justxploring's Blog

Hearing about the death of a child is always sad.  This story is even more tragic because nobody seemed to notice that an 18 month old little girl was missing.  Then the woman killed her other child.  She must have had some family, a neighbor, a friend, a mailman, a landlord - ANYONE - who would notice that something wasn't right.  Have our neighborhoods disappeared?  When I was growing up, we knew all the people on our block, even the old witch next door.  Now we don't even know their names.  Mothers murdering their own children?  I just don't understand it. Maybe it's better if I don't.

I read this on Yahoo  (From the Associated Press) 

SAN ANTONIO - The mother of two young children whose decomposing bodies were found wrapped in plastic bags beneath a house this week was arrested Saturday and charged with capital murder.

Lopez confessed to beating to death Sariyah Garcia, her 18-month-old daughter, and hiding her body beneath her home, Police Chief William McManus said. Sariyah died Christmas Eve.

Lopez told investigators she killed Sebastian Lopez, her 5-month-old son, when she accidentally rolled over him about two months later, District Attorney Susan Reed said. Lopez also hid his body under the house.

The boyfriend, Jerry Salazar, faces a charge of injury to a child by omission. He was aware Lopez was abusing her children, police said.

Police had been searching for the couple since Tuesday night when the children's bodies were found by residents of a triplex who were trying to locate the source of a foul odor they had been smelling for as long as two weeks.

Family members had little contact with Lopez since she had started living with Salazar, but friends reported seeing her looking as if she had been beaten up, her sister said.

An official at the Bexar County Jail said she did not know if Lopez had an attorney. She said Lopez's bail had been set at $10 million.

Anyone here watch this show on Thursday evening?  I wonder who will win tonight.  I voted* for Zac, although I'm guessing Angela will be chosen by the viewing audience. 

*To be perfectly honest, I fell asleep last week so I didn't get to vote, since I watched the show when it ran again at 1AM.  However, I did vote for him the previous 2 weeks.  Great original song - will definitely be a hit single.  (BTW, I'm not a big country music fan - just like good music & real talent.)

This isn't going to be a long, fancy post.  I just wanted to write that I live in a very hot climate, but it's cold and windy today, so I thought of all the animals I see running loose.  Temperatures are expected to drop into the 30s in some areas, with a possible freeze inland.

Some people own dogs and cats and think that, because they have fur coats or maybe just because they're not human, these animals don't need the warmth and shelter that we do on a chilly evening.  Although I'm opposed to any pet being kept outside, if you don't take yours in at night, please make sure he has plenty of protection from the cold air and a comfortable, dry place to sleep.

All any dog or cat ever wants is food, water, shelter and a little love.  I think that's something all of us can afford. 

Has this ever happened to you?

For anyone who has Cingular Wireless, you might be experiencing the same problems I'm currently having.  They are migrating the records from Cingular to AT&T and I haven't been able to pay my bill since I first tried on Thursday.  It is now past due, even though I was told by a customer service rep on both Thur & Fri there would be no late charge and it would not be past due because they understand customers are unable to access online payment. I offered to pay by phone with a credit card.  She said to keep checking, but she couldn't take my payment.

I then spoke to a customer service representative who told me to go to a local payment center. Guess what? The address she gave me is a restaurant that hasn't been a Cingular Wireless store for about 2 years. The only other store is about 20 miles south.

However, this is not the reason I am posting.  I keep getting error messages telling me to call customer service today. I don't want to pay a late charge.  The automated payment system keeps saying "we can't process your payment" hold for customer service."  It also says my payment is past due. When I called the store, the salesperson said the same thing.  So I just tried to reach customer service again, and when I enter my cell phone number, I go through the entire payment process and get a recording that says "sorry but at this time we are not.......blah, blah..."  Then it says please hold for a customer service representative.  I get customer service and it's all in Spanish!!

I wanted to make sure I didn't say the wrong thing (since it's also voice automated) or press the wrong button, so I redialed and went through the entire process, only to hear once again "You are being transferred to customer service" and guess what?  It was all in Spanish again! 

Okay, I'm a patient person.  So this time I decided to skip the whole "pay bill" process and try to reach customer service by pressing "5" as instructed and YAY!!  I was directed to customer service. It was all in Spanish.

Just some opinions, please. 

My next door neighbor has an 11 year old son.  I really enjoy watching children and don't mind when they are a little loud or playing outside, but they need to have boundaries. When this boy has friends over they often play ball.  One time they were playing soccer and slammed the ball into my house.  Another time it hit the screen door in the porch and now the screen is loose.  Last weekend another neighbor told me their basketball hit my car several times, but when I'm sleeping or on my computer, I'm in the back of the house, so I don't hear much from the street.

Since we have adjoining back yards, I've offered mine so they will have lots of space to run and play. Yet again, a few minutes ago while posting on LP, I was startled by a ball being kicked into my house. I don't own the home, but what would I do if they broke the window?

I've tried to explain this to the parents, since they are very friendly.  A couple of times the mother has told them to play in the back yard after I ran out in a frenzy.  She doesn't speak English and I'm not sure the father understands me half of the time. The children definitely understand English very well. I know because they attend school and also this boy has a twin sister who is very sweet.

