Santas Lap Christmas Improv Drama Game

'Santas Lap' Christmas Improv Drama Game Santas Lap is a variation on a theater game called Surprise Guests. As with that character guessing game, one person will leave the stage area and be out of earshot. The remaining cast members will then gather suggestions from the audience by asking them: Who should I be? The audience may suggest generic character types: cowboy, opera singer, cheerleader, or other suggestions. They may also suggest specific individuals: Walt Disney, Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth, or characters from books or movies. Or, the audience can be encouraged to offer bizarre suggestions, such as: A man without any bonesA woman who is madly in love with pastaA child who fears candy How to Play After each cast member has received a character, all then form a single-file line. The person playing Santa enters in character, and the scene begins. Santa may be played in a very genuine sort of way (think Miracle on 34th Street), or he may be portrayed as a disgruntled mall Santa (as in A Christmas Story). After Santa interacts with the audience or perhaps with an elf employee, the first character in line sits on Santas lap. (Or they can just approach Santa if sitting is not appropriate to the character.) As Santa asks what the person wants for Christmas, he will also engage in a conversation that will deliver funny little clues about the identity of the character. As with Surprise Guests, the goal isnt so much to correctly guess the character. Instead, the performers should focus on humor and character development. Make the most of the interaction between Santa Claus and his mystery lap-sitter. After the lap-sitter has been identified, then Santa moves on to the next person in line. Note: In order to make the improv game more dynamic, Santa should feel free to move from his chair, taking the characters to see his workshop, sled, or reindeer barn. Tips To help plan a successful improv event, check out these tips: You wont need a ton of space for this question-and-answer guessing game, but you will want at least five people to play. If you have that few, you can rotate people in and out of the audience and can rotate the people being Santa in different rounds, as each round will move quickly. If you have a lot of people, you can still rotate Santa after a particular number of characters guessed, such as every 10, or after a certain length of time, say 15 or 20 minutes, depending on how Santa is doing.If children are involved in the game, take their knowledge of famous people or characters into account when choosing the subjects.When coming up with your subjects, the more creative you can be, the more lively the game will be. Having someone pretend to be a data entry clerk, for example, will not be as spirited for the actor as, say, a skydiver with a fear of heights. Get an emotional element into the character suggestion when possible. This can also help the actor to think up what he or she wan ts from Santa for Christmas, as the character will have a need of something built into his or her role from the start.

Corporate Compliance Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Corporate Compliance Report - Essay Example This model was basically implemented in order to improve upon the effectiveness and efficiency of organizational operations, increase the credibility and reliability of financial information as well as insuring compliance with regulatory laws and regulations. The Committee aimed to achieve above by implementing a uniform set of standards which provided best practices to be used in order to create an environment of internal control which involve board of directors and higher management of the firms so that the potential risk elements associated with weak internal controls can be effectively controlled. This report will outline a plan to implement the enterprise risk management in Apple Computers. This plan will however, be based on the recommendations of COSO in order to ensure compliance with the model. 1) Control Environment which comprises of elements such as integrity and ethical values, commitment to competence, board of directors and audit committees, Management's Philosophy and operating style, Organizational structure etc. COSO model on internal controls roughly covers above parameters an... 4) Information and Communication includes quality of information 5) Monitoring includes On-going monitoring, Separate Evaluation as well as reporting deficiencies. COSO model on internal controls roughly covers above parameters and attempt to outline different policies and procedures which must be adopted in order to effectively monitor and manage internal control environment within the organization. It is also important to understand that the firms may not need to implement the whole document verbatim however the same may have studied and customized to suit the organizational needs and structure while at the same time keeping the real essence of the model intact. The above mentioned components also work to produce a combine impact on implementing a better and more efficient internal control environment within an organization and laid the foundations for the development of systems and procedures which ensure that the organization not only meet the requirements of the model but also put in place a systematic environment within the organization which ensure transparency within different functional and operational areas of the organization. Enterprise Risk The above prelude suggested that the COSO was active in implementing effective internal controls within the organizations however as the complexities of the business grew, COSO developed a separate framework for enterprise risk management for organizations. According to COSO, an enterprise risk management is "a process effected by an entity's board of directors, management, and other personnel, applied in strategy setting and across the enterprise, designed to identify potential events that may affect the entity, and manage risk to be within its risk

