'benevolent tyrant's rant : a crisis of identity

quoting myself, the benevolent tyrant Perhaps I'm a bit touchy. Perhaps I am just egocentric or maybe, just maybe, I am out of sorts because of the fact I have been the subject of a devious form of "identity theft".....

I would like to point out that I am benevolent tyrant and NOT Benevolent Heretic. Except for the first word.....the names aren't the same at all.....the spelling is different as are the meanings. I am taller than Benevolent Heretic (I have never met her but, nevertheless, I doubt that she is over six feet in height -- I'm 6'2"). Benevolent Heretic is a female whereas I am male. I pee standing up. Note that I never capitalize my name, benevolent tyrant, as I am too humble. Benevolent Heretic is obviously an egomaniac of sorts as she never fails to capitalize her name. I have larger feet and larger hands than Benevolent Heretic (you know what that means -- big shoes, large gloves). I refer to myself as bt.....she is often referred to as BH...notice the obvious difference?

Benevolent Heretic and I, benevolent tyrant, are two different people -- joined together in some cosmic joke meant to leave me totally unhinged.

So, please note that I am NOT Benevolent Heretic....and , BH is, much to her regret, I'm sure, NOT ME. We are separate entities.

Besides, I am the first benevolent anything on ATS

I just had to make this clear.....please, for the love of God, do not make this mistake again!

The Saga of The 'benevolent tryant'


Please do not immediately assume that I'm totally insane. Please reserve your judgement on this undeniable fact until you have confirmed it...by reading this.

On October 30th, 2004, I was fortunate enough to become a member of Above Top Secret. It was only right and proper that I did so. I had been a lurker long enough. On that fateful day, the benevolent tyrant was born, so to speak. All was good and right with the world.


Then on July, 8th, 2005 my life changed. Oh, at first it wasn't bad. A petty annoyance really. In fact, in the very beginning, I'd let it slide. Someone would respond to one of my posts and would refer to me as 'BH' (an obvious reference to Benevolent Heretic). A simple mistake. An honest error. But as it continued, as the 'typos continued I could feel the erroneous references become irksome. It was almost as if ... as if ... I was part of some devious conspiracy. My identity was being stolen!

What was amazing to me was the insidious manner in which my identity, my ATS persona, was being usurped. benevolent tyrant. Benevolent Heretic. The difference was, to say the least, obvious. My god! They are two different names. They are spelled differently (save for the word benevolent). Furthermore, I, 'the benevolent tyrant' NEVER capitalize my name -- NEVER. I am far too humble. Yet, the 'Benevolent Heretic" always capitalizes her name. This becomes horribly self-evident when someone refers to me as BH. Yes. Yes. I know; a simple mistake?

People are physically / psychologically unable to discern the difference between our names. At least that is the way it would seem. One day, I was on ATS CHAT when I first encountered Zaphod58. "Zap" we would call him (Zap has not been on CHAT as frequently as he might have been in the past. I believe he is still on but, alas, with less frequency). When I met Zap that first time, he frequently referred to me as "BH'. That's when I think that I first "snapped". I corrected "Zap" through the first of what ultimately became a regular series of "rants" on the differences between Benevolent Heretic and myself. 'Sigh' All of my demonstrative rants have been to no avail. The confusion continues to this very day.

......and now, my insanity is confirmed.


WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE UNIVERSE IF Benevolent Heretic AND benevolent tyrant MET? --- would everything remain the same?



[edit on 11/6/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

[edit on 11/6/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

[edit on 11/6/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

[edit on 11/6/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

I am guilty of the mistake as you so quickly pointed out to me that fateful day...

My most sincere apologies BTW...it will never happen again...I hope.

What would happen if the two benevolent ones were to meet? It boggles the mind.


Great rant

Cheer up b t it could be a lot worse You initials could be BS

I hope I haven't made this same mistake....have I ???

[edit on 11/6/2006 by jensouth31]

Originally posted by jensouth31
Cheer up b t it could be a lot worse You initials could be BS

Ahhhh jensouth....your 'voice of reason' has calmed my 'furor'. Yes, indeed, things could be worse. In this light, my current, 'ahem' problem seems to pale.

