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18 Dec 2009

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Friday’s Food for Thought: Norad Santa and “Charlie Don’t Surf”

Added by USGIF Category: Friday's Food for Thought, General

Kilgore Welcome to once again to our Friday’s Food for Thought post exclusively on got geoint? We hope that everyone is weathering the cold weather (like the pun), surviving the holiday party season, and has all of their holiday shopping done. We are officially seven days from X-mas. So, this means NORAD is kicking off it’s efforts to track Santa’s whereabouts. And, for fun, we decided to showcase the classic line “Charlie Don’t Surf” from Apocalypse Now. Hey, Christmas and Apocalypse Now; the two go together right? Hope you enjoy and Happy Friday!

NORAD Gears Up for Santa Mission
Once again, The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will track Santa as he makes his annual trek across the world. According to the command’s Web site, Santa and his reindeer are picked up by radar as soon as they take off from the North Pole. “Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allow our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa,” the Web site states. GEOINT and Christmas…what a great time of year!

Parenting by the Internet: Tame Your Kids with Northpole.com
There was a time when you would put your unruly kids in front of the TV when you needed a break. Ahhh… the good “old parenting by television” concept. Those were the days. Now, we are seeing the emergence of a trend called “parenting by the the Internet.” So, if you find that you need a break from the kids, sit them down in front of the PC (or MAC) and fire up Northpole.com. The site celebrates the holidays with dozens of activities for children and families. A child-safe, award-winning holiday site, northpole.com promotes a traditional look at Santa’s Secret Village at the North Pole, but with high-tech, creative features to keep children and adults entertained—all for free. So, go get yourself another egg nog and don’t be afraid to hand off the parenting to the Internet.

Super Saturday Expectations High for U.S. Retailers
Bargain-hunting shoppers are expected to flood stores on “Super Saturday” weekend — the last before Christmas — and deliver retailers the highest holiday weekend sales so far this season. But many industry experts doubt whether the final weekend hurrah will generate enough business to push overall holiday sales above the dismal tally from last year, when the global economy was in free fall, shoppers were panicked about their savings and jobs and retailers were forced to dump excess merchandise at rock-bottom prices. Read more here.

A Soldier’s Christmas Poem
Following is a Christmas poem written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan who wants as many people as possible to read this poem. Please share this with family and friends!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
in a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
and to see just who in this little house lived.

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No Stockings by mantle, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
A sobering thought came through my mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,
The home of a soldier, I could now see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,
Not how I picture a United States Soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I’d just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

I realized the families that I saw this night,
owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world, the children would play,
and grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn’t help wondering how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to one knee and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
“Santa don’t cry, for this life is my choice”.

I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my corps.”

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.

I kept watch for hours, so silent and still,
as we both shivered from the cold night’s chill.

I didn’t want to leave, on that cold, dark night,
this guardian of honor, so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,
whispered, “Carry on Santa…., It’s Christmas Day…., All is secure.

One look at my watch, and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend…. and to all a Good Night.

“Charlie Don’t Surf”
While the movie Apocalypse Now has absolutely nothing to do with the holiday season, we just thought it would be a fun thing to include in this week’s FFT post. As fans of this movie remember, “Charlie Don’t Surf” is a famous line from the film, spoken by Colonel Kilgore as justification for taking a beach at the Mekong Delta so the American Soldiers could go surfing. What an amazing film. Here’s a video clip of that classic line: