Take a random tween, age 8-12, place them in front of a rotary phone and observe at the blank stare of bewilderment. Yes, gone are the days of the landline, pushed aside by the next wave of technological advancement. Mobile phones are fast displacing landlines in many homes; accompanying this movement is the fact kids regularly use and know how to use these cell phones. The mobility of cell phones means you can be anywhere and have the necessity, or should I say the convenience, of a phone.
Cellular service providers and manufacturers would enjoy nothing more than exploiting the vastly untapped tween market. However, is it necessary to provide cell phones to kids age 8-12? What makes it necessary today? Is the simple the notion of having the technology enough reason to equip younger and younger customers with phones? Where do we draw the line when it comes to tweens owning cell phones, and when should we be restricting use? The remainder of this article will discuss the pros and cons of purchasing cell phones for kids. It will discuss the social aspects, health concerns, and cost issues.
Social and Cost Issues:
Weighing in at a paltry 56 grams, designed with a smaller frame to accommodate smaller hands, measuring 88 x 44 x 20 mm, one of the leading cell phones targeted exclusively towards the 8-12 market, the Firefly. It offers up to 2.5 hours of talk time, and up to 100 hours of standby, basically it’s your bare bones cell phone that permits parent’s to limit outgoing calls to certain numbers and also sports ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ buttons for quick dialling. The Firefly is marketed with such catch phrases as “Parents of pre-teens understand that it’s time to start loosening the reins and letting their kids travel unsupervised to school, the library, or friends’ houses.”
Pro: Yes kids need a safety mechanism and having a cell phone handy does provide added protection in the form of determining whereabouts and phoning for help.
Con: Big safe mechanism, however, if any parent purchases a cell phone for their kid using the catchy marketing ploy directed to parents, ‘…start loosening the reins and let their kids travel unsupervised,’ they have the wrong perception regarding the purpose of a phone. Anybody who believes that providing a cell phone to a child automatically provides them with responsibility and ability to take care of themselves, when they were unable to do so before a cell phone, are relying too heavily on ‘parenting by technology’. Be mindful of such reasoning when thinking about buying a cell phone.
Con: Another item to consider, are we turning our kids into internet and mobile phone junkies? One should question whether connecting kids 24/7 to their friends via cell phone will influence their social habits. Also, cell phones are quickly becoming the norm and the fashion. Kids will demand to be hip like their buddies from school who sport the latest cell phone, or any cell phone for that matter. Parents will be pressed to give in to ignescent demands of ‘everyone else has one’, or ‘I want to be cool like the other kids’. Sure it may be good to have your kid fit in, but since when is school primarily a popularity contest? Furthermore, when does fitting in cost so much?! The thing with cell phones is there are monthly costs attached — not a one time sunk cost. Chances are you will pay the monthly fees. Some options are available to have ‘pay-as-you-go’ options, you pay for whatever minutes you purchase, however, either or, the more your kid talks on the phone, the more you pay. Don’t forget too that cell phones are more than phones. Almost all (the Firefly does not) have text messaging and more complicated communication tools included that have an attached cost as well. Boy, this is starting to get expensive!
Health Issues:
The Firefly cell phone is designed to give the bare phone essentials. However, this phone is a candybar style, which means the antenna is located within the phone unit and does not protrude out. This means cellular frequencies are closer to the brain. The question now revolves around how early is too early for exposing kids to cellular frequencies on a regular basis? On one hand you don’t want to risk your child’s health, on the other hand scientific research is still inconclusive when it comes to cell phone ‘radiation’. The juror is still out on this one, be your own judge regarding the health impacts.
There you have it, some helpful reminders to consider before going out and dropping a couple hundred dollars and an additional twenty per month, minimum, on a cell phone for junior. One certainly cannot downplay the safety benefits, you never know when it could save a life, however, at the same time, there are many con items to consider before sending buying a a cell phone for junior. One thing is for sure, the little handset device will never replace supervision from an adult when supervision is due.
GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far more applications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can benefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and some trial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities that can benefit you right now in your busy and hectic life.
1. Know where your children are using services from companies like uLocate Communications.
2. Keep track of elderly members of your family, so that they don’t wander off alone.
3. Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks, campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer “Are we there yets?”- and of course get the most out of that expensive gas.
4. Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of a button from your vehicle, so you can get help exactly where and when you need it.
5. Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of your favorite hot spots, sceneries, and points of interests, that may not be listed in any travel guide (You can create your own mini travel guides and memories).
6. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS, better than running around in your pajamas hollering like a maniac.
7. Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergency personnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergency call. Please double check your carrier service to see that it has GPS features and get a primer on how it works if possible.
8. Get to your interview, or any important time sensitive destination or engagement, faster by finding shortcuts and correct directions.
9. Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatre on the fly.
10. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while traveling.
11. Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert, graduation, or any social gathering.
12. When going on a vacation, feel free to separate from group for a while to venture on your own based on your own interests and find them later on with your GPS enabled device- even in an unfamiliar place.
Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poor connection to the satellite feeds when we are indoors in buildings, homes, or behind anything that could obstruct the GPS connection. However with the investment and development in a new satellite network called Galileo which should be completed in the near future, these problems should be eliminated drastically. Despite these problems, GPS still offers a world of benefits as mentioned earlier, and with any technology, it will only get better.
In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will make a great educational and fun gift for your loved one’s and friends as well. Consider just two of the many creative and educational uses of GPS:
1. Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! A locational based cell phone game based on GPS technology.
2. Become more cultured, make global friends, and learn about the world playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasure hunt.
With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone’s preferences and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learn more about GPS technologies, which are surely to become more assimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day we will take these things for granted just like we do now for the internet and cell phones. The key is to dive in, without paralyzing yourself with the overwhelming array of choices in the GPS market, and enjoying some truly amazing technology.
Visit GPSZoom.com for a dizzying array of ways in which GPS can improve your lifestyle including with GPS tracking services for people and vehicles, and for those adventurers at heart- technology to help you conquer the outdoors, one trail at a time.
If you are interested in trying out Voice Over Internet Protocol the good news is you can upload some free software to try before you by. Many Internet sites offer free software that takes a matter of minutes to upload and start using. Even better, have a family member do the same and start calling one another using VoIP. This way you and your friend will start understanding how to use VoIP and the many advantages VoIP has to offer.
Just Google VoIP for a list of qualified providers. Most people are already making calls using VoIP without even realizing it. Phone companies have used VoIP technology for some time to route phone calls from one place to another. Many phone company’s route calls through an IP Gateway. This reduces the amount of bandwidth they have to use when transferring calls to local switches.
VoIP Advantages
While IP phone use is just now making headlines, phone companies have known for some time that using VoIP is the most practical way to conduct business. Commercially VoIP has been doing well, now consumers just need to jump on the bandwagon and start learning how VoIP can benefit them when placing calls. Roughly 10 percent of the population is currently using VoIP technology. This is likely to change rapidly as consumers start realizing how beneficial digital data packets of information are when communicating. You can not only communicate over the net but store information, search, copy and combine converted data to use in any way you see fit. Corporations are slowly realizing that VoIP may offer competitive advantages. Consumers are starting to take advantage of the cost savings.
Have you ever wondered why long distance calls cost so much? In part the reason is because telephone lines cost so much. When driving, you might occasionally see a telephone crew maintaining a telephone line, but what you may have never considered is that there are literally thousands of individuals working around the clock to maintain our telephone lines.
The telephony system works via a cog and wheel setup. What this means is that every long distance call you make is routed along a telephone wire to a central station, where your voice is routed to another central station, which is finally carried to the person with whom you are trying to communicate. For the call to be maintained, the entire time you are speaking, a space along all the lines in between you and the person you are talking with must be completely devoted to you. Because millions of people are talking at the same time, the little space along the telephone lines becomes rather desired property. And like all things desired, the price is high. Before recent innovations, however, there were no alternatives, so everyone grudgingly paid the often costly long-distance telephone bill.
SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, has turned the telephony world upside down. Specifically, SIP refers to a protocol that allows computers to talk to each other without going through a central station. Practically, what that means for you and me is that it is no longer necessary to pay for expensive telephone lines to complete our calls. SIP technology is a relatively new development in which calls are made on a peer-to-peer rather than cog and wheel network. What that means, is that you are now able to call people directly from your SIP enabled phone to theirs. This ends up being radically cheaper than the old way of calling.
The SIP system does not require a central computer and operators like the old telephony system did. Rather, your computer, or SIP enabled phone, does all the routing for you.
