Los Alamos National Laboratory: You know The Real Story. You know The Corporate Story. Now you'll know The Rest of the Story.
Apr 1, 2008
Thank You!
The blog is one year old today and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone. I know better than anyone that I could not have run it without a lot of help. Whatever the blog has accomplished, the credit goes to the readers. Thank you!
THANK YOU PINKY!! The blog is very useful - one example is how HR benefits responded to our frustration. While some of the topics get heated and even get off track, there is still alot of substantive discussion that makes us feel united the alarm we feel regarding the poor management at LANS. By the way, did you read the following quote by Steve Brownell in the LA Monitor - “Last year was basically flat, but we went into November up about seven percent,” Brownell said. “After Christmas, we came out just about break even. I attribute that solely to cruel and inhumane treatment by LANS and the DOE.” Brownell added that he finds it representative of the way the new management team looks at the community that very few of the top managers live in Los Alamos.
Not only do they not live in Los Alamos, they don't shop or associate in Los Alamos, maybe they know what the future will bring to the former LANL. LA is history, the housing market, the lack of business', the "Center for Nuclear Triggers" will be it's demise.
No Pinky, Thank YOU. LANL would probably be a far worse place to be were it not for you and your colleagues who had the courage to enable the truth about LANL/LANS to be known. Otherwise we'd be totally reliant on a near worthless local media and a 100% worthless lab PR machine that not only doesn't tell the truth about much of anything, but lies with every sound bite the Lab releases for public consumption. The once great science lab founded in Los Alamos is now long dead. This blog doesn't let us pretend otherwise. Thank goodness, because those in charge are so good at pretending.
Wow, has it been one year already? Thanks, Pinky, for your swell work! You serve a noble purpose by running this blog.
At the very least it lets people blow off steam, and God knows we need to occasionally vent given our situation with a broken NNSA and a dysfunctional LANS upper level management that appears to care little about worker morale.
Here's hoping for another year of blog free speech so that the "Real Story" can occasionally make it past the NNSA and LANS censors.
Thanks Pinky! Without you LANS management would have triumphed in keeping the wrongs done secret. You have no idea how influential this blog is at LANL. No idea. Thank you!! SOrry that Gus gave up.
Gus didn't "give up", he was an unexpected treat. He also kept the blog going last fall during a week long visit by my wife's family and a month long visit to my family.
I'm still not sure if I should be thankful for that, though...
Hello and thank you PINKY! This blog is a great service to all!
I have a question to my fellow labbies. I am currently in waiting of over 2 years for my initial security clearance. I have grown frustrated and overall tired of waiting. My question is this. If I am denied my clearance will I be fired on the spot? I ask this as I have a family to take care of and I am sick and tired of waiting for this clearance process. I am leaving LANL this year no matter what, but I don't want to get caught in a pickle during this economic hardship. So again does anyone know if I will be let go in case I am denied? What is the procedure? Does the LAB give me some tme to look for a job elsewhere? Yes, I am going to start looking for a new job come this summer and I am out of here. I have had it with LANL and its stupidity! All answers will be greatly appreciated.
If I am denied my clearance will I be fired on the spot? 4/2/08 11:24 PM
Check your offer letter. If it indicates that the offer is contingent on obtaining a clearance, you're on shaky ground. It will be up to your line manager to make a case to your group leader if you will be allowed to continue working. If you're not on good terms with either of those people, you'll likely be terminated in short order. Either start looking for positions at the lab that do not require a clearance, or begin a full out effort to find a position elsewhere. Good luck.
11:24, as you surely know by now, very little happens "on the spot" at LANL. It's also pretty uncommon for clearances to be denied, so unless you are an unrepentant drug or alcohol abuser (key word being unrepentant), or some of your references tell a story about you that is inconsistent with how you present yourself, or you have extensive and impentrable ties to a foreign country that's hostile to the US, you are likely to be okay.
If you are denied, what happens next is in the hands of your management chain, in consultation with Staff Relations. So it depends on whether they still have gainful employment for you without a clearance, or whether they'd prefer to "manage their headcount" by replacing you.
Not sure, 11:24 PM, but I can tell you that both NNSA and LANS are clearly eager to see as many employees as possible become totally disgusted and leave LANL. You just made Mikey's day. And Tom D'Agostino sends his thanks!
