Is tradition the last bastion against violation of our privacy?

We have been awash with news about flagrant abuses at all levels of society of one's right to privacy and security: violation of data from governments; illegally telephonic interceptions, corrupting people who were in an official capacity to provide information to the press; kiss and tell stories galore; immediate tweets; facebook updates; instant photos posted on the web; and YET...

...the entire world had to wait until a human messenger arrived via taxi from St Mary's hospital to Buckingham Palace to hear the formal annoucement of the royal birth of Prince George Alexander Louis some 4 hours after his arrival into the world.

An extraordinary feat in today's world of immediacy! No doctor, nurse, police officer, hospital worker, friend, family, or journalist got out the scoop first! No one inside the hospital reached for his or her smart phone to tweet to the world! No-one approached a journalist to make easy money! The might of the world's press and the force of social media had to wait and wait for tradition to take its age old time.

All of this led me thinking whether tradition per se is the last bastion against violation of our privacy. I think that, without doubt, respect for the public's feeling about the Queen and Price William and his wife had some influence as no one wanted to find themselves condamned by that public for having violated the royal couple's privacy. However, I think, or perhaps I should say I hope, that the main reason that the birth happened 4 hours before the news hit the world was because the vast majority of us wanted inter alia:

• to be part of that tradition,  to 'play the game' as it were;

• to find relief in that tradition  in the sense that 'not all is lost';

• to believe that historical tradition still has its role to play and so our own family traditions will survive us;

• to enjoy the excitement of the wait and how there are moments where it seems that time is on a 'go-slow';

• to remind ourselves that keeping a confidence is one of the greatest traditional attritubutes man can have; and

• to have the chance to raise our own standards as tradition would dictate.

Whatever were the reasons, I enjoyed knowing that when people want to keep matters private they still can do it regardless of governments, big brother and the internet. It has been a timely reminder that by exercising traditional methods such as discretion, prudence and respect all of us can live today's world of social media and web immediacy. (By using discretion before posting names of family and friends; by using prudence about passwords and personal information; and by having respect for oneself and others before posting photos.)
Long live tradition and its values.

Living in a Lighthouse

Living in a Lighthouse

Lighthouses were built to perform a safety role marking treacherous coastlines for mariners and had to include a tall tower so the lamp was high enough to be seen before the danger was reached. The lights may be off these days, but someone is at home. Decommissioned lighthouses are being auctioned off around the world as technology means they are no longer needed. Some of these iconic buildings have been transformed into visitor centres, or for holiday stays as so many of us have a fascination with living in lighthouse. But if you have a healthy bank balance, you can buy your very own lighthouse and make it your home.

One of the best things about lighthouse buildings are the 360-degree panoramic views and the dramatic locations. Some are located on the mainland coast and others can only be reached by boat or helicopter.

Being a Lighthouse Keeper

I asked a friend whose father was a Scottish Lighthouse Keeper what the lifestyle was really like. The family always lived in a house near the lighthouse which was often a fair distance from the nearest town so the remote location meant they sometimes kept chickens and had to plan good food storage. They had to move every three years but, while some families found this difficult, my friend didn't mind and enjoyed the freedom. His father worked one month on and one month off at the lighthouse and they had telephone contact every day. His father took the job straight out of the army and embraced the long hours and solitary work.

Like most people, I thought the Lighthouse Keeper was up and down stairs all day but it turns out there's a large room at the bottom of the tower which is where they spend most of their time. His days were filled with maintenance of the lighthouse - mostly down in the engine room - and he only needed to go up to the top once a day.

The job developed over the years and monitoring a weather station was another important role. There was also a lot of painting to be done as the harsh weather battered the building, plus maintaining and sounding the foghorn in a storm was vital too.

While away for a month at a time, Lighthouse Keepers would receive supplies by boat and could send things back to their families by helicopter every two weeks. My friend's dad would mostly send back his dirty laundry and an enormous amount of library books as he would read about twenty books every two weeks.

Owning a Lighthouse

Due to the exposed locations, lighthouses are at risk from eroding coastlines and one owner literally moved Belle Toute lighthouse at Beachy Head in Sussex, England when the cliffs started crumbling too close.

This will give you an idea of the enormity of the proposition of owning a lighthouse and being a custodian for a heritage building. While the peace and privacy of the remote locations may seem idyllic, the costs involved take it far beyond most dreamers' reach.

If you're still tempted, the United State Lighthouse Society has advice on how to be a Lighthouse Keeper, the Northern Lighthouse Board has advice for Scotland, and Trinity House has excellent resources on lighthouses in England and Wales.

