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Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Miller, Albright, and Goldstein
How do Livermore Lab Directors Miller, Albright, and Goldstein stack up?
Miller, he bet the farm on the NIF and lost. He also elevated the most sadistic psychopath the lab has seen in years to a position of unprecedented power, causing untold misery throughout the whole complex. He was crazy about safety to the point of being just crazy. He failed to stop and then led the destruction of the UC management system, and oversaw the layoff of a thousand-odd people (including hundreds of FTEs) to feed the greed of LLNS that he headed. It doesn't get much worse than George Miller, at the bottom of the stack.
Goldstein, too new to say much about, so he's second.
Albright didn't do much in his fairly short term, and what he did do, didn't get much publicity. But he was honorable and principled, and he kicked the most sadistic psychopath the lab has seen in years out the door.
1. Albright - He really understood how R&D labs and FFRDCs outside NNSA worked and how the succeeded, unfortunately for him NNSA could have cared less and only wants "yes men" directors. Had a very clear direction where he though LLNL should be heading and ran afoul of the NNSA overlords. Cared more about employees as real people that most past directors who cared about missions.
2.Miller - Nice guy. A "don't rock the boat" approach to being Director.
I soon tired of Miller's tears during his presentations in B123.
Parney presented an unvarnished version of events and I felt he stuck up for the "every day" worker at the lab, which was part of his downfall with NNSA.
I can't judge Goldstein, I left the lab before he took over, don't know if he cries a river during employee presentations. I hope not.
From the view of someone that worked closely with both Miller and Albright, Albright stands out above the rest for many reasons, some of them already listed above.
FWIW, would not know Goldstein if we met in the aisle at the store.
Albright was clearly a favorite in the area I worked in (Engineering); he was really a breath of fresh air - we knew it was to good to be true...yea, Miller blubbered alot during all-hands meetings...he also did that "hand puppet" thing to many times. Goldstein has been a "no show" so far.
Albright stood up for employees against the political games of Washington, and he ethically and efficiently disposed of numerous personnel problems that Miller had permitted to fester. Both of these positive actions cost him and they combined to drive him away. He was the best Director in many years and he is missed greatly by the employees.
I once saw Goldstein carrying a whip, dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket at a Physics AD picnic.
He's the S&M Fonzi Director!
January 15, 2015 at 1:30 PM
What do you expect from a "New Yorker"? I once saw Mike Anastasio (another New Yorker) at Trader Joe's in Santa Fe in his robe and slippers buying two shopping baskets full of wine. He probably had a 357-magnum strapped to his side.
What do you expect from a "New Yorker"? I once saw Mike Anastasio (another New Yorker) at Trader Joe's in Santa Fe in his robe and slippers buying two shopping baskets full of wine. He probably had a 357-magnum strapped to his side.
January 16, 2015 at 8:42 AM
LANL's former Lab Director "Professor Erwin Anastasio Corey"
Goldstein is the smartest of them all by far. He knows he's driving a big rig without a bad steering box and the wheels about to come of so he takes it real slow, keeps his seat belt tight and cashes that big check every payday.
"What do you expect from a "New Yorker?" Seems to be a recurring them on this website. Do I detect the odious whiff of anti-Semtism or am I just an overly sensitive, extrapolating Gentile?
This is comparing apples with oranges. Goldstein was a research physicist, and probably a good one. Miller was a weapons designer for most of his career, but didn't seem to understand much past that, and wasn't a researcher. Albright was an analyst for most of his career over a very wide range of topics, had good physical intuition and was a quick study, but no research scientist.
"What do you expect from a "New Yorker?" Seems to be a recurring them on this website. Do I detect the odious whiff of anti-Semtism or am I just an overly sensitive, extrapolating Gentile?
January 17, 2015 at 8:11 PM
I though Jews were only from Israel, Mars and Hell.
It is an interesting question. Bill--TBD. George-good weapon physicist, B+ Director. Parney-A for leader, more than competent scientist but not an HED physicist of note.
Here's another question. Is any weapon lab director since Batzel any where near the same intellectual league as Lawrence and Oppenheimer and Teller?
Personally I think "no." Not that the LLCs would care or know what to do with someone who was.
I am glad New York metro is 2500 miles away. Upstaters wish it were that far as well. This is not about Jewish folks, NYC attitude is unpleasant and domineering.
Best that the gifted wunderkinds continue to make even more perfect and fragrant the churlish side of the Hudson while we lesser cretins procreate furiously and continue reprobate ways in our stinking purgatory exile.
The lab has some scientists in Tellers intellectual league, but they aren't director material. Weapons science is a lot more complicated than it was in 1950, and it takes a different sort of person to lead the modern lab than it took to found it. I'm not sure Teller himself would be director material in 2015.