My biggest concern is my Toyota.  Of course any car, whether it's 10 years old or new, is just as important to the owner.  Not having a car can cost you a job.  I just bought mine in Nov when the engine in my other car unexpectedly died, so a car payment was added to my monthly budget and the burden of fixing a windshield or broken tail light would be a real hardship.  However, my personal financial status shouldn't matter.  The only difference is, if I had lots of money, I'd move!  (and I'd have a garage too!)  This experience has really changed my attitude about where I want to live.  Those over 55 communities sound really nice to me!  LOL

One person told me a soccer or basketball can't really do much damage.  He said if it were a baseball, then it would be different.  Can't a ball bouncing off of a car dent it or possibly crack a window or break off a side mirror?  Am I worrying for nothing?  This is adding stress to my life right now, so I need to do something quickly before it's too late.  If you think I am overreacting, let me know. 

There are people here who criticize and bash Democrats and label those with different viewpoints as "Liberals." I rarely pat myself on the back, but I can say without hesitation that I try see both points of view. 

Anyway, I was looking at a very conservative site, Chicago Ray, and came across these pictures which I want to share. I still believe invading Iraq was a bad decision, but no matter what your political stance, these images will make you smile. 

The warning is:  Only click the link if you're ready for some ugly pictures you won't see in the MSM, that's for sure.**

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1770578/posts#comment?q=1

** don't worry, trust me.  Nancy (justxploring)

Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of my first heroes.  I grew up in a city that was probably 98% White (give or take a point!)  In 1961 when I was 10, I had no idea that other little girls and boys couldn't go to the same schools, share a bus or even drink from a water fountain in many parts of the country.  Every morning in school I pledged allegiance to a flag and "One Nation Under God" where everyone was supposed to be equal.  One day a neighbor asked me to watch her baby while he was taking a nap, since she had to run to the store.  I earned 50 cents an hour!  I saw a magazine on a coffee table and began reading it and discovered my neighbor was a member of an organization called the NAACP.  When she got home I asked her about what I read and we had a long chat.  That was when I first learned about the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle of minorities in America.  Coming from a Jewish family, I already knew about the genocide and the war crimes of the Nazis, but I always figured everyone was treated with dignity in the United States.  After all, I was 10.   

There have been so many deaths in my family lately. My aunt passed away yesterday.  I am far away in Florida and want to send something to express my sympathy.  I wish I could fly to Boston, but I honestly can't make the trip. I don't have a lot of money, so I am searching online for something nice but not too expensive.  I gave a donation to a charity in one person's name last week, but I'd like to send a gift to my uncle.  I found a dozen sites, but baskets are very expensive and they add $10 for shipping.  Once I paid $50 for some chocolates and they were all melted. I welcome any suggestions.  One site called healingbaskets.com has a set of porcelain stars that looks nice and I was going to add a gift box.  I don't know if this is appropriate for a 70-something man since it looks feminine. I also like their angel mug.  I thought planting a tree in memory of someone is also a nice idea, but I'm not sure which sites are reliable.  Thanks. 

From the Naples Daily News: 

Last month, a prank got a 17-year-old Naples High School senior suspended and sent to an alternative school.

Nick had been suspended for 10 days and sent to the Phoenix Program, a Collier County alternative school that typically serves students with behavioral problems such as bringing weapons to school or fighting, after dropping his pants at a Thursday, Nov. 9, fashion show at the school.

His parents sought an emergency injunction last week to get Nick back in Naples High.

Okay - I am very conservative when it comes to pranks and believe students need discipline, strict rules & regulations. However, this young man wore a thong and only pulled down his pants for a few seconds, exposing his butt cheeks. As foolish and distasteful as this might be to many people, it should not ruin the teenager's life.  The television news reported last night that his transcripts for college are showing "incompletes" and this shannanigan might keep him out of college, since the Board of Directors is considering expelling him from school. I think some community service or even washing down the bathrooms in the school might be appropriate punishment. He should also make a public apology, admitting that it was a stupid thing to do. But expulsion?  We aren't talking about drug abuse, drunk driving, rape, or even cheating on a test.

What do you think?

Wish I knew how to upload images/videos.  I coped an "evil penguin" clip into another blog entry and it keeps disappearing, so I guess I did that incorrectly.  This is a cute cartoon someone sent me, so I found a link to a site with it.  Watch Sylvester chase Tweety and, when he catches him, it's a real hoot.  Just be patient, okay? It's worth the wait.

 http://www.barricksinsurance.com/SylvesterTweety.html

Here's a good story.

Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a
bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker-function and begins
to talk.  Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

MAN: "Hello."

WOMAN: "Honey, it’s me. Are you at the club?"

MAN: "Yes."

WOMAN: "I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It’s
only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?"

MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much"

WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2005
CES - They have the one I really liked."

MAN: "How much?

WOMAN: "$90,000."

MAN: "OK, but for that price, I want it with all the options." 

WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing. The house I wanted last year is
back on the mar ket. They’re asking $950,000."

MAN: "Well, then go ahead and give them an offer of $900,000 They will
probably take it. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand. It is really
a pretty good price."

WOMAN: "OK. I’ll see you later! I love you so much!!"

MAN: "I love you, too, Bye."

The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in
astonishment, mouths agape.....

Then he smiles and asks: "Anyone know who this phone belongs to?"