tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post4886151190049021233..comments2023-08-27T06:53:36.768-06:00Comments on LANL: The Rest of the Story: Frank Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02134775226991383924noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-6668214276187861112008-08-27T22:30:00.000-06:002008-08-27T22:30:00.000-06:00"6:33 AM - hey, we suffer to come to LANL so back ..."6:33 AM - hey, we suffer to come to LANL so back off.<BR/><BR/>8/27/08 7:04 PM"<BR/><BR/>For those without a sense of humor,<BR/>this is called a joke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-18306127040359531912008-08-27T19:04:00.000-06:002008-08-27T19:04:00.000-06:006:33 AM - hey, we suffer to come to LANL so back o...6:33 AM - hey, we suffer to come to LANL so back off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-72110020855299565532008-08-27T06:33:00.000-06:002008-08-27T06:33:00.000-06:009:23 PM - you must mean being a postdoc at a unive...9:23 PM - you must mean being a postdoc at a university since most postdocs at LANL work much less than they are paid for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-77753416334351588792008-08-26T21:23:00.000-06:002008-08-26T21:23:00.000-06:00And while writing this proposal and shepherding it...<I>And while writing this proposal and shepherding it through a broken system, this researcher charges their time to what, exactly?</I><BR/><BR/>If you ever have been a postdoc you would know. The day has 24 hours and you are only paid for 8.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-25658713824756133512008-08-26T20:31:00.000-06:002008-08-26T20:31:00.000-06:00"It has always been illegal to mischarge as you de..."It has always been illegal to mischarge as you describe, 10:16. It was just widely ignored before." - 2:28 PM<BR/><BR/>According to the latest LANS policy, in addition to being fired they added the option to deduct money from your wages for any time that was charge to the wrong code.<BR/><BR/>Since this would naturally include all the bloated overhead taxes, a TSM who charged to the wrong code for six months might have to fork over about $200 K in any future earnings. Ouch! That's a liability that can't be ignored.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-2699976445082585372008-08-26T14:28:00.000-06:002008-08-26T14:28:00.000-06:00It has always been illegal to mischarge as you des...It has always been illegal to mischarge as you describe, 10:16. It was just widely ignored before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-56854781425149181022008-08-26T10:16:00.000-06:002008-08-26T10:16:00.000-06:00Suppose a researcher needs funding to protect thei...Suppose a researcher needs funding to protect their job at LANL and to help support the lab's enormous overhead monster with more cash. <BR/><BR/>The TSM take on the task of writing an excellent proposal for a WFO or DOE Office of Science project. However, it takes the researcher 4 months to complete the proposal and get it through the broken LANL/NNSA bureaucracy. And while writing this proposal and shepherding it through a broken system, this researcher charges their time to what, exactly? <BR/><BR/>Seems to me that LANS policy crack-down on charge code usage may have the effect of turning large segments of the research staff into charge code "criminals" who must somehow work under the radar. <BR/><BR/>This system is unworkable and dishonest. But, then, perhaps LANS and Bechtel really don't want to encourage the research staff to bring in more DOE and WFO projects at LANL. Could that be the answer?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-61078450134151566522008-08-26T00:58:00.000-06:002008-08-26T00:58:00.000-06:00The key idea behind CPD II is to begin the process...The key idea behind CPD II is to begin the process of reducing the salaries of LANL researchers over time. It's felt by LANS that most of the research staff are overpaid.<BR/><BR/>Yes, you can file a protest. No, it won't change anything. The LANS attitude appears to be: "If you don't like it, then go ahead and leave."<BR/><BR/>More items like this are coming. Just wait until you have to start forking over a large percentage of your salary to keep TCP1 afloat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-82603533715858777662008-08-26T00:46:00.000-06:002008-08-26T00:46:00.000-06:00I am retired, but when I was there I fought hard a...I am retired, but when I was there I fought hard against non-participating managers charging my WFO accounts. I threatened to go to Audits and Assessments more than once. That is called "career-limiting behavior." (11:51 AM)<BR/><BR/>LANS recently issued a memo about this type of activity and Mike has also discussed it. <BR/><BR/>The new LANS policy makes it very clear that you can only charge codes you actually work on. To do otherwise is considered fraud and grounds to be fired. The new policy says you can even have your salary confiscated for flagrant code charging abuse.