Anonymous Hacks U.S. Sentencing Commission

DNS blocking has taken place for www.ussc.gov and is no longer forwarding to the server. However you can still access it via the IP address: http://66.153.19.162/  The video above is what is displayed at the USSC website at the time I write this. 

Also, you can view a snapshot of the site from freze.it (Thanks to Tommy Leung for the information via Twitter) http://freze.it/1mT

#OpLastResort seems to be going in full force, along with the start of #Warhead1 . Only time will tell how this will unfold, but it seems apparent to me that the chosen verbiage in the video is deliberate and is not one to be taken lightly.

As mentioned earlier, this video claims to be a direct response to the death of Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide earlier this month. (Context on Aaron's situation: http://youtu.be/uregGZBzhvw) 

Pastebin is a place I found where instructions are being passed along by members of Anonymous for other members of Anonymous.

What do you think about the hacking of the United States Sentencing Commission's website?

__________________________________________________


*Full transcript from video and site*

Citizens of the world,

Anonymous has observed for some time now the trajectory of justice in the United States with growing concern. We have marked the departure of this system from the noble ideals in which it was born and enshrined. We have seen the erosion of due process, the dilution of constitutional rights, the usurpation of the rightful authority of courts by the "discretion" of prosecutors. We have seen how the law is wielded less and less to uphold justice, and more and more to exercise control, authority and power in the interests of oppression or personal gain.

We have been watching, and waiting.

Two weeks ago today, a line was crossed. Two weeks ago today, Aaron Swartz was killed. Killed because he faced an impossible choice. Killed because he was forced into playing a game he could not win -- a twisted and distorted perversion of justice -- a game where the only winning move was not to play.

Anonymous immediately convened an emergency council to discuss our response to this tragedy. After much heavy-hearted discussion, the decision was upheld to engage the United States Department of Justice and its associated executive branches in a game of a similar nature, a game in which the only winning move is not to play.

Last year the Federal Bureau of Investigation revelled in porcine glee at its successful infiltration of certain elements of Anonymous. This infiltration was achieved through the use of the *same tactics which lead to Aaron Swartz' death. It would not have been possible were it not for the power of federal prosecutors to thoroughly destroy the lives of any hacktivists they apprehend through the very real threat of highly disproportionate sentencing.

As a result of the FBI's infiltration and entrapment tactics, several more of our brethren now face similar disproportionate persecution, the balance of their lives hanging on the severely skewed scales of a broken justice system.

We have felt within our hearts a burning rage in reaction to these events, but we have not allowed ourselves to be drawn into a foolish and premature response. We have bidden our time, operating in the shadows, adapting our tactics and honing our abilities. We have allowed the FBI and its masters in government -- both the puppet and the shadow government that controls it -- to believe they had struck a crippling blow to our infrastructure, that they had demoralized us, paralyzed us with paranoia and fear. We have held our tongue and waited.

With Aaron's death we can wait no longer. The time has come to show the United States Department of Justice and its affiliates the true meaning of infiltration. The time has come to give this system a taste of its own medicine. The time has come for them to feel the helplessness and fear that comes with being forced into a game where the odds are stacked against them.

This website was chosen due to the symbolic nature of its purpose -- the federal sentencing guidelines which enable prosecutors to cheat citizens of their constitutionally-guaranteed right to a fair trial, by a jury of their peers -- the federal sentencing guidelines which are in clear violation of the 8th amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishments. This website was also chosen due to the nature of its visitors. It is far from the only government asset we control, and we have exercised such control for quite some time...

There has been a lot of fuss recently in the technological media regarding such operations as Red October, the widespread use of vulnerable browsers and the availability of zero-day exploits for these browsers and their plugins. None of this comes of course as any surprise to us, but it is perhaps good that those within the information security industry are making the extent of these threats more widely understood.

Still there is nothing quite as educational as a well-conducted demonstration...

Through this websites and various others that will remain unnamed, we have been conducting our own infiltration. We did not restrict ourselves like the FBI to one high-profile compromise. We are far more ambitious, and far more capable. Over the last two weeks we have wound down this operation, removed all traces of leakware from the compromised systems, and taken down the injection apparatus used to detect and exploit vulnerable machines.

