From the "It's really, really broken" department:
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:19:49 -0700
To: admin-support@lanl.gov,as-additional@lanl.gov
From: Distributions
Subject: Status of Travel Claims
Sender: owner-admin-support@maillist.lanl.gov
Status of Travel Claims
The Travel Office is currently experiencing a high volume of expense reports and phone calls. We are working to assist everyone as promptly as possible. The current turnaround time for reimbursement is 10 business days. Please advise your travelers of the turnaround time. We work expense reports in the order they are received so let them know it will be approximately 2 weeks before they receive their reimbursement. They should not call the Travel Office. Also, please advise your travelers that by linking the reservations and the credit card transactions to the expense report, it will increase the timeliness of their reimbursement as the processors will not have to look for additional information.
Also please advise your travelers that if they need assistance with entering an expense report, they should refer to the training and checklist provided on the Travel Home Page. Due to the high volume of expense reports, the processors are not available for training. Should you need to call the Travel Office, leave a message. The phone calls are tracked electronically so unless you leave a message we will not have a record of your call so that we can assist you. For Domestic Reimbursement, please select Option 1 "reimbursement" from the main menu and then select Option 1 again for Domestic Reimbursement. For Foreign Travel, select Option 1, then Option 2. For Relocation, select Option 1, then Option 3 for relocation reimbursement. Your patience is requested as we are answering calls as promptly as possible.
Don't call us, we'll call you.
To: admin-support@lanl.gov,as-
From: Distributions
Subject: Status of Travel Claims
Sender: owner-admin-support@maillist.
Status of Travel Claims
The Travel Office is currently experiencing a high volume of expense reports and phone calls. We are working to assist everyone as promptly as possible. The current turnaround time for reimbursement is 10 business days. Please advise your travelers of the turnaround time. We work expense reports in the order they are received so let them know it will be approximately 2 weeks before they receive their reimbursement. They should not call the Travel Office. Also, please advise your travelers that by linking the reservations and the credit card transactions to the expense report, it will increase the timeliness of their reimbursement as the processors will not have to look for additional information.
Also please advise your travelers that if they need assistance with entering an expense report, they should refer to the training and checklist provided on the Travel Home Page. Due to the high volume of expense reports, the processors are not available for training. Should you need to call the Travel Office, leave a message. The phone calls are tracked electronically so unless you leave a message we will not have a record of your call so that we can assist you. For Domestic Reimbursement, please select Option 1 "reimbursement" from the main menu and then select Option 1 again for Domestic Reimbursement. For Foreign Travel, select Option 1, then Option 2. For Relocation, select Option 1, then Option 3 for relocation reimbursement. Your patience is requested as we are answering calls as promptly as possible.
Let's see...
ReplyDeleteIt's been four and 1/2 years since LANS took over, with NNSA's promises of "more efficiency, less cost". How's that whole efficiency/cost thing working out for you, D'Ag?
Will this affect my bonus?
ReplyDelete-MIKEY
This is just run-of-the-mill procedure for all corporate travel requirements. If all of you higher-than-mighty scientists can't deal with this rather tame bureaucratic requirement, too bad. Maybe you shouldn't be so close to broke on your credit cards?
ReplyDeleteHey guys, just take your secretary to the local Motel 6 for a change. No travel necessary, no expense reimbursement hassle. It's that simple. Trust me.
ReplyDelete-Sir Richard
I do believe that 9:40pm comment came from Oakland, California.
ReplyDeleteNow, who do we know in Oakland who might have an interest in how (poorly) the lab is being run?
Oh, I know! The Office of the President of the University of California, that's who. Is somebody besides Bechtel maybe a little afraid that the ol' PBIs aren't all being met? Not going to get your full 50% cut of the $79 mil this year, guys?
Tragic. Hopefully there won't be any more environmental fines coming down the pipe to further make a dent in the old bottom line. I wouldn't bet on it though. All this moisture we're having is bound to increase the Pu runoff from The Hill. Hope nobody from the state is checking that. Say, at the "Y". Or the Overlook. Or in Mortindad Canyon.
