Garmin 2025.10 North America map update
Amazingly, Garmin released another map update.
Why is this amazing? They're the last man standing for standalone car navigation systems, that's why. It's very nice to see Garmin still releasing map updates.
I currently run a Garmin DriveSmart 66 as my daily driver in the car. It has worked very well.
I'm not going to go over the particulars with the DS66 because I've already done that previously. Instead, I'm going to talk about something else I think should exist.
As I said, Garmin is the last man standing when you want a standalone navigation system. You get a DS66, maybe optionally get a bean bag mount (so you don't have to stick it to the windshield), and that's pretty much it...
...unless you want a larger screen like the DS76 and DS86. But that's it. Garmin is your only option in America for one of these things new.
What I think should exist is an alternative standalone option. And no, that cheap stuff on AliExpress doesn't count and neither does the phone. I mean a standalone navigator as good as Garmin. That used to be TomTom, but they don't sell standalone models in the US anymore.
I don't have the business acumen nor the money to pull this off, but if I could, I'd love to develop a modern version of the Garmin nuvi 265. Yes, I'm talking about the 3.5" screen square version. A modern take would be something that uses OpenStreetMap data that could be updated whenever the user wants, uses a magnetic mount similar to how people mount phones in cars, and has huge concentration on two things: UI and heat resistance.
It is totally possible to develop a UI that's fun, easy and quick but powerful all at the same time.
And I would want this thing to handle whatever heat even the hottest summer could throw at it. Heat resistance is a really big deal.
Bigger screens are not what we need. It's the UI that needs to change. My old Garmin nuvi 40LM from 2011, a 4.3" version, is actually more legible than the 6" DriveSmart 66. Yeah, the DS66 is far more advanced, but still, that old 40 can be read far more easily.
There are other things I'd want this thing to do, but I'd want this to be a legible little powerhouse the size of a car gauge that could be mounted nearly anywhere in the car.
Garmin (and TomTom) actually had the really right idea with the 3.5" size. It totally worked, but then they got all widescreen crazy and it's been that way ever since.
Would something like this sell? I know it would, if for no other reason than from people seeing "Waiting for GPS..." on their phone navigation app over and over again, getting mega frustrated at that and thinking, "There has GOT to be something else I can use besides this crap!"
I would hope some developer and some investors would take interest in a new 3.5" standalone OpenStreetMap-based navigation system. And oh yeah, I'd be more than happy to talk with them about it.
For now, I'm glad to still see map updates and will continue using my DS66.
The brownest Fender brown
Let's talk about the brownest of Fender browns.
Take the Fender Mustang in Faded Mocha. This was a special edition color from around 2017. This is as brown as brown gets on a Fender.
Why is this the brownest of browns for an electric guitar?
Before I answer that, yes of course you always see brown with a traditional sunburst finish. As the sun "sets" towards the edge of the body, the brown is there.
However, to see all brown with no variation other than some wood grain... well, that's different.
An example of Mocha is the Fender American Vintage II 1973 Stratocaster...
...but when you look at that, notice that it doesn't commit to brown 100%. You do see some red in there. Yes, Mocha is a great color on the Am Vin II '73 Strat, no question, but still, it didn't go 100% in on the brown.
The Faded Mocha of the Fender Mustang however did go all-in on brown. There is barely any red in there (if any?) and it totally commits to "looks like a coffee table". And that is why it's the brownest of Fender browns.
Faded Mocha has no metal flake, no burst and nothing fancy about it other than a gloss finish (which in itself isn't fancy). It is a color that says, "I am brown. Wanna fight about it?"
For some people, this very specific brown is the perfect guitar color because it goes in the total complete opposite direction of fancy. The not-exciting look of it brings a sense of warmth and comfort just looking at it, and some find that very attractive.
If you're all about the brown, Faded Mocha is what you want. Expensive? No. Quite affordable.
Not into the Mustang? Pretty much all guitar makes have a brown of some kind, if that's your thing.
Foods I avoid to keep the weight off
I'm still slim, and a reason for that is because of foods I purposely don't buy.
