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Macon County Commissioners

Coverage of the meetings of the Macon County Board of County Commissioners.

Franklin Town Board of Aldermen

Coverage of the meetings of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen.

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Coverage of the meetings of the Macon County School Board.

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Monday, December 31, 2012

Index of 2012 Macon County Commissioner Meetings



It's been both fun and tortuous covering the meetings of the Macon County Commissioners. Fun because I'm a political junkie and tortuous because I've had a lot of technical challenges. I hope to do a better and more consistent job of it in 2013.

Here is the index of the meetings of the Macon County Commissioners that I covered this year in reverse chronological order.


Macon County Commissioners 12-11-2012



Macon County Commissioners 12-03-2012 The New Board is Seated


Macon County Commissioners 11-20-2012


Macon County Commissioners 11-13-2012


Macon County Commissioners 10-09-2012


Macon County Commissioners: Video of 09/24/2012 Meeting


Macon County Commissioners 09-11-2012


Macon County Commissioners 08-21-2012 Updated with Audio


Macon County Commissioners 08-14-2012


Macon County Commissioners 07-10-2012


Macon County Commissioners 06-12-2012


Macon County Commissioners 05-31-2012 Budget Work Session III


Macon County Commissioners 05-23-2012 Budget Work Session II


Macon County Commissioners 05-21-2012 Budget Work Session I


Macon County Commissioners 05-15-2012


Macon County Commissioners 05-08-2012


Highlights of the April 26, 2012 Annual Joint Meeting of the Macon County Commissioners and the Planning Board


Macon County Commissioners Joint Meeting with the Towns of Franklin and Highlands (04-19-2012)


Macon County Commissioners 04-10-2012


Macon County Commissioners 03-13-2012


Macon County Commissioners 02-28-2012


Macon County Commissioners 02-14-2012


Macon County Commissioners 01-10-2012 Meeting




Monday, December 24, 2012

A Christmas Message from the Moon


At the end of a turbulent 1968, the first manned mission to orbit the moon sent back a message on Christmas Eve that is still a good message for people to reflect upon today, 44 years later.





Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts; Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders did a live television broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures of the Earth and Moon seen from Apollo 8. Lovell said, "The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth." They ended the broadcast with the crew taking turns reading from the book of Genesis.

William Anders:
"For all the people on Earth the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you".
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."


Jim Lovell:
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."


Frank Borman:
"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good."


Borman then added, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Who Does the US Constitution Apply To?


I think most people entirely miss the point when they discuss what rights we have or don't have in our Republic, the United States of America.

The recent debate on gun rights is proceeding under the assumption that the federal government has the right to put restrictions on the citizens as to what type of firearm they can own and what they cannot, and whether or not it is to be registered, or if certain types can be banned.

The federal government does not have the right, or the authority, to infringe upon our right to own firearms. The National Firearms Act (whether 1934, 1968 or any future act) is unconstitutional. It is null and void. Anyone sitting on a jury that is trying a case where someone is charged under any of these acts should return a verdict of "not guilty" regardless of what instructions they receive from a judge.

Below is a more clear statement of these ideas in general...



The important point is that the Constitution doesn't apply to Americans, it doesn't apply to citizens, it doesn't even apply to "people." It applies to the federal government. The body of the Constitution tells the federal government what it is allowed to do, and in some places it explains how to do it (election procedures and such). The Bill of Rights tells the federal government what it is not allowed to do . . .
  1. Make no law abridging freedom of speech, press, religion, or assembly,
  2. Do not infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.
  3. Don't quarter soldiers in peacetime.
  4. Don't conduct unreasonable searches and seizures.
  5. Don't commit double jeopardy or force people to testify against themselves.
  6. Don't deny an accused a speedy trial.
  7. Don't deny an accused a trial by jury.
  8. Do not impose excessive bail.
  9. Just because certain rights of the people aren't mentioned in this Constitution doesn't mean you're allowed to usurp them.
  10. Don't exercise any power not authorized in this Constitution.
Where exceptions were meant to apply, they are specifically stated. And there are no exceptions stated for any type of guns, for any type of speech, for any specific crimes, or for crimes where non-citizens are involved.