A close runner-up for this week's "really really broken" award:
ReplyDeleteVehicle weight limits to be posted at TA-3 parking structures, maximum is 6,000 pounds. Maximum vehicle weight limits will soon be posted at parking structures in Technical Area 3 (TA03-1402, TA03-4100). For each of these parking structures, the maximum allowable weight limit per vehicle will be 6,000 pounds, based on the International Building Code. The need to post weight limits was identified in a recent self-assessment. The limitation is tied to the operating weight, that is, the weight of the vehicle plus the weight of passengers and cargo, such as tool boxes.; Most sedans and small SUVs fall below this limit.; But large SUVs and trucks, and extended cab pickups, likely exceed the limit.; For example, all new production (2009 and 2010)dualie pickups (those with dual wheels on either side of their rear axles) exceed the 6,000-pound load limit.The maximum allowable Gross Vehicle Weight for your vehicle can usually be found on a placard inside the driver’s-side door frame or on the door edge. The operating weight of your vehicle should be less than the placarded maximum allowable Gross Vehicle Weight, depending upon how your vehicle is equipped and loaded.; There are also online sources of information that you can use to determine the weight of your vehicle.; The weight of the vehicle is the weight of the vehicle, as equipped, with a full gas tank but no passengers or cargo. In addition, workers can have their vehicles weighed at the Los Alamos County landfill for $10.50 per vehicle any time during the landfill’s normal business hours. Workers whose vehicles exceed the 6,000-pound limit will need to park in a surface lot rather than either of the two parking structures. Contact: Terry Connors, 5-3872
---
If LANL engineers can't design and then have built a hunk of concrete and rebar that can hold a bunch of pickup trucks, what confidence can anyone have that LANL can do quality weapons work or science? What bloated punitive bureaucracy is going to be put in place to enforce the weight limits? Weighing scales and attendants at the entrance? Permits? Snitching on each other?
This has got to be one of the silliest compliance exercises to date.
That official memo needs to add on a few more lines...
ReplyDelete"Also be please advised that your LANS upper management could care less about this travel reimbursement fiasco. They get 1st class treatment all the way, so the rest of you poor lab dregs can just go f*ck yourselves. Better yet, buy a one-way ticket out of Los Alamos and don't ever come back!"
Looks like X-Division is about to get the ol' "Knappy" treatment. Divide and conquer! Oh, plus the usual addition of even more levels of bloated upper management.
ReplyDeleteYummy! It's LANS-tastic!!!...
Subject: X-Div Reorg, and New XMS Division
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009
From: Chadwick, Mark B
To: Staff and Postdocs in X-1, X-3, and ASC Program:
At the X-Division All Hands meeting yesterday, you heard of the decision to split X-division into 2 Divisions. Bret Knapp has asked me to serve as acting Division Leader and Bob Webster to serve as acting Deputy Division Leader in the new XMS Division (our proposed name, X-Modeling and Simulation). The goal is to stand up the new Divisions in January. The new Division will be composed of the current X-1,3 groups, together with the ASC Program Office.
We look forward to working with you as we plan the structure, scientific responsibilities, and leadership roles within the new Division. Our intention is to effect the creation of the new Division with as minimal disruption as possible - so please keep focused on the hard work you are all doing! We'll also be working closely with Michael and his leadership team, and with the many other organizations across the lab with whom we collaborate.
I know you will have many questions as we move forward. Feel free to take those questions to your DGLs/GLs so they can share them with us, and/or communicate directly with us - email is a good way to first interact.
Also, FYI, Alison Grieggs has agreed to serve as acting Chief of Staff.
Best wishes,
Mark and Bob
What? It's not like LANL TSMs are interested in traveling to help build up lab programs any longer, what with morale at such extreme lows, so who needs to travel?
