Anniversary Gift Idea

For those of you who have even a small desire or ability to write songs or poetry, I'd say that the current state of AI-generated music gives you an opportunity to create perfect, personalized anniversary gifts. 

Basically, you feed the lyrics into the app, then describe the song, then delete the first 20 attempts AI tries, then change genres, then keep deleting a lot of options. Or choose the first option if you're in a hurry. Some people say the songs are soulless or hollow, but if it's about the lyrics (that you wrote and didn't use Chat GPT to create), then it's cool to have an actual decent-sounding song to go with your lyrics. 

Keep in mind that you give the AI song app your lyrics unless you buy a pro plan, so if you consider yourself a good lyricist, buy the monthly plan at least to retain the rights to the words. I'm sure most of the AI-generated music will eventually be deemed stolen sounds, but your words will still be yours.

Check out my song, "I Still Do." I started writing it for our 20th Anniversary but didn't get the AI boost until our 22nd. I can't sing or play instruments, but I can have a fairly professional-sounding anniversary tribute that could easily be used by others for anniversaries or wedding dances. Or even as a mega-hit on the country charts when a real recording artist sees the potential.

I know that AI music apps will ruin the jingle and Hollywood song-creation industry because it's so easy to have Gemini or Chatgpt come up with a song that captures some elements of a movie and then have that turned into a royalty-free song, but it also works for the rest of us wanting to impress our wives.

The Town Center Can Provide Entertainment

Instead of sitting at home and watching sports, I was roped into venturing to the St Johns Town Center on a Saturday to celebrate my old lady's birthday at The Cheesecake Factory. That was fine, and I don't have a lot to report about the experience. However, once we ventured into the rest of the Town (maybe Teen?) Center, things got cray-cray.

We slid over to Sephora for a birthday gift. But we weren't alone. I guess a lot of teen and preteen girls are interested in the right routines as provided by social media influencers, and Sephora seems to be ground central for purchases related to beautification. At least for girls at one local middle school. We saw four young teens in front of us in the 10-minute-long line who waved and greeted another group of three teens entering the store, only to greet another group of three a few minutes later, which means that there were at least nine girls from one middle school in Sephora together, totally unplanned. That seems like like an important coincidence that should be reported on Instagram.

Once out of Sephora, we headed over to Bath and Body Works for another birthday freebie. On the way, right on the main strip, we saw a group of teen boys that I initially mistook for a soccer team because they were all wearing black shirts. But then I noticed some of the shirts has brand-names and other decals, realizing that this group of boys had all independently worn black T-shirts. They must not have imagined that they looked like a group of preschoolers on a field trip to the zoo. I think a few had gold chains, a trend from my youth seemingly coming back, but they were very uniform in their group conformity to the black T-shirt trend. Unfortunately, I didn't think to whip out my camera in time, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Just imagine the one guy who showed up in his new red T-shirt to meet his friends, only to have his mom turn around to take him home when he saw the rest of his brahs ready for Town Center adventure. He probably had her stop at a store on the way back home to buy another black shirt in case of a repeat laundry-day problem.

While in Bath and Body Works, I had my normal nothing to do, but one funny event did occur. "Believer" by Imagine Dragons started to play over the speakers, but someone cut it off to play another song. The obviously gay dude at the door said, "Hey, that was a good song!" The obviously Trans person stocking 20 feet away quipped, "I like Imagine Dragons, too." The teen worker was like, "Imagine Dragons?" And I was left agreeing with the LGBTQ+ community on this one. But I didn't stick around to discuss music because I just can't hang out in B+BW too long, so I told the wifey I was going to see if the black-shirt-gang might make a return appearance outside, as I really wanted a photo to remember the moment.

While sitting outside, I saw a teen wearing a track suit with the tags still on it. Of course, my assumption was that he either stole it (which I'm sure most other shoppers assumed) or that he was participating in some kind of TikTok challenge. Maybe he bought it and was looking forward to a confrontation with security, ready to record the encounter and accuse them of ageism/racism. But he probably stole it. In taking the above photo, I also participated in someone else's story about weird people at the Town Center, since I snapped the photo just as two teen girls were passing by, and one of them looked at me like I was some kind of creep. She probably told the black shirt guys all about it later on, and at least one of those guys asked for a description of me so they could rough me up for being an old creeper. Then again, those guys were probably too busy at Dick's, shopping for more black T-shirts, just in case their current reserves start to get faded. 

