HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL !

Sandia nuke safety

Watchdog organization sues for Sandia nuke safety records: http://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/watchdog-sues-for-sandia-nuke-safety-records_16447506

Employee Relations

All managers I have dealt with in PLS are abusive....However, remember they are guided by Employee Relations. They are unprofessional and have lost millions for the laboratory. If we actually had competent people in Employee Relations this would not happen. My advice is fire everyone in Employee Relations and find people who will hold abusive manager and this will save the laboratory millions of dollars in lawsuits. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 24, 2013 at 6:27 PM You must realize that ER does absolutely nothing that they are not told to do by LLNS upper management. Management abuse of employees comes from the top. Is is their corporate culture. Live with it or leave. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 24, 2013 at 7:14 PM Frankly ER has no reason to exist at LLNS.

Nukes and drones

Hugh Gusterson believes the US government now faces the same dilemma over drones as it did over nuclear weapons in the late 1940s, and Filippa Lentzos examines the claim that Syria may have a weapon, perhaps a bioweapon, that can "blind in an instant," as Assad claims. These are great reads, and I hope you find them of interest. Which Drone Future Will Americans Choose? http://thebulletin.org/which-drone-future-will-americans-choose Syria and Bioweapons Transparency: http://www.thebulletin.org/syria-and-bioweapons-need-transparency -- Janice Sinclaire Internet Outreach Coordinator

Moniz Seek to Assure Feinstein Over B61 Refurbishment

Weapons Complex Monitor November 20, 2013 Hagel, Moniz Seek to Assure Feinstein Over B61 Refurbishment The Obama Administration will pursue retirement of the B83 nuclear gravity bomb once the current B61 life extension program is completed, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) earlier this month. Feinstein has been an outspoken skeptic of the Administration’s plans to refurbish the B61, a plan that it says will allow for future stockpile reductions by combining four B61 variants into one new refurbished bomb. In their Nov. 6 letter, which was obtained by NW&M Monitor, Hagel and Moniz noted that Feinstein suggested during a meeting with Liz Sherwood-Randall of the National Security Staff that she would support the B61 LEP if it led to stockpile cuts and the retirement of the B83 and sought to assure Feinstein that would take place. “Having a single B61 variant will enable a reduction in the number of deployed and non-deployed air-delivered nuclear gravity weapons in the stockpile, while increasing the safety and security of this aging system,” Hagel and Moniz wrote. “Additionally, by balancing reduced yield with improved accuracy, this LEP would allow us to pursue retirement of the B61-11, and the B83 gravity bomb, once confidence in the B61-12 stockpile is gained, as provided in the FY 2014 National Nuclear Security Administration Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan.” Led by Feinstein, the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee cut $168 million from the Administration’s $551 million request for work on the B61 in FY 2014, but the Administration has continued to advocate for the full amount. “Even in these times of reduced budgets, we believe the investments required to achieve these plans are needed to fulfill the President’s nuclear vision,” Hagel and Moniz wrote. “Both Departments are committed to the program and through studies of alternative options, believe the B61-12 LEP is the most cost effective option that meets military requirements and policy objectives. Maintaining the commitment to the necessary investments in this program and its capability is critical to the Administration’s nuclear security objectives, and we look forward to the full support of Congress.” When asked by NW&M Monitor last week whether a commitment to retire the B83 would allow her to support the B61 LEP, Feinstein said she was concerned about the size of the weapons and the scope of the LEP, which she said was “more like a Cadillac than a Ford.” November 21, 2013 at 8:17 AM Anonymous said... The Obama Administration will pursue retirement of the B83 nuclear gravity bomb once the current B61 life extension program is completed, November 21, 2013 at 8:17 AM It's curtains for the LLNL weapons program when this happens. Unless of course they steal another LANL design.

