pm. ABC.

And our last choice is for Married at First Sight. Today: Wedding Preparations. 9:00 pm. A&E.

We hope you enjoy the shows. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Video: The Flash | Legends of Today Scene | The CW

Famous Birthdays Today, December 1: Tyler Joseph, Janelle Monae, Zoe Kravitz, Vance Joy, Sarah Silverman

Our Top#1 Famous Birthdays Today, December 1 is for the rock singer and instrumentalist, Tyler Joseph. He is the lead vocalist of the duo Twenty One Pilots, he was born in Columbia in 1988 and, from Yareah, we wish him and his family all the best in this special day. Happy birthday, Tyler Joseph!

Famous Birthdays Today, December 1: Singer Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots in a concert in “Gebäude 9”, Cologne, 12.02.2014. Source: Wikipedia. Author: Christoph Hardt | christophhardt.com

Music seems to hold everything together. It seems to make things not so chaotic sometimes. It seems to make things make more sense sometimes. Tyler Joseph

Know this: you can start over, each morning. Tyler Joseph

More famous birthdays today, December 1: Janelle Monae, singer born in Kansas City in 1985; Zoe Kravitz, actress who appeared in X-Men: First Class and other films, born in Los Angeles in 1988; Vance Joy, rock singer born in 1987; and Sarah Silverman, comedian.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Video: Drown (Lyrics)- Tyler Joseph

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist knows how unpredictable life can be

Melissa Benoist as Supergirl

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist is lucky and happy now. But she knows how unpredictable life can be because, as everybody else, she went through bad periods of time. Who doesn’t? Our quote of the day is by Benoist because it’s important to hear realistic people who face optimistically the future. Don’t you think so? Then, listen to her!

“Every day, I just thank the universe that I am as lucky as I am. Because, I went through periods of time when I didn’t have a single bit of work. Months and months where I was auditioning all the time. I mean, all the time, and nothing was happening.”

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist is lucky and happy now. But she knows how unpredictable life can be because, as everybody else, she went through bad periods of time

Remember that Melissa Benoist played the role as Marley Rose on the fourth and fifth seasons of the Fox musical comedy-drama TV show Glee, and she has also appeared in numerous television series including Homeland, The Good Wife and Law & Order. However, she is world famous thanks to her current role as Kara Zor-El / Kara Danvers / Supergirl.

“I have a very optimistic view of my future right now. I’m very excited to see where it goes, but I try not to make plans just because I know how unpredictable life can be.” Melissa Benoist.

Melissa is also a great singer but she prefers acting. Once, she said that she was definitely interested in doing movies. “I’ve always focused more on acting than singing because that’s where my true passion lies.”

Supergirl is a costumed superheroine who is the biological cousin to Superman and one of the last surviving Kryptonians. The TV series was developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, that airs on CBS.

What do you think about Supergirl? Tell us your opinion now.

Enjoy your day, Yareah friends. Art is everywhere and up to you!

Second annual festive fundraiser continues to support cancer sufferers and their families in Hong Kong

Quintessentially Lifestyle’s The Fayre of St John’s Christmas caro

Supporting cancer. On Tuesday evening Quintessentially Lifestyle, the global private Members’ club, proudly presented the second annual “The Fayre of St. John’s” event, a charitable Christmas carol spectacular set in the heart of Central.

Held at the magnificent St John’s Cathedral, the festive extravaganza saw celebrities, socialites, and the city’s movers and shakers come together for a magical evening of carols, mulled wine, readings, and musical performances, successfully raising almost HK$2.5 million in funds for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre. The event continued to support Maggie’s for the second year running, helping to further the charity’s amazing work within the Hong Kong community, as an invaluable service to those affected by cancer.

Lisa S. performing a reading

Continuing the success of last year’s Hong Kong debut and as the event to kick-start the festive season, this year’s concert brought another joyous evening to guests, with a star-studded line-up of entertainment. Festive readings were performed by Hong Kong actress Michele Reis and American supermodel and actress Lisa S., as well as an exclusive solo performance by Hollywood actress and model Celina Jade, singing a heart-warming rendition of ‘Halleluiah’.

Other highlights included a magical ballet performance by Hong Kong Ballets’ Prima Ballerina Wu Fei Fei, dancing an extract from Christmas ballet favourite ‘The Nutcracker’, as well as charming choral performances by the Harrow International Chamber Choir and The Maggie’s Centre Choir. Prominent businessman and music producer James Louey also wowed the audience with an uplifting medley of well-known Christmas favourites including ‘Let it snow’ and ‘Winter Wonderland’. The concert was hosted by renowned director, producer, and TV host Sean Lee-Davies, who also read an extract from Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ to conclude the evening.

Aside from entertainment, more than 500 guests lit up the evening – including James and Jane Louey, Julian Hui, Anne Wang- Liu and Julian Liu, Sharie Ross Tse, Audry Ai Morrow, Jessica Jann, Bonnae Gokson, Caroline Wilson, Olivia Buckingham, Joyce Lee, Ronald and Reggie Li Kwok, Douglas Woo and many others from socialites to representatives from some of Hong Kong’s top businesses – coming together for the second annual Fayre, which concluded with a lively Christmas themed after-party at the prestigious private members club, KEE Club.

“We are extremely proud to have raised almost HK$2.5 million last night at The Fayre of St John’s to continue to support the excellent work done by Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre here in the Hong Kong community,’ commented Vincent Lai, Managing Director, Greater China, Quintessentially Lifestyle.

“Last year saw The Fayre concept successfully debut in Hong Kong for the first time, where we were overwhelmed by the generosity and support of our guests. This year, we are even more thrilled to have welcomed back a lot of familiar faces as well as many new guests, all coming together in support of an extremely meaningful cause during this very special time of year. Building on the legacy of success, we look forward to bringing back the Fayre of St John’s for many more years to come,” he continued.

The overall Fayre event was sponsored by Aviva and Hong Kong Tatler followed by a festive after-party supported by KEE Club, including a live auction of luxury prizes hosted by Sotheby’s renowned auctioneer Scott Roworth. All proceeds from the auction went directly to benefit Maggie’s, raising HK$584,500. Top auction prizes included painting – Landscape Study – by Australian artist John Young Zerunge, a private home dinner by award-winning British chef Rowley Leigh, as well as lunch for four at the Mandarin Grill and Noonday Gun firing, auctioned at HK$50,000, HK$45,000 and HK$22,000 respectively.

TV Picks Today, November 30: Supergirl, Gotham, Major Crimes

Yes, she is great, fantastic… supergirl! And she is our Top#1 TV Picks Today. Don’t miss her. Supergirl. Today’s episode: Red Faced. Season 1. Episode 6. 8:00 pm. CBS. From Wikipedia: Supergirl is an American television series developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, that airs on CBS. It is based on the DC Comics character Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, and stars Melissa Benoist as the title character. Supergirl is a costumed superheroine who is the biological cousin to Superman and one of the last surviving Kryptonians. The series was officially picked up on May 6, 2015 after receiving a series commitment in September 2014, and premiered on October 26, 2015.

And our second recommendation is for the series Gotham. Today: Rise of the Villains: Worse Than a Crime. Season 2. Episode 11. 8:00pm. FOX.

And our last choice is for Major Crimes. Today’s episode: The Jumping Off Point. Season 4. Episode 15. 9:00 pm. TNT.

We hope you enjoy the shows. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Video: Supergirl 1×06: Red Faced | Extended Promo [HD] | CBS 2015 Melissa Benoist Season 1 Episode 06

Famous Birthdays Today, November 30: Kaley Cuoco, Ben Stiller, Carnell Breeding, Kaelynn Gobert-Harris, Chrissy Teigen

She is a great actress, she played the role as Bridget Hennessy on the series 8 Simple Rules and Penny on The Big Bang Theory. Yes, of course, we are talking about the beautiful, the one, Kaley Cuoco. She was born in Camarillo, California and, from Yareah, we wish her and her family all the best in this special day. Congrats and happy birthday, Kaley Cuoco!

Famous Birthdays Today, November 30: Kaley Cuoco at PaleyFest 2013 for the TV show “Big Bang Theory”. Source: flickr. Author: Dominick

I’m a ‘Bridesmaids’ type of girl. I love silliness. That’s who I am at heart, and I know I can do it. If my career path takes me elsewhere, that’s great. But comedy is my forte. Kaley Cuoco

Diet cola is my absolute favorite drink in the world; I used to drink four cans a day. But to help me cut down, I’ve turned it into a treat. Now, instead of having dessert, I’ll have a can of diet soda. Putting a limit on how often I can drink it has helped me appreciate it more. Kaley Cuoco

Famous >Birthdays Today, November 30: Ben Stiller auf dem RTL-Spendenmarathon 2014 in Hürth bei Köln. Source: Wikipedia. Author: Michael Schilling

And today is also the birthday of one of my favorite actors –and directors-. He’s Ben Stiller and… well, happy birthday, Ben Stiller!

There’s always an element of fear that you need to work a lot until people get sick and tired of you or finally figure out that you’re a fraud after all! Ben Stiller

I have a lot of nervous energy. Work is my best way of channelling that into something productive unless I want to wind up assaulting the postman or gardener. Ben Stiller

More famous birthdays today, November 30: Carnell Breeding, R&B singer born in Connecticut in 1991; Kaelynn Gobert-Harris, dancer, and the beautiful model Chrissy Teigen.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends. And please, don’t miss this video.

Video: Pup Quiz with Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting

Aidan Turner is alone again. What do you know about Sarah Greene?

Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark

Poldark season 2 is coming and everybody is missing sexy actor Aidan Turner. Now, he has just announced that he split with Sarah Greene. He is a very discrete person because it’s important to him that people don’t know about his private life since he is trying to play characters. According to him, we can have trouble separating the actor from the celebrity profile. But anyway and after the success of Poldark TV show, it’s impossible a complete discretion.

