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So, what is it? What makes other guys roll over and pee themselves when an Alpha male rolls up? – Nesselrode5

Please clarify the definition of Alpha Male. And, further, please give the five steps to becoming one. I know, I know, you’ll say it’s inborn and can’t be learned, that it’s a magical quality that you either have or you don’t. Well, let’s just pretend that it could be learned: What do I need to do? How do I need to act? – Grendelizer

The essence of Alpha is a projected aura of dominance. This dominance can be material, physical, intellectual, spiritual or even emotional, and yet mere wealth, size, intelligence, saintliness or rage are not alone sufficient to provide it, regardless of the amount possessed by the individual. This dominance is usually strong enough to be sensed by others, even when it is not being openly displayed.

Others defer to the Alpha because of this dominance whether he seeks it or not. Even when they don’t really want the Alpha’s opinion, they will seek his approval and it will bother them when they don’t receive it. (Note, seeking approval under the guise of asking for advice can be extremely annoying. Don’t do it.)

The factors that others have mentioned, confidence and so forth, are actually ramifications of this dominance rather than definitive factors in themselves. But in cases where group politics or situational complexities make it difficult for the dominance to be readily apparent, two ramifications that can serve as useful identifying factors are decisiveness and the willingness to accept responsibility for those decisions.

This is how one can easily see when a person in a position of authority is not, despite the power that is at their disposal, an Alpha. They shun decision-making, attempt to lay the burden off on others or postpone it until events dictate actions, all the while hoping to evade the potential consequences. The Alpha, on the other hand, being used to others always looking to him, accepts his responsibility and expects to make decisions as a matter of course.

I think the military does an excellent job of creating faux Alphas. One often does not realize that they are not true Alphas until they are put in positions of responsibility outside the military and their natural personalities come to the fore. Therefore, those attempting to mimic Alpha behavior in the interest of improving their job or personal status would do well to look at how the military goes about creating its leaders. I know the Marine OCS attempts to instill bravery, self-respect, self-discipline, self-confidence and decisiveness in its officers, so I suspect that those would be the ideal attributes to foster.

As for five steps towards developing quasi-Alpha status, here are my suggestions:

1. Betray no signs of doubt or fear. This does not mean clinging to untenable positions, but calmly stick to your position until you are proven demonstrably wrong. If it is so demonstrated, concede at once and admit your error.

2. Do not concern yourself with what others think. That’s their job. You do your own thinking and do them the courtesy of allowing them to do theirs. If they require assistance, they can ask.

3. Never bluff. If you don’t know, admit it. “I don’t know” may perhaps be the most self-empowering phrase in the English language. I don’t understand precisely why, but people have a strong tendency to respect and even fear those who do what they say they will do.

4. Be decisive. When a decision is required, make it immediately. If more information is genuinely required – it usually isn’t – then make a tentative decision pending the receipt of the additional information. If you are asked for a decision, make one even if you don’t personally care one way or another. Often you are not being asked for your preference or your expertise, you are being asked to shoulder the burden of decision-making

5. Accept responsibility and consequences, even when it isn’t your fault.

From a physical standpoint, lifting weights and increasing your body strength will not only improve your appearance and your posture, but increases your psychological sense of self as well. Breast implants often seem to provide a similar effect for women.

None of this will cause women to want you and men to respect you immediately. But reliably behaving in this manner will color your interactions in such a way that others will begin to defer to you and raise your social status. It’s really not about looks or brains or things, it’s primarily about dominance and deference.

Here’s an example. Prior to meeting me for the first time, an old girlfriend of the White Buffalo asked him why he spoke about me the way he did, because she’d seen his pictures and she was (correctly) of the opinion that I wasn’t even one of his two best-looking friends at the time. Nor was I the tallest, the strongest or the wealthiest. But he laughed and told her that if she simply talked to me for half an hour, she’d find herself obediently taking her pants off if I told her to.

I was unaware of this, although I do remember her being intensely conversational the first time we met, and I was tremendously amused when the WB explained why she’d been so interested in talking to me. It was even more amusing, of course, to learn that she was in accordance with his assessment of the situation.

And breasts, apparently. Anyhow, the Pan-Galactic one has his harem up again. I knew “Renee” was a bit of a nut, but I had no idea that she was married to Tom Cruise, the little Scientologicial minx.

VDH on attacking Iran:

There are really only two bad choices…. One is the present “outsourcing” course: Let the Europeans exhaust negotiations, pressure the Chinese and Russians to allow the matter to go to the U.N., bolster Turkey and the Arab Gulf states and advise them to build a regional coalition to contain the problem, hope that Ahmadinejad alienates the world even more. Then, perhaps, sometime during this process, a popular uprising or even a right-wing worried cleric will thwart the nuclear party in Iran before this latest Great Mahdi gets the bomb, and with it impunity through national adulation….

