Recent content by Tarannus

  1. Tarannus

    The Lab keeps stating there will be no reductions in force, but rumors are surfacing that...

    The Lab keeps stating there will be no reductions in force, but rumors are surfacing that retiring technical and operations staff will not be replaced. Overhead funding for procurement and travel is on the chopping block. And per an Executive Order last week, all environmental regulations -...
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  2. Tarannus

    Thank you @Oswald - things bounce between emotional extremes daily. It feels like the...

    Thank you @Oswald - things bounce between emotional extremes daily. It feels like the anonymity, sociopathy, and jingoism of the internet have finally spilled out into the real world for good. It's exhausting and akin to a crisis of faith, watching good, honest, academic institutions, being...
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  3. Tarannus

    The British have unbelievably neat and tidy plutonium handling facilities for their weapons...

    The British have unbelievably neat and tidy plutonium handling facilities for their weapons. And they'd like to move their weapons museum into Reading so school groups can tour it. Time to see if my job category applies for a 5 month secondment.
  4. Tarannus

    Thank you, I needed to hear that in a way I didn't realize until now. Much love from the Atomic...

    Thank you, I needed to hear that in a way I didn't realize until now. Much love from the Atomic City, and keep being a bastion of sanity for the lunacy that's happening down here.
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  5. Tarannus

    The Lab is suspending non mission-critical travel (e.g. visits to universities, academic...

    The Lab is suspending non mission-critical travel (e.g. visits to universities, academic conferences) effective immediately. I don't know if this impacts the engagement that I've committed to attend next month. Postdocs are being informed that staff conversions are not going to happen. And...
  6. Tarannus

    Regarding today's news between the U.S. and Ukraine, I'm haunted by this quote: "It takes the...

    Regarding today's news between the U.S. and Ukraine, I'm haunted by this quote: "It takes the Navy three years to build a ship. It will take three hundred years to build a new tradition." -FADM Andrew Cunningham, 1941
  7. Tarannus

    I know five people that were fired since last Thursday. My counterpart in the NNSA was fired...

    I know five people that were fired since last Thursday. My counterpart in the NNSA was fired and then immediately given his job back in 12 hours. Now I hear this is the first of possibly 3 waves of firings. All I ever wanted to do was be a researcher and uncover interesting history. I never...
  8. Tarannus

    What politicos don't understand is that scientists really don't want to give a shit about...

    What politicos don't understand is that scientists really don't want to give a shit about politics. They want to do their work with a some appreciation or, at the very least, unmolested. If this keeps up, this could be a serious proliferation hazard. There are hundreds of people in the...
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  9. Tarannus

    Apparently the people firing employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration didn't...

    Apparently the people firing employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration didn't realize this was the agency that oversees the United States' nuclear weapon stockpile. THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?
  10. Tarannus

    I've received word that at least 4 of my colleagues were fired yesterday. Good, decent...

    I've received word that at least 4 of my colleagues were fired yesterday. Good, decent, researchers who took major cuts in pay to work for the National Park Service. I'm embarrassed to be an American.
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  11. Tarannus

    Haven't gone to bed before midnight in 5 weeks. All probationary period federal staff are being...

    Haven't gone to bed before midnight in 5 weeks. All probationary period federal staff are being fired. The lab just removed all of its public-facing publications to be scrubbed of "offending language". Climate science and carbon neutral research groups at the lab are being canned. Employee...
  12. Tarannus

    So an email was sent out to all 2+ million federal employees this afternoon. Current...

    So an email was sent out to all 2+ million federal employees this afternoon. Current administration wants to cut/fire a minimum of 10% of the workforce. Those who remain don't have job security past September.
  13. Tarannus

    Our family didn't have a computer until 1991. And although our family business had internet...

    Our family didn't have a computer until 1991. And although our family business had internet access back in 1994, we didn't have internet at home - powered by a 14.4k modem - until July 1996.
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  14. Tarannus

    Even things as innocuous as putting stuff on the Federal Register and routine environmental...

    Even things as innocuous as putting stuff on the Federal Register and routine environmental reporting is prohibited. And all contracts over $100,000 within the National Laboratory System have to go directly through the acting Secretary of Energy.
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  15. Tarannus

    Long story short, the powers that be have suspended virtually all science publications and...

    Long story short, the powers that be have suspended virtually all science publications and public outreach. Grant funding and authorization has been cut off. We can't talk with other labs even within our own agency.
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