# Rand Rover: Ass **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055 "2009-03-02T20:33:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/301 "2009-03-05T03:23:12Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > You just enjoy being an ass, or what? You pretty much hit the nail on the head. Actually, it’s not being an ass per se that he seems to enjoy as much as being the center of attention. However, at some point he realized that he didn’t have the goods to get people’s attention by being smart or witty. So he went with assholery as his technique. Granted, I’m feeding his desire for attention via this post, which is probably a mistake, but after 7 pages, what’s one more post? (However, two more posts would be wrong, so I plan on ignoring his inevitable response of calling me a dumbass.) ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/302 "2009-03-05T03:34:14Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > However, at some point he realized that he didn’t have the goods to get people’s attention by being smart or witty. So he went with assholery as his technique. And for the same reason (i.e., lack of ability to get people’s attention by being smart or witty), you have apparently gone with “pile on the guy no one else likes either” as your technique. Way to join the bandwagon. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/303 "2009-03-05T03:38:24Z")
> [@Rand Rover](#): > > I think you are a fucking dumbass. You are completely responsible for this, right? Nope, since you’re just making it up to score an imaginary point rather than basing it on something I actually did. You, on the other hand, have **acknowledged** that you’re responsible for a particular assish act. I’ll quote that acknowledgement for you again: > [@Rand Rover](#): > > Some people don’t like me. I think it’s because they […] think I needlessly jump on other posters or […]. I am responsible for all of those things. I repeat: If you admit that _you are responsible_ for needlessly jumping on other posters, or for causing people to think that you needlessly jump on other posters, then why don’t you stop doing it? Sure, it’s always possible for somebody to be completely misinterpreted in a way that they’re not responsible for, but _by your own admission_, that’s not the case here. You _admit_ it’s your own fault that you come across as somebody who “needlessly jumps on other posters”, i.e., an ass. So why not just stop being an ass? And maybe even, Ogforbid, apologize for being an ass? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/304 "2009-03-05T03:44:25Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Nope, since you’re just making it up to score an imaginary point rather than basing it on something I actually did. > > You, on the other hand, have **acknowledged** that you’re responsible for a particular assish act. I’ll quote that acknowledgement for you again: > > I repeat: If you admit that _you are responsible_ for needlessly jumping on other posters, or for causing people to think that you needlessly jump on other posters, then why don’t you stop doing it? > > Sure, it’s always possible for somebody to be completely misinterpreted in a way that they’re not responsible for, but _by your own admission_, that’s not the case here. You _admit_ it’s your own fault that you come across as somebody who “needlessly jumps on other posters”, i.e., an ass. > > So why not just stop being an ass? And maybe even, Ogforbid, apologize for being an ass? I read that post again, and it could have been clearer. I meant that I’m responsible for the actions I took. I am responsible for typing the words I am currently typing. I am not responsible for the opinion of me you develop based on those words. Say I was in love with you and wanted you to be in love with me. I would probably type certain words in my posts designed to do that. But I don’t think I would be responsible for whether you fell in love with me or not, that depends on your feelings, which I have no control over. To think otherwise is simply ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/305 "2009-03-05T04:00:32Z")
> [@Rand Rover](#): > > you have apparently gone with “pile on the guy no one else likes either” Given that you’re ultimately responsible for your own outcomes, **why** do you think it is that so many people so heartily dislike you? Could it be on account of your behaving like an ass? > [@Rand Rover](#): > > that depends on your feelings, which I have no control over. Sorry, but this is delusional. **Of course** you have **some** control over how other people feel about you. Sure, you can’t control whether or not they fall in love with you, but whether they consider you tolerably likeable or a flaming asshole largely depends on your own actions. For somebody who’s so ready to criticize other people’s “whining” and “blaming others” for bad outcomes in their own lives, you sure seem pretty mired in denial and blame about your own experiences. Oh, boo-hoo, people who dislike me are misinterpreting me. Waaah, people are piling on me because nobody likes me. Mommmmmyyy, they’re making shit up about me! Basically, we have here a situation that is most likely explained by one of two possibilities: 1. **Rand Rover** is being unfairly misrepresented, misunderstood, and browbeaten in ways he’s not responsible for, primarily because ill-disposed posters whose feelings about him are completely outside his control irrationally dislike him, disapprove of his politics, and/or are envious of his superior wealth or job security. 