It's all or nothing for Nintendo, as the once undisputed heavyweight of console games is poised to release the Wii U on November 18th.

Nintendo has an uphill battle on its hands, because the greatest challenge of all, will be removing itself from its past kiddie image, and moving toward an image that will attract hardcore gamers.

 See, here's the issue in a nutshell. Many hardcore gamers like myself, that purchased the Wii (the predecessor to the Wii U) back when it launched in 2006, grew quickly bored with the system. A lack of innovative games by 3rd party developers, and graphics that were inferior to that of the X-Box 360 and the PS3, were instant turn offs.

Nintendo had its trinity of games developed inhouse, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid - but lacked the firepower of titles such as Call of Duty and Madden.

Instead gamers received watered down versions - which really, really left a bad taste in consumers mouths.

Nintendo has to rebuild that trust and at the same time gain a strong footing, to regain its title. It can do this, but perception is perhaps the greatest key.

The technology sounds amazing.

Nintendo said that the Wii U supports 1080p graphics and has 2 GB of memory; 1 GB as system memory and the same for game memory. The console will be released in two versions; a basic white version with 8 GB of internal storage, and a premium black version with 32 GB of internal storage, which includes stand and docks. An HDMI cable will be included with both versions.

The Wii U features a new controller, called the Wii U GamePad, with an embedded touchscreen. The controller allows a player to continue playing games by displaying the game even when the television is off.

As amazing as this might seem - it's all for naught if gamers who lost confidence in the Wii, don't flock over to Ninetendo's upcoming system. Truly the game is on.

The 3-Piece rule

  

     To the women who are reading this, please pay close attention. There are three crucial things that men want from a relationship, that women often miss and overlook. When a man doesn't get these three things for a significant period of time, then trouble can set into the relationship.

     So what are these three things. They are piece, peace, and a piece.  The three piece rule as I call it might seem overly simplistic, but it can really save and help a relationship thrive if women were to follow these basic rules.

     The first piece, quite simply put, refers to sex. Yes this is a crude way of saying it, but it is significant nonetheless. A man wants to have sex on a regular basis, because we look at it as a release from the pressures of the world and a chance to obtain physical elation with our female mate. It's a need for us, just as it is a need for women to connect emotionally with their men.

    The second peace, refers to peace in the home. But that's rather a broad term isn't it. Peace in the home. What I mean by this is, the next time a man sees his woman he doesn't want any conflict or stress. Whether he's just getting off from work, or waking up next to his woman in the morning, a man doesn't want to be at odds with his woman.

    Point blank. Imagine coming home from a long days work, and everything was fine before you left. The last thing you want when you get home is some type of emotional turmoil that disrupts the home - the safe haven that was built to escape from the pressures of the outside world. You don't want that and you can sure bet that the man you're with doesn't want that either.

   The final piece is more abstract. It plays off the conflict that some women have with men carrying guns in the home.The piece in this case, is a man's hobby. When women block or hinder men from having a healthy hobby that they enjoy, it creates a roadblock.  The man can't be himself, and he is in conflict.

    You would not believe the difference it would make in the relationship if a women would just allow men to peacefully follow their interests. Let him have his toys, as long as they are healthy respectable things that don't damage or harm the household or family.

     If your man loves collecting action figures, don't tell him to grow up and stop collecting them. Ask him about them, heck even get involved if you can.

     When the 3-Piece rule is honored, then it creates a healthier, happier relationship for all involved.

The Great Debate

  
      Nearly a week has passed since President Obama and Mitt Romney went head to head in their first debate. Well, depending on who you asked listened to, the criticism against President Obama differed from light to severe.

     Many on the left have sharply criticized President Obama for not bringing up Mitt Romney's comments about the 47%. Many wanted Obama to go in for the kill on this, and when he didn't - and Romney seemed to have a leg up, well that didn't sit right with a lot of people.

    After sending out e-mails and texts to friends about Obama - specifically calling his performance a failure, many rallied against my assertion, to the point where I thought it might revert to fisticuffs. Well, not really, but at least some deeply heated words.

