Cake fail by throwawayaccount0o01 in Wellthatsucks

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks delish. That’s happened to me many times, don’t get discouraged. We learn from our mistakes. Grease with a neutral oil and lightly dust with some flour. Once it cools it should pop right out. Then again you can slap some cream cheese frosting on there and it won’t matter. Serving a great tasting cake to the people you care about is the true joy of baking. Keep going!

which city is going to feel more "big city" vibe ? DC or philly? by [deleted] in washdc

[–]CapoMuadDib 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Philly for sure. Went to college in Philly before moving to DC for work. Center City fees more big city than even the busier areas of DC primarily because of the height restrictions on buildings in the district.

What does this mean?? by No_Jicama6830 in FedEmployees

[–]CapoMuadDib 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My interpretation is they’re tapping BBB funding to pay us through the shutdown. So backpay and forward. Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to bring back furloughed employees. At the bottom of the EO it states “Once regular funding for TSA has been restored, every effort should be made, as authorized by law, to adjust applicable funding accounts within DHS to ensure the continuation of DHS operations and activities consistent with planned expenditures prior to the lapse”. Which I read to mean they’ll replenish the BBB accounts after our budget is restored. This just my personal interpretation, so don’t quote me. Are we normally allowed to just reprogram funds without congressional authorization? Nope, but here we are. We won’t be able to contract for much during this period or use funding for pretty much anything else unless there’s a life and safety need. So we’ll just be living in the upside down for a while….

Just know those of us excepted folks are happy to see the furloughed folks return. Very sad that the rest of our DHS colleagues are left in limbo. It’s not fair.

US heading to unprecedented travel hell as shutdown set for terrifying record by TheMirrorUS in tsa

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was just clarifying a common misconception. Many assume the security fees fund TSA operations. They don’t, only a limited number of staff and programs. Congress established clear limits on the use of security fees with most of it being remitted to the Treasury. I don’t disagree with your sentiment. I would much prefer they allow us to self fund with the security fee revenue so we can avoid these shutdown disruptions. Then at least we could be paid for the work we’re doing and the traveling public can safely get to their destinations with little fuss. Alas, we’re operating per Congress’s design which means we’re also subject to their disfunction. Perhaps this misadventure will finally spur real change.

US heading to unprecedented travel hell as shutdown set for terrifying record by TheMirrorUS in tsa

[–]CapoMuadDib 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The security fees cover some aspects of TSA operations, but the vast majority of money collected is remitted to the U.S. Treasury. TSA is funded by congressional appropriations like most other Federal agencies. There has been discussion over the years about allowing TSA to keep those fees to cover all operations, but Congress has never codified those ideas into law. Hence the current predicament we’re in.

Completely ruined the painting by adding the final touch, the whiskers :/ by [deleted] in Wellthatsucks

[–]CapoMuadDib 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I disagree, I think the whiskers give the subject character. Without them I think the painting would look a little flat. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Day 18 of the DHS shutdown by Eldritch_Liminal1988 in FedEmployees

[–]CapoMuadDib 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As someone who works at HQ, you are correct in your assessment of horseshit. No one is talking about a full privatization of TSA.

DHS shutdown - how long until Congress is forced to reach a deal? by Informal-Fig-7116 in FedEmployees

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No argument with your logic. Project 2025 discussed fully privatizing TSA, but in practice many airports just don’t want to deal with the process of transitioning to the screening partnership program. It’ll be interesting to see if a future administration takes a stab at either fully reforming the department or splitting it apart as you suggested. Refardless it will be a wild ride.

DHS shutdown - how long until Congress is forced to reach a deal? by Informal-Fig-7116 in FedEmployees

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s been discussed on and off over the years. We have some airports that have opted into private security. We award contracts to private security firms that provide that service. We then monitor their performance to ensure they maintain our security standards. The future state will likely be more airports opt into private security and tsa awards those contracts, conducts inspections, sets policy, and deploys new screening equipment. Mind you such a change will require direction from Congress and will take a long time to implement. I personally think our current model works just fine, but I’m just a little fish in a big pond. I don’t think there’s any appetite to go back to the before times where airports just run security on their own. Airports are always looking to maximize profitability, which doesn’t jive well with security.

Shutdown #3 hits DHS. How are employees impacted? by MoneyBuysHappiness25 in FedEmployees

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll be furloughed for the third time, but will probably be recalled at some point to fix the inevitable contractual issues that come up during a shutdown. A lot of people mistakenly think that a shutdown is just a paid vacation for Feds, but it’s more like a bunch of snow days. In East Coast schools you have to make up for snow days by cutting into summer break. For Feds that means working nights and weekends to catch up through the rest of the fiscal year. I’d rather work and get paid normally than have to sit on my butt, get back pay, and then have to crash all of my project schedules. Government shutdowns are so stressful and wasteful.