SIP has been around for a number of years, but only recently has it begun to go mainstream and take off in popularity. This quick increase in interest over SIP is due to companies like Mobalex, who were aware of the fact that over the generations we have come to expect certain tones, buttons, and protocols from our phones. So what they have done is to transpose those functions onto the SIP system. Rather than forcing users to communicate in a completely new way, what these companies have done is to provide a calling experience which from the user’s perspective is completely identical to traditional telephony.
SIP is typically offered in two formats, computer based and hardware based. Computer based SIP is a system that allows you to make calls using your computer as the router and communicating via a headset on your computer. The more practical and popular version, however, actually provides you with new SIP enabled telephone handsets or converts your existing phones to SIP. By eliminating any technical requirements, modern SIP providers have made using the system as easy, or easier, than using a traditional phone. I say easier, because many companies are able to take advantage of the fact that the system is internet based to provide you with some very unique benefits. These include the ability to adjust your plan, change your calling options, and even pay your bill from the same website.
SIP technology is quite revolutionary in the world of communication. By creating a peer-to-peer network, SIP has been able to radically undercut the prices of traditional telephony, take advantage of the Internet, and still maintain the ease of traditional telephony. It is merely a matter of time before we are all using SIP for all of our telephoning needs.
The Nokia 1100 mobile phone is an affordable and durable device equipped with many practical features. The Nokia 1100’s compact design integrates anti-slip sides and a silicon keymat to prevent dropping and dust penetration.
The Nokia 1100 also features a large monochrome display a long standby time an integrated flashlight and two classic Nokia games!
Nokia 3220 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 3220 mobile phone is sleek compact and stylish! Say it out loud after dark with ‘light messaging’ simply wave your arm from side to side and watch as your words appear in mid-air. Capture your best performance with the Integrated VGA camera and video recorder.
Be dazzled by the lights with the Nokia 3220 X-press-on grips and a series of coloured LEDs pulsate to the beat of your ringtone.
Nokia 5140i Mobile Phone
The Nokia 5140i mobile phone is a durable and stylish device designed for people with active lifestyles! The Nokia 5140i can be connected wirelessly to Polar heart rate monitors compatible with its Polar MobileLink application; your progress can then be monitored on the 5140i’s high quality colour display.
The Nokia 5140i’s colour display can also be used to take preview and send MMS photographs to view WAP pages and to get maximum enjoyment out of the 5140i pre-installed games!
Nokia 6101 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6101 mobile phone is a compact clamshell device designed for those concerned with style! The 6101 integrates a VGA camera with various camera modes and 65K colour display. These features combine well with the Nokia 6101’s MMS compatibility allowing you to take preview and send multimedia messages of brilliant quality!
The Nokia 6101 also features JavaTM technology for easy download of ringtones a stereo FM radio for listening to your favourite radio station and GPRS so that you can surf the mobile Internet.
Nokia 6230 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6230 Bluetooth phone is for more than making calls and is equipped with the latest technology to keep you entertained.
It has a VGA (Video Graphics Adaptor) digital camera video recorder and player so you can re-live the moment again and again. You are able to share special moments by sending (and receiving) messages containing text a sound clip and an image or a video clip to other compatible devices.
Watch and listen to pre-recorded clips with video streaming. Plus the music player for MP3 files means you can download your favourite tunes or just listen to FM radio.
Nokia 6230i Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6230i mobile phone is the successor of the highly popular Nokia 6230. Visually they look-a-like but that is where the similarities end. The 6230i features a far higher resolution 1.3 megapixel camera that can be used to capture video or produce stunning 1280 x 1024 pixel images. These can then be saved to the upgraded internal memory (30MB) and sent via multimedia message or Bluetooth to a contact.
The Nokia 6230i can also be used to play MP3s run Java applications and surf the Internet. The 6230i is a fantastic all-round device just like the handset it updates.
Nokia 6610i Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6610i mobile phone represents the perfect balance of style and performance. It provides compact usability with a powerful set of features including a high-quality colour display Java technology for downloadable applications and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) capability.
Listen to your favourite music with the integrated FM radio and download polyphonic ringtones for the latest sounds.
Nokia 6630 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6630 mobile phone is designed for smart sharp and fast mobile working.
The first mobile phone to combine the benefits of EDGE and the leading smartphone platform Series 60. Offering always-connected email mobile broadband access to multimedia content and live video streaming.