Thank you. Some times you post my comments. Other times you do not. I feel like I gave my soul to the lab...and feel like I was slapped in the face by the decisions...
4/2 11:24 pm: " I am currently in waiting of over 2 years for my initial security clearance. I have grown frustrated and overall tired of waiting."
Get used to it. DOE is so far behind on security clearance investigations that it isn't funny anymore. I'm told that the main reason is that the Department of Homeland Security wants security clearances for half the country and they get priority. I've heard of people waiting recently for over two and a half years for just a 5-year reinvestigation! Have to wonder the logic of that!
"If I am denied my clearance will I be fired on the spot? 4/2/08 11:24 PM
"Check your offer letter. If it indicates that the offer is contingent on obtaining a clearance, you're on shaky ground. It will be up to your line manager to make a case to your group leader if you will be allowed to continue working."
Who knows what is going on now, but even 20 years ago it could take over 2 years to get a clearance. Seemed to depend on how many places one had worked and lived. They evidently did a pretty good job then of checking police records everywhere one said they had been. If you were doing good work on something that didn't require a clearance, you kept on working.
At one time it was said 5-year reinvestigation paperwork went across the canyon to the DOE building, was put in boxes, and essentially was lost.
I'd stay on good terms with everybody and try to stick around until the clearance is granted, if you have that option. It won't hurt to be able to say you once had a clearance.
THANK YOU PINKY!! The blog is very useful - one example is how HR benefits responded to our frustration. While some of the topics get heated and even get off track, there is still alot of substantive discussion that makes us feel united the alarm we feel regarding the poor management at LANS. By the way, did you read the following quote by Steve Brownell in the LA Monitor - “Last year was basically flat, but we went into November up about seven percent,” Brownell said. “After Christmas, we came out just about break even. I attribute that solely to cruel and inhumane treatment by LANS and the DOE.” Brownell added that he finds it representative of the way the new management team looks at the community that very few of the top managers live in Los Alamos.
ReplyDeleteNot only do they not live in Los Alamos, they don't shop or associate in Los Alamos, maybe they know what the future will bring to the former LANL. LA is history, the housing market, the lack of business', the "Center for Nuclear Triggers" will be it's demise.
ReplyDeleteNo Pinky, Thank YOU. LANL would probably be a far worse place to be were it not for you and your colleagues who had the courage to enable the truth about LANL/LANS to be known. Otherwise we'd be totally reliant on a near worthless local media and a 100% worthless lab PR machine that not only doesn't tell the truth about much of anything, but lies with every sound bite the Lab releases for public consumption. The once great science lab founded in Los Alamos is now long dead. This blog doesn't let us pretend otherwise. Thank goodness, because those in charge are so good at pretending.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pinky. It's very encouraging to read that so many others see the same exact problems with LANS management.
ReplyDeleteWow, has it been one year already? Thanks, Pinky, for your swell work! You serve a noble purpose by running this blog.
ReplyDeleteAt the very least it lets people blow off steam, and God knows we need to occasionally vent given our situation with a broken NNSA and a dysfunctional LANS upper level management that appears to care little about worker morale.
Here's hoping for another year of blog free speech so that the "Real Story" can occasionally make it past the NNSA and LANS censors.
Thanks Pinky! Without you LANS management would have triumphed in keeping the wrongs done secret. You have no idea how influential this blog is at LANL. No idea. Thank you!! SOrry that Gus gave up.
ReplyDeleteGus didn't "give up", he was an unexpected treat. He also kept the blog going last fall during a week long visit by my wife's family and a month long visit to my family.
ReplyDeleteI'm still not sure if I should be thankful for that, though...
Just kidding!
Yes, thank you Pinky.
ReplyDeleteThis blog serves a very useful purpose.
Pinky,
ReplyDeleteAre we going to have cake and ice cream??
Yum!!!
Let them eat cake.
ReplyDelete-MaRIE
It's nice to have an oulet to discuss issues that LANS will not touch. Hope you keep it up, good job.
ReplyDeleteGood job Pinky.
ReplyDeleteWe appreciate your work.
Hello and thank you PINKY! This blog is a great service to all!
