Category: Media

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 27, 201912:16 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Shadow, Too

For years, I have wondered about a house on Monroe Avenue, around the corner from where live Luci, Maven, Night, and Peso because of the kitty decorations in the yard. This morning, while passing by, my curiosity met the cat: the series‘ thirty-fifth behind-the-window watcher. Initially, I stopped to gawk but not to photograph because something felt a little too intrusive about the setup and my peering inside from the sidewalk behind the lens.

But before reaching the cross street, I turned about. As I lifted Leica Q to manually focus, a couple walking dogs passed behind me. The gent gleefully yelled: “Oh, that’s Shadow!” To which, I asked: “How do you know?” “We know the owner”, he answered, adding that there is a companion cat named Charlie.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 19, 20197:48 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Ruff

Heavy rains gave way to summer sun this fine Caturday, as temperatures topped 21 degrees Celsius. I hauled out for a late-morning walk, with intention of calling my sister who winters in Florida. Her line went straight to voicemail. I rang my (last living) uncle, instead. Yikes, he prepared his Northern Maine homestead for impending heavy snow and possible power outage. About 15 minutes into the conversation, I asked that he wait while I used Google Pixel 3 XL to capture several quick portraits of a handsome dark grey shorthair sitting beneath a propped window and looking out through the screen.

The Featured Image is the second shot of four, taken along Meade Avenue not far from where Teach lives. Vitals: f/1.8, ISO 67, 1/7813 sec, 4.44mm; 11:22 a.m. PST. Thirty-fourth behind-the-window watcher to appear in the series, the cat earns its nickname for fine white ruff.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 18, 20196:05 am

The Cats of University Heights: Monarch

Black kitties are the most difficult to identify, particularly from a distance. Our newest inductee was spotted on Sept. 15, 2018 in the same yard as Skull, the fourth feline to participate in the series (October 2016). Next door, at the Butterfly House, another Halloween cat, Wink, made an appearance nearly a year later (August 2017). Are they all the same, or three different shorthairs? From the various photos, they look distinct enough to me. But who can say?

The Featured Image is one of the last captured with Leica M10, which I sold a few weeks later. Last night, someone bought the other of my two Leica lenses—90mm / f4.0 Macro Elmar—which I used for this portrait. The Blackie earns nickname Monarch, for location seen and timing of this profile; keepers of the butterfly refuge recently relocated to Hawaii. Vitals: f/4, ISO 200, 1/90 sec, 90mm; 6:29 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 14, 20195:57 pm

Sidewalk Art

Some people look up at the sky and see creatures in the clouds. In ever-sunny San Diego, head down is best view, if for no other reason than doggie do-do rudely left behind. What else […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 11, 20198:20 pm

Sanctuary No More

I started more closely watching what the Wilcox clan calls the Butterfly House—a lush Monarch (and other creature) refuge along Maryland Ave., going down the hill from Meade. A major culling of plumage made me wonder if the residents might be leaving. Yep. Last week, I passed by as a moving truck was loaded. Three days ago, I spoke with one of the tenants. They’re Hawaii-bound, and the future of the mini-wildlife habitat is uncertain. Much depends on whomever resides there next. The longstanding caretakers, who contributed much to the neighborhood by way of their overly-committed gardening, bought a house and acre of land on the Big Island. Their tending will be missed by many.

For a small sense of what will likely vanish, please click through to the “Cats of University Heights” profile of Wink, laying low in the middle of the magnificent front yard. Incidentally, two other felines—Flower and Skull—were previously profiled in the adjacent properties on either side of the Butterfly House.

Apple by Joe WilcoxJan 7, 20194:36 pm

Thanks, Tidal

Concurrent with the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 kick-off and other Day 0 announcements, music streaming service Tidal updated its Android app (hehe, sorry iOS users) to support Masters. Oh, yeah, baby. Gimme, gimme. Tidal unveiled Masters, in licensing partnership with MQA, two years ago during the same tech gala.

Abandoning Apple for Google products during summer 2018 meant my giving up Tidal Masters, which until today were only available on the macOS and Windows desktop apps. Because Chrome OS supports Android apps, I can now listen to Masters on my laptop, not just smartphone. You can, too (if not an Apple device user).