    But what I find so interesting here, what I find so compelling, is that those who defend Obama - the friends that I have talked to about this - don't necessarily defend his record, but his character as being the first black man in office.

    People, we have got to get past race, especially when it comes down to presidential elections. We need to look at the candidate's record and what he or she stands for. You would not believe some of the comments I received. One went so far as to hurl a barrage of vulgar insults on Romney, saying he disrespected Obama.

    This kind of thinking can't continue and it's not good for this country. I happen to like Obama, and think that he has done some tremendous things with the situation he's been handed. To me Romney is out of touch with many Americans. His ideas on who is middle class or not really trouble me.

    I simply don't think that working/poor Americans like me are going to benefit that much financially and economically under  Romney. That's just my opinion and I can state it without disrespecting the man or resulting to juvenile tactics.

    Here's the debate again if you missed it.

Single, Young and Married (SYM)

     Keisha carefully tucked her coach bag under her right arm. Devon had given it to her for a gift for their first wedding anniversary. Happier times, she said slightly parcing her lips.

     But those are long gone she countered, making her way to the door and quickly snatching her car keys off the shelf.The night was young, and there were people to meet.

     Sounds like the beginning of an ebony romance novel doesn't it? Sadly this isn't fiction, but rather a syndrome that some younger married couples face. I call it the SYM syndrome. Single, young and married.

     Men and women in some households now are living separate lives. They have separate accounts, sleep in separate beds, and have separate friends. Voids or cracks in the relationship that weren't repaired have caused these couples to live apart from eachother, while in the same household.

     At some point the couple has to ask the question what are we doing?

     The sad truth is that now more than ever the idea of marriage is less about being one and more about taking what one can get from the other.
   
     When there isn't anything to take, the other partner goes to find it through some other avenue - whether it's another person or developing an entirely different lifestyle.

     In couples I've talked to that have been successful, you always find the two joined at the hip, but able to separate and become autonomous when they need too. 

     Perhaps it's because they are actually two whole individuals coming together to become one. In the relationships that seem to go through this you often have two halves coming together searching for completion. 

     Or it could stem from the fact that the both really have no vision. That they are simply going through the motions rather than having a positive and definite plan for life. Maybe that's why they find themselves SYM.

Performance-based relationships fail

     In my day job, I often write about loans or financings that companies acquire. Often times to secure this money, the company has to meet certain terms and conditions - milestones if you will. It's very much performance based.

     While this is expected in transactions like this, it hardly seems like the performance-based structure would quite lend itself to matters of the heart or relationships. Yet millions of couples go on blissfully unaware that they are in these types of relationships and are forcing "the terms of agreement" in their relationships.

     In a conversation during my commute to work on Atlanta's finest rail system, I spoke with a man who was struggling with his wife on this very issue. Often times he has to perform a certain task - whether it's cleaning up the house, or buying her that special gift that she wants - before the relationship can advance (that's code for before she can be cordial to him again).

     It's a tough situation he's in. Constantly being put into a "position" where he has to "prove" his love. Now if you're reading this, and you think that this is silly, ask yourself if you're guilty of this?

     Do you love your mate unconditionally, or is your significant other only as good as what he or she can do for you? Do you withhold sex from your spouse when they fail to complete a task? Do you have a sour attitude and become emotionally distant when your spouse fails to meet a goal you have set for them and the family?

     If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then I would urge you to reconsider your actions. Not only does it create distance between you and your spouse, but it also serves as a sad narrative of your true character.

     End the performance-based relationship and learn to love unconditionally. It will pay off tremendously in the future for the health and well being of your marriage.

The haves and the have nots

I hadn't grasped exactly what the upcoming Presidential election was about until Mitt Romney's now infamous 47% footage was revealed.

To make a cumbersome blog topic short - this Presidential election is about the haves and the havenots. And where you stand alongside the economic ladder is probably how you'll vote.

