Anonymous said...
What is with all of the tree trimming, road repaving, tree planting, shrub pruning and mountains of tan bark? Does anyone know how much this costing the programs?
May 14, 2009 6:54 AM
What is with all of the tree trimming, road repaving, tree planting, shrub pruning and mountains of tan bark? Does anyone know how much this costing the programs?
May 14, 2009 6:54 AM
Comments
I wonder why during this federal mandate to reduce water and energy use we are planting so much grass. Grass takes a tremendous amount of water to keep it looking nice and pumping water out of the tank will take quite a bit of energy; not to mention powering lawn mowers to cut the grass. Seems to me that they could have gone with a more natural, lower maintenance, and drought tolerable planting scheme.
Well I suspect with the technical problems and cost for NIF they have to sell it to someone. Kind of reminds me of the old saying, “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS.” I guess the brilliance of NIF is not quite as bright as it should be, so we have to dazzle them with landscaping. Just doesn’t seem right…
The IG should do a comprehensive investigation into the funding of NIF. The shell game that has been played should be sufficient for cetain people to spend time in the Big House.
Can anyone tell us how this was funded? As a line item it had to have been cloaked in some obtuse scientific sounding mumbo-jumbo to get past congress and the NNSA.
Two thoughts.
First the timing with a Family Day open house says that "we" want to show the folks at home what a nice looking place we have to work in.
The second and more important thought is to provide a good first impression to the visitors that have influence in writing the checks.
Take a look at the two areas that they usually push the tours thru - NIF and Terascale. The glossy tile in the entrance of B453 may be a fall hazard in the wet weather but it LOOKS NEAT. A pretty staircase and an observation space to look into the computer floor. NIF - Big, Clean, Impressive. And that eye candy is what gets the foot into the door. Drag a congressman through a dingy building to display a breakthrough in science, he'll probably remember the dingy. Guide him through a chrome palace and show him a Powerpoint presentation on something, he remembers the glitz and promise some money. Be sure to take them to Wente's afterward.
So when someone asks how all of the pretty helps the mission of the lab, it's to impress the check writers. And I was here in the heyday of this place where the product spoke for itself, no longer. I also worked at this place when there was a sense of mission. Alas, that also is no longer something that is in vogue.
Finally, just remember Billy Crystal in Saturday Night Live:
You Look Maahvelous!!!!
to put lipstick on the pig.
Sorry. No such letter from DOE. Additionally there are no DOE standards for landscaping to violate. Most DOE sites are going natural, implementing xeriscape, etc., with DOE blessings. Very different from the LLNL approach.
Family days was an afterthought tacked onto the NIF dedication in an attempt to deflect some of the criticism for all of the “dressing up” going on. The cost for family days is considerably less than for the NIF dedication.
When swine flu was seen as possibly affecting/preventing the NIF celebration, EM provided some interesting guidance that could have come out of a B grade thriller (hint: something to do with the celebration being more important than the possible spread of flu). Glad we weren’t forced to test that guidance.
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If the rumor is true, I'll tip my had to Ed and say thanks.
I would advise the red legged frogs in Lake Hausmann to keep a low profile and not anger EM.