~Harry Browne [1]

Hat Tip to Kernersville Lawyer on Facebook, who posted an excerpt of this earlier on his page. And that posting prompted me to look for more information. 

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Old Man and The Sea


Here is a classic piece of literature that has made the transition to film very well. If you've never read the original, you can read the full text at Classic English Literature Notes. For a gloss of the story and background on the author, check out Wikipedia.


The Old Man and the Sea is a 1999 paint-on-glass-animated short film directed by Aleksandr Petrov, based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film won many awards, including the Academy Award for Animated Short Film. Work on the film took place in Montreal over a period of two and a half years and was funded by an assortment of Canadian, Russian and Japanese companies. French and English-language soundtracks to the film were released concurrently. It was the first animated film to be released in IMAX.

Awards

1999 - Cinanima: "Grand Prize"
1999 - Japan Media Arts Festival: "Grand Prize" (Animation)
1999 - Montréal World Film Festival: Nominated for "First Prize (Short Films)"
2000 - Academy Award for Animated Short Film
2000 - Annecy International Animated Film Festival: "Audience Award", "Grand Prix for Best Animated Short Film"
2000 - BAFTA Awards: Nominated for "Best Animated Short Film"
2000 - Buster International Children's Film Festival: "Politiken's Short Film Award"
2000 - Genie Awards: Nominated for "Best Animated Short Film"
2000 - Jutra Awards: "Jutra" in the category "Best Animated Film"
2000 - Mainichi Film Concours: "Ofuji Noburo Award"
2000 - Saint Petersburg Message to Man International Film Festival: "Special Jury Prize" in the category "International Competition"
2000 - Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films: "First Prize" in "Category C - 15 Min. to 30 Min."
2001 - Burbank International Children's Film Festival: "Director's Gold Award"
2001 - San Diego International Film Festival: "Festival Award" in the category "Best Animation"

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Alternatives to Instagram



Instagram just set off a bomb inside its new privacy policy and terms of service. New wording essentially makes it possible to turn people’s photos posted after Jan. 16 using Instagram into advertisements. In other words, that sutro-toned picture of your beloved Lhasa apso freshly coiffed after her grooming might well become an ad for Classy Canine Dog Salon.
Source: Forbes||Did You Really Think Facebook Wouldn't Turn Your Instagram Photos Into Ads?


For those who are upset about Instagram's new TOS, please consider these alternatives:

Flickr. I think this is the best option for most people, and the one with the most promise.

It has both free and paid options. I use the paid option and have been very happy with it since 2007 or so.

My profile over there is http://www.flickr.com/photos/thunder-pig/

Another option is Photobucket, which I've used since 2005. They have both free and paid options and I use the paid option because it is the service I use to host nearly all the photos for my blog. You can also upload videos, too and I used it to host videos before Youtube came along.

http://photobucket.com/

You might also consider Picasa. I have an account, but don't use it very much even though I have unlimited bandwidth because I am a member of Google Plus.

http://picasa.google.com/

And then there is Google Plus. I have, as far as I know, unlimited bandwidth there, too. It also allows you to upload from your phone.

https://plus.google.com/photos/101706295300435696596/albums

And the bonus? All of the above sites acknowledge that YOU own your photos. What an amazing concept!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Music Monday:
A Three Tenors Christmas Concert


The Christmas Season is a lovely time of year for lovers of music. In this week's installment of Music Monday, I'm sharing a recording of a Christmas Concert that took place in Vienna Austria in 1999. I hope you enjoy it.


Recorded live at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, on December 23, 1999, the three most popular male vocalists in contemporary opera - Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras.

