Taxes and Integrity

I was working on my taxes and when I got down to the end, I noticed that I owed a dollar.

Yes, ‘a’ – as in one – dollar.

The King Edition, Volume IV

So I've done three of these previously. I thought the first two were pretty good. The third, not so much. I honestly haven't looked at it, nor do I plan to. I may not think it's that bad, I may think it's even worse than I originally thought. My comparatively negative opinion of that third piece is what gives me the inspiration to (hopefully) make this fourth edition better.

(Ed. note: I looked at last year's edition. It wasn't that bad.)

Truth and Te'o

I’m a Miami fan, and I hate Notre Dame. I have no love for anything Notre Dame besides Skylar Diggins. I have surely had my fun from making jokes about this Manti Te’o situation. Even as someone who has been in a “catfish” situation, I laughed about it for almost an entire day.

Strange thing happened, though: I began to feel sorry for Te’o. Maybe it’s because I’m a Cancer. Maybe it’s the social work degree. It’s not because I’ve been in a “catfish” situation. Maybe I’m just more compassionate than I choose – or would like to believe – I am. There’s just something really wrong with this picture.
 

The Best Soundtrack of All Time

The question came across Twitter recently, and I figured my answer was worthy of an explanation.

“What is the best movie soundtrack of all time?”

Not sure if that was the exact wording, but it’s close enough.

You ask a lot of people, you’re going to get a lot of different answers. Some people will say Saturday Night Fever. Some will say The Bodyguard. Some will say Boomerang. Some will say Purple Rain. Some will say New Jersey Drive (with very good reason: it’s #2 to me). I thought Boyz N The Hood, CB4, and Poetic Justice all had their highlights. However, none of these soundtracks is at the top of the list.

Five Points of Light

Finally back...went home for the holidays, which threw off my schedule as I usually write at work. Anyway, let's get to it: this one is about five women whose presence in my life - whether past or present - I really appreciate. I'm not related to them, and I've never dated any of them (nor will I). Not going to name them or disclose any info about how I know them, as a couple of them might be embarrassed - although they may figure out who they are upon reading.

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I'm thoroughly convinced one of them doesn't know how great she is. Don't get me wrong: she knows she's great. She'd admit it if she absolutely had to. I think, though; if someone sat her down - and no, I'm not volunteering - and just went through her accomplishments, achievements, and attributes one by one...she'd probably be surprised at the realization of all the parts that make up a wonderful sum.

One of them, I'm pretty sure she knows...she won't tell you she knows, but she does. She doesn't say how great she is, but that's because she's too busy showing people. Whoever misses it, that's on them. She's consistent, but not boring. She's fun, but not silly. She's direct, but not confrontational. One of the best things about her greatness? The fact that she's so good at handling it.

One of them is definitely smart, driven, focused...but she's here because she's quite possibly the sweetest and most positive person I'll ever meet in life. If you ever have a conversation with her and don't leave with a smile, you need to re-evaluate some things. She's that ray of sunshine that never goes out. The world needs more people like her, but there could be a million and she'd still be special.

One is just amazing, in every sense of the word. How someone can be so "eclectically mesmerizing" is beyond me. She's actually a lot like one of the other women in here, but is different enough that she stands completely on her own. She's also different enough from me in that she's challenged me in a unique way and helped me find the best of myself - something for which I will be forever grateful.

One is simply a joy to be around. There isn't a positive adjective in the English language that doesn't apply to her. Much as I like the other four, she's probably the most personable - and probably puts a smile on my face first, ceteris paribus. She also has that 'je ne sais quoi' - I can't really say why she's in here as easily as I can with the others, I just know that she's here - and should be.

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One of the strange things I've noticed while writing this is that the descriptions are so interchangeable. Any of them could describe any of the women mentioned, at least loosely. None of them would ever be confused for each other (for a myriad of reasons), but they are all truly special people - and I feel honored that I know them all.