Good morning, Whitewater

In the city today, there are two scheduled, municipal public meetings. At 4:30 p.m., the Urban Forestry Task Force meets, and at 7 p.m., the League of Women Voters will meet in the municipal building.

It’s picture retake day, and take your family to school day, at Lakeview School. It’s market pickup day at Lincoln School.

There’s a fascinating story over at Wired, about the artificial creation of a desktop black hole:

Two Chinese scientists have successfully made an artificial black hole. Since you’re still reading this, it’s safe to say that Earth hasn’t been sucked into its vortex.

That’s because a black hole doesn’t technically require a massive, highly concentrated gravitational field that prevents light from escaping, as postulated by Albert Einstein. It just needs to capture light — or, to be more precise, electromagnetic radiation, of which visually perceived light is one form.

The desktop black hole, described in a paper submitted to arXiv on Monday, is made from 60 concentrically arranged layers of circuit board. Each layer is coated in copper and printed with patterns that alternately vibrate or don’t vibrate in response to electromagnetic waves.

Together, the patterns completely absorbed microwave radiation coming from any direction, and converted their energy to heat.

Here’s today’s almanac:

Good morning, Whitewater

In the city today, there will be a three municipal public meetings: the Rock River Stormwater Group meets at 10, the Census Complete Count Committee meets at 1, and the Park and Rec Board meets at 4:30.

On this day in 1775, the Continental Congress ordered the construction of a naval fleet, beginning with two vessels:

Resolved, That a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months, and that the commander be instructed to cruize eastward, for intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike stores and other supplies for our enemies, and for such other purposes as the Congress shall direct.

That a Committee of three be appointed to prepare an estimate of the expence, and lay the same before the Congress, and to contract with proper persons to fit out the vessel.

Resolved, that another vessel be fitted out for the same purposes, and that the said committee report their opinion of a proper vessel, and also an estimate of the expence.

The Whitewater Fire Department is scheduled to visit Lakeview School today.There’s a PTO meeting at Lincoln School today at 3:15 p.m, and a PATT meeting at Washington School at 6:30 p.m.

Here’s today’s almanac:

Good morning, Whitewater

In the city today, there will be a Planning Commission meeting at 6 p.m., and a Library Board meeting at 6:30 p.m.

In the choice between planning or reading, I’d pick reading (unless it’s reading about planning, which is probably about the worst kind of reading someone could possibly do). Thinking about it, I would advocate watching PBR over planning, reading about planning, or even thinking about planning. Yes, I’m certain of it.

At Lakeview School, it’s take your family to lunch day.

It’s Columbus Day today, a federal holiday. Enjoy the day. Yesterday, though, was one of the darkest days in American — and world — history: on October 11, 2002, former president Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee tells us why:

for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development

Whatever.

There are zero — that’s 0 — libertarians who respect Jimmy Carter. Other than Richard Nixon and Benedict Arnold, no American has played a darker role in our history than Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Hoffa would have been more deserving of the Peace Prize.

I know that there are some Americans who think that President Obama was unqualified to receive the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize; I completely disagree. Barack Obama was more qualified to receive the prize after a few days in office than Carter was after decades of post-presidential self-promotion diplomacy.

Obama wouldn’t have needed to have been elected president to be more qualified than Carter. As a U.S. senator, or even an Illinois state senator, Obama would have been more qualified. In fact, at the age of twelve, if Obama had taken a school bus past the White House, State Department, or even a local post office, he would have been more worthy than Carter.

There’s nothing that Saturday Night Live can say about President Obama that will ever be as funny as what the Nobel Committee said about Carter in 2002.

Here’s today’s almanac:

Good morning, Whitewater

In the city today, state senator Judy Robson will hold a listening session from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Whitewater municipal building.

In our schools, it’s spirit day at schools throughout the district, there’s a scheduled road rally at Lincoln School, and at the high school there are homecoming events: Dress Day (Red & White Day), Boys’ Volleyball, Circle Bash Food Stands, Dodgeball, Ping Pong, Euchre Tournament, Scavenger Hunt, Almost Anything Goes, Parade, Dance Decorations, and Dance Ticket Sales (ending at 3:30 pm)

Here’s today’s almanac:

Good morning, Whitewater

In the city today, there are no public, municipal meetings scheduled.

In our schools, there’s vision and hearing screening at Lakeview. At the high school there are homecoming events: Dress Day Color Day (Freshmen Green, Sophomores Orange, Juniors Yellow, Seniors Purple), a canned food drive, dollar war, and sale of dance tickets.

Here’s today’s almanac:

Good morning, Whitewater

In the city today, there’s a Landmarks Commission meeting scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

In our schools, at the high school there are homecoming events: Dress Day Decade Day, a canned food drive, dollar war, Lip Sync competition at 7 p.m., and sale of dance tickets.

On this day in Wisconsin history, the Wisconsin Historical Society reports an odd turn in our history:

1774 – Wisconsin Becomes Part of Quebec

On this date Britain passed the Quebec Act, making Wisconsin part of the province of Quebec. Enacted by George III, the act restored the French form of civil law to the region. The Thirteen Colonies considered the Quebec Act as one of the “Intolerable Acts,” as it nullified Western claims of the coast colonies by extending the boundaries of the province of Quebec to the Ohio River on the south and to the Mississippi River on the west. [Source: Avalon Project at the Yale Law School]

Here’s today’s almanac: