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.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I only mentioned a virus because of the aspect of email being responded to that Corin didn't send. But, examining the full header of the response email should help to figure out where the email is coming from. It may be a response to something sent out long enough ago that you forgot about it.

[RosieCotton]

It may be a response to something sent out long enough ago that you forgot about it.

Or, as I mentioned in a private message, one of those newfangled viruses that spoof "from" addresses.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, and the more I think about it, if he did get a virus this morning that sent out a bunch of emails, he would be getting bouncebacks from bad addresses in his address book. So it might be.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

one of those newfangled viruses that spoof "from" addresses.

Oh, my... that's nasty. I hadn't heard of those until now!

[RosieCotton]

Well gang, it's about time for this hobbit to head out! I have LOTS to do this weekend. Tonight is our acoustic jam, tomorrow I'm going to visit some "very old friends" - I may tramp through the woods to their house...they built a place just over the hill from my parents' house and there's an old trail that goes up and over...though there's not much of a trail left! We used to hike that way when I was a kid, but it's been years and I'm curious how it's held up.

Then Sunday is the music festival and Monday I may do something with another friend, so my days are pretty packed! I'll need a vacation by Tuesday...

[Overtaxed]

Woo Hoo! Three day weekend! Where's my remote?

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Have a great weekend!

[HairOfTheDog]

WOO HOO!

Man I have a lot to do around here! I think it is a chores weekend for me! But I want to watch our movie.

What about a chat view over the weekend sometime?

[Rocko]

Anybody like silent films?

[Overtaxed]

I was thinking about watching the movie tonight, but I'll hold off if we do.

Too wet to do any gardening, lots of chores that I don't feel like doing. Maybe I'll just play my whistle, surf, watch football and stock car races.

[Overtaxed]

Yes! I haven't seen Metropolis in dogs years. A bit dark and socialist, though.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Too wet to do any gardening, lots of chores that I don't feel like doing.

I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on, so I will be looking in a lot over the weekend. Have a good holiday to those who won't be checking in!!

[Rocko]

This Kino release should be cool. My kids love The Lost World (Willis O'Brien version) and the Kino release of The Phantom of the Opera (we have these at home). The eventual DVD will be a must.

[Overtaxed]

Cool! I'll keep an eye out. I've got a tape of Nosferatu (the silent movie) that has a really wicked score to it....gives you the creeps even if you're not watching the movie at the time. I taped it off of the Sci-Fi channel. I wonder if there's a DVD version with that score out somewhere.

[2Jedismom]

I'll be anxious to hear about your fesival!

[2Jedismom]

Hey all! I took the boys to the zoo! They had free passes to go, because of completing their summer reading program and it was a fairly pleasant cool day.

WELL. On the way to the zoo, something happened and I don't know what on earth to do about it.

I stopped by an ATM and tried to get out $20. It said it gave it to me, but it didn't spit any money out! So I tried again! This time it spit out the corner of the money and I pulled it out and lo! I had $60!! So I wrote down the number to call if there is a problem and went to call, stopping another ATM user before they used it.

Well, I waited and waited and waited on the phone with the kids in the car, hearing a recording saying someone would be with me momentarily. After about 5 minutes I said...well, I basically decided to forget it. Still, I feel bad about getting someone elses cash...and I'm sure they have me on camera scowling at the ATM when it didn't work! What should I do?

[Overtaxed]

Ummmm...take the "extra cash" to the bank that owns the machine and see if you can get a real person on the problem?

[HairOfTheDog]

Was this an ATM at a store rather than a bank?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Try telephoning your bank. A lot of banks have 24/7 user support these days. I am referring not to your local branch, but the main number. It is usually an 800 number.

[2Jedismom]

It was an ATM in the parking lot of a store. It's owned by a company called Transfund.