tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post3850518890093887950..comments2023-08-27T06:53:36.768-06:00Comments on LANL: The Rest of the Story: Cuts?Frank Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02134775226991383924noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-79000406368802040752009-07-07T11:30:16.629-06:002009-07-07T11:30:16.629-06:00"A number of scientits at LANL have left for ..."A number of scientits at LANL have left for Wall Street type jobs." (8:22 AM)<br /><br />If LANL's stockpile stewardship risk and uncertainty models works as well as the ones that former LANL rocket scientists designed for Wall Street, then we're all in much bigger trouble than just an epic global economic meltdown! Perhaps restarting up underground testing out at NTS isn't such a bad idea, after all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-60922220125331857682009-07-07T02:33:12.408-06:002009-07-07T02:33:12.408-06:00A number of scientits at LANL have left for Wall S...A number of scientits at LANL have left for Wall Street type jobs.<br />--7/6/09 8:22 AM<br /><br />Well that explains it. No wonder Wall Street is so screwed up these days!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-2943791254076020552009-07-06T21:43:21.936-06:002009-07-06T21:43:21.936-06:00"Reading the hate comments on this blog come ..."Reading the hate comments on this blog come across as if many employees are "White Supremacists." "<br /><br />Nope, sorry I think you just a troll trying to cause problems. <br />When I read the blog I see the opposite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-24183442064859486402009-07-06T21:37:20.757-06:002009-07-06T21:37:20.757-06:00"With all the negative comments on this blog ..."With all the negative comments on this blog it is no wonder that LANL is in chaos. "<br /><br />That makes no sense at all. How can comments on a blog make chaos in LANL or any other place? You seem very confused. It is just a blog, nothing more nothing less.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-68223821345578761452009-07-06T21:15:00.038-06:002009-07-06T21:15:00.038-06:00More strategic defense experts decry the unilatera...More strategic defense experts decry the unilateral disarmament of America and the killing off of what's left of the scientific expertise in NNSA research labs. NNSA feigns their false concern over the matter (per usual).<br /><br />-------------------------------<br />Group Warns Obama Administration on Nuclear Deterrent<br /><br />Monday, July 6, 2009<br /><br />Global Security Newswire<br /><br />WASHINGTON -- A think-tank report issued last week warns the Obama administration against rushing into reductions to the U.S. nuclear deterrent in a follow-on agreement with Russia to a major arms control treaty (see GSN, July 1).<br /><br />The report, U.S. Nuclear Deterrence in the 21st century: Getting it Right, was issued Wednesday by the New Deterrent Working Group, a panel of experts sponsored by the conservative Center for Security Policy.<br /><br />"What this report asks the administration to do ... is 'Don't get caught up in a moment; don't go for arms control for arms control sake. Think about not only the world today, but of the world tomorrow,'" Paula DeSutter, a working group member who served in the State Department during the Bush administration, said at the document's roll-out event at the National Press Club.<br /><br />The report appears to have fallen on deaf ears as U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev today in Moscow signed a statement pledging to reduce their nuclear arsenals in a follow-on agreement to the landmark 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which is set to expire in December (see related GSN story, today).<br /><br />...Members of the groups questioned the president's goal of a world without nuclear weapons.<br /><br />"The administration is rushing to take major, unexplored, high-risk actions" to achieve that goal, Robert Monroe, a former director of the Defense Nuclear Agency, said without elaborating. "It's one thing to have a visionary goal ... but it's quite another to take drastic actions to reach that visionary goal; actions which may well make today's problem's far worse and expose us to much higher risks."<br /><br />Monroe also decried the state of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous branch to the Energy Department that maintains the country's nuclear stockpile. The agency has not conducted any research and development on a new warhead nor has it conducted a nuclear explosion test of any weapons "new or old," he asserted.<br /><br />...The country's "nuclear freeze" has convinced young scientists that the nuclear weapons profession "is not valued much by our society," leading to a loss in the skills of the nuclear work force, Lyons said.<br /><br />"Today you can count on one hand, and not use most of your fingers, the number of nuclear weapons designers we have in our labs that have ever designed and tested a nuclear weapon," Monroe said.<br /><br />A NNSA spokesman said last week that "we welcome constructive insight on the future strategic posture of the United States, including for example the recommendations put forth by the Perry-Schlesinger commission."<br /><br />gsn.nti.org/gsn/<br />nw_20090702_2876.phpAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-61504025734376333272009-07-06T19:05:25.896-06:002009-07-06T19:05:25.896-06:00Greg Close -
