Category: Responsibility

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 20, 20269:18 pm

Letting Go

For several months I knew the day would come when the inevitable could no longer be delayed: Part with the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bike with Pulse purchased from Amazon in April 2013; price before discounts was around $130. I still use the exercise bicycle—several times a week, at least, especially during the colder season.

Letting go was a process of reaching a moment of absolute need for additional space. Our daughter is staying with us, and I have been slowly moving out things stored in my now former home office, which has become her bedroom. The day arrived when the space occupied by the stationary bike was needed for other things.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 18, 20269:39 pm

When AI Chooses for You

We lose our mailman next week. My street will no longer be on his route as of Thursday (June 25, 2026). He was informed that as part of restructuring, the U.S. Postal Service would adjust routes.

He warned us then his territory could change—and neither he, nor his direct superiors, nor others in the organization had a say in the decision. The Postal Service outsourced the task, so to speak, to an Artificial Intelligence.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 7, 202610:37 pm

What’s Up with Robb Field?

My daughter needed a ride to meet someone in Ocean Beach today. Planned sixty minutes turned into three-and-a-half hours, and after visiting friends I had a whole lot of time to kill off. I started wandering around Robb Field, which was jam-packed with sporting events and outdoor recreating of every imaginable variety.

I scratched my head in dismay, because the 77-acre recreational complex is on the mayor’s list of potential closures. Reason: Budget cuts. I counted thousands upon thousands of reasons to keep the facility open and operating at full funding.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 30, 202610:39 pm

Photo Fun with Galaxy AI

There is something disturbing—frightening, really —about how easily artificial intelligence can manipulate digital assets from the simplest of commands.

Take for example the Featured Image. From the original (see companion photo), I instructed Samsung Galaxy AI to dress the cat in prison clothes. The animal waited outside my neighbor’s apartment building’s gate, which on closer inspection reminded of prison bars.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 27, 20269:39 pm

The Ultimate Political Authority

I wholeheartedly agree. Our ultimate political authority in the United States is the Constitution. However, while the sign is meant as repudiation of Donald Trump and his Presidency, I do not support the “No Kings” movement. The rallies stir up resentment and fan the flames of fiery, feisty anger that is violence-bound.

I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens to capture the Featured Image on April 4, 2026. Vitals: f/8, ISO 250, 1/500 sec, 400mm; 1:42 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 25, 20268:15 pm

Memorial Day Civic Duty

The local polling place nearest our apartment is North Park Recreation Center—and even then, it’s a bit of a hike. This afternoon, while walking, I happened by the place, where a surprise greeted me. The poll was open. On Memorial Day!

My mail-in ballot was home, but why wait when you’re at the poll and it’s not the least bit busy? The Primary election is June 2, 2026, or a week from tomorrow. Volunteers told me that this location is open for 11 days, even Sundays (and of course holidays).

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 15, 20269:46 pm

Nasty ‘Business’

This is new. The people running the daycare located at Louisiana and Madison in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights have a message for somebody—hopefully that’s not you. I came upon the chair-mounted, make-shift sign today.

Take a close look at the Featured Image and read for yourself. I interpreted “personal business” to mean peeing or defecating—distinctly possible occurrences with more homeless folks milling about. But a nearby used condom suggests another explanation: Two or more people engaged in sexual activities, possibly in the grassy area along the establishment’s fence or inside a vehicle parked in one of the many public spaces.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 11, 202610:04 pm

A Story of Two Meals

Confession: The family, spurred on by our daughter, is taking almost too much advantage of the Too Good To Go app—Android for me, iOS for her. Local eateries offer up food, presumably what wasn’t sold during typical business hours, for significant discount. Most places offer grab bags.

Today, my wife drove us to the Pop Pie in South Park, where I had reserved a bag with two savory pies. They typically sell for $12.50 a piece but were $$8.66 before tax together. These babies are tasty, too, and premium ingredients. Another location is closer, a few blocks away here in University Heights, but Pop Pie South Park is where I beat out others for the reservation (stated differently: goods move fast).

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 10, 202610:02 pm

Mother’s Day Starter Kit

“If it lives, kill it” might as well be the axiom across San Diego city and the close-in communities, like the Village of University Heights or nearby Hillcrest and North Park. Insecticide is spread among so many properties that I am surprised there are any insects at all. Butterflies still flourish as do house flies, crickets, and some spiders. But they don’t thrive and their numbers are diminished.

Far more serious is the carnage among things that grow. Homeowners chop down trees, tear out grass, and replace lovely green spaces with cold concrete and wood structures, so-called Accessary Dwelling Units, or ADUs. The city wants them, and residents are rewarded for erecting ADUs. Other folks keep the lawn space but replace grass with wood chips or sand; trees of every kind, even those bearing fruit, are destroyed and replaced with succulents.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 30, 20269:18 pm

When AI Makes You Somebody Else

Earlier today, as a memory, Microsoft OneDrive presented photos taken on this date in 2022—when the village of University Heights celebrated 25 years of its iconic sign. I had captured the majority of pics using Leica Q2 Monochrom, which was beyond my meager amateur skills. I sold the camera to a doctor in December 2024.

Looking over the selection, I chose one random street shot for artificial intelligence embellishment. I clicked the “Restyle with AI” button and typed “colorize”, which took surprising amount of time to do. The app, running on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, presented three options. I saved them all for your review, because the AI did more than add color; it made some surprising changes to the content that you must see.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 20, 20269:47 pm

A Landing and a Rising

This is a Featured Image too long delayed in sharing. The view is from the Skyfari Aerial Tram at San Diego Zoo. Building in the foreground is the California Tower, which is located in nearby Balboa Park. The structure was built in 1915.

I really enjoy the zoo, but we haven’t visited since December. The new parking fees, for which members are exempt, created inertia we never overcame. Parking is more complicated now with mixed free and fee, bringing about congestion and confusion.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 19, 20269:26 pm

‘No Library Cuts!’

A few days ago, Amazon sent email with book recommendations, and one actually piqued my interest: Washington by Ron Chernow. Hey, it’s a Pulitzer Prize Winner, and with the nation’s 250th anniversary upcoming it’s a timely biography to read.

Cough, cough. I choked on the price. The Kindle version sells for $16.99, discounted from $24. Seventeen bucks for a DRM-wrapped ebook? Ah, n-o-o-o. Hardcover: $23.76, discounted from the list of $41. Still, I wanted a copy of the bio. I looked at the calendar and remembered the third Saturday of the month was ahead, and that meant book sale weekend at the University Heights branch of San Diego Public Library.