U.S. eats up most of debt limit in one day - Washington Times

LOOKS LIKE the government wants to spend more money than it should - NO PROBLEM for the government, as the taxpayers are paying for ALL of it.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/3/us-eats-most-debt-limit-one-day/

Pentagon says projected spending cuts could undermine security - latimes.com

Without the security provided by a strong and ready military, what good is printing all that money to bail out banks and other companies "too big to fail"?

See:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-defense-budget-20110804,0,4025402.story

The Real Losers - The debt-ceiling deal: Winners and losers - The Washington Post

The REAL losers are the American people.

This so-called balanced budget merely reduces the rate of increase of the deficit - there is NO increase in taxes or revenues with no significant decrease in entitlement spending. The elderly poor (no political clout) will suffer the brunt of the cuts.

The expression "kick the can down the road" refers to the delaying of having to deal with the deficit. Let the future generations figure it out.

The United States is likely to lose it's AAA credit rating because of the way it DID NOT handle the budget and debt ceiling issues.

This is NOT going to help the U.S. out of the new recession - see:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43946055/ns/business-us_business/t/signs-double-dip-recession-has-begun/

The winners are still the fat cats and big financial institution and the losers are the little people - see:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-debt-ceiling-deal-winners-and-losers/2011/07/31/gIQAHl7FmI_story.html

Check out this article!

The Tea Party is portrayed as a bunch of terrorists because it insists on a balanced budget where the United States does not spend more than it takes in - by its not supporting a deficit ceiling increase and unbalanced budget they were going to "blow up" the economy.

Vice-President Biden has set up the Tea Party for a fall by naming it as "terrorists" for all kinds of penalties under the Patriot Act dealing with "terrorists". This is very clever of the government in using its laws to punish its political enemies. This is the type of thing we see in Russia, China, the Middle East, some South America dictatorships and other less enlightened countries.

Is this a good thing - the United States government dealing harshly with the opposition party?

See:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/palin-gop-respond-alleged-biden-terror-comment/story?id=14209743

Report: China building electromagnetic pulse weapons for use against U.S. carriers - Washington TimesThe medical research also appeared useful for China's military in making sure that EMP weapons used against Taiwan and “any vulnerable U.S. [aircraft carrier] would not push the U.S. across the nuclear-response threshold,” the report said.

This can't be good - the Chinese are working on limited EMP weapons for use on U.S. aircraft carriers defending Taiwan with the idea that such a weapon not cause the U.S. to respond with nuclear weapons. 

Northrop Grumman aircraft systems have electronics likely to be affected by EMP weapon effects - not good for the pilot flying the F/A-18 or F-35. This is in addition to not having the systems on the aircraft carrier working - BIG problem for all concerned.

The China wants to take back the renegade province of Taiwan by force if not for fear of the United Startes stepping in to defend Taiwan's sovereignty.

The once SECRET report indicates that

***...The medical research also appeared useful for China's military in making sure that EMP weapons used against Taiwan and "any vulnerable U.S. [aircraft carrier] would not push the U.S. across the nuclear-response threshold," the report said....***

See more at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/21/beijing-develops-radiation-weapons/

Liberals see opportunity for big cuts in defense - Washington Times

This cannot be anything but BAD news for Northrop Grumman. The Liberals want to HUGE cuts in defense spending. 

Supposedly they are addressing the budget deficit by cutting back on one of the six things in the preamble of the constitution, i.e. "...in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity..." See Article I, Section 8 for the particulars. Notice that there's nothing in regards to bailing out large banks and car companies that are "too big to fail". 

The Liberals want to cut back on the constitutionally required capability of the government while maintaining entitlements for others.

This is bad news for Northrop Grumman because it is primarily a defense contractor - Northrop Grumman builds weapon systems for the government to kill people and break things.

See more at:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/18/liberals-see-opportunity-for-big-cuts-in-defense/

Article: Northrop Claim to Save $600 Million in Shipyard Sale Is Questioned by U.S. 2 hours ago

It seems that Northrop Grumman is not golden regarding it's claim of how much money they are saving and how much it should be reimbursed for spinning off it's shipyard operations 

Seems that there a problem with the government's audit and it makes Northrop Grumman look like cooked the books just to get a few dollars ($300 million) from the government. 

See

Northrop Claim to Save $600 Million in Shipyard Sale Is Questioned by U.S. 2 hours ago - Bloomberg

Get #1 rated SkyGrid news app for free to follow all of your interests in real time

Top 8 Lies That Bosses Tell | BNET

How many of thee have YOU heard at Northrop Grumman?

NOT saying that managers LIE, however, a Northrop Grumman Human Resources guy told me, "he may have misstated the facts based on overly optimistic projections."

Human Resources do work for the COMPANY (NOT the employes) and are tasked with maintaining non-violence against management and employee productivity.

See -
http://m.bnet.com/blog/salesmachine/top-8-lies-that-bosses-tell/16434

==================================
Michael J. Jue (mjue@yahoo.com)
Phone: (323) 207-6583
FAX: (888) 306-8454
Snail Mail: P.O.Box 584, Glendale, CA 91209

"To rely on rustics and not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues."

- Sun Tzu

Article: L.A. to D.C.: $280 a mile at Northrop Grumman...

Northrop Grumman is in the news - this describes the GENEROSITY of the company is in relocating it's big executives from Century City to the new headquarters in Virginia. 

CFO James F. Palmer, for example, is getting $750 000 cash for relocation costs - roughly &280 for each mile of the 2,677 mile move. 

Northrop Grumman is being VERY GOOD to it's employees that it does NOT lay off!

See the article:

L.A. to D.C.: $280 a mile at Northrop Grumman... - Footnoted.Org

Top-secret clearance checks falsified - Washington Times

There are several projects at Northrop Grumman that require that the employee has a Top Secret security clearance.

According to this article the government has been outsourcing the background investigation to people.

Problem: some of these folks will falsely state that an interview has been conducted when no such interview had occurred so as to fraudulently take money from the government for no work done!

See

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/21/top-secret-clearance-checks-falsified/

Article: PARIS: Global Hawk takes Washington beating

The Northrop Grumman Global Hawk is in the news again - despite the headline ("takes Washington beating"), as long as the Global Hawk doesn't go TOO MUCH over cost the government will support the Global Hawk program. 

Northrop Grumman has already promised that will it improve the reliability and effectiveness of the Global Hawk. The Department of Defense has already determined that the current Global Hawk is over-cost, unreliable, and ineffective. 

Good job, Northrop Grumman!

See the article:

PARIS: Global Hawk takes Washington beating - Flightglobal

Article: Remote Control Killing of Fun and Profit

Northrop Grumman gets a nice mention in this article on remote killing in a video game format by people in air-conditioned comfort far removed from the actual carnage. 

See:

Remote Control Killing of Fun and Profit - Pacific Free Press

BIG WIN: Pentagon certifies Northrop's Global Hawk program

BIG WIN for Northrop Grumman Global Hawk program - it was certified by the Department of Defense DESPITE being over-cost, not reliable enough, nor effective in it's mission. 

See:

Pentagon certifies Northrop's Global Hawk program - Reuters

Article: Pentagon Says_Northrop's Global Hawk Drone Isn't Effective

This is not good.

Northrop Grumman is no longer the little aircraft company that delivered products on schedule and under cost that performed as as well or better than promised.

The Global Hawk is over cost, delayed in schedule, and exhibits less than good performance and reliability.