The other unmentionable alternative — if we set aside the real appeasement of letting the mullahs have the bomb, or the equally cowardly policy of gently suggesting that the Israelis do the deed, or some Lord of the Rings fantasy about a grand aerial armada of NATO, American, and Russian jets descending in bombing formation over the modern forge of Mordor — is a preemptive (or in-sourced) American “air strike.”

I don’t understand what is cowardly about telling Israel that if they are genuinely threatened by an Iranian strike, they should go ahead and attack Iran themselves. Wasn’t such self-defense the precise point of supplying them with billions of dollars of military equipment for decades? The neocon logic is completely circular.

Israel will be endangered if Iran goes nuclear, therefore, the United States must attack Iran before Israel can be endangered. Why? Because Israel is in danger. Why doesn’t Israel defend herself with a preemptive strike? Because if she did, that might make Iran attack Israel, thereby endangering Israel. What sort of kindergarten logic is that? The neocons must have an even lower opinion of the average American voter than I do.

Iran may hate the United States – and legitimately so, considering how we discuss attacking them as blithely and openly as their mullahs discuss attacking us – but it’s quite clear that the primary focus of their hatred is Israel. If this potential Iranian aggression is truly a concern for Israel – and I see no reason to suggest that it is not – then Israel should make no bones about seeing to her own defenses. As Israel’s ally, the USA should certainly support any such actions, but it is reprehensible to suggest that the USA should bear the brunt of any such action which is not only in another nation’s primary interest, but also her capability.

1. Doom
2. Wizardry
3. Akalabeth / Ultima I – III
4. Ms Pac-man
5. Madden ’92 – 2006 (although there were some weak years)
6. Space War
7. Quake (for the modding innovation)
8. Autoduel
9. Wing Commander
10. Combat Mission

Honorable mention: Castle Wolfenstein (Apple II), Mechwarrior, TIE Fighter, Warcraft, Panzer General, SimCity, VASSAL, Skiing (Intellivision), Combat (Atari 2600), Super Mario 64, Tetris.

Without a doubt, Richard Garriot was the greatest electronic game designer of all-time. But the John-John team of Romero and Carmack runs a very solid and respectable second thanks to their continued dedication to pushing the envelope.

Pretty Lady has a theory:

Pretty Lady is a bit tired of hearing that women will “claw their way over a dozen nice guys to get to the jerk.” (I don’t remember where I read this, but somehow it sticks in my mind.) On some level, there is a bit of truth to this statement; the woman’s virtue of compassion, when taken to the extreme, leads to co-dependency. Thus when a swarthy, moody gentleman is lounging in a corner, exuding misogyny, cynicism, and alienated anomie, the Good Woman will immediately spring to attention, and swarm her way over to heal the devil’s wounded soul. This is unfortunate, but it is the Way We Are.

However, in my experience, it is simply not true that Nice Guys always lose out on the goodies. Pretty Lady admits that her own taste in men is terrible. She has always been the first in line to soak up abuse from a moody stranger. However, her terrible taste does not extend to her male friends. She could name you a dozen bright fellows off the top of her head, with whom she has shared many a late-night study session, bourbon and anchovy pizza, art opening or tractor pull, who are Nice Guys par excellence. Many of them were also, in college at least, pimply-faced dweebs with the sexual magnetism of a doorknob.

There is, of course, a certain irony in providing dating analysis as a self-admitted failure, especially when it involves defending one’s hitherto unsuccessful system of assigning value. The key, I think, is PL’s dismissive mention of doorknobs and their lack of sexual magnetism; in reading this, I don’t see any genuine conflict between her perspective and the cliche she is dismissing.

While there are plenty of Smarmy Twerps out there, that description simply doesn’t apply to the vast majority of good and decent men who have come up short on the sexual competition circuit. Furthermore, this analysis completely ignores the Alpha male phenomenon, which can be observed in every social circle.

Women are attracted to perceived Alpha status beyond everything else. I have been in a stadium suite full of beautiful women and rich men – including Donald Trump, who later sat right behind me – and seen those women ignore the wealthy men in favor of the ugliest man in the room, Henry Kissinger. Power and fame trump wealth, and wealth trumps looks, charm and sexual prowess.

Thus, if a man is the leader of his pack, women will be drawn to him without him even noticing. Girls in the crowd expose themselves to the lead singer, while secretaries and middle managers are hot for CEO even if he is a short, hairless toad… and especially if he is a short hairless toad with a Napoleon complex. The appeal of the bad boy is encompassed in this phenomenon, because in a woman’s eyes, he represents a potential Alpha, while she knows that the nice Beta or Gamma male will never, ever become one and therefore lacks the aforementioned sexual magnetism.

