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]

I think it is a shame that they missed the opportunity to name it Isildur...

Hehehe....everytime the weather person said "Isidore" I kept thinking "Isildur".

[Overtaxed]

Knights: White is Aragorn, Black is Lurtz
Rooks: White is Boromir, Black is Orc

Hehehe....in the chess world, Boromir is more valuable than Aragorn!

[HairOfTheDog]

And the Witch King is a cross-dresser ;~D

[2Jedismom]

It's 5:16 here...when do we start the movie?

[HairOfTheDog]

Lets see, you are central time? - 7:00 Central... 8:00 Eastern.

[HairOfTheDog]

I probably set the reminder at 5:00 Pacfic time. We really need to start operating on Zulu time!

[2Jedismom]

Well, I'll be in the chat, but won't probably speak much till Steve goes to bed. I'll be in and out, as best I can.

[2Jedismom]

Also, I copied that whistle tutor CD and I'm going to copy the book that came with it too and send it to you. That should help a lot. I really think you are blowing too hard...it's a lot softer than a brass instrument! I played a flute in junior high...long ago, but still recall the wind requirements.

I am learning a tune called "The Brown Haired Boy" for Matthew and it's giving me a ring-tailed rigor. These Irish sure had some erratic music!

[HairOfTheDog]

Thank you so much! - I do hope I am not hopeless!

I have got my monitor and my TV all temporarily moved around so I can do the chat-view without making an ache in my neck! I still don't like this new way my furniture is arranged... but this will work nicely.

My new fish are happy. The new Bala shark is no longer afraid of the big one, and they are hanging together. I think they like each other now. He is only a quarter of her size, so he looks more like her child than her suitor. But they have companionship anyhow. The little school of neons are still a bit freaked and hiding in the plants.

[2Jedismom]

You know, I have a huge thing of Crisco. I mean it's big...because I use it to pop so much corn. Anyway, this thing of Crisco is so huge I would venture to call it a "vat" of Crisco.

I lost it.

I tell you, I nearly tore the kitchen up looking for a vat of Crisco. Finally I just now found it...behind the slow cooker that I NEVER use. I wonder if my husband is trying to tell me I eat too much popcorn?

[HairOfTheDog]

You actually think he hid it? Perhaps you are just starting to misplace things... it happens you know... ;~D

[2Jedismom]

No, more likely it was him. Once, after 10 years of marriage, he started arranging the silverware different in the sorter. Upside down and in different slots. I nearly had a cow.

He used to put the sipper cups where the cups go and their lids in the where the pots and pans go. He just puts things up...doesn't matter where.

I think he might do it to keep some spice in my life...naww....he just does it.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, "just putting things up, doesn't matter where", I can understand, that is a guy thing I think. But hiding the Crisco from you takes more thought than that... He woulda put it in the garage! ;~D

I put grass seed down today on the worn patches in the yard and taped them off from the dogs... Now the rainy season can start, please!

[2Jedismom]

I was just joking really, about hiding it. He probably saw a space back there and thought "Ah, there's a good spot for it."

He'll be home in a minute which will mean I'll have to get off the computer for a while. I'll start the movie right at 7pm Central. I'm going ahead and logging into the chat.

[HairOfTheDog]

Some of us have gathered in the chat room already! Overtaxed is whistling and I am making noise!

[SuziQ]

and here I was just letting her funkle.... I am so ashamed...

Shame, shame! But thank you all the same! I didn't even notice I was beginning to 'funkle'. I got on late and was just reading through the posts and answering as I felt like it!

[HairOfTheDog]

Do you belong to our yahoo site?

We are all having a party there tonight...

[SuziQ]

I just logged on to the chat and it looked like no one was there. Do I have to be 'invited' like I would for the AIM chats?

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

There's a bunch of us in there right now... but if you don't belong to the Yahoo Group it may not work for you. I'll try to get Hair's attention....

[2Jedismom]

I just got booted and when I went to log back in, it wouldn't let me. What a bald faced bummer! Boromir just got hit with the first arrow.