ReplyDeleteMight as well shift all travel funds over to the Director's office so he and his buddies can plan some dynamite meetings over in Hawaii this winter (where it never snows!). Right, Mikey?
Once upon a time in a National Laboratory far far away, travel records were handled on a 3x5 card and travelers got a cash ADVANCE prior to leaving. Now, thanks to Admiral Butthead and the LANS crew we have CONCUR and I think you know the rest...Pathetic. Simply pathetic. Sir Richard's exploits are impossible to audit with the new, "streamlined", system. He doesn't have to use it; he gets an executive allowance while the rest of us wait, ...and wait, ...and wait for our travel reimbursements.
ReplyDeletei don't know what the big surprise is...travel reimbursements have crawled at a snail's pace since concur was implemented. and god for bid you need to stay at a conference hotel that is over the per diem limit.
ReplyDeleteactually, someone prolly quit and the only other person in charge of reimbursements doesn't want to deal with it. their life is not as hard as they make it out to be.
ReplyDeleteBrett "Mongo" Knapp is taking X-Division through the same "journey" he took ESA-Division when he arrived at LANL. Split ESA-Division into W-Division and WT-Division, hire weak subservient Division and Group Leaders, force-out the Division Leaders he hired (remember Ed Rodriguez and Chris Romero?), forced at least 100 staff and support people out of the Division, targeting women and minorities, implement the worthless "Livermore" budget model, shut down facilities, personally hand-carry the W76-1 to the Navy (yeah right!), personally fix DAHRT, decimate weapons capability, recombine (yeah recombine) W-Division and WT-Division into a single division, piss-off NNSA, and then get a promotion for doing this. To boot, Knapp did such a great job, W-Division is now (today) suffering a $50M shortfall and left the problem for Benner to find money. Did I hear RIF? To say that Knapp is a crazed, brainless, ego-centric, idiot is giving him too much credit. Get ready X-Division, you are about to hear "at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore, ...., at Livermore", so often you'll vomit!
ReplyDeleteOn a more positive note, thanks to Google Reader, I get 'ORNL in the News' everyday.
ReplyDeleteLots of interesting science and weapons stuff, about 10 articles a day, some specific to ORNL, many more general.
I wish that LANL did such a thing.
god for bid you need to stay at a conference hotel that is over the per diem limit.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't my experience. I was fully reimbursed for a conference hotel in a major city within walking distance of the conference center in October. Major city conference hotels seldom meet per-diem rules.
Doing this made sense: I was able to ride the subway, skip a rental car and $50/night parking.
It helps we have an admin that knows what she's doing with travel and knows her way around Concur's byzantine, confusing and user-hostile design.
Concur is incredible: the worst software I've ever seen in 25 years in the business. A this company is actually a going concern! Wow...some people will buy anything.
7:45 AM, you beat me to the punch. I think Bret must get some glee simply from creating a new division that isn't called "X." LANL tradition be damned!
ReplyDeleteYou poor bastards at X. Be prepared for a shitstorm of Biblical proportions. Bret Knapp has arrived. In case you haven't been paying attention, first he'll appoint spineless, acting positions (done). Then he'll rapidly reorganize the new divisions - completely sidestepping any and all HR rules to install more spineless morons of his own choosing. Then he'll personally destroy all programs and drive off any working people with one-on-one snide comments, Livermore models, threats, and bullying behavior. Finally, he'll declare those same dead programs "fixed" and get a promotion leaving a completely disfunctional organization in his wake. The entire time he'll have an incredibly stupid, frat-boy grin on his face and will say things like, "I'll bet you've heard I'm a monster...but I'm not really such a bad guy." Me thinks Bret had better watch his back this time...
ReplyDeleteThanks to that lazy sack of shit MIKEY, we don't have to plan on going anywhere today. Despite making over $800K, MIKEY doesn't want to drive in from SF, and rather than taking a day of vacation he closes the whole lab.
