Good Morning, RVA: The middle of the week

After a rough couple of news days, we stand in the middle of the week.

April 29, 2015; 7:02 AM • by Ross Catrow

Good morning, RVA! It’s 44 °F, and clouds will roll in today to lead us back to rainy weather tomorrow. Highs in the mid-70s will placate you for now, but the visual reminder of impending storms will still bum you out.

Water cooler

The Baltimore Sun has the coverage you’re looking for as tensions in Baltimore have started to cool down. The Orioles and White Sox will play today to an empty, closed-to-the-public Camden Yards. The president made some remarks, including, “This is not new. It’s been going on for decades.” Meanwhile, smaller-scale protests began in Detroit and Chicago.

Archeology is so cool that I feel compelled to link to anything that pertains to it, so here’s Graham Moomaw’s story in the RTD about a possible dig at the old Seabrook’s Warehouse site, aka General Hospital #9, on Grace and 17th.

Superintendent Bedden gave his first State of the Schools address last night, and the RTD’s Zachary Reid has the recap. Pretty much what you’d expect: To see improvements in our schools we need to spend some money ($24 million to be exact).

The new mini-Walmart at VCU, which caused much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, will open today at 7:30 AM.

Sports!

• It took three runs in the 9th, but the Nats snapped their losing streak with a 13-12 win over the Braves. The series continues today at 7:10 PM.
• Question: Will the Flying Squirrels ever win another game? They sit at 3-13 on the season and will wrap up the series with Reading today at 10:35 AM before a much needed day off.

What to expect

Friend, today you may expect:

• A list of 5 things to do with your family
• A helpful guide to clever organization as Neat Week continues
• To learn about your solar power options in RVA
• An audio interview with Joan Bowling, public speaking genius

This morning’s longread

Trash Food

John T. had been a little shaky on the label of “trash food,” mentioning mullet and possum as examples. At one time this list included crawfish because Cajun people ate it, and catfish because it was favored by African Americans and poor Southern whites. As these cuisines gained popularity, the food itself became culturally upgraded. Crawfish and catfish stopped being “trash food” when the people eating it in restaurants were the same ones who felt superior to the lower classes. Elite white diners had to redefine the food to justify eating it. Otherwise they were voluntarily lowering their own social status–something nobody wants to do.

What you eat says a lot about your social class, turns out.

This morning’s Instagram

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April 29, 2015 7:02 AM 0