Sarah Greene as Judith in Vikings

Then, Aidan Turner revealed that he has split from long-time girlfriend Sarah Greene.

They met at the Gaiety School of Acting and were long-distance for the first years of their relation. Aidan Turner used to be in New Zealand filming the Hobbit trilogy and Sarah Greene on Ireland’s theatre scene.

Sarah Greene portrayed Helen McCormick in the West End and Broadway productions of The Cripple of Inishmaan. For her performance, she was nominated for the 2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as well as the 2014 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

In 2014, she also played the recurring role of Judith on the Canadian-Irish historical drama television series Vikings, and in 2015 she was Hécate in Penny Dreadful. A pretty girl and great actress, we wish her a great future.

What do you expect from Poldark season 2? Tell us your opinion now! Aidan Turner is simply the best!

“I don’t speculate too much about the future. That’s the thing about this job – it’s so fickle. You take the jobs, you read the scripts and, if something interests you and you like the people who are working on it, you go for it.” Aidan Turner.

Enjoy your day, Yareah friends. Art is everywhere and up to you!

Plastic. Its history, benefits and drawbacks through art

Aurora Robson. ‘Midas,’ 2011. Plastic debris (PET), aluminum rivets, tinted polycrylic and mica powder. Courtesy of the artist.

From being a key ingredient in medical supplies and refrigerator insulation to surfboards and toys, plastics are part of our world. Life as we know it wouldn’t exist without plastic. On the flip side, humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic a year—and more than 7 million tons of it winds up in the ocean annually. A new exhibition at Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House looks at the good and bad of plastic through art—and art making.

Why plastic, and why now? Since 2013, the museum’s Spalding House location has presented exhibitions using art to illustrate key aspects of a school curriculum, such as literature, science, math, and social studies. This year, as he was planning future shows, Spalding House director and curator Aaron Padilla wanted to expand the concept to create a multidisciplinary exhibition that focused on a single topic. At the same time, Kim Johnson, co-founder of the Kōkua Hawaii Foundation and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation approached the museum about doing an exhibition that looked at plastic pollution, and something clicked.

“Plastic, for better or worse, is a huge, global issue.” says Padilla, “I realized it was an ideal topic for an exhibition that can be used as a lens for all school subjects, whether as a way for science teachers to illustrate scientific advancements or a biology teacher to make the ecological connections between plastic and pollution. And with artists using plastic for decades, it makes for an engaging exhibition of contemporary art.”

Made from chemical compounds called polymers, plastic—a term that covers everything from nylon to fiberglass—has shaped our culture and our habits. Plastic brought us records, tamper-proof medication seals, Bakelite, Hula Hoops, portable food, and solar energy. It makes aircraft and cars lighter.

Plastic can be used to create durable, long-lasting parts for spaceships, or single-use disposable items like water bottles and grocery bags. Invented more than 100 years ago, plastic in our culture has an interesting history. Use of the lightweight, inexpensive, and durable material exploded during World War II and today, it literally covers the globe. The amazing durability of plastic also means that it doesn’t go away when consumers throw it away—it can persist in landfills and in our oceans for centuries.

To reveal the complexities of plastic—and the human behavior that causes plastic to have dire repercussions on human life—Plastic Fantastic? is divided into three sections:

• The past: Plastic isn’t just used to make toothbrushes and affordable watches—the history of plastic is visually narrated through works from the museum’s collection by such artists and designers as Takashi Murakami and Charles and Ray Eames.

• The present: Work by five artists makes tangible the current state of plastic as a waste material. Plastic bag collages by Los Angeles–based Dianna Cohen speak to a throwaway culture born out of the ubiquity and proliferation of plastics. Sculptural installations by New York–based Aurora Robson and Maika‘i Tubbs make references to a new plastic-driven world formed and created with the man-made material. The textile work of German artist Swaantje Guntzel reveals the global reach of plastic pollution through visual mapping. And a photography series by Seattle-based Chris Jordan illustrates the sober reality of what plastic pollution ultimately does to living creatures.

• The future: Plastic Fantastic? concludes with an interactive space that invites viewers to consider the exhibition and the pros and cons of plastic, as well as to make art—visitors can construct assemblages of plastic debris fragments. These plastic assemblages made by exhibition visitors will be used to create a large public art installation to be unveiled in September 2016, during the IUCN World Conservation Congress being held in Honolulu at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii has collected two tons of plastic debris from beaches throughout the Hawaiian Island chain over the last year for this art-making component of Plastic Fantastic?

The museum has developed a free Plastic Fantastic? guided school tour, which is now open for registration by educators.

Funding for Plastic Fantastic? has been provided by the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, founded by Jack and Kim Johnson to support environmental, art, and music education.

The exhibition and related education programs are also made possible by Hawaiian Electric. Additional support is provided by the Louis L. Borick Foundation.

This project was developed in partnership with the Kōkua Hawaii Foundation, Surfrider Foundation–Oahu Chapter, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program.