Category: Society

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 24, 20258:50 pm

ICE ICE Baby

Status as a super-sanctuary county, proximity to the Mexican border, and flow of immigrants—whether or not illegal—makes San Diego a target for immigration enforcement and fear of it. ICE raids flash across social media posts faster than raging flood waters. Citizens are quick to protest and news stations nearly as fast to cover arrests as they occur and the aftermath that follows.

The sign in the Featured Image is one of many posted on utility poles in my neighborhood of University Heights and adjacent Hillcrest and North Park. Presumably, they are all over the city. But I haven’t looked far enough to see. Now you know what to do should armed masked men jump out of nondescript vehicles outside your residence or workplace.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 19, 20257:02 pm

The Problem with Pride

For reasons that I don’t understand, San Diego holds its annual Pride parade (today, as a matter of fact) in July rather than June, which is the official month for celebrating the Alphabet coalition. Someone reading will have a conniption for my vernacular. Don’t be offended. This post should still be live in 10 years, and who knows how many more letters will be tacked on by then. Alphabet covers them all.

The main parade route and celebratory location is the main gay enclave of Hillcrest, which is adjacent to my community of University Heights. Hillcrest is grungy. Sidewalks are filthy and reek of urine. Homeless scatter about sleeping in nooks or out in the open. Some of the more industrious push about carts upon which hang bags of clanging cans and bottles, which are recyclable redeemable.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 9, 20258:51 pm

Scene of the Dine

Nothing exciting happens in the quiet village of University Heights—until it does. Today is Wednesday. On Sunday, early evening, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his San Diego County-native wife Usha Vance dined at the Soichi sushi restaurant on Adams Ave. between Alabama and Mississippi. He and the Second Lady had come to the area for an awards ceremony.

Call me Mr. Oblivious. I had no idea. But had I heard the chanting protestors many blocks away, me and my camera would have rushed out the door. Best I can do is the Featured Image, taken yesterday, using Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 32, 1/400 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 11:07 a.m. PDT. Composed as shot.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 2, 20259:53 pm

Don’t Come Around Here No More

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon news story “When did America’s public libraries become homeless encampments?” from Conservative Blaze Media. I thought: Yeah. Because that has been the situation with the carport at San Diego Public Library University Heights branch for years. I often wondered why homeless men (mostly) and (fewer) women chose the location.

While I link to the story, published on May 31, 2025, you can’t read it without a subscription. C`mon Blaze? You can’t give readers a couple free reads a month? O.W. Root writes: “Across the United States, a tragic number of public libraries have turned into daytime homeless shelters and temporary asylums for the mentally ill, the insane, and generally disturbed”.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 13, 20257:42 pm

What Are You Afraid Of?

Fear appears to be one of the most popular peddled commodities on the planet, currently and has been for some time. Tomorrow, across the United States “No Kings” protests are planned in communities large and small; these folks are afraid of Donald Trump.

U.S. immigrants—and not necessarily illegal ones—are afraid of ICE (Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement) agents. Many federal employees are afraid about losing their jobs or benefits, while receivers of federal funds fear losing them.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 17, 20259:37 pm

Fighting Fire with Words

The third weekend of the month is the book-sale room at the University Heights Public Library. The place is on the same street as yesterday’s fire and about two blocks walk away. My wife and I had to see the aftermath.

Annie saw the signs first, as my eyes were drawn to charring along the building’s right front section. As you can see from the Featured Image and companions, some neighbors are quite displeased with what, reportedly, is a recent series of incidents occurring on the property—and this most recent fire not the first.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20256:57 pm

Another University Heights Fire

Sometime after 11:30 a.m. PDT today, my wife spotted black, billowing smoke rising in the near distance; I suspected perhaps along El Cajon Blvd or among the houses between cross-streets Florida and Mississippi. A fire truck turning that way on Florida seemed to confirm my suspicion. But I was mistaken.

Smoke had dissipated by the time I crossed the Boulevard on foot in pursuit. As I approached Polk, smokey smell tickled my nostrils—yuck, from up the very steep hill to Georgia. After confirming with a bicyclist walking down the incline that the fire really was above, I grudgingly trudged away. Sure enough, with burning legs the cost, I had come to the right street.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 14, 202510:12 pm

Red Fox Perishes

The big, unexpected news and social media story this week here in University Heights is the sudden closure of the Red Fox Steakhouse and Piano Bar. According to bloggers, Facebookers, Journalists, Nextdoor posters, and more (oh, the dirt they sling): Management called staff to an all-hands meeting midday Monday (today is Wednesday) and fired everyone. Red Fox was closed immediately.

Except for San Diego Union Tribune wrongly calling the location North Park most of the scuttlebutt appears to be consistent but lacking one thing substantive: Why? Since everything in business is one way or another related to money, speculation and second-hand former employee reports indicate financial hardship. That would make sense, if, say, there was cashflow problems that prevented buying staples—like raw meat and veggies to cook and serve. Who knows.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 1, 20258:50 pm

Winning Time

I do believe one of my neighbors successfully completed some level of marathon race in good time. During Winter (really late Summer in San Diego), we would occasionally see him training running in our neighborhood of University Heights.

B.A.A. refers to Boston Athletic Association. Boston Marathon took place on the 250th Patriots’ Day (a fine New England Holiday that I fondly recall)—April 21, 2025. I shot the Featured Image, using Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, nine days later. Vitals: f1/7, ISO 50, 1/8000 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 11:10 a.m. PDT. Composed as captured.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 26, 20259:47 pm

Well, it’s Not Dairy Queen

Two weeks ago, my wife and I shopped at the Grocery Outlet on Waring Road, which is sandwiched between San Diego neighborhoods Grantville and Del Cerro. I tend to blitz through the grocery store. Annie is more deliberate, thoughtful, and so she tends to take longer.

So, I had some free time to mill about the strip mall, where is the ever-so non-descript TC’s Rockets comic bookstore. On another Saturday, I ventured into the cavernous space, where—beyond the racks and stacks of goodies for sale—guys (mostly) spread out on long tables and engaged in various role-playing games. Oh, the joy, of seeing real board gaming and imagination, rather than dudes planted in front of the TV, controller in hand.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 20, 202512:12 pm

An Easter Surprise

In the area of San Diego where we live, a look at most any window can reveal signage—most commonly: BLM, rainbow flag, resist (Trump), and occasionally an upside-down American flag, for example. So, surprise me (and perhaps you): The cross seen in the Featured Image, on April 3, 2024, along Park Blvd, a few blocks from the zoo.

Except for the few churches, I can’t recall ever seeing a cross so brazenly displayed in a neighborhood where people demand what they can get rather than what they can give—like the rainbow house of, ah, worship that claims “Love is Love is all You Need”. Ah, no.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 8, 20259:49 pm

You’re Waiting for WHAT?

This morning, my wife and I walked over to Trader Joe’s, after failing to find what we wanted from Smart & Final. Approaching, we observed a long line wrapped down the side of the store around to the back employee/loading entrance.

Is this about eggs? I wondered, thinking that perhaps people were being let in a few customers at a time to avoid crowding and violating fire codes. But, when we arrived at the doors, other folks flowed in and out unimpaired. The line stayed still in place. WTH?