Take pictures and record up to 1 hour of video with its advanced 1.23 megapixel camera. The features are simply endless and include a digital MP3 music player and real-time video streaming on its bright colour display Tri-band connectivity Bluetooth and much more.
Nokia 6680 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6680 mobile phone is a third generation device that has a lot to offer. The 6680’s clean design cleverly integrates a slide-activated rear facing 1.3 megapixel camera a front facing VGA camera and a high-resolution 262K colour display. Once taken high-resolution images can be printed effortlessly using Bluetooth and the 6680’s XpressPrint software.
The Nokia 6680 also features two-way video calling video sharing (the ability share and view video in the middle of a call) Enhanced GPRS and Real Player with stereo audio. The Nokia 6680 is a smartphone in every sense of the word!
Nokia 6681 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6681 mobile phone is packed full of great features. The 6681’s clean design cleverly integrates a slide-activated rear-facing 1.3 megapixel camera and a high-resolution 262K colour display. Once taken high-resolution images can be printed effortlessly using Bluetooth and the 6681’s XpressPrint software.
The Nokia 6681 also features a convenient e-mail client with attachment support for various file formats (including .jpeg and .mp3) Enhanced GPRS and Real Player with stereo audio. The Nokia 6681 is a smartphone in every sense of the word!
Nokia 6822 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 6822 mobile phone has been designed for those who like to talk with their fingers! A key feature of this handset is its intelligent fold-open ‘QWERTY’ keyboard. When activated the 6822 automatically rotates its screen 90 degrees clockwise and becomes the perfect device for sending e-mails and long SMS messages.
The Nokia 6822 also features an integrated VGA camera Bluetooth (for wireless connection to compatible devices) GPRS and conference calling.
Nokia 7260 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 7260 mobile phone is probably the most distinctive and stylish mobile phone on the market. Reflect your individual style with a phone that is bold confident and intensely striking.
Retro styling meets modern technology; the Nokia 7260 is packed full of features including an Integrated VGA camera FM Radio Voice recorder Flash messaging Instant messaging for sharing the latest news with friends Email Tri-band connectivity and for the true fashionistas among you there is also a clothing and shoe size converter!
Nokia 7270 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 7270 mobile phone is a super stylish clamshell phone designed for the fashion conscious. Awaken your passion for all things beautiful as it teasingly unfolds to reveal its bold art deco elegance.
Boasting two colour displays an integrated VGA camera with 4x digital zoom supporting video streaming recording and playback. Keep in touch with friends and family with multimedia messaging for receiving editing and sending messages with text audio files voice clips and images. With Java support for games and other applications XHTML web browser email capability full PC synchronisation polyphonic ringtones and much more.
Nokia 7280 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 7280 mobile phone breaks the mould of traditional handset designs. By combining retro styling with cutting edge mobile technology Nokia have created one of their most intriguing mobile phones to date.
Revolutionary in every way with its keypad-less design access features in a unique way with its rotator and reveal all its glory with the innovative sliding mechanism that is also used to answer and end calls.
Stylish but practical too the Nokia 7280 boasts a wealth of must-have features such as tri-band GSM and GPRS data 640×480 pixel digital camera voice-activated user interface Bluetooth an internal handsfree speaker multimedia messaging infrared FM Radio and much more.
Nokia 7610 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 7610 mobile phone has a sleek compact design that stands out in any crowd. Equipped with a 1 megapixel camera and 4x digital zoom for quality images. It scores a perfect 10 allowing you to record 10 minutes of video footage featuring a ‘Movie Director’ application for easy editing of your latest masterpiece.
The 7610 offers a built in MP3 player allowing you to listen to your favourite music on the move plus polyphonic ringtones for the latest tunes. Offering Bluetooth functionality for wireless communication and downloadable Java games.
Nokia 7710 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 7710 mobile phone is a multimedia device packed with great features. The 7710’s design centres around its huge 640 x 320 pixel 65K TFT widescreen colour display. The 7710’s touch-sensitive screen allows high-resolution images taken by its 1 megapixel camera to be seen in all their glory!
The Nokia 7710 also features Quickoffice document viewers (Quickword Quickpoint Quicksheet) for those who want to work on the move a multimode Internet browser and Enhanced GPRS. The Nokia 7710 keeps you organised entertained and in the know!