Thanks for being a voice of reason ...Greg Close - <br /><br />Thanks for being a voice of reason and truth in this sea of complaining.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-85657432179307063702009-07-06T18:54:20.272-06:002009-07-06T18:54:20.272-06:0010:36 AM, what are you talking about? The only thi...10:36 AM, what are you <i>talking</i> about? The only thing here resembling a "hate" comment is 8:52 PM, and considering that it was prefaced with "I'm going for the COW here" once must assume it was intended to be satirical. <br /><br />(It failed miserably, but the intent was nevertheless obvious). <br /><br />One stupid rant most certainly /= many White Supremacist employees.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-48726526829120393262009-07-06T15:23:36.942-06:002009-07-06T15:23:36.942-06:00> In "MY AMERICA", worthless lazy
&g...> In "MY AMERICA", worthless lazy <br />> scum who have done absolutely <br />> nothing will rule.<br /><br />That's already the case. More so now since the last general election.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-10761851336055096332009-07-06T13:43:48.305-06:002009-07-06T13:43:48.305-06:00With all the negative comments on this blog it is ...With all the negative comments on this blog it is no wonder that LANL is in chaos. It is pretty disgusting that the body (you) of LANL consists of this type of attitudes. My advice, leave immediately, and let this place move in a positive direction. You're an anchor holding down this place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-14776036965641353852009-07-06T10:36:17.656-06:002009-07-06T10:36:17.656-06:00Reading the hate comments on this blog come across...Reading the hate comments on this blog come across as if many employees are "White Supremacists." This is unfortunate for the institution.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-91153692918202090612009-07-06T10:25:51.538-06:002009-07-06T10:25:51.538-06:00Okay, sorry... I have to call B.S.
Whether someon...Okay, sorry... I have to call B.S.<br /><br />Whether someone is an engineer or a chemist or an HR professional has nothing to do with whether or not they are looking out for the needs of the employees vs. anything else. That is a matter of personal integrity, not professional or educational accomplishment. There are plenty of jerks with engineering/chemistry/physics degrees just like there are plenty of jerks with HR certifications.<br /><br />If Jim Jackson was a good HR director (and I have no doubt he was), the qualities that made him a good engineer may have contributed to his success, but they were not the underlying or exclusive cause. <br /><br />Our current HR Director is an engineer, by the way - so that means either your theory is incorrect or we're doing a great job because he's an engineer. Touche.<br /><br />I find these theories most amusing because they espouse the effectiveness of those trained in utilizing the scientific method without actually applying the scientific method to the theory. There's irony for you! It would be a lot more impressive if the results were supported by observations and hypothoses that were proven by repeated objective testing. <br /><br />I don't say this because I don't like scientists (on the contrary, my dad was an engineer and I married a PhD space physicist) but because I have too much respect for the principles of rational thought and science to see it used carelessly for such wacky generalizations. That's what religion is for.<br /><br />"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them." - Isaac AsimovGreg Closehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17421655534557259332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-23584616241419174252009-07-06T08:22:44.732-06:002009-07-06T08:22:44.732-06:00"You'd probably consider placing a chemis..."You'd probably consider placing a chemist in charge of accounting and budgeting to be a brilliant move. "<br /><br />Yes I would, a chemist would be better qualified to handle the quantitative jobs of accounting and budgets, due to their background in quantitative science. This of course is one of the reasons scientists have been so aggressively sought after by Wall Street, you the people they call quants. A number of scientits at LANL have left for Wall Street type jobs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-82946720193194462502009-07-06T08:00:31.950-06:002009-07-06T08:00:31.950-06:007/2/09 10:52 AM
Your comment , "We are going ...7/2/09 10:52 AM<br />Your comment , "We are going to see a flurry of employees who are fired "for cause". LANS will probably expand the "for cause" justifications to terminate these employees"<br /><br />There are plenty of employees that should have been terminated "for cause", a long time ago, if HR and Division Leaders would only do what they get paid to do and take care of the Lab by terminating dead weight maybe we wouldn't be so concerned about the 3% or 5%. Management and HR protect those they want to protect and don't care about the rest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-36095584713065471032009-07-06T07:11:43.407-06:002009-07-06T07:11:43.407-06:007/5/09 8:52 PM: "In "MY AMERICA", w...7/5/09 8:52 PM: "In "MY AMERICA", worthless lazy scum who have done absolutely nothing will rule."<br /><br />Is that you Michael Moore? You're talking about your book "Stupid White Men," right?<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Stupid-White-Other-Excuses-Nation/dp/0060392452Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-88101083959451783872009-07-06T06:01:30.099-06:002009-07-06T06:01:30.099-06:00Anonymous 7/6/09 3:05 AM said...
