LLNL - The True Story -

Anonymous said... The 46 DOE BES Energy Frontiers Research Centers were announced and LLNL did not get funding for their proposed center to study materials for nuclear reactors (special focus on LIFE reactor materials). In fact, all the other national labs got multiple centers funded at several million dollars per year. LLNL is a minor participant on three centers, but does not lead any. For example, LANL and Sandia are each involved in 14 of the centers. April 28, 2009 9:20 PM

Anonymous said... Under UC rules, a child was covered until her 24th birthday. The IRS also considers a 23-to-24-year-old in college a dependent. But LLNS has taken a year away. LLNS is slowly removing benefits a little at a time, hoping no one will notice. Our daughter has no coverage, though she's 23 and entering her senior year next year. COBRA hasn't gotten back to us, Benefits knows nothing about it!!! Are we the only ones with college-age children? I guess you have to be in a situation to feel its impact. I just called Anthem Blue Cross. They weren't sure! Since LLNS is very clear about un-enrolling children, and both the computerized system and the human being said our daughter was enrolled, I asked the woman to find out what was going on. It turns out you're enrolled until the first of the month after you turn 23. I'm mad as hell. I'm going to inform the IRS. The IRS has strict rules about age of dependent children and like UC did, it's to 24 at...

Listen to your employees, friends and coworkers! If you want to improve morale, listen. You may not like what you hear, and do not take it with a grain of salt. We've been screaming for help and we might as well be screaming in a vacuum. HELP!

Navigating the other day I found this article at the NY Times in 2000. It is interesting to see the opinion of several national lab employees. One of them still works at LLNL and is part now of ULM. I immediately wondered if he has changed his mind or he still thinks in the same way. Technology Boom Too Tempting For Many Government Scientists By KATIE HAFNER Published: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 Source: Technology Throughout the high-tech era, government research laboratories have been seedbeds for some of the most important advances in computing, detecting nuclear weapons, robotics, gene sequencing and other fields. And for engineers and computer scientists, the laboratories have been havens of job permanence. Now, the technology boom in Silicon Valley and across the nation has changed all that. The lure of the private sector and its many start-up companies is so strong that national research laboratories are losing their best and brightest in growing numbers. Senior scientists makin...

So, rumor is that EM is running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Something about optics doomed to failure after the beam is reflected off the plasma produced during a shot.

Anonymous said... "Better Oversight Needed to Ensure That Security Improvements at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Are Fully Implemented and Sustained" March 2009 GAO-09-321 What the GAO Found "DOE’s Office of Independent Oversight found numerous and wide-ranging security deficiencies with LLNL’s safeguards and security program. DOE gave the laboratory the lowest possible rating in two security areas: protective force performance and classified matter protection and control. The Office of Independent Oversight also reported that LLNL’s physical security systems, such as alarms and sensors, and its security program planning and assurance activities needed improvement."...... ...."LLNL, LSO, and DOE officials agreed on other factors that contributed to the laboratory’s overall security performance. First, the change in management and operating contractor from the University of California to LLNS in October 2007 contributed to a loss of focus on security pe...

The Nuclear Weapons Complex Consolidation Policy Network, a collaboration of six national and regional groups, released a major study on April 8, 2009, advocating a total stockpile of 500 nuclear warheads and a weapons complex downsized from eight sites to three. The network consists of the national organizations the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO); Nuclear Watch New Mexico, near the Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs; Tri-Valley CAREs, near the Lawrence Livermore National Lab; the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, near the Kansas City Plant (KCP); and JustPeace of Texas, near the Pantex Plant. President Barack Obama has declared that a nuclear weapons-free world is a long-term national goal. The study outlines how that vision can begin to be concretely carried out in the near-term. The Network's report includes numerous recommendations for the Administration's pending Nuclear Posture Re...

SPSE-UPTE and LLNS Management Reach Tentative Agreement on First SPSE-UPTE Contract for Skilled Trades Bargaining Unit The SPSE-UPTE bargaining team has reached tentative agreement with LLNS management on a first contract for the Skilled Trades Bargaining Unit, i.e., those employees who by majority signup in 2007 chose SPSE-UPTE to represent them. The Skilled Trades are a subset of 800-series employees that includes air conditioning mechanics, locksmiths, boiler and pressure system mechanics, carpenters, electricians, heavy equipment mechanics, maintenance mechanics, painters, plumbers/fitters, riggers, sheet metal workers, trades helpers, and welders. It also includes shop leads, but does not at this time include first line supervisors. Contract bargaining began in July 2008. SPSE-UPTE members within the bargaining unit will have the opportunity to vote their approval or disapproval of the contract's content sometime this week. Within the contract's provisions, management and...

I would like to hear about your program at LLNL. Please rate the managers, whether you like the work, funding issues,whether it is decent place to work, any glimmers of hope. Looking for fair comments here. My hope is ULM reads this blog and will find useful suggestions from the workers. Since in my program, the managers will come after you with a vengance if you suggest anything, and GM does not provide us a means to make comments (nor protect us from the managers afterward), we will have to do it here. Try to be fair and not bash too much but I understand the frustration out there. April 10, 2009 1:09 PM

Anonymous said... Ever wonder why we never have enough money here in the good old USA to put towards alternative energy and cancer research. Check out the money out government spends kissing butt with politicians around the world and ask yourself this. Why is it legal for them to use the tax payer money for such BS when the butt-sniffs they are paying off are already worth billions if not trillions of dollars. Black Money You all need to sit back and watch this documentary then visit PBS Frontline more often and see what CNN, ABC, CBS and CNN never wanted you to know or even cared to take the time to air. Then if you really want to see your future, your children's future and their children's future sit back and watch your taxes go to 70% and we'll still not have enough to pay off the national debt. It so bad if every man, women and child wrote a check to Uncle Sam for $35K , today, we'd still couldn't undo what Obama is doing. Welcome to Obama's world Ten Trilli...

Anonymous said... "My guess is this collapse is not very far away. Maybe another year or two. Three at most. Any worker bee with a brain should be able to see this coming by now. The smart worker bees will begin moving to a more healthy hive ASAP." April 5, 2009 7:54 PM

The Laboratory’s roadmap to the future needs game–changing technologies that can meet the emerging needs of the nation. And Livermore is on its way. Tómas Díaz de la Rubia on Thursday outlined the Lab’s five–year roadmap strategy during an all–hands meeting. He said the Lab needs to focus on recruiting and retaining employees. Even though there is a constant flow of new ideas from Lab employees and the Lab is highly regarded in the external community, Díaz de la Rubia said the Lab is in a funk. “Right here, right now, something is not working quite right. The Lab’s engine is sputtering,” he said. “We need to get going again doing what we do best – recruiting and retaining outstanding talent in all areas of the Lab, executing on our mission priorities, and innovating for the future. “We all need to work together to kick start the engine of the Lab.” Three leaders from the seven Roadmap to the Future thrust areas gave short summaries of what they determined were strategic areas where the...

where nothing can possibly go wrong. Sound familiar?

Anonymous said... Details of Obama's plan for a nuclear-free world Sun Apr 5, 2009 PRAGUE (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama launched on Sunday a long-term plan to create a world free of nuclear weapons. Obama's speech, to an outdoors audience of thousands in the Czech capital of Prague, came after North Korea raised security fears across the world by launching a long-range missile which it said was intended purely to put a satellite in orbit. According to the Obama plan, the United States will: -- reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its national security strategy and urge others to follow -- maintain "a safe, secure and effective arsenal" to deter adversaries as long as such arms exist -- negotiate a new strategic arms reduction treaty with Russia this year -- seek to include all nuclear weapons states in arms cuts -- "immediately and aggressively" pursue U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in an effort to accelerate a global ban o...