ReplyDeleteSIG would have given us two hours delay, tops. But then SIG cared about more than just his money. And he cared enough about the lab that he lived in a reasonable location that allowed him to actually get to work.
Off-topic, sorry. There were a number of falls leaving lab buildings yesterday, are these reportable?
ReplyDeleteWill these affect my bonus? If so, not reportable. DEFINITELY not reportable. I am happy to report that NOBODY fell leaving lab buildings yesterday.
ReplyDelete-MIKEY
12:52 am: "If LANL engineers can't design and then have built a hunk of concrete and rebar that can hold a bunch of pickup trucks, what confidence can anyone have that LANL can do quality weapons work or science?"
ReplyDeleteYou have got to be kidding. You think LANL weapons engineers designed the TA-3 parking structure?? Get a clue. The parking structure and the NSSB were constructed under a design-build contract, as are virtually all new LANL buildings these days. Both TA-3 structures have serious design and construction flaws, but they aren't the fault of LANL engineers.
Off-topic, sorry. There were a number of falls leaving lab buildings yesterday, are these reportable?
ReplyDelete12/8/09 10:44 AM
Only when wearing "shoes that grip!". Otherwise these falls would trigger mandatory training about "The proper wear of shoes that grip when walking under slippery conditions" and further disciplinary actions because of not obeying all LANL safety requirements. And better have your IWD for outside work activity ready before even thinking of reporting such falls to OM.
I, for one, am glad I had the day off today. If you are so bent out of shape for not being able to work today, go volunteer at a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen. It will help you realize how lucky you are to have a job at LANL.
ReplyDeleteJeezus, it's becoming almost impossible to ignore the fact that Mike and his LANS/Bechtel/LLNL buddies really *DO* want to see further drops in morale and to utterly destroy what's left of the weapons science divisions!
ReplyDeleteAnd a $50 million shortfall in weapons engineering? Yeah, it sounds like LANS will soon be getting rid of a lot more TSMs. No RIF, though, as that might trigger costly severance payouts. They'll simply fire people. Why do you think LANS recently rolled out the employee "N-ranking" exercise? It's just the beginning of the process (and probably another Bret "Mongo" Knapp idea).
Anyone who wanted to work today simply had to drive in, park, and go to work. There were no locked gates.
ReplyDeleteSir Richard (Anonymous 12/7/09 9:42 PM) is obviously not in touch with Los Alamos and is an outsider, else he would know that there is no local Motel 6.
ReplyDeleteWe have something better: the rotting remains of what is left of the Los Alamos Inn (which used to bill itself as "the only full service hotel in Los Alamos")
We have something better: the rotting remains of what is left of the Los Alamos Inn (which used to bill itself as "the only full service hotel in Los Alamos")
ReplyDelete12/8/09 11:14 PM
Wow, a rotting hotel in downtown Los Alamos! When can we expect the crack-heads and whores to move into town and set up shop?
Subject: X-Div Reorg, and New XMS Division
ReplyDeleteDate: Fri, 4 Dec 2009
From: Chadwick, Mark B
To: Staff and Postdocs in X-1, X-3, and ASC Program:
At the X-Division All Hands meeting yesterday, you heard of the decision to split X-division into 2 Divisions. Bret Knapp has asked me to serve as acting Division Leader and Bob Webster to serve as acting Deputy Division Leader in the new XMS Division (our proposed name, X-Modeling and Simulation). The goal is to stand up the new Divisions in January. The new Division will be composed of the current X-1,3 groups, together with the ASC Program Office.
We look forward to working with you as we plan the structure, scientific responsibilities, and leadership roles within the new Division. Our intention is to effect the creation of the new Division with as minimal disruption as possible - so please keep focused on the hard work you are all doing!
Best wishes,
Mark and Bob
12/8/09 1:11 AM
Poor Mark and Bob, they have no idea that Knapp does nothing with minimal disruption. Knapp is literally a rabid bull in a china shop with a red hot chili pepper stuck up his ass. Clear the floor!
