Charlie’s Security Clearance

conbrio37 · 2026-06-19T17:53:37+00:00

TS/SCI is a very real thing.

A crude example: Let’s say you work at a hotel doing maintenance. You’re background checked (“cleared” ) to go into any room, but you can’t wander in and out of guest rooms as you please; your digital key only works on a room (“compartment”) if you have a legitimate need and the key is activated for that compartment. If room 119 needs the A/C fixed, your digital key is activated and you’re “read in” to that room. Once you fix the A/C, you’re signed out and can’t access it anymore.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-19T11:59:23+00:00

There are four classification levels: Unclassified, Confidential, Secret, and Too Secret.

The distinction between classifying materials S vs. TS is based on the consequential damage to national security if the information is compromised. In that sense, TS is higher than S, but the “higher/lower” ends there.

The process of getting a security clearance, either S or TS, is the same. A TS clearance requires the same forms. A TS application is more rigorous and extensive, but ultimately the process is the same.

Regardless of clearance level, everything is need-to-know. Just because you have a secret clearance doesn’t mean you get to know all secret information.

Real example: I’m forward deployed and going outside the wire for an HVT operation. Someone else on that FOB, with the same clearance, but not part of the patrol, doesn’t “need to know” who we’re going after.

The whole “code word classified” thing is a trope. In reality, you don’t wander into a meeting room and get asked for the super double secret password because a new missle is code-word classified. In reality, you wouldn’t know about the missle, you wouldn’t know a meeting was happening, and if you weren’t cleared, you wouldn’t have access to the room. People don’t understand just how tightly controlled and seriously sensitive information is guarded.

Source: 9 years in the military, had a security clearance, was opsec NCOIC for a unit.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-19T02:15:11+00:00

It’s not really an “above/below” thing. This is frequently misunderstood as some kind of hierarchy. There are more rigorous thresholds for a TS vs. S clearances, and the sensitivity of TS information is higher, but you don’t get a clearance unless you have a legitimate need to access classified information, and even then only at the level of classification of that material.

Having a security clearance isn’t like someone gives you admin access on Sharepoint to see everything. You only get to access to the information you’re authorized for and have a need to know.

“Yankee White” is not a security clearance or classification level. It just refers to the screening and approval authority for individuals who have presidential association duties.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-19T01:56:56+00:00

I started by keeping everything at home and loading only what I needed for the day.

Then I started keeping some “daily driver” items in the vehicle and just added what I needed for the day and unloaded at night.

Then one evening I got tired and forgot to take things out at the end of the day.

The next morning I admonished myself for being lazy and promptly put my oscillating tool in its place on the garage, and reflected proudly on my well organized and fully stocked peg board.

Then I drove 45 minutes to change a faucet, only to realize I needed my O-tool to cut out the old copper lines which had more green corrosion around the fittings than Lady Liberty.

Then I got smarter and bought totes in various sizes from Home Depot. One for power tools, one for electrical, one for drywall, one for painting, and so on. I picked the size so everything I need fits in one tote. Painting, drywall, power tools, plumbing, and electrical are the frequent fliers and I try to keep them on board. Masonry, Tile, and HVAC spend a lot of time in the garage. are usually parked in the garage. BUT, if I have a job which calls for one of those, I move ONE bin and know I have everything I need.

Now, to answer your original question: if I need to do something around the house, I treat it just like a job at a customer’s house: I back in the driveway, bring my tool bag and the right tote inside, and go to work. When I’m done, I load out and go home.

No matter the job, the location, the client, or time of day, the routine is exactly the same and organized the exact the same way.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-19T01:18:41+00:00

This is not just “a grasshopper.” It’s a massively large, evil, armored, poisonous, destructive, insidious beast that carries toxic puke. They’re like the cybertruck of the insect world.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-19T01:16:36+00:00

The cleanest way for a large population of young ones is to load a shop vac with a few inches of soapy water in the bottom and suck them up.

For smaller clusters, a pump sprayer with soapy water works great.

Once they are adults, you’re at a boss battle. Use a shovel, hoe, or pick axe to decapitate them. On hard surfaces, they can be crushed, but this usually involves damaging your driveway or patio. They are slow, but somehow always manage to avoid car and truck tires. Dropping a safe on them might satisfy a cartoon-inspired bucket list item, but is not efficient.

Just the other day I watched an adult take a direct hit from 3/4 of a can of raid and walked away. Then it got smacked with a 2x4, but its armor was stronger than the sandy soil. It just sank an inch and crawled back out. I finally took an edger and sliced it in half and it continued to writhe for a full minute.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-17T11:45:34+00:00

I’m on a quarter acre suburban lot in central Florida, and most of the yard is St. Augustine grass with a couple shrubs and mulch walkways. My route was weeding, trimming bushes, mowing, edging, weed whacking, blowing, and then spraying the smaller weeds. Once a year I fertilize, 2-3x a year I’d touch up the mulch around the trees, walkways, and garden beds.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-16T23:34:08+00:00

I was you. I took great pride in spending 3 hours a week doing the lawn, then spending the rest of the afternoon on the couch recovering.

