Noriega Girl 2009!

We did! The Governator and The Admiral made the announcement! Check www.noriega.biz for the details! Thanks for voting and for your submissions!

We are already accepting nominations for Noriega Girl 2010! Don't like our choice? Make your voice heard! We are listening!!!

By the way: Happy New Year and enjoy the pics!

I am hungry now . . .

Lobster! Here's how you do it . . .

Lobster 101

Wow. Costco, here I come!

George Michael and the Sports Machine

I remember staying up late at night, after the regular news, to watch The Sports Machine with George Michael. I learned from Albert Barragan, this morning, from one of his posts and immediately I was shocked. I knew who he was talking about, and I couldn't believe it. I grew up with him, almost every night he would come into my home, on my TV set and he would talk to me about sports.

Miami Herald with image of George Michael

Most of the time, he was a straight shooter, but he would mix in the humor from time to time and you had to be paying attention to catch it. Wow, I am really saddened by this AND only 70.

I never met him and I never thought I would and now, I never will. George Michael, I am sorry you have left this world and I only hope that you have now found peace.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009 was a rough and difficult year for many of us. What you can surpass, only makes your stronger and 2009 has been such a year, we are surpassing this difficult time and 2010 can only be better for us all.

My family hopes and wishes for everyone a prosperous and joyous 2010!



Giselle
Ariel
Margarita
Roger

Brittany Murphy passed away . . .

What a shame, I am so saddened to hear that Brittany Murphy passed away, early this morning. She did of cardiac arrest - no other details.

I am the cook . . . tomorrow morning!

Once a year, I wake up early and make breakfast for friends and family. Tomorrow morning is that day! I will be preparing Chicken Pozole and my friends will be over at 10:00 A.M.

I hope it comes out well as this is the first time that I do so for so many of my seminary brothers . . .

If Peter Villacorta, Jorge Garay or Eugene Castillo go missing, it wasn't my cooking!

Wow . . .

What can I say?

I'll have to do better next time!

THERE, I said it.

Christmas.

What is the big deal? Not only did I say it, but I wrote it down, here in the blog and on Noriega.biz.

Someone shared a letter from their e-mail account about how the ACLU is trying to remove Christmas from everything and everywhere.

As I listened intently, all of sudden, they asked me if I had an opinion and of course, me being me, I stated: "Does it matter if I tell you that I am a card-carrying ACLU member?"

The look on her face was priceless. SCORE! I decided to go with it: "Are you shocked? I mean, I am not a member, but I am a contributor to the ACLU. Don't you remember that I have a radio program and I have to be sensitive to everyone. I mean, after all, what is the freaking big deal about saying 'happy holidays' or 'Merry Christmas'? What does it matter?"

"It matters that the ACLU  and others are trying to remove Christmas from everything!"

"Are you attempting to marginalize a group that is only attempting to protect the Constitution and especially, Free Speech? Look, I get it - they tend to make big mistakes, but hey, what are they really trying to do?"

"Take Christmas away?"

At this point, I realize that my intellectual curiosity was not about to attain a higher plain of understanding in this argument.

"As long as you continue to practice Christmas with those you love, Christmas will never be gone or taken away."

"So does this mean that it is OK to mail the ACLU a letter to flood them with letters so that we can bring them down?"

"Write your letter and if like, write one for me."

I wonder if the 5.00 that I gave the ACLU recently was enough to higher someone to read the flood of letters that will be coming down the pipe?

Who is taking Christmas away? Why are people so concerned with taking something away when, in fact, nothing has been done to do such a thing? The ability to post a banner on government property is probably gone - but why is this such a big deal? Who cares? Christmas is not gone and will never be. If having a nativity set or a banner in Public, Government property proof that Christmas is alive and well, aren't we really being shallow and very much like the Pharisee in the bible that made a big deal of living a "correct" life? Why do we need to be in "the christmas spirit"? Am I trying to impress to co-workers? Who cares? I don't. Christmas is a remember of being with people that I care to be with. It is not an outward sign that needs to be shown to others - it is, what we are inside of us that matters. Besides, I am making this a bit long and wife is on me to help her with the Christmas lights . . .

Best Sports Moment . . .

We are asking for your all-time-best sports moment!

Call-in for our Christmas/Holiday program on Saturday, December 26, 2009.

Catch the program at 6 A.M. PT/9 A.M. PT here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/radiosportstalk/2009/12/26/sports-talk-with-the-guys

Outside The Lines on December 13, 2009

Outside The Lines, program on ESPN, has a two-part special report on academics and athletes - yes, a tired and old topic.

The academic program at Florida State University is facing a huge sanction against its athletic program, all due to the fact that students with a second-grade reading level, are being allowed into college! I say allowed, because they are all athletes that receive the academic pass to get into college.

I may not be summarizing it well, but you should check it out. I am sure you can find it on ESPN and or at: www.espn.go.com

Check it - it is worth your time.

Get busy living or get busy dying . . .

Don't leave for tomorrow, what you can do today. The only thing that should be left for tomorrow, is that which you can't finish today. If you want to start "tomorrow", tomorrow will never arrive. Today is the best day to accomplish what you want. Today will never come again and it will be a day wasted, one day more that you need to account for and what will your answer be?

My old baseball coach told me: "He who hesitates is lost".

I was lost, but I was luck, I found myself and got busy.

So should you - today will be gone and will never come back - what will you have to say for what you did?

Performance Evaluation

I received my performance evaluation today.

What must I do to get a "Out-standing"?

It is simply a question.