We have enough fissile material for multiple warheads. Today we are launching the first of these. Operation Last Resort has begun...

Warhead - U S - D O J - L E A - 2013 . A E E 256 is primed and armed. It has been quietly distributed to numerous mirrors over the last few days and is available for download from this website now. We encourage all Anonymous to syndicate this file as widely as possible.

The contents are various and we won't ruin the speculation by revealing them. Suffice it to say, everyone has secrets, and some things are not meant to be public. At a regular interval commencing today, we will choose one media outlet and supply them with heavily redacted partial contents of the file. Any media outlets wishing to be eligible for this program must include within their reporting a means of secure communications.

We have not taken this action lightly, nor without consideration of the possible consequences. Should we be forced to reveal the trigger-key to this warhead, we understand that there will be collateral damage. We appreciate that many who work within the justice system believe in those principles that it has lost, corrupted, or abandoned, that they do not bear the full responsibility for the damages caused by their occupation.

It is our hope that this warhead need never be detonated.

However, in order for there to be a peaceful resolution to this crisis, certain things need to happen. There must be reform of outdated and poorly-envisioned legislation, written to be so broadly applied as to make a felony crime out of violation of terms of service, creating in effect vast swathes of crimes, and allowing for selective punishment. There must be reform of mandatory minimum sentencing. There must be a return to proportionality of punishment with respect to actual harm caused, and consideration of motive and mens rea. The inalienable right to a presumption of innocence and the recourse to trial and possibility of exoneration must be returned to its sacred status, and not gambled away by pre-trial bargaining in the face of overwhelming sentences, unaffordable justice and disfavourable odds. Laws must be upheld unselectively, and not used as a weapon of government to make examples of those it deems threatening to its power.

For good reason the statue of lady justice is blindfolded. No more should her innocence be besmirked, her scales tipped, nor her swordhand guided. Furthermore there must be a solemn commitment to freedom of the internet, this last great common space of humanity, and to the common ownership of information to further the common good.

We make this statement do not expect to be negotiated with; we do not desire to be negotiated with. We understand that due to the actions we take we exclude ourselves from the system within which solutions are found. There are others who serve that purpose, people far more respectable than us, people whose voices emerge from the light, and not the shadows. These voices are already making clear the reforms that have been necessary for some time, and are outright required now.

It is these people that the justice system, the government, and law enforcement must engage with. Their voices are already ringing strong with a chorus of determined resolution. We demand only that this chorus is not ignored. We demand the government does not make the mistake of hoping that time will dampen its ringing, that they can ride out this wave of determination, that business as usual can continue after a sufficient period of lip-service and back-patting.


Not this time. This time there will be change, or there will be chaos...

-Anonymous

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Report: Whitley Products Closes Doors

**January 30, 2013** Five days after I posted this story, WLOS-TV has a story on this closing.

Tipped off by comments on Facebook, I'm reporting that it looks like Whitley Products has ceased operations and closed the doors at it's three remaining plants.

A phone call to Whitley’s in Plymouth resulted in a quick conversation with Plant Manager, Rick Green in which he read the following statement:

“Please be advised that Whitley Products, Inc.’s senior lending has again refused to provide the necessary funding to enable Whitley to continue its operations. As a consequence, and with great regret, we must inform you that Whitley Products, Inc. has terminated operations, effective today. For our employees, this means that their employment is terminated, effective immediately.
Possession and control of all Whitley’s operating assets is now held by Keltic Financial Partners II, Lp.”

Source: WTCA-AM Radio

The Whitley Products, Inc website has (as of 6.22pm) not been updated with any indication of the shutdown.

This would put 108 employees in Franklin out of work.

I worked for Whitley Products in the 1990's and management was always telling us that the company was ever so close to being shut down because it wasn't very profitable. 

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Democrats Take Aim At Weapons Ban

I'm starting off my coverage of this event with a commentary.

COMMENTARY

The Democrats are taking aim at another weapons ban, this time under the auspices of US Senator Dianne Feinstein's Assault Weapons Ban of 2013. This is a bill that proposes to ban weapons and to force the registration of previously purchased weapons that meet the criteria for being banned and illegally forces these legal owners to undergo a background check. This, in my opinion, violates the ex post facto provisions in the US Constitution. [link] But, I don't expect Democrats to be people who would respect any provision of our constitution if it stands in the way of something they want.

