According to the Associated Press, a massive blaze ignited around 5:15am [PST] this morning at the Universal Studios New York sound stage in Los Angeles, CA, and has spread from there. The flames have already burned one building to the ground and “as many as three blocks of movie facades were destroyed. No one is reported to have been injured in the blaze.

From the article:

…Though the fire was contained, it was still raging, [Los Angeles County fire Inspector Daryl] Jacobs said.

“The facades are constructed of heavy timber and they tend to burn quite freely,” he said.

The blaze broke out just before dawn on a sound stage, fire Capt. Frank Reynoso said. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air as firefighting helicopters swept in to drop water.

More than 100 firefighters were working to ensure the flames didn’t spread to nearby brush, Reynoso said.

Filming might have been going on at the time the fire broke out and there was at least one explosion, Reynoso said.

That’s a hell of thing to wake up to on a Sunday morning. I could barely walk my dog at 5am, let alone deal with any bullsh*t like that. We’ll keep you updated as new information comes in.

Brett Favre has ended the speculation. Sports Illustrated is reporting that Favre has decided to retire after having what could be considered a “career year,” in which he broke several NFL records.

FOX Sports first reported Tuesday that the Green Bay Packers quarterback informed the team in the last few days. ESPN.com said that according to Favre’s agent the quarterback told coach Mike McCarthy of his decision.

Don’t be surprised in you go to the bars tonight and see several men drowning their overwhelming sadness over pints of Old Milwaukee.

It’s official: Peter Jackson will executive produce not one but two Hobbit films that will be shot back-to-back (echoes of LoTR), with production beginning in 2009.

This is monumental news, considering the very public fallout between Jackson and New Line Cinema.

Peter Jackson, lord of lore, had this to say:

“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey.”

A director has yet to be named for the films, but speculation on that and much more can be found at the hub of all Hobbit-related information, TheOneRing.net.

From St. John’s official site:

“A male with a rifle in a bag was apprehended on St. John’s Queens campus today. Public Safety officers quickly disarmed the suspect and have turned him over to NYPD.

In response to the apprehension of a male with a rifle on our Queens campus, St. John’s University has cancelled classes for the remainder of today, Wednesday, September 26. The NYPD is in control of the situation and is continuing its investigation of this incident. As part of their investigation, a large number of uniformed NYPD officers will be conducting a building by building search.

For the safety of all our community, those on the Queens campus should remain in place; those off campus are requested to stay away.”

Two students were shot at Delaware State University early Friday, and the campus was locked down as police searched for a gunman, officials said.

Follow this breaking story HERE