The LANL Blog
Written by John Fleck, Albuquerque Journal Science WriterThe "LANL Blog" (LANL: The Rest of the Story) is a must read for people like me who follow Los Alamos, and rarely do I talk to someone inside the lab who is not reading it as well. Trip Jennings at the Independent has a nice interview with Frank Young, talking about the blog and why he does it:
At the Nuclear Deterrence Summit this month, a deputy director of another lab told me that what I was doing was great, was improving things, and to keep up the good work. He also mentioned he was thankful I wasn’t blogging about his lab.Thanks John!
You're entirely welcome. Also worth noting - I hope your readers who care about New Mexico civic issues are reading the New Mexico Independent. Trip and his people are doing some useful journalism, and it's important to have many voices.
ReplyDelete"...and rarely do I talk to someone inside the lab who is not reading it as well." (John Fleck)
ReplyDeleteToo bad it's probably not being read by those in high positions that matter, like D'Agostino or Anastasio and his many, many PADs.
But, then, I suspect most employees at LANL have long since come to the sad conclusion that the upper level folks have their ears completely plugged and their heads buried deeply in the sand. It's as if they are living in a parallel universe that is far removed from the dirty trenches of the real world at LANL.
Ironically, the situation described by anonymous/10:34 is directly analogous to non-LANL employees in northern new mexico dealing with any LANL employees.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to our universe. Perhaps there will be a little more humility and understanding now when you deal with us locals.
Last I checked, LANL employees were a subset of "us locals". The same cannot be said for Anastasio and crew who all still work for UC.
ReplyDeleteNo no, you're missing the point. No Los Alamos resident or employee can ever break into the sacred ranks of being "a local," even if they were born here. But you sure as hell can still be called racist. Bienvenidos to the land of enchantment.
ReplyDeleteThe New Mexico Independent should write a story regarding the racism that exists in this company town. Maybe Washington will read the article and realize the elitist attitudes must go!!! Let’s not pretend it doesn’t exist.
ReplyDeleteRacist =/= elitist. Plenty of Anglos in Los Alamos are judged by what degree they have (or don't have), what schools they went to (or didn't), what job they hold (or not), and what school their kids attend (Barranca > Mountain > Aspen). Elitism is, unfortunately, bred into most scientists during our educational process. So-and-so has more publications, more prestigious publications, more citations, more awards, more grants... Dr. Joe Bloe didn't get tenure and had to move to a lesser school. Who got how many job offers, from which departments? Top five, top ten, first tier, second tier, and heaven forbid taking a job at a 4-year campus?
ReplyDeleteWitness the measuring of merit anytime a LANL awardee is mentioned here... "surely they could have found someone more deserving."
Point is - I think the ugliness in Los Alamos County stems from elitism, not racism. Not that it's much prettier, but at least call it what it is.
This is 9:08. I did not mean to imply racism. I simply meant that for many LANL scientists, the pecking order has changed. These former lords of the manor will find little sympathy.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it. People judge others by where their kids attend elementary school?? in other words, where people take up residence in Los Alamos or White Rock? How stupid is that. Before we dive into socioeconomic factors in LA, lets not forget one of the "richest neighborhoods" in town send their kids to Aspen.
ReplyDelete"12/31/08 10:08 AM"
ReplyDeleteSo you want to lower the standards.
Great just what we need.
"12/31/08 10:08 AM"
ReplyDelete"So you want to lower the standards.Great just what we need."
I think you missed the point completely. THe poster was saying LA is full of elitists, not necessarily racists. ELitism is in itself, a form of discrimination.
10:08 here.
ReplyDelete4:43 heard me correctly. My experience is that most scientists (in LA and elsewhere) are relatively blind, or at least indifferent, to race and ethnicity.
On the other hand, the average Ph.D. scientist can (and does) engage in infinitely fine degrees of hairsplitting over the most obscure measures of intellectual merit.
I have worked at LANL for over 30 years and racism exists! The people in Los Alamos have always thought they were better than any one else. Especially towards the Hispanics. Regardless, where they received their education and/or their bank accounts, mutual respect should always be first.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it, racism exists all over the United States, Los Alamos is no exception. However, I have worked at the lab for 10+ years and I have not seen this bias against Hispanics. Not saying that it doesn't exist but lets not lump in the entire community.