6:57 PM, "literally"?
ReplyDeleteYou keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
When can we expect the crack-heads and whores to move into town and set up shop? --12/9/09 11:15 AM
ReplyDeleteWhen? Hell, they've been here since 1943.
6:57 PM, "literally"?
ReplyDeleteYou keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
12/9/09 7:44 PM
I think you've got fixated on the least interesting detail of that sentence, 7:44 PM. C'mon, the picture of a senior LANL manager as "a rabid bull in a china shop with a red hot chili pepper stuck up his ass" is a remarkable image indeed. It made me laugh out loud. Literally.
"When can we expect the crack-heads and whores to move into town and set up shop? --12/9/09 11:15 AM
ReplyDeleteWhen? Hell, they've been here since 1943.
12/9/09 8:35 PM"
Bingo!! Crack came from Los Alamos, the town started out as a crack house in 1933. 8.35PM should know since he cannot put down the crack pipe. Brilliant post, one the best yet.
Another missive from the "It's not that we suck, it's that your expectations are unreasonable" department:
ReplyDeleteServing close to 2,500 employees per week, the Laboratory’s Personnel Security Group is a hub—helping Lab staff address clearance issues, resolve badge-related problems, process classified visit requests, respond to drug tests, and so on.
Few Lab employees engage Personnel Security by choice, and our staff periodically sees some unprofessional behavior that should not be present in any workplace. Fortunately, these people represent a small percentage of personnel security customers, but the numbers seem to be increasing.
"Customer service is not easy. Few people have the temperament to be successful in this type of job. However, every single person working at Los Alamos National Laboratory provides some level of customer service."People seem to be less tolerant and more vocal in ever-increasing numbers both here and across the country. Common courtesies are giving way to rude, sarcastic, cutting, or belittling comments. What perceptions does this behavior create in other Laboratory workers and in our visitors?
Although we are unsure why some choose to behave badly, we hope that it’s not the result of perceived inefficiencies by Personnel Security. We strive to make every customer’s visit as pleasant as possible given the conditions and procedures over which we have control. When any customer service agent, not just those in Personnel Security, fails to meet expectations, please patiently seek to understand why.
Customer service is not easy. Few people have the temperament to be successful in this type of job. However, every single person working at Los Alamos National Laboratory provides some level of customer service. It may be behind a counter dealing with walk-ins, observing a procedure to ensure it is being done safely, troubleshooting an equation, or courting visitors who have programmatic funds to spend.
I am proud of Personnel Security Group employees for their pleasant and professional behavior day in and day out. There is no place for rudeness; patience and understanding should be the norm. In other words, please treat others as you would want to be treated.
Larry Freestone, Group Leader, Personnel Security
Did you propose shoving JB Weld up every USB port in sight as a "security measure", Larry?
ReplyDeleteHow about "glovebox computing"? Your idea?
Or dismantling all new laptops to rip out wireless cards? After, of course applying plentiful dollops of JB Weld to the side areas of the poor machine.
How about "ladder training" Your idea?
If these weren't your brilliant concepts, but you have nevertheless agreed to police these brain-dead policies, then you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
"Customer service is not easy. Few people have the temperament to be successful in this type of job."
ReplyDelete??? What evidence do you have for this statement? How do you know few people have the "temperament" for this job?
" What perceptions does this behavior create in other Laboratory workers and in our visitors?"
ReplyDeletePerhaps it creates the perception of the truth?
"Customer service is not easy. Few people have the temperament to be successful in this type of job. However, every single person working at Los Alamos National Laboratory provides some level of customer service."
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange statement. So few people can be successful at customer service yet every single person at Los Alamos does customer service. What on earth this possibly mean?
"Like taking candy from a baby"
ReplyDelete'Some level of customer service' means did not shoot, kill or maim the customers.
The person who got a 13 on every algebra test showed some level of competence in algebra. Just not enough competence to actually pass the course.
