Bumpshack.com October Archives

October Archives

How to make Bumpshack.com Your Homepage
Add your site to Bumpshack Bump'n Sites
Contact: Bumpshack@gmail.com

Bumpshack Stories From October 2005

October 31, 2005 Happy Halloween

The USC Trojans are atop the BCS College Football Standings once again. Texas moves down to the two spot. posted 12:30am by jholmes

Get in on this week's College Football Line Game over on the Bumpshack Message Board. posted 11:07am by jholmes

President Bush has nominated Samuel Alito to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

"Judge Alito .... has more prior judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in more than 70 years," Bush said, drawing an unspoken contrast to his recent choice, Harriet Miers.

Abortion emerged as a potential fault line. Democrats pointed to Alito's rulings that restricted a woman's right to abortion. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Republican who supports abortion rights, said that Alito's views on the hot-button issue "will be among one of the first items Judge Alito and I will discuss." posted 8:49am by jholmes

Profile of Samuel Alito, Jr.

More Supreme Court News

The top movie at the box office this weekend was Saw II at $30.5 million, followed by The Legend of Zorro, and Dreamer. posted 1:57am by jholmes

Celebrity ghosts reside in New York and Los Angeles according to some locals and folklore. posted 1:41am by jholmes

Uganda has dropped the condom campaign and started promoting abstinence. posted 1:39am by jholmes

The United Nations is set to pass a measure that would put pressure on Syria to cooperate into an investigation on the assassination of Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. I am sure a powerful measure like the ones the United Nations passed against Iraq year after year, and probably just as effective. posted 12:46am by jholmes

President Bush is set to name his new Supreme Court nominee today sometime. Harriet Miers withdrew her name for the spot last Friday. posted 12:40am by jholmes

Civil Rights fire-starter Rosa Parks was remembered this weekend as her body lay in state at the Capital Rotunda in Washington D.C. posted 12:35am by jholmes

A Texas pastor was electrocuted during a baptism yesterday. The preacher was later pronounced dead at the hospital. posted 12:32am by jholmes

October 30, 2005

I was at the USC game today here in sunny Los Angeles. The Trojans stomped the Washington State Cougars 55-13. The defense played their best game of the year for USC. Several celebrities were on hand including Snoop Dogg. Reggie Bush had a sub-par game for him. Be sure to check out his Heisman page at ReggieBushforHeisman.com. Submit your College Football Top 5 poll on the Bumpshack Message Board. Hers is how the Bumpshack top 5 fared yesterday.

Bumpshack Top 5 College Football Rankings

USC (32 votes) beat Washington State 55-13
Texas (31) beat Oklahoma State 47-28
Virginia Tech (21) beat Boston College 30-10 on Thursday
Georgia (9) lost to Florida 14-10
UCLA (6) beat Stanford 30-17 in overtime

The UAE is saying that Saddam Hussein agreed to be exiled before the Iraqi war began. posted 12:29am by jholmes

The state of Colorado has lost the records of over 1200 sex offenders. posted 12:01am by jholmes

October 29, 2005

Notre Dame, who is known to go fire crazy before a coach has had a fair shot to turn a program around, has given new coach Charlie Weiss a contract extension until the year 2015. posted 9:04am by jholmes

A Chicago judge has declined to drop sex charges against R&B singer R. Kelly. Kelly is alleged of having sex with underage girls on videotape.

And you thought the Chicago Cubs were gay? They have nothing on the World Series Champ White Sox. posted 2:04am by jholmes

Rambo is back! Sly Stallone will star in Rambo IV. Filming is set to begin after the new Rocky movie wraps.

Nedivi said the $50 million "Rambo IV" will recapture the rawness of "First Blood," which launched the franchise in 1982.

A new "Rambo" script hasn't yet been written, but the story calls for the reclusive Vietnam veteran to return to his vigilante ways when a young girl is kidnapped. posted 1:55am by jholmes

The city of New Orleans has fired 51 police officers for deserting the force during Hurricane Katrina. posted 1:47am by jholmes

October 28, 2005

Check out the Bumpshack Message Board and get in on the College Football Pick'em Against the Line Game. posted 5:34pm by jholmes

United Nations Oil-for-Food Scandal: Final report states that 2,200 companies and prominent politicians colluded with Saddam Hussein's regime to rob the humanitarian operation of $1.8 billion dollars.

The 623-page document exposed the global scope of a scam that allegedly involved such name-brand companies as DaimlerChrysler and Siemens AG, as well as a former French U.N. ambassador, a firebrand British politician and the president of Italy's Lombardi region.

It meticulously detailed how the $64 billion program became a cash cow for Saddam and more than half the companies participating in oil-for-food — at the expense of Iraqis suffering under U.N. sanctions. It blamed shoddy U.N. management and the world's most powerful nations for allowing the corruption to go on for years.

Most of the contracts went to Russian and French companies and individuals, who were rewarded for their governments' outspoken opposition to the sanctions. Still, even firms in countries supportive of the sanctions, such as the United States, found ways to manipulate the system illegally — sometimes by using Russian firms as middlemen.

The oil-for-food program, which ran from 1996-2003, allowed Iraq to sell limited and then unlimited quantities of oil provided most of the money went to buy humanitarian goods. It was launched to help ordinary Iraqis cope with U.N. sanctions imposed after Saddam's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

But Saddam, who could choose the buyers of Iraqi oil and the sellers of humanitarian goods, corrupted the program by awarding contracts to — and getting kickbacks from — favored buyers.

And can one doubt why the United Nations is worthless now? Can one find reason that Saddam had to go? $64 billion dollars that Saddam, the United Nations, the French, and Russians robbed from the poor and needy Iraqi people. I guess it is easy to see why the French and Russians voted, within the United Nations, against the United States using force to oust Saddam. It is now easy to see why the United Nations did not want the United States to attack Iraq even after Saddam had violated U.N. sanctions more than 16 times. So the guy who killed nearly two million of his own people is in jail. The Iraqi people have had democratic elections twice now concerning a constitution referendum that have been highly successful. Higher voter turnout than in the last United States presidential race. The beginning of trials over war crimes against Saddam and his thugs. Yet, the liberal mass media wants to tell us how bad Iraq is? That doesn't make too much sense to me. Talk to the troops that have served over there and you will get the facts. Read their blogs on the internet and you will find the truth. posted 12:24am by jholmes

October 27, 2005

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination for the lands highest court.

Under withering attack from conservatives, President Bush abandoned his push to put loyalist Harriet Miers on the Supreme Court and promised a quick replacement Thursday. Democrats accused him of bowing to the "radical right wing of the Republican Party."

The White House said Miers had withdrawn because of senators' demands to see internal documents related to her role as counsel to the president. But politics played a larger role: Bush's conservative backers had doubts about her ideological purity, and Democrats had little incentive to help the nominee or the embattled GOP president.

Miers' withdrawal means the justice she was chosen to replace, Sandra Day O'Connor, will delay her retirement further. O'Connor has been a swing voter on numerous emotional social issues, and more are set to come before the Supreme Court, including two abortion cases this fall. posted 9:19am by jholmes

Text of Miers' resignation letter.
More Bumpshack Supreme Court News

The government is mulling making a do-it-yourself AIDS test available to the public.

Swab the inside of your mouth. Put that swab into a vial of test fluid, and 20 minutes later you'll learn whether you're infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

Supporters of home kits say they will spur more people to get tested and get treatment sooner if infected. However, concerns have been raised about whether a doctor or counselor should be nearby when people find out they are HIV-positive.

The test is accurate more than 99 percent of the time, Spair said. Still, a positive result from the test should be confirmed through an additional test by doctors or public health officials, he said. posted 12:57am by jholmes

Iran's president has repeated that Israel should be "wiped out from the map."

Ahmadinejad quoted a remark from Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution, who said that Israel "must be wiped out from the map of the world."

The president then said: "And God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism," according to a quote published by IRNA.

Ahmadinejad is quoted as saying, "Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury." posted 12:46am by jholmes

A Roman Catholic high school has ordered its students to remove their blogs from the internet.

McHugh told them in an assembly earlier this month to remove any personal journals they might have or risk suspension. Web sites popular with teens include myspace.com and xanga.com.

Officials with the Diocese of Paterson say the directive is a matter of safety, not censorship. No one has been disciplined yet, said Marianna Thompson, a diocesan spokeswoman.

"The rights of students at private schools are far different than those of public schools because administrators at public schools are agents of government," he said. "That's not the case here." posted 12:41am by jholmes

Britain's Prince Harry was forced to drop his trousers by a sergeant during a parade to prove he did not have his girlfriend's name tattooed on his backside. posted 12:38am by jholmes

Actor Tab Hunter writes memoir on being a closeted gay actor in Hollywood during the 1950's and 60's. posted 12:34am by jholmes

Four million people remain in Florida without power. posted 12:27am by jholmes

October 26, 2005

The Chicago White Sox are the 2005 World Series Champions. It is the White Sox first championship in 88 years. posted 9:00pm by jholmes

Photo Ethics? Do they exist? See how USA Today demonized Condoleezza Rice. posted 4:22pm by jholmes

Sheryl Swoopes, who is a three-time Olympic gold medal winner, three-time WNBA MVP, and former college player of the year, has come out of the closet. Swoopes is the largest, most successful sports star, male or female, to announce being gay.

Swoopes, 34, is the most recognizable athlete, male or female, to come out in a team sport. Former WNBA player Michele Van Gorp, who played for the Minnesota Lynx, publicly acknowledged she is a lesbian in July 2004. Before Van Gorp, former Liberty player Sue Wicks had been the only member of a female professional team to publicly come out while still playing. Previously, Swoopes has said she plans to continue her career.

The news could be particularly perplexing for the WNBA, which has struggled to both recognize the homosexual element connected to its league and grow its fan base. Ironically, in its infancy, the WNBA marketed a pregnant, married Swoopes to put a heterosexual face on its promotional campaign. Now the league, which will play its 10th season next summer, has to decide what to do now that one of its best and most recognizable players has announced she's gay. posted 9:41am by jholmes

Weekly Bumpshack College Football Top 5 Poll from readers of the Bumpshack Message Board. Log in and become a part of the College Football Poll voting.

College Football Top 5 for October 26, 2005

USC (32 votes)

Texas (31)

Virginia Tech (21)

Georgia (9)

UCLA (6)

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama (2), UCLA (1)
Dropped Out: LSU
Voters: Bumpshack, LilTony, Paige, Latinkerbell, Mlevy, Gatoraide25, Tfactor

David Lee Roth has been tabbed to succeed Howard Stern by Infinity Broadcasting. posted 2:18am by jholmes

Google is testing a new service that could possibly compete with Ebay one day. posted 1:56am by jholmes

Geoff Bloom hit a pinch hit homer in the 14th inning to give the White Sox a 7-5 victory over the Houston Astros. The Astros are now down 3-0 in the Series. The game was the longest in World Series history lasting 5 hours and 41 minutes. Only one team has ever come back from a 3-0 hole to win a post season series in baseball's playoffs. Last years Boston Red Sox did it for the first time ever. posted 1:49am by jholmes

October 25, 2005

The Iraqi constitution has passed by an overwhelming margin. The story is being buried on page two of newspapers, but if it was a bombing they would have put it on page one. The vote is a major applause to our troops and the Iraqi people who worked hard to make it a reality. posted 12:40am by jholmes

The University of Texas Longhorns got another victory Monday when they moved past the USC Trojans into first place in the BCS College Football Rankings.

Justin Timberlake says he feels sorry for Britney Spears and that it was wrong for her baby photos to be stolen and posted on the internet. posted 12:42am by jholmes

Apple is being sued over defective scratched screens on its iPod Nano. posted 12:28am by jholmes

Hurricane Wilma has left 6 million in Florida without power. posted 12:15am by jholmes

UPS has agreed to end cigarette deliveries under an agreement with the federal government.

The agreement is the latest in federal and state efforts to combat the sale of under-taxed cigarette and to fight underage smoking. Most under-taxed or untaxed cigarettes are sold by Indian tribes, where the taxation of sales to non-Indians is disputed.

Monday's agreement leaves only the U.S. Postal Service among major carriers to continue to deliver cigarettes to individuals, Spitzer said. He called that practice "an embarrassment." posted 12:13am by jholmes

Civil Rights giant Rosa Parks died last night at the age of 92. Parks was the true Rose that was never tarnished in ways that other Civil Rights leaders have been over the years. She and her ideals were as pure as snow and she is the true reason and mother of the Civil Rights movement.

Speaking in 1992, Mrs. Parks said history too often maintains "that my feet were hurting and I didn't know why I refused to stand up when they told me. But the real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long."

"At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this," Mrs. Parks said 30 years later. "It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in." posted 12:10am by jholmes

Former In-Laws are claiming that Janet Jackson has an 18 year-old daughter that the pop singer had with her former husband James DeBarge. posted 12:02am by jholmes

October 24, 2005

You can now personalize and make your own legal postal stamps on Yahoo! with your own photos. posted 12:29am by jholmes

The Least Safe Cars on the Market. posted 12:23am by jholmes

Scott Podsednik, who did not hit a home run all year in 584 at bats, hit a walk-off homer against Houston's relief ace Brad Lidge to give the White Sox a7-6 win over the Astros. I believe the moon shot by the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols last week against Lidge has given other players confidence against the fame thrower and showed that he actually is mortal. posted 12:14am by jholmes

Anne Rice has found Christ and claims she will now use her writing talent to write solely the Lord. Her first Christian book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, is already available for sale on Amazon.com. posted 12:09am by jholmes

Vote for who will win the Heisman trophy on Bumpshack's sister site ReggieBushforHeisman.com. posted 12:01am by jholmes

October 23, 2005

White nationalists now have two young good looking singing twins to help spread their message of hate. The twin blonde thirteen-year-olds sing songs of white supremacy and praise Nazi beliefs with their lyrics. posted 1:37am by jholmes

The Vatican has given a firm 'no' to allowing priests to marry. The debate has been opened up due to a shortage of priests and the worldwide sex abuse scandals involving the Catholic Church.

Debate about the priest shortage dominated the synod, with bishops complaining that Catholics sometimes have to go weeks or months without having a priest to celebrate Mass because there are too few to go around.

Some liberal Catholics and church reform groups say more men would join the priesthood if they were allowed to marry, and several bishops at the synod raised the issue of whether so-called "viri probati" or married men of proven virtue could be ordained.

But the final recommendation reaffirmed the "inestimable gift of ecclesiastical celibacy" and said the idea of ordaining "viri probati" was a "path not to follow," according to the list of the propositions released by the Vatican. posted 12:51am by jholmes

Discuss on the Bumpshack Message Board.

A plane with 116 on board is missing in Nigeria. posted 12:39am by jholmes

The Chicago White Sox topped the Houston Astros 5-3 in game one of the World Series. Roger Clemens left the game after two innings due to a sore hamstring he re-aggravated. posted 12:36am by jholmes

October 22, 2005

David Letterman helped Madonna get back on a horse on the Late Show. posted 2:57am by jholmes

Christian DVD causes riot outside of a church in Egypt. posted 2:53am by jholmes

Mexico is being slammed by Hurricane Wilma. Wind gusts of 150 mph are being recorded in the spring break haven of Cancun. posted 2:50am by jholmes

The Houston Astros take on the Chicago White Sox in Chicago tonight as the World Series gets under way. posted 2:46am by jholmes

Britney Spears is threatening legal action against whoever stole baby pictures of her newborn child. posted 2:43am by jholmes

President Bush has called for the U.N. to take action against Syria regarding the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister. posted 2:40am by jholmes

October 21, 2005

'Porky' from The Little Rascals TV show that ran in the 1930's has passed on. Gordon Lee was 71. posted 6:16pm by jholmes

Be sure to check out the Bumpshack Message Board. posted 1:32am by jholmes

More women and fewer men are going to college. posted 1:17am by jholmes

Blackberry arthritis is infecting more and more users of the hand-held devices. posted 1:14am by jholmes

Warren Beatty could be the latest actor to delve into California politics. posted 1:11am by jholmes

October 20, 2005

6 Things He Hates In Bed. posted 11:20am by jholmes

Were Tom and Katie pregnant all the way back in June?

In an interview with Australia’s "60 Minutes" that aired on June 5, Spielberg said of Tom Cruise: “I've known him since '83 and I knew Tom when he first adopted his first two kids and so I really felt that this part suited Tom to a 't.'”

His “first two kids” is a strange way to describe someone’s only two kids, isn’t it? But when you watch Spielberg say it, he’s not making a mistake. It’s possible Cruise told him that Holmes was pregnant that long ago. If so, it means that the couple conceived a child almost immediately after they met on or around April 15.

Holmes’ recent pictures show that she’s between five and six months pregnant, in fact. This was a surprise, certainly. But it does account for Cruise’s weird behavior on Oprah, and the couple’s near silence during August when — after a barrage of press — they seemingly went underground for about four weeks. posted 2:08am by jholmes

The Houston Astros toped the St. Louis Cardinals to advance to the World Series against the Chicago White Sox. The World Series begins Saturday night in Chicago. posted 1:55am by jholmes

Starbucks is stirring a brew with a religious quote on cups of its coffee by preacher and best selling author Rick Warren. Warren wrote the New York Times best selling book The Purpose Driven Life. I had the pleasure of attending Warren's Saddleback Church 3 weeks ago here in California. It was an amazing experience.

Warren says the idea of a grande pitch for God as creator came to him after seeing a Starbucks quote on evolution from paleontologist Louise Leakey. Because Starbucks solicited customer contributions for 2006, Warren sent his in. On Tuesday, Starbucks spokeswoman Sanja Gould confirmed that it would be used.

The cups carry a disclaimer that the opinions "do not necessarily reflect the views of Starbucks."

But a few companies plant clues to Christianity in their wrappings, music or signs precisely because the owners are believers.

In-N-Out Burger, the California-based fast-food chain, has included tiny notations for Bible verses in some of its burger and drink packaging since Richard Snyder, son of the founders, called for it in 1987. "He told me, 'It's just something I want to do,' " company spokesman Carl Van Fleet says.

After Snyder's death in 1993, "the family felt strongly about keeping this just as he had done it" at its 196 outlets in California, Arizona and Nevada. The Bible book and verse in minuscule type "are so subtle most of our customers never notice."

One who did: Don Chang, the deeply religious founder of clothing chains Forever 21 and XXI. Five years ago, the clothier copied In-N-Out by stamping the Bible book, chapter and verse notation John 3:16 on the bottom of his stores' shopping bags: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Other owners making a faith statement in the secular marketplace include David Green, whose craft chain Hobby Lobby plays only Christian contemporary music in its 362 stores, and S. Truett Cathy, who advertises that Chick-fil-A sandwich shops nationwide are closed on Sundays to free employees to focus on faith and family.

Alaska Airlines has put baseball-card-size prayer cards on hot-meal trays for 30 years "just to differentiate us from the competition," spokeswoman Amanda Tobin says. "Compliments have always far outweighed complaints." posted 1:50am by jholmes

Saddam pleaded innocent yesterday and also managed to get into a shuffle with the guards escorting him in and out of the courtroom. posted 1:43am by jholmes

October 19, 2005

Weekly Bumpshack College Football Top 5 Poll from readers of the Bumpshack Message Board. Log in and become a part of the College Football Poll voting.

College Football Top 5 for October 19, 2005

USC (39 votes)

Texas (33)

Virginia Tech (22)

Georgia (18)

LSU (4)

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama (2), UCLA (1)
Voters: Bumpshack, LilTony, Paige, Latinkerbell, Mlevy, Gatoraide25, Kdcatron, Tfactor

How to determine if your cat is overweight. posted 1:23am by jholmes

The TRUTH about Beyonce's alleged songwriting ability. posted 1:20am by jholmes

The NBA now has a dress code. Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers says its racist, but Jackson and teammate Ron Artest are probably the chief reason for the code after their fight club antics with Detroit Pistons fans. posted 1:07am by jholmes

Joe Torre announced today that he will return to coach the New York Yankees in 2006. Joe is a class act no matter how disgusting the Yankees are. posted 1:02am by jholmes

Hurricane Wilma has strengthened to a Category 5 storm. Wilma is packing 175 mph winds and is heading towards Florida. The storm is still about 3-4 days away from the United States. posted 12:58am by jholmes

October 18, 2005

Saddam Hussein's trial is set to start on Wednesday in Iraq.

Court officials have said they are trying Saddam on the Dujail massacre first because it was the easiest and quickest case to put together. Other cases they are investigating - including a crackdown on the Kurds that killed an estimated 180,000 people - involve much larger numbers of victims, more witnesses and more documentation. posted 2:00am by jholmes

The murder rate in the United States hit a 40-year low last year.

There were 391 fewer murders nationwide in 2004 than the year before. The total of 16,137 worked out to 5.5 murders for every 100,000 people.

That's a decline of 3.3 percent from 2003 and the lowest murder rate since 1965, when it was 5.1. posted 1:53am by jholmes

Northern Ireland is getting set to impose a smoking ban starting in 2007. posted 1:48am by jholmes

The first BCS College Football rankings are out.
Here is the top 5:

USC
Texas
Virginia Tech
Georgia
Alabama

Be sure to check out the Bumpshack Message Board to vote for your top 5 college football teams to be included in the Bumpshack College Football Top 5 to be released on Wednesday. posted 1:44am by jholmes

October 17, 2005

Cards Win! Cards Win! Go Crazy folks! Albert Pujols with the biggest clutch hit (homer) I have ever seen during a baseball game in my life. Cards win 5-4 over Houston. Pujols 3-run homer still has not landed.

It is funny that the mass media that tries to highlight the struggles in Iraq is by and large ignoring the successful and peaceful vote on ratifying the Iraqi constitution over the weekend. Congratulations to the Iraqi people and enormous thanks and praise to the American troops who are bringing democracy to the Iraqi people. Initial vote tallying and estimates show that the constitution will more than likely be ratified. posted 1:08am by jholmes

UPDATE: Death toll from the earthquake in Pakistan has now topped 54,000 people. posted 1:04am by jholmes

The Most Fuel Efficient Luxury Cars of 2006. posted 1:00am by jholmes

Be a part of the voting and hit up the Bumpshack Message Board to be a part of the Weekly Bumpshack College Top 5 Football Poll. I compile all of the votes from posters on the board and post the official Bumpshack College Top 5 here every Wednesday morning. posted 12:55am by jholmes

Friends of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers say she will overturn the landmark abortion case of Roe v Wade. posted 12:51am by jholmes

More Supreme Court coverage from Bumpshack.

The Chicago White Sox won last night beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It is the first trip to the World Series for the White Sox since 1959. The White Sox last won the World Series in 1917. A curse longer than the one the Red Sox broke last fall. posted 12:48am by jholmes

Madonna says she keeps her children away from TV and ice cream. This Madonna being a parent thing is pretty funny isn't it? posted 12:44am by jholmes

Phil Cuzzi did one of the worst umpiring jobs I have ever witnessed during a Major League Baseball game yesterday during the game between the St. Lois Cardinals and Houston Astros. His call against Jim Edmonds was ridiculous and throwing him out of the game was even crazier. posted 12:25am by jholmes

October 16, 2005

Voter turnout in Iraq yesterday was estimated at 61%. Just 43% of Americans voted in the last Presidential elections and we don't have to fear bombs and being blown up to vote here. Much praise has to go to the soldiers who made this possible in Iraq along with the courage of the Iraqi people. posted 1:13am by jholmes

Check out the poll just to the right, under the BumpHottie photo, to vote for what shows are keeping your attention on the boob tube. posted 12:42am by jholmes

Star Trek's Scotty's remains are being sent into outer space. posted 12:23am by jholmes

Mattel toy company is now making its line of Barbie clothes available for women. That is right, you can dress your wife just like your daughters un-proportionally sized Barbie doll. posted 12:19am by jholmes

October 15, 2005

Violence less than feared, as voting in Iraq on the constitution referendum appears to be a success. Results will be available around mid week. posted 10:08am by jholmes

After the longest break in its rich 153 year history, New Orleans' landmark Cafe Du Monde is set to reopen to the cheers of locals and relief workers.

Cafe Du Monde normally stays open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas. But it sold its last order of hot beignets at midnight on Aug. 27, a day and a half before the storm roared in and devastated New Orleans.

We've found about 50 of our 150 employees, and the cleanup will be finished by Tuesday," general manager Scott Escara said. "We'll turn the fryers on about 5 Wednesday morning and we should have hot beignets pretty quick after that." posted 1:33am by jholmes

Is Katie Holmes in a Rosemary's Baby situation where she is being groomed to provide Tom Cruise with a child?

Some of you might ask what is Rosemary's Baby:

The story follows a young woman and her husband after moving into a New York City apartment next door to enthusiastic, over solicitous neighbors. The couple want to have a baby; one night the woman has a vision that she is being raped by some demonic presence, and later she finds out that she is pregnant. The woman begins to lose weight instead of gaining it, and comes to suspect that her neighbors are part of a Satanic cult with designs on her as-yet-unborn child, and that her husband is working with them.