ReplyDeleteOn the note of mutual respect, racism and hatred goes both ways. It is well known that many Hispanics from the valley (usually those not associagted with LANL) hate anglos. I once volunteered for some schools in Espanola. A fellow volunteer was talking to me about sending her daughter up to LA schools, saying he daughter has "maxed out" in the local Espanola school system. Her daughter did not want to attend LA schools. Why? because she was affraid of befriending "the whites," and being blackballed by her current Hispanic friends.
I know this is a sore subject but the fingerpointing should go both directions.
From the original post ..."At the Nuclear Deterrence Summit this month, a deputy director of another lab told me that what I was doing was great, was improving things, and to keep up the good work. He also mentioned he was thankful I wasn’t blogging about his lab."
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like Al Sattelberger!
"I know this is a sore subject but the fingerpointing should go both directions."
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to say when you've only been in Los Alamos for approximately 10 years. The Hispanics have been here for the last 60+ years since the Atomic Bomb. They have seen and experienced the racism far to long from the residents of Los Alamos!!!
I didn't meet Al Sattelberger as far as I know.
ReplyDelete4:13 p.m.
ReplyDeleteBefore you start with the self-righteous finger pointing, go back and consider your "60+" years in NNM. If you are honest with yourself, you will recall several occasions in which anglos have had their homes burned down to drive them out of predominantly Hispanic communities because they "didn't belong." The opposite has never occurred with regard to any non-anglo moving into Los Alamos.
My parents have also lived here 60+ years and have happily and easily cultivated friends throughout the Valley and beyond and are still friends with these folks today.
Racism goes both ways and it seems (sadly) that there are some people in the Valley who have a vested interest in crying "racism! racism!" as a way to justify their ignorant and unfounded prejudices against anglos, whether those anglos settle in Los Alamos or elsewhere. Other racial groups pull similar stunts in other states as a way to create a Boogey Man that is responsible for their own failures.
Lest you forget, 4:13, these "racists" in Los Alamos that you talk about anted up more than $1 million this year for the United Way and provided hundreds of poor NNM children with truckloads of wonderful, thoughtful Christmas gifts this year through Adopt-a-Family programs with the sincere intention of improving the quality of life of the region.
(And yes, there are racists in Los Alamos, just as there are racists everywhere. But to paint the entire community with a broad brush of "racism" is incorrect, unfair, and speaks a lot more about your own motivations and ignorance than it does about reality.)
Study the recent housing market activity in LA County. Sales and rentals are increasingly from off the hill locals escaping the problems of rural NNM.
ReplyDeleteWhat housing sales, 4:30 PM?
ReplyDeleteAll I've witnessed around Los Alamos are a sea of "For Sale" signs that have been out for so long that they are beginning to look worn out.
Says something about the quality of our real estate professionals, doesn't it? Sign falls over or blows away and they can't be bothered to notice it, much less replace it.
ReplyDeleteGiven the poor state of the Los Alamos real estate market and the bleak outlook for LANL, I fail to see how any of the local RE agents plan on surviving during 2009, 2010, 2011...
ReplyDeleteThere are a few highly paid Bechtel managers coming into town each year, but not nearly enough to revive the broken housing market on the Hill.
Response to 1/1/09 9:24 AM:
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget about the Pajarito Homesteaders. It is apparent that you are unaware of this history!
"There are a few highly paid Bechtel managers coming into town each year, but not nearly enough to revive the broken housing market on the Hill. - 1/4/09 3:36 PM"
ReplyDeleteLucky for them that Bechtel takes care of the real estate problem for them when they leave.
"Let's not forget about the Pajarito Homesteaders. It is apparent that you are unaware of this history!" - 4:52 PM
ReplyDeleteYe gads, man! Enough with your constant insinuations of Los Alamos racism.
LANL is responsible for uplifting the living standards for most of the people in Northern New Mexico, both white and Hispanic.
I'm well aware of the history of the Parijito homesteaders. I know our local history and have lived here for many, many years.
Anonymous at 1/1/09 9:24 AM is correct about the anti-Anglo racism of many of the Valley and Santa Fe residents.
ReplyDelete