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 4, 20196:15 am

The Cats of University Heights: Mitsie

Our second featured feline of 2019 is the thirtieth seen along Alabama—on the same block where live Harley, Holiday, Laramie, Lupe, and Precious and where were the homes of the departed Monkey and missing Smokey. I have exclaimed about the putty population density on the street, numerous times, and I know of at least four more cats on the block that have yet to be photographed. But there are others of which I am aware along the 1.5 km stretch between Adams and Lincoln.

I met Mitsie (her real name), one of her owners, and three dogs while they sunned on the cool morning of Dec. 29, 2018. She came to one of her current caretakers as a stray about six years ago, when he lived in Imperial Beach, Calif.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 1, 20196:01 am

The Cats of University Heights: Storm

Our third New Years furball joins Norman (2018) and Chub (2017) in the distinguished role. The kitty is also twenty-ninth featured from Alabama. I walk all over the neighborhood, such that the street gets no special attention with respect to others. Yet, for reasons that mystify, more felines are seen there than anywhere. Of the 237 profiles to date, 12 percent come from Alabama between Adams and Lincoln. Meow! The real number of known cats rises to the mid-thirties; I simply don’t have satisfactory portraits of them all yet.

The handsome Tuxedo earns nickname Storm, for appearing between two major rain fronts on the morning of Nov. 29, 2018. Considering the weather, I was walking for exercise between torrents rather than scouting for early day paw-paws. I spotted Storm first in the yard where Striker appeared five months earlier. The Tux moved behind cars and along a house and garage onto another property before approaching close enough for photos.

Web by Joe WilcoxDec 31, 20189:55 am

I Lied About Quitting Tidal

I can count on two hands, which soon may not be enough, how many times that I cancelled the Tidal music service only to resume weeks later. I first joined on April 1, 2015, when the rebranded music streamer started. Three days before my then most recent renewal date, June 30, 2018, I pledged to end my subscription for good. Simple reason: The Wilcox household subscribes to too many services, and Tidal is among the most expensive at $19.95 per month. I terminated, as planned.

But as expressed six months ago, “the new rule is this: we will pay for what we get good value”. My aging ears derive too much value from music streamed as so-called hifi—Free Lossless Audio Codec, delivered at 44 kHz, 16 bit, and 1411kbps bitrate. I can hear the difference, compared to muddy 320kbps MP3 or 256kbps AAC files. Every time I switch services, the muddy sound—particularly pronounced in vocals—drives me back to FLAC, and to Tidal. About two weeks later, in mid-July, I celebrated my birthday with yet another return. My subscription is uninterrupted nearly six months later.

Gear by Joe WilcoxDec 28, 20186:30 pm

Grado GW100 Review

When I first opened the box containing the Grado Labs GW100 headphones, one word came to mind: “Cheap”. The cans didn’t look or feel like the classy Grado RS1i and RS1e, which I once owned, or the GS1000e that are still beloved and possessed. But after connecting to Google Pixel 2 XL (and later the 3 XL), via Bluetooth, I exclaimed: “Priceless”. The first offering in the company’s “Wireless Series” rises to an audiophile class unmatched by most competing cans; I prefer the GW100 to the GS1000e, which cost four times more to buy. Four words best describe the experience listening to music of any genre: Natural. Immersive. Balanced. Authentic.

The GW100 are unique among wireless headphones by design: They are open-back like Grado’s wired models, but they are unlike all other major manufacturers’ wireless cans, which typically cover the ears and/or impose oppressively confining noise cancellation. I understand that commuters on noisy trains or travelers on rumbling airplanes might want NC, but the feature creates a cone of silence that is very unnatural. By comparison, the GW100’s open-air design allows music to expand, while—I must concede—letting in background noise going on about you.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 25, 20188:50 am

The Cats of University Heights: Tranquil

I encountered our honorary Christmas cat five minutes after sighting Comfy, on Dec. 12, 2018—also along North Avenue, but closer to Madison than Monroe. I lugged Leica Q, which was the perfect companion for post-production close-cropping; it’s a necessity when shooting wide (28mm) from a distance but easily doable because of the detail captured by the superb f/1.7 Summilux lens and full-frame sensor.

The kitty earns nickname Tranquil for its position, location, and time of day (sunny 2:22 p.m. PST). Vitals for the Featured Image and companion, aperture manually set for street shooting: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/250 sec, 28mm.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 25, 201812:01 am

Christmas Palm

Merry Christmas! While waiting in our car for my daughter, on Nov. 22, 2018, I looked down West Point Loma Blvd. in Ocean Beach, Calif. at the strangest thing—a seemingly shaped Christmas tree reaching into […]