The Hobbit Hole VIII - Still round the corner we may meet...

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[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Still round the corner we may meet...

• First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit hole
• Second thread: The New Hobbit Hole
• Third thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!)
• Fourth Thread: The Hobbit Hole IV - The Road Goes Ever On...
• Fifth Thread: The Hobbit Hole V - Where Many Paths and Errands Meet...
• Sixth Thread: The Hobbit Hole VI - And Whither Then? I Cannot Say...
• Seventh Thread: The Hobbit Hole VII - But not yet weary are our feet...

New verse:

Upon the hearth the fire is red, Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet, Still round the corner we may meet A sudden tree or standing stone That none have seen but we alone. Tree and flower and leaf and grass, Let them pass! Let them pass! Hill and water under sky, Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate, And though we pass them by today, Tomorrow we may come this way And take the hidden paths that run Towards the Moon or to the Sun. Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe, Let them go! Let them go! Sand and stone and pool and dell, Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are all alight. Then world behind and home ahead, We’ll wander back to home and bed. Mist and twilight, cloud and shade, Away shall fade! Away shall fade! Fire and lamp, and meat and bread, And then to bed! And then to bed!

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[Ramius]

The biggest news on the WMD front that *still* has gone way underreported in my opinion... is the utter rollover and capitulation of Qaddafi in Libya. This is BIG news. Libya has been one of the premier supporters and sponsors of global terror groups, and after Saddam came crawling out of his hole it's like Moammar finally got religion on the subject. I think he saw himself in those photos of Saddam. I think it really, really scared the crap out of him. Nobody can know for sure, but it sure looks like his capitulation is sincere, and he's decided that it will be better for him to just slide into retirement playing golf, instead of dodging bunker-busters.

This is the most important thing to happen so far in the whole war on terrorism. Yet it has gotten scant attention.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Great pictures!!

[Ramius]

I think we better be ready to occupy the Middle East for a long time too.

I'm up for it. Better us than them, from what I've seen.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Hopefully she is not trying to hide something too completely weird.

Or if she is, hopefully her fence will have some gaps in it...

Good evening Sam! ;)

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Dangedest thing.

I'll bet the deer thought so too! ;)

[Wneighbor]

You think Qaddafi is sincere? I think he's playin' this the way he sees best but I don't trust him. I can't see him changin' his stripes at this point in the game.

Yeah, he may be out of the terrorism business for now because he sat up and took notice. But, I think, given the chance the old Qaddafi will come right back to haunt us.

my 2 pennies on that.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

This is the most important thing to happen so far in the whole war on terrorism. Yet it has gotten scant attention.

Given the political leanings of the major media, is that really so surprising...?

[Fedora]

I think we better be ready to occupy the Middle East for a long time too.

Agree--or at least base there for a long time. IMO a big reason we had to deal with Iraq to deal with Al Qaeda is because it gives us a base to encircle Iran (between Iraq and Afghanistan) and cut Iran off from Syria, thereby also encircling Syria (between Iraq, Israel, and Turkey). To extend the WWII analogy with Japan, in WWII we had to keep the Nazis from taking the Middle East and North Africa and cutting off the Suez Canal before we were able to deal with the European and Asian fronts. Right now we're taking the center of the chess board, IMO.

[Ramius]

Oh... and on the Sweat Lodge topic:

The sweat lodge itself will probably be mostly inoffensive. It's basically a Yurt with a sauna inside. No big deal. Just ignore those occasional aromas of sweet-smelling herbal smoke. :-)

[Wneighbor]

Just ignore those occasional aromas of sweet-smelling herbal smoke. :-)

He might rather join 'em honey.

[Fedora]

This is the most important thing to happen so far in the whole war on terrorism. Yet it has gotten scant attention.

I think maybe one reason that's being kept quiet--apart from liberal media bias--is because of the info that generated on Pakistan's proliferation, which might prove diplomatically embarrassing to some of Pakistan's co-conspirators in non-Muslim countries, i.e., who was providing Pakistan with materials and technical support. We also saw during the Iraq war that there were missiles and other items found from certain sources which were shown on Fox News but then soon explained away or ignored until they disappeared from the media radar screen.

[Ramius]

I think Qaddafi is sincere. No... can't prove it. But we shall see.

He's getting old. I think he wants to live out the remainder of his years in the comfort of his palaces in the style to which he's become accustomed. He looks tired, when you see pictures of him now.

I look at him and I see somebody without the energy to expend on old battles that he is destined to lose. I see somebody that just doesn't want to play the game anymore. He looks beaten.

[Wneighbor]

I hope you are right. I just can't see that particular guy missing an opportunity to get back into the old evil ways if given the chance. Not sure he'd have the chance, but I can't help doubting him if the opportunity were there.

Yet again, I hope that you are reading this right - or that an opportunity never comes for him to go back to his habits.

[Ramius]

"Trust, but verify." -- Ronaldus Magnus

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I think he's playin' this the way he sees best but I don't trust him.

You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

[Wneighbor]

Yes, appropriate.

I have trouble with that trust in this case. Much verification is needed.


People can change. Give up old bad habits and turn their ways. But, Muslim terroristic extremists?

Don't get me wrong. I think he is good to have in our court now. And I would not want to be thankless for that. It's kinda like when I was raising wolf hybrids though, to be safe, you have to remember what they are.

[Wneighbor]

You don't need a weather man To know which way the wind blows

Yes, and the wind has blown in all directions here in Texas this week. Yesterday there were funnels falling from clouds here.

[Ramius]

I too wonder if some of the recent "cooperation" of Pakistan isn't also the result of some "velvet hammer" diplomacy with our Pakistani "friends".

I don't trust Pakistan at all. They are allies of necessity for now, and they seem to be playing their role correctly... but I think they also know (and Mushariff seems to be displaying some uncommon fortitude in the matter) that we are a good friend and a fearsome enemy. For now they've chosen to be a friend. Hopefully this play lasts long enough to be useful.

If Pakistan falters... we go back to the "hell breaking loose" scenario of some posts above.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

It's no accident (imho) that Kadaffy gave up his WMDs soon after Sadaam was pulled out of his spider hole.

Hmmm... keep WMDs, wind up living in a hole in the ground... give up WMDs, stay in power. Oh, decisions, decisions...

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

snaig.