The Community’s Got Talent – Battle of the Bands
Last night, KippsDeSanto & Co. hosted The Community’s Got Talent, which was an invitation-only battle of the bands to benefit The CIA Officers Memorial Foundation (CIAOMF) and The Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). Competing bands were judged by a discerning panel of internationally-recognized music critics, including Tish Long, Tom Ferguson, Ron Burgess, Charlie Holland and Scott Large. Oh, and Dan “Elwood Blues” Aykroyd and Steely Dan founding member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter performed a set of Blues Brothers songs, which was awesome! Check out more here.

Where Does Talent Come From?
Thomas Edison gave his famous formula for genius as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Modern-day students of geniuses and prodigies, though, argue over the relative contributions of more tangible factors—of genetics, of physiology, of hours spent in training. Most believe that geniuses have special genes. Almost nobody takes the opposite stance: that prodigy performance, in any field, lies within the grasp of anyone who cares to try hard enough. Anders Ericsson, a psychologist at Florida State University, falls into the minority camp. Given ten years of deliberate practice, Dr Ericsson says, anyone should be able to attain prodigy-level performance in his discipline of choice. Check out more here.

How to Become a “Triple Threat”
Have you ever noticed that some of the most talented actors can also sing, dance, play an instrument and sometimes even paint and sculpt works of art? Yes, life is not fair. In the entertainment industry, they call these folks a “triple threat,” because they are way more than just a pretty face. Did you know there are programs that train children on how to be a “triple threat”? So, while it may be too late for you, your kids may have a shot at stardome.

Seven Most Talents Guitar Prodigies in the World
While it seems most youngsters these days are more enthralled with pop musicians than with guitar legends like B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Eric Clapton, there are still millions of young guitarists around the world taking guitar lessons and trying to learn how to play guitar. Every now and then, a prodigy emerges from the abyss of average talent on the Internet. Check out this post that features seven of the most talented guitar prodigies in the world. It will blow your mind.

Dan Aykroyd and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter 2005 USO Performance
While we are waiting with bated breath for video to appear from last night’s event, we did find this awesome clip of Dan Aykroyd and Skunk performing Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” at a 2005 USO event in Washington DC. We hope you enjoy and stay talented!

Here’s the summary content about the show:

During World War II, Hitler’s scientists developed terrifying new weapons of mass destruction. Alarmed by rumors of advanced rockets and missiles, Allied intelligence recruited a team of brilliant minds from British universities and Hollywood studios to a country house near London. Here, they secretly pored over millions of air photos shot at great risk over German territory by specially converted, high-flying Spitfires. Peering at the photos through 3D stereoscopes, the team spotted telltale clues that revealed hidden Nazi rocket bases. The photos led to devastating Allied bombing raids that dealt crucial setbacks to the German rocket program and helped ensure the success of the D-Day landings. With 3D graphics that recreate exactly what the photo spies saw, NOVA tells the suspenseful, previously untold story of air photo intelligence that played a vital role in defeating the Nazis.

Watch the full episode here:

Watch 3D Spies of WWII on PBS. See more from NOVA.

Join USGIF at Sunday’s SpyFest
This Sunday USGIF is participating in the International Spy Museum’s “SpyFest: Tradecraft Try-Its” program. With the potential for more than 400 attendees, SpyFest aims to introduce in an engaging hands-on way children to the skills and the tools used by members of the Intelligence Community. As part of the Foundation’s educational initiatives, USGIF will use this opportunity to educate children about and generate interest in the geospatial intelligence field. USGIF will present “Eyes in the Sky: Using Satellites for National Security,” an interactive demonstration utilizing video and various satellite and aerial images — some of which were provided by USGIF members DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, AGI and others — to illustrate the impact of the GEOINT tradecraft. Check out more here and we hope to see you all on Sunday!

Get Your Children Into Science
Science matters. It matters to society, whose progress depends on curious researchers of all kinds. It matters to schools, which struggle to get their students’ test scores up to par. And it matters to your kids in their everyday lives. Science is what helps young people transform confusion into understanding by revealing patterns behind the way things work. Check out these three simple ways to help children begin that transformation.

