The LA Area Baggins Birthday Bash is today, here are some last minute directions and resources for those making a last minute decision to join in the fun. Sarumann and Quickbeam have staked out territory near where we were last year, but not quite as far back into the hills. If you come up the Old Zoo parking area, like last year, they are close to the road, so you should see the tent for the food from there. If there is no parking on the Old Zoo parking areas, go back to the road for the Carousel, and up into their parking area, keep following the hills around and you will come out just about the picnic area we are in this year. Should give plenty of options for parking. You can get a map of Griffith Park here. we are also on Facebook, which has more info about things people are bringing, step by step directions, etc.
BILLY BOYD WITH BEECAKE TO EMBARK ON U.S. EAST COAST TOUR OCTOBER 6-11, 2009
Actor and musician, Billy Boyd, who starred in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy as Peregrin “Pippin” Took and contributed to the soundtrack with his original song “Steward of Gondor”, will embark on a tour of the U.S. East Coast with his band Beecake October 6-11 in support of their new album “Soul Swimming”
The tour will coincide with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Howard Shore’s score performed live to film at Radio City Music Hall on October 9 and 10 at which Boyd will make an appearance. Read the rest of this entry »
PALO ALTO, Calif. — From a Silicon Valley office strewn with bean-bag chairs, a group of twenty-something software engineers is building an unlikely following of terrorist hunters at U.S. spy agencies. One of the latest entrants into the government spy-services marketplace, Palantir Technologies has designed what many intelligence analysts say is the most effective tool to date to investigate terrorist networks. The software’s main advance is a user-friendly search tool that can scan multiple data sources at once, something previous search tools couldn’t do. That means an analyst who is following a tip about a planned terror attack, for example, can more quickly and easily unearth connections among suspects, money transfers, phone calls and previous attacks around the globe. Palantir’s software has helped root out terrorist financing networks, revealed new trends in roadside bomb attacks, and uncovered details of Syrian suicide bombing networks in Iraq, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the events. More..
SAN DIEGO – The 2009 edition of the Comic-Con is over but its impact is just being felt as major news outlets around the world try to capture the impact and look through the window it provides into the future of popular culture and entertainment.
There are a lot of big-name franchises coming down the pipeline. Here are some highlights from the convention. Read the rest of this entry »
Have you watched LOTR enough times that you can recite, in character, the immortal lines of Smeagol or Gollum? Do you sound like the aged, tortured and nearly-bald addict of The One Ring? If so, TheOneRing.net wants to hear it and our friends at Weta have offered to reward fans for their efforts. Read the rest of this entry »
Jerry Vanderstelt has let us know that he will be at Comic-Con and will have at his booth (#4719) “Galadriel’s Blessing” and “Terror over Osgiliath,” two new pieces that will both be available on the dealer’s floor. SideshowCollectibles will also be featuring his Return of the King framed lithograph. You can view all three here.
Vanderstelt said this: “I can tell you a little about these:
ROTK – as the first two, these are sized at 24 x 30 inches, 100 pound paper, aqueous coating, archival inks etc. Limited Edition (signed and numbered ) Collectors Edition ( Signed, numbered and remarqued -a little sketch on the left bottom of the litho of a random ROTK character ). Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.Licensed by New Line Cinema / Warner Bros.”
We have been getting many requests for a link to sign up to our mailing list. We have not added the link to our side menus just yet, but we will soon. To sign up to the mailing list simple click over to this link and add your email address in the ‘Subscribing to Lotr_Announce’ section. Thanks!
Joining the list of LOTR-related guests appearing at Comic-Con is Elijah Wood promoting his film “9″ planned for release on 9/9/09. He will be joined by Jennifer Connelly and Tim Burton, among others. The official Comic-Con schedule describes it as “stitchpunk” and says it takes on the theme of “how one soul can change the world.” Sounds like Wood will fit right in. The panel is set for Friday, July 24, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., Hall H.
Celebriel forwards this article on production designer Grant Major’s new short film, UNDERGROWTH. “Writing something, directing it, and making my own story is bloody awesome actually,” he says cheerily on the phone from Los Angeles. Grant won an Oscar for his art direction on LOTR: The Return of the King. More..
Jerry Vanderstelt has let us know that he will be at Comic-Con and will have at his booth (#4719) “Galadriel’s Blessing” and “Terror over Osgiliath,” two new pieces that will both be available on the dealer’s floor. SideshowCollectibles will also be featuring his Return of the King framed lithograph. You can view all three 
Joining the list of LOTR-related guests appearing at Comic-Con is Elijah Wood promoting his film “9″ planned for release on 9/9/09. He will be joined by Jennifer Connelly and Tim Burton, among others. The official 
