I had my car battery replaced by a battery shop the other day.

I was a bit surprised that he removed the old battery while the engine was running and then put in the new one.

I read somewhere that doing so may damage some electronic circuit/components in the car.

Any experts here to shed some lights on this?

Cheers

With any sort of luck, this might be the last straw...


https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/donald-...POX3FDOE/#

Quote:Former US president Donald Trump┬áreturned briefly to the campaign trail on Wednesday and called the judge presiding over his hush money trial ÔÇ£crookedÔÇØ a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with┬ájail time for violating a gag order.
In imposing the fine for posts on TrumpÔÇÖs Truth Social account and campaign website, Judge Juan M. Merchan said that if Trump continued to violate his orders, he would ÔÇ£impose an incarceratory punishmentÔÇØ.
ÔÇ£There is no crime. I have a crooked judge, [he] is a totally conflicted judge,ÔÇØ Trump said speaking to supporters at an event in Waukesha, Wisconsin, claiming again that this and other cases against him are led by the White House to undermine his campaign.
The gag order bars him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his hush money case. Trump is still free to criticise Merchan.

Oh surely not! Surely the peasants must understand how they have to guard against any possibility of their standard of living slipping even a tiny bit...


https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/political-...RP6YU7RT4/

Quote:How entitled are New ZealandÔÇÖs politicians? Right now, MPs across the political spectrum look entirely out of touch in their unified stance of┬áaccepting the hefty pay increases┬árecommended by the Remuneration Authority.
MPs should simply reject the pay increases ÔÇö┬áwhich they can easily do┬áÔÇö rather than risk a legitimate public backlash from constituents who feel betrayed by an already well-paid political class that insists on austerity for others, but not themselves.
Historically, MPs have been paid at a much lower level. The role of a politician was once regarded as a vocational public service. Consequently, a backbench MP was paid at the same rate as only a senior secondary school teacher.
Then, in the 1980s, alongside the neoliberal reforms, politics was professionalised, and MPs demanded to be treated more like private sector executives. Egalitarian ideas that MPs should be ÔÇ£just like usÔÇØ went out of fashion. The PM stopped having his phone number listed in the phone book. Regarding themselves as elite professionals, MPs felt no shame in devising new ways of calculating their pay that sent them skyrocketing. Running the country, and politics in general, was now to be done so like a business.
Politicians also enriched themselves in other ways. It became more common for MPs to invest in shares and accumulate real estate. MPs across the political spectrum made a fortune out of rising house prices. Nowadays, only a handful of politicians arenÔÇÖt property owners, and itÔÇÖs common for them to own multiple houses.
MP Chloe Swarbrick has spoken out strongly about MPs being ÔÇ£overpaidÔÇØ, saying,┬áÔÇ£I feel pretty gross about itÔÇØ.┬áNow, as co-leader, she emphasised this week that pay increases shouldnÔÇÖt be politicised.

And they shouldn't bloody well be happening either, Chloe. Shame on all politicians for not speaking out against this, particularly at a time when so many are struggling.

I don't usually consider posting links to paywalled content but this Newsroom article sums up the implications of the proposed Fast track bill brilliantly.

It seems people will no longer be eligible unless they've lived here longer prior to turning 65.


https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligib...-2024.html

I occasionally have  look at a UK forum, IDF50 & came across a thread about this under the heading 'Sadistic bastards.' 

You really have to wonder at the mentality of politicians wanting to do this. I hope our govt doesn't borrow this despicable idea, its diffocult to comprehend that any govt can be so cruel.



https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024...-crackdown

Quote:A major scheme to help disabled people into work has been quietly scrapped ÔÇô just as the prime minister announced a crackdown on disability benefits.
The┬á┬ú100m┬áWork and Health Programme, operating in England and Wales, will end in the autumn, providers have been told, at the same time that┬áRishi Sunak wants to cut benefits┬áfor 420,000 sick and disabled people in an attempt to force them into work ÔÇô a move that charities say would instead leave people destitute.
The blow to disabled people comes after the prime minister unveiled a plan to hand power to officials with no medical training to decide whether an employee is sick, raising the possibility that decisions about workersÔÇÖ health will be taken to hit targets rather than on clinical need.
The prime minister wants to cut the disability welfare budget of £69bn a year, amid rising levels of sickness. The charitable Health Foundation said last week that by 2040 health inequalities meant that 3.7 million adults, many in deprived areas, would be living with a major illness such as type 2 diabetes, chronic pain or depression.
Sunak said that Britain had a ÔÇ£sicknote cultureÔÇØ and blamed the problem of ÔÇ£young people ÔǪ parked on welfareÔÇØ, although the majority of people receiving statutory sick pay are women over 50 working part-time, according to the┬áResolution Foundation.

Fantastic; this govt shows it has the very best interests of children at heart.


Oh, no hang on, that must be some other country, one where the govt actually has the best interests of its children first & foremost.


https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/...d655&ei=16

Quote:Documents obtained by Newshub show key roles at Oranga Tamariki are set to be disestablished.
Roles at the ministry's international child protection team, which helped care for unaccompanied child refugees and investigate complex exploitation cases, face the axe.
Amnesty International and the Chief Children's Commissioner are both concerned such changes could impact New Zealand's ability to uphold United Nations obligations.
Hundreds of Afghanis came to New Zealand on a New Zealand Defence Force plane, including 15 unaccompanied children.
Then in 2022, there was a complex investigation into the exploitation of Chinese child acrobats here as part of the travelling show Zirka Circus.
They were eventually uplifted and flown home to their parents. 
The international child protection unit at Oranga Tamariki was involved with both events, but the unit now faces significant cuts.
"Before implementing any changes, the Government must consider their ability to meet human rights obligations here and overseas," said Lisa Woods, campaign director at Amnesty International.
Consultation documents obtained by Newshub show 17 advisory roles would be slashed to just six.
The role of General Manager for international casework would be disestablished, along with the manager of international child protection. The national management role would also go.
Oranga Tamariki proposed the separate national and international teams be "consolidated" into one team.
"The question should be 'what more could we be doing?' Not taking away," Woods told Newshub.
"I am aware that this unit undertakes specialist, complex, cross-border child protection work. This includes working to support children who are, for example, stateless, trafficked, arrive in our country as unaccompanied minor refugees, and children who are in need of intercountry adoption."
She also said it may affect how we uphold our international obligations to the UN, and the child protection-focused Hague Conventions. 
Children's Minister Karen Chhour would not comment on the documents obtained except to say it's just a proposal.
"It's my expectation that the best interests of our children will be at the forefront of our decision making," Chhour told Newshub.

An ode for King Luxon, Victor Billot

"Performance Review

King Luxon sat behind
His massive polished oak desk.
It is Performance Review time.
There is a knock on the door.
ÔÇ£Enter!ÔÇØ says the King.
In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds.
I can explain everything  she begins.
ÔÇ£Fine,ÔÇØ says King Luxon, pressing the eject button.

Minister Simmonds is blasted through the ceiling

Wouldn't I love to see these two arguing face to face.  The screeching!   The gruff offensiveness!

https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/05/01/nicola...to-say-no/

Don't know much about the brand, but sounds like it's much better than KFC.
Hopefully KFC up the game now that there is some competition, their quality has dropped immensely in recent years.