David Archuleta’s Mormon Girl
David Archuleta’s Mormon Girl…Heh, found this pic on ksl.com
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What is Cinco de Mayo?
What is Cinco de Mayo? Well, Cinco de Mayo is Mayo de Cinco.
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “5th of May”) is primarily a regional and not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico.[1][2][3][4][5] The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.
A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day; Mexico’s Independence Day is actually September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish), which is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.
History
Although the Mexican army was victorious over the French at Puebla, the victory only delayed the French invasion of Mexico City; a year later, the French occupied Mexico. The French occupying forces placed Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico on the throne of Mexico. The French were eventually defeated and expelled in 1867. Maximilian was executed by President Benito Juarez, five years after the Battle of Puebla.
History of observance
According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, about the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on that day first started in California in the 1860s in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico.[6] The paper notes that “The holiday, which has been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, is virtually ignored in Mexico.”[6]
Observances
Mexico
The holiday of Cinco de Mayo is primarily a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated in the state of Puebla. There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country.[7] For the most part the celebrations combine food, music and dancing.
In Mexico City like the rest of the Mexican capitals all the young men who serve the military services pledge allegiance to the Mexican national flag and the institutions that it represents.
Cinco de Mayo celebration in St. Paul, MN.
United States
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico.[6][8][9][10] The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry, respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin. Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols, such as the Vírgen de Guadalupe, and from prominent figures of Mexican descent in the United States, including César Chávez.[11] To celebrate, many display Cinco de Mayo banners while school districts hold special events to educate pupils about its historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Examples include ballet folklórico and mariachi demonstrations held annually at the Plaza del Pueblo de Los Angeles, near Olvera Street. Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on beverages,[12] foods, and music.[13][14]
Elsewhere
Events tied to Cinco de Mayo are also occuring outside Mexico and the United States. For example, a sky-diving club near Vancouver in Canada holds a Cinco de Mayo skydiving event.[15] In the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition.[16] As far away as the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean, revelers are encouraged to drink Mexican beer on May 5th.[17]
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A Facebook chat with Kurt Bestor
Facebook has this new online chat deal where you can chat with all your friends. Yet another techy wat to communicate. So, I thought I’d give this new Facebook chat feature a test with someone. But, who?
One of my Facebook friends is Kurt Bestor. Now, I’m not actually a “friend” of Kurt Bestor’s…I am a fan of his work and think he is a musical genius.
Dan: Kurt, love your music…Forgotten Carols is my fav
Kurt: Thanks. I’ll pass along that message to Mike McLean who wrote “Forgotten Carols.” LOL
People confuse us all the time
Dan: LOL – I know…just checking to see if you were listening 
Kurt: Ah – got me!Funny thing is….Mike has a disclaimer on his brochure that says “I did not write Prayer of the Children.”
Dan: LOL
Dan: I missed the Secret Garden…hope to make it next time…any plans for more performances?
Kurt: We’re hoping to make it an annual event – like the Nutcracker of the Summer
Dan: cool! thanks for the chat…keep up the awesome work!
Kurt: cya
Kurt then went offline. Probably a smart move so that seemingly innocent folks, such as myself, won’t harass him with stupid remarks. Thanks Kurt. 
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TornadoCam for ALL! Webcam chat room
From the creators of the critically acclaimed myBlogTunes, Tornadostream is
happy to announce more cool stuff!
TornadoCam is a web cam chat room add-on that is just as simple to use as
myBlogTunes. Create your own Web Cam Chat Room with TornadoCam by
Tornadostream!
In just a couple minutes you can have a web cam chat room on your myspace
page, blog, or web site that automatically detects visitors’ web cams or
microphones and connects them. You can also password protect your chat room
so that only friends (who you share your password with) can view it.
Want to get your own? Create a Tornadostream user account here:
http://tornadostream.com, or login in (if you already have an account).
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Globalwarming Awareness for 2007
Well folks it is time for us all to consider the GlobalWarming for 2007 Trends and Awareness that seem to be ever present with us now more than ever in the year 2007. It’s kind of funny that I’m blogging this being that we have had record lows the past couple weeks. Globalwarming awareness for and in 2007 is something that not many people are aware what they can do to help, but here is a list from the EPA’s website all about awareness efforts in 2007 we should make to prevent globalwarming:
Action Steps
Actions You Can Take at Home
Change 5 lights
Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR label and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent more than 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
Look for ENERGY STAR labeled products
When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Look for ENERGY STAR-qualified products in more than 40 product categories, including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.