Track Listing:

1. White Christmas
2. Let It Snow
3. Oh Tannenbaum
4. Ay! Para Navidad
5. Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle
6. Carol Of The Drum (The Little Drummer Boy)
7. Ave Maria, Dolce Maria
8. Wiegenlied I
9. Jingle Bells
10. Children Of Christmas
11. La Virgen La Panales
12. I'll Be Home For Christmas
13. Adeste Fideles
14. Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night)
15. Amazing Grace
16. Feliz Navidad
17. Silent Night
18. Paregaria (El Can de L'Anima a La Verge)
19. Winter Wonderland
20. Wiegenlied II
21. Sleigh Ride
22. Susani
23. Un Nuevo Siglo
24. Dormi O Bambino
25. Happy Christmas/War Is Over

Friday, December 14, 2012

Facebook Suffers Service Disruption:
(alternatives to use when it goes down)

There has been a widespread service disruption this morning on Facebook.

I've been accessing the site via the Mobile log in, but have seen very little activity from other local people, so I'm guessing they don't know about the alternative method for using the social media website.

As a reminder for local people, I run a local news page called Macon Media (click here to see it) on Google Plus that mirrors the content I put on my two local Facebook news pages,  Macon County Public Safety, Road Conditions and Weather Updates (web/mobile) and Macon Media (web/mobile).

**update** 8:09am

It looks like Facebook is back up. So, in order to avoid any potential problems in getting up to date local news when this happens again (and you know it will, please bookmark the Google Plus Macon Media Page.

Shame on me for not getting the word out on the alternative source of local information earlier.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Collectiques in Oil

A digital painting of the exterior of a shop (website) in downtown Franklin, NC.


Dr. Rhett Jackson to Speak to the Macon County League of Women Voters on Thursday

The Macon County League of Women Voters will be hosting a program by the Coweeta Listening Project focusing on applicable information on the links between land use and ecosystem health and on developing effective collaboration between the community and the institution.

Dr. Rhett Jackson, Professor of Hydrology at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, will speak and lead the conversation.

Please follow this link to their Facebook Page for more information on the event, which is scheduled for the lunch hour on Thursday.



Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Macon County Commissioners 12-11-2012


The Macon County Commissioners are meeting tonight at 6pm in the county courthouse. I will be there to provide a nearly live play by play on Macon Media Google Plus Account.

The agenda and meeting minutes from the last meeting are below. I will try to have the video embedded on the article by sometime tomorrow afternoon.


12.11.12 BOC Agenda Packet

11.20.12 Board Minutes

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants:
The Essential Value of a Classic Education


Dean Brenzel, Philosopher, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale University, argues that not only can reading the great classics like Plato's Republic and Dante's Inferno enrich your education, it can actually make your life better. Pointing out that we can't possibly read all of the books in the world, Brenzel makes a case for reading the right books the right way in order to get the most intellectual bang for your reading buck. Which books qualify as the "right" books is one of the most controversial subjects in academia, and Brenzel outlines the five key characteristics that every great book must fulfill in order to make that coveted list. (video length 56:42)

The Floating University, originally released September 2011.



You can find many of these books in several used book stores and in the local Friends of the Library Bookstore and also at the Macon County Public Library.

They are also available for your eReader through various sources like Amazon or the Gutenberg Project.



IBM Demonstrates Feasibility of Silicon Nanophotonics for Chip Manufacturing

IBM's silicon nanophotonic modulator/photodetector chip, with integrated electrical components

IBM has announced that it is ready to mass produce a new class of computer chips that utilize both copper and optic fiber routing of information on the same computer chip. A single CMOS-based nanophotonic transceiver is capable of converting data between electric and optical with virtually no latency, handling a data connection of more than 25 gigabits per second. Depending on the application, hundreds of transceivers could be integrated into a single CMOS chip, pushing terabits of data over fiber-optic connections between processors, memory, and storage systems optically over distances ranging from two centimeters to two kilometers. Here is the press release:

On December 10, 2012 IBM announced a breakthrough optical communication technology which has been verified in a manufacturing environment. The technology – called “silicon nanophotonics” – uses light instead of electrical signals to transfer information for future computing systems, thus allowing large volumes of data to be moved fast between computer chips in servers, large data-centers, and supercomputers via pulses of light.