Mitt Romney, to me, while an accomplished businessman and skilled politician, has no clue about the working class in America or what it means to struggle financially, when you've done everything right. While he should not be criticized for this, he should be called into question for pretending to say that he does understand this. Don't fake the funk. Be for real and be honest.

I remember my growing up when my mother taught me the true meaning of sacrifice. It was a lesson she learned from her parents and it was a lesson she displayed during my childhood. My mother was not poor by any stretch of the imagination. She was a school teacher, who worked long hours and had meals cooked every night when she got off work. She did not suck on the government teet, but she sure didn't make $250,000 a year either or $100,000 so I guess she wasn't middle class.

No, she wasn't middle class according to Romney's study, instead she busted her butt; held her marriage together; put food on the table; helped pay for the majority of my college education so I could make something out of my life; be a productive citizen in this country.

It is a lesson that I want to impart on my family and my children.  Romney has shown that he really doesn't understand the working class. From the awkard 47% speech, to his insane definition about what the middle class is.

Ultimately, Romney is proving that he doesn't care about the 47% and at the same time diassociating many voters because of his total misunderstanding of the wages people make. Do I think Romney is condemning the have nots? No I don't.

I simply think that he doesn't understand, and any president that I vote for, I want to know and care about both those who have, and those who have not.

Middle Class or Walking Dead?

So, according to an AP story that ran last week,  Mitt Romney and President Obama think that middle income families are those that live in households where the income $250,000 to $200,000 or less. Romney points out that he doesn't think households that make $100,000 are middle income.

Is it just me, or does it seem like these two have no clue about the economic realty in this country? Or perhaps I just need to reside to the fact that I need to broaden my thinking when it comes to finances (at least that's what my wife says).

I mean if $100,000 in a household isn't considered middle income... man I must really be behind the curve. To quote one of my co-workers, "if this is what middle class is, what does that make me?"

My answer, the Walking dead.

It's true. We who are not making this salary are simply zombies. The bottom feeders in the economic plans of these presidential candidates. In truth, we're the ones propping the country up. The lemmings who bought into the dream of going to college and settling into careers to take care of our families.

Or we could just be lazy for not doing all we could to reach middle income status. 

A different look at Honey Boo Boo

  
 Back in the 90s, when I was in middle school, I had a pet turtle named Rex, and instead of memorizing basketball or Football stats like my classmates, I was more concerned with keeping up with the latest issue of Spider-Man, or finding out ways to pay for Uncanny X-Men when it would go bi-weekly in the Summer (those books cost a lot back then for a kid with no job).

You can imagine that people thought I was strange, and if my life was a reality television show back then  - well, I probably would be very much the laughing stock of the country. Did I mention, that I was barely over 100 pounds. I was more like 98.9. Yup.

Now fast forward 20 some odd years later, and enter the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.   For those of you who don't know, the show revolves around the life of six year-old Alana Thompson aka Honey Boo Boo, and the antics of her family.

After reading about the show in an entertainment article in the AJC, I decided to watch an episode. When I looked at it utter horror spread across my face. This is terrible I said. This is trashy, how can people live like this. I immediately began asking friends if they had seen it, and in my worldliness I began to formulate an opinion about this young girl, who kept a pig for a pet.

Then, something hit me. More specifically, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, and rather quite loudly. How could I, pass judgement or criticize the way these people lived without first looking at myself, and my upbringing. My best friend was a turtle named Rex, and my uncle's idea of a good quick meal was a fatback sandwich. I could be considered just as strange.

And then the point really hit home with me for the show. These are people that are living their lives. They aren't bothering anyone and what they show eachother on the show is there own type of love. It might be different, it might seem strange to some but who are we to mock it or even question it? So while the critics might slam the show, and other's might use it as a guilty pleasure to point out and make fun of the differences, I'm going in a different route.

Be upfront and honest!!!!

Here's one thing that I just don't understand. Why can't single people be more honest about who they're seeing - why can't they just be upfront about it?

