Category: Culture

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 19, 20257:06 pm

Gritty Graffiti

Let me preface this post by strongly saying that the Featured Image isn’t an expression about my attitude with respect to the current crisis in the Middle East. Rather, I observe surprising graffiti and use it to illustrate current events.

A tenuous ceasefire is underway between Israel and adversaries in Gaza and Lebanon. Earlier today, Hamas released the first three of 33 hostages in exchange for 90 by the Israelis. The conflict started on Oct. 7, 2003 when terrorists breached Israeli defenses from Gaza, killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and grabbed 254 hostages. Nearly 100 remain in captivity.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 13, 20254:18 pm

Los Angeles Burns

The time is overdue to post something about the scourge of wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County. Dry Santa Ana winds, coming off the desert, were forecast with the unusually sternest of warnings a week ago. Then, as sustained gusts reached about 50 mph, the first reports of a brushfire went out—around 10:30 a.m. PST on Tuesday Jan. 7, 2024. Within minutes, intense flames and oversize flying embers drove forward what would be called the Palisades Fire. Ten acres would be burned by the top of the hour and more than 1,200 by 3:30 p.m.

Thousands of structures, including entire neighborhoods, burned to the ground in communities with names people living outside the state might recognize, such as Malibu and Pacific Palisades. The wildfire even destroyed businesses and homes along California’s scenic, and iconic, Pacific Coast Highway—someplace where residents would never reasonably expect such carnage.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 12, 20259:36 pm

Sunday Cyclists

While walking up Adams Avenue in my neighborhood of University Heights, today, I chatted with one of my sisters over the phone. Suddenly I heard, then saw, a massive pack of bicyclists speed past, turning onto Park Blvd. By the amount of time taken to go by, they numbered in the hundreds.

Caught off guard and fumbling, because of the phone call, I lost precious seconds deciding to pull round Nikon Zf and attached NIKKOR 40mm f/2 (SE) lens. The Featured Image and companion were captured, quickly, suddenly, with little preparation. Both are composed as captured. Had I more time and not otherwise been distracted, I would have slowed down the shutter speed for blurred motion shot.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 1, 20257:50 pm

Happy New Year!

What is the meaning of the Featured Image? Simply stated: 2025 is a gift, and it’s a gift we should share with other people. Opportunity abounds, if we let it. The first, and very vital, step: Embarking from day one with a positive attitude.

We can make this year one of the most remarkable in human history, and honestly—given some of the chaos around the globe—we don’t have much other choice.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 25, 20249:58 pm

Merry Christmas!

Another Christmas Day is nearly over, but every day should be a celebration of giving. Live for the sake others—give and forget. That’s the spirit of the season, which is instead awash with wanton materialism, rather than celebrating Jesus—or the birth of any child, for that matter.

Around San Diego neighborhood University Heights, the atmosphere was spiritless today. During a morning walk, my wife and I passed numerous residents—many of them walking dogs. I greeted everyone with “Good Morning” and “Merry Christmas”. No one, and I mean no one, returned the greeting or acknowledged our presence. I know that we are old now, but so were some of the non-responders.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 5, 20246:48 pm

When You Can’t Get an AI Girlfriend

The Barber of Seville is closing up shop after 45 years of operation—more than 30 of them in downtown University Heights. George gave me a final cut this afternoon. His last customer will be a local priest, sometime on Dec. 11, 2024.

While waiting outside for my turn, I observed something, or more appropriately someone, across the street. You can judge for yourself from the Featured Image. Homelessness is a San Diego fixture, and I see street dwellers sprawled on sidewalks every day. But this gent is the first with an inflatable woman.

Living by Joe WilcoxNov 21, 202410:18 pm

Sore loser or Wishful Thinker?

More than two weeks after the November 5th election, emotions among my neighbors range from anger to disbelief to resistance (a polite way of saying revenge). I see more Harris-Walz signs on lawns than before Americans voted.

Lemme see, the five stages of grief are (correct me if mistaken): Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I would guess the majority of University Heights residents are stuck in the first two stages. Acceptance? You can forget that. Defiance is more likely, as the plethora of signs suggest.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 4, 20247:56 pm

Trip to Trump Country

Two days ago, my wife and I enjoyed a scenic, 56-km (36-mile) drive from San Diego to Ramona, Calif., where I underwent Stop the Bleed trauma training. In our neighborhood, Democrat-candidate-supporting signs are everywhere. We have seen one for Trump, inside a window where no one could tear it away.

But we saw several banners—one hoisted high above the highway—along the route to Ramona and an actual Trump Store on Main Street. Say what? Someone would either graffiti or torch the place if located in the Hillcrest-North Park-University Heights area. Around where we live, people who can’t stop talking about inclusion and tolerance are quick to exclude and exude intolerance towards Donald Trump, his MAGA-movement, and anything or anyone Republican.

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 15, 202411:02 pm

San Diego is Scary Now

Seventeen years ago today, the Wilcox family relocated to San Diego from the Washington, DC-metro area. We came to care for my father-in-law, who would live another decade and pass away—age 95—in his own bed. He likely would have gone sooner and/or been confined to a nursing home otherwise.

My wife and I should have fled Communist California—and the slave mentality induced here—in 2017, soon after her dad died. But ongoing concerns about our only child kept us here longer. Our daughter’s brain injury, in March 2023, justified the financial hardship of staying. She survived—something unlikely had we, from a long distance, taken doctors’ advice to end life support rather than by being present choose to continue it.

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 5, 20247:56 pm

Witchy Women

As I walked along Louisiana Street from El Cajon Blvd, today, a lady dressed in full witch regalia—black with red accents—turned the corner from Meade. We passed and I wondered where she could be going 26 days before Halloween.

An answer approached after I crossed onto the next block: Two more witches walked my way. So, I stopped them and inquired, explaining about the other costume dresser. Some of the local ladies were off to University Heights neighborhood bar Gilly’s, which recently changed ownership and partially its name.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 4, 202410:20 pm

When No One Helps You

This morning, as my wife and I waited to cross Mississippi at University Avenue in North Park, we heard arguing and shouting. We both turned back to see some kind of disagreement between a man and woman near the distant bus stop on the opposite side of the street.

The dude looked to be stealing, or trying to steal, the lady’s bicycle. Shirtless, he was clearly homeless; she was well-dressed. Taller than her, he was racially white but so sunburned to be almost black; dirty, my guess, too. We weren’t sure what to do, being older folks, but we decided to walk down the block nevertheless. She needed help.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 16, 20249:31 pm

That’s Nothing to Brag About

I hope my neighbor doesn’t see this post; no offense is intended, but she surely will be offended. The sentiment expressed in her lawn sign responds to Republican Vice-Presidential candidate JD Vance and comments that he made during a 2021 interview about Democrat “childless cat ladies“. Looking around my neighborhood, dogs would be even more applicable.

San Diego, like most of California, is largely liberal and relatively young. Median age is 35.8 years. I see plenty of couples going about, but rather than push baby carriages or walk with youngsters, the majority pull leashed dogs—often two or three. I loathe the commonly used euphemism “pet parents”, but it punctuates the point Vance tried to make in that interview.