A few years ago I lost a bunch of weight. Almost 60 pounds. In '23 I started falling off the wagon and put back on 15, but then got back on the wagon and dropped that weight again. I did what worked before, which is keep a daily food journal, exercise, and avoid temptation.
When I'm out and about, avoiding food temptation isn't a problem. I can go into a convenience store, see all the chips, chocolates, full-sugar sodas and at no point do I think, "Oh, I gotta have that." Giving that stuff a miss isn't an issue.
However, when the tempting stuff is directly where I live, that's where I give in. If the stuff is in my fridge, cupboard or pantry, yeah, I'll eat it.
This is some of the stuff I don't buy just because I love it too much:
Life CerealA "family size" box of this stuff will not last past two to three days in my cupboard. I will eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until that box is GONE.
This is my most favorite breakfast cereal of all time. And, of course, I would have to have it with full-fat milk, basically resulting in 400 to 500 Calories per bowl, given how much I wolf down in a single sitting.
Yes, this means I would consume upwards of 1,500 Calories per day of just Life cereal + full-fat milk. Stupid? Yes, and that's why I don't buy it.
Macaroni and cheese spiralsI am one of those weirdos that likes the spiral shape, and I've no idea why. I just prefer the spirals, even though they taste exactly the same as the elbow shape.
I'm not particular to brand when it comes to mac and cheese. When I used to buy this stuff, I'd just get the cheapest crap available.
With this one I was somewhat restrained in that I'd only eat two boxes a day of this stuff. However, it's 400 Calories per box prepared, so two boxes would be 800 Calories per day - of just mac and cheese. Again, stupid.
Cheese puff curlsIf I start in on an 8oz bag of these, I won't stop until that bag is finished. Think I'll share? You thought wrong, because I won't.
That entire bag is about 1,600 Calories.
And oh yeah, when I'm done I'll have cheese dust all over my mouth and fingers. It would be just like I was 10 years old all over again. Cheesy and gross.
No chance of me buying these things. Not happening.
Tin of nuts (peanuts or cashews, specifically)
If I get an 8oz tin of cashews, it won't last the day. The damage on this one is about 1,300 Calories for the whole thing.
And wow would I be in trouble if I got a pound (16oz) of peanuts. That's about 2,750 Calories.
I actually don't know if I could eat that many peanuts in just one day... and I don't want to find out.
Oh, and speaking of which...
Peanut butterThe damage on this is about 2,800 Calories for the jar.
Yeah, that bad.
It absolutely doesn't matter who makes it or how "natural" it is. Peanuts are super-dense with Calories and there's just no way around that. A jar of peanut butter is a total Calorie explosion.
A jar of this will last about three days for me or maybe four. Even if I were to make it last four days, that's 700 Calories per day of just peanut butter. Nope, not going there. I won't buy it even though I love the stuff.
Ice cream sandwichesI know the ice cream used in these things is total garbage but there's just something about that junk vanilla and soft chocolate that's oh-so good.
A box of these will last one to two days at most in my freezer. A regular sized box has 12 ice cream sandwiches, and that's near 2,400 Calories total. Spread across two days, that's 1,200 Calories/day of just ice cream sandwiches. Once again, stupid.
You'd think I'd have a problem with fast food temptation...
...but I don't.
I pass by fast food places regularly and never have a desire to eat anything they serve.
This doesn't have to do anything with price because fast food has been overpriced for a long time now. I just don't have any desire for the stuff anymore.
These days, anything I'd actually want to eat while out isn't made fast. If for example I go get Vietnamese or Thai food, I know of no place that makes that super-fast-quick, nor would I want them to. I'm more than willing to wait a little bit and get something that brings the flavor instead of some quick salt/sugar/cheese/maybe-meat mess.
The much larger food temptations happen with anything directly in my living space. If all it took was a walk to the kitchen to have a peanut butter sandwich and then chase with a big bowl of life cereal afterward, yeah I'd do it. But since that stuff isn't here, I'll just have a coffee instead or make some eggs.
Fixing a noise problem by taking the low road on purpose
I used to take the highway all the time. Not-so much now.