I say this, because of the insight that I've gained as a married man. All too often, I see many people who are single try to act like they're married, when their really is no need too.

Faithfulness in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship is only for that other person's piece of mind, and is not solidified by any bond. With the exception of common law, and you have to be together for 7 years for that to happen - you aren't really entitled to anything if you two breakup.

But that's not my point. My point is that their are many of my single male friends who are "playas" and feel the need to lie to women that they aren't seeing anyone else.

Here's a novel idea - why not tell the women up front - and then there won't be anything to hide. You don't have any obligation to them. The same goes for women!!! It is incredible the lengths that some single people will go to, when a dose of honesty would end the need for lies and deception.

Relationship Rant #632

About a month ago, one of my friends broke up with a woman that he had been in a longterm relationship with.

After the break up he through up his hands and made a fateful proclamation - "I'm tired of trying to love these women. From now on, I only want one thing."

Sadly my friend's proclamation is one that can be heard from husbands throughout households across the country. If you listen closely - probably in unison too.

I think the issue is that many women bring in a great deal of emotional baggage that men are not equipped or prepared to deal with. See a lot of men see the world in black and white.

We think if we hold down a good job; provide for our families and stay faithful - then that's it. But women need, want and desire more. Unfortunately that more sometimes manifests itself in anger when it is not given. 

It's not that men are unable to give, it's that they simply don't know how. Some would relish the opportunity for their wives to tell them - hey this bothers me because ....

How many arguements over hanging the towel up the wrong way; or washing dishes could be avoided if wives would just open up and tell their husbands why it means so much to them? Many loving husbands would jump at the opportunity to be able to love their wives and relate to them on a stronger level.

Women just open up.

NCLB gets suspended in 10 states

Here's an item that flew under the radar these past few weeks.

President Obama has released 10 states from the mandates of No Child Left Behind. One of those states is Georgia. If you recall Georgia - specifically the Atlanta Public School System, came under fire in the last few years for numerous cheating activities.

The climate of cheating was spurred on by the rigorous demands of NCLB. NCLB, which was instituted back in 2001, requires all government-run schools receiving federal funding to administer a state-wide standardized test (all students take the same test under the same conditions) annually to all students. The students' scores are used to determine whether the school has taught the students well. If the school's results are repeatedly poor, then a series of steps are taken to improve the school.

Here's the kicker to NCLB. Each year the schools must see significant improvement, or they run the risk of losing funding or at the worst, possibly being taken over by the state. The problem is, some of the school systems already max out their improvement. They're scoring well on the tests - but they aren't scoring well enough to show significant strides in improvement. This has cost districts significant resources!!!!

Back in July of 2011, I asked the question, is NCLB a factor in the rampant cheating scandal involving the Atlanta Public Schools. It seems as if some agree with me with this recent turn of events.

But the question now is, how will all this shakedown - and will we see more school systems across the country opt out of NCLB before long?

Straighten it our before you get married

A couple of weeks ago, I went over to an old college buddy's house, and found him playing a video game on his laptop. His wife came out and greeted him in loving manner and then went back upstairs to get some of her work done.

I was shocked. I was shocked because a lot of my friend's spouses aren't that receptive when it comes to them playing video games or having down time that doesn't totally involve the family.

So, I immediately asked my friend what the secret was, and his reply was golden.

"I got all that straightened out before I got married."

So simple, yet it makes sense.

How often do we "lie" or not fully tell the truth about ourselves when we're dating, and then when we get married our cover ups blow up in our face.

My buddy is a hardcore gamer and his wife knew the exact extent of his gaming prowess. Some gamers, like myself, never fully reveal the extent to which we will play video games, which can be quite troubling for our spouses.

What happens is, that we sacrifice something that is important to us - to keep the peace- but we grow resentful.

I think at some key, core level, we really don't want our spouse to see the side that might not be perceived as cool or interesting.

The Enemy

As I was walking into church on Sunday, a cold chill went up my spine.