The technology breakthrough allows the integration of different optical components side-by-side with electrical circuits on a single silicon chip, for the first time, in standard 90nm semiconductor fabrication. The new features of the technology include a variety of silicon nanophotonics components, such as modulators, germanium photodetectors and ultra-compact wavelength-division multiplexers to be integrated with high-performance analog and digital CMOS circuitry.

The use of a standard chip manufacturing process will alleviate high cost of traditional interconnects. Single-chip optical communications transceivers can now be manufactured in a standard CMOS foundry, rather than assembled from multiple parts made with expensive compound semiconductor technology.

Furthermore, dense integration of optical circuits capable of transmitting and receiving at high data rates will solve the limitations of congested data traffic in current interconnects. IBM’s CMOS nanophotonics technology demonstrates transceivers to exceed the 25Gbps data rate. In addition, the technology is capable of feeding a number of parallel optical data streams into a single fiber by utilizing compact on-chip wavelength-division multiplexing devices. The ability to multiplex large data streams at high data rates will allow future scaling of optical communications capable of delivering terabytes of data between distant parts of computer systems.


Angled view of a portion of an IBM chip showing blue optical waveguides transmitting high-speed optical signals and yellow copper wires carrying high-speed electrical signals

I wonder how long it will take these new chips to become integrated into data centers and how long it will take them to find their way into consumer devices.


Monday, December 10, 2012

Franklin TDA 12-10-2012 Meeting Agenda




The Franklin Tourism Development Authority will be meeting tonight at 5:30 in the Town Hall (enter through the lower level). I will be there to video the meeting and provide a nearly live play by play on Google Plus.

Also, please note that there are two vacancies on the TDA Board. You can pick up an application at the Town Hall or download a PDF Application.

I've re-written an agenda from the embedded agenda below:





AGENDA

MONDAY DECEMBER 10, 2012
5:30 PM TOWN HALL BOARD ROOM


1 Call to order - Chair Candy Presley

2 Approval of the September 10, 2012 and October 8, 2012 minutes

3 Financial Report - Summer Woodard

4 Sub-committee Reports
   A) Appointment of Vice Chair
   B) Appointment of Finance/Budget Chair
   C) Appointment of Policy and Rules of Procedure Chair
   D) Application Review Chair

5 Legal
   A) Revised TDA contract - John Henning Jr
   B) Amendments to the Rules of Procedure for the TDA Board - John Henning Jr

6     Old (unfinished) business
      A) Board decision on advertising opportunity with Dash Boards/Saddle Bags Magazine

7     New Business
      A) Funding request from Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts - Nikki Corbin
      B) Funding request from Stay and Play in the Smokies - Matt Batemen
      C) Funding request from Cullasaja River Mine - Kate LaFlamm
      D) Funding request for April Fool Trail Days - Linda Schlott
      E) Grant report for Franklin Folk Festival 2012 - Theresa Ramsey

8     Items from the board

9     Announcements - 
       Next TDA meeting: January 14, 2012 Town Hall Board Room

10    Adjourn






Doc 120712

Black Marble added to Google Maps

Click image to Embiggen
Google Earth has added the recently released Earth at Night 2012 to Google Maps and you can explore the imagery to see how your area looks at night.

The above photo is of the area where I live, with my residence marked with a red marker. The photo below is an annotated version of that with the major cities labelled.

Check it out for yourself at Google Maps.


Source: Google Maps


**update** 
More info, including the KML File, is available at the Earth Observatory.


Click image to Embiggen

This Week in Tech #383: Mennonite Madness


Here is TWIT-TV's weekly show that discusses the week in tech...


Hosts: Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Jolie O'Dell, and John C. Dvorak.

Tim Cook talks, G4 Esquire, assassins everywhere, Ingress data mine, badge lust, and more.

Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/twit.

Running time:: 2:08:49

Music Monday: Richard Arnell
Symphony No. 3 "The New Age"

Photo and Titles by Bobby Coggins



Here is a piece of music that I haven't heard in a long time, Richard Arnell's "Sympnony No 3 The New Age."