Levin's novel was a best-seller, and was adapted as a 1968 feature film directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow as the wife, John Cassavetes as the husband, and Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer as the neighbors. Gordon won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film. posted 1:18am by jholmes

More Craziness of Tom Cruise

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Pakistan has reached over 38,000 in Pakistan alone. posted 1:06am by jholmes

Polls have opened in Iraq for the historic constitution referendum vote. posted 1:04am by jholmes

How to unclog a clogged ear. posted 1:02am by jholmes

The truth about the so called 'staged conversation' between President Busy and troops in Iraq from the blog of one of the soldiers that Bush interviewed. posted 12:59am by jholmes

October 14, 2005

A bird flu alert has been issued by the Turkish government. Bird Flu FAQ. posted 1:43am by jholmes

Motley Crue drummer and home porn legend Tommy Lee was burned during a recent Crue concert due to a pyrotechnic explosion. posted 1:39am by jholmes

Katie Holmes is already becoming stay-at-home mom as she has pulled out of her next movie. She is also facing criticism from her family over her pre-marriage pregnancy.

In terms of just how Holmes got to be in the family way, her aunt has denied rumors that the actress conceived via in vitro fertilization.

"I can assure you they did it the old fashioned way," Carol Zydorczyk said in a recent magazine interview. (We're not even going to ask how she knows for sure.)

Meanwhile, back home in Ohio, Holmes' father, Martin, is reportedly extremely displeased that his daughter is pregnant without the benefit of first swapping vows, according to Life & Style magazine.

The magazine reports that the strict Catholic scolded the actress upon learning of her pregnancy, before telling Cruise, "You're no good!" The grandfather-to-be also reportedly demanded that the pair wed soon.

In other reports, when it comes time for the actress to give birth in several months, it has been suggested that Holmes will attempt a silent labor in keeping with Scientology tradition.

The practice encourages mothers to be to forgo painkillers and to refrain from screaming or even talking as they bring their children into the world. Scientologists believe that the silence reduces trauma during birth and prevents irrational fears later in life. posted 12:56am by jholmes

More on the Craziness of Tom Cruise

Eight dolphins have been spotted in Lake Pontchartrain that surrounds parts New Orleans.

"If the big critters are back, the lake is definitely coming back," Carlton Dufrechou, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, said Thursday. posted 12:47am by jholmes

Iraq is increasing security as the vote on the historic constitutional referendum draws near. posted 12:41am by jholmes

October 13, 2005

Which of the four teams left in baseball's post season will end up winning the World Series?
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago White Sox
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels

A Georgia elementary school teacher who allegedly sliced her wrists and molested her students has plead innocent. posted 12:45am by jholmes

The Department of Energy says to expect a 33% increase on average when it comes to paying your heating bill this winter. posted 12:32am by jholmes

The Iraqi constitution has finally been approved. posted 12:30am by jholmes

Boy George had 13 bags of 'coke' when he was arrested on drug charges over the weekend.

George, who made his name in the 1980s as front man for the pop band Culture Club, was arrested on Friday when police, responding to his call to report a burglary, recovered 13 plastic bags containing cocaine, according to the complaint released Tuesday by the Manhattan district attorney.

His lawyer, Lou Freeman, said the singer -- who was arraigned early on Saturday -- does not know where the drugs came from or who owned them.

"He's a very social person. He has a lot of people over to his apartment," Freeman said of his client. posted 12:26am by jholmes

Michelle Duggar of Arkansas gave birth to her 16th child on Tuesday and she is already making plans to have more.

Their children include two sets of twins, and each child has a name beginning with the letter "J": Joshua, 17; John David, 15; Janna, 15; Jill, 14; Jessa, 12; Jinger, 11; Joseph, 10; Josiah, 9; Joy-Anna, 8; Jeremiah, 6; Jedidiah, 6; Jason, 5; James, 4; Justin, 2; and Jackson Levi, 1; and the newborn Johannah. posted 12:20am by jholmes

Goodbye Paris and Nicole: Fox has cancelled the reality show The Simple Life that stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie. posted 12:15am by jholmes

Reggie Sanders powered the St. Louis Cardinals over the Houston Astros Wednesday night as the Cardinals won the game 5-3 in the first game of the National League League Championship series. St. Louis leads the best of seven game series 1-0. Game two will be Tonight at 7:00pm CST. The Chicago White Sox beat the Angels in game two of the American League League Championship series 2-1. The best of seven series is tied 1-1. posted 12:06am by jholmes

A strong aftershock shook Pakistan this morning as earthquake relief continues to try to pour into the devastated region. posted 12:03am by jholmes

October 12, 2005

Mega rock group U2 is upset their concerts are being used as political fundraisers for Hillary Clinton and other politicians posted 10:28am by jholmes

The Minnesota Vikings are being accused of taking a sex cruise last week on a local Minnesota lake.

Minnesota Vikings players are being investigated in connection with a lake cruise that turned into a wild sex party last week on Lake Minnetonka. The party became so out of control that crew members on the two yachts were offered money for sex and feared for their safety, law enforcement authorities and an attorney for the cruise company said Tuesday. posted 10:24am by jholmes

Photos confirm Ashton Kutcher's marriage to Demi Moore. posted 10:18am by jholmes

Weekly Bumpshack College Football Top 5 Poll from readers of the Bumpshack Message Board. Log in and become a part of the College Football Poll voting.

College Football Top 5 for October 12, 2005

USC (30 votes)

Texas (24)

Virginia Tech (17)

Georgia (8)

Florida State (6)

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama (5)
Voters: Bumpshack, LilTony, Paige, Tfactor, Gatoraide25, Mlevy,

A subpoena has been served on the prosecutor that has made it his mission to take down House leader Tom Delay. posted 2:56am by jholmes

Microsoft and Yahoo! have made plans to link their instant messaging services together.

The deal, the first major alliance between two of the Web's main providers of instant messaging, will allow users of Microsoft's MSN Messenger service and Yahoo Messenger to swap instantaneous text messages with each other. posted 2:20am by jholmes

Al Qaida is making plans to fill the void in Iraq if the U.S. cuts and runs like they did in Vietnam. posted 2:01am by jholmes

The Iraqis have reached a deal on a new constitution. posted 1:47am by jholmes

October 11, 2005

I have posted some photos I took from last nights division series game between the Yankees and Angels in BumpPhotos.

