I don’t know whether or not Captain Blackbeard is still around, but this is where he lives (or lived). I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens to capture the Featured Image on May 6, 2025. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 125, 1/500 sec, 200mm; 9:49 a.m. PDT.
This fine feline earns nickname Bouncer, because of the sign. I have seen the feisty furball on other occasions, but this was the only photographic opportunity to date. I don’t recall the last time I saw the Captain.
A drawback of letting a backlog build up is recollection. Why, when, and where did I take the kitty’s photo? Oftentimes, I don’t remember those off-street—in the distance. My recall is better for those animals seen out and about; other cues, such as specific surroundings, typically trigger memory.
According to file location data, this fine feline joins the large but nevertheless select group of kitties seen on Alabama Street between Adams and Lincoln; number one-hundred ninth to be exact. The shorthair is also eighty-first found behind door or window. I don’t recall even taking the photo.
A common misconception about inflation is that prices go up, when in reality the value of money (e.g. spending power) goes down. The Economist explains the classic case: In late-1923 Germany, when, because of hyperinflation, “a loaf of bread cost 140 billion marks. Workers were paid twice a day, and given half-hour breaks to rush to the shops with their satchels, suitcases, or wheelbarrow, to buy something, anything, before their paper money halved in value yet again”.
I got a taste, quite literally, of what this phenomenon is like, and I present it as a demonstrative model for your education. Pizza Hut gives so-called “Hut Rewards” points for redeeming menu items. I had accumulated just more than 600. Large pizzas with any toppings are 300 points, so I had gained enough for two free pies.
The price of gasoline at this Shell station (formerly Valero) is typically mid-range for the area; not the highest and by no means lowest. Less than two weeks ago, price at the pump was $4.30 per gallon. A few days ago, I paid $4.90. Now it’s $5.70.
Can you say, “Iran war?” Because that’s what is surely behind these rising prices that have yet to reach their ceiling. Americans will be impacted everywhere, from cost for fuel oil to gasoline, for starters, and rising costs of anything transported by air, land, or sea.
I regard Meade and Mississippi as the most dangerous intersection in the village of University Heights. Countless car crashes occur with too much frequency there. My speculation: Cause has something to do with human nature related to impatience. Drivers go from Monroe to Mission, which is a short block to Meade. If driving from Adams to Madison, there is yet another stop sign. They’re ready to go and tired of stopping at every intersection..
Meanwhile, on either side of Mississippi are traffic circles along Meade at Alabama and Louisiana. Traffic slows, and drivers are sometimes—if not often—confused about right of way. Many of them speed up as they approach Mississippi, where antsy drivers wait to enter an intersection where oncoming traffic may move more brisky than anticipated—and from two directions, simultaneously.
Along Panorama Drive on Feb. 4, 2026, my wife spotted this fine feline, whom I pursued with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The shorthair stalked something, and from the sounds of things several birds—none of which would ever be in reach. Nivkname: Wiley.
Vitals for the Featured Image: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/132 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 10:23 a.m. PST.
Second day impressions of Samsung’s flagship smartphone are much better than the first. I found the somewhat reduced antiglare coating to be more than sufficient, combined with auto-screen brightness, for using the device outdoors on another sunny San Diego afternoon.
The S26 Ultra feels better in the hand than its predecessor. Differences are subtle but noticeably pleasing. So far, battery life is exceptional. I started setup around 12:30 p.m. PDT yesterday. That process, which can continue for many, many hours, is a notorious battery drain. Yet, at around 7:30 p.m. tonight, when I decided to recharge for the first time, battery level was still about 30 percent.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra arrived this morning, about two days ahead of official availability. Already, a few design decisions rile me, and they could possibly be dealbreakers. Hopefully, they won’t be.
In my September 2014 analysis “In Good Design, Balance of Benefits is Everything“, I explain the importance of features, and the benefits they deliver, working well together without detracting from one another nor diminishing a device’s most fundamentally essential functions. If, for example, the new thingy takes away battery longevity—and that’s a customer priority—the digital device is unbalanced.
I spent some time helping out my daughter’s friend this afternoon. A bit of chaos descended last week. While he was at the hospital for treatment of an injury, San Diego parking enforcement towed the larger of two RVs, which was his domicile along with our daughter. Reason: The vehicle parked in the same location for more than 72 hours, which caused it to be classified as derelict. For sure, because he was injured.
They were in transition from a 37-footer to something little more than 20 feet long. As Voice of San Diego explains: “Cops Crack Down on RV Living“, and it’s the big ones they primarily target. A day or two later, and our daughter’s friend wouldn’t have lost so many personal belongings in the tow-job. (Shall we just call it theft?)
Sitting on the couch, working on Samsung Galaxy4 Edge, I look up and over the screen Cali stares back. She wants on my lap and the computer off it. Look at that face of challenge and jealousy. If looks could kill, I would for sure be a goner.
I used Galaxy S25 Ultra for the Featured Image, tonight. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 1600, 1/30 sec, 70mm (film equivalent); 7:58 p.m. PST.
Oddly, we are not done with cats. Unexpectedly, once again, the topic turns to fancy litter boxes on sale at Costco. In October 2025, the product was a robotic pooper scooper on sale for 599.99 (one-hundred bucks off).
By comparison, the new offering is a bargain.: $389.99. The Featured Image is clear: Your cat can be king (or queen) of the throne, and you can monitor the animal’s health progress based on its, ah, business. Ah, okay. For our cat family, no thanks.
Who is this? As my wife and I walked along Alabama yesterday afternoon, this fine feline strutted our way—and with no initial interest in us. Neither of us had ever seen the grey and white before. Annie attracts animals like she and they are mutually magnetized. The kitty eventually warmed up to her for pats.
The cat had a collar and bell, but no tag. Thus, a nickname is necessary. For shining brightly before Annie, I choose Nova. The Featured Image and companion come from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 40, 1/125 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 4:21 p.m. The other is same but 115mm.