Nuke troubles run deep

Any of this below in the AP story sound familiar? Headline: Nuke troubles run deep; key officers "burned out" - Nov 20, 2013 - WASHINGTON (AP) — Trouble inside the Air Force's nuclear missile force runs deeper and wider than officials have let on. An unpublished study for the Air Force, obtained by The Associated Press, cites "burnout" among launch officers with their fingers on the triggers of 450 weapons of mass destruction. Also, evidence of broader behavioral issues across the intercontinental ballistic missile force, including sexual assaults and domestic violence. The study, provided to the AP in draft form, says that court-martial rates in the nuclear missile force in 2011 and 2012 were more than twice as high as in the overall Air Force. Administrative punishments, such as written reprimands for rules violations and other misbehavior, also were higher in those years. These indicators add a new dimension to an emerging picture of malaise and worse inside the ICBM force, an arm of the Air Force with a proud heritage but an uncertain future... ...Based on confidential small-group discussions last winter with about 100 launch officers, security forces, missile maintenance workers and others who work in the missile fields — plus responses to confidential questionnaires — RAND found low job satisfaction and workers distressed by staff shortages, equipment flaws and what they felt were stifling management tactics. It also found what it termed "burnout." Burnout in this context means feeling exhausted, cynical and ineffective on the job, according to Chaitra Hardison, RAND's senior behavioral scientist and lead author of the study. She used a system of measure that asks people to rate on a scale of 1 to 7 — from "never" to "always" — how often in their work they experience certain feelings, including tiredness, hopelessness and a sense of being trapped. An average score of 4 or above is judged to put the person in the "burnout" range. One service member said, "We don't care if things go properly. We just don't want to get in trouble." That person and all others who participated in the study were granted confidentiality by RAND in order to speak freely... news.yahoo.com/nuke-troubles-run-deep -key-officers-burned-184232764.html

Ranking does NOT work!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/microsoft_kills_stack_ranking_reviews/

Bret Knapp All-Hands

Bret Knapp All-Hands - any comments of note?

Next round of cuts jan 1st

Jan 1st and this next round of cuts will be far more painful than the first dose of last spring. The poisoned political atmosphere in Congress makes it highly unlikely that sequestration cuts will be throttled back anytime soon. Further cutbacks in lab staffing will be necessary soon after these next cuts hit. Get prepared as best you can: ******** Automatic spending cuts would bite more in 2014 ********* AP News, Nov 11, 2013 WASHINGTON (AP) — The first year of automatic, across-the-board budget cuts didn't live up to the dire predictions from the Obama administration and others who warned of sweeping furloughs and big disruptions of government services. The second round just might. Several federal agencies found lots of loose change that helped them through the automatic cuts in the 2013 budget year that ended Sept. 30, allowing them to minimize furloughs and maintain many services. Most of that money, however, has been spent. The Pentagon used more than $5 billion in unspent money from previous years to ease its $39 billion budget cut. Furloughs originally scheduled for 11 days were cut back to six days. The Justice Department found more than $500 million in similar money that allowed agencies like the FBI to avoid furloughs altogether. Finding replacement cuts is the priority of budget talks scheduled to resume this week, but many observers think the talks won't bear fruit. Agencies that have thus far withstood the harshest effects of the across-the-board cuts in 2013 are bracing for a second round of cuts that'll ... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/automatic-spending-cuts-bite-more-081524860.html

Where is the gun?

It has been a week since a LANL guard lost their gun and the search goes on. Where could it be?

Creedon nominated to be #2 at NNSA

Creedon nominated to be #2 at NNSA http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/11/06/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts Madelyn Creedon, Nominee for Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy Madelyn Creedon is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs, a position she has held since 2011. From 2001 to 2011, Ms. Creedon was counsel for the Democratic staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and was responsible for the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces as well as threat reduction and nuclear nonproliferation issues. From 2000 to 2001, she served as the Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, and from 1997 to 2000 she was counsel on the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Ms. Creedon was the Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy from 1995 to 1997 and served as the General Counsel for the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission from 1994 to 1995. From 1990 to 1994, Ms. Creedon was counsel for the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Prior to this, from 1980 to 1990, she was a trial attorney and Acting Assistant General Counsel for Special Litigation in the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Energy. Ms. Creedon received a B.A. from the University of Evansville and a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law.

Another gift that just keeps on giving

An example of just another gift that just keeps on giving, and giving, and gives some more. http://www.pogo.org/blog/2013/11/20131106-new-documents-show-former-rep-ran-through-revolving-door.html

Ex-Congresswoman Heather Wilson inappropriately paid by Sandia Labs

Ex-Congresswoman Heather Wilson inappropriately paid by Sandia Labs: http://www.nukewatch.org/watchblog/?p=1617 "The DOE IG report said that the facts indicate that federal funds were used for prohibited lobbying activities"

Lockheed Martin joins others to run NNSA sites

Lockheed Martin joins others to run NNSA sites .. The contract that consolidates the NNSA facilities could portend the fate of the Sandia National Laboratories’ contract. The NNSA, in a cost-cutting move, consolidated Y-12 and Pantex. .. “NNSA is moving toward a smaller and less expensive enterprise,” the agency said in the RFI. .. http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2013/11/04/lockheed-joins-others-to-run-NNSA-sites.html ------------------------- Guess who will be combined next? LLNL & LANL. Knapp is the vanguard for this move. November 5, 2013 at 8:48 AM