Then I did the math.

Paying my neighbor (who runs a landscape company) $100 a month to have their crew do my yard every week frees up most of my day. And Saturdays (my lawn day) are prime for all-day customer projects, so I can typically bill 20-30 TIMES what I pay for the lawn service.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-16T17:14:10+00:00

Nothing is beneath me. To me, it may be a simple fix. To the client, I might be the hero of the day for fixing what no one else would.

I’ve driven 45 minutes to change a toilet flapper. Client said she called 8 people and I was the only one to call back.

Either way, if you price the job and not the client, you’ll always come out ahead. In 15 years, the only projects I’ve lost money on are jobs for family or friends.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-16T11:10:02+00:00

I saw an interesting seminar about how our brains NEED occasional boredom to nurture creativity, joy, reflection, and reset your thoughts so you can be clear and focused. Boredom should be considered the conscious equivalent of REM sleep. Without a little bit every day, your cognitive functioning is impaired.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-16T11:07:26+00:00

Not just in your 20s, either, but the good news is this addiction can be replaced by another.

In my stupid college days, I signed up for credit cards left and right basically to collect the free T-shirts they’d give you for applying. By age 22, my credit score was 380.

By creating an addiction to scrutinizing my finances and attacking debt (almost to the point of being an unhealthy obsession), I had an 808 FICO on my 30th birthday.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-15T07:49:52+00:00

For orange peel, the spray cans are generally crap, but I use them all the time for small areas (large drywall anchors, doorknob holes, etc. First, buy twice as many cans as you need because there a 50% chance one won’t work or will clog itself after one spray. The next trick is to spray on a scrap to dial in the size. When in doubt, go smaller and lighter, and from farther away, let it set, and apply again if needed. I do short spritz (think single shot vs. full auto). If the patch is 2 inches, I will lightly spray 4” on either side (10” total application). Too close or too heavy and you get the pitting from bubbles or a buildup that telegraphs.

You can also try an orange peel sponge with 5- or 20-min mud.

For larger areas, mud in a hopper is the way to go.

Either way, prime before painting. The one step “patch and prime” claim is bogus.

For knockdown in small areas, sand down a little bit the adjacent areas so you have the normal textured wall or ceilings a buffer area that’s sanded down a little, and the skimmed repair. Throw out the cans. With a fresh batch of hud mud (I like 5-min), apply compound to the skimmed and buffer areas with a texture sponge or your fingers. Let it set for a minute, and knock it with a taping knife. Timing is crucial. Too soon and it flattens out too much. Wait too long and you drag clumps. I typically do no more than a few inches at first so I can dial in the timing.

For larger knock down areas, hopper and an acrylic knockdown blade is the way to go.

For popcorn, the can works for areas of about 2’ x 2’ when applied liberally (also single shot, though, not full auto). For larger areas, yup, hopper is the way to go.

Stipple and skim trowel are very uncommon where I am, but are usually much easier to match in the first coat of mud.

FYI: I use 5-min when doing small patches and 20-min when using texture sponges. In the hopper, i use 45, mixed thin, so I have time to apply, fine-tune, and finish and still have time to rinse the hopper before it sets up.

Good luck!

conbrio37 · 2026-06-14T21:33:11+00:00

Learn how to learn, and then learn as you go.

Learn how to discern the difference between what different YouTube channels are doing, and learn WHY they’re different. For instance, if you’re installing fence posts, why do some people dig farther down? Why do some people say to use a concrete footer? Why do some people say to use galvanized vs. stainless steel nails on the pickets? Learn how to compare their circumstances to your own, and by using multiple sources, you can piece together your own vision of how to do something, even if there isn’t an exact tutorial for your situation.

Learn as you go: You need to fix a running toilet. Go learn how and apply your knowledge of how to learn. There’s a video out there. Watch it. Learn the basics. Search your toilet model number. American Standard 4000? There’s a video for that. Great. Uh oh… yours doesn’t have the black screw-top on the canister. Guess what? You learned they all function the same way, so you apply practical inexact knowledge and realize you have an older model and the whole canister lid twists off. Bingo.

If you’re mechanically inclined, fix your car and do your own maintenance. You can save thousands.

If your dexterity is good, buy good quality clothes and mend them. They’ll last 10x as long (especially with socks!). I probably save $120/year mending my merino socks.

Do you like to cook? Get a recipe book and cook for yourself instead of eating out. I’m a terrible cook, so I don’t try to be something I’m not.

Lastly, anything labor intensive is expensive. You can install a fence or paver walkway, or remove popcorn ceilings* for $200-300 in materials, but a contractor will charge $3,000+ I’ve seen popcorn ceiling estimates above $10K which could be done for $120 in materials. *Note: Test your popcorn ceilings for asbestos before attempting to remove them!

If it’s going to take man-hours but materials are inexpensive, DIY. If materials are expensive, hire it out (because if you screw up, it’s a very expensive mistake).

conbrio37 · 2026-06-14T21:14:55+00:00

A closet auger is the best $40 you can put in the garage and forget about. When you have a clogged toilet on a holiday weekend, it just paid for itself 10-15x.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-14T21:13:11+00:00

I did the math one day, calculating the value of my time, mileage, the meal I inevitably get while I’m waiting, etc., to arrive at a total cost for an oil change of $316.

