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According to local radio station WTAX, there has been a shooting at the Illinois State capitol building in Springfield; a suspect is still at large. Victim's identity and condition is unknown; will post more details when they're available.

MORIARTY Stands In The Shadow Of THE TWO TOWERS!! Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab. Okay... let’s do the short version first. Everything you’ve heard is true. Smeagol (it’s hard to call him Gollum once you see how tortured he is) is the single most persuasive CGI character in a film so far, due in large part to the exceptional performance by Andy Serkis. Helm’s Deep is a jaw-dropping sequence, one that would make Akira Kurosawa weep tears of joy, choreographed with an eye for epic imagery but also executed with an awareness of how...

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a midnight showing of The Two Towers. What follows is my attempt at a spoiler-free review. Of three books of the trilogy, "The Two Towers" was always my favorite - I looked forward to the movie in fevered anticipation. I decided to throw caution to the wind and go to the midnight showing; I knew I would be hurting at work today (quick nurse, my caffine IV is low!) I was very surprised to get to the theater in our small city and find it utterly packed, my friend and I were...

Please, please forgive this vanity, its my first. But I was thinking about this all morning: now that the 'Rats have shown their hand, Forrester should start hammering home about how he will be good for New Jersey. He has a real chance to distance himself from the 'Rat leadership in stating that its obvious they don't care about New Jersey, they only care about national power. I wish there was a way to get that message to his campaign - from here on out it should be New Jersey, New Jersey, New Jersey - 24/7. How New Jersey voters...

WASHINGTON, DC—Last year’s White House Correspondents Dinner was a party in denial. Held five months into President George W. Bush’s term, the dinner was marred by the bitterness from Florida lingering in the ballroom.President Bush treated the media extravaganza likeanecessary evil. ColinPowell, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice didn’t even show up. The big guests were cast members of The West Wing, and they only reminded everyone that You-Know-Who was gone.But the past year has been a rigorous one for the Bush administration, one in which this new White House, challenged by war, claimed new ground in the media and culture...

<p>Comment from Susan Wloszczyna: Let me brag a moment here. A hobbit kissed and hugged me. Actually, Frodo himself kissed and hugged me. Soo all right it was really Elijah Wood and I was hoping that Viggo Mortensen might have that reaction when we chatted. But I take my hugs where I can get them. Yes, I saw Lord of the Ring and although the beginning is a tad too much of a Shire theme park for my taste it takes off with a bang shortly thereafter and barely takes a breath. It is a wonderful, enthralling adventure I am happy to report. Peter Jackson did a terrific job of condensing a class and visualizing key moments.</p>

By KEVIN WILLIAMSONCalgary Sun A month ago, I barely knew an orc from a muggle. &#160;But yesterday, after a media screening of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring -- the much-ballyhooed adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary book -- the gulf between the two became as obvious as the fur on a hobbit's feet. &#160;Lord of the Rings, folks, rules. &#160;And while perhaps Harry Potter's spell will grow stronger as later episodes of the planned marathon of Potter flicks unfold, for now anyway, Lord of the Rings stands the taller of the two -- a mythic, sprawling fable with ...

Three hundred million dollars seems about the right price for an adaptation of the three Lord of the Rings books, which New Line Cinema is producing simultaneously in New Zealand (the other two will be released this time next year and the year after). Middle Earth, which Tolkien spent decades imagining before he wrote this epic narrative, is an organic creation, one that cannot be rendered by facile, impressionistic computer imaging alone. The landscapes and the special effects provide much of the pleasure in The Fellowship of the Ring, not because they are particularly majestic or awesome, but because they ...

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring" - A Review by 'Greg' &nbsp; (Positive, Major Spoilers) I was fortunate to see THE LORD OF RINGS at a NYC screening on MOnday, and my legs are shaking. This movie is the Real Deal--a milestone fantasy that ranks up there with the original KING KONG and STAR WARS. Peter Jackson and his team have done an amazing job of bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth to the screen. The film begins with an action packed prologue that shows the creation of "the one true ring," Sauron's early attempt to ...

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Visually striking, thematically grave, and morally weighty, Peter Jackson's The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, is a miracle of a movie: a three-hour fantasy-action-adventure that not only faithfully captures the spirit of its respectable source material, the first in J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy of books, but also stands tall on its own merits as one of most ambitious movies to have come out of Hollywood in a long time. Eagerly awaited by millions of fans around the globe, New Line's large-budget (more than $90m) fantasy is a must-see event ...

Attention all FReepers!!! Email, Freep, and otherwise hit these heartless b**tards hard... www.cafepress.com is selling a t-shirt poking fun at the WTC attacks "I flew a plane into the World Trade Center...and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" with a graphic of a 747 hitting the WTC. Find the page here

Just Announced!!! Ill. Gov (RINO) George Ryan WON'T Be Running for Governor!!!! Illinois BUMP!!!!!!

Here's thread two for yesterday's interesting discussion on Baptism...Thread I is here

What's Holding Blacks Back?When I was ten, my mother made me read Roots cover to cover, and she’d coax me to curl up beside her to watch old newsreels of black civil rights protesters being hosed, beaten, and dragged off to prison. We watched Norman Lear sitcoms, so I’d learn from Archie Bunker and crew what blacks had faced in the past. Later, she made sure I read accounts of black America before the civil rights movement. I learned of black lawyers working as office clerks, black classical musicians stuck orchestrating cheap stage revues, brilliant black professors trapped in threadbare ...

According to Springfield, IL leading AM news station WTAX, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, in commenting about tonight's speech by Algore, said "The most important thing for Al Gore to convey in tonight's speech is that this election over, that this process is done." *splash*.......was that the sound of another rat deserting the sinking ship? Yes it was :-)

True story, happened today: My Republican father, who lives in Louisville, KY, has two barbers that are extremely partisan Democrats (and racist good ol' boys, at that). When he went to the barbershop today, they were hopping mad. Apparently, someone has gotten a hold of a Democrat voter mailing list in Louisville, and is sending out letters in very governmental, official-looking envelopes - with 11 cents postage due! After paying the postage due (because of course it looks serious and official) and opening up the letter, these Democrats pull out... A 8 1/2 X 11 SORE LOSERMAN SIGN!!!!!!! Way to ...

• The Rev. Jesse Jackson is set to lead a demonstration Tuesday at the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee to protest alleged voting irregularities in the state. He charges that during the November 7 election thousands of minority voters were "targeted" to deny them their constitutional rights. Jackson is urging U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to investigate possible violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was passed to end racial discrimination at the ballot box. Does anyone know if Jesse "TV Camera Whore" Jackson actually held his "rally" as stated on yesterday's CNN website? How about Al "Jew ...