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.

[Overtaxed]

Hehehe....like taking a string mop from an Elf princess!

[JenB]

Hmm. For that gratuitous sneak and elf bashing, you should be punished most sternly...

[JenB]

By the way, who added all the strange keywords to this thread?

[Sam Cree]

OTOH, Arwen might look pretty cute in her French maid's outfit. If her trick down at that creek in front of her dad's place is any indication, she can get a floor clean pdq also.

[Overtaxed]

who added all the strange keywords to this thread?

They've been around for a while. Maybe folks like TNR?

I should add "Elf Bash."

[JenB]

Some are funny, some... well, can we remove some of them?

[2Jedismom]

I tell you, I'm getting pinged like crazy to stuff I don't even have any interest in! And people are pinging me to their homeschool stuff and at the same time they ping me, they ping half the people on my list so if I want to ping anyone I have to re-ping a lot of people or go to the effort of taking them off my list!

My brains are starting to ping! What should I do?

[Corin Stormhands]

The ping has taken her...

[HairOfTheDog]

You are a victim of ping lists! You can just ignore the pings, or if that is too passive for your mood, you can FReepmail the pingers and say you don't want to be on a ping list, without being negative on the thread. The pinger won't be THAT offended, they are just pinging a whole big homeschool list.

[Corin Stormhands]

Has Master Dwarf recovered his strength?

He's resting comfortably. I've got the Virginia Tech/LSU game on in the background. Unfortunately we've arranged the office so I can't see either television. Maybe I should just go nap on the couch...no too much to do.

We had an incredible speaker in church this morning. We have partnered with a Vietnamese congregation. They will begin meeting in another part of our building on Sunday mornings (their service will be in Vietnamese), but they will share with us for Wednesday night, kid's programs, etc.

Their pastor spoke this morning. He was raised by his family to be a Buddhist Monk, then he became a witch doctor. Some 30 years ago a missionary was in his town holding a crusade. He went night after night to pray to his 3366 gods to bring down the crusade. Before the crusade was over he became a Christian.

He's been in and out of prison numerous times in Vietnam because of his faith. But he recently came to the U.S. to minister to the million plus Vietnamese in this country.

After hearing his story, I was reminded that I really didn't have that much to whine about yesterday. I need that reminder lots. I think all Americans do.

[2Jedismom]

I guess so. I got pinged to some militia leader in Kentucky's trial today! Now I'm all for the 2nd ammendment and everything, but I choose my battles and my main interest (outside this Hole) is homeschooling! Now I'm constantly being pinged for UN issues and stuff!

Personally, I think if you have a ping list, you should ask the person before adding them. Actually, everyone on my homeschool list has asked to be added, except a few and I asked them if they wanted to be added. I don't care for being automatically added to people's lists.

And not only that...some people have actually even stolen my list! My list is in no particular order and I've noticed others using the first part (the part you can see) of my ping list in the exact same order. And usually they are pinging me to ping my list, half of whom they've already pinged!

Arrghh!

[Corin Stormhands]

Woo-hoo! Virginia Tech leads 14-0.

[HairOfTheDog]

When I worked on the Social Service front lines, a number of my clients were former officers in the S Vietnamese army, now refugees here. My interpreter was also a a former officer, held as a POW and abused horribly for years by the North. Coincidentally, he was also Christian, though I don't know when that conversion happened. Their stories are indeed tragic, and quite beyond my comprehension, even though I have heard them. They are just so far removed from the world I know.

Part of my work with them was to help them with their citizenship requirements, and I helped several achieve citizenship while I was there. I convinced the agency to chip in for an American flag to present to them upon passing their test, a tradition I hope they continue today. They always accepted it with tears and pride.

[HairOfTheDog]

You must have said something somewhere about the UN that the pinger agreed with!

[2Jedismom]

I seriously can't imagine what! LOL! I mean, I dispise the UN just as much as the next Freeper, but I don't think I've ever commented on any of the threads. And what do I have to do with a militia guy in Kentucky? ROFLOL!

Hey, I'm trying to get Steve to take me to a pub tonight to see an Irish Session. It's where people who play Irish music get together and play. Anyone can play, although I don't think I'd have the nerve. A friend of mine does play a whistle there, though and I'd like to see him.

It's in a pub, but that doesn't mean we have to booze it up, now...does it?! I mean, we could get an Irish coffee without the "Irish" in it, so to speak...

[JenB]

Wow. That's some story. We had communion today, and first a really moving sermon - rather convicted most of us of our utter wretchedness. For me it was a reminder that Jesus was punished for every one of my sins, and made me ashamed that I continue to sin now... almost made me want to come home and hide in my room so as to reduce the chance of my committing sins ever again.

2J, I've noticed what you say about ping lists. I like being on yours - for some reason I have this interest in homeschooling ;-) - but I've had to ask to be removed from three or four lists in my time here. We need a refresher in netiquette, I think!

[2Jedismom]

Thanks Jen! I ping very judiciously, imo. I don't want to annoy anyone and some education posts don't really apply to homeschoolers or they only apply to a few homeschoolers. How many times do we here in Oklahoma need to be told that the homeschoolers in California are harrassed? Then I find someone has taken a chunk of my homeschool list and is now posting pings all over the place. I feel like I've betrayed the trust of the people who asked to be on my list. I've even had people ask me for my list and I've declined. It has maybe 100 people on it!

I even had someone freepmail me all mad because I didn't ping my list to one of their posts!! I missed it completely!

Yikes!

[HairOfTheDog]

Yikes Jen.... I bet the giver of the sermon intended for you to be inspired, not compelled to hide in your room for fear of failing. Perhaps there was another part of the sermon you missed?

[2Jedismom]

Yikes is a good word, isn't it? Not used nearly enough.

[Overtaxed]

So it's okay if I start adding people willy nilly to my ElfBash Ping List?

Does Arwen do windows?