Shabby blog

This blog is looking pretty shabby. The current moderator apparently has no idea how to control the font size of what he posts. Makes for an embarrassingly amateur look. Pretty sad for a blog associated with a premier scientific institution

What happened to the promised Obama dedication?

What happened to the NIF building/display dedicated to President Obama that Ed Moses promised?

Solar opinion

All the research in the world isn't going to make the sun shine at night. The main problem with solar isn't solar cell efficiency, it's the expense of energy storage to get through periods when solar insolation is low. Same with wind, the problem is storage to get through calm periods. Plus windmills installed in the wrong place kills endangered birds. 

Efficiency research? Private industry already has the motivation to increase efficiency and has made far more progress than the Federal Government.

Clean cars? We already have them. 

Climate "Science"? Hasn't that resulted in very few successful predictions so far?

Batteries? Yeah, ok. We need better batteries and other forms of energy storage.

End of clean energy?

Trump just proposed ending all federal clean energy development

He’d end all research on solar, wind, efficiency, batteries, clean cars, and climate science, too.

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-zero-out-federal-clean-energy-56cca794790#.3x6x07rk1

Will he make the labs great again?

Forecasting Trump’s role in energy; Harold Hamm as U.S. energy secretary?"

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/11/09/forecasting-trumps-role-in-energy-harold-hamm-as-u-s-energy-secretary/

Pattiz recorded asking to touch breasts

UC Regent Norman Pattiz recorded asking to touch breasts of colleague

http://www.dailycal.org/2016/11/03/uc-regent-norman-pattiz-recorded-asking-touch-breasts-colleague/

TCP1 future

Yesterday, LLNL Director Bill Goldstein presented an update to the general lab. At the end of the talk, Goldstein answered the rumors about TCP1. LLNS was not going to contribute to the fund this year. The most common phrase up and down the halls was "Bullshit!" Employees are required to put 7% toward the fund. A few years ago, LLNS was to contribute $40M, but reneged yet still requiring the employees to contribute. It's unknown why LLNS doesn't share the contribution to the fund, perhaps at the same rate as the TCP2 option.

The other item of interest was the claim of improvements to the infrastructure. There have been no difference in roof leaks, broken bathrooms, etc. The Union, SPSE, has been raising awareness of the "Run until Failure" model for some time. 

It appears to be more empty promises and continued erosion in employee benefits by LLNS. Those who chose TCP1 should have concern. 

Joe 2 cool