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

-----------------------------------------

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.

[g'nad]

He wasn’t so much worried about the magical aspect of Harry Potter as he was the ethical message, i.e. it is ok to lie in certain situations, it is ok to cheat in certain situations, etc.

That's the issue we have...my wife and I read the first one, and while we found it entertaining, we won't let our kids read them until they are teenagers ...there are plenty of good books out there that don't have those conflicts...our kids love books, and we have no problem finding good books for them...my six year old has tried to tackle The Hobbit twice... while she's a great reader, it's still tough for her...she's read every Laura Ingalls Wilde book...there's so much good stuff out there...

[HairOfTheDog]

Dogs don't get allergies in their ears, dogs get allergies in the place that contacts the allergin (is allergin a word?)

No, some of that doesn't make sense.

If he were itchy all over, I would suspect it is an allergy.

What are the medicines he got?.... If it was a yeast infection, which I would expect it is, he should have gotten

1 - a cleaner
2 - an anti-fungal that goes in his ears (Ottomax?)
3 - possibly an oral anitbiotic like amoxycillan if he has a secondary bacterial infection in his ears in addition to the yeast.

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL! - Troublemaker!

[g'nad]

I dunno...I housed it from someone else...I was saving it for a special occaision...this seemed like the time...

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Oh, yah, hey, I used to have dat dere "Northern" accent ting, but after a few years a livin in Texas it went away, dontcha know.

[HairOfTheDog]

But, on the chronic ear problem issue, maybe, maybe not. How old is the dog, and is this his first?

My labrador has had off-and-on yeast infections his whole life, dogs like labradors are chronically prone to yeast infections because of the design of their ears. Flop-eared dogs with a lot of hair in the ears who like water are chronically prone.

On the other hand, my cocker mix has the same susceptability, and she has rarely had yeast infections, though she has had a couple bad "swimmer's ear" type ear infections.

[ksen]

Whew! Thanks for watching my back. I was starting to feel all alone. ;^)

[g'nad]

Thanks for watching my back.

No problem..."Have axe, will travel"...

[Corin Stormhands]

g'nad, your kids are too young for Potter anyway (6&4 right?). ksen I forget the ages of your kids.

I wouldn't recommend it for any kid before at least nine, and maybe later, depending on the kid. If you wait until they're teenagers, they may not be interested...and that's okay too.

[Sam Cree]

"concerned that people seemed to fall into either side of an extreme argument: concerned that people seemed to fall into either side of an extreme argument: 1) If you let your kids read Harry Potter they will turn into a Satanist and go to Hell, or 2) There is absolutely nothing wrong with Harry Potter. "

I agree that 1) is extreme, but 2) is not, it's just reasonable :-)

[Corin Stormhands]

I haven't picked him up yet, just talked to the vet. I'll let you know what he gives him. He talked about a medication for the ears (perhaps Ottomax) and an antihistimine.

As for being itchy all over, I don't think so. I mean, he scratches, but he's a dog. I've never seen him like frantically scratching or rolling on the floor scratching his back, etc.

Are you getting the impression that I shouldn't be in charge of living creatures? Thankfully the Mrs. is around to care for the kids...

[Corin Stormhands]

I haven't picked him up yet, just talked to the vet. I'll let you know what he gives him. He talked about a medication for the ears (perhaps Ottomax) and an antihistimine.

As for being itchy all over, I don't think so. I mean, he scratches, but he's a dog. I've never seen him like frantically scratching or rolling on the floor scratching his back, etc.

Are you getting the impression that I shouldn't be in charge of living creatures? Thankfully the Mrs. is around to care for the kids...

[ksen]

ksen I forget the ages of your kids.

12, 8, and 5.

[Sam Cree]

"Are you trying to replace 2JM? :)"

What'd I miss?

[Corin Stormhands]

He's about four years old. And the vet reminded me that we treated him for a similar thing last summer.

He's a lab, but he's only in the water when he gets a bath.

[g'nad]

And what do I do if the dog is allergic to the kids?

[Corin Stormhands]

So, if after you read Harry Potter, you think it's okay, I say let your 12-year-old read it and maybe your 8-year-old.

You can, and should, be the judge. But, since you've got questions you should read it first. Then you can decide.

And I won't cast a spell on you if you decide you'd rather they didn't read them...

[Sam Cree]

My daughter was 17 when she read them, and a pretty mature 17, IMO. Though I think she'd have been fine at a much younger age.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, even if he doesn't swim a lot, his anatomy leads somewhat to yeast infections.

Let me know where the allergy thing goes... I am curious to see where your vet is going with that.

As for the ear treatment, clean them out with the wash real good once a day and then put in plenty of the Ottomax, or whatever he gives him. Buy the biggest bottle of the wash stuff they sell, it'll keep, and is cheaper that way if this reoccurs. (I also buy big bottles of the Ottomax)

Once his ears clear up again, I would leave them alone until you have trouble, but treat them once at the first sign of the brown gunk or red-appearing ears.

I am not one to fix it if it ain't broke though, and I don't mess with Logan's ears if he goes a long spell without trouble. So in that way, I disagree with adding moisture by cleaning them just for the sake of maintenance.

my .02 cents.

[HairOfTheDog]