Composer: Website  Wikipedia Works CD Universe  Works on Amazon

The Conductor: Website  Wikipedia

The Orchestra: Facebook  Youtube Wikipedia

From the video description:

Conducted by Martin Yates with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Painting Info - "Emperor at Dusk" by ~ChaoyuanXu on deviantart.
I. Andante - 00:00
II. Allegro Assai - 7:02
III. Andante - 21:27
IV. Presto - 36:50
V. Andante Maestoso - 42:25
VI. Allegro - 44:06

Richard Anthony Sayer ("Tony") Arnell was an English composer of classical music. Arnell composed in all the established genres for the concert stage, and his list of works includes six completed symphonie and six string quartets.

Arnell was born in Hampstead, London. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1935 to 1939, and was taught there by John Ireland (composition) and St John Dykes (piano). He was awarded the Farrar Prize for composition during his final year at the college. At the outset of the Second World War, attending the New York World Fair, Arnell (along with other English composers, e.g. Arthur Bliss) was stranded in New York, and stayed on until 1947, thereby finding himself in the position of having an established reputation in the U.S., but remaining relatively little known in his homeland. During his American soujourn, Arnell was the Music Supervisor for the BBC in North America, and was commissioned to compose (to a text by Stephen Spender) a cantata, The War God, in celebration of the opening of the United Nations, as well as a fanfare to greet Winston Churchill's arrival in New York. His music has been championed by Thomas Beecham, Leopold Stokowski and Bernard Herrmann, among others and most recently by Martin Yates (one of his composition students at Trinity). Between 1947 and 1987 he taught at Trinity College of Music in London, where his students included Peter Tahourdin (1949-52).

Arnell composed the music for The Land (1942), a 45-minute documentary film directed by Robert J. Flaherty for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was also commissioned by the Ford Motor Company to compose a symphonic suite inspired by the workers in the factory at Dagenham. The resulting work accompanies a film entitled Opus 65. Arnell established and headed the Music Department at the London International Film School until his retirement in the late 1980s. He established a reputation as a major composer for the ballet stage through collaborations with choreographers of the stature of George Balanchine, John Cranko and Frederick Ashton. His many ballets have been successfully staged in both New York and London. His score for Punch and the Child was recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a recording which has seldom been out of the catalogue.

Arnell is acknowledged as being one of the most masterful orchestrators of the twentieth century, Sir Thomas Beecham describing him as the best orchestrator since Berlioz.



Saturday, December 8, 2012

Decay (2012) - The LHC Zombie Movie


A Zombie Film shot by students at the Large Hadron Collider .
How awesome is that?


From the video description:

Decay is a 75 minute zombie film, shot and set at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN, by physics PhD students. www.DecayFilm.com CC-BY-NC

Trapped underground at the world's largest particle accelerator, a group of students make a deadly discovery.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DecayFilm @Decay Film
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DecayFilm



Friday, December 7, 2012

Macon County Commissioners 12-11-2012 Agenda Packet


Here is the agenda packet for the December 2012 regular meeting of the Macon County Commissioners...


DECEMBER 11, 2012
AGENDA
1. Call to order and welcome by Chairman Corbin
2. Announcements
3. Moment of Silence
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. Public Hearing(s) – Macon County Transit – Kim Angel, Director
    (A) Section 5310 – Elderly Individuals and Individuals with
Disabilities Program Grant Application
    (B) Macon County Community Transportation Program Application
    (C) Consideration of Public Transportation Program Resolution
    (D)Consideration of Community Transportation Program
Resolution
6. Public Comment Period
7. Adjustments to and approval of the agenda
8. Reports/Presentations
    (A) Presentation of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report –
Erica Brown, Martin Starnes & Associates
9. Old Business
    (A) NCDOT traffic light controller project – David Key, Emergency
Services Director
    (B) Resolution and lease with Forex Currency Trade Advisors, LLC –
Tommy Jenkins, Economic Development Director
10. New Business
    (A) Resolution authorizing negotiation of installment financing
contracts – County Manager and Finance Director
    (B) Satisfaction of security instrument – County Manager
11. Consent Agenda – Attachment #11
All items below are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. No
separate discussion will be held except on request of a member of the Board of Commissioners.
    (A) Minutes
    (B) Budget Amendments
    (C) Tax Releases
    (D)Monthly Ad Valorem Tax Collection Report (no action necessary)
    (E) Change Order No. 1 on Swiss Colony Project
    (F) Macon County Public Health FY 12-13 Billing and Collection
Policies and Fee Schedules
12. Appointments
    (A) Board member committee appointments
    (B) Voting delegate for Legislative Goals Conference
13. Closed session (if necessary)