Using Google Maps to Help Your Children Learn Geography
When you think of geography, what comes to mind? For many, it’s location, but geography encompasses so much more. While geography used to be a subject in school, it is now buried in social studies and history, resulting in a population less geographically literate than people from many other countries. Geography is such a broad subject, that a writer from Washington Parent was pleased to find that the American Association of Geographers condensed it into five specific themes: Location, Place, Human Environment Interaction, Movement and Regions. We as families can work—in a fun way—to improve our knowledge of each. Check out more here.

Children Should Have a Basic Understanding of GIS
Who needs to understand the basics of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) and how to use them? “Everyone,” says Shane Bradt, Cooperative Extension’s geospatial specialist and head of the Durham-based Geospatial Technologies Training Center. “Everyone should have basic skills and understanding of geospatial technologies, because these technologies influence the way that people look at the world today and make decisions about it.” Check out more from the University of New Hampshire’s Extension News here.

Sly and the Family Stone – Family Affair
When doing a post about GEOINT and families, Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” rose right to the top! Though we did consider showing some clips for the late-60s TV hit show “Family Affair” (remember Buffy and Jody?), but alas, music won out. We hope you enjoy!

NGA Employees Host Science Demonstration for Springfield Area High School Students
Researchers with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s InnoVision Directorate spoke to more than 200 West Springfield High School students about Light Detection and Ranging, or LIDAR, during a science and technology presentation Dec. 19 as part of the agency’s Partners in Education program. The presentation, which was the first event under NGA’s new PIE partnership with WSHS, highlighted the basic scientific principles of LIDAR while showing its real-world applications in areas such as geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, environmental management, mapping, geology and even archaeology. Check out more here.

Did You Check Out Our Podcast with Students from Joppatowne High School?
Speaking of bright high school students, did you check out our podcast last year with a number of Joppatowne High School students? These bright future superstars of the GEOINT world participated in the Student Science & Technology Showcase at 2011 Technology Day, which featured award-winning projects from high school participants of the Science Fair and Technology Student Association competitions. We had the unique pleasure of speaking with Joppatowne HS students Sintel Paige, Seaver Shunk, Andrea Rogers and Lavale Banks, as well as Eve Bour – their GIS Teacher. Be sure to check it out here.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Summer 2012 Student Employment Program
Although the slots have already been filled up for this year, the NGA offers summer internships for students, and really what better way to get real GEOINT experience? The NGA hires the best qualified students and aligns them within the agency to assist in meeting its mission needs. Those chosen students actually receive real work experience, professional development training, and participate in planned activities throughout the summer designed to enhance their understanding of the agency’s mission.

The Youngest Google Maps Developers
While this story may be a bit old, it is still worthy of showcasing. A group of students at Fox Primary School in London developed this map of Kensington Palace. That’s right, we are talking about elementary school kids doing GEOINT.

School Days by the Kinks
Yes, indeed. School days were such happy days, as highlighted in this under-the radar ballad that makes us all feel a bit nostalgic. We hope you enjoy and be cool, stay in school.

Obama Puts His Stamp on Strategy for a Leaner Military
President Obama has for the first time put his own stamp on an all-encompassing American military policy by turning from the grinding ground wars that he inherited from the Bush administration and refocusing on what he described as a smaller, more agile force across Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East. Pentagon officials also made it clear that the department’s priorities in coming years would be financing for defense and offense in cyberspace, for Special Operations forces and for the broad area of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

The True Definition of Lean and Mean
So, here’s the definition of ‘lean and mean:’ fit and ready for hard, efficient work. In addition, any organization that is lean and mean has no excess or unnecessary elements and is very competitive. This certainly sounds like the new military strategy.