So I guess you can have fun at the Town Center, especially if you are wanting to make fun of teens. I could have probably made fun of old ladies or bougie Ponte Vedra moms, too. Basically, make fun of everyone around you and the Town Center is at least bearable.

Can I Make a Right Turn at a Five-way Controlled Intersection on a Red Light?

Anyone stuck at Penman and Florida in Neptune Beach has asked themselves this question, but I'm sure there are other five-way (maybe six-way?) controlled intersections that present the opportunity to consider whether to make a right turn on a Red or wait for the green. Based on my fairly good knowledge of traffic laws, it's probably legal to make the right turn to the immediate next lane (if no restrictions are posted), but you have to be prepared to yield to anyone entering that lane from any of the three or four other lanes that might have a green, including anyone trying to rip a u-turn. 

While it may be legal to make that right turn, I wouldn't say it's safe. Not only could someone be entering the intersection in a vehicle, but you always have to be aware of pedestrians, bikes, and possibly golf cart traffic. In fact, I think all directions of the 5-way at Penman get a Red light when a pedestrian gets at least one of the walk signals, but none of the right-turn lanes flash a separate no-right-turn sign, so you've got to be aware.

The image in this article shows where you should be able to make a right on a red in a controlled intersection, but make sure you are yielding to anyone and everyone that may be coming into that lane.

Jax Housing Crash: FHA and VA Loan Team Up with Student Loans and Auto Loans

With 14% of FHA loans and 5% of VA loans in default, the housing market is about to lose even more value, especially if the FHA loans are allowed to go into foreclosure. Apparently, the government has been artificially helping FHA borrowers, but when that ends, hundreds of thousands of homes will become available across the country, including in Jacksonville.

The government has also been artificially allowing recent college graduates to take vacations rather than pay their student loans, which has resulted in about 15% of student loans being in default. 

On top of the FHA and student loan problems, 7% of auto loans are in default along with the 5% of VA home loans. 

The households in default may overlap, like a recent college graduate who bought a house and car with no understanding about how loans work (and is in default with housing, auto, and student debt). That's bad. But just as bad would be if it's all different borrowers who are in default in at least one of the categories, as that would be a larger percentage of the total population. 

Basically, everyone currently in the situations had options: choose a less expensive college, sell your house while the market is still up, and buy a cheaper used car. The problem is that home and auto values have declined, so a lot of people are underwater on those loans, and anyone who isn't pulling in six figures is probably underwater on fancy-college student loans.

A lot of people were underwater in 2008 with all the sub-prime loans. Many of them got bailed out by me (and other responsible Americans). I kind of hope that we don't repeat that once again.

I hope that homes are foreclosed and cars are repossessed. The housing and used auto market can then correct themselves. Recent grads might have to move back home to pay off college and use Mom's car. Sure, if you also took out a home equity loan on the inflated value of your home, you'll also be underwater for a time, but it's better than continuing to pump air into a bubble that has to explode.

However, if we decide that we are going to pay for the mistakes of irresponsible borrowing again, then the rest of us will once again be paying for others to live beyond their means for the next 15 years before it happens to the next generation.

Parents of a High School Senior Getting Offers to Sell Kid into Navery

Maybe your high school senior underperformed or has acted a bit too entitled for your liking. Maybe you've realized that the kid, the federal government, and your parents all think you should foot the bill for college. Maybe your kid wants to major in Female Latinx Studies. Well, the Navy has you covered, as can be seen by this recruiting text I received (above).

I asked my daughter if I should contact the recruiter to see if she would get the $5,000 or if I could get it for convincing her to join up. No, I wouldn't sell my daughter into Navery, but I bet it's tempting for parents to unload the kid and all the expenses associated with paying for several more years of school and insurance (health and auto) when the Navy is offering cash. 

In all honesty, if your child has said he might try college or might try a career soon after high school but has yet to commit to anything, getting the one-time high school senior bonus might be the right choice. Or the right warning.

Also, how did the Navy get MY number as a parent of a senior in high school? And if the armed forces in general have access to parents' phone numbers, why is only the Navy sending offers?