Good Morning, RVA: Why, what a pleasant day

Thursday, you look great!

July 16, 2015; 6:58 AM • by Ross Catrow

Photo by: CBHL

Good morning, RVA! It’s 67 °F, and there is almost no chance of rain today! I know, crazy. Before y’all head straight to the the pool, keep in mind that today’s high is “only” 84 °F, and there may be a few clouds here and there to cover up the sun.

Water cooler

As you probably know, the Sons of Confederate Veterans are in town this week. Mayor Jones responded by flying a massive American flag from City Hall. I love this. Doing something–even a small (but super visible) thing–to say “hey, these people do not represent our city” is so much better than just repeating that sentiment over and over in press conferences (although that doesn’t hurt).

Peter Galuszka at Style has a nice interview with new UR President Ronald Crutcher in which the later talks about how his specialization in chamber music (he’s a legit cellist) helps him run a university.

At last night’s ESPYs–which are like sports Oscars–Caitlyn Jenner, introduced by Abby Wambach, was given the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Look at all of those proper nouns in that sentence! Watch her speech, you will feel emotions.

Sports!

• Squirrels are back in action tonight against the Altoona Curve. Said action starts at 7:05 PM, and tickets are available right here.

What to expect

• The ancient and time-honored combination of Food News and 5 Things
• Our deep dive into a barrel of local booze continues with a piece about Blue Bee Cider
• There is live music this month, do not forget about it

This morning’s longread

A Life in Film: Jabin Dickins — special effects on-set supervisor for Mad Max: Fury Road

Here’s an interview with a guy whose job is to blow stuff up.

An explosion in a film doesn’t require a lot of prep and thought. A cheap and easy way to get one it is to put explosives in a big mortar pot and pour petrol on top and you’ve got a big, yellow fireball.

But when I’m watching films I’m much more interested in debris and things flying around. Where you can see that somebody has put a lot more thought into it; when you can see people in the shot and you know they’re there for real.

This morning’s Instagram

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July 16, 2015 6:58 AM 0