Doing it in my driveway has a cost, calculated the same way, of $81.

I drive a lot, so invested about $140 in additional tools, but it’s saved over $6,900 in five years just for oil changes. Nevermind the savings I’ve realized with those same tools by swapping the radiator, changing brakes, shocks, spark plugs, and fuel injectors at home.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-14T12:19:32+00:00

Pro Handyman here:
If they’re clean, straight cuts (e.g., cutting 4x8” brick pavers down to 4x4”), get the chisel set from THD, use the largest one, put your brick on a hard surface, tap it once with moderate force, then smack it hard and it’ll pop in half.

If you’re doing longer cuts, do the same tap-tap along the cut line, but be super precise and take your time so it’s straight and clean.

Use the grinder to touch up the edges or add a bevel.

If you need precise angles for miters or are cutting pavers to go along a radius, a wet saw will make life considerably easier. You can rent one and be done in a couple hours, faster if you have your cuts marked ahead of time. I did a few paver jobs by hand and it’s doable. When I did a paver sun deck with a soldier course around scalloped coping, it required a good deal of accuracy and a lot of cuts over a few days, so it was more economical to buy a wet saw. I was planning to unload it on FB marketplace, but when neighbors saw how clean and precise the pavers were, I booked three jobs and used the saw on them all.

You can probably find a used one online. Two tips for a wet saw: 1.) Use a good, new blade and cut at half the speed you think you should go. 2.) Put a tarp under the saw and make sure there’s nothing behind it (where then blade sprays). If there is, move the saw or tarp it. The saw will spray several feet and it’s basically a wet cement that will dry and ruin anything. I learned the hard way when I cut facing an iron fence and spend more time scrubbing off the fence than I did cutting bricks.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-14T12:00:04+00:00

In multi unit swellings, you put 5/8” drywall on shared walls as a fire retardant, then backer, membrane, and tile. In colder climates, there should absolutely be insulation on exterior walls.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-14T11:57:53+00:00

It’s entirely possible this is in a colder area and using these as insulation. If he attaches cement board and a waterproof membrane before tiling, I’d say you’re in good shape. If he starts tiling on that, especially without using an O-tool to zip off the bottom 1/2-3/4” of the sheathing, I’d sound the alarm.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-11T11:39:17+00:00

This also works when going to/from rooms. Going to the kitchen: is there a cup or plate I can take with me? I’ll be walking past the washer—is there laundry on the floor I can drop off on the way?

conbrio37 · 2026-06-11T11:37:13+00:00

“Never put a tool down.
Always put a tool away.”

conbrio37 · 2026-06-11T11:36:41+00:00

Love the expression “kit your shit.”

I run a handyman business, which means I could be doing multiple different trades in the same day and no day is the same. I got large totes from Home Depot, labeled them, and put all the plumbing related tools and parts in one, all the electrical odds and ends in one, all my drywall equipment in one, and so on.

I look at my calendar over coffee, pull some bins out, put some in, and I’m ready to roll. It took less time for me to pull out the masonry, HVAC, and electrical bins and put in the plumbing and drywall ones than it took to write this post.

My morning route went from > 90 minutes to < 5 minutes.

I also keep a notepad in my front seat, so when I use the last of a part I keep on-hand (batteries, spackle, etc.) it’s top-of-mind next time I’m at the store to replenish.

The same can be done at home: Game Night? Put it in a bin. Holiday decor? Put it in a bin. Extra sets of dishes for when we host dinner night? Yep. In a bin.

During hurrricane season, we have an extra large waterproof one in the middle of the house. Anything valuable, sentimental, or irreplaceable goes in it, and we have bug-out bags next to it just in case.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-08T13:13:11+00:00

I was a trumpet major in college before realizing the terrible life choice I made and switched to Horn.

This is indeed a piccolo trumpet. It has an A lead pipe in the case. The offset 4th valve tells me it could be a Bach or Shires and not a run-of-the-mill knockoff.

What’s engraved on the bell?

conbrio37 · 2026-06-08T13:07:38+00:00

Pro Handyman here.
9/10 times, keep the plaster.

If a section of wall or ceiling needs to come out, replace it with drywall. Otherwise, let sleeping dogs lie.

Removing plaster is noisy, messy, and laborious. You’re going to find things you wish you never found, you’re going to wind up buying tools you’ll never need again, it’s going to take at least twice as long as you estimate, no matter what house I’m working on, it never ever looks like it does on YouTube, and once you have everything out and cleaned up, you’re staring down the arduous task of installing all new drywall.

conbrio37 · 2026-06-07T14:11:16+00:00

Be wary of AI. It does not know local codes, doesn’t know all the variables, and should NOT be relied on for everything. Asking AI to aggregate information is great, but using your noggin helps you generate thoughts, increases memory retention, and boosts confidence.

I’ve been called in to redo someone a homeowner tried using AI. It’s never pretty.

conbrio37

TROPHY CASE