When the going gets weird, the weird solicit venture capital.

Smile when you call me a blogger. Substack Local has endorsed this happy gonzo adventure. Your support just bought us some serious attention and up-front money to get things done.

I dropped off a check for $1,500 to the folks at NewFields in Midtown yesterday, because I could. Marjorie Hall, an engineering leader there and a very good friend, was genuinely surprised to see me there in the overabundant flesh with money in my hands for the work her firm had done for me — for us — crunching Atlanta’s 911 call data.

“You didn’t have …