4-figure rolling car payments
Lately, I've been watching a bunch of videos showing people who have ridiculous car payments due to negative equity, a.k.a. being "upside down". Buyer finances a car. Later on the car breaks and/or buyer can't afford the payments anymore (usually the latter). Buyer goes to dealership to get a less expensive car to lower car payments. The remainder of the auto loan for the existing car is higher than what the car is worth. All that crap is factored into the new loan for the replacement car.
Ultimately, what happens is that the payment is actually lowered, but the loan term is some ridiculous 72-month thing where a) the replacement car will be something very used with probably over 100K miles on it already, b) the loan will absolutely outlast the life of the car, and c) the buyer will never be able to pay it off. This process repeats for years until the buyer ends up in financial ruin.
Then there's me, a middle aged guy driving a car with over 170K miles on it.
I'll get back to that in a minute.
The other day I made a quick run to a convenience store, and observed the other cars I saw on the road.
I know that any car I see under 10 years old is financed, and the monthly payment for it is ridiculous. Doesn't matter if it's leased or bought.
When I think about it, I should probably stretch that to every car I see under 15 years old probably has a car payment attached to it.
There are only two types of cars I see that I know are paid in full.
First, beat up work vans, which includes minivans. I include the minivan because I do see guys that can and do take those mom-mobiles, yank out all the rear seats, drill on a roof rack to carry around ladders and such, and that's the work vehicle. What used to be owned by a mom to carry kids to school is now owned by a man, who proceeded to stuff it with electrical, plumbing or gardening equipment and uses it for work. A van is a van, after all.
Second, cars just like mine, which are older low-optioned subcompacts. These are little hatchback or sedan gas cars that get 35-40 highway MPG. They all have over 125K miles on them, all have chipped paint, dents, scratches, faded plastics, and so on.
The vans are actually worth something because guys are willing to pay for one as long as it works. A van is just a big metal box so a guy can carry his stuff to job sites to do work and get paid. And since they were designed to be serviced, they can be repaired as long as the frame is still good.
Old subcompacts however are worth next to nothing. The purpose of a low-optioned subcompact is to get from A to B. A subcompact has little storage, little power, isn't as comfortable as a larger car, and doesn't tow. Yes, they get good fuel efficiency, but that doesn't increase the on-paper value at all.
The real value of an old low-optioned subcompact comes from long term ownership. The less options there are, the less there is to break. As long as the suspension holds up (or at least can be repaired) and the drivetrain doesn't grenade itself, this is a car that can run 250K to 300K miles in the cheapest way possible.
What that basically means is if the subcompact has a known good engine and the transmission is an automatic or manual, it can last the very long haul. If it's CVT, it's junk no matter who made it.
The problem...
...is that almost nobody makes a car like this anymore new. The only one left right now is the new Nissan Versa S FWD with manual transmission.
I only have one knock against that car. No option for remote keyless entry. You have to use the key to lock/unlock the door. But it has everything else. AC, power windows, power locks, 35 MPG highway on regular unleaded, cruise control, USB ports, it's all there.
That Versa is the kind of car you could run to 200K miles and beyond. While I'm not in the market for a car since the one I have works, if I did get that Versa, I'd take it to a shop to have keyless entry installed.
Do keyless entry kits exist? Yes, they do, and they're cheap. If the car already has power locks, keyless via fob can be added in. So if I wanted to be super cheap (and I most likely would be), I could install the keyless myself.
The only thing that doesn't make that Versa manual a god-tier level bargain is that it's not a hatchback with manual hatch release. If it were, that would be perfection, because cargo space is increased, and now it's a good hauler. Not a big hauler, but still, really good. And no electronic popper to break since it would just be a manual latch.
Even though it's a sedan, I would tell anyone that knows how to drive a manual that if you want a new car right now, go get that Versa manual and add in the keyless yourself. And buy the car with the intent of driving it until the wheels fall off. Don't even think about resale value.
casio w738h, the awful repackaged w736h
I just mentioned the W221H, which again I may get, but in all honesty is probably something I'll give a miss to. But then there's the new W738H, which is supposedly going to be released in the US this month May 2026. Casio Singapore already has a product page up for it.
This is another one of those models where Casio gets it but at the same time they don't.
