Tag: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 9, 202511:54 am

Makeshift Food Bank

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history means millions of people are not receiving federal funds for basics—you know, things like food. People employed by Uncle Sam are either furloughed or working without pay (and delayed only, hopefully). Don’t get me going about families who count on SNAP benefits and won’t receive them for November.

To the Congress, I say this: Do your job! Pass a damn budget. Stop pissing away days whining over line items like expiring subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Agree to punt! Fund the damn government for X number of days and fight among yourselves meantime about a final budget. Don’t punish people while you bicker like kids in the schoolyard or, worse, an angry soon-to-be-divorced couple gouging one another in spiteful rages over splitting assets (or assigning child custody).

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 8, 20259:11 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Brim

We briefly step back from the backlog and present the one-hundred-fortieth feline found behind door or window. Nickname Brim, this handsome kitty lives somewhere along Panorama Drive. Date: Oct. 19, 2025. The Featured Image comes […]

Living by Joe WilcoxNov 6, 202510:23 pm

This Use to Be Grass

The homeless are increasingly pariahs, across San Diego County. The public policy is discourage and displace, rather than meaningfully address fundamental causes. The Featured Image and companion reveal one tactic: Piling jagged rocks where until recently there was grass, punctuated by shrub-like trees.

But the homeless would somewhat frequently hangout or campout on the grass. Honestly, the rocks are more unsightly than the homeless tents. Grass is great! We need more. The city destroys a lovely green space to deter the so-called unhoused? Solve the problem! Don’t create one as band-aid for another. The rocks look weird, and they are weapons. Lots of damage can be done with rocks like these.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 3, 20259:55 pm

Larger Than Life

Halloween may be over—and Day of the Dead with it—but I have one seasonal yard decoration to share, as you can see from the Featured Image and companion. There is no optical illusion here. The skeleton really is giant size.

Both photos come from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on Oct. 30, 2025. Vitals, first: f/2.4, ISO 50, 1/1600 sec. 70mm (film equivalent); 10 a.m. PDT. Vitals, other: f/1.7, ISO 50, 1/500 sec, 115mm (film equivalent); 10:01 a.m.

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 31, 20251:24 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Batman

This fine feline doesn’t dress up for Halloween. His black coat and witchy allure are already perfect—and his name is appropriate for the day of cosplaying: Batman. Well, it’s on his collar tag.

I first encountered Batman at 8:52 p.m. PDT on Sept. 23, 2025. But he was so engaging and seeking of pats that I couldn’t get a full-face view; night shot required him to be still, too. I encountered him once more around two days later in late afternoon.

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 30, 202510:08 pm

Here They Come…

I do hope that you like felines. My “Cats of University Heights” series languishes, and the backlog of photographed but unpublished kitties goes back a couple of years. That’s in part because my posting overall is in a lull that needs to be culled.

So, I make a half-promise to pick up the pace, which must include more furballs than you could ever want to see. If fulfilled, overall posting should uptick significantly. Get ready!

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 WilcoxOct 23, 20259:09 pm

Uh, I Don’t Think So

The many bargains of Costco are sometimes perplexing; the item carried and what someone would pay for it. Look no further than the Featured Image. Who pays $600—on sale—for a cat litter box? You tell me. If that’s you, no offense intended, but I would really like to know why?

This post’s title tells you what I wouldn’t do. There’s no robotic in the Wilcox household. Plastic bag and a pooper scooper, and either my wife or I keeps our kitties’ litter box nice and tidy. Someone else will pay big for convenience and because their animal is more than a pet. It’s a member of the family, and he, she, or they is (or are) the parent(s).

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 15, 202510:44 pm

Eighteen Years Ago Today…

On this date, in 2007, the Wilcox family arrived in San Diego. We had left the Washington, DC-metro area to be close to my aged father-in-law, who luckily found us an apartment one block from his place. Our presence meant that in January 2017 he could pass way at age 95 in his own bed, rather than in some sterile institution.

The city is hardly recognizable from the one we moved to. San Diego seemed sleepy, small town-like for the size. Communities were tight knit, even with the massive number of renters; congestion was a rare occurrence on the roadways; neighborhood streets were wide; housing architecture was surprisingly varied and charming; and homeowners kept attractive green spaces, among many other attractive attributes, with the three-summer season weather being among them.

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 12, 20259:39 pm

Buggy Dogs

According to Sperling’s Best Places, San Diego “has a mild and pleasant Mediterranean climate…The summers are warm and dry, with temperatures usually reaching the mid-70s Fahrenheit (25 Celsius)”. Rainfall: About 12 inches annually. Such an environment practically preserves Volkswagen cars and minivans, which are spared the otherwise audacious expansion of rust.

Hence, old Volkswagen Beetle and minivan sightings are not uncommon. But black ragtop and red body? With two aged mutts that look like they could be as old or older than the vehicle?

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 6, 20259:21 pm

Happy Birthday, Adrian

I stepped out of the ophthalmologist’s office into cloud covered defused light that passed pain through my dilated pupils. Squinting, I stumbled down the stairs to the sidewalk, where a smiling gent walked up and asked for a “favor”. My apologetic tone conveyed clear response: No cash. I meant to bring a five-dollar bill, in case somebody asked, but left it behind when rushing out the door to walk to the doctor’s office.

But he didn’t ask for money. He wanted me to bless him. To wish him happy birthday. He is 37 years-old today. I did both. We separated, and I regretted not asking to take his photo. How often does something so straightforward occur? He wasn’t grifting or panhandling. The fellow simply sought birthday wishes.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 17, 20258:57 pm

You Can Say It’s Not Tariffs, But…

A few weeks ago, we restocked the bulk beef burger patties we typically buy from Costco Business Center. Near the end of August, the foodstuff was sold out (it never is), so I suspected that the warehouse store no longer carried the item. Today, the patties are back—and for shockingly higher sale price.

Backtracking, when we started buying the 10-pound burger pack during the last decade, Business Costco charged $29.99, which was a good deal compared to competing choices. Fat content was higher (78 percent lean), but savings mattered more to the Wilcoxes. During the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 mandates era, price rose to $31.99 and then to $33.99. During 2025, the price continuously crept up—reaching $39.99 a few weeks ago. Currently: $49.99! Ten bucks more than in August!