Heat and cool smartly
Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it’s time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.
Seal up your home with better insulation and duct-work
Close up any visible cracks and gaps in your house, install adequate insulation, check that ducts are sealed and choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows when replacing old windows. Not sure where the cracks and gaps are? A home energy auditor can also help to identify areas with poor insulation and evaluate the energy efficiency of your home. By taking these steps, you can eliminate drafts, keep your home more comfortable year round, save energy that would otherwise be wasted, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Use green power
Green power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. Buying green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean energy supply. If you are interested, there are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home , including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state .
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. In addition, support recycling markets by buying products made from recycled materials. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
Be green in your yard
Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If you do use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to reduce grass clippings (PDF, 8 pp., 1.59 MB, About PDF). Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA’s GreenScapes program for tips on how to improve your lawn or garden while also benefiting the environment. Smart Landscaping can save energy, save you money and reduce your household’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Use water efficiently
Everyone can save water through simple actions. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket for toiletry items – water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away. See EPA’s WaterSense site for more water saving tips.
Spread the Word
Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together we can help our homes help us all.
Actions You Can Take on the Road
Buy smart
Before buying a new or used vehicle (or even before renting a vehicle), check out EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide and the jointly-run EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide Web site. These resources provide information about the emissions and fuel economy performance of different vehicles. The Green Vehicle Guide provides detailed information on emissions (including Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas scores for each model) and the Fuel Economy Guide focuses on fuel efficiency (including side-by-side fuel economy comparisons and a customized fuel cost calculator). These Web sites are designed to help you choose the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. You will be pleasantly surprised at the wide range of cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles available on the market today that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Drive smart
Many factors affect the fuel economy of your car. To improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, go easy on the brakes and gas pedal, avoid hard accelerations, reduce time spent idling and unload unnecessary items in your trunk to reduce weight. If you have a removable roof rack and you are not using it, take it off to improve your fuel economy by as much as 5 percent. Use overdrive and cruise control on your car if you have those features. For more tips to improve your gas mileage, visit the Fuel Economy Guide Web site.
Tune your ride
A well-maintained car is more fuel-efficient, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and is more reliable and safer! Keep your car well tuned, follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and use the recommended grade of motor oil. More details, including potential savings from these actions, are available on the Fuel Economy Guide Web site.
Check your tires
Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy by up to 3 percent and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions. If you don’t know the correct tire pressure for your vehicle, you can find it listed on the door to the glove compartment or on the driver’s-side door pillar. More details on the Fuel Economy Guide Web site.
Give your car a break
Use public transportation , carpool or walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car. Leaving your car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year. The American Public Transportation Association’s Public Transportation Web site provides links to information about public transportation in your state.
Combine your trips
When running errands, combine trips. Several short trips taken while your car’s engine is cold can use twice as much fuel and produce twice the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. More information and ideas are available on the Fuel Economy Guide Web site.
Telecommute
Check out the Best Workplaces for Commuters Web site to learn about commuting choices that can benefit the environment, reduce the stress of commuting, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money. Also consider options to work from home via phone or over the Internet instead of holding face-to-face meetings that involve travel.
Use Alternative Fuels
Find out if you own a Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV). FFVs can be fueled with a fuel blend containing 85% ethanol or with traditional gasoline. Ethanol is produced from renewable crops such as corn and therefore using it as a fuel for your car can lower greenhouse gas emissions. There are approximately 5 million FFVs on the road today. To find out if you own one of them, go to the Alternative Fuels Data Center. The Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator will help you locate alternative fuel stations in your area.
Actions You Can Take at the Office
Manage office equipment energy use better
Office equipment and electronics use energy even when idle or on stand-by. To save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at work, always activate the power management features on your computer and monitor, unplug laptop power cords when not in use and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day. Consider using a power strip that can be turned off when you’re done using your computers, printers, wireless routers and other electronics.
Look for ENERGY STAR labeled products for the Office
When buying new products for your office at work or at home, get the features and performance you want and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollutants. Look for ENERGY STAR-qualified office equipment, such as computers, copiers, and printers, in addition to more than 40 product categories, including lighting, heating and cooling equipment and commercial appliances.