I own the W735H. The W736H has an identical case with identical features to the W735H, except the LCD panel is arranged slightly differently.
Both the W735H and W736H are what I call I-don't-care watches, as both are seriously fugly. More on that in a moment.
The W738H is functionally identical to the W736H with exactly the same LCD appearance, save for that the case and strap are different. The W738H is smaller, thinner and 7g lighter in weight. It also comes in three colorways. 1AV, a black case people will like but with a silver bezel everybody will hate. 1BV, an all-black case that everybody will love but with negative display everybody will hate. 3AV, an ugly olive color case with black bezel and olive strap that only those who couldn't get the black/silver one will buy. And on all of them, the strap is the same garbage on the W221H.
Oh, and for the 1AV black w/silver bezel version, the one most likely to sell best, it has a purple button at bottom right for no good reason. Yes, purple. It's just there, proud as can be.
The only way to get one of these that isn't an embarrassment to wear would be to buy the black/silver positive display and the all-black negative display, swap the positive LCD module into the all-black case (which thankfully does not have a purple button on it), ditch the strap for something better, and then you've finally got something respectable.
At least with the W735H/W736H, the ugly there is on full display. The W738H however is trying to look better, but Casio just could not resist with the ugly crap. This is why I say Casio gets it but at the same time they don't.
The biggest insult of the W738H, just like with the W221H, is that strap.
With the W738H, even if you could deal with its ugly points, that strap has to be junked. And that means buying that model is not a one-and-done. You have to factor in cost of watch and strap at bare minimum.
Heck, even the W218H-1AV, a super basic model (I have two), has a better strap.
When I first saw the W738H, I actually really wanted it. But that was before I saw the Casio W738H product page with better photos. When I saw that bad strap and purple case button, my decision of whether to buy or not once available was made right there and then.
Nope.
casio w221h... i'll wait
Been a while since I've talked about watches, and the hot one right now is the Casio W221H. This is something I passed on, because the more I researched it, the more I realized there are annoyances about it that would irritate me.
I am willing to get one in the future even with its annoyances, but not for the price it's selling for right now.
And what is the W221H selling for right now?
At the time I write this, about double what it should be priced for. Worth it? Absolutely not unless you really, really like the design.
I'm going to describe the watch's annoyances from the Gen X point of view, as I am one. Here we go.
The #1 reason any Gen X would buy this is legibility. W221H is a compact digital with giant digits. And I'm not kidding when I say compact, as it's 43.7mm lug-to-lug with 38.4mm diameter, however... this thing has a very blocky shape.
Square type watches always look and wear larger than circular, even when the square is small, which is exactly what the W221H is. What this means is on wrist, the watch will always appear much bigger than it actually is, and this will mess with your head.
The W221H's strap is total garbage for two reasons. First, it's completely smooth for both front and back. Second, it has nothing that will hold the strap keeper in place. The keeper is that thing you tuck the strap tail through when putting it on the wrist. With a completely smooth resin strap, it's guaranteed the strap tail will work its way loose from the keeper during normal wear and leave the strap dangling.
I have already seen people swapping out the strap on the W221H for something else because they know it's junk.
There is a pause when going mode-to-mode that cannot be shut off, and I know exactly why. The W221H as a "flash alert" feature. When on, the word SYNC appears first momentarily when changing modes. When off, the screen blanks when changing modes before showing you the next mode. This means you're forced to wait every time you want to go to another mode (like going to set an alarm). Very annoying.
The thickness of the W221H case works against it due to its blocky shape. It's 12.5mm thick, which on paper doesn't sound bad. But on wrist, it's a different story as that case has absolutely nothing form-fitting about it. It doesn't matter what your wrist size is because it's just a block on your wrist and there is no changing that.
Will I get one?
When the price goes down appropriately, probably. But I'm going to be damned certain to buy from a seller that has a good return policy, because I am very well aware of the watch's annoyances.
High legibility Casio compact digital alternatives
All of these have big digits, are stupidly easy to read and have great night lights for night reading.
Casio F108. Basic F-91W type features. Square shape but "squat" for better fit.
Casio W217H. Basic F-91W type features. Blocky but with decent downturn at the lugs (which the W221H does not do) for good fit.