The janitor who only empties one out of ten wastebaskets shows some level of customer service.
Even a dead person shows some level of customer service. At least they did not piss anyone off or offer unrealistic milestones to customers.
Customer service is easy. Be competent at your job, be honest, do not cheat the customer, do not lie to the customer, do not look down on the customer, do not make excusses to the customer, and always remember do not take your customer for granted. Customer service is easy. These are the principles to customer service. If you want to stay in business for the long run you have to live by these principles. If not your customers will start to complain, so take heed and listen. Customer service is easy and you can make the difference and change things.
ReplyDeleteIf not than than sooner rather than later the customer leaves and you go out of business. Customer service is easy.
6:58 It means Larry Freestone is a LANS manager and front page news here in Mayberry. You work for idiots. Get it?
ReplyDeleteHey I heard there was an incident at the Badge Office last week (someone went a little postal and then got fired) which caused this brilliantly crafte bullshit message by Freestone.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any details about what happened at the Badge Office?
WTF kind of turn around time is that? In the real world, employee's are competent, or fired, and this bullshit would not be toerated
ReplyDelete11:03 PM, all that matter wrt turnaround time is that Mikey gets his in 3 days. good to be Director - system seems fine to him!
ReplyDelete"Few people have the temperament to be successful in this type of job."
ReplyDeleteEvery McDonad's and Starbucks in the world seems to pull it off. Maybe you could hire some of their employees, Larry.
It would seem to me that I should be able to collect interest from LANS on the travel reimbursements that are owed to me. After all, if it is on my credit card, I may have to pay interest on the amount.
ReplyDeleteMy last travel reimbursement request was submitted on Nov 24 and paid on Dec 10.
ReplyDeleteStrange. Over the course of many weeks, my last travel reimbursement was accepted, then rejected, then accepted again without my changing anything. Of course I did have to pay interest for LANS incompetence. Sadly, nothing new there.
ReplyDelete" Of course I did have to pay interest for LANS incompetence. Sadly, nothing new there.
ReplyDelete12/11/09 4:32 PM "
If you are having to pay interest on your credit card, then it's not LANS who is incompetent !
The DOE Inspector General should look into the LANS practice of witholding reimbursements as it's clearly illegal.
ReplyDeleteThe IG (not the DOE IG) should look into a great many things at LANS.
ReplyDelete"Customer service is not easy."
ReplyDeleteI'm confused. Which customers is Mr. Freestone servicing?
"If you are having to pay interest on your credit card, then it's not LANS who is incompetent !"
ReplyDeleteyou could use your corporate card and pay your $3000 bill once it becomes due? sorry, but i have a family and i don't have $3000 to drop on a credit card like that. sure, i have the money, but that's also something i call my savings which i use if my child should get sick (for example).
rather than using concur, they should just pay the $$ upfront for airline and hotel...rather than this whole song and dance of having us pay for the ticket and getting reimbursed. great system we have here! i hear that the old system is still in place at other doe sites...you know, contacting a travel office and having them do everything for you...
Anonymous at 12/11/09 6:06 PM said...
ReplyDelete"If you are having to pay interest on your credit card, then it's not LANS who is incompetent!"
Who wrote this comment? Mike? Freestone?
If you take a two or three week trip to Europe, you can do $300 per day on hotels and per diem. If you have to take inter-city train trips, that adds quite a bit more. You can easily spend $5000 not counting airfare.
When can we expect the crack-heads and whores to move into town and set up shop? --12/9/09 11:15 AM
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the crack-heads, but the whores moved here from Livermore about what, three long years ago? The only difference is that these guys are getting paid for screwing us. What a deal!