Use less energy for your commute
Switch to public transportation, carpooling, biking, telecommuting and other innovative ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on your way to and from work. Encourage your employer to enroll in EPA’s Best Workplaces for Commuters and to offer commuter benefits that address limited or expensive parking, reduce traffic congestion, improve employee recruiting and retention and minimize the environmental impacts associated with drive-alone commuting. If you do drive, find out the fuel efficiency of your vehicle using EPA’s and DOE’s fuel economy Web site, and make more environmentally-informed choices when purchasing your next vehicle by using EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycle office paper, newspapers, beverage containers, electronic equipment and batteries. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your office helps conserve energy, and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal. You can reduce, reuse and recycle at the office by using two-sided printing and copying; buying supplies made with recycled content; and recycling used printer cartridges. For your old electronics, investigate leasing programs to ensure reuse and recycling or donate used equipment to schools or other organizations.
Actions You Can Take at School
Students
Bring science to life
Explore the Climate Change Kids Site and watch Climate Animations that bring to life the science and impacts of climate change. The site also provides games that help students, their parents and their teachers learn about both the science of climate change and what actions they can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
High school students check your school’s climate impact
High school students can investigate the link between everyday actions at their high school, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Using EPA’s Climate CHange Emission Calculator Kit (Climate CHECK) (WinZip of Excel spreadsheet, 3.4 MB) students can learn about climate change, estimate their school’s greenhouse gas emissions and conceptualize ways to mitigate their school’s climate impact. Students gain detailed understandings of climate-change drivers, impacts, and science; produce an emission inventory and action plan; and can even submit the results of their emission inventory to their school district.
Get Involved your College or University
College students can play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at their colleges or universities by reducing their emissions from energy they use in dorm rooms. Students can also work with school administrators to: increase energy efficiency on campus, reduce their school’s greenhouse gas emissions by using green power, create a campus climate action plan , or develop an inventory of their school’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Educators
Teach students about climate change and ecosystems
Use the Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Teachers and Interpreters to learn about the science of climate change and its potential effects on our nation’s wildlife and their habitats.
Engage middle school students in estimating emissions
Enhance critical thinking skills by introducing the Global Warming Wheel Card Classroom Activity Kit (PDF, 1 pp., 86 KB, About PDF) to middle school students. A hand-held wheel card and other resources help students estimate household greenhouse gas emissions in order to encourage students to think about ways to reduce their personal, family, school and community contributions to climate change. If you are an informal educator, simply use the Global Warming Wheel Card as a part of your field activities.
Learn from other educators
Investigate what other schools and organizations are doing to educate their audiences on climate change by clicking on Educators’ Links, a searchable database offering links to resources such as lesson plans, videos, books and toolkits.
Administrators
Save money and the environment
The least efficient schools use three times more energy than the best energy performers. By partnering with the highly successful ENERGY STAR for K-12 program, school districts can serve as environmental leaders in their community, become energy efficient, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money!
Estimate your emissions and take the challenge
School Administrators can also work to reduce their school’s greenhouse gas emissions by developing an inventory of their school’s emissions or by taking the 2006 College and University Green Power Challenge.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycle school or classroom paper, newspapers, beverage containers, electronic equipment and batteries. Reducing, reusing and recycling at school and in the classroom helps conserve energy, reduce pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing and disposal. You can reduce, reuse and recycle at school or in the classroom by using two-sided printing and copying; buying supplies made with recycled content; and recycling used printer cartridges. For your old electronics, investigate leasing programs to ensure reuse and recycling or donate used equipment to schools or other organizations.
Please feel free to leave a comment on this awareness topic of:
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Jar Paris: With Canvas Bag (Hardcover)
Click Here >Jar Paris: With Canvas Bag
Antique Collectors’ Club; Slipcase edition (February 2003)
This is a real collectors opportunity to own a rare collection of photos of some of the most uniqe jewels in the world.Book is very large and very thick.Dont expect to much reading as there is no company history or insight (other than the great pictures of jewelry)into Mr Rosenthal’s magical world.This book is really worth every dollor you really should buy it while the opportunity is availible.
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Add Music to Myspace
Add music to myspace? I know that many people are asking, “how do I add music to myspace?”, or, “how about adding music to myspace?”, and I have the answer: add music to myspace.
The myspace player merely allows you to pick one song, with Tornadostream you can add as many as you like. So check out this library and add music to your personal myspace page today. You won’t be sorry!