The introduction of this bill should be the clarion call to awaken a movement so large that it will dwarf the Tea Party of 2009. What I think this new movement should do is to work tirelessly to oppose these members of Congress and to contribute to their defeat when they next come up for election. We should work to ensure that it would be political suicide for anyone to introduce a similar bill for the next generation.

Video and details are below.


C-SPAN Video of the entire event is available at C-SPAN.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and a group of Senate Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation to ban the sale and manufacture of more than 150 types of semi-automatic weapons with military-style features.

The legislation also bans magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition and requires people who already own assault rifles to use secure storage and safety devices and bars them from selling high-capacity clips.

“No weapon is taken from anyone,” said Feinstein. “The purpose is to dry up the supply of these weapons over time.”
Unlike the 1994 assault-weapons ban, there is no sunset provision in Feinstein’s newest gun-control bill.

Source: The Hill

Here is a bill summary and a list of the weapons that would be banned under the bill:

Assault Weapons Ban of 2013

Mass shootings in Newtown, Aurora, and Tucson have demonstrated all too clearly the need to regulate military-style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines. These weapons allow a gunman to fire a large number of rounds quickly and without having to reload.

What the bill does:

The legislation bans the sale, transfer, manufacturing and importation of:

• All semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one military feature: pistol grip; forward grip; folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; grenade launcher or rocket launcher; barrel shroud; or threaded barrel.
• All semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one military feature: threaded barrel; second pistol grip; barrel shroud; capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip; or semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.
• All semiautomatic rifles and handguns that have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
• All semiautomatic shotguns that have a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; pistol grip; fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 5 rounds; ability to accept a detachable magazine; forward grip; grenade launcher or rocket launcher; or shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
• All ammunition feeding devices (magazines, strips, and drums) capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
• 157 specifically-named firearms (listed at the end of this page).

The legislation excludes the following weapons from the bill:

• Any weapon that is lawfully possessed at the date of the bill’s enactment;
• Any firearm manually operated by a bolt, pump, lever or slide action;
• Assault weapons used by military, law enforcement, and retired law enforcement; and
• Antique weapons.

The legislation protects hunting and sporting firearms:

• The bill excludes 2,258 legitimate hunting and sporting rifles and shotguns by specific make and model.

The legislation strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and state bans by:

• Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test.
• The bill also makes the ban harder to evade by eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test.
• Banning dangerous aftermarket modifications and workarounds.
• Bump or slide fire stocks, which are modified stocks that enable semi-automatic weapons to fire at rates similar to fully automatic machine guns.
• So-called “bullet buttons” that allow the rapid replacement of ammunition magazines, frequently used as a workaround to prohibitions on detachable magazines.
• Thumbhole stocks, a type of stock that was created as a workaround to avoid prohibitions on pistol grips.
• Adding a ban on the importation of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.
• Eliminating the 10-year sunset that allowed the original federal ban to expire.

The legislation addresses the millions of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines currently in existence by:

• Requiring a background check on all sales or transfers of a grandfathered assault weapon.
• This background check can be run through the FBI or, if a state chooses, initiated with a state agency, as with the existing background check system.
• Prohibiting the sale or transfer of large-capacity ammunition feeding devices lawfully possessed on the date of enactment of the bill.
• Allowing states and localities to use federal Byrne JAG grant funds to conduct a voluntary buy-back program for grandfathered assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices.
• Imposing a safe storage requirement for grandfathered firearms, to keep them away from prohibited persons.
• Requiring that assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured after the date of the bill’s enactment be engraved with the serial number and date of manufacture of the weapon

Assault weapon bans have been proven to be effective

The 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was effective at reducing crime and getting these military-style weapons off our streets. Since the ban expired, more than 350 people have been killed and more than 450 injured by these weapons.

