Category: Society

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 26, 20269:45 pm

A Simple Sentiment

The last week marks a visible atmospheric mood change here in University Heights. For example, some of the more obviously patriotic homes have turned their flying flags upside down, joining this one seen in March of 2025 that hasn’t changed direction. These are people who had appeared to support Donald Trump, but who oppose his administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, among other things.

But there is something else going on locally that has residents complaining and protesting. Earlier this month, San Diego implemented paid parking at Balboa Park, which is widely unpopular among the locals and has dramatically reduced attendance to the destination and the museums within. According to San Diego Union-Tribune, museum attendance is down 20 percent to 50 percent. Annual revenue declines are projected to be between $20 million to $50 million, which is far greater than what the city hoped to generate from paid parking.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 23, 20268:38 pm

When Less is More

When Twiggs shuttered both locations—Park Blvd in University Heights, Adams Ave in North Park—in October 2023, many locals, me included, were blindsided. The coffee shops operated for about three decades successfully—granted, changing owners several times and more recently a few years before the sudden end.

New shops replaced both storefronts. The one on Park simply took over the space, with so little changes that one might not realize that Twiggs ever went away. But over on Adams, the new coffee shop is a complete makeover. The change isn’t just dramatic; the place stands apart from every other coffee shop in the five-community locales of Kensington, Hillcrest, Normal Heights, North Park, and University Heights.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 22, 20267:13 pm

Little Library for Justice

This post is not a commentary on immigration enforcement, ICE raids, or the troubles in Minnesota. Emotions are so piqued and polarized, any meaningful discussion seems pointless. I observe that people either oppose or support ICE actions—vehemently, with little middle ground for meaningful discussion.

However, the Featured Image is meant to present passive resistance as manifested in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. The sign on the Little Free Library speaks for itself. Look lower left and you will see hanging the last whistle. Half a minute earlier, ahead of me, a woman walking her dog took the second-to-last one.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 18, 20269:48 pm

They Came from Boston to Dance

What do I know about anything? Third weekend of the month is the book sale at the local library, from which I walked home via Park Blvd. Where Meade and Mission meet the street in a quasi-triangle, there is the University Heights pillar. Approaching, I observed a group gathered and milling about; well, that piqued my curiosity.

Passing through them, I could see from the men’s T-Shirts that they were members of a dance company. I wondered if a public demonstration might be coming or perhaps people were being trained to dance; meaning, everything was educational. Observation led me to presume that they were publicly practicing (and maybe teaching), deliberately outdoors on an absolutely gorgeous, unseasonably warm day; high temperature topped 25 degrees Celsius (78 Fahrenheit).

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 13, 202610:52 am

In Memory of Scott Adams

Creator of the Dilbert comic strip passed away today, at age 68, following a protracted battle with prostate cancer. Scott Adams was, and perhaps will continue to be, a cultural and social enigma. He charmed people of all ages and persuasions with Dilbert, which started its syndication run in April 1989 (officially ending in March 2023).

But during Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, he took on a different role: Political and societal agitator, for his sharp wit and astute analysis that antagonized many on the Left and galvanized others on the Right. For example, he astutely identified how “The Donald” chose not to play by the rules of political norms during debates with his Republican rivals, many of whom he reduced to demeaning nicknames.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 12, 20269:34 pm

Alabama Alley Freebees

San Diego weather is unseasonably mild this week. For example, today’s high was 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit). Forecast is 23 C (74 F) tomorrow, with no measurable cooling for the remainder of the week; what a treat, or would be, if not for the flu.

I find sunlight—heat, more so—to be therapeutic. That makes reading in the car appealing right now, and I walk when temperature is highest. But I don’t want to directly infect anyone, so I traverse the alleys, like we Wilcoxes did during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 lockdowns. There are many fewer face-to-face encounters.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 7, 20269:47 pm

Room 8 Class Antics

Yesterday, in my news feed an odd story popped up: A cat wandered into an elementary school and made himself comfortable with the kids. He returned every school day from 1952 to 1968, delighting teachers and students. They named him Room 8, because that’s where he consistently went.

One commenter to the story flagged it as Artificial Intelligence fraud because of how it was written and Room 8 nomenclature. Not even kids would choose that name, he asserted, but AI would. I must admit that the story’s sentence structure was juvenile, which could suggest AI fakery—of which there is too much.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 2, 20269:39 pm

She’s on a Mission from God

My wife and I heard the reverberating sound several blocks away—a voice carried on the wind, coming from the direction of Old Trolley Barn Park. The woman stood valiantly reading inspirational words and scriptures from a Bible. She rarely glanced up, which explains the character of the portrait.

I don’t know how deliberate the choice but can guess. Rather than face park goers she turned to the street, where across the way was a Jehovah Witness meeting hall. Tone and content made me think that she preached to the Witnesses.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 1, 20269:27 pm

Return to Facebook

As explained yesterday, major anniversaries are coming, or recently passed, for a number of the cloud services that I have long subscribed to. For example, X, formerly Twitter, reached 20 years on Christmas day. Yeah, I registered in 2005. YouTube will be two decades on July 20. Then there is Facebook—around October 1.

I don’t love Facebook. The user interface is needlessly complicated, which must mean that’s by choice. For one, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is a socially handicapped geek, and he designed a social network that defines how people interact online? Seriously? For another, the company’s profit-driven business model is all about time online—how long can somebody stay engaged and exposed to advertising. Deliberate design helps achieve that objective, by making people click, click, click.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 31, 20258:52 pm

Meaningless Milestones–or Are They?

In the Featured Image, taken with iPhone 6 on Dec. 31, 2014, our cats Neko and Cali look out into our old apartment’s courtyard and onto the impending new year. The portrait showed up in my photo memories feed for today. Vitals: f/2.2, ISO 32, 1/250 sec, 4.15mm; 2:40 p.m. PST.

I take a moment to look ahead and behind with respect to meaningless milestones with respect to my use of online services—some of them for longer than many Gen Zs have been alive. October marked 20 years using Flickr. Yep, since 2005. Christmas Day was the twentieth anniversary for Twitter, now X.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 24, 20258:35 pm

They Blowed Up the Lawn for Christmas

On Dec. 20, 2025, I dropped by a Christmas card to the house of a friend, who the next day would fly off to Pennsylvania to spend 10 days with family. The Featured Image and […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 13, 20259:50 pm

Better Off Dead

I am a big fan of repurposing. Take that thing and use it another way. Even when buying something new, I look first for multi-purpose uses. What else can this thang be used for?

But I don’t know about this! I see the rationale, though, and can’t argue with it. One of my neighbors repurposed his Halloween decorations for Christmas. The Featured Image and companion tell the story.