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.
Well, they really ought to!
My painting and drawing professor, who is a feminist, loves Bill Clinton. It drives me crazy, as she is really great teacher, maybe the best I've ever studied with in any subject. Just listening to her talk about art is inspiring.
She also professes to be libertarian, I'm not sure how she reconciles that with the totalitarian properties of leftist thought.
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For once, we're not actually watching football... Sunday night has too many good shows to watch! First, Sopranos, then Odyssey 5, now Jeremiah. Those last two are fairly good SF shows on Showtime.
Here is a night light to see by, for the night wanderers!
Upper Deck Presents the Lord Of The Rings Bobbing Head Doll Collectibles Relive the magic of Lord of the Rings. With the success of the first movie, Fellowship of the Ring, and the second, The Two Towers, of the trilogy on its way Upper Deck introduces the first series of the Lord of the Rings Bobbing Head Dolls. The first series includes the nine main characters. Fans will be able to collectGandalf
Sam
Legolas
Merry
Pippin
Strider
Gimli
Boromir
Frodo BagginsThe Lord Of The Rings bobbing head dolls will be available in November at www.upperdeckstore.com and in stores near you.
Ugh...that's rough, but I've been there. My best friend when I was in Germany (a guy, but we both knew we'd never be more than friends) got married about a year after I left and I didn't hear about it for SIX MONTHS or so! He was really good about keeping in touch and then dropped out of the picture for a long time, and when I tried to call him to see if his e-mail address or changed or something, a woman answered. I didn't leave a message or anything because I was flustered by it, and a few weeks later he wrote and told me he was married and how great everything was going. It wasn't really his fault, I guess, since he probably had a lot of other things on his mind, but it still hurt my feelings at the time.
We've been having a bit of a civil war with regards to North / South locations. Some of us LIKE snow in the winter!
OK, I'm about a quarter of the way caught up from Friday!
Mine have caught fleas, too...how do they DO that? All my cats are indoor types, and the dog doesn't exactly spend a lot of time out in the brush or anything, but they've got 'em. Spent some of the weekend bathing everyone and putting that one spot stuff on.
Tam is worrying me because he scratches himself RAW if he gets bitten by anything, and he has a sore on his neck now. Hopefully if the fleas go, that will heal up right away, but I'm still going to spend today hoping he's OK.
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