Then there are other individuals who refuse to engage anyone on a human or ideological level and instead cop-out (yeah I said it) by using epithets that are so played out and tired, they've completely lost their potency. "Uncle Tom", "Coon", these are all names believe it or not, I've never been called until I went online. And although I've always been vocal about my perspective, my political disagreements with other black people never went "there" because quite frankly, in the flesh, people know me better than that. Thankfully, some people online (see item #4) can also see through the facade.

Really folks, if we're going to play the role of grand arbiters of race authenticity here, let's at least get original. I mean, Uncle Tom is so Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill trial passe. I say "Uncle Tom" the character needs to be de-constructed anyhow. I think we're grossly misappropriating the term. I'll add that topic to the docket.

People wonder why I'm irritated by the false political labels we worship and adore. I'll tell you why. Because our lovely labels are among the many things that hinder people from being able to engage each other beyond surface political talk. The buck usually stops at which candidate you voted for or how you feel on a given issue. I'm sorry, but that type of dialogue is boring and although there is little from Liberal side of things that interests me personally, I have no desire to dwell in the conservative echo chamber. This here ditty on the web is intended to be read by all types of people.

Maybe us black conservatives just have a higher tolerance for opposition. After all, we'd have no contact with family members if we didn't.

The "title wave" allows people to perpetuate facades. When someone doesn't like an idea, instead of addressing the idea, they can get away with saying "Republicans make me sick" and talk about how ugly I am or break out the ad hominems in rapid-fire. It's a defense mechanism for real dialogue and it smells. Smelly people will be ignored by me.

I'm not exactly sure what type of special Barry Bonds-type steroids certain internet dwellers take to puff themselves up and become so high and mighty on the internet, but it doesn't impress me. There is often very little substance to the umpteen million accusations that get thrown at black non-democrats. You should see some of the high-minded emails I get. When people start acting indignant and making up stuff, I simply reply, "Do emails like this make you feel better about yourself?" That's usually the last I hear of the purveyors of internet hubris.

What really cracks me up are the people (especially the spawn of the Tupac Shakur cult), who love to email me and drop haughty comments to suggest in the most patronizing fashion that there is some sort of pay-off or paycheck being earned by those blacks that don't espouse the typical liberal viewpoint. And yes, some of "us" are earning a paycheck (unfortunately, not this one), but so are liberals and so is my hair stylist, and so is the tripped-out Haitian man three blocks from my office that stands out on the street eight hours a day, yelling about the police being the devil. So what exactly is the point? Last I checked, Al Sharpton was the one collecting $86,715 in "travel and consulting fees" from the Democratic National Committee to spread Kerry-love and play church in the pulpit. But hey, I'm not mad at him for collecting his paycheck, so ease on up offa me.

As it stands, it costs me more time and money to publish my ideas than it profits me and God knows that I did not sign up for this gig with the hopes of becoming a mouthpiece for "the Right". In fact, that's what I feared the most because as I'm sure you've seen, I don't like it when people think they have me "figured out". I don't have time for the garbage that requires me to worry about if what I'm going to say is going to offend [insert socialized group of people], including conservatives. If God's pleased with me then that's all that matters.

"Blogging" is by nature, highly narcissistic, so thank you for indulging me for a moment. I just had to get this on record for the future. I must be myself and if "being me" offends or provokes or numbs or bores to tears, well then by golly, I did my job.

P.S. Don't go trying to figure out which post/comments sparked this throat-clearing rant. There isn't one. It's the build up and compilation of much frustration with the online world.