The New Hobbit Hole

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The New Hobbit Hole
Concerning Hobbits
The New Hobbit Chronicles

This is a continuation of the infamous thread New Zealander Builds Hobbit Hole originally posted on January 26, 2001 by John Farson, who at the time undoubtedly thought he had found a rather obscure article that would elicit a few replies and die out. Without knowing it, he became the founder of the Hobbit Hole. For reasons incomprehensible to some, the thread grew to over 4100 replies. It became the place for hobbits and friends of hobbits to chit chat and share LoTR news and views, hang out, and talk amongst ourselves in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

In keeping with the new posting guidelines, the thread idea is continuing here, as will the Green Dragon Inn, our more structured spin-off thread, as soon as we figure out how to move all the good discussion that has been had there. As for the Hobbit Hole, we will just start fresh, bringing only a few mathoms such as the picture above with us to make it feel like home, and perhaps a walk down memory lane:

Our discussion has been light:

It very well may be that a thread named "New Zealander builds Hobbit hole" will end up being the longest Tolkien thread of them all, with some of the best heartfelt content... Sorry John, but I would have rather it had been one with a more distinguished title!… post 252 - HairOfTheDog

However, I can still celebrate, with quiet dignity, the fact that what started as a laugh about some wacko in New Zealand has mutated and grown into a multifaceted discussion of the art, literature, and philosophy that is Tolkien. And now that I've managed to write the most pompous sentence of my entire life, I agree, Rosie… post 506 - JenB

Hah! I was number 1000!! (Elvish victory dance... wait, no; that would be too flitty) … post 1001 - BibChr

Real men don't have to be afraid of being flitty! Go for it. – post 1011 – HairOfTheDog

Seventeen years to research one mystical object seems a bit excessive… post 1007 - JenB

Okay...who's the wise guy who didn't renew Gandalf's research grant?… post 1024 – Overtaxed

To the very philosophical:

…Judas Iscariot obviously was a good man, or he wouldn't have been chosen to be one of the Apostles. He loved Jesus, like all of the Apostles, but he betrayed him. Yet without his betrayal, the Passion and Crucifixion would never have occurred, and mankind would not have been redeemed. So without his self-destruction infinite good would not have been accomplished. I certainly do not mean this to be irreverant but it seems to me that this describes the character of Gollum, in the scenes so movingly portrayed above… Lucius Cornelius Sulla

To fun but heartfelt debates about the integrity and worth of some of the characters…

…Anyone else notice how Boromir treats the hobbits? He's very fond of them but he seems to think of them as children - ruffling Frodo's hair, calls them all 'little ones'. He likes them, but I don't think he really respects them… post 1536 - JenB

Yes... Tolkien told us not to trust Boromir right off the bat when he began to laugh at Bilbo, until he realized that the Council obviously held this hobbit in high esteem. What a pompous dolt… post 1538 - HairOfTheDog

…I think almost every fault of his can be traced directly back to his blindness to anything spiritual or unseen. He considers the halflings as children, because that is what they look like. He considers the only hope of the ring to be in taking it and using it for a victory in the physical realm. He cannot see what the hobbits are truly made of, he cannot see the unseen hope of what the destruction of the ring might mean--the destruction of Sauron himself, and he cannot see the unseen danger that lies in the use of the ring itself… I just feel sorry for Boromir--he is like a blind but honorable man, trying to take the right path on the road but missing the right path entirely because he simply cannot see it… post 1548 - Penny1

Boromir isn't a jerk, he's a jock… post 2401 – Overtaxed

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Oh, I think by the time Frodo reaches the Cracks, he's not even himself anymore! I think he's not only on the brink of a dangerous place physically, he's on the brink of losing himself completely during the exchange with Gollum. But for some reason, the take-over isn't complete till he actually has to throw the Ring in. The person speaking to Gollum is not Frodo, but the "Wheel of Fire" that Sam sees. After the Ring is destroyed, Frodo not only comes back to himself, but comes back with the unbearable (to him) knowledge of what it's like to be completely without compassion. I think that's why it's so important to him to be compassionate in the Shire… post 2506 - 2Jedismom

…Regarding Frodo's compassion... it's a little too much at the end. Even Merry tells him that he's going to have to quit being so darn nice. But you're right. He's learned a lesson about evil that very few ever learn since it wasn't an external lesson but an internal one. (Those kinds of lessons have the greatest impact) Not only did he totally succumb to it, but he was rather ruthless to my little Smeagol… post 2516 - carton253

Well that Frodo was a big mean bully! (to Smeagol)… post 2519 – Overtaxed

So as you can see, everything JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson) is welcome here in our New Row, our soon-to-be familiar New Hobbit Hole…; philosophy, opinion, good talk and frequent silliness.