12.11.12 BOC Agenda Packet


Remembering Pearl Harbor 71 Years Later


Seventy One Years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese Imperial Navy. Four years later, the bulk of the Japanese Imperial Navy was on the bottom of the ocean and Japan lay in ruins.

May we never forget the men and women who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and may we never forget to honor those who answered the call to go to war in the aftermath. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid, we can only be grateful for their sacrifice and remember them for as long as our civilization lasts.

I have embedded some audio from that day to give you a flavor of how the news broke back then.




Live report from KGU Radio in Honolulu



Pearl Harbor Attack Announcement



Here is a more complete playlist of audio from that day, and includes the actual moment the news was broadcast by breaking into programming that was occuring at the time:



And now, here are some videos that are representative of the attack and the response to the attack on Pearl Harbor:




This short newsreel, produced for the home market with no narration, shows the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Footage shows the wrecked seaplane base on Ford Island, the destroyer USS Shaw (DD-373) wrecked in its drydock, the battleship USS Utah (BB-13) capsized, and the mighty USS Arizona (BB-39) a twisted mass of smouldering metal.

Our response included dropping an atomic device on the Japanese city of Hiroshima after we fought our way across the Pacific Ocean at great cost in men and material. The event is dramatically depicted by the BBC in the above video.


A Hollywood recreation from the 2001 film "Pearl Harbor"
The full movie is available on Youtube (until it is taken down for a copyright violation) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbtAJ1PKz5k

A war bonds promotional newsreel advocating vengeance for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Here is the John Ford classic "December 7th" produced for the US Navy.

And here is the first episode in the "Why We Fight" series called "Prelude to War" that gives a wider perspective on what was going on in the world at the time.



Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Earth at Night in 3D


Here is a 3D version of the earth at night. Please use your red/blue glasses to see the earth spin in 3D.

**note** I am currently trying to fix some issues with this blog, so things may randomly change during the day today.




Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Macon County Commissioners 12-03-2012
The New Board is Seated

The Macon County Commissioners

The Macon County Commissioners met on December 3, 2012 and, pursuant to state law, the re-elected and newly elected commissioners were sworn by Judge Downs, elected a chairman and vice chairman of the board and set it's regular meeting schedule for the coming year.

Here is the full video of the meeting, ably recorded for me by Bill Vernon. I would like to thank him for stepping in for me.



Macon County Manager Jack Horton chaired the meeting and oversaw the election of Kevin Corbin as the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. Then, Chairman Corbin oversaw the election of Ronnie Beale as the Vice Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. The newly reorganized board then set 6pm on the second Tuesday of each month in 2013 as the time of their regular monthly meeting.

Commissioners then conducted a brief meeting where they examined and approved the official bond for public officials of Macon County and awarded the contract for the installation of the reuse system.


Here are some of the photos I took at the meeting:

The Old Board
The Old Board


Kevin Corbin and Family
Kevin Corbin and Family


Jimmy Tate and Family
Jimmy Tate and Family


Paul Higdon and Family
Paul Higdon and Family


The New Board is seated
The New Board is seated


The Public
The Public


Cookies and Punch
Cookies and Punch





Monday, December 3, 2012

Franklin Aldermen 12-03-2012

**10.20pm** The video of tonight's meeting of the town board is now available:



The Franklin Town Board of Aldermen are meeting tonight at 7pm in the town hall. I have embedded the agenda packet at the bottom of this article and will be posting a nearly live play by play on Google Plus (GPLUS LINK) and will embed the video as soon after the meeting as I can.