ReplyDeleteI have a question to my fellow labbies. I am currently in waiting of over 2 years for my initial security clearance. I have grown frustrated and overall tired of waiting. My question is this. If I am denied my clearance will I be fired on the spot? I ask this as I have a family to take care of and I am sick and tired of waiting for this clearance process. I am leaving LANL this year no matter what, but I don't want to get caught in a pickle during this economic hardship. So again does anyone know if I will be let go in case I am denied? What is the procedure? Does the LAB give me some tme to look for a job elsewhere? Yes, I am going to start looking for a new job come this summer and I am out of here. I have had it with LANL and its stupidity! All answers will be greatly appreciated.
If I am denied my clearance will I be fired on the spot?
ReplyDelete4/2/08 11:24 PM
Check your offer letter. If it indicates that the offer is contingent on obtaining a clearance, you're on shaky ground. It will be up to your line manager to make a case to your group leader if you will be allowed to continue working. If you're not on good terms with either of those people, you'll likely be terminated in short order. Either start looking for positions at the lab that do not require a clearance, or begin a full out effort to find a position elsewhere. Good luck.
11:24, as you surely know by now, very little happens "on the spot" at LANL. It's also pretty uncommon for clearances to be denied, so unless you are an unrepentant drug or alcohol abuser (key word being unrepentant), or some of your references tell a story about you that is inconsistent with how you present yourself, or you have extensive and impentrable ties to a foreign country that's hostile to the US, you are likely to be okay.
ReplyDeleteIf you are denied, what happens next is in the hands of your management chain, in consultation with Staff Relations. So it depends on whether they still have gainful employment for you without a clearance, or whether they'd prefer to "manage their headcount" by replacing you.
Whatever happens, it's likely to take a while.
Not sure, 11:24 PM, but I can tell you that both NNSA and LANS are clearly eager to see as many employees as possible become totally disgusted and leave LANL. You just made Mikey's day. And Tom D'Agostino sends his thanks!
ReplyDeletePinky,
ReplyDeleteThank you. Some times you post my comments. Other times you do not. I feel like I gave my soul to the lab...and feel like I was slapped in the face by the decisions...
Keep it going!!
I wonder how many comments get lost by blogspot before I see them. There are very few that get rejected.
ReplyDeletePinky,
ReplyDeleteKeep it up. You have what doug did not.
If I ever figure out who you are I'll buy you a beer. Until then, you just have to put up with me.
Curious 2:25pm - what exactly did Dough not have what Pinky has - a cartoon character?
ReplyDelete4/2 11:24 pm: " I am currently in waiting of over 2 years for my initial security clearance. I have grown frustrated and overall tired of waiting."
ReplyDeleteGet used to it. DOE is so far behind on security clearance investigations that it isn't funny anymore. I'm told that the main reason is that the Department of Homeland Security wants security clearances for half the country and they get priority. I've heard of people waiting recently for over two and a half years for just a 5-year reinvestigation! Have to wonder the logic of that!
4/3/08 2:25 PM,
ReplyDeleteWe can probably get together for a beer one of these days. You might be disappointed, though. Doug is better looking than me.
"Blogger Pinky and The Brain said...
ReplyDelete4/3/08 2:25 PM,
We can probably get together for a beer one of these days. You might be disappointed, though. Doug is better looking than me.
4/4/08 9:29 PM"
Doug may have the looks but you have the Brain.
It's true The Brain married me, but she's really a good woman. It was a momentary lapse of reason.
ReplyDelete"If I am denied my clearance will I be fired on the spot?
ReplyDelete4/2/08 11:24 PM
"Check your offer letter. If it indicates that the offer is contingent on obtaining a clearance, you're on shaky ground. It will be up to your line manager to make a case to your group leader if you will be allowed to continue working."
Who knows what is going on now, but even 20 years ago it could take over 2 years to get a clearance. Seemed to depend on how many places one had worked and lived. They evidently did a pretty good job then of checking police records everywhere one said they had been. If you were doing good work on something that didn't require a clearance, you kept on working.
At one time it was said 5-year reinvestigation paperwork went across the canyon to the DOE building, was put in boxes, and essentially was lost.
I'd stay on good terms with everybody and try to stick around until the clearance is granted, if you have that option. It won't hurt to be able to say you once had a clearance.