There was a significant course change over at NIF under Albright. He defunded LIFE, changed the governance model, brought in "outsiders" and empowered them on ignition, got the lab off the SCAP rate, talked about NIF in the context of the weapons program, and ultimately changed the leadership.
Sure, but how did the daily operational scope change at NIF. Not much. LIFE was a side project, that was over funded, and was essentially an MBA school project.
Anonymous Anonymous said... I once saw Goldstein carrying a whip, dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket at a Physics AD picnic. January 15, 2015 at 1:30 PM He may carry a whip, but does he crack it? January 20, 2015 at 12:25 PM
I'm sure the LANL crowd has many positives to say about former directors like Hecker. When and how did things start going downhill since he left his post?
Factoring out changing budgets and other constraints, there must be something we can learn from when we had good leaders. Who is considered a good director who reigned during very bad budgets and other problems?
42 comments:
Albright
Miller
Glodstein
Goldstein? Never hear about him.
How do Livermore Lab Directors Miller, Albright, and Goldstein stack up?
Like Kurt Warner at the grocery store.
Albright, Goldstein, Miller.
Miller, he bet the farm on the NIF and lost. He also elevated the most sadistic psychopath the lab has seen in years to a position of unprecedented power, causing untold misery throughout the whole complex. He was crazy about safety to the point of being just crazy. He failed to stop and then led the destruction of the UC management system, and oversaw the layoff of a thousand-odd people (including hundreds of FTEs) to feed the greed of LLNS that he headed. It doesn't get much worse than George Miller, at the bottom of the stack.
Goldstein, too new to say much about, so he's second.
Albright didn't do much in his fairly short term, and what he did do, didn't get much publicity. But he was honorable and principled, and he kicked the most sadistic psychopath the lab has seen in years out the door.
Moses' job was to build NIF, which he did. He inherited the opportunity, and brought a complex facility to fruition.
If his job had stopped there, he would still be hailed as a great success instead of reviled as a psychopath.
Albright 7
Miller 5
Goldstein TBD
McMillan 0.0001
Albright 7
Miller 5
Goldstein TBD
McMillan 0.0001
January 15, 2015 at 2:45 AM
This is the correct sequence, but perhaps insufficient differentiation.
Albright 7.5
Miller 4
Goldstein TBD
McMillan 0.0000000001
1. Albright - He really understood how R&D labs and FFRDCs outside NNSA worked and how the succeeded, unfortunately for him NNSA could have cared less and only wants "yes men" directors. Had a very clear direction where he though LLNL should be heading and ran afoul of the NNSA overlords. Cared more about employees as real people that most past directors who cared about missions.
2.Miller - Nice guy. A "don't rock the boat" approach to being Director.
3. Goldstein - TBD. Seems very quiet.
I soon tired of Miller's tears during his presentations in B123.
Parney presented an unvarnished version of events and I felt he stuck up for the "every day" worker at the lab, which was part of his downfall with NNSA.
I can't judge Goldstein, I left the lab before he took over, don't know if he cries a river during employee presentations. I hope not.
I once saw Goldstein carrying a whip, dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket at a Physics AD picnic.
He's the S&M Fonzi Director!
From the view of someone that worked closely with both Miller and Albright, Albright stands out above the rest for many reasons, some of them already listed above.
FWIW, would not know Goldstein if we met in the aisle at the store.
Albright was clearly a favorite in the area I worked in (Engineering); he was really a breath of fresh air - we knew it was to good to be true...yea, Miller blubbered alot during all-hands meetings...he also did that "hand puppet" thing to many times. Goldstein has been a "no show" so far.
Albright stood up for employees against the political games of Washington, and he ethically and efficiently disposed of numerous personnel problems that Miller had permitted to fester. Both of these positive actions cost him and they combined to drive him away. He was the best Director in many years and he is missed greatly by the employees.
I once saw Goldstein carrying a whip, dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket at a Physics AD picnic.
He's the S&M Fonzi Director!
January 15, 2015 at 1:30 PM
What do you expect from a "New Yorker"? I once saw Mike Anastasio (another New Yorker) at Trader Joe's in Santa Fe in his robe and slippers buying two shopping baskets full of wine. He probably had a 357-magnum strapped to his side.
What do you expect from a "New Yorker"? I once saw Mike Anastasio (another New Yorker) at Trader Joe's in Santa Fe in his robe and slippers buying two shopping baskets full of wine. He probably had a 357-magnum strapped to his side.