LANL lost gun

Los Alamos security lost gun http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/gun-missing-from-lanl-security/-/9153728/22804010/-/u7vwmgz/-/index.html

Bipartisan National Laboratories Mean National Security Act

Congressman Swalwell Introduces the Bipartisan National Laboratories Mean National Security Act - November 4, 2013 The following information is from the office of U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell: U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) introduced H.R. 3438, the National Laboratories Mean National Security Act, to ensure the full resources of Department of Energy (DOE) labs like Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories are clearly available to help states and localities secure our country. The government-owned, contractor-operated structure of the national labs has caused some state and local recipients of federal homeland security grants to decline to utilize DOE labs because of a mistaken belief that these funds would be paid impermissibly to the federal government as opposed to contract operators. “Lawrence Livermore, Sandia and our other DOE national laboratories are world-class scientific research and development institutions with expertise relevant to addressing our homeland security challenges,” said Swalwell. “States and localities should feel free to utilize these capabilities, but the unique structure of these labs means they aren’t always being used fully. "It’s in our homeland security interest to remove this existing barrier and clearly establish in statute that national labs can work with recipients of key federal homeland security initiatives and grants.” The research, expertise and knowledge of DOE labs are all directly relevant to addressing how to prevent and respond to attacks involving the worst threats, such as chemical, biological, and radiological weapons. Swalwell was joined on the bipartisan bill by U.S. Reps. Mike Simpson (R-ID), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Bill Foster (D-IL). A similar bill passed the House of Representatives by voice vote in the 112th Congress but was not taken up by the Senate. “We can’t let a lack of clarity prevent states and localities from consulting with the best and brightest at our national labs on issues as critical as our homeland security. This is commonsense legislation that would provide a boost to the safety of our communities,” Swalwell added.

Apple in AZ

http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/11/04/apple-to-open-us-manufacturing-facility-in-mesa-arizona So Apple is opening it's new manufacturing plant in ....oh not California but a RIGHT TO WORK STATE.....Arizona. They are smart enough that they do not want to deal with Union infants. The moral of the story is DO NOT LISTEN TO people with a UNION MENTALITY (like we sometimes have here in on this Blog). Because this is what you get. NUMI was Toyota's only union plant and guess what... they closed it. So LEARN from this and when infantile union people try to plead their case just think of all those Apple jobs in a Right to Work state (not California) or think of, Steel Mills (closed) Detroit (Bankrupt) Hostess (closed) Boeing in S. Carolina NUMI (closed) I think I'll stop there. Or should we talk about the many Corporations opening their factories in Right to Work states.........

From a former employee

As a former employee, here are a few observations/comments: - NNSA needs to go. - Get rid of NIF, too expensive and it's going nowhere - DOE should restructure LLNL to be more like LBNL. Too expensive to maintain Sandia and LLNL. LLNL and LANL can't continue to do duplicate work. - Sandia should close all operations in Livermore. - LLNL can't compete with Bay Area's tech companies in terms of employee retention. How many software engineers leave LLNL every year? Yes, LLNL employees are highly qualified and competent, but not feasible to maintain current number of employees/salaries/cost of living in CA/pensions/etc...

The war on hackers

Another interesting article that hits on the big questions people have been asking about the situation: http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/26/the-war-on-hackers This particular paragraph is interesting: "There is so much so wrong here that I scarcely know where to begin. Should we be more outraged by Battelle’s decision to license, rather than open-source, code developed with taxpayer money? By their breathtakingly broad patent application? By the idea that their belatedly-registered copyright should apply to similar code written independently in different languages? By the amazing contention that an open-source version of a network visualization tool would have “national security implications”? Or by the notion that those who call themselves “hackers” are advertising to the world their intent to break the law?"

Restraining order against open source programmer!

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131022/13260324972/govt-contractor-uses-copyright-fear-hackers-to-get-restraining-order-against-open-source-developer.shtml

"3+2" is in trouble with both the customers and Congress (House and Senate). There's been a now public proclamation by the USAF that they plan to retire the B-83. This will leave only the W87 as a LLNL system - So is this enough to justify keeping LLNL primarily as a nuclear weapons lab? http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/cost-concerns-could-prompt-new-look-warhead-modernization-plan/

So long Parney

Best wishes!