My contribution for National Ammo Day

was a brick of .22; times are a bit tight.


From the professional "We don't know nothin' bout no terrorists!" journalists,
The Times leaves out the story’s single most relevant piece of information: Four senior Islamic Jihad terrorists were using the media building as a hideout. They were killed in the Israeli strike.
Both Islamic Jihad and the IDF noted the presence of terrorists in the building, and that they were eliminated in the strike. As in a previous report on Gaza, the New York Times appears confused about the presence and actions of terrorists in the territory.


 So I'm supposed to be all butthurt about the salaries of Hostess executives, but I'm not supposed to be bothered by union salaries?
So let’s take a look at the number of executives in the Bakers’ Union, their salaries and titles. What does a humble baker president like Hurt rake in? A mere $262,654. His assistant, Harry Kaiser has to get by with a mere $149,764.

The Bakers’ Union (BCTGM) has 58 employees. 29 of them make more than $100,000 a year.

The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ International Union has 8 Vice Presidents. (One is an Executive Vice-President).

These 8 Vice Presidents make anywhere from $218,989.00 to $161,789.00 for a combined total of over 2 million dollars. Additionally there’s a Secretary Treasurer who makes $244,396.00.


 So, where's the screaming about FEMA screwups?  Why aren't journalists asking Obama why he's not doing something?
Oh, right, there's a 'D' in the White House...
“Sitting there last night you could see your breath,” said Sotelo. “At (Pine Belt) the Red Cross made an announcement that they were sending us to permanent structures up here that had just been redone, that had washing machines and hot showers and steady electric, and they sent us to tent city. We got (expletive).


Yesterday, maintenance was performed on the bike: sprocket and chain replacement.  I'd bought the set months ago when I found it for a good price, knowing I'd need it in the next few thousand miles; and last time I cleaned & lubed the chain I found several spots where kinks were developing.  They weren't hard kinks, but definite indicators of wear, so it was time.

And in this case I was also replacing the drive and driven sprockets(or 'driven flange' as it says in the manual).  Recommendation of many is to always replace sprockets and chain together(though you can get argument about that), but I was going from a 530-size chain to a 520 so the sprockets had to be changed to match.

One bolt holding the drive sprocket on, six nuts for the driven, and all damn tight, so used a trick son told me about: take a heavy cargo tie-down strap, loop it around a wheel spoke*, hook the hooks to somewhere on the frame and snug it down.  When you put torque on to loosen or tighten the fasteners, it'll keep the wheel from turning.  And you'd better do this before you remove the chain; be a serious PITA to try it after that.

This was the first time I'd replaced a riveted chain, so took my time.  If you're not familiar with them, the new master link does not have a press-on sideplate secured by a clip; the sideplate presses onto the pins, and you use a tool to expand the heads of the pins to lock the plate on.  Add in that there are o-rings involved(4), I wanted to make sure I got this right.  Pick a link to remove, press out both pins, remove chain.  Change sprockets, snug fasteners. Put on new chain.  There's a little packet of grease for the master link: put a o-ring on each pin, grease the pins(I shot a little into the holes in the other links just to be sure), insert to link chain.  Put o-rings over the pins, get the sideplate in place and then press it on.  Then rivet the ends of the pins(yes, there are measurements for how much pin to have protruding, and how wide the heads should be after expanding).

And yes, there's a tool just for the job.  Depending on which parts you use it can press out the pins from the link you decide to break, then press the sideplate onto the new pins(and you need a tool, it's a serious tight fit) and then rivet the heads.

After the chain is locked together, tighten and torque-down the fasteners, then adjust the chain, and clean up the mess.

Put about fifty miles on it today, and all's well.  Always a very comforting thing after doing something new.

While I'm thinking of it I got the chain/sprocket set from Sprocket Center; they also have brake rotors, wheels and other stuff.
Here's the chain tool I used.  Hey, it's on sale again!  In any case, it did the job.  Next time I do think I'd use a couple of wrenches instead of the handle and lever that comes with it; they'd be longer and give better leverage.

*These are aluminum wheels, cast as one piece, I don't think I'd do this with actual spokes.  With the solid wheels, use a spoke on one side when loosening, move to the other side when tightening.