<BR/><BR/>We'll see if LANL managers are somehow exempt from this new code charging policy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-33780965586185589762008-08-25T22:07:00.000-06:002008-08-25T22:07:00.000-06:008:26 PM - you need to take a look in B, there you ...8:26 PM - you need to take a look in B, there you will find a CandyLand of 2's.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-86393910922041572132008-08-25T21:26:00.000-06:002008-08-25T21:26:00.000-06:00Well, we got a lot of Scientists 2's in C-IIAC. Y...Well, we got a lot of Scientists 2's in C-IIAC. Yowza!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-79228056044545799642008-08-25T19:06:00.000-06:002008-08-25T19:06:00.000-06:008:55 AM - you said it brother. We calls them folk...8:55 AM - you said it brother. We calls them folks "millenial". Full of shit and arrogant as hell. They tell us managers "we are entitled to have a life". Right, well welcome to Scientist 2 Land folks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-12650957938436666782008-08-25T14:47:00.000-06:002008-08-25T14:47:00.000-06:00"I threatened to go to Audits and Assessments more..."I threatened to go to Audits and Assessments more than once. That is called "career-limiting behavior."<BR/><BR/>I say f*ck-em. If managers and the like are going to do illegal things, then I will report their acitivities on the blog - DOE and others do pay attention.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-89815002619955189222008-08-25T12:42:00.000-06:002008-08-25T12:42:00.000-06:00Maybe someone who shares my warped sense of humor ...Maybe someone who shares my warped sense of humor could report these pumps as <A HREF="http://www.hss.energy.gov/csa/csp/sci/" REL="nofollow">Suspect/Counterfeit and Defective Items</A>.<BR/><BR/>Send a copy of the paperwork to me and I'll make a blog post out of it.Frank Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02134775226991383924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-25983248788010886462008-08-25T11:58:00.000-06:002008-08-25T11:58:00.000-06:00http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/25nuke.htm...http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/25nuke.html?hp<BR/><BR/>"They traced the route of the defective parts from Pfeiffer Vacuum in Germany to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico,..."<BR/><BR/>Humm, defective parts. Ok LANL, are you sure those pits you've made will really work?<BR/><BR/>Or, perhaps they meant Los Arzamas :)<BR/><BR/>There's so much speculation & innuendo in the article, it's difficult to sort out the facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-4732238052682172952008-08-25T11:51:00.000-06:002008-08-25T11:51:00.000-06:00Anonymous at 8/25/08 7:03 AM wrote:"So expect to s...Anonymous at 8/25/08 7:03 AM wrote:<BR/><BR/>"So expect to see some managers trolling around looking for program codes to charge their time on."<BR/><BR/>Indeed that game has been played many times at LANL and even more often at LLNL.<BR/><BR/>I am retired, but when I was there I fought hard against non-participating managers charging my WFO accounts. I threatened to go to Audits and Assessments more than once. That is called "career-limiting behavior."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-83536093320958245292008-08-25T11:29:00.000-06:002008-08-25T11:29:00.000-06:00"8/24/08 10:23 AM wrote "Has anyone noticed ageism..."8/24/08 10:23 AM wrote "Has anyone noticed ageism in the CPD II process? As far as I can tell, any scientist under 35 in my division was automatically mapped into Scientist 2..."<BR/><BR/>Heck if the scientists under 35 were not such self-entitled, lazy babies, perhaps they would be mapped a bit higher.<BR/><BR/>8/25/08 8:55 AM"<BR/><BR/>Give it brake Mr Troll.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-86050991559272466952008-08-25T09:45:00.000-06:002008-08-25T09:45:00.000-06:00http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/25nuke.htm...http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/25nuke.html?hp<BR/><BR/><BR/>In Today's NYT Los Alamos looks good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-30681034433460138512008-08-25T08:55:00.000-06:002008-08-25T08:55:00.000-06:008/24/08 10:23 AM wrote "Has anyone noticed ageism ...8/24/08 10:23 AM wrote "Has anyone noticed ageism in the CPD II process? As far as I can tell, any scientist under 35 in my division was automatically mapped into Scientist 2..."<BR/><BR/>Heck if the scientists under 35 were not such self-entitled, lazy babies, perhaps they would be mapped a bit higher.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-1730361922733470482008-08-25T07:32:00.000-06:002008-08-25T07:32:00.000-06:00Does anybody know what you can do if you do not ag...Does anybody know what you can do if you do not agree with your CPD II classification?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-84151775237503894552008-08-25T07:03:00.000-06:002008-08-25T07:03:00.000-06:00"However, the LANS desire to balance the budget do..."However, the LANS desire to balance the budget doesn't mean they'll be cutting back any manager salaries or reducing the ridiculous ratios of staff to management."