Tag: culture

Living by Joe WilcoxJun 23, 20264:29 pm

They’re Here, But Where’s the Lanyard?

The mailman, whose last day delivering to my street is tomorrow, delivered not one but two golden tickets: Thursday and Sunday passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2026. The annual pulp media pilgrimage starts one month from today, July 23, and runs through the 26th. Additionally, the lucky—or the chosen—can attend Preview Night on the 22nd.

Thursday is official first day. Friday tends to be busier. Saturday often is busiest because of the masquerade ball that evening. You will see more cosplayers strutting about than on any other day. I call Sunday “family day”; locals predominantly fill the convention center. Meanwhile, the majority of celebrities have gone. (Should I say good riddance?)

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 5, 20269:12 pm

The Easter AI Metaphor

For Easter Sunday, let’s use modern tech to compare and contrast. Today is supposed to be the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the hope human beings can receive spiritual salvation. Physical redemption is the responsibility of the Second Coming.

Easter also celebrates the bunny—a rapidly breeding animal that aligns more with ancient, pagan fertility rights. Candy and sweets are all about enjoyment of the flesh, as is the worship of fertility practices of the gods of Spring. Christian teaching emphasizes the spirit and dominion over the flesh. Materialistic cultures and religions promote physical joy, from simple pleasures to hedonism.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 25, 20268:11 pm

And You’re Proud of This?

What exactly does the kid study? “Possessions 101?” “Exorcism Survival?” “Advanced Haunting?” “Geometry of Poltergeists?” “Multiplication of Spiritual Influences?” “Intermediate Demonology?” Does Honor Roll mean the student must be bad to be good? I can understand parents being proud of their do-gooders in Heaven. But Hell? Breakout your goth gear and tattoos.

Today, I happened upon the bumper sticker while walking along Louisiana Street in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. The Featured Image comes from Galaxy S25 Ultra, hours after Samsung announced successor S26 Ultra. Preorders can be placed now for the official launch on March 11, 2025.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 4, 202610:12 pm

Nana Banana

Oh the moments 21st-Century Kids are deprived of. There is something oh-so nostalgic about Jell-O made with overripe bananas and a cup or two of real cane sugar. That’s what Nana prepares in the Featured Image, which my father would have taken. Date is unknown, but sometime in 1972 or `73 is my guess.

We sure ate a lot of Jell-O growing up in the 1970s. Eater book review “‘Joys of Jell-O,’ There’s Nothing You Can’t Do with Colored Gelatin” claims that at the height of the jiggly dessert’s popularity, 1968, the average American household consumed 16 boxes a year. You should also read: “How the class history of Jell-O came full circle“—Marketplace”.

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 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 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 WilcoxNov 15, 20259:43 pm

Comic-Con: The Return

On Oct. 14, 2025, Comic-Con International sent email that Open Registration for the 2026 San Diego event would commence today, at 9 a.m. PST. It’s a wickedly wet day here in Southern California, which put me uncharacteristically inside. So, I pulled out the laptop, meandered over to the badge sale webpage, and joined the queue—where I was warned my wait would be more than an hour.

I puttered about my office, while waiting to see if maybe my chance for a Golden Ticket would come. The passes sell out fast, and I haven’t attended the Con since 2017, I did secure a pass for San Diego Comic-Can Special Edition during Thanksgiving 2021. But I couldn’t attend, for not meeting SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 requirements. Seriously?

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 24, 202512:23 pm

Your Pet is Not Your Child!

Cue the music. I had a Twilight Zone moment today. While walking into PetSmart, I heard the cashier tell a customer about weekend festivities. The store will welcome self-described pet parents to celebrate Halloween. There will be “treat stations set up throughout the store”, the checker said. Oh, and of course, humans are encouraged to bring their animal(s) dressed in costume. Seriously? What alternate universe have I unexpectedly entered?

Trick or treat will be Sunday, that’s Oct. 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Don’t have a costume for fido or frisky? No problem, PetSmart sells them. Treats are free (I presume), assuming your animal is smart enough to find any. The trick is for those beasts unable to sniff out any, I guess.

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 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.