Laura Porter writes an online London travel guide for About.com  and is a Visit Britain Super Blogger too. She fits in further freelance writing while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival the Queen's. You can follow her on twitter at @AboutLondon.

Deckchairs

A British seaside promenade with rows of deckchairs for holiday-makers to rest while enjoying an ice-cream is a quintessential summer postcard image as these foldable chairs have been around for over a hundred years.

John Thomas Moore (1864-1929) took out a patent for adjustable folding chairs in 1886 and manufactured them in Macclesfield, in the north of England, from 1887. Deckchairs were originally used on cruise ship's decks, hence the name, but were soon to be seen at seaside towns across the country.

Deckchairs, while low, can be comfortable to sit on for long periods once locked into position. They are collapsible, durable, stackable and easy to transport although also notoriously difficult to unfold and put up.

How To Put Up a Deckchair

1. Lay the folded deckchair down on the ground with the fabric seating on top.

2. Look for the grooves along the side and pick up that cloth covered end (the top).

3. As you do this the cross-frame base is in position on the ground and the adjustable back support can be slotted into the groove of your choice.

4. Sit in the chair and feel smug.

This can be a one-handed procedure once you gain in confidence. Here's a video to demonstrate how simple it is when done correctly.

To Rearrange the Deckchairs

This saying has nothing to do with the canvas and wooden folding chairs but means an action that would be pointless as it contributes nothing to a situation. To 'rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic' only emphases this point with the doomed liner from 1912 meaning that small changes too late will not help in a major crisis.

Life is Like a Deckchair

This story from Charles Schulz's Peanuts is used by public speakers and preachers across the world. Charlie Brown goes to visit Lucy for life advice at her five cent psychiatric help booth and Lucy offers this insight:

"Charlie Brown, life is like a deckchair on a cruise ship. Passengers open up these canvas deckchairs so they can sit in the sun. Some people place their chairs facing the rear of the ship so they can see where they've been. Other people face their chairs forward - they want to see where they're going. On the cruise ship of life, which way is your deckchair facing?"

Without hesitating, Charlie replies, "I can't even get my deckchair unfolded!"

Hopefully you're not like Charlie Brown and you can enjoy lounging on a comfortable deckchair with a seaside view sometime soon.

Laura Porter has written this article for ISIC, our mother ship. She writes an online London travel guide for About.com (part of the New York Times Company) and is a Visit Britain Super Blogger too. She fits in further freelance writing while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival the Queen's. You can follow her on twitter at @AboutLondon.

Beach Weddings

Beach Weddings

Outdoor weddings are a popular option these days and a white sandy beach already has a beautiful backdrop with the blue sky and sea so there's no need for many decorations.

A sand ceremony is ideal and special vows can be said while the happy couple pour two vessels of coloured sand into a third container to symbolise the couple's lives coming together forever. The mixed sand is then perfect to support a candle at the reception party.

Do remember all of the furniture you use is not fixed so be prepared for gusts of wind that could knock things over. And consider using a sound system so your guests can hear the vows as nervous voices do not travel well in the open air.

Timing

A beach wedding is a relaxed setting. It's not formal; you've shunned the restraints of walls so don't plan a long service as you would have in a church. Keep the ceremony short and have more time with your guests.

Avoid the midday sun as the bright light is not helpful for photographers and your guests will be uncomfortable in the heat. A better time to exchange vows is just before sunset when it’s cooling down and you can have your photographs taken when the light is at its most flattering.

As tempting as it may be, don't spend your time leading up to the ceremony sunbathing as wedding photos are for life so you don't want to be sunburnt.

Location

You could go to your local public beach, a hotel with a private beach or you could even take over a whole island such as Desroches Island in the Seychelles. If you choose a public beach, check with the local authorities if permission is needed and remember you may have extra onlookers who could appear in your photos.

Embrace your chosen location as a Caribbean beach lends itself nicely to rum punch with friends and a steel band playing Calypso into the evening. A Hawaiian beach wedding could mean a bright Hawaiian shirt for the groom and a holoku Hawaiian white gown for the bride. Australian beach weddings go hand in hand with a barbecue and a Greek Island wedding could have some lively plate smashing to follow!

If you choose a hotel beach do check what services they can offer such as hairdressers, make-up artists, florists and private catering. A hotel with a spa is great idea to keep you and your guests busy before the ceremony.

Clothing

Pamela Anderson married Tommy Lee in 1995 in a beach wedding wearing a tiny white bikini but that's probably not the look most brides will want to go for. Bejewelled corsetry is also not a good option for hot climates so think about loose, cotton, linen or silk clothing which can be beautifully stylish and much more appropriate. Plus white is best in hot locations.

