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.

[HairOfTheDog]

There is a love triangle between Arwen, Aragorn, and Eowyn... At least, Eowyn wants there to be!

Hello! - Good Evening! - Any evening hobbits about!

At least it settled down today here so I could get some work done!

I just bought new winter horse blankets for winter... the old ones went two whole seasons being worn 24/7, and they had put in enough service I think! Bought the same exact kind Bay had before... It held up remarkably well.

[2Jedismom]

I agree...there is a triangle, but I bet you anything PJ is using it as a marketing plow now and it will be handled just the way we want in the movie.

I have got to get me some of these popcorn bags!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Good evening all...

Had a most busy day here, not even any time for posting. But not too bad a day overall...

How's everyone else doing?

[HairOfTheDog]

I wouldn't mind if the love triangle angle is played up... Tolkien was really subtle, if you don't know what is up with Arwen and Aragorn, as you wouldn't your first time through the book, the whole dialogue with Aragorn and Eowyn in the book doesn't makes sense! But I bet it minutes of film time at most.

[HairOfTheDog]

hullo Bear... I have to go to Seattle tomorrow, but otherwise everything is just fine!

[2Jedismom]

I am slap-dab exhausted! We had a huge picnic with my homeschool co-op for lunch, then we dashed to the other side of Tulsa to get that chess set and then home again in time for one game of chess, then everyone was scrubbed and dressed for Awanas. Finally I got to sit down a sec in the church library (you know I work there every Wednesday night). That was a nice time, visiting with my friends that work in there and cleaning up videocassette cases.

Steve has school on Wednesday evenings, so I have to manage everything on my own. It's ok, just tiring!

[JenB]

Hi! I'm still here. I'm getting tired though...

[2Jedismom]

Jen, did you see? I got the chess set! Maybe if you come to the moot, we'll play a game! Or you could play Matthew.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

otherwise everything is just fine!

Glad to hear it! :)

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Wow, I see I wasn't the only one to have a busy day!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I am gonna hit the hay early... Soon as it is late enough to put the ponies to bed. I need to get up at O'dark thirty tomorrow and I am tired anyway!

[2Jedismom]

LOL No kidding. And there is a storm on the way! Yeah! That'll be good, since I fertilized the yard the other day.

I am thinking of a hot bath with my Moonlight Path shower gel. My feet are so sore!

[JenB]

Excellent! Is that the really expensive chess set?

I had a long day too, work, class and then I stayed up at college a while with friends, plus I read the first chapter of The Art of Computer Programming, Volumn 1 (of 7!)

[2Jedismom]

The best times I ever had were hanging out in the coffee shop on campus just visiting with my pals when I went to college.

This set is the same one that was being sold for about $36 in the UK, but would have cost me a fortune to have shipped over here. I actually contacted the manufacturer and he told me that they were working a deal for manufacturing it here in the States (this was months ago, when I was dying to have it, remember?) Anyway, he wrote me a couple of months ago, telling me that they had worked out a deal and that Hasbro was going to be making it, so I've been on the lookout for it ever since.

Then a couple of days ago, I saw on TORN that someone had bought one at Target. I called ever Target in the area, till I found one! It cost $29.99! It's very nice, the pieces are quite heavy. I'll post pictures here tomorrow.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Supposed to rain here as well, tomorrow.

Going to sign off and do some reading before bed... have a good night all!

[2Jedismom]

I originally wrote the manufacturer on Feb 8th. He wrote me first to tell me there was no manufacturer in the States as of yet. Then, he wrote me back to tell me about the Hasbro deal on May 14th and I just got the sucker today! After I take the pictures, I'm going to email a copy to him of Matthew playing. He was awfully nice to remember me to tell me about the Hasbro deal.

[2Jedismom]

Good night bear! I gotta get off-line too, the storm is nigh!

Good night all!

[SuziQ]

It cost me $29.99 from Target

WooHoo at Tarzhay!

We have one opening in October just about 2 miles from us. I'll have to be there on opening day to get one of those for our daughter!

[SuziQ]

Oh, I like that one of Frodo and Sam; they look desperate! And there's old Stinker/Slinker in the background!

[Sam Cree]

Hello everyone,
Checking in from central Virginia....looks like everyone's asleep

Had a very adversarial business meeting today in the People's Republic of Charlottesville, our side won the battle today, but the result of the war is very much in doubt. We've been sitting around tonight nursing our wounds with vodka, and having something of a nice time.

Am hopelessly behind on posts again, but will try to catch up.

Hope you all are doing fine, forgive me for whoever I forgot.

Will check in again when I can, back home in a few days.

Sam