2. **Rand Rover** is roundly disliked on his own merits because of his propensity for acting like an ass. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/306 "2009-03-05T04:05:49Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Given that you’re ultimately responsible for your own outcomes, **why** do you think it is that so many people so heartily dislike you? Could it be on account of your behaving like an ass? > Sorry, but this is delusional. **Of course** you have **some** control over how other people feel about you. Sure, you can’t control whether or not they fall in love with you, but whether they consider you tolerably likeable or a flaming asshole largely depends on your own actions. > > For somebody who’s so ready to criticize other people’s “whining” and “blaming others” for bad outcomes in their own lives, you sure seem pretty mired in denial and blame about your own experiences. Oh, boo-hoo, people who dislike me are misinterpreting me. Waaah, people are piling on me because nobody likes me. Mommmmmyyy, they’re making shit up about me! > > Basically, we have here a situation that is most likely explained by one of two possibilities: > > 1. **Rand Rover** is being unfairly misrepresented, misunderstood, and browbeaten in ways he’s not responsible for, primarily because ill-disposed posters whose feelings about him are completely outside his control irrationally dislike him, disapprove of his politics, and/or are envious of his superior wealth or job security. > > 2. **Rand Rover** is roundly disliked on his own merits because of his propensity for acting like an ass. Is there anything in this post that you haven’t said in previous posts? Do you think it sounds better the more you say it? Why do you think other messageboard posters’ perceptions of me counts as an “outcome”? I’ve been posting stuff about people being responsible for the outcomes in their lives in threads where people have lost their job, etc. Finally, it’s plain that you don’t like me. Why are you not happy just not liking me? Why do you have to somehow try to prove up some shoddy case that I’m being hypocritical or not applying my own philosophy correctly? Instead, you could just not like me without putting your lack of reasoning ability on display. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/307 "2009-03-05T04:10:45Z")
That’s it, I give in. I now support the flat-tax. For _everything._ ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/308 "2009-03-05T04:23:59Z")
> [@Rand Rover](#): > > Why do you think other messageboard posters’ perceptions of me counts as an “outcome”? I’ve been posting stuff about people being responsible for the outcomes in their lives in threads where people have lost their job, etc. Oh, so losing your job in an economic crunch is one of the “outcomes” that the formerly-employed person needs to take responsibility for…but being called an ass by a dozen or so people of various ideological perspectives in response to reading things that you’ve written doesn’t even count as an “outcome”? How very convenient. “Hey, I don’t **need** to take responsibility for my assish behavior, because when other people call me on it, I just won’t count that as one of the outcomes in my life! La la la la li li!” > [@Rand Rover](#): > > Finally, it’s plain that you don’t like me. Why are you not happy just not liking me? Hey, I’m just trying to motivate you to take responsibility for yourself. If at some point in your later posts you show that you understand that you’re responsible for yourself and will stop acting like an ass, my posts may have done some good. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/309 "2009-03-05T04:45:51Z")
Um, [**RAND**](http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4449/arguenet7fh.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/310 "2009-03-05T04:51:47Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > He asked how he was supposed to compete against 2000 people, so I said he should become qualified for jobs that don’t get 2000 applicants. What you said answers the question “How do I avoid being in the position of competing with 2000 people for a job?” It does not answer the question “How do I compete against 2000 people?” What you actually assume is a matter for speculation, but it appears that you assume that he will regard your response to be a useful answer to his actual qustion, rather than unhelpful “suck-on-it-you-[del]liberal-douche[/del]-whiney-victim-of-your-own-poor-decisions” snark. Another possibility is that your assumptions don’t enter into it, and that you don’t care how **Quartz** regards your response. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/311 "2009-03-05T06:14:49Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Thank you for this post. I think this is the entire crux of my troubles here. I just want to motivate people to take responsibility for themselves, and some people think that is jerky enough in and of itself, Because it is. There’s not really a demand for this. In case you haven’t noticed, you haven’t really garnered much respect around here. Certainly not enough that anyone is looking to you for any kind of motivation. You should probably work on earning the arrogance you’re displaying. > [@Kimstu](#): > > Another whiny excuse. When are you going to take responsibility for your own shit-dropping? “Well I didn’t meeeeeeeeean to, they just misunderstooooooooood me” is a cop-out. Not so much a cop-out as it is an outright lie. He knows exactly what he’s doing (motivating!!!). And now he’s climbing up onto a cross. ---