Casio W218H. Basic F-91W type features. Similar to the F108 with square-but-squat case shape, but for most people, this is the perfect basic watch. I own two of them. Top tier legibility with easy-press buttons. This thing is amazing. The only reason I don't wear it more is because I need a watch with a timer.
Casio W218HD. Same as the W218H but with silver case and metal bracelet instead of resin.
Casio W219H. This is the W218H in a semi-round case shape, some with cloth strap that has Velcro, meaning no strap tail hanging out ever.
Casio W219HD. The W219H with a folded link metal bracelet. The case is still resin but in silver color to match the bracelet.
Casio WS1600H. This is what I'm currently wearing. Has advanced features and is complicated to set up, but I like it a lot. It's the same case size as the AE1200.
Casio WS1000H. Big ol' digits on this one, and like the WS1600H, complicated to set up. I formerly owned two of these, and parted with both because I couldn't get used to the front-facing buttons. But the legibility was absolutely there, no question. And the strap was quite good.
Casio B650WD. Another F-91W type for features. This is the W217H with a metal bracelet and silver case. The metal bracelet fortunately has a movable clasp, so no futzing with links required. This is the classiest looking high-legibility digital in existence, and I'm not kidding. Yes, I do own one.
Not-exactly compact but still good alternatives
These are a few other models that technically aren't compact but aren't goofy-big either.
Casio SGW100. I owned one of these before, fabric strap version. Didn't care for the strap. I might get another at some point, next time in a resin strap version. Very good for legibility, so-so for its night light. Has advanced features that I also like.
G-SHOCK GBD200-1A1. There's a negative MIP display version, but the positive MIP display is the one to get here. Screen is configurable to make the time and date huge. It is also a crazy-good-looking watch. Strap is also incredibly good. Yeah, it has tons of features, but whatever, the display is the star of the show here. This one is on my to-get list. Even the all white one looks awesome.
I don't do analog, but...
Where legibility is concerned, especially for aging eyes, the best watch type is time-only analog where the dial is dark and hands are light or dial is light and hands are dark.
True, you only get the time and nothing else, but for ease of reading, there is nothing better. The reason for this is because instead of reading numbers left-to-right, you're seeing a symbol of the time. Think of it in the same way as reading a circular progress bar for a file download. Basically the same thing. Even if your vision is fuzzy, you'll still be able to read the time on a simple analog.
Casio does make a good cheap time-only analog, the MW240. Light or dark dial, your choice, some with resin strap, some with cloth.
If you absolutely need a night light, see MWA100H. Not exactly small, but it's time-only with a night light. And the night light fades when it goes out, which is kinda cool to see. The same version of this watch with steel bracelet is the MWA100HD.
Another time-only with night light is the MW620H.
Again, I don't do analog, but if I did, I would run with a time-only analog Casio. Why no date complication? Time display is big, but date display is tiny and something I just wouldn't want to futz around with. With time-only, you just strap it on, adjust time if necessary, then go. I like that. Easy and good.
the insecure thing google, banks and government do with emails
There are many things verboten from emails these days, and one of them is that you are never, for any reason, to link anything using http:// ever. You're supposed to use https:// because "secure". Right? Right.
Well, there's a problem.
Some companies use email templates that are old, haven't been updated in a very long time and still use http://, which is bad.
I'm going to show the problem, then describe the solution.
I periodically receive emails from Google that brazenly have links to their pages using http:// while at the same time linking other things with https:// in the same message.
An example of such an email I received from Google earlier this year:
Banks
Banks, which includes credit card issuers, are absolutely notorious for sending out emails with image embeds called using http://, which is mixed content, and that's a giant no-no.
Government
This is where the one at top comes from. Yeah, sure, let's just link to something 27 years old that's not even part of the message at all, and do it insecurely because FUGGIT, nobody ever checks that stuff, right?
Wrong.
I noticed.
Government is far from the only one who does that w3.org http:// thing. Banks do this one too, as does Amazon, Spotify, Steampowered.com, and many others.
"It doesn't hurt anything", you may say. Doesn't matter. Everybody has been told that if you use http:// for anything in an email, you're a ding dang dirty sinner and are going straight to hell.
The solution
Well, this is obvious. Add the S so http:// is the proper https:// for everything.
