Continuing the tradition started two years ago, TORn is pleased to announce the third edition of our Annual Baggins Birthday Picnic, which will take place on Sunday September 19th, 2004, from noon to 6pm in Griffith Park, on the picnic grounds near the Carousel (those of you who attended last year will probably remember the spot – for the newbies, we’ll post directions shortly).

As always, costuming is highly encouraged, and there will be contests, games, great prizes and lots of fun!

As this is a potluck event, please contact Arwen at arwen@theonering.net to let her know what items you will be contributing – and check the news page in the next few days for more details about the picnic. We hope to see you there!

Two days later, on Tuesday September 21st, another great fan event and celebration will take place: Bowlmoot 2004. The gathering will take place before the performance of the Lord Of The Rings Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. For more information about Bowlmoot please visit the website at http://www.bowlmoot.net/

Ringer Spy Dana writes: Just wanted to give out the information that the 2 Hartford Symphony Orchestra LOTR concerts 9/18/04 @ 8 pm and 9/19/04 @ 3 pm are NOT being conducted by Howard Shore per HSO’s audience development/PR Manager Johannes Neur, who wrote: Howard Shore asked his good friend and conducting colleague Alastair Willis, resident conductor at the Seattle Symphony, to conduct the Hartford performance because Mr. Shore is heavily involved in writing a new score for a Martin Scorsese movie.

If you decide to return your tickets for a refund please contact Robyn Colossa at HSO Ticket Services (860) 244-2999.

A virtual world being created by Turbine Entertainment Software of Westwood, Massachusetts, is not yet ready for tourists. But once it is completed, tens of thousands of PC owners will be able to create their own characters and step into a land of hobbits, wizards, elves, orcs, and dwarfs, most of them controlled by other computer owners. [More]

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation sponsors Storyline Online, an on-line streaming video program featuring SAG members reading childrens books aloud. One of the Storyline Online videos features Elijah Wood reading “Me and My Cat” by Satoshi Kitamura. Go to the site and click on the book title. Thanks to Jen for sending the link in! [More]

I’m not sure if my fellow TORn news posters have already published this link, but both Staffer WeeTanya and Ringer Josh sent it in today. If you have been waiting for the video for the, now infamous Taters mix, check this out! [Click Here]