This is awesome! [link]

Webapp EveryBlock delivers localized news from five major U.S. cities—New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Charlotte . EveryBlock aggregates data from a variety of sources, including previously mentioned Yelp, Craigslist, numerous blog posts and news outlets, and government databases. In New York, for example, one can look up information about graffiti clean-up requests (broken down by neighborhood) as well as liquor licenses for institutions throughout the city. Delve deeper to a specific street name or number and get real estate listings, Flickr photos, reviews, crime reports, restaurant inspections, and more. If you're living in one of the five major supported cities, EveryBlock has just about everything you need to be well-informed about your neighborhood.

What is this crime? "Deceptive practice: Theft of labor/services" This seems to happen in my neighborhood....

eta: It's stuff like not paying cab fare....

A weed is pretty much any plant people don't like, right?

Or can't make money off?

I think people can make money off of weed....

In my yard, grass is a weed if it's growing in the rose beds, so I'd have to agree.

So, my DVR taped some steroid show by accident, so of course I've watched it, and I have to say, for all the warnings about how it might be disturbing, I was expecting way more grossness. It's more "Steroids are bad -- look at these muscles!"

A weed is pretty much anything that grows without someone planting it.

A weed is pretty much anything that grows without someone planting it.

If you like where it is, then you rename it 'volunteer'.

OK, this is freaking me out, but I actually almost want them to bring the police camera back to my neighborhood: [link]

We heard that a hot topic at tonight's Beat 2311 CAPS Meeting at Truman College were police cameras, and why the camera at Wilson and Magnolia was removed and installed at Wilson and Sheridan. Many residents on Magnolia voiced concern over the gang-bangers that congregate at the Food Mart in the Wilson-Magnolia Mall and noted a direct spike in criminal activity now that the camera moved.

That's a block from me. Those kids who hang out at the Food Mart are annoying. Plus they steal candy. Although I can't really say if the area is more dangerous since they took the camera away....

Hey, speaking of lovely days, it'd be fun to see you and Noah one of these days before we both get swamped by school.

Absolutely! thursday is free day at Huntington. I'm getting tickets tomorrow to go.

Tornado. tommyrot, take cover.