• A Justice Department study of the assault weapons ban found that it was responsible for a 6.7% decrease in total gun murders, holding all other factors equal.
• Source: Jeffrey A. Roth & Christopher S. Koper, “Impact Evaluation of the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act of 1994,” (March 1997).
• The same study also found that “Assault weapons are disproportionately involved in murders with multiple victims, multiple wounds per victim, and police officers as victims.”
• The use of assault weapons in crime declined by more than two-thirds by about nine years after 1994 Assault Weapons Ban took effect.
• Source: Christopher S. Koper, “An Updated Assessment of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Impacts on Gun Markets and Gun Violence, 1994-2003” (June 2004), University of Pennsylvania, Report to the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.
• The percentage of firearms seized by police in Virginia that had high-capacity magazines dropped significantly during the ban. That figure has doubled since the ban expired.
• Source: David S. Fallis and James V. Grimaldi, “In Virginia, high-yield clip seizures rise,” Washington Post, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/22/AR2011012204046.html
• When Maryland imposed a more stringent ban on assault pistols and high-capacity magazines in 1994, it led to a 55% drop in assault pistols recovered by the Baltimore Police Department.
• Source: Douglas S. Weil & Rebecca C. Knox, Letter to the Editor, The Maryland Ban on the Sale of Assault Pistols and High-Capacity Magazines: Estimating the Impact in Baltimore, 87 Am. J. of Public Health 2, Feb. 1997.
• 37% of police departments reported seeing a noticeable increase in criminals’ use of assault weapons since the 1994 federal ban expired.
• Source: Police Executive Research Forum, Guns and Crime: Breaking New Ground by Focusing on the Local Impact (May 2010).  

List of firearms prohibited by name

Rifles: All AK types, including the following: AK, AK47, AK47S, AK–74, AKM, AKS, ARM, MAK90, MISR, NHM90, NHM91, Rock River Arms LAR–47, SA85, SA93, Vector Arms AK–47, VEPR, WASR–10, and WUM, IZHMASH Saiga AK, MAADI AK47 and ARM, Norinco 56S, 56S2, 84S, and 86S, Poly Technologies AK47 and AKS;

All AR types, including the following: AR–10, AR–15, Armalite M15 22LR Carbine, Armalite M15–T, Barrett REC7, Beretta AR–70, Bushmaster ACR, Bushmaster Carbon 15, Bushmaster MOE series, Bushmaster XM15, Colt Match Target Rifles, DoubleStar AR rifles, DPMS Tactical Rifles, Heckler & Koch MR556, Olympic Arms, Remington R–15 rifles, Rock River Arms LAR–15, Sig Sauer SIG516 rifles, Smith & Wesson M&P15 Rifles, Stag Arms AR rifles, Sturm, Ruger & Co. SR556 rifles; Barrett M107A1; Barrett M82A1; Beretta CX4 Storm; Calico Liberty Series; CETME Sporter; Daewoo K–1, K–2, Max 1, Max 2, AR 100, and AR 110C; Fabrique Nationale/FN Herstal FAL, LAR, 22 FNC, 308 Match, L1A1 Sporter, PS90, SCAR, and FS2000; Feather Industries AT–9; Galil Model AR and Model ARM; Hi-Point Carbine; HK–91, HK–93, HK–94, HK–PSG–1 and HK USC; Kel-Tec Sub–2000, SU–16, and RFB; SIG AMT, SIG PE–57, Sig Sauer SG 550, and Sig Sauer SG 551; Springfield Armory SAR–48; Steyr AUG; Sturm, Ruger Mini-14 Tactical Rife M–14/20CF;

All Thompson rifles, including the following: Thompson M1SB, Thompson T1100D, Thompson T150D, Thompson T1B, Thompson T1B100D, Thompson T1B50D, Thompson T1BSB, Thompson T1–C, Thompson T1D, Thompson T1SB, Thompson T5, Thompson T5100D, Thompson TM1, Thompson TM1C; UMAREX UZI Rifle; UZI Mini Carbine, UZI Model A Carbine, and UZI Model B Carbine; Valmet M62S, M71S, and M78; Vector Arms UZI Type; Weaver Arms Nighthawk; Wilkinson Arms Linda Carbine.

