tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post9003834257496837041..comments2023-08-27T06:53:36.768-06:00Comments on LANL: The Rest of the Story: Thoughts on the latest security imbroglioFrank Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02134775226991383924noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-65433089249488432082007-08-16T20:03:00.000-06:002007-08-16T20:03:00.000-06:00to 8/13/07 3:01 PM:at my last company, and every o...to 8/13/07 3:01 PM:<BR/><BR/>at my last company, and every other company i worked for, no one was ever required to fill out a time card, EVER. everyone was on salary ("exempt"), but everyone worked way more than the 40 hrs/wk that they were paid for, because they were treated with respect- as professionals instead of as juvenile deliquents. their science was respected and so they all went the extra mile! i always went in on weekends as a matter of course--not for credit, but to evsure the high quality of the research results.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-75090109318738632872007-08-13T15:01:00.000-06:002007-08-13T15:01:00.000-06:00Some of you guys need to get out more. When I work...Some of you guys need to get out more. When I worked in the defense industry years ago in the 70s and 80s, filling out a timecard daily was mandatory. To forget to fill your timecard out daily was an infraction. To use a charge code that had not been approved by your manager, in writing, was an infraction. Auditors checked frequently and randomly. Multiple infractions = loss of job. No dicking around with these guys.<BR/><BR/>Needless to say, I couldn't believe people filled out their time only once a month when I first got here. Everybody, on one time sheet, tacked to the board. That's when I knew DOE was not DoD.<BR/><BR/>IMO, it is highly unlikely that if you were an exempt employee that you would be allowed to enter more than a given amount of time in a day/week. While you must work your minimum, recording any more time than a certain amount would likely not be allowed.<BR/><BR/>At the company I was at, you could enter up to 47 hrs/wk if you were exempt, but there really was no point to do so (other than as described below). While the company billed the customer for 47 hrs, burning into the funding, you only got paid for 40. You could get only get paid for extra hours >=48 if approved for an extended workweek. The company didn't care if you put in more hours of course, they just would not allow any record of more than 47 unless approved.<BR/><BR/>Their other favorite was a computer run of uncompensated overtime vs sick leave. If you weren't within some amount of the difference, then putting in some uncompensated overtime would be suggested.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-38315433504342562882007-08-13T01:57:00.000-06:002007-08-13T01:57:00.000-06:00Don't be so quick to assume long weeks is fiction....Don't be so quick to assume long weeks is fiction. In the computing divisions, it was definitely not unheard of for people to spend evenings and weekends working. Before Pete shut the lab down, it was a running joke on my team on Fridays for us to say "Is today my day off? I forgot." -- we all worked our A or B fridays -- the people who actually stayed home were the "slackers" even though they were technically just putting in their required hours. That all stopped after the shutdown -- that 'over and beyond' attitude died then. I still check my email at night to see if my colleagues are on working, but now all I get is those stupid spam bots mailing me their latest prey. Sad sad sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-66511368829375943732007-08-12T11:38:00.000-06:002007-08-12T11:38:00.000-06:00PS - If you were a DX explosives technician, and y...PS - If you were a DX explosives technician, and you are talking about times with a heavy schedule, then I apologize - you might have worked 60 hour weeks.<BR/><BR/>If you were in any other role, then I'll match your 60 hour weeks with my 169 hour weeks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-32607739737246083952007-08-12T11:28:00.000-06:002007-08-12T11:28:00.000-06:006x10 weeks? 5x12 weeks? Many people claim 60 hours...6x10 weeks? 5x12 weeks? Many people claim 60 hours. In my 15 years at LANL across many sites, I have not seen it.<BR/><BR/>Maybe you mean the 60 hour weeks you put in 16-25 years ago. I don't believe that you did so, but I would not have first hand reasons to call you a liar for that claim.