I'm always glad to help where I can

Anytime...just ring me up or U2U me and my voice of reason will be here

It could be worse B T, my name still gets confused with the Euopean football. That's until people see that I am from the states. Then i ge asked who my team is. (favorite that is) I still hate when that happens too.

Yeah i can see your delema,it would be annoying to be confussed with someone else.

I wonder if Asians have more difficulty than caucasians in real life? i`d say yes in crowded places.

Anywho cheer up Benevolent Heretic we all understand now and will try harder in the future.

OK, starting from now.......

Originally posted by gps777
Anywho cheer up Benevolent Heretic we all understand now and will try harder in the future.
OK, starting from now.......

Aaaaaaargh!

.......ok......starting NOW!

Well my identity crisis continues........ I'm now officially listing this crisis as a conspiracy.

I went onto the "new chat" , just hours after it was opened (thank god it's back). So I start chatting.....then I noticed... my name, 'benevolent tyrant' is too long, it would seem. Instead of being 'benevolent tyrant' it comes out as 'benevolent tyra' TYRA! that's what I'm called now. TYRA! This is just wrong.

I can't help but feel that this is just part of some worldwide conspiracy to make sure that I become entirely unhinged.

The only bit of satisfaction that I find in this affair is that now Benevolent Heretic will be referred to as Benevolent HERE in chat.....

Please don't misunderstand me HERE, I like BH's posts and I think that she is a great member and even an asset to this site but, damn, the confusion between our names can get a tad irritating at times. At least, with the name length restriction in chat, I have something new to rant about.

Things could be worse, members could be mistaking you for me.



I am empathetic to your cause here BT. You put effort into your work, and for that scoundrel Heretic to be taking claim to your glory, downright wrong if you ask me.

I too am guilty of this mishap, but I assure you it was early in my tenure and did not last long. Heretic had a glowing red bar one day, and it stood out because it seemed it was flashing back and forth. Then it hit me, alas! Dual personalities. This must be 1 person, with 2 persona's.

It was weeks later when I was rip roaring drunk that it hit me, you might be two different people. I was embarrassed at the time, as it appeared to be the logical choice to make initially.

Alright, my futile attemps to make light of this situation are completely unecessary.

Let's just sit and cross our fingers that the future does not hold another benevolent for AboveTopSecret.

And to the rest of our membership,

Give It Up!

Originally posted by benevolent tyrant
I would like to point out that I am benevolent tyrant and NOT Benevolent Heretic.

You only wish you were...

I am taller than Benevolent Heretic

True, true...

Benevolent Heretic is a female whereas I am male.

Again, you are correct...

I pee standing up.

Uh...

Benevolent Heretic is obviously an egomaniac of sorts as she never fails to capitalize her name.

This is especially true.

So, please note that I am NOT Benevolent Heretic....and , BH is, much to her regret, I'm sure, NOT ME. We are separate entities.

No regrets here, mate! Although, now that you mention it, I have never seen both of us at the same time...

Then on July, 8th, 2005 my life changed.

Same here. Joining ATS changed my life!

In fact, in the very beginning, I'd let it slide.

How noble of you.

It was almost as if ... as if ... I was part of some devious conspiracy.

Yeah, everything's a ocnspiracy, ain't it, pal?

My identity was being stolen!

Uh... I don't think it's being stolen so much as ill-defined, perhaps? I'm not stealing your identity, people just like me better.

When I met Zap that first time, he frequently referred to me as "BH'.

Hey! Zap, old friend! How ya doing?

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE UNIVERSE IF Benevolent Heretic AND benevolent tyrant MET? --- would everything remain the same?

Hey, I'm willing... After all, I have nothing to LOSE!!!

Truth be told, I have gotten a few REALLY strange U2Us meant for you. What ARE you into, man!?!?! Anyway, I just replied that they obviously meant to send it to the guy with the little b and the little t. No hard feelings.

Just joshin' with ya, friend. I wish I had searched for the name Benevolent when I joined, but then, it just wouldn't be the same, would it? Who else could I be but Benevolent Heretic?

[edit on 5-12-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

So, please note that I am NOT Benevolent Heretic....and , BH is, much to her regret, I'm sure, NOT ME. We are separate entities.

No regrets here, mate!

Although, now that you mention it, I have never seen both of us at the same time...

Michael! Is that you?

I thought you were still in Bahrain...