Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
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.
HA HA! ha haa ha...ha...h...huh..HEY!!!
I hope you're right...
Yeah, but if we mix enough of it, would we really care?
Same here pal...
And as my dear friend and brother dwarf pointed out, my kids can't be worse than their imbecilic sociopath of an old man...
That’s what we use for the most part. I learned some neat history about Abeka books last May.
Three times a year I attend classes at Pensacola Theological Seminary, which is part of Pensacola Christian College. Pensacola Christian College was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Horton about 40 years ago.
Dr. and Mrs. Horton left home with a beat up old car about 50 years ago with a desire to set up a Christian day school. The car broke down in Pensacola. They prayed and decided they would stay in Pensacola and start the school there.
The Lord blessed and the school grew. However, they got to the point where they did not like the textbooks that were available. So they, my details may be a bit fuzzy at this part, found some older books that were no longer in print but still emphasized the things the Hortons wanted emphasized, i.e. love of God and country. They were able to get the right to print the books. The only thing was that in order to make them worthwhile to print they had to print many more books than were needed.
Dr. Horton was travelling at that time to conventions to talk up the value of full-time Christian day schools. He brought the extra schoolbooks with him to one of the conventions. Dr. Horton finished one of his presentations and in an offhanded way said that he had extra copies of these books if anyone would like to look at them. They sold all the extra copies they had. The demand for these textbooks was incredible.
They continued printing books under the Abeka name (Mrs. Horton’s name is Rebecca). The Lord continued to bless and they were able to purchase their own printing machine.
Anyway, the Abeka book business did so well that it helped finance the opening of Pensacola Christian College. Even today Abeka book is still helping the college by building the buildings.
Today the Abeka books are written and edited by the college and day school staff.
Yeah, I don't know why people automatically assume the child will turn out like dad.....
Corin already beat you to it, so for the second time:
HA HA! ha haa ha...ha...h...huh..HEY!!!
I hope you're right...
Wow, you're old.......says the 35 year old. ;^)
Wow, you ARE old!
Good on yuh...I've considered working for some kind of ministry when I retire...don't plan on goin to seminary though...not sure I have the personality to be a pastor...whaddaya think...
one foot in the grave...
I am old Gandalf, unfortunatley I don't feel very "thin."
I'm not sure "stop yer sin and drop and give me 20..." would be considered "pastoral." But I'm not looking to pastor either. I'm hoping to use mine in writing and other stuffs.
I'm glad
it's Friday!
I just wish it was 5:00... feeling tired and run down, have felt like I've been on the edge of a cold all week. I wish it would either develop or go away once and for all.
Oh well, enough complaining. Hope everyone has a good
Friday!
I am in the Master's of Arts in Bible Exposition program. Basically it is 30 credit hours (10 classes). That is the lowest Master's degree they offer, and since I need a degree from a Bible college it fit the bill quite nicely.
Or is this a continuing ed kind of thing? I'm working on a certificate online from Asbury Seminary.
How do the online classes work? What type of classes are you taking?
My classes work this way, I'll use the class I took in August as an example. In May I received the pre-coursework paper. I had to read 5 books write short critiques(2 single-spaced pages) on three of them and hand in 3x5 cards stating I had read the other two.
I arrive on campus the Sunday night before classes begin, they put us up in the campus hotel for the week. I register on Monday morning, have chapel and then head to class by 8:30am. Lectures are from 8:30-2:30 on Monday, 8:00-2:00 on Tuesday through Thursday, and 8:00-12:00 on Friday.
Depending on the professor there may be daily quizzes, a mid-term on Wednesday, and a final on Friday or any combination of those. They basically try to cram a semester's worth of lectures into one week.
I leave on Friday and now I have until sometime in November to complete a 15-20 page paper on the subject of the course. This last course was on church administration so I have to come up with an org chart, job descriptions, salary & wage tables, and policies for a church.
It's pretty neat. I've had the opportunity to meet people like Dr. Ken Ham(Ansewers in Genesis), Dr. David Gibbs, Jr.(Christian Law Association), as well as pastors and missionaries from all over the country, and world for that matter.
I met one Presbyterian pastor from Singapore. His name is Pastor Sin. ;^)
LOL...That or: "Fer cryin' out loud! You know what the Bible says! So stinkin' do it!!!
sometimes I really want to say that to wishy-washy Christians...
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