"7/2/09 8:3...Anonymous 7/6/09 3:05 AM said...<br /><br />"7/2/09 8:30AM said Jim Jackson, an engineer, was in charge of HR. Really?! How stupid is that?"<br /><br />With a person who is NOT an HR professional in charge of HR, it was assured that the Personnel Department served the interests and needs of the laboratory rather than build and grow the self-serving organization that HR has become. There are plenty of HR professionals available to staff the organization.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-38031808500750985362009-07-06T03:05:16.962-06:002009-07-06T03:05:16.962-06:007/2/09 8:30AM said Jim Jackson, an engineer, was i...7/2/09 8:30AM said Jim Jackson, an engineer, was in charge of HR. Really?! How stupid is that? You'd probably consider placing a chemist in charge of accounting and budgeting to be a brilliant move. Oh, the Lab did that as well back in the good ol days? It's no wonder the Lab is such a disfunctional place in everybodys mind except those that see nothing wrong in putting unassigned scientists in charge of areas they know nothing about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-29006566041152446792009-07-05T20:52:09.471-06:002009-07-05T20:52:09.471-06:00Trying to go for the COW.
I hate LANL, the goverm...Trying to go for the COW.<br /><br />I hate LANL, the goverment, and liberals. I say we suspend freedom for the next 10 years to clean up America. In "MY AMERICA" you will not have people living of taxes, we will win in any war that we are in, we will follow GOD's law, we will FEAR GOD, we will stand for what is good and just. In "MY AMERICA", there will be no teaching evolution, it is nothing more that a "theory" just like the "theory of relativity", no one has proved it, and you cannot prove it unless you can go the speed of light! There will be no more abortion and those that facilitate abortion will be put to death! There will be no more LANL and their tax wasting ways!. The town of Los Alamos <br />will be closed! In "MY AMERICA" we will close down the Godless universities and colleges, we will put Dawkins on trial, we will bring Bush back! In "MY AMERICA", worthless lazy scum who have done absolutely nothing will rule.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-45323240341949204102009-07-05T14:32:39.128-06:002009-07-05T14:32:39.128-06:00LOL turns out that it is impossible to separate th...LOL turns out that it is impossible to separate the lab from the county. The rain and the hail have limited our abiity to pack as we leave a town that has been at times wonderful, and most recently, simply awful. Our town (with total disegard from us) brought in crooks from lans and then crooks into the county.<br /><br />Thanks to all our friends as we will miss you but hopefully you will consider career positions with my new employer. Be patient, give me a few months, and I will be sending out invitations.<br /><br />In the meantime, the governing authorities should check out the following:<br /><br />New lanl systems that make it impossible to get reimbursed fully for travel unless we are willing to spend 4 hours to get back an extra $20 that we spent for legitimate travel (taxis are one such example. Look at the ADs and other reimbursements and see how much alcohol the government paid for, illegally of course.<br /><br />Keep close vigil on Terry, Mary, Wolfgang (more difficult to keep track of Wolf of course), and Sue. There are many investigations going on currently to understand what happened.<br /><br />Keep on the county. Even though the lab dumped some pcb's there a few weeks back, the county admits to many that they knew enough not to handle the waste, the transfer station was designed in a way that this caused the most damage possible and at least half the staff on duty were high and/or drunk at the time. Call Regina Wheeler, she will provide the additional details.<br /><br />Ask the county for the details about the $75 million debt that was incurred with the promise that we would have retail. Smith's bought the plaza that they currently reside in and have no interest in relocating across street. Ask county how long they've known about this and not shared it with us.<br /><br />Ask the county about why they blindly support LACNM, the covering on rodeo, JJAB, why lab employees represent LANL rather than the county in their capacity on the council and ask Wismer about truth, honesty and abuse of resources.<br /><br />Adieu for now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-84911412719237580342009-07-05T13:12:35.908-06:002009-07-05T13:12:35.908-06:00I do not know the exact number but LANL pays gross...I do not know the exact number but LANL pays gross receipts taxes of $60 million plus per year. Even at the loaded rate for TSM's, this lets us keep a lot of employees. Notice the county adds employees, never decreases counts. I have had an opportunity to talk with a councilor that I have occasion to work with and he agrees the county is wasteful but feels almost alone when he tries to hold the line.He said they listen to email and comment at public meetings on Tues nights. Write to countycouncil@lacnm.us and ask for answers although even he will not tell me what happened to our retail and restaurants and shrugged when I asked if they were really going to promote the person responsible for this mess.<br /><br />Having Native American roots I am very upset about the recent posting about the disregard shown by Mortilaro of Lummi remains. I confirmed this is true through a search since the last post did not include a cite.