Case Study Based Report - Performance Management Essay

Case Study Based Report - Performance Management - Essay Example Based on the drawbacks, a new system is developed. The impetus for the new system of performance management was driven by the arrival of a new CEO in the organisation. His mission is the creation of a culture which is completely based on performance and the creation of a proper career path for the operational staff. Answer to Question 1 Review of the organisation’s previous approach to performance management The previous performance management system for the senior operational staff was meant to evaluate the performance of the employees against the set standards of performance. This would consequently help in the development of action plans for addressing the gaps identified (David, 2009, p.288). Since they were senior operational staff in the organisation, their performance were indirectly accountable for the performance of the personnel working under their supervision. The first step in the system included identifying the personnel’s performance dimensions. ... He is responsible for completing his assignments on time through the performance of his subordinates. He is supposed to demonstrate budgetary controls, monitor the subordinates’ activities, initiate the effective and timely corrective actions and suggest budgetary recommendations (California State University, p.1). Certain pitfalls have been identified with regards to the performance management system for the senior operational staff in the organisation. Firstly, the system is not found to promote or enhance productivity in any way. Moreover, it is not a favourable system which drives commitment in the workforce or motivates employees towards continuous improvement of performance (Montebello, 2004, p.1). Firstly, there are divergent goals and objectives. In other words, the goals are not very defined and do not provide a proper guideline to the operational staff for proceeding in his work activities. Secondly, there are loopholes in the implementation plan of the system. The s ystem is not implemented aggressively. Moreover, the technology used for implementing the plan is not based on the latest technology which allows errors and loopholes in the system. There is lack of transparency in the system which eventually causes improper performance appraisal. Inefficiencies creep in and at times, there is biasness in the appraisal system. The performance appraisal forms are constructed poorly. This implies that the factors for rating are not well defined and allows ambiguity. The rating scale also contains certain problematic terms. Thus, it is difficult to evaluate whether the performance meets requirements, exceeds it or is at par. The problem that arises because of this is that the process lacks validity and value and is considered to be impractical. The forms

Winning isnt evrything Essay Example for Free

Winning isnt evrything Essay Vince Lombardis famous saying Winning isnt the most important thing. Its the only thing is unfortunately the motto of too many athletes today. Although winning is important and sports are, and should be taken seriously, by far, winning isnt the only thing. Putting everything you have and giving one hundred percent to the effort is also very important to competition. A team that puts everything they have into a game and comes out the losers, has a lot more to be proud of than a team who comes in first but only gave some effort. Over the years many teams have lost important games due to a few inches, one pitch or a strike of bad luck although these teams lost, they take it into the next game and gave one hundred and ten percent. Last month at the Erie Mayors Cup 10K and 5K race, competitors from around the tri-state area were in competition. Trophies and plaques were to be awarded to the first, second and third place runners. A 10K is a 6.2 mile long race across the streets of downtown Erie in 85 degree heat and humidity. Runners who are running in the 10K have to show tremendous determination, stamina, speed and physical agility not to mention surviving in grueling temperatures and humidity. Great Olympic and Boston Marathon runners have dropped out of a 10K due to its intense strain. I was on hand to witness the race and saw many great athletes finish the race with great times. These are runners who put every day into running and run every race. Soon after these runners had crossed the finish line and been handed their trophies, the last runner in the race came through the finish line with his hands in the air and to thunderous applause. He was 87 years old, and had taken up the sport after his doctors told him he had a cholesterol problem when he was 67. The runner in this story was not out to win the Mayors Cup 10K, he wasnt out to set a record time or come in first. He came in dead last, but finished the race. If he would have listened to Vince Lombardi and say Oh, I cant win, their are professional runners from colleges and high schools competing against me! he wouldnt have completed his life long goal of running in a 10K. Better late than never. The most important thing is for all who participate is to have fun and do it with pride and determination, to set a goal and reach it. Two good sayings that contradict Vince Lomabardi stateIt doesnt matter if you win or lose, its how you play the game and If at first you dont succeed, try, try again Words to live by.