Pistols: All AK–47 types, including the following: Centurion 39 AK pistol, Draco AK–47 pistol, HCR AK–47 pistol, IO Inc. Hellpup AK–47 pistol, Krinkov pistol, Mini Draco AK–47 pistol, Yugo Krebs Krink pistol;

All AR–15 types, including the following: American Spirit AR–15 pistol, Bushmaster Carbon 15 pistol, DoubleStar Corporation AR pistol, DPMS AR–15 pistol, Olympic Arms AR–15 pistol, Rock River Arms LAR 15 pistol; Calico Liberty pistols; DSA SA58 PKP FAL pistol; Encom MP–9 and MP–45; Heckler & Koch model SP-89 pistol; Intratec AB–10, TEC–22 Scorpion, TEC–9, and TEC–DC9; Kel-Tec PLR 16 pistol;

The following MAC types: MAC–10, MAC–11; Masterpiece Arms MPA A930 Mini Pistol, MPA460 Pistol, MPA Tactical Pistol, and MPA Mini Tactical Pistol; Military Armament Corp. Ingram M–11, Velocity Arms VMAC; Sig Sauer P556 pistol; Sites Spectre;

All Thompson types, including the following: Thompson TA510D, Thompson TA5;

All UZI types, including: Micro-UZI.

Shotguns: Franchi LAW–12 and SPAS 12;

All IZHMASH Saiga 12 types, including the following:IZHMASH Saiga 12, IZHMASH Saiga 12S, IZHMASH Saiga 12S EXP–01, IZHMASH Saiga 12K, IZHMASH Saiga 12K–030, IZHMASH Saiga 12K–040 Taktika; Streetsweeper; Striker 12.

Belt-fed semiautomatic firearms: 

All belt-fed semiautomatic firearms including TNW M2HB.

Source: US Senator Dianne Feinstein

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Frosty

I took this photo on Saturday on the campus at Southwestern Community College.

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NWS Calls For Major Ice Storm Friday

Current versions of this map and a text forecast is here.

The National Weather Service is calling for up to a quarter inch of ice to accumulate in Macon County this Friday. If so, it will be a devastating Ice Storm for our county. I pray it does not come to pass.

If you have things that you need to do in order to prepare for an ice storm, please get moving now.

Please keep checking the continuously updated forecasts on the National Weather Service page for our area at this link.

Here is the text of the alert:


***URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE***
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
307 PM EST WED JAN 23 2013

...POTENTIAL ICE STORM FRIDAY...

.A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON FRIDAY BRINGING A PERIOD OF PRECIPITATION. WITH COLD AIR WEDGED AGAINST THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION TYPES WILL RESULT ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.


...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.

* LOCATIONS...THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...FAR NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA...AND FAR NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

* HAZARDS...WINTRY PRECIPITATION...MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF FREEZING RAIN...BUT ALSO MIXED WITH SLEET AT TIMES.

* TIMING...EARLY FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION FALLING AROUND MIDDAY FRIDAY.

* ACCUMULATIONS...AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE...ALONG WITH SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION OF UP TO A HALF INCH.

* IMPACTS...ICE AND SLEET WILL CAUSE ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS TO BECOME SLIPPERY...MAKING TRAVEL DANGEROUS...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. ICE MAY ALSO ACCUMULATE ON POWER LINES AND CAUSING THEM TO FALL...LEADING TO POWER OUTAGES.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.

* WINDS...SOUTH 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. ADDITIONAL DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP.

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Moon-Jupiter Conjunction

The Moon and Jupiter had a very close conjunction last night. I would have grabbed a wider shot, too...but it was so bone-chilling cold that I cold only get one shot and was forced to return to the house. I was glad that it turned out to be a good one.

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The 2013 Inauguration of President Obama

Here is the WaPo Livestream that lasts for more than 7 hours. The audio begins after the 1 minute and 23 second mark.


And, if you are just interested in what President Obama had to say, here is a video and transcript of his speech:


Transcript:

Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth. The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. For more than two hundred years, we have. Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers. Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.
Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone. Our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character. But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.

This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together. For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own. We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time.
We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher. But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed. We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us.

They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared. We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty.

The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well. We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice.

We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth. It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm. That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time. For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service.

But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride. They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals. Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom. Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.

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Macon County Commissioners Annual Retreat 2013 Coverage

Scroll down for updates that include audio and video of the meeting.