**Author:** ![Ocean\_Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@Ocean\_Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ocean_Annie)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/312 "2009-03-05T07:34:26Z")
This is from Rush’s [wiki bio.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh) > [@](#): > > **Draft status** > > Limbaugh’s birthdate was ranked as 175 in the Vietnam War draft lottery. No one was drafted above 125. He was classified as “1-Y” (later reclassified “4-F”) due to either a football knee injury or a diagnosis of Pilonidal disease. Not even James Carville could make up something better than avoiding the draft because of a [Pilonidal Cyst.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst) I can’t vouch for the credibility, but [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/military/limbaugh.asp) says it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Ocean\_Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@Ocean\_Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ocean_Annie)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/313 "2009-03-05T08:11:01Z")
I am sorry for the Rush post --wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/314 "2009-03-05T10:11:07Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Say I was in love with you and wanted you to be in love with me. I would probably type certain words in my posts designed to do that. But I don’t think I would be responsible for whether you fell in love with me or not, that depends on your feelings, which I have no control over. To think otherwise is simply ridiculous. There’s a striking disconnect here. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/315 "2009-03-05T13:42:22Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I read that post again, and it could have been clearer. I meant that I’m responsible for the actions I took. I am responsible for typing the words I am currently typing. I am not responsible for the opinion of me you develop based on those words. > > Say I was in love with you and wanted you to be in love with me. I would probably type certain words in my posts designed to do that. But I don’t think I would be responsible for whether you fell in love with me or not, that depends on your feelings, which I have no control over. To think otherwise is simply ridiculous. This is quite an amazing position to take. How about some additional examples? Suppose you say something really annoying to your boss and he gets angry at you. His fault, right? Suppose you blurt out something really stupid to someone who is unaware of how brilliant you are, and they walk away assuming they are leaving the presence of a moron. All their fault, right? It seems to me that in any communication, both sides bear some responsibility for the outcome. The receiver obviously has a role, but the sender can’t claim to have no role. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/316 "2009-03-05T17:22:33Z")
I have a curious desire to read “Atlas Shrugged” now just to see how monumentally bad it is. Somehow I feel it will not be one of my better decisions, a bit like **Blalron** not becoming a tax lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/317 "2009-03-05T17:29:50Z")
Keep something pointy beside you when reading it. Every so often poke yourself in the eye with said pointy instrument. Go deeper each time. By the time you are 5% through the book, you will have reached your brain. The book will seem much better. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/318 "2009-03-05T17:34:29Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I read that post again, and it could have been clearer. I meant that I’m responsible for the actions I took. I am responsible for typing the words I am currently typing. I am not responsible for the opinion of me you develop based on those words. Bullshit. When you treat people like crap (which you did) you better expect them to respond in the same way. You were an asshole. People then treated you like the jerk you are. You are responsible for the opinion these people formed. You caused it, you triggered it, and now you are amplifying it. You’re an asshole. People consider you an asshole. Accept it. Deal with it. And then shut the hell up. No one is “required” to be nice to you or kiss your ass or tolerate your behavior. I’m an asshole sometimes myself. However, I generally do NOT do it on purpose. You do ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/319 "2009-03-05T17:44:12Z")
“When Assholes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Assholes!” OK, it needs work… ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055/320 "2009-03-05T17:45:57Z")
> [@Ocean\_Annie](#): > > I am sorry for the Rush post --wrong thread. Oddly enough, it’s not inappropriate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rand-rover-ass/488055.md?page=17)