[HairOfTheDog]

Why are you sneaking instead of being where you are supposed to be? Nevermind... I see you sneaking into the room now... ;~D

[HairOfTheDog]

Wake up 2J!
we are havin' a chat....

[Overtaxed]

I couldn't resist a 2-post sneak!

[Corin Stormhands]

Okay, I'm waiting to be approved...

[HairOfTheDog]

Got it right away... I just approved it! Come on in... we are chatting - decided to put off the movie

[SuziQ]

Happy birthday, Corin. Did your family take you to see MIB 2? Mine did and we went out to eat at TGI Fridays. The staff brought me an ice cream sundae and sang a Happy Birthday song to me! It was fun. We're gonna have a Friendly's Watermelon Roll in a little while. I wanted that instead of a cake. It is watermelon sherbet shaped like a slice of watermelon with lemon/lime sherbet around it to look like the rind, and there are chocolate chunks inside that look like seeds!! Yum stuff!

Oh and I was disappointed that they did NOT show the TT preview at MIB 2!

[Corin Stormhands]

No Movie. There was no midnite showing. And, my wife was going to take the boys (and our nephew) to DC yesterday, but had a migraine. So she took them today and I've been at home working...

[Corin Stormhands]

I'm in and you went away...

[HairOfTheDog]

I heard that you were there! Glad you are at least set up and it works now! - check out the files and stuff sometime...

I was out giving the horses their quiet-pony-powder-laced dinner and putting them in for the night. The bottle-rockets have started! The dog is next to be drugged when I can get her to sit still long enough to get the pill in her.

Our party was small but festive... OT and Htur and me. We decided to not do the film, might do it tomorrow, or some other night soon, when 2J and Penny and Jen can join us.

[Overtaxed]

I got sucked into the ether again

[HairOfTheDog]

I saw that too.... I talked to you for awhile... but you didn't respond!

[Overtaxed]

I lost the voice server, then I lost the chat server and it kept telling me to try again later....ended up having to reboot.....yada yada yada. Anyway, I'm getting ready for bed so here's a night light:

[HairOfTheDog]

That is a nice night light! - See you later!

[2Jedismom]

I just became available! I feel so much better what with the decongestant and all that I bathed the boys and got them into bed. Steve's been doing it.

I missed the party, it seems. I thought you might still be in there watching the movie. That's ok, some of you got to chat!

[HairOfTheDog]

You didn't miss the party, we just decided we didn't want to party without you! - We shall do it again when everyone can make it!

htur reports that ecurbh got a job in the new place! - But I didn't get to hear the details 'cuz I had to run out and tend the ponies. Perhaps she will fill us in! Hope he gets back on line soon!

It can be an eternity waiting for dog drugs to take effect... I waited 30 minutes too long!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Good evening all... sorry I missed the chat. We just got home! Made several unplanned stops on the way, all of them pleasant (movie tickets, bookstore, dinner...) So all in all a pretty good evening...

[2Jedismom]

Josh didn't get a nap today so he's out cold, but Matthew is still up listening to the fireworks going off.

The evening here was beautiful and I felt so good I went out in the front yard and pulled weeds! A nice pleasant rain had just fallen and there was a gorgeous rainbow in the sky.

I just wrote out a schedule for the boys medication, just in case Steve has to deal with it sometime. It's complicated...Josh has antibiotics at 8am, 2pm and 8pm for 10 days. He also had eye drops at 8am, 12N, 4pm and 8pm. He can have 2.5mls of decongestant every 4-6 hours. Matthew is exactly the same except no eye drops and he takes 5ml of decongestant.

It's crystal clear to me, but daunting to Steve! LOL

[HairOfTheDog]

Sounds like a good evening! - I am sleepy but it isn't even completely dark yet. I don't know how long I will be awake!

The dog may be starting to feel stoned enough to not make me crazy! - Ears still perked, but no longer barking, and on the couch... 20 minutes till she is out. [fingers crossed]

[JenB]

Good evening! Back from work. I'm tired! But I get to sleep in tomorrow before the matinee, and barbeque, and fireworks. Oohhh, I can hardly wait! Maybe I'll turn in now...

[2Jedismom]

I think, since no one is in the chat room, I'll gather up my FOTR and pour me a Moonlight Path bubble bath, pop an Aleve and soak and read for a while.

I feel so much better. I had so much fluid in my ears, the room would spin (which isn't that big a deal with me, since I lost the hearing in that right ear, my equilibrium has not been the same.)

But now everything seems to be staying in it's proper place and a nice soak just sounds so good! It'll be nice to listen to the fireworks...