<BR/><BR/>A time clock would be nice, to get people like you to shut your pie-holes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-54942694167958612592007-08-12T08:24:00.000-06:002007-08-12T08:24:00.000-06:00Anonymous at 8/11/07 9:54 PM mentions time clocks....Anonymous at 8/11/07 9:54 PM mentions time clocks. I think that would be great. When I think of all of the 60-hour weeks that I put in pre-LANS, it would be nice to have a formal record for use in the event that I would have to file a wrongful-dismissle lawsuit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-54926507352069780232007-08-10T10:17:00.000-06:002007-08-10T10:17:00.000-06:00With the current market meltdown, perhaps we'll ne...With the current market meltdown, perhaps we'll need to be adding far more than just 16% from our salaries to support the pension.<BR/><BR/>Does anyone know whether UC ever finalized the transfer of assets over to TCP1? If so, does anyone know what TCP1 assets are invested in? LANS has done a very poor job of informing LANL workers about the state of their pension.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-32852703736309698122007-08-10T07:08:00.000-06:002007-08-10T07:08:00.000-06:00Yup, 11:51, sounds like high risk, high risk, and ...Yup, 11:51, sounds like high risk, high risk, and high risk, except for Parsky's buddies.<BR/><BR/>"UC spokesman Trey Davis attributed the recent strong fund performance to improved oversight and management as well as greater diversification, especially in high-return investments in foreign equity funds, domestic real estate and Internet-related funds."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-45226684298538060242007-08-09T23:51:00.000-06:002007-08-09T23:51:00.000-06:00Hmmm? "..non-U.S. equity and alternative asset cl...Hmmm? "..non-U.S. equity and alternative asset classes".<BR/><BR/>Sounds like UCRP handed large sums of cash over to those private hedge funds and then stuck the rest into Indonesian high-risk bonds. What goes up...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-74146862935360741222007-08-09T21:49:00.000-06:002007-08-09T21:49:00.000-06:00In case ex-UC employees at LANL missed this UCOP p...In case ex-UC employees at LANL missed this UCOP press release yesterday;<BR/><BR/>UC investments show strong gains last year, re-start of pension contributions postponed<BR/><BR/>The University of California Office of the Treasurer announced preliminary figures today (Aug. 7) that indicate UC's investments were up 19.1% during the past fiscal year, outperforming its benchmark by over 1%. Factors contributing to the good relative and absolute performance of the $48 billion fund were the changes over the past several years in the diversification and allocation of its assets and performance of the non-U.S. equity and alternative asset classes. UC officials also confirmed that pension contributions, which have not been required of employees for 17 years but were originally slated to resume last month, have been postponed for at least the rest of the 2007-08 fiscal year.<BR/><BR/><BR/>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2007/aug07.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-75766214252809851592007-08-09T21:22:00.000-06:002007-08-09T21:22:00.000-06:00You want to hear some crazy shit? I heard Terry W...You want to hear some crazy shit? I heard Terry Wallace is saying 4% was requested.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-50133663146750108912007-08-09T21:17:00.000-06:002007-08-09T21:17:00.000-06:00My tipping point? Any reduction in the TCP1 futur...My tipping point? Any reduction in the TCP1 future payouts or scrapping of retiree medical coverage. These are probably two of the main reasons that a majority of the employees are sticking around this dismal place. That, and the good salaries, of course, but the salaries are quickly heading downward due to our minuscule raises and rampant inflation. Taking 15% out of my paycheck for TCP1 also might make me consider bailing out.<BR/><BR/>Hmmm, I wonder what Mikey's personal tipping point might be? No 20% salary bonus? A reduction in his luxury car allowance? Or perhaps being forced to ride in coach on air flights?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-36343362204065061572007-08-09T20:59:00.000-06:002007-08-09T20:59:00.000-06:00Poster 8:48 PM,We'll probably end up RIF'ing aroun...Poster 8:48 PM,<BR/><BR/>We'll probably end up RIF'ing around 1,000 employees sometime during the late Spring. I wouldn't be worrying about an itty-bitty raise this year. You've got much bigger things to worry about. Things like losing your job and then having your expensive new home foreclosed upon by the bank. Little things like that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-27571998910234005012007-08-09T20:53:00.000-06:002007-08-09T20:53:00.000-06:00With the private hedge funds all imploding and bil...With the private hedge funds all imploding and billions being lost in the last few days, doesn't it make you wonder how much, if any, of TCP1's assets were handed over to these guys. How about UCRP assets? Did Gerald Parsky dole out control of any pension assets to his hedge fund buddies? Today's news is reporting that the California State Teachers' Retirement System, one of the largest pension funds in the nation, gave Blackstone a whopping $1 billion to invest. Whoops!