got geoint?

We hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. For many of us, it was winter break for the kids, and I imagine many are getting back into the groove. To kick off the week, we wanted to do an extension of “Friday’s Food for Thought” and highlight some interesting items from around the horn. As always, share with us your thoughts and ideas.

My Dad, The Spy
How many of us in the DC area have often wondered what their neighbor who is vague about what he or she does for a living wondered if they were a spy? Of course, this person has to keep what they do a secret from friends, neighbors, but more importantly from their family. Working in the clandestine sectors of the intelligence community – without a doubt – has it’s challenges. We often don’t get a glimpse into what it is like for a child growing up and wondering what Dad really does for a living. As such, we recommend you check out this OP-Ed in the LA Times where Leslie Absher details what it was like…and what happened when her Dad finally told her the truth. Of course, as she got older, she realized that her father had to lie about his occupation. Does anyone else out there have a similar story or experience? If so, please share with us in the comments section of this post. Keep in mind that all comments are confidential — no need to disclose your real name or identity.

Spying on Your Children
Speaking of spying, when is is OK to actually spy on your own children? While the Internet has opened up a whole new world for children to get information, be entertained and network with friends, it’s still a treacherous place. Here’s an Associated Press story on the ins-and-outs of spying on your children online ans keeping them safe. Much like intelligence analysts keep our nation safe, parents that stay on top of what their kids do online and can achieve the same mission. Ok, we admit this story is a stretch for got geont?, but it is Monday after all.

NGA is Hiring!
Onto news that is more relevant to our community, the NGA has announced a national recruiting effort for entry-level positions in both St. Louis, Mo., and Bethesda, Md. Here’s the link to the NGA press release with more information.

Panetta Poked Fun at Rahm
It was not a surprise that last week Panetta was confirmed as director of the CIA. At the swearing in ceremony last week, he poked some fun at White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. These two go way back. Emanuel actually worked for Panetta when Panetta was chief of staff in the Clinton White House. Here’s what Panetta said:

“Rahm Emanuel. Thank you for being here. I taught him everything he knows. On the other hand – if he screws up – it’s not my fault.”

Did you all know that Rahm’s brother is the Hollywood agent who inspired the creation of the character, Ari Gold, on the HBO hit “Entourage”?

DC is the Place to Be
When it comes to the economy, these are some very trying times. However, it turns out that it’s not as trying for the DC area. We are not too surprised to see this story about how DC is weathering the downturn in the economy very well — as compared to NYC. DC has often worked in a bubble…and when it comes to our community, we will always need national security and geospatial intelligence solutions to help deal with the global threats that face our troops and our nation. And, we believe that the new administration wants to be on top of these challenges. As such, what we do will continue to be relevant and is really way bigger than the current economic situation. We are saving lives and securing our nation – can’t put a price tag on that.

Happy Monday. We hope everyone has a productive and prosperous week. Oh, and stay tuned for more exciting posts, including a podcast from a young GEOINTER.

Tags: CIA, GEOINT, geospatial intelligence, Intelligence Community, Panetta, Rahm Emanuel, Spying, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation