Love is a beautiful thing & I hope one day I can love someone else as much as I love you.

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MARTINEZ — A Concord man who served 19 years on death row at San Quentin for the rape and murder of a neighbor — only to have the conviction overturned and another trial ordered — died Monday in custody at County Jail in Martinez.
Michael Wayne Jennings had been hospitalized for a terminal illness since Jan. 12, Contra Costa Sheriff's Office spokesman Jimmy Lee said.
Jennings, 58, was convicted in 1984 of the rape and slaying of 63-year-old Violet Newman, a Concord neighbor, two years earlier.
Jennings grew up next door to Newman and her family. On Aug. 7, 1982, she was raped and her house robbed. She was found with her throat slit and more than a dozen stab wounds.
Police arrested the then-32-year-old Jennings soon after.
He was convicted and sentenced to death, but immediately appealed the ruling.
In 2002, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out both the sentence and conviction on the grounds that Jennings' attorney did not use his client's drug abuse and mental problems as a defense. The 9th Circuit ruled that Jennings' defense attorney should have investigated a mental health defense instead of basing his case on his client's claims that he was at a party in another town.
The defense fell apart mid-trial when attorneys on both sides discovered that a phone call made by Jennings did not provide an alibi.
Jennings was transferred back to County Jail while proceedings began for a new court case. That trial never happened because of Jennings' illness, Lee said. He was taken to the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center on Jan. 12 and died about 4 p.m. Monday, Lee said.
Lee said he could not comment about the nature of Jennings' terminal illness because of federal privacy laws.

He died from Hepatitis C.



I realize I gave up the internet, but this article was too important not to journal. Thank you Angela for telling me the news. I spread the word to the rest of my family and a lot of them are feeling relief now.

[maria]

If all goes as planned, I am going to India this May. Yes, THIS MAY. I've decided to postpone California if it means I can do the "Religions of India" study abroad program. I am going to speak with the study abroad office in the International Building tomorrow morning. I need to make sure I can get a student loan in time.

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Le sigh.

I am a pathetic creature.
Timing is everything.
I've never been good at timing.
My internal clock is all off.

I want to be a better person.
I want to be a nice person.
I've learned my lesson.
Karma, hit me back with the goods.

Life has become so monotonous...
School. Work. Work. Sleep. Repeat.
I need a breath of fresh air.
Could you give it to me?

[maria]

I don't think there have ever been so many movies at the movie theater at once that I actually WANT to see.

bold = need to see
crossed out = saw
? = undecided if I should see

Bedtime Stories
Bride Wars
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino
Inkheart
Last Chance Harvey - ?
Marley & Me - ?
My Bloody Valentine
Paul Blart
Revolutionary Road
Benjamin Button
Dark Knight
Unborn
Twilight
Underworld
Valkyrie
Yes Man

a. Yes, we have Dark Knight back.
b. I'm probably going to see Gran Torino & Defiance sometime next week on my own time.
c. I think P-fizz & I are going to try to see both (or at least one of) Revolutionary Road & Frost/Nixon this weekend if our schedules match up at all.
d. I am going to see Underworld with my father next week.
e. If I think Revolutionary Road is something my mom will like, I will end up seeing it again with her.
f. I am seeing My Bloody Valentine for a third time today with Evon & Sonny. I'll end up seeing it a fourth time with Greg, & possibly a fifth time with my brother.
g. I'll probably watch Paul Blart & Ink Heart on nights I get off work early enough to do so & I am already conveniently there.
e. I am not going to get to see Valkyrie in theaters cause we're down to one showing and it is inconvenient.
f. I watched Twilight for the 8th time yesterday with Evon (her 3rd time) & we are going to see it again next week just cause they still have it around.
g. Did I mention that I think I've gotten to the point where I love my job?

[maria]