Anonymous wants to know: What did you think of the G Miller presentation?
He/She said:
Looked like, with a few token exceptions, the only LLNL accomplishments he was aware of were NIF related or the WCI awards (oh yeah, the dragon boat team got 3 photos- science at its best).
He made it clear that he is not interested in promoting WFO, by stating that even though overhead rates are still high we brought in more WFO in the last cycle.
How about the weird statements from Arnold Sch., wildly supportive of NIF...? Are we now having our scientific reviews not by peers but by uneducated celebrities? Does anyone funding our work at LLNL think Arnold is a credible expert on fusion or lasers or nuclear energy? Really makes it look like NIF and LIFE are in big trouble technically if they are resorting to such shenanagins. Guess they figured out that the new administration is likely to accelerate the trend of cut backs on funding for fusion energy. They never mention NIF being used to study nuclear weapons anymore. Can't help but feel sorry for Arnold for how they made a fool of him.
16 comments:
I think it was great that someone outside of the LLNS complex visited the lab and showed interest in what we do. I don't see the harm in the governors visit. I would to know how NIF and LIFE are in big trouble technically?
If WFO increased even at our high rates, then the solution must obviously be to raise these rates to even higher levels next year. Think of all the extra management overhead that this new funding would buy!
Work hard, everybody. Get in those new WFO proposals. LLNL top management is living off your efforts and wants to bring in more of their buddies from Bechtel to partake of the riches next year.
"He made it clear that he is not interested in promoting WFO, by stating that even though overhead rates are still high we brought in more WFO in the last cycle."
The logic of your conclusion escapes me. He did report WFO was order $50M. He did state he wants to continue to work on overhead rates with whatever that 'baselining committee' was about. That would seem to indicate some interest. Sandia has gotten to a billion dollars per year in WFO and it's not clear their rates are all that much better. I'm not saying we can or will get to that level. I did think it was encouraging GM spoke of an 'open campus' on the east side of the labs to streamline outside interaction. That would be a major improvement.
This is all going to be messy and take a number of years.
Okay - here's how it works. Experts don't necessarily control the money therefore managers are responsible for communicating the science to the controllers of the money - hence Arnold's visit, hence every application for WFO funding - this is how it works.
November 19, 2008 9:47 PM
"I would to know how NIF and LIFE are in big trouble technically?"
You mean apart from having the Governor continue to say something like LIFE will deliver 1000 times the U.S. electrical output? What a bunch of nonsense.
What LIFE advocates was solved 50 years ago by various nuclear fuel cycles that have been demonstrated. There are fuel cycles that do not need enrichment. There are fuel cycles that have high burn-up. There are fuel cycles that consume their wastes.
LIFE is a heroin program for the photon addicts at LLNL.
It's not how good the product is, but how well you can sell it. You can shine up a smelly turd and sell it for top dollar if you're good at doing a con.
Just look at the toxic securities that Wall Street was able to dump upon investors and pensions. That was the con job of the century. Too bad it will eventually result in a great big US depression.
Typical BS with a copout. It depends on what the Obamanation Whitehouse deems as important and I don't think it will be weapons research. That science does nothing for the economy. The Party's Over and the fat lady has sung. Welcome to the new generation of voter who duped us with the most devastating even since the civil war. The good news is. They did it without thinking things through, so I guess we can chalk this catastrophe up to ignorance, stupidity and the new breed of 21st century groupies
what did i think of GM's presentation? I know what the sheepeople herd BAA BAA BAA! what GM didn't tell them was that hundreds of employees and ex employees of llnl have tested beryllium sensitive and a group of LABOR ONLY aka GSE employees are sueing GM and company for being criminal negligent and exposing them to beryllium; GM also failed to mention the two investigation going on by the inspector general office one involving nif and the other plant engineering.
I liked hearing an upbeat message. If you think the worst, the worst will happen. I believe in self fulfilling prophecies.
On another note, if Russia and China continue to develop new weapons, we will have to keep pace and kick their butts again. Don't just conclude that president elect Obama and a Democratic congress will not fund weapons programs. At least they will get rid of the so-called patriot act, which is just a front for eliminating our civil liberties. I'm an optimist. I just wish George had used the rest room before he gave his all hands. George - if you're reading, the way you rock back and forth and flex your leg while you speak is a distracting habit. It makes you look like you have to pee.
At least they will get rid of the so-called patriot act.
What's wrong you have something to hide. I have absolutely no problem with ALL my converstaions being tapped, recorded or for the governentt to look into every move I make. Why? Because I chose my friends, I watch were I go, who I associate with and what I do both during work and off work. Hell I don't care if they tarck me by GPS. What the heck is your issue. You anti-patriot cat people will be the leading cause for our next attack and when it happens I hope your are the center of the blast.
November 24, 2008 8:59 PM
And when support of the Patriot Act or any criticism of those currently in power becomes suspect and worthy of "re-education" will you still have absolutely no problem with it?
For some the price of a little temporary security is too high.
Posters like 8:59 PM make me realize, sadly, that the the Constitution and this nation's democracy have no bright future. How does that Ben Franklin quote go?
"Any society which gives up it's freedom for the sake of security, deserves neither."
You don't deserve freedom, 8:59 PM. You have the mind set of a slave.
"I liked hearing an upbeat message. If you think the worst, the worst will happen. I believe in self fulfilling prophecies".
I also like upbeat messages, as well as hearing the facts along with pro and cons. LLNS is suppose a science jewel and that requires truths and not spin. Lately ULM only has spin as talking points.
Dump the management and bring back science. If you're out there GM, just stand up and tell the truth. Most of us will respect that more than the "LLNS spin zone".
Commodore George Miller is a liar.
He commands a corpse.
I am fascinated by the insiders view on how deterioration takes place.
I wonder how long it will take for Congress to realize LLNL is dead.
LLNL is not dead. Just wounded. Mortally or not I am not sure?
There are bright stars and some really good National needs being met by LLNL scientist! And this happening despite the large amount of resources being sent to NIF.
What makes this so frustrating is the waste of resources and effort on things like safety and following DOE/NNSA/LLNS mandates. Also the lack of competent management that are really interested or know much about the science.
LeT , Medeyev, Ahmadinejad and Chavez are doing more for LLNL than LLNS.
with friends like this....
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