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-36959947262508492102007-08-09T20:51:00.000-06:002007-08-09T20:51:00.000-06:00Negative raises are a real possibility. Remember,...Negative raises are a real possibility. Remember, with a potential $400M FY'08 budget shortfall, LANS could be looking to RIF as many as 1,400 people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-75363159597966915892007-08-09T20:48:00.000-06:002007-08-09T20:48:00.000-06:00Seriously, does anyone know what the raise pool is...Seriously, does anyone know what the raise pool is going to be this year?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-71224350810201661742007-08-09T20:44:00.000-06:002007-08-09T20:44:00.000-06:00"FY 2008 Tipping Point: 1.25% Raise Pot paid out t..."FY 2008 Tipping Point: 1.25% Raise Pot paid out to only the top 10% employees"<BR/><BR/><BR/>Done! (Mikey)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-1526381955516146272007-08-09T20:24:00.000-06:002007-08-09T20:24:00.000-06:00FY 2008 Tipping Point: 1.25% Raise Pot paid out t...FY 2008 Tipping Point: 1.25% Raise Pot paid out to only the top 10% employees.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-28460944930380560152007-08-09T18:09:00.000-06:002007-08-09T18:09:00.000-06:00I would venture that, outside of Los Alamos county...I would venture that, outside of Los Alamos county one would be hard pressed to find someone who would side with LANL over POGO. There are, of course plenty of POGO supporters in Los Alamos but they probably remain anonymous. Sound familiar?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-4929333834401769172007-08-09T15:26:00.000-06:002007-08-09T15:26:00.000-06:00It may only mean that as long as POGO gets its nam...It may only mean that as long as POGO gets its name in the news now and then, those in the foundations who provide money from rich dead folks' trust funds to possibly worthy causes will continue doing so for POGO. Of course, that doesn't mean that POGO makes much effort to get its facts correct or otherwise does anything useful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-87714419258500658122007-08-09T07:09:00.000-06:002007-08-09T07:09:00.000-06:008/8/07 11:34 AM The document has no markings.8/8/07 11:34 AM <BR/><BR/>The document has no markings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-86451205176094023732007-08-08T23:26:00.000-06:002007-08-08T23:26:00.000-06:00My personal tipping point, though I did not realiz...My personal tipping point, though I did not realize it at the time, came with the creation of the NNSA. (It is becoming more and more clear that NNSA has no desire to see science at "its" labs.) At some point, it became clear to me what was happening and I headed out as soon as I could. Certainly, the Nanos shutdown has made it clear that I made the right call. <BR/><BR/>People keep expecting some sort of mass exodus. That's not how it happens. It's a slow process of erosion, starting with people who are literally irreplacable, and working down from there. There's no question that that's happening at LANL. But you have to look at a 7 year trend, not a 7 week trend, and those are hard to spot (and easy to explain away). <BR/><BR/>It's very sad. Pre-NNSA, LANL was a unique resource, and it is still respected around the world for its contributions to science. It is sad to see the US Gov't destroying an irreplaceable resource. But they've done it before -- think of the Moon program -- and they'll do it again. Science has no constituency in the US. <BR/><BR/>I still can't believe that Domenici thought the NNSA would improve science at LANL. He should have retired in the 90s.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-24598340077505098382007-08-08T22:07:00.000-06:002007-08-08T22:07:00.000-06:00if this thing never left the yellow network....how...if this thing never left the yellow network....how did POGO find out about it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-58437983914809963242007-08-08T21:58:00.000-06:002007-08-08T21:58:00.000-06:00Yeah, but Pogo is so hard up to find a conspiracy ...Yeah, but Pogo is so hard up to find a conspiracy theory that MISHANDLING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION is a momentus (sic) event.<BR/><BR/>Fixed that for you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28220200.post-28650403030743488252007-08-08T21:27:00.000-06:002007-08-08T21:27:00.000-06:00Yeah, but Pogo is so hard up to find a conspiracy ...Yeah, but Pogo is so hard up to find a conspiracy theory that farting sideways in a classified area is a momentus event. <BR/><BR/>They would be respected if they focused on isses.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com