Send me your favorite five books of all time. I will include it as one of the Celebrity Bookshelves under
BumpReviews. Email your list to me at
Bumpshack@gmail.com posted 5:12pm by jholmes
About 250 employees and former employees
from 40 central Florida stores have joined the fledgling Wal-Mart
Workers Association, spurred by what they say is a reduction of hours
and schedule changes recently that may jeopardize health care benefits
for some. Organizers say the word-of-mouth campaign is attracting 15 to
20 new members every week. posted 5:05pam by jholmes
Super Model
Kate Moss has checked herself into a drug rehab clinic. Rumors of her drug use have persisted for years, but she was recently photographed on the cover of a London tabloid with a plate full of 'coke' she was snorting out of. posted 1:31am by jholmes
A
string of car bombs in
Iraq
killed 99 civilians and injured many more.
posted 1:29am by jholmes
John Glover
Roberts Jr., backed by a united Senate Republican majority and about
half of a divided Democratic minority, is taking his place as the
nation's 17th chief justice, to lead the Supreme Court into the 21st
century and through turbulent social issues that will affect generations
to come.
Roberts was to be
confirmed Thursday by at least 77 senators in the GOP-controlled Senate,
or more than three-fourths of the 100-member chamber, as President
Bush's selection to replace the late William H. Rehnquist. The
50-year-old U.S. appeals court judge then was to be quickly sworn into
his new position at the White House so he could take his seat on Monday
in time for the new court session where justices will tackle issues like
assisted suicide, campaign finance law and abortion. posted
1:42am by jholmes
According to GOP rules in the House,
DeLay must step down from his position as House majority leader, at
least temporarily.
"This indictment is
nothing more than prosecutorial retribution by a partisan Democrat,"
Madden said, citing prosecutor Ronnie Earle, a Democrat.
posted 10:27am by jholmes
Mold now forms an interior version of
kudzu in the soggy South, posing health dangers that will make many
homes tear-downs and will force schools and hospitals to do expensive
repairs. posted 1:04am by jholmes
In her book, "Unlikely Angel," released
Tuesday, Smith says Nichols had her bound on her bed with masking tape
and an extension cord. She says he asked for marijuana, but she did not
have any, and dug into her crystal methamphetamine stash instead.
Smith, who has been in a mental hospital
and has flunked out of drug rehabilitation programs, says the seven-hour
hostage ordeal led her to stop using drugs. She says she has not touched
drugs since the night before she was taken hostage.
posted 12:20am by jholmes
The
New Orleans
police superintendent
has resigned.
Some would have thought
New Orleans was without
a police chief during
the whole Katrina
affair.
Police
Superintendent Eddie Compass resigned Tuesday after four turbulent weeks
in which the police force was wracked by desertions and disorganization
in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.
As the city
slipped into anarchy during the first few days after Katrina, the
1,700-member police department itself suffered a crisis. Many officers
deserted their posts, and some were accused of joining in the looting
that broke out. Two officers Compass described as friends committed
suicide. posted 12:03am by jholmes
"My biggest mistake was not recognizing
by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," Brown told a special
congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate
the catastrophe.
As to the other, he said: "I very
strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and
Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences, and work together.
I just couldn't pull that off."
Brown said: "Those are not FEMA roles.
FEMA doesn't evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement.
FEMA does not do communications." posted 8:38am by jholmes
Is it
better to
rent or buy a house?
posted 12:38am by
jholmes
FOX News has confirmed that Abu Azzam,
who was believed to have been in charge of the financing of terrorist
cells in the war-torn country, was killed during a raid in Baghdad early
Monday morning Iraq time. Azzam is thought to be the top deputy to Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraq's most wanted terrorist. posted
12:24am by jholmes
England, 22, was found guilty of one
count of conspiracy, four counts of maltreating detainees and one count
of committing an indecent act. She was acquitted on a second conspiracy
count. posted 12:10am by jholmes
Two-thirds of the 100 senators —
Republican and Democrats alike — had already announced their support of
the conservative federal appeals court judge as the successor to the
late William H. Rehnquist before the Senate even started its final
debate Monday afternoon. posted 9:00am by jholmes
Francois Venter told a congress of health
activists in the Treatment Action Campaign that a recent in thsurvey e
Soweto township indicated that circumcised men were 65 percent less
likely to contract AIDS than those who had not been circumcised.
posted 12:40am by jholmes
Citing "user confusion"
over what the butler character represents the search site has said that
Jeeves will soon be phased out. posted 1:46am by
jholmes
Hurricane Rita left floodwaters lapping
at the high-water marks set by Katrina just three weeks ago, raising
questions about how swiftly New Orleans can recover from its epic
flooding and providing a grim reminder that the city remains in peril
even as it seeks to rebuild. posted 12:09am by jholmes
A honest look at the
anti-America rally
(Cindy Sheehan and
conspirators) in D.C.
and a dissection of the
powder journalism
covering it.
posted 4:14pm by jholmes
Hurricane Rita is
pounding the Gulf Coast
hard. Texas
and Louisiana again are
getting the dangerous
winds, rains and
destruction from the
massive storm.
posted 12:31pm by
jholmes
Compared with people who'd never smoked,
those who smoked one to four cigarettes a day were nearly three times as
likely to die of heart disease. Men who were light smokers were nearly
three times as likely to die of lung cancer, while women who were light
smokers were nearly five times as likely to be killed by lung cancer,
compared with non-smokers. posted 1:23am by jholmes
A
California high school
has
expelled a girl for
having lesbian parents.
posted 1:20am by jholmes
According to a
police report, McCready and William McKnight were arguing on the phone
about whether his parents would help pay for the pregnancy. He cursed at
McCready and she became angry and took about 30 antidepressant pills,
the report says. posted 1:09am by jholmes
Early indications were that the bus
caught fire because of mechanical problems, then passengers' oxygen
tanks started exploding, Peritz said. He said the brakes may have been
on fire. The bus was engulfed with flames, causing a lengthy backup on
Interstate 45 already congested with evacuees from the Gulf Coast.
posted 10:41am by jholmes
Hurricane Rita's steady rains sent water
pouring through breaches in a patched levee Friday, cascading into one
of the city's lowest-lying neighborhoods in a devastating repeat of New
Orleans' flooding nightmare.
"We have three significant breaches in
the levee and the water is rising rapidly," he said. "At daybreak I
found substantial breaks and they've grown larger."
A spokeswoman for Mayor Ray Nagin said
officials believed the neighborhood had been cleared of residents. But
throughout Friday, water began rising again onto what remained — buckled
homes, piles of rubble and mud-caked cars that Katrina had covered with
up to 20 feet of water. posted 10:33am by jholmes
Palmeiro said he
received vitamin B-12 from Tejada, a person familiar with Palmeiro's
unsuccessful grievance hearing to overturn the suspension said Thursday
on condition of anonymity because the proceedings were secret.
"I've never given
anybody steroids before," he said. "I've been checked out three times
already, and I'm clean. I've been clean all my life."
"It doesn't
bother me because I'm not guilty. I've done nothing wrong. I just gave
him B-12, and B-12 is legal," Tejada said. "You don't get caught for
B-12."
Vitamin B-12
helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, and is commonly
found in foods such as fish, meat, poultry and dairy products.
posted 2:04am by jholmes
Roberts won the support of all 10
Republicans on the committee and three Democrats — Ranking Minority
Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, both of
Wisconsin. posted 10:28am by jholmes
The official, said the question was not
"if it will be published, but when," referring to the new ruling about
homosexuality in Catholic seminaries, a topic that has stirred much
recent rumor and worry in the church. The official, who has
authoritative knowledge of the new rules, spoke on the condition of
anonymity because of the church's policy of not commenting on
unpublished reports. posted 9:39am by jholmes
Sony
has announced that they
will be
cutting 10,000 jobs
globally. posted
1:34am by jholmes
Some
TiVo users are wary of
restrictions Hollywood
might place on the
recording devices.