The Macon County Commissioner will be holding their annual retreat to review the past year and set the agenda for the coming year at the halfway point in their fiscal year.

I will be posting a nearly live play by play [link] from the meeting on Google Plus and will be recording video and posting low resolution portions portions of it online in the future. If I post video excerpts while the meeting is going on, I will be doing that at the bottom of this post instead of in reverse chronological order like I have done in the past.

Here is a copy of the posted meeting agenda.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

January 19th, 2013 – 9:00 A.M.

WORK SESSION SCC/GROVES CENTER

Agenda

9:00 -9:10 Welcome- Chairmen, (Kevin Corbin)

9:10 -9:20 Macon County 2012, Year in Review (Jack Horton)

9:20- 9:50 Mid-Year Financial Review (Finance Director Lori Hall)

9:50- 10:00 Proposed Budget Calendar Fiscal year 2013/14 (Jack Horton)

Budget challenges and goals for FY 2014

10:00- 10:15 NCACC Legislative goals (Ronnie Beale, Kevin Corbin)

10:15- 10:30 Redistricting (Chairman Corbin)

10:30- 11:00 Tax Revaluation Schedule etc.

(Richard Lightner, Tax Administrator)

11:00- 11:20 Information Technology upgrade

(Andy Muncey, IT Director, and

Richard Lightner, Tax Administrator)

11:20: 11:50 Emergency Services/ EMS proposed shift schedule changes

And equipment replacement needs

(David Key, Emergency Services Director,

County Manager Horton, Commissioner Jim Tate)

11:50- 12:30 Public Schools

(Possible cut in state funding for current expense, and

State revenues loss (i.e.) lottery, ADM

School Security issues?

Next steps, what are our options?

12:30 - 1: pm LUNCH

1:00 – 1:15 Capital Improvement Projects:

Schools, Infrastructure, Transportation, Recreation

1:15 – 1:30 Employee Classification and Compensation Plan,

Funding and Implementation

(County Manager / Human Resource Director)

1:30 – 1:50 Goals and expectations for next year (What do we want to accomplish?

1:50 – 2:00 Wrap up and closing comments

My nearly live coverage will begin at 9 am.

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**UPDATE #1 1.43pm** Audio of part one of the meeting.

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**UPDATE #2 1.51pm** Audio of part two of the meeting. Takes us to the lunch break.

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**Update #3 3.33pm ** Transcribed copy of budget calendar. (any errors are mine)

MACON COUNTY

FY 2013/2014 BUDGET CALENDAR

January 19, 2013 BOCC receives FY 2013/2014 budget calendar

Feb 15, 2013 at 9am Preliminary Budget Meeting with Dept Heads

March 15, 2013 Departments complete line item budget input and

return hard copy requests and narratives

April 1- April 12, 2013 County Manager meetings with department heads as

needed.

April 15, 2013 Macon County Schools and outside agencies submit

budget requests.

May 14, 2013 Manager's recommended budget presented to BOCC with

message; distributed to department heads, posted on

County webpage.

May 15, 2013 until Work Sessions with the Board

June 11, 2013 at 6pm Public hearing on the budget

June 18, 2013 Board adopts the budget 

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**UPDATE 4.14pm** Here is the audio of the third and last part of the annual retreat for the county commissioners.

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**UPDATE 3.25am 01/20/2013** Low resolution video (part one of three).

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**UPDATE 6.08am** Low resolution video (part two of three). The third part will be uploaded sometime this afternoon after church.

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**UPDATE 8.00am** Low resolution video (part three of three). I finished it quicker than expected.

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**UPDATE 2.39pm** Video of the presentation given by Lori Hall, Macon County Finance Director, at the meeting. Video presented in HD so the slides can be read. View full screen if you have the bandwidth.

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Cold For A Cause 2013

Beginning Friday, January 18th at noon, Patrick Jenkins, an Agent with Farm Bureau Insurance, will spend 48 hours out in the 'cold' in a crane raised above the office located at 1866 Highlands Road, Franklin, NC.

The local Farm Bureau is collecting items for families in need and delivering these items to the local Carenet
Items may be dropped off at the Farm Bureau office until noon on January 20th.