<BR/><BR/>On the contrary, LANS has a performance metric to reduce overhead rates, and that's exactly what's going to happen on Oct. 1. So expect to see some managers trolling around looking for program codes to charge their time on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-85035066808479280672008-08-25T05:41:00.000-06:002008-08-25T05:41:00.000-06:00Correct about LANS not wanting many if any of the ...Correct about LANS not wanting many if any of the research staff around. They are all a pain in the ass. They are smart and motivated. AND, many have international reputations. They have long lists of publications and are often fellows of their professional societies. SO, they have strong grounds to fight improper CPD classifications, low raises, and/or terminations.<BR/><BR/>There is a similar attitude toward those of us who bring in WFO money. The problem with WFO projects is that there is outside review (the sponsor). Most failures of WFO projects stem from the actions of upper management causing cost overruns due to their changing the tax structure, mandating shutdowns (Admiral Butthead's standdown resulted in a number of WFO sponsors withdrawing their funds), forcing WFO project leaders to employ incompetents, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-3779128975319023812008-08-24T19:27:00.000-06:002008-08-24T19:27:00.000-06:00"Anyone else have problems with the way CPD II is ..."Anyone else have problems with the way CPD II is being implemented? (10:23 AM)<BR/><BR/>I'm hearing about a fairly significant amount of "redlining (i.e., staff with current salaries near or over the max bounds). Redlining for researcher staff may be running around the 20% mark. These unfortunate people will see no raises for many years to come. As far as younger staff all being stuffed into Level II, I wouldn't doubt it for a minute.<BR/><BR/>The way I see it, though, LANS really doesn't give a crap if the research staff at LANL is unhappy with their salaries. In fact, they probably view the exit of researchers as a good means to help balance the LANL operating budget. Balancing the operating budget is their chief concern right now, and not promoting science. However, the LANS desire to balance the budget doesn't mean they'll be cutting back any manager salaries or reducing the ridiculous ratios of staff to management.<BR/><BR/>It's also been rumored that our new Bechtel overseers feel that the LANL research staff are: (a) too large, and (b) overpaid. From the way things have been going of late, I'm assuming they don't feel the same way about the many construction managers that LANS has been hiring away from Bechtel. The salaries in those CPD I positions are very high.<BR/><BR/>Let's face facts. Privatization is clearly going to be the death of LANL. LANS should go ahead and take the word "Laboratory" out of the name LANL. Bechtel has more profitable plans now that they own the place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-90809750667446018272008-08-24T12:54:00.000-06:002008-08-24T12:54:00.000-06:00It's the end of the summer doldrums. The sheep ha...It's the end of the summer doldrums. <BR/><BR/>The sheep have eaten their fill of fresh grass and are lazily sleeping in the meadows below, waiting to be sheared. <BR/><BR/>Some of the flock will soon be gone. Unbeknown to the sheep, a few of them have been selected to be fattened up for slaughter and sold off by the wealthy sheepherders. <BR/><BR/>Not all flock loses come from a sell off. Stealthy wolves in sheep clothing hide behind the bushes at night looking for the most vulnerable of the flock to pick off. In addition to this, stress from the newly aggressive heading dogs brought in over the last two years has taken it's toll on many of the sheep. Some of them look rather sickly and beaten down. They may not make it through the winter.<BR/><BR/>Overall, it's been a very good year for the shepherds of LANS. They'll soon see a richly deserved bonuses come harvest time. Many of these shepherds will use the big bonus to buy a nice wagon with deluxe wooden wheels and a covered top.<BR/><BR/>The great circle of life continues at LANL.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-9897280113590997812008-08-24T12:16:00.000-06:002008-08-24T12:16:00.000-06:00When Frank has nothing new to post he seems to res...When Frank has nothing new to post he seems to resort to putting up endless stories about LANL contamination. That's not his fault. He's trying to keep the blog refreshed with stories and those types of stories are easy for him to find.<BR/><BR/>Help give Frank some variety and more compelling content. When you see an interesting story about LANL in the news, hear a juicy rumor or come across a particular interesting LANL memo, pass it along to Frank so that everyone can see it and comment about it. <BR/><BR/>The idea of a healthy blog should be to keep people informed about what is really going on around them. I suspect lots of LANL workers hear things (some true, some false) but none of it has been passed along to this blog of late. <BR/><BR/>Don't be a reader who occasionally leaves anonymous comments. Help Frank out with compelling content if you want to see this blog survive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com