“What do you do for a living?”   

Not exactly a trick question.  Still, I stood there speechless.  The clerk at the Verizon store looked up from his computer screen and stared at me with a puzzled expression.  When he asked me the question, he probably didn’t even really care about the answer.  He was just trying to be friendly while I waited for him to activate my new phone.   But since there was a delay in my response, now he was curious.

“I…uh…have a couple of properties I look after.”   

He kept staring at me, his brow furrowed.   I stammered around some more.   

“I mean, I have some rental properties that I take care of.”

“Okay,” he said, looking back at his computer screen and giving a little shrug, as if to say, “Was it really that hard of a question?”

Here are links to two different authors thoughts on the subjects. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Introducing the TOY Marriage:

The Relationship Model for Modern Couples

(Lifetime Commitment Not Included)

My boyfriend and I recently watched the movie “Away We Go.”  Toward the end of the movie, main characters Burt Farlander and Verona De Tassant, who are expecting their first child any second, exchange some impromptu vows.  One of the vows Burt pitched to Verona was this:

“Do you promise to let our daughter be fat or skinny or any weight at all? Because we want her to be happy, no matter what. Being obsessed with weight is just too cliché for our daughter.”

“Say no!” I wanted to yell.  But instead I hit the pause button and editorialized for a while.  (Just a little service I provide for free to my family.  They love this about me.)

On its face, these two sentences sound innocent enough.  I mean, who wouldn’t want their daughter to be happy no matter what?  And only the most shallow, pageant-pushing mom would want her daughter to be obsessed with her weight, right?

Long time artists Favianna Rodriguez who hails from Oakland, California and Cesar Maxit, originally from Houston and now living in Washington DC, came togther for a special exibit in the nation's capital where they talked about the intersection between Art and Politics.

Trae the Truth deserves major props for doing what far too many rappers won't do. He was willing to stand up and smash on a local radio station that decided to ban his music over some petty nonsense. He filed a lawsuit against Radio One's KBXX the Box in Houston.

First we have to give props to Matt Sonzala for doing what so many in his position don't do speak up for the artist in his area and step to an institution that could potentially be a future employer. Matt as well as being the man who heads up the Hip Hop potion of SXSW is first and foremost a radio cat... So while many remain silent, he at least is willing to speak up and call crap, crap..

We caught up w/ Houston rapper Chamillionaire who has been making a lot of noise as of late, not just for him reuniting with childhood friend and fellow Paul Wall after 7 years and going on tour, but also because he’s been making some behind the scenes moves into the tech world.

In breaking news, two of Hip Hop’s most popular artists died today. In what was the culmination of a year long beef, an altercation in the middle of 52nd street has left both men dead. No, they didn’t shoot each other. As they stood arguing in the middle of the street, they were run over by a Tea Party Express bus that was running late for a rally…

Legendary rapper Bun B of UGK came through SxSW's Noisemakers show case for a candid Q&A with Peter Rosenberg of Hot 97 radio in New York. Bun talked about the humble beginnings of UGK starting out in the small town of Port Arthur. He noted that his early influences were Kool G Rap and members of the Juice Crew.  He said KRS-1 had the biggest influence on him as an emcee.

In celebration of International Women’s History Month we decided to highlight the voices of many who are often overlooked, taken for granted or forgotten about. Those are our sisters in Hip Hop. Women have always been on point from day one when it comes to architecting this culture called Hip Hop. We can start with Cindy Campbell - the sister of Hip Hop’s father Kool Herc. Had it not been for her suggesting and ultimately setting up the now landmark party on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in August of 1973, we might not be on the mic, yes yes y’alling at all today in 2010. Here’s a rare interview w/ Cindy Campbell...

Scholar, author Dr Cornel West, Professor at Princeton, University has gone in on President Obama. Shortly after last week’s state of the union speech West released a video where he questions Obama’s commitment to poor people. He points out that the improved economy the President touts still has an un-employment rate of 10% and that 10% is made up of real people who are in dire straits.