January 16, 2015 at 8:42 AM
LANL's former Lab Director "Professor Erwin Anastasio Corey"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHlLmYVCzKY
Better:
LANL's former Lab Director "Professor Erwin Anastasio Corey"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxtN0xxzfsw
Goldstein is the smartest of them all by far. He knows he's driving a big rig without a bad steering box and the wheels about to come of so he takes it real slow, keeps his seat belt tight and cashes that big check every payday.
Wanna understand Goldstein? Watch "The Usual Suspects." Great performance by Spacey.
"What do you expect from a "New Yorker?" Seems to be a recurring them on this website. Do I detect the odious whiff of anti-Semtism or am I just an overly sensitive, extrapolating Gentile?
When will the scientists speak? Surely they would use a log scale to rank Directors.
"...When will the scientists speak? Surely they would use a log scale to rank Directors..."
"Orders of magnitude" differences among the Directors you think? The dynamic range among Directors isn't adequately expressed with a linear axis?
This is comparing apples with oranges. Goldstein was a research physicist, and probably a good one. Miller was a weapons designer for most of his career, but didn't seem to understand much past that, and wasn't a researcher. Albright was an analyst for most of his career over a very wide range of topics, had good physical intuition and was a quick study, but no research scientist.
"What do you expect from a "New Yorker?" Seems to be a recurring them on this website. Do I detect the odious whiff of anti-Semtism or am I just an overly sensitive, extrapolating Gentile?
January 17, 2015 at 8:11 PM
I though Jews were only from Israel, Mars and Hell.
"I though Jews were only from Israel, Mars and Hell."
I rest my case :).
It is an interesting question. Bill--TBD. George-good weapon physicist, B+ Director. Parney-A for leader, more than competent scientist but not an HED physicist of note.
Here's another question. Is any weapon lab director since Batzel any where near the same intellectual league as Lawrence and Oppenheimer and Teller?
Personally I think "no." Not that the LLCs would care or know what to do with someone who was.
I am glad New York metro is 2500 miles away. Upstaters wish it were that far as well. This is not about Jewish folks, NYC attitude is unpleasant and domineering.
Best that the gifted wunderkinds continue to make even more perfect and fragrant the churlish side of the Hudson while we lesser cretins procreate furiously and continue reprobate ways in our stinking purgatory exile.
The lab has some scientists in Tellers intellectual league, but they aren't director material. Weapons science is a lot more complicated than it was in 1950, and it takes a different sort of person to lead the modern lab than it took to found it. I'm not sure Teller himself would be director material in 2015.
I once saw Goldstein carrying a whip, dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket at a Physics AD picnic.
January 15, 2015 at 1:30 PM
He may carry a whip, but does he crack it?
B Goodwin would have made a good director
Tell me how the lab significantly changed course through all these directors. It's a slow tack here or there, nothing earthshaking.
It's a slow tack here or there, nothing earthshaking.
January 21, 2015 at 10:16 AM
If the earth shook every time there was a new director, No one would be happy, least of all the taxpayers who pay the bills.
There was a significant course change over at NIF under Albright. He defunded LIFE, changed the governance model, brought in "outsiders" and empowered them on ignition, got the lab off the SCAP rate, talked about NIF in the context of the weapons program, and ultimately changed the leadership.
Sure, but how did the daily operational scope change at NIF. Not much.
LIFE was a side project, that was over funded, and was essentially an MBA school project.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I once saw Goldstein carrying a whip, dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket at a Physics AD picnic.
January 15, 2015 at 1:30 PM
He may carry a whip, but does he crack it?
January 20, 2015 at 12:25 PM
Yet to be determined.
I'm sure the LANL crowd has many positives to say about former directors like Hecker. When and how did things start going downhill since he left his post?
Factoring out changing budgets and other constraints, there must be something we can learn from when we had good leaders. Who is considered a good director who reigned during very bad budgets and other problems?
The quality of management always goes downhill as an institution's mission begins to falter and fade away...
The Modern Weapons Complex that NNSA's Tom D'Agostino said was coming? Never happened.
The Robust Reliable Warhead (RRW) that the Modern Weapons Complex was going to study and build? Never happened.
The improvement of science and low morale that report after report has documented and said needs to be fixed at the weapon labs? Never happened.
The whip cracking by Goldstein? About to happen.
The improvement of science and low morale that report after report has documented and said needs to be fixed at the weapon labs? Never happened.
January 21, 2015 at 6:03 PM
NIF Ignition? Never happened.
NIF never will ignite. There is some faint hope that the Labs can still be saved from the moronic bureaucracy-minded ding bats in Washington.
NIF will ignite only after hiring Dr. Emmett Brown ("Doc")
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