The Japanese Militarys Threat to Americans :: Japan Army Military War Essays

The Japanese Military's Threat to Americans The war in the Pacific was unlike the European and Mediterranean campaigns. Throughout the European campaign the allied forces focused on strategic bombing and ground forces. Tank usage was more evident during the African and European theatres also. There were many changes in warfare that occurred during World War II. Warfare in the African and European theatre was fought mainly in the air and on ground. Due, in part, to the landscape of the Pacific warfare evolved: sophistication in technology and weaponry increased, heated struggles with a fanatical enemy, and increased coordination between air and naval support. Island hopping became the paradigm in the Pacific, naval and air support would lead the way. The U.S. Navy moved into the Pacific in 1942. â€Å"Americans combined air, land, and sea forces for tremendous strides across the ocean.†# The navy fighter planes and bombers would inflict serious damage upon the Japanese navy. â€Å"In one day aircraft sank all the transports and four destroyers; the Japanese lost 3,000 soldiers and most of the 51st Division’s staff.†# Naval craft moved troops and planes into the Pacific. Fighter planes and bombers cleared the way for the oncoming fleets. This led to the ability of the American forces to begin taking strategic islands. Sledge described naval support, â€Å"H-hour, 0800. Long jets of red flame mixed with thick black smoke rushed out of the muzzles of the huge battleships’ 16-inch guns†¦The giant shells tore through the air toward the island, roaring like locomotives.†# The bombardment of the beaches was necessary due to the resistance of Japanese forces that protected them. â€Å"On the reef and beach amtracs and DUKW’s burned while Japanese machine-gun fire went splashing through the water.†# American forces would secure islands while sea and air forces worked hand in hand supplying the troops. Supplies were received from sea through amphibious landings and air drops. The air and naval forces proved effective due to the sophistication of technology and weaponry they carried. New technology allowed the allied forces to land on the beaches from carriers out at sea. Problems arose when low tides stranded Higgins boats on reefs far from the beaches. â€Å"†¦lowered water levels caused Higgins boats (LCVP: Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel) to strand on the reef†¦ the use of amphibian tractors (LVTs: Landing Vehicles, Tracked; assault amphibians) to carry the troops across the reef.

Descriptive Writing – Ayer’s Rock

As the cramped, stuffy minibus approached our destination, I could see the first rays of morning sun sparkle over the horizon. Against this blinding inferno an ominous shadow appeared. It grew as we drew nearer, the true size of it becoming clearer. Looking away briefly to swat at a fly, as I turned back I was hit by a surge of warmth as the sun rose higher. Transfixed I stared at the task before me; the other occupants of the bus seemed sombre and lifeless compared to the scenery. Glancing at my watch (5.00am) I slipped my hat over my eyes and attempted to sleep. A sudden jolt awoke me; a speed bump signalling our arrival at the monolith. The shade confused my dozing mind briefly as I looked left. Waking quickly I saw a vast expanse of orange-brown rock rising to the sky, ugly at a glance but beautiful in detail. Awe-struck, my eyes slowly surveyed the rock; tracking up I saw faint smears of colour moving towards the summit, and eventually clicked that these were people, dwarfed immensely by this foreboding thing. I managed to pull myself from my seat, grab my camera and head for this blister rising from the outback. My view had been that I was at the base of the rock already, and that my walk would be a short one, but the weathered lump continued to grow as I approached. More and more detail was becoming visible; small bushes surrounding the base from a distance were actually small trees, small cracks in the rock were the size of a block of flats, creating huge weathered tentacles reaching into the desert dust. I eventually reached the base, continually staring