Nokia 8800 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 8800 mobile phone has been created for your ultimate pleasure; its graceful looks and seamless functions will leave a lasting impression. Every aspect has been meticulously considered and precisely engineered; from the laser-cut curves of its steel-clad body to the state-of-the-art slide mechanism and fine-pitched screen with reinforced glass - this phone is a masterpiece. Let the exquisitely composed ringing tones evoke your innermost emotions. With built in Bluetooth and a large 263K colour screen the Nokia 8800 provides high quality images from its built in SVGA Camera. This handset has both Video recording and streaming capabilities to capture the moment
Nokia 9300 Mobile Phone
Introducing the Nokia 9300 mobile phone a sophisticated device designed to enhance your work style while complementing your personal style. Inspire others by the way you manage your business and your life.
The Nokia 9300 combines popular voice communication features with important productivity applications in one well-appointed device. Now the tools you need to stay in touch and on top of schedules email news and messages are conveniently at your fingertips.
Nokia 9500 Mobile Phone
The Nokia 9500 Communicator offers you a full set of business-critical applications fast network connectivity and large memory storage - so you can keep in stride with your work on the go.
Fast data connectivity with Wireless LAN. Browse the Internet in full colour on a wide easy-to-view screen. Work with office documents not just email with attachments and memos but presentations and databases too. The Nokia 9500 Communicator offers high-capacity built-in memory - 80 MB plus a MultiMediaCard (MMC) slot for even more storage space.
Keep your Personal Information Management data in sync and up-to-date. With Nokia PC Suite and OMA Data Synchronization you can easily exchange data between your Nokia 9500 Communicator and a compatible PC.
Nokia N70 Mobile Phone
The Nokia N70 mobile phone is a third generation smartphone with lots of great features. The N70’s clean design cleverly integrates 2 cameras; a slide-activated 2 megapixel camera and a front facing VGA camera. Once taken high-resolution images can be viewed on the 262K colour display and printed effortlessly using Bluetooth and the N70’s XpressPrint software.
The Nokia N70 also features two-way video calling video sharing (the ability to share and view video in the middle of a call) enhanced GPRS and Real Player with stereo audio. The Nokia N70 is a smartphone in every sense of the word!
This day is a milestone in your child’s life, whether it is a preschool to kindergarten, grade school to middle or High school graduation. They are all important and days you want to remember with pictures, mementos of the day and things like that.Of course, there has to be a small get together afterwards to celebrate the new graduate’s advancement.
The pictures of your graduate in his or her graduationgown will be cherished forever and will have a place of honor on your wall for years to come in their frames or display cases.There are numerous keepsakes you can purchase as well for appreciation gifts for people who helped out along the way.
While you are awaiting the big day there are numerous awards and things that your student can be awarded as signs of excellence in their learning on the way to High School Graduation.In the early years, it is simple to give a little get together for a job well done for your preschooler to kindergarten, or grade school milestones but as your child gets older, they might want a party, but not like they did as kids who are happy with a few friends and their favorite relatives!
Nevertheless, let us concentrate on the younger graduates now.Get your graduate to be in on the planning, make a guest list of friends and relatives they want to have as guests; after all, it isn’t fair if you invite them all since, it is his or her day right?Decide on games and a menu geared to the younger set.
Pizza, sandwich pockets, makes your own tacos simple fare that usually has appeal to everyone.Now, make the invitations. A little graduation hat is nice, so is a diploma style tied with a ribbon and do not forget the RSVP! Send these out in plenty of time for the guests to receive them and respond.
Then comes the graduation cake, this is always a hit at any party!This is usually served in between the games you have picked out to play like water balloon toss, maybe a piata, pin the tail on the donkey simple yet fun for the kiddies.You can also get white t shirts and hand them out as the guests arrive along with a magic marker then the kids can go around and sign each other’sshirts for a memento of their graduation day.
The invention of photography was certainly one that we’re thankful for. Imagine a world without pictures of our loved ones, our favourite memories, the most beautiful landscapes or our most proud moments? Our homes and in particular our living rooms would be a bit drab and lifeless.
Now framing our photographs and putting them on display has been taken one step further with digital technology. Digital picture frames allow us to display a huge number of different images in one frame, one after the other in a self-regulating slideshow. This means that we no longer have to go through an album making the difficult decision of which photograph to frame, as we can put all our favourites in.
One possible advantage that standard photo frames might have over digital ones is that they require no power and there are no leads running from them. The answer that digital photo frame makers have given for that is the wireless digital frame. It’s free standing and simply runs on batteries.
