Sometimes I get tired of getting advice about MEN from other women. Women naturally are designed to be nurturing and caring human beings, so for the most part, they won’t say anything to hurt your feelings. Its almost like we have a secret “Girl Power Team” against the “Evil Forces” of the MEN. So with that said, I decided to ask MEN their thoughts about women having sex on the first date. A lot of responses came in both on the good and bad side. I must admit, the response that resonated with me came from MrMontgomery. He believed that if you really liked the woman, it doesn’t matter.

I can believe in that. The only problem is how many MEN are you going to sleep with on the first date in HOPES that he really likes you at the end of the day? The risk seems to great, but I get his point.

The Epiphany Sessions:    A Meeting of the Sexes on Why We Cheat

Have you cheated or been cheated on in a relationship? Join as we discuss what causes cheating to happen and how to start over once it happens. We have some great panelists coming to give the real and honest answers.

July 23,2010

595 North Event Facility

DOORS OPEN AT 6:30PM & ALL MEN ARE FREE BEFORE 7PM

Make sure to visit our vendors!

Hosted by Bobby Rouse author of the Essence article “No Love for Mr. Nice”

For all media requests and vendor opportunities please email epiphanysession@live.com

RSVP HERE

Never Go Shopping When You’re Hungry
If you shop for food when you’re stomach is rumbling, everything in the supermarket looks good. Everything is appetizing when you’re dying of starvation.  If you’re hungry enough, you will eat  junk; things that are entirely devoid of nutritional content. Dating is similar, in that when you’re unhappy with who you are, you’re more likely to date junk, and conduct entire relationships that are devoid of emotional content. We all make better decisions about who to love when we aren’t starved for affection. Liking yourself is the start to being liked by someone, and being happy with who you are is the only way to become part of a happy couple. So before you go love someone else, fill up on love for yourself!

Pick Strawberries
It’s important to live and love with as little fear as possible. Life is short, and often painful.  You can’t predict the future and you can’t change the past. Try not to allow past pain or future uncertainty to keep you from enjoying the present.  Ideal circumstances rarely happen to people, but ideal people can happen to circumstances. Say and do the things that really matter to you today without hesitation, because you never know if you’re going to get another chance.  Your life is now. When strawberries present themselves, pick them.

Recognize Your Teachers
The Universe has a twisted sense of humor. Whatever blessing you ask of it, it will present you with the appropriate tools needed to develop in you the qualities you require to attain that which you seek.  Ask for love and The Universe will laugh, and whisper ‘Are you ready?’, knowing full well that you are not. It will scrape away your preconceptions, strip you down to your bare essence, and then it will point, and laugh.  The Universe wants you to become an individual worthy of it’s greatest gifts, so it will send you teachers. When relationships don’t work out, try to learn the lessons well enough not to repeat your mistakes, and then forget it all just enough to be open to making new mistakes. Remember, the Universe is preparing you to be part of something delicious.

Don’t Settle For Less than You Deserve
You accept only the highest standards for your job, your friends, your home. Why enforce a lower standard for your love life? Not everyone can afford a BMW, and not every man can be with you.  Be reasonable, be realistic, but never underestimate your intrinsic worth. The second you settle for less than you deserve, you deserve what you settled for.

Great Sex Reinforces Love
Great sex is to a relationship as oxygen is to air, in that it is a necessary, but not dominant component. Prolonged exposure to pure oxygen causes brain damage, but deprive the body of oxygen for even a few minutes and you’d die. Similarly, a relationship comprised of nothing but sex is ultimately toxic, but without it, relationships lose their fire and begin to die. Sexual chemistry is a powerful thing, so try to only form those kinds of bonds with someone you genuinely care for. The best sex in the world will isn’t reason enough to become romantically involved with someone who’s not right for you. Remember, it’s not what’s between your legs, it’s what’s between your ears.

By: Jackie Summers

Today I finished working with the executive producer and director of a new pilot show being filmed in Atlanta called “Quest For Companionship.” The film and casting crew were all very nice people. Well in the mist of shooting of course I had to get my opinions of dating in Atlanta. Enjoy!

I’ve got a funny story and it only occurred to me after talking to a fellow Yelper about this thread.  The first girl I ever met online and actually went on a date with was a Georgia State grad student.  She was nice, but we weren’t exactly compatible.  We went on only one date and I decided she really wasn’t for me.  Then one day, she saw in my GChat status message that I was planning on going to the Georgia Tech vs. Georgia State basketball game later that night.  I am a Tech grad, die-hard Tech sports fan, have season tickets to men’s basketball games, and go to every home game.  Anyway, she saw my status message and invited herself to the game with me!

