In New York City, July 1 is Bobby Bonilla Day, a former player for the NY Mets who receives 1.2 Million dollars each year on this day although he's been retired for over 20 years. Why?
In 2000 Bobby Bonilla was having an abysmal season and the Mets decided to drop him even though there was 5.9 million left on his contract. Normally, the team just pays the whole thing and is done with it. But the Mets owners were genius financial wizards   They were heavy investors with Bernie Madoff and thought postponing this payment while reaping tons of money with Bernie was a no-brainer
So the deal was-no payment to Bonilla for 10 years, then annual payments at 8% interest for 25 years.
So Bonilla gets his 1.2 million each July 1 and will continue to do so for through the year 2035
Happy Bobby Bonilla Day

Also on this day in 1504 – Bogdan III the One-Eyed becomes Voivode of Moldavia. 
I swear, I did not make that up

Didn't think the TV show was THAT big of a deal, worldwide....



Always wondered why they thought colored wigs would be the fashion trend of the future.

Don't forget that now you are being tracked even when you put your phone off. Ain't life in the 21st century grand ?

Here in the UK, there has been some debate about councils and government departments going almost entirely digital. A friend of mine - formerly a labourer - does not have internet access. He has an ordinary mobile phone. He’s looking for manual work. Although I’ve let him use my laptop once or twice, I’m not always around. But the jobcentre is of no help to him, apparently. He’s spending a lot of £££s in internet cafes, applying for jobs, as everything is digital now.

He’s seen a Dell laptop (second-hand), which he is going to buy. He wants me to give him some training on how to use it. But there was a time when the jobcentre would help welfare claimants with job seeking. Now, even those who are “digitally illiterate” are not helped.

I can understand some things being online. Personally, I don’t wish to send in a paper tax return like they had years ago, I’d much rather do a digital one, especially as you get a “receipt” - and the taxman can’t lie/be incompetent and claim your tax return was sent in past the deadline. 

But other things are a pain. There used to be a council number one could ring if your rubbish was not collected. You’d ring and arrange a collection. Now you have to register online with your council, set up an account, click on “missed rubbish collection”, etc. My mum’s elderly neighbour, a widow who also has never used the internet, requested my help in doing that.

They should not forget that not everyone has digital access - or confidence to use it. 

I have online banking but it’s a pain when the app goes down. If I wish to cancel a direct debit, I need to go into the bank. Well, I would if they hadn’t closed my local branch down. And my bank app hasn’t yet initiated a system where you can scan the barcode on a cheque so as to pay in money, so when some company sends me a cheque, I have to find a post office to pay it into.

I get how good some stuff is. I’m glad I can renew car tax/insurance online. But there are some things I would rather not do online. Or which can turn out to be more time-consuming. If I go into a fast food restaurant, it’s much quicker to go to the counter with cash and say, “Plain cheeseburger and fries, please.” Much, much quicker than dicking around on the touch-screen systems the local McDonalds has, which only takes cards. 

Similar, here.  I deal with a lot of older folks, who need a document printed, or a photo, or a shipping label, to return something to an online vendor.  at least a third to half have no clue how to e-mail with their smart phone.  Why buy a smart phone and then not learn how to use it?  Well, most of the time, because their child badgered them into getting it, when they had no need or desire.  It just made it more convenient for the child or grandchild.  They ask me how to do it.  After first letting them know I don't use a phone like that, I try and walk them through the basic theory and then we see if we can figure out where those functions are, on their phone.  Works fine for Android phones; but, not so much for iPhones (spend that much money and then don't learn to do the basic functions?"  If it was me, I would be at the store who sold me the dang thing and make them show me every function I need, until I was satisfied.  They took my money, so provide the damn service.

I get a little annoyed with people assuming everyone has their app on a mobile device.  I stopped at McDonalds to get the wife a coke and went through the drive-thru, since I wanted to stay distanced (not COVID, just anti-social) and I am running errands.  Pull up to the speaker and the first thing they ask me is if I will be using the mobile app.  If I was, why would I need to give you my dang order verbally?  Shouldn't I be able to do that on the app?  I'm not Spock but even I have a handle on basic logic.  Not so much Corporate America.

I had a fun time teasing a young bookseller, when I worked for Barnes & Noble.  At that time, I did not own a cell phone.  I lived a 5 minute driving distance from the store, didn't travel often and felt no need.  They were flabbergasted.  "How do you make a call?"  "I have a phone at home."  "Yeah, but you can't call when you are out."  "Why would I want to?"  "What if you were wanting to talk to a friend?"  "I can do that when I get home."  "Yeah, but, you can't talk to them while shopping."  "Why would I want to talk to them while shopping?  They couldn't see what I am buying anyway.  I'm the one shopping for me, why do I need them?"  "Well, I don't know...."

I proceeded to tell them about life before cell phones, including what a rotary dial phone was, then horrified them with the description of a "party line."  I then ask them how they make a call when their phone battery is dead?  "Well, I charge it up."  "What if there is not outlet available?"  Well, I have to go find one."  What if you are out where there are no nearby homes or businesses?"  I guess I would have to wait until I got to one."  "That's what we always did, except we had pay phones available in more areas than access to a power source.  So, did your technology necessarily improve the situation?"

I told her that my generation knows how to survive without the technology and to find an alternative; her's is in deep doo-doo when it fails....and it will!  If I learned one thing in the military, it is that all technology fails, no matter who designed and built it.  If it is created by man, it is flawed and that flaw will come back to bite you in the hinder.  That's why, even though we had satnav, which was accurate to within a couple hundred yards, we still took sextant readings, in the Navy.  Still have to navigate when the satnav goes down and there aren't many landmarks in the middle of the ocean.  ("Turn left at that wave up ahead."  "Which one?"  The little one, on the left.")

I have a GPS (got it for the wife); but, I always plot out a course on a map, before going somewhere unfamiliar.  I have had GPS devices give me screwed up directions or longer routes, too many times.  or not function because of interference or too much concrete between it and the satellite.

Like I say, it's a tool, nothing more.  Right tool for the right job.