The soft glow that emanates from a good quality digital photo frame can’t be beaten. If you have the lights dimmed in the evening while you watch television it’s a great way to give some soft lighting to the room and light up a dark corner. Alternatively, having a digital photo frame in a child’s room at night with photographs of their family or animals could help them sleep and act as a soothing night light.
New technologies are bringing our homes to life in an interactive way. If something as simple and static as a photo frame is becoming this advanced then just imagine what the rest of our homes will be like in twenty years time.
The Hotel Villa Romana, set in a very nice bay in one of the beautiful beaches of the Sicily, in the southern coast; to little distance from the charming "Turkish Steps", to little kilometres from the house was born Luigi Pirandello and from the famous one "valley of the Temples" of Agrigento.
The structure is in classic-modern style.
It’s splendid position in front of the sea and the mild climate favor stays during all the arc of the year. The joined familiar atmosphere to a excellent service, one makes of the Hotel Villa Romana structure for a "Tourism of high-quality”.
THE RESTAURANT
Our Sicilian and National kitchen of the "Mediterranean" the food prince for the formulation of the menu is "THE FISH". Appetizers, first and second ones, express the maximum of the kitchen art in the "Plates of Fished" with one selection of the best wine in Sicily.
The breakfast, comes served with a rich one buffet.
The lunch and the dinner, are use to the "paper".
LOBBY BAR “ PER-BACCO”
ELEVATOR also for to the handicapped people.
SERVICE SAFE
Available free of charge, beyond that in the rooms, also to the Reception.
CREDIT CARDS
The following credit cards are accepted: AMERICAN EXPRESS, MASTERCARD, VISA.
PARKING
Inside, not guarded, free to exclusive use of the customers, until to exhaustion of the places available. Possibility of parking also to the outside of the structure for car and Bus.
SWIMMING POOL SOLARIUM With beach umbrellas, deckchairs and sight on the sea offer the maximum for a stay to the standard of the relax.
ACCOMODATIONS:
33 double rooms, 1 single, 9 triple, whit private terrace view of the sea, and/or garden, all with wide bathroom, all modernly furnished and equipped of every comfort:
Direct telephone lines
TV Sat with foreign and national channels
Refrigerant bar
Conditioned Air
Hair dryer
Safe
Linen room and bath personalized
Line courtesy
Outdoor Swimming pool
Planning a trip to Italy? The top 3 destinations in Italy are Rome, Venice and Florence; for example, in order to make it easy to find an hotel in Rome, you can have a look at our advanced search. Simple as 1-2-3, the same method can be applied to find guided tours in Naples, or to compare price for different hotels in Palermo, from bed and breakfast to Hotels.
No matter how you earn a living, one occupational skill you would do well to cultivate is the knack for getting along with the boss; that dispenser of raises and promotions is probably the key person in your working life. In most facilities, it’s your boss’s opinion of you that determines your future in the company. A staff person in constant conflict with his/her supervisor, even if he or she is a virtuoso performer on the job can find his/her prospects considerably dimmed.
Short of marrying his or her daughter, what can you do to get into the boss’s good graces and stay there? Fortunately, most bosses aren’t monsters, so they respond to efforts to improve relationships with their staff members.
Here are some suggestions for making yourself more valuable to the man or woman you work for, based upon the observations of managers and job counselors.
Help him or her to do his/her job. You can accomplish this by doing your job as best you can - an important piece of advice. It is probably the most frequently forgotten; keep in mind how your job ties in with your boss’s. He or she is responsible for seeing that a certain set of tasks is accomplished, be it writing insurance policies, directives, memorandums, health care policies, assembling machine parts or selling dresses. Your job is to tend to some detail of his or her task. The better you hold up your end, the easier his or her job is, which is bound to make him or her look more kindly on you and your endeavors.
