B'More... Mobtown... Charm City...

Jill heads to Baltimore later this week.
I have been digging up some information to help her prepare for the journey.
For example...
I forwarded to her the Baltimore City Paper Web site, located here. The paper's best-of-Baltimore awards included an honor for "Best Baltimore Blog," won by the comprehensive BALTIMORE CRIME BLOG, located here.
As you would expect from the setting of both "Homicide: Life on the Streets" and "The Wire," Baltimore has managed to elevate crime to high art.
The city provides the setting for some truly memorable crimes.
Paul Joyal, a Russian intelligence expert, recently learned about Baltimore crime the hard way: The Putin critic was shot in the groin on his way home from the Spy museum.
Ironic? Not in Baltimore, where two people die every three days because of violence.
Baltimore's sorrowful stories extend beyond the city limits, too.
Prince George's County authorities recently arrested 31-year-old Amara Eden.
Authorities say neighbors in the 7700 block of Topton Street smelled smoke coming from a house and called 911.
Responding firefighters found five children alone inside the house.
The children, ranging in ages from 6 months to 6 years, had started a fire in a bid to cook food.
Eden returned to the home as rescue workers began removing the children from the home.
Every place has its problems, of course, and Baltimore is by no means alone.
Perhaps, shedding additional light on the problem -- as BALTIMORE CRIME BLOG does -- will continue to raise the awareness that something must be done to stem the tide.