What Are 3 of the Most Agile Companies in America?
Companies that lack agility can’t compete. Agility is the bottom-line competitive advantage in these days of unprecedented turbulence, uncertainty and volatility. That’s the opinion of Mike Richardson, a former corporate manager and author of Wheel$pin: The Agile Executive’s Manifesto, and his point is that it’s agility that drives a company’s ability to compete in the business world. According to Richardson, the three companies that are the most agile in America. Check them out here.

University of Texas’ Center for Agile Technology
The world of academia is always on the cutting-edge, literally. The University of Texas has an applied research unit that is called the Center for Agile Technology (CAT). And, just as the name says, the purpose of CAT is to transitions basic research to real-world applications. It also works to “help customers manage incomplete specifications, unforeseen challenges and the quickening pace of technology evolution.” Check out more about CAT here.

Video of President Obama Announcing New Military Strategy
Rather than highlighting a music video this week, we decided to post the video of President Obama announcing his new ‘leaner and meaner’ military strategy. Stay tuned next week for more left-of-the-dial music videos that echo our weekly FFFT post theme. Happy Friday!

So, since the news-cycle in inundated with stories today about 2012 predictions, we decided to pull together the most interesting and eclectic stories for your reading pleasure. Yes, it certainly covers a wide range of topics, but as GEOINT professionals, aren’t we also very multilayered as people?

10 Education Predictions for 2012
Larry Ferlazzo, an English teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California and popular education blogger, has provided his top 10 education predictions for 2012. Ferlazzo covers a wide range of subject such as the new concept of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), but what about geography education becoming a major priority? Check out the full list here.

2012 Tech Predictions
What is 2012 likely to bring to the tech industry and its users? IDG — the publisher of InfoWorld, Computerworld, Network World, CIO, CSO, ITworld, PC World, Macworld, and other tech publications throughout the globe — surveyed its editors to gaze into their crystal balls and predict a key trend or development for 2012, as well as select their key story for 2011. The death of Apple CEO Steve Jobs and the rise of social media as a tool of protest topped a diverse roundup of nominees. Click here to check out these predictions.

Boxing Predictions for 2012
For you boxing fans out there, SI.com has pulled together the top boxing predictions for 2012. Some key predictions are that Manny Pacquiao will finally lose in 2012 and it won’t be against Floyd Mayweather; Cruiserweight will be one of boxing’s most promising, under-the-rader weight divisions; and look for the rapid ascent of Gary Russell Jr. to continue as 2012 enters full swing. Be sure to check out more here.

NFL Predictions for 2012
Oh, and for you football fans out there, SI.com also compiled its NFL predictions for 2012, which include the Saints winning their second Super Bowl in three years, beating the Ravens; the Colts and Peyton Manning parting ways; and Packers backup QB Matt Flynn will generate a lot of interest this off season. Check out more here.

5 Medical Advances Predicted for 2012
Great medical feats were accomplished in 2011. Dallas Wiens became the first recipient of a full-face transplant in the United States, Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords survived a gunshot to her brain, and HIV researchers found a way to lower an infected person’s chance of transmitting the virus to sexual partners by 96 percent. What significant advances can we expect in 2012? Here are five predictions, provided to MyHealthNewsDaily by experts in their fields.

Facebook 2012: What the Future Holds for the Social Media Powerhouse
What do you do after your site grows to 800 million users and expands to 1 trillion pageviews per month? Why, plan a $100 billion IPO, of course! Going public is clearly the biggest thing on tap for Facebook in 2012, but the world’s most populated social network and its users have a lot to look forward to over the coming year. From the maturation of Mark Zuckerberg as a leader to Facebook’s growth as a media platform to a looming collision with the world’s biggest tech companies, 2012 is poised to be one of the most important years in the company’s short history. Check out Mashable.com’s predictions for 2012 for Facebook here.

Strangest One-Hit Wonder Song About the Future
So what does the future truly hold for the human race? One-hit wonders Zager & Evan try to tackle this with its ambitious single “In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus).” This beloved cult classic is an operatic narrative predicting bizarre evolutionary turns with every verse. We hope you enjoy and see you in the year 2012!