Here's a quote from this article:

"'...I remember when unmanned aerial vehicles like this were pitched as being cheaper and more effective than manned platforms. Now the DoD appears to be saying that this is not the case in either situation, which I'd say is a real disappointment for Northrop,' Stallard said. This is their major UAV platform, after all."

Read the article yourself:

Pentagon Says Northrop's Global Hawk Drone Isn't 'Effective' - www.businessweek.mobi

Marriage culture key to economy, study says - Washington Times

PROBLEM.

If this idea is true, then this country will not do well economically - I saw the story on there being more unmarried people than married people, a new and growing trend.

See:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/31/marriage-culture-key-to-economy-study-says/

Advisers urge military to rely less on drones, more on expertise - Washington Times

The problem with relying on human agents for intel is they LIE, sometimes unintentionally EXAGGERATE what they see and hear, or just say what they think you want to hear.

The drone, on the other hand, has no such problems in reporting what is apparently there as detected by it's sensors.

ALSO, Northrop Grumman does not manufacture human agents - it builds unmanned air vehicles.

See:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/31/advisers-urge-military-to-rely-less-on-drones-more/

Blue Angels commander steps down after subpar performance - CNN.com

Unusual!

The Blue Angels commander took full responsibility for a subpar performance instead of blaming it on the equipment. (Northrop Grumman builds a major portion of the F/A-18 aircraft used by the Blue Angels. )

The article is here:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/27/virginia.blue.angels/index.html

Bombers: Pentagon official visits aerospace execs to discuss bomber planes - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman still wants to build long range stealthy bombers.

Now Boeing and Lockheed also want to build long range stealthy bombers.

Seems that the US Air Force thinks it's time for an upgrade.

The US Air Force now has fifty year old B-52's, thirty year old B-1s, and 20 B-2s -  and want a newer set of bombers.

This is a potential $55 billion contract.

See the article in the L.A. Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-new-bomber-20110522,0,4695480.story

 

Article: Northrop Grumman to Cut Jobs on Defense Spending Slowdown

Good news for the stockholders, not so good news for the affected employees. 

By reducing employees, Northrop Grumman lessens potential losses due to paying out more than it takes in because of the slowdown in define spending. Instead of paying its employees a slightly lower salary Northrop Grumman prefers laying people off. See the Four Percent Solution that I previously suggested where a 4% reduction in costs is achieved with a 4% pay cut instead of a 4% (500 people) lay-off. 

Northrop Grumman to Cut Jobs on Defense Spending Slowdown - Seeking Alpha

Article: Northrop Grumman Aims To Take On Predato

Northrop Grumman wants a piece of the unmanned air vehicle market - see

Northrop Grumman Aims To Take On Predator - Aviation Week

JSF Costs the UK Navy - "Soaring cost of our new carriers doubles to 10billion after equipment bungle" | Mail Online

The Brits are one of the nations that is buying the JSF being built by Lockheed and Northrop Grumman.

In order to accommodate the JSF fighter, an aircraft carrier originally designed for the Harrier jump jet had to be modified with catapults and traps, doubling the original estimated cost.

See the ink:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381725/Soaring-cost-new-carriers-doubles-10billion-equipment-bungle.html

I am sure that with clever and tricky analysis, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed can show that in the "long run" the UK navy will save money, and not spend more money than they would have if they had gone with the Harrier jump jets instead of the JSF.

We Don't Need No Badasses

Recently I put up a blog post consisting of nothing more than the words "EPIC badass" and a link to some newspaper in Nepal about an incident of epic badassery in India:

A Gurkha soldier, who fought 40 train robbers, to be felicitated in the Republic Day of India

Both Nepal and India are considered "third world" by many Americans, so their standards of what's "good and right" are different than Americans, right?

In America, we are told by the police not to fight criminals, but to be good witnesses by observing and reporting.

All this gurkha did was to standup single-handed against 40 train robbers when they started to strip a girl of her clothing to rape her. Her mom and dad asked for help (evidently they did not want their daughter raped), and this gurkha soldier fought the train robbers, killing three and injuring eight.

ON THE OTHER HAND, we recently had an incident in America (Maryland) at a McDonalds.

A transgender woman was stomped and beaten for several minutes until she went into convulsions.

See Video Shows Woman Being Beaten At Baltimore Co. McDonald’s.

Evidently what's "good and right" in America is to videotape somebody getting stomped and beaten, and then posting the video on your Facebook account where it can then go viral.

Doesn't matter that the videographer was an employee of McDonalds; he was laughing hysterically while doing the video, and even warned the attackers that the police was being called after people saw the victim go into convulsions. He was observing and reporting.

The only thing remotely resembling a badass was the older woman who tried to stop the attack and got punched in the face for her trouble.

McDonalds is doing major damage-control and P.R., as their employees just did the American thing, to "observe and report". The McDonalds employee observed and reported by posting the video on his Facebook account.

We don't need no badassery in America.

Video: Supersonic F/A-18C Hornet bursts into flame on aircraft carrier flight deck | ZDNet

Great video!

EXCELLENT example of why the US Navy prefers a twin engine aircraft - if one engine breaks, the pilot still has the second engine with which to fly back to home base.

"Home base" is usually an aircraft carrier, and the alternative, the waters of the ocean, is a BAD place to land.

An engine breaks and catches fire. The pilot brings theF/A-18C back to the carrier where the deck crew very promptly handles the fire.

Check this out:

http://m.zdnet.com/blog/government/video-supersonic-fa-18c-hornet-bursts-into-flame-on-aircraft-carrier-flight-deck/10276?tag=nl.e620

Northrop Grumman's Naval Death Star

Good news for Northrop Grumman stockholders!

See the Motley Fool's take on Northrop Grumman's Star Wars weapon developed for the US Navy -

Northrop Grumman's Naval Death Star - The Motley Fool

Northrop Grumman-Built STSS Demonstrators Prove They Can Track Ballistic Missiles From 'Birth-to-Death'

Northrop Grumman does more Star Wars stuff for the American military. 

See

Northrop Grumman-Built STSS Demonstrators Prove They Can Track Ballistic Missiles From 'Birth-to-Death' - GlobeNewswire

U.S. Navy, Northrop Grumman Accomplish Goals for At-Sea Demonstration of Maritime Laser

Northrop Grumman has developed Star Wars capability for the navy. 

Photo Release -- U.S. Navy, Northrop Grumman Accomplish Goals for At-Sea Demonstration of Maritime Laser - GlobeNewswire

Pentagon stops work on F-35's 2nd engine - Washington Times

Obama finally gets his way and got funding for the GE/Rolls Royce alternate engine stopped. Congress made him take funding ("pork") when funding for the F-22 got stopped.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/24/pentagon-stops-work-on-f-35s-2nd-engine-action-uni/

Lower and Middle Level Managers Do the Dirty Work

See this story on the Mail Online web page: First pictures emerge of the Fukushima Fifty as steam starts pouring from all four reactors at the stricken nuclear power plant.

"The Fukushima Fifty - an anonymous band of lower and mid-level managers - have battled around the clock to cool overheating reactors and spent fuel rods since the disaster on March 11."

LOOKS LIKE that the peon-workers were told to go home while the middle and lower level managers stayed behind to prevent the power plant from going into full meltdown.

IN OTHER WORDS, the managers are doing the hard, dirty work - obviously they didn't trust the peons to do the work at first.

AT Northrop Grumman, would management do this this?

Or would management tell the employees to get the job done, no matter how hard, no matter what has to be done?

