This is whats up:

Got stuck in my car today when i went to pick up my friend. I put the car in park, nothing weird happened. Go to leave, and instead of coming out of park, the shifter arm just came loose. I disconnected the linkage from the tranny and the tranny shifts fine, but the linkage in the steering column is bound up solid. I'm trying to get the column apart right now to look at it, but i cant figure out how to get to the tranny linkage...any help, photos, diagrams, would be of GREAT help.

If the linkage is anything like my 98 Taurus, no need to take the column apart. Last month the linkage locked up on mine, so I started the same as you. Found the problem to be the cable that attaches at the end of the column under the kick panel. Once I disconnected the cable at that end, the shift lever moved fine. Removed the fuse box to allow room to pull the cable thru the fire wall, otherwise it was a pretty easy fix.The cable cost around 130 depending on where you can find it.