Agenda Packet 12-3-12

This Week in Tech #382: The Pump and Dump


Third world cloud, PR $, Chromebook push, fly-touch, vacuum-packed gadgets, and more.
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Tim Stevens, Mike Elgan, and John C. Dvorak.
Running time: 1:59:06

See the show page for more information.




Macon County Commissioners
Meeting Agenda for 12-03-2012


The Macon County Commissioners will be meeting tonight at 6pm to swear in the newly elected and re-elected commissioners and conduct a little business. I have posted the agenda and the preliminary meeting schedule for 2013 in this article for your convenience.

Since the monthly meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen is beginning an hour later, I'll have to miss this meeting unless I can find someone to babysit a spare video camera for me while I record what may be another contentious meeting of the Town Board of Franklin, NC as this dispute regarding the Main Street Program continues to unfold. Click to read more.


Since I will not be able to be at this meeting of the county commissioners and provide a nearly live play by play, I will post a video separately if I am able to find someone to babysit the camera in the commissioners board room.




Agenda:

Agenda Packet 12-3-12

2013 Meeting Schedule:

2013 BOC Meeting Schedule


Sunday, December 2, 2012

2012 Granite Falls NC Christmas Parade
A Homegrown TV Video


2012 Granite Falls NC Christmas parade from Homegrown Television on Vimeo.

Here is video of the Granite Falls Christmas Parade as only Homegrown TV can bring it to you!

To see more videos from HGTV, check out their pages on Vimeo and Facebook.


Friday, November 30, 2012

Franklin Aldermen Meeting Agenda: 12/03/2012


Here is the meeting agenda for the meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen that is scheduled to begin Monday night at 6pm in the town hall at 95 East Main Street. I suspect that we haven't heard the last of the communication problems from this building that have taken up all or a portion of the last few meetings...

Agenda Packet 12-3-12


Video of the last two meetings of the Town Board of Aldermen:





Music Monday on a Friday:
The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music 1685-1928


Here is a video by Old Music Library of what they've called "The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music 1685-1928" and it is over ten hours long...so sit back and enjoy!!!

I've added a playlist of the first 80 pieces below the video. The uploader did not post 81-100 in their playlist information.