I was at game five of the division series last night between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium. It was great seeing the Yanks with their $5 trillion dollar payroll get beat in the first round. Angel Stadium is a great place to watch a game. I kept score and took photos. I will try to post some of them later today. posted 1:57am by jholmes

The worst drought in over 40 years has hit the Amazon rain forest. posted 12:52am by jholmes

A nine-year-old boy has swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco. The boy swam the rocky waters that covers 1.4 miles in under two hours. posted 12:46am by jholmes

Ex-Iraqi officials are being sought in the disappearance of over $1 billion dollars in funds. posted 12:41am by jholmes

Global Problem: Pakistanis are awaiting earthquake aid as the response has been slower than desired. posted 12:38am by jholmes

October 10, 2005

Conservatives are urging President Bush to withdraw his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. posted 1:41am by jholmes

Microsoft is facing issues of maturity as it celebrates its 30th birthday. posted 1:38am by jholmes

Stocks are falling a bit, even as oil prices dip, due to fears over inflation. posted 1:35am by jholmes

Hillary Clinton has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. I did not know such a place existed. posted 1:32am by jholmes

October 9, 2005

Update: The death toll from the earthquake that struck the Asian continent is past 30,000 now. posted 10:59am by jholmes

Amtrack has resumed train services to New Orleans. posted 2:42am by jholmes

Some Democrats are defending Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers from Conservatives.

Behind the scenes, a half-dozen aides to Senate Democrats — speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their jobs — admit that they are enjoying watching the GOP's right wing beat up the president. None will say whether their bosses feel the same way — or might be insincere when they heap praise on Miers and call her critics unfair. posted 2:32am by jholmes

Update: The death toll from the Asian earthquake has gone over 18,000 people as the deaths continue to pile up. posted 2:27am by jholmes

October 8, 2005

Update: The Asian earthquake has now killed over 1,700 people in 3 nations. posted 9:37am by jholmes

Tom Cruise's and the Church of Scientology's firm grip on Katie Holmes continues to weed out her friends and now her publicist as well. Holmes on Tuesday fired her publicist of 8 years and hired Cruise's publicist, who is his sister.

In short order, since meeting Cruise in April, Holmes has now fired her manager, changed agents and discharged her publicist. All had been her longtime allies.

Pictures of Holmes from just a few days ago with Cruise on the set of "Mission: Impossible 3" are circulating on the Internet. There's no sign of a pregnancy, but there is a woman in the background of every picture.

She's been identified as Jessica Feshbach Rodriguez, Holmes' best friend since the spring and a high-level minder from the Church of Scientology. Her family has donated millions to Scientology.

As for Holmes' friends here in New York, the word is that not one of them has heard from the actress since she flew to L.A. to meet Cruise for the first time last April.

Since Holmes first became associated with Cruise, her career has come to a standstill. Pretty much the only project she has coming up is the DVD release of "Batman Begins."

Holmes also makes an appearance in "Thank You for Smoking," currently playing the festival circuit. Otherwise, her career trajectory — which was on the upswing with "Pieces of April" — is over. posted 12:32am by jholmes

More on the Craziness of Tom Cruise.

The economy lost 35,000 jobs last month. It is a lot less than analysts expected would be lost due to Hurricane Katrina.

The Department of Labor reported yesterday that the economy lost 35,000 jobs in September, the first contraction since May 2003. The unemployment rate rose for the first time in seven months, inching up to 5.1 percent in September from 4.9 percent in August.

Job losses appeared to be concentrated in the disaster area. They were offset by strong employment growth in the rest of the country, which confirmed the continued strength of the economic expansion. posted 12:30am by jholmes

Imprisoned rapper Lil' Kim has acknowledged her beef with fellow rapper 50 Cent.

"I can't front. I don't have a lot of respect for 50 Cent because his music is hardcore ... violent," said Lil' Kim. "And I love his music sometimes, but I feel like in his personal life, his real life, he carries that on, and that's not a great message, you know what I mean? I think he promotes it." posted 12:24am by jholmes

Esquire magazine has named Jessica Biel the sexiest woman alive. Last years winner was Angelina Jolie. posted 12:19am by jholmes

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan early this morning. The quake was also felt in India and Afghanistan.

Although Ahmad said the quake was the first of this magnitude to strike Pakistan in nearly 20 years, traffic appeared to be moving normally in Islamabad and telephone systems were working, albeit with a few problems. posted 12:17am by jholmes

The Marines say they killed 50 Iraqi al Qaeda today. posted 12:14am by jholmes

October 7, 2005

The Red Sox have been swept by the White Sox. Thank Goodness. Does anyone else hear all of those fans hopping off the Red Sox wagon. It is the first series the White Sox have won since 1917. Discuss on the Bumpshack Message Board. posted 4:47pm by jholmes

A cure for cervical cancer could be a reality very soon. posted 1:41am by jholmes

Women with low sex drives are starting to take doses of testosterone to get their groove back on in the bedroom. But does it work?

What they often ask for is testosterone, the male sex hormone that many women think will give them their old sex drive back, or boost it to new levels. Why or how it works is still not clear. Women’s libidos are a lot more complicated than men’s. While a man might be aroused by a glance at Pamela Anderson, women need a lot more: a healthy relationship, a healthy body and a healthy mind. In other words, a little pill may not do it. Doctors like Hutcherson know that their patients’ libido problems are more often the result of a troubled marriage or depression than their hormone levels. After taking a detailed personal history from her patients, she might send them for counseling or give them a prescription for an antidepressant. She might even urge them to try a vibrator or sex toys just to get them in the mood. posted 1:09am by jholmes

Ashlee Simpson will be performing on Saturday Night Live again this weekend. Hopefully she will be singing. posted 12:37am by jholmes

Dust to Diamonds: Diamond companies are taking human ashes and turning them into precious diamonds for loved ones to wear forever.

In fact, there's enough carbon in those ashes to make about 20 gems. And there will still be several pounds of ashes left over to display on the mantelpiece.

So far, nobody's ordered more than 11 diamonds, said Dean VandenBiesen, vice president of operations for LifeGem, which uses super-hot ovens to transform ashes to graphite and then presses the stone into blue and yellow diamonds that retail for anywhere from 2,700 to 20,000 dollars.

Americans are moving away from traditional funerals and are seeking instead less somber occasions that reflect the personality of the deceased. posted 12:12am by jholmes

President Bush says that the U.S. and allies have helped foil over 10 massive terror attacks by Al Quada that would have struck both coasts of the United States. posted 12:01am by jholmes

October 6, 2005

A serious terrorist threat to the New York subway system has been thwarted. Security measures have increased as all officials are on high alert. posted 3:29am by jholmes

Breaking: Keith Urban has injured his vocal cords. Tonight's show in Indiana along with the upcoming European dates have been canceled and will be rescheduled. posted 11:19am by jholmes

Paris Hilton has supposedly nabbed another Greek billionaire heir. This is the one that belonged to Mary-Kate Olsen though. posted 2:14am by jholmes

President Bush will deliver a major speech on the progress in Iraq later this morning at 10:10am EST. posted 1:41am by jholmes

Us Weekly is reporting that forever newlyweds Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey are splitting up. Phi Alpha Nick.

"Nick and Jessica have not separated," said a joint statement on behalf of the couple released Wednesday. "Rumors to the contrary are simply not true."

Alex Dudley, a spokesman for Us Weekly, said the magazine was standing by its story. posted 1:31am by jholmes

The death toll from Hurricane Stan has reached 120 in Central America. posted 1:25am by jholmes

Director Peter Jackson is set to produce Halo the movie based on the best selling video game for the Xbox. posted 1:22am by jholmes

The Supreme Court butted heads today over assisted suicide.

New Chief Justice John Roberts stepped forward Wednesday as an aggressive defender of federal authority to block doctor-assisted suicide, as the Supreme Court clashed over an Oregon law that lets doctors help terminally ill patients end their lives.

It was a wrenching debate for a court touched personally by illness. Roberts replaced William H. Rehnquist, who died a month ago after battling cancer for nearly a year. Three justices have had cancer and a fourth has a spouse who counsels children with untreatable cancer. posted 1:20am by jholmes

A spy has been found in the White House. posted 1:17am by jholmes

October 5, 2005

A pregnant Britney Spears sex tape with her husband Kevin Federline is floating around and could find its way to being released and the internet soon. posted 4:44pm by jholmes

According to People magazine Katie Holmes is pregnant with Tom Cruise's baby. One of them must have a movie coming out and needed some good press. Anyone want to bet on an actual baby ever appearing?

"Tom and Katie are very excited, and the entire family is very excited," says DeVette. posted 1:34pm by jholmes

More on the Craziness of Tom Cruise

Every great music group ends up selling their music out to the latest commercial on TV. Every group that is, except the Doors. Why the Doors have not sold out to this day. posted 12:43am by jholmes

Weekly Bumpshack College Football Top 5 Poll from readers of the Bumpshack Message Board. Log in and become a part of the College Football Poll voting.

College Football Top 5 for October 5, 2005

USC (35 votes)

Texas (27)

Virginia Tech (20)

Florida State (13)

Alabama (5)

Others Receiving Votes: Georgia (2), Ohio State (2), Tennessee (1)
Voters: Bumpshack, LilTony, Paige, Tfactor, Gatoraide25, Jinksnakeyfeet, Kdcatron

Thomas Jefferson is more cheerful on the new nickel. He must have posed right after a visit to his servants quarters. posted 12:30am by jholmes

An Oregon doctor is being sued for the sex treatment he prescribed to his patient for her back pain.

An Oregon woman whose doctor convinced her that he could cure her lower back pain by having sex with her is suing him and his medical clinic for $4 million, according to legal documents obtained on Monday.

The doctor, Randall Smith, who was 50 at the time, was stripped of his license and sent to jail for 60 days last year for charging the state's Oregon Health Plan $5,000 for his 45-minute "treatments" involving the woman.

"Dr. Smith's medical treatment included intercourse in which he told plaintiff was needed to help alleviate plaintiff's lower back and lower extremity pain," the former patient said in the lawsuit. posted 12:14am by jholmes

Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans has announced the layoff of over 3,000 city employees.

Nagin described the layoffs as "pretty permanent" and said that the city will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to notify municipal employees who fled the city in the aftermath of Katrina, which struck about a month ago.

The mayor said the move will save about $5 million to $8 million of the city's monthly payroll of $20 million. The layoffs will take place over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, former President Clinton met with dozens of New Orleans-area evacuees staying at a shelter in Baton Rouge's convention center. And officials ended their door-to-door sweep for corpses in Louisiana with the death toll Tuesday at 972 - far fewer than the 10,000 the mayor had feared at one point. Mississippi's Katrina death toll was 221. posted 12:10am by jholmes

Lindsay Lohan was in a crash tonight in West Hollywood when her black Mercedes collided with a van. posted 12:06am by jholmes

October 4, 2005

View all of the other Celebrity Book Shelves on BumpReviews. Info there on how to share your favorite five books of all time.

Necole Cameron's Shelf

Britney Spears is cleaning out her closet and you can own her old duds. She is placing the items on Ebay to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief. Bumpshack will be collecting donations to hopefully purchase one of her old skirts or bras. Email me Bumpshack@gmail.com to donate and help in obtaining such a keep sake for the site. According to Spears, all of the money goes to the victims of the deadly storm. posted 12:25am by jholmes

Experts are saying it safe to once again eat New Orleans seafood from Lake Pontchartrain where most of it comes from. posted 12:15am by jholmes

Actor Nipsey Russell has passed away at the age of 80. posted 12:11am by jholmes

Ousted Alabama chief justice Roy Moore is planning to make a run for the governorship of the state of Alabama.

Roy Moore, who became a hero to the religious right after being ousted as Alabama's chief justice for refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse, announced Monday that he is running for governor in 2006.

Moore, 58, said that if elected, he has no plans to relocate the Ten Commandments monument from its new home at a church in Gadsden.

"But I'll tell you what I will do. I will defend the right of every citizen of this state — including judges, coaches, teachers, city, county and state officials — to acknowledge God as the sovereign source of law, liberty and government," he said. posted 12:10am by jholmes

Some Dole pre-packaged salads have been linked to E. Coli infections in Minnesota. posted 12:06am by jholmes

Tom Delay has been indicted on another charge. I guess we will see if these are legitimate infractions or just simply politically motivated. posted 12:04am by jholmes

October 3, 2005

President Bush has picked Harriet Miers to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

The White House is describing the nominee as "a woman of many firsts," including being one of the first staff members to arrive at the White House each morning and among the last to leave. She is known for thoroughness and her low-profile. posted 11:33am by jholmes

Profile of Harriet Ellan Miers.
More Bumpshack Supreme Court Coverage

Here are my award winners for the 2005 Major League Baseball season.