Carenet requested items are listed in the order of importance:

Canned Goods
Non Perishable Foods
Personal Care Items
(Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Soap, Anti-bacterial wipes, Toilet Paper, etc)
Blankets and Coats

Stop by a wave to Patrick when you drop off your donations!

Facebook Page for "Cold for a Cause"

Event Page for the 2013 Event

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Moonwalk at Cathedral Peak

The ultimate full moon shot. Dean Potter walks a highline at Cathedral Peak as the sun sets and the moon rises. Shot from over 1 mile away with a Canon 800mm and 2X by Mikey Schaefer.

This shot was part of a bigger project for National Geographic called The Man Who Can Fly.

channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/the-man-who-can-fly/

Directed by Mikey Schaefer...mikeylikesrocks.com
Produced by Bryan Smith
Concept by Dean Potter

Music:
Slate - By Wil Bolton
From the Album: Time Lapse on Hibernate Recordings
Licensed through: Audiomoves - audiomoves.com

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Scenes along the Little Tennessee and Cullasaja Rivers

Between two and three inches of rain fell in Macon County on January 13th, 14th and 15th and here are a few photos and some video clips of what I observed as I drove through the Oak Grove, Cowee and Cullasaja communities, with a heavy emphasis on the very dramatic rapids and falls along the Cullasaja River Gorge.




A link to view the slideshow full screen.

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Franklin TDA 01-14-2013

The Franklin Tourism Development Authority met last night at 5.30 and this is the video of the meeting:


I was not a the meeting, so there was no play by play. The agenda for the meeting is below:

Agenda for Franklin TDA 01-14-2013 Meeting by

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Macon County Commissioners 01-14-2013

**2.29am** Here is a low resolution video of the meeting. I will replace it at a later date with an HD version when I have more time to process the video.


**7.24pm** Here are some documents about the Parker Meadows Project that I acquired during the meeting tonight:


Parker Meadows PARTF Application

Parker Meadows PARTF_App_Basic Facts and Assurances by

Project Cost - Phase I

Project Cost - PARTF Phase I by

Parker Meadows Master Plan

Parker Meadows Master Plan by

The Macon County Commissioners will reconvene their meeting from January 8th that was recessed [see video of that meeting] until tonight, primarily to await a letter with the approval of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians that would let them move dirt on the Parker Meadows Property. 

If Commissioners get that approval (and it is expected that they will), then they will likely move forward with the purchase of that property for an expansion of the Macon County Recreation Facilities with the addition of eight ball fields at that location.

The agenda for the meeting is below, and I'll be covering the meeting with my nearly live play by play on Google Plus [check it out] and posting the video of the meeting at the top of this article as soon after it is over as I can.

I will also be at the annual recess this Saturday.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

JANUARY 14, 2013 – 6 P.M.

RECESSED MEETING AGENDA

•Reconvene – Chairman Corbin

•Adjustments to and approval of the agenda

•Approval of Basic Facts and Assurances regarding proposed Parker Meadows Recreational Park Phase I – Mike Lavoy/Alliance Consulting Engineers

•Consideration of purchase of the former Parker Meadows Golf Course

•Acceptance of master plan for proposed Parker Meadows Recreational Park Phase I – Mike Lavoy and Seth Adams

•Consideration of options for swimming pool project – Seth Adams

•Consideration of change order #14 on the Little Tennessee River/Cartoogechaye Creek Trunk Sewer Project – County Manager

•Other business

•Adjourn

NOTE:  The Board will hold a mid-year “review” on Saturday, January 19, 2013 beginning at 9 a.m. in the conference room of the Cecil L. Groves Center on the Macon County Campus of Southwestern Community College, located at 44 Siler Farm Road in Franklin, NC.

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Heavy Rain Forecast for WNC on Monday and Tuesday

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the WNC Mountains for excessive rainfall over the next three days that may result in flooding in certain areas in western North Carolina.

I've taken the KML File issued by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and produced the above graphic. The text of the outlook is below:

***Hazardous Weather Outlook***

A Cold Front will stall across western North Carolina and Northeast Georgia tonight and linger through at least Tuesday night. A deep southwesterly fetch from the western Gulf of Mexico will keep abundant moisture in place over Macon County and the rest of the region and produce heavy rainfall at times Monday through Tuesday night.