Think about whether the groom really should wear a suit and tie as you've chosen a relaxed wedding venue so let him be able to breathe in the heat too.

Brides should avoid heels as they will obviously sink in the sand or if you simply can't do without them then wedges can work. Barefoot is even better and there are some lovely 'barefoot bridal sandals' available which are beaded foot jewellery.

Guests

Beach weddings lend themselves to smaller congregations so many couples decide to have a party for friends when they return home. Those who do attend, and have travelled to join you, are likely to spend your honeymoon with you too so choose wisely.

Personalised flip flops are a cute idea to give to guests and make sure you have bottles of water and sunscreen available for all. A small container of sand from the beach makes a lovely wedding favour.

Memories

However you plan your big day, a beach wedding can be just as special as a traditional ceremony and will start your married life together with some wonderful memories.

Laura Porter has written this article for ISIC, the mother ship of SEAS-IT. She also writes an online London travel guide for About.com (part of the New York Times Company) and is a Visit Britain Super Blogger too. She fits in further freelance writing while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival the Queen's. You can follow her on twitter at @AboutLondon.

Lighthouse Living

Lighthouses were built to perform a safety role marking treacherous coastlines for mariners and had to include a tall tower so the lamp was high enough to be seen before the danger was reached. The lights may be off these days, but someone is at home. Decommissioned lighthouses are being auctioned off around the world as technology means they are no longer needed. Some of these iconic buildings have been transformed into visitor centres, or for holiday stays as so many of us have a fascination with living in lighthouse. But if you have a healthy bank balance, you can buy your very own lighthouse and make it your home.

One of the best things about lighthouse buildings are the 360-degree panoramic views and the dramatic locations. Some are located on the mainland coast and others can only be reached by boat or helicopter.

Being a Lighthouse Keeper

I asked a friend whose father was a Scottish Lighthouse Keeper what the lifestyle was really like. The family always lived in a house near the lighthouse which was often a fair distance from the nearest town so the remote location meant they sometimes kept chickens and had to plan good food storage. They had to move every three years but, while some families found this difficult, my friend didn't mind and enjoyed the freedom. His father worked one month on and one month off at the lighthouse and they had telephone contact every day. His father took the job straight out of the army and embraced the long hours and solitary work.

Like most people, I thought the Lighthouse Keeper was up and down stairs all day but it turns out there's a large room at the bottom of the tower which is where they spend most of their time. His days were filled with maintenance of the lighthouse - mostly down in the engine room - and he only needed to go up to the top once a day.

The job developed over the years and monitoring a weather station was another important role. There was also a lot of painting to be done as the harsh weather battered the building, plus maintaining and sounding the foghorn in a storm was vital too.

While away for a month at a time, Lighthouse Keepers would receive supplies by boat and could send things back to their families by helicopter every two weeks. My friend's dad would mostly send back his dirty laundry and an enormous amount of library books as he would read about twenty books every two weeks.

Owning a Lighthouse

Due to the exposed locations, lighthouses are at risk from eroding coastlines and one owner literally moved Belle Toute lighthouse at Beachy Head in Sussex, England when the cliffs started crumbling too close.

This will give you an idea of the enormity of the proposition of owning a lighthouse and being a custodian for a heritage building. While the peace and privacy of the remote locations may seem idyllic, the costs involved take it far beyond most dreamers' reach.

If you're still tempted, the United State Lighthouse Society has advice on how to be a Lighthouse Keeper, the Northern Lighthouse Board has advice for Scotland, and Trinity House has excellent resources on lighthouses in England and Wales.

Laura Porter has kindly written this article especially for SEAS-IT. She writes an online London travel guide for About.com (part of the New York Times Company) and is a Visit Britain Super Blogger too. She fits in further freelance writing while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival the Queen's. You can follow her on twitter at @AboutLondon.

Our four best Compression Tools for Windows/ Mac

Our four best Compression Tools for Windows/ Mac

A while ago, we talked about compressed files and today we will see which alternative third party tools you could use instead of the Windows implemented version. We will compare commercial Shareware tools with free open-source alternatives. The standard criteria for a good compression tool are the

·         Ability to split compressed files in smaller pieces

·         File encryption and password support for archives

·         SFX - Self-extracting file formats (so other people won’t need a third party tool to open the compressed file)

·         Multilingual support for the major languages

·         Extracting the most common file formats for compression tools (Such as RAR, ZIP, ZIPX, 7-ZIP, TAR and ACE)

WinZip

WinZip is the classical third party tool for creating zip-files. It offers also other useful functions such as automated backup (only pro) or image resizing and also comes with the familiar ribbon interface (same as Microsofts Office 2007/2010). It comes in a standard and pro version – while the core functions such as zipping and unzipping will be supported by both versions. Since version 14 they have introduced a new file format named “ZIPX”, which is by default the ending of the compressed container file. Due to the fact that this format is new, not many utilities support it.