However, I understand the reason http:// is still sprawled out all over the place in email templates for major companies.
What is the reason?
Red tape.
And oh, do I have a good example of this.
Certain emails from big companies have arrived in my inbox where I'll examine the source and sometimes see HTML comments.
This is a portion of a for-real email I received from a big company very recently:
The guy who made that released the ALL CAPS FURY and everything. And you gotta love that it's sitting directly below an insecure http:// link.
Note the explicit instruction not to change a damned thing without review first. And not just a review, a TEAM review.
Yeah, that's just a big pile of shit right there.
What that means is that anybody who spots the insecure http:// crap (which obviously nobody did) can't just edit the template and add one letter S. Nope. A report has to be made first to the "alert templates dev team".
If a report was actually filed, it would be received by an intern who, of course, will have absolutely no idea what to do with it.
The intern will guess where that report is supposed to be escalated to, then the report will be bounced around for a week to a month, then buried and forgotten.
While this is going on, insecure links from Big Ass Company are being sent to all the many, many thousands of customers every day.
Oh, joy.
Now you're probably thinking, "Why don't you email Big Ass Company and tell them about this?"
Ah, good question. And I have a good answer.
It wouldn't fix the problem.
Absolutely nobody in customer service for Big Ass Company knows anything about how email works. All that would happen is a canned response telling me thanks for the communication, it will be "assigned" to the appropriate whoever, have a nice day. The support ticket would be "closed" at that point and never escalated anywhere.
There is only one way to fix a problem like this.
If I had the email address of a C-title employee at Big Ass Company, then I could get the problem fixed. Not the CEO, because he doesn't care. But the CFO or CIO? Yes, I'd take either, because those guys would care. I'd send an email, say what's going on (politely, of course), they'd reply back, say thanks for emailing and take care of it. And they would. One email from them to the IT manager would get the problem fixed in under an hour since it would take top priority as the communication came down from "on high".
Since I don't have a C-title employee's email address, I do the next best thing, which is never click any link in an email at all, and read email in plain text only using a TUI mail client.
squier sonic stratocaster acquired, i'm home again
Out with the Squier Affinity Telecaster, in with the Squier Sonic Stratocaster. Yep. You can see me play and talk about it if you like.
This is one of those "why didn't I do this sooner" maneuvers, or so I thought.
The reality is that right now was the right time to get this guitar. It was time to go home again, so to speak.
There's the saying you can never go home again, but that's not always true. In some cases, time needs to pass before you can make your return home and truly enjoy it for what it is.
Such is the case with the Sonic Strat.
As I just said recently, I'm really jaded when it comes to guitars these days, and screw it, I'm fine with what I have.
But then the Sonic Strat went on sale with a rather sizable discount. Ah.
A voice in my head said, "It's time for that Tele to go. Trade it out and get that Strat. Trust me."
I didn't argue with myself on this one. While the Affinity Tele I had was perfectly fine and had nothing wrong with it, it was time to part ways with that guitar. I packed it in a spare gig bag I had, and off to the guitar store I went.
Tried out the Sonic Strat at the store. It felt good, sounded right, felt right. Bought it.
Before de-stickering it, I made a video first, posted that, then proceeded with the setup. For me, this was stupidly easy. I had everything done in about a half-hour. Neck adjusted, bridge saddles adjusted, a few other little odds and ends, new strings installed, done.
The price of a Sonic was also real nice, especially with the discount.
It's all about the formula
This Sonic is that very specific Squier formula for a Strat that I am intimately familiar with. Slim profile Strat body, 6-screw bridge with short/skinny block and block string saddles, bright ceramic magnet pickups, 21-fret neck. This guitar is home to me. I know this.
Squier has had this style of guitar in their lineup for almost 40 years. The first true "value" Squier Strats were made when Fender moved Squier production out of Japan and to Korea and Indonesia in 1987.
It just happened to be that my very first electric guitar (which I still own) is a 1989 Squier II Stratocaster, manufactured by Samick out of Korea. A "first generation value Strat", if you will.
When guitar snobs talk about "good" Squier Strats, what they're referring to is the Japanese made stuff prior to 1987. That's not home for me. Home is what came after '87. Before Classic Vibe series, before Vintage Modified series, and even before Affinity series.