Get to know his/her standards. Your performance is judged by him/her. By noting your boss’s reactions to different ways things are done, you learn what is especially important to him or her. For example, a secretary who prides herself on her shorthand and typing speed may be surprised to find herself passed up for a promotion if she ignores her boss’s frequent complaints about her spelling errors and likewise a supervisor of nursing or nursing assistant whose supervisors have to remind him/her to turn reports in on time, may not be considered for promotion or for a new job within the facility. If you were a boss, would you promote someone who has to be hounded again and again about the same old mistakes or shortcomings? Keep him or her informed. When the boss gives you an assignment, especially a long-term one, he/she will want to be kept informed about how you’re coming along. You can keep him/her up-to-date with short memos now and then, and by mentioning your progress during informal conversations with him or her. If it’s a complicated report, better put it in writing. It is especially important if you work with relatively little supervision to let your supervisors know, periodically, what you’re doing. Tell him/her about any ideas you may get for streamlining the way you do your job, (not the way he/she does his or hers) only if you’ve carefully thought them through and can explain them clearly.
Don’t take too much of his/her time. Spare the boss the details of your weekend camping trip unless he or she expresses a definite interest. There is a time and place for swapping stories, and if your boss wants to pass some time that way, he or she will take the initiative.
Be careful also about bending his/her ear every time a minor problem comes up within the facility or office. True, he or she is there to help solve problems, but you can often find the answers without bothering him/her. You want the boss to notice you for the problems you solve, not the ones you toss in his/her lap.
Be reliable. Get to work on time, finish your assignments when you are supposed to, show the boss that when he or she needs something done in hurry, you are the one who will give it that extra effort needed. If he/she knows he/she can depend on you, he/she will, and that’s a real feather in your cap.
Be enthusiastic about your work. One of the most difficult problems the boss faces is motivating a worker who sees his or her job as little more than a necessary evil in the pursuit of a paycheck. Bosses know they can’t teach enthusiasm, and they can’t buy it no matter how high the wage is, but they place much value on it. If your enthusiasm is genuine, it will show. Do you take pride in your work? Are you willing to come early and stay late when necessary? Are you optimistic about the future of the company you work for? Do you tackle assignments cheerfully, without trying to think up reasons why they just can’t be done? If your answers to these questions are completely negative, maybe you are in the wrong job.
Learn to take criticism. Inability to accept constructive criticism or advice from supervisors and co-workers alike is a serious handicap. If you do a slow burn every time the boss points out your mistakes, he/she is bound to feel uncomfortable about it, and is likely to resent your attitude. After all, guiding and correcting your work is part of his/her job. Listen to what he or she tells you, apply his/her suggestions to what you are doing. Temperamental workers, no matter how brilliant, are something most bosses would rather do without.
Don’t play office politics. Few things can destroy morale faster than the presence of gossipers and other thoughtless workers who start or pass along uncomplimentary and embarrassing stories about fellow workers. Ignore rumors and tend to your business. Don’t take sides in disputes between other workers, or you may end up a part of the gossip yourself. Resist the temptation to grumble about minor inconveniences caused by management decisions; if you have a legitimate complaint take it to your boss privately. He or she will appreciate hearing it from you before he/she hears it via the grapevine.
Don’t compete with the boss. Everybody wants to get ahead on the job, of course, but if you aim to do it by demonstrating to everybody else that you know more about the business than your boss does, watch out. In the first place, you probably don’t, and in the second place, you’ll find that no one, including your boss’s boss, appreciates a worker who constantly goes over his/her supervisor’s head or tries to show him or her up. If you buck your boss at every turn, downgrade his confidence and generally make his/her life miserable, be prepared to lose when the showdown comes.
Remember bosses are human too. Chances are your boss isn’t the world’s foremost authority in his or her field, so don’t expect him or her to be. He/she will make mistakes occasionally. He/she may be abrupt or grouchy from time to time just as you are, and when he/she really applies the heat, it’s often because his/her boss or some other authority is putting the heat or pressure on him or her. You’ll probably never find the perfect boss, just as he or she will never find the perfect employee, but in general, you’ve probably got the nearest perfect boss you’ve ever had in your life, and he/she undoubtedly has the most perfect employee as well. Your ability to get along with the person you report to can enhance your prospects at every step on the job ladder.
Fee free to use this article in its entirety provided you include the following notice. Copyright 2001, Lighthouse CCUNIV Publications, Ltd., Lakeville, Massachusetts, USA (except as otherwise indicated). Lighthouse Continuing Care University is a servicemark Lighthouse CCUNIV Publications, Ltd. http://www.ccuniv.org
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The Hotel Villa Romana, set in a very nice bay in one of the beautiful beaches of the Sicily, in the southern coast; to little distance from the charming "Turkish Steps", to little kilometres from the house was born Luigi Pirandello and from the famous one "valley of the Temples" of Agrigento.