MLB	Most Valuable Player	Cy Young	Rookie of the Year	Manager of the Year
National	Albert Pujols	Chris Carpenter	Ryan Howard	Bobby Cox
American	Alex Rodriguez	Mariano Rivera	Huston Street	Ozzie Guillen

Disagree? Discuss your picks and reasons on the Bumpshack Message Board. On the Message Board I have also listed a breakdown of the comparison between Andruw Jones and Albert Pujols for National League MVP. It is not as close as it appears on the surface. posted 1:22am by jholmes

Flight Plan was the top movie at the box office for the second weekend in a row. Serenity came in second place bringing in $10.1 million dollars in its first weekend of release. posted 12:49am by jholmes

St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter held mass today. Today's mass is the first since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans over a month ago. posted 12:31am by jholmes

Actors Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have put their Beverly Hills estate on the market for $28 million dollars.

Pitt, 41, and Aniston, 36, bought the 10,000 square foot (930 sq meter) -plus Wallace Neff-designed home for about $13.5 million in 2001. They then spent two years refurbishing it. posted 12:27am by jholmes

The NFL played its first regular season game outside of the United States last night when the San Francisco 49ers played the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City, Mexico. The Cardinals won the game. posted 12:24am by jholmes

A boat capsized in New York on Lake George killing twenty-one tourists yesterday. posted 12:21am by jholmes

October 2, 2005

Google is bidding to provide free WiFi to the entire city of San Francisco. posted 1:51am by jholmes

View all of the other Celebrity Book Shelves on BumpReviews. Info there on how to share your favorite five books of all time.

Juliet Willis' Celebrity Book Shelf

Today is the last day of the Major League Baseball season. I will be posting my award winners for CY Young, MVP, and Rookie of the Year tomorrow morning. Talk about who you think should be the winners on the Bumpshack Message Board. posted 1:41am by jholmes

Homicide bombers at a resort in Bali have killed 25 and injured many more.

Maj. Gen. Ansyaad Mbai said he suspected two Malaysian fugitives alleged to be key members of the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror group masterminded the latest attacks. The two are also accused of orchestrating the 2002 bombings which killed mostly foreigners and two other attacks in the Indonesian capital in 2003 and 2004. The latter attacks also involved homicide bombers. posted 1:39am by jholmes

The pumping of the water out of New Orleans is almost done and could be completed this week.

In another sign that life was returning to the city, the historic St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter planned to celebrate Sunday Mass -- its first since Hurricane Katrina pounded New Orleans more than a month ago. Louisiana Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes planned to preside. posted 12:11am by jholmes

Paris Hilton has broken off her engagement to Paris Latsis. posted 12:07am by jholmes

October 1, 2005

Who was King James? Did he write the Bible or parts of it? What was his role and why does he have his own version of the Bible?

One of the first things done by the new king was the calling of the Hampton Court Conference in January of 1604 "for the hearing, and for the determining, things pretended to be amiss in the church." Here were assembled bishops, clergymen, and professors, along with four Puritan divines, to consider the complaints of the Puritans. Although Bible revision was not on the agenda, the Puritan president of Corpus Christi College, John Reynolds, "moved his Majesty, that there might be a new translation of the Bible, because those which were allowed in the reigns of Henry the eighth, and Edward the sixth, were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the Original."

"Could never yet see a Bible well translated in English; but I think that, of all, that of Geneva is the worst. I wish some special pains were taken for an uniform translation, which should be done by he best learned men in both Universities, then reviewed by the Bishops, presented to the Privy Council, lastly ratified by the Royal authority, to be read in the whole Church, and none other."- King James

Resolution by King James: "That a translation be made of the whole Bible, as consonant as can be to the original Hebrew and Greek; and this to be set out and printed, without any marginal notes, and only to be used in all churches of England in time of divine service."

The next step was the actual selection of the men who were to perform the work. In July of 1604, James wrote to Bishop Bancroft that he had "appointed certain learned men, to the number of four and fifty, for the translating of the Bible." These men were the best biblical scholars and linguists of their day. In the preface to their completed work it is further stated that "there were many chosen, that were greater in other men's eyes than in their own, and that sought the truth rather than their own praise. Again, they came or were thought to come to the work, learned, not to learn." Other men were sought out, according to James, "so that our said intended translation may have the help and furtherance of all our principal learned men within this our kingdom."

We can see that King James did not author any parts of the Bible. James only responded to a request from the Puritans for the entire Bible to be translated into English. The translation started in 1604 A.D. and the King James Bible was first released in 1611. The translation took 45 translators who took their work very seriously. King James is merely responsible for putting the Bible in the King's language. A very important moment for Christians and for other versions of the Bible that have since been produced.

A dedicatory epistle to King James, which also enhanced the completed work, recalled the King's desire that "there should be one more exact Translation of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue." The translators expressed that they were "poor instruments to make GOD'S holy Truth to be yet more and more known" while at the same time recognizing that "Popish persons" sought to keep the people "in ignorance and darkness."

Other facts about King James I:

Fluent in Greek, Latin, French, English, and his native Scots. Schooled in Italian and Spanish.

William Shakespeare was one of his subjects. Learning and writing thrived under the King's reign.

King James was sickly having crippling arthritis, weak limbs, abdominal colic, gout, and a number of other chronic illnesses. He also had physical handicaps which affected his legs and tongue. Coupled with numerous attempts on his life, he required constant attention and watchcare.

His mother was Mary Queen of Scots who was deposed in 1567 and executed in 1587 after 19 years in prison. His father, Lord Darnley, was murdered in 1567.

Held the Roman Catholic religion in contempt. Roman clerics tried to kill him more than once. The King was born during the time of the Reformation and well knew popery's atrocities. In 1536, popery burned William Tyndale to death for distributing the Bible and it was MUCH displeased with King James' authorization of a Bible in English.

His understanding of his faith: "I am no papist as I said before...Now faith...is the free gift of God (as Paul sayeth). It must be nourished by prayer, which is no thing else but a friendly talking to God. Use oft to pray when ye are quiet, especially in your bed..."

Advice to his son concerning marriage: "And for your behavior to your wife, the Scripture can best give you counsel therein. Treat her as your own flesh, command her as her lord, cherish her as your helper, rule her as your pupil, please her in all things reasonable, but teach her not to be curious in things that belong not to her. You are the head, she is your body, it is your office to command and hers to obey, but yet with such a sweet harmony as she should be as ready to obey as you to command, as willing to follow as you to go before, your love being wholly knit unto her, and all her affections lovingly bent to follow your will." posted 12:35am by jholmes