NORAD’s Santa Trackers Pull Out High-Tech Stops
Come Donner! Come Blitzen! Come North American Aerospace Defense Command! That’s right. This Christmas, NORAD, the premier U.S.-Canadian air defense directorate, is once again using its super high-tech tracking equipment to keep tabs on jolly old Saint Nick. For 365 days of the year, NORAD is dead serious about tracking the skies over North America. But beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday, the generals and air-sovereignty commanders will be telling Virginia that, yes, there is a Santa Claus. And they’ve got the satellite tracking of his sleigh to prove it. his is the organization’s 56th year of providing children with up-to-the-minute telemetry on Santa’s whereabouts. Calls to 1-877-Hi-NORAD will be answered by one of more than 1,200 volunteers who crowd into the call center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. For many it’s a family Christmas tradition, says NORAD’s Lt. Cmdr. Bill Lewis. Last year, the volunteers logged 80,000 calls, he says. Read more about NORAD Santa here.

Holiday Season Abuzz with Anonymous Giving
Every year, it’s popular to play Santa. Some people do so without anyone knowing. Reports of unidentified people covering the costs of layaway goods at Kmart and other chain stores are popping up across the country. Others find that their rent has been paid. And then there are the gold, silver or rare coins — not to mention diamonds — left each year in Salvation Army kettles. What compels people to donate anonymously? Daniel Borochoff, president of CharityWatch — formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy — cited the Jewish scholar Maimonides, who said donating anonymously is a higher form of giving than doing so publicly. Read more here. And, we posted this story as a subtle reminder that there is still time to donate to the USGIF academic programs!

Our Favorite Holiday Songs
Nothing rings in the holidays more than the glorious gift of music. So, we have decided to compile our favorite holiday videos here. We hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas to all!

Hall and Oates — Jingle Bell Rock

Billy Squier – Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You

David Bowie & Bing Crosby – Little Drummer Boy

U2 – It’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

History of Fur Trading
The fur trade was one of the earliest and most important industries in North America. The fur trading industry played a major role in the development of the United States and Canada for more than 300 years. The fur trade began in the 1500′s as an exchange between Indians and Europeans. The Indians traded furs for such goods as tools and weapons. Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs. The fur trade prospered until the mid-1800′s, when fur-bearing animals became scarce and silk hats became more popular than felt hats made with beaver. Today, almost all trappers sell their pelts. Eskimo and Indian trappers in Canada still trade their furs to fur companies for various goods. Check out more here.

Economic History of the U.S.
The economic history of the United States has its roots in European colonization in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Marginal colonial economies grew into 13 small, independent farming economies, which joined together in 1776 to form the United States of America. In 230 years the United States grew to a huge, integrated, industrialized economy that makes up nearly a quarter of the world economy. The main causes were a large unified market, a supportive political-legal system, vast areas of highly productive farmlands, vast natural resources (especially timber, coal, iron, and oil), and an entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to investing in material and human capital. The economy has maintained high wages, attracting immigrants by the millions from all over the world. Technological and industrial factors played a major role.

The Foundations of Government Contracting
Every contracting professional at some point is faced with the question, “But why is a contract with the
United States so different than a contract with Wal-Mart?” The answer can be varied and prolonged,
but ultimately lies in the very roots of our nation. To fully understand the profession of contract management, every practitioner would benefit from an exploration of its history. Conversely, any student of
U.S. history would do well to have at least a passing understanding of federal contracting; the government
is irretrievably interwoven into the national fabric. Government spending in this country has always been a
primary —if sometimes unintended—driver of economic, industrial, social, and scientific development. Check out more from the book “The Foundations of Government Contracting” here.

How to Make It In America
For today’s video, we decided to show the intro to the HBO show “How to Make It In America.” Any song that states simply and poetically “I need a dollar … a dollar is all I need,” is perfect for a post about the history of commerce in the U.S. Yes, we all need the old mighty dollar.