I got my TiVo set up two
nights ago. What
an amazing invention.
Also, it is a good
time to buy one.
TiVo is offering a $150
rebate. posted
1:25am by jholmes
"When the wholesale price of gas went up
by 60 cents almost overnight, oil companies were obviously using the
most devastating natural disaster in our nation's history to reap a
windfall at the expense of American consumers," said the letter, which
was initiated by Gov. James E. Doyle of Wisconsin and was signed by
governors from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon and
Washington.
The Yankee Hall of Famer settled a $10
million lawsuit against TBS Monday for using his name in an ad to
promote reruns of Sex and the City.
The ad posed a multiple-choice question
to viewers: "What is a yogasm?"
While the correct answer was option C:
What Samantha has with a guy from yoga class, the 80-year-old sports
legend objected to answer B: "Sex with Yogi Berra."
posted 12:06am by jholmes
"They could have done that anywhere,"
Haslett said. "They could have played that game in Baton Rouge. They
could have played it in San Antonio and could have done the same thing.
"To play it in Giants Stadium, to give
them another home game and to put us in a situation where we couldn't
hear ... It wasn't why we lost that game, but ..."
"It wasn't a home game," he said. "I look
up at the scoreboard and there are signs, 'Let's Go Giants'. The
referees, when they flipped the coin, they asked us if we wanted heads
or tails. They had no idea who the home team was and who was away. The
crowd noise we had to deal with, we never had to do a silent count at
home."
"They made this seem like the Super
Bowl," Brooks said after the loss. "We played a team that outplayed us
today, but it was way overdone. Setting up a stage, traveling out here,
was uncalled for.
"Try not to patronize us next time,
traveling us to New York, saying we're playing a home game."
posted 6:50pm by jholmes
Wiesenthal, who had been an architect
before World War II, changed his life's mission after the war,
dedicating himself to trying to track down Nazi war criminals and to
being a voice for the 6 million Jews who died during the onslaught. He
himself lost 89 relatives in the Holocaust.
Wiesenthal spent more than 50 years
hunting Nazi war criminals, speaking out against neo-Nazism and racism,
and remembering the Jewish experience as a lesson for humanity. Through
his work, he said, some 1,100 Nazi war criminals were brought to
justice.
Wiesenthal's quest began after the
Americans liberated the Mauthausen death camp in Austria where
Wiesenthal was a prisoner in May 1945. It was his fifth death camp among
the dozen Nazi camps in which he was imprisoned, and he weighed just 99
pounds when he was freed. He said he quickly realized ''there is no
freedom without justice,'' and decided to dedicate ''a few years'' to
seeking justice. ''It became decades,'' he added.
posted 1:31am by jholmes
My
favorite current
television show
Nip/Tuck is back
for its third season
starting tonight.
Producers promise the
show will be even
edgier, and that
everything will be
bigger from the
surgeries to the cast.
If you have not seen the
show before then you can
buy the first two
seasons on DVD or check
them out on Netflix.
I highly recommend
Nip/Tuck, and I am
not a TV type of guy.
In Season 3, which begins tonight (10
ET/PT), creator Ryan Murphy says, viewers should expect the show to be
"bigger" all around: "Everything has expanded. The cast is bigger,
surgeries are bigger, locations are bigger." Making appearances this
season will be Rhona Mitra (Boston Legal) and Anne Heche.
Nip/Tuck has grown in two years
into one of FX's biggest success stories and a pop-culture darling — as
well as a lightning rod for controversy. The show won the 2005 Golden
Globe award for best drama, just as TV Guide was dubbing it "The
Coolest Show on TV." The Season 2 finale was the most-watched single
episode of a series ever for FX, with 5.3 million viewers.