upwards and trying to take in the full magnitude of this place. Our groups guide appeared and gave us the go ahead to begin the climb to the summit of this red mountain. I began the climb optimistic; seeing the sloping pathway from the base made it seem an ascent of no more than 150 metres, and the help of a chain near the floor would make it short work. But as I climbed higher, I saw more pathways stretching off over the wasteland of the zenith. Already somewhat tired, I suddenly had a surge of energy and decided to press on fast. I motored up the remaining chained slope, ignoring the floods of Japanese tourists sliding slowly down. Reaching the barren plain, I saw it was not the flat desert I had imagined but was covered in deep furrows and potholes created by the millennia of exposure to the harsh outback elements. I groaned, but could now see the apex another 200 metres or so higher. The prospect of seeing the already magnificent view from that windswept pinnacle strengthened my resolve, and I set over this other worldly landscape As I continued to climb, and could see more of the pristine wilderness around me, I realised just how far from the hustle and bustle of the civilized world I was. No sound could be heard apart from the constant warm breeze whipping through the channels in the rock; after my push towards the top I had left the rest of the people heading up behind somewhat, and no other tourists had ventured this far. I had the pleasure of being completely alone to fully appreciate the beauty of my surroundings, and how disconnected from life I felt. I realised that in my mental wanderings, I had also wandered quite far, almost to the roof of this red world. The final chasm in the rock before my goal seemed nothing more than a ditch and the last few steps would be done in minutes. Rising over the final hill and out of the shadow, into the fierce morning sun was fantastic. Seeing the earth stretch out into infinity below me filled me with life. It was quite odd. Weary from the climb, I sat down to rest, still feeling this wonder that places this untouched still existed in the world. The inspiration to explore and find more of these areas of solitude was suddenly kindled in me, and started some ambitions flowing in my brain. Rested, I decided to use this short period of isolation to examine where I was. Although at a glance the summit seemed empty, on closer inspection there was life. In the pools of rainwater dotting the surface were ancient creatures, species of crustacean, with strange shrimps and strange prehistoric things I later found out were called triops; similar to the trilobites of the Mesozoic, yet still alive after the isolation on this rock. It was quite incredible; a glimpse into a life cycle that has been carrying in a single puddle for millions of years, completely ignorant of the rest of the world and completely unchanged. In the time I had been staring into the pool, my mum and sister had arrived and were admiring the view. I approached and told them about what I had seen and my amazement at this place. We explored some more, took some photos to remember what we had seen, and found the remains of a fire from an aboriginal fire, possibly hundreds of years old but preserved on this time stopping rock. Thinking of the ages that had been and gone while this single rock had stood frozen continued to amaze me. It was seen by some of the first human cultures hundreds of thousands of years ago, before dinosaurs would of swum around it during its time submerged in an ancient sea, before that who knows what might of seen it? If it could speak, what stories would it tell? Hours had passed since I first set off, and it was time to head back to the confines of the minibus. Coming back down, I didn't mind leaving as I felt as though no matter how much we are told about the world, no matter how much information we are fed through the media, television and how much our governments try to shrink our perception of the world, it is still a truly vast place that should be appreciated for its wonders and the ones it may still hold. Reaching the base again, and looking back at where I had been, I decided that I wanted to see these wonders in my lifetime.