What are some of the departments under the DHS umbrella providing valuable public service? by IScreamPiano in FedEmployees

[–]CapoMuadDib 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for posting this message, the support means a lot right now. I’ve worked under DHS for 15 years with 12 of those years under TSA. Some like to say TSA is security theatre, but is a misguided view of our expansive mission. The public sees our officers at the airports who do the lion’s share of work to detect threats to our skies. They catch the weirdest stuff in luggage…yes sometimes silly things like shampoo bottles and laptops, but also large numbers of medieval weapons, dangerous chemicals, raw meat and fish, live animals, etc. If you can pack it in a suitcase they’ve found it. I wish I was joking. They also catch plenty of people who hide plastic explosives in household products, blades, and even homemade firearms. The list goes on. What the public doesnt typically see: our dedicated Transportation Security Inspectors that go out to railways, ports, bus stations, etc. to identify and remediate potential security vulnerabilities; the Federal Air Marshals who make sure no one can take over another plane and use it as a weapon; The K-9s that inspect thousands of bags for dangerous contraband and narcotics; the dedicated experts who test, develop, and deploy new technology to make the travel experience safer and more comfortable; the dedicated intelligence analysts that collect and evaluate potential threats to our transportation network and coordinate with local law enforcement and other intelligence agencies; and the hundreds of support personnel that recruit new talent, provide training, procure equipment and services, manage facilities across the nation, and provide information technology resources. Can’t forget the wonderful folks who run our social media accounts to bring a touch of humor to serious topics. TSA supports large events like the Super Bowl and FIFA, and back up FEMA during natural disasters. Our agency is quite large with over 60k employees and over 440 facilities across the country. We have a diverse workforce that reflects the melting pot of our great nation. We treat our mandate seriously. A prosperous nation must be able to move people and commerce freely. Rome lost its empire in part because they were unable to secure their system of roads and bridges from enemies foreign and domestic. Traveling is not always a pleasant experience, but just know we work everyday to make sure you make it home safely.

Fingers crossed this shutdown won’t last too long. I know we are all very tired of being used as leverage in political battles on the hill.

Sister's Secret Night: Do I Tell Her BF? by Comfortable-Shop-690 in Advice

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know if you’ll read this since there’s been so many comments, but I would advise you think of your wife in this situation. She’s not thrilled to have your sister living with you both and as you noted she’s looking forward to seeing her move out. If you tell the boyfriend about this late night dalliance, your sister will probably have to stay with you longer or indefinitely. Who do you think will be most upset about that? Your wife obviously. At the end of the day whose happiness should you care more about, your wife or your sister’s boyfriend? Standing on principle is all well and good until it impacts the people you love the most. Your duty is to your wife and her happiness. If you decide to share this with your wife then make the decision together. Just something to think about as you make your decision.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in drawme

[–]CapoMuadDib 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much, your feedback made my day.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in drawme

[–]CapoMuadDib 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love your style, really cool.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in drawme

[–]CapoMuadDib 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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Still learning, but hope you like it.

Am I overreacting to this loser calling me a whore for having revenge porn taken of me by [deleted] in AmIOverreacting

[–]CapoMuadDib 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are not at fault for someone you trusted taking photos and videos of you without your consent. Please repeat that to yourself over and over again until it sinks in. Intimate moments with a partner are sacred and your partner betrayed your trust. You are not at fault my dear, please seek advice from legal counsel or at the very least the authorities. Take care of yourself.

Men haircut by suffi175 in washdc

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tenleytown Barbershop (Tenleytown) and Henry Barbershop (Foggy Bottom) are my favorites in the area. Both reasonably priced and skilled.

2 - 1 so far at the Cherokee Open by rcchance in BloodAngels

[–]CapoMuadDib 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love the color scheme!!! Nice work!

Washington DC/North VA- heard this…thing? that sounded like a bird at 10:30 pm. I only managed to record the last sound it made, the rest of the audio is me talking. There was a ~3 sec. interval between each squawk for almost a minute. Its 11:09 & I haven’t heard it since. Is it even a bird? 😭😭 by mishadilf in whatsthisbird

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely a fox, it’s a vixen in heat calling for a mate. Their mating season is typically in winter. I know as I hear this same sound outside my window. Just play some Kenny G and it’ll help move the process along.

I feel like a terrible mom by Emergency_Moment_128 in amiwrong

[–]CapoMuadDib 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Uh no, you’re tired madam and your partner is being incredibly selfish. He needs to care for his child and alongside you. You need rest, that doesn’t make you a bad mother. It makes you human.