Oh that's right, I am a union guy, fighting for equality and I have a problem of speaking my mind. Such traits are not compatible to the "team player" mentality.

Bring It On . . .

Yeah, I know that I am advanced in age, but when I am bored, "Bring It On" sure does give me something to laugh at.

East Side Gold Line Extension

Contrary to public opinion, I did step away from my computer today and took the family out on a little sojourn.

We drove out to LA Live, checked out the happy haps there and then decided to check out the new, light-rail extension to the east side of Los Angeles.



WOW!

Sure does look sweet, sleek and clean! The stations are well-lite and easy to access. I am envious of the fact that the system is near so many residential areas and now connects to the ever-expanding network of the MTA. In late 2010, the Exposition Line will open and that will branch off of the Blue Line and we take you to USC, The Museums and as far west as Culver City.

Supervisor Gloria Molina has decried the "un-safe" line. Still bitter at the fact that ELA was denied a subway and that the westside will score yet another subterranean-extension. No matter, it is what it is and it looks good. No accidents yet and no one is dead . . . a good few weeks.

By the way, only an idiot will die along the light-rail line. The line doesn't need fencing, only an idiot will try to challenge the train. I should reconsider that: There are people that will die because they won't be paying attention and BECAUSE they will try to beat the train. People don't know that when you cross the rail line right-of-way, you are actually trespassing. The railroads are only allowing you to pass when there is no train! The idiot that believes they are in the right have it all wrong.

Long Live the Gold Line!

Pictures to follow . . .

The Big Dog and I traveled to Las Vegas yesterday and met with Sonny Clark, the Couch Potato of "The Couch Potato Sports Show". We made it to Vegas, from South Gate in three hours and thirty minutes! Wow, that was fast and I as far as the Highway Patrol is concerned, no laws were broken. Did we break any? Well, no one was around to verify and alleged indiscretion . . .

Be that as it may, we were on air for FIVE hours and it seemed live 45 minutes. Lots of fun and meeting people who walked up to us, those that called in - Comfox, Robbie and Lenny. The staff of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino were absolutely fabulous and the free drinks and food didn't hurt either! I had the New York Steak with Shrimp and it was awesome. We may do this again in January, but for now, nothing really planned. We do intend to take Sports Talk With The Guys on the road in 2010. Maybe Las Vegas in January, Portland in March and from there . . . who knows?

Pictures were taken by Sonny's family so as soon as we get those, we'll have them up. I'll must tell you, it must be that there are many Yankee haters out there (I had my Yankee cap and Jersey on) or there were people that begin to recognize us in the casino and the diner later. Odd, really. When I was slamming the Dodgers, Philly fans, people in the Casino looked like they wanted to respond, and they just couldn't pull the trigger . . . maybe they wanted to tell me in person, with their fists! Next time, we hope you can join us at our live broadcasts, but Big Dog, we must, we must do this again!

Bishop G. Pat Ziemann Memorial Mass Slide Show by Bill Solis

   

Thanks, Bill.

Veterans Day

Being a student of history, the events of those past are the ones that always come alive on a day like this. As many know, I am an avid reader and I do so only to learn about that and those that came before me - to understand why things happened and to appreciate where we are now.

Places such as Iron Bottom Bay, Bloody Nose Ridge, Mt. Suribachi, Leyte, Midway, Wake, The Marianna's Turkey Shoot, The Battle of the Java Sea, Taranto and The Slot come alive when I read about those that enlisted to take part in events that were greater then themselves.

Ships with names such as: San Francisco, Enterprise, West Virginia, Dace, Darter, Indianapolis, Hornet, Yorktown, Ranger, Mississippi, Fanshaw Bay, Gambier Bay, St. Lo, Johnston, Hoel, Hobart and many more live in my waking moments to honor those that came before me so that I could live a free and worthy life.

I read about 'em and honor them by reading about their exploits. Where they went, what they did. In some cases, where they now rest. I for one, appreciate what has been done for me and what is being done today. I hold the responsibility of knowing that it will be done for me tomorrow as well.

If you wish to know just a little more about me and what I feel on this day, I ask you to read this review that I wrote a few years past:

http://www.noriega.biz/Novels/last_stand_of_the_tin_can_sailor_09122004.htm

Those that served, showed greater love than all others, for they readily served, for it was a responsibility that they took upon themselves, made it their own and I, we, enjoy the fruits of their exploits.

On a day such as this, I revel in history, for the deeds of men named: Frank Jack Fletcher, William Halsey, Dan O'Callaghan, The Sullivan Brothers - come alive and they live again.

They live as long as we remember them. I remember 'em and I ask you to visit with them and share the memory of them. They didn't ask to do what they did, but by reading about them and remembering, their glorious lives live in the light of their accomplishments.

I did not take the opportunity to serve, but my service is in keeping the memory of their exploits alive.

Game 4 is in the books!

Sorry shortstop for the Phillies, but we are now up 3 games to 1. Rollins, you don't know how to trash talk and it is obvious because the Yankees simply ignored you. Philly in 5 . . . yeah, sure dude.

Feels good, real good that we are on the verge. Lidge? Nope. This team always does it.

The Weekend and the Yankees!

Well, it sure is nice to be suckered at Best Buy. My daughters have been saving their allowance for a video camera . . . found one at best buy. We bought it and now they are busy being little movie creators!

They have no idea, but I will use that camera for commercials for the web program!

Yankees and now up 2 to 1. The game is about to begin!

Short weekend, but a good one.

Game Three: Yankees lead 5 to 3!

Cole Hammels did not have it today - he is gone. Pettitte is my boy!