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]

I guess I feel like getting lost in my car is OK because I am at least under my own power.

But my preference is cabs... For $5 (assuming short hops), a guy can just take me to a place name and I don't have to know how to get there! It works really well within compact cities like San Francisco where all the places you need to go are within a few miles... and a cab drives by every thirty seconds.

[2Jedismom]

You know me...always ready with a little story...

Anyway, here's a couple more...

Once when my parents and I were in London, we were trying to find someplace (can't remember what) and this person was standing near us, and apparently listening to us debate which way to go. We noticed that she kept edging nearer and nearer and finally she leaned in towards us and in a very proper voice said "You need to go he-ah" and point to this place on the map and then stepped away again. We thanked her profusely and went about our way.

Then, in DC during the inauguration, we found ourselves in a subway outlet that had a gazillion stairs and couldn't find the elevator. This was a problem, because of Joshua in his stroller. We were just going to take him out of his stroller at the base of the stairs and carry Josh and the stroller up, when suddenly this very large black woman flashed a grin at us and grabbed one end of the stroller and said "Come on, I've got this end!" I picked up the other end and up the stairs we went!

My conclussion is, there are just nice people all over the world ready to help.

[HairOfTheDog]

hehehe

When my boyfriend and I were in San Francisco, we didn't know where to go for night life... so we would call a cab, and ask the cab driver to take us to the fun place of his choice! If it didn't look like our kind of place, we would just hail another cab! - One of the drivers took us to a great little pub that we finally stayed at!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

"...when suddenly this very large black woman flashed a grin at us and grabbed one end of the stroller and said "Come on, I've got this end!" I picked up the other end and up the stairs we went!

My conclussion is, there are just nice people all over the world ready to help."

My only wish is that is wasn't so rare these days.

[Corin Stormhands]

My Dad refuses to drive in Boston. I used to fly in and out of Logan...

I thought I was a goner once on a cab ride from Logan to Copley Place.

Did you ever see Foul Play with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn? Remember the chase scene with the little Chinese couple in the back (Kojak?)...

[RosieCotton]

But my preference is cabs... For $5 (assuming short hops), a guy can just take me to a place name and I don't have to know how to get there!

Maybe next time I go to a big city, I'll try this...I've always been afraid to ride a cab, though! Just having to hail one, tell someone where you're going, know how much to pay and whether to tip or not or all that stuff...it's intimidating!

The subway was partly fun just because of all the people we saw. Lots of...ummm...characters right the subway, along with the business people, families, students, etc., etc. Bill and I were so excited when a few weeks later we saw an article that mentioned some of the same "characters" we'd seen!

And because we weren't let off right where we were going, we probably saw more things than we would have. Of course, we also wasted a lot more time than we would have, which wasn't altogether positive, I guess.

[Corin Stormhands]

Then, in DC during the inauguration, we found ourselves in a subway outlet that had a gazillion stairs and couldn't find the elevator.

Living in DC for 8 years I got pretty familiar with the Metro. I think I've mentioned this but the day of the Inauguration the transmission on my car went out in the Metro parking lot. The station manager helped us get it taken care of. While we were "chatting" I asked him what it was like when an administration changed. He said that every four years they have to train people again on how to use Metro...

[HairOfTheDog]

Just stand in the street and wave at them and an empty cab will stop... and the meter readout is there for you to see... so you can tell what it will add up to as you go. And I tip them, usually a buck... but sometimes just rounding up to the next dollar, sometimes $2 if the guy was giving his nightlife recommendations too!

They know where everything is, so you just have to say... take me to the Blue Theater, or Amigo's restaurant... And it seemed to me they went the most direct route and in SF, at about 45 mph!... so they didn't lolligag around to let the meter run... If he hurried, I tipped more. Maybe that is how it works

[Corin Stormhands]

Just stand in the street and wave at them and an empty cab will stop... and the meter readout is there for you to see... so you can tell what it will add up to as you go.

I haven't been in a cab in DC for years. But when we lived there the cab system was set up by zones. Drivers could charge you based on how many zones you went through. So they would take the long way around unless you knew to tell them better. My office was on the edge of a zone. If I walked to the corner, I would save $2.00 per cab ride. There was a lot of talk about going to a metered system. I don't know if they ever did.

[Corin Stormhands]

Ballistics tests have confirmed the Falls Church, VA shooting is the same shooter...

[ksen]

Ok folks, there has been a lot of questions about what exactly are we doing for Entmoot and when are we doing it.

Here is my understanding so far. If I am mistaken, or someone has a better idea please speak up.

1.) Entmoot will be in the Melbourne/Palm Bay FL area. The best movie theatre is in Melbourne and I live about 20 minutes away in Palm Bay.

2.) There are two hotels right next to the movie theatre. When we get a tentative headcount I will see what kind of deal I can get with the hotels and we can pick the best one.

3.) I will open my home to everyone to share meals in, we can watch FoTR and TTT at my house. I can see about renting some high quality video/audio equipment for a couple of days.

4.) We can use my home to have our meals and to just hang out if that is what you want to do.

5.) The only drawback some of you may find about my place is that we are a dry house. So no alcohol please. (What you do at the hotel or wherever else is none of my business.) ;^)

6.) I will do my best to arrange a shuttle launch, although since Dan Golden has left NASA I may not have that much pull. ;^)

7.) I will also contact the movie theatre and see if it would be possible for us to rent out a theatre for a day and see all three movies in the theatre.

8.) As far as side trips, my family and I can help you get the info you need in order to make your plans. And we would be more than happy to show you the beach. ;^)

That's all I can think of right now. As far as the timing of the Entmoot goes, we are currently voting over at the Yahoo site. I will be gone either the second or third week of January for my last class. Other than that any of the dates being voted on are ok with me.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks for laying all that out...

I think the offer of your house is generous, I would think though, that it would be a big burden for you to take on meals, even with our help and money, we may be a more work than we are worth. I want you and your wife to have a good time too, not be constantly playing host!

I would think we should get by eating most meals at the hotel or nearby restaurants, but if we end up at your place for watching the movies, then we would perhaps only have to worry about munchies, or perhaps a bunch of pizzas... In other words, IMHO we should keep it simple for you, and eat out most times...

[Corin Stormhands]

Thanks for outlining all of that. But I think Hair's right that we shouldn't expect to do all the meals at your place.

And don't worry about being a dry house. We can live with that (yes, g'nad, we can live with that)...

[Overtaxed]

We can always find something to launch from the beach!

[Corin Stormhands]

Well, we must have fireworks. Mustn't we?

[Corin Stormhands]

Moot sneak...

[Corin Stormhands]

Moot sneak...

[Corin Stormhands]

Moot sneak...

[Corin Stormhands]

Moot sneak...

[Corin Stormhands]

One more...