So later that night, she drove to my place and we went to the game together.  I did NOT want to sit in my regular seats because I did not want any of my fellow season ticket holders, friends, and/or co-workers to spot me with this new girl and start asking me about her, talking about her, etc.  I took her down to the student section to blend in.  Well, lo and behold, at the first or second timeout of the game, we were put on the freaking Jumbotron on KISS CAM!  I saw us on the Jumbotron and immediately pretended I didn’t know what the hell was going on.  Luckily, she was so enthralled by the cheerleaders on the court, she never looked up and saw us.  I was so unbelievably embarrassed and the entire coliseum let out a loud “BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” because I didn’t kiss her.  Great!

The next day at work, my boss (another season ticket holder who was at the game), asked me, “Dan, my wife said she swore she saw you on Kiss Cam last night, but I only got a glance.  Was that you!?”  Me: “Uh, no.”

- Daniel “TD2timeMVP” B.

A good friend of mine decided to create a video blog about the good and career orientated black men in Atlanta. She pretty much got tired of hearing women complain over and over about there not being any great men. Personally, I think you should learn to interracially date, but this isn’t about me. So, she’s decided to introduce her male friends to the world via video blog and show Atlanta that there are nice, responsible, artistic, interesting, and great black men in Atlanta. Stay tuned…..

Recently I posted the question on Twitter…. “Is it mean to say that ALL men cheat? Or MOST cheat? I got an overwhelming amount of responses. Most twitter friends like Jen_Gardner, NigerianHotness, and Mya1979 felt that they didn’t believe that all men cheated. Then of course we had opinions like MsLuckyLefty who felt that all the men in her life were cheats. As hard as that may be for people to swallow, you can’t fault her because that’s all she’s seen, so why would her opinion be anything else? Most responses where like that of CURVYQUEEN , templeostone, Afrikyn, and iKick_Buttowski who believed that both men and women cheated and that gender didn’t matter.

While doing my research to find out why people cheat I came across thousands of different lists of reasons why. How confusing? It made me start thinking that maybe humans aren’t designed to desire only one human being for the rest of their life? Maybe that’s why people so heavily believe in the “soul mate” concept?

This lead me to believe that being with a person in this day and age where mutually you both want to be faithful to each other forever makes the soul mate concept surreal.

I recently had a discussion with my Twitter friend @NikkiHeartless in regards to what the next Atlanta dating topic should be for my documentary. One of her concerns was, “What defines the right type?…everyone talks about a shortage of good this or that. What defines “good”?”

I thought this was a very interesting point, so I’ve decided to take this question to the streets of Atlanta and get the answers from single men and women. Let’s see if we can handle the truth. Stay tuned!!!! =)

Drinking! Drinking! Drinking!… Don’t we all just love it! And if you know me, then you know I can pretty much drink ANY man under the table…lol.

Unfortunately, MEN aren’t that into women that drink excessively. According to a study by Joseph LaBrie, associate professor of psychology LMU, many college women believe “that men find it attractive and sexually appealing when a woman can drink as much as a man does.”

It found that 26.1% of women stated that men would be most likely to be attracted to a girl that drinks 5 or more drinks in an evening. However, the study finds that men generally prefer lighter drinking patterns in their female friends or sexual partners. Women’s estimates are nearly double men’s actual preferences.

Though these are college students used in the study, I’m sure some of the men haven’t changed their thoughts about women who drink in their adult life. As a datee in Atlanta that drinks, it’s hard to say “NO” to one while out on a date. Not only are drinks tasty, it’s usually a good way to loosen up. To switch up my dating tactics, I’ll give this minimal drinking a try and see if I attract a different caliber of men or stay in a relationship longer then 3 months..lol. Ultimately though, it’s up to you to decided whether or not you care if the person you date likes you drinking. =)

As women, I think we constantly brain wrestle with ourselves when it comes to dating. Saying  “I’m not going to call him if he doesn’t do this or that, or since he said this, that means that.” In all actuality, I really feel like the person you’re supposed to be with shouldn’t come with all these conniving rules and regulations. You shouldn’t have to trick him into being with you. Just like in the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” we set up reasons or matters of why men do what they do to make ourselves feel better or to keep the hope of HIM being “The One”. We possibly could be doing this not realizing that we are making an excuse for bad behavior or not acknowledging that he’s just not that into you. I feel that if a man is into you, no matter his situation, he will make it work or at least take the time to get to know you. Men are pretty simple fortunately. They say and do what they mean.