I forgot to post a link to this earlier. It’s a photo gallery I edited the words for that marks the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit riots. Click through. The pictures border on the surreal, knowing that this actually happened - here, in our beloved “D.”

As if I hadn’t had enough change this year; what with a big move, a wedding and a new job; the divine Mrs. V and I are buying a house. So far, it seems like an expensive (ad)venture. I look forward to it.

The house sits on a beautiful tree-lined street in Huntington Woods, Mich., just a couple miles from the rental we currently occupy in Royal Oak. It’s a four bedroom, two and a half bath brick model with room for improvement. As we see it, buying a house that needs work in a neighborhood that doesn’t is a good strategy. It means that even if we end up selling it in five years, our investment is safe.

So, if you know good contractors in the area, click the link and email me. We need recommendations. You name it, we need it: plumbing, electrical, drywall and plaster. Hey, if you just want to grab a paint brush and lend an hour, we welcome that too.

We expect to close at the end of August.

Google may be the new Microsoft, but it’s cooler than Microsoft ever was.

I’ve been toying with Google Maps. In just a few minutes you can create customized, themed maps. For example, I made a map that shows my favorite coffee joints. Hover over map points for my brief impressions of each.