Lawmakers Push to Save Spy Program for Commercial Satellites
Lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee are asking the Obama administration to avoid cutting a more than $7 billion commercial satellite program being developed by GeoEye Inc. and DigitalGlobe Inc. The Defense Department is considering “major” reductions that may damage the EnhancedView program, which provides commercial satellite imagery to the defense and intelligence communities. No amount was specified in the letter. Check out more from BusinessWeek here. In addition, here’s the actual letter.

Speaking of Commercial — Commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Working Group
Speaking of commercial solutions, this year, USGIF and its members formed a Commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Working Group (CSARS WG) with the aim to explain the capabilities and advantages of space-based SAR as well as to provide hands-on learning and training for use. The working group is comprised of USGIF member companies MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), Infoterra GmbH and e-GEOS. Check out more here.

Why Commercial Imagery is Valuable According to Mr. Matt O’Connell
In case you missed it, we recently had the pleasure of sitting down with USGIF Board Member Mr. Matt O’Connell, who is GeoEye’s CEO and Director. Mr. O’Connell offered some very compelling insights into why commercial imagery is such a viable option for government and defense. He also discussed the commendation that GeoEye received from the Governor of Virginia for its support of Hurricane Irene disaster response efforts — talk about a solid proof point for the value of commercial imagery. Check out the podcast here.

Commercial Solutions
Every Googled the term “Commercial Solutions”? As you may have guessed, a company by that name came up first in the rankings. And since they are winning the search-engine-optimization (SEO) battle for that term, we wanted to give them a shout-out in this post. Commercial Solutions is a national distributor of industrial tools, safety equipment, firefighting gear, bearings, power-transmission, field supplies and the tools and equipment for oil and gas drilling and extraction. They are “experts in making sure you have the products you need to keep your business moving.” Check out more here.

“Satellites” by September
Swedish pop singer September’s “Satellites” seemed like the perfect song for this week’s FFFT post. We hope you enjoy and happy Friday!

What is the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area?
The Combined Federal Campaign is the only authorized workplace charitable giving drive for employees in the Federal workplace. Established by Executive Order in 1961, it continues to be the largest and most successful workplace fundraising model in the world. Over the years, the CFC has become a powerful way to help neighbors in need around the corner, across the nation and throughout the world. The CFCNCA is the local campaign for Federal employees in the Washington Metropolitan Area and is the largest workplace giving campaign in the world.Through the collective contributions of nearly 150,000 civilian and military Federal employees, the campaign generated more than $67 million in pledges for participating local, national and international charities last year.

What is Charity?
Charitable giving is the act of giving money, goods or time to the unfortunate, either directly or by means of a charitable trust or other worthy cause. Charitable giving as a religious act or duty is referred to as almsgiving or alms. The name stems from the most obvious expression of the virtue of charity is giving the objects of it the means they need to survive. The poor, particularly widows and orphans, and the sick and disabled, are generally regarded as the proper objects of charity. Check out more here.

Tis the Season to Be Stupid
Want to do some good for the holidays? That’s great. Just make sure you do it right. With two million groups pushing for money this time of year, and most people focused on their day-to-day finances, it’s easy to goof when giving to charity. For instance, you might pick an organization without asking basic questions about its practices—and discover a few weeks later that it sold your phone number to marketers. Likewise, when you’re up against a complicated tax code, it’s all too easy to make donations that run afoul of some opaque rule or put you at a disadvantage come April 15—like not actually being able to deduct what you gave. How do you stay out of trouble?

How to Find the Right Charity Worthy of Your Generous Donations?
If you are looking for guidance when it comes to finding the most effective charities for holiday gift giving, it can be a bit complicated. Thankfully Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health and accountability and transparency of America’s largest charities. Check out more here.

Top Charity Songs
As our faithful readers know, we like to dive pretty deep when it comes to our featured music video. So, here we go. We came across a blog post that highlights the best songs about charity. Of course, both “Feed The World” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas” topped the list. But what was further down on the list? If you guessed “We’re All in the Same Gang,” the anti-violence rap ode from 1990, then you were correct. Here it is for your listening pleasure. Happy Friday!