In '89, for Strats there was Squier Standard and Squier II Standard. That's it. There were two because two separate manufacturers were being used at the time. The H.M. ("Heavy Metal") I and II and Contemporary were also made that year, but do not count because neither follow that bog standard Squier Strat formula. It's the Standards that matter.
Over the years, this bog standard Squier Strat has changed model names, manufacturers, body woods, fretboard woods and so on, but the formula has stayed the same.
Right now, this formula is applied to the Sonic model. Mine is an Indonesia build. Prior to this, I had one when it was called a Bullet Strat, made from 2007-2012. Mine was a 2010, and that was a China build.
I'm not a Fender guy because I can't be
Fender makes no Stratocaster guitar right now that has the Strat formula I'm looking for. I've gone through their entire catalog, which includes the Artist models, and not a single one suits. If it's not those crappy bent steel saddles, it's the pickups or some other wacky electronics. If it's not the pickups or wacky electronics, it's the 22-fret neck. If it's not the 22-fret neck, the neck has some weirdo shape. If not the weird neck shape, it's the tuners used. If it's not the tuners, it's that crappy 2-point bridge. It's always something. I can't even use their "Mod Shop" to craft the custom build I want. Not possible.
What would work is what Fender used to make from 1998-2005, the Fender Standard Stratocaster, as in the Mexico build. In fact, I'm genuinely surprised Fender does not offer a Strat in that spec, silver "transition" logo and all. Nostalgia sells, and it's weird they don't jump on that.
The only thing I ever remember people complaining about with that MIM Fender Strat is that it was The Most Boringest Fender. True? Yes, but that's what made it great. Just a bog standard Strat with ceramic magnet pickups. Absolutely nothing special about it, but wow, did it work well. Fender made a million of those Brown Sunburst MIM Strats. Probably literally. That is the ultimate comfort food Strat if there ever was one, and it was good. After a string saddle change from bent steel to block, that is.
Well, Fender doesn't make a Strat in that '90s design, and won't. Even if I wanted to be a Fender guy, Fender simply doesn't do anything '90s. Oh, they have every other decade covered, true enough. But '90s? Nope. They ignore that one and ignore it hard.
Then there's Squier that had exactly the Strat I wanted, in that same formula from the late '80s/early '90s, in a great color as I got mine in Surf Green. And it just happened to be the Sonic, one of their lowest priced models.
Again, this guitar is home to me.
However...
The entire reason I said right now was the right time to get this guitar (other than the fact it was on sale) is that Sonic models from a year or so ago truly sucked. I had tried one prior. The tuners were total garbage, everything felt wrong, and it sounded terrible.
Fortunately, that's now changed. What's being made now gets the low tier Squier Strat formula right.
I'm not saying the Sonic uses top tier stuff, because it certainly doesn't. But at the same time, there's nothing about it that screams cheap-and-bad. Now it's cheap-and-good, like it's supposed to be.
Will I ever go Tele again? Or Jazzmaster? Or something else?
Certainly not right now.
I'm genuinely surprised that I don't miss the Tele at all. Again, what I had was good with nothing wrong going on. Heck, even the sales guy who took in the trade said, "Wow, this Tele is set up real nice." Yeah, I've become good at setups over the years. Even so, that wasn't enough to keep me in Tele-land.
It's too early to say for sure, but at this point I might be totally okay sticking with the Strats in my preferred formula that Squier does best. I might even get one of those MIM Fenders later like I mentioned a minute ago, as it only takes a swap of string saddles to give it that Squier formula I like. I'd also wire in tone control to the bridge-only pickup setting. The Sonic thankfully already has that wired in, but I'd do the same on the MIM Fender Standard just because I like having it.
I'm also not opposed to trying a Jazzmaster again in the future, but that might be a chase after a dead unicorn. My first Jazzmaster, a Squier Vintage Modified, was amazing. I wore out the neck from playing it so much. I had 4 other Jazzmasters after that, with one being a Fender, and none had the magic the first one did. Trying to get another that has the magic of that first one might be a fool's errand.
For now, I'm happily at home with the bog standard Squier Strat in Sonic flavor. I didn't expect to get this guitar at all, but I'm very glad to have it.