You're going to die alone, a voice whispered to me. You won't have any friends or any family around and you're going to die alone.

As I got inside the church and looked at all the couples around, and people with their children, I felt like there was more validity to this than just a simple premonition.

I truly felt alone. I felt like my family was not going to be there anywhere close to me, and I felt like I would never truly bond with my daughter.

My doubts - my issues - all felt like they were bubbling to the surface, and that they would prevent me from having any type of happiness.

But the enemy often tries to use doubt and fear as paralyzing agents. He uses whatever weapon he can to separate you from God.

I always have to remember, life has a way of kicking you down; God has a way of keeping you up.

Confused Christian seeking understanding

I'm not a member of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

I've never attended the church in Dekalb County, and I've never met its leader - Bishop Eddie Long.

But that doesn't change the fact that as a Christian man, I'm concerned confused over what's happening with at the church and with Bishop Long. Ever since the sexual misconduct allegations started for Bishop Long, he and his church have made headlines here in Atlanta.

Just last week, a story said that Bishop Long's wife, who had filed for divorce, has decided not to leave him. There has been a great deal of back and forth on this issue and the media has reported each decision and each statement that has come out of Long's camp regarding this situation.

But that's not why I'm writing. I'm writing because, believe it or not, my faith is a bit shaken - not in God. No, instead my faith is shaken over church leadership.

After all the news on Bishop Long, which continues to mount every other week, I just don't think that I can blindly trust church leadership anymore. Maybe I never was suppose to. Or maybe, I'm just confused and seeking understanding.

Bishop Eddie Long & Youtube

Last week, Bishop Eddie Long entered the realm of controversy yet again, when the Atlanta Journal Constitution broke a story about him taking part in a religious ceremony that saw the enigmatic figure crowned as some sort of king by a Jewish minister.

The 14-minute long video posted to youtube, drew much criticism from the Jewsish community, and even eventually led to an apology from Bishop Long. It's also leading to an investigatory piece that will be covered by WSBTV in Atlanta later on today around 5 p.m.

What is so interesting about this, is the fact that the News Media continue to build stories off of what happens in the pulpit on Sunday's from this church. They often get their material from youtube postings of the sermons and services.

If you recall, an article discussing World Changer's Pastor Creflo Dollar and his "support" (I'll let you decide if this was such) of Bishop Long, was published in the AJC last year, just based off of a video uploaded to youtube. The video was taken off of youtube shortly after the story was published in the AJC.

What is becoming increasingly apparent, is that pastors no longer have the same impunity to say what they want in the pulpit without facing a significant amount of criticism from the media. It doesn't matter if you find the video offensive or not (many have), the fact is, messages that were once behind closed doors are now being exposed to the world.

I think Chrisitan leaders need to take heed to this, and make sure what they're doing in these times, really lines up with God's message.

Do you have a Good Man?

It always baffles me, whenever I hear conversations from women complaining about their husbands or boyfriends. They seem to be so critical of him - pointing out every flaw he has - from not putting the towel on the towel rack properly, to not taking them out on the date that they would love to have.

As a man, I'm not perfect. In fact the only person that is perfect is Jesus - and even though I strive to be like him, I'm far from him. I think all too often women are looking for that hero that will sweep them off their feet and solve every problem.

But what women aren't looking at is sometimes they have flooded these men with problems and have put them into a position where they're tired of solving every little thing.

But how do you know if you have a good man? Women ask yourself these questions.

• Does he take care of his family?
• Does he combine his income with yours in an open manner to help you both achieve the hopes and dreams that you have as a family?
• Is he a nice person to those around him?
• Does he show an honest interest in your well being?
• If you were hospitalized could you count on him to visit you and take care of the household while you were away?
• Does he have a love for the Lord and share that love with you?
• Is he faithful?

If the answer to most of these questions is yes, and you still don't think you have a good man, then ask yourself... what's wrong with my perception. Why is it that he isn't one in my own eyes. It could be that your own expectations are clouding your judgement.