So, we had an All Hands Meeting today so that DOE could tell us not to worry...too much. If the continuing resolution doesn't go through next Friday, then they going to shut down all the National Labs for 2 weeks. This means that the only operating synchrotrons in the US will be CHESS and the small one in Louisiana (whose biological ( Read more... )

Mmmm, the smell of melted lead in the morning. I wonder how many brain cells died while I was out at the beamline.

I am, apparently, now a regular General User Proposal Reviewer for APS. I thought the first one was a fluke since I don't remember signing to perform this function but now another proposal has ended up in my inbox. Given all the anguish I remember certain people in my old lab had regarding "rejected" proposals, I have to wonder if I'm ruining ( Read more... )

Libby lives ( Read more... )

My workplace is seeking a computer programmer with experience in Python and C++. I know that almost nobody reads my livejournal anymore, but if anyone should see this post and known someone, please direct them to me. The scientific experience is optional. We just want a programmer ( Read more... )

For our robotic sample mounter, we use a style of cryopucks known as ALS-style pucks. The only source of these pucks is Boyd Technologies. Yesterday, someone asked on the CCP4 mailing list if there was another source of ALS-style pucks because Boyd Technologies was no longer manufacturing them. All I could think was, why is Peter Boyd not making ( Read more... )

I have protein ( Read more... )

Argonne is really into safety. I have had to take more safety courses in the last year than I thought actually existed. Yet, I'm told that there are far more safety course that I haven't taken. And, admittedly, I've never had to take a hard hat safety course before, but I have now. I'm now qualified to wear a hard hat ( Read more... )

I like my new job.  Eventhough I was on user support yesterday, I was able to leave work in the middle of the afternoon for 2 hours to pick my car up.  The damage to the Prius has been fixed and the dealership even got me a free loaner for the 3 days it was in the shop.  I need a good name for the Prius.  Else, it will be called The Prius in the ( Read more... )

We may not be able to remodel the bathroom and add a conservatory due to the costs.  I don't know if things are more expensive because I live in an expensive suburb, so the contractors assume everyone is a millionaire or this is Chicago and people make far more an hour than in Philly.  I've had a bathroom estimate so far that said the starting cost ( Read more... )