End the War on Freedom

13 years early on his 14 year sentence. https://t.co/a81wtExvia

— TSB (@TweetingTSB) February 11, 2025

Mr. Fogel is breathing the sweet air of freedom tonight, plus all the weed he wants.  

An American aid worker describes the implosion of the humanitarian mission to support rape and famine victims in Sudanhttps://t.co/EMzWQT89ti

— Rolling Stone Politics (@RSPolitics) February 7, 2025

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  A small U.S. security firm is hiring nearly 100 U.S. special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas truce, according to a company spokesperson and a recruitment email seen by Reuters, introducing armed American contractors into the heart of one of the world's most violent conflict zones.

UG Solutions - a low-profile company founded in 2023 and based in Davidson, North Carolina - is offering a daily rate starting at $1,100 with a $10,000 advance to veterans it hires, the email said. They will staff the checkpoint at a key intersection in Gaza's interior, said the spokesperson, who confirmed the authenticity of the email. 

Some people have been recruited and are already at the checkpoint, said the spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity. He did not say how many contractors were already in Gaza. 

-- snip-- 

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel on Tuesday told reporters, without naming UG Solutions or the United States, that Israel had demanded that the deal include the use of a private security firm, working with "an Egyptian security company or forces" to help maintain security and humanitarian aid flows in Gaza. 

But, she said, it remained to be seen if the arrangement "actually works." 

--snip--

A separate source familiar with the deal said Israel and unnamed "Arab countries" that worked on the agreement are funding the consortium. The U.S. government had no direct involvement in the decision to include a security company in the ceasefire deal or in the awarding of the contract, the source said.

PartSelect Part Number PS5136127
Whirlpool Part Number W10537869

I have a Kitchenaid dishwasher model KDTE 404DSP0.

The unit started leaking and the problem was a worn seal around the shaft of the diverter motor (numbers above). When the unit is running you can see the leak coming out underneath with a flashlight. It comes out of a yellowish white plastic tube that is right underneath the shaft of the motor.

PartSelect is a fine company but in this case they don't sell just the replacement seal. They want you to replace the whole sump with the correct seal to the tune of $125 where individual seals are from $1.50 to $10, if that.

I was not going that route, to put it mildly, so I made my own seal by purchasing a sheet of red rubber at Ace Hardware in the plumbing department and a tube of non-hardening #2 gasket sealant. The rubber is easy to cut with scissors. If you have a punch you can punch out a circle, mark the center with a pencil, and drill a center hole with an electric drill. You'll need to expand the hole with the drill bit. I used a rat tail or round file to shape the inside diameter to where I wanted it. You'll have to have a snug fit to ensure no leakage.

Use the old, defective seal to mark the approx. diameter of the new seal. Shape the outside diameter with a dremmel sanding head but hold the seal firmly or it will fly off into the air. Make the new seal fit snugly. Not too tight or too loose. Apply some sealant to the (dry) bottom of the well in which the seal is placed and on the side and edges of the seal. Tiny bit is good but make sure the bottom part is completely covered. This is awkward as you'll have to lean over the door into the interior of the dishwasher and work with a flashlight. A toothpick works to apply the sealant. Wipe off any you get on the shaft.

Let it get tacky for ten or fifteen minutes then apply a small amount of silicone grease to the shaft of the diverter motor and inside the seal. Slip the seal down into the well and press firmly in place with a blade screwdriver. You're done.

I've had no leaks since I tried this. The video at this link shows how to get at the seal. No need to pull the unit out of its cabinet. You can do everything from the top without doing that.

Obviously, I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the bottom of the dishwasher for new leaks in case I didn't fit the washer correctly. You can fashion a tray out of a plastic gallon milk jug to put under the diverter motor to catch minor leaks should they appear down the road.

"Xcleen" is a v. good cleaner to run regularly. It removed a lot of caked soap first time I used it. I didn't realize how important it is to deal with the caked soap.

"Lemi Shine" is another dishwasher cleaner. I used it to soak the filter I took out of the bottom of the tub. It was unbelievably caked with hard soap residue and the cleaner gradually loosened it so I was able to completely clean it up. Be careful so you don't damage the wire mesh. A toothbrush is useful for those last remaining specks of soap crust. You don't have to replace the filter periodically now. You can rejuvenate it.

Hope this helps.

UPDATE (2/2/25): The above self-fashioned seal worked for a while two or three months but it eventually failed. I think the shaft of the diverter motor caused wear on the inside of the seal I made and the leak started again. I thought about making another one but decided I didn't want to have keep repeating this process. I purchased the complete dishwasher sump with the right seal already in place. PartSelect.com does not sell the correct seal separately. I THINK that this is because of the wear problem. If the center hole of the seal is not in exactly the right place the wear apparently occurs. By selling the sump ($193 with shipping) with the right seal I think the wear is much reduced. The seal I made and emplaced still looks great but I think, possibly, pretty close isn't adequate to solve the leakage problem.

If you buy the sump, remember to put a small amount of silicone grease on the impeller shaft and on the inside of the seal. Also, note that PartSelect says to wet the grommet for the main pump to help get it to seat correctly when you connect all the wires and hoses after installing the sump. I didn't think that worked well but I may not have used enough water. Anyway, I used a very light film of silicone grease on the grommet and I reseated the pump with ease. And no leaks after putting everything back together.

PS -- Be careful when you're maneuvering the dishwasher door. It's very heavy and awkward to control if you've got the dishwasher on its front. It slipped out of my hand once and I was lucky that it only caused a small abrasion.

A year ago, the Conference of Presidents which speaks for America's major Jewish groups wrote an emphatic letter to Sec of State Antony Blinken. He didn't answer. This week, the COP renewed its call, this time to the Trump Administration. It concerns Jordan, justice, the… https://t.co/U7sOYMRbhA pic.twitter.com/SenocSHePC

— Arnold Roth (@arnoldroth) January 21, 2025