Pro ·         Supports image-resizing ·         Ribbon interface ·         Integrated “Zip-Send” function

Contra ·         View-function for compressed only with pro-version ·         Bad compression rate with “ZIP” ·         No “ACE” support

Website: www.winzip.com

WinRAR

Beside zip-files WinRar offers one of the most common compression formats – the “.rar” format. It offers a way much better compression than the zip-format and can be opened by well-known third party programs. It has a clean interface and supports up to 45 different languages and provides in addition to its own compression format also the creation of zip-files. You can also extract a large variety of archive types and advanced SFX options. On the official Website you could also download different themes for the interface which are offered with different icon sizes for the toolbar.

Pro ·         Supports many languages ·         Enhanced SFX ·         Supports themes with different icon sizes ·         Repair function for damaged archives

Contra ·         Overloads the context menu on default installation ·         No “ZIPX” support

Website: www.rarlabs.com

7-Zip

7-Zip is a powerful and free compression utility for private and commercial use. It supports several of archive formats, such as the native 7-ZIP format “.7z” but also “.zip” and “.tar” formats. It’s known for a one of the best compression-rate for large files and offers an option for different compression algorithms. The interface, which looks similar to commercial solutions such as WinRAR, is minimalistic and even an inexperienced user, could handle it. There is an active community behind this software which helps you out if there are any questions left. 7-Zip comes mainly for Windows based systems, but offers also packages for Linux, Macs and other systems. It’s free for commercial and non-commercial use.

Pro ·         Supports up to 79 languages ·         Supports 256-bit AES encryption ·         Themes can be installed ·         Minimalistic interface

Contra ·         Only one stable release since version 9

Website: www.7-zip.org

Free Arc

In its current version 0.666, the website of Free Arc propagate to be between 2x – 5x faster than programs such as 7-Zip, WinRAR and WinZip. The functions of that program are quite impressive. It offers also different algorithms for compression and also for encryption. It’s native file format is “.arc” which is currently the only file format which is supported (0.7 will also support “.zip” and “.7z” formats for compression). The interface might be a bit difficult for beginners, due to a large possibility of settings which can be done. After the installation Free Arc integrates itself like other tools into the context menu of Windows. Like 7-Zip it also supports Themes and is free for commercial and non-commercial use.

Pro ·         Supports many languages ·         Different methods of encryption possible

Contra ·         No support for “.zip” compression ·         Interface only for experienced users ·         No Mac support

Website: www.freearc.org

Zip, Unzip it! - How to compress files

Zip, unzip it! – How to compress files

There are two possibilities to compress files on windows. You could use a third party program or the already implemented compression tool of Windows. Since Windows XP it is possible to create compressed zip-files.

Compressing files has many advantages. First of all it could safe your space and time e.g. when you transfer couple of files over the internet or to your USB flash drive. You could also split large files into small pieces or protect them with a password. Downloadable programs are sometimes offered as compressed files to have safe traffic over the internet. The most common ending for a compressed file is “.zip” due to the fact, that Windows is using this format to compress files, so when you use a different compression tool you should always take care about the recipient of the compressed file, because not every person has installed a third party program which supports multiple formats such as “.rar” or “.7z” formats. 

So, but how do we compress files with Windows 7? It’s pretty easy:

1.       right click on the file

2.       go to the option “send to” and

3.       select “Compressed (zipped) folder”,

That’s it! You now have a new file which can be renamed. Double-click on that file which will open the explorer and show your compressed file. If you would like to compress a couple of files you can select them all and then repeat the tutorial or put them together into a folder and compress the folder.

Extracting a compressed Zip-file can be also done in four steps

1.       right click on the file

2.       go to the option “extract all” – a new window opens

3.       select the destination where to extract you files and

4.       then click “Extract”

By default the destination of your extracted files is the same place where your compressed file is located.

Here are two additional video tutorials which show how to zip or unzip with Windows 7 in less than a minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4jAyFENEYY (Zip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQOYqzGHiDY (Unzip)

Sources:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Compress-and-uncompress-files-zip-files

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_archive_formats