Now we’ve said goodbye to 2008, I want to list the best and worst movies I saw this past year. I’m not a true movie critic, but I have gone to enough movies to know where you can get the best popcorn (Edwards 21), the best parking (Sierra Vista), the friendliest staff (Manchester), and the best deal (Edwards 21’s senior discount starts at 55 years of age … I’m still two years ago from qualifying!!!!).
The ratings will be broken down into three categories: Comedy, drama and action. Feel free to give your comments, insults, suggestions … but I’m not budging from this list.

There she was. Laura Zúñiga Huizar, the former preschool teacher who was crowned Miss Hispanoamerican two months ago in Bolivia. To the beauty queen's left were four men suspected of being gang members. To her right, three other men arrested by Jalisco (México) state police at a military checkpoint in Zapopan, Jalisco, just outside Guadalajara.

In front of the eight suspects, the evidence seized was spread out on a table. Guns, ammo and $53,300 in U.S. bills.

Say what you want to about the Oakland Raiders (The Detroit Lions of the West Coast, Commitment to Excellence ... Not!!!, Unteam of the Decade, etc.), but there is no way you can badmouth their performance on a cold and drizzling Sunday in their final home game.

The 27-16 win over a fairly good Houston Texan outfit is not the main reason to be celebrating Christmas a bit early this year. After all, the Black & Silver will drag a 4-11 record into its season-ending game Sunday (Dec. 28) at Tampa Bay (9-6).

Oscar De La Hoya is over the hill, no doubt about it. But, before you start to hurl insults at me, I’m speaking the truth. So are Mexican soccer star Cuauhtémoc Blanco, screen sirens Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes and Paz Vega, along with entertainers Mario López, Ricky Martin and Fher. Heck, even Shakira and Paulina Rubio are over the hill.

Put me on that over-the-hill list.

What’s with that shoe-throwing incident in Iraq? Either President Bush has the reflexes of a man half his age, or he must have some Mexican blood in him.
Ducking a thrown shoe is nothing new for Mexican kids who had to learn to get out of the way of a well-thrown chancla flung by an irate mother. If you misbehaved, you were sure to hear the dreaded words, “Portensen o les voy a tirar mis chanclas.” (Behave, or I’ll throw my shoes at you).
It didn’t matter if mom was wearing evening heels or her run-around-the-house huarachis. Those things were lethal.