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.

[JenB]

Yes, you two need to be good examples! Kinda ironic if we had a Entmoot and nobody drinks anything, though! So... I'll bring some Diet Dr Pepper, right?

[JenB]

Oops! How did that happen?

[Overtaxed]

I can always bring the little umbrellas (Lobelia libations?) Wouldn't mind trying one of those Jello thingies.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am not sure he would agree with your diagnosis! Thats a heavy word to be tossing about!

I think we are a good mix of folk that will find a way to have a good time... The only extreme behavior may be our mutual excitement about the film and finally meeting everyone!

[2Jedismom]

People will be falling over each other to fetch their medicine!

[Overtaxed]

But then again, if everyone gets a little tipsy, our whistling would sound better!

[HairOfTheDog]

Are we now considering the entmoot date to be for the opening night? I know you were in the camp, as I was, who wants to try for that... What do you think now?

The one time I went to see the movie after having pints before we went was the one time the movie was too long. I get too sleepy anymore, and I couldn't concetrate!

[JenB]

Well, I'm sure we can rely on you to tell us if we really need medication, can't we?

[Overtaxed]

FWIW I still think it would be easier to get everyone together after Christmas....less stress, etc. Some folks like Corin, have a lot of Christmas activities around opening night.

[HairOfTheDog]

You might be right that it isn't as practical.

[2Jedismom]

I have always thought that we ought to all meet for the PREMIERE of the movie. I mean, can you imagine how excited we're all going to be in Dec of 2003??? What a thrill.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - The overall exitement would be a LOT higher... And I could do it for the premier....

Lets see, what would it look like? - Get together in the morning (probably a wednesday premier again...) for the viewing of the first two films... then get in line and see the midnight premier! Chatter exitedly about it at 3 in the morning over pancakes at some all night diner, go back to hotel, get some sleep, get together for brunch, see a matinee to take it all in again! The rest of the weekend is still up in the air.

If we waited till after Christmas, the excitement about the movie would be less, but we might spend more time talking to each other... But then... we can talk to each other now! What do we think crew?

[2Jedismom]

"I have always thought..." 2JM blurts out to a stunned and silent gathering...

[HairOfTheDog]

Not stunned.... I am with you baby!

[HairOfTheDog]

Lets see, if it is a Wednesday Premier, then we would actually be flying in on a Monday night and getting together on Tuesday. The premier would be 12:01 AM of the Wednesday, not Wednesday night.

[JenB]

See, it would be... not too impossible for me to come in the weekend after Christmas, or after New Years, but before Christmas... I dunno. Maybe right after Christmas while I still am off work. I was thinking a "arrive Friday/party Saturday/leave Sunday" deal...

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

Left that behavior on the side of the road and never looked back except now and then to wonder "What was I thinking???"

Amen sister! And thanks for your openness. Glad to know there are some other abstainers and partial abstainers about. I have no problem with people drinking and enjoying themselves. Doesn't bother me a bit, but sometimes I think it bothers them that I'm not participating.

FWIW, the week between Christmas and New Year's is far and away the best time for me to entmoot. I would mix it in with a family vacation and with everyone off school at that time it would work great!

[Corin Stormhands]

sneak?

It has taken him...

[Corin Stormhands]

I think the whole "turning into a bear at night" thing hinders reproduction.

Does a Bear...um...reproduce in the woods?

[HairOfTheDog]

You have a whole year to plan for the time off!

But I suppose we will go with the majority rule! - I would be happy either way. I will likely be taking some extra days to go to Disney/Epcott and Kennedy Space Center and other things I would want to see in Florida. I would likely never get to Florida again, so while I am there, I want to see those things at least.

How about this.... Why don't I create a poll question with some options for dates, in the Yahoo Hobbit Hole? - Then we can pick from the top two, and decide based on people's definitive "cannot do" dates that we don't even know about yet.