It's almost the end of my work day and I've actually been working. I haven't gotten my Shelby Steele rebuttal down and for that, I apologize.

Mostly, after a few days of solid chewing over Steele's position, I've decided to distance myself from his theories. I'm sorry, Eric.

The man is obviously intelligent and has important things to say. I admire his conviction and passion on this topic. I am sure that he is one of these highly motivated, strong-willed people who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps. He is brave and strong and smart. I would like to know him.

And yet I balk.

Frist of all, I'm not sure if its highly telling or irrelevant that his name is like a romance novel hero's.

In an effort to educate myself about the neo- (and not so neo) conservative Republican movement that is currently devouring our country alive, I have been reading the National Review for a good six months now. It's been an intersting experience, this diving into the deep unknown. I have to re-assert the wisdom of one of Nietzche's many brilliant quotes: "When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes back into you."