LOOKS LIKE the Japanese managers at this power plant will not ask their employees to do what they themselves would not do - the fifty lower and middle level managers were later joined by 150 others who ALL KNEW that it was a dangerous thing to do. They worked in shifts to reduce exposure to the radiation.

Five are already believed to have died and fifteen more injured - they all know that this work can kill them.

Would Northrop Grumman managers set an example like this?

CNN - Zappos CEO on why happiness at work matters

Hey, check this out from CNN:
Zappos CEO on why happiness at work matters http://www.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/03/23/zappos.tony.hsieh.happiness/index.html?iphoneemail

This is totally RADICAL and FOREIGN concept (Mr. Hsieh is a YOUNG FOREIGN-looking dude) that would NEVER fly at Northrop-Grumman

Management would never allow the employees to be happy - that is not the Notlrthrop-Grumman way.

Fear and intimidation is how employees are kept in line. Much easier than trying to keep a bunch of ungrateful, low-productivity, incompetent, and undisciplined employees "happy".

Article: Northrop to enhance classified networks

Northrop to enhance classified networks - UPI

Northrop-Grumman must be telling people stories about its classified network capabilities. It apparently improved it's security practices since I left. Enough said. 

It's one thing to win, entirely different thing to make money

I'm reading about 'Boeing's next tanker challenge: Meeting deadlines, making money' on Fluent News. Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/26530841

Back when Northrop-Grumman was just plain Northrop, it had a big sub-contract building a big part of the Boeing 747.

The good news: Northrop negotiated a renewal of it's contract with Boeing, landing some mucky-mucky a nice bonus.

The bad news: Northrop wasn't going to make any money under the terms of the contract.

End result: Northrop sold off the commercial side of the business building 747 fuselage and only build military aircraft.

Now Boeing has won the KC-X contract, it needs to figure out how to make money and meet schedule under the terms of the contract.

As my wife tells me, "All women put on a act to get a husband".

Some men are too easily fooled, she tells me.

The government seems easily fooled.

The Pentagon spends big $$$ while cutting back on other programd

See the Los Angeles Times story on a Black Project under this headline:

"Space plane: Space plane and its secret payload set for launch will have plenty of prying eyes - latimes.com"

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-space-plane-20110304,0,2891507.story

Sent from my iPhone

Lay-offs in India - BBC News - India manager 'killed by workers'

Given that there has been lay-offs at Northrop Grumman, people are taking it relatively peacefully, especially when compared to Indian workers (them folks in INDIA).

When those guys get "sacked" (British for lay-off) they go out and do things to the managers.

Here's a story about how Indian workers expressed their displeasure after being sacked: "...a group of irate workers surrounded the vehicle, doused it with petrol and set it on fire..."

India manager 'killed by workers'

Of course, the security guards at the company gates who witnessed this did NOT come to the manager's aid.

Obviously they were doing their jobs in protecting the company property, as the property was not attacked - just the manager.

Boeing wins contract for refueling tanker

"In an announcement that took industry experts by surprise", Boeing wins the KC-X contract to build tankers basedd on its 767 passenger jet.

Wes Bush was correct in his assessment that bidding on th KC-X was a no-win.

Body=http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/24/business/la-fi-tanker-award-20110225

Report says human error led to state computer outage

Northrop Grumman is in the news again. 

The state of Virginia is going to sue N-G for the state-wide computer outage and loss of data that resulted from failure to follow two industry best practices. Failure of equipment owned and operated by N-G contributed to the problem. 

The state of Virginia expected more for  the $2.5 billion thirteen year contract it has with Northrop Grumman. 

What do they want? Stuff that works all of the time? It not like life-or-death, as in building aircraft. 

Report says human error led to state computer outage - Richmond Times Dispatch

GOOD NEWS: US Air Force truncates Northrop unmanned plane

Northrop Grumman Global Hawk Block 4 buy is being reduced from 22 to 11.

This is GOOD NEWS! Looks like a 50% cut.

Recall that the B-2 Stealth bomber was reduced from 132 to 21. This was an 84% cut.

US Air Force truncates Northrop unmanned plane - Reuters

Rise of the machines

Nice article about the X-47B in the Mail Online - the Brits seem to think unmanned, automated killing people and breaking things without human intervention is a good thing.

Rise of the machines: Un-manned X-47B robot stealth bomber tested by US Navy | Mail Online

Chinese company wants to sell aircraft to U.S. military

I'm reading about 'China Maneuvers for U.S. Defense Contracts - FoxNews.com' on Fluent News.

Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/26437695

SEE:
"They say the two companies have also been discussing putting forward AVIC's new L-15 trainer jet as a candidate to replace the U.S. Air Force's fleet of Northrop T-38s, which entered service 50 years ago and on which American fighter pilots learn skills such as how to fly at supersonic speeds."

The Chinese can build stuff cheaper.

Sent from my iPhone

F/A-18 fighter jet and Northrop Grumman: Aging fighter jet gets new lease on life - latimes.com

See the story about how the delays of the F-35 program is prolonging the life of the F/A-18 program.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fighter-jet-20110204,0,2947856.story

Sent from my iPhone

A Gurkha soldier, EPIC badass

See this link A Gurkha soldier, who fought 40 train robbers, to be felicitated in the Republic Day of India

EPIC badass.

Article: Australians to supply F-35 parts

Australians to supply F-35 parts - UPI

The Australians get to learn the technology to build parts for the F-35.

Sent from my iPhone

DoesThis Remind You of a Nortrhrop Grummn Product?

Somebody once said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

If so, Northrop Grumman should be flattered by the Chinese stealth fighter.

China 'leaks' sneak peek of latest stealth aircraft going for a test run | Mail Online

ANOTHER 4 Per Cent Solution?

Recently I had lunch with a soon-to-be Northrop Grumman retiree, who has thirty-six years at Northrop Grumman.

He had decided to "retire" after receiving his WARN letter (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) and was sad to see that his manager just shoved him his layoff notice at him with no acknowledgment or appreciation for his hard work and loyalty to the company.

I can only assume that Northrop Grumman expects no loyalty from its employees, as there is certainly no loyalty to the employees from Northrop Grumman.

The given reason for the lay-offs of 500 employees at Northrop Grumman in El Segundo and Redondo Beach was that the government had mandated a $40 million reduction in labor costs.

(Also remember that Northrop Grumman will be hiring approximately 250 people for other contracts, and unfortunately Northrop Grumman employee skill sets are not interchangeable, nor are Northrop Grumman employees are trainable to do other work.)

According to my calculator, Northrop Grumman is saving $40million a year by not paying 500 employees an average salary of $80,000 a year.

Given that there are 12,500 employees in El Segundo and Redondo Beach, we see the logic of Northrop Grumman management - MUCH BETTER to lay-off 500 employees before the Christmas break so we don't have to give them Christmas pay.

ALSO NOTICE that given these 12,500 employees are earning an average of $80,000 a year, the $40 million reduction can be ALSO accomplished through a 4% pay cut of all 12,500 employees' salaries.

Northrop Grumman management evidently finds this a deal-breaker, as it is better to 500 employees a 100% pay cut instead of 12,500 employees a 4% pay cut.

While Boeing is cutting 10% of its executives and Lockheed 25% of its executives, Northrop Grumman is NOT doing likewise.

Northrop Grumman executives are obviously MUCH SMARTER and are NOT PAID AS MUCH as the Boeing and Lockheed executives so there is no need to cut any Northrop Grumman executives.

Reconnaissance military drone: The changing face of aerial reconnaissance - latimes.com

Reconnaissance military drone: The changing face of aerial reconnaissance - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman is in the news with a picture of the Global Hawk displayed for this article.

Northrop Grumman is only one of the several players producing the platform for aerial sensors.

Northrop Grumman wins $189.2M Navy contract - Washington Times

Northrop Grumman wins $189.2M Navy contract - Washington Times

High technology ship-building - this $189M is in addition to the original contract to build the ship and only covers ". . the cost of additional design, planning and systems integration and analysis".

The ship itself will cost a huge amount of money.

Surprise Package From Northrop Grumman

Imagine my surprise today when I got a Fedex(?) shipment from Northrop Grumman.

In it was a note, "Hello Michael - I found this while cleaning out Louise's office...How are you? I hopeyou you're doing well. Pat Moore".

Thank you, Pat!

Enclosed was a acrylic award with engraving (below my name)

"In recognition of recognition of 33 years of service - Northrop Grumman".

The packaging showed this printed message:

Michael Jue

33

Years of Service

Your significant contributions have help make Northrop Grumman a leader in our industry.

We thank you for your loyalty,, dedication, and commitment.

Congratulions and best wishes on your retirement.

Surprise: receiving this thing unexpectedly in an untimely manner.

NOT a surprise: receiving this thing unexpectedly in an untimely manner. See what I wrote about my last day at Northrop Grumman.

Once an person is no longer an employee of Northrop Grumman, it SEEMS that the now former employee then becomes irrelevant.

What do you think?

Health Update - September 28, 2010

Doing much better - am now "fair" and "vertical" (standing and walking around.)

This is great improvement over "poor" and "vertical".

"Poor" and "vertical" is a great improvement over "poor" and "horizontal" (flat on my back lying down in bed.)

Even this is MUCH PREFERRED over "dead" and "horizontal"

Northrop Grumman workers in El Segundo and Redondo Beach brace for cuts - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman workers in El Segundo and Redondo Beach brace for cuts - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman is getting ready to have a reduction in force because of the downturn in income coming in from contracts from the government.

In order for Nortrhop Grumman NOT to pay employees MORE than it is taking in on contracts etc., Northrop Grumman will do what it needs to do to REDUCE the number of employees that it has to pay.

Having been on the receiving end of a WARN letter, I can make the following observations:


- NEVER, NEVER believe your manager when he says that he will not lay you off - most likely he is just saying that because he needs you to finish the work you are doing instead of you finding another job elsewhere. Thomas Lee Hull told me in 1999 that he would pull the layoff notice, and yet I got the phone call from payroll asking me to come on down to sign the final paycheck form.

Of course, Human Resources said that my manager, Thomas Lee Hull, did NOT lie to me, but "...may have mis-stated the facts based on overly optimistic projections." (?!) Also remember that Human Resources is being paid by the company, and will represent the company AGAINST the employee.

I know of two other individuals who were told similar things by their managers were subsequently laid off.

LESSON: If you CAN, DO find another position elsewhere - don't trust what your manager says.


- Northrop Grumman will get rid of MORE employees that they actually need to get rid of - Northrop Grumman will lose the really smart guys who can find work elsewhere in addition to "deadwood and dogmeat" (this is a Northrop Grumman management term for employees slated for lay-off).

As a result, Northrop Grumman will have a shortage of experienced, knowledgeable personnel and thus will eventually go into a employee incentive hiring mode where they REWARD employees for referring new hires to Northrop Grumman.

The employees left will be inexperienced and not have the knowledge to do the work of two or three former employees. This makes work HARD for the survivors.

Of course, management position is "Suck it up - be glad you have a job!"

Northrop Grumman was Mentioned in This Article

Drones create a buzz in Southern California aerospace industry - Los Angeles Times

This article was mostly on the Predator and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems - Northrop Grumman gets mentioned on the second page in the fifteenth paragraph.

I am glad that Northrop Grumman is getting good coverage, especially when it comes to drones.

ANOTHER Reason Northrop Grumman Did Not Bid on KC-X?

See this article about Boeing: Aerospace: Boeing may have interest in buying Northrop - latimes.com

This is possibly another reason that Wes Bush decided that Northrop Grumman would not bidding on the KC-X contract - he knew that Boeiing was interested in buying Northrop Grumman so that Northrop Grumman would be bidding against itself future self.

SMART MAN, Wes Bush. I thought it was because Northrop Grumman had no political clout - after all, Northrop Grumman actually won the KC-X contract once, but Boeing had the political cloutg to have the contract re-bid and the requirements changed to favor Boeiing.

Wes Bush is a very smart man.

One-quarter of Lockheed Martin executives take buyout offer

One-quarter of Lockheed Martin executives take buyout offer

Lockheed Martin is going through a round of layoffs.

However, for their executives they have a special plan where they "buyout" the executives to leave on their own instead of being fired.

Ordinary employees MIGHT NOT get the same deal to go away - what do you think?

Do you think Northrop Grumman will "buyout" the executives while doing a "layoff" of ordinary employees (known as "peons" because they are p**d on, or sh*t on?

Or do you honestly think that Northrop Grumman will "buyout" ordinary employees?

Business Digest: Northrop Grumman to cut 642 more shipyard jobs

Business Digest: Northrop Grumman to cut 642 more shipyard jobs

Good news/bad news - Northrop Grumman is consolidating shipbuilding facilities (good news for cost savings for Northrop Grumman), and Northrop Grumman is laying off employees (bad news for the employees).

NOLA.com : Northrop Grumman closing Tallulah shipyard, laying off 110 at Avondale

NOLA.com : Northrop Grumman closing Tallulah shipyard, laying off 110 at Avondale

More good news/bad news - the shipyard at Tallulah will not close IMMEDIATELY because Northrop Grumman has contract work (good news for Northrop Grumman making money), and laying off employees and closing the shipyard in 2013 after the contract ends (bad news for the employees).

Why is it ALWAYS bad news for the employees?

Northrop Grumman layoffs won't lead to shipyard closing, leaders say | gulflive.com

Northrop Grumman layoffs won't lead to shipyard closing, leaders say | gulflive.com

This is good news/bad news - Northrop Grumman will not close the shipyard (good news for Northrop Grumman), employees will be laid off (bad news for the employees).

So, why aren't the employees HAPPY about the shipyaard NOT closing?

Five tips for preventing user screw-ups | Five Tips | TechRepublic.com

Five tips for preventing user screw-ups | Five Tips | TechRepublic.com

What do you think?

Northrop Grumman hires such INTELLIGENT employees that management does not believe that the users need any training to use its IT systems.

B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Crash Video & Technical Report

See the YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw>.

Of all the videos on the internet, this one is the best edited and includes the technical report for why the crash happened.

Of course, the crash could have been prevented if the bomber maintenance were told of the problem with moisture affecting the sensors/transducers that provide information to the flight control computer and the need for calibration of the system.

Because the maintenance crew were not told, somebody saved some time and effort - but the aircraft was priced at $1.4 BILLION.

Northrop, Lockheed, Boeing plans defense job cuts

Updated because of broken link.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Northrop Grumman workers in El Segundo and Redondo Beach brace for cuts

Northrop Grumman announced that it would eliminate 500 jobs in its aerospace division, with most of the cuts expected to hit its sprawling facilities in El Segundo and Redondo Beach.

"Lockheed Martin Corp., the nation's largest defense contractor, said earlier this month that about 25% of its executives opted for a voluntary retirement program designed to cut costs as defense spending slows. More than 600 vice presidents and directors applied for the program offered in July, the Bethesda, Md., company said."

"This month, Boeing Co., the second-largest defense contractor, said it was planning to trim its military aircraft business and cut workers as the federal government tightens defense spending and profit margins shrink. The company's military division makes the C-17 military transport in Long Beach, the F/A-18 fighter jet and the Chinook helicopter."

"The Chicago-based company said job cuts would start with 10% of the group's executives. Boeing didn't say how many more workers would lose their jobs."

The cuts in the military budget is reflected in Boeing's military division employees.

Start with 10% cut of the executives.

Consolidate six divisions into four divisions.

Lockheed is cutting 25% of its executives.

Northrop Grumman makes not mention of eliminating any executives - MUST BE that Northrop Grumman executives are MORE SMARTER and LOWER PAID than their Boeing and Lockheed counterparts.

Expect the same type of thing to happen at Northrop Grumman.

Virginia governor calls for IT outage review on Northrop Grumman's tab | ZDNet

Virginia governor calls for IT outage review on Northrop Grumman's tab | ZDNet

Crash of Va. computer network has implications for tech world, state politics

Crash of Va. computer network has implications for tech world, state politics

The computer network that Northrop Grumman built for the state of Virginia has achieved something that never, never happened before. '"The thing that is never supposed to happen, happened," he said.'

"The crash -- still baffling to state officials -- exposes the vulnerability of modern, massively complex interconnected computer networks, and is being closely watched by information technology professionals across the country."

Virginia's IT outage doesn't pass management sniff test | ZDNet

Virginia's IT outage doesn't pass management sniff test | ZDNet

Northrop Grumman has a HUGE contract with the state of Virginia.

Northrop Grumman is getting paid large amounts of money (Virginia paid an EXTRA $236Million AND a three year extension on the original contract for improved service) for doing the IT for the state of Virginia.

For the past several days, 26 state agencies have been affected by an IT outage caused by EMC DMX-3 hardware failure. Blame your problems on the hardware.

Fairs help job-seekers with security clearances connect with intelligence firms

Fairs help job-seekers with security clearances connect with intelligence firms

Northrop Grumman will be having lay-offs in the near future.

Folks with the right security clearances may be able to find work elsewhere - or not.

Top-Secret job clearance: How the government fills intelligence jobs

Top-Secret job clearance: How the government fills intelligence jobs

At Northrop Grumman the TS clearance is not always easy to get.

Some folks get it in less than a year after applying, other folks never get it and will never hear "why" they did not receive it.

BBC News - Iran unveils first bomber drone

BBC News - Iran unveils first bomber drone

Iran has a novel design for a unmanned bomber which simplifies the design and development process.

Without a crew to keep alive, there is no need for environmental control or crew survivability.

The Iranians CLAIM that this bomber only has a 1000 kilometer range which is not far enough to reach Israel.

Perhaps they do not want to alarm the Israelis.

The Iranians perhaps will not have nuclear capability for another year.

Nothing for the Israelis to worry about in the short term.

This bomber might cost less than a B-2 bomber.

Israel To Purchase F-35I Fighter Jets From US - CBS News

Israel To Purchase F-35I Fighter Jets From US - CBS News

More good news for Lockheed Martin, and its sub-contractor, Northrop Grumman Corporation?

'Extreme Downsizing' May Hurt Companies Later : NPR

'Extreme Downsizing' May Hurt Companies Later : NPR

Northrop Grumman has a clear picture of its revenue flow for several years into the future because of its contract work - it knows how much will be coming in for each year.

Because of this, Northrop Grumman attempts to downsize its work force so as to not have a "loss" resulting from paying more in salaries than t is taking in on contracts.

In the past, Northrop Grumman went through lay-offs and warned its employees of potential lay-offs. This resulted in a lot of people leaving, both through lay-offs and on their own.

Northrop Grumman was able to minimize losses, but then had a SERIOUS SHORTAGE of knowledge workers, as TOO MANY people went away - so many that Northrop Grumman had to offer financial incentives to its employees for referrals of new employees in order to bring in new employees to replace the employees that left on their own or who were laid off.

First, Northrop Grumman makes a bunch of employees leave the company, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

Second, after determining the shortfall in knowledge and skills, Northrop Grumman goes into an hiring phase to make up for the lost knowledge and experience that went away.

Northrop Grumman is not always successful in replacing the lost knowledge and experience.

What a way to run a business - this is the Northrop Grumman way!

Pilot ejects from CF-18 before it crashes and explodes

Pilot ejects from CF-18 before it crashes and explodes

Another victory for the McDonnell Douglas/Northrop Grumman team - the ejection seat on this CF-18 works just fine, even when the aircraft stalls and the ejection seat is deployed at low-speed and high angle of attack. Good job!

For better customer relationships, concentrate first on employees - SmartPlanet

For better customer relationships, concentrate first on employees - SmartPlanet

This is something that Northrop Grumman does NOT believe in.

The customers come first, shareholders (remember "shareholder value"?) come next, management are next, with the employees in a very distant last place (employees are replaceable, expendable, cogs in a big machine).

New Army chief is ready to pull the plug on ¿over-priced¿ UK defence firms | Mail Online

New Army chief is ready to pull the plug on ¿over-priced¿ UK defence firms | Mail Online

The Brits are tired over over-paying for over-priced defense items from their over-priced defense firms. They would rather buy abroad.

They would rather pay for over-priced foreign military goods. Northrop Grumman can provide high-priced (NOT over-priced) products.

I Write Like erupts online, authors scratch heads - Washington Times

I Write Like erupts online, authors scratch heads - Washington Times

Check this out - I put a couple of blog entries from this blog into I Write Like and it told me that I write like Isaac Asimov(?!)

14 Ways to Expand Your Influence - by Dumb Little Man

14 Ways to Expand Your Influence - by Dumb Little Man

Here's a question: How many of the managers at Northrop Grumman have "influence"?

Take a look at these "14 Ways to Expand Your Influence" in this blog.

1. Understand It

2. Be a Person of Integrity and of Values

3. Be Authentic and Transparent

4. Accept Responsibility

5. Be a Solution Seeker

6. Be Proactive

7. Practice Empathy

8. Appreciate & Recognize Others

9. Respond vs React

10. Bring Out the Best in Others

11. Practice the Golden Rule

12. Be a Giver

13. Go Above and Beyond

14. Have Vision

BBC News - Row over Canada F-35 fighter jet order

BBC News - Row over Canada F-35 fighter jet order

There seems to be a big fuss in Canada because "The contract with US company Lockheed Martin was signed without a competitive bidding process, drawing fire from Canada's opposition party."

The whole idea of the Joint Strike Fighter was to share costs for a common fighter jet design for several nations.

Where else would Canada get a fighter jet for less than the total cost of $16bn, according to "Media reports estimate that maintenance could bring the total cost to Canadian $16bn."

Northrop CEO: Wesley Bush is steering Northrop Grumman in a new direction - latimes.com

Northrop CEO: Wesley Bush is steering Northrop Grumman in a new direction - latimes.com

Wes Bush wants to make over Northrop Grumman, and is proposing to make additional changes.

Northrop Grumman may get out of the ship-building business.

See the link above for more.

Here's an interesting observation by Rebecca Grant of IRIS Independent Research:

"Wes Bush is not hung up on the Northrop Grumman of the past," Grant said. "Time will tell about his judgment. But I think you have to give him credit for making the tough moves early on."

10 surefire ways to kill morale | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

10 surefire ways to kill morale | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

Here's a list of ten things that supposedly "kill morale" - how many do you see at Northrop Grumman?

1: Punish desired behavior

2: Reward undesired behavior

3: Play favorites

4: Change direction early and often

5: Ignore the positives

6: Focus only on the negatives

7: Use questionable measurements

8: Fail to give credit

9: Micromanage

10. Freak out

Official Announcement from Wes Bush

This came from a Northrop Grumman employee who thought I was interested in this:

If you have access to the Company Intranet, you can also view this message at the following location: http://home.northgrum.com/comm/comm_execs.html.

July 12, 2010

MFCP 10-17

Site in Falls Church, Virginia Selected for New Corporate Office

To My Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce our selection of a building in Falls Church, Va. as the new home for our corporate office. Northrop Grumman has entered into an agreement to purchase the building located at 2980 Fairview Park Drive following a thorough site selection process. We plan to open the new office in the summer of 2011.

The building is located approximately 10 miles from the Pentagon, just inside the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495). It will accommodate employees from both our Los Angeles Corporate Office and Washington Operations facility in Arlington, Va.

I want to recognize the members of our relocation team for their efforts in identifying an excellent site, and for continuing to assist our Corporate employees who are making significant personal and professional changes as a result of this move.

I also want to thank our Corporate employees for their continued cooperation during this time of change, and I ask for everyone’s support as we move forward with the relocation. This is an important step in our drive to achieve sustainable performance improvement and deliver increased value to our shareholders, customers and employees.

sig:\

Wes Bush

Chief Executive Officer and President

MY TAKE on this DOWN-SIZING is this:

That means A LOT of folks in Century City are not being asked to go to Virginia - remember what I wrote based on the Daily Breeze article April 27, 2010?

In reading the Daily Breeze article, NOTICE the DOWN-SIZING that Northrop Grumman is undergoing:

- Current Century City headquarters has about 360 people

- New location will have about 300 people

OBVIOUSLY not all of the current 360 people are being asked to move to Virginia. ALSO, how many people will be hired from the "local talent"?

How many folks from the Washington facility are part of the 300?

The more Washington folks there are, the less Century City folks beyond the obvious 60 there will not be.

Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Ten Signs of a Fear-Based Workplace - Yahoo! Finance

Ten Signs of a Fear-Based Workplace - Yahoo! Finance

Is Northrop Grumman a "Fear-Based Workplace"?

Look at the link for the article for more on the following ten signs:

1. Appearances are everything.

2. Everyone one is talking about who's rising and who's falling.

3. Distrust reigns.

4. Numbers rule.

5. And rules number in the thousands.

6. Management considers lateral communication suspect.

7. Information is hoarded.

8. Brown-nosers rule.

9. The Office evokes sad chuckles, rather than laughs.

10. Management leads by fear.

What do you think?

Dark-horse team bids against Boeing and EADS for $35-billion Pentagon tanker contract - latimes.com

Dark-horse team bids against Boeing and EADS for $35-billion Pentagon tanker contract - latimes.com

Now that Northrop Grumman pulled out of the KC-X competition after Wes Bush decided that it was not worth the resources, time and effort (and Northrop Grumman not having the political clout to keep a once-won contract won), there's Boeing, EADS (Northrop Grumman's former partner that now is going it alone), and the U.S. Aerospace Inc. of Santa Fe Springs and former Soviet Union plane manufacturer Antonov of Ukraine.

U.S. Aerospace Inc. is described as "small, cash-strapped" but evidently they feel that when they are teamed with Antonov they have have the resources, time, and effort required that Northrop Grumman does not

BBC News - EADS submits new bid for USAF refuelling contract

BBC News - EADS submits new bid for USAF refuelling contract

EADS was Northrop Grumman's partner on the KC-X before Wes Bush decided that Northrop Grumman did not have the political clout that Boeing had to keep the KC-X that it had originally won.

Lockheed cuts exec ranks as Pentagon seeks savings - Washington Times

Lockheed cuts exec ranks as Pentagon seeks savings - Washington Times

Given that Northrop Grumman now has a number of former Lockheed employees, do you think that this method of cutting costs will be adopted at Northrop Grumman?

U.S. Army to get new hybrid blimps for Afghanistan - SmartPlanet

U.S. Army to get new hybrid blimps for Afghanistan - SmartPlanet

Northrop Grumman is now working with the U.S. Army to build a hybrid blimp for ISR in Afghanistan.

Good stuff - Northrop Grumman can do high priced low tech stuff for the government as well as as high tech stuff.

12 Things We'd Tell Our Bosses if We Could - Yahoo! Finance

12 Things We'd Tell Our Bosses if We Could - Yahoo! Finance

Would YOU tell any of the managers at Northrop Grumman ANY of these 12 things?

Obama, Hill poised for clash on cuts - Washington Times

Obama, Hill poised for clash on cuts - Washington Times

Seems to be a big fuss about building a second engine for the F-35. Neither the Bush nor the Obama administration supported the second engine.

It's about the money - too little money is available for a program that is over cost, in a environment of record debt and near-record deficits.

DOWN-SIZING: Northrop Grumman chooses Virginia for new headquarters - The Daily Breeze

Northrop Grumman employees got this email from Wes Bush:

April 26, 2010
MFCP 10-10

Virginia Selected for New Corporate Office

To My Colleagues:

We are pleased to have identified Virginia as the home for our new corporate office. Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia put forward compelling, competitive offers. Our final decision was driven largely by facility considerations, proximity to our customers and overall economics. Our relocation team has narrowed its search to several buildings in the Falls Church/Arlington area of northern Virginia. We expect to make the final selection in the next several weeks.

We plan to open the new corporate office by the summer of 2011, and we will keep you informed regarding our progress as we move through the design and construction phases to the official opening.

The relocation team has done a great job, not only in quickly identifying an excellent location for our new corporate office, but also for the work they are doing to assist employees in Century City and elsewhere who are making significant personal and professional changes as a result of this move.

I want to thank our Corporate Office employees for their continued effort and cooperation during a period of much change and uncertainty, and I ask for everyone’s support as we move forward in the relocation. We are creating a clear and compelling path to a better future as we position our company for higher performance and greater success.


sig:\
Wes Bush
Chief Executive Officer and President


This move affects very few of the typical Northrop Grumman employees. Few of us have actually gone to Century City for a meeting. (I've been there for meetings, and had a temporary work assignment in Century City - but that's another blog.)

Wes Bush decided that all Northrop Grumman employees to know this.

The Daily Breeze newspaper had a much more informative article at Northrop Grumman chooses Virginia for new headquarters.

In reading the Daily Breeze article, NOTICE the DOWN-SIZING that Northrop Grumman is undergoing:

- Current Century City headquarters has about 360 people

- New location will have about 300 people

OBVIOUSLY not all of the current 360 people are being asked to move to Virginia. ALSO, how many people will be hired from the "local talent"?

There will be some "retirements" as well as "re-deployments" among those not asked to move to Virginia.

Such a nice way to get rid of the "deadwood and dog-meat" (term used by a Northrop Vice-President when referring to laid-off employees).


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Enemy Lurks in Briefings on Afghan War - PowerPoint - NYTimes.com

Northrop Grumman has a fascination with PowerPoint presentations.

There are published "Northrop Grumman" standards and practices on how a Northrop Grumman PowerPoint presentation is supposed to look like.

People's presentations are sometimes judged on how well it followed Northrop Grumman PowerPoint standards and practices instead of how factual or true the information in the presentation is/is not, or whether or not it made any sense.

See Enemy Lurks in Briefings on Afghan War - PowerPoint - NYTimes.com for an interesting take on the military and PowerPoint.

See what it says about "rigid lists of bullet points", something is promoted by the Northrop Grumman PowerPoint standards.

Also note what it says about how PowerPoint ". . . stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making".

Interesting is the point about PowerPoint ". . . does come in handy when the goal is not imparting information, as in briefings for reporters".

Most amusing is the assertion that PowerPoint presentations ". . . last 25 minutes, with 5 minutes left at the end for questions from anyone still awake. Those types of PowerPoint presentations, Dr. Hammes said, are known as “hypnotizing chickens."

Do any of these things apply to the PowerPoint presentations at Northrop Grumman?

I don't know if Northrop Grumman is in better shape because of PowerPoint.

MORE on PowerPoint:

Death by PowerPoint

Gettysburg PowerPoint Presentation - What if Lincoln used PowerPoint?

What do you think?


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

10 ways your organization can look unprofessional | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

Take a look at this:

10 ways your organization can look unprofessional | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

Think of how many times you have witnessed the 10 Things at Northrop Grumman:

1: Criticizing co-workers to outsiders

2: Passing the buck

3: Failing to supply material to a subordinate

4: Failing to test and verify your telephone menu options

5: Failing to acknowledge caller by name, if known

6: Failing to set up a personal voicemail zero out/attendant cover option

7: Overuse of cc:

8: Being clueless about the location of a principal

9: Misspelling names

10: Web site links that only Google can find


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Uh, I Don't Think So . . ."Poll: Is HR an advocate for the employee?"

The question today is "Poll: Is HR an advocate for the employee?"

What do YOU think?

In my humble opinion, Human Resources, aka HR, is strictly an advocate for the employer, and not for the employee.

Q. Who pays the HR employees?

A. The employer.

Q. Who does HR does its best to protected from potential lawsuits by employees?

A. The employer.

Q. What organization works to resolve any differences between the employer and employee, usually in the employer's favor?

A. HR.

In my limited experiences with HR, I notice that the typical HR person seems to be a nice enough person who is working on behalf of the company. Good people skills, talks well with the employees. (NOTHING like the typical manager at Northrop Grumman.)

Here's a "for instance". When Thomas Lee Hull was my manager in 1999, he evidently wanted me to stay around instead of looking for another job when Northrop Grumman was going through a downturn in contracts and were laying people off.

After I had received the WARN letter (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification), 60-day notification of potential layoff as required by Federal law, he assured me that "we're going to pull the lay-off notice".

OBVIOUSLY he wanted me to stay around and finish the work that I was doing instead of looking for another job as ANY REASONABLE AND SANE PERSON would.

Then I got the phone call from Payroll, asking me to come down and sign the form for my final paycheck(?!!)

I called HR.

I asked, "Did he lie to me?"

The reply was that "No, he may have mis-stated the facts based on overly-optimistic projections!"

I knew then that I was screwed, that I should not have listened to the lies of management HR is an advocate for the employer and company, and NOT an advocate for the employee.


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Over Budget, Way Off Schedule

See Virginia and Northrop revise and extend VITA computer contract and look how Northrop Grumman has made it profitable to go over proposed budgets and way off schedule.

Northrop Grumman is nothing like the little aircraft company, Northrop Aircraft Company, that took PRIDE in being "under budget" and "on-time" in its contractual obligations.

The original deal was a ten-year contract for $2.36 BILLION.

Northrop Grumman has been able to re-negotiate a three-year contract extension for an additional $247.2 MILLION per year.

This is in addition to $105 MILLION over the next nine years for additional hardware and services.

Northrop Grumman is also getting another $47 MILLION for "security and disaster recovery services not included in the original contract".

Northrop Grumman has come a long way.


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Aircraft Maker Pushing Exports of Spy Drones

Northrop Grumman is in the news again.

See Aircraft Maker Pushing Exports of Spy Drones in the New York Times.

Because of the success of unmanned drones in Iraq and Afghanistan, Northrop Grumman is looking at exporting this technology to Japan and ". . . other countries considering adding the plane to their air forces are South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Britain, Spain, New Zealand and Canada. Germany has already contracted for a variant called the EuroHawk to be delivered this year."

It is NOT a problem "despite concerns that exports might send sensitive technology into the wrong hands" AND the use of such drones might "also heighten tensions with countries like China, Iran and Russia -- who could be the subject of closer observation and perceive the drones' operations as offensive threats."


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Pentagon Would Extend Tanker Deadline 60 Days

See Pentagon Would Extend Tanker Deadline 60 Days.

In addition to the possible bid by a Russian aircraft company on the KC-X, EADS evidently has the clout to have the Pentagon extend the deadline on the KC-X proposal deadline.

EADS wants an additional 90 days, the Pentagon has indicated that the deadline would be extended by 60 days if EADS promises to bid against Boeing.

EADS had reversed its original decision to not submit a bid after Northrop Grumman withdrew from the KC-X competition.

Northrop Grumman was not willing to submit a proposal, as it did not have the clout to prevent the requirements from being written to favor the smaller tanker that Boeing will be proposal.

Northrop decided not to submit a proposal because Wes Bush did not want to expend resources.


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Russian company expected to bid on Air Force refueling tanker

See Russian company expected to bid on Air Force refueling tanker.

Now that Northrop Grumman has decided not to compete for the KC-X against Boeing, a Russian company will be proposing its tanker design based on the Russian Ilyushin Il-96, a four-engine commercial airliner.

This is a Russian-state owned aerospace company, United Aircraft Corporation. It will create a joint venture between a still to be announced U.S. contract company and UAC-America.

Nothing but the best for our American fighting forces.

15 great leadership questions

See 15 great leadership questions.

How many of THESE questions has your manager EVER asked YOU?

At Northrop Grumman, many of the managers are sent to some kind of manager "charm school" to make them more "manager-like".

Unfortunately, being trained to be a good manager is NOT good training to be a good leader.

Take a look at these questions and think about how often your manager has asked you ANY of them.

(I am willing to bet that you won't be able to answer with more than ten, five, three, . . .)

1.”What can I do to make you more effective?”

2. What’s keeping you from falling asleep at night?

3. What one thing should I do more? (or one thing I should do less?)

4. What roadblocks are holding you back? (or preventing your projects from moving ahead?)

5. What’s the most important issue you are dealing with right now?

6. What do our competitors do better than us?

7. If you were in my job, what’s the first thing you would you do?

8. What do we do better than anyone else?

9. How can I improve your team’s productivity?

10. What are the two key behaviors of our leadership team?

11. What one thing can we do to make our weekly meeting more effective?

12. What are your top three goals for next month?

13. What’s waking you up at 3:00 in the morning?

14. When you think about our goals, what are we forgetting?

15. If I could do just one thing for you as a result of this discussion, what would it be?

Of course, Northrop Grumman managers are not paid or budgeted time to work with their employees in such a manner as asking employees a bunch of silly questions that would make the employees be more effective (as opposed to efficient) and that might make employees feel that the company values the employees as human being instead of faceless cogs in a some kind of machine.

Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Pentagon says cost of new F-35 fighter jet will be double original estimates - latimes.com

Pentagon says cost of new F-35 fighter jet will be double original estimates - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman is only a subcontractor to prime contractor Lockheed-Martin on the F-35.

At one time, long ago, when it was merely the Northrop Aircraft Company, the company prided itself on "on-time" and "under-cost" fulfillment of its contracts.


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Tanker Competition Drop Out

Northrop Grumman and its European partner EADS won the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract in February 2008.

Boeing protested this decision and had the decision overturned.

The Air Force then re-wrote the requirements for the tanker contract.

Northrop Grumman has now dropped out of the tanker competition.

EADS has also dropped out of the tanker competition.

Wes Bush decided that Northrop Grumman did not need to expend resources competing for a tanker contract that had its requirements re-written to favor the smaller Boeing tanker designer.

UPDATE: I must assume that Wes Bush does not believe that Northrop Grumman has the clout to protest the eventual decision if/when Boeing wins the KC-X contract. Northrop Grumman has already shown that it doesn't have the clout to uphold its February 2008 win of the original KC-X proposal against Boeing's subsequent protest.

Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Five Weeks Today

Five weeks ago, January 26, was the date of open heart surgery.

Still slightly sore, still get tired easily.

Need to build up stamina - walking 25 minutes (not fast) a day.

Looking forward to resuming more "normal" activities.

No driving or heavy lifting for six weeks. Will still take it easy.

Doctor's Appointment Wednesday February 10

Kept my monthly appointment with the kidney specialist on Wednesday.

He said that I looked good for having had open heart surgery two weeks prior (on January 26).

Hemoglobin numbers are still low, so my procrit dosage was increased, and an iron infusion has been scheduled.

Protein number is low, so increased protein intake has been prescribed.

Coumadin (polite word for rat poison, Warfarin) is being adjusted for increase INR to prevent clotting around my new pig valve.

Most of the other numbers are looking good.

Still sore, and get tired easily. I sleep a lot too.

Anemia explains the lack of energy.

Super Bowl Commercials

Some Super Bowl commercials stood out for me.

NO, you do NOT need to WATCH the Super Bowl on TV to see the commercials. Wait until the game is over and then watch the AD BLITZ channel on YouTube.

1. Doritos commercial where the A**HOLE sees the anti-bark collar on a dog at the park and tries to get it to "speak" (and shock itself) for a Doritos.

The dog wants the Doritos, and removes the anti-bark shock collar and places it on the neck of the A**HOLE who the dog then shocks and immobilizes onto the ground, freeing up the bag of Doritos.

Good job, dog - you won against those who would torment you!

I only wish the same for Northrop Grumman employees.

2. Snickers commercial. Guys are playing football in the mud. The QB rags on one guy who is playing like (and looks like Betty White) for his poor play. His girl friend gives him a Snickers bar and he turns into his regular self.

The QB, on the other hand, plays (and looks like Abe Vigoda) in the next play. The tagline of the commercial - when you are hungry, you are not yourself.

We do what we need to do, no matter how ugly it looks. Northrop Grumman employees can surely identify with that.

3. Dodge Ram Charger. A list of stuff that men have to put up with (get to work at 8:00AM, attend boring two hour meetings, keep mouth shut instead of telling the truth, leaving the toilet seat down, etc.) to get along in life, and it ends with "I get to drive the car that I want", which is the Dodge Ram Charger, Man's Last Stand.

Some men are LUCKY to be rewarded for what they put up with. Not every Northrop Grumman employee will be rewarded for what they put up with at Northrop Grumman.

4. Bridgestone tire commercial. Dark and rainy night on the open highway, a car is stopped by a well-armed group of men who demand his Bridgestone tires.

The driver of the car pushes his very hot wife dressed in black leather out of the car, backs up and turns his car around, making his escape.

"I said your LIFE, not your WIFE!"

Some married men know what's really important!


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Saw Something Northrop Grumman Does NOT Know?

I saw this on-line that runs counter to everything that Northrop Grumman management believes it knows:

Study: Employees with flexible hours work harder, are more satisfied

Northrop Grumman management somehow just knows that the 9/80 work schedule program is favored by the majority of those employees who vote for it as long as it is convenient for management.

Northrop Grumman management's idea of flexibility is the alternating Friday off.

You don't get to choose whether or not you do 9/80 work schedule. Once a site goes onto 9/80, EVERYBODY at that site works 9/80.

Where's the flexibility? As long as you can get your eighty hours logged onto L/ANS every two weeks, Northrop Grumman management does not care when you come into work - weekends, after hours, etc.

However, the manager will ask that each employee publish their nominal hours - when they come in, when they leave, and when they take their lunch break. This is hard to do if they want to be within California labor laws (there's no federal law requiring that you are given a lunch break.)

SUPPOSEDLY by California law the employee is REQUIRED to take a lunch break (seven-tenths of an hour = 42 minutes?) but many employees will choose to "work through lunch" and not spend as long of a day at Northrop Grumman.

For the working mothers and fathers at Northrop Grumman, 9/80 presents a logistical challenge in getting the little ones to and from child care within the necessary time limits imposed by the various caregivers.

For those folks driving long distances to and from work, a commute time of two to six hours on top of the nominal nine hour workday makes for a very long day.

Nothing but the best for the Northrop Grumman employee.


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.

Still Sore but Less

Vicodin has been a companion, but not as frequently as before.

Nominally it's "Take 1 tablet orally every 6 hours as needed for pain not to exceed 4 tablets in 24 hours."

First three days home I took it as prescribed, taking four tablets in a 24 hour period.

The last three days it's not needed as much, and only took three tablets in a 24 hour period.

Still sore, but differently - I like to think that I am getting better.

Robert Gates Tries to Get F-35 to Fly Right

I saw this in the latest issue of Time magazine (February 15, 2010) in a article regarding Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

"...as he did on Feb. 1 when he fired the military officer overseeing the Pentagon's new F-35 stealth-fighter jet program for cost overruns and technical failures and punished Lockheed Martin by withholding $615 million in fees. Lots of defense contractors and program managers underachieve, yet they always get away with it. Not with Gates..."

I had to look real hard to see this story in the L.A.Times - it is not big enough news regarding Northrop Grumman, sub-contract to Lockheed Martin on the F-35 to have its own story, as I found it in the eighth paragraph down in the story Pentagon budget calls for more unmanned aircraft.

"Gates announced Monday he was firing the officer in charge of the program and withholding $614 million from Lockheed Martin, the prime F-35 contractor. He said he would appoint a new general or admiral to oversee the program."

The New York Times thought the story was bigger, as it had the February 1 story Gates Shakes Up Leadership for F-35.

Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate

As part of the Peritoneal Dialysis regimen, I record my blood pressure and pulse rate twice a day.

My blood pressure has DROPPED to a more "normal" 121/69 this morning, as well as my pulse rate, going from 80 -90 to 65 this morning - this suggests that my heart is now beating more efficiently and effectively - GOOD STUFF!

When I Sleep I Don't Move

I notice that I wake up in the same position that I had when I laid down to sleep - flat on my back at night, flat on my back when napping during the day.

This means that I don't move around when I am sleep probably because it HURTS to move, so I DON'T move.

Talked to "Dr. Sam" regarding my Coumadin. I will be working with him to maintain a specific level of Coumadin for the desired anticoagulant effects. Regular blood test tests are needed as well as an awareness of anything and everything that could affect the Coumadin activity.

The Mobile Phlebotomy Service will be coming to our house to take blood from me tomorrow morning.

Wikipedia says that it was a pesticide (sounds better than "Rat Poison", doesn't it?) that was discovered to have it usefulness when "...an incident in 1951, where a US Army inductee unsuccessfully attempted suicide with warfarin and recovered fully, studies began in the use of warfarin as a therapeutic anticoagulant..."