Murphy points out that there is only an
average of 32 seconds of surgery in every hour-long episode, and this
season will continue the show's message. "What this show says is that
real change happens internally, that maybe you should book a
consultation with a shrink instead of a plastic surgeon."
posted 1:13am by jholmes
The congressional source indicated that
all the players asked to talk to the committee recently were chosen
because they have relationships with Palmeiro — such as teammates or
workout partners — and could have knowledge about whether he might have
used steroids before his testimony. posted 1:05am by
jholmes
Line
up guys.
Jennifer Aniston says
she is ready to date
again. I was
never a fan of Aniston,
but I have found myself
pulling for her because
of the insensitive way
Brad Pitt has treated
her with his public
flaunting of his romance
with Angelina Jolie.
posted 12:54am by
jholmes
The
New Orleans Saints were
beat by the New York
Giants last night in
New Jersey by a score of
27-10. The game
was originally to be
played in the Superdome
in New Orleans but was
moved to the Giants home
field after the damage
done to the dome by
Katrina. posted
12:51am by jholmes
New
Orleans mayor Ray Nagin
has
changed his mind and has
now urged an immediate
evacuation of New
Orleans. Hurricane
Rita is now headed for
the Gulf Coast.
President Bush disagreed
with Nagin opening
the city to citizens so
soon and Bush urged him
to evacuate the city
again. posted
5:27pm by jholmes
North
Korea has
pledged to drop its
nuclear program if
certain requests are
met. It seems we
hear this offer all the
time and we meet do
whatever they say.
The North Koreans then
renege on the agreement
and start production
again. It's a
tiresome cycle.
posted 9:19am by jholmes
The skyline is soaring as the capital
marks the 20th anniversary Monday of the earthquake that killed at least
9,500 people and leveled whole sections of the city. But some scars are
still visible and scientists say the city may be unprepared for the next
quake.
"That the poor were the ones that
couldn't evacuate (from New Orleans) is something that caught our
attention," said Luis Wintergerst, the city's director of civil
protection. The 1985 quake also hit the poor hardest, he said.
Lying in a flood- and earthquake-prone
valley, Mexico City has rebuilt itself more than once since the Spanish
arrived in the 16th century. Flooded in 1629, it remained under water
for nearly three years. While the Spanish fled their homes, more than
30,000 Indians died. posted 12:16am by jholmes
"If there was a flu pandemic tomorrow we
would not be ready. The clock is ticking and when the pandemic strikes
it will be too late," said WHO spokeswoman Christine McNab.
Of the 192 members of the UN just 40
countries had drawn up detailed plans for combatting an outbreak in
humans of a mutation of the H5N1 virus which could, like the 1918
Spanish influenza pandemic, kill millions of people.
posted 12:11am by jholmes
Check
out Bumpshack on the
ever growing
MySpace site at
www.myspace.com/bumpshacker.
Be sure to add Bumpshack
if you are a MySpace
user. posted
12:01am by jholmes
Violence across the country in the hours
just before voting began and during the day killed 15 people, including
a French commando in the U.S.-led coalition that is helping Afghans
build a democracy after a quarter-century of conflict, but there were no
signs of a spectacular attack threatened by Taliban militants to disrupt
the vote.
"We are making history," President Hamid Karzai
said while casting his ballot. "It's the day of
self-determination for the Afghan people. After
30 years of wars, interventions, occupations and
misery, today Afghanistan is moving forward,
making an economy, making political
institutions." posted 9:22am by jholmes
California governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
has signed a
bill banning sodas
in high schools.
"California is facing an obesity
epidemic," said Schwarzenegger, a former Mr. Olympia and longtime health
advocate. "Today we are taking some first steps in creating a healthy
future for California."
"Obesity-related health problems cost us
$28 billion a year," Schwarzenegger said. "We are going to terminate
obesity in California once and for all." posted 1:20am
by jholmes
The
USC Trojans played like
an NFL team in a
dominating 70-17 win
over the Arkansas
Razorbacks. I was
at this game last night.