I've always been the type of guy that drives in silence. Rarely do I listen to the radio or play music. The only thing I hear is engine noise, wind, tires rolling and my GPS periodically giving instructions. And where the phone is concerned, I don't use that while driving. I never got used to that, which is for the best.
Recently, I made a decision to avoid using the highway for safety reasons, but there are two nice things about doing that I didn't expect.
First, it's actually fun weaving around little residential side streets at slow speeds. I see a lot of stuff I don't see on the highway, and figuring out how to get places with all those twists and turns makes the drive a lot more interesting.
Second is the lack of noise. I've come to realize that road noise from the highway was actually really bothering me.
Only a complete moron would say to roll up the windows or turn the stereo up to "fix" a noise problem while driving. Yes, there are idiots who actually believe that drowning out noise with more noise is a proper solution. An idiot believes sacrificing getting fresh air in the car and assaulting your ears instead is A-OK. It's not.
I was putt-putting around a residential area the other day with the windows rolled down, and then I realized hey, I'm not being assaulted by irritating sounds. I even heard birds singing here and there. How nice.
If you ever wanted to know why almost nobody drives on the highway with the windows down, it's the noise. It doesn't matter what kind of car you have. You could have a brand new Cadillac or Lexus or whatever with less than 100 miles on the odometer that's whisper-quiet with the windows up. But if you're on the highway, want a fast way to get fresh air and open the windows, yeah, noise. And a lot of it.
Here's a little secret I learned from hypermiling to save gas by not using A/C: If you're in a four-door car driving solo, it's hot outside and you want to cool down, don't immediately turn on the A/C. Open the driver's window about 1/4 of the way down and the rear passenger window also 1/4 of the way down. This creates a stream of air through the car that will cool you without even having to turn the A/C on or even the fans. As long as you're moving, you're getting that air...
...but on the highway this results in getting assaulted by road noise.
On the slower roads I can use the air stream trick, stay cool and not have noise blasting at my ears. On the highway, not really. Too loud.
If you can, try taking slower roads, roll the windows down (weather permitting), and enjoy.
What is an ideal weight?
I'm daring to answer this question.
Last year I put on a few pounds so I had to get them off again, and did. Compared to most others who start diets and fail, I don't. If I start falling off the wagon, I get right back on. When I am determined to lose weight, I get the job done.
Part of the reason I'm successful at keeping a proper weight is I know when to stop.
Yeah, there's a question you never hear asked. If you're actually successful at losing weight, when do you stop?
When you examine the BMI table (BMI means Body Mass Index), the table is correct, but trying to determine the stopping point for losing weight in the "normal" range is challenging.
Traditional BMI charts consider 18.5 to 24.9 to be within the normal range, but there's a problem with that. If my BMI was 18.5, I'd be a sickly looking twig teetering on being underweight. If my BMI was 24.9, I'd be teetering on being overweight again.
So what's the correct BMI number to go for? Right in the middle of the normal range?
Almost.
The ideal weight for the vast majority of people is a BMI of 22, which is slightly ahead of the middle.
If you want to know what your weight would be at a BMI of 22, just look at the table, it's right there. Find your height on the left column, match that up with 22 column, and there you have it. Note that the table shows height in inches on the left, starting at 58" (4'10") and ending at 76" (6'4").
I had to figure this out by myself because I could not get a solid answer for the question of "What weight should I be so I know when to stop?" It's whatever the table says your weight for your height should be for BMI 22. That's the answer.
Does this mean to stay EXACTLY at BMI 22? No, because that would be unreasonable. Most people fluctuate in weight +/- three pounds depending on what they eat and drink that day. You're not going to weigh exactly the same in the morning as you would in the evening and vice versa. If you dip down into 21, you're not going to go to hell for it, nor will you suffer eternal damnation for fluctuating above 22.
How did I arrive at BMI 22 being the goal number? It's because that number is almost in the middle of the normal range and is on just about every BMI chart and table. Most charts/tables don't use the decimal points, so I just went with what they all have.
Again, for those of you actually successful with weight loss (and good for you if you are, I mean that sincerely) where you need a solid number to know where the finish line is, now you have it. BMI 22.