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.

[ksen]

What REALLY annoyed me was that my other brother (not the "trouble maker" who was under-age) tried to lecture me on why the store was right and I was wrong to be offended!

You should tell your brother that it was not the store's decision to make that policy. It was made because the nanny state got itself involved and passed rules to require stores to adopt such policies or face some sort of punishment.

Most likely if it were up to the store they would have sold it to you.

BTW, when you start running the trailer a prompt comes up asking if everyone in the house is 21 or over......

[2Jedismom]

Once, when I was about 5 months pregnant with Matthew, Steve and I bought a nice box of chicken. It was what was left-over at the end of the day, so very cheap. But the size of the box was nice too...made for a couple of snacktimes.

Anyway, a few days later, I went to the deli to get another box of that chicken, even though I knew it wouldn't be on sale.

I asked the deli worker if she had a box of chicken the same size as the ones that sell at the end of the day. She started in on me like you would not believe. Said "Maaaaay'uuuuummmm, we don't sell that chikin for that price all daaaaaaayyyy." Like I was some kind of moron! She said a whole bunch of stuff, but I can't remember...I just remember she was very condescending.

Boy, I went off. I told her she was speaking to a college educated woman, not some high-school dropout that has to work behind a chicken counter. The manager came over and I told him that I didn't need some kid lecturing me about chicken prices (I was 32 years old at the time)...all I wanted was a box of chicken the same size as the ones they put on sale!

The manager gave me the chicken and we traded with that store for the entire time we lived there.

[Corin Stormhands]

So if I took my 13-year-old and my 3-year-old into that store I couldn't buy beer? Trust me, I look my age (sometimes a bit more).

I would have left everything on the counter, gotten the manager's name and walked out. I have a low tolerance for idiots.

I called Pizza Hut Friday night. We're regular customers so we're in the computer. For some reason though she needed the phone number, the address, the zip code, the pet's names....(okay, but it was still a lot of info). I was already getting annoyed when she asked me to spell my street name (it's a little weird, I spell it lots).

But then she said, "Bit of a hearing problem tonite, huh?"

To which I responded "EXCUUUUUSE ME?"

She back off and implied she was talking about herself. But still...

[Corin Stormhands]

Now where's the smelly dwarf?

Hopefully in the shower...

[Corin Stormhands]

Elves are leftist democrats

They're so in touch with their feelings...

[NewCenturions]

Elves are leftist democrats

!!!! Everyone knows elves were Reaganites! Started leaving in droves when he left office.

[Overtaxed]

I know he's around here somewhere....

[Overtaxed]

Elves are on both sides of the fence and they run out when the fighting starts.

[NewCenturions]

"I was exhausted"

Of COURSE you were exhausted - what with all the medicines you've been fetching! And this is only the trailer release! Imagine what the movie will do?! (You and I both need to be in some kind of 'intervention' program)

[Corin Stormhands]

...all I wanted was a box of chicken the same size as the ones they put on sale!

When our youngest turned one we had a family birthday party. My wife makes a great North Carolina barbeque that cooks in a slow cooker for about 8 hours. But ours had broken so she borrowed one. Apparently it didn't get hot enough so the meat spoiled.

ANYWAY, it was Sunday, so she called Wal-Mart (this was before she started working for them) and asked for the 50 piece chicken special. She was told they need a 24 hour notice. So she asked what size boxes of chicken they had.

"Six pieces."

"Okay, I'd like eight, six-piece boxes..."

"You can have the 50 piece..."

Sometimes you just have to push a little extra.

[2Jedismom]

LOL! This is true.

[ksen]

I admire your decision to fight the classification of your son as "disabled." From what I understand schools get more funding if they have these sorts of "disabled" students.

We had an older couple over to dinner after church this past Sunday. He used to be a public school teacher, back in the '50's through '70's.

As a "reward" for doing an outstanding job the previous year our friend was transferred to a different school and was given the students who were, as the school called them, "retarded and learning disabled." The school had 30 slots for disabled students, guess how many they came up with? Yep, they came up with 30 students.

Anyway, to make a long story short, our friend told the students he didn't believe a bit of it. He held them to high standards, punishing where necessary (corporally in private), and praising abundantly (publically).

Those kids were the best academically in their whole system, as judged by the standardized tests that kids take.

So hang in there with Jr. Discipline where necessary, and praise where necessary. We love our kids. Too often that turns into permissiveness. If we really love our kids we will do what is necessary to help them perform to the best of their ability.

I'm sure you and the Mrs. do all of that, I was preaching to myself there for a minute, but you are more than welcome to listen in. ;^)

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

Help yourself everybody, we're all going to need a lot of medicine in the next few months.....

[NewCenturions]

After a handful of that, even Overtaxed will start hugging elves!
(I hope those are just Vitamins!)

[2Jedismom]

And not only that, I had just washed my hair and I went to bed with it wet (we've been re-doing the bathroom and I couldn't find my blowdryer!) This morning, my hair looked like it was having a nervous breakdown!

[Corin Stormhands]

If we really love our kids we will do what is necessary to help them perform to the best of their ability.

Yep. I went to bed feeling like a jerk last night. But I knew I couldn't back down.

[Corin Stormhands]

This morning, my hair looked like it was having a nervous breakdown!

Quick! Somebody fetch her conditioner...

[Overtaxed]

Help yourself everybody, we're all going to need a lot of medicine in the next few months.....

I don't do drugs.

[ksen]

I didn't know you were a Colombian dwarf.....

[Corin Stormhands]

Drugless sneak...