USC should not have a
punter on their roster.
I do not think they even
had a second down until
the second half when
they were trying to be
good sports by
attempting to not
run the score up.
posted 12:50am by
jholmes
I am
off to see the #1 USC
Trojans play host to the
Arkansas Razorbacks at
the L.A. Coliseum.
Hopefully it will be
close for a bit.
posted 5:52pm by jholmes
A
jobless French man won a
$92 million dollar
jackpot in
multi-nation Euro
lottery. posted
10:40am by jholmes
Blues
legend
B.B. King turned 80
yesterday. The
man is truly a legend.
I was lucky enough to
see him play right at
midnight of Y2K.
For a man who has met four sitting presidents
(both Bushes, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton and
one Pope (John Paul II), King says it was his
home state that gave him the biggest thrill of
his career so far.
On February 15, the
Mississippi Senate and Gov. Haley Barbour
honored him with B.B. King Day.
"I cried, because I never believed that yours
truly or any black person like myself would ever
be honored there as they honored me."
Despite the state's troubled racial past,
King says Mississippi has gone through "quite a change," and these days
he feels at home there. posted 12:17am by jholmes
He added that Foxx seemed angrier than
ever when he found that Cruise had donated $5,000 in his name to the
Church Of Scientology. Foxx wasn't aware of the donation until the
church sent him a plaque as a thank-you.
"Jamie was seething when he got the
plaque," the insider said. "He must have felt Tom was going to attempt
to use his name to recruit other high-profile African-Americans into the
church. He probably thought it was Tom's intention to tell black people
that Jamie had been to a meeting and had made a donation to the Church
Of Scientology. posted 1:39pm by jholmes
Britney and Kevin
Federline Spears'
love could be turning
toxic. Kevin
has a history of leaving
women who have had his
children.
The source said: "Britney said, "I need
you by my side, by our baby's side and not on the road hundreds of miles
away. I want you around for our baby's first Christmas'.
"Kevin reminded Britney that if she's
taking time off to be a stay-at-home mom, somebody has to be out there
making money. Then, he pleaded, 'Britney! You of all people should
understand!'
"She turned to her mom for consolation
but I bet all she got was a dose of reality and an 'I told you so'."
posted 1:19pm by jholmes
President Bush has
ruled out a tax hike
to fund the Katrina
recovery. posted
12:47pm by jholmes
As far as her hospital accommodations –
how does $20,000 per night sound?
A source tells Access that in addition to
the pop star's fifth floor $3,000/night room that has a tented balcony,
her family and security team take up an additional seven rooms on the
floor.
Britney also has a private chef in a
kitchen adjacent to her hospital suite that is there to make whatever
she requests. posted 12:47pm by jholmes
Some thought it was a cover
when Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger got married and many more will when
finding out the reason for the annulment.
Zellweger
has listed the reason for the divorce as 'fraud.' Rumors have
speculated for months about Chesney's sexuality. I am sure there will
be a lot more about this on all the entertainment shows. posted
12:38am by jholmes
Some Highlights:
Across the Gulf Coast, among people who have lost much … and
suffered much … and given to the limit of their power, we are seeing
that same spirit: a core of strength that survives all hurt … a faith in
God no storm can take away … and a powerful American determination to
clear the ruins and build better than before.
And tonight I also offer this pledge of
the American people: Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will
do what it takes … we will stay as long as it takes … to help citizens
rebuild their communities and their lives. And all who question the
future of the Crescent City need to know: There is no way to imagine
America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again.
Tonight I propose the creation of a Gulf
Opportunity Zone, encompassing the region of the disaster in Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Alabama. Within this zone, we should provide immediate
incentives for job-creating investment … tax relief for small businesses
… incentives to companies that create jobs ... and loans and loan
guarantees for small businesses, including minority-owned enterprises,
to get them up and running again. It is entrepreneurship that creates
jobs and opportunity … it is entrepreneurship that helps break the cycle
of poverty … and we will take the side of entrepreneurs as they lead the
economic revival of the Gulf region.
