thus begins my first week of work as a summer associate. i've never really been the corporate type (shocking, right?), but i'm looking forward to doing the firm thing this summer. of course, it will be a very unrealistic and extremely enjoyable picture of firm life that i'll be getting as a summer associate. and of course, real life at the firm will be quite different -- much more demanding and exhausting. all the same, i think it will be a great opportunity to meet cool people, and learn new skills and just get closer to being a legal professional... and make some money. this will be the first time i've had any income in several years, and the first time i've had any appreciable income ever -- so that should be nice. i should mention that high heel woes are still plaguing me in the corporate environment, but i'm making my best efforts to deal. at least in the summer time i can wear sandals.
meanwhile, my second year of law school is over. wow. it was so anti-climactic at the end this time. my finals period was not too strenuous, as most of my projects finished before finals, i didn't have too many tests, and all my extra-curriculars just kind of wound down. these past few weeks i had been relaxing a little, and it was so alien that i felt guilty. but then i got over it and enjoyed some sleep and some sunshine.
and now that the weather is getting truly warm -- 82 degrees today -- i'm getting ready to live it up in the city. this summer, i'll have no homework and no stress, and evenings and weekends are going to be full of fun things, such as: going to parks, eating at great restaurants, watching broadway shows, listening to live jazz and classical music, taking boat tours, and actually hanging out with -- as opposed to merely studying with -- my friends (novel concept, i know). just thinking about how miserable i was last summer (see variuos posts from june - december 2006) and how much fun i'm going to have this summer, i feel a great sense of relief and very keene sense of gratitude to God. as always, i'm blessed. and i'm excited already.
this week, on rush limbaugh's radio show, a (white) man imitating the voice of al sharpton sang a song called "barack the magic negro." here are the words:
"Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times they called him that
cause he's not authentic like me.
Yeah the guy from the L.A. paper
said he made guilty whites feel good
they'll vote for him and not for me
cause hes not from da hood.
See, real black men like snoop dogg
or me or Farrakhan
have talked the talk and walked the walk
not come and laid and won.
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times they called him that
cause he's not authentic like me
cause hes black but not authentically.
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times they called him that
cause he's not authentic like me
cause hes black but not authentically.
Some say Barack's articulate
and bright and new and clean
the media sure love this guy
a white interloper's dream.
But when you vote for president
watch out and don't be fooled
don't vote the magic negro in
cause...
(background singing the first 3 lines, while the singer is saying)
Cause I wont have nothing after all these years of sacrifice and I wont get justice this is about justice this is about justice, buffet, I don't have no buffet there wont be any church contributions there'll be no cash in the collection plate, no cash money, no walkin' around money..."
you can hear it for yourself here.
and you can read a transcript of the show here.
wow. just wow. a million times over, wow.
for me, it all boils down to one simple question: "would anyone ever sing such a thing about a white man running for president?" i think the answer is a resounding no, and that should pretty much clear up any confusion for those who are still wondering if there is racism in america.