What many women fail to grasp is that a lone wolf is not necessarily an Alpha male. A true Alpha effortlessly assembles a pack no matter where he goes, he does it unconsciously and finds others acquiescing to him before he even thinks of demanding it of them. He might pass through a broody, dysfunctional stage when young, but he will never stay there for long. And Alphas recognize each other on sight, sometimes they get along, sometimes they’ll lunge for each other’s throats, but it’s always an immediate awareness.

The significant question, then, is whether sexual magnetism – of either variety – is more important than kindness, consideration, dedication and love. I don’t believe that it is, primarily because sex is only one small – albeit important – aspect of a romantic relationship’s totality. Hotness is nice, but it is not a serious basis for a long-term relationship, let alone a marriage.

By the way, another reason that women might do well to give greater consideration to Beta or Gamma males is that those men are much more tolerant of women attempting to control them. Lone wolves and Alphas will sooner kill a woman than submit to one, and the more a woman attempts to exert control over them, the worse their behavior will become. Some men are natural jerks, for others, it is learned behavior.

But nevertheless, Pretty Lady does provide a wise piece of advice for men and women alike: “It is important to understand when a woman [man] is Out Of Your League.”

The results are in:

Hamas’ top official told Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday the Islamic militant group is ready for a partnership after defeating the ruling Fatah Party in parliamentary elections — a shocking upset sure to throw Mideast peacemaking into turmoil.

Isn’t it wonderful that we have spent billions of dollars bringing democracy to Iraq? Democracy is so wonderful that it doesn’t even matter who it brings to power, what’s truly important is that everyone was able to vote!

I understand that voting not only cures cancer but also increases one’s sexual satisfaction. Other benefits include societal stability, because nothing says stability like government by Islamic militants.

It’s not racist to insist that democracy is bad for Arab nations. It’s demonstrably bad for Anglo-Saxon nations too.

The video game industry’s 2006 E3 Expo trade show in Los Angeles is getting a make-over — banned are the swarms of sexy, semi-clad “booth babes” that in years past took the unveiling of new games and technology to titillating new levels.

Rules prohibiting the use of scantily clad young women to peddle video games are nothing new, but the handbook for this year’s show in May outlines tough new penalties, including a $5,000 fine on the spot for the booth owner if the “booth babe” is semi-clad.

“What’s new in 2006 is an update and clarification of the enforcement policies; as we do from time to time, we have taken steps to ensure that exhibitors are familiar with the policy and how it will be enforced,” Mary Dolaher, E3 Expo show director, said in an e-mail.

It would appear that the critical mass of women working on electronic entertainment has finally been reached. No wonder the big publishers’ games are mostly derivative trash remniscent of Hollywood-class originality these days. Things started going downhill fast when they moved the Computer Game Developers Conference from the Westin and the big money people got involved.

The lesson, as always, is this. Put a woman in charge and she’ll start acting like she’s everyone’s mother.

Gutfeld plays comedian on the Huffington Post:

Little Johnny goes up to his mother and says, “Is it true babies come from storks?” “Why yes,” says the mom. “Do storks ever have abortions?” he asks. The mother stops and laughs and then says, “Yes, but only the poor black ones.”

The funniest part isn’t the jokes, which are designed more to skewer abortion supporters than be humorous, but the reaction of the angry abortionettes and abortioneuters who are simply aghast that this should appear on their adored Huffer Puffer, which isn’t left-wing at all but is moderate and centrist, which is why this crazy and offensive Gutfeld guy should be thrown out into the outer darkness.

Remember when Arianna Hufferopolis said she was conservative? And remember when she was an egocentric jackass and no one took her seriously?

That was awesome!

Vegetious sees more than one way:

17For the law was given through Moses; God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came THROUGH Jesus Christ.

Not because of…. do you see the grammatical difference ?

5Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of WATER AND THE SPIRIT b] 6Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. 7So don’t be surprised at my statement that you[c] must be born again. 8Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

I do not see here where Jesus proclaims that he is the only way….

24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Does not say only in Jesus as a human figure.

By now you are either getting the direction or are lost in your refusal and anger…..things Jesus warned would blind us from the truth.

You’re very quick to pull out the victimization card there, Vegetious. First, you are referring to “God’s unfailing love and faithfulness”, not salvation, so your point there, such as it is, is irrelevant. But let’s look at the grammar anyhow.

“I am THE way…. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Oxford: THROUGH = “by means of”

Therefore, Jesus Christ is clearly stating “no one comes to the Father except by means of me.” Which supports his assertion “I am THE way”, which cannot be considered merely “one of the ways” as you would have it.

It is difficult to get any more clear than that. As for your years of seminary, I don’t see that as terribly meaningful or impressive, given the blinkered products that one so often sees in the pulpits of America.

I’ve gotten a few emails requesting addition to the blogroll over the last six weeks or so. Since I’m not all that inclined to spend time digging through my inbox, if you have a blog and would like to be added to the list, please provide your blogname and the URL here.