The trouble with Freestone's letter is that it was driven by a single incident in the personnel security department. Also, while in general personnel security have provided good customer service, unfortunately, there have been a few incidents where they have provided very poor service, particularly in the past. There have been incidents where they have treated my military (Air Force and Navy) customers without any care or patience. In fact, one my key customers from the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFWL) indicated he had never been treated so disrespectfully. The other problem I have with this letter, is that I'm sure Anastasio gave the approval to send this to All Employees. Will this be a pattern of hammering all employees every time Mike get's an opportunity? It was "poor customer service" in itself to send this letter to us. LANS wonders why they have not yet "commanded" any respect from us when they send us letters like this one.
ReplyDeleteLANS doesn't wonder about us. They wonder if they will ever be called to task. Until they are, we can expect more of the same. Why bite the hand that feeds you?
ReplyDelete12/12/09 7:26 AM wrote ..."If you take a two or three week trip to Europe, you can do $300 per day on hotels and per diem. If you have to take inter-city train trips, that adds quite a bit more. You can easily spend $5000 not counting airfare."
ReplyDeleteSimple answer. If you can't handle the cost, then don't go on your foreign travel boon-doggle.
"Simple answer. If you can't handle the cost, then don't go on your foreign travel boon-doggle.
ReplyDelete12/13/09 9:16 AM"
How are these trips boon-doggles?
I take it you have no idea about what are done on these trips? If you do not that STFU. If you do than give some facts.
9:16 AM, your "simple answer" is just about the most idiotic answer there could be. Are you saying that all business travel abroad is "boondoggle"? Are you saying that the employees should "handle" the cost of business travel?
ReplyDeleteAre you by any chance one of those clowns who from time to time call research and development work at this lab "playing in one's own sandbox"?
It is geniuses like you with these kinds of idiotic "opinions" who are running the Lab into the ground.
"Are you by any chance one of those clowns who from time to time call research and development work at this lab "playing in one's own sandbox"?"
ReplyDeleteAnd what should it be called? Oh I know "research". What are the odds that "research" will end up being of any worth? close too ZERO!!!! So it is no different than playing in billion dollar sandbox. You are hear to do specific jobs, that is it, so do them! Do not go to Europe for a boondoggle, do not go to California for a boondoggle, do not play with your latest "I am so smart idea", follow the rules, obey, and do your job. What is so hard about that? I do not understand how you are all suppose to be soooo smart when you cannot get simple ideas or follow simple rules?
The 9:42's have taken over the lab under LANS. Science at LANL is doomed.
ReplyDeleteDo your job.
ReplyDeleteFollow the rules.
OK.
Which job?
Which rules?
For quite a few LANL staff, the job is to get money from outside LANL, to get equipment, to get staff and to make things that require being smart. So the job is exactly those tasks that you disparage.
There are also other jobs to do, jobs unrelated to the money that is brought in. These jobs include being 'safe', filling out forms, and 'donating' the money you brought in to others who did not bring in money.
As to rules, each person at the lab is supposed to operate under a set of rules that can't really be followed and that changes day to day. An instructive example is a staff member who was threatened with losing their job if they did not follow the 'rules' exactly, starting today. These 'rules' did not show up for another two weeks and so could not have been followed. For an individual, the 'rules' consist of the directives of 40 or more agencies, agencies that do not talk to each other and that change their part of the 'rules' on a whim.
So I claim that most employees at the Lab are doing their 'job' and following 'the rules' as well as they can. It is the description of 'the job' and the current set of 'rules' to be followed that are irrational and schizophrenic.
Yossarian would be awed to see a place less rational than the military that he knew in the book "Catch 22."
"As to rules, each person at the lab is supposed to operate under a set of rules that can't really be followed and that changes day to day."
ReplyDeleteOMG we are being held accountable now and you cannot handle it.
What does it mean to be 'accountable' to 40 agencies that disagree with each other?
ReplyDeleteTell me how to be accountable to rules that you are not told.
ReplyDelete8:21 Isn't it time you went back to class? You'll get your GED someday - just follow the rules. You haven't got the slightest idea what you are talking about or who you are talking to. Your sophomoric ideals are meaningless in this situation and your pathetic, sycophantic posts wont get you promoted - even at LANS.
ReplyDelete