Beginning With the Intent to Add

[superkat]

I'm just going to start out with a small story about a man named Mark D____r.

Mark was a colleague of mine on the B-2 Bomber project. Someone I considered a friend and who I valued having on assignments with me in my position as an Industrial Engineer and assistant to the VP.

He was smart...but not brilliant. He was good natured, but only when it benefited him directly. He got work done, when someone else did it for him. He was your best friend on the job, but at the bar he wouldn't think twice about telling everyone how he hated you. He was the ultimate corporate player.

Assigned to bring the 21st bomber to fruition by the heads of Northrop Grumman corporation, I asked Mark to be a part of the team. Keep in mind, this is before I found out what I know now. Because, to most everyone except those who had figured out his game, he was smart, good natured, got work done and was everyone's best friend.

Get the picture?

I put in 8 weeks of grueling work and long hours putting together an entire project room with charts and updates and coordinating meetings and attending them, planning financial forecasts and sticking to deadlines....and achieving my goal while Mark pulled off the info and put it in a copier and pasted it onto the walls...and at the final meeting before the entire package was presented to the Air Force, Mark got command of the conference table.

And took credit for everything.

He did what I consider the lowest form of human ethics and integrity. He stole my work. Not only that...he walked in at the last minute, when everything was going well and pretended like he owned the place.

Where was he when I was fighting corporate? Where was he when the figures didn't match up and we needed to find a way to make ends meet? Where was he when others were bashing the whole idea and I had to stand my ground and shake in my shoes when I told my boss that everything would be okay?

Basically, where was he? Oh yeah, he was at the bar telling everyone how much he hated working at Northrop. Or how he didn't think the proposal would go through. Or how he didn't take the time to even go and find out what was going on before making assumptions.

Mark was, and probably still is...a loser. He will continue to rape and pillage other people's good fortune until the day he dies...probably at someone else's hand. Mark is what you call, a fair weather friend.

And he still owes me about 700 bucks.


My advice is to trust no one. Unless they trust you. It's a tricky way to live...because you really never know.

And I think...if Mark showed up today at my door, highly improbable, I would first say, "Hey Mark, wow. How are you?" And then, "Ya know, you still owe me 700 bucks, but don't worry about it." And then, "How did you feel when you walked into my office and took credit for everything others did?" To which there would be no response, maybe a chuckle, a sick, pompous chuckle. And then I would say, "did you enjoy it? I bet you did. But at the end of the day...it still wasn't your work, was it?"

And that, is that.

Peace,
Kat

 

[superkat]

and here's the "add" part.

several weeks later, when Mark was attending meetings with the VP in MY place because he had schmoozed his way there...he was asked questions he couldn't answer.

And a year later when my boss and I (yup, me) presented the entire proposal to the Air Force, my boss, Sam, turned to me and said, "there is a big fat check waiting in my office for you. Why didn't you speak up for yourself when Mark was taking all the credit?" And I said, "i didn't have to. i knew you would figure it out eventually."

 

[Mmckibben]

Would you mind editing my Eulogy Assignment?

 

[superkat]

sure

 

[Mmckibben]

I already made a post.

 

[Mmckibben]

I just finished my first DIY protein skimmer. I'm going to hook it up saturday, so stay tuned for a post.

 

[superkat]

As stated...I'm adding. What is truly sad about individuals like Mark....is that they seldom realize they will wind up victims of their own folly. For example...Mark did alot of puffed up talking during that year that I sat back and watched his sly and offensive antics. He..passing me by and chuckling in my face with what he thought he had gotten away with it. Me...biding my time..waiting for the truth to come out...which it always does. I felt sorry for Mark. For his lack of conscience..his lack of humanity and lack of a human soul...as I believe anyone that steals or takes credit for what someone else did or does...has already sold out..if you get my meaning. What I hope to convey is that you should be wary of the people who have no recognition until the day someone else does something good....and they show up...assuming ownership. Be aware.

 

[superkat]

Victim of his own folly you ask.....My sweet ignorant Mark lost his job that he hated so much at Northrop. Because the pattern of his actions became a tangible form. Not only that..he was stripped of his security clearance ....oh poor Mark...who thought he was golden..and fined by the USAF for breach of contract. I assume it was a heavy fine. The last I heard from my steadfast and trustworthy friends back at the facility in El Segundo is that Mark tried to get on board with many other aerospace companies...but was denied because they could not clear him security wise. Poor Mark. In the thrill of the moment of acting like a bigshot in a world of incredibly smart people...he lost his future.

 

[Mmckibben]

Sad say for mark=[

 

[superkat]

I find that I come across people like Mark at least one per year. The best I can do is allow them enough rope to hang themselves. And try to protect others.

On to pleasant stuff....I LOVE YOUR AVATAR, Mick!

 

[Mmckibben]

thanks, I took it in fiji... just to let you know it's michael.