Idaho National Lab wins two R&D 100 Awards

Idaho National Laboratory has won two R&D 100 Awards in the 2014 international competition hosted by R&D Magazine, bringing its total to an even 50 over the past 18 years. The annual competition recognizes the top 100 inventions of the past year. Both winning technologies relate to innovative modeling systems.

The Advanced Electrolyte Model analyzes and identifies potential electrolytes for battery systems. It offers significant resource savings by optimizing material combinations for new batteries. AEM predicts and reports key properties underlying electrolyte behavior in the electrochemical cell environment.

The Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) makes it easier for scientists to predict phenomena ranging from nuclear fuel and reactor performance to groundwater and chemical movement. Such simulations can help speed the pace of scientific discovery but traditionally required more computing resources than most scientists and engineers could readily access. Here is a YouTube video explaining it:

"These awards recognize the tremendous value of our national labs," said Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, in a news release. "Research and development at the national labs continues to help our nation address its energy challenges and pursue the scientific and technological innovations necessary to remain globally competitive."

INL nominated three technologies for the 2014 R&D 100 Award competition and now has earned a total of 50 R&D 100 Awards since 1986.

The banquet and awards presentation, honoring the 2014 winners will take place Nov. 7 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Five ways to get fired from your job

Raise your hand if you love your job! Now raise your hand if you hate your job! Are any of you in between?

All of us can say we start our jobs with a sense of excitement and always with the best intentions, and most employees are never really gunning to get fired from a job. Whether you love it or hate it, getting fired from a job is no fun. Psychologically, it’s almost just as bad as being dumped when you thought you were in a long-term relationship with the love of your life (or at least someone you wanted to date for more than a couple months.)

I am fully aware there are really poor managers who don’t know how to manage employees, firing at will and fairly often at that. I have met them, I have worked with them, and there really and truly is no hope for them.

Still, the majority of managers loathe the days they have to terminate employees, and many will go through disciplinary processes or just take the “see no evil/hear no evil” approach and ignore bad situations for long stretches of time.

Most of the time, people who get fired are fired for common sense reasons. My HR colleagues and I even considered at one time compiling all of our “Here’s Your Sign...” employment termination moments for a book to provide comic relief in the workplace. Luckily for some of the people I have had to let go I have not done that yet.

I have, however, compiled my top five reasons for how to ensure that your career path is about to change. If you are looking to strike out, take note of the following. They are more than likely to lead to immediate termination very soon.

1. Insubordination. Not doing your job or failing to follow through on what management asks you to do. Failing to comply with policies and procedures is a sure way to make sure management will send you on your way to a new workplace and manager. If management is asking you to do something unethical or illegal, go ahead and be insubordinate (think Enron scandal). Otherwise, do what you're told.

2. Sleeping on the Job. Sleep is awesome and necessary, just not at work. Unless you are being paid as a sleep study subject, keep awake and alert. There are a few people who have sleep disorders. If you are one I hope you have at least given management a heads up so when you are caught drooling over your sales report you won’t be woken up and escorted out of the building with a paper stuck to your face.

3. Theft. From timecard fraud to stealing company supplies or petty cash, theft is costly and stealing is wrong. If you are teaching your kids not to grab a pack of gum at the store without paying for it, don’t grab a garbage bag filled with office supplies and walk out (something that actually happened with one of my clients, who tried to justify her theft by saying she needed it for camping and didn’t have time to go to the store.)

4. Dishonesty. Not telling the truth leads to distrust. Distrust leads to damaged workplace relationships. Damaged workplace relationships lead to termination. No matter what the little white lie may be, keep in mind that if you can’t be trusted to tell the truth on any level how can management trust you are doing your job right?

5. Being Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs. Maybe it has been a bad Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean it's OK to head to the bar to grab a few beers on your lunch break. Being under the influence can and will impair your ability to work. It can also create legal liabilities for your employer. Drug-free workplaces are common now, as are zero tolerance policies, so hold the drinks until after work.

You could easily add to any of the above with:

• Inappropriate comments
• Careless social media behavior, e.g., posting about your job and/or company
• Sharing confidential information
• Violence or horseplay in the workplace
• Failing drug tests
• Tardiness, leaving early and unexcused absences

If your goal is to be fired, I would recommend trying any of the above.

Monica Bitrick is CEO of Bitrick Consulting Group, a human resources company in Idaho Falls.

Consumer Reports releases new fast food survey

I'm aware that a lot of BizMojo Idaho readers cannot resist any story that is about fast food, so today I am posting this link to Consumer Reports and its story rating the nation's fast food chains.

This is the first survey Consumer Reports has published since August 2011, and is based on the responses of 53,745 readers, who rated food, value, staff, and speed at 65 chains. As was the case three years ago, Burger King, KFC, McDonald's and Taco Bell all took a drubbing, posting the lowest scores.

The good news for folks who like to dine out here -- and who doesn't? -- is that some of the top-scoring chains have an eastern Idaho presence, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys and Papa Muphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza in particular. Others are on their way: Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Firehouse Subs (which announced last year it was planning 12 locations in southern Idaho, including one in Idaho Falls, but seems to be moving slower than expected), not to mention Noodles & Company.

Take a look at the chart above and once you stop salivating ask yourselves which of these chains you'd like to see here. In-N-Out? Don't hold your breath, but take a look at The Habit Burger Grill, which beat it out. There are three in Utah, so maybe you want to check them out next time you're headed south to visit The Temple.

Happy eating, everybody! Watch your waistlines.

Investigation Discovery filming show about Paul Ezra Rhodes murders

If I seem a little distracted and erratic today, it's because I am going to be interviewed by Investigation Discovery, which is doing a show about the Paul Ezra Rhodes case of 1987 and the effect it had on eastern Idaho. Because I was in the Post Register newsroom at the time, my name was given to the show's producers, who are in town today.

I wasn't on the police beat at the time, I was assistant city editor. I had gotten married the year before, and Karen and I had just bought our first house, on Ninth Street. It was a freaky time.

Having reviewed the material the producers sent me ahead of time, especially the interview with Deputy Victor Rodriguez, the lead investigator for the Sheriff's Department, I can say this was a watershed moment for Idaho Falls. There had been homicides before, but nothing that engendered fear the way Rhodes' crimes did those few weeks in February and March.

Talking about this the other day with Mel Brown of Mel's Lock and Key, he told me their business went through the roof when Rhodes was on his spree. "We went from doing one or two houses a week to doing 10 or 20," he said. I find it interesting, however, and perhaps ironic that as soon as Rhodes was taken into custody business returned pretty much to normal. I know it's not possible to live at a constant fever pitch of fear, but I sometimes wonder if we're any more alert or vigilant than we were then

Anyway, I'll share more with you after this is done. It promises to be interesting.

Broadway Ford eyes early November opening for new dealership

Construction is moving along at Broadway Ford's new dealership on West Broadway. (Photo courtesy Dennis Sutton)

With steel going up, the owners of Broadway Ford are hoping to have their new dealership on West Broadway open by Nov. 1. Things are happening faster than expected, which is fine with the sales and service people at the 30-year-old dealership, said Ann-Michelle Jones, social media and e-commerce director.

Broadway Ford first opened in 1984. Owner Mont Crnkovich and his management team had been talking for several years about a new showroom and service department, with a more efficient layout out and up-to-date amenities. The new facility will be 46,737 square feet, including an 8,196 square foot showroom and a parts and service department of 21,429 square feet. The building permit valuation from city of Idaho Falls is $4.8 million.