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Spirit of The Radio, by Rush
Spirit of the Radio, by Rush:
Begin the day
With a friendly voice
A companion, unobtrusive
Plays that song thats so elusive
And the magic music makes your morning mood
Off on your way
Hit the open road
There is magic at your fingers
For the spirit ever lingers
Undemanding contact
In your happy solitude
Invisible airwaves
Crackle with life
Bright antennae bristle
With the energy
Emotional feedback
On a timeless wavelength
Bearing a gift beyond price —
Almost free…
All this machinery
Making modern music
Can still be open-hearted
Not so coldly charted
Its really just a question
Of your honesty, yeah your honesty
One likes to believe
In the freedom of music
But glittering prizes
And endless compromises
Shatter the illusion
Of integrity
For the words of the profits
Are written on the studio wall,
Concert hall —
Echoes with the sounds…
Of salesmen.
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Royal Bliss Salt Lake Tribune Article
SL Trib Article about Royal BLiss
Despite all the chaos, Royal Bliss plays on
By Dan Nailen
The Salt Lake Tribune
Jake Smith, left, Neal Middleton, Chris Harding, Taylor Richards and Brent Bruschke of Royal Bliss.
Bruised egos can split up a band. So can the frustration of trying to make a living on tour or dealing with shady music-industry types. Some acts simply run out of steam.
Salt Lake City’s Royal Bliss has been making music and touring the West for eight years, but the past three have been the most trying, offering plenty of chances for the five members to call it a day. Despite a run of bum luck that included a temporarily paralyzed lead singer, an unexpected pregnancy, several broken bones, totaled cars, ski accidents and surgeries, as well as lawsuits, failed recording sessions and broken relationships, they survived to record a new album, “After the Chaos II,” arriving in stores Tuesday.
“It was like the forces were working against us, trying to stop us,” said singer Neal Middleton, who was paralyzed from the waist down three years ago when he fell about 35 feet from a Southern California balcony. That led to a couple of surgeries and a slow progression from paralysis to performing onstage with the help of a cane.
Middleton and his bandmates – guitarists Taylor Richards and Chris Harding, drummer Jake Smith and bassist Brent Bruschke – never gave much thought to quitting even as they weathered “low, low points,” especially after Smith unexpectedly found himself a father-to-be and the band realized it needed to keep earning money because, as Middleton said, “our only form of working was playing with this band.”
“We’ve always told each other, as long as we keep moving steps forward, we’ll never give up, we’ll never quit,” Middleton said. “As long as each year we advance as musicians and we advance as people, then we’ll never give up. It’s kind of like going to school to become a doctor for eight or 10 years. That was our college, playing in a band.”
The recent disasters – including Smith wrecking his car and Harding breaking his jaw and needing reconstructive surgery after a ski accident – forced Royal Bliss to take its time in recording its sixth album. The musicians started work in a million-dollar California studio and finished it nearly two years later in a Salt Lake City home studio, and the resulting set of straightforward, anthemic rock cuts is sure to please fans who have helped the band sell more than 20,000 copies of
Bliss national radio airplay.
“It’s the first CD that all of us collectively agree that this is the one we need to go out and shop to labels and tour on and really push as heavily as we possibly can,” Middleton said. “For the first time, we’ve hired a radio promoter and we’ve hired a publicist and ended up signing a distribution deal” that will get “After the Chaos II” into stores nationwide, while giving Royal Bliss control of all the music.
Royal Bliss had opportunities to leave Salt Lake City for greener pastures, but “it’s always been our goal to come from Salt Lake City, because we believe the talent in Salt Lake deserves to be noticed.” And with the Internet, it’s even easier for bands to make an impact without leaving their hometowns.
Royal Bliss plans on touring and pushing “After the Chaos II” as far as it can. And with their recent travails now in the rearview mirror, band members are optimistic.
“It’s actually starting to feel better than it’s ever been before,” Middleton said. “We’re all feeling good and we’re all healthy. I still don’t have all the feeling back in my leg, but it doesn’t bother me.”
—
Contact Dan Nailen at nailen@sltrib.com or via his blog “Urban Spelunker” at www.sltrib.com/blogs. His phone number is 801-257-8613. Send comments to livingeditor @sltrib.com.
Acoustic Bliss
Royal Bliss plays an acoustic show tonight at 9 at Cabana Club, 31 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City; hosts a CD release party Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Taylorsville Graywhale CD store, 1763 W. 4700 South; and plays a free show Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Gallivan Center, Gallivan Plaza, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City, with The Contingency Plan, Holloh and Spencer Nielsen.
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Stress Management
From Ann Cannon in Deseret News (10/2/03):
Stress can change your view. Just in case you’re having a rough
week, here is a stress management technique recommended in all the
latest psychological texts.
1. Picture yourself near a stream.
2. Birds are chirping softly in the cool mountain air.
3. No one but you knows your secret place.
4. You are in total seclusion from the hectic place called “the world.”
5. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
6. The water is crystal clear.
7. You can easily make out the face of the person you’re holding under water.
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For Folks with Issues
A Timeless Note for Folks with Issues
I think a given in life is that we will have issues. If you don’t have issues then you are not alive. But, that said, I guess if you are dead….that is a whole another issue….right?
If you think *you* have issues, then you need to take a look at this guy:
Looks like he’s ditched the gun and moved onto knives.
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Ramble on Groundhog day…
Here is a list of misc. ramblings from today:
-Spam mail received today: “Far beyond the norm Babes for you atonement”
-Conversation I overheard: “that water has polyurethane in it….”
-Blog Comment I made: “That’s the last time I use the phrase ‘pinch a nuke’.”
-Song I am listing to right now: Clarity, by Jimmy Eat World
- Person I called a “rat bastard”: Jon Parkhurst
-Movies I watched: none
-Number of times I’ve gone to the bathroom today: 7
-Ounces of Liquid Consumed thus far: 69.8 (Two 16.9 oz. bottles of water, One 12 oz. can of Coke, Two 12 oz. cans of Dr. Pepper)
-Number of times I saw my shadow: like a million.
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Is this the same guy?
Iran’s nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani:
Norm Abrams of the “New Yankee Workshop” and “This Old House”:
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Benvenuto Denied Change of Plea
ksl.com – Utah’s Online Source for Local News & Information Benvenuto Denied Change of Plea
This rat <beep> murdered a good friend of mine 10 years ago whom I was with the night before he was killed. This whole thing makes me very angry. Let him rot.
The story is from the Associated Press:
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jorge Benvenuto, who killed one teenager, left another for dead and told police he had wanted to see how it felt to kill someone, has been denied a change of his guilty plea.
At the hearing Thursday, the slain youth’s mother asked Benvenuto, “What was it like to watch someone die? Was it worth it? Would you do it again?”
Benvenuto, 28, glanced once at Sy Snarr, lowered his eyes and shook his head.
Soon after that, 3rd District Judge Deno Himonas denied Benvenuto’s request to set aside guilty pleas he entered in 1997 to avoid the death penalty.
Defense attorney Grant Morrison argued the pleas were invalid because Benvenuto, a Uruguayan citizen, was never informed of his right under the Vienna Convention to contact a Uruguayan consulate.
Himonas said there was no violation of the convention because Benvenuto had told his attorneys and the judge who accepted his pleas that he was a U.S. citizen.
Benvenuto was born in Uruguay and came to the United States with his mother when he was 8. He was a permanent U.S. resident but never received citizenship.
Morrison said after the hearing that he would appeal the judge’s decision to the Utah Supreme Court.
On the night of Aug. 28, 1996, Zachary Snarr and Yvette Rodier, both 18, were photographing the full moon over Little Dell Reservoir when they were approached by Benvenuto who asked for directions and then shot them with his new .44-caliber Magnum revolver.
Benvenuto, then 19, fired until the gun was empty, striking Snarr three times.
Rodier, hit in the leg and torso, was still screaming, so he reloaded and shot her again in the head. She survived.
Benvenuto pleaded guilty in October 1997 to aggravated murder and attempted murder.
When he was sentenced to life in prison without parole, the victims’ families believed their ordeal was over.
On Thursday, Rodier called Benvenuto’s legal motions “a shameful attempt” to use “a hypertechnicality” to renege on the plea deal.
Rodier said she has married, started a family and “found ways to live again.”
She said returning to court with Benvenuto was “like being shot again.”
Sy Snarr agreed. “Being here today is a terrible nightmare for me and my family.”
Benvenuto’s mother, Nelida Valdez, said after the hearing that her son is not an evil person. She said he has mental problems that prison officials refuse to recognize or treat.
Benvenuto tried to withdraw his pleas soon after he entered them, claiming he was too depressed, distressed and confused to know what he was doing at the time.
Mental health evaluators found Benvenuto was depressed, but not to the point where it interfered with his ability to understand what he was doing when he pleaded guilty.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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