00:00:00 [1] - R. Strauss / Also Sprach Zarathustra - Fanfare
00:01:37 [2] - Mahler / Symphony No. 5 - Adagietto
00:11:26 [3] - Sibelius / Finlandia
00:20:30 [4] - Rimsky-Korsakov / Dance Of The Bumble Bee
00:22:20 [5] - Massenet / Meditation, From 'Thais'
00:27:30 [6] - Elgar / Pomp And Circumstance - March No. 1
00:33:41 [7] - Dvorak / Humoresque
00:37:04 [8] - Sibelius / Valse Triste
00:41:52 [9] - J. Strauss II / Vienna Blood - Waltz
00:51:24 [10] - Ravel / Bolero
01:06:51 [11] - Tchaikovsky / Polonaise, From 'Eugene Onegin'
01:11:39 [12] - Dvorak / Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World', 2Nd Movement
01:24:26 [13] - Tchaikovsky / Waltz Of The Flowers, From 'The Nutcracker'
01:31:08 [14] - Rimsky-Korsakov / Alborado, From 'Capriccio Espagnol'
01:32:32 [15] - Grieg / The Last Spring
01:38:40 [16] - Dvorak / Slavonic Dance No. 2
01:44:11 [17] - Tchaikovsky / The Sleeping Beauty - Introduction
01:47:00 [18] - Wagner / Siegfried's Death And Funeral March; From 'Twilight Of The Gods'
01:54:00 [19] - Dvorak / Songs My Mother Taught Me
01:56:18 [20] - J. Strauss II / Emperor Waltz
02:08:10 [21] - Tchaikovsky / Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor, 1St Movement (Excerpt)
02:17:10 [22] - Brahms / Cradle Song
02:19:00 [23] - Smetana / The Moldau
02:31:59 [24] - Wagner / Ride Of The Valkyries; From 'The Valkyrie'
02:37:25 [25] - Grieg / Morning, From 'Peer Gynt'
02:41:00 [26] - Bizet / Les Toreadors, From 'Carmen'
02:43:19 [27] - Delibes / Notturno, From 'Coppelia'
02:45:49 [28] - Tchaikovsky / Marche Slave, Op. 31
02:55:40 [29] - Bizet / L'arlesienne - Intermezzo
02:59:48 [30] - J. Strauss II / The Blue Danube - Waltz
03:10:41 [31] - Offenbach / Orpheus In The Underworld
03:20:15 [32] - Rubinstein / Melody In F
03:23:27 [33] - Liszt / Les Preludes
03:39:57 [34] - Brahms / Waltz
03:42:24 [35] - Verdi / The Force Of Destiny-Overture
03:50:33 [36] - Grieg / I Love You
03:52:07 [37] - Smetna / The Bartered Bride - Overture
03:58:45 [38] - Offenbach / Barcarolle, From 'The Tales Of Hoffmann'
04:02:19 [39] - J. Strauss II / Tritsch Tratsch Polka
04:05:02 [40] - Suppe / Light Cavalry-Overture
04:11:50 [41] - Mendelssohn / Wedding March, From 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
04:16:51 [42] - Liszt / Liebestraum No.3 In A Flat
04:21:08 [43] - Verdi / Nabucco - Overture
04:29:01 [44] - Schumann / The Merry Peasant
04:29:55 [45] - Liszt / Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
04:40:15 [46] - Wagner / Lohengin - Prelude To Act 3
04:43:27 [47] - Verdi / La Traviata - Prelude To Act 1
04:47:14 [48] - Wagner / Tannhauser - Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg
04:53:51 [49] - Mendelssohn / Violin Concerto In E Minor, 2Nd Movement
05:02:07 [50] - Suppe / Poet And Peasant - Overture
05:12:04 [51] - Rossini / The Barber Of Seville - Overture
05:19:51 [52] - Schubert / Symphony No.8 In B Minor, 'Unfinished'
05:30:17 [53] - Mendelssohn / 1841 Mendelssohn - Spring Song
05:33:03 [54] - Chopin / Polonaise In A, Op.40 No.3, 'Military'
05:38:19 [55] - Schubert / Ballet Music In G, From 'Rosamunde'
05:44:55 [56] - Weber / Der Freischutz - Overture
05:55:03 [57] - Schubert / Ave Maria
05:59:55 [58] - Mendelssohn / Symphony No.4 In A, 'Italian', 1St Movement
06:08:16 [59] - Schumann / Traumerei
06:11:26 [60] - Schubert / German Dance No.1
06:15:14 [61] - Mozart / Symphony No. 40, 1St Movement
06:22:53 [62] - Beethoven / 'Moonlight' Sonata, 1St Movement
06:28:20 [63] - Haydn / Symphony No. 94, 'Surprise', 2Nd Movement
06:34:54 [64] - Mozart / The Magic Flute - Overture
06:42:08 [65] - Beethoven / Fur Elise
06:45:01 [66] - Haydn / Emporor's Hymn, From String Quartet In C
06:52:18 [67] - Beethoven / Symphony No. 5, 1St Movement
06:59:37 [68] - Mozart / Clarinet Concerto In A, 2Nd Movement
07:06:40 [69] - Beethoven / Minuet In G
07:09:15 [70] - Haydn / Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, 3Rd Movement
07:14:20 [71] - Mozart / Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1St Movement
07:20:05 [72] - Mozart / Piano Concerto No. 21 In C, 2Nd Movement ('Elvira Madigan')
07:25:44 [73] - Mozart / The Marriage Of Figaro - Overture
07:30:04 [74] - Mozart / Flute Concerto No. 2 In D, 2Nd Movement
07:35:33 [75] - Mozart / Rondo Alla Turca, From Piano Sonata In A
07:39:15 [76] - Mozart / Don Giovanni - Overture
07:45:26 [77] - Mozart / Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat, 2Nd Movement
07:49:50 [78] - Mozart / Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, 1St Movement
08:00:41 [79] - Mozart / The Marriage Of Figaro - March
08:02:49 [80] - Mozart / Serenata Notturna