I propose the creation of Worker Recovery
Accounts to help those evacuees who need extra help finding work. Under
this plan, the federal government would provide accounts of up to five
thousand dollars, which these evacuees could draw upon for job training
and education to help them get a good job … and for child care expenses
during their job search.
To help lower-income citizens in the
hurricane region build new and better lives, I also propose that
Congress pass an Urban Homesteading Act. Under this approach, we will
identify property in the region owned by the federal government, and
provide building sites to low-income citizens free of charge, through a
lottery. In return, they would pledge to build on the lot, with either a
mortgage or help from a charitable organization like Habitat for
Humanity. Home ownership is one of the great strengths of any community,
and it must be a central part of our vision for the revival of this
region.
These trials have also reminded us that
we are often stronger than we know – with the help of grace and one
another. They remind us of a hope beyond all pain and death – a God who
welcomes the lost to a house not made with hands. And they remind us
that we are tied together in this life, in this nation – and that the
despair of any touches us all.
In this place, there is a custom for the
funerals of jazz musicians. The funeral procession parades slowly
through the streets, followed by a band playing a mournful dirge as it
moves to the cemetery. Once the casket has been laid in place, the band
breaks into a joyful “second line” – symbolizing the triumph of the
spirit over death. Tonight the Gulf Coast is still coming through the
dirge – yet we will live to see the second line.
posted 7:10pm by jholmes
Donald
Trump is going to
make his soap opera
debut on the soap
Days of Our Lives.
posted 4:37pm by jholmes
Placido Polanco has the
highest average of
anyone in the American
League this year.
However, you won't see
him at the top of the
stat leaders and he
won't win the batting
title due to an old odd
rule. posted
9:32am by jholmes
Parts
of New Orleans
should re-open next
week. posted
9:21am by jholmes
Iran, which is under mounting pressure to
halt its uranium conversion, says its nuclear technology is for the
peaceful production of energy. The United States and other countries
suspect Iran may be seeking to produce nuclear weapons and have warned
they may refer it to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
"Therefore, any license for pre-emptive
measures which are essentially based on gauging intentions rather than
objective facts ... is a blatant contradiction to the very foundation of
the United Nations and the letter and the spirit of its charter," he
said.
The United States and European countries
warned last week that Tehran is running out of time to freeze uranium
processing activities or face referral to the Security Council.
Iran and the United States have not had
diplomatic ties since 1979, when Iranian militants stormed the U.S.
Embassy and kept 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
posted 1:48am by jholmes
"I told her I needed to go to work," the
son said of a conversation he had with his mother Tuesday night, "and
she told me to go to work."
Roger Clemens never knew his father, and
the man who raised him as his own died of a heart attack when Roger was
9 years old. The one constant in his life was his mom. Bess was there
when he first started playing baseball. She was there for many of
Roger's biggest accomplishments. She was always around to talk to him
about his latest start or his place in the game's history.
Clemens had a rough start, walking the
Marlins' first batter and giving up a first-inning run. But he settled
down and got into his rhythm (in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, he
threw a total of 26 pitches), the Astros scored a few runs and, when he
left the game after 6 1-3 innings, limping slightly and sweat dripping
from his brow, Houston held a 3-1 lead. posted 1:44am
by jholmes
Miami
Heat center
Shaquille O'Neal is
playing cop again.
This time the
super-sized NBA player
helped make an arrest of
a man who threw a bottle
at a gay couple in
Miami. posted
1:38am by jholmes
The Japanese unit
will cost 37,900 yen, or about $345 - slightly less than the $399.99 the
company is charging in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Microsoft had
previously disclosed the U.S. price, as well as the European price of
399.99 euros. posted 12:39am by jholmes
Why is
the chief of Louisiana's
Homeland Security and
Emergency
in New York giving a
speech instead of in
Louisiana doing his job?
posted 5:10pm by jholmes