Rainfall totals of 3 to 4 inches are expected across our area. Localized flooding could start to develop around the area by Tuesday...especially in the Southwestern mountains. I heavy rainfall begins to saturate the ground tonight into early Monday...a Flood Watch could be issued for the area.

I have included the 72 hour rainfall forecast total from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center for reference. Please take appropriate actions where necessary and stay tuned to your favorite local news source for updated forecasts from the National Weather Service.

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Leo Laporte Keynote at the 2013 New Media Expo

Here is a very profound keynote given by +Leo Laporte of +TWiT TV at CES earlier this week. 

I watch a lot of the TWIT-TV shows via my +Roku.

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Venture Local January 2013 Meeting

The Nantahala Baking & Coffee Co hosted the January 2013 meeting of  Venture Local Franklin [web] [Facebook] in their shop at 335 East Main Street in Franklin, NC tonight. About two dozen local entrepreneurs attended. They reviewed the efforts of 2012 and set their minds to working on things that they want to accomplish in 2013. Members of Venture Local Franklin attended the meeting of the Franklin Main Street Program Board meeting and invited their members to attend tonight's meeting, but none of them attended.

The members of Venture Local Franklin discussed how could continue to generate interest in shopping local through variety of means, including holding more StreetFests, Mini-Festivals and other grass root initiatives.

The next meeting will be at 6:30pm on February 12, 2013 at the Main Street Piz Zeria [Facebook] located at 409 Depot Street in Franklin, NC. Come on down and join the fun! 

Below are some of the photos I took tonight at the the Nantahala Baking & Coffee Co.

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Macon County Commissioners 01-08-2013

The Macon County Commissioners met Tuesday night for the first regular meeting of the year. I have embedded videos of the meeting below. About 20 minutes into the first video is the portion of the meeting where Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland ran a scenario involving a shooter at a school for the Commissioners to establish why he is against arming school teachers.


Prior to the meeting, the county recognized long serving employees with pins and plaques. I previously posted the video and photos of that at this link.



Part One

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Part Two

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MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
JANUARY 8, 2013
AGENDA

NOTE: Service awards for county employees
will be presented beginning at 5:30 p.m.

1. 6:00 p.m. - Call to order and welcome by Chairman Corbin

2. Announcements

3. Moment of Silence

4. Pledge of Allegiance

5. Public Hearing(s) - Installment Financing Contract for Improvements to Highlands School
NOTE: Consideration of the contract and other related matters will immediately follow the public hearing

6. Public Comment Period

7. Adjustments to and approval of the agenda

8. Reports Presentations

• School Resource Officers - Sheriff Robert Holland
• Update on Parker Meadows Recreation Project - Seth Adams and Mike Lovoy

9. Old Business

• Macon County Public Health FY 12-13 Billing and Collection Policies and Fee Schedules - Jim Bruckner, Public Health Director
• QZAB Reimbursement Resolution

10. New Business

• Request from the Sky Valley/Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department for relief fund money - David Key
• Resolution approving terms of loan modification - Finance Director

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.

• Minutes of the December 11, 2012 meeting
• Budget Amendments # 87-91
• Tax releases
• Monthly Ad Valorem Tax Collection Report (no action necessary)

12. Appointments 

13. Closed session (if necessary)

14. Adjournment/Recess

Upcoming Meeting Schedule

• Essentials of County Government - January 9-10, Asheville, NC
• Mid-Year Update Meeting - Saturday, January 19 at 9 a.m. at the SCC Macon Campus Conference Room
• NCACC Legislative Goals Conference - January 24-25, Sheraton RTP in Durham County

And here are supporting documents for this meeting:


At 6 o'clock, the regular meeting will begin and a public hearing will be held regarding an Installment Financing Contract for Improvements to Highlands School.


Also, Commissioner Beale has asked Sheriff Robert Holland to address school safety issues as they relate to School Resource Officers (SROs). Other details of the meeting can be found on the abbreviated agenda above and the full forty page agenda below.

2012 Service Awards


01.08.13 BOC Agenda Packet for iPad Final

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