10 Social Networking Safety Tips for Women and Girls

As social networking and social media have grown, weve paid a price few saw coming: the loss of individual privacy. The impulse to share has caused many of us to inadvertently expose ourselves in ways that can compromise our safety and security. While social networking sites may feel like an invitation-only gathering of friends thats accessible 24/7, its not necessarily a closed and safe universe. Others may be able to access your personal information without your knowledge. Although cyberstalking preceded the advent of social networking, social media does make it easier for a stalker or cyberstalker to locate and track a potential victims every move. Innocuous personal tidbits collected over weeks, months and even years often add up to a whole picture of who you are, where you work, live and socialize, and what your habits are -- all valuable information to a stalker. Dont think this can happen to you? Then you should know that according to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 6 women will be stalked in her lifetime. The best way to protect yourself is to not make yourself vulnerable in the first place. Whenever you engage in social media, remember this: what happens on the internet stays on the internet, and its up to you to make sure what appears in connection with your name and image does not have the potential to harm you now or in the future. The following 10 tips offer guidelines in managing the information that gets out there about you via social networking and can help keep you safe: No Such Thing as Private The internet is like an elephant -- it never forgets. While spoken words leave little trace and are quickly forgotten, written words endure in the online environment. Whatever you post, tweet, update, share -- even if its deleted immediately afterwards -- has the potential to be captured by someone, somewhere, without your knowledge. This is especially true of social networking sites including private messages shared between two people and postings to a private group. There is no such thing as private in the world of social media because anything you put up can potentially be grabbed, copied, saved on someone elses computer and mirrored on other sites -- not to mention hacked by thieves or subpoenaed by law enforcement agencies. A Little Bird Told Me Every time you use Twitter, the government keeps a copy of your tweets. Sounds crazy, but its true. According to the Library of Congress blog: Every public tweet, ever, since Twitters inception in March 2006, wi ll be archived digitally at the Library of Congress.... Twitter processes more than 50 million tweets every day, with the total numbering in the billions. And experts predict the information will be searched and used in ways we cant even imagine. (This gives new meaning to the phrase A little bird told me...) X Marks the Spot Be cautious about using geo-location services, apps, Foursquare, or any method which shares where youre at. When it was first introduced, Facebooks Places feature gave tech writer Sam Diaz pause: Guests at a party at my home could turn my home address into a public place on Facebook and my only recourse is to flag my address to have it removed... If we’re all at a concert...and a friend checks in with Places, he can tag the people who he’s with - just as if you were tagging a person in a photo. Unlike Diaz, Carrie Bugbee -- a social media strategist -- had fun using these services until a cyberstalking incident changed her mind. One evening, while dining at a restaurant she had checked in at using Foursquare, Bugbee was told by the hostess that there was a call for her on the restaurants phone line. When she picked up, an anonymous man warned her about using Foursquare because she could be found by certain people; and when she tried to laugh it off, he began verbally abusing her. Stories like this may be why far fewer women use geo-location services as compared to men; many are afraid of making themselves more vulnerable to cyberstalking. Separate Work and Family Keep your family safe, especially if you have a high profile position or work in a field that may expose you to high-risk individuals. Some women have more than one social networking account: one for their professional/public lives and one thats restricted to personal concerns and only involves family and close friends. If this applies to you, make it clear to family/friends to post only to your personal account, not your professional page; and dont let the names of spouses, children, relatives, parents, siblings appear there to protect their privacy. Dont let yourself be tagged in events, activities or photos that may reveal personal details about your life. If they show up, delete them first and explain later to the tagger; better safe than sorry. How Old Are You Now? If you must share your birthday, never put down the year in which you were born. Using the month and day are acceptable, but adding the year provides an opportunity for identity theft. Its Your Fault If Its Default Keep track of your privacy settings and check them on a regular basis or at least monthly. Do not assume that the default setting will keep you safe. Many social networking sites frequently update and change settings, and often the defaults tend to make public more information than you may be willing to share. If an upcoming update is advertised in advance, be proactive and investigate it before it launches; it may offer a window during which you can privately edit o r remove content before it goes live. If you wait until your account automatically switches over, your information may go public before you have a chance to deal with it. Review Before Posting Make sure your privacy settings enable you to review content in which youve been tagged by friends before they appear publicly on your page. This should include posts, notes, and photos. It may seem tedious, but its much easier to deal with a small amount each day than to have to go back through weeks, months and even years to ensure that any and all content related to you puts forth an image youre comfortable living with. Its A Family Affair Make it clear to family members that the best way of communicating with you is through private messaging or email -- not posting on your page. Often, relatives who are new to social media dont understand the difference between public and private conversations and how they take place online. Dont hesitate to delete something that is too personal for fear o f hurting Grandmas feelings -- just make sure you message her privately to explain your actions, or better yet, call her on the phone. You Play, You Pay...in Loss of Privacy Online games, quizzes, and other entertainment apps are fun, but they often pull information from your page and post it without your knowledge. Make sure that you know the guidelines of any app, game or service and do not allow it unfettered access to your information. Likewise, be cautious about responding to notes shared by friends along the lines of 10 Things You Didnt Know About Me. When you answer these and post them, youre revealing personal details about yourself that may enable others to figure out your address, your workplace, the name of your pet or your mothers maiden name (often used as an online security question), or even your password. Do enough of these over time and someone who is determined to learn all about you can read the answers, cross-reference information obtained through your friends pa ges, and glean a surprising amount from these seemingly casual revelations. How Do I Know You? Never accept a friend request from someone you dont know. This may seem like a no-brainer, but even when someone appears as a mutual friend of a friend or several friends, think twice about accepting unless you can concretely identify who they are and how theyre connected to you. In many professional circles involving large organizations, all an outsider has to do is obtain one friend on the inside and it snowballs from there, with others thinking that a total stranger with no personal connection is an unfamiliar co-worker or occasional business associate. Social media is fun -- thats why half the U.S. adult population participates in online social networking sites. But dont be lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to protecting your personal information. The goal of social networking sites is to generate revenue and even though the service is free, theres the hidden cost of your privacy. Its up to you to keep tabs on what shows up and to limit your exposure and protect yourself. Sources: Dias, Sam. Facebook launches Places, geo-location service thats both cool and creepy. ZDnet.com. 18 August 2010.GLOBAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATION: Texting, Social Networking Popular Worldwide. PewGlobal.org. 20 December 2011.Panzarino, Matthew. Heres what happens when the police subpoena your Facebook. TheNextWeb.com. 2 May 2011.Raymond, Matt. How Tweet It Is!: Library Acquires Entire Twitter Archive. Library of Congress blog. 14 April 2010.Seville, Lisa Riordan. Foursquares Stalker Problem.  The Daily Beast. 8 August 2010.