<br /><br />Does anyone have email address for Gov Leon Roybal of San Ildefonso as he needs to see these articles about Lummi tribe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-8110345954981827562009-07-04T17:14:20.284-06:002009-07-04T17:14:20.284-06:00If the council hires Mortillaro this community wil...If the council hires Mortillaro this community will be in an uproar especially our neighbors. what a short memory we have.<br /><br />The Lummi Indian Tribe has told the city of Blaine it intends to seek $30 million in damages after workers dug up skeletal remains of Native Americans. <br /><br />Under state law, the city has 60 days to respond to the notice before a lawsuit can be filed. <br /><br />Workers building a $7.6 million expansion of Blaine's wastewater treatment plant unearthed the remains or more than 40 Native Americans in July. Earlier, officials estimated the remains were of 28 people. <br /><br />``The actions of the city of Blaine and its agents have caused great emotional distress to the Lummi Nation and its members," the tribe said in its claim, which was sent to the city earlier this month. <br /><br />The claim seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages. Blaine City Manager Tony Mortillaro would not comment. <br /><br />Earlier this month, tribal representatives asked the city to find a new site for the wastewater plant, and the tribe asked the federal government to place the burial ground on Semiahmoo Spit into trust for the tribe. <br /><br />Construction was halted last month and an investigation was begun after contractors dug up the remains and failed to notify the tribe. <br /><br />City officials have acknowledged that the city and its hired archaeologist violated an agreement with the tribe, the state and federal officials by not notifying the tribe of the find and by continuing to work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-44227149571097564672009-07-04T15:27:21.244-06:002009-07-04T15:27:21.244-06:00"Take heed LANL employees, watch your asses, ..."Take heed LANL employees, watch your asses, they are coming to get you, you just don't know when or where and there is no one to help you. No one." - 5:46 AM<br /><br />I smell another wonderful PBI metric achievement. We'll make that 5% attrition rate with ease, one way or another.... Bwaaaah, haaaa, haaaaaa!!!!<br /><br />MIKEY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-89801927672770156402009-07-04T15:27:16.200-06:002009-07-04T15:27:16.200-06:00The best way to keep jobs at LANL is to have the w...The best way to keep jobs at LANL is to have the wasteful county cut gross receipts tax rate(big impact on LANL). Yet another increase was effective July 1 which will put even more pressure to reduce jobs at LANL. We pay for those over built buildings, the new police one is huge, the fire station in White Rock is akin to sin in waste. The Boyer deal is dead which is how we were going to pay for the $75 million in bonds. Its been dead for quite some time but the council has chosen to keep us in the dark because they want to appoint the person responsible for the Boyer debaucle to be the next county top official. If you thought the government was closed before wait until he takes over. I've tried talking to him a few times about Boyer and he slimes around the topic. Look back at his old publications, all the promises made and broken. In most communities that would be cause for discharge but only in our own little LA would it be a reason for promotion. Tell your councilors to reduce gross receipts tax rate and we will be able to keep some of our employees.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-81903538210977070942009-07-04T14:48:51.284-06:002009-07-04T14:48:51.284-06:005:46 The wholesale changes Knapp made to uproot th...5:46 The wholesale changes Knapp made to uproot the working people in the weapons program are almost certainly illegal. He repeatedly removed qualified individuals from important posts only to replace them with his entourage of yes men. HR had to be complicit or it could never have happened. Welcome to LANS. Learn to kiss your AD's behind or die.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-44447099531628128042009-07-04T06:39:15.100-06:002009-07-04T06:39:15.100-06:00Anonymous st 7/3/09 4:54 PMsaid...
"I can...Anonymous st 7/3/09 4:54 PMsaid...<br /><br />"I can't think of a single TSM who is happy with this place under LANS (Bechtel)."<br /><br />True, but I doubt that anybody above the level of Division Director gives a damn about whether or not the TSMs (or anybody else) is "happy with this place." Nor does the DOE care either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-3517672190600042552009-07-04T05:46:28.001-06:002009-07-04T05:46:28.001-06:00I hope I see the day when they transfer that boney...I hope I see the day when they transfer that boney-assed Randy Morgan (HR Group Leader). He helped Brent "Elmer Fudd" Knapp transfer about 30 people off the weapon program. The thing that bothers me about this guy is he has no heart and enjoyed "facilitating" this debacle in addition to being absolutely worthless when I tried to find out what the hell they were doing to me. I my case, without informing me, my current Group Leader transferred me to another Group. The Group they moved me to didn't want me either. I only way I found out was looking up my name on Eudora and finding out I was now in another Group